FloridaDigital

Addicted to the Internet

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:03:44 +0000

I am not like most people. I am constantly connected to the outside world. My phone, my tablet, and my laptop are typically within an arm’s reach no matter where I happen to be. It is just so convenient for me to have all of these things on hand. Now, I know that there are other people like me who stay connected constantly, but there are some people who are worse off than I and these always connected people are. Some people are actually addicted to the internet.

Internet addiction is not officially recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, but it is being considered for it. It is a serious illness that should not be overlooked. I had a close friend who was addicted to television and directv in Washington, and unfortunately it was never cured and he is still watching it constantly. To know if you or someone you might be addicted to the internet, look for some of these more common symptoms:

Moodiness or depression due to withdrawal.
Too much usage that interferes with daily life.
Lying about how often usage is.
Refusing to sleep or perform other tasks to stay on the internet.

Find out more about this issue below.

Business Adoption of Tablets

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:42:39 +0000

The tablet era has been in full swing since Apple introduced the first iPad in April, 2010. Steve Jobs’ prediction that we had entered a post-PC era appears to have come true, because now, more consumers report desiring a tablet more than a laptop or other portable computing device. But the tablet revolution isn’t limited to individual consumers, as the infographic below seeks to break down for us. Businesses are swiftly adopting tablets for use by their employees for everyday tasks, making life easier and more portable than ever in corporate environments. Let’s take a look at how businesses are using tablets, and check out how the trend is expected to continue.

As far as companies using tablets goes, Apple has the clear and present lead. With thousands more apps in its app store than are available for Android, and a reliable and familiar interface, the iPad is leading the pack with a wide margin. Other tablets just aren’t stacking up at this time. A good home security team or even a small local bank will want the most reliable harHere is how businesses are using tablet technology now:

Amazon Kindle Fire

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:21:42 +0000

Have you been wondering whether iPad has anything to fear from next month’s Kindle Fire? At only $199, perhaps you have considered buying one for someone as a Christmas gift, and maybe one for yourself as well. But so far, Kindle Fire hasn’t made it into any stores, and people are anxious to get their hands on this exciting new Android tablet sooner, rather than later. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t until a week or so ago that anyone even had any actual video footage to put online of the device in use. Thankfully, the fellow in the video below has a great demo video that gives us perhaps the best look to date of anyone using the Kindle Fire in a practical, everyman sort of way.

With the rise in popularity of Android as a tablet and mobile OS, having a Kindle Fire would be a great addition for many households, especially those with adt home security which offers smart phone apps for managing some its services. Android has a more open app store than the iTunes app store, but that can be seen as a bug instead of a feature. What we do know is that the Kindle Fire will use a special form of Android (which has not been revealed) and its very own Silk web browser.

What If Web Browsers Were Celebrities?

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 17:27:01 +0000

You know that old saying, “different strokes for different folks?” Well if you think about it, that is definitely the case for pretty much everything. Not all people like to eat the same foods or watch the same television shows as other people do. It just makes sense that all things in life come with options. When you have choices you can find the things that you prefer, and that makes for a happier and more convenient life all around. The same thing holds true for the electronics that are used too. You know like the type of vehicle tracking systems or web browsers that people use. Not everyone likes to use the internet the same way, and that’s cool with me. In fact I have three different browsers on my computer so I will never get tired of the same old thing.

Now, I’m not going to go into to detail comparing and contrasting all of the web browsers out there, because as you may already know Internet Explorer is still the most used browser proving that people really wouldn’t care if I told them Chrome was better overall. I do have something fun to share with you about different browsers though. It is comparing web browsers to celebrities. I like the comparisons and I think they are pretty accurate and funny.

Teens, and Cell Phone Use

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 16:46:08 +0000

Teens are on top of all things digital, from selecting the best dish packages to utilizing advanced features on all of todays most popular smart phones. Teens know their technology. The way they use technology, however, might be a little less obvious to those of us who grew up a generation or two before them. In China, when texting became all the rage, most Americans were still just trying to find affordable cell phone plans, or were using Trac Phones with pay as you go, talk-only plans. Texting and data coverage in the States was poor to nonexistent at best, and eventually when things finally evolved, it was the teens who warmly embraced texting as their main means of communication. The outgrowth of texting’s popularity in America began with teens.

So, how are teens using their cell phones? The infographic below paints a picture of cell phone feature use by the teenagers, whether they text or talk while driving, and how many teens have ever received inappropriate images via MMS on their phones. Interesting stuff, and we hope you enjoy reading it. Click on the graphic to see it in all it’s glory.

CNet’s Top Viral Video Ads

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 16:09:29 +0000

The world loves viral video. There’s something compelling about an amusing bit of footage that catches on in a big way, prompting millions of people all over the planet to share the happiness. For marketers, viral video is a goldmine waiting to be tapped. The problem is, no one can predict whether any kind of video ad will go viral, and despite all the best laid plans, the jury is still out as to what leads people to send-send-send certain viral videos around. For some reason, these video ads become, for at least a short moment in time, so deeply entrenched in our culture that imagining the current world without them is nearly impossible. In fact, your “wittiness” could be judged on whether you have seen this or that viral video. And people really want to know what you think of them when they pass them along. Viral sharing has become one of America’s great pass times.

Let’s take a look at this video from Cnet, about (you guessed it) the top viral video ads:

i Television: Netflix or Hulu?

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:47:56 +0000

More and more options have opened up in the past 5 years for online television viewing. Many people have even “cut the cord” at home, severing relationships with their traditional television providers like Time Warner Cable and Comcast, and even direct television offerings that have been popular for the better part of a decade. Services such as Netflix and Hulu that offer apps for viewing i television (basically, Internet television.)

Below is an infographic showing who is using Netflix and who is using Hulu, and how they are using them.

Facebook Users And Privacy: Do They Care?

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:14:02 +0000

Do Face book users care about their privacy? Well sure, everyone does. But some people care more than others, and the truth of the matter is, Facebook has one of the slackest set of options for controlling the privacy of users’ personal information. There are almost no options to keep certain information available only to limited “friends,” since Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t like the idea of organizing and categorizing friends into segregated groups. Not good for Face book and privacy.That’s nice, Mark, that you don’t like that — but many social networkers would actually prefer some level of control over their sensitive data (see Google+). Let’s use an analogy comparing your social media places online with real life neighborhoods: people in neighborhoods may like and trust their immediate neighbors, and even partially trust those in outlying areas of town, but smart people still install alarm home security systems to protect themselves from unwanted visitors breaking in and stealing their personal belongings, right?

At any rate, could it be that Face book users really don’t care about their privacy online, or is it just that, up until now with Google+, there was no viable alternative for social networkers that might allow them more control over their privacy? Below, an infographic attempts to tell all about Facebook users and what makes them tick. Facebook and privacy don’t go together.

Upset with Netflix?

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:42:32 +0000

Netflix, the premier streaming video service that has changed the way we watch movies at home seems, now appears to be primed for a major tumble off the top of the home video mountain. This is both unfortunate, and inevitable, since all good things must come to an end. (Well, actually, no they mustn’t, but dangerous and poor choices can lead a company in that direction quickly enough. Netflix right now is a prime example.)

Remember less than 10 years ago when, if you wanted to watch a movie at home, you either had to buy a copy or pick one up at a rental store like Blockbuster Video? Blockbuster is still going strong, but many of the smaller mom and pop video rental stores have closed their doors for good, thanks in no small part to Netflix. When Netflix came along, people found an inexpensive way to rend unlimited DVDs per month via mail. Later, they could opt for a streaming and disc combo deal that allowed 1 DVD and unlimited streaming for a competitive price (not that there was any competition back then. At all.) Those days seem long ago to us now, but this week seems to have brought years of progress to a shuttering halt.

What, exactly, is all the controversy about? For starters, Netflix customers are changing from the disc shipping services to all digital streaming options in massive numbers. You would think that this would create a situation where Netflix’s costs would take a dive. With mostly streaming-only subscribers, they should be raking in a lot of profits at high margins, right?

Not necessarily.

Netflix had signed contracts with a lot of content providers that are now 4 years old and due for renewal, and the prices they will have to pay are now wildly higher than they were. And the Netflix libary isn’t that impressive, especially when compared with rapidly growing competitors like Amazon and Apple TV.

No wonder so many people are upset with Netflix right now. Charging more for a service that has always cost a lot less isn’t good PR. Not when there are so many rising competitors for the first time in the streaming content industry.

Buzzword: Social Networking

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 20:25:18 +0000

And Other Internet Features

The latest buzzword on the internet is social networking. There are more social networking websites available than ever before. Why are they out there? These sites offer help on topics such as improving lifestyles, helping a person find a job, or fun activity groups. Social networking is a great way to meet new people of similar background and tastes.

While social networking is just one area surrounding the social media trend, there are other internet happenings such as the blog rolls. Many people are taking to the web to voice their opinions through a web phenomenon called blogging. A blog is nothing more than a digital diary that is being aired to the world. The most obvious difference being that most people don’t care to spell checks their diary and release it to the general public.

The online role of banking is also taking a new shape as the internet becomes ever more expanded. Banks are trying products online that they would never attempt in their traditional branches. They are offering deals that they would never offer within their traditional branches. There are even banks that are engaging more on social networking than ever before. This is helping to initiate a new and improved generation of innovation and technology that will make the web some peoples virtual home.

More people spend a majority of their days online than anywhere else, making the internet a new reality. The purposes for being online and staying online are becoming broader and infinitely vast. As the social networking and blogging take a foothold on the internet, video chatting is going to become the next viable direction of all websites. No one is going to have to leave home anymore, when they can work online, go to school online, shop online, and have relationships online. Well, it is to be seen if no one ever leaves home. Someone has to deliver the items that are being ordered.

Even things that were once thought to be impossible to do online are now being challenged. There are actually people setting up virtual lives online and never having to leave home for anything. These new virtual lives are not fantasy, completely; they are money making ventures into cyberspace. Individuals are setting up companies and thriving. These lives are real, but not in the sense that they take place anywhere else but on the internet. The one thing is for sure, people are making millions of dollars and that money is real.

Another phenomenon on the internet is the way that news is being disbursed. With social networking, blogging, video streaming, and instant messaging online, news is hitting the web and spreading faster than it has ever been. The only caution is in taking the information at face value without knowing the source or its validity. The World Wide Web is causing a stir and allowing people to get first had information much faster than ever before. The internet is going around the world in seconds. It is definitely a force to be reckoned with.