Teaching Children About Technology Series - Part Five - Video Games/Content Consumption

Many of us grew up playing the Atari, Intellivision, or Colecovision video game consoles. Initially, video games were very crude graphically, and we had to use our imaginations to envision how a poorly colored group of pictures was supposed to represent a physical object. Today, video games are incredibly realistic, and incorporate high-quality rendered graphics, live-motion video, and surround sound audio.
In the late 1970's, when I was a child, "portable" devices started becoming a bit more prevalent. Our mobile music solution of the times was a solid state cassette recorder. The 1980's brought along the Sony Walkman and boom boxes. Portable black and white televisions started appearing as well. Now we can fit entire libraries of music and video in a device that fits into our pocket.

Many of us may remember fantasizing about the devices and capabilities that we saw on Star Trek or the Jetsons. Much of what we saw as futuristic then exists now.

My family has two video game console systems, a Nintendo Wii and a Sony PS3. Both devices play video games and are capable of streaming live video content via Netflix. The PS3 also functions as an incredibly capable blu-ray player.

I've always been an avid video game player. My daughter plays some of the family-friendly games on the Wii and PS3. I am careful to ensure that the content of the games she plays is appropriate and I limit the time she can play.

Games today can be very time-consuming. Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG) such as World of Warcraft and Everquest have spawn addiction-like tendencies in many players that has led to some people losing jobs and failing out of school. These games are incredibly fun, but it becomes increasingly important to teach self-discipline in regards to managing how one spends time playing games. The lines between reality and gaming can become blurred when too much of our time is spent playing games.

Content consumption has changed as well. My daughter can now view her favorite television shows in the car on her iPod touch. Her music collection is with her on trips as well. In my youth, the extent of my vehicular entertainment was a set of markers and some paper. Sometimes we played visual games related to scenery we saw along the way during our trips.

Are our children given too much opportunity to view and consume media content? Is this hindering their own creativity? In many ways, I feel that our children now are fed media in too many ways and in a format that is too convenient.

There are however many games and interactive media that allow children to customize their experience. The new iPhone for example can be used as an over-simplified video production machine. New formats of video games allow players to customize environments and avatars, as well as adding the ability to share with others socially.

We're witnessing a world that is offering us incredible new tools to interact, play, and create. As parents, it is our responsibility to ensure that our children learn how to use these abilities properly, and how these tools can help them succeed in the world of tomorrow. Learning how to properly use and leverage these capabilities will aid our children in achieving success in the careers of tomorrow.

What are some things we should do as parents in regards to gaming and content consumption?

• Know what games our kids are playing, how long they are playing them, and that the content is age-appropriate.
• Ensure that the music they are listening to meets our criteria for content and subject matter.
• Convey to our children that there are appropriate and inappropriate times to to play games, watch videos, and listen to music.
• View content alongside our children and discuss how the content was made or produced, as well as what response the content creator is trying to convey.
• Discuss with children the importance of being able to formulate their own opinions about what they see, hear, and play.
• Encourage children to create their own media and interactive projects.
• Discuss how these new capabilities can help them in their educational and career needs.

I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on this topic as well as all of the other postings in this series. This series may be revised in the future to address reader comments and interests. This concludes my series on Teaching Children About Technology.

Thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed this story, please join my Email Newsletter!

Other posts in this series:

Part One - The Web

Part Two - Email / Instant Messaging

Part Three - Social Media
Part Four - Mobile Technology

Teaching Children About Technology Series - Part Four - Mobile Technology

I can remember that as a child, I would leave my house at 9 am each summer morning, and play around the neighborhood with my friends until dinner time. My parents would ask me where I was going to be, and I would simply tell them I would be riding my bike around.  If my parents needed to reach me, they would stand outside the front of the house and yell across the neighborhood. Times have changed, as many parents no longer let their kids venture 20 feet from the house without making their whereabouts known.

It seems each year, the age at which children begin carrying mobile phones and other portable technologies gets lower and lower. My 8-year-old daughter has already told me she wants a mobile phone. There is no real need for her to have one. She is in never in an area where she could not contact us via phone. When she gets a bit older and starts doing more on her own outside the house, I will certainly think about giving her a phone. Am I realistic in thinking that 13 or 14 is an appropriate age to allow children to have their own mobile phone?

One aspect of mobile technology that is so exciting, yet challenging is the fact that there has been such a convergence in the mobile industry. Whereas my first mobile phone was "just" a phone, these devices now manage audio and video  content, show us driving directions, and so much more. Many people no longer carry cameras to events as they feel the camera in their mobile phone is now adequate enough. Looking up any information on the internet is as simple as opening up a mobile web browser. Recent products such as the iPhone 4 and iPad have allowed us to carry an incredible amount of mobile creative and consumption power with us on the go, practically anywhere.

It's apparent that our children know these devices exist. They have a certain "coolness" factor to them. My kids play games on my iPhone, and my daughter has an iPod touch. The only noticeable differences between these 2 devices, is that the iPhone can place voice calls, work outside of the range of a wi-fi network, and has a camera.

I've talked to my daughter about mobile phones and how they are not appropriate for children to have. My explanation being that we always know where she is, and that she can use the home phone to contact her friends from school. My wife and I actually had a conversation yesterday about setting an example for our kids in regards to how we use mobile technology.

While in the car, I am guilty of having fumbled with my phone, read and composed emails, composed text messages, and much more. My wife pointed out a while back that she felt this was a bad example to set for our kids. I agreed. I no longer touch the phone when in the car, and use a bluetooth speaker kit to place and answer all calls. Our children notice that as we drive by car after car on the road, the majority of those we see are holding phones to their ear. I've explained that a driver, physically interacting with a phone, radio, or other device while in a moving vehicle is extremely dangerous. I point out to my daughter that I do not touch the phone while I'm driving in the car.

Mealtime at restaurants has certainly changed. How often do you or someone you are with place or receive a phone call while having lunch with a guest? How about checking email or Twitter? Once again, I am guilty as charged. I've begun dialog with my kids about proper mobile phone etiquette. I've also carried the conversations over to the iPod touch and Nintendo DS. My main theme is that it is not appropriate to focus your attention on a device when you are dining or are entertaining a guest.

My wife and I are really trying to set an example in these areas. We realize that it is up to our generation to assist our children and students with the adoption of, and adherence to etiquette norms in all aspects of communication. We've all in someways become too wired. There is no time that we are "off-limits" unless we adopt a self-imposed technology hiatus.

Thoughts? I'd love to hear if your children have mobile phones, how old they are, and any suggestions that you may have.

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Other posts in this series:

Part One - The Web

Part Two - Email / Instant Messaging

Part Three - Social Media

Part Five - Video Games/Content Consumption

Teaching Children About Technology Series - Part Three - Social Media

The way in which we interact online is constantly evolving. The days of using the Internet only for passively viewing web pages is long gone. We can search for long-lost acquaintances, build personal and business networks, share photos, videos, our interests, our current location, and much more with whomever we choose. It's a very exciting time for those that relish increased interactivity. Despite all of the benefits that social media capabilities offer, there are potential risks as well.

The 800-lb gorilla in the social media niche is Facebook. Initially launched as a way for collegiate students to link to each other and share information, Facebook has expanded to the general public and has dominated the social media radar. Facebook allows you to share just about any form of information and media. You can select whom you wish to share your information with. You can be very restrictive and allow only your connected "friends," or you can leave your information wide open for anyone with a Facebook account to peruse. 

Although Facebook requires a user to be at least 13 years of age to create an account, there are plenty of children under the age of 13 that have Facebook accounts. My 8 year-old daughter asked me about Facebook the other day, and told me that she wanted to be on Facebook. In my opinion, Facebook is no place for an 8 year-old. In prior postings of this series, I have expressed the need  for parents and teachers to talk with children about what is appropriate to share with others. 

Mass media would have us believe that the Internet is full of nothing but stalkers, potential kidnappers, pedophiles, and rapists. This is definitely not the case. However, social media tools have been used by those wishing ill-will to perpetrate their crimes. Teaching children to be cautious and wary of potential dangers is a must. Is it wise for a teen or younger child to share their thoughts of affection or distaste for individuals on a social network? Just like in the analog world, word can travel fast and have unintended results. The difference is, when you delete or comments or media on social networks, multiple trails are left. There is no true do-over. Once you submit something, if it has been viewed by someone once, total deletion is normally not possible.

Although its generally safe to share a thought or picture with a close personal friend in person, when you place information and media on the Internet, even within the perceived confines of a social media service, there should be no perception that your information is totally secure. Facebook and other social media services like Twitter are hacked all the time. I have personally had several friends had their accounts at both services compromised. With these breaches, people that were never intended to access information can do some damage. Is that a risk we should expose our children to?

I'm all for allowing older children in their teen years to access social media services. Having said that, I think that parents should work along side any child when they begin social media endeavors. Show them how to be as safe as possible. Teach them that if they wouldn't want the world to see what they post or share that they should not post it in the first place. A good rule of thumb is, if you would not physically share something with the public as a whole, keep it to yourself. Potential employers now access Facebook and social media pages when researching candidates. Keeping your nose clean online is now more important than ever. The digital world will contain much of the confines of our legacy once we are gone. 

I scrutinize my thoughts on social media safety and usage continuously. I'd love to hear your comments and thoughts. Do you allow your children on social media sites? What are your feelings about the topic in general?

Thanks for reading.

If you enjoyed this story, please join my Email Newsletter!

Other posts in this series:

Part One - The Web

Part Two - Email / Instant Messaging

Part Four - Mobile Technology

Part Five - Video Games/Content Consumption

Teaching Children About Technology Series - Part Two - Email / Instant Messaging

Our children are growing up in a era in which analog methods of communication are becoming scarce or are already non-existent. Handwritten letters to family and friends, have given way to the digital mediums of email and instant messaging. Children rarely have the chance or need to spend time writing and mailing a traditional letter.

In many ways, digital forms of written communication have improved the effectiveness and efficiency over older analog methods. A message to a family member, friend, or colleague can be generated quickly on any computing platform or mobile device, and delivered almost instantaneously after it is completed. It is no longer necessary to wait for several days to receive correspondence via postal mail.

Starting at a young age, children access and utilize email and instant messaging as an integral part of their daily communication. It is important to teach children that unlike handwritten communication, digital communication lacks a certain attentiveness to the conveyance of emotion. With older handwritten communication, people would often take time to ensure that the message they conveyed was clear, often revising a letter into several drafts. Since digital mediums are rapid in nature, messages are often typed quickly, and sent before the message is structured in a way that properly conveys its message.

It is extremely hard to gauge the tone of a message when it is sent digitally. Handwritten communication, on the contrary can often convey messages with a feel for emotion and purpose. Although both modes of communication lack the body language present in face-to-face communication, elements such as handwriting style  and revision process often make analog writing more effective.

Instant messaging began to gain popularity in the late 90's. An evolved form or IRC chats, messages can be traded back and forth rapidly between users. One danger of this medium is the speed and frequency of how messages can be exchanged. In face-to-face communication, manners dictate that we let the other party finish their thought prior to interjecting ours. IM conversations often show users typing responses at the same time, in effect stepping on each others thoughts.

Due to the difficulty of conveying tone in digital messaging, feelings can often be unintentionally hurt. There is no "cooling-off" period that there has traditionally been with handwritten letters and even phone calls. Rather than reading a letter and properly digesting its intent, followed by taking the time to formulate a well-thought-out response, people fire back quick IM replies, often escalating tension that should have never existed.

I find myself often choosing email or IM as a preferred mode of communication. It is quicker and many times more convenient that our older analog ways. However, I often long for what seems the simplicity of the analog lifestyle we are rapidly losing. Rather than typing an email to family, I really should pick up the phone and call. I think many readers would admit feeling the same way.

We need to convey to our children that digital written communication is a very effective tool, that when used properly can be very beneficial. Talking with them, and working with them to properly convey tone and purpose in their digital communications will help them become effective communicators. Teach them to be listeners. As in spoken conversation, you cannot hear someone else if you are talking at the same time.

The media recently inundates us with stories about cyber-stalking and cyber-bullying. Teach your children that there are proper ways to deal with threats and danger that arrive via a digital medium. Teach children the warning signs of these problems. Coach them to embrace their parents or trusted adults when they in any way feel threatened via digital communications. Teach them not to divulge private information in email and instant messages, as there is no way to tell who is looking at the message on the other end. There are several great resources available to parents and educators that discuss methods for children to protect themselves, including the Cyberbullying Resource Center and Microsoft Online Safety.

Tomorrow we will continue this series with a discussion on Social Media.

I welcome your comments and will continue to expand upon topics related to online safety on a regular basis.

If you enjoyed this story, please join my Email Newsletter!

Other posts in this series:

Part One - The Web

Part Three - Social Media

Part Four - Mobile Technology

Part Five - Video Games/Content Consumption

Teaching Children About Technology Series - Part One - The Web

Technology is a powerful tool. When used properly, value is created. When used in a negligent manner, the results can be ineffective or potentially even dangerous.

As the father of two young children, I've felt compelled to examine how to teach them about the proper way to use technology. In this series, I will explore five areas: the web, email / instant messaging, social media, mobile technology, and video games / content consumption.

We begin the series with a look at the world wide web.

Prior to the mid-90's the Internet was navigable only via text, and was used primarily for educational, research, and reference applications. The functionality of the Internet as a multimedia transport that we take for granted today did not yet exist.

In 1993, Tim O'Reilly and Dale Dougherty launched the first known commercial website, Global Network Navigator (GNN)¹which was later purchased by America Online in 1995. This marked a paradigm-shift in how the usefulness of the Internet was seen by the public. The World Wide Web was born. After the benefits of graphical navigation of the Internet were realized, existing and new businesses began to appear at a blistering pace.

Today, we visit the web daily. Many of us consider it to be our primary destination for all forms of information and entertainment. Those of us with children have realized that as a result of the incredible prevalence of the web, the way in which information is sought out, researched, and processed is drastically different than what we experienced as children. Our children visit the websites of their favorite television shows, search for photos to use in crafts and school projects, and turn to Google and other search engines to learn more about any topic that they are curious about.

There is a wealth of quality information and useful content on the web. There is also a lot of content and information that could be deemed offensive, vulgar, violent, mean-spirited, perverted, and pornographic. As a parent, I do not want my children exposed to objectionable content on the web. I'm not naive enough to think that sheltering my kids from the existence of bad things in this world is the proper way.

One problem with the Internet is, on many occasions, I have visited websites that I would consider traditionally free of objectionable content, as well as done searches on terms that are not objectionable in nature, and have been presented with content or search results that could be considered pornography. Pop-up ads, spyware, etc has made this issue more prevalent for many.
How can we harness usefulness of the web for our children's benefit, providing only the results that they intend to have presented to them?

How prevalent is pornography on the web? Here are some statistics²:

The pornography industry has larger revenues than Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo, Apple and Netflix combined. 2006 Worldwide Pornography Revenues ballooned to $97.06 billion

Every second - $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography.
Every second - 28,258 Internet users are viewing pornography.
Every second - 372 Internet users are typing adult search terms into search engines.
Every 39 minutes: a new pornographic video is being created in the United States.

How do we keep our kids from happening upon pornography and other undesirable content?
Content filtering software has been around for decades. It works by blocking content in several objectionable areas. Is that the solution parents are looking for? Personally, I don't think so. However, even if we work with our children so that they adopt what would be considered "safe" web surfing habits, objectionable content still on many occasions appears as I mentioned previously.

I've had good success with a combination of filtering and household discussion. Symantec offers a free product called Norton Family Online that provides parents with the ability to filter content on a variety of subject matters, set up time limits for web surfing, and email reports to parents of search terms entered. The service also provides many resources on how to discuss online safety with children. Like I said before, I'm not fan of filtering, but Symantec has done a great job so far with this service, combining filtering and discussion resources.

As a technology professional, I'll be continuously searching for the right solution for my kids. I believe that with dedication, cooperation, and honesty, parents can provide their children the benefits of the web, without the drawbacks.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments.

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Sources:
¹Dale Dougherty - Biography at O'Reilly Media
²Internet Pornography Statistics at TopTenReviews.com

Other posts in this series:

Part Two - Email / Instant Messaging

Part Three - Social Media

Part Four - Mobile Technology

Part Five - Video Games/Content Consumption

Mo' iPhones, Mo' Problems...

Pre-orders for the iPhone4 began earlier today. From the starting gate, the pre-order process via the Apple website was marred by problems. The Apple website was inaccessible, the AT&T upgrade eligibility interface timed out. Nothing seemed to work. Many reports I read stated it was an AT&T problem. Others said it was an Apple online store issue.

Finally, after more than two hours of trying, I was able to access the site adequately. The Apple online store illustrated that Apple would ship the iPhone4 pre-order and that it would be delivered to me on launch day, June 24th, 2010. 

Next, I was able to verify my upgrade eligibility through AT&T to purchase the 32 GB phone at the subsidized price of $299.00. The home stretch was in site! However, my hopes were quickly dashed. Although Apple specifically showed me before I began the process that they would ship me the device. The final page of the checkout said that I would instead need to pick it up at the local Apple Store on launch day. I cancelled the order.

I'm a satisfied user of the iPhone 3GS, and I also owned and enjoyed using the iPhone 3G before it. I've been to those product launches at the local Apple Stores. When the chance to avoid the carnival-like atmosphere and crowds of launch day were presented, I was excited. After having to try countless times to get to through the purchase, I was presented with an option I did not want. I did not want to wait in line for hours for a product I had already paid for and that initially I was shown that would be shipped to my door.

This evening, I saw a Twitter post from Tekzilla host and former TechTV host Patrick Norton that mentioned he was able to pre-order the phone for pickup in his local Apple Store on launch day. He received an confirmation email with the subject: "Thanks for reserving your iPhone. It will be here June 24th." However, he mentioned that the fine print in that email reads. "No guarantee of iPhone availability at Apple Store, "iPhone is sold on a first-come, first-served basis." 

What's the deal here? I find myself thinking of an old Seinfeld episode in which Jerry quips to a car rental clerk... "You see, you know how to 'take' the reservation, you just don't know how to 'hold' the reservation. And that's really the most important part of the reservation: the holding. Anybody can just take them."

As a whole... not a good pre-order experience for I am guessing a large number of customers. 

I'd love to hear from those that pre-ordered on their experiences. 

The Future of Gaming?

Today, there was a ton of announcements at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Dominating much of today's news was the announcement that Microsoft's controller-less interface, known as Project Natal, was renamed Kinect. This interface allows players to control the on-screen action with no controller at all. It maps the movement of the players body and allows it to be used to affect gameplay on screen.

There were several interesting Kinect titles announced today, such as Forza Kinect, Kinect Star Wars, and Kinect Sports. Each title places the player in an immersive experience that looks like a ton of fun. Having watched many of the demonstrations live on the internet, I must say that Kinect looks quite compelling. My biggest question is whether or not the gaming public will embrace it. 

Several years ago, Nintendo released the Wii gaming system that uses a bluetooth "wiimote" that is outfitted with accelerometers and gyroscopic functionality. This controller allows users to translate movements of the controller in 3D space to events on the screen. For the first time in history, masses of users got up off their couches and interacted with their games in a purely physical manner. Titles such as WiiSports and WiiFit even saw folks burning calories as they had fun. Since I own a Wii, I must say that the gameplay is indeed compelling. The level of interactivity that the Wii controller offers allows you to participate in gaming in ways that are unique and innovative.

The Wii has proven to be incredibly successful and it was extremely hard to come by in stores unless you camped out, or managed to order one online when they were in stock. Microsoft and Sony certainly took notice.

 The downfall of the Wii system in my opinion is that under the hood, the system is not nearly as capable as the other consoles on the market. The Microsoft XBox 360 and the Sony PS3 are capable of much more graphic horsepower, and command the majority of the third party top-tier games. The in-house Nintendo titles that rely on the Nintendo properties such as Mario are great games. However, to the hardcore gamer the depth of titles and technological power simply is not there.

Now we are seeing the competition get into the game. With the Microsoft Kinect announcement, a flood of increasingly interactive titles will eventually hit the market. My question to you is: is this the gaming experience you are looking for? How many of you plan on purchasing the Kinect device? I look forward to your comments.

NCCU Web Services Uses Internet Radio To Engage Their Audience

On Wednesday, May 5th, 2010, the Web Services team at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) launched an hour-long internet radio program called "Room 3026 Live." Conceived initially as a way to experiment with streaming and internet audio technologies, the team has found a way to spread an interactive discussion that typically centers on technology, social media, and pop culture. In the past months, the weekday broadcast has grown in both in scope and effectiveness. Starting with just 6 listeners, the audience has grown to almost 40 listeners per episode in just over a month.

Earlier today, I had the pleasure of visiting the team, seeing how they put the show together, and participating in the live broadcast. Web Services Manager Damond Nollan explained that the show is really just a natural extension of the topics that he and the team chat about daily in their office. The casual vibe of the program is a welcome addition to the internet radio landscape. Each episode starts with a small listing of topics to be discussed in the hour. Based upon the depth of the discussions that arise during the broadcasts, topics of particular interest garner more on-air time. The show has a very candid, balanced, and organic feel. There is a great interplay between Damond and co-hosts Mike Render, Derek Brinson, and Darin Tyler.

Currently, the team uses a service called blogtalkradio that allows them to schedule and broadcast an hour each weekday. The service also provides an online chat interface and provides a dedicated phone number for listeners to call and participate in the live discussion. Previously aired episodes are archived and available for listeners on-demand. Overall, the team seems happy with the service, but mentions as their needs evolve, the need to switch platforms may arise.

Room 3026 Live is attracting listeners from the local Raleigh/Durham NC area, as well as from all over the United States. As a fan of the program, I highly recommend you take a listen if you like discussions on technology, social media, and pop culture. The weekday 1 PM EDT live broadcast, as well as previously recorded episodes can be found at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/damondnollan .

Give Room 3026 Live a listen today! I'd love to hear what you think of the program.

First Impressions - Apple iOS4

Since the Apple WWDC keynote on Monday, June 7th, I was eager to try the new iOS4 operating system on my iPhone. The added capabilities that it offers seemed compelling and useful. iOS4 will be publicly availabe on June 21, 2010. Yesterday, I was able to obtain and install Apple iOS4 on my iPhone 3GS.

I'll discuss my first impressions on the upgrade by addressing them in the following categories:

• Ease of upgrade
• Visual and Interface Enhancements
• New Functionality
• Performance 

Ease of Upgrade

After downloading the new image, I was able to apply the new iOS4/Firmware update to my iPhone 3GS using iTunes 9.2 (currently in beta for Mac only.) The process of sending the update to my phone and the installation process took less than 15 minutes.

I did not lose any data or applications that were on the phone prior to the upgrade. Caveat emptor... since iOS4 is not currently available in public release, please remember upgrading at this time is risky and if you want to ensure all goes smoothly, you should wait until the public release of the software on June 21st.

Visual and Interface Enhancements

Visually, the first thing I noticed was that the home screen now had a wallpaper image behing the application icons. iOS4 introduces a couple of new wallpaper images, and allows you to set the background of the lock screen and the home screen to have the same or different background images. It is a nice addition to the home screen, and adds some more depth to the interface. The application icons look the same to me, with the exception of the newly added "Game Center" icon. 

Although the 3GS does not offer the "Retina Display" pixel-depth technology upgrade that is present on the iPhone4, I am pretty happy with how the interface looks after the upgrade.

New Functionality

For me, the most compelling new functionalities offered in iOS4 are the unified inbox for email, the ability to group application icons into folders, and the multitasking feature.

Unified Inbox

For me, one of the drawbacks of previos iPhone OS versions, was the need to backtrack out of email accounts through the interface to access emails in other accounts. I have my phone setup with two accounts. One for my work Exchange email, and one for my personal gmail account. A more streamlined experience was needed. 

The new unified inbox delivers on many levels. You can access emails from all acounts in one area, "All Inboxes." It's great to have all of my emails delivered in one location. You also still have the ability to go into specific email inboxes for each account. I am really liking the unified inbox, as it saves me time having to switch accounts to see what new messages I have. 

Conversations in Gmail are grouped together when accessing new messages in a thread, and that is a really nice touch. When you reply to an email, it replies from the same account it was sent to, as it should. Apple did a great job on nailing the unified inbox functionality.

Grouping applications into folders

This function is very valuable for me, as I have tons of applications on my phone, and adding the ability to group applications into folders has allowed me to arrange my apps in a more organized fashion. This also cuts down on the used screen real estate, and I do less flipping between pages of apps. The manner in which this feature is implemented is great.

To add apps to a folder, you access the icon placement mode as before by holding your finger on any app icon for a couple of seconds until the app icons start to wiggle. You then drag an app you want to place in a folder on top of another app that belongs in that folder. At this point, the interface changes and a suggested name for the folder appears above the two icons. You can change the name of the folder to anything that you'd like. The smaller the folder name, the better, as the interface will truncate long folder names due to limitations on how the app icons and names are displayed on the home screen. You can then drag additional app icons into the folder you have created. 

Multitasking

Another weakness of previous iPhone OS versions has been the need to exit applications when utilizing another. This has been addressed in a very unique way in iOS4. 

To switch to another app while one is open, you press the home button twice, almost like the double-click of a mouse. The interface changes, and a row of applications appear just above the home button. You can scroll left and right amongst the icons in that row, and switch to another app, all while you keep the original app open. The user interface functionality of this feature is pretty intuitive and useful.

Currently, my experience is that multitasking works only with the native iPhone apps like email, messaging, safari, etc. Since the new iOS4 isn't publicly available, there are no apps in the app store that currently support this feature. From what I have read, each app has to be specifically designed to support this feature, and it is expected that upon the release of iOS4 on June 21st, we'll start seeing updates to apps that support this feature, along with many new apps that support multitasking as well. So far, I like what I see, and am hopeful that many of my favorite apps are updated to support multitasking soon.

Performance

It's only been a day since I upgraded, but I am not seeing any real changes on the battery time on the 3GS. Due to the fact that there aren't any non-native apps that support this yet, I'll have to revisit the battery question when I start to utilize multitasking in a more demanding manner.

The speed of which applications open and close, and the performance of each application appears to be unchanged. I haven't had any apps crash thus far, and really have not seen any degradation of overall performance. As time goes on, I will update this post with new observances in regards to performance.

Thanks for reading! I look forward to any comments or questions you may have about iOS4.

Changing the Information and Media Distribution Channel

Remember the days of dialing the rotary telephone? Have memories of sitting down and writing a distant relative or friend a letter, with a pen, finding a stamp, and placing it the mailbox? Those days are far removed from where we find ourselves today. Welcome to the age of instant information distribution. So much of our information is created, consumed, and distributed from mobile devices.

A majority of American households have at least one mobile phone. Many have notebook computers. Over the past few years, the miniaturized form-factor and capability of mobile devices has brought the power of communication and content creation to the masses, all in a device that can easily fit into a front pocket. With increased portability, we've seen an incredible surge of amateur journalists, the ability to break news instantly, and a constant record of visual events that occur around us.

An event that comes to mind that clearly illustrates this trend is the horrific terrorist events that occurred in Mumbai, India from November 26th through 29th in 2008. Moments after the first shots of the attack were fired, Twitter users in India were using the micro-blogging service to send eyewitness accounts of the unfolding events. As tragic as these events were, we can gather that it was the general populous, using commonly available mobile technology and social media services that broke the story. Mobile users were able to report the news more effectively than the mainstream media. This clearly illustrates how mobile platforms and services have allowed us to make the world a smaller place, and in many regards, spurn global concern for events that were once before considered to be so distant.

With the announcement of the Apple iPhone4 device, as well as devices featuring the ever-evolving Google Android OS, users can now hold face-to-face videoconferences with users across the globe, with a device that fits in the palm of your hand. This "Jetsons" technology has finally become a reality, and it is just the beginning of the convergences we will see in the future.

The ability to record high definition video in a small, simple form factor was perfected by the Pure Digital FlipVideo devices. These devices have existed for a couple of years, but were limited strictly to recording audio and video. The smartphones available today can do everything the FlipVideo and its competitors can do, but can also make phone calls, browse the web, as well as run any of the thousands of currently available mobile applications. The smartphones are now our media players, affording us the ability to take feature films, television shows, photo collections, and thousands of songs with us on the go. The recently announced iPhone4 can record high definition video as well as give users the ability to edit the video on their phone, and then upload that video to YouTube with the push of one button.

We've been living in a brave new world for quite sometime, but mobile technologies are continuing to offer consumers the ability to distribute massive amounts of information and media. This paradigm-shift has afforded us the ability to on many occasions bypass mainstream corporate media as a source for quality news, information, and media.

What's the goal?

Lately, I have felt inspired to start writing about technology, trends in society, parenting, personal finance, entertainment, and other things that impact life. I must credit my friend Damond Nollan with inspiring me to write more about things that catch my eye, or passions I have.

What is the goal of this blog? Other than a place for me to share my personal thoughts and experiences, I envision that there will be ongoing feedback and dialog in user comments. Another goal of mine is to help readers navigate the ever-changing sea of technology that is available both now and in the future, and how that technology will have an impact on their lives.

The look of the blog is still in its infancy. Expect the design to change shortly to provide more functionality and value. I'll be adding social media tools soon as well.

Look for a story this evening on how mobile devices are changing information distribution.

If you have a suggestion for a story, please feel free to post your suggestions.

Thanks for visiting!

~Tim Arthur

Welcome

Welcome to technical blog. I will frequently post my ponderings on the best and worst in technology, gadgets, music, and film.

Stay tuned, and make this the first stop for the skinny on whats hot or cold in this brave new world.

...The Truth is Out There

+Tim