Twitter on a Handshake

  Andrew Dymski is a Senior Marketing Major at Grove City College in western Pennsylvania, and Twitter is something that shows up in his every day life. In the video that follows, Andrew articulates his perspective and integration of Twitter in his everyday, professional, and academic life.

  Andrew was observed in his habits on Twitter, and an interview was conducted to evaluate his use. Dymski sees immense value in learning from Twitter, and its nearly endless potential as a resource. Articles and tips posted on twitter often offer simple advice for marketing efficiency, and how to be a better citizen on twitter and on other social media outlets.

 Examples of effective tweets and shared resources are shown below, as cited by Andrew:

http://www.thedigitalbus.com/10-reasons-ford-motor-company-and-michigan-state-university-football-dominate/

http://blog.journalistics.com/2010/top-5-newspaper-and-magazine-ipad-apps/

  

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/26-twitter-tips-for-enhancing-your-tweets/

The Basics:

   Andrew describes in general his use and view on twitter, along with a few examples of worthwhile people he follows. Twitter serves as a way to easily search a stream of information for relevant and pertinent information. This can prove invaluable in many aspects of life.

Technology Shapes Ideas, Actions, and Routines:
   Twitter has been a major changing factor in his daily life. It "transforms and shapes your life" based on the media that is made available, and the interaction that is required.

 Twitter is a Classroom:
   A forum of constant communication, twitter opens doors to conversations which maintain complexity in a simple venue. It is interesting to see an example of knowledge being shared in and out of the classroom. Henry Jenkins would find this to be accurate; that sometimes we learn more our of the classroom than in it.

It is an Investment:
   Twitter enables users to invest in their interests, build rapport with specialized communities, and hear directly from people who are experts in their fields. Personal conversation is enabled with those who would otherwise be unreachable.





















Twitter on a Handshake:
Dymski concludes on the value of twitter to him, and the rejuvenation of "business on a handshake." Red tape is cut as consumers are able to contact CEO's directly, and have concerns addressed publicly by corporations. This more personal form of businesses forces the faces to rise from the surface in the big corporations who once seemed to be only one unit, rather than a more "humanized form." This "digital handshake" brings back the level of relation that was once only had by mom and pop stores in small towns.





   Twitter is a unique service, and has come a long was since launching in 2006. The interesting thing about twitter is that the majority of its value is found in the content posted by the users, and their subsequent responses. The immense resources available in real-time over twitter create a thought-provoking and academic atmosphere.
   In the case of Andrew Dymski, Twitter is invaluable on a academic, professional, and personal level. It enables him to communicate with companies, experts, friends, family, teammates, and the media--all in one venue. Every person has a seat to listen and a podium upon which to stand and speak. Those who are interested will listen, and those who are uninteresting will quickly find that nobody is listening at all. The dynamic environment of twitter is one of value and intrigue, and while it may be a passing fad, it has proven itself worthy of scholars, celebrities, students, and fans alike for the time-being. 

iPod Touch (2010): Our Take on Apple's Latest and Greatest.

   Well, its here. A forth generation iPod touch has been purchased and is ready to be reviewed. Here is our review:

Design
   This product is designed beautifully, but is not very different from the design of the previous generation. The back now has a flat surface on the back so that it can sit without spinning in circles. The shiny, curved back is getting old, and this iPod is too thin. Offering a device that is the size of the iPhone 4, with a similar form-factor, would allow for a larger battery and a better, more secure feel in the hand. Overall, this is a very attractive device that fits into the pocket nicely, but users are tired of dealing with the shiny, polished surfaces that attract fingerprints.

   The degree of thinness impaired the ability to use the iPod with ease. The beveled edges combined with sloped volume and sleep buttons make one-handed use nearly impossible. A case or a skin to give it more bulk and/or grip may be something to consider.

The Retina Display:

The resolution on this screen is insane, and almost unnecessary.

   Wow, this thing is glorious. The pixels are so dense, and the colors are so bright. This screen is the more beautiful than can be found on most other devices. It is like touching something that is more than just a screen. Pictures and video jump, and really make help to make it a worthy investment over the older models.

   The first unit that we reviewed had a dead pixel and was returned to the retailer. This does not appear to be a widespread issue, but it is worth noting. The second unit has no such issue.

The Cameras

This Camera is much different than the one that the iPhone 4 offers. 

   The cameras are a welcome addition to the line of iPod touches. The rear-facing camera allows 720p HD video at 30 frames per second. With the purchase and addition of iMovie for iOS devices ($4.99), the user is very easily able to create and edit a video with music, titles, subtitles, and multiple clips. This option is practically unrivaled in today's market, even with standalone computer applications. Often times, after editing, one must load the clips onto a computer and edit them there, but it is extremely useful to be able to shoot, edit, and export in a simple, intuitive nature. iMovie would be so much better if it were simply included with the iPod touch.

See an example of a video shot and edited on the iPod Touch at this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTdNJ8V3ScE

   it is disappointing to find that the music plays in mono sound in the videos edited in iMovie. There is no known way around this.

   Unfortunately, the still images that this camera takes are far less impressive than the iPhone 4. It seems that because this unit is so thin, Apple was unable to use a sensor and lens that is of the same quality of the iPhone 4. As a result, the rear-facing camera only takes .7 MP pictures. Instead of compromising on size, they compromised on picture quality. This is a big mistake in the long run.

   The front-facing camera is the same as the one featured on the iPhone 4 and will serve well as a video conferencing camera.



iOS 4.1

    iOS 4.1 is a more than welcome upgrade to iPod Touches everywhere. When combined with the A4 processor, the interface is refined and efficient to use. Processes are not cumbersome or overly taxing. It is great to see multitasking work well after such a long, and perhaps unnecessary wait. The ability to change the background of the home screen is a welcome feature as well. It is a great way to personalize the device, and make it slightly more aesthetically pleasing.

   Apple has done a great job in iOS 4 to take advantage of the high resolution retina display. Every Apple-made Application sports a hi-resolution icon and interface, and is very pleasing to the eye.

   In addition to FaceTime, apple has added a "Game Center" application in order to promote continued growth and community interactions on the iPod touch. Also, users will find the "Voice Memos" application much more useful after the addition of a built-in microphone.

Conclusion
   The 4th Generation iPod touch is an outstanding product and a worthy upgrade from a 1st or 2nd Generation touch. The addition of the cameras, an upgraded screen and processor, and iOS 4 make this a killer product for a reasonable price. The 4th Generation iPod touch is available now in 8GB, 32GB, and 64GB models.

Grooveshark vs. Pandora.

Many online music services have been competing over the years to allure users into listening to music on the internet for free, while also offering an ad-free and more feature rich version for a small fee. Several options, including Pandora, advertise being "internet radio", where the user defines the genre played based on a sample song.

Grooveshark (try it here) is a totally different animal with a whole new degree of selection and endless possibilities. Unlike Pandora, in Grooveshark one can search for particular artists and songs, listen to it on repeat, and skip songs as often as he/she would like. Additionally, this music service has sought to implement a solid social networking aspect which, for the most part, has succeeded in full. People who are friends can create and share playlists, and find new music in ways that was not possible before. Compared to other services, this is a huge leap forward.

Pandora begins to seem a bit less attractive in light of this competition. One finds him or herself frustrated with the limitations and constraints of Pandora, while other services are able to do what Pandora says is simply not possible. But, there are advantages to Pandora. For one, it is much less involved. Simply enter a song/artist and it creates an endless playlist of songs similar to the original. This is great for driving and playing on a mobile device. Mobile listening is another major benefit of Pandora. The application and data access from Pandora's end is free and very usable (given the varying data charges on your smartphone's plan). With Grooveshark, only subscribers ($3/Month) can use the mobile application, and the application itself (we used blackberry), is clunky and very difficult to navigate.

When it comes down to it, there is no easy way to decide which service is superior. Both online music services provide different features for a different set of needs. Pandora is great to turn on during a casual game of cards, while driving, or just when music is the last thing on your mind. Grooveshark, on the other hand, is for the more involved user looking to control every song that they listen to in a given amount of time. Both of these tools are great free alternatives to spending significant amounts of money on music, and may prove to not only be the primary way of listening to music in the future, but also expand into a highly-competitive, consumer-friendly market. Additionally, we feel that since Grooveshark is free, and that it allows such a wide selection with so few limitations, it is likely to reduce the amount of piracy.

Opinion: How Low Can You Go-How Microsoft's Unethical Business Practices and Automatic Renewal Services Have Lost Me as a Customer Forever.

On June 12th of this year, I decided to take advantage of a great deal offered by a sponsor of Xbox Live; $1 for a One Month Gold Subscription. What did I get? A month of Xbox Live Gold, and two months of $8 Xbox Live. By the end of the first month, I was done with playing Xbox Live and forgot about it. I returned to work, and got into playing games on the Playstation Network instead.

Two months later, when reviewing my spending online, I noticed a discretely named charge titled "MICROSOFT BILLING". A week later, when i concluded that this was a recurring fee for Xbox Live, I called customer service and was told that when enrolling in the promotion, i agreed-at some point- to using all features offered for Xbox Live Gold members. One "feature" of which is automatic subscription renewal of the full $7.99 monthly fee without any notice or statement. I received no confirmation emails or reminders that i was being charged. Meanwhile, my xbox was unplugged from the Internet and i had no idea of the near $16 that had disappeared from right under my nose.

After being told this, I immediately instructed them to terminate my subscription, and was told that they would be unable to remove my credit card information, and that I would have to remove that myself, after the account is cancelled, online. Additionally, when I requested a refund of the money they charged from my account without authorization, they refused. The supervisor i spoke with refused as well. The generic, scripted responses, strict protocols, and half-hearted, empty apologies I was given were beyond frustrating. The fact that Microsoft feels the need to not only charge for online gaming, but also create so many loops to deactivate a subscription is despicable.

One of the agents was kind enough to instruct me in the future that i should "not use a credit card" if I did not want my subscription to auto-renew, and told me that I should have used a purchased subscription card.

In the end, I placed a 7 minute phone call with PNC Bank to dispute the combined charges of $15.98, and saw a refund processing on my account within the hour. Thank you PNC Bank!

The Way We Listen is the Way We are Seen.

Cans, Earbuds, Headphones, In-Ears, Speakers; these are the devices that translate our media into an experience, something that is heard. For decades, the headphones a person wore has defined them in their taste, class, and style. In the past decade, with the introduction of the Apple iPod, earbuds have taken off, creating a market with a fast and colorful market for an item that at one point in time was seen as being inferior. For the most part, these tiny plastic speakers are cheap, feature lesser sound quality, and are completely avoided by true audiophiles. 

When Apple began shipping the iPod, included was a cheap pair of white headphones. The genius part was this; they were white. A simple color choice spurred the craze and desire of people to have an iPod. These earbuds were unique, and having the white cord hanging down into your pocket represented the hi-tech Mp3 player in your pocket. Apple capitalized on this in the best way possible by featuring the iPod and the vividly-white earbud in a series of insanely colorful silhouette commercials of youthful people rocking out to crazy music.

Today it seems that every kind of headphone or earbud makes a statement. Which one defines you?

The Classic Earbud: You enjoy music as much as you do the portability of your headphones. Quality is not your biggest concern, and sometimes you are looking to make a fashion statement.

Noise Isolation/in Ear Headphones: These provide better sound quality than most earbuds, and are much more portable than Cans. These are fashionable like earbuds, but also let people know that you are serious about the purity of the music you listen to.

Cans: These standard over-the-head, over-the-ear headphones are for the aspiring music enthusiast and audiophile. The top-notch volume and sound quality in select models are unrivaled by any other type of headphone.

Noise-Cancelling Headphones: Great for studying and traveling, these headphones are often big like cans, but have an algorithm that cancels outside noise from being heard by the wearer. When implemented well, these headphones work great on planes and in cars to prevent constant noise caused by the engine and road noise.

Headphones not only give insight into your lifestyle, but also show how serious you are about the music that you listen to, and the quality that you choose to hear it in. It is important to choose based on your needs and desires, in order to be satisfied when using them.

The Amazon Kindle; a Flawed Beauty in an Imperfect World.

When the Kindle was announced in November of 2007, the world didn't exactly know how to respond. The convenience of a device that could put more books in the palm of your hand than even your home bookshelf could hold. All of these books, purchased from the Kindle Store, were to be delivered over the sprint wireless data network to your device in minutes, with no additional monthly charge. Meanwhile, the cost was daunting, costing a whopping $399 upon first release; this was quite an investment for something that is not entirely necessary for reading.

Since then, the second and third generation kindles have been announced. The larger, and also recently-updated DX version (with a 2.5x larger screen than 6" version) appeals to a niche crowd looking to read media-rich content, or .pdf files with ease and comfort, despite the added bulk and larger size of the device. The latest Kindle, unofficially named the Kindle 3, features a smaller form factor, an e-ink display with 50% better contrast, 4Gb of built-in, non-expandable memory, a wi-fi only option, and is available in graphite or white.
But how does the Kindle fit into every day life? Is it worth the new $139 or $189 price point for the wifi-only, and 3G global wireless options, respectively? The convenience of an e-reader is unrivaled by books. Almost anyone would give up carrying books to carrying around a pencil-thick reading device. Ultimately the drawbacks for people come down to several things:

1. The Price- It is hard for people to justify spending almost $200 on a device to read books when they can go to their library and do it for free. Additionally, the books being sold in the Kindle store are often about the same price as they are in print. It becomes difficult to justify spending money to spend more money.
2. People Love Books- People love turning, feeling, creasing, and smelling actual pages. In fact, this is what people worry about the most when deciding whether to get an e-book reader.
3. Page Numbers- This is a huge drawback for students. Without page numbers on this Kindle, how is one to complete a reading assignment for a class if all that is given is "Read pages 80-200"? While I understand this would be hard to implement given the feature that allows different font sizes, it is absolutely necessary to have page numbers for scholarly reading and citing.
4. The Selection- While the Kindle boasts a large collections of books "delivered in 60 seconds", many books are not offered in the store. Some publishers do not agree to publish their books digitally on this kindle store. This can be frustrating; especially when books like the Harry Potter series are not offered, and you really want them on your kindle.
5. DRM- Digital Rights Management (or DRM) is the restrictive coding that links the books purchased with the amazon account and the kindles associated with it. This limits your rights to fair-use, which as applied in print books, would allow you to sell or give away a book after reading it. With the Kindle, there is no way to legally give away or lend your books without the device and the account going with it. Frustrating.

All around the Kindle is a great device. But what is the price for convenience? In the end very little is saved on books, and when finished with a book, there is no legal way to easily share or transfer ownership to other kindle users. In the end, life with a Kindle is the most convenient way to read books, magazines, and newspapers. The wireless delivery, and outrageous capacity for books is more than anyone would need to satisfy their reading desires, and will prove invaluable for someone who reads more than ten books per year.