Just as Microsoft is finally getting their “I’m A PC” campaign going, your favorite blogger has officially become a Mac. I have been using my new 13′ Macbook for two weeks now, and I can safely say, “Wow”!
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Which One of These Bad Boys is The Next iPhone?
Congrats to Tech N’ Marketing on our 200th post, and what better way to do it then a post about the next generation iPhone? Here are two concepts, one of which might actually be the next iPhone, which by the way is rumored to be released this June.
Modern Technology Summed up in 2.5 Minutes
OK, let me start off by saying that I was on the fence whether to post this video for at least 24 hours. I think it accurately sums up the tech world in a highly humorous video, so after consulting with Aryeh, I decided to post. However, please be careful where you play this, the language is extremely NSFW (not suitable for work).
Itinerary for Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress
With the Mobile World Congress approaching, the list of new mobile innovations just keeps getting longer. There does not seem to be one particular handset that is going to make the most amount of noise, and if there is such a device, it has not been leaked to the press. So I thought I would round up a few of my favorite stories from the last week or so regarding what we will be seeing in Barcelona next week.
Jerusalem Twestival
Hi All,
I just got my ticket to the Jerusalem Twestival taking place this Thursday February 12, 2009. The event takes place in 180 cities worldwide and raises money for Charity:Water which provides clean drinking water to villages in Africa. There is a 50 shekel donation for the event and you can be sure the money is going to a good cause.
The event will include:
* Real-time broadcasts of various Twitter feeds integrating text, video and photos from our event and events across the globe projected on walls/screens
*Selected Cleantech companies will have tables around the room as part of a “micro-expo”
* We will have additional (fun) activities around the room and outside including an innovative Twitter Bubble Adventure with giant bubbles
*Live music performances from HaMekor, Yitzchok Meir, Noah Lubin.
*Cash wine bar and beer
* “Tweetorials” for attendees to learn to use Twitter in new and different ways, and new users to sign up for Twitter on site.
I recommend everyone come, hang out, have some fun for a good cause, and enjoy the power of Twitter. If you want to meet, make sure to contact me before so I know to look out for you.
Looking forward to seeing you all there,
Aryeh
Some Amazing New Startups
I could not agree with Aryeh more, it was really nice to see all competition put aside for the night and a room full of people, some highly successful, some working on becoming highly successful, there to just try to lend a hand. They had U.S lawyers there to give legal advice on starting a company, they were offering all members of TechAviv office space in various cities to get their company started, and assistance in job placement using TechAviv’s community. It was a truly inspirational night.
Now, down to the details.
TechAviv – A Breath Of Fresh Air
I just got back from a TechAviv meetup of founders and investors at the IDC in Herzliya. Hillel and I were invited as bloggers to cover a little about the event. What is TechAviv?
Everyone’s Copying Apple; Some Just Do A Better Job Than Others
Wow, seems like the mobile industry is really booming over the last few days. Today, we are seeing some big news come from Samsung and T-Mobile in the form of an 8mp touch screen device, dubbed the Memoir.
Google, LG, Asus & Garmin Making News While Microsoft Disappoints
There is so much going on in the tech world, I literally could not decide on one topic for this post, so consider this an overview of today’s events.
Another Peek at the Pre
Palm’s VP of design apparently did not read our blog yesterday, as he seems extremely confident and calm in this video of him showing off the Pre. Either that, or he has a really good poker face, and he thinks Apple will flinch first. Yea, that is more likely than him not reading the best tech blog on the Web.
-Hillel
What Web 2.0 Was Intended To Be
As you all know, I have been spending a lot of time on various social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. While I do not consider myself any sort of Web 2.0 expert, like every other person on Twitter writes in their bio, I do think I am becoming somewhat of an addict. A vast majority of the information I absorb from the Web, whether it be technology related, or just general news, comes from sites like Digg, Reddit, TechCrunch or Twitter.
Now, being the relatively young blogger that I am, I am generally not exposed to startups first hand, I just read about the newest trends on sites like TechCrunch or Blonde 2.0. This week, thanks to Itamar, I was fortunate enough to take part in a very exciting event for the first time, Mobile Monday. There were tens of very interesting mobile geeks present, but there was one that really stood out in the crowd. I met an individual who has started a Web 2.0 startup, which enables social interaction on the Web via interesting stories and news. The site is called HYPick (I think it is from a combination of two words “Hype” and “Topic”, I am liking it). You can post links, videos, pictures, or just thoughts on the site, and based on popularity, it makes it to the front page and thereby gets greater exposure.
OK, I know what you are thinking, I thought it too, and so did Oren, the founder. Isn’t that exactly what Digg is? The answer is, that Oren has an angle here, which makes HYPick much more pure social interaction than Digg will ever be. Here’s the thing with Digg, as much as I love the site, and its founder, Kevin Rose (especially his podcast, Diggnation), every post I write here, gets uploaded to Digg, and take a guess if I ever made it to the front page. I have not. The reason is, because I do not know enough people on Digg to digg my story. I cannot ask my 10,000 friends on Digg to vote for me, because I am not Kevin Rose, Michael Arrington, or some other Web icon (not yet anyway). So, in reality, Digg has gone from a true social media site to a plain and simple popularity contest.
Not only is it not really effective for someone who wants to find a story that really interested the largest number of people, it is also not effective for someone who has a great story and wants exposure, because if you do not have thousands of friends on Digg, chances are you will not make the front page. Now, I know this sounds like I am coming down on Digg, so let me make myself clear, I love Digg. I read it in the morning before I brush my teeth, and totally depend on it for the day’s entertainment. I could not live without Digg (OK, maybe that is a slight exaggeration), but the truth is that stories get Dugg based on popularity, not only true interest.
So then how is HYPick different? Well, here is where Oren’s innovative genius comes into play. There is no upvote or Digg button to be found. The popularity of the story is determined by the amount of participation in the comments. After all, if it is a truly attractive post, people must have an opinion about it. The more comments it gets, the closer it gets to the front page. The site has a really simple and user friendly feel to it, and is very intuitive and fun to use. I am liking HYPick, in fact, I already posted my first story there, and accomplished what I have not accomplished in the 2 years I have been using Digg, I made it to the front page.
In addition to the brilliance behind the idea and concept of HYPick, Oren is also a very sweet, down to earth kinda guy, and I would love to see him succeed. I think what might set him apart from the rest, is his true passion to make the Web into a real social media tool, and to give some justification to the overly used term, Web 2.0.
-Hillel
