Enable Swype on HTC HD2

HTC HD2 – Tips & Tweaks

My HD2 came bundled with the swype text entry method and after a few days of use, I’ve found it to be a big improvement over the more common tap-and-text style.

Instead of tapping up and down with your fingers to enter text, you keep your finger in contact with the screen and move it from letter to letter. It takes some getting used to, but once you get it, typing becomes more efficient and intuitive. Here’s how to switch to Swype:

Use Swype for fast one-handed text entry

Follow these steps to enable Swype:

1. Enter an area where there is a text input field (browser URL, new appointment, new message).
2. Tap the text input open space.
3. Tap the small arrow to the right of the center icon on the bottom of your display.
4. Select/tap on Swype from the list of text input options (you can see there are other options here too).
5. Trace a path through the letters of a word and lift your finger.
6. For more than one word, just start your next word and Swype will enter a space between them.
7. You will see a pop-up box appear at times when Swype can’t quite figure out what you are tracing and you can then tap one of the suggested options to enter it. The one at the top in green is most likely and if you do nothing or tap the space bar then that will be entered.
8. If you see the small “i” above the bottom left Swype icon you can tap it for other word choices.

When the “i” is not blinking, you can tap the bottom left Swype icon for other tips and help.

Source: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/cell-phones/tips-tricks-for-your-new-t-mobile-hd2-increase-opera-tabs-zune-music-more/3380

Insightful analysis of The Glenn Beck Show

A recent article published on Newsweek analyzes the Glenn Beck phenomenon in terms of its media effect. As a student soon to graduate with a degree in communication (i.e. someone in the thick of media/persuasion theory) I found this article a breath of fresh air. This is largely because the author chooses to directly address his perception of Beck openly and without rancor.

This viewpoint happens to mirror my own less emotional, more analytical way of evaluating highly charged events. A conscious effort to remain cognizant of one’s preexisting personal attitudes and beliefs in order to mitigate them to some extent.

A few choice nuggets…

On how many left-leaning Americans see Beck

“the fuel, the thing that really got Beck going, was a good old-fashioned conspiracy theory. Others have already observed that Beck is the consummate contemporary practitioner of what the historian Richard Hofstadter identified in 1964 as “The Paranoid Style in American Politics“—that is, the belief that “the old American virtues have already been eaten away by cosmopolitans and intellectuals; the old competitive capitalism has been gradually undermined by socialistic and communistic schemers; the old national security and independence have been destroyed by treasonous plots, having as their most powerful agents not merely outsiders and foreigners as of old but major statesmen who are at the very centers of American power.”

What makes him endearing to his fans…

The reason we pay attention to Beck is that he both comforts and flatters his audience; he makes them feel good, and good about themselves. And by “them” I mean the two groups that obsess over Beck the most: tea partiers and liberals. Tea partiers are driven by the belief that the America that elected Barack Obama isn’t their America, and Beck comforts them by telling them they’re right

As well as his naysayers…

For liberals, Beck serves a similar purpose. In an era of massive problems and extreme change—the Great Recession, the health-care overhaul, etc.—liberals can avoid the difficult question of whether Obama is leading America in the right direction by simply telling themselves that the only alternative would be someone like Glenn Beck: hyperbolic, demagogic, irrational, and slightly unhinged—“just like all conservatives.” This is comforting. And by choosing to argue against Beck’s patently absurd insinuations instead of, say, the legitimate policy proposals of someone like Rep. Paul Ryan—the progressive fact-checking site Media Matters posts about 15 anti-Beck items a day—liberals can flatter themselves into believing they’re smarter and better informed than anyone who happens to disagree with them.

In other words an attempt to present both sides of the issue in an intelligent manner instead of using the opposing viewpoint as a strawman device to best persuade the audience towards the opinion being espoused.

Any story that makes an actual attempt to further intelligent conversation about such a polarizing topic gets a win in my book.

Source: http://www.newsweek.com/id/236326/page/2

Computer know how now a must have skill

The technological revolution that began decades ago has culminated in a digital age rife with potential for those willing to immerse themselves in the digital maelstrom. Mainstream society’s adoption of technology into all walks of life began as a slow trickle before transforming into the current flood of technical advancement we now live in. You could be forgiven then for the lack of preparedness for this reality as the revolutionary changes now permeating our culture remained deceptively hidden beneath the guise of gradual advancement.

And these trends won’t be letting up anytime soon. The opposite in fact, the rate of technical advancement will continue to pick up steam as time goes on. This fact makes it absolutely essential for anyone hoping to remain competitive in the workforce to learn and master a foundation of knowledge for taking full advantage of all the latest hardware and software.

Breaking thru the noise: the importance of specialized communication

There is an ever-increasing list of factors that must be considered for communication effective to be successful. In this post, I will be discussing the need for in-depth message specialization as a means of breaking through the noise in mass media.

In communication, noise encompasses anything and everything that interferes with message penetration and interpretation. One of the most prevalent forms noise takes, is that of all the competing media jockeying for the recipient’s attention. Digital networks have opened new avenues for reaching target audiences, these routes have dramatically deepened the pool of competing messages.

One of the key ways of dealing with intense competition lies in the integration of extensive analytical data. Instead trying to appeal to the broadest swath of the population with only minor tweaks, messages should be highly specialized toward penetration of a key demographic.

How does cult horror flick Videodrome relate to communications?

come join us

This picture comes courtesy of the mind-altering, goretastic 80’s Cronenberg flick, Videodrome. This picture is a perfect example of how imagery can encapsulate many themes and concepts.

It’s an image rife with meaning that screams out for individual interpretation. What I find most intriguing is its representation of the  blurring relationship between media and humanity. Lacking context for screen shot above makes it difficult to decide whether the man is attempting to extricate himself from the TV or instead thrusting further into it. It’s classic Cronenberg showing off his  preternatural ability for conjuring up disturbed, unnatural imagery that both discomfits and intrigues us.

The image, and the film itself, are surprising relevant for those studying communications in the questions it raises and the symbiotic relationship between humans and technology it prophesied.

Wiki-Spaces: the potential of Web 2.0 finally realized?

The social media structure pioneered by Wikipedia has been readily embraced as a new breed of community-based information repositories. The format closely follows the trend towards user based content that typifies the web 2.0 movement. The brilliance of Wikipedia is seen in the way it has combined user input and rules for maximizing accuracy.

A community of dedicated readers spends their time policing the veracity of information posted and the sources cited. It’s a far cry from the generally recognized credibility attributed to encyclopedias, but it is nonetheless one of the most functional and efficient means of harnessing user input on a scale no traditional database could hope to match. Sites have been to co-opt this format for a seemingly infinite range of subjects and one of the most successful knockoffs is the education focused Wiki-spaces.

Wiki-spaces is an amazing tool for group projects requiring the integration and coordination of information from many sources. With a simplicity and ease of use channeled to nth degree, it has fast become a favorite of teachers looking for new ways of enhancing the learning experience.

I’ve found the site to be an invaluable tool when working on group projects and a particularly apt example of the potential benefits web 2.0 has long offered.

OLED: The foldable TV

OLED’s, the next generation of television technology, is one giant leap toward the kind of devices once relegated to the confines of science fiction literature.

OLED or organic light emitting diodes are displays that utilize chemicals to produce images. Without the need for a backlight, the tv’s are far more energy efficient, requiring 90% less energy than LCD’s or plasmas.

Truly an awe inspiring evolution, OLED’s can be as thin as a sheet of paper and can produce an image 10 times brighter than plasma or lcd’s.

However, the most incredible trait of OLED’s is its flexible nature. They can be made to fold into small squares or rolled up and used as a bracelet.

Major tv producers are currently refining the technology with the goal of widespread adoption occuring as early as 2015.

I’m particularly tickled by the idea that someday OLED’s could be plastered on walls like wallpaper and made to display images that perfectly mimic any chosen scenery.

Imagine waking up to the sun just as it begins to curve over the horizon, piercing the darkness of night and ascending over an idyllic ocean vista.

The possibilities are endless. What scene would you like to see as you greet the morning?

Recognize the dangers inherent in Web 2.0

Social media sites/apps have grown dynamically over the last decade becoming an fundamental aspect daily life. The many benefits that exist within this new wave of user/viewer interaction can often serve as an illusion to the many dangers lurking. What the videos failed to show however, were the dangers this new revolution presents.

With the widespread adoption of high speed internet connections Americans are utilizing the web as never before. No longer content to remain silent the masses are increasingly uploading their own opinion/content on any subject of interest.

In response to this trend, tools have popped up all over the net making it incredibly easy for users to contribute. Unfortunately, imho people are not considering the possible consequences of this behavior.

Whenever information is uploaded to the web it is there forever. Even when deleted, there is a good chance a copy exists somewhere in the ether. Because of this users MUST consider the fact that anyone could possibly see this data in the future.

That means relatives and employers may find any innapropriate material posted. Kids today who are used to posting every thought they have, in addition to revealing pictures, are in for a rude awakening a few years down the line.

Already programmers are creating tools that make it easy to search the net for any relevant material ever posted (including myspace/facebook.) Companies will be able to see the entire internet presence of any prospective employee.

In conclusion, THINK BEFORE YOU POST!