How Scorpio Am I
Posted by MikeyMike at 04:55 PM on January 1, 2007 in Arts.
Well, how else to be, if not completely!
Happy 2007 Everyone!
You are 100% Scorpio |
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Entries for January, 2007
January 1st, 2007
Happy 2007 Everyone!
January 4th, 2007
Whale Rider
Posted by MikeyMike at 05:27 PM on January 4, 2007 in Geographica, Arts, Performers, Wild.
Over the holidays I saw the simple, but beautifully told new movie called The Nativity Story, starring Keisha Castle-Hughes as Mary. It reminded me of the first movie that I saw her in - Whale Rider. It's a coming of age story about a young New Zealand indigenous girl who overcomes many obstacles to meet her destiny. Keisha was pucked out of her elementary school with no acting experience, but made the movie. A natural, as the say... If you're looking for a good movie, especially for the young ones, it would be hard to find a better selection!
Originally (and more completely) posted on on My VOX Here.
January 5th, 2007
Asia gets back online after quake
Posted by MikeyMike at 08:47 PM on January 5, 2007 in Tech, Geographica.
I'm still hearing about peeps having bandwith problems in Asia... How's YOUR situation right now?
An Internet surfer in Singapore fails to gain Internet access Wednesday.
POSTED: 9:27 p.m. EST, December 28, 2006
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) -- Telecom companies quickly cobbled together new telephone and Internet networks on Thursday as Asia began recovering from a Taiwanese earthquake that snapped undersea cables, snarling service across the tech-savvy region.
Less than 48 hours after the powerful quake ruptured the two crucial cables off Taiwan's southern tip, companies from South Korea to Singapore said they managed to partially restore most of their service to millions of customers.
They did it by rerouting traffic through satellites and cables that weren't damaged by the 6.7-magnitude tremor that killed two people.
Four repair ships were sailing to the quake zone, but they weren't expected to arrive until Tuesday, said Lin Jen-hung, vice-general manager of Chunghwa Telecom Co., Taiwan's biggest phone company.
The crews would need to find the fault, survey the conditions and pull up the cables for repair -- a job Chunghwa said could take two weeks.
Most international Internet data and voice calls travel as pulses of light through hundreds of undersea fiber optic cables crisscrossing the globe. The cables -- clusters of glass fibers enclosed in protective material -- are often owned by groups of telecom companies, who share costs and capacity.
"Cables break all over the place, from sharks nibbling, anchors dragged across," said Markus Buchhorn, an information technology expert at Australia National University.
But Buchhorn added the broken cables become a problem if -- like in the Taiwanese case -- several snap at the same time and there are not immediate backup lines to keep the traffic flowing.
Chunghwa estimated its revenue loss from the earthquake damage at about $3 million. Repairing the cables would cost about $1.53 million, the company said in a filing to the Taiwan Stock Exchange.
The outage reminded stock traders, travelers and online video gamers how addicted they've become to the Internet.
"Many lost the opportunity to make fast money," said Francis Lun, general manager at Fulbright Securities in Hong Kong.
"I haven't experienced anything like this before," Lun added. "We've become too dependent on these optic fibers -- a few of them get damaged, and everything collapses." More Here
January 6th, 2007
Ikaw
Posted by MikeyMike at 05:37 PM on January 6, 2007 in Geographica, Arts, Performers.
I was talking to someone recently about all the good music from the Philippines ( OPM ) - in english and tagalog.
Here is what I think is an oustanding example of a song that transends knowing what the words mean - with it's beauty and feeling. It's called Ikaw (You) by Regine Velasquez from the filipino movie Dahil May Isang Ikaw. Regine was also the co-star.
I hear that this song is now a standard in the Philippines, and is often performed as the "Wedding" song...
I finally found the (rough) english translation for it too:
IKAW
Ikaw ang bigay ng Maykapal
Tugon sa aking dasal
Upang sa lahat ng panahon
Bawat pagkakataon
Ang ibigin ko'y ikaw
Ikaw ang tanglaw sa 'king mundo
Kabiyak nitong puso ko
Wala ni kahati mang saglit
Na sa iyo'y may papalit
Ngayo't kailanma'y ikaw
Ang lahat ng aking galaw
Ang sanhi ay ikaw
Kung may bukas mang tinatanaw
Dahil may isang ikaw
Kulang ang magpakailan man
Upang bawat sandali ay...
Upang muli't muli ay...
Ang mahalin ay ikaw
YOU
You are God's fullfillment
The answer to my prayers
So that in all the time
Every moment
The one I'll love is you
You are the light of my world
The other half of my heart
No one else is here - even for a moment
That would ever change me
Now and forever it'll be you
All of my moves
It's because of you
If there is tomorrow that i am looking forward to
Because there is you
Forever is not enough
For every moment..
For ever and ever...
I will love you..
Currently listening to: Ikaw
January 9th, 2007
Apple renames itself, unveils iPhone
Posted by MikeyMike at 04:49 PM on January 9, 2007 in Tech, iPod.
Well, it finally happened! This should be major - for good or bad. The cell phone industry is vicious - if they can do well here too, there's no stopping the 'Pod! Seems more than a little pricy though, as it stands now... but be sure check out all that it can do, and the simplicity of it's functionality.
AP Photo: In this undated photo provided by Apple, Apple's new iPhone is shown that was introduced...
By RACHEL KONRAD, AP Technology Writer 1 hour, 10 minutes ago
SAN FRANCISCO - Apple Computer CEO
Steve Jobs on Tuesday announced the iPod maker's long-awaited leap into the mobile phone business and renamed the company just "Apple Inc.," reflecting its increased focus on consumer electronics.
The iPhone, which will start at $499 when it launches in June, is controlled by touch, plays music, surfs the Internet and runs the
Macintosh computer operating system. Jobs said it will "reinvent" wireless communications and "leapfrog" past the current generation of smart phones.
"Every once in a while a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything," he said during his keynote address at the annual Macworld Conference and Expo. "It's very fortunate if you can work on just one of these in your career. ... Apple's been very fortunate in that it's introduced a few of these."
He said the company's name change is meant to reflect Apple's transformation from a computer manufacturer to a full-fledged consumer electronics company.
During his speech, Jobs also unveiled a TV set-top box that allows people to send video from their computers and announced the number of songs sold on its iTunes Music Store has topped 2 billion.
Apple shares jumped more than 8 percent on the announcements, while the stock of rival smart-phone makers plunged. The run on Apple stock created about $6 billion in shareholder wealth.
While Jobs noted the explosive growth of the cell phone market, it's not clear that a device as alluring as the iPhone poses a threat to mainstream handset makers due to the price, said Avi Greengart, mobile device analyst for the research firm Current Analysis.
"My initial reaction is that this product actually lives up to the extensive hype, and I'm not easily impressed," he said. "But the vast majority of phones sold cost way less than $500." Instead, the rivals most likely to face new competition from Apple's handset are makers of higher-end smart phones such as Palm Inc.
Tim Bajarin, principal analyst with Creative Strategies, said the iPhone could revolutionize the way cell phones are designed and sold.
"This goes beyond smart phones and should be given its own category called 'brilliant' phones," he said. "Cell phones are on track to become the largest platform for digital music playback and Apple needed to make this move to help defend their iPod franchise as well as extend it beyond a dedicated music environment."
Apple currently commands about 75 percent of the market for downloaded music and portable music players. But it's expected to lose market share on both fronts as rivals introduce their own gadgets and music stores.
Jobs said Apple expects to sell 10 million iPhones in 2008, the first full year in which they'll be available. That's about 1 percent of the global market for mobile phones; 957 million were sold worldwide in 2006.
The Apple phones, which will operate exclusively on AT&T Inc.'s Cingular Wireless network, will start shipping in June. A 4-gigabyte model will cost $499, while an 8-gigabyte iPhone will be $599. While wireless carriers typically offer discounts and rebates on new devices when they agree to sign a two-year service contact, Cingular said it was unclear whether this would be the case with the iPhone.
More Here
Wake up Call for the Industry Here
Currently listening to: 'Pod Phone
January 10th, 2007
Mikey's Top Artists
Posted by MikeyMike at 02:50 AM on January 10, 2007 in Tech, iPod, Arts.
Lastfm.com is really cool to keep track of the music you play - and to find peeps with similar interests. Works with most of the major Windows music players, including WinAmp and iTunes... Mikey likes it!
Currently listening to: LastFM Top Artists
Beneath the bonnet of the iPhone
Posted by MikeyMike at 03:44 PM on January 10, 2007 in iPod, Rants.
From our friends at the BBC....Apple iPhone, Apple
The iPhone has been under development for more than two years (Credit: Apple)
With the iPhone, it seems that Apple may have surpassed the expectations of even its most demanding fans.
The immediate reaction was one of delight that Apple had combined a widescreen iPod, mobile phone and internet device in such a slick and stylish gadget.
Most excitement is being reserved for the new user interface, which allows users to touch the screen to make calls and listen to music.
Some experts though question whether the phone will be compelling enough to make a real impact on the market.
Others are concerned that the hefty $499 price tag is just a little too much to pay even for the latest iconic Apple design.
User-friendly
Mac fans are excited about the fact that Apple has addressed the need to improve user experience while retaining the sleek design most have come to expect as standard from Apple's head of design Jonathan Ive.
Editor of MacFormat Graham Barlow, obviously not put off by the price, wants two.
"I want one to put in a box and look at and one to play with," he said.
Like many, he is most impressed by the touch-screen technology, which Apple has patented and labelled "multi-touch".
"Steve Jobs is right when he says that no-one wants a stylus," said Mr Barlow.
The touch-screen came about as a result of Steve Jobs frustration with existing mobile phones' usability. The new designs means users simply need to touch an icon on the iPhone's 3.5 inch screen to make a call. If another call comes through, users touch a second icon. A third icon allows them to merge the calls into a three-way conference call.
Few doubt that the touch-screen technology could have the same impact on the phone market as the motion-sensitive controls of Nintendo's Wii console seems to have had on the games market.
More Here
Currently listening to: Iphone
January 12th, 2007
Coco Lee/Human Nature - Mo Mo Ai Ni (Secretly Love You) live
Posted by MikeyMike at 05:19 PM on January 12, 2007 in Arts, Kawaii, Lyrics.
Wow, I found this song as a mp3 out on the wilds of the Internet a long time ago, never expecting to find a video of it for a one off concert performance - but here it is!
I love a cappella singing, such as The Nylons anyway, so this is a great musical combination! Got the lyrics too. Can anyone translate it to English?BTW, Coco Lee hails from San Francisco, CA and was going to be Pre-Med UC Irvine, before she took that fateful trip to Hong Kong...
Mo Mo Ai Ni (Secretly Love You)
Ye se chuan guo le chuang
sa zai wo de jian bang shang
xiang ti tie de hao peng you
gei wo nuan nuan yong bao
lei gan de lian pang
jing jing de wei xiao, jing jing de xiang
ai ni wo bu gan qu jiang
jing guo ni shen pang bu zhuo ni de yan guang
Mo mo ai ni
ai que ge zai yan di
gei bu liao ni, tian tian de lei ji
Li ming chuan guo le chuang
sa zai ni de zhao pian shang
xiang ti tie di hao peng you
yao wo shou qi ta ba
lei shi de yan kuang
jing jing de liu lei, jing jing de xiang
ai ze me dui ni qu jiang
ba mei ci shi wang ze me kan cheng xi wang
Mo mo ai ni
ai que ge zai yan di
gei bu liao ni, wo yao de bu zhi guan xin
tou lu de mei jian xin shi
deng ni hui ying deng dao he shi
ai yi dan you le kai shi
shui bu dou xi wang you mei hao de jie ju
mo mo ai ni
ai que ge zai yan di
gei bu liao ni, wo yao de bu zhi guan xin
mo mo ai ni
xiang wen ni zai xin di
ni de an ding hui zai shui de huai li
mo mo ai ni......
Currently listening to: Mo Mo Ai Ni
Because I'm a Girl - KISS (Korean)
Posted by MikeyMike at 11:14 PM on January 12, 2007 in Arts, Performers, Lyrics.
I found this video a long time ago, and didn't know anything about it... except it was an arresting "mini-movie" length Koren music video. It's either amazingly romantic or insane, depending on your point of view. KISS broke up shortly after the album was made. Something people still talk about...
English translation of the lyrics:
I just can't understand the ways
Of all the men and their mistakes
You give them all your heart
And then they rip it all away
You told me how much you loved me
And how our love was meant to be
And I believed in you
I thought that you would set me free
(REFRAIN):
You should've just told me the truth
That I wasn't the girl for you
Still, I didn't have a clue
So my heart depended on you, whoa
(CHORUS):
Although I'll say I hate you now
Though I'll shout and curse you out
I'll always have love for you
Because I am a girl
Been told a man will leave you cold
Get sick of you and bored
I know that it's no lie
I gave my all, still I just cry
Never again will I be fooled
To give my all when nothing's true
I won't be played again
But I will fall in love again
(REFRAIN)
(CHORUS)
I loved you so
Now you leave me in the cold
How could this be
I thought that you'd only love me
Into the night
I will pray that you're alright
You hurt me so
I just can't let you go
You took advantage of my willingness
To do anything for love
Now I'm the only one in pain
Will you please take it all away
Never thought being born a girl
How I can love you and be burned
And now I will build a wall
To never get torn again
(CHORUS) [2x]
Currently listening to: KISS - Because I'm A Girl
January 15th, 2007
Music of Goodbye
Posted by MikeyMike at 12:26 AM on January 15, 2007 in Arts, Performers, Lyrics.
OK, I'm recycling... but it's for a good cause!
This wonderful song has previously been done by Al Jarreau and Melissa Manchester. But it's hard for me to imagine another version, other than Regine's now. The best singers make a song their own, don't they? I think it's one of her most accomplished songs. By that I mean technical perfection, passion and production values. You can feel the sad "music" of goodbye... This song is from her "R2K" CD.
You can hear the songs theme most clearly on the soundtrack albums second track, I'm Better At Hello (Karen's Theme l) Betcha' can't listen to Out of Africa in the same way now!
This song goes out to my someone that is hearing this painful melody playing even now...
The Music of Goodbye
A song I know so well
The music of goodbye again
It's there each time we say hello
As always there's no reason why again
You kiss me with your eyes
And in your arms I fly again
But even as we touch the clouds
There in the quiet is goodbye again
Perhaps the way I hold you
Makes you afraid I'll hold you
Makes you afraid to love me, love me
As through the night we dance
The tender dance of try again
I hear it playing softly and sadly
The music of goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
Written by John Barry, Alan & Marilyn Bergman
Currently listening to: Regine Velasquez's Music of Goodbye
Currently watching: Out of Africa
iPod On-The-Go
Posted by MikeyMike at 01:26 AM on January 15, 2007 in Tech, iPod.
I know that this isn't the most obvious function on the iPod... I discovered it more-or-less by accident! It's very handy when you're on the go and want to save certain songs - like "Jeez, this would be the perfect song for X right now!" With this capability, I can create Emma CDs while outside on the porch... If the instructions below look hard, it's really very easy, once you grasp the concept...
Making On-The-Go Playlists on iPod
You can make playlists on iPod, called On-The-Go Playlists, when iPod isn't connected to your computer.
To make an On-The-Go playlist:
1 Select a song and press and hold the Center button until the song title flashes.
2 Choose other songs you want to add.
3 Choose Music > Playlists > On-The-Go to view your list of songs.
You can also add entire lists of songs at once. For example, to add an album, highlight the album title and press and hold the Center button until the album title flashes.
To play songs in the On-The-Go playlist:
Choose Music > Playlists > On-The-Go and choose a song.
To remove a song from the On-The-Go playlist:
Select a song in the playlist, and hold down the Center button until the song title flashes.
To clear the entire On-The-Go playlist:
Choose Music > Playlists > On-The-Go > Clear Playlist.
To save On-The-Go playlists on your iPod:
Choose Music > Playlists > On-The-Go > Save Playlist > Save Playlist.
The first playlist is saved as New Playlist in the Playlists menu. The On-The-Goplaylist is cleared. You can save as many On-The-Go playlists as you like.
After you save an On-The-Go playlist, you can no longer remove songs from it.
To copy On-The-Go playlists to your computer:
m If iPod is set to update songs automatically (see Updating iPod Automatically on page 21), and you make an On-The-Go playlist, the playlist automatically copies to iTunes when you connect iPod. You see the new On-The-Go playlist in the iTunes
Source list. You can rename or delete the new playlist, just as you would any other playlist in iTunes.
Borrowed from the Apple iPod Features Guide
Currently listening to: 'pod
January 16th, 2007
Hong Kong Earthquake
Posted by MikeyMike at 05:53 PM on January 16, 2007 in Tech, Geographica.
This from the briefings newsletter I get from my subscription to The Economist magazine...Economist.com now offers e-mail updates covering 27 cities.
HONG KONG BRIEFING
January 2007
Internot
An earthquake off Taiwan on Boxing Day seriously disrupted Hong Kong's communications. Eight of 18 undersea cables linking the region to the rest of the world were severed or suffered major damage: China, Taiwan and Singapore were all affected, but Hong Kong was particularly badly hit. Many of the city's internet servers went down and other telecommunication services suffered major congestion.
For almost a week Hong Kongers struggled to reach websites in America and Europe. The problem was compounded by the fact that the main westward internet link had malfunctioned a fortnight before the tremor. Traders in North America and Europe had difficulty accessing Hong Kong's markets, and Hong Kong-based bankers struggled to trade offshore. Exporters had to dust off their fax machines to explain the silence to overseas distributors.
An optimistic statement from the Office of the Telecommunications Authority suggested the problem would be fixed within a week. Indeed, most of the internet was soon accessible in Hong Kong�albeit at greatly reduced speeds�but it might take up to a month to finish repairing the cables, which are 4km below the Pacific's surface.
Currently reading: The Economist
Handbags a health hazard, women warned
Posted by MikeyMike at 09:50 PM on January 16, 2007 in Rants.
Have to take the junk out of my manbag too! By Martin Roberts Tue Jan 16, 6:55 PM ET
TORONTO, Jan 16 (Reuters Life!) - With big handbags
becoming a key fashion accessory for working women, health experts
are warning they can also become a key health concern.
Bags for women have become bigger and heavier as designers combine
briefcases with handbags and straps have become longer but the extra
leverage has many patients complaining of neck, shoulder and back
problems.
"I see so many women with neck pains and headaches and what I
usually do is look for their purse and pick it up," said Jane Sadler, a
family practice physician on the medical staff at Baylor Medical Center in
Garland, Texas.
"We take it over to the scale and weigh it and usually they're anywhere
from 7 to 10 pounds (3.1-4.5 kgs)...We're really going to see women
with more and more problems later on if we continue the big purse
craze."
William Case, a physical therapist in private practice in Houston, Texas,
said an aggravated neck or shoulder can lead to upper back problems,
meaning pain may then be felt while working at a computer or playing
sports.
He urged designers "to place a cute, educational caution tag on all bags
to inform of potential neck and shoulder dangers."
Above all, he recommended correct posture while carrying bulky purses,
keeping the head and shoulders aligned upright. Patients should also
frequently change the size and weight of purses carried.
"The extra-large purses are quite phenomenal. They look beautiful when
the women wear them, but I don't know how aware they are of the
potential problems," Case said. More Here
January 18th, 2007
Fish tales, wax wails for beauty-mad Singaporeans
Posted by MikeyMike at 12:34 AM on January 18, 2007 in Rants, Geographica.
Good thing I'm already beautiful!By Miral Fahmy Wed Jan 17, 9:46 AM ET
SINGAPORE, Jan 17 (Reuters Life!) - Would you let skin-eating fish nibble at your toes? Or how about shaving your eyebrows and then re-painting them back on?
Beauty is big business in Singapore, where looking good is something of a national obsession.
Turn any corner in this wealthy, tiny island and you're likely to find a spa, a slimming or manicure parlor, a hair salon or a waxing joint -- or all five next to each other.
The emphasis on vitality is prevalent in many countries across Asia, but it appears to be most pressing in Singapore.
"Focusing on the body and looking good is very prominent in Singapore for men and women," Saroja Dorairajoo, sociology professor at the National University of Singapore, told Reuters.
"This is a society that depends on people skills more than any other, so it's not only what you have but how you present it, and the emphasis on that is quite amazing."
There are no official figures on the number of beauty outlets in this country of 4.4 million people, but a quick glance through the telephone directory yields at least 3,000 listings.
And it is not a female-only realm, as evident by the numbers of men who sign into online beauty portal www.flowerpod.com.sg and the scores of male spa and salon customers. More Here
Currently watching: Beauty secrets
Mika Nakashima - Yuki no Hana (live)
Posted by MikeyMike at 03:45 PM on January 18, 2007 in Arts, Performers, Lyrics.
Really love this song and I think that you get more of her emotion in this live version. Also found the lyrics and English translation: (from "The Cherry Blossum Garden"
Nagameteiru kono toki ni
SHIAWASE ga afuredasu
Amaeto ka yowasa ja nai
Tada, KIMI wo aishiteru
Kokoro kara sou omotta
Yuki no Hana
Lyrics: Satomi Music: Matsumoto Yoaki
Nobita kake wo hodou ni narabe
Yuuyami no naka wo KIMI to aruiteru
Te wo tsunaide itsuma demo zutto
Soba ni ireta nara nake chaukurai
Kaze ga tsumetaku natte
Fuyu no nioi gashita
Soro soro kono machi ni
KIMI to chikadukeru kisetsu ga kuru
Kotoshi, saisho yuki no hana wo
Futari yori sotteNagameteiru kono toki ni
SHIAWASE ga afuredasu
Amaeto ka yowasa ja nai
Tada, KIMI wo aishiteru
Kokoro kara sou omotta
KIMI ga iru to donna koto demo
Korikireru you na kimochi ni natteru
Konna hibi ga itsuma demo kitto
Tsuduiteku koto wo inotte iru yo
Kaze ga mado wo yurashita
Yoru wa yuri okoshite
Donna kanashii koto mo
BOKU ga egao he to kaete ageru
Mai ochite kita yuki no hana ga
Mado no soto zutto
Furi yamu koto wo shirazu ni
BOKUra no machi wo someru
Dare ka no tame ni nani ka wo
Shitai to omoeru no ga
Aito iu koto wo shitta
Moshi, KIMI wo ushinatta to shita nara
Hoshi ni natte KIMI wo terasu darou
Egao mo namida ni nureteru yoru mo
Itsumo itsudemo sobani iru yo
Kotoshi, saisho no yuki no hana wo
Futari yori sotte
Nagameteiru kono toki ni
SHIAWASE ga afuredasu
Amaeto ka yowasa ja nai
Tada, KIMI to zutto
Kono mama isshou ni itai
Sunao ni sou omoeru
Kono machi ni furi tsu motteku
Masshiro na yuki no hana
Futari no mune ni sotto omoida wo egakuyo
Kore kara mo KIMI to zutto...
Snowflower
Lyrics: Satomi Translation: Jonathan Wu
A man’s shadow lines the pavement
You walk in the twilight
Always holding my hand
If I’m by your side, I might not have to cry
The winds becomes cold
And I can smell winter
Gradually, in this city
the seasons will change as you come close to them
This year, the first snowflowers bloom
as we draw closer
As I look upon this time
the hapiness overflows in me
If we depend on each other’s love, we’re not weak
I simply, love you
These thoughts are straight from the heart
Whatever happens, as long as I’m with you;
I get the feeling that I can overcome anything
I know we can have this kind of life forever
So I pray that it will continue like this
The wind sways the window
and at night I wake up shivvering
I’ll chance any sadness
by putting a smile on my face
The snowflowers flutter down
outside the window
Though I don’t know why they stop falling
we will dye this city
We may think
“for who’s sake are we doing this?”
But we know it’s because we know love
If you ever get lost
I’ll become a star, and light your path
At night, when you smile, or get wet with tears
I’ll be by your side, always and forever
This year, the first snowflowers bloom
as we draw closer
As I look upon this time
the hapiness overflows in me
If we depend on each other’s love, we’re not weak
It’s simple, I just want to be
with you like this forever
So I can feel your gentleness
Pure white snowflowers,
pilling up in this city
In our hearts, we quickly draw our feels,
I’ll be with you forever, from this moment on...
Currently listening to: Yuki no Hana
Because I'm A Girl - Live
Posted by MikeyMike at 08:51 PM on January 18, 2007 in Arts, Performers.
I found the group KISS performing Because I'm A Girl live on YouTube!And a Vietnamese version Here
And Tagalog version Here by Roxie
Currently listening to: KISS - Because I'm A Girl - Live
January 21st, 2007
Students' new best friend: 'MoSoSo'
Posted by MikeyMike at 07:08 PM on January 21, 2007 in Tech, Rants.
A new fad is born!
Mobile Social Networking Software – the next wave of virtual community – is already appearing on cellphones, beginning with college campuses.
By Gloria Goodale
Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
LOS ANGELES - Walk on a college campus these days and you'll see cellphones everywhere, but only some being used for conversations. Baruch College sophomore Yelena Slatkina in New York City recently rustled up an emergency sub at work by typing a plea to her entire work group on her cellphone. University of South Florida sophomore Nate Fuller routinely uses his cellphone equipped with Global Positioning Software (GPS) to find recruits for his intramural football team and locate friends in Tampa, Fla. Texas 21-year-old Brittany Bohnet uses photos she and 20 of her networked buddies snap on their phones to locate one another, using visual landmarks they spot in the pictures they send.
These under-25s (the target market for early adoption of hot new gadgets) are using what many observers call the next big consumer technology shift: Mobile Social Networking Software, or Mososo. The sophisticated reach of cyber-social networks such as MySpace or Facebook, combined with the military precision of GPS, is putting enough power in these students' pockets to run a small country.
(Photograph)
Can you see me now? Talking on cellphones is passé for students who use them for networking and sending photos.
But while many young users are enthralled with the extraordinary conveniences of what amounts to a personal-life remote control, others who have been tracking technology for more than a few semesters say that as the benefits of the multipurpose mobile phone expand, so do its risks. Not only do they point to possible security issues with GPS running on a cellphone, but cultural observers worry about the growing preference of young users to stay plugged into a virtual network, often oblivious to the real world around them.
"These technologies are addictive," says author Michael Bugeja, bemoaning what he calls a growing self- absorption encouraged by social networking. "With a society that is increasingly amusing and distracting itself to death, what's at stake is nothing less than the collective conscience." More Here
January 28th, 2007
Posted by MikeyMike at 02:00 PM on January 28, 2007 in Kawaii, Doggies.
Snoopy over UCSD
Saw the Met Life (Insurance company) blimp flying over San Diego - around the UCSD campus it looks like...
Currently watching: Snoopy
