Links

Twitter is not dying. It’s on the cusp of getting much bigger.

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But Wall Street—along with everyone else who’s down on Twitter because it has “a growth problem”—is making a mistake by comparing it to Facebook. Twitter is not a social network. Not primarily, anyway. It’s better described as a social media platform, with the emphasis on “media platform.” And media platforms should not be judged by the same metrics as social networks.

Dying…no. How many people are consumers versus makers of content? What would happen if everyone would make content? I asked my self these questions and looked around for more information because for some reason to me this did not seem right.

I did not know this before, but only 1% of people create content on the web. It’s called the “1% Rule of Internet Culture”. So why is it disturbing that 44% of people that have signed up for Twitter have not tweeted. Sounds like to me that is not bad at all. Twitter has become the hub for a lot of people as their news source. So these people engage by reading. I would think that would be great for advertisers. Why should we have more people post? Do we want all that extra content out there? I don’t.

via Twitter is not dying. It’s on the cusp of getting much bigger..

Where Do Crowdfunding Platforms Fit in Venture Capital? – Venture Capital Dispatch – WSJ

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Crowdfunding is a term that has hit the mainstream, with sites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo becoming well-known for offering rewards, such as free merchandise, for providing financial backing. Adding to the mix are sites like AngelList that allow investors to connect with startups and take equity stakes.

This video tells the correct story when it comes to crowdfunding. It is not as simple as creating a campaign and they will come. Take a look at this video. The guys on the video tell the real story.

via Where Do Crowdfunding Platforms Fit in Venture Capital? – Venture Capital Dispatch – WSJ.

Why Do We Love R2-D2 and Not C-3PO? | Arts & Culture | Smithsonian

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The concept was first posed in 1970 by the Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori. He’d noticed that as robots grow more realistic, people’s attitudes toward them change. When a robot is toylike and capable of only simple, humanlike gestures, we find it cute. If it starts looking and acting a bit more human, we find it even more endearing. But if it gets too human—as with, say, a rubbery prosthetic hand—we suddenly shift allegiance. We find it creepy. Our emotional response plunges into what Mori called the uncanny valley.

Now I know why I am such a big R2D2 Fan.

via Why Do We Love R2-D2 and Not C-3PO? | Arts & Culture | Smithsonian.

Are Wearables Over? | Fast Company | Business + Innovation

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A RECENT, WIDELY CIRCULATED STUDY FOUND THAT ONE-THIRD OF AMERICANS WHO BOUGHT A WEARABLE TECH PRODUCT DITCHED IT WITHIN SIX MONTHS. SO WHY ARE COMPANIES AS DIVERSE AS GOOGLE, NIKE, PEPSI, AND DISNEY PUMPING PLENTY OF CASH–AND NEW LIFE–INTO THE TECHNOLOGY.

I understand this trend first hand. I am in those numbers. I leave my Pebble Watch at home now-a-days. The notifications drove me nuts. The deluge of notifications made me realize there is a need for an intelligent layer that sits in between the torrent of data coming at us and the notification. I don’t want a notification about everything. I want it at a particular time and within a particular context. Not to mention the same information coming from multiple sources. I need information form the best sources with the most accurate information. Someone make this please.

Until then this is my smart watch:

 

Braun Digital Watch - bn0076

Braun Digital Watch – bn0076

via Are Wearables Over? | Fast Company | Business + Innovation.

Wireless charger can power 40 mobile phones at once from 15 feet away — Tech News and Analysis

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A team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology recently demonstrated a new option for wireless charging: a nine-foot-long box packed with coils that can deliver power to up to 15 feet away with a magnetic field. The team debuted the system last week and in March used it to power equipment at a nuclear power plant.

Wait wait. Lets get this straight. They demonstrated awesome wireless charging using equipment at a nuclear power plant! Couldn’t they have just easily used an iPhone?  This would be a successful consumer feature.

via Wireless charger can power 40 mobile phones at once from 15 feet away — Tech News and Analysis.

New Material Coating Mimics Nature’s Lotus Effect via Pddnet.com

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Ever stop to consider why lotus plant leaves always look clean? The hydrophobic – water repelling – characteristic of the leaf, termed the “Lotus effect,” helps the plant survive in muddy swamps, repelling dirt, and producing beautiful flowers.

A natures way to a cleaning smartphone. 

Imagine having this on your cell phone. No more dirty cell phone.

via New Material Coating Mimics Nature’s Lotus Effect.

Apple iOS 7.1 Launches Major iBeacon Improvement | BEEKn

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After opening an iBeacon app we hard closed it: not just putting it into the background tray but swiping it closed entirely. The phone still detected beacons and sent a message through the lock screen, something which in the past was reserved for apps that were at minimum running in the background tray.

This is a great release. I own the Trackr product and it looses connection to the iPhone all the time. If this gives some needed improvement in use I am a happy customer. I like the product a lot. When it works it really does work. BlueTooth LE is still flakey.

iBeacons is a interesting technology that would give us in doors location services, plus context awareness. These things will be used to send relevant information to us.

via Apple iOS 7.1 Launches Major iBeacon Improvement | BEEKn.

Look ma no optics. Bending light with a tiny chip | Solid State Technology

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Imagine that you are in a meeting with coworkers or at a gathering of friends. You pull out your cell phone to show a presentation or a video on YouTube. But you don’t use the tiny screen; your phone projects a bright, clear image onto a wall or a big screen. Such a technology may be on its way, thanks to a new light-bending silicon chip developed by researchers at Caltech.

Look ma no optics. This technology looks very promising. Thin devices could project images without lenses making our Scifi dreams come true.

via Bending light with a tiny chip | Solid State Technology.

Apple releases iOS 7.1 with CarPlay support, performance improvements, UI tweaks, new accessibility options, more | 9to5Mac

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Bug fixes and other improvements.Touch ID fingerprint recognition is improved.An occasional Home screen crash bug has been fixed.

About time. I can’t wait to install this. I am installing it now. Here are update links.

via Apple releases iOS 7.1 with CarPlay support, performance improvements, UI tweaks, new accessibility options, more | 9to5Mac.

The dark side of 3D printing: 10 things to watch – TechRepublic

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As with any new technology, it’s easy to get swept up in the benefits of 3D printing. It opens up a world of new possibilities for all industries, and stands to lessen transportation costs, environmental impacts, waste, and reliance on corporations by enabling the maker movement.

This is a great list of opportunities that await the innovators of 3D printing.  Overcoming these issues are not big feet to achieve.

via The dark side of 3D printing: 10 things to watch – TechRepublic.