東西 | dongxi

Though released last year, the social network Path made another big splash with their latest update. So what makes Path different than other social networks? While services like Facebook try to push you to “friend” as many people as possible, Path limits the total number of connections, acknowledging that in reality, most people’s true friend count is much smaller than what we often see on Facebook. In a way, it’s supposed to be about quality, not quantity.

Path remains mobile-focused and feels like an amalgamation of several other social networks (Instagram, Foursquare, Twitter, Facebook). Functions include geo-tagging, photo/filter uploading, music and location check-ins and your standard status updates.

While it all sounds like a great deal, I personally finding a few challenges with this service.

1. TMI – It feels a bit strange to say about social network, but I found myself asking if Path had crossed the line in having a bit too much information. Even if you choose not to share yourself, you often find your friends posting their current location (not always by choice, but that’s another point) and the times they wake and sleep. It also keeps track of who’s viewed which post. For me, it all reaches the verge of stalker creepiness.
2. Settings Issues: By default, Path will occasionally share your current location, automatically. It’s opt-out, meaning you have to turn this function off. It took me forever to figure out. It turns out that the Android app does NOT come with any ability to change the settings. Yes, you heard me. If you download and setup Path for an Android device, you’ll be bombarded with all notifications as well as periodic automated posts disclosing your location. I was able access the settings on the iOS version and supposedly there are ways to change it on the site as well. The main online site, however, isn’t the easiest to navigate. It’s a bit ridiculous that the difficulty to just change one’s settings rivals that of Facebook.
3. Function: Though Path replicates the functionality of several apps and services, it doesn’t replace any of them. It just adds another service to use. Since pictures and geo-tags aren’t embedded in the tweet itself (one would have to link out to see all that), I still prefer Twitter for public posts. I use Foursquare for reviews and tips on top of my check-ins. At most, this might replace Instagram… when the photo filter option becomes available for Android.

While Path isn’t necessarily a bad service, there’s definitely still a lot of work needed before I can fully recommend it to others. I won’t abandon it either, though. I’ll still give it a shot for the next couple of weeks. It’s definitely nice to have a niche group that I can share with, without having to worry about my distant aunts “liking” every random post I put. Maybe it will be the right path.

A slew of credit card and ATM fraud stories recently hit the Big Apple. Stories include skimmers across a popular Chase branch in Union Square (stealing $264,000) as well as shifty waiters across several of New York’s top steakhouses. Experts already caution using outdoor ATMs (or the ones found in delis), but it’s a bit daunting to hear even trusted establishments fall prey to skimmers and scams.

At the end of the day, it’s always good to check your bank and credit card statements for any fraudulent charges.

Stories

• ATM Skimmers Accused Of Stealing Nearly $300,000 From Union Square Chase [Gothamist]
• Two Busted For $18,000 Dunkin’ Donuts Gift Card Scam [Gothamist]
• City Steakhouse Servers Arrested in Massive Credit-Card-Skimming Ring [Grub Street]

Hunch.com put a pretty awesome infographic that highlights differences between PC and Mac users. From politics to soda preferences to favorite TV shows, this graph does everything it can to make you hate both sides.

Check it out: Mac vs. PC: A Hunch Rematch

PC vs Mac

If you’ve been subscribing to the feeds and posts, you’ve seen references to podcasts and web shows. But what are they exactly?

Essentially podcasts are regularly scheduled shows (audio or video) that are distributed through the web. Despite the name, you don’t need an iPod to listen or watch them. Just like mp3s or videos (on Hulu, Amazon, etc.), podcasts are available on a range of mediums. Today, you can consume them on your portable music player (iPod, Zune, etc.) , smartphone (iPhone, Blackberry, Android, etc.), personal computer and set-top box (e.g. Roku).

But why commit to yet another form of entertainment? Since podcasts and web shows are fairly simple to set up, there aren’t too many barriers to entry, meaning that just about anyone and everyone can set up a show to post on the web. There’s a whole ocean of web shows with a wide range of topics, ranging from Glee show recaps to daily tech news to language learning. It’s a great way to find topics for niche interests you may have. Depending on the show size and support (web pages, chatrooms, etc.), there may even be a supporting community to meet and connect with. In fact, several shows may take part in related conventions and shows – car podcasts may meetup at the LA Auto show, gaming podcasts at E3 or PAX, and a slew of pop culture ones at Comic-Con. If you have an interest in anything, no matter how obscure or random, there’s a good chance you’ll find a podcast for it.

So how does one go about finding a podcast? This is the trickier part. You can Google search it (“[topic] podcast”). iTunes is actually a pretty good place to look things up. Just make your search on the top right and filter down to podcasts on the left hand side of your search results. Most podcast apps and marketplaces will have a listing as well including the Zune marketplace and Google Listen.

Now that you’ve found shows you’re interested in, how do you listen to them? Well that’s up to you. If you have an iPhone or iPod, simply sync to iTunes after downloading your podcasts. If you’re using an Android device, there’s plenty of apps available although Google Listen (where you “subscribe” to the shows you like via RSS), is among the best of what’s out there. For most shows, you can visit their site and listen/watch the show directly from the computer. Some shows, such as those of CNET and TWiT (for technology) even offer live streaming and chat for a more interactive experience. While most shows are in audio formats, there are video podcasts as well, although the file sizes are much larger and would require a video player (computer, iPod Touch, etc.) to consume.

Hopefully this sheds some light into the world of podcasts. Below is a list (and links) of some of the top podcasts to check out, although there’s plenty more out there.

Technology
Tech News Today : TWiT’s daily news show on tech news
Buzz Out Loud : CNET’s daily news show on tech news
TechStuff : HowStuffWork’s show on technology
Gigawhat : Weekly tech news recap for the everyday consumer
This Old Nerd : DIY tech upgrade of the house
Engadget : Engadget’s tech podcast

News
The Economist : News stories and articles from around the world
BBC Global News : Top global news stories from the BBC
NPR It’s All Politics : Weekly roundup of American politics

Gaming
Podcast Beyond : IGN’s PS3 focused gaming podcast
Joystiq Podcast : Joystiq.com’s gaming podcast

Entertainment
Current Geek : Random geek stories from around the web
Geeks on Glee : Recaps and discussions on the Glee episodes
Pandoricast : Recaps and discussions on Doctor Who episodes

Random
Stuff You Should Know : HowStuffWork’s podcast on random subjects
This American Life : Chicago Public Radio’s broadcast on a collection of stories from around the nation
Stuff You Missed In History Class : HowStuffWork’s podcast on historical events and figures
The GMen Show : Podcast on random (and at times ridiculous) gadgets and tech
Fourcast : A show of two hosts and two guests who make predictions about the future

Not a fan of the new Facebook photo viewer (with the popup black backdrop)? Newsden has a few times on how to get back the old in-page view. You can hit F5 or download an extension (for Chrome users). [Newsden]

I (Derrick Chen) had the joy and honor of joining Tom Merritt and Scott Johnson (alongside Andrew Hoover of The Gmen Show) on FourCast. If you missed the episode, check the link below!

FourCast 64: Infinity Is Freaking Huge

One of the most popular games of 2010 made appearances across CES, including a non-digital board game.

Angry Birds on an oversized phone

Angry Birds on Atrix

Angry Birds Booth

Plush Angry Bird

Angry Birds: The Board Game

What’s so special about mobile photo sharing apps? Seriously, I’m asking. Eric Schonfeld listed mobile photo sharing apps as one of his “Seven Technologies That Will Rock 2011”. For the last 3 months on twitter: If a pic came from an iPhone, it had some hipster, faux 1960’s Kodachrome effect on it. I’ll admit it was kinda cool. …for about 15 minutes. It’s only art once, then it’s just how it is. Like how every girl buys a poster of Van Gogh’s Starry Night for her dorm room freshman year.

These apps have been popping up everywhere lately. Take Path, for instance. The hook for Path is that you can only share your photos with up to 50 people. Novel? Yes, but I can’t help but feel like there is something very high school-y about the whole deal. ‘Sorry, these pics of ironic occurrences are for my mustachioed friends in sweater vests and skinny jeans. Go look at 10MP, crystal clear photos on flickr with all the commoners’. Maybe it’s just the guttural reaction of a tragically uncool (and not in a loveable Hollywood loser type of way) band geek hating on the popular guy he never had a conversation with, but because he plays football and has a pretty girlfriend so he figures he must be a jerk, right? Well, maybe. I’ve found the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle.

Low-value added applications that challenge more established services typically burn up hot and fast. Look at Rockmelt, the newest attempt at an integrated social browser. It blew up in October with coverage on every major tech news site. I had to fend off hundreds of ferocious tech geeks for an early beta invite. I didn’t hear a word about it after that first week. Wanna take a guess how many are still using it? I’d wager not many.

Path is certainly not alone. One of my favorite Tech Crunch writers, Alexia Tsotsis, described newcomer Instagram, as “killing it” this past Halloween, which it did, nearly doubling its daily traffic. With such a glowing endorsement I figured this must be a breakthrough new twitter app. I immediately downloaded it onto my 3G turned iPod touch and couldn’t wait to see what all the fuss was about.

I’m still waiting. Instagram is a 3rd party photo sharing service, just like twitpic or yFrog, but with an added feature that allows you to add one of a handful of aging effects to your post. You do have the option to leave it as-is with no filter, although I’m not sure anyone else has ever noticed that. Don’t get me wrong, Instagram does what it does well. One of the few iPhone apps I ever paid for was Hipstamtic. I spent a lot of time trying to find the right mix of layers to create the effects Instagram does with one press. Job well done there. What Instagram doesn’t do is integrate with twitter. In order to post an Instagram photo you need to use their app. Not a huge problem, but it’s one more thing. In addition, the twitter posting feature is very basic, so no link shortening or looking up complicated twitter names. When you want to view a picture on Instagram you have to leave your app and open it in the browser. I don’t want another service to sign up for, I don’t need another password to remember or a profile to manage. I don’t need another social network. Especially not when I have full twitter apps that provide 90% of Instagram’s functionality built right in.

Since I went back to my 3G I’ve been trying to give Instagram another shot. I keep trying to remember to use it, but my brain just defaults to my Echofon or Twitter apps. That tells me I probably just don’t need something like this. What it does tell me is that the current photo sharing services need to get off their butts and make with the new features.

Instagram and Path specifically are in the early stages of development and have a lot of growing up to do. Right now it’s difficult for me to see these services surviving long if they remain free-standing applications. Their only differentiating features are easily duplicated by more established services and if those services have any brains they’ll get on that quick.

What do you think? Are you an Instagram faithful? A Path devotee? Tell me why I’m wrong. Point out what I’ve missed. Is there something deeper in these apps that makes them desirable to average users? Let me know in the comments or email me at thegmenshow@gmail.com or @thegmenshow.

For fans of wild, crazy, and borderline NSFW gadgets, check out the Gmen Show hosted by Andrew Hoover and his forever rotating cast of co-hosts (including @phatemokid, @iyaz, @ASUdesigner and yours truly, @derrickc82). Check the link below for Andrew’s 2010 wrap up post!

2010 Wrap up: Andrew

There have been a lot of remarkable pieces of technology released this year. Unfortunately, we didn’t cover most of them because we were busy with off road high heels and boil buoys. Fortunately, we stopped giggling at the vibrator chess set long enough to realize we should add some real content so you, the wonderful and dedicated reader that you are, can get your money’s worth out of this show.

Read More

If you own a laptop, you’ve probably seen the option for “Free Public WiFi” when looking to connect online via WiFi. Of course, when you try it, it never seems to work; the computer says you’re connected but you can’t seem to go online. Well, as it turns out, it’s not a “real” connection, at least not the one you want.

A recent NPR story takes a look behind this infamous option. As it turns out, it comes from a weird Windows XP bug where when the computer auto-generates this ad hoc network when it can’t find or connect to its “favorite” wireless networks.

Source: CNET

While these connections are harmless for the most part, they do pose a threat to users and can make your device vulnerable to outside hacking. Lesson of the story, avoid connecting to “free” WiFi connections including Free Public WiFi, hpsetup, tmobile, or default, as NPR suggests. For those of you running Windows XP still, check to make sure you’re updated to Service Pack 3 which resolves the issue. Remember, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.

[NPR]