August 28, 2009
Staff Picks: Aardvark, Go Postal App, Mobile Projectors and More
Allison
Ranking at #42 on Time’s annual list of the best websites, Aardvark takes a new approach to online Q&A. To get answers and opinions, many people ask their own trusted networks. But the truth is, there’s only so many times you can go back to the well before you’re blocked. Aardvark lets you ask friends and friends of friends a question for objective opinions from presumably likeminded people. Just send Aardvark a message through IM, like you do when talking to a friend. Aardvark figures out who might be able to answer, and asks on your behalf. The incentive is karmic – you answer questions so you’ll get answers too. Plus, people love to dish out advice, it’s human nature—online and off.
Reming
I don’t consider my dad the most technologically cutting-edge guy of the Baby Boomer generation, so when he sends me an email I tend to always give them special attention (mainly because I know how long it takes him to send them). So when he sent me this YouTube video yesterday, I was super impressed and surprised.
The video, Did You Know?, is a presentation that addresses the technological, educational and social changes my generation and future generations will face in the coming years. Apparently the presentation started out as a PowerPoint presentation for a faculty meeting in August 2006 at a high school (why weren’t my HS teachers this cool?). Soon the presentation spread virally on the web. And now, between original versions and updated versions, over 20 million people have viewed the presentation. Although it may be somewhat outdated (I think the last update was in 2008) and maybe some of you have already seen it, the themes still ring true and are more relevant today than ever.
If anything, it pushes the dialogue regarding how our generation is going to deal with the immediate and constant changes in business landscapes, technology and globalization and how we need to better educate future generations for an ever-changing world.
Mike
Go Postal "Print Your Life" App
You know those awful 80’s postcards you see at airports? Think swimsuits, big Wayfarer sunglasses, animals with quotes and big, bold copy. They’re classic. Every new city I’m in I’ll find the worst and exchange them with a friend. I’ve noted they’re becoming obsolete with the insertion of purely skyline postcards. Enough with the Space Needle already!
So, with the assistance of goPostal iPhone app, I’m turning my nose on airport postcard kiosks and recreating my own for only $1.29/each. Snap a pic (in your best 1983 pose and clothes), input some text and choose an address from your directory. You’re done in less than one minute, or however long it take to put on a Muscle Beach thong.
Amanda
This is really cool: The picture of Hong Kong goes from sunrise to sunset by dragging your mouse from top to bottom of the picture. Photo technology at its best!
Matt
Mobile Mini Projectors
While the Optoma Pico, the first mobile mini projector hit the market last year, two new competing models will be entering the tech space in September. WowWee’s Cinemin Swivel and 3M’s MPro120 will be released at $350 apiece next month. Both gadgets are capable of plugging into an iPhone or many other smartphones and project video onto any surface, such as a wall or ceiling.
With battery life allowing for movie play over 2 hours, plug-in speaker capabilities through an audio jack, easy plug-and-play set up, and an ability to rotate the projection to many different angles, the Swivel appears the stronger of the two new models. However, the MPro’s battery lasts twice as long, comes with a tripod stand, and has sharper contrast in its projection. The MPro does not have an external speaker jack though, so it’s a matter of weighing preferences (video vs. audio).
Andrea F
Once an international leader in mobile games and applications, In-Fusio has officially shut down after fighting the last few years to stay afloat after raising funds and being acquired by Zenops…
