Posts tagged Instagram
For the last post of 2012, we bring you…
Dec 31st
For the last post of 2012, we decided to bring you this year’s top tech failures. No, we are not negative, but we found these 11 to be incredibly hilarious and had to be shared with our beloved readers. So take 10 minutes to reflect on how the tech world changed this year and let us know what your thoughts are and what you expect will happen in 2013.
11. Nexus Q
In a bid to enter the media connection world, Google introduced the Nexus Q. The thing is: it didn’t quiet function; it rather looked like a cannon ball, beside the fact that there are plenty of cheaper substitutes out there with more trustworthiness. They removed it from the shelves almost instantly, my oh my…
10. Airtime
On the release day, this video chat site was the hype. Everyone from Jim Carrey, Jimmy Fallon, Alicia Keys and even Mark Zuckerburg showed up. 30 days later, no one cared anymore. We pity Napster creators; they just cannot seem to get a break!
9, 8 and 7 Facebook, Facebook and yes Facebook.
We do not know where to start naming all the failures of Facebook for this year, so we decided to include at least three. Number 9 goes to Facebook Camera; an Instagram copycat that was rolled out just a month after Facebook purchased Instagram itself. Humm, very intelligent move.
The embarrassing stock plunge lands at number 8. The Facebook IPO did not go quite as planned; in a prophetic moment, the Nasdaq’s software broke down causing a 30 minute delay. This alone ought to have indicated that the stock would turn out to be more of an embarrassment than profit.
If the Facebook Camera and Stock scene were not enough, then the nonsensical chair commercial must win the bet. Being its very first commercial, Facebook certainly made a very bad choice.
Ok enough with Facebook, moving on.
6 & 5 Apple and Apple
It seems even the high roller Apple suffered some tech miscarriages this year. Who can forget the brilliant commercials? Apple seemed to follow in Facebook’s footsteps with the production of a commercial that totally missed the spot and was even offensive to many. However, Apple has a long streak of great marketing so there was no excuse for this one.
Apple’s second failure of 2012 was the unforgettable Apple Maps.
This is a classic scenario of wanting to make a good thing better but ending up making it worse. Everyone was furious with stories of getting lost or bad direction spreading faster than fire through a forest led to an apology in late September and eventually a new Google Map app in early December. We hope Apple learned the lesson, the hard way.
4. Microsoft So.cl
Don’t be misled; that’s supposed to be pronounced “social”. Nothing exciting here, according to its success thus far, it’s just another social media site similar to G+, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and all the others.
3. New MySpace
All we can say to MySpace is this: every other social network out there has won so just give it up and move on, sorry.
2. Instagram’s Terms of Service
Who would’ve thought that when you put in your TOS that you have the right to use people’s photos however you please it would horribly backfire? Totally unpredictable we know! Well, Instagram has reverted to its original TOS, but they’ve lost the trust and accounts of many ever since.
1. SOPA
No one can forget the awful Stop Online Piracy Act that caused an unprecedented online furry. Many websites, including Reddit, Wikipedia and Google took a harsh stand on January 18, with either posting advocacy messages on their homepage protesting SOPA, or going dark for a few hours. Without the President’s support, or anyone in the entire globe with an Internet connection, SOPA Was indefinitely put off. So the Congress holds the number one slot for this year’s tech flops.
Of course 2012 wasn’t bad, with the introduction of many anticipated gadgets, tablets and much more. But the flops were simply hilarious.
Instagram gone bad?
Dec 19th
We all know by now that nothing good lasts forever, and it seems Instagram is no exception! There’s been quite a hassle lately over Instagram’s updated Terms of Service, causing lots of users to simply quite the hipster photo App.
Claiming to clarify and tone down the outrage, Instagram has posted a response today stating that they “are listening”.
Kevin Systrom, Instagram’s co-founder, also stated: “it is not our intention to sell your photos. We are working on updated language in the terms to make sure this is clear.”
Non Instagram lovers might be asking themselves: “What’s all the hassle about anyway?” Well, the major issue was about selling users’ images and having those used by advertisers for free and as they pleased. However, the Terms of Service do not in fact give Instagram the power to do so.
The perplexing language that is used was the cause of all this trouble and Kevin acknowledges this saying:
“The language we proposed also raised question about whether your photos can be part of an advertisement,” he says. “We do not have plans for anything like this and because of that we’re going to remove the language that raised the question.”
Take a look at this Taco Bell ad that clearly shows how some snap shots can be used in ads without users’ knowledge:
Yet, Kevin insists that the new TOS updates come as a way of experimenting with ads without spamming. This is ideal for businesses that look for further exposure and gaining more followers and likes. So, to achieve more significant and relevant promotions, it would be beneficial to view which of the people you follow also follow this business. This way the actions you do (such as following the account) as well as your profile picture could appear, if you are following this business.
This is not a new method; Google already connects you with ads and Facebook also pushes the promoted posts. Kevin, yet, still insists that the ownership rights of every image shall remain with its users. Instagram does not and will not claim any ownership, and private users don’t have to worry since only their followers can actually view their snapshots.
Don’t be naïve though and remember we’re living in a materialistic world where you have to pay for everything; free services might are not free for no reason since they always tend to look for ways to make money through the users’ data.
One must always remain attentive as to what is happening around but not too melodramatic. Yet, always be true to yourself and know that you are inevitably paying for everything somehow, even if it is not with money.
Top 10 Apps of the week!
Oct 4th
October is here, and the second most exciting thing about it besides October Fest is of course our Top 10 Apps of the week. This new month we kick start it with a huge bang; from politics, cooking, sports, Instagram friendly apps and all the way to Apps that allow you to avoid those scary radars (not that we condone speeding!). We hope you’ll enjoy today’s edition, and let us know what your thoughts were.
1. PolitiFact (Get it for your android) Free
With elections just around the corner and presidential debates everywhere, you’ve surly searched the web for a comprehensive app to help you keep up to date with it all. Well, PolitiFact provides you with a fact-checker, a handy Truth-O-Meter, Flip-O-Meter, the Obameter and the GOP Pledge-O-Meter.
2. Bad Piggies (Get it for your android) Free
Rovio released a new Angry Birds spinoff last Friday, with an incredible launch that shot to No.1 on the App Store in just over 3 hours after its launch. Then new spinoff lets the fans play as pigs; the game takes place on “piggy island”, where players set out to create crazy vehicles aiming to steal the delicious eggs and earn 3 stars in each level.
3. BBC Good Food – Recipes (Get it for your android) Free
Foodies out there behold; here’s an app full of great recipes, nutritional info, cooking tips, timer, a glossary and organizational features. Be sure to benefit the offer they’re holding; you can get all the recipes for free now for a limited time whereas earlier you got only 20 recipes and had to purchase each one for £1.49. The cookbooks include: Healthy, Quick, One-pot, Cake, Seasonal, Festive and Food for Friends.
4. Swably (Get it for your android) Free
This one goes out for the developers out there trying to get their precious app more exposure, or for those of you who like to be in on the scoop for the latest undisclosed Apps. Swably is best described as a community where you can share, comment, and discover apps with friends and people. As a developer, you can publish/ promote your apps and better yet communicate with you users directly. It’s definitely worth the download if you want to get a hands on developers/users experience.
5. Cobra iRadar (Get it for your android) Free
If you’re a speed fanatic with a constant need for a fast pace on the road, yet hate getting a huge fine then this is the app you need. Cobra iRadar helps you avoid radar, camera detectors and laser radar. The ability to avoid road hazards is a great bonus. This handy app ties in to Cobra’s Aura Camera and Driving Hazard Database, as well as Google Maps to offer you incredible data at your fingertips.
6. Xero (Get it for your android) Free
We all know how dull and mundane accounting software can be, yet Xero manages to make it look sleek and friendly. You can track your finances, bank balances, invoice customers, and upload receipts or expense claims- all on the go. Super handy for SME or self-employed people.
7. G Cloud Backup (Get it for your android) Free
With over 70 million smartphones getting lost every single year and only 7% being actually recovered, we ought to immediately think of a way to protect ourselves and our digital life. For everyone who has coveted the simplicity of the iCloud, the backup software for iOS, here is an app for Android that is not only an equivalent, but as stated by one of the users: it puts the “Smart” in Smartphones.
8. Strava Run (Get it for your android) Free
We’ve already put a lot of fitness apps on our lists, but this one probably takes the cake. Strava run, just as its cycling counterpart, costs nothing and yet does a lot. This app builds the competitive side in you, not only tracking your run, but builds details of those that used the same app on the same run yet performed better.
9. TagItBest (Get it for your android) Free
With Instagram approaching 100 million users, officially having more active users than Twitter, it’s great to discover apps that service its pitfalls. TagItBest is a hash-tag engine that allows users to take a pic, enter a keyword, and then automatically generate a number of hashtags. It’s so convenient that it allows you to upload directly to Instagram.
10. SportOn Video Ringtones (Get it for your android) Free
This one is again for the athlete frenzy of you. SportOn Video Ringtones lets you customize your Android in a very simple way. Just download the app, search for your favorite sport, team or specific athlete and bam. Once you’ve got the video ringtones, you will be able to assign them to contacts (or simply as your general ringtone) the same as you would with any other ringtone on your Android.
Top 10 Apps of the week!
Sep 13th
Second week of September is almost behind us, and we still cannot wrap our brains around how quickly this year is passing by. Here is another round of our top 10 apps for this week; from random facts, sleek weather, all the way to beautiful customizable third party apps, be sure to check this week’s edition and let us know what your thoughts are.
1. µTorrent (Get it for your android) Free
Are you a TV fanatic and cannot wait for that episode of Game of thrones to come out? Well, now you can do that straight from your phone. This app comes from the same developers who created BitTorrent more than 10 years ago, and no size or speed limitations.
2. United Airlines (Get it for your android) Free
This app is pretty comprehensible straight from its name; if you’re flying United, then this app helps you with your check ins and checkups on your flight. Some convenience to lessen the oppression from this airline never hurts.
3. Mint Financial (Get it for your android) Free
Since the weekend is just around the corner, we bet you want to chillax from the long week. This game takes you into the skies to battle with other cartoon planes. And no, no cartoon planes were damaged in the production of this game.
4. Split Decision (Get it for your android) Free
Are you one of those people who knows a lot of pretty obscure, random facts? Well, behold, this is the app for you! It’s based on the trivia card game Mental Floss. You and your friends will have fun with this brainy app.
5. MiniSquadron (Get it for your android) $2.99
Since the weekend is just around the corner, we bet you want to chillax from the long week. This game takes you into the skies to battle with other cartoon planes. And no, no cartoon planes were damaged in the production of this game.
6. G Cloud Backup (Get it for your android) Free
With over 70 million smartphones getting lost every single year and only 7% being actually recovered, we ought to immediately think of a way to protect ourselves and our digital life. For everyone who has coveted the simplicity of the iCloud, the backup software for iOS, here is an app for Android that is not only an equivalent, but as stated by one of the users: it puts the “Smart” in Smartphones.
7. Claudio
Claudio is probably one of the most beautiful weather apps we’ve experienced, and you can enjoy it on both iOS and Android. Of course there are tons of apps that tell you the weather, but this one does it in style. The colors are striking and add a new dimension, and it’ll be available for you to enjoy very soon.
8. Auto Trader (Get it for your android) Free
We all know how fun and easy life becomes once you have your own car, yet we also know how difficult it is to find the right one. This app assists you in your quest by displaying new and used vehicles in your area, as well as providing you with information about dealerships, and contact information for independent sellers.
9. Foneclay (Get it for your android) Free
Through its widgets and third-party apps, Android is definitely one of the most customizable Smartphone OS. This app is a more fun take on this feature, offering “immersive, art-interfaces as dynamic as you are.”
10. Textgram (Get it for your android) Free
This app allows you to create cute picture messages alone with text with extreme ease and then you can either simply save them to your gallery or share on a number of social mediums such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitpic, Pinterest, Whatsapp, Streamzoo, Picstitch, Instacollage, Instaframe, etc.
A Nikon the world has never seen!
Aug 13th
If you are one of the million filter loving enthusiasts, then today’s news will definitely be of your interest. It seems that Nikon wants to get back in the waters with a new Android-powered camera that will reportedly be out later this month. The camera will be part of Nikon’s CoolPix line of point-and-shoots, and what’s very cool about this cam is its ability to connect directly to the Google Play market to download apps that will run on the camera.
The camera-devotee blog posted this rumor on Wednesday, citing a filing with the Indonesian Communication Agency, and the report suspect the model number will be CoolPix S800 or S800c. Even though there are not addition citations for other sources, the website says the camera’s “foreseeable” specs shall be: a 3.5 inch OLED screen, 25-250 mm lens, built-in GPS and Wi-Fi.
In case you’re wondering what version of Android the camera will be running on, we’re glad to assure you it is supposed to be Android 2.3 Gingerbread and App downloads and runs shall be available. Even though it’s quite exciting to witness an Android supported Cam come to life, it is not the premier; Polaroid announced a similar model in January. Nikon, however, could be the first to actually go on sale.
So, let us come to the bottom line; why would any of us be actually interested in purchasing an Android camera you ask? Well, even though the vast majority of the Android Apps available for download would be a waste of time, the OS would enable the camera to run photography apps such as Instagram and Pixlr-o-Matic . Combining the user-friendliness and social networking of those brilliant apps with a real camera is quite the killer combo.
This may all seems like rainbows and butterflies for the camera-filter lovers, but the ugly truth is that the cam only becomes useful when connected. Wi-Fi connectivity is helpful in this respect, however without the 3G or 4G all this could go down the drains.
Other than the camera Apps, other Android Apps will give you the ability to entertain yourself with the likes of Triple town once your beloved phone runs out of juice.
The report stated that Nikon shall unveil this flagship camera at the Photokina show in Germany on August 22nd, however reps for Nikon did not confirm any such speculations.
How would you use such an Android-powered camera? Let us know you thought by leaving us a comment below.
Be part of the smart crowd and download G Cloud today; it’s free!
Hurray! It is Social Media Day!
Jul 1st
If you are one of the 56% of social media users that have admitted to using channels to spy on their partners, then you can rejoice; you have a special day to celebrate today since it is Social Media Day!
Mashable launched Social Media Day 3 years ago, in 2010 and both the event and social media use have grown tremendously in that time. The event has been declared official by 17 cities worldwide and three U.S. states.
Social media has bombarded our lives; from tweeting about the latest in politics, to rekindling old friendships on Facebook all the way to documenting our lunch on Instagram.
Yet Social media has served a far more influential purpose throughout the course of the past few years; from the behemothic effect Twitter and Facebook have had on the upheaval of the Arab Spring, to more local news when social media has proven to be vital in notifying the public of important information when the catastrophic wildfire hit Colorado just a few days ago. On Twitter, the hashtag #WaldoCanyonFire was a trending topic for several days. Using this hashtag, citizens along with Colorado Springs authorities and the media have been relaying pivotal, life-saving information. Colorado Springs was also a trending topic.
Yet, social media does not stop at Facebook and Twitter; Pinterest is currently the 3rd most visited website in the U.S with 60% of the users being females that is, and it seems everyone wants a bit from the social media apple; with So.cl, G+and Quora of course.
According to a website called The Social Skinny; half of the people that are active online, check into their preferred site first thing in the morning; ahh those annoying Foursquare check-ins, you know what we’re talking about!
Well, moving on to the world of Fashion, as Heidi Klum always says: “one day you’re in and the next you are out.” How have fashion designers and fashionistas reinvented the social media realm you might ask? Well, Oscar de la Renta was up to date sharing his runway show live on Tumblr as it was happening as well as pinning his bridal show, as well as many other brands that have aptly used crowdsourcing for the purposes of generating hype on social media in addition to sparking an emotional connection with their customers and curation to leverage influencers’ networks and create shopping experiences that merge editorial content with retail.
Remember, if all those social accounts get too over-whelming, you always have HootSuite and TweetDeck to come to your rescue and help you sort it out.
On a final note, we’d like to leave you with one fun fact on each of our favorite Social website:
1. Facebook: More than 350 million users suffer from Facebook Addiction Syndrome.
2. Twitter: Twitter handles more search queries per month than Bing and Yahoo combined (24 billion versus 4.1 billion and 9.4 billion respectively).
3. LinkedIn: LinkedIn has 161 million members in more than 200 countries and communities.
4. YouTube: YouTube was founded to share dinner clips of a party due to the files being too large for email.
5. Pinterest: Pinterest drives more referral traffic than YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn combined.
6. Instagram: President Obama is on Instagram, having joined in January 2012.
7. Google +: “Student” is the number one occupation of Google+ users.
8. The mobile Web: China is the No. 1 country in the world for Smartphone use, with approximately 1 billion users.
9. Blogging: 3 million new blogs come online every month.
10. Klout: Justin Bieber is the only person with a perfect Klout score of 100 (says it all, then).
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InstagramCam; Snap it, filter it, Print it and share it!
May 9th
Instagram has received a lot of press coverage in the past few weeks. Whether it’s well deserved or not is quite an individual issue. The latest Instagram related post was earlier this April when Facebook acquired the app for $ 1 billion
This time ARD, an Italian based design and communication studio have quite cleverly jumped into the hype and presented a brilliant concept called Instagram Socialmatic Camera.
Antonio De Rosa, the 34 ADR Studio founder and owner, who has previously manipulated rumors and speculations of what Apple could be bringing in a future product, to gauge people’s responses, has just recently released this concept for the real-life Instagram camera. One which, might we say, presents a combination of some of the latest cutting-edge technology and design with an entirely retro feel and the results are quite distinguishable.
While merely a week ago, a hilarious “advertisement” was leaked, intended to make fun of a fictional camera called the Instagram Snap; basically a Polaroid camera with “sharing” features (passing a photo to another person by hand) and “filters” (coffee filter = spill coffee on your picture).
It almost seems ironic that a concept for such a camera actually emerges, and grabs so much attention, that leaves many (including us) drooling in agony!
While we applaud innovative design, the hardware specs must also be up to a high standard, and the Socialmatic Cam certainly does not disappoint. It comes with 16 GB of mass storage, which is more than enough for a year’s worth of snaps of landscape, pets and food, and also boasts Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity for easy sharing.
Here is the full spec list of the proposed camera:
§ 16 GB mass storage
§ Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
§ 4:3 touchscreen
§ 2 main lenses, first for main capture, second for 3D filters, webcam applications and QR Code capturing
§ Optical zoom
§ Led Flash
§ Internal printer to make your Instagram photos real
§ Paper cartridge with Instagram Paper Sheets
§ Dedicated 4 colors ink tanks
§ InstaOS 1.0, which put together Facebook and Instagram App feature
You might wonder how this Cam would differ from what Android and iOS users can already enjoy. Well, it packs a quirky internal printer with the ability to bring those shots to life instantly, and the four dedicated ink tanks can print onto Instagram Paper Sheets, (yes it sounds a bit Polaroid-ish). The specialized sheets would have an adhesive strip along the back – similarly to a post-it – allowing them to be stuck wherever your heart desires, as well as a small blank space to leave your memoirs. You will be able to stick your preferred pictures on walls or in elevators or on the subway and other people who later like your photos can scan your QR code and follow your future work.
Such an independent camera which would definitely produce higher quality images than a mobile phone one, with an ability to share both online and in the real world (if priced right) would skyrocket. We’re sold, are you?
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A picture is worth a 1000 words? Try 1,000,000,000!
Apr 10th
Facebook, yet again has proven to be the pioneer of social networks with its latest acquisition of Instagram; the free mobile app that allows its users to take a photo, and add a digital filter to it then share it on various social networks including its own.
The hipsters of photography, or so called “pro photographers” are quite upset with this latest piece of news, yet the ones jumping for joy are Instagram’s co founder and CEO Kevin Systrom, who owns 40% of the company, making him eligible to take home $400 million from the sale pre-tax, as well as Instagram’s other cofounder, Mike Krieger, who will net around $100 million from the sale with his roughly 10% take. The remainder (10%, or $100 million) will be divided among Instagram’s nine employees. While we are not 100% sure if Instagram’s team really does constitute of only 9 employee, their latest update was in March when they hired their ninth member (Link).
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder, has published a very witty statement 15 hours ago (Link), which in brief wanted to assure all Instagram users that this acquisition will not alter their beloved experiecne nor hinder them from sharing with other social networks, or not share if they please. He emphasized that this acquisition does not entail Facebook integration by any means, it merely aims at elevating the photo sharing experience; the reason why Facebook has been at the forefront for the past few years.
The photo-sharing app was exclusive to the iOS users (with a user base of over 30 million!) up until last week, when the app finally became available to Android users likewise. It became one of the best Android apps released for it prompted over 1 million new user signups in the first 12 hours of release. Which sparks an interesting question; do you think it would’ve taken Instagram so long to launch an Android app had it benefited from thousands of eager Facebook engineers? We think not! If you are an avid Instagram user, you would know that its evolution has been incredibly stagnant, we are quite confident this will drastically change. With Mark on board, we expect this ingenious app to be taken to brand new heights.
So don’t be too quick to head for the exit with this news bombshell today, and remember how the acquisition of Youtube by Google went smoothly years ago.
Smile and be prepared for a filter!
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