I now have a bookmark on my browser that turns all the websites on the internet version of the cat lady’s house. It would be in your best interest to do the same.

Visit Temptations cat snacks* fan page to see the impossible be made POSSIBLE.

*for those not in the know, cat snacks are the per-weight cat food equivalent of printer ink. They are also apparently the kitty version of black tar heroin.

Now, on a day like today, I can’t help but wonder if Twitter is changing news again. This time it’s a little different.

You may have heard of a certain cover of a certain magazine today that was trending in minutes because of its… untraditional story. Time Magazine’s cover story (click if you dare) is about a mother’s extreme parenting approach. The image: a mother breastfeeding her son who is older than we’re used to seeing. Needless to say the news ran rampant on Twitter today.

My argument though is, was that really news, or did Twitter make it news? If it wasn’t for Twitter, would the cover of Time really be as much of a talking point as it was today? Word definitely wouldn’t have travelled as fast as it did, but did Twitter also frame how important everyone thought it was? Just something to think about.

One thing’s for sure… Twitter is faster than earthquakes, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down

One of my favorite websites, LifeHacker, published an article today on how to hack your iPhone so that it can “read your mind.” While the iPhone can’t actually read our minds (yet), the hacks they provide sure seem like it can come close. In short, the hacks allow you to program your iPhone to automatically perform certain tasks during certain times of the day or under certain circumstances (i.e., if you’re in range of your home Wi-Fi network, the screen lock feature is turned off because it’s assumed to be a “safe” location).

While I’m scared shitless of the idea that technology will be able to read our thoughts, motives, and emotions some day, I’m actually a fan of these programmable tweaks. Why? It saves us time that we spend hunched over our glowing little rectangles. Less time spent hunched over glowing rectangles means less time aimlessly clicking through our phone’s menu screens. Less time aimlessly clicking through menu screens means more time for human interaction. Okay, hopefully you see where I’m going with this. The point is, I think we’re finally building tech that’s built around us, not tech that requires us to change our lives to use it.

Every once in awhile I’ll find a piece of art, a song or a video that connects with some deep part of me. While I don’t think anyone should ever see this many people in flesh colored body suits, I do think the message OK GO has crafted here is one of the most creative, innovative and inspiring videos I’ve seen. What makes it even better is that they’ve included each of us in the project by allowing us to include our own messages in the video.

http://www.allisnotlo.st/index_en.html

The beauty of most of these ads (especially on Facebook) is that they are so incredibly targeted at what you’re actually interested in that they don’t shouldn’t bother you at all. In a perfect marketer’s world, you see the ad, jump up from your chair and fist-pump because you are that interested in what the ad has to offer.

Actually, that kind of excitement may not be too far away — both online and off.  Online, we’ve been working on a remarking platform that goes beyond what Facebook Ads has to offer. Finally, that platform is complete and pairing people with stuff that actually matters to them on the broadest and most specific levels is going to be a lot easier. Ask us if you want to know more about it. It’ll knock your socks off.

GM is working on a little something similar right now in the world of physical billboard ads. Instead of driving by billboards that have no bearing on your drive or decision making, GM and OnStar are going to tag team to serve you relevant billboards based on information you’ve disclosed. Just think about how that will change your next road trip.

Now, with my Computer Science degree nearly ten years old, I can see value in the suggestion.  Not that if I met my 17-year-old self on the street, I’d do a better job convincing him that his dad had a point, but as a web developer, logic is the tool used most often, not the table-based HTML layouts and laughably simple Javascript I learned in the Fall of 2002.

This is because everything is moving so incredibly fast.  Here’s just a few examples of what I mean:

1. A TechCrunch article from February cites a Cisco report that the number of mobile devices will exceed the world’s population by the end of the year.
2. Also in February, the pool of available IPv4 addresses, by and large the unique identifiers for devices to connect to the Internet and each other, was officially exhausted.
3. PHP is the most widely used server-side programming language for web development in the world, but a quick look at Google Trends shows that web searches for it have been on the decline for some time.  (Disclaimer: even Google Trends notes in its footer that the information it provides is fairly quantitative; I mean Facebook is mainly written in PHP so it’s not going anywhere; but still, interesting).

So what are web developers going to be programming in for all the websites and applications on the 1.4 mobile devices per capita in the world Cisco predicts will be connected by 2016 (not to mention regular ole computers and tablets and TVs and etc.), so many that very smart people who developed IPv4 probably never thought their addressing scheme would be so quickly depleted?

The answer is: who knows!  It seems there are constantly new frameworks and libraries and integrated development environments (IDEs), not to mention the coming widespread usage of HTML5 and CSS3, that it feels there’s no way to stay on top of it all.  Internet-forum-scouring and O’Reilly-book-reading to find code examples and discussion is often a must when the ground so quickly shifts under web development’s collective feet, not to mention meeting deadlines, which are large and looming, always just ahead.  But this easy access and ability to quickly keep your project moving forward when presented with obstacles is not a substitute for knowing what the code you’re putting out on the Internet is actually doing.

The comedian Pete Holmes gets at what I’m trying to articulate a whole lot better and funnier when he says, “we know everything, but we’re not a lick smarter for it.”  And if I can adapt his comedy to the topic at hand, here is where, to my mind, logic steps in.  Web development isn’t always about using the latest-and-greatest, about bells and whistles and moving parts.  Everything can keep moving and advancing and improving, because web development is really just thinking critically, gathering the requirements, understanding the problem, and, with whatever language you’re punching on the keyboard, solving the puzzle – logically.

As a former (and shamelessly admitted, satisfied) Blackberry user, here’s a few things I know I’m not alone on when it comes to Blackberry features:

- What they lack in terms of breadth of usable applications, they make up for when compared to how well those few applications operate (I’d argue that Blackberry phones posses one of the best email systems of mobile devices).

- Blackberry Messenger, or BBM, is also a clean and efficient tool that comes standard on Blackberries. I’ve heard that iMessage is similar, but you need a solid Wi-Fi or 3G connection for it to work properly (whereas BBM seems like it could operate from the depths of a nuclear fall-out bunker). Furthermore, you can’t see when your parties have read your message in iMessage like you can in BBM (a sneaky, but often helpful feature that can’t be turned off like in iMessage).

- The Twitter application for Blackberry is also solid enough to merit a mention when it comes to reliability and usability.

These three features, along with being an actual phone that makes calls, make Blackberry phones some of the most efficient and simple communication devices on the planet. If all you cared about was keeping up with the Jones’ and not how much ass you kicked in Words With Friends, then the Blackberry is your weapon of choice. If RIM can keep the “Less is more, but our less is better” mindset, then they might get me back as a customer.

When it comes to sharing now, I willingly and gladly share.  It could be a new store or exercise studio I tried or some extra cookies or banana bread.  I will gather info on said store or activity to pass along or spend an hour mixing up a treat.  Yes, I’ve been known to over share a story or experience as well, maybe inappropriately at times (and hope those who were present got at least a little chuckle out of it).  

What do people share today and why do they share it?  Almost anything can be shared instantly including feelings and experiences.  I’ve never been a diary person, but then something happens and I think, geez, I should write that down!  I want to freeze time, capturing that moment so I can at some point experience that feeling or situation again. My mother likes to just make something up if she can’t remember a detail and then it simply becomes part of the story, true or not.  My dad, a die-hard Cub fan, will provide an inning by inning recap of the game stopping to correct himself if he doesn’t accurately capture it.  I love that.  These are just a few options to consider.

Because of social media, sharing has become quite easy.  Feeling great?  Awesome!  Update your status on Facebook to say so.  Going to a hip new restaurant in our fair city?  Post a check-in on Foursquare or Facebook and maybe use Instagram to capture that moment when you cross the threshold and get a waft of the flavors you’re about to enjoy.  Never in my wildest dreams could I have thought reading the words “happy birthday!” on a screen from various friends and family could trump any birthday party even if it had pony rides.

These moments, these experiences are important.  They’re not only important to you, but companies large and small.  Why?  Well, for you, it’s part of your life that seemingly goes by too quickly.  For companies, it tells them so much more about you and what you like to do.  These are the nuggets of information that enable them to identify their customer and then figure out not just A way, but the BEST way to talk to them.  The dissection of these moments and experiences prompt lengthy discussions, months of meetings and maybe, just maybe, a commercial or pretty picture you remember enough to go get that product or service.  This procedure has lead many a corporation to teeter on the edge of bankruptcy.

No, I’m not suggesting you give the key to your personal diary to the P & G’s of the world so they can sell you a product that magically lessens the blow of that break up via text.  However, for the most part, most of us kind of already did and continue to do so.  Don’t be nervous.  You’ll be better for it.  Why?  Because it would be amazing to one day, never see or hear another ad for something I don’t need, want or use and only those for things that matter to me.  I will be yours forever!  While a particular company gets my loyalty, they also won’t go broke in the process.

I highly encourage sharing.  I, of course, have to remind my two children it’s important to share.  What lies ahead for them are many moments when they get to decide what they should and should not share in a public or private way.  I only hope they make good decisions as I have … for the most part.

Did I ever tell you about the night I met Charles Barkley?  Well, while on a business trip to Cleveland, my good friend, Erica and I decided to go for a drink.  About 10 vodkas later, a “What’s up, baby?” greeting from Sir Charles and … wait!  I have a picture!

His speech was on “Interfaith Collaboration” and he stressed the importance of finding inner peace and self confidence being the foundation of living in a more accepting and collaborative world. I’ve heard that he’s a pretty funny person, but hearing his jokes firsthand was something else. He had the audience laughing multiple times throughout the lecture. It was great to see that he acted like a normal person. In fact, that was his opening point, he’s just a regular person like anyone else we know.

As a community manager though, I couldn’t help but notice certain things about the audience. No cameras were allowed but there were camera phones everywhere (mine included). People were sending tweets, posting on Instagram, checking in on Facebook and Foursquare left and right.

Full Disclosure: I’m guilty of most of these.

It didn’t stop there. Even after I got home and logged on to my Facebook page, I noticed even more updates related to the Dalai Lama. People updated their Life Events and posted even more photos. People who didn’t attend the event were also participating on social media by liking, commenting, and sharing posts from others. I can’t say I was surprised at all.

Now here’s an argument. Does being on social media during an event like this take away or add to an event for the attendees? Being a community manager, I typically tend to side with the idea that it adds to the event. Having these photos, videos and conversations on social adds to the experience. What did someone else get from the same event? How many people were at the same event without you knowing? What did my family and friends who weren’t there think of my experience? Questions and answers like these, in my opinion, add to the experience. That’s not to say that I don’t understand the opposite side of the argument either. I can see how tweeting during events may take away from what the Dalai Lama is saying in that moment and other things along that line.

Where do you stand on the matter?

Sales of tablets are already cutting into the global demand for PC’s. Only yesterday, Apple reported they sold 11.8 million iPads during their second-quarter, a 151% increase from the same quarter a year ago. Mac sales grew 7%, and the global market for all PC’s, just 1.9%. Yet, to my surprise, when asked about the market for a hybrid laptop / tablet, Apple CEO Tim Cook replied that “You can converge a toaster and a refrigerator, but those things are probably not going to be pleasing to the user.” He appeared to be taking a shot at Windows 8 powered tablets hitting the shelves this fall. I, however, side with the response from Microsoft’s Frank Shaw, head of PR, when he tweeted back, “must be a typo. it’s not a toaster/fridge. It’s a toaster/oven. Those seem pretty popular. Just saying.”

I’m also not entirely convinced a toaster/fridge wouldn’t be a great idea as well.

As the growth in iPad sales illustrates, more and more content consumers are beginning to prefer tablets to traditional laptops. The roadblocks to your mobile phone being the only device you need is heavily tied to the enhanced computing power, along side an experience that promotes productivity, required by content creators. For developers such as myself, efficiently running a local development environment on a phone or tablet, and implementing the various technologies involved, has not been feasible. Well at least not until now.

Ubuntu for Android allows you to run a full-featured distribution of the popular Linux operating system on Android devices. The problem of converging the experience of a mobile and full-fledged operation system is solved through auto-switching the OS context based on whether the device is docked or undocked. With Windows 8, Microsoft is attempting to address this problem by instead creating one operating system that provides a seamless experience between all devices.

The other big hurdle though is of course the I/O limitations of smaller devices. However, drastic improvements to touch keyboard technology are in the works (check out this article on “haptics”: http://buswk.co/kEVEUV). An explosion in cloud storage providers, and enhancements to this technology in general, has eliminated the need for physical hard drives. All that’s left to be done is the ability to dynamically enlarge your mobile display. Did someone say built-in holographic projection screens? Well yeah, that’s in the works too.