Category Archives: Internet

Using Feedly As Google Reader Alternative

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Posted by on in Internet, Software
English: This icon, known as the "feed ic...

English: This icon, known as the “feed icon” or the “RSS icon”, was introduced in Mozilla Firefox in order to indicate a web feed was present on a particular web page that could be used in conjunction with the Live bookmarks function. Microsoft Internet Explorer, Opera and some other browsers have adopted the icon in order to promote a de facto standard. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Couple weeks back, Google announced that it will shut down Google Reader.  This is a bad news for whoever that relies on Google Reader a lot.  In my case, I do rely on Google Reader quite often as it is one of the best ways, if not the best way, to allow me to follow up day to day events around the world and here at home (USA).  Especially, I do really rely on Google Reader to pull in technology RSS feeds.  Unfortunately, just like everyone else, I was frantically looking around for a good alternative to Google Reader.  Luckily, I found Feedly!

Before I found Feedly, I was looking at ManagingNews software which you could download for free and install onto a Linux server/machine.  Unfortunately, at this point in time, ManagingNews 1.2, the latest version, relies on an older Drupal version which contains bugs that have not yet been patched; these bugs might lead to computer security issue in the long run.  Of course, if one is to host ManagingNews for the Internet population, do expect to be hacked as ManagingNews has yet to be patched or updated with a more secure version.  With ManagingNews outdated version, I now turn to Feedly for good.

Feedly is definitely easy to use and intuitive in terms of adding RSS sources (to allow the importation of RSS feeds) and removing them.  Need more proof?  Check out the video right after the break and you would see me messing around with Feedly, in joy.  Enjoy!!!

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Installing ManagingNews, An Alternative To Google Reader

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Posted by on in Google, Internet, Publishing Tech, Software

Google announced that they will shut down Google Reader in couple months.  I don’t remember the exact date which Google has set to shut down Google Reader, but if I’m not wrong it will be sometime in July of 2013.  Anyhow, since I’m a heavy Google Reader user, it’s hard for me to think that I can go without Google Reader for months and into the infinity.  Nonetheless, Google will shut down Google Reader, and there is nothing we can do about it.  So, I’ve been looking around for Google Reader replacement and I’ve found ManagingNews.  Of course, there might be better alternative Google Reader software/services out there, but for now I’m sticking with ManagingNews.  If you want to know how to use and install ManagingNews onto your computer, please watch the video right after the break.  By the way, ManagingNews is free!  Enjoy the video!!!

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HitBliss Is So Familiar But Yet So Strange, Because You Can Watch Ads To Earn Cash To Pay For Digital Contents

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Posted by on in Internet

Digital contents are cheap, because everywhere you look there are some more.  This is why some people are cutting their traditional TV cord and opting for Netflix, Hulu Plus, and the likes.  Nonetheless, it doesn’t mean that everyone can afford any digital content whenever.  Let say, subscribing to too many cheap services such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, or other similar type of services can push up the monthly spending by a lot.  Perhaps, this is why HitBliss is here to alleviate some of us from spending too much on digital contents.

What?  According to Forbes “Watch Ads, Get Paid: Is This The Future Of Ad-Supported Content?” article, you and I can easily watch a new movie — that is available for online rental — for free if you and I are willing to watch few ads here and there.  Perhaps, you insist that this is nothing new, because you can just do the same thing on Hulu.  Nonetheless, I think HitBliss is onto something new.  Basically, if I’m not wrong you can earn HitBliss cash by watching video ads, and the cash you earned can be accrued to pay for digital contents.  I’m not sure if this is HitBliss virtual currency or real cash.  Nonetheless, since HitBliss allows you to earn cash to pay for digital contents, it’s different from Hulu in many ways.  Let see, if I’m not wrong, with HitBliss cash you might be able to pay for digital contents other than just movies.

How would HitBliss operate?  A guess work on my part, I think HitBliss shakes hand with digital content partners to license those hot digital contents, streams or distributes digital contents to end users, collects the digital content costs from advertisers who got their commercials aired to the end users, and eventually separates the digital content license fees from profits to make sure there would be money to pay up to digital content partners.  In a way, it feels like HitBliss just modernizes the traditional TV/ads model and more.  And more in a sense that HitBliss allows the end users to pay for whatever digital contents with the money they earn from HitBliss.  And more in a sense that advertisers now will know that they will always have the right audiences for their advertisements.  How?  According to Forbes, HitBliss will annoy end users with frequent interruptions to make sure that the end users are actually watching the advertisements and not just turning on the display and walk away.  Furthermore, HitBliss might personalize the advertisements to tailor the advertisements that fit the taste of each end user.  How might HitBliss going about to do that?  I guess HitBliss can collect end user data such as digital content purchasing behavior, digital surveys, and so on.  If HitBliss is able to tailor such ads for different groups, I can see that the advertisers will love to see how their ads perform specifically for specific audiences to maximize their advertising effectiveness and minimize the advertising budget (i.e., save costs).

Will HitBliss business model work?  I think it’s a guess work since nobody has yet seen how this business model performs ever before.  Nonetheless, I’ve a feeling that HitBliss is onto something quite interesting.  Let say, if HitBliss is able to license enough digital contents to distribute to end users and executing superbly in delivering core services, I can see that HitBliss might be making it big.  Then there is also a question about will today, online end users want to expose themselves to online ads so they can get free digital contents such as free movies?  So far, Hulu Plus is doing OK with forcefully showing ads even though end users are already paid up for the service.  Maybe, HitBliss will find its business model will be OK too.  Anyhow, I think HitBliss might be something big and people like us will have another choice to go to for consuming awesome digital contents, affordably.  So let see folks, because time will tell.

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China’s Supermarkets Look Very Similar To American Ones, But With More Live Animals And Less Cheese

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Posted by on in Anything Goes, Internet

Don’t you think China’s supermarkets look very similar to the American ones?  Just saying as a curiosity… because I don’t want this to sound like a political point of view.  For real though, do not watch the video right after the break if you take this piece politically or something in that manner, because even the owner/director of the video does not want this particular video to be about politics or geopolitics.  How do I know?  I had watched several videos by serpentza (YouTube nickname) before, on YouTube, and he had mentioned how he didn’t want his videos to be politicized.  You can check out China’s medium size supermarket (ren ren le) in the video right after the break.  Enjoy!!!

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TV Revolution Is Upon Us?

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Posted by on in Internet
television

television (Photo credit: jeevs)

How many more players are going to join the TV revolution?  As now, we know Google, Apple, Microsoft, and other players are trying to tear down the old and introduce the new TV experience to the mass.  It’s all about how to unplug consumers from Cable and plug ‘em into the Internet pipe.  Why would they and the consumers want everything, from phone to TV, to be plugged into the Internet pipe?  I guess the consumers demand and so they give ‘em.  After all, the Internet isn’t just more hip and compatible with the time, but consumers can make wiser choices and have more control with their programs.

It’s about on demand yo!  On demand is definitely easier and more hip when consumers plug into the Internet, and so Cable will have to go the way of the dinosaurs.  Netflix is superb example of how on demand would work.  Instead of dictating when a content consumer should view a program, Netflix aired a complete first season of House of Cards show at once, so everyone could watch this all at one go.  Of course, whoever has all the time in the world will be able to watch the whole show at one go with few breaks in between, but most people have jobs and other pleasures to tend to, and so they will have to make their own time to enjoy Netflix’s House of Cards.  The big difference between Netflix’s House of Cards content viewing experience and Cable is that content consumers are in the driver seat for program choices and schedules.

A new player who has just joined the TV revolution is now Intel.  According to The Verge’s “Intel confirms its Internet TV will launch this year, complete with set-top box and a camera” article, Intel will launch Internet TV which comes with hardware that even has camera.  The camera can be turned off at will, but if you leave it on it will watch you watch whatever that you watch… it’s a little creepy in my opinion.  The Verge suggests that Intel will be able to make a wiser choice of showing what commercials and to suggest what shows to the TV audiences if the camera is on.  In my living room?  Sigh…  I don’t mind the camera watch me doing my things in the public space, but in my living room is just creepy.  I prefer a little more privacy when I enjoy my time in my own living room…

I think the TV revolution is about to be cranked up even more.  It’s the trend yo!  I like where this trend is taking us, but I think there will be things that will be discarded into the forgotten pits.  Through trial and error process, the TV revolution will reward the sensible features.  For an example, I don’t think that many people will appreciate being watched by a camera as they watch their favorite shows in the living room.  Features like this will definitely be thrown into the forgotten pits when the TV revolution (of this time) becomes the norm.

I think the TV revolution (of this time) is more about the experience and less of marketing gimmicks.  How come?  There aren’t that many choices for the publishers and marketers when it comes down to how to dictate what will be the ultimate TV experience in the Internet age.  After all, the TV audiences have plenty of choices to tap into for their content viewing pleasure from the Internet itself.  It’s like the TV revolution has to compete with the medium that hosts it.  It competes against the Internet and yet the Internet will be the medium which hosts this Internet TV thingy.  The trick is to make Internet TV the tube to go to for all TV and video content viewing pleasures…  The trick is to beat YouTube?

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Somewhere In The World: Greece Economic Crisis Worsening? How About Europe?

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Posted by on in Anything Goes, Internet

What about Europe as a whole?

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