spydergrrl on the web

Google Chrome Now Available for Android!!

2012-02-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

Well, it's about time.

Google finally launched Chrome for Android devices. Which. is. awesome.

I am a bit (!) of a Chrome addict, what with all the speed, and the plugins and the clean UI. I work pretty much exclusively in the cloud at home, so I spend my entire computer time in my browser. I've been experimenting with mobile browsers on my phone and my shiny new Android tablet, trying out the built-in browser, and other offerings including Dolphin, Nightly, and Firefox.

Sadly, all have their shortcomings.

Some are incredibly slow loading on the tablet, others (Nightly!) won't let you cut and paste URLs in the address bar... basically they suck. And given that I'm toying with the idea of going tablet-only at home (the Dude covets my laptop), a good browser is going to be the make or break.

And now there is Chrome. w00t!

Ok, before you run off and download it, there are a few things you should know:

It's beta. Which, frankly, if you are running Android shouldn't bug you since a lot of native Android apps are in beta.
It sometimes hangs, especially if you drop the wifi while loading a page.
It's only for Ice Cream Sandwich. I tried to find it on market using my phone but it wouldn't even pull it up. I could only get it for my tablet. #sadPanda
Um... well that's really about it.

Ok, there's a big one: no Flash. They released it with the intention of adding the latest version of Flash later and then Adobe announced there would be no more mobile Flash support. Doh! I'm sure there will be an update at some point to add support for the last version of Flash, but the chrome guys have some serious work to do to retrofit their browser to work without Flash in the future. Meantime, I switch to another browser when I hit Flash. Although it does play YouTube videos so that's something.

Otherwise, it's running really well for me. It's crazy fast. It can sync your desktop bookmarks and tabs. And, oh, the auto-zoom function: click on a listed item, a radio button, etc and Chrome zooms it in for you so you can be sure to select the right one. Sure, it adds a click but you get what you want every time. Such a simple feature, focused on tablet users.

Love it.

So there you go. Chrome. For Android. On Ice Cream Sandwich. Yummy!

Get it via the Android Market.

Source: Internet's Best Secrets

Star Wars 3-D Hits Theatres Today. {nerdgasm}

2012-02-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Did you know that all of the Star Wars movies are being re-released in 3D?! {nerdgasm} In fact, Episode 1: The Phantom Menace hits theatres today.

We all just about had heart attacks when we saw a preview in December. And we've been waiting patiently ever since.

Now, if that wasn't enough geekery, a member of the Capital City Garrison (a volunteer Star Wars costuming organization that raises funds for charity) will be showcasing his homemade life-sized working R2D2 at AMC Kanata theater from 6:00-10:00pm.

[More to come soon about the 501st. Stay tuned!]

Source: My obsessed brain

Kewl Design Alert: Tron-Inspired Scooter For Geek Kids

2012-02-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

Is this not the cutest, nerdiest thing you've ever seen in kids' toys?

This, my friends, is a Tron Lightbike Training bike. For kids. And you are too big to ride it.

If you don't have kids, a training bike is a bike that functions like a scooter: kids sit on it and pedal with their feet (notice the lack of pedals on the bike). It's a great way to get them to learn their balance and get them ready for riding a real bike.

And this one brings the geek chic to your kids' training lessons. Inspired by the latest Tron movie, this scooter is way kewler than any ride you could get yourself. Well, unless you get yourself a Tron Segway or, you know, a lightbike motorcycle...

It's developed by Trek Bikes, but I can't find any mention of it on their site. So, I'm not sure if you can actually get one, but you've got to admit that your kid would be the kewlest on the street. And really, isn't that what childhood is all about? ;)

Credit: CNET

(Source: Crave - CNET)

Tomorrow is Sweater Day: Don a Sweater, Save the earth

2012-02-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

World Wildlife Federation wants you to wear a sweater on Feb 9. No, they're not trying to nag you. Nor are they worried you might be getting a cold (although you do seem a little sniffly these days). No, they're worried about energy consumption, ecological resource management and global warming.

It's the same reason why hubby and I long ago decided to keep the temperature in our house a bit on the cool side instead of turn up the thermostat. (Ok, now that also serves to offset the fact that we have a hot tub which guzzles energy. No one's perfect.)

Grannies standing by

WWF knows what they are doing. They have this whole idea of a Granny call centre. Lovely nanas standing by to call you to remember to don your sweater on February 9th. It's hilarious! Check out the video below and head on over to the site to schedule a call from a granny.

It's funny, it's a gesture but it means something

Like Earth Hour, this is likely going to end up being more of a gesture than anything else. And as I mentioned last Earth Hour, gestures are important. Small gestures can eventually lead to big wins because they plant the seeds of interest and concern that could result in significant actions. But who knows, if people do this, it could not only reduce energy consumption on that day or week, it could also stimulate interesting conversation with their kids, friends and family.

You never know what might come of it. Small wins, people. Small wins.

More info: SweaterDay.ca

Kewl Design Alert: Sales Demo Made Out of Lego Robotics

2012-02-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

Canadian author Douglas Coupland tweeted a link recently. I caught it when it went by, but a couple of people flagged it to me as well, so I thought I'd better share it with you.

A company called Dynaway wanted to showcase it's sorting system using a demo that could be transported and shown by travelling sales people. So they chose to build it out of Lego. LEGO!!!

Using a combination of traditional Lego and NXT (otherwise known as Lego Robotics), this working model is built based on their "manufacturing execution system".

Sure, whatever.

IT'S LEGO! And it works!

There's no way these people would sell me a thing, even if we were in the same industry. They'd walk into my office, put that thing on the boardroom table, intro their presentation and as soon as they'd turn this thing on, I'd be a lost cause. I'd just keep putting more bricks into the machine. "Seriously, would you please stop talking? I'm trying to watch the lego!"

Watch this and tell me you wouldn't do exactly.the.same.thing.

Microsoft Hits Google Where it Hurts: On YouTube

2012-02-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

So there's this little video that is making its way around the Interwebs called, "Gmail Man."

It portrays Gmail as a creepy mailman who snoops on your mail searching for keywords to serve you ads. It's quite funny. Because it's true.

Now as a Google fangirl, I love my G-apps. But I have to read their privacy policies for my job, and I know what it means to use their services. And although I wish people would understand how Google works, that it's following you around the internet, a good portion of the wired world may not realize it. Sadly, those people might be shocked by this video.

Microsoft hopes to position Office 365 against GMail for professionals and businesses. I'm not sure that this video will have the desired effect but I find it striking for a totally different reason:

Not only is Microsoft blasting Google. They do it with a video. On YouTube. Owned by Google.

Ouch.

(Source: Mashable)

Friday Fun: Kinect Star Wars: Duel is Awkward, Awesome (video)

2012-02-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

I mentioned last Fall that we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Star Wars The Old Republic for Kinect. The game has no controller, so you actually use the force. {nerdgasm}

Anyway, we're still about 2 months away from receiving our pre-purchased copy and as the release date approaches, more and more hype is going to start coming out about the game. Like the ad below which is the perfect mix of awkwardness, quirk and fantasy. I'm just hoping all the good stuff doesn't get put into the ads.

We have high hopes for this game, especially after such a long wait. (Ok so it's no Duke Nukem Forever, but it was still previewed at last year's CES so it's been long enough)

Anyway, you have to check out the ad. I mean, C'mon. You know you could totally be that guy. We all could. ;)

(Source: The Awesomer)

My New Transformer Prime (Tablet): More Than Meets The Eye

2012-02-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, I've got Transformers on the brain.

If you missed the tweets, this weekend hubby convinced me to buy the lovely little machine below.
It's the Asus EEE Transformer Prime. If you've never seen one, it's a 10.1" Android tablet that docks into a keyboard. Turning it effectively into an adorable little netbook. Like the first ever Android laptop.

I upgraded my Evernote account to the full version and promptly ditched my paper notebooks for work.

It's only been a couple of days, but here's a list of things I love about this little machine:

it's Android (duh)
it runs on Ice Cream Sandwich
it's incredibly light (about twice as heavy in laptop form)
it gets 12 hours of battery life, 18 with the keyboard plugged in because...
the keyboard is rechargeable, and the two can be charged together
the Android market has free apps for just about everything I want to do
it runs on Wifi only so no monthly fees, but...
I can tether through my Android phone if I need connectivity when out and about

The only challenges so far were related to buying it. The tablet was sold out online and IRL. In fact it was pure luck that I happened upon one. (I'd like to thank the guy who returned it "because the wifi was broken". Um, no sir. I believe that it was another case of PEBCAK.)

But she is purdy, dontchathink?

(Phone case for size reference)

Wired for Gaming: 9-Bit Sega Mega Coffee

2012-02-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

So you're preparing for an epic night of gaming and you need some fuel. And the last time you downed an excessive amount of energy drinks, your gut rot lasted for days. So what's your other option? Coffee. But not just any coffee. Sega 9-bit Mega Coffee.

Now I know what you're thinking: 9 bit? WTF is 9 bit coffee? It's supposed to be a clever reference to the 9 varieties of bean in the mix.

My favourite thing about this roast (other than the whole retro-coffee-for-gamers thing) is that it is best brewed as espresso. Gamer espresso. Oh yeah.

Currently, this product is available from Firebox in the UK which might make for an expensive cup of joe once you factor in the shipping costs. But when it comes to an epic night of gaming, that might not phase you.

Cheers!

Kids and Science: Lego Man in Space is Truly Inspiring

2012-01-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

So by now you might know that 2 Canadian teens sent a Lego man into near space. And you might know that they are still in high school. And you might have seen the footage below of the remarkable flight. But did you know that this was a completely random project they decided to complete, after seeing MIT students send a weather balloon into space a couple of years ago?

Mathew Ho and Asad Muhammad embody all that is good about kids and science. I love these guys. They are barely adults and yet when I show this to the Dude, he'll want to be like them when he grows up.

I read a number of articles about the guys, but my favourite is this one over at the Toronto Star. It really gives you a sense of their brilliance and excitement. The best line is:

“We didn’t really believe we could do it until we did"

Check out the footage from the flight below. Oh, and you can keep tabs on the guys by "Liking" the Lego Man in Space Facebook page. Truly inspiring.

(Source: The Guardian)

World IA Day is coming and Ottawa has an Event!

2012-01-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

Unlike World Usability Day, when Ottawa didn't have many formal events planned, I'm happy to announce that there is a meetup for World IA Day. Ok, so we had to plan it ourselves. But we have one none-the-less.

Join us on the eve of the first ever World IA Day for a casual meetup with the Ottawa's usability, design and information architecture community.

It's been a few months since the last usability and accessibility camps took place, so we thought we would use WIAD as a great excuse to host (and grow!) the UX community. Whether you're from the public or private sector, a n00b or an expert, we invite you to meet your peers, share a drink and join the discussion.

This event doesn't qualify as an official WIAD event, so you won't find it on the WIAD website but we know there is an excellent, active community that deserves one! Here's hoping we make it next year.

Details

SPIN Kitchen and Bar, 100 Kent St, Ottawa, Canada
Friday, February 10, 5:00 - 7:00 pm
RSVP: http://www.twtvite.com/wiadottawa

About World IA Day

On February 11, 2012, WIAD events will take place officially in 14 cities across all corners of the globe. Learn from world-class IA minds, network, showcase new ideas and attend events tailored specifically to your community. The theme of the day is "Designing Structures for Understanding". For more information, visit http://worldiaday.org.

Architecture-Building Insect Robot Drones: Kewl and Creepy All At Once

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

This video amazes, amuses, and well, completely freaks me out.

Let me just say that the idea of drones building architecture with mathematical precision is mesmerizing.

And the fact that they remind me of giant insects makes me giggle.

Until I think about it for a little too long and then I get completely creeped out.

This was put together as an architectural representation of a full-scale construction project that can house 30,000 people. It's a comment on architecture and how it can be dynamically created.

According to the video description:

The installation, called "Flight Assembled Architecture", was conceived and built by teams led by my colleagues Fabio Gramazio & Matthias Kohler as well as Raffaello D'Andrea at the ETH Zurich. It illustrates a radically new way of thinking about materializing architecture: Use a multitude of mobile flying agents working in parallel and acting together as a scalable production means. As you can see in the video, the quadrocopters are programmed to interact, lift, transport and assemble small modules in order to erect a building.

Which means that these cute little buggy robots would become really huge oversized insects carrying super heavy components up over the landscape and placing them in formation to build a city. Which is at once totally sci-fi movie kewl and throws up all sorts of alarms at the same time. It's truly mind-blowing. And I wonder how far we are from this being actualized.

Take a look for yourself, but don't think about it too much {shivers}:

(Source: One Cool Thing a Day)

Rant: Are you using social media to co-operate or collaborate?

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday, January 25th, I presented a short rant at a conference themed around collaborative management. My talk was about challenging some of the assumptions around collaboration: specifically, that using social media and collaborative tools doesn't always result in collaboration. In some cases, the co-operative behaviours that result are mistakenly interpreted as collaborative actions. But there is a difference, and in only recognizing these patterns in our own work that we will be able to move beyond them and into authentic collaboration. Below is a modified version of my rant.

Collaboration has become a bit of a buzzword. Like convergence or synergy. In fact, it is often completely misused.

Your staff are sharing their research, projects and knowledge on collaborative platforms. If they need some information, a set of stats, or a best practice, they know exactly where to find it. They’re networking with groups in other organizations doing similar work.

So, are they collaborative?

No. They’re co-operative.

Co-operation is the process of working together.
Collaboration is the process of working together to produce or create something collectively.

Co-operation is a reciprocal way of working.
Collaboration is an inclusive way of working toward a common goal.
It’s not A gives and takes with B. It’s A and B work together to produce C.

So my challenge to you is to consider: how many truly collaborative projects have you done? In how many horizontal working groups is your team participating? Do you contribute your experience and expertise to organization-wide or even industry-wide projects?

The current buzz phrase is “Doing more with less”. We can co-operate and do just that. But we should strive to “Do more with more”. More people, more insights.

Don’t just co-operate, collaborate.

Kewl Design Alert: Tim Burton Playing Cards

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Ok. I'm gonna show you something awesome. Truly dark and geeky and awesome. And you're gonna need to do me a favour: please don't buy them all up before I get a chance to get some of my own.

Promise?

Ok, here we go.

Below is a set of Tim Burton Playing Cards. Gorgeous. Dark. Twisted. Love them.

Well, I love the idea of them.

So it turns out that these gorgeous drawings are only on the face cards. The highest face cards. And apparently the deck is totally confusing to play with. Ok, so they're a bit of a fail. But the idea of them is so great. And you know what they could be used for? Decorating your office. Planning poker. Or you know, just owning.

Get them here.

(Credit: Amazon.com)

(Source: The Awesomer)

What does an Android fanboy look like? (Infographic)

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

So first came Mac vs. PC. And now we can add Android into the mix.

Last week, I mentioned the BlueStacks app to run Android apps on PC. What I did not mention at the time was this fun Infographic I found on their site that makes me think of a cross between a fashion review and a singles ad: "what is Mr. Android 2011 wearing?"

First of all, can we just mention that there is no stat on this page that identifies the proportion of Android users who are male vs. female. While I'm sure that the ratio is in favour of the males, it would have been an interesting stat to kick things off. Of course, there is also a note at the bottom of the page that says all of these numbers come from polling their facebook fans, so who knows how representative it is... does the average person Like a software company's Facebook page and fill out their surveys? Probably not. So I would caution to take this infographic with a grain of salt.

Either way, I like how they portrayed the stats by merging slices of imagery together. It's a nice change from the usual cartoon infographic.

Enjoy!

Click to enlarge

(Source: BlueStacks)

Extreme Fan Fiction: Crowdsourced Star Wars Uncut (video)

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

Quiz: What do you get when you crowdsource a movie? In particular, Star Wars? In 15-second chunks provided by 472 fanboys?

Answer: You get a mashup of live action, cartoons, paper art, Lego and action figure stop motion that amounts to pure awesomesauce. The result ranges from silly to hilarious, from awful to incredible.

It's probably not something you'll watch over and over like the original, hell you might not even make it through the whole thing once. I suggest you at least hit play and then jump to a bunch of spots on the timeline to get a sense of the final product. I plan to sit down with the Dude and watch the whole thing end to end at some point but for now, I'm happy to play along the timeline and see what I discover.

Take a look for yourself:

(Source: Neatorama)

Friday Fun: Awesome Lego TV "Shows" Superman

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Wow. A Lego builder by the name of 2 Much Caffeine posted this insane Lego TV that he built. It's got a retro feel and a small Superman figurine on the front. The most incredible part is that the background on the screen scrolls to make it look like the Man of Steel is flying.

And it's amazing. Check it out:

(Source: Nerd Approved)

Kewl App Alert: BlueStacks Runs Android Apps on PC

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

There are so many crazy kewl apps in the Android market. If you've never been, just head on over and try it out for yourself. The best thing is that a very large proportion of them are free. In fact, of the 70+ apps on my phone, I've only ever paid for... well, none. And I have productivity apps, news and current event apps, apps to keep in touch, apps to distract me on the bus...

But every once in a while I find an app that I wish I could use off my phone. Especially some of the productivity apps that don't come in full versions for use on a computer. Enter BlueStacks.

BlueStacks is an app player that will let you use Android apps on your PC. You download their app (which is in alpha, so it could be buggy) and then run your Android app of choice right there on your computer.

Converter applications like this are brilliant. As people adopt mobile technologies, some of the apps they use are only available for mobile platforms. As I mentioned, this is great for being on the road, but who wants to grab they phone to conduct a task they really wanted to do on their computer. A single platform will never ever happen (Mac and PC, anyone?) but these types of converters could provide the necessary bridge to have a continuous user experience across devices. Especially if the user is running a cloud-based app -- since their data will be available via any device.

I think this could be useful for the Control4 app that controls the AV in the house. Currently, only hubby has a license for the PC app but we both have the Android app on our phones. This could allow me to control the AV from my laptop as I am working (including calling the Dude for dinner). Oh! And Twicca! My fave Android Twitter app. I could use that on my PC too. Hmm...

Which Android app do you wish you had on your PC?

More new stuff for 2012! "How To" and "Rants" Sections

2012-01-18T05:00:00.000-05:00

As an RSS reader or Facebook follower, you might not actually come to the blog very often. Which means you might not realise that there is a handy dandy set of category buttons (IA for you geeks) at the top of the site, which can help you get to the geeky goodness you're looking for.

New for 2012, things have been moved around and a few new categories have been added.

You'll notice 3 new buttons in the menu: I already told you about the new "Apps" Section, and today I am launching 2 more:

The "Rants" section is where you will find my longer posts and my endless diatribes about stuff that annoys me, from "girly" tech to social media fails.
The "How To" section contains educational posts, a combination of instructional pieces from me and instructional content I have curated from around the Web.

More of my content this year will focus on these 3 categories, in addition to all the fun, geeky stuff I will still be posting. Who says you can't have fun and learn something in the process?

Onward!

Kewl Design Alert: Smart iPhone Cover (Probably a Patent Violation but Still Handy)

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

So you have yourself a fancy iPad and a magnetic Smart cover, which if you remember the hype when it launched last year, was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Like Apple invented magnets or something.

Fast forward a year, and someone has launched a KickStarter project to develop a similar cover for iPhones. It's smart (ha!) and simple, and makes perfect sense. They are positioning it as a headphone wrap first and foremost. I wonder if that's to distract people from the fact that it's just a small version of Apple's iPad cover, and once Apple finds out about this, they will likely sue the pants off these cute fresh-faced design students from Chicago.

But for now, you can still pledge your support until the end of the month. Then if they raise enough, they may get to produce their product.

(Credit: TidyTilt.com)

Want one? Check out TidyTilt on KickStarter.

(Source: Internet's Best Secrets)

Lego Thinks Girls and Boys Can't Play Together

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

Oh, Lego. Please don't make me hate you.

With the recent launch of the new Lego Friends line of toys, Lego is truly challenging my loyalty. Now first, let me remind you that I personally, and my entire family collectively, are such fans of Lego that there is an entire section of this blog dedicated to it. And we have enough Lego in our home to sustain a village of children in the event of some major Lego catastrophe.

Now I do have enough experience in marketing and communications to understand that Lego is interested in appealing to a huge target market that they've had trouble reaching over the years. (Granted, that might be a problem of their making, since they used to market Lego as gender-neutral.) And I also understand that there are well documented gender differences in how boys and girls play, but I have always been of the opinion that this is as much the product of cultural biases as innate biological tendencies. (I'm of the nature AND nurture school on this one.)

So, good for you for trying to reach out to both genders specifically. However, as both a female and a mom to a male, I am so disappointed with your approach.

Riddle me this: If gender equality is still an issue in the workplace, and if the best time to reach people to minimize bias is during childhood, why on earth would you go and create entirely segregated toy lines? One that you market to boys (although there are plenty of girls out there that love them) and one that boys have absolutely no interest in playing with because they don't look like legos. And, as the Dude pointed out, have no boy characters!

Lego Friends set (Credit: Lego)

Lego City set (Credit: Lego)

Are we back in the 50s? Are there not little girls ranting on YouTube about the pink and purple crap in the toy aisles? Would we not be better served by teaching children about gender equity by bringing them together and showing them how to collaborate? (Aside: I help organize conferences that are intended to show managers and execs that collaborative tools are beneficial to the workplace because innovation and productivity can be significantly improved when people work together. Anything that drives a wedge between people, or isolates the sexes in general, drives me nuts. But you might already be able to tell.)

Listen Up, Lego
Had I been faced with the challenge of appealing to the female demographic, I would have taken a two-pronged approach: I would have started by integrating more female characters and female-friendly environments into standard Lego. I would have started by creating balance in the minifig universe: more female characters, more female hairstyles, more female clothing.

I would have also included more images and scenarios to allow girls to see themselves in the standard Lego line. More story lines with female protagonists. More gender equality in the roles included in Lego sets.

Sure, it might take some time to get to the point where our culture would blindly accept Lego as a girl's toy. And maybe that's where a separate line could help to change the mindset of the folks buying the toys (prong #2). But I think it would only work if it was in addition to an integrative strategy with traditional Lego.
Creating Lego Friends without addressing the gender inequality in traditional Lego is about as effective in promoting collaborative play between the genders as would creating a separate Lego store for girls only. And really, that's pretty much the next step, right?

Come on, Lego. Remember when your standard blocks were for everyone?

Lego Ad from 1980s
(Credit: Material Archive)

Wayback Machine: 80s Kids' Book About Computers

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

The Dude was so proud to show me his library books this week, especially the one he referred to as "really geeky". This retro throwback is an epic look at mid-80s tech.

First of all can we just talk about the 8-bit graphics? I suddenly have the urge to play Pong.

And those computers and peripherals!!! The best part? The refer to them as MICROS. Micros!

AND TRON!!! The original!!!

This book completely blows me away. It's like having a piece of the Smithsonian in the house. And it came from the school library! You should have seen the Dude, completely enamoured with it. He immediately suggested that I blog about it. So here you are.

This gem is definitely out of print but you can still find the odd used copy online. (ISBN 0-86592-906-8)

So what retro geeky gems do you have in your library? Leave a comment!

PSA: The Skyrim Widow(er)

2012-01-12T07:41:00.000-05:00

So... the latest craze in relationship abandonment is Skyrim, the non-MMORP in which spouses disappear for hours to play a game alone. Not alone with a bunch of people online, socializing through their computers in the way geeks do, but alone-alone. Alone at their computer with no one to talk to but the troll they're about to fight.

Sadly, this brings to light a whole new type of spousal neglect: In fact, if you were once a WoW widow* (or widower), you may now be a Skyrim widow(er).

Now, personally, I actually enjoy sitting on the couch, working on my blog beside hubby as he fights trolls or gets eaten by wolves. I have to admit that it's one advantage of not having a home office: he plays on the tv in the family room, so we get to hang out and each do our own thing. No widows here!

But if you haven't got the same setup and your better half is disappearing each night into an office or other room to play, you might not know what it's all about. Maybe this video can give you a sense of what they are doing. Although be warned, it does contain some inside jokes.

And if you suddenly realize after watching this that you are indeed a Skyrim widow(er), there are a number of communities available online to provide you with support. Or, you know, you *could* always join your spouse in a quest...

*A WoW widow (aka computer widow, gaming widow) is a spouse who has lost their better half to computers, the Internet and tech in general. See Wikipedia for full definition.

Motorola Droid Razr Fanboy Ad is Creative. And a total hoax.

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

Below is a great piece of fanboy fiction. There's no way this would work and um, I'm pretty sure the phone costs waaaaaaay more than what he gets in return. But there's no denying that it's creative and results in a potentially viral piece of free advertising for the Motorola Droid Razr.

Assuming it really is a fan piece.

Or maybe there is a crazy creative ad agency behind this.

(Aside: clearly I've been hanging around the Interwebz too long, and am skeptical about anything clever. But seriously, does this remind anyone else of the Times Square iPhone hoax?)

Anywho, enjoy!

(Source: Ubergizmo)

New Year's Resolution to Learn to Code? There's a Site for That

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

@paminottawa tweeted last week:

I thought: that sounds like a great resolution! So naturally, I checked out the website and promptly signed up. And based on the tweets I've been seeing over the past few days, it looks like a number of other tweeps did so too.

In fact the website shows that (as of January 9th) over 280,000 people have signed up.

If you haven't heard of Code Year, according to the website they'll send you:

a new interactive programming lesson sent to you each week and you'll be building apps and web sites before you know it.

The first lesson arrived earlier this week and it's an introduction to programming, including JavaScript. They've also a sample project that you can test your skills on.

I love this program for 2 reasons:

it makes coding accessible. You might not be developing complex apps at the end (who knows, maybe you will) but at least it will explain the basics and give you a better understanding of what's involved in developing those tools you ~~take for granted~~ use on a daily basis -- on your computer, your phone, your tv, etc.
I'm tempted to put the Dude in front of these to see if he gets the bug (ha! Pun not intended). The lessons seem so simple (at least for now) that he could probably understand them. I think it might be an experiment next time he asks to play on the computer.

And you? What do you think? Are you up for a challenge? Gonna get your geek on? Sign up at CodeYear.com.