noemi

My Facebook Groups Experience: Head’s a-Spinning

June 22, 2023 by noemi

A week or so ago, we heard about Facebook Groups, one of the new features rolled out by the social network. Some people were excited, some were skeptical, while others simply didn’t care. To be honest, I read a bit about it and then totally threw the idea out of the window. I just couldn’t be bothered.

Over the weekend, I received two notifications that caught my eye – I was added to groups by friends. I didn’t really pay any attention until this morning, and I what I experienced made my head spin. Seriously.

This is one of the groups I was added to:

So what’s up with the “Secret Group” tag? When someone creates a Group, he or she can set it to secret so as to hide it from everyone else. Duh. Seriously, though, this setting is perfect for those who are really careful about their privacy. People who are not in the group cannot “see” it anywhere, and they have to be invited by someone else who is already in that group. This brings up an interesting flaw: if anyone can add friends to the group, doesn’t this defeat the purpose of keeping security tight? I think that to make this more efficient, only administrators/creators should be able to “approve” membership.

Another thing that made me go “wut?” was the way people in groups can interact. The Group’s page is pretty much like any other page or wall on Facebook, but when posting comments, there does not seem to be a button to click – just hit ENTER. More so, there isn’t a way to delete your comment. What if you made a grammar mistake??? Seriously, what if you want to change what you just posted? You can, however, unsubscribe to a specific post if you don’t want to receive notifications regarding it anymore.

Last thing I tried was the chat. It’s basically a group chat, with all the online members receiving the messages. I think it is still buggy (when is Facebook Chat not buggy anyway) as it does not show the members who are online. When I sent a message, though, they received it and a chat session was begun. (Bear with me with all those black boxes, please.)

So why is my head spinning? I guess because no one in the Group really understood what it was for. We do have a binding factor, but as of the moment, no one can figure out what we can use the Group for. We will figure this out somehow, but I don’t see the need for it right now.

Anyone care to share their Facebook Groups experience? Is it working out for you guys?

Domain Sells for $13M: Guess the Name?

June 22, 2023 by noemi

We all know how some people go around buying up domain names like crazy in the hopes of selling them one day for big bucks. Of course, not every domain that you buy will make you money, but every now and then someone gets lucky. And, when that happens, we definitely hear about it.

So going on to this domain name that recently sold for big big bucks…It was originally owned by Gary Kremen, founder of well known site Match.com. He registered it way back in 1994, but then “lost” the domain to Stephen Cohen, a conman, two years later. The domain eventually changed hands and ended up belonging to a group called Escom LLC, which, in turn, went bankrupt. The bankruptcy is the reason the domain was put up for auction mid-way through this year in July.

The highest bid has been revealed at $13 million, and the entity that put in that bid is known as Clover Holdings. Unsurprisingly, not much is known about the company except that it is registered in the Caribbean Island of St. Vincent. The sale isn’t final as of yet – the bankruptcy court will have to give its nod of approval first (October 27 is the date for the decision).

As astronomical as $13 million may seem, this is NOT the highest amount someone has paid for a domain name. The highest recorded price for a domain name sale is $16 million – though you have to admit, at this range, $3 million is not much. This domain is insure.com.

Saving the best for last…what is this domain that just got sold?

sex.com

What can we say? Sex indeed sells.

Palm Pre 2 Smartphone Coming Soon!

June 22, 2023 by noemi

Apple’s iPhone pretty much has gotten all the attention in the world of smartphones. Even people who are not exactly convinced of the iPhone’s “greatness” as a mobile phone cannot deny the attention that it has received. Of course, every now and then, we hear of the new phone that can match – or outdo – the iPhone. And, yes, there are “better” phones out there – especially if you take into consideration that different people will always have different perspectives when it comes to technology.

So, anyhow, do you remember some time back when Palm announced the Palm Pre and touted it as the iPhone killer? While the Pre got a lot of attention prior to its release, it didn’t really take much away from the iPhone, did it? It’s not over yet, though. HP has bought Palm and they are launching the Palm Pre 2 very soon!

This new phone has a host of new features that are supposed to beat every other phone out there, but one of the main things that they are promoting is the fact that you can do virtually anything on the Pre 2 by typing. Doesn’t make sense? Read how to “rediscover amazing”:

Amazing is just typing to begin virtually any activity. Amazing is multitasking without having to learn new rules. Amazing is hauling in all the information you can handle, and managing it without breaking a sweat. Amazing is making the impossible seem effortless. With HP webOS 2.0, you’ll experience the next generation of amazing.

Pretty good copywriter they have, I have to say! 😉

Of course, I am sure you want the dish on the tech specs. Here’s a little teaser:

Display: 3.1-inch multitouch screen with a vibrant 24-bit color, 320×480 resolution HVGA display
5-megapixel camera with LED flash, extended depth of field, geotagging, and video capture
GPS
Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g with WPA, WPA2, WEP, 802.1X authentication; Bluetooth^® wireless technology 2.1+ EDR with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support; Wi-Fi router functionality for up to five devices using Palm mobile hotspot.
Weight: 145 grams (5.1 ounces)

So, is that enough to make you want the Pre 2 instead of the iPhone 4? Meh.

Internet Soon to Have 2 Billion Users

June 21, 2023 by noemi

It’s World Statistics Day, did you know that? In keeping with that spirit, let’s take a look at some numbers today. Did you know that soon, there will be 2 billion users on the Internet? And, by soon, I mean by the end of this year. It is not a surprising figure, if you think about it. Access to computers and the Internet is becoming easier by the day, and more and more people have their own computers and Internet connection at home. This is even more applicable for those in the developing countries (for the lack of a better term), as most of the new Internet users come from those areas.

This information – and more – was released in a report by the International Telecommunication Union, which was published in The World in 2010: ICT.

162 million of the 226 million new Internet users in 2010 will be from developing countries, where Internet users grow at a higher rate. By the end of 2010, 71% of the population in developed countries will be online compared to 21% of the population in developing countries. While in developed countries 65% of people have access to the Internet at home, this is the case for only 13.5% of people in developing countries where Internet access in schools, at work and public locations is critical. Regional differences are significant: 65% of Europeans are on the Internet, compared to only 9.6% of Africans.

With the rapidly increasing high-bandwidth content and applications on the Internet, there is a growing demand for higher-speed broadband connections.

Needless to say, there are still big gaps in Internet and computer access in developed and developing countries. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, if the numbers skyrocket in the next five or so years. For sure, developing countries will work towards providing better access in the coming years.

So, if you are feeling that the Internet is getting a little too crowded, don’t be surprised – 2 billion isn’t nothing! 😉

Photo credit: mararie

iPad Users: Are You Spreading the Flu Virus?

June 21, 2023 by noemi

Touch-screen technology is something to marvel at, and indeed, judging by the more than warm welcome given by consumers to the iPad and other touch-screen devices. What you may not be aware of, however, is that the iPad – and other similar gadgets – may be one of the worst things you can handle during flu season.

You don’t need half a brain to see the connection – touch-screen equal fingers (which are likely rife with germs). Add to that the idea that people let other individuals use their touch-screen devices, and it is very easy to see how all sorts of bacteria and viruses can be spread. It’s much like touching a door handle at a public place.

The Journal of Applied Microbiology recently released the findings of a study which took a look at glass surfaces – such as the screen of the iPad – and how they transmit pathogens to the human skin (read: your fingers). Unsurprisingly, the risks are quite high. What I found a bit surprising is the fact that the risk of transmitting pathogens, including the flu virus, is much higher in touch-screen devices than other everyday things we touch (this includes elevator buttons and the toilet handle in the men’s room!).

With the flu virus spreading around like crazy, it’s but sensible to make sure that your iPad, iPhone, and whatever other touch-screen device you have is sterilized, don’t you think? Here’s one way by which you can do this.

If anything, your friends and family members will thank you for making sure your device is clean. Personally, if I owned an iPad, I just would sterilize it every time someone else touched it. Better yet, I’d avoid having someone else touch it!