In the months since the ban on cell phone use while driving, I’ve noticed more people murmuring into their cell phones in line ups at the movies, in the bank, at the drug store, in grocery aisles. It’s usually while they’re shopping. And it’s not just “Hey, it’s me. Do we need parsnips?” It’s “Hi, Whatcha doin’? How’s it goin’?” Murmur, murmur, murmur.
LilliputReads.com: Are Writers Who Snub Online Publishing Missing the Point?
The author ponders the reluctance of some writers to accept technological change, , shunning the idea of publishing their work on the internet.
Games As Art: To Be or Not to Be?
Mike Sakasegawa explains why it’s important that video games be seen as an art form, despite what Roger Ebert originally said.
How to Fight Social Media Multiple Personality Disorder…and Win
Too many social media accounts? Too many personalities to maintain on Twitter? Neil Johnston has figured out the cure, and it’s relatively painless.
iPhone vs. Kindle: A Personal Take on Convergence from the Road
What device do you take with you when you’re biking across the Baja, sleeping in tents and raising dust and craving convergence? iPhone? Kindle? iPad? Neil Johnston does the road test.
Craig Venter: On the Verge of Creating Synthetic Life
“Can we create new life out of our digital universe?” Craig Venter asks. His answer is “yes” – and pretty soon. He walks us through his latest research and promises that we’ll soon be able to build and boot up a synthetic chromosome. — From TED.COM This is fascinating and very thought provoking in my […]
Twitter Advertising: Big Yawn or Next Wave in Social Marketing?
As Twitter readies itself for the plunge into advertising, Neil Johnston explores the impact on social media. Is this going to be a big yawn or a big wave? And what will it mean for you?
Steven Erikson’s Notes on a Crisis Part V — Diabolical Deceptions
In Part V of his “Notes on a Crisis”, novelist Steven Erikson ponders diabolical media manipulations and how far he’s prepared to go to tell a good story.
My Private Sudan: Part II
Does the Western world really get the truth about what is happening in far-flung countries? Do reporters overseas see the real picture – the big picture? These issues are explored in second installment of My Private Sudan from writer and helicopter pilot Allan Cram in which his recollections of Sudan differ dramatically from reports in some Western newspapers.
Case of the Missing Cell Phone: Never Leave Home Without It
Anyone who has ever lost a cell phone knows about the alienation, the free-floating anxiety, the sense that all is not right in the world.