Meta’s Threads hits 100m Users – What is it?

Signing up with Threads

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, officially launched Threads, its competitor to Twitter.

Threads has amassed over 100 million sign-ups in less than a week. It’s the fastest launch ever for a social media platform. Everyone from famous brands, celebrities, journalists, and other notable accounts has joined the platform. It’s like a new shiny store has opened and everything is rushing in to see what the hype is about. Will this replace Twitter? Become another social media monster on its own? The timing couldn’t be better as Elon Musk has many twitter users feeling uneasy the social giant seems to move as Elon feels.

Continue Reading

Instagram’s New Tool to Protect Teenagers

Instagram

Instagram announced several new features to protect teenagers.

One of the more intriguing changes will be the inability of adults to direct message (DM) teenagers (users under 18 years old) who don’t follow them. If an adult tries to DM a teenager who does not follow them, they will be shown a “You can’t message this account unless they follow you” prompt. Teenagers will be shown safety notices when messaging adults they do not follow.

Continue Reading

Tik Tok Announces new Family Safety Mode for Parents

Tik Tok Logo Family Parent Restriction

TikTok announced a family-safe feature that allows parents to limit their children’s screen time. This would allow parents to set a time limit for video views. Previously parents could only use this time limit on themselves, but now they can do it for their entire family.

The Family Safe Mode also allows the restriction of inappropriate content as well as restrictions on who they can send direct messages to.

This is now available in UK but plans are to roll this out to other countries soon.

Parents rejoice. Children’s cry. But parenting is parenting.

Enough? Not enough? What kind of screen control would be the most ideal?

Continue Reading

Youtube to ban disturbing children videos… finally.

https://mashable.com/article/youtube-bans-disturbing-kids-videos/
IMAGE: THOMAS TRUTSCHEL / GETTY

Youtube announced this week that they will no longer allow videos that target children that include certain disturbing content. For years, youtube had been criticized for allowing disturbing content targeting children to be circulated.

The policy notes describe disturbing content as “… that contains mature or violent themes that explicitly targets younger minors and families in the title, description and/or tags will no longer be allowed on the platform…”

You can read more: Youtube bans disturbing kid videos

Continue Reading

Vitaminwater offers $100,000 for being off the smartphone for a year

Smartphone Addiction Train Station

No smartphone for $100,000?

Could you live without your smartphone for a year? Vitaminwater has $100,000 that says you cannot.

Unfortunately, only one contestant will be chosen and considering the press they are looking for, I would venture to guess they will select a young millennial. Vitaminwater will select a contestant around January 22nd. The contestant will be given a phone from the 90s and for a year will not be allowed to use any smartphones or tablets, whether it is their own or someone else’s. They will be allowed to use their desktops and laptops.

In case you were wondering about loopsholes… the contestant will be required to take a lying detector test at the end of the contest year.

Want to enter?: Enter the Smartphone Contest

Read more here: Vitaminwater is offering $100,000 if you can stay off smartphones for a year

Continue Reading

Video “gaming disorder” now an official mental health condition

Teen Game Controller - Gaming Disorder

Video “gaming disorder” now an official mental health condition

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced “gaming disorder” as a new mental health condition in it’s latest edition of the International Classification of Diseases.

Dr. Vladimir Poznyak, a member of the WHO’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, was the one to propose the inclusion of this diagnosis to the World Health Assembly. Dr. Poznyak said part of the purpose was so health professionals will be more “alerted to the existence of this condition” and can get help as needed.

Gaming disorder has been defined “as a pattern of gaming behavior characterized by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interest and daily activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences”.

For gaming disorder to be officially disagnosed, the “behavior pattern must be sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning and would normally have been evident for at least 12 months”

Continue Reading

California Governor Signs ‘Right to Die’ Legislation

Governor Jerry Brown California

It’s done. California has passed legislation that will allow terminally ill patients to legally choose to end their lives using doctor-prescribed drugs. Jerry Brown an announcement today (OCT 5th) that he has signed this bill.

Governor Brown released a statement that says he decided to sign this bill because it is “what I would want in the face of my own death.” As a professing Catholic, Gov Brown chose to sign the bill after a long personal struggle, and 10 months of hotly contested debates by many different groups.

Opponents of the bill are worried that this will legalize premature suicides. There is also deep concern that this introduces a dangerous options for those who have low income or cannot afford health care for their disabilities. Supporters on the other hand emphasize counter the premature suicide argument by stating that this option is only available to those who are terminally ill and are not depressed or impaired in anyway.

Right to die legislation CaliforniaCalifornia is the fifth state to pass such a bill, the other four being Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Vermont. New Mexico also had previously allowed this practice until this past August when the appeals court over turned that ruling. Several states have similar bills currently stalled or going through the legal system for approval. This California bill will take effect in 2016.

  • What are your thoughts on this issue?
  • Does a person have a right to end their lives?
  • Where does such a right come from?
Continue Reading

Cecil the Lion – Walter Palmer’s Non-Apology

Dentist Cecil Lion

In light of the terrible “apology” by Walter Palmer for killing Cecil the lion, I wanted to share this great little piece by Jake Flanagin about what I call a “non-pology” – Where Sorry is not Sorry.

Non-pology is where a person seems to apologizes but carefully crafts their words to not take any responsibility for what had happened and thus maintain their innocence and their pride. Politicians do it all the time. So do athletes. So do many ordinary people. We hear it all the time, though we might not always catch it. Some examples:

“I am sorry this happened”
– Are you sorry you did it, or are you sorry that things turned out the way it did. That you got caught. That you are sorry this happened.. to you?

“This is not characteristic of me.. lapse in judgment”
– This is totally not me. What I said is not a reflection of who I am but just a slip of the tongue. I didn’t say the racist remark because I am racist. It was a slip. Don’t know what happened there. I did not rape/hurt/beat that woman because I was angry/dumb/have issues/evil. It was a lapse in judgment.

“I apologize if I offended anyone”
– I am sorry if what I did, happen to offend those who are overly sensitive to this.

Some quotes uttered by real people. I will leave out the names.

  • “I am sorry that statements taken out of context have had such repercussions.”
  • “You have my apologies for offending you for thinking I was being serious instead of accurately realizing I was mocking you”
  • “Our cover illustration last week got strong reactions, which we regret. […] Our intention was not to incite or offend.”
  • “I am truly sorry for the loss of your son” (by someone who shot and killed a teen)
  • “If anything I said this morning has been misconstrued to the opposite effect I want to apologize for that misconstrued misconstruction. “
  • “I feel bad if her feelings were hurt.”

and of course Walter Palmer himself in his letter to his patience

  • “I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion…”

Can you fit any more justifications in one sentence? In other words “I am sorry that my love for something good ended up this way.” The blame lies in his love for his hobby. Ignore the fact they lured the lion out of a protected area in order to “legally” shoot it. To be clear, I think the kind of hate & bashing going on to this man is wrong in itself as well. The kind of scary and hurtful threats people make and the things they post is just as wrong and people should be called out for such hate. Hate is hate. But apologies like these don’t help and only stoke the fire. Just say what you did was wrong. Take responsibility.

Have you heard other good “non-pologies”? Share it the comments below.

 

Cecil Lion Dentist Apology
Em.. you call that an apology? That was weak bro.

Continue Reading

Reading on your iPhone before Bed is Very Bad

Reading iPad Screen before Sleeping

How many of you read on your iPhone or iPad before going to bed?

  • Check some news?
  • Check your facebook?
  • Check your email?
  • Play some Angry Birds? Flappy Birds? Big Birds?
  • Poke around your apps for no good reason and waste a good 30 minutes?
  • Then feel tired the next day regretting it all?

Well guess what. It isn’t just the 30 minutes (or 2 hours) sleep you had lost. Additional New research suggest the problem is much more serious.

I say “suggest” because like any study there are always holes you can knit pick about or poke holes at, such as how many participants there were or whether some variable was considered. But take it for what it is, either way it is an interesting topic of discussion. Also keep in mind this is one of numerous studies that confirm the same findings. I for one feel more tired if I was reading something on the screen the previous day.

The Read Screen before Sleep Study

A study published in the journal “Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences” seems to further support numerous studies on this subject that find reading on a screen before bed could be harmful.

“We found the body’s natural circadian rhythms were interrupted by the short-wavelength enriched light, otherwise known as blue light, from these electronic devices,” said Anne-Marie Chang, PhD

Previous studies have shown that looking at a screen (more specifically having blue light shining into your eyes) suppressed melatonin levels and messes up your alertness levels.

This study compared people who read on normal books versus people who read on a screen right before sleep. Study was for two weeks with 12 participants who read on an iPad or printed books for a couple hours before bed for several days straight.

Those who read iPads took longer to fall asleep and when they did had shorted REM sleep compared to those who read printed books. They also were more tired the next day even if they had a full eight hours of sleep.

So what is the moral of the story?

Since you probably can’t stop reading the last article or email before sleeping (I’m being realistic here), just resist if you have to wake up early or have an important engagement the next day. Big test? Don’t do it. Big date? Don’t do it. Eye exam? Don’t do it. Going hunting with your love ones? Don’t do it!

Or suffer the consequences… or not. Don’t do it!

Continue Reading

Need a 105-inch Samsung HD TV? Me too.

Samsung UN105S9 Ultra HD TV 105inch

A sign of the world we live in.

105 Inch Curved 4K Ultra HD 120Hz 3D Smart LED TV

105 inches. Really?
Does anyone need something so big?
Even if you can afford it, should you buy it?

The kicker?
Price: $119,999.99

Don’t worry though, shipping is free with Amazon Prime.
Thank goodness.

What is better are the sarcastic, funny comments left by Amazon Reviewers poking fun at the ridiculous size & price of this TV.

Some Example Reviews of the 105inch Samsung TV

Amazon Reviews - Samsung HD TV

Have fun reading the comments

Check it out: 105 Inch Curved 4K Ultra HD 120Hz 3D Smart LED TV

Continue Reading

How Technology Reduces Stress for Seniors

Internet Technology & Seniors

Computer technology has come a long way over the life of many seniors. To put this single lifetime of technological growth into perspective, Daily Crate reports that the computer that landed men on the moon had only about 5 one-millionths of a percent of the memory that the iPhone 5s possesses. Seniors living today have seen the creation of the Internet, the explosion of social media and the advent of smartphones. Although it can be daunting for some, there are many ways that modern technology can help improve the lives of senior citizens.

Social Interaction

Social interaction is an important part of anyone’s health. According to a United Healthcare survey of centenarians, remaining socially engaged was just as important as fitness for aging healthily. The survey also shows that 89 percent of centenarians (people over 100!) talk with a friend or family member almost every day. Software such as Skype and Facetime allows users to have face-to-face interactions regardless of the distance between the two chatting parties.

A study by The Phoenix Center even says that late-life depression affects approximately 6 million Americans over the age of 65, and costs the country about $100 billion annually. It also claims that regular online interactions can reduce senior depression by approximately 20 percent. One hypothesis is that Internet use reduces loneliness and depression by providing communication tools for the aging population as mobility limitations increase, and the Internet provides a means of communication. The study uses many different methods for testing the hypothesis including logit models, linear probability models, instrumental variables and propensity score methods. In each case, they found that the results favor that Internet use by the elderly reduces the chance of depression.

Another study conducted in 2003 in Technology and Disability found that as seniors learned to use the Internet, they had a greater amount of social contact and more satisfaction with that contact.

Social media also can be a great tool for seniors. Wishpond reports that seniors over the age of 74 are the fastest growing demographic across social networking sites. Additionally, there are 39 million people over the age of 65 that use Facebook, Twitter and Skype. Social media allows seniors to stay in touch with friends and family, meet new people with similar interests and play games that can help to maintain mental reflexes and acuity. Wishpond also notes that seniors don’t just have email accounts but also search on Google, browse Facebook and watch YouTube. While nothing can replace the value of face-to-face conversations, social media allows seniors to stay engaged with the world at large as well as view and share images with their loved ones easily.

Fitness

There are many ways that technology aids in maintaining physical health and wellness in seniors. Many assisted living centers for seniors have found that motion controlled video games such as Wii Sports allow seniors to enjoy light physical activity every day. An article in The Atlantic even claims that “Wii Bowling has spawned entire leagues and tournaments, taking over nursery homes, retirement communities and community centers as one of the fastest-growing and most popular social activities.” The Michigan Governor’s Council of Physical Fitness, Health and Sports reports that regular aerobic exercise decreases body fat, improves bone density and contributes to a greater percentage of lean body tissues in seniors. Motion controlled video games provide a fun, social form of exercise that is safe and can lead to a better quality of life.

Devices and Apps

Smartphones, such as the popular Samsung Galaxy S 5 and the iPhone 5s, are also great for seniors. They allow seniors the opportunity to access health and wellness programs online such as AARP programs, health tracking and medication management as well as their social media accounts and favorite games. These phones also come with great apps, such as RxmindMe, which helps track medications and supplements as well as offering reminders and schedules for those who find it challenging to track their medications.

Continue Reading

Mobile Internet Advertising Surges Past TV Media Spend

Mobile Internet Ad RevenueFor the first time in 2013, US internet advertising revenue has surpassed broadcast television advertising revenue.

Online ad sales in the US went up 17% to $42.8 billion according to data by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Broadcast Television came in second at $40.1 million. However television as a whole leads at a fairly wide margin if you combined the revenue totals of both broadcast and cable.

Mobile Advertising Revenue Continues to Rise

Contributing to this growth is the rapid rise of mobile advertising. In 2013, revenue has grown more than double to $7.1 billion. It is the third year in a row that the mobile ad space has shown triple-digit growth.

“The news that interactive has outperformed broadcast television should come as no surprise,” said Randall Rothenberg, CEO of IAB, in a press release. “It speaks to the power that digital screens have in reaching and engaging audiences.”

Google and Facebook together account for two-thirds of the all mobile global spend.

Continue Reading