Technology – Page 14

My Thoughts on the Google+ Integration on Youtube

November 18, 2013Social Media, TechnologyLeave a Comment

There has been a lot of chatter about the recent Google + integration with Youtube. Personally, I’ve been using the social network on and off ever since it first went beta. Right now, it is mostly auto-publishing feeds from my personal blog and Youtube channel.

In contrast, I haven’t actually been an active Youtube user until recently. Obviously I have watched countless videos on Youtube but since I wasn’t an active contributor I didn’t find it that necessary to leave comments. I did find however that I started to comment more after the Youtube name-change to connect ourselves with our Google+ identities. Maybe I wanted more followers on a network I had an iffy relationship with.

There’s a lot not to like about the integration though. For one, if you have separate Youtube pages for different things, you have to manage different Google + profiles. In my case, Ride the Tempo has a channel for occasional live videos. However, I find that the general music fan or listener isn’t highly active on Google+ (as I’ve tried managing a page in the past) so I wish that it could also be connected to my personal page, which people seem to follow. I do believe that there are plenty of users on Google+, as I am in more than 300 users’ circles. That’s more than the followers most people have on Twitter.

Another issue is the publishing of comment to the poster’s Google + feed. Although this can be an asset for users (as their content gets shared), it is somewhat of a nuisance when I want to leave a quick comment on something I don’t want to necessarily share (or share again if it’s my second comment on the same video). Since, it is Google+ based there is no longer a character limit on comments. As a new Vlogger, this seems quite intimidating and scary. Troll heaven. Or right now Bob and his stupid tanks world.

Instead of forcing Google+ on us, Google should have done a much better job explaining what it is for in the first place. It has some snazzy features (hangouts, photo editors) but the original marketing as a better Facebook or Twitter when those existed is comparable to Microsoft’s attempt to sell us the Zune.

I Met Chris Pirillo!

November 12, 2013November 12, 2013Entertainment, Social Media, Technology, Vlogs1 Comment

This weekend was Buffer Festival in Toronto, the city’s first ever Youtube film festival. Personally, I haven’t participated in the Youtube scene until recently, but when I found out Chris Pirillo would be in Toronto I jumped on the chance to meet him.

I actually found Chris originally on Twitter in the social network’s early days. He was a recommended follow (and he followed me back!). I checked out his social feeds and was enticed by his wacky personality and had been watching his videos ever since.

His Buffer Festival panel, which took place inside the CN Tower’s Maple Leaf Theatre, was about tech on Youtube. The main point to take away was that tech is an enabler, not a destination. He also did a Youtube livestream review of the new iPad Air right in front of us. It was cool to see how the whole process worked and how reading comments could be rather addictive.

After the panel, we met in the meetup room at the Metro Convention Centre and he signed my GoPro. I figured that would be the most appropriate since he was the one who had influenced me to vlog in the first place. The real fun started when the planned meetup was over and a few of us gathered together to have lunch with Chris! We all had different stories of how we discovered his videos. It was fascinating to learn how his videos had touched all of our lives in some way. He actually shared this in his vlog (life goal achieved)!

Through Chris I learnt that when creating content (Youtube or elsewhere), to always be myself. He’s made a living through just being himself and I hope that’s something I can achieve too, to just do what I love.

Of course, here’s my vlog of the day:

Loot Crate- October 2013 Edition

November 5, 2013Shopping, Video Games, Vlogs1 Comment

I finally received my October Loot Crate yesterday. Since it was the month of Halloween, the theme for October was “Survive”. You can check out my unboxing video on Youtube and check out the contents below.

Like the past crates, there was the official guide to all the box’s contents. Loot Crate also made these temporary tattoos so I could pick sides in the zombie apocalypse.

Online card service Open Me provided this adorable gut-loving card. The service which is affiliated with T-shirt Threadless allows you to send cards to people for only $4.

Oh and if you actually like guts, they’ve included some in candy form. I got a heart.

Loot Crate Labs also created these 8-bit game inspired buttons. I received two sets somehow!

My favourite item from this month’s crate was this T-shirt. It’s a mashup of Walking Dead and the Ewoks from Star Wars. So adorable!

Graphic Lab, the maker of the tee provided a $5 discount code and I’m now an official Zombie Hunter with this ID.

Since I am a Zombie Hunter now, this guide proves quite useful. I’ve seen this around in stores before but was never interested in zombies enough to buy it. Now that I own it, I’ll definitely read it out of curiosity.

Loot Crate has definitely outdone itself with these crates and the value within. If you use the code NEXTGEN: you ca save $3 on next week’s crate: http://mbsy.co/lootcrate/176357

My New GoPro and the Beginning of Vlogtober!

October 10, 2013Life, Social Media, TechnologyLeave a Comment

I’ve been wanting to Vlog for a while. If you’ve been a frequent reader of the blog, I tried to at the end of summer but I ended up finding it cumbersome to be doing it on a DSLR. I enjoyed using the GoPro during the Canadian Club campaign and had wanted to buy one since. GoPro announced their new Hero 3+’s last week and on a whim, I ordered the new Hero Black!

I’m still testing the ropes on vlogging and according to frequent Youtubers it’s “Vlogtober” this month. It’s month-long challenge to vlog at least once a day. I’ll be doing so in a sort of daily snapshot-of-my-life-and-thoughts way. So far I’ve learnt a lot, including my own mannerisms in nervous situations (ie in front of camera) and the logistics of vlogging in general.

You can follow my adventures on Youtube and I’ll be writing about all my experiences here.

When All Else Fails, Hit It

October 9, 2013Inspiration, Life, Technology, Video GamesLeave a Comment

Recently, I dug my original Nintendo Entertainment System out of the closet because I wanted to experience the nostalgia of old games once again. Like all old NES systems, I was cursed with the infamous flashing blue screen.

I Google the problem on the internet. I cleaned my games with alcohol and a Q tip. I took the system apart and attempted to repair the 72 prong connector. None of this worked, the blue screen still flashed.

Then I decided to use the method that made the least sense. I hit it. I gave the system a smack and lo and behold, Mario 3’s curtains appeared on the screen. Sometimes what works is not always what can be easily explained.

I think it’s an interesting life lesson to live by. The road we choose may not always be the most logical, but they may lead to something awesome. The answer to problems might require thinking outside of the box (or in this case hitting the box). However, giving up should never be the conclusion.

Why You Should Have An Online Presence

September 17, 2013Social Media, Technology1 Comment

I was having a chat with someone the other day about social media and I tried explain to an anti-social media person why it was important to have an online footprint professionally. I think nowadays social media is so accessible (with privacy statements continuously changing and all) that there really isn’t a line between what you can consider professional versus personal. The reasons are the same. This makes it even more important to own your online presence.

1. To control what others find online. At bare minimum, it’s good to have a website that has a good headshot of your face, a mini biography about what you do and perhaps some work samples. A Linkedin or an About.me page is fine. This way you can provide an URL to your employers (or people you meet) for a first impression beyond your resume. Your employers are also probably going to Google your name so having a headshot is important to distinguish yourself from the other Joe Shmoe shotgunning a beer in a Youtube video. If you’re lucky enough to register the web domain with your actual name, go for it.

2. Open yourself to new opportunities. I never went to school for social media. It was something I learnt by experimenting, while managing multiple websites. I was an early adopter of Twitter. Through it, I’ve met some of the most interesting and like-minded people who are now some great friends offline. I’ve also had the opportunity to do things I never thought I’d do (like meet Phoenix or dance on stage with Girl Talk). I also worked places I never thought I’d end up. I never applied to work at Exclaim. Despite not being a journalism grad, the director of operations actually found me online after meeting me at a show and sent me a Facebook message. There’s a lot of fish in that sea but you have to have some sort of bait to hook them!

3. To be ready for what the future might hold. Maybe one day in the future, you might want to start your own business, write a book or even just raise money for that marathon you suddenly feel like running. Having a dedicated following on Twitter or Facebook (or whatever social networks you choose to use) takes time to build. However, a strong community can really aid to kick start that new project.

Loot Crate- July Edition!

July 31, 2013Shopping, Video GamesLeave a Comment

I get excited every month when my Loot Crate arrives. It will be the closest thing I’ll ever have to Christmas in July (or every month for that matter). This month’s theme was Varsity

Star Wars headphones from Jazwares came at random. I got Darth Maul but other characters included Darth Vader, Yoda, and C3PO. Let’s be thankful Jar Jar wasn’t an option.

This month’s crate was in partnership with Video Game Highschool. Therefore, it was quite appropriate to include the 2 disc DVD of Season 1 and a pencil for back to school sake.

There was also this VGHS button set.

The stickers this month included a storm trooper + VGHS mashup and the Rocket Jump logo.

I totally forgot PEZ existed. What a blast from the past! Loot Crate randomized the MARVEL edition of the PEZ dispensers. I got Thor. Anybody want to trade for Wolverine?

Lastly there was this Sonic air freshener with a smell appropriately labelled “Sonic Breeze”.

Loot Crate is like a nerdy box of stuff delivered to your mail box every month. I do buy all my crates and it’s a little bit pricier in Canada ($29.99) as opposed to the US price of $19 (shipping included). If you’d like to sign up for Loot Crate, please use the referrer link below:
http://mbsy.co/lootcrate/176357

The Konstruktor- A DIY 35mm SLR

July 26, 2013July 26, 2013Art, Crafts/DIY, Photography, Shopping, Technology2 Comments

I first learned of the Konstruktor’s existence via Laughing Squid. The idea of a DIY camera was so cool so I ordered myself one from Lomography.
It’s basically like the IKEA version of a camera. The camera light chamber comes premade but there are instructions on how to build it if you ever feel like taking it apart. The body is plastic and most of the parts you have to twist from the plastic moulding. It also came with a screwdriver and stickers for customers to add their own personalizations.

The box claims that the camera can be built in 1-2 hours. However, it took me 15 minutes to distinguish the screws the first time I built it.

The instructions for the most part are pretty clear. The diagrams are easy to follow but must be looked at carefully. The first time I missed an arrow pointing from end of a spring to a little nook.

The reason I had trouble building it the first time was a defective light chamber. The springs were not strong enough to activate the shutter. I spent 6 hours thinking I built it wrong before considering that it was defective. Luckily Toronto has a Lomography store and I ended up exchanging it. It was a little bit of a hassle to do that though because in-store they claim their inventory doesn’t have any affiliation with the online (even if it was shipped from there).

Anyways, the second time around I built it in 45 minutes.

Here is the camera decorated! I was a bit sticker happy…

I’ve never really owned an analogue camera so the thought of not being able to see photos until later is so nerve racking. I bought some ISO 800 film from Lomography but right now I’m purposely experimenting with (unopened) expired film I found around the house. I made a couple of film winding mistakes in the beginning so it will be interesting to see how those turn out. I’m hoping that having to think more about composition will make me a better overall photographer!

Despite the weird mishap, I do recommend the Konstruktor if you’re interested at learning how cameras work. The top placement of the viewfinder is a cool experience. I can’t vouch for the quality of photos though because I have no idea yet! Don’t worry. I’ll definitely be posting some scans when I get the film developed.