Living

Hope this brings a smile to your face as you remember some the the ridiculous stuff we have forwarded to friends and family by saying … “YOU GOTTA WATCH THIS!!!”

Share your favourite meme in the comments

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Video by CloudSkull

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I admit it: I’m an early adopter. For years I’ve been waiting to the coming together of mythical device. My technological unicorn would act as a single pocket size device that does it all. The only device you need that would dock with your work desktop, manage movies and TV shows you want to watch, let you chat and make phone calls, maybe even do laundry. We are not quite there, but the new wave of smart phones and tablets has moved a step closer.

For the record, I think the slow pace of developing one device to rule them all is calculated and not do to technical limitations. What’s better than one device you can charge consumers for: 10 devices.

Enough of my dreaming and complaining. There is a simple way to move your phone, or Galaxy Tab in my case, closer to being the only device you need in your pocket or bag. Adding a bluetooth keyboard removes the need for thumbs or Swype and you suddenly have a portable device for composing those long emails, documents, or blog posts. I’m actually typing this post on Mac’s mini bluetooth keyboard paired with my Tab while at a Cafe. It is part of my test to see if I could truly replace my laptop with a tablet and keyboard. So far…Almost!

I chose the Tab over an iPad, because it actually does fit in my pocket while being large enough for comfortably reading, watching video and of course playing Angry Birds. The addition of the keyboard means it is no longer the pocketable — well, the two together are not. Is there much advantage to carrying a backpack or bag with a tablet and keyboard than just having your laptop? Not really.

However, I can see the pairing as a lifesaver in areas where limited connectivity means that a 3g mobile connection is more valuable than searching for sketchy Wifi. In additon to the Tab, the keyboard also pairs with my Blackberry Torch. In a pinch I can do all my email on the phone with the keyboard, which is great for travel. (I could use the tab, but the BB’s ultra-low bandwidth is a big money saver when abroad where megabytes are pricey.)

For WordPress users, I have tried both the WordPress Android App and going to my site through the Tab’s browser and using the standard WordPress interface. The app is more useful for simply typing, but the normal interface on the browser gives you all the WYSIWYG goodness you love.

Until the Lord of Tab comes along, this will have to do. Do you have any tips for mobile living and working? What’s your digital must have gift this year?

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Google celebrates 30 years of Pac-Man with a playable Google Doodle on their homepage

Pac-Man turns 30 with a raging birthday weekend. Do not expect to find a happy Ms. Pac-Man waiting when he gets home. That pretty lady is only two years from her 30th and I suspect itching for a ring. Some advice for your big 3-0 Pac-Man: Lock that down! Don’t make me quote Beyonce.

For those of you who want to party it up with the big guy, Google has helped with a playable Google Doodle. There’s an “insert coin” button you can click from Google.com and let the fun begin! Click it twice to play two players simultaneously with Ms. Pac-Man joining the rager (use W-A-S-D for her controls). Happy Birthday, old friend.

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Bebo, we hardly knew ye.  Well, I hardly did. Bebo had a strong UK and Aussie following at the time of its sale to AOL for $850 million, but AOL wanted to use the social network to crack the US market. They failed to do so even with their strong messaging client aim and AOL execs announced plans to seek a buyer or close the site by the end of May.

Of course, they aren’t alone; Yahoo! has faced similar troubles turning their large base of user accounts and Messenger users into a relevant social networking player. Just to give you an idea how dominant Facebook is now, they gained twice as many users in 6 months as Bebo did in their existence. Still, 12 million users is nothing to sneeze at. It’s hard, but not impossible to imagine the site simply disappearing. Devloping…

Nigel Kendall of the Times Online blog offered five reasons why Bebo failed in a post today.

1. MONEY
It doesn’t make any. “Social networking sites all have this problem,” says Nate Elliott, principal analyst with Forrester Research. “They cannot figure out how to make money. Even Facebook claims only to break even.” Social networking sites encourage users to post images, video, music and more, all of which costs money to host on servers. The hope is that sheer volume of users will prove appealing to advertisers, which has not proved to be the case (see below).

2. USER DISTRIBUTION
On the face of it, Bebo is still a popular site. It is particularly strong in Europe, with over 1 million active users in Ireland and 6 million users in the UK. It has only 10 million users in the United States, however, compared with Facebook’s 100 million. This uneven distribution of users makes Bebo’s rivals more useful as a way of keeping in touch with people around the world.

3. PARENTAL CONCERN AND USER EXPERIENCE
Bebo was designed to appeal to 13- to 24-year-olds by its founder Michael Birch, which created its own problems. As tales of paedophile internet stalking created panic in the media, parents became reluctant to allow their offspring unfettered access to the site. In addition, one of the most frequent complaints from Bebo users was the amount of dubious spam e-mail and messages they received.

4. ADVERTISING
In common with other social networking sites, Bebo failed to attract advertisers, who are reluctant to associate themselves with user-generated content. Advertisers prefer to pay to create their own microsites to build relationships with their audience, and will look to get the most bang for their buck, which – again – is not available via Bebo, owing to uneven global penetration.

5. IT BELONGS TO ‘THE MAN’
Many internet users – particularly those of Bebo age – like to think of themselves as being free of the offline corporate society. Cultivating an independent, free-thinking image is an essential ingredient for internet success, as evidenced by the success of Google and the problems Microsoft has faced in making inroads online. Part of the reason for Facebook’s phenomenal success is its perceived independence. When a corporate giant such as AOL takes over, it can, for many users, act as a deterrent, an uncomfortable reminder of the corporate nature of the modern world they are trying to escape online.

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AddtoAny reports twice as many shares to Facebook over E-mail