The On-Going Conversation

The Mobile Explosion

Mobile is expanding at a phenomenal rate and according to some predictions, mobile internet usage will overtake desktop before 2015.

LinkedIn Wants Users to Visit Daily

LinkedIn launched LinkedIn Today, a social news tool for business users that encourages perpetual use, similar to Facebook and Twitter.

From a consistent use standpoint, LinkedIn has a hard time competing with Facebook and Twitter. Users seem to view LinkedIn as a professional portal that doesn't require continual monitoring. Facebook and Twitter on the other hand seem to have a connected mantra that requires daily attention, and users feel out of touch if they aren't constantly engaged and interconnected.

Obviously this isn't the case, but users feel a subconscious isolation if they aren't checking their digital lives on a daily basis. Most people view LinkedIn as an environment for career networking, which doesn't consist of frequent changes and status updates. Users even have their Twitter updates linked via an external platform that appears on the LinkedIn feed, which is included on the landing page.

As a result, LinkedIn is trying to capture a degree of success with this approach to social media. They want to encourage uses to visit on a daily basis, by providing more value and the ability to directly search news online. To a certain extent, they want to be a one-stop shop for online content absorption. This may be quite challenging, although it is a great place to commence in a difficult social space.

Read the full article via Fast Company

Social Law in a Digital Age

A federal judge recently granted the U.S. government access to the Twitter accounts of three of WikiLeaks's strongest supporters.

Read the full article via Mashable

The Success of Microsoft Kinect

Microsoft has sold 10 million Kinect systems for the Xbox 360, making it the fastest-selling consumer device according to Guinness.

Read the full article via Mashable

Bonnaroo: Mobile Live Music via Vevo

Consider watching Bonnaroo live this summer on your iPhone, iPad, Android device or Google TV, including Grammy-winning Arcade Fire.

Read the full article via Mashable

The Era of Tablets: Microsoft Strives to Compete with Apple and Google

Microsoft will strive to release a tablet-oriented version of Windows by 2012 to compete with Apple's iOS and Google's Honeycomb.

Read the full article via Mashable

A Social Deal Super Bowl

LivingSocial surged traffic by 80% with a lone discount for Amazon.com during the Super Bowl, while Groupon only managed a 3% increase.

Read the full article via Fast Company

Adobe and Apple : Tech Friends Again

Adobe has apparently resolved the apprehension with Apple over Flash and lends support to the iPad in a series of new advertisements.

Read the full article via Mashable

Mobile Cookies via the Girl Scouts

Eat up! Girl Scout Cookies can now be purchased with credit cards, thanks in part to mobile card processing technology and iPhones.

Read the full article via Fast Company

A Digital Educational Experience

Quick Cite, a 99-cent app for iPhones and Androids helps automate bibliographies, which is motivating me to consider college round two.  However this leads me to question if technology is making college too easy for those individuals that happen to be quite technologically savvy. It may also give students an advantage over opposing students who don't have access to iPhones and Android devices.

At the same time, I realize that students are required to complete a plethora of work and in the grand scheme of concurrent requirements, bibliographies aren't the most pertinent obligation. Students could be devoting their time and energy to other tasks that seem to be more important. If this particular application helps increase the percentage of students that get through college with stellar grades, then I am in full-support.

However, it might be difficult to decipher if this truly helps college students become more organized and proficient with their studies. It may come down to a personal preference and some students will always appreciate the tangible homework experience.

I also envision certain professors supporting the initiative and others feeling as though students are cutting corners. Regardless of your opinion on the technology, it is nearly impossible to not appreciate the advancement we are experiencing with smart phones and mobile devices. It will be interesting to see where mobile technology continues to go and time will be the only indication in the near term.

I am in full support of the incorporation of technology with education, but I also see the destruction of an even playing field. College students need to be taught the value of hard work, persistence and intellectual diligence. With tools to enable more productivity, are students truly experiencing the challenge of higher education?

Regardless, I am interested in trying out the application and seeing how helpful it can be for high school, college, graduate and PhD students alike. It may even motivate me to pursue a master's degree, which could provide lasting implications in a world of perpetually expanding technological capabilities. We live in a dynamic world and technology continues to advance. We can either choose to embrace it or be left behind in the traditional world.

What will you choose?

Read the full article via Fast Company