Getting the Word Out: The Amazing Power of the Web

This is a befitting post, seeing as how it has been a while since a new post has gone up here on the site. Years ago now (it feels like); we started seeing buzzwords like: "Web 2.0", "Dynamic Content", "User Created", etc.  And I heard several interviews and read several stories on tech reports/commentators saying the internet would eventually gravitate towards a more friendly space for user created content.  And then sites like YouTube popped up.  Even being what some considered to be fly-by-night fads in pop culture.  I mean seriously, who wants to see videos of people doing stupid things? lol

However, as time has moved on and the technology evolved; it is becoming more accessible to create your own content without a doubt.  And throughout the growth of media sharing sites and resources we have seen an infancy of this "Web 2.0".  Where teenage girls cry because their pop star crush got committed to rehab, or yet another skateboarder kid grinds his skateboard off of a roof and into the bushes or a pool.  Sure, we may get kicks out of those kinds of videos.  But that isn't what it's all about.  And people are starting to stand up and take notice.

I find it simply amazing that we have access to the venues that have only previously been available to those who could buy it.  Think back to even 12 years ago (year 2000).  The web was still basically used for checking email, news, looking at static web pages (for the most part), and the start of widespread online gaming.  Where news and television networks pretty much owned to media outlets.  Now flash forward to today, 2012.  Everything from televisions, phones, books, and even certain refrigerators are web connected.  Our phones have WAY more power than the technology used to put man on the moon.  And we carry them in our pockets and purses.  And technology is continually growing and information is literally everywhere.

Yes, we have gone way past the point of technology "pissing contests" and trying to see who has the faster desktop computer or the best graphics card or the most RAM when compared to our buddies computers.  Instead, technology has become much more of a "meta" (for lack of a better word) experience.  Meaning most of us are constantly connected and sharing something with someone or a group of someones.  Even if your content seems trivial, you are sharing it.  Posting to sites like Facebook, Twitter, chatting online with friends, video chatting, or even making videos for YouTube.  And in the process you are adding your information, experiences, and memories to a giant database which is becoming our present-history.  Today's children will continue to build upon the foundations of concepts like social networking, media creation, and communication and at the rate in which this technology is growing...We may not even recognize this foundation in another 30 years.  So what are we going to leave for them to grow from.  Videos of another "Baseball Nut Shot" or someone ranting because they are obsessed with a singer.  Why not leave something more meaningful?

These are just some simple musings and observations I have made over the last several weeks when browsing through YouTube and looking at sites like Facebook.  And one thing I have noticed with all of these social/media venues is: we all have a voice.  And one thing we want, is to be heard.  Maybe it's the old saying of "everybody wants their 15 minutes of fame".  But maybe nowadays, this statement should be revised.  Maybe it should be: "we all have a story" or something similar.

I have said all of that to say this.  The web isn't in it's infancy anymore.  And it hasn't been for some time.  But it seems that people are starting to really wake up and see what tools we have available.  Twenty years ago we relied on broadcasting talents like Walter Cronkite and Peter Jennings to give us the important news we needed to know about.  In our local communities our Sunday Newspapers were to the source of "What's Happening?".  But not anymore.  Now we look to sites like Google to tell us what we need to know.

Yet again now, in 2012; anybody with a cell phone or a computer/tablet with internet access can break news stories anywhere in the world.  And within a portion of a second, they can fire out a quick note about what is going on to be seen by potentially millions of people all over the globe.  People who are considered well versed or experts in their crafts suddenly have an outlet for teaching others their professions and passions.  People whose writings would have only ever seen the inside of a spiral bound notebook and probably stuck in a box or thrown away years later; now have a place to publish their work and have an equal chance at gaining notoriety with a whole community of fans or unsuspecting peers.  This is the power we have at our finger tips now.

And I leave you with the words of Spiderman: "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility" and this has never been more fitting than it is now.  Sure, we can use these social media outlets for fun.  And that's a big part of it.  But if you have continued to read this post to this point, I call you to action to keep an open mind and maybe see how you can contribute (in a positive way) to our current web.  Share something encouraging with someone else on Facebook (publicly), or find your passion and use the web to teach others.  And you may find that your voice speaks more volume than you may have ever known.

Chime in with you comments below.

read more

APB: Reloaded Has A Live Action Trailer

Remember a title from a while back that took the media by storm as a massively multiplayer game in the same vein as Grand Theft Auto.  This game was titled: "APB: All Points Bulletin".  Initially this game was released on the PC and the devs where considering a console version.  The game was short lived though due to faults of it's own merits (from gameplay to game modes disappoints were huge).  The game just couldn't deliver what fans and industry watchers had hoped it would.  In short, the game launched in June 2010 and closed down in September 2010.  Yep, short lived alright.

After bouncing around in limbo for a little while, GamersFirst picked it up and it was released by Reloaded Productions.  If you aren't familiar with GamersFirst they are a MMO gaming company that carves their business into the Free-to-Play market of MMO titles.  Titles under their label include: War Rock, Knight Online, Taikodom, Sword 2, and most recently Fallen Earth (out of which I can personally attest that War Rock and Fallen Earth are great games). With this new development in the game's brief lifespan there was hope once more.

The game went into Open Beta in May 2011 under the title: "APB: Reloaded".  One of the big positives this game has going for it is character customization.  This was one of the few things it's original incarnation did right.  And hopefully it will roll over to this version as well.  So with the news that the game is finally making it's way back to life, GamersFirst has rolled out a Live Action Trailer.  Honestly, I love watching these Live Action Trailers.  Sometimes they suck, sometimes they are awesome.  Really it's a crap shoot and one I have no way of being able to predict prior to watching it.  This trailer is pretty unique in that it shows the different character customizations in a live action form.  And it is an interesting trailer (so it definitely doesn't suck).

However, it is not for the faint of heart and should be for mature audiences only as it depicts scenes of graphic violence.  It is kind of ironic that this trailer rolls out so close to the release of 'Saints Row: The Third', don't you think?




If you're interested in checking out the game swing by their website:http://www.gamersfirst.com/apb/?fbid=wmjBHrVWu3DAnd if you'd like to see other games from GamersFirst visit:http://www.gamersfirst.com/

read more

Steam Users Beware!

On Thursday, November 10th; Valve announced that their Steam forums had been compromised.  In an initial release from Mr. Gabe Newell it was stated that the intrusion "went beyond the forums".  But it is unclear how far beyond the forums this attack managed to go.  Valve is saying that there is no evidence that any personal data or credit card information was harvested or stolen and they are continuing the investigation.

If you have used Steam (or it's forums) you'll know there is a separate login for the forums which requires a separate password.  Of course this is assuming you have theoretically passed "Online Security 101" and are not using the exact same password as you do for your Steam purchases (if so you're billing info could very well be at risk).  One of the first recommendations of online safeguarding is to not use the same password for everything you do online.  Why?  Simple, if that password is compromised it then becomes very easy for the rest of your online dealings to be compromised too.

Valve will be resetting forum passwords and urging user's to update their passwords in general.  In short, this is probably a good rule of thumb for anyone using Steam.  Regardless whether you are actually at risk or not. Here are two things to help:
- Change your password for both Steam Forums and your overall Steam Account.
- Keep watch on whatever method of billing you have setup for Steam purchases to be on the safe side.

I think it is a shame that yet another game service has been compromised.  I'll be the first to admit that it is probably impossible for any service to be 100% bulletproof when it comes to security.  And when it comes right down to it, the fact of the matter is that our online security as customer's lies at fault with ourselves.  Sad but true.  How can customer's hold a particular service to blame for security issues when customer's are using weak passwords, not changing passwords regularly, and flat out putting themselves at risk?

In short, we can't.

read more

WoW: Mists of Pandaria

Yesterday I mentioned World of Warcraft's troubles and a little information about the latest WoW Expansion: Mists of Pandaria.  I figured it was only fair to follow up with a little more of what is known about the upcoming expansion for one of the biggest MMO titles on the market.


With the expansion Blizzard will offer up:
- New Race
- New Continent
- Level cap will be raised to 90
- And a new class.

If you've been living under a rock for the last couple of weeks, than you'll know that the Pandaren are the new race and they hail from Pandaria (lacks a little imagination for me).  The new class is Monk.  Blizzard will also be bringing a new challenge mode, PVP goodies, and more.  If you haven't seen the trailer yet, check it out (borrowed from the WorldofWarcraft YouTube Channel).

read more

No More Gmail Love for Blackberry

It was announced recently that Blackberry users will soon be unable to get their hands on a dedicated Gmail app for their devices.  However, as one might expect from a company like RIM who was basically one of the front runners in the smartphone market, this is kind of a surprise. Instead, the decision came from Google themselves.  RIM built their business in the phone market by granting a web experience on their devices and were one of the first to really get it right.  Only since the iPhone's debut has RIM been struggling to stay ahead of the tech curve. 

No doubt RIM is feeling the pressure being put on from both Apple and Google in the smartphone industry.  We have already seen this with the release of RIM's Blackberry Playbook which has all but been a 'hot item' since it's release.  So what is the plan with Google then?  Looks like the effective date is November 22, 2011.  If you are a Blackberry user who already has the Gmail app installed, you're in the clear.  Unless of course you require some sort of support for it.  Otherwise, you can continue to use it to your hearts content.  The other good news is that if you are indeed a Blackberry user, your device already includes native Gmail support via Blackberry Internet Services.  So you're still in the clear regardless what Google decides to do now or in the future.

If you are a Blackberry user who doesn't have the app but would like to get it.  You have until the 22nd of this month.  Instead of supporting a dedicated app, Google seems to be redirecting their efforts in this area to "building a great Gmail experience in the mobile web browser" per their website.  What do you think?  Does this sound like Google is trying to sway Blackberry/Gmail user's to move towards Android (or at least away from RIM)?  Either way, with about every other mobile device supporting a Gmail app sounds kind of funny with this move doesn't it?

It definitely sounds like it's been a big week as far as "tech shake up's" go.  With Adobe's announcement earlier this week of discontinuing mobile Flash to Google not supporting Gmail app's on the Blackberry platform...Man, what's next?  Is Netflix going to reopen Qwikster? (just a joke, sorry Netflix).

:)

read more

What's Happening to WoW?

Admittedly, I have spent my fair share of time in the past running around in World of Warcraft.  Was it fun?  Sure.  Was it creative?  Sure.  Was it worth me spending $15 dollars a month to play it when compared with my time spent actually in-game during the course of the month?  I didn't like it that much.  :)

I am not one of these "WoW haters"; let me get that out there first and foremost.  As far as the game goes, it was one of the first MMO titles to get it right.  Otherwise, it would have folded a long time ago.  Blizzard has been successful at indirectly killing off or forcing other MMO titles similar to WoW's genre into a Free-to-Play business model.  For some this alternative business model has been a success for other titles it means death of the game.  Either a game has that certain charm, flare, and gameplay worthy of such fanfare.  And yes, WoW certainly has it.


It was reported just a couple of months ago that Blizzard has lost something in the neighborhood of 800,000 subscribers from July 2011 to September 2011.  I don't care who you are, that is a huge loss.  Is this a sign of the economy?  A sign that people just aren't playing?  Or are they getting spoiled to the Free-to-Play plan?

Regardless, looks like Blizzard is pulling out the one card that not many people on the face of planet Earth can shy away from: Panda's.  I don't care who you are, but you have to be on bad dude not to have a soft spot in the old ticker for a panda.  And Blizzard knows this, so coming soon to Azeroth will be a new expansion entitled: Mists of Padaria.  This expansion will bring the Pandaren race as well.

Will the adorable pull of Pandaren Shaman draw people back?  Time will tell.

read more

Adobe Kills Off Flash for Mobile Devices

It's no secret that HTML5 is a growing technology.  Now with a lot of desktop web browsers able to play nicely with HTML5 (and this is growing as well); it seems that it may become one of Adobe Flash's rivals on the web.  It is also no secret that Apple doesn't jive with Flash very well (at all) to put it modestly.

Up until yesterday (Wednesday) it seemed as though Flash had a decent foothold in the mobile sector when you figure it plays very well with Android based devices.  Why is yesterday such a point in the previous sentence?  Because yesterday; Adobe announced that it would no longer be developing Flash for mobile devices.  One thing you will also remember is that Adobe products are pretty decent.  At least as long as they are updated regularly when the newest versions roll out.  If not, then they typically turn into security risks (as with the case for most outdated software).

In a recent blog post by John Nack (product manager at Adobe) he pointed out that basically if Flash is kept from being run than they will have to find a different approach.  Is this a shot at Apple?  Apple doesn't ship their mobile devices or their computers with Flash preloaded.  Not really a big deal, right?  Since most Windows computers don't ship with it preloaded either (or at least an updated copy).  Wrong!  Apple has their reasoning behind this.

Apple's stance in the past is that Flash is more resource intensive than it probably should and caused lower performance in their products.  Meanwhile, the rest of 'web-world' uses Adobe products as sort of a 'defacto standard' on the web.  Regardless whether you are a fan or a "Flash hater", it's goes without saying that Flash is everywhere on the web.  If we look into the future just a short way, what if manufacturers and content creators find other ways to produce their projects and content on mobile devices; would this not also bring about a movement among people in the industry to figure out how to port their content away from Flash on the desktop/laptop side of things too?  That is speculation on my part though (I like to project ahead a little ways).  I hope I am wrong or that HTML5 is really that good to handle the migration from Flash by the industry.  On the other hand, it would be nice to be able to visit a site that was once Flash based and get the prompt that you need to install the latest "plugin for your web browser"...

As far as the mobile market is concerned, it looks as though Apple is probably pretty happy with Adobe's decision.  Seeing as how other devices may win some user's over solely on the fact that they grant a complete "web experience" in that they offer Flash as well (I have seen some ads that point this out specifically).  Either way Adobe rolls their dice, I hope for their sake they already have a plan in the mobile arena.  Otherwise, who knows?

read more

Netflix Shares and User Base Drops

Since we're on the topic of big brand companies going crazy, we might as well chat about Netflix.  Remember a few months ago when they announced the changes to their service pricing?  And remember a lot of people got pretty upset about the matter.  Then after their current customer's were already rocked by the pricing change; they almost immediately announced that they would be moving their DVD Rental Service from under the Netflix brand to the new Qwikster brand name.  Which seemed kind of crazy, but at least they were still supporting the DVD Rental customers.

And yes, a bunch of customer's got equally upset about the name change to Qwikster as well.  This change meant that both your DVD Rental queue and your Instant Streaming queue would be in two different locations and not associated with each other.  The only thing Netflix was looking to add to Qwikster were game rentals for game consoles (like the Gamefly rental service).

Very shortly after revealing the Qwikster brand, Netflix decided to scrap it's plans to even start up Qwikster in the first place claiming they have listened to their customers.  So for Netflix the last several months have been pretty busy with them running in circles and getting nothing accomplished.

And nothing screams 'We have no clue what we are doing.  But we're doing it like a boss' to your customers than to publicly change your business plan so many times and only end up back where you were to start with and leaving your customer's just as empty handed for all the trouble.  And by the way things look, hopefully they learned their lesson.

It was reported earlier this week that Netflix has lost something in the neighborhood of 800,000 subscribers.  I don't care who you are or what your business is.  But 800,000 subscribers is a metric crap-ton of former customers (and lost business).  And due to the all of the fiasco and canceled accounts their stock prices dropped around 37% on Monday alone.  This isn't good Netflix.

So what does it look like going forward?  Netflix has already announced new content would be making it's way to the service over the coming months.  And a bunch has already been added with them scoring deals with the AMC and CW networks.  So as a current user/customer, I certainly hope they continue to add more content.  Especially since their streaming content is still nowhere as large or full as their DVD offerings.  Maybe with time that will change.  And for their sakes, they need to remember lessons learned from the last couple of months when it comes to them looking to mix things up.

read more