Monday, December 14, 2009

Yet Another Story About Google...


Google is slowly taking over our lives, not that it's a bad thing! We've seen Google all over the internet with its own email, aim, search engine, owning youtube etc etc etc. This is nothing new. But Google is now spreading its wings and heading to the phone world.
Competitors of Google like Yahoo and Ask Jeeves have a new friend: Apple. Apple has a popular line of computers, lap tops, mp3's (hello, the ipod!) and more. But with Googles new smart phone, the Droid, Apple has a new threat against it. In the article With a New Phone, Google May Challenge Apple, the features of this phone are directly compared to that of the iPhone.
"Google employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity because plans for the phone were supposed to be confidential said that the device, manufactured by the Taiwanese company HTC, was thinner than Apple's iPhone, with a slightly larger touch screen. It could be available as early as January, they said."
Well obviously this is going to attract our attention. A THINNER phone?? With a BIGGER touch screen! I immediately thought of people like my mom, who has a touch screen phone and can barely text on it because the letters are too small. Well clearly a bigger touch screen would be easier to text on, so maybe people with her kind of thinking will switch to that phone. Also, the fact that it is made by Google will automatically have people itching to get their hands on it.
Another interesting thing about this phone, that the iPhone doesn't have, is the ability to be sold "unlocked." This means that anyone who buys it will be able to choose a service provider. So yay now everyone who has the iPhone, but hates that it is on AT&T and not Verizon can switch to this phone and pick what they want. Google knows that we love having choices so this is a great appeal.
I honestly think that in a few years, everything will be controlled and bought up by Google. And maybe that isn't a bad thing? I only use yahoo for email, but I wouldn't mind switching to google. And I haven't been to Ask Jeeves in like 48235 years. I don't think that Google is something to fear... well maybe for Apple, but I think they are making great strides into the future, and reaching out into every industry that they can.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Addicted to Facebook/Twitter? You're not the only one...

I know what you're thinking, and yes... this couple did update their facebook and tweets the second they exchanged vows. People may think this is hilarious and shows commitment to their media outlet, however, I think this is ridiculous.
First off, I would like to think that the people that this couple would want to share their big day with would already be at the wedding. Regardless of that, the first thing that came to my mind is when my mom used to yell at me for constantly being on Facebook, as if i had an addiction or something. This is perfect example of a Facebook/Twitter Junkie.
All of that aside, I'm not blind to the humor that the groom was trying to achieve. His little stunt is a perfect example of how technology is taking over our society. 30 years ago, there probably wasn't even a lot of people who brought cell phones to weddings, let alone internet access.
Networking has always been an important part of our society. Whether you were looking to get a new job, or trying to spread the word about your business. Facebook and Twitter are HUGE social networking sites that can get your information out to millions of people almost instantly.
This year especially, Twitter has become an increasingly large site where people go to get their information. Some follow their favorite celebrities to see what they are up to, some follow their favorite sports teams, and some just follow their friends to discuss news or information just for fun.
I can see why this couple would bring these networking sites into their wedding. Though I still find it to be insane that they would do it in the middle of the wedding ceremony, I understand that they wanted to share their wonderful news with either people that couldn't make it to the wedding, or those that weren't invited, but were still interested in knowing what was going on.
So is this a new trend? Bringing Facebook and Twitter into our personal lives? What do you think?