2013 ~ The Loose Connection

Friday, April 12, 2013

Virtual Comeback?

When I was still in grade school, I remember wanting to try those fancy virtual reality helmets that looked so promising in the way of immersive virtual experiences. I never got to try them because they were virtually impossible to find unless you were lucky and virtually impossible for an 8 year old to afford. From the sound of things, I wasn't missing out. Those who have tried them reported that there was lag between what you did in the real world...

Image Of The Week: Taking Control

12:00 AM Image Of The Week, Technology No comments

Are we controlling technology or is technology controlling us? ...

Damn you, Moffat!

12:00 AM Geek Culture, Sci-Fi No comments

Steven Moffat is known for completely derailing any sense of sanity you once had before watching anything that he produces. He is best known for his work on Doctor Who and Sherlock. His show plots tend to involve transpiring events that make the viewer wonder what just happened. Moffat is likely the master of holding this type of suspense, and just when you think that you know everything, he throws another wrench into the mix that makes you...

Video Of The Week: Gmail Blue

12:00 AM Video Of The Week, Videos No comments

This April 1st announcement by Google seemed to be overshadowed by the announcement that YouTube would be shutting down. ...

Is Television Dead?

12:00 AM Geek Culture, Internet No comments

When I was a kid, I probably watched too much television. It was just the only thing to do when I was growing up. I didn’t have Internet access until I was in Jr. High. It was either watch television, or ride my bike, and television was often more entertaining. However, during my college years, I found myself increasingly becoming disconnected from watching things on an actual television, and I was watching more and more content on my PC....

Experimental Computer

12:00 AM Geek Culture, Technology No comments

Like many geeks, I own an older computer that I’m not afraid to experiment with. It’s an MSI Wind U100 netbook that originally came loaded with Windows XP. I have since run Ubuntu and now CrunchBang Linux on it. I originally bought the netbook so that I could do my college school work from anywhere without having to worry about carrying around a big clunker of a machine. The U100 had the fullest keyboard of any netbook at the time which appealed...

Speak Now

12:00 AM Geek Culture, Internet, Technology No comments

I recently downloaded the Google app because I had heard about the Voice Search capability. I own a last generation iPod Touch and have not been able to use Siri on it because Apple prevented me from doing so from day one. I could speculate why all I want but it is obvious that the technology would have worked on my device because the Voice feature in the Google app works flawlessly. I first tested the app by saying “How much wood would...

Online Ordering?

12:00 AM Internet, Technology No comments

My first experience with ordering food online was through a certain pizza place and I’ve ordered pizza online ever since. I just found it more convenient than calling because I could look at the latest menu while placing my order and there was less of a chance of an employee misinterpreting what I wanted. Since then, other types of restaurants have added online ordering to their forms of serving the customer. For instance, Chipotle now...

Is RSS Really Dead?

12:00 AM Internet, Technology No comments

The other day, I had a conversation with someone regarding RSS. The topic of the conversation was “is RSS dead?” The simple answer to this is “no.” However, we all know that things are not that simple. With Google recently announcing that Reader would be shutting down, I think that this marks an end of an era for RSS readers. While I’m sure that RSS readers will still exist in some form or another (not to mention that it’s the driving...

Why Blog?

2:00 AM Geek Culture, Internet No comments

Back when I was just starting my Internet adventures, blogs were all the rage. It seemed that everyone and their cat had a blog (literally), and that citizen journalism had arrived. Then something happened. Sure, there are still blogs around, but they don’t seem to have the same popularity that they once did from an everyday; at least from citizen perspective, and who could blame them? It’s much more convenient to micro-blog or post...

Image Of The Week: Social Disruption

1:30 AM Geek Culture, Image Of The Week, Technology No comments

Has technology enhanced or disrupted your social interactions? According to this image, it may be the latter... &nb...

Getting Fit With Technology? Not I

1:00 AM Technology No comments

It seems that there has been a trend lately of fitness devices and apps. These technologies are meant to make it easier for health conscience individuals to keep track of their workouts. For instance, the Fitbit keeps track of the user’s steps. These devices usually set a goal for the wearer in addition to tracking the wearer’s progress. However, it is ultimately up to the wearer to actually make process. This is why I wouldn’t find...

Video Of The Week: Epic Space Battle

12:30 AM Gaming, Geek Culture, Internet, Sci-Fi, Technology, Video Of The Week, Videos No comments

An iconic villain returns in this commercial for the latest Star Trek video game. Does this mean that we will see this race in the movie? ...

Rule Breaking Technology

12:00 AM Technology No comments

With businesses and lawmakers already raising concern about Google Glass, one has to wonder about the future of Glass and similar products. I know that I’m not the only one wondering about this as the Google Graveyard at Slate already has a plot for the device. However, technology running counter to society’s rules is nothing new. In fact, it seems to be a recurring theme any time there is a new technology that can be “abused.” For instance, everyone...