Hi all. I don't know if you're anything like me- if you are, you're just one of those people who learns one thing, gets really good at it, and passes on all the alternatives to stay in your comfort zone.
If I don't make any sense, I'm talking specifically about search engines. I love Google- I learned how to use it eons ago, I probably use it a million times every day, and it works for me. So when all the buzz came around about Bing, I didn't think twice.
I was in a lab the other day and needed to search for something, so I immediately went to the little search bar in the upper right hand corner of the web page I was on. I'm so used to the search bar being for Google that I was really surprised when I hit enter and Bing delivered my results. It looked interesting, so I looked into it a bit. Bing, Microsoft's 'decision engine,'(they're very hard core about this distinction apparantly) is, after all, supposed to be the 'worthy competitor' to Google..
So I made a list of Bing's features that kind of stood out to me to give any of you diehard Google users a look..
Bing Features:
* Explorer Pane: This is a pane on the left-hand side where you can not only see your results organized into categories and related searches.
* Related Searches: A section that shows more organized and relevant results. It's supposed to be a better showcase than Google's.
* You can preview the content of the sites which show up as results from your search. This is supposed to help users weed out sites that don't pertain to what they're looking for.
* Preview a video without clicking on it simply by holding your mouse over it.
* Track and store your previous searches in your search history.
* Video Search: You can filter your search by length of video, resolution, etc..
* Image Search: Scrolling through images instead of flipping through lots of pages.
* Shopping Search: Sort results by price, brand, category, and even see reviews.
* Instant Answers:
o Math calculations
o Check flight status by typing in flight number (pretty cool!)
o Direct stock info
My opinion? Bing looks great, but way too super organized and hi-tech for me. I don't go lots of flights, and I don't have a lot of issues not finding what I'm looking for in my non-Bing searches now. Maybe in a few years I'll have to switch to Bing, but for now, I'm happy with Google.
4.29.2010
News Media Topic: iGoogle = Personalized Homepage
I also found that iGoogle is a personalized homepage sponsored by Google. It allows you to check your email, weather, schedule, news, and any other information you want to access. For instance, today I inputed my birthday and was able to read my horoscope based on my day and year of birth. Also, I can input my daily schedule, so I can see it every day and make sure I don’t miss any appointments. But to access this personalized form of iGoogle, you must have a gmail account and create your own homepage with a colored theme, location, and interests. I find this iGoogle homepage very appealing to the daily Internet user because it has some many components that can be personalized to the user.
News Media Topic: Sport Team Creates Web Browser
I have recently come across a very interesting news media topic regarding new web browsers. For sports fans, this information might be appealing to you. The Liverpool Football Club has created a themed web browser for its for devoted sport fans. Its purpose to not only attract its followers, but to advertise its enterprise. To access this web browser, you have go to LiverpoolFC.TV under the subhead:Fans, you can click on LFC Browser to download it. This Liverpool sports team browser provides fans with updates, videos, news, tickets, and social networking sites. This web browser might be the first step for more sports teams to adverstise and appeal to their fans. But at the same time, it might add a degree of obsession for sports fans.
4.26.2010
The survival of journalism
I read an excellent article today, As Journalism evolves, mission is strong, by Martin Kaiser, editor of the Journal Sentinel and president of the American Society of News Editors.
He made several great points about the future of journalism and how technology is changing our industry, but his charge to us as journalists, no matter how our profession is changing and evolving, is to "never lose sight of the values that got us here."
"The best journalists will always be, first and foremost, storytellers -- telling stories that uncover new information and shine a light where there was once darkness. All the technology in the world won't change that."
He ended with the following statement:
"What matters is the survival of journalism ... reported journalism ... evidence-based journalism ... journalism that tells the truth, with an ethnical foundation and connectedness to the communities it serves."
And that, my friends, is what will ultimately set us apart from all the "chatter" on the Internet.
He made several great points about the future of journalism and how technology is changing our industry, but his charge to us as journalists, no matter how our profession is changing and evolving, is to "never lose sight of the values that got us here."
"The best journalists will always be, first and foremost, storytellers -- telling stories that uncover new information and shine a light where there was once darkness. All the technology in the world won't change that."
He ended with the following statement:
"What matters is the survival of journalism ... reported journalism ... evidence-based journalism ... journalism that tells the truth, with an ethnical foundation and connectedness to the communities it serves."
And that, my friends, is what will ultimately set us apart from all the "chatter" on the Internet.
Google Reader - Play
I am Google obsessed and am subscribed to so many services that they have. A new one that I am getting into is Google Reader - Play. If you have ever used the website Stumble Upon then you are already familiar with the format. Reader Play browses the Internet for you. It directs you to random websites. It allows you to "star" or share different websites. If you "star" enough websites, it catches on and recognizes what kind of material you are interested in seeing on the Internet.
It uses the same technology that Google Reader does in generating the websites it directs you to. Also, if you already have a Google Reader account, it lets you share the websites you find interesting with other people. It also connects to your Google Buzz account.
I am a little disappointed that it seems to be a rip-off of Stumble Upon, but I am sure that Google will make theirs more impressive somehow. Especially since Google is so prevalent on the Internet, I am sure that it will have access to more websites than other similar programs. Reader Play gives all sorts of information from funny pictures, to interesting editorials and online magazine articles.
It uses the same technology that Google Reader does in generating the websites it directs you to. Also, if you already have a Google Reader account, it lets you share the websites you find interesting with other people. It also connects to your Google Buzz account.
I am a little disappointed that it seems to be a rip-off of Stumble Upon, but I am sure that Google will make theirs more impressive somehow. Especially since Google is so prevalent on the Internet, I am sure that it will have access to more websites than other similar programs. Reader Play gives all sorts of information from funny pictures, to interesting editorials and online magazine articles.
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