Post by David Pierce. Find me on Twitter.
The world of social media is a lot of fun, and can be incredibly useful – it’s a great place to find new things, have conversations, and be a part of worlds you’d never get a chance to know otherwise.
Sometimes, though, being social isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Sometimes I don’t want people wading through and commenting on my bookmarks, or looking at pictures I only want my friends to see. I don’t want all my thoughts exposed to the world and discussed by the public at large. I just want to take advantage of all the things that the Web offers – universal access, synchronization, control over sharing (and not “control” like Facebook gives you). I want to be opted out, not opted in.
Post by David Pierce. Find me on Twitter.
First, let me just get this out of the way – I’m not suggesting that you travel digitally. Second Life is fun, and some websites have really realistic pictures of vacation spots, but nothing replaces the real thing. Yet.
What I am suggesting is that travel doesn’t have to be as stressful as it is. From the planning of the location, to the booking of the tickets, to the traveling itself, there are all kinds of annoying and frustrating obstacles that you’ll encounter. Luckily, there’s a digital answer to almost every one. With a new job myself, one that’s likely going to have me traveling a fair amount, I’ve been on a hunt for the best solutions to make every phase of the travel experience better.
Post by David Pierce. Find me on Twitter.
Reading websites, blogs, Twitter, Facebook and the like in a magazine-style format has become all the rage recently. The format is something of a reversion back to the layout we’re all used to, after reading newspapers and magazines (the dead-tree type. I know, old. But it’s cool and retro now, kind of like using old-timey headsets for your iPhone), but in a way that takes advantage of the new, faster technology we’re getting used to as well.
The basic function of a number of different apps (Flipboard, Early Edition, and Feedly to name a few) is the same – take your feeds or streams from sites like Twitter and Facebook, and lay them out like a magazine. The result is easy to read, much better to navigate, and makes a lot more sense to a reader than the never-ending streams that these apps normally default to.
Post by David Pierce. Find me on Twitter.
There’s no shortage of places to find cheap stuff on the Web – in fact, it’s hard not to find cheap things when you look for more than a quarter of a second.
The frustrating thing about those sites is almost always one of two things: there are either hoops that you’ll have to jump through to get these great deals, or the deals are for really, really crappy things. If you know what you want, finding a deal on it is usually possible (always, always Google “yourproductname coupons” before you buy something), but it’s harder when you’re not so sure. So how do you find cool stuff?
Post by David Pierce. Find me on Twitter.
For all the technological options out there, TV doesn’t seem likely to be unseated as the relaxation pastime of choice – I’m watching it right now, actually. (Side note: Pineapple Express? Not a good movie.) But for as much time as we spend watching and interacting with our TVs, it’s a surprisingly outdated and inefficient technology.
TV requires its own, annoying remote, can’t always handle apps or find content, and generally fails at helping you find what you’re looking for. Plus, most TVs are missing out on all the great things that we’re afforded by being connected to the Web.
Post by David Pierce. Find me on Twitter.
We begin today with a fun fact: when you drive, the thing you should do is drive. Not text, not read emails, not read Atlas Shrugged, not brush your teeth while doing your makeup. Crazy, right? Yet, somehow, I’ve seen all these things being done while the driver hurtles at unnatural speeds toward large objects both moving and inanimate.
There’s a balance to be struck somewhere between single-tasking on the road, and ultimate productivity. The balance, I think, is technology. There are a bunch of applications and services out there that will let you get done the things you need to get done, all while keeping your eyes and (most of) your focus on the road.
Post by David Pierce. Find me on Twitter.
Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and other social networks all have similar problems. Their practicality is hard to see (So I write about what I’m doing. Then magic happens, and I’m breaking news.), you need lots of people to use it, it feels like a huge time-suck, and they have some tough barriers to entry.
Here’s something that’s not hard to see the practicality of: social networking for things you’re doing. By “doing,” in this case, I mean what you’re watching, reading, listening to or playing. You tell the network what you’re doing, and it recommends more things for you to do, tells your friends what you’re into, and lets everyone curate their own list of favorite entertainment.
This post is by a new contributor to Digitizd, Bobby Grasberger. Bobby and I went to school together (and never met), and now live in the same city (and haven’t met). We’ll fix that soon. Look out for more from Bobby in the near future, and follow him on Twitter. (Also, quick aside: Bobby’s opinions are his own, and in no way represent those of the company he works for, R/GA, or its clients.)
Nobody carries cash anymore.
If you do, more power to you – but it’s not ubiquitous enough to count on these days. Credit and debit cards are great for places that accept them, and most stores and organizations do. Most people though, don’t. Every time you want to get paid back by your buddy who didn’t have cash for dinner, pay your roommate for rent or split the check at dinner, you’re trying to pay an individual.
You could use cash or check, but then someone has to either run to the ATM (and pay for crazy fees with no record of where the money is spent) or pay by check (whenever you have your checkbook with you – and hopefully you’ll remember to write the “who, when, why and how much” in your checkbook register). There’s a better way.
