Month: June 2013

My @VineApp Wish List (Instagram Take Note)

Posted by | Jun 21, 2013 | , , , |

I like Vine. I like Instagram with Videos. I love competition.  But unless Vine adds these features to their app in the next 30 days they may soon join Viddy in the land of forsaken apps.  Custom URL’s Yes, I know services like Google+ have eschewed custom URL’s (aka Vanity URL’s) for the masses and are still thriving. But honestly without a way for outsiders to easily visit you online it’s difficult to convert the digital heathens into Vine disciples.  With Instagram I merely tell people to visit me at Instagram.com/Darnell and next thing you know Facebook has stolen another cyber soul into their photo portal.  Vine on the other hand I have to tell people to search for “Darnell” amongst the sea of Darnell’s). If you can’t see why that is a problem try searching for Barack Obama and tell me which one is the official account! I’ll wait… Sharing Is Caring Vine shares to Twitter. So does Instagram! Vine shares to Facebook. So does Instagram!  Vine needs to embrace simple sharing to Tumblr, Pinterest, et al (and yes that wonky embedding is a start but alas only geeks will use it).  Instagram has coldly embraced several services with video (by linkage only) and Vine could surpass Instagram Videos if they fully embrace sharing to more platforms (especially blogging ones beyond Tumblr).  Editing Past Clips Do you know how many...

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My iPhone is now a GovPhone.

Posted by | Jun 19, 2013 | , |

So it looks like AT&T updated my iPhone which will enable the Feds to send me Amber alerts as well as…terrorist alerts? (what exactly does emergency alerts mean anyways?!) Creepy thought: US government would send alerts for anyone they accuse of being a criminal.  AT&T is promising not to charge extra for these alerts so I guess I can live with them. For...

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Privacy is a Myth (Filtered Information is the Future)

Posted by | Jun 8, 2013 | , , |

Amazing how fast your perception of government can change in 48 hours! Previously my view of my bureaucratic over lords was one of a power hungry entity who demanded that I sacrifice my freedom to protect me from shadowy figures and unhealthy choices. Now it seems that the government is not just content on telling us what to buy (Obamacare), or “fondling” and/or irradiating us at airports (TSA), but apparently spying on our conversations is the new normal.  Privacy is officially dead and the best we can do is filter information from the public but not our over zealous leaders of the state.  Even though I highly doubt that companies like Google, Apple, et al, are shelling out our private information to the NSA via direct server taps, black boxes or drop boxes, I’m not convinced that the Internet Service Providers (ISP) are not doing the same.  After all it would be far easier for the government to go after the “gate keepers” than siphon information from Internet corporations (who have more to gain from opposing the government than cooperating with it).  The ISP’s have routinely bowed to government pressure, and will continue to do so until a pro-privacy Congress is elected.  While I am glad that services like email, blogging, social networks and various apps do exist, I’m going to treat each one as if they’re being read...

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