Imagine what happened when I saw Facebook’s new Timeline feature. I’m still freaking out. I think it is annoying and unnecessary. Here’s why.

I Don’t Need It

One of the most interesting things to watch is what happens when a business embarks on a project that isn’t built with the customer (or user) in mind. Usually the company in question tries to justify it by making grand statements about how the new feature will enhance the life of its customers.

Take it away, Mr. Zuckerberg.

“Timeline is the story of your life.”

That’s great! I mean, wait. What? I thought this was Facebook. The place I go to check up on my friends and see who is dating who and sometimes check up on people I knew in high school. Now Facebook is the story of my life?

“All your stories. All your apps. In a new way to express who you are.”

Huh? I guess Facebook is about expression, in the same way as any other form of communication is about expression. But I don’t have any stories on Facebook. I don’t use many apps. And the apps I use certainly aren’t meant to be an expression of who I am.

“Here are all the years of my life, right here.” (made in reference to his timeline).

Uh-oh. I wish I could see the advertising data they’ll take from that. Which is, let’s face it, the most important feature of Timeline.

Look, seeing people’s lives throughout time is kind of nifty. But is it why I’m on Facebook? No. I don’t want this to be my profile. It doesn’t do anything for me. Do. Not. Want.

I Don’t Like The Dueling Walls

Here’s my biggest design issue with Timeline.

Ever since I was a kid I’ve been taught, like almost everyone else in the western world, that items to be read are scanned from left to right and from top to bottom.

Timeline starts out with one big column that has a lot of information, and that’s fine. But below that are two columns of information that at first seem to be spat out almost at random. Soon you’ll realize that there are very small arrows on each area of information pointing to a dot on the timeline, and you’re supposed to parse information by jumping box to box in a sort of diagonal zig-zag pattern. Also, the two upper most boxes of information on the right side – well, they’re not actually part of the timeline. The designers just couldn’t figure out where else they could put them.

What I find strangest about this is the fact that it’s entirely unnecessary. A list of single items can be chronological. Wall posts are already organized in that way, more or less. The only reason for this annoying two-column format, so far as I can tell, is so that you can see it’s a timeline. Ooooooh. Fancy.

Fortunately, some intrepid developers are already making extensions that reformat the page so that there is just one column. But really – Facebook? What are you thinking?

I Don’t Like The Privacy Concerns

Timeline is yet again asking users to put in more information about themselves. Ostensibly it helps users express themselves – but it certainly doesn’t hurt Facebook’s bottom line. In doing so, the company is also asking people to provide more information to strangers and friends. That is information users may not want to have visible.

Yes, there are tools that can be used to make sure information remains private. There are ways to remove content. The burden of privacy is, however, consistently placed on the user. In the eyes of Facebook, there doesn’t seem to be any assumption of privacy. It’s all out there – unless you say otherwise.

I’m not sure why we should trust Facebook, either. They’re a company that is on the verge of an IPO (it may have happened by the time you read this) and despite the success of the site, they are as a business still young and still unproven. What happens when someone else is in charge? What happens if the IPO flops and Facebook’s investors start asking for them to make big bucks, no matter what? The pressure for profit has time and time again caused companies to take actions that were unsafe, immoral and sometimes illegal. We shouldn’t expect Facebook to be any different.

I Don’t Have A Choice

Timeline is out there.  You may have already noticed it lurking on the pages of friends. Perhaps you’ve been taken by it already. But even if you run – you can’t hide. Timeline is coming, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. Why? Why can’t I stop it?

That’s a hypothetical question, of course. I know why. It’s because Timeline is designed from the ground up as a way to make Facebook money. Increased app integration and increased data collection translates to more opportunities for profit. Making it optional doesn’t make sense – at least not to the accounting department.

I get that, but it doesn’t make the change any easier for me.

Conclusion

The new Timeline feature may be what turns me off from Facebook. Though I have a Google+ account, I don’t use it as my primary social networking tool. That may soon change.

What say you? Am I off the reservation, or are you feeling the pain of change as well? Let us know in the comments.

With this being said, I’ve already given you some tips on blogging. However, I haven’t really told you anything you should ignore when writing your personal blogs. Here, you’ll find nothing on SEO or raising ad revenue. This is all about passion blogging and writing for the purpose of self expression. Granted, sometimes folks still get caught up in the rules!

Make Tons Of Lists

It seems that every single publication you see in the blogosphere– yes, even MakeUseOf – is chock full of lists. There are lists out there for every single topic you can imagine – Top 10 Underwater Basket Weaving Tips, Top 5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Marry Your Dog, Top 7 Bovines That Can Dance The Flamenco… If those titles don’t exist right now, I can almost guarantee you that they will in the next five years. Why? Because they are lists. (Well, part of the reason is that I may end up writing them).

But anyway, it seems like everyone’s doing lists, and anyone that will tell you how to write a good blog will tell you to make lists. Guess what? They are right – lists are awesome. However, do not feel like every single post you should write needs to be a list. This is your personal blog, and because of that, we can assume that you can’t always funnel your creativity into this form. Feel free to branch out a little.

Stick With Proper Grammar

Yeesh – this is sometimes a pretty touchy subject on the Internet. Basically, I say that there’s a stark difference between bad grammar and writing well with your voice. Bad grammar is quite blatant – horrible sentence structure, misspelled words, comma splices, etc. But writing with your voice? This allows for you to break some rules, but at the same time, you don’t ignore each and every single law of grammar. I suppose it’s best to know the rules before you can break them.

Despite the many Grammar Nazis that exist on the Internet, you shouldn’t feel obligated to write in perfect English. Break some rules, accept your mistakes, and have some fun with it. Granted, I encourage learning the rules to the best of your ability, though. Furthermore, if grammar is what is preventing you from writing your blog, all I can say is, “So?” Go ahead and write it – it’s more fun that way.

Write Only What Your Audience Wants

You may notice a pattern in that people typically read only what they want to read, and there are folks out there that will tell you to cater to a specific audience. Essentially, they say that you should write only what your readers are hungry for. That’s all well and good, and it works for a business model, but we’re talking about personal blogs, right?

Simply put, I believe you should write what you want to write. It’s your house, and you’re allowed to decorate it however you want. Yes, you could cater to a specific audience, and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, chances are if you are writing about something you like, there is someone else out there that is going to like it too. Just make sure that you share your work with the world.

Spark Lots Of Controversy

I’m one to talk, but you don’t always have to tackle iffy subjects when writing. Sure, if you want to build up your traffic, that’s okay. Also, if there’s a controversial issue that you feel like you should speak up about, then that’s even better. All I’m saying is that you shouldn’t feel pressured to do it. You can spend hours paying attention to current events and subscribe to every single news RSS feed you can find, but that’s not going to make you a better blogger.

Instead, I’d suggest writing about what moves you. Are you upset about unfair overseas working conditions? Then by all means write about it. Is it going to start up controversy? Likely. However, you’re not writing solely to stir up controversy – you’re writing because it’s something you’re passionate about. I’d just say don’t spark controversy for the sake of sparking controversy. Besides that, you could always stick with articles about marshmallows and hummingbirds.

Conclusion

Blogging is a way for you to get your voice out there. It’s your chance to share with the world what you think. Don’t fall victim to the many rules that exist around it, and definitely try to have some fun.

What types of blogging rules would you ignore? What blogging rules should you not ignore?

Image Credit: Dave, blogs.com, The Grammarphobia Blog, Search Engine Journal, Wired

However, some of you may be wanting to start your own blog, and I thought I’d drop a few of my personal tips on you concerning this. Please consider them only guidelines, for only you can set your own rules when blogging. Granted, I really hope those rules include having some fun.

Start Small

This is a personal blog, folks. You can’t go into it thinking that it’s going to be a grandiose publication that will draw millions of hits in traffic. This isn’t to say it couldn’t go all Frankenstein on you and become that, but don’t go into it expecting you’ll be swimming in a pool full of paper brought in by ad revenue. At that point, you can safely assume you’re making a personal blog for the wrong reasons. Instead, write because you want to write.

I believe you should make it simple. Write posts that are intimate and… well… personal. I’d suggest making your readers (which will likely be a small amount) feel as if they are having a conversation with you, and during the amount of time that it takes to read your post, it could just be assumed it’s your turn to speak. Hopefully, if the discussion is enticing enough, they will respond.

Pick A Topic

As referenced in one of my past articles, it’s sometimes important to come up with the kind of blog you want to write. Do you want to write about your travels? Do you simply want to churn out daily personal anecdotes that are amusing to read? This is where you should start planning. Although I’m a big proponent of writing whatever you want, I understand that you have to consider why you are writing this thing.

If you are wanting to just spout out your ideas to the world, then by all means write your anecdotes. However, if you want to eventually be recognized for what you do, you may want to take into consideration the kind of topic you are writing about. Granted, your personal stories might be what you want to be recognized for, but just make sure that you have a goal in mind. (As a note, sites like Plinky might aid you with prompts).

Build Your Audience

Your audience is likely going to be small – Facebook friends and family, to be exact. However, you really shouldn’t stop there. Be bold, and start posting your blog on related forums and websites or make a Facebook page and share it. You may say, “Well, people are so mean!”, and you know what? You are absolutely right.

There are people who are going to jump on your blog’s comments and insult your work, your grammar, your personal life, your topic choice… everything really. They may even get around to dropping some malicious slurs against your mother. However, as a certain songwriter once told me, “Dare to suck.”

There are a lot of mean people out in the world, but then again, there are a lot of people out there who are going to like your stuff. Keep improving your work and trudge on through the negativity to find them, and when you do, surround yourself with them. Also, if they have their own blogs, check those out and make some writing buddies.

Stay Consistent

In my world, “consistency” is a relative term. I believe that it’s very important to stay consistent, but the question is how exactly will you be consistent? For instance, will you be consistent with content or will you be consistent with publishing? There are several types of ways you can be consistent with a blog, and not all of them include posting a set amount of times a week.

Let’s consider this – do you have a lot of time to write? No? Well, don’t be consistent with your publishing days. Instead, be consistent with the types of items that you publish.

I would suggest that you not post an incredibly detailed analysis on music of the 1920′s on one day and then a list of your favorite types of gas station meat and cheese snacks on another. Furthermore, you may want to be consistent with the lengths of your articles – your choice on all this, really.

Be Real

The best tip I can give you is that you should be you when writing your blog. Let your voice (not your proficiency in the English language) shine through when writing. Does that mean you can break some grammar rules? You bet it does. Enjoy that.

However, with your voice, you shouldn’t pretend to be someone you’re not. When you blog, you’re basically letting people take a step into your mind. Sure, it’s okay to clean the place up a little bit. However, don’t entirely remodel your brain’s interior just for them. Be who you are when writing.

As I’ve said before – write whatever you want. Hopefully, the tips shown here may spark you to get something started. Also, what is your blog about? Do you have many readers? Let’s see all of your personal blogs!

Image Credit: taliesin

Out of the 145 readers who voted, 19% don’t even have a Twitter account, 23% have an account but never tweet, 23% tweet 1-5 times per week, 19% tweet 1-5 times per day, 7% tweet 6-10 times per day, 5.5% tweet 11-20 times per day, and 3.5% tweet more than 2- times daily.

Full results and this week’s poll after the jump.

While not a whole lot of readers voted, it was still surprising to find out that so many of you are not big on tweeting, with a staggering 65% who tweet 5 times a week or less. In a world so consumed by Twitter and hashtags, it’s interesting to see such results.

This week’s poll question is: What Do You Think Of Windows 8′s Metro UI?

Microsoft Metro UI is not entirely new, with early glimpses of dating back to earlier versions of Windows Media Center and Zune, but with Windows Phone 7 and Windows 8, Microsoft made sure we all heard of and knew what Metro UI is. Metro is a design language which is based on certain principles such as specific fonts, use of tiles and text for navigation, and more, and by utilizing in in Windows 8, Microsoft is trying to go in a completely different direction. This UI has gotten mixed reviews (although more good than bad), with some people thinking it’s the best thing since Windows added a Start button, and others hating the thought of having that as their main operating system. Where do you stand?

What is it about Metro UI that you like or don’t like? Do you think it’s good on some products but not on others? If so, which? We’re waiting for your comments.

MakeUseOf does not condone piracy in any way. This article expresses the opinion of a single author only and should not be taken as the representative opinion of MakeUseOf as a whole.

“Piracy”? Really?

The very word chosen to describe the term copyright infringement is misappropriated. Piracy used to mean acts of violence at sea, and physical stealing of gold. As is said time and time again – piracy is not the same as stealing. Stealing takes the item away from the original owner. Piracy was chosen to deliberately evoke an emotional response.

If the music industry insists on equating copyright infringement with stealing, I think it’s time we put a new face on piracy. Have you ever heard the story of Robin Hood and his merry band of men? He lived in the forests of Sherwood, England, and whenever a rich upperclassman would travel through the forest, they would hold them up and steal their gold and jewellery. They would then give it all to the poor people in town. “Rob from the rich, give to the poor” – Robin Hood was the great equaliser, a legendary hero to the common man. I think it’s about time we replace the verb “pirate” with “Robin Hood“, and see how the perception of copyright infringement changes then.

Rich Enough?

The music industry as a whole is undoubtedly making somewhat lower profits than it was 20 years ago, though digital sales are undergoing rapid growth. Should we really care about their losses? Doubtful. Major artists are overpaid, and the executives that own the record companies are overpaid too. Do you really think I care if P.Diddy can spend a few less nights every year in that 7-star Dubai hotel that costs $28,000 a night? No, I sure as hell don’t.

Whatever losses you are making Mr Music Industry, take them out of his paycheck. No one deserves that much money, ever. Same to you Mr Hollywood.

I wonder though…what would happen if you charged fair and reasonable prices for music? If you put those executive and artists salaries down to something reasonable, and charged fair prices with a fair percentage going to the smaller artists – do you think piracy would be such an issue then? I don’t.

It Doesn’t Hurt The Smaller Developers/Producers/Indie Bands

Anti-piracy statements inevitably come only from the big companies and big artists who are already rich. The smaller artists – the indie bands and such – are usually quite encouraging of piracy. Anything that gets their name out there, creates a buzz, brings people to gigs – is always a good thing.

I think all of us are happy to pay when we can afford it, and the price is reasonable. Here’s indie developer Notch – creator of Minecraft – who when asked by a fan who couldn’t afford the game what to do, replied:

@AndresLeay Just pirate it. If you still like it when you can afford it in the future, buy it then. Also don’t forget to feel bad.

Trent Reznor, lead singer of industrial band Nine Inch Nails, understands how the music companies screw the consumer:

The ABSURD retail pricing of Year Zero in Australia. Shame on you, UMG. Year Zero is selling for $34.99 Australian dollars ($29.10 US). No wonder people steal music. Avril Lavigne’s record in the same store was $21.99 ($18.21 US).

By the way, when I asked a label rep about this his response was: “It’s because we know you have a real core audience that will pay whatever it costs when you put something out – you know, true fans. It’s the pop stuff we have to discount to get people to buy.”

So… I guess as a reward for being a “true fan” you get ripped off.

More recently, PirateBay even launched an initiative to highlight a single artist on the homepage by allowing those who freely distribute their music on the site to upload a small picture that will be randomly displayed on the PirateBay homepage, linking to their YouTube channel or blog.

The point is – piracy doesn’t hurt the little guy. If anything, it helps the little guy.

Lost Revenue Figures Are BS

We’re constantly hearing outrageous figures for how much piracy “costs” the industry. £200 million a year, they cry out in the UK. But all these figures assume that a single download would otherwise have been converted to revenue. Now while I don’t doubt that some people choose to download instead of purchasing the product, the vast majority of downloads are those that otherwise wouldn’t have been a sale anyway. Take that figure, and shave 95% off it, and it’s a whole lot more believable – and suddenly, somewhat irrelevant in the big scheme of things.

A Waste Of Money

When tough new measures for ISPs in the UK were suggested back in 2009, British Telecom estimated that dealing with the new rules and regulations could cost them up to £1 million a day. That’s £365 million a year, to save the industry £200 million – which was an overestimated loss anyway.

It’s not just a waste of money though – governments around the world spend thousands of hours working through these laws, launching various committees to discuss proposals. That’s your tax dollars at work there, by the way. Do you honestly think they aren’t some more serious problems they could be dealing with?

Anyway, that’s my take on all this piracy nonsense. The “problem” is overblown, and the people it really hurts could do with being taken down a notch or two anyway. Services like iTunes Store and Netflix are creating new revenue streams, reducing piracy by providing viable and affordable alternatives the traditional model.  Society and governments waste time and money on catering to the whims of executives, and I say it’s time we just stopped caring about so-called piracy.

How about you, what’s your take on piracy? Do you agree it isn’t actually a problem at all, or is it a scourge of the Internet age that must be tackled?

Image credit: ShutterStock

Before Kim Dotcom’s much-talked-about arrest, I had no idea how much money was involved in file sharing. According to some reports, Dotcom has earned over $42 million in 2010 alone, all from his network of Mega sites, including sharks like Megavideo. That’s $42 million that this guy supposedly stole from the true owners of these materials. The total lost revenue for these companies is even more jaw-dropping, estimated at around $500 million. It’s not that Dotcom didn’t steal this money, he did. But was there an alternative?

Where Is This Money Coming From?

Megaupload is by far not the only file sharing service out there, although it was definitely one of the more successful ones. The Mega sites offered users the ability to upload and download files freely, and even stream unlimited content, all for clicking a few ads, and maybe a small subscription fee.

And people did it. Lots of people did it, and continue to do it using other websites. On Usenet, you can download all the files your heart desires for approximately $10 a month. And people do this too. There are millions, if not billions of dollars exchanging hands, all because people want to be able to share content and have access to content without limitations. People will pay $200 for a lifetime membership, or a nice monthly fee, just for that. They don’t even mind clicking a few ads along the way. It’s the content that matters.

In short, a lot of this money is coming from users, like you and me, who want something very simple. And that is by no way free content, since it’s obvious they don’t mind paying for it.

Where Is This Money NOT Going?

That’s an easy one. A lot of this money is NOT going to the actual copyrights holders. And why is that? Is it because people don’t want to pay for content? Is it because most people would rather pirate their content than pay for it fair and square? Well, that’s definitely what the guys pushing SOPA want us to believe, but I don’t think it’s true.

If you live in the US, or some countries in Europe, you may have some legal ways to access music, movies and TV shows. Services like Spotify or Netflix are highly popular (despite Netflix’s troubles as of late), and guess what, they’re not free. Many people gladly pay these monthly fees to have access to all that content, the money goes to whoever it’s supposed to go to, and everyone is happy. Well, almost.

The way copyrights work, and this has been the case for a very long time, is that each country has its own copyrights holders. Because of that, where I live, there is no Spotify, no Netflix, no Pandora, there’s barely even stuff to be bought from iTunes and Amazon (media-wise). So what am I to do? Pay for a VPN and fake my IP, or pay the same amount or less for a service that lets me download all the content I want? Either way, I’m doing something illegal.

Why SOPA Will Fail

There’s a lot of protest against SOPA. It’s been said that they’re going to censure the Internet, to put a muzzle on free sharing, and lots of other things. The truth is, SOPA is the result of people who are too scared to open their eyes and see that a new reality has been formed. They’ve been scared for quite a while, and the longer they ignore it, the harder it is to admit they’re wrong.

SOPA will not fail because people don’t want to pay for content. It will not fail because people prefer stealing over buying legally. It will not fail because we’re all a bunch of rebels who will do everything to fight the big companies. It will fail because we’re not. And they don’t want to see that. It’s much easier to think we’re all evil and need to be limited and restricted in order for us not to steal.

They’d much rather spend millions fighting and restricting, than acknowledge the simple fact that most of us want to pay. Give us a simple, fair way to download legal content around the world, and most of us will do it. Make it easy, let us share things (legally), and we’ll do it. Do they really expect us to keep buying DVDs and CDs, just because that’s the old way they like? Does the fact I don’t want to buy those mean I would prefer stealing?

As we’ve seen from recent events, the money is there to be had. The users are willing to pay. Now all that’s missing, is for the media companies to want our money enough to take it.

Will you buy content legally if it were possible and easy? Do you think most people would actually prefer stealing anyway? Let the opinions flow!

Image credit: Shutterstock, Shutterstock, Shutterstock, Shutterstock

Love it or hate it, Apple has changed the whole tech industry. The genie cannot ever be put back in the bottle. Is Microsoft doing enough to catch up? Or is it, alternatively, doing too much, trying to change the operating system which remains its main source of revenue when millions of people are happy with their non-touch way of working and non-tiled user interface?

Windows 8

Windows 8 is going to arrive some time during 2012. It’s just a matter of which quarter Microsoft decides to launch it. It’ll ship around three years after Windows 7. Three years during which Apple and Google have both affected the way we interact with our devices on a fundamental level.

Consider for a moment the world in 2009, when the iPad was still being forged at Apple under Steve Jobs’ controlling eye and Android 2.0 had just been released. At that time Windows did everything required of it, offering an accessible way of using computers with a keyboard and mouse. The iPad changed that, with its dismissal of all external inputs other than your fingers, and Android then exacerbated the trend. Windows was suddenly looking like a dinosaur waiting for the end of the world to arrive.

Microsoft knew it had to do something radical, and the company’s answer was to port the Metro UI from Windows Phone 7 over to Windows 8.

Metro UI

Microsoft faced a huge dilemma when it came to developing Windows 8. Windows 7 enjoyed a near-perfect launch, managing to move the operating system on from the Vista debacle in the minds of all but the most vehement Windows haters. Windows was set to carry on unhindered and unchanged for many years to come. And then the iPad arrived, and everything changed.

Microsoft itself was the architect of the push to get us all using tablet devices. But its efforts at the turn of the century (dubbed TabletPC) failed to move from being a niche to a mainstream product. Apple got it right first time, producing a truly great product which has eaten into the PC market ever since, and virtually wiped out netbooks as a form factor.

The Metro UI is Microsoft looking to the future, to the post-PC era that Apple is developing. It’s far from perfect, and it has been argued Microsoft has erred by trying to mutate it to its main OS. You can see for yourself by trying it in VirtualBox, with Windows 8 Beta Simulator, or with Instant Beautiful Browsing.

Windows 7 With a Glossy New Front-End?

The basic structure of Windows 8 is built on top of the current iteration of Windows, Windows 7. As has been true of all versions of Windows that have gone before. As with most operating systems, Windows is in constant evolutionary flux, with each new version meant to improve the UI while providing the tools needed for the present time.

To be fair to Microsoft, Windows 8 is the biggest evolutionary step up since Windows 95. But at least back then it was a battle being fought in just one, rather than multiple, arena(s).

The problem is that the whole computer industry is now changing at a rate of knots. Not in terms of hardware, as was the case for the whole of the 1990s, but in terms of how we relate to the technology and use it merely to access the Internet and all the services it provides. In some respects then, operating systems are becoming irrelevant. Or at the very least not as necessary to impress as was once the case.

Do People Still Want Windows?

The big question is whether people still want Windows. It has spent decades as the first choice operating system for the majority of people, but times are changing, and fast. As mentioned previously we’re now entering into the post-PC era, where mobile devices are becoming the default choice for most people, and capable of doing everything a notebook or desktop can do.

In this scenario, Windows in its present form looks set to lose much of its appeal. If Microsoft doesn’t alter Windows in a radical way then it risks becoming a niche product used by enterprise customers and professionals, but not by the mainstream. It cannot afford to let this happen or it faces a bleak future. With the exception of Office and Xbox, Microsoft hasn’t got much else beyond Windows to fall back on. Unless Windows Phone can grow beyond the expectations of most analysts.

The question then is whether Microsoft has done too much, too little, or just about the right amount of tinkering in building Windows 8 to go another round.

Looking To The Future

Will Windows 8 succeed or Fail? I think we need a third option of “do mildly well but will hardly set the world alight.” Because that’s my honest assessment of how Windows 8 will perform.

Microsoft has done just about enough to stop Windows from becoming completely irrelevant by trying to please everyone, all of the time, but the two-tier way Windows 8 operates risks pleasing no one, none of the time. To stop the rot Microsoft is going to need to exhibit a willingness to change and be fluid in its approach to developing future versions of its key products. In other words, take a leaf out of Apple’s book.

Do you think Windows 8 will be a huge success? Or a massive failure? Or, like me, do you feel Windows 8 is just about good enough to keep Microsoft in the game while the industry changes around it? Personally I’m already looking towards Windows 9.

Image Credits: mynetx, Ceo1O17, backofthenapkin, Esparta, Titanas

The usual wisdom coming from salesmen and the “experts” among your friends is that Android or iPhone are the way to go, especially with the current decline of BlackBerry. However, a third choice is becoming more popular day by day: Windows Phone 7. But why should you ignore the endless screens of shortcuts and widgets on an iPhone or Android in favour of a platform that is centred on you, the user, rather than the apps?

10 Reasons To Choose Windows Phone 7

10: Slick User Interface

You can find it on Windows 8 and Xbox 360 but the original and best use of the Metro UI is here on Windows Phone, where it is ideal for finger-based interaction. There is more to Metro than tiles, incidentally – the type face, the convention of “hinting” at additional screens to the right and the simple switches to enable and disable features are all part of the deal.

9. Fast

When I purchased my first Windows Phone I was astonished at how fast particular tasks could be performed. By far and away the most impressive was the speed with which I could snap a photo and upload it to Facebook, but the speed of the keyboard was almost as astonishing, making it very easy to send emails and messages, leave notes to myself and update social networks.

8. Office Integration

It’s not for everyone but the integration with Microsoft Office on offer with Windows Phone is second to none. Exchange email accounts and SharePoint servers can both be accessed while Word documents, PowerPoint presentations and Excel spreadsheets created on your phone can be sent by email or uploaded to either SharePoint or Skydrive.

There are none of the compatibility issues that you will find with Android, BlackBerry or iPhone.

7. Social Networking

Key to the early interest in Windows Phone was its integration of Facebook into the contacts list and the latest release sees Twitter and LinkedIn added. You can disable this feature if preferred – standard apps are also available – but this is an excellent way to keep everything updated at once.

6. Nokia Music

The main Zune media player on Windows Phone is excellent and allows you to integrate third party media apps such as Last.fm (free on Windows Phone) but the whole idea of music on a WP7 device has taken on a new life thanks to Nokia Music. Available only on Nokia Lumia handsets this system allows you to stream music from the cloud to your phone and keep a number of your favourite tunes from the selection.

5. Nokia Drive

Again courtesy of Nokia and their joint partnership with Microsoft, Nokia Drive is a sat-nav application that uses cellular positioning and GPS to instruct you along the correct route to your destination. Nokia Drive offers a good alternative to the sat-nav apps available in the Windows Market as well as those on other platforms.

4. Xbox Live Integration

If you have the urge to unlock gaming achievements while at work or on the train, what better way to do so than with your existing Xbox Live Gamertag? Top titles such as Angry Birds, Assassin’s Creed and PES 2011, are available, and there are many non-Xbox Live games available from the Market.

3. Fast Growing App Store

In fact the Market is one of the crown jewels of Windows Phone, reaching 10,000 apps faster than any other mobile phone marketplace and reaching 50,000 apps quicker than all of the competition except iPhone. Best of all, the vast majority of apps in the Market are free.

2. Email & Internet

Naturally Windows Phones offer the ability to connect to any type of email account. Meanwhile the phone features what is probably the best iteration of the Internet Explorer browser, which features such fascinating innovations as placing the address bar at the foot of the screen in the so-called “dead space” area.

1. Skype

The popular voice over IP, cam and text chat service has been purchased by Microsoft and is set to arrive on Windows Phone in the next few months. If none of the other reasons for buying a WP7 device have tempted you so far then surely the presence of the Internet’s primary multi-function messaging service will.

Need More Reasons?

Actually, there is an 11th reason why you should buy a Windows Phone, specifically the Nokia Lumia 800. By doing so, you get the opportunity to be there at the start, be an early(ish) adopter and grab a stylish new mobile phone running the most stunning and efficient mobile phone platform currently available.

Make no mistake; while the phone isn’t set to be released in the USA until later in 2012, the Nokia Lumia 800 adds the necessary physical hardware style to Microsoft’s mobile platform. It’s already become the top selling phone in the UK and the pattern is set to be repeated around the world. Remember when everyone started buying iPhones? This is one of those moments.

Let us know what you think in the comments.  Is Windows Phone set to become the next big thing?

Image Credits : Windows Phone Newsroom

It’s certainly difficult to not run into one of these codes today – but is that because they’re here to stay, or because they’re a fad? I think the answer is the latter, and here’s why.

QR Codes Are Inconvenient

The first time I scanned a QR code with my phone, I thought it was pretty nifty. The second time, I thought it was okay. The third time, I started to become a bit annoyed.

QR codes were originally put into use by the automotive industry as a way to scan parts. Since the code works in two dimensions (rather than one, like a bar code) far more information can be stored. It’s only popular now because smartphones have decent cameras, but they still pale in comparison to the scanners typically used to read these codes.

As a result, scanning a QR code with a camera isn’t particularly fast.  It requires that you open a QR code app and direct your camera at the code. Then you need to wait for the code to be read. If lighting conditions are good, it doesn’t take long. If they’re not, it might take a few moments or might not work at all. Which begs the question – is it really that convenient? Or is code scanning one of those things we do just because we couldn’t do it before?

Complaining about the time it takes to scan a QR code may seem silly. But speed and ease of use separates standards that survive from those that don’t – at least in the consumer market.

QR Codes Aren’t Secure

When you scan a QR code, you probably assume it will send you to a legitimate site. I did the same when I first started using them. It was only a few months later, when reading an article about new security threats, that I realized there’s nothing guaranteeing a QR code is secure. These codes can direct you to malicious websites, malicious apps, and other such perils.

Links also can direct you to the same, of course. But you usually have a vague idea of where a link is going to send you before you click on it, and if you don’t, you can check it out by expanding the link or looking the site up on Google. With a QR code, you can’t even be certain of what type of content the code is going to send your way – and it sends the content your way automatically once the code is scanned.

So far, these security issues are not generally a problem because QR codes are not generally used to spread malware. They’re harder to spread than a simple link or infected app and therefore not used as frequently. Even so, if QR code use were to persist the security issue would have to be addressed.

QR Codes Are Going Obsolete

And here we have the main reason QR codes are a fad.

The QR code, as I think I’ve already explained, isn’t that interesting. There’s nothing about it from a technical standpoint that’s ground-breaking. It can hold a fair shake of data, but it can be awkward to read (with a camera, at least) and has security problems. And in terms of physical size on a webpage or a piece of paper, a QR code is rather large compared to a text link.

As such, it’s ripe for replacement. That replacement is near field communication, or NFC.

NFC allows for extremely short-range transfer of data between devices, and it’s real sci-fi stuff. Right now it’s primarily being used in wireless electronic payment systems (like Google Wallet) but the implications are massive. Instead of picking up a daily or weekly ad when you enter a store, you could simply have that data transferred to your phone by placing it on a table or tapping it against a kiosk.

The key feature here is convenience. All you would need to do to read data via NFC is tap your phone against a tag (the shorthand for a NFC chip in an object). This is much quicker than reading a QR code, and this is assuming the current NFC standards, which restrict communications to a distance of a few millimeters. It’s not hard to imagine a future where wireless communication renders all forms of physical data transfer nearly obsolete.

Conclusion

QR codes entered the consumer market because camera technology on phones reached a point where it was possible to read them and because there weren’t many other means of transferring data between objects and people.

Now that NFC is starting to gain traction, QR codes will start to seem a bit old-fashioned. As always, the transition isn’t going to take place overnight. But it will happen. It’s only a matter of time.

What do you think?  Are you a QR Code fan who thinks that the codes are going nowhere soon?  Or are you against them and see them rapidly disappearing from everyday use?  Let us know your viewpoint in the comments.

Out of 78 readers who voted, 45% don’t use recommendation apps at all (!), 24% use them all the time and find them useful, 23% use them sometimes, 6% used to use recommendation apps but don’t trust them anymore, and 1% keep trying to use them, but are usually disappointed.

Full results and this week’s poll after the jump.

While not many people voted, it’s still surprising to see that more than half of the voters don’t use these apps, and most of the voters don’t think they’re any good. I guess the market is ready for something different in this niche!

This week’s poll question is: How Often Do You Share On Twitter?

Twitter is a staggeringly large social network, and as such, millions of tweets pass through its line each day. We all know there are Twitter accounts which are almost empty, with 1-2 tweets every few days, and there are Twitter accounts from which we get a flood of tweets, which can sometimes drown our whole timeline. Where do you fall into the mix? Do you love sharing on Twitter and tweet multiple times a day, or are you one of those who prefer to tweet once every 2-3 days? Or maybe you don’t even own a Twitter account?

Do you love seeing many tweets from your friends? Or do you think people should limit themselves to several tweets per week so as to not create an over-crowded timeline for everyone?