Facebook Psychology - Is Addiction Affecting Our Minds? [INFOGRAPHIC]
Internet Addiction Disorder (otherwise known as Facebookalitis) is set to become the big psychological disorder of the 21st century - and it seems we have mostly Facebook to thank for that. Thanks to the social media goliath, it seems that we are turning into a legion of junkies who salivate whenever we hear the sound of a new status notification arriving or a Friend Request being approved.
Halloween Trick or Treat [INFOGRAPHIC]
Since today is Halloween, I have decided to take a spooky look at technology in one of our regular weekly infographics. Don't worry, I promise not to bite - not unless you want me to. Our infographic today, courtesy of Fixmo.com shows technology and business ideas which have become outmoded, discredited and sent to the spooky dead tech graveyard.
The High Cost Of Printing [INFOGRAPHIC]
Back when I worked in a government department in 2000, I tried to persuade the boss to switch to a paperless office. I was appalled at the amount of paper and ink that was being wasted and, being the filing clerk, I was getting the worst end of the deal. But back then, the idea of a paperless office was too radical. Fast forward 12 years later, and the idea of going paper-free is not as crazy as it sounded back then. But there are still companies who insist on printing.
The Rise Of e-Reading [INFOGRAPHIC]
I have a nice paper book collection in my office of 800 titles (and counting), but part of me wonders if, in 50 years or so, that library will be a rare endangered collection. With the rise of eBooks, Kindles and Nooks, there is the possibility that we could all be reading digitally at some point in the future, and the paper book could go the way of the dodo and the dinosaurs.
Solving Crime With Social Media [INFOGRAPHIC]
If Dick Wolf is looking for his next police procedural drama series, I have a suggestion for him - Law and Order - Social Media Unit. A dedicated team of detectives who use Facebook and Twitter to hunt down their prey. These are their stories. Clunk-clunk. Yes, I can see it becoming the next big hit. Royalty checks care of MakeUseOf.com please.
Goodbye Couch Potato, Hello Second Screen Surfer [INFOGRAPHIC]
I immediately identified with today's infographic, provided by Realplayer, because it describes my wife and I to a tee. When we are both watching television, we are alternating between looking at the screen and looking at our phones. It's comforting to know that this is a widespread practice, and not something anti-social, as someone once told me. I wasn't listening though as I was checking my phone at the time.
How Safe Is Your PIN? [INFOGRAPHIC]
Ah, the trusty PIN number, the 4 digits that separates you from your money. We use our bank PIN number in a wide variety of situations, whether it's taking money out of the ATM machine or paying with our card in a shop. But you would be amazed (or perhaps not) at the stupidity of some people when it comes to the 4 digits they need to keep secret the most. For it seems that a lot of people seem to have this irresistible urge to tell everyone their number.
Gaming In The Classroom [INFOGRAPHIC]
When I was at school, the method of teaching was watching the teacher explain it on the blackboard and then pray to God that you understood everything they were telling you. But these days, children are definitely pampered with this infographic claiming that gaming-related teaching is on the rise in the classroom. Is it happening in your school? Is your child coming home with "gaming thumbs"?
Dropbox - One Of The Must-Have Apps If You Own An iPhone
Ever since I went over to the Dark Side earlier this year to get my cookies and buy an iPhone, one app has been completely invaluable to me - Dropbox. In fact, I would go as far to say that if Apple dropped the Dropbox app from its iOS system, then I would be so angry that I would seriously consider going back to Android phones. That's how much I like Dropbox's iPhone app. Why do I like it so much? Let me show you the love.
CDex Portable - The Best & Easiest CD Ripping Tool There Is [Windows]
I recently inherited a huge amount of German classical CD's, and since I spend all day sitting at a computer, my first instinct was to burn all of the disks to MP3 format so I could listen to them on the PC, while I worked. But when you have something like 100+ CD's, you want to have a ripping tool that can streamline the process for you, and have it done with a minimum of effort. CDex ticks all of those boxes and the portable version is a delight to use.
One Laptop Per Child Project, 7 Years Later [INFOGRAPHIC]
People such as I in the western developed world tend to take the Internet for granted, but we often forget that there are a lot of people in the developing world who don't have access to the Internet at all, or even just basic access to a laptop. If more children were given access to a laptop, taught how to use it, and taught how to use the Internet, then not only would they grow up computer-literate, but they would also be given a glimpse, via the net, of the wider world around them.
The Internet a Decade Later [INFOGRAPHIC]
One of the things I enjoy the most about the Internet - and writing about it - is that I never know what is coming next. Just when I think the Internet could not possibly get any better, something else mind-blowing comes along and proves me wrong. When you compare the Internet's progress over the last ten years, you will realise how many utterly cool things have been invented, and which have made their way into an indispensable part of our lives.
Tech Company Ad Spends [INFOGRAPHIC]
Selling advertising space on the Internet is big business and this is why Google is at the top of the tech totem pole. Very early on, companies very quickly came to the conclusion that online advertising was the way to get their message out there, and if you are Google, with a huge dominant popular search engine at your disposal, then you are ideally placed to offer that advertising. Cue flowing mountains of cash.
Smart Phones, Devoted Users [INFOGRAPHIC]
With the recent announcement of the upcoming iPhone 5, I thought today would be a good day to profile another smartphone-related infographic. We all know that people love their smartphones, so much so, that they refuse to be parted with them, even at night while sleeping (how many of you use your phone as an alarm clock?). But according to this infographic, iPhone users would rather give up sex, bathing, and coffee, before handing over their precious device.
Could a Hurricane Take Down The Internet? [INFOGRAPHIC]
If you're living in certain parts of the United States, then you will be very familiar with the weather phenomenon known as "hurricanes" and indeed recently, you had Hurricane Isaac ripping across your shores. Obviously, violent weather of this kind causes a tremendous amount of damage, both to infrastructure and to peoples lives in general. But have you ever taken into consideration that a hurricane could potentially bring down the Internet?
The Social Media & College Admissions [INFOGRAPHIC]
This is the time of year when students are receiving their school grades and trying to get their places in university. But for many, those attempts will end in failure with a rejection letter coming in the mail. You may get a reason for the rejection or you may not. But there are certainly some things you can do to reduce the possibility of it happening next time you apply. In short, get your online search results in order.
Keeping Shop - A Look At Apple's In-Store Retail [INFOGRAPHIC]
When I was a boy, my mother always liked to tell me that money didn't grow on trees, but if I was a boy today, I would tell her she's wrong and point to Steve Jobs as the proof. That man knew how to literally grow money simply by sticking a logo of an apple onto a computer and then onto retail storefronts. Apple is today the most valuable public company in the world, worth over $400 billion. That's a lot of iPhones and iPads.
Going BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) [INFOGRAPHIC]
It seems to be the new trend in schools and companies all across the world - BYOD. No, it's not a new type of online computer game but rather Bring Your Own Device. This is a scheme where money-conscious schools and companies allow students and employees to bring their own computers and devices instead of having to work with a device issued by the company. But as with everything else in life, there are clear pros and cons to the scheme.
The Battle For Bandwidth [INFOGRAPHIC]
The desire to own more and more tech gadgets means that the demand for bandwidth is as strong as ever. And one of the places where people are demanding it the most is on college / university campuses. How many of you, when deciding where to study, factored in wireless Internet access? I know some people who did. They turned down excellent university places, simply because the wireless Internet speed on campus wasn't fast enough.