Category Archives: Gadgets & Apps

All posts that don’t obviously fit in one of the sub-categories go here.

Shareaholic

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For me the web has always been about discovering and sharing interesting stuff. That was a big part of why I started this little blog. The web is now much more than pages like this and sharing has gotten a lot easier, thanks to tools like browser extensions (sometimes called plug-ins). Little bits of code that allow you to do something from within your web browser.

My menu bar might have have a dozen of these little widgets. But I’ve found one that combines some of my favorites and I had to –that’s right– share it with you. Shareaholic.

Let’s say I come across an article and want to share a passage. I can email it; post it here; create a tweet; save it to Instapaper to read later; add to my Google shared items; or just create a short url for that page.

Shareaholic makes my browser (Chrome) just that much more valuable.

 

The end of radio coverage maps?

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A radio station coverage map is just what it sounds like: a cirle showing how far your station’s signal reaches. The bigger the circle the better. Now a new BMW option might make coverage maps less important (obsolete?)

Yes, I know, not everyone can afford a BMW but is there any doubt this technology will find its way into every vehicle? Not for moi.

Mark Ramsey sees the car as “a digital lifestyle accessory” and wonders how broadcasters fit into the consumer’s mobile digital lifestyle?

“Maybe it’s with unique and exclusive content. Maybe it’s with digital bells and whistles that make your content sing. It’s not with the same old same old. And no number of debates about FM on mobile phones will solve this problem for you.”

On more than one occasion I’ve wondered what would I do to stay fresh and relevant if I were running a radio station. How might I insure that my station was on that BMW dashboard/iPhone? And I don’t have a good answer. But smarter folks than I are figuring this out.

Garageband on the iPad

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I fiddled around with Garageband when I got my first MacBook but couldn’t really figure out much to do with it. Figured it was just for musicians. Today I tried out the new iPad app and discovered a completely different experience.

First, there’s something about using your fingers that just seemed so much more intuitive than a cursor. And they’ve made the iPad app for people like me who can’t read a note of music or carry a tune.

I’ve only started playing with Garageband so won’t attempt a review, they must be all over YouTube and the Apple website. But here’s my first effort.

AUDIO: Bust-A-Bean (The Coffee Zone Song)

Growing up with the iPhone

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The iPhone belongs to the little girl’s mother but one assumes she’ll have her own (or her mom won’t). They’re watching YouTube videos (I believe I hear the lilting strains of “Friday”).

The iPhone will be a transparent part of their lives (rather than the magical device it is for us). As adults, they’ll laugh at the quaint old iPhones of their youth (think rotary dials and party lines). How they will communicate in that oh-so-close future, I cannot imagine.

Onswipe. Flipboard for WordPress

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If –as I believe to be the case– most folks will do their web surfing on a tablet device (probably an iPad), I want to be ready. The minimalist theme (Thesis) I have on smays.com looks fine in a browser on the iPad but there’s more to it than that.

You just interact differently with the iPad: leaning back, swiping with your fingers, sharing on Facebook and Twitter… it’s a different experience and –for many– a better browsing/reading experience. Which brings me to Onswipe, a WordPress plug-in that optimizes your blog for a tablet. Think Flipboard.

I’ve only played with Onswipe for an hour or so but can already see a number of changes I’ll be making in coming days and weeks. The plug-in is new and still needs a few tweaks but I’m sure they’re on the way.

One thing Onswipe might do is breathe new life into older posts. The MENU button in the top right corner of the page pulls down to reveal the categories into which I’ve placed posts. If, for example, you were interested in what I might have posted regarding RADIO, it’s a little easier to find and browse with Onswipe.

If you’re reading this on an iPad, you’re feedback will be most appreciated.

Super-thin displays are here

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via singularityhub.com

Perhaps one day the Super Bowl could be televised uninterrupted by commercial breaks – the camera could simply zoom in on the quarterback’s AMOLED covered helmet during a time out. Or even better for advertisers, their commercials could play throughout the game, turning each helmet into a video display>