Ambient Proximity Is The Next Phase Of Location Sharing. It’s not where your friends are, but how close they are that matters. After years of exact coordinate checkins, both Foursquare and Facebook are now focusing on ambient proximity — constantly and automatically sharing your approximate distance from close friends. Ambient proximity lets you know if a friend is near enough to meet up with, yet without the creepiness of seeing their every move on a map. That balance could finally make location sharing appealing to the masses. Foursquare’s new ambient proximity app Swarm was announced today and will become available in the coming weeks. Checkins and exact ambient location sharing certainly never caught on with the general public. Facebook launched Places for checkins, but location-tagged photos and status updates have proven more popular. The issue is that exact location is only really useful when you want to rendezvous with someone.
Ambient proximity solves many of these problems. There will still be two major hurdles to adoption. China Social Networks Infographic and their size | Business News, Articles & Blogs | SunZu @SunZusocial | By @lyndonx. Why leadership-development programs fail. For years, organizations have lavished time and money on improving the capabilities of managers and on nurturing new leaders. US companies alone spend almost $14 billion annually on leadership development. Colleges and universities offer hundreds of degree courses on leadership, and the cost of customized leadership-development offerings from a top business school can reach $150,000 a person.
Moreover, when upward of 500 executives were asked to rank their top three human-capital priorities, leadership development was included as both a current and a future priority. Almost two-thirds of the respondents identified leadership development as their number-one concern. We’ve talked with hundreds of chief executives about the struggle, observing both successful initiatives and ones that run into the sand. 1. Context is a critical component of successful leadership.
The company identified three important leadership transitions. 2. 3. 4. About the authors. Human Ecosystems. Human Ecosystems is a family of real-time system capturing information from social networks to visualize the human geography of cities, across space, time and relations. URL = The Human Ecosystems of Cities is a family of projects whose aim is to understand the ubiquitous public spaces in our cities.
The project shares technologies and some methodologies with the ConnectiCity project and the VersuS project, but goes a step forward. It promotes the concepts of the Third Generation Infoscape and of Ubiquitous Commons: In Human Ecosystems a set of technologies is assembled to reclaim a novel form of public space: the human infoscape, the enormous amount of public information that human beings generate during their daily lives to express their emotions, desires, visions and ideas. Space. A Simple Strategy To Get More Replies To The Emails You Send.
4.5K Flares Filament.io 4.5K Flares × “We live in a vague world. And it gets vaguer all the time. In this environment, the power of the specific, measurable and useful promise made and kept is difficult to overstate.” - Seth Godin It’s easy to be vague, broad, and to never commit to a particular direction. It’s frightening to be specific. One of the key things I’ve learned in the last two years of doing startups is that to make real progress, it’s important to be specific. Why it’s hard to be specific in emails I was recently looking back at some of the emails I was sending out when I was just beginning my journey with startups. What I’ve realised, is that it’s actually very difficult to be specific. How is your schedule looking next week? It seems sensible. How vagueness fails to clinch that important meeting “A large array of options may discourage consumers because it forces an increase in the effort that goes into making a decision. How I learned to be specific in emails I started to say:
Should we regulate the Internet the real world way or the real world the Internet way? | Nick Grossman's Slow Hunch. Tomorrow, the taxi committee of Seattle’s City Council is voting on proposed new regulations for ridesharing services. You can read the full proposal here, and Todd Bishop from GeekWire has a good summary here (updated here). The gist of the proposed regulations is to treat rideshare vehicles (such as those dispatched by (USV portfolio company) Sidecar, Lyft in the US, and Carpooling.com and BlaBlaCar in Europe) like taxis — imposing a traditional regime of licensing, inspection, limitations and disclosure.
Here are some highlights: As for the stated goals of the regulations, there are several, but really the main ones are: In other words: ensure public safety, and protect the existing taxi industry. Leaving aside the second one, and whether that should be a priority, I just want to focus on how we might go about ensuring safety and building trust. The proposed Seattle regulations are a perfect example of a “1.0” trust regime. So here’s a provocative idea: (Of course, there are still gaps. Think Again: Prostitution. "Prostitution Is Bad. " Prostitution may be the world's oldest profession, but there is still little agreement on the social and moral legitimacy of commercial sex. There are, of course, those who consider sex sacred and its sale a sin, and there are libertarians who are willing to accept nearly any degree of sexual freedom.
But plenty of people have views that lie somewhere in between, and they are fighting over the fairness, regulation, and even the precise definition of what advocates and practitioners increasingly refer to as "sex work. " Take France, for instance, where a debate erupted last fall over a proposed law that would fine people $2,000 for purchasing sex. All sorts of protesters took to the streets: women arguing that the law was necessary because violence and coercion are endemic to the sex industry, and sex workers, hoisting posters with slogans like "La repression n'est pas la prevention," who condemned the law.
This is more than a semantic issue. 'We don't need rescue. Flashback Friday: When it comes to penis length and economic growth, size does matter. - Seriously, Science? In the world of correlations, this one’s a doozy: in 2011, a Finnish economist found a relationship between penis length and GDP in different countries. More specifically, as the GDPs got larger, the penises got smaller (or vice versa?). The author suggests that the trend could be related to the effects of testosterone and/or penis size on risk-taking or self-esteem. Unfortunately, there’s not much that can be done to change this particular phenomenon. But as he goes on to point out, “It clearly seems that the ‘private sector’ deserves more credit for economic development than is typically acknowledged.” Male organ and economic growth: does size matter? “This study explores the link between economic growth and penile length between 1960 and 1985.
Bonus quotes from the main text [NB: Since we originally published on this article, the author has revised what he terms the "generously infantile-punned draft" to be more adult and serious. I, Glasshole: My Year With Google Glass | Gadget Lab. The author at a Google Glass GDK announcement event in San Francisco. Photo: Ariel Zambelich/WIRED An anecdote: I wanted to wear Google Glass during the birth of our second child. My wife was extremely unreceptive to this idea when I suggested it.
Angry, even. I assumed the plan would sell itself. It seemed a great way to remain in the moment yet still document it and share it with our far-flung family. As it turned out, I never got the chance — babies keep unpredictable schedules. There’s some weird shit on your face. For much of 2013, I wore the future across my brow, a true Glasshole peering uncertainly into the post-screen world. Here’s what I learned. Look at that asshole. Even in less intimate situations, Glass is socially awkward. People get angry at Glass.
Wearing Glass separates you. The people who were selected too often made things worse. The few times I’ve seen multiple people wearing Glass in public, they’ve kept to self-segregated groups. And yet I’m one of them. Zombies vs. animals? The living dead wouldn't stand a chance. National Wildlife Federation naturalist David Mizejewski explains how nature would deal with a zombie outbreak: brutally, and without quarter. With The Walking Dead's fourth season premiere and Halloween upon us, the living dead are back in full-force. Zombies are scary. We humans are evolutionarily pre-programmed to abhor the dead bodies of our own species. It's a natural reaction, helping healthy individuals avoid fatal pathogens. The thought of being eaten alive is a natural fear, and when it's your own species doing the eating, it's even more terrifying.
Relax. To enjoy zombie horror, you suspend disbelief and put aside some of science's rules. That's because zombies are essentially walking carrion, and Mother Nature doesn't let anything go to waste. Carrion is on the menu for a vast number of species, from tiny micro-organisms to the largest carnivores. Here's just some of the North American wildlife that would make short work of a zombie horde. Photo: USFWS Pacific Southwest Region (cc) Flitto, the Korean startup that uses crowdsourcing to destroy Google Translate. This past week, TechCrunch had its San Francisco Disrupt conference, and hundreds of startups and thousands of people poured into the convention center.
Amidst the sea of people, several groups from Asia had arrived including the Chinese, Indian, Hong Kong, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Korean delegations. And my favorite startup of the mix is definitely Flitto. It’s a South Korean startup that built an app that has over 2 million users already. How did a translation app get 2 million users? Flitto’s two million users all came onto the platform during their beta testing. Simon Lee, founder and CEO of Flitto, demoed the mobile app for me. So, for example, let’s say you want to translate a sign that is in Korean, into English, so that you can read it. As Simon demoed, I was in awe as 5 or 6 translations were immediately submitted from actual users across the world.
On top of the speed of Flitto’s translations, the coolest part has to be the fact that people can make money off of the platform. How A Look At Your Gmail Reveals The Power Of Metadata : All Tech Considered. Hide captionAn MIT analysis of Larry Abramson's Gmail account illustrates his online relationships. immersion.mit.media.edu An MIT analysis of Larry Abramson's Gmail account illustrates his online relationships. Sometimes you have to give up a little privacy in order to find out how much — or how little — privacy you really have. So I handed over the keys to my Gmail account to Cesar Hidalgo, a professor at the MIT Media Lab and the designer of a program called Immersion. Immersion looks at the volume and frequency of your email traffic. A few minutes after looking at my Immersion profile, Hidalgo had my number. For example, my correspondence with my girlfriend, Anita, put her right at the center of my Immersion profile.
"It was a little bit timid in the beginning, and then the relationship intensified," Hidalgo said with a wink. A look at my correspondence with my son showed rather one-sided exchanges that should be familiar to any parent. Facebook Makes Us Sadder And Less Satisfied, Study Finds : All Tech Considered. Hide captionResearchers say Facebook use can lead to a decline in happiness and satisfaction. Joerg Koch/AP Researchers say Facebook use can lead to a decline in happiness and satisfaction. Facebook's mission "to make the world more open and connected" is a familiar refrain among company leaders.
But the latest research shows connecting 1.1 billion users around the world may come at a psychological cost. A new University of Michigan study on college-aged adults finds that the more they used Facebook, the worse they felt. "There's a huge amount of interest ... because Facebook is so widespread," says research co-author John Jonides, a University of Michigan cognitive neuroscientist. Researchers tested the variables of happiness and satisfaction in real time on 82 participants. The study authors did not get at the reasons Facebook made their test subjects feel glum. "When you're on a site like Facebook, you get lots of posts about what people are doing. Read the full study at PLOS One. Telepathy One, a not quite Google Glass rival from Japan, raises $5 million. Telepathy One is often billed as a Japan-made rival to Google Glass.
First unveiled at last year’s SXSW, the Telepathy crew hopes to ship the device next year. Now the startup has an extra $5 million in funding to help with its launch, with the investment coming from Silicon Valley-based VC Firsthand Technology Value Fund (NASDAQ:SVVC). Takahito Iguchi (pictured), Telepathy’s founder and CEO, said in today’s announcement (via Startup-Dating blog): Wearable technology will enable the next wave in social networking, and the initial response to our Telepathy One prototype has been astounding. The $5 million funding will enable us to enrich the user experience of Telepathy One, which we expect to bring to market in 2014. Telepathy actually has its headquarters in Silicon Valley, where it will add several additional hardware and software engineers.
The focus of the device is live-streaming video hands-free, which is one of many things that Google Glass can do also. (Editing by Paul Bischoff) This design startup solves your small design tasks swiftly. Australia-based design crowdsourcing site 99designs is rolling out another online design service by the name of Swiftly. The new service helps users solve their small design tasks quickly, something that 99designs is not specialized in doing. Swiftly also helps offer more online gigs for designers out there. 99design CTO Lachlan Donald explains the reason behind this new service: Swiftly grew out of our awareness that many people don’t know where to turn for a quick graphic design project, either because they don’t employ in-house designers or their designers are tied up with more substantial projects.
Swiftly’s business model Anyone can use the new site to get small design tasks done, such as altering logos, business cards, banner ads, marketing templates, and icons, as well as modifying photos and images. Designers who make those alterations on Swiftly are chosen from the existing 99designs community. Swiftly’s service is available 24/7. 99designs’ progress so far. Anatomy of a hack: How crackers ransack passwords like “qeadzcwrsfxv1331” Declaration of Internet Freedom. Bitcoin Blows Up, Exchange Rate Jumps Ten-Fold in Recent Weeks. Are we witnessing the birth pangs of a new decentralized global currency? Or is Bitcoin merely an age-old investment mania repackaged for the digital age? Recent headlines are humming over the booming digital currency Bitcoin—it’s either the next big thing or the digital equivalent of Tulipomania. Either way, there’s no debating the fact Bitcoin’s on a wild ride.
Bitcoin dates back to 2009, but it was the 2011 Bitcoin bubble that brought the cryptocurrency mainstream. Since January, the market’s been on a rocket ride. Bitcoin market price in USD as of 4/9/2013. What exactly are Bitcoins? A little perspective is key. Bitcoin’s diminutive size contributes directly to its massive volatility, which is problematic for a medium of exchange. As for whether Bitcoin will one day become a full-fledged currency, there’s no particular reason it couldn’t. But building confidence is itself a complicated algorithm, and the crowd a fickle thing. Image Credit: Steve Jurvetson/Flickr, Glen Cooper/Flickr. Gotcha Turns Captcha Into Branded Pictures, Lets Website Owners Monetize Blocking Spammers. Frog Makes Star Trek's Voice-Controlled Computers A Reality. What Is Onion Routing, Exactly? [MakeUseOf Explains] How Facebook Measured Gay Marriage Support With An Equals Sign. The 7 most interesting social media stats and what to learn from them. Frustrated with iCloud, Apple’s developer community speaks up en masse.
Possible security disasters loom with rollout of new top-level domains. HTG Explains: Is Tor Really Anonymous and Secure? Evil genius behind the Flashback OS X trojan may have been uncovered (Updated) PLATO History - PLATO History. The Friendly Orange Glow book. HTG Explains: Is Tor Really Anonymous and Secure? WeChat Begins Real-Name Verification for Open Platform Users. Blink. Is Tim O’Reilly's Internet Evangelism Actually A Blight? Infographic: Hackers Create An Amazing, Illegal Portrait Of The Internet. Cubie Messenger: How To Get Featured On The Google Play Store. Sharetapes - Share Music - Share Videos. Internet freedom battlefields. IBM CEO Predicts Three Ways Technology Will Transform The Future Of Business. 'Gamechanics Talk' Event to Discuss Future of Gamification.
BeagleBoard.org | Open Hardware Physical Computing on ARM and Linux. Line Launches New Social Network Line Band to Challenge Path, Facebook. Sexy scammers entice men into stripping on webcam, then blackmail them. Bang With Friends: The Beginning Of A Sexual Revolution On Facebook? Fresh Stats On Social Networks: Pinterest Catches Up With Twitter, Digital Divide Shrinks.
Get Ready To Lose Your Job. ‘FreeWare’ Co-Working Space Holds Free Sharing Sessions in Jakarta. Celebrating 200 Million Members. Consignd - An Open Marketplace Filtered by Experts. Pity The Cool | music, marketing and emerging youth cultures. Creative Intelligence: Harnessing the Power to Create, Connect, and Inspire: Bruce Nussbaum: 9780062088420: Amazon.com. The Digital Disruption. Exclusive: Google's Eric Schmidt Unloads on China in New Book - Corporate Intelligence. Police crack down on Silk Road following first drug dealer conviction. @isaac / Do we need futurists? Why Apple Is Losing Its Aura. Vietnam is Asia’s New Tech Manufacturing Hub.
Github SSL replaced by self-signed certificate in China. 5 Years After Launching, Twitter-esque Startup Plurk Gets Series A Funding. VCs – Learn this Marketing Shit. PopClip Extensions. Not-So-Ephemeral Messaging: New SnapChat “Hack” Lets Users Save Photos Forever. Aaron Swartz, Internet Activist, Dies at 26.