Twitter

Perfect Valentine’s Gift: A Tweet-ring

July 8, 2023 by noemi

Not everyone celebrates Valentine’s Day, but for those of you who do, here is a great idea. We’ve seen just how technology has invaded our daily lives. Platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are being incorporated into t-shirts, shoes, and whatnot. You may, of course, opt to choose these items as your gift for your partner on Hearts’ Day, but why go the ordinary route when you can do something (relatively) unique?

This is where tweet-rings come into the picture. Some guys in The Netherlands have decided that some tweets are meant to last forever. Cheesiness overload, I know, but I guess they’re really targeting those who are in romantic bliss. In any case, they are offering a service wherein you can have your favorite tweet engraved on a ring. You can choose from stainless steel, silver, or titanium.

Following true Twitter tradition, the maximum number of characters is 140. They even make a concession for non-Twitter users. If you do not have a favorite tweet or you do not use Twitter at all, you can choose whatever text you want on the ring – as long as you are under the 140-character limit. (Nice of them, but it defeats the tweet-ring purpose, doesn’t it?)

Here are two sample rings.

Here is a tweet-ring “in action”.

They are both made of stainless steel – which is obviously the cheapest. I have to say that I like the idea of engraving a great tweet, but the problem is that I have more than one favorite tweet. At 89 euros a pop for a stainless steel ring, that’s going to be a bit pricey!

You can buy your tweet-rings from their web site.

Twitterpoo and iLoo: Tales of Addiction

June 28, 2023 by noemi

I have been called a nerd, an addict, obssessive (with and without “compulsive”), but I don’t really think much about them. People like sticking labels to other people, and they can actually be meaningless. Today, though, I came across an article that got me thinking.

Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson introduced me to the term “iLoo”, which she used to refer to the habit of some people of using their mobile phones while – you got it – doing their business. The result of an informal poll that she did was that five out of six people (whom she knew) had no qualms about checking their e-mail on their phones while on the toilet. More than that, these people actually admitted to having this habit.

If you think about it, checking your e-mail isn’t the only thing you can do in the loo with your phone (or laptop or whatever mobile device you can’t part from). You can play a game, play on Facebook, and update your Twitter. Indeed, I have heard the term “Twitterpoo” used in this regard. (I don’t need to explain what it is, right?) A little crude, yes, but quite apt, don’t you agree?

So are we taking things too far by accessing the Internet and all that it has to offer via various mobile devices – in the bathroom? Are there really e-mail/Internet addicts out there?

Don’t get me wrong – I am not going to deny or affirm my own e-mailing/Internet browsing habits – but hey, if you are bothered by this concept, maybe it’s time to assess your own habits? Then again, why should you? Who cares if you go online from the bathroom – just don’t announce it to the world? :p

Is Your Geotag Function Disabled?

June 9, 2023 by noemi

Tech-savvy individuals would know all about geotags. Initially, the whole idea can make you overly excited. When you hear about what happened to Adam Savage (of Mythbusters fame), though, you might think twice about enabling thing function.

Basically, geotagging allows data to be embedded in different media such as photos and videos. For example, when you use your iPhone to take a picture, the longitude and latitude can be included in the file. When uploaded to a web site, anyone who views the file can extract that data.

That’s what happened to Adam Savage, who posted a photo of his ride to work on Twitter. As a caption, he wrote “Now it’s off to work in my beast. Wait…How’d that DOG get in there?”

Nothing’s wrong with that, right? Think again. The photo included details on the exact location of his home (where it was taken). His caption also revealed the information that the house might be empty in the next several hours. You see where I am going with this?

You’d think that someone like Adam Savage would have known better than to do something like this, but he salvaged the situation quite well by saying that he was not at all concerned about the issue as he is not famous enough to be stalked. Now I am not so sure about that…Oh, and yeah, he moved to another house.

Anyhow, even if you are not a public figure like Adam Savage, you might want to disable that geotag function. After all, you know how ingenious unscrupulous individuals can get.

Photo from The New York Times