Mesmerizing Tweets

Screen Capture of Twittervision (Source)

I've become a pretty hardcore Twitter over the past few weeks. Why? I'm still trying to figure that out. I was telling a colleague the other day that there's something very poetic about the 140 character limit that Twitter imposes.

Today I found myself mesmerized by Twittervision, a site that blinks "tweets" on a map of the world - sorta in real time. I watch it like I do an interesting screen-saver. I'm not sure if there's much you can do on it other than watch. It's like being a global voyeur. If tweets aren't your think, there's also Flickrvision, which is essentially the same idea with Flickr photos. I find it all quite hypnotic.

So far, here are the Twitter-related thingy-ma-bobs that I like to use:

• Twitterific - A clean and simple desktop app that lets you bypass the Twitter web site to post tweets.
• TwitPic - Twitter really needs to integrate a photo option. Twitpic allows you to post cell phone/mobile pics as Tweets.
  
• Quotably - I am a snoop, and I'd like to search everyone's conversations, but unfortunately Twitter doesn't have a search function. Quotably allows folks to follow people's conversations and perform searches of keywords. I like the simple design.
• TwitterFox - Allows you to post tweets on Firefox. It is a Firefox add-on.
• LoudTwitter - Delivers my tweets to my blog (Blogger platform). It's compatible with other blogger platforms. I really like it.
  

I'm sure there's bound to be more Twitter thingy-ma-bobs that I'll soon discover, but for now those are the main ones I use.

Flickr Does Videos

Carwash (Source)

Everybody these days is going video. I'm not quite sure what to make of Flickr's foray into the video world. Flickr is such a great photography tool, but will it be for video? I just don't know. Flickr members will be able to upload only 90 second videos (150mb limit). According to the Flickr blog, "... what quickly bubbled up was the idea of 'long photos,' of capturing slices of life to share." The fine print: Only Flickr Pro Members will be allowed to upload vids, but everyone can view 'em.

Seeing as though I'm wont to procrastinating, it wouldn't surprise me if I got obsessed with Flickr's new video feature. I just need a better camera.

Apologies for the crappy carwash video - my camera phone sucks.

Check it:
Flickr
Flickr Video FAQ

Tweet Tweet

That's Twitterific!

I've decided tonight to try Twitter again. I'm probably just bored. I think it was partly due to an article I read on the BBC Website. He made it sound so revolutionary, this Twitter thing. I don't think Twitter was really getting me anywhere when I first signed on a year ago; though, I admit, I really didn't even give it much of a chance. Then I read the whole thing that went down at SXSW with Mark Zuckerberg (founder of Facebook) and his interviewer - the people there totally bashed her on Twitter. I found that amusing and a bit inspiring.

My point is: I'm back on Twitter - catch me there too.

Spramp Hodgepodge 6

My New Balance on Moola.com

Yesterday was a slow day for interesting news. I think the highlight for me (asides seeing the bare chest of Ben Cohen) was surpassing the $80 mark on Moola.com. Should I cash out? I briefly went over $85, which would have put me on the money leader board 100, but got greedy. Oh well. Not bad for having only about $20 a week ago. Anywho. Check it out if already haven't - no purchase necessary, although your time could get seriously compromised. Invites are still available:
http://www.moola.com:80/moopubs/b2b/exc/join.jsp?sid=4d5449744e7a63794e44413d-2

Ok - to the hodgepodge...

• School Shooting in Finland, Pharyngula (November 7, 2007)
• To the Big Rock on the Corner of 15th and Aloha, Capitol Hill Seattle (November 6, 2007)
  
• Want To Rent A Pet For $39.95 A Weekend Day Plus $49.95 A Month, Plus $150 Initiation Fee... [New And Exciting Products], The Consumerist (November 6, 2007)
• Multiply Big In The Philippines, Lands Ad Deal, TechCrunch (November 7, 2007)
  

Spramp Hodgepodge 3

Originally uploaded by Burn-A-Bee

I am puckered out. Teaching days wipe me out, even worse now that the sun disappears a third of the way into my class. My students were great today - I think they like me a lot (not that I should care ... should I?). Ugh, why am I talking about work. On a brighter note: My partner-in-crime just bought his tickets to come and visit over the Turkey break. Woot, woot! He bakes a killer turkey. Chooker-roos!

• In Portland, Cultivating a Culture of Two Wheels, New York Times (November 5, 2007)
• Donors Bid Millions NOT to Rename School, AP (November 4, 2007)
• Yahoo Launches Kickstart, A New Social Network Around College Students And Alumni, TechCrunch (November 4, 2007)
• Ugly Shoes: A Brief History, New York Magazine (November 4, 2007)
• Ten Ways to Defeat Brain Drain [Mind Hacks], Lifehacker (November 4, 2007)
• Twitter Is For Twits, Gawker (November 5, 2007)
• Gadgets That Changed the World, CrunchGear (November 5, 2007)
• Now (Almost) Open: CB2 Gets Signage On Broadway, Racked (November 5, 2007)
• Gisele Bundchen Dumps the Dollar, Demands Payment in Euros, BloggingStocks (November 5, 2007)
• New Face On Speedo Sundays, Made In Brazil (November 4, 2007) [Semi-NSFW ... Nummy!]

Joost Is Now Live

Joost Screenshot (Source)
Joost has now officially gone live to all. Joost lets you watch TV online. I had gotten a beta invite months ago, but have not (and will) get to use Joost's services. Why? So get this: Joost is not compatible with PowerPC Macs! I think the technology behind this venture is fantastic, but sucks that the company is ostracizing a whole chunk of the Mac community!

Check it out and let me know what you think:
Joost.com (www.joost.com)

Interesting: NBC, Free Downloads, For Real

FREE! What a concept! I love it! NBC will soon offer free downloads of its shows for one week after the show airs. I love me my 30 Rock and Heroes, so I'm all over this! NBC will do a test run sometime in October and officially be live in November.

"The files would degrade after the seven-day period and be unwatchable. “Kind of like ‘Mission: Impossible,’ only I don’t think there would be any explosion and smoke,” Mr. Gaspin said.

The programs will initially be downloadable only to PCs with the Windows operating system, but NBC said it planned to make the service available to Mac computers and iPods later."

Check it:
"NBC to Offer Downloads of Its Shows," New York Times (September 20, 2007).

Interesting: gPhone On Its Way?

First a cell phone platform, then perhaps the whole mobile telephony world ... and I can't wait!

"Google's gPhone Draws a Crowd," Business Week (September 13, 2007)

Hot iSpramps: the New iPods!

The New iPod Line-Up (Source: Apple)


The New and Fatter iPod Nanos (Source: Apple)


The New iPod Touch (Yummy!) (Source: Apple)
Apple today introduced an interesting and fantastic new line-up of iPods. Highlights include a new and fatter iPod Nano with video and gaming capabilities (w/storage for up to 4G [$149] and 8G [$189]). I'm mostly intrigued and already coveting the new iPod Touch, which looks and acts like the iPhone sans the phone function. I like the Wi-Fi-enabled capabilities. It comes in 8G [$299] and 16G [$399]. I might be saving my pennies to get one!

For more info:
Apple
Apple unveils new iPod touch, "fat" iPod nano at special event, Ars Technica (September 5, 2007).

Technology Overload

Calder and Needle
I've had technology overload the past couple of days! I realized that I was spending way too much time on my laptop and needed a break. Apologies to the delay in posts, but I challenge you too to step away from your computers and laptops and cell phones and PDAs, which is exactly what I did yesterday! It's quite liberating actually, even if for only a day. I actually got through a good chunk of a book (a real book!) that I'd been wanting to read all summer - I know, what a concept! Go and get yourself a book while you're on your technology hiatus.

Interesting: I Want a Grand Central Number!

Addendum (08.15.2007): Thanks to the fantastic Sean I just got an invite to Grand Central ... woot woot! Much Spramp love to Sean! ;) Can't wait to try it. So you no longer need to send me an invite, but I can still be your BFF, if you want. xoxo jan


Grand Central Home Page Screen Shot (Source)
I've been a devoted Skype user for years now - the unlimited nationwide calling plan that it offers sold me, and so too did the Skype-In number. Though now I'm totally convinced that the start-up that Google just acquired called Grand Central is on to something bigger and dare I say better than Skype's service. Grand Central's premise is simple: one phone number for all your phone numbers - a universal phone number managed on the Web:

GrandCentral offers many features that complement the phone services you already use. If you have multiple phone numbers (e.g., home, work, cell), you get one phone number that you can set to ring all, some, or none of your phones, based on who's calling. This way, your phone number is tied to you, and not your location or job. The service also gives you one central voice mailbox. You can listen to your voicemails online or from any phone, forward them to anybody, add the caller to your address book, block a caller as spam, and a lot more. You can even listen in on voicemail messages from your phone while they are being recorded, or switch a call from your cell phone to your desk phone and back again. All in all, you'll have a lot more control over your phones. (Source)

To test the beta service out, you'll have to get an invite from a current user, or you can reserve your number on the Grand Central home page (www.grandcentral.com) and wait patiently. I've put in several reservation requests using multiple e-mail addresses of mine (shhh, don't tell!), but still haven't gotten any response. If anyone wants to make this spramp's day, I'd love, love, love an invite (jan@sprampblog.com)! I will be your BFF! That said, Grand Central is on its way of revolutionizing telephony! Way to go!


Grand Central Presentation at DEMO 2006 (Source: GrandCentralCom via YouTube)