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Tag Archives: social media

19 July 3
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I’d prefer Google+ over Facebook!

Under - Media, My Musings, Technology

I just came across this article on PCWorld.com which confirmed what always annoyed me. It is Facebook’s usability. I used to think (a bit ridiculous though but anyway) may be it is Microsoft’s legacy passed on to Facebook to make things unnecessarily complex and useless, and to turn deaf on to users when they expect something and something intelligent until things start slipping out of hands.

I must accept that despite using Facebook for years I still don’t get it fully. Why simplest of things are buried deep down in confusing maze of pages, settings and menus? Why every one of my contacts is added as ‘Friend’? Why it is difficult to control what I share? Why there’s no direct link to pages that I created using the same account? Why navigation changes so drastically from one section to another? Why I’m not in control of my experience? … and the list goes on including privacy concerns.

Usability is science but not a rocket science. Users tend to react fairly quickly online and we have seen how some big online setups have been deserted by their users who were in millions. Google+ is built upon Facebook’s shortcomings to provide users with what they have been expecting for so long. It may not matter to some but for me it is what I wanted and I fully recommend it.

To Facebook, best of luck.

12 December 2
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Cortex – Google Chrome extension for social media sharing

Under - Design, Media, Resources, Technology, Usability

Cortex

Now we can share all those fancy pictures, videos and articles found online in one click to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and to Instapaper. Thanks to Cortex for making a lengthy process 2 second’s job.

Cortex is the fastest way to share links, articles, videos, images, music to your friends and family across the web.

Cortex, developed by Joey Primiani, is a free Google Chrome extension. Having it installed, I had to setup social media sharing in the Cortex settings after which it was pretty easy – click and hold for the menu to appear and zoom … the stuff is already published by the time you open or refresh your Facebook,Twitter or Tumblr page (support is limited to four sites only at this stage).

Cortex reminds me what Bonnier R&D did a while ago in the form of Mag+ – especially the unforgettable menu dial (below). Although the precise functionality was not envisaged in the Mag+ demo for those Facebook and twitter buttons but I believe it could have been the same as Cortex!

Mag+

9 December 1
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Why the world needs transparency?

Under - Design, Media, Technology

Julian AssangeCATALYST Strategic Design Review is a quarterly publication that was launched in May 2009 by students, faculty and staff of the Pratt Design Management program. It recently published an interesting short article ‘Wikileaks and the Need for Strategically Designed Transparency’ shedding light on a very delicate balance.

Below Julian Assange speaking at TED on Wikileaks, recorded earlier this year.

21 July 1
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Flipboard – your social media magazine on iPad

Under - Design, Media, Technology, Usability

I’d say that the guy in this Flipboard video is boringly serious or seriously boring but I like the way he talks! It’s the second video in past few weeks that I see him in, both about geeky products. The first one was about Square mobile payment system that I mentioned earlier.

And yes, the Flipboard. It’s a crossover between social media and a digital magazine. Just checked the application on my iPad and I too, like many others, liked it very much. Flipboard taking online social media out of its mould into mobile social media, we would see this kind of apps becoming a norm soon. This is something that I highlighted in detail a while ago under ‘Future of Web Design’.

Flipboard

Read more about it here.