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This message is from a Virgin Mobile customer. Enjoy.
This message is from a Virgin Mobile customer. Enjoy.
My two trusty tools: the VM Kyocera Wild Card and the Fly Ying F003. 
It's an interesting (and a great) time to be alive, as far as the ability for one to communicate goes... these days that's pretty far! The meshing of internet with mobile phone technology diminishes the space between us all quite impressively.
Last night on my Fly Ying phone I chatted with friends near and far, texted friends in some very faraway places, checked my e-mail, jumped on Yahoo Messenger for a minute, read the New York Times online, watched a youtube video and downloaded a couple of java games. Then, I looked through the directory that contains photos, deleting a few that I no longer needed, e-mailing a few others to friends and family, and sending a couple to my computer so I could put them on CD. All of this, on one little mobile phone!
The technology already exists and is available on that phone to use the device as a one-to-one or one-to-many video/audio broadcasting device. Not only that, when either cellular or internet technology or BOTH are NOT available, my phone can entertain me with audio (mp3s or built-in FM radio) or video (it can hold 5 full-length movies and has built-in TV) or eBook reader (I have two books and a dictionary loaded onto it). I can view saved webpages, play games or WRITE and save my work for later! Just 25 years ago, the ability to posess such a marvelous communications tool was at best a sci-fi dream, and now, it is here.
With the speed of the internet itself, the mobile phone industry is changing day-to-day. There are many among us who have not and probably will never have a land-line telephone. My advice, as always, is to keep an analog system as a back-up. Although the "Dark Angel" TV show is fictional, imagine the impact if some sort of pulse bomb succeeded in wiping out all electronic data!
Hand-powered Windup Mobile Phone Charger
Solar Charger from thinkawesome
Freeloader Solar phone charger
Mobiles are no longer a luxury. They are an absolute necessity. A Cell phone is also a fashion statement. The kind of phone a person carries speaks volumes about the person. This year the number of worldwide mobile phone users hit 4.6 billion people. Much of that growth has taken place in the developing world. And, as phones expanded in some countries, so did economic development.
Wordpress has launched two themes that will automatically be displayed when a Wordpress.com blog is accessed from a cell phone... the type of mobile phone a user employs dictates what the different blogs will look like, the company said in a blog post. Websurfers who access Wordpress.com blogs from their iPhone or Android-based devices will be able to access the particular blog's "posts, pages, and archives." WPtouch will also support AJAX-based "commenting and post-loading." Header images will be scaled to fit the device's screen. Those accessing blogs on other phones won't be treated to all the bells and whistles. According to the company, those visitors will see a simple page that focuses mainly on loading blog content as quickly as possible. *more on C-net In some countries, mobile telephones have been the driving force and social glue behind "flash mob" gatherings.
The American book and TV series "Gossip Girl" demonstrated the power of electronic communication slightly ahed of the curve when it was first introduced. I guess Dick Tracy's two-way wrist radio was cast from a similar mold. People have WANTED to communicate and be informed like this for years and years! NOW is the time! The trend hasn't caught on just yet in North America (although I recently signed up for mobile banking with my financial institution) but Mobile phones are also being used to transact business. " The continual expanding coverage and use of wireless mobile devices such as mobile phones in developing regions such as Africa and South East Asia, are leading to increased applications to deliver financial services, especially to those in remote regions and whose low income have typically excluded them from the traditional banking system." Mexico Eyes Mobile Phones To Boost Financial Service Use - WSJ.com The blog Crisscrossed details what makes the mobile phone so important. I've rewritten the original post to explain, from my point of view, what the mobile phone has done for me, both personally and professionally.
But what makes mobile phone so special? It is so especial because it combines all former media, such as telephone, Internet, and even radio and television, and because one can: So a passive recipient can become an active user or citizen. The excellent Pomise of Ubiquity report from Internews has some fascinating statistics such as the different media access. In most countries, 2008 signified a turning point as more people owned mobile phones than televisions. So, the mobile phone becomes a key instrument to receive information via Internet, listen to radio (FM mobile phone) and watch videos although the latter has not worked yet and is unrealistic due to high costs. Location-based services will be very promising. “A world in which nearly everyone owns a mobile linked into networks advanced enough to offer video and location-based services is years, not decades, away.” Internews Different spheres of mobile activism I looked, during my presentation, at political activism and focused on four different spheres and examples even though there is still a lot more happening (and much more in many African countries than in Europe). Challenges Unfortunately, there are numerous challenges to mobile activism in Africa and, therefore, it is even more incredible how many initiatives are happening. Just to name a few:
Patrick Meier, from the group DigiActive, argues that people can now become activists simply by using a mobile phone. Portable telephones have been employed to organize and coordinate protests – specifically in the Philippines, Spain and Pakistan. Mobile phones have also been used to document human rights abuses, in Egypt, Tibet and Morocco. Cell phone sales inch up in third quarter 9 Examples of innovative tools for the mobile phone Girl attempts suicide in Jammu and Kashmir over sim card Stop Positioning Mobile Phone as a Mere Tool for Entertainment and KIT
Tags: mobile phones, cell phones
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This message is from a Virgin Mobile customer. Enjoy.
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This message is from a Virgin Mobile customer. Enjoy.
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This message is from a Virgin Mobile customer. Enjoy.
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This message is from a Virgin Mobile customer. Enjoy.
- Mood:
relaxed
Creative SEO wrote an interesting post on Twitter Down, Facebook is Running Slow as Twitter users flood server
Here’s a quick excerpt
One problem with this tactic, Facebook is grinding under the pressure and yes you guessed it, its up and down more times than a yoyo at a pro yoyo convention. Facebook is struggling under the pressure and we have been receiving reports …
Read the rest of this great post here: Twitter Down, Facebook is Running Slow as Twitter users flood server
- Location:Albany NY
- Mood: amused
- Music:TV's on at the moment...
This message is from a Virgin Mobile user. Enjoy.
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The caption says "hold this image close to your face and STARE through it as if looking off into the distance. The image will look blurry. Try not to blink. Move the box VERY SLOWLY away from your face until the image gradually comes into focus and the object magically appears." Hmmmm... wonder if this technique could be used to influence one's thoughts?
National Public Radio (NPR) ratings have increased steadily since 2000, and they've managed to hold on to much of their 2008 election coverage listenership bump (with over 26 million people tuning in each week so far in 2009), unlike many of their mainstream media counterparts. Compared to cable news, where most networks are shedding viewers, and newspapers, where circulation continues to plummet, public radio appears to doing a lot better at it than the rest of the traditional media. I don't believe its what NPR or PRI or Radio Pacifica is doing differently. I think the key is what public radio is doing BETTER.
Case in point, the station I work for, WAMC, is a REGIONAL news powerhouse. In the unique
Upstate New York / Capital Region area, people have what I refer to as "regional alliances." You know people like that: your buddies who travel to the City whenever they get the chance. Your co-workers who root for the Boston Red Sox. Your neighbors who take regular trips up to Montreal. The people at church who are heading out to the Utica Zoo this weekend. Not to mention those who work in state government, hailing from all 4 compass points! Then there's the "Berkshires" crowd, and the Saratoga art and track patrons, etc. etc. etc.
In my opinion, WAMC is successful because it localizes the regionality… where else on the radio dial could you hear current temperatures for Albany, Glens Falls, Utica and Plattsburgh during a newscast?
According to NPR CEO Vivian Schiller, the network has a culture incredibly devoted to local coverage. "To me, local is the big play, because local commercial radio has abandoned the local market. Local newspapers are withering or sometimes dying. The big national media companies, including excellent ones like The New York Times, cannot afford to be covering every single community. So that leaves a big, gaping hole to serve Americans' local coverage," (that's what she told mediabistro.com in April!)
Published reports say NPR has a "three-prong strategy" including a focus on LOCAL newsgathering and informational coverage as well as adoption of social media. WAMC excels in both areas, but that unique twist, that ability to "localize the regionality" is what propels 90.3 into the stratosphere. So you have a great radio station, a great internet presence and a truly local "personality" (if radio stations can have personalities) that instantly befriends any listener.
The only other public radio station that makes me feel welcome anytime I tune in is WFUV down in New York City. What NPR has become aware of, and what WAMC has been channeling so remarkably, is what some industry folk refer to as "hyperlocal content." The Capital - Saratoga - Central NY - NYC area is so unique that I don't believe what WAMC does would work anyplace else.
According to mashable.com, Alex Iskold, the CEO of semantic web application company AdaptiveBlue, in 2007 predicted the rise of hyperlocal information, indicating that extremely targeted local advertising could be the path forward for the ad industry.
"Despite globalization, hyperlocal information is very valuable both to people and advertisers. In the coming years, we will be seeing the rise of a new way to look at information - geography. Inspired by utility and the promise of hyperlocal advertising, startups are racing to build businesses that deliver highly relevant, local information to users," he wrote.
Mashable.com also takes note of another aspect of NPR's winning approach: their adoption of social media. NPR is one of the few mainstream media organizations that is leading the charge in social media channels. Their Twitter account has over 780,000 followers, making it one of the top 25 on the social network (and third among news organizations behind only the New York Times and CNN). Their Facebook Page has over 400,000 fans. Mashable.com goes on:
…NPR has embraced social media in more ways than just having an active presence on top social media channels. They've also put social media to work for them. In October of 2008, for example, NPR asked listeners to factcheck the US Vice Presidential debates and communicate findings via a Twitter (Twitter reviews) hashtag. And in February, NPR's social media strategist (@acarvin) talked about Twitter on air, including hundreds people tweeting back comments in the conversation. Their conclusion? Twitter lets us all share the media consumption experience together, and that's a very positive thing.
NPR (and WAMC) don't stop at social networking, either - their social media efforts extend to podcasts, blogs, mobile apps, and even their own social network. NPR has been recognized for these efforts year after year with multiple Webby Awards.
NPR's 26.4 million weekly listeners are 11 times more than the daily circulation of USA Today, and greater than 9 times more than the prime time viewership of the #1 cable news channel in the US, Fox News. They have 860 local stations in their member network and operate 38 news bureaus around the world - 18 in foreign markets, which is greater than any other news gathering organization. NPR's amazing growth over the past 10 years prompted FastCompany magazine in March to call NPR the "most successful hybrid of old and new media," and wonder if NPR could be the savior of the news industry.
THIS IS THE IMPORTANT SENTENCE:
And they owe that success to the culture of open access and audience participation that they've cultivated over the past decade.
WAMC has been doing that for MORE than a decade! Where else could you get a mix of national, world and local programming including LOCAL news as well as reports from BBC and NPR?
- Location:Albany NY
- Mood: good
- Music:Chester French
The title of this post is a line I've imported from a Blondie song. It just seems to fit my general feeling today. Today I'm in Manhattan, and a look at the newspaper reminds one of the great POLITICAL distance between New York City and Albany. The NY Post pulling no punches, hammering Governor David Paterson and his sudden slam-dunk Senate pick Kirsten Gillibrand and the now-indicted former Senator Joe Bruno. The paper predicts that, like the terminator, Andrew Cuomo and Caroline Kennedy "will be back" when time comes. The Post: Gov Says Caroline Turned 'Nasty'... NYDN: ..underwhelmed from the startUp in Albany, talk has already shifted away from politics to basketball, as UAlbany and Siena play home games this weekend. The Times Union has game updates, results and photos at:Siena and UAlbany as well as the TU SportsBlog
The newspapers also reflect the continuing decline of the economy: The Post has three timely articles - one about layoffs at public television station WNET/13, another about Girl Scout Cookies being downsized, and another about the MTA giving toolbooth attendants the boot as more motorists switch to E-ZPass.
And in the Nation's Capitol: OBAMA VS. RUSH IN NEW MEDIA WAR
Labels: Capital Region, MainStreamMedia, New York City, politics, Radio, Sports, TV
- Location:New York City
- Mood:Walking on imported air
- Music:Rihanna on the Radio
A few weeks ago I published an article entitled "The Situation" on my blog*spot blog. This was before the conflict escalated in Israel. In the post, I noted that there are some who would argue that the Middle East is setting the stage for the next (last?) major World war. There are others who invoke the biblical warning of "wars and rumours of wars."
In his newspaper column, Israeli Nechemia Meyers writes about the range of terrorist rockets: "According to maps we see almost every evening on TV, it now reaches only a dozen kilometers south of Rehovot, where we live. There is no reason to doubt that it will soon reach us too."
Meyers brought something very interesting up... it reminds me of the argument people use here in the US sometimes. You'll see Pakistani and Indian businessmen and women coming to New York, living in cramped quarters with several others, working two or three jobs and saving that money for a year or two. Then they buy into a business: a convenience store, pizza shop or gas station. Observers then attack less fortunate Americans with the argument "if they can do it, and they can barely speak English, why can't YOU?" Anyway - here's what Meyers writes about the Palestinians in Gaza: "They are still there after six decades because their Arab brothers want them to be there (emphasis mine). Rich, underpopulated Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States could easily absorb them as they have absorbed untold thousands of Indians, Pakistanis, Thais, Filipinos and others, who do work that could be done by Palestinians. But most of the Arab states would rather have the Gazans remain a festering sore in Israel's south rather than to rehabilitate them as Israel has done with Jews from Arab countries... One can only dream of another scenario, one in which peace and cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians would make life easier on both the frontlines and the home front." Isn't that what all "ordinary citizens, everyday people" really want? Peace and cooperation? Can the leaders not make it so?
I've thought this out a bit farther in the interests of clarifying something. Follow me now:
- In the U.S.A. blacks have been socially disadvantaged for many years.
- The Civil Rights Movement (inlcuding the JFK era and the social disorder that raged thru the later sixties into the early seventies) paved the way for many changes which
- really started to "set" during the mid-1970s when there was increased interracial activity on may fronts.
- As the harsh reality of the 1980s set in and hip-hop was born, an mist of hopelessness settled over many inner-city neighborhoods, while at the same time, Indian and Pakistani people (along with other foreigners) came to the States and began to establish the businesses mentioned above.
Even now, many of the poor black families in the US share a common bond with the Palestinians in Gaza. Although other Arab countries could give the Gazans jobs, they choose not to. Although the United States could give jobs (training and loans) to black citizens, those jobs and benefits are going to foreigners. Something is wrong with both pictures.
- Location:Albany NY
- Mood:intense
- Music:TV: "Human Trafficking" on IONtv
- Location:New York City
- Mood: chipper
- Music:All That I Want (Weepies)
Dear Readers (Blogders!) -You may have noticed a bit of tinkering and experimentation going on. It's ALL good! I'm trying to "stitch my online presence together" Google/Blogger ---> MyBlogLog/Yahoo! ---> LiveJournal ---> MySpace ---> FaceBook ---> LinkedIn ETC.
FIRST a WARM WELCOME to NEW READERS!
Next: It's THAT time of year, when I solicit other bloggers to contribute "guest posts" to run on my blogspot blog during the holiday season! Contact me!
I'm seeing more in the way of "comments" and that's good. I'm also seeing folks come in and use the Haloscan comments like a Cbox or TagBoard, and that's also good! Better yet, I've added a C-Box and a Google Interactive box to encourage more readers to use my blogspot blog as a forum.
I've gotten rid of box at the top of the sidebar where you could enter your email addy and get nightly updates / summaries of this blog. I've seen this recommended by many other bloggers, so naturally I was curious to see how it will work here. It didn't. I almost installed the MyBlogLog widget that shows previous posts (actually, I DID install it for a few hours) but then I realized that there's already a "previous posts" section in the sidebar!
Scroll down a bit (on blogspot) and you'll notice "Dave Lucas' Shared Items" which comes your way via my Google Reader, so I can direct and recommend articles on other people's blogs without having to log in and post an entry.
I'm trying to figure out if I can add a MyBlogLog widget on my LiveJournal blog! anyone?
You'll also notice (on blogspot) different "counters" and "rankers" which are really more for my benefit than yours, so I can get a feel for what's happening with this blog. I've signed up for but haven't fully initiated some "microblogging" features... there's also a little icon under my photo that says "mobile" which is how you can carry and view my blog wherever you go on your iPhone!
I'm also on MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn... (love those "social networks") I'm putting more effort into the LiveJournal blog, where you're beginning to see stuff you won't see on my blogspot.
In the months to come, I'm hoping to get LOTS more in the way of interaction and participation from readers and other bloggers. Your feedback is ALWAYS welcome!
Feel free to share your feedback with me by leaving me a comment using either "comments" feature below. If you have any questions, I’ll be happy to help answer them for you. Take a moment to subscribe to my RSS Feed and be sure to start following me on Twitter.
Now, here's a few things I noticed going on in the blogosphere:
A Cuban blogger meet-up scheduled for Saturday is in danger of being cancelled by the authorities. Eduardo Avila reports.
Blogger feng37 posts on a new wave of control over media in China:
Homero shares his Mom's recipe for the Nicaraguan dish Mondongo Soup.
This article cross-posted on blogspot & MySpace!
- Location:NYC
- Mood: hopeful
- Music:Eagles of Death Metal / "Now I'm A Fool"
- Mood:
curious
Beyoncé - If I Were A BoyBeyonce gets all sexy senorita on the Spanish rendition of her latest smash 'If I Were A Boy'. With a new album and two movies on the horizon, it appears the "Season of Beyonce" has begun. It's all in the MARKETING, folks!
Beyonce in rehab - but only to research her latest film role...
TI fends off Beyonce
Beyonce Debuts At #1
Beyonce GQ Pictures December 2008
People seem to have an obscene fascination with seeing pictures of celebrities minus make-up. Okay, so here goes a few of Beyonce, the popular singer.
masala4maza: Beyonce Robot Gloves Photo and Video
And the wannabees are waiting in the wings: Leona Lewis 'Inspired' By Beyonce, Sets US Deluxe Album Release
To the left, to the left! Hey Beyonce! The glue is pulling that wig to the left! (Check out the wrinkles near her eye).
By the way friends, I'm at 2,350 posts and counting on this blog alone! Whew!
Tags: Beyoncé, Beyonce
Labels: Bloggers, Blogs, Celebrities, Entertainment, Film, MainStreamMedia, Marketing, Pop Culture, Radio, web 2.0, YouTube
- Location:Albany, NY
- Mood:
annoyed - Music:If I Were A Boy
The New York Times reviews a book called Eat This, Not That!, a nutrition guide full of images of foods you shouldn't eat and their healthier substitutes. The book also has a section highlighting 20 of the country's worst foods, and the article republishes eight of them, categorized with names like "worst fast food meal" and "worst drink". The "winners"?Worst Fast Food Meal: McDonald's Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips with creamy ranch sauce. Chicken sounds healthy, but not at 870 calories.Worst Drink: Jamba Juice Chocolate Moo'd Power Smoothie. With 166 grams of sugar, you could have had eight servings of Ben & Jerry's.Worst Supermarket Meal: Pepperidge Farm Roasted Chicken Pot Pie. One pie packs 64 grams of fat.Worst "Healthy" Burger: Ruby Tuesday Bella Turkey Burger. With 1,145 calories, not a very healthy choice.Worst Airport Snack: Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll. Packed with 813 hot gooey calories and 5 grams of trans fats.Worst Kids' Meal: Macaroni Grill Double Macaroni 'n Cheese. With 62 fat grams, it's the equivalent of 1.5 full boxes of Kraft Mac 'n Cheese.Worst Salad: On the Border Grande Taco Salad with Taco Beef. A salad with 102 grams of fat and 2,410 mg of sodium.Worst Dessert: Chili's Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream. At 1,600 calories, it's like eating the caloric equivalent of three Big Macs.
So, out of curiosity—any of your "diet" staples make the list? Let's hear how you fared, along with your votes for worst foods, in the comments.
- Location:NYC
- Mood:working
- Music:Dixie Chicks
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