What is Google Wave?

Google makes collaboration and communication tool available to anyone who wants to try!!

there was a long silence around Google Wave and many of us began to wonder whether the product of Google, would be continued to evolve after an early version that got much positive attention at that time. It was rumored that the product as is where, would be stopped, then the individual pieces of technology to implant into other products.

A Swiss army knife

Wave is like a Swiss army knife that combines the use of email, instant messaging, document sharing, blogs, wikis and combines multimedia management. The attention it was great, but gradually fell away. but also because the product was restricted.

Still in labs

It was also speculated on the fact that the program may prevent the use of product such as Gmail and Docs would cannibalize. The product seems however to be in full glory. Wave is also not finished yet as it is still in a Labs process. Thus it is still possible that Google radically modifies the product or all waved goodbye. But it now accessible without invitation.

Google hopes that users if the first hour will try Google Wave again. The product should now be more stable more complete as regard functions and AP´s were more robust.

Social media trends 2010 #Mediause

After searching on the internet if found a few social media trend 2010 posted by marketers, so knowing that the most of you will graduate next year I made a list which could be your research topic. So if you are interested in social media

- Social media is less social;
The downside of these private networks is that the feeling of exclusivity of these clubs is increasing. It is, of course not allow just anyone into your new Twitter list. That should fit in profile and behavior.

- Scaling up social business initiatives
There are relatively few companies active in the social media landscape. In the U.S., certainly the larger organizations such as Dell, in the front line. In the Netherlands the first baby steps in 2008 where put. Next year will be rolled out bigger campaigns. Cost savings and customer service will see the main reasons.
- Networks are local and mobile
New networks Foursquare targeting local and mobile interaction. This will increase further next year. At the same time also the competitive aspect of networks increase. We will network more rewards, levels and incentives to come. And yes, companies are smart and will quickly respond.

- A social media policy is set
Many companies will realize they are not without a "media social policy" may. Next year we will see more policy documents containing 'the rules of engagement "in social media. About how the employee should behave and what information may be shared.

- Popularity smartphones
The last time we see that more and more companies are banned social networks. On the other hand, we see more and more smartphones on the market. The idea of companies to stop online activities is cramped. So when you are not able to go in Hyves on your workcomputer, you can always login on the toilet with your smartphone. This also means that the smoke break will be exchanged for a social media break..

- Other ways of sharing
5 years ago if you wanted to share with a friend or colleague, use your previous email. Next year we will see further decline of such use. Other ways of sharing information will appear. Think of Facebook, Google Wave, Twitter and Skype. Or e-mail will disappear? Next year, definitely not.

Social media for a world without torture #Mediause

Today is “united Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture”, this is a action started by “The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims” (IRCT). The action calls for worldwide attention for the issue of torture and its consequences for the victims under the attention.

And social media plays a big part of.

The IRCT is a global organization that helps survivors of torture to rebuild their lives and simultaneously fights to torture the world to gain. As each NGO the organization is depending on the support of donors and the goodwill of people.

This year, the IRCT points out the issue of torture, its consequences and the fight against it on a larger scale to denounce than ever before. They are doing this by using the media that connect people today and for NGOs to enable the world to mobilize on a larger scale and with greater reach and faster: social media. This is done by the action "World without Torture" which include a Facebook page and Twitter account, the dream of a world that no longer tortured, wants to realize. Sounds like a dream which is hard to reach to me….

There are many people and organizations who have hope and idealism as they became older and saw that life is no fairy tale. And these people who are realistic idealism, energy and have connections in all possible ways to deploy to contribute to a better world. This sometimes happens on a large scale as this campaign and sometimes smaller, local scale.

"World without Torture" is one of the larger operations. The Facebook page of the action is linked to a large community where people can talk about the issues, the stories of victims of torture to be told and of course you can get acquainted with the NGO.

Introducing Google TV, finally!! #Mediause

Everybody knows Google, and it seems that Google knows everybody because they did it again……sick of watching for a TV program to start, well I ‘am and Google heard my prays (I am a TV junky).. on-demand TV Google style of course.

Social Media revolution #mediause

Social media 2.0

We all have it, a social account.. but how much impact has it on our daily lives, when looking from a statistic point of view. I found a small film about social media… pretty funny to watch.

Payment function on microSD card for mobile smartphones #Mediause

The microSD card looks and works like a regular memory card, but contains a SmartXP chip grom NXP for the payment functions, according to the manufactory. The card may include financial information and also had security software to protect the user’s personal information. First Data will provide the microSD card, while the software is of typhoons.

Thus no credit card of real money but a cell-phone to pay for your new t-shirt or shoes, there was a time when we just dialed a number and called a friend or relative to ask how he was. Those times are over, a good cell-phone nowadays can browse on the internet, replace your mp4 player, makes quality pictures and pay for the dinner you just had at your local restaurant.

Social networks#Mediause

Social networks are big businesses nowadays, billons of Euros are spend on these digital environments. We are always busy with work, school, working out, shopping and so on, that we don’t have time to relax. Besides our busy day schedules we want to see our friends also. Problem nowadays is that we got a lot of friends but not a lot of time to see them on a weekly base. So the social network popup, which is great because now you can see your friends digitally and you don’t have be a shame if you don’t see them for a will in real live.

So, we start singing in on Hyves, Face book and twitter, than you got your blog´s to worry about, one for your gaming geek friends and another one for your school mates who are also following Media use. Lives great, but them you got maintain all your accounts and social contacts by ´Twittering´, ´Tikken´ or ´Krabbelen´. So now you got less time to do the other important stuff like doing your homework, writing your papers, working-out and going out.

Then someone creates a tool `The suicide Machine` to commit suicide on your digital social network life and then someone really does it and says that they feel free again. But when you think about it we are all junkies who are addicted to being online (myself included). I can’t imagine my life without internet, in special the social parts of it. So junkies we are……

So, are these social networks a hype or here to stay? Frankly I don’t know the answer to that question….. Time will tell I guess, but they are handy for now.

Shame on Apple´s new sexy rules #Mediause

So, Apple has decided to delete applications which are containing sexy images from its apple store. It is said that they are doing this because apple is bring the new presented Apple-tablet iPad on the market. The iPad is also for family use, so Apple decided to make the necessary adjustments to their policy concerning the use of sexy images.

Instead of deleting the applications they could also create an age border form applications which are too sexy. The user needs to fill in its age and judging by his age he/she is allowed to use the application. Besides that Apple hasn´t got any clear rules defined, developer Jon Artherton (from the famous Wobble application) called to Apple and asked them to explain what the rules are. This is what an Apple employee answered:

1. No images of women in bikinis (Ice skating tights are not OK either)

2. No images of men in bikinis! (I didn’t ask about Ice Skating tights for men)

3. No skin (he seriously said this) (I asked if a Burqa was OK, and the Apple guy got angry)

4. No silhouettes that indicate that Wobble can be used for wobbling boobs (yes – I am serious, we have to remove the silhouette in this pic)

5. No sexual connotations or innuendo: boobs, babes, booty, sex – all banned

6. Nothing that can be sexually arousing!! (I doubt many people could get aroused with the pic above but those puritanical guys at Apple must get off on pretty mundane things to find Wobble “overtly sexual!)

7. No apps will be approved that in any way imply sexual content (not sure how Playboy is still in the store, but …)

So, besides that these rules are still strange it also shutdown the income of developers. These boys and girls are contributing a create deal to the success of the apple applications. Personally I think apple should withdraw its ridicules set of rules. Shame on them!!

Media in the bus #mediause

Last week I sat in a bus and I was looking at the TV screen which shows all the bus stops. After we went on the highway the screen showed a short TV-program about some guy who was showing how you could design your own individual sneaker. At the bottom of the screen news items were displaced, mostly about the Olympic Games in Vancouver.

Media is getting more integrated in to our daily lives, when finding a Metro or Spits in a train or reading news at www.nu.nl in class on your mobile phone. Even when you are on vacation in Italy you can buy a Dutch newspaper at the local supermarket, quite handy and sick at the same time.

Just something to thing about: the disaster that recently happened in Haiti was (globally) all over the news after a few minutes after it happened, but for the rescue helpers it took hours to get to the area. It should be the other way around when you think of it. Since when is spreading news more important than giving first aid.

But media it is not all bad news, because after seeing the disaster on TV Dutch people donated millions to the fund to help the victims and reconstruct the city. Media is getting more and more powerful. Just that you know!

A new job, #mediause

Hi, I just started a new job! Well besides that this is great news, I have to work with a couple of IT-systems. So I thought, this could be a new input for my blog. But let me tell you first what I have to do there, customers email questions to me and I answer them in a nice and satisfying way. Yes you're right its customer service, sounds easy. I thought so.....

After a couple of days of training, my new found knowledge was put to the test. I got my own email account and opened my first email, so far no problems.....

During the training it became clear to me that they were using four different kinds of IT-systems, which are far from user-friendly (the fun part is that the rest of the employees agrees). So for the next 30 minutes I was looking for the answer to a simple question, after 30 minutes the system crashed and was down for 2 hours.

This meant that I could not work during the malfunction, resulting that I tried nine different kinds of coffee at the coffee machine.

It-systems help solving problems but some are not userfriendly, unreliable and create a high level of irritation among users. But without the systems I could not do my work properly aswell as my colleagues working on the customerservice.

The fact that I could not function without the systems shows that systems should support users suche as myself and not make them dependent on systems, which is not the way systems where intended.

Hope to see you next time