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Archive for category technology

Rebecca takes the FB plunge…

Mar 10

Posted by Adam in family, friends, technology | No Comments

After hearing me talk up social networking for the last six months, Rebecca explored Facebook for a couple of days using my Facebook account. I was okay with her perusing the site and even starting conversations with folks. But when she started initiating friend requests, I gently suggested that she open her own account! After all, she has a different network of friends.

After mulling it over (for a couple of seconds), Rebecca decided to open her own account! Yes, everyone, you can now find Rebecca on Facebook! She’s already made a billion connections and is starting to flirt with some of the (mostly time-wasting) applications…If you’re in Facebook and we haven’t become “friends,” look us up!

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Comic genius (well, not quite…)

Mar 8

Posted by Adam in comics, family, funny, technology | No Comments

bitstrips adam avatarNow here’s a fun new site: bitstrips.com. The site allows you to create a publish comics using their online character and strip editors. It’s still in beta, but I received an invite code just hours after submitting the request. It debuted at the SXSW conference today and the site has already been flooded with new authors.

Some of them are really funny! Read my comical debut based on a conversation I had with Becky yesterday. Leave a comment here or on bitstrips to let me know what you think!

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No More “Shaking it” Like a Polaroid…

Feb 13

Posted by Adam in technology | 2 Comments

polaroid cameraThe Washington Post reported over the weekend that Polaroid is ceasing production of the instant camera that made the company famous. Granted, this doesn’t really break my heart (I sold my Polaroid years ago after going digital), but still, it’s the end of an era, I suppose.

Does anyone actually use these any more? I remember getting my first Polaroid (many years after they had been on the market) and being thrilled…until I needed more film. Whoa! That will empty your wallet quickly!

Large, clear LCD displays on digital cameras and recent inventions like a Secure Digital (SC) card (the most popular digital memory card for digital cameras) with a built-in wi-fi antenna are transforming the options digital camera users have. These seem to preclude the need for the Polaroid altogether.

polaroid picturesBut being able to instantly see pictures on an admittedly decent-size LCD screen (or on a TV if you have the cable with you) or having your camera instantly upload photos to a web site isn’t the same as being able to see them instantly printed out on paper. And even the latest versions of “portable printers” aren’t very…portable. Tom and Molly on the Buzz Out Loud podcast astutely note that this leaves a key market open for developing a truly portable digital photo printer – perhaps even one built in to a camera? Would the expense of replacing ink (probably frequently) and paper become prohibitive?

So, do you miss the old days of Polaroid or are you fully embracing digital photography?

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Presidential candidates’ kids are blogging now?

Jan 20

Posted by Adam in politics, technology | No Comments

Have you heard that the kids of many of the presidential candidate’s are blogging, posting videos, and generally having a more public involvement in their parents’ political goals? Meghan McCain and the Romney brothers chronicle what it’s like to accompany their mom/dad on the campaign trail (and play the occasional practical joke), while Sarah Huckabee provided a candidate interview via YouTube.

These kids are engaging younger voters on “the issues,” and representing an aspect of the candidates that hasn’t been seen in previous elections. Sure, we’ve witnessed the occasional handshaking and smiling support as the spouse and kids stand in the background. But now it’s really getting interesting!

As a “web 2.0″ enthusiast, I find this trend intriguing. What influence will these kids have on the presidential race? Now that we, the American public, can witness first-hand how (dys) functional each potential first family really is, I think it will greatly color how we view each candidate. Does the kid sounds like a jerk or someone you’d like to hang out with? As my own children do, these political brood reflect the upbringing and personal investment of their parents. That, to me, speaks volumes more than simply seeing the voting record or promises of a politician.

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