by ZombieSkittles on April 15, 2012
I said earlier this week that I didn’t agree with the new Google+ layout. Well, it’s growing on me now, except for the tiny problem of all the white space on the page. Because Google insists on having the feed on the left of the screen, and the chatbar on the right, there is a large chunk of unused space towards the middle of the screen that does not look nice on widescreens.
While that is purely an aesthetic thing, hopefully Google fixes it. In the meantime, one savvy user has released this patch for Google Chrome which centres the social network on the screen, so it’s nicer to look at.
by ZombieSkittles on April 12, 2012
This may be that bug that Facebook users suffer from, but I don’t like today’s redesign of Google+; it feels messy and cluttered. I’m hoping I’ll get used to it, and maybe come to love it more than the old layout. But what appealed to me about Google+ was it’s simplicity.
The other problem I have with this is that the Google experience –most of their services– have been changed around to suit the design of their social network. With this redesign, are they going to do the same to all the other Google products I use? That’s a scary thought.
by ZombieSkittles on April 10, 2012
Today I woke up to find an application I’ve only just gotten into using has been bought out by Facebook. Millions of people use the Instagram service and I’ve been quite proud to call myself a user, however new I might be.
I’m seeing a lot of people commenting on the purchase, basically saying things along the lines of “Goodbye, Instagram! It was fun.” as if this purchase means the application is suddenly utter crap.
I don’t buy it. The app or the speculation. It’s still free right?
The application is still free, and as the CEO of Instagram was quick to point out in a blog post, it will still remain the same. I’ll still be able to spam Tumblr with my heavily –and pointlessly– filtered photos, and I’ll still be able to click the like button on other people’s photos. It’s fine.
People will always complain though. Some people are even complaining that this might mean all Facebook users might be able to use a version of Instagram in the future. I see this desire for “exclusiveness” as counter productive; I don’t see how a larger user base could do anything other than strengthen the application.
My only concerns are all fuelled by speculation. If the application is eventually changed to require a link to Facebook, then I might have to give up on it in that situation. I use Facebook, but I’m constantly hopeful that Google+ will get some sort of integration with Google Calenders and as such be able to do event pages similar to Facebook’s. One day I hope to leave Facebook and not look back, but if I end up being a heavy user of an application that requires a Facebook account, I’d be unable to do so. While Zuckerberg has tried to reassure they won’t simply “integrate everything into Facebook”, I’m unfortunately sceptical. Just like Google dropping their “Don’t Be Evil” motto, Facebook and Zuckerberg could one day turn around and change their mind about what they want Instagram to do.
The other worry is that of monetization. Instagram doesn’t have advertisements or any way to get money off of me. With Facebook buying the company and product for an estimated one billion dollars, there’s a strong possibility Facebook will do something to make the program an earner. The last thing I want is banner ads on my phone.
Time will tell, but in the meantime Instagram is still Instagram, and I’m happy with it. In other news, how goes that Android application Dailybooth? I’m still waiting.
by ZombieSkittles on April 6, 2012
Instagram is available for Android? Hot dog, now I too can take photos of seemingly mundane things and filter them into oblivion!
Seriously though, I’m liking this app; it’s a photo sharing service that reminds me a lot of Dailybooth. Since Dailybooth still hasn’t released their own application for Android, this looks like the next best thing for me.
I already follow a few friends on Instagram, but if you have one as well, please tell me so I can check out your photos as well. Poop.
by ZombieSkittles on March 29, 2012
Decided to go ahead and get Facebook Timeline, since it becomes compulsory in a week anyway. My cover picture isn’t as imaginative as some people have, but it gets the job done until I get something more fitting.
by ZombieSkittles on July 21, 2011
Well thanks to an awesome person on Twitter, I’ve been having a fiddle with Google+. Suffice to say, I’m quite enjoying it’s simplicity over Facebook’s bloated feeling. There’s no applications, and everything seems rather simple. Furthermore, the site has some nice features.
I could go on and on, and talk about the various things in Google+ that set it apart and make it good, but I’ll leave that to other people who do it better. This is a much simpler post, targeting a single feature.
Plus One.
The +1 button is a simple idea that has seen many different versions with slightly different purposes. Facebook like buttons, Tweet This buttons and the like all have the same idea, but Google’s does a little bit more. The button can be used as a simple way of liking posts made inside of Google+ itself, but the best part is it’s use outside of the social network.
When you find an article you enjoyed reading, or a video on YouTube you thought was especially good, you can click a corresponding +1 button on the page, and that item will be shared. If enabled, it will show up on your Google+ Profile under the +1 tab, so other people can see what you liked. This makes it relatively simple to spread the word about something, and I really think it’s quite neat, as it doesn’t spam up anyone.
This is basically a vanity post, because if you can’t see it by now, I suggest you scroll down just a little bit. Yes, I’ve added a +1 button to this site, allowing you to +1 singular posts if you so feel inclined. I don’t expect there’ll be many things worthy of a +1 on here, but I figured I like the system, and it couldn’t hurt to incorporate it.
Is anyone else incorporating the button into their blogs or websites?
by ZombieSkittles on February 20, 2010
OpenFeint is best described as Steam or Xbox LIVE, but for your iPhone. Developed by the crew at Aurora Feint, the OpenFeint gaming platform joins mobile gamers together with forums, scoreboards and classic social networking tools (Friends lists, messaging, etc). OpenFeint boasts millions of users (of which at least one is me, and another is a Mr. Citron.) and over 1000 games attached to it. Once a profile has been created, you have full access to all of the program’s features. Much like Steam, OpenFeint gives access to games that are OF enabled in the App Store, even going so far as to offer one game that you’d normally have to pay for, free for a day.
While many games have achievements these days, OpenFeint works like Xbox LIVE, Windows LIVE and Steam in that any games that are OF enabled and have achievements, run them through OpenFeint. Achievements count towards your OF score. All your gameplay stats are displayed on your profile for anyone to see.
While OpenFeint has it’s own management program (which you can get here, for free), you don’t need it. Any OF game will let you access game specific OpenFeint information, as well as access to your profile.
It’s an interesting program that has quite a few games attached to it, which you can recognize most games with OpenFeint software by the dual leaf logo sitting on the game’s icon, such as that on Texas Tea’s icon.
by ZombieSkittles on November 12, 2009
I love my SocialVibe. I write about it a fair bit, and there is always a SocialVibe badge on the sidebar (which I ask now, if you could do the activity on it, thank you; it gets points which transfer to benefits for charity).
Today, SocialVibe have unveiled new profiles as the next step in their upgrade of the website. When they made the new dashboard and changed how to earn points, it was only a matter of time before the rest of the site followed suit.
This is what the new profile looks like (click it to enlarge it), and as a comparison, you have the screenshot of the old style here. The obvious idea here is to have the person’s activity for the charity and the ability to earn points for the person the focal points, and everything else secondary.
Everything is clearer and easier to read, and the unnecessary clutter has been removed from the old profiles to make the appeal better.
There’s not much to really say apart from that. You can check out my pimped profile at http://www.socialvibe.com/zombie_plan (and maybe possibly do an activity?), and see the changes for yourself. There’ll probably still be a bug or two since this is still new, but it looks nice, and I personally haven’t encountered any bugs as of yet (I normally get overwhelmed by them)
by ZombieSkittles on October 12, 2009
So, I got Xfire again. Xfire is, as you can see from the screenshot, an Instant Messaging program for gamers. While it’s probably not as great as Steam, I used to use it all the time back when I’d spend hours and hours a day playing Star Wars: Jedi Academy and Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory. I figured since I suddenly want to play ET again (and am downloading it as we speak), I may as well reinstall this lovely program.
The program tracks the games you’re playing, counts hours, displays stats, allows for in game messaging (I hate having to exit my game to answer MSN chats), and bookmarks servers you’ve been playing on. It also displays what game your friend is playing as well, and allows you to jump straight into the server they’re playing on.
Of course, I have no friends on there yet. Look at that screenshot; surprisingly bare. EMBARASSINGLY bare. So, if you have Xfire, you should totally add me. Especially if you play such amazing games as STALKER, Quake 4, or Wolf: ET. Also, I’m a nerd.
by ZombieSkittles on October 6, 2009
SocialVibe has finally unveiled their new site to the public after much teasing and hype for the community.
The old and new SocialVibe dashboards. Click to enlarge.
As you can see, the display looks much brighter and more pleasant as a result. The new website features a much simpler display of points earned for your cause, and even an explanation of how your points translate to help. In the case of my cause To Write Love On Her Arms, “100 points = 9 minutes of online crisis and suicide prevention” (which I hate to brag, means I’ve earned over 34 hours. Just saying).
Now to earn points you can do activities similar to the ones on the Facebook application; you do something like watch a video or answer a question to earn points, then you link it on another social network and if someone else clicks the link and does the activity you earn even more points. As a negative, there seems to be a problem doing activities in Firefox.
Above is an example of the new badges SocialVibe uses, which links to an activity. Unfortunately, unlike the old badges I used to feature in my sidebar, these earn points through engagements rather than impressions. For those who don’t understand what I mean, basically the old badges just had to be seen for me to earn points. Whenever you came to my blog to read a post and the flash badges loaded, you helped me earn points for the charity in question. Now, the badges are html, and need someone to complete the activity on it before points are distributed. On the plus side, the new badges give more points for doing activities than views used to, making up for the disabling of earning from views.
In addition, the site displays an influence graph and shows how many points are made from each site you have a widget or SV application on.
Unfortunately other areas of the site such as the forums and profiles aren’t yet updated and still use the old theme, but hopefully the crew behind the site will improve everything and bring a sort of consistency to the site. I’m loving the new style though.
If you read this far and aren’t a member of SocialVibe already, considering joining by following this amazing link of amazingness, and feel it’s amazing power. Also, please consider doing the activity in the above badge; it will help charity, much like commenting here will ;)
