I was watching The Dish the other day (Style Network’s answer to The Soup, with host Danielle Fischel… you know.. Topanga from Boy Meets World?) and when Danielle went over a particularly creepy clip from Toddlers and Tiaras, a happy place thought bubble came up. Usually, the thought bubble has a YouTube clip of something cute like Surprised Kitty or the really cute baby that does Wendy Williams’ famous “How You Doin’?”.
Additionally, I saw Chris Brogan’s blog post from yesterday, which got me to thinking about my favorite YouTube clips (my little digital happy places). Thus I thought I’d share a little joy with you! #1 is the only one that’s NSFW, but if you stop it around the last 10 seconds you should be ok.
Cheers, ladies and gents! And make sure to add your favorites in the comments!
1. Chola Makeup Tutorial
This girl is HILARIOUS! She does some great tutorials and impressions, so make sure to subscribe to her videos. (She’s GlowPinkstah)
*Note: This and most of her videos are NSFW*
2. Hey Jude
This is TOO cute and it’s one of those adorable kid things. I’m a sucker for little kids doing cute things. Throw in The Beatles and we have an EPIC win.
3. Charlie Bit Me
A timeless web meme classic. More kids doing cute things, and as it’s been said, it shows all of human life: joy, trust, happiness, doubt, pain, fear, grief and joy again. Deep.
4. Evil Eye Baby
Just the thought of this one makes me giggle! Again, kids doing cute things – this little dude gives the BEST evil eye, and it cracks him up too.
5. Sneezing Baby Panda
Ahh, memeville. It’s so pleasant here! Anyway, the sneezing baby panda is so cuuuuuute! Just watch.
6. John Williams Is the Man
Okay, the music geek in me emerges from the closet on this one. This is one guy in four takes, singing a medley of John Williams’ most famous film scores with lyrics about Star Wars. Big major crazy props, too- he arranged and wrote the lyrics for the whole thing. Stellar!
7. The Muppets Do Oh Danny Boy
Beaker, The Swedish Chef and Animal. How could you go wrong?
8. David After the Dentist
Another nugget of awesome from memeville- I really wish I was that funny when I was all laughing gassed up after getting my wisdom teeth pulled. Unfortunately, 20 year old women seem more like trainwrecks than comedic geniuses when they pull these sort of antics.
9. Daft Punk Girls
This song is my working anthem.. seriously. If ever I’m feeling sluggish and unproductive, I turn on Daft Punk. If ever I need a good pick me up, or just to be inspired, I turn on this video.
10. Sarah Palin’s Greatest Hits
Ahhhhh, Sarah Palin. This woman has brought schadenfreude to new heights. If ever I find myself facing dark moments of self doubt (and by self doubt I mean the times I feel really stupid), I can rest well after watching this.
Today, Apple announced their “most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device:” the iPad. It’s the tablet we’ve all been waiting for.
Right?
Well, it’s a tablet, that’s true. Let’s run down some specs first.
Specs:
9.7″ Multitouch Screen
1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)
0.5″ in Depth
1.5 lbs (1.6 lbs with 3G)
Available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB with or without 3G.
1GHz Apple A4 low-power system-on-a-chip
All models are Wi-Fi and Bluetooth ready
Digital Compass
Accelerometer
Built-in 25Whr rechargeable lithium-polymer battery
Approx. 10 hours of web surfing, watching videos and listening to music.
Everything an iPhone does… but on a bigger screen with a more convenient user interface. Quite literally, it’s the perfect go-between for a MacBook Pro and iPhone.
So if you already have both, why would you need an iPad? It seems a little ridiculous.
You all know me: I’m a huge Apple fangirl. Before today, I thought Apple could do no wrong.
The iPad changed it all. I hate to say it, but there really wasn’t anything terribly innovative presented at today’s “Latest Creation” event. Additionally, there are a few major things missing from or wrong with the iPad.
1. They named it the iPad.
If you’re on Twitter, you saw the jokes likening the iPad to feminine hygiene products. Because it sounds like one.
However, if you missed them, here are a few favorites:
“With a name like iPad I’m guessing we’ll only use it one week a month and occasionally while we’re sleeping.” @ruthakers
“The new Apple iPad! With 4 gigs of absorbency!” @thebenbrooks
“You can do things with the #iTampon that you just can’t do with the #iPad – like biking, horseback riding and swimming” @thomasjhardy
And let’s just add insult to injury with the trending topic: iTampon.
BTW, MadTV did an iPad sketch 4 years ago. Seriously, Apple, what were you thinking?
2. No Flash support.
One of the biggest complaints about the iPhone is it’s lack of Flash capabilities, and since this is a larger device than the iPhone, it will inevitably be an even more prominent issue. I understand that Apple wants people to buy things from the iTunes store, but frankly, if there is a service that allows me to use or see something for free (think Hulu, not torrenting), I’d rather use it. I understand wanting to make money – trust me – but come on! I’d really rather not buy an entire episode of SNL just to watch a single clip. And Hulu makes it really convenient to watch my fave clip of Arrested Development. Over and over and over again. And again.
I’d rather suffer through 30 seconds of ads than pay to watch something once. Seriously. This is the beauty of services like Hulu and Netflix (can I get a what what for instant view!). Let me subscribe to stream a movie or show instead of charging me. This is half of the reason Blockbuster is failing, Apple. Get on the boat!
3. It’s missing classic tablet functionality.
By classic tablet functionality, I mean it’s not going to be draft/design friendly. I was hoping that Apple would integrate some of the functions of Wacom’s line of tablets & pen input displays. Considering that Apple is the first choice of the creative industry, they truly missed out on an opportunity to integrate some awesome extended features here. Specifically, I would have loved to see write-to-text and precision art tools. Given that the iPad runs on the iPhone OS and is really more of a multimedia center than productivity tool, this point is really nullified.
4. No multitasking.
Yet another carryover groaner from the iPhone & iPod Touch: the iPad doesn’t run multiple apps simultaneously.
Seriously?! When the eff will I be able to listen to Pandora AND text without having to reload my freaking game of Scrabble?!
5. Poor multimedia integration in general.
The iPad won’t have a camera, SD card or standard USB port. The camera is a no brainer, plus you would think that you’d be able to add pictures directly. Additionally, most cameras are USB ready as it is. Unfortunately, you’ll have to buy a dock adapter to use a USB peripheral.
I know that this isn’t necessarily supposed to function as a normal computer will, but let’s be honest here. This seems to be a great multimedia center as a whole, but it ONLY seems to be a multimedia center. I thought that it may at least be free standing, but unfortunately, it seems that it has to be synced to a primary computer. In essence, it’s an oversized iPod Touch.
If I were to even consider getting an iPad, it would HAVE to function that way so I wouldn’t have to load down my MacBooks memory with my iTunes and iPhoto files.
But who are we kidding? That’s what externals are for, and frankly, the iPad doesn’t have enough memory to hold my iTunes & iPhoto libraries.
6. AT&T
I mean, are we kidding? I feel like I’m writing a rant about everything I want to change about the iPhone. It’s unfortunate that the computer company with the top rated customer support services is paired with wireless’ absolute worst. Not only is AT&T’s customer support absolutely abhorrent, but their network is patchy at best. I used to depend heavily on the 3G network, since moving 5 feet requires reconnecting with whichever Wi-Fi network is connected. Unfortunately, data users put more pressure than AT&T can handle on it’s data network (and AT&T isn’t about to admit that they’re the problem). With growing 3G network dissatisfaction and many people citing AT&T as an anti-selling point to the iPhone, I’m more than bothered that AT&T received exclusive data coverage.
In essence…
The iPad is, unfortunately, an overgrown iPod Touch meant to act as a shiny toy that seems to simply be for show. Let’s be honest here, everything about it’s functionality screams “buy more stuff from Apple via iTunes, the App Store and iBooks.” I love Apple. I do. But this seems like a call out to the elitists of the Apple marketplace.
I think iBooks is really the most exciting announcement of Apple’s “Latest Creation” event. To create a marketplace for books is (I think) the final frontier of multimedia consumer products for Apple to sell and of course the iPad is a great device for it. It has a lot of potential for innovation within the realm of academia. The question is will iBooks be able to compete with Amazon for the Kindle’s share of the wireless reader market?
The iPad doesn’t offer anything you would need if you already have an iPhone and Apple computer. I’d imagine it’s great for kids for the games, music and entertainment tools. However, $499-$829 is a high price to pay for a kids entertainment gadget. I can’t really think of a great target market for such a gadget except for the frequent traveler. However, in my travels I’ve found my MacBook and iPhone to be beyond sufficient.
I love my Mac gear, but the iPad is one gadget I won’t be adding to my arsenal anytime soon.
What do you like or dislike about the iPad and would you buy one?
There have been waves of interest in women as participants and influencers in the tech industry, especially as panelists and speakers at conferences. The arguments run the gamut, some arguing that there simply aren’t as many women in tech as there are men, some claiming that conference coordinators should aim to have an equal amount of male and female speakers and panelists.
I’m wondering why this is even a debate. First, let us consider a few facts.
-Girls represented just 17 percent of Advanced Placement computer science (CS) exam-takers in 2008; that’s the lowest female representation of any AP exam.
-In 2008 women earned only 18 percent of all CS degrees. Back in 1985, women earned 37 percent of CS degrees.
-Women hold more than half of all professional occupations in the U.S. but fewer than 24 percent of all computing-related occupations.
-Only 16 percent of Fortune 500 technology companies have women corporate officers.
-A study on U.S. technology patenting reveals that patents created by mixed-gender teams are the most highly cited (an indicator of their innovation and usefulness); yet women were involved in only 9 percent of U.S. tech patents.
Obviously, there are fewer women in the tech industry than there are men. By the numbers, it seems that about 1/5th of the tech industry is female, the other 4/5’s being male. Thus, it’s true: the pool of female talent to pull from is significantly lower than the men’s techy talent pool. If speakers and panelists are the top in the field (let’s just say they’re the top 5th percentile of the industry), it’s reasonable to think that just about 1/5th of that group will be women.
Long story short, it’s slim pickin’s as far as qualified female speakers and panelists are concerned. However, that’s not to say that the female tech base isn’t an incredibly qualified group of women.
My personal thought is that the people who speak should be chosen based on their merits. Cast gender aside and pick the person who is best for the job. Of course I believe you can go half and half, getting the top women and men, without compromising quality. However, I really wish we were beyond this point, expecting that people will make the exception and cut someone else of quality out of the picture just to “level the playing field.”
If we were really to level the playing field, skill, experience and understanding would override any gender biases.
Last week, Vanity Fair published an article hailstorm of insults about 6 notable women on Twitter and the rise of Twitter as a platform for massive outreach.
As though it wasn’t hard enough already to discuss and demonstrate the value of Twitter to non-users.
I have a lot of frustration left in me, but I won’t write another diatribe on the matter. Instead, I’m going constructive. You can anticipate my opinion on women in tech this week, but in the meantime, I’m sharing some links that I found encouraging and passing along a few more responses to the Vanity Fair misfire.
Don’t get me wrong: this isn’t a feminism sort of thing. I’m just not one to stand by and watch someone else take a beating because she OR he is successful.
Around Christmas time, my boss ordered a new Dell laptop for his wife. Unfortunately, on the date it was supposed to arrive, he found that the order had not been processed. Additionally, he hadn’t been contacted about the matter. WTF!?
He spent the morning on the phone getting bounced around, placed on hold and over all getting no help. He asked me to find their Facebook or Twitter and see if there was anything I could do.
I was FLOORED to find that Dell IS on Twitter with dozens of accounts, featuring information like deals, new technology, the latest in fashion and music, and their efforts in environmental sustainability. What floored me is that not ONE of the 34 accounts listed was customer support or feedback.
Sure, they list @TeamDell, an account for all the Dell team members who want to be recognized for being Twitter users. But @TeamDell doesn’t tweet. They tweeted twice in June 2008.
Now that’s not to say they don’t have team members in customer support that actively seek and converse with Twitter users who are complaining about their Dell experience/products. However, if they do, Dell isn’t doing anything to help us find them.
What does that mean for Dell?
That means I’m going to complain about the craptacular experience I just had and my apprehension at EVER ordering a product from them again.
Not that I’d ever order something from Dell anyway, but you get the point.
The long and short of the issue is they’re opening themselves up for negative public feedback instead of providing an outlet for help, support and ORM.
So I started thinking about what I expect from corporate Twitter accounts. I know that it varies from business to business, but if it’s a service or a company I buy a product from, I expect a few things.
1. Let us know you’re on Twitter!
Include a Twitter icon or a “Follow us here” or “Hey, we’re on Twitter” type of badge or a visible link SOMEWHERE BEFORE THE BREAK of your site. Don’t make us scroll down to your footer links- give us something at the top of the page. Additionally, make sure it’s CLEAR that you’re on Twitter. Saying community, in my mind, sounds like a forum or entire social network in and of itself.
2. Talk to us!
Now, responding to followers doesn’t have to be an obligatory, “every time someone tweets our name, we have to tweet back at them” type of thing. However, if you’re tweeting ONLY as a one-sided marketing tool, you’re missing the point. If someone asks a valid question, acknowledge it. Even if you don’t have an answer, we like to know you’re listening (and really, we do appreciate it).
3. Keep us in the know!
I LOVE seeing messages like:
“We’re going down for updates in a couple minutes – sorry for the inconvenience, but we’ll be back up within the hour”
It tells us the service that is going down is keeping us in the loop. They want to make the service better, of course, and though it’s an inconvenience at the time, they give a warning that it’s happening or they advise their us that there’s nothing catastrophically wrong.
Now of course there are times when we want a solution. However, if there is some information that would better help us understand what’s going on, you’re making a great start.
4. Don’t spam us!
Seriously, do I even have to say this?
This includes mass @ messages (consisting of only usernames with no message) and tweeting the same message to different people over and over, among a multitude of others.
5. Be human and be honest!
Let us know who’s we’re talking to, whether it’s a team or an individual. It’s really simple. We understand the difference between a company that says it cares and a company that actually does.
I want to be clear – these are the absolute bare-necessity basics and I’m only scratching the surface. But they are a few things that I’ve come to expect from my favorite brands and businesses on Twitter.
I'm a twenty-something online marketing professional, specializing in front end development. I'm also an Apple evangelist, social web enthusiast, salsera/bachatera and Disneyland fanatic. I make geek look good.
