The five top technological trends at CES 2012

The year 2011 was all about the tablet computer, we saw the first ever affordable (and good) Android options launch, and people went gaga over the idea of 4G and LTE and the BlackBerry PlayBook. This year, the atmosphere was a little different on the show floor. Yes, we did have a lot of new products coming out, but the main points seemed to be more about the long term trends than any particular product per se. I found this new way of assessing technology pretty interesting however as ways in which the average consumer could integrate some of the trends slowly started to emerge. Here’s my overview of the top five tech trends at CES 2012- let’s see if any of these make it into your home or work this year.

The year of the connected TV

We’ve heard mumblings about connected TVs for some time now (and you can read my article on future predictions here) but there generally have been two barriers to them going mainstream. One has been the pricepoint as most people simply aren’t ready to invest in a new LCD TV so soon, and the second barrier has been confusion over the services offered and the many complex buttons on the remote controls. This year is a little different, as not only were all the big names (SHARP, LG, and SAMSUNG) offering up web ready televisions but they’d also started integrating some pretty helpful features.

I’m talking about TVs that come with an integrated forward facing camera installed, TV’s that feature an upgradeable card slot so that you don’t need to replace the hardware and TV’s that offer remote assistance where the helpdesk can actually program your TV for you if you’re struggling (Sharp Aquos is offering this service). We’re also seeing super slim bezels on offer from a lot of brands, with some a mere 3mm thick- very gasp worthy. One of the new TV areas I’m intrigued by is the increase in peripheral devices, as these allow you to upgrade your TV without buying a new one- such as snap on cameras for Skypeing. Read more…

Tags: CES 2012, connected TV, tech trends 2012

How to make money from blogging in seven steps

I have worked online for over seven years, and a lot of my time and effort goes into creating blogposts. The subject matter changes- one day I’m reviewing the latest mobile phone, next time it’s a beauty product, but the format is pretty similar and writing online has its own rules and regulations. I’m an online writer, a web journalist, an editor, a social media consultant, a presenter and a blogger. It’s the blogger part of this equation that often produces the most interest and there’s one question I get over and over again.

How do you make money from blogging?

I’ve been explaining the intricate answer to this question for a number of years now and thought it might help if I put it down in steps for you to follow. First of all, I’m going to address the money/blogging issue from the perspective of a home based NON journalist blogger. If you have writing experience, that’s great, that will definitely help, but if you’re asking this question it suggests you’re not being paid to blog- you’re not on the staff of Handbag/ Beauty and the Dirt/ Sugar etc (great blogging business companies) so you’re looking to find out for personal use.

First of all, you should never EVER start blogging as a way to make money. For one, the passion will be lacking in your writing and you won’t get the followers, and secondly only a few few people ever make serious cash from their blog. Blogging superstars like Sussanah Lau of Style Bubble have revealed that most of the money they make is from side projects off the back of their blog- the blog alone does not garner a full wage. If you’re going to blog do it because you like it, you love it- it’s fun. Got it? Ok, now lets see how we can go about helping you get back your hosting fee.

Step One: Choose your Blog Platform Wisely

The platform you choose to blog on will actually help or hinder you in terms of money making. I get that you might not want to invest cash if you’re starting out, but if you’re using a free WordPress.com site, when you look to put ads you’ll be restricted as they don’t allows this in their terms and conditions. So choose wisely if you’re serious. Blogger- which is free on Google, is commonly used because of the flexibility if offers, but it can look a bit clunky and is hard to customise completely. WordPress.com is free to use- but- as already mentioned, restricts you. WordPress.org is also free to use and doesn’t restrict what you can do, but you’ll need to pay to host it  (from £5 a month as a guide) and it’s not as easy to set up. There’s also Typepad as another option, but this is lacking popularity nowadays. I love WordPress.org and strongly recommend you start here- don’t think, ‘oh, when I get big I’ll move platforms‘ as you can lose lots of pageviews that way, and it’s a risky strategy.

Step Two: Adverts and Affiliate Links on the blog

The simplest way to make cash from your blog is to place adverts on it. One of the most commonly used platforms for adverts is Google Adsense simply because of how simple it is to install. You choose the areas you want the adverts to run (leaderboard/sidebar/skyscraper etc), identify specify category exclusions and then voila, you’re good to go. Not all ads will be relevant as they often scan the text of the blog to pick a related one, so you may find yourself with gambling ads if you ever talk about the ‘competitive world’ (hence the excluding option). It’s easy to install, but a little clunky to play with at the back-end and the returns are pretty low money wise. You generally make money here via clicks per impression (amount can can vary) and unless you have high volume traffic you probably won’t make very much (Think around £1 a month if you have below 5000 unique visitors a month). Read more…

Tags: affiliate marketing, blogging, money from blogging

My Body Gallery crowd sources images of Real Women

We all come in different shapes and sizes but this isn’t often very well represented by the mainstream media. Sure, we have ‘real life’ features where the women have been Photoshopped orange with a glossy veneer (a’la TOWIE) or we can read gritty down and out stories where everything looks tinged with canal water, but how about some variety in shop windows and magazine advertisements?

I’ve previously looked at the rise and insanity of vanity sizing, where you see how retailers pretty much create their own dress size guidelines, and I’d like to show people just what a size 12 actually looks like- and then we can see how much we all vary from the ‘guidelines’. Remember, clothes sizes are not life sentences and garments are cut in order to cater to mass markets- we are all individuals and let’s start looking at our bodies that way. OK, if we all wore custom made garments that would be horrifically expensive but we can share how we vary in size on a website called My Body Gallery

The website works on a easy to understand premise where user submissions make up the bulk of its content. You click a few buttons and share your weight, height, dress size and more and voila, your image has been added to their database. The fun really starts when you start sifting through the pictures they have on offer and start analyzing how women of the same basic specs can differ greatly in dimensions. Read more…

Tags: My Body Gallery, Real Women sizing

The truck with a nipple on top: Mobile breastfeeding unit to the rescue

Yes, that is a nipple on top of the truck, and no, it DOES need to be there. The nipple truck- also known as The Milk Truck is a brand new feature in Pittsburgh, where it’s part feminist protest, part art installation. The premise is shockingly simple- it’s a rescue van for women in a breastfeeding crisis. Though it’s not something I’ve experienced firsthand, I imagine that breastfeeding can be pretty awkward out and about. Do you want to get your jubblies out in front of everyone- or should you use the sketchy bathroom to feed your babe? Add to that, a general lack of understanding of compassion about why a woman breastfeeds (E.g. ‘can’t she wait till she’s at home? Answer:NO) and it’s clear we need to re-educate people.

This is the modus operandi behind the Milk Truck- sick of getting stares in restaurants or ordered to the bathroom by the managers, the Milk Truck makes an in your face statement (hence the giant nipple) about breastfeeding, as well as give women a sheltered area to for their business.

To contact the truck, you simply summon the Milk Truck (you can call them by Twitter if you wish), they rock up with the neon nipple flashing, you get in and have your baby time and then you wave goodbye. During this time the restaurant owner will become very aware of the scene they have helped create by asking you to go to the bathroom/ cover up and will no doubt be less inclined to ask somebody to do so next time due to the scene.

Carnegie Mellon University art professor Jill Miller (the brains behind the project) says, ‘We are using The Milk Truck to start a conversation in our community about a basic human right: feeding a baby.When a woman finds herself in a situation where she is discouraged, harassed, or unwelcome to breastfeed her baby in public, she summons The Milk Truck. The truck arrives to the location of the woman in need and provides her with a shelter for feeding her baby. The woman feeds her child, the shopkeeper who harassed her feels like a dweeb, and the truck does what it does best – creates a spectacle.’ Read more…

Tags: breastfeeding public, Jill Miller, Kickstarter, The Milk Truck

How the $79 Kindle Touch will change the eReader educational market

Amazon just announced news of its first ever tablet, the Kindle Fire which has a swish seven inch screen with a dedicated browser (called Silk) and looks to take on the iPad as a serious contender. OK, it’s like the iPad Lite, but with the weight of the Amazon inventory behind it might be the first tablet that makes it into the mainstream- did I mention it’s UK (estimated) retail price will be £125 compared to the most basic iPad at £399- you do the math.

However, I’m actually more intrigued and excited with the news that they’re selling a new Kindle eReader for $79 though (that’s the US price) as this might finally be the breakthrough device which puts eReaders firmly on the curriculum. Up till this point eReaders were a covetable piece of property, but one that many people felt were slightly unnecessary- or out of their pricepoint.

This lowered retail price puts buying a Kindle well into impulse buying territory and practically guarantees that every other household will be finding one under the tree this Christmas. With prices dropping in such a manner, I can imagine that Amazon will next turn its sights into making the Kindle a mandatory school accessory.

We’ve already seen the proliferation of iPad use in high end private schools, but a device like the Kindle- with the associated bulk buy discount and personalized profanity filters- would be Amazon’s way of consolidating the eReader hold, as if they make it into mainstream public education their dominance will be unrivalled for the next 20 years or so. Thee do exist fairly sturdy school eReaders already- the Ectaco educational eReader for example, but costs and compatibility issues often outweigh the fact that you can drop them and throw them around. Read more…

Tags: $79 Kindle, Kindle Educational, Kindle Fire

Flipback books : Does the world need vertical pages?

I recently heard about a new type of book called Flipbacks and am torn as to whether it’s a good idea or not. Essentially Flipback Books are regular books, read vertically- yes, vertically, and this means that they can be smaller (you need less paper for this) and lighter than regular books. You have to get your head around the idea of reading top to bottom, rather than side to side, and I reckon you’ll need some thumb retraining in page turning. All books weigh around 145 grams, which they tell us is a sixth of the size of a hardback book. I tend to read paperbacks so that’s not a completely compelling argument, but I’m still intrigued by these pocket sized books.

Pros of Flipback Books

1. They’re lighter. My bag is heavy enough, so having something less weighty is a big plus.
2. They’re smaller. Pretty much a repeat of Point one, streamlined is a definite plus.
   
3. One handed reading- and a spine that folds flat. Once you get the hang of reading this way it would be great for commuting- you can hold onto the train with one hand and read easily with the other. Read more…

Tags: Flipback books

London Riots 2011: Get online to catch a looter

The last few days have been very stressful for UK citizens, primarily Londoners. We’re living in the aftermath of the London Riots, and no one is quite sure how to behave. An eerie calm pervades Oxford Street as armed policeman walk four abreast down the street and muscle bound guards loiter around the front of Selfridges. Shops have started shutting from 2pm onwards and two meetings I was meant to attend were cancelled ‘just in case’. Despite Tuesday night being fairly calm, Monday saw fires and shouts in the town I live in, with hooded figures clearly visible on Camden canal, shouting and  throwing things about with more than usual abandon. London has been gripped with a fear that these ‘youths, chancers, looters’- call them what you will, have suddenly seized control and all rules don’t seem to apply anymore.

Whilst I have no doubt this hysteria will soon be under control, what I have been amazed by is how quick the interweb has been at chastising and identifying the culprits. In the past few days numerous websites have been created all with the sole purpose of identifying these people, and-so far- not one of them is in anyways a commercial enterprise;  just a pure and good samaritan endeavour to try and help people and shopowners get some justice for the abuse of their property.

Twitter has also been a goldmine of support with the Twitter hashtag #londonriots providing up to the minute information of what was taking place (though some was erroneous data- no animals escaped from London Zoo) and a new Twitter hahstag #riotscleanup and #riotcleanup. It’s great to see how the web community has banded together to support eachother- both online and IRL with meetups arranged to help clear the damage. Here’s my roundup of some of the London Riots websites that have been created. Spare a moment and take a look- you could really make a difference.

Zavilla

This website was created a few days ago, but already looks pretty slick. People email in images or upload them to their Facebook page and then you can scroll through them and see if you can identify anyone. If you do there’s a form to fill in where you submit details of the rioter you recognize and then the creators of the site will use this- anonymously- to contact the police. I don’t really know what Zavilia stands for as it’s a less obvious riot site title,and Dictionary.com tells me it’s not recognized. Hmm- maybe the creators  just liked the way it sounded? If it’s slang for something else, I’m just to old school to recognize it. Read more…

Tags: #londonriots, London Riots, London Riots 2011