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Opinion

Five reasons 2018 could be the best year yet for cryptocurrencies

1. The work on scaling issues

Bitcoin (BTC) is the most important cryptocurrency. Most government-backed money that goes in and out of crypto goes through bitcoin, so what happens to the original cryptocurrency affects the entire market.

The token’s market dominance stood at about 40 percent as of Wednesday. By my estimates, however, it’s clear bitcoin’s market dominance should return to 75 percent of the entire space.

I actually see a 150 percent potential upside in bitcoin for 2018.

Why? Well, BTC is still dominant. It has the biggest user base and the biggest industry. Still, it faces a challenge in scaling up for wider use.

Bitcoin now can’t handle more than six or seven (or, with the “Segregated Witness” protocol upgrade, it’s 12 to 14) transactions a second. Compare that with credit cards, which involve thousands of transactions per second, so the criticism about bitcoin’s ability to be useful at larger scales is understandable.

The scalability challenge results in high fees as well.

What is the solution? It is the so-called second-layer peer-to-peer off-chain networks. To cite an example, look at the Lightning Network. Created by Blockstream, the Lightning Network allows for transactions off the blockchain, thereby decreasing the transaction costs almost to zero and increasing the speed and scalability almost infinitely. And it’s just getting started. As you can see from this map, more and more nodes as well as channels are being established. It is growing exponentially.

In the coming months, we will see a sharp uptick in transactions and the use of more bitcoin in these channels. What’s more, the Lightning Network doesn’t have any fee.

In other words, second-layer networks solve the problems bitcoin faces — scalability and lack of liquidity. That could be a key reason why bitcoin surges this year.

There are also other second-layer projects like Rootstock that would allow computations similar to those of ethereum (a blockchain-based computing platform that supports another cryptocurrency named ether) to be done through bitcoin.

Exciting projects such as those could cause a significant spike in BTC. I would dare say in the realm of 60 to 70 percent with the potential upside of 100 percent — and maybe even more.

2. Large scale and more legitimate ICOs

Like last year, initial coin offerings (ICOs) will impact the ethereum network because ICOs usually require plenty of ether. That will buttress the demand for the platform’s digital coin. More legitimate ICOs will lead to greater interest in ether as we are already seeing with the billion-dollar ICO of messaging app provider Telegram and that of Kodak.

That means we could see a rise in the market cap of ethereum to $200 billion by the end of the year from less than $90 billion on Wednesday. The cryptocurrency’s price could possibly double to $2,000.

Though other platforms could see similar gains, I believe ethereum will be the main focus.

3. Regulation

Many believe regulations hurt markets, but that is a short-sighted perspective. In the long run, companies require rules for the sake of legal stability and certainty. Regulation gives users and institutional clients the confidence to invest.

We saw something similar when Japan started regulating bitcoin. The market dropped initially, but it rose eventually. Ditto in Australia.

Other countries could follow the same rule book — I think we are going to see something like that with South Korea and probably many others — but the market’s fate will be no different than after what played out in Japan and Australia.

4. A lot of execution and usability

The number of users and merchants is set to increase sharply in 2018.

This would burnish the reputation of cryptocurrencies, with more and more companies trusting them. The firms that execute well this year will stand out and create a survivorship bias — where a few companies thrive and others fail, but people focus on the winners and ignore the losers.

Most start-ups bomb, but the spectacular successes of companies such as Facebook and Airbnb help mask those failures. Likewise, the success stories of a few entities in the cryptocurrency space will overshadow the negative news of several going bankrupt.

5. Institutional investors

The last reason why 2018 will be a stellar year for cryptocurrencies is that this will be the first year of solid institutional money flowing into the ecosystem.

It is estimated that $10 billion to $12 billion has so far flown into the crypto ecosystem, but that’s nothing compared to what institutional funds could invest. Since those first funds propped up the market to around $500 billion, the next $10 billion to $12 billion, which is peanuts for some funds, could double the market cap this year.

Summing up

To sum up, the likelihood of all five factors happening is not 100 percent. But I still see a probability of 70 to 75 percent. And each one of them might grow the market’s overall size 50 to 100 percent — maybe even 200 percent.

If you combine those factors, the market’s upside potential could rise to up to seven or eight times the present levels. While this might not be as much of a multiple as what we saw in 2017, it is much higher in absolute terms. That could make 2018 the most successful year in crypto ever. Additionally, the growth might not be based so much on hype or hope as it would be on solid foundations.

That being said, the reader should not see this piece as investment advice. When you dismiss real risks as fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD), you could be blindsided.

Feb 23, 2018 0 comment

Opinion

What is Happening to Dead Malls is Surprisingly Refreshing

written by Don Eminizer

It’s happening all over the country. We’ve all seen the decline of department stores like Sears and K-Mart bite the dust. What is left behind is something of a nostalgic dead space filled with sad looking mannequins and the ghosts of an era that is likely never coming back. And why should it? The need to jump in the car and go to the mall is, today, virtually non-existent. We buy what we need online, hang-out on the couch to binge-watch the latest season of House of Cards on Netflix and order bad fast-food that we’ll regret in the morning. The kids of the 70s and 80s needed a place to hang out, and people needed to go to the store for clothes and groceries and everything else, so malls were a good concept back in the day. But they also destroyed something important, something that seems to be making a comeback in the past few years: a sense of familiarity and community.

Mom & Pop stores are few and far between these days. Many a mall displaced Main street coffee shops, boutiques and general stores when they were erected to provide the convenience of ‘everything in one place’. They were filled with brand stores and questionable fast-food restaurants and their clinical appearance with bad lighting and fake dusty plants was anything but hospitable. Kids might have found them a good place to hang out, but no adult in their right mind wanted to linger. Get in, get what you need, and get out. That was the mantra.

So what is happening to all these disused buildings? In some places, nothing. They are just left to face another year of deterioration. In other places however, these abandoned businesses are getting a second chance at life – and a much, much better one. One excellent example of this is the Stanley Market place in Aurora Colorado.

Originally a plane hangar, Stanley eventually went out of business. A few years ago, a couple of neighbors thought of using it to open a small beer hall. Fast forward a couple more years and Stanley Market is now home to over 50 independently owned community shops. It also hosts events for people of all ages and serves food that far exceeds fast-food quality. This is what we need in today’s America. A place to hang out that is friendly and allows you to be a part of the community. Here’s hoping that more abandoned malls and businesses find new lives – and keep going for a long, long time.

Jun 17, 2017 0 comment

Opinion Wearable

4 Ways Smartwatches Can Make Life Easier

written by Web Desk

As smartwatches become more advanced, people who weren’t previously interested in them are discovering new benefits. If you have never really thought about owning a smartwatch, then you will want to learn about these four ways having one can make your life easier. In today’s busy world, that’s big deal.

Check Your Messages Covertly

Since smartphones have become so prevalent, professionals are expected to stay in contact with their clients and bosses throughout the day. There’s rarely an excusable reason to ignore a text message or call.

At the same time, you can’t pull out your phone to check messages during important meetings. Everyone would think you’re extremely rude.

This can put you in the awkward position where you want to check your phone but it’s socially unacceptable.

Owning a smartwatch gives you some relief by displaying messages and alerts covertly. Instead of fumbling for your phone, you can just glance down at your watch. The Samsung Gear S2 has a 1.2-inch display that makes it easy to read text quickly. It it’s really an emergency, you can excuse yourself to respond via text or phone. If it isn’t, then you can keep your attention focused on the meeting.

Get Driving Directions Without Distractions

The number of traffic fatalities increased by more than 10 percent from 2014 to 2015. Many experts blame distracted driving for creating dangerous situations on the road.

Considering that most people now have smartphones that offer distractions throughout the day, it’s hard to argue against this. Something as simple as looking away from the road to check driving directions can lead to a serious accident.

Despite the serious nature of distracted driving, people simply are not going to stop using devices behind the wheel. They will, however, use devices that keep them connected without distracting them as much.

Smartwatches can play a significant role in making it easier for you to drive without distractions. You won’t even have to give up your navigation system. Instead of using screen-based directions, smartwatches can vibrate to tell you which way to go. If you need to turn left at an upcoming light, the watch will vibrate once. If you need to turn right, it will vibrate twice.

This will keep you safe while making sure you never get lost.

Make Healthier Lifestyle Choices

Changing lifestyle habits is never easy, but wearing a smartwatch can help you make better decisions about exercise and diet.

When you’re exercising, you can use a smartwatch app to track your activity. Many of them will let you choose from a list of common exercises like running, cycling, and walking. This helps the watch give you accurate information about your performance and how many calories you burn during workouts.

Smartwatches can also make it easy for you to track your food intake. Just tell the watch what you eat to create a diary that offers insight into your diet. You may find that you’re eating more high-calorie and high-fat foods than you think. Once you know this, you can make changes to lose weight and improve nutrition.

Never Lose Your Phone Again

You can only take advantage of all smartwatch features when you’re near your phone. By joining the two devices, manufacturers have managed to create lightweight watches with small, useful screens.

Since the devices are linked, your smartwatch can also alert you when you walk away from your phone (or someone tries to walk away with it). It’s practically impossible to lose your phone as long as you wear your smartwatch.

If you do happen to misplace your smartphone, your watch will even help you find it. Just walk around the area until the devices connect with one another. Then you know your phone is close.

No one knows exactly where smartwatch technology is heading, but there is a good chance that it will become increasingly useful. You don’t have to wait for the future, though, to take advantage of these four benefits. They can start making your life a little easier as soon as you buy your first smartwatch.

May 24, 2016 0 comment

It’s Not Your Kid’s Smartphone, It’s Your Parenting

written by Elias Stevens

Parenting Wakeup Call

Parenting couples and singles alike find themselves at a divide, do I give my kid a smartphone or not, and if I do, when is a good age to do so? On this polarizing debate we have three camps. Those who feel kids shouldn’t have a smartphone until the age of 13, those that would allow their children to have one before 13, and a portion of who say no to smartphones all together.

Fear-mongering

It turns out common safety fears such as online predators, dissemination of personal information, sexting, cyberbullying, and lack of social development are not so much the fault of your kid’s smartphone. It turns out the problem might just be you.

NEARLY A QUARTER OF TEENS SAY THEY WOULD NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO IF THEY STARTED BEING HARASSED OR BULLIED ONLINE.

If we have to write a list of top developmental concerns for children with smartphones we can narrow it down to 10.

Altering the Parent-Child Relationship
It limits their creative minds
Cases children to get less sleep
Doesn’t give kids time to ponder the consequences of their actions
It impedes their ability to learn
It causes addiction
It has a negative impact on your child’s mental health
It indirectly causes obesity
It causes behavioral problems
It desensitizes children to violence

(via LifeHack.org)

Any of these by themselves are great cause for alarm. Numerous websites will constantly chime in with fear-mongering in order to sell you on a story and get likes on Facebook or shares on Social Media. There is a direct relationship with implied fear and the ability of networks to monetize off of such topics. Creating controversy creates discussion.

while we can bounce all sorts of ideas and what-if scenarios off each other about the dangers of the Internet and Smartphone use, it is ultimately a waste of time and doesn’t solve the problem.

Any one of those concerns listed above is a result of bad parenting as opposed to smartphone use.

We don’t like to admit it. We like to think we millennials understand our children and we don’t want to shut out of their lives so we figure a smartphone will help with that connection. Slowly we use that as a crutch for spending real facetime with them.

46 PERCENT OF PARENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR CHILDREN’S SOCIAL NETWORKING ACCOUNTS

Fears Debunked – Group 1

In order for us to better understand these fears new parents have to the technological environment they find their children in we must group them into two sections. On one end we have newer fears that have not been an issue as much until the idea of children having smartphones was first introduced. These fears were never part of the equation when we only had to worry about videogames and movies.

ONLY 61 PERCENT OF TEENS USE PRIVACY SETTINGS ON THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA SITES, WHILE MORE THAN HALF OF TEENS ARE INDISCRIMINATE ABOUT WHICH APPS HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR LOCATION.

It alters the Parent-Child Relationship

Who has control over this? You or your child?

32 percent of parents set rules for how their kids use their smartphone

It limits their creative minds

It only limits creativity when you don’t set rules for usage times.

It doesn’t give kids time to ponder the consequences of their actions

This might be true unless you have already given them fair example by your own life on how to deal with consequences of your own actions. By staying accountable for your mistakes and making them see the responsibility in doing so they will understand how to deal with their actions.

74 PERCENT OF TEENS RELY ON THEIR PARENTS AND OTHER ADULTS FOR INFORMATION ABOUT PROTECTING THEMSELVES ONLINE

It causes addiction

Again, whose fault is this? Your childs or yours?

It impedes their ability to learn

If given usage guidelines children can use these very powerful tools to further enhance their learning, it just depends on their application. The smartphone is just another tool and should be taught to be seen as such. It is in no way any replacement for knowing how to communicate effectively with other people.

74 PERCENT OF TEACHERS SAY THAT TECHNOLOGY ENABLES THEM TO REINFORCE AND EXPAND ON CONTENT

By understanding what we do in front of our children we begin to see just how much our own behavior influences them. If we’re seen looking at our phone all day long and only listening with half our attention to our kids, our spouse, or our friends we shouldn’t be surprised if our children don’t listen to us.

Fears Debunked – Group 2

The second group consists of fears that have always been a problem to parents of tech savvy kids. Whether it was a PS2 or a Nintendo Wii we always figured the most we would have to deal with were issues surrounding violence, getting less sleep, not getting enough exercise, and possibly not knowing how to really associate with their peers.

[ONLY] 11 PERCENT OF TEENS, AGES 13 TO 17, TOLD THEIR PARENTS ABOUT A CYBERBULLYING EXPERIENCE

It has a negative impact on your child’s mental health

The impact it has is inversely proportional to whatever influence you lack in your child’s development. It may have a negative impact but who is to blame? Was it the phone or was it you? How much time have you spent with them while establishing a “no phones” policy on trips or family events? Children without phones have negatively impacted mental health. If it’s due to low self-esteem or bullying when was the last time you followed up with the problems your child has been having at school?

43 percent of teens admit to texting and driving and 61 percent report their friends’ text and drive

They cause children to get less sleep, indirectly cause obesity, behavioral problems, and desensitize children to violence

The same could be said of keeping a Blu-ray player and TV in your child’s room. How much can we attribute to a smartphone if we never give our children boundaries in the first place? By setting reasonable expectations for electronic use in the home we can strike out all these problems above. Establishing a good sleep routine, being active with your kids as a family, teaching them how to deal with their emotions and healthy ways of expressing them, while also clearly outlining the difference between fantasy and reality involving the importance of life no matter how big or small.

“Why would I want to talk to my family, when I can access the world’s most interesting articles at the touch of a button?”

The real problem

The real problem here is bad parenting. By not instructing our children on how to be responsible young adults and by not setting limits to what they can and can’t do we contribute to a plethora of problems that could have been prevented.

Even stereotypical fears of safety: online predators, dissemination of personal information, sexting, cyberbullying, and lack of social development are essentially our issues to address. We should teach our children how their communication online can affect them offline in ways they may not have thought about. We should teach them to interact in emotionally intimate and stable environments within the home by being bastions of communication. The online world needs to be shown to be just as dangerous and just as cunning as the public world where we constantly preach our kids “don’t talk to strangers.”

At the end of the day it’s not your kid’s smartphone that decides what type of person they’ll be, it’s you.

May 5, 2016 0 comment

Opinion

The Changing Ways That We Interact With Our Mobile Devices

written by Web Desk

In the US alone nearly two third of people own a smartphone, 19% rely on mobile technology to get online and 7% don’t have any other form of Internet access. These figures are only set to increase as we become more reliant on having connectivity 24/7, wherever we are. As mobile use continues to grow so does the way we interact with our devices. The Internet of Things is upon us and we are becoming more immersed in a digital world.

We’re going to take a look at how wearables and smart homes are set to become more a part of our lives, and how Apple Pay has completely revolutionized the way we pay for things. But not everything about the way we use our mobile devices is about the future. Some of the technology also gives a nod to the past.

Mobile reflecting the past in the future

You may be wondering what we mean by mobile devices giving a nod to the past. The thing is that we can use our mobile devices to do a lot of the things that we used to so offline. One such activity is reading. Of course, many people still read content offline, but online content is becoming more and more popular, and it’s easy to share with others.

The use of flipbook technology means that it’s now possible to create content that can be read by turning each page just as you do when reading a book. Of course a flipbook has the advantage of providing links straight to other online content. Check out your Nr.1 Flipbook Info Resource for more details of what flipbooks are all about.

Paying your way

2015 is the year of Apple Pay according to Tim Cook. The payment solution certainly has made big strides since its launch in October 2014. It now supports payment with card types that cover 90% of purchases made in the US. This means that people can pay with their iPhone in both neighborhood stores and at large retailers. It’s a secure way of paying for goods that is certainly helping to revolutionize the way we interact with our mobile devices.

The growth of the Internet of Things

We hear the term all the time but how much do we actually know about the Internet of Things; the way the Internet can more and more be used to run our lives. Currently awareness levels amongst the general public are one of the major restrictions on the growth of Internet of Things.

People are learning though and mobile devices are set to feature large in our connected future. Our mobile devices will link to our other smart devices, such as the increasingly popular wearables. More and more people with have smart homes; with features they can operate using their smart phone.

If you’re thinking this is all a long way off; it’s actually already here. Yes, there are plenty more developments to be made but interaction with mobile devices will more and more become a vital part of everyday life.

Nov 5, 2015 0 comment

Opinion Smartphones

Future Tense: Will Android Top Apple in 2015?

written by Web Desk

Android has shown great promise this year with the operating system taking over nearly 65% of the US market share. This should ideally have been a bleak scenario for Apple, the only other significant player in the mobile operating system world. However, the current release of iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus might well be the triggers that might get Apple back on top. The numbers from last year portray a similar picture where Apple lagged in its market share through the year but managed to come out top at the very end.

Reasons why we Believe Apple might Surpass Android in 2015

The new 3D Touch Technology

iOS 9, the latest release by Apple on September 9 2015 boasts of the 3D touch technology. This technology essentially means that your mobile would not only sense your touch but also the pressure with which you touch it. It is now possible to take a glimpse at your mails or actually open them. Use certain features of your apps without opening them and accomplish a lot more thanks to the new force touch technology. This is a great addition to an already spectacular Apple lineup and could very well tip things in Apple’s favor this year.

The Stagefright Scare

While things are definitely looking rosy for Tim Cook’s baby, Android is not having any such luck. Google’s pet project might in fact have a huge security lacuna that could ruin customer confidence for good. The stagefright bug as it is being called can breach your mobile’s security by simply sending a malicious mms. Not opening the message is not going to help as once it lands into your mobile the damage is already done. Take a look at this link to get a better understanding of the havoc that this bug can wreak on your phone.

Android has already rolled out a patch to circumvent this problem; however very few handsets have installed the update.

Android Updates Take Way too long

There is a reason that Android is such a huge player in the mobile market. Google decided to allow various manufacturers to tweak the operating system and sell a modified version of it in their respective devices. Take a look at the official Android site to get a glimpse of just how vast the Android network is. While this decision might have done wonders for their market share it has also ensured that any updates that happen in Android reach their customers at a much later date. The various manufacturers and even carriers have a say in the role out and it takes forever for the changes to reach Android handsets.

This is in sharp contrast to Apple where updates reach customers immediately. Thus, any security loop-holes can be plugged immediately rather than waiting for disaster to strike.

Android to Apple Switch a Breeze

Check this link and this video out to know all about an app by Apple on the Google Play store that allows you to switch from Android to Apple seamlessly. This app is bound to tempt beleaguered users to switch loyalties.

Apple definitely seems to have an edge over Android and we wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out the winner yet again.

Sep 30, 2015 0 comment

Opinion

18 Of The Worst Tech Fails Ever

written by Siobhan Harmer

In an era where new tech releases seem to be announced daily there are bound to be some that flourish and some that are left behind. Those that fail usually don’t gain any interest due to the mass amount of competition, but in many cases it’s because they’re total garbage. Over the years there have been some truly awful flops which have muddied the tech waters, and so, in no particular order, here are some of the worst tech fails of all time.

America Online (AOL)

In 2001, AOL was worth $240 billion and had a remarkable audience of over 30 million subscribers, mostly made up of Internet newcomers who were unaware of alternatives or were pulled in due to AOL’s relentless marketing. As the Internet expanded though, it became clear that the ISP was a buggy mess, with slow software and consistent dial-up problems that drove their users mad.

Although AOL may have rebranded in recent years and is now trying to make it in the content game, it seems the company is still struggling to shake its stigma.

Eyetop Wearable DVD Player

The world may be more accepting of wearable tech like Google Glass now, but back in 2004 we just weren’t ready. The Eyetop Wearable DVD Player tech featured robust glasses with a 320 x 240 pixel LCD screen in the right lens that was intended to immerse it’s users in a movie whilst also allowing them to see through the left lens. Instead, users complained of motion sickness, not to mention they had to carry the DVD player and battery pack around in a shoulder bag.

The IBM PCjr

By 1984, IBM had managed to retain a colossal 26% of all computer sales and was looking to enter the school-computers market. Having spent $40 million on ads, IBM presumed that the PCjr would be a hit, however it was far more expensive than it’s competition and ran barely any of the software that previous IBM models had. By the time IBM realised their mistake, Time had already labeled it “one of the biggest flops in the history of computing.”

Windows Vista

You knew it was coming: Microsoft’s 2007 OS Windows Vista is an infamous piece of tech ridiculed around the world, and for good reason. Although Vista was meant to be an updated version of XP, it offered little more than it’s predecessor and wasn’t compatible with older computer models. If you did manage to get it to run Vista was horrifically slow and frustrating, causing many users to either stick with XP or jump straight to Windows 7.

Windows ME

Also known as the ‘Mistake Edition’, Windows ME is perhaps the only other Microsoft-based operating system worse than Vista. Unreliable, incompatible and brimming with bugs, PC World called Windows ME the real ‘Millennium Bug’.

Internet Explorer 6

Released in 2001, IE6 is renowned for being perhaps the least safe software ever created. If anyone using the web browser happened to visit the wrong website, they could instantly be infected with SCOB or Download.Jcet Keylogger, which was used to steal passwords and personal information. In June 2004, the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) even issued an alert for computer users to switch to any web browser other than IE6.

The Laserdisc

Just two years into the era of video and VCRs, the high-capacity storage Laserdisc was released. Not only were the discs enormous and incredibly fragile, they were also expensive and required players that were significantly more costly than other media players. Although the CD would later go on to have a huge amount of success, the Laserdisc fell to the wayside.

HD DVD

Supported by Toshiba, the HD DVD was released at the same time as Sony’s Blu Ray back in 2006. As Sony managed to get multiple movie studios to release their high-definition editions on Blu Ray, it’s believed that Toshiba lost over $1 billion whilst supporting the HD DVD.

The Original Xbox 360

If you ever owned one of the original Microsoft Xbox 360 consoles, chances are you spent a lot of time staring at ‘The Red Ring Of Death’ and wishing that your console were more than a useless, expensive brick. The Red Ring Of Death was so common amongst these machines that Microsoft expanded the warranty on the Xbox 360 to three years, and it’s thought that Redmonds spent over $1 billion attempting to fix the issue and failing.

Philips CD-i

In 1991, Sony and Philips teamed up to release the Compact Disc – Interactive. However, due to few game choices and the fact it cost $700 it failed to take off. Still, four models were released before the Philips CD-I was finally discontinued in 1998.

Nintendo Virtual Boy

Although Gunpei Yokoj would later go on to design the extremely popular Gameboy for Nintendo, his first creation was the Virtual Boy. According to Game Over magazine, Yokoj never intended for the Virtual Boy to be released but Nintendo pushed forward anyway. Reviews were less than kind, and although Nintendo lowered the price multiple times, only 800,000 Virtual Boy’s were sold worldwide and was discontinued in 1996.

Gizmondo

Released in 2005, the Gizmondo was thought to be the most powerful handheld console in the history of gaming. However, only 25,000 units were ever sold and after the company’s CEO Carl Freer crashed his Ferrari Enzo and was sent to prison, the company only managed to release eight more games before going bankrupt.

The Facebook Phone

Despite Facebook’s huge amount of success and popularity worldwide, the HTC First – also known as the Facebook Phone – received very little attention from the general public. The handset’s Android skin and Facebook-centric home were particularly unpopular with users, and so even though the phone was only $99 very few people invested. AT&T, the Facebook Phone’s exclusive carrier, even went as far as to sell the model for just $0.99 in a ‘temporary sale’.

Microsoft Zune

Also in 2006, Microsoft released their 30GB music player that was meant to rival Apple’s iPod. Unfortunately, despite Zune’s good reviews, it suffered from poor sales and ultimately failed to make a dent in the market.

Twitter Music

Speaking of music media, Twitter Music was released and killed off in less than a year as Twitter’s music app failed to compete with huge names like Pandora, YouTube and Spotify.

ITunes Ping

Apple’s ITunes Ping could have been a successful social media networking site that combined socializing and music, except for the fact is was borderline impossible to actually find anyone you knew on the site. At first, Ping experienced a modest flood of users, but failed to keep them as spam, fake accounts and corrupt links were absolutely everywhere. In the end, Ping was shut down.

Google Wave

In May 2009, Google released their original instant messaging service, which combined chatting and emails, but were forced to scrap it a year later as the site just didn’t seem to attract users.

Facebook Deals

Another social media flop was Facebook Deals, a site similar to Groupon and LivingSocial, which aimed to offer users local bargains and promotions. However, after four months of piloting the scheme in a few cities around the USA, Facebook Deals was ultimately abandoned.

Aug 30, 2015 1 comment

Opinion

How apps are innovating our health and fitness routines

written by Gadget Advisor

Mobile apps are innovating many walks of life. The sheer volume of apps being created means there is one to complement most areas of work and recreation. Our health and fitness routines in particular have been enhanced by the various creative and quirky apps surfacing on smartphones and android devices.

Apps which measure heart rate, distance ran, and energy consumption are already staple parts of the modern fitness routine, as are exercise planners and personal training programs with personalised daily tips. But with so many available, it can be difficult to choose which apps are best suited to what area of your health you are looking to improve.

This list takes a look at some of the most useful, innovative and affordable (all under £5) apps currently available, which are helping people achieve a healthier lifestyle.

For the runners

Whether training for a marathon, hoping to shed some weight or relieving the mind of stress, running helps with many of life’s obstacles.

For beginner joggers and experienced runners alike, there is no better app to start with than the Endomando. After taking a fitness test upon first using the app, Endomando will accurately measure all types of movement from walking to water skiing.

Like Endomando, the Nike+ Running App will track statistics, provide comparative progress between each run along with the option to share your proud stats on social media. However the Nike + Running App also has some motivational extras, such as a crowd cheering audio effect and a collection of Power Songs to help conquer those extra few miles.

Nike have also released a timely system update for the launch of the Apple Watch, which will likely prove to be a more popular fitness companion due to its wearability during exercise.

Probably the most entertaining option for people who struggle to stay interested in running is Zombies Run! 3 – an app which immerses your running experience into an apocalyptic survival story. If you weren’t running fast enough before, then perhaps a flesh-eating zombie chasing will help you reach your fitness goals quicker.

For motivation

Music is a great motivator for most people, or as scientists like to call it: music disassociation.

The Spring App features a huge collection of DJ curated playlists featuring a mix of popular and alternative music which all runs on similar beats per minute. All you have to do is keep up with the beat and your workout will benefit naturally.

For those struggling to even get off the couch, C25K could be the app to take you out of your slump. With an audio coach taking the user through a variety of 30min walking and running exercises, this app makes the transition to regular exercise as seamless and hassle-free as possible.

Sometimes though, it takes a bit of tough love to reach those exercise goals. Carrot Fit provides a healthy mix of harsh motivational words and outrageously funny commentary to make a workout more entertaining and constructive.

Pursuing a healthy lifestyle usually takes a lot of willpower too, particularly when it comes to big lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking. You sure have heard about those e-cigs and portable vaping devices (i.e. www.DavinciVaporizer.com) which are mainstream now. These are very good way on kicking out the habit of smoking.

LiveStrong’s MyQuitCoach offers a physician-approved way of quitting complete with a cravings tracker, personalised resolution maker and a nicotine consumption analysis.

Apps such as this can serve as an alternative or companion to the task of quitting smoking with the increasingly popular e-cigarette option. They may also be introducing a fresh competitive element into established industries – meaning we will probably see more of them.

As Noobpreneur reported in an article on how e-cig companies are trying to become recognised, major e-cigarette companies like TABlites are building a diverse selection of e-liquids in the hope that vaping will continue to play an important role in helping smokers quit tobacco. But with apps from potential smoking cessation competitors gaining praise and number, all vaping enterprises may be forced to compete with their own electronic cigarette apps.

For socializing

The social aspect of fitness cannot be underestimated. It is often a great way of meeting new people, spending quality time with friends and being able to learn and improve from peers.

Pump Up is the Facebook-Instagram hybrid for gym goers and fitness fanatics: a place to shamelessly upload your mirror selfies and to share words of inspiration and motivation with fellow people in your network.

For more of a competition element which also allows you to meet new people, Map My Run remembers any route taken while running, suggests routes that other joggers nearby have taken and allows you to compete with those local joggers at running the same routes.

Diets are also imperative to a health plan, but eating healthily never needs to be boring, nor does it have to negatively impact where you choose to eat out with friends. HealthyOut provides a superb directory for local eating venues by also showing dietary specifications, menu ingredients, type of cuisine and even points out the healthiest options on the menu.

As well as the numerous health benefits associated with yoga, attending regular classes has a fun social element too. Downloading one of the leading yoga apps such as Yoga Studio or Daily Yoga, gives access to over 50 types of yoga and meditation classes, complete with HD video tutorials. These apps eliminate the cost of regular yoga classes and can allow you and a group of friends to take a selection of classes together at your own pace and level.

May 22, 2015 0 comment

Opinion

Facebook Removes ‘Feeling Fat’ Emoticon after Backlash

written by Hemendra Jain

Contentious Status

One of the defining characteristics of the largest social network is the way it allows its users to share their thoughts. With the help of status updates and associated emoticons, Facebook allows its users to share exactly how they are feeling. But sometimes select emoticons and hateful status updates tend to hurt other users feelings. Although hateful status updates are the responsibility of the users themselves, the emoticon associated with them could mean that the social network is endorsing their negative opinions.

Previously Facebook’s emoticon library included a “Feeling Fat” symbol that allowed users to enforce digital body shaming among their friends. Therefore, a group called Endangered Bodies launched a change.org petition, appealing Facebook to remove the emoticon. Within days the petition garnered more than 16,000 signatures, therefore urging the giant social network to reconsider their opinion.

On 10^th March 2015, Facebook responded by,” We’ve heard from our community that listing “feeling fat” as an option for status updates could reinforce negative body image, particularly for people struggling with eating disorders. So we’re going to remove “feeling fat” from the list of options. We’ll continue to listen to feedback as we think about ways to help people express themselves on Facebook.”

This was among the numerous petitions launched by Endangered Bodies to “challenge the current toxic culture that promotes negative body image”. A number of activists and organizations joined the US based petition filed by Catherine Weingarten.

Catherine Weingarten is a 24 year old student from Ohio University. The petition page describes in detail the precise reason why she and people with eating disorders felt the need to remove the emoticon. She was a victim of eating disorder and has struggled for years trying to overcome and avoid negative thoughts about her body. She understands that there are thousands of people like her still struggling with worse cases of eating disorders. They have to starve themselves to death, just to keep themselves fit. People’s opinion about one’s body and eating habits is another major obsession they have to face on a regular basis. Therefore a user posting on Facebook that he/she is feeling fat is in fact making fun of other people who are overweight and have little or no control over their eating disorders. She argued, “Fat is not a feeling. Fat is a natural part of our bodies, no matter their weight. And all bodies deserve to be respected and cared for.”

The Other Side of the Argument

The other side of the petition presents a uniquely new perspective about the emoticon. Some people argue that it is casual for anyone to feel fat when they have eaten more than they should have. They consider the emoticon as a figure of speech instead of an adjective that describes overweight people. Unfortunately, health and social experts want such users to understand the feelings of overweight people and the impact their words can have in their day to day lives.

Facebook stands as an unbeatable social network only because it provides a sense of connection and belonging among its users. It urges people to share and express themselves among their friends. With its 1.39 billion active users, it has the ability to make an impact on the society and ways people express themselves. The set of emoticons along with status updates allows users to attract attention of their fellow mates allowing users to support each other in times of need. To control and monitor cases of abuse of bullying, Facebook provides necessary information and resources to its users, further allowing them to gain control over the situation. Such independence and control over user’s expression allows Facebook to build a better internet where people are not only connected with each other but also stand up for a cause that could change significant aspects of our defective society. Numerous petitions are filed on Change.org allowing users to express concern about societies requirements and ways by which the social network can create a better place for each of its users.

May 6, 2015 0 comment

Opinion

Mobile Phone Marketing Tricks You Shouldn’t Believe

written by Gadget Advisor

The mobile phone industry is perhaps one of the worst in the world for actually delivering on promises. In part, this is because it’s propped up on the hodgepodge mix of global carrier networks, contract restrictions and phone locks that keep phone manufacturers in business, but there’s more. It’s an enormous mess of promises no one’s keeping, or could possibly ever hope to keep. In fact, it’s so bad that typical government ineffectiveness reaches new heights in terms of unnecessary, ineffective, and outright questionable regulation.

A great example of this is the fact that opening postal mail to scan the contents is more than a bit illegal, while scanning the contents of an email or SMS message is perfectly acceptable, as long as you’re using that information to sell ads (what?). In fact, Google championed that cause, you know, the guys who make that awesomely ineffective OS that every phone manufacture on the planet has customized beyond usability? It, like Android, was all done in the name of selling more ads, by tricking you into giving up more of your information, but that’s just one side of things (more on Google later).

The other side of things is a bit shadier.

An unofficial cadre of brand advocates, brand terrorists, and brand mercenaries runs the other side of cell phone marketing. Just like McDonalds is reported to pay some bloggers upwards of £15,000 a year to blog, these are people who have been paid to lie to you. They lie either because they have been paid to lie; they are fanatics about their chosen product (think: Lord of the Flies – the book, not the movie); or they’re just plain evil genius and want your advertising dollars. Let’s take the recent iPhone BendGate stories, which many a sucker bit into, blindly retweeting and sharing without even having the slightest idea of what goes into making and stress testing a phone. Before you go thinking we’re Apple fanatics, that’s not the case. We just appreciate evil genius.

You see, mobile phone marketers, like any other kind of marketer, prey on a combination of ignorance, fear, and outright stupidity on part of consumers. They also generally lack ethics. This lets companies expand brand awareness, while maintaining distance from anything that might go sideways (lack of ethics). That isn’t to say that these companies don’t have their own dog and pony shows, as anyone who has kept tabs on the Apple and Samsung wars knows. Rather, it’s to say that companies can turn marketing experiments out into the wild, without fear of direct repercussion.

To take the BendGate example, a guy who had bent other phones decided to put a sensationalist spin on his own little experiment. That was pure evil genius (and maybe he got paid too, who knows?). What we do know is that he got huge views, and was noticed by everyone and their brother (or sister) around the world. In fact, he got about 55 million views in a month. That’s more than 1,800,000 views a day, or about 1,200 views a minute.

Are you familiar with Google AdSense?

Yes, back to Google. You see, they pay people who run their ads based on CPM, which is the payment value per thousand ads views (like the evil geniuses at BendGate). While CPM, varies considerably, a safe estimate is about £2, but we’ll knock that down and assume the BendGate guys had an extremely low CPM of £1.00 per thousand ads (honestly, it’s much more, but we’re using kid gloves here, so bear with us). Now, take 55 million YouTube views divided by the 1,000 views it takes to make £1 in our experiment. That gives us a nice easy number of 55,000 – or £55,000 in ad revenue from the BendGate story.

That adds up to 80 iPhone 6 phones (you know, the £700 a piece 128G ones)

So yeah, a bunch of clowns got on the bandwagon and pumped a huge chunk of change into a guy who also happens to be reselling hosting in his YouTube signature, with a discount code, of course. That’s absolutely something worth buying into, right? He’s not alone though. There are happy families using the crappy service of second rate UK phone companies in every ad you see, buying into plans with modified phone operating systems choked by bloat ware (yay Android), and users with blazingly fast download speeds that mysteriously don’t work for anyone else, or anywhere else.

People in these adverts seamlessly pay for things with their mobiles, make calls, or instantly receive messages, which don’t usually ever work that way. Even when they do work, it’s hit or miss, and we as consumers have lined up for it in droves. You’d think we loved it, because every time an unbelievable claim comes out, like the Samsung Galaxy S5 having an impossibly long battery life, it’s taken as gospel by most folks. They only later find out that they were sold a lemon, but to admit that, they’d have to face the fact that they were swindled.

In other words, we’re all wearing the Emperor’s new clothes, and they were sold to us by the mobile industry. Since none of us want to complain too much, we instead target those who have legitimate claims that highlight our own stupidity, and single those poor suckers out. If you broke the screen on your phone, it’s because you must have done something wrong – not because just maybe phones could be made a little better. Of course, none of this is to say that there isn’t a healthy dose of human ignorance and stupidity at play too. Instead, it’s to say that we’ve bought into a lower quality of product. We accept it, and just like Windows operating systems that don’t work, or impossibly difficult to root and update Android phones, we’re generally ok with that. At least, as long as it’s the next chap picking up the tab.

So, the next time a cell phone company tells you something, instead of focusing on the shiny device in front of you, ask yourself if they’re making plausible claims. Don’t just buy or believe something because it looks good, or has a nice wrapper. Do your homework, or ask us to do it for you (we take article requests), and pay attention to the fine print. You’ll thank yourself (and us) for it later.

Dec 1, 2014 0 comment