S!ickLeave a commentTTR Website, , ,

The Facebook Effect, book review

“The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company that is Connecting the World”
By David Kirkpatrick

book cover

The website “Thefacebook” was created in 2004 (February 4) at Harvard University.  It has become what we know today as “Facebook”…

On page seven, it is explained that:  “…The Facebook Effect happens when the service puts people in touch with each other…about a common experience, interest, problem, or cause…”

The book begins with the story of Mark Zuckerberg’s arrival at Harvard, and an initial computer project he designed that would lead to the beginnings of the type of service Facebook has become.

If you’re interested in the history of social networking, there is a lot of information in (chapter three of) the book about it:  services that were, and are, in this category….some of them no longer exist, some do…how others have matured from what they were, to what they are…

As I’m reading the book, I’m seriously considering NOT watching the upcoming movie “The Social Network”.  I can’t imagine that I will appreciate it because I expect the movie to take some artistic liberties in its presentation of events, as other similar movies have.  I guess I’m more interested in facts than drama…

There’s much explanation about how Facebook was financed.  A lot I don’t understand, but anyone interested in how business investement can be done should enjoy the depictions of how some funding was courted…and others discouraged.

For me, some of the major timeline markers of the evolution of Facebook are:

  • changing from “Thefacebook” to “Facebook” (2005 September 20)…
  • when it began, Thefacebook was designed to service college students…in the fall of 2005, it allowed students in high school to use the service…
  • in May of 2006, Facebook was opened to businesses and companines including the military…
  • September 26th (2006), Facebook launched open registration which allowed the general public to become members…
  • and (as of 2009) Facebook is the world’s largest photo site, besting Flickr.

After reading halfway through the book, it becomes less “sexy” to me.  There’s a lot of great information in it about the organism of Facebook…the people in the company, and how they have functioned together…but after long periods of reading I am reminded of Charlie Brown’s teacher (what I take-away is in a haze of information, scenarios, and stories).  I don’t think it’s the writing…my perception is probably enhanced by the circumstances under which I am reading the book…

[After learning about the movie “The Social Network”, and the “The Facebook Effect”, I wanted to review this book and have my review available (at least a week) before the movie was in theaters.  The week before the movie was released, I needed to spend an entire week attempting to salvage data from old hard drives.  When I was able to return to reading, it seemed that all the stuff that held my attention had been read…and, with only a few days left before the release of the film, I found myself trudging through the book.]

There are a lot of great descriptions of how Facebook came to be, and where it may go.  Take your time digesting this book.  Some of what is in it can come in handy in the future if you are in similar situations and need to consider what actions to take, and how to react to issues of a beginning and growing organization.

On page 340 I found the “Notes” section:  notes that pertain to pages I have read.  As I was reading, I did not see ANY footnote markings, so you need to be aware of this BEFORE you being to read so you can consider referring to this “Notes” section as you go along (to see if any of the notes enhance the section you are reading).  My preference is to have the “Notes” section at the beginning of the book so I know it’s there, and can refer to it as I am reading the book…

http://books.simonandschuster.com/Facebook-Effect/David-Kirkpatrick/9781439102114

http://www.facebook.com/thefacebookeffect

Andy Taylor1 CommentTTR Website,

Comic-Con will return to San Diego!

An official press release from Comic Con International said today that San Diego Comic-Con will be staying in San Diego for the foreseeable future! Read the Announcement! We’re sure RayvenCure will be happy with this news! You can also view the Official Announcement on the Official Website at http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_pr10_stayinsandiego.php

Sept 30th – SAN DIEGO — Comic-Con International: San Diego (Comic-Con), the largest comics convention of its kind in the world, today announced it will be staying in San Diego for the foreseeable future.

Comic-Con reached a self-imposed attendance limit at the San Diego Convention Center (SDCC) in 2007 and has had to cap attendance at approximately 125,000 people each year since. In looking at ways to better accommodate the growing demand from attendees and exhibitors, the nonprofit organization considered proposals for a move to larger facilities in Los Angeles or Anaheim after the expiration of its SDCC lease in 2012. This decision keeps Comic-Con in San Diego through 2015.

“We are grateful for the tireless efforts all three cities put into to their proposals,” said David Glanzer, Comic-Con’s director of marketing and public relations. “In the end, we feel this decision is the best for all those who attend Comic-Con and for the organization itself. We are happy that the community has worked with us to ensure that we remain here.”

Comic-Con was first held in 1970 at the U.S. Grant Hotel, where it attracted 300 people. As the event grew, subsequent homes included the downtown El Cortez Hotel in the 1970s and the San Diego Convention and Performing Arts Center in the 1980s. Comic-Con moved to the then newly built SDCC in 1991. Comic-Con celebrated its 41st year in 2010.

The San Diego Convention Center Corporation has scheduled a press conference for Friday, October 1 at 11:45 a.m. at Lobby E of the convention center.

About Comic-Con International:

Comic-Con International: San Diego (Comic-Con), the largest convention of its kind in the world, is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of, and appreciation for, comics and related popular artforms, primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture. In addition to its San Diego convention each summer, Comic-Con organizes the San Francisco–based WonderCon each spring and Alternative Press Expo each fall. On the web: Comic-Con.org, Facebook.com/comiccon, Twitter.com/comic_con.

S!ick2 CommentsTTR Website, , ,

USB 3.0 is here! And, it’s fast…

We received USB 3.0 port adapters from TRENDnet…I’m in possession of the 2-Port USB 3.0 ExpressCard Adapter, model TU3-H2EC.

expresscard USB 3.0 adapter
TRENDnet TU3-H2EC ExpressCard USB 3.0 Adpater

(“SuperSpeed”) USB 3.0 can provide data transfer rates as high as 5 Gbps, which is ten times as fast as (“Hi-Speed”) USB 2.0. USB 2.0 can go as fast as 480 Mbps. (USB 3.0 is also faster than “FireWire 400”, “FireWire 800”, “FireWire S1600”, and “FireWire S3200″…)

USB specifications can be found at http://www.usb.org/developers/docs/

USB 3.0 is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 devices, and supports all current USB speeds: Low-speed (USB 1.0: 1.5Mbps), Full-speed (USB 1.1: 12Mbps), High-speed (USB 2.0: 480Mbps), and SuperSpeed (USB 3.0: 5Gbps).

An external power adapter is supplied to enhance the ExpressCard in case USB devices try to draw too much power from USB ports.

It’s compatible with Windows 7, Vista, and XP.

Andy has the 2-Port USB 3.0 PCI Express Adapter, model TU3-H2PIE…

We’re waiting on delivery of USB 3.0 devices…as soon as we get some we’ll talk about them on our shows, blog posts, etcetera.

Rayven2 CommentsTTR Website, , , ,

Don’t Boba Frett

If you haven’t been to Disneyland, California or Walt Disney World, Florida in the last few months sadly, you missed the final Star Tours trip to Endor on the Star Speeder 3000.

Yes, Rex, the beloved robot who took riders on a journey reassuring them each and every time “Welcome aboard… if it’s your first flight, it’s mine too” has been retired. He has been replaced by a new Droid style robot AC-38 or “Ace” for short. Also, C-3PO has been removed and in his place, a W-7 Waitress Droid from Attack of the Clones has been inserted.

We hear she adds an element of comic relief while passengers eagerly wait in the long cue lines on their way to the boarding dock. There are several other Droids that have been strategically placed throughout the ride but we will have to wait until 2011 to see and experience the full potential of this remodeling of an old time classic.

Star Tours 3.5, as it has been named was scheduled to be remodeled as Star Tours 7 after the release of the Episode 1, on May 19, 1999. However, Disney Imagineers thought it best to wait and see what George Lucas had in store for us finishing up the Legacy. After Episode 3 was finally released, the project was continued and as of August 2010 has been under construction. From what we “Disneyphiles” have been hearing through internet rumors, and the new Official Disneyland Fan Club affectionately known as “D23,” the new Star Tours 3.5 will be an even better, more technologically advanced pod racer type ride.

It has been said on some of the more popular Disney blogs that they have even replicated a Star speeder 1000, an earlier version of the 3000, which is sure to entice Disney and Star Wars fans. Maybe this time they will “Use the Force” to take us on a galactic journey to one of the other popular locales; I myself have always wondered why we have never been able to explore Tattooine or journey to Naboo. In all, although the final tour to Endor has come and gone, Star Tours 3.5 will be bigger and better. Disney fans can’t wait to hear “Star Tours is Now Boarding.” Grab yourself a ticket in 2011, and perhaps you will be one of the first riders of Star Tours 3.5!

Andy TaylorLeave a commentTTR Website, ,

My Big Ole Cup Of Java

Andy Taylor hold a Kim Komando Coffee Mug
Andy Taylor Loves his Mug

So what do you do when Facebook decides to reboot!? Fire up Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2? Edit some Video shot at CES 2 years ago? Check out Digg? Spend Countless hours with Stumble Upon? All good, but I found something else!

How about a great cup of Coffee with my very own Kim Komando mug! Seriously, I have to give it to her, Kim has got the best Mugs! If you don’t have one, I will share on how I got mine, lost mine and git it back again!

I got my official Kim Komando mug when I did an interview with the Digital Goddess earlier this year at KNST. Her show airs on the station and I was the interim Morning Show Show for about 3 months while they searched for a replacement for Jim Parisi who went on to do his own radio gig without the corporate manager breathing down his neck! While looking for material for the show I thought it might be fun to have Kim Komando on to talk about the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show whic was held in January

Kim was very cool and provided some good information about the show in Las Vegas. A Couple of days after the interview I received a really nice coffee mug and personally signed letter thanking me for the interview from Kim.

Well, it’s not the mug you see here. The One Kim sent over was really very nice and with it’s Deco look caught the attention of Gloria who quickly took it over. Who am I to take a mug away from G!

Well, when I got the job at KGVY as Program Director earlier this year, I decided we need a show to run Saturday’s since we had nobody live at the station after 9am and management wouldn’t let me pay somebody to come in. I liked Steve Goddards show “Goddards Gold” which we ran on Sundays and decided that since his ’70’s Show” was available, I would pick that one up for Saturdays.

Steve Goddard is syndicated through WestStar which is owned by Kim and her husband Barry! Lucky me that I had to become a radio prize pig and ask for a new mug to replace the one that was hijacked! Now, it should be known that the show was not picked up in exchange for a Coffee Mug, its a darn good program. I cherish this mug and use it every day. Now, here is a picture of me holding Kim’s Mug, Think she will take a pic wearing our TechtalkRadio T-Shirt?