Define Your Word

Urban Dictionary is a web-based slang dictionary which is edited by users –like YOU.

You can find definitions of words, phrases, etc. that you couldn’t come across in a normal dictionary. It looks like a normal online glossary, there are more interpretations for some words and every definition is followed by a sample sentence.

 

Btw, the webpage was born in 1999 and it has some rules that you should know before becoming one of the editors. First of all, you must provide a valid e-mail address. However, your post must be approved by other registered editors who either accept or reject your submitted definition. If there is no problem with your recommendation, it will be published online in the dictionary. The editors have the right to supervise definitions, hereby it could happen later that your suggestion is considered to delete. To make it more complex, in the case if your idea seems popular by voting (there is thumb ‘up’ and ‘down’ button) your entry cannot be deleted.   

Today, you can find more than 5.6 million definitions on Urban Dictionary. Editors receive approximately 2,000 suggestions per day. The site is visited by 15 million people per month and 80% of web users are under 25.  

Google+ : Hangouts

Hangouts programme is a type of group video chat in which maximum of 10 people can participate at the same time.  

Online supermarkets

Naturally, we’ve all heard about online shopping. When we talk about it, I don’t consider that groceries come into our mind at first. We know about Amazon or eBay where we can buy a broad variety of goods and services. However, this time let me introduce the idea of online supermarkets. It is something which is not that widespread yet. Perhaps this will be our future, but it also might be that only housewives of posh businessmen can afford themselves to order groceries straight to their doors. The service works inland too, but it is more popular abroad, like in the UK. Moreover, according to a study in this topic a spectacular boom can be expected between now and 2016.

The point of online shopping is that consumers can buy goods via the Internet. Nowadays, more and more online shops are available. To use them, you must register on the given site. After making a profile, giving your contacts, you can start to fill up your trolley. When you finish, you can select the most appropriate time you are free to receive the pack. Delivery fee depends on how much money you have to spend after finishing the shopping. If you reach a certain value, the delivery is free. You can use your credit card to make payments but it is also possible to pay in cash to the delivery guy.  

Mashable - the blog about social media

     Mashable is a Scottish-American news website and Internet news blog founded by Pete Cashmore. The site's primary focuses are news related to the social media, but it has several divisions where you can browse, too, such as Tech, Entertainment, and Business. 

Just a random comment

So while I was doing research for my BA thesis today, I came across an interesting sentiment in one of the books I was reading about New Media. It reminded me of what Anna Vera had written about her reasons for not registering on Twitter. She claimed that even without doing that, she had completed half of the assignment: she was completely aware of the different uses, advantages and disadvantages of Twitter.

So here is the excerpt. David Gauntlett (author, Professor of Media and Communications at the University of Westminster) is listing the key points of an outline for Media Studies 2.0 (in contrast to 1.0, which lacks an appropriate assessment of Web 2.0).

“The patronizing belief that students should be taught how to 'read' the media is replaced by the recognition that media audiences in general are already extremely capable interpreters of media content, with a critical eye and an understanding of contemporary media techniques, thanks in large to the large amount of coverage of this in popular media itself.” (David Gauntlett in Digital Cultures: Understanding New Media, 2009: 8)

Comment if you will, I just thought it was an interesting viewpoint, worthy of sharing. (And I haven't posted anything here in a while now, so this totally came in handy.)

And here's an awesome gif of Troy and Abed sitting in a blanket fort.

Google +

Google+ is a relatively new social network site. The reason why it is really good is its circles. On most of the social network sites, we are 'hunting for friends'. But are they REALLY our friends???! It’s quite awkward if our teachers, boss or colleagues see a photo of us that was taken in the weekend party. 
I have some friends whose facebook-friends include some of their other friends’ parents. From that time, my friends don’t dare to share or comment as many things as they did before. They feel uncomfortable because they could never know who will check them. 


Despite, if you use Google+, you are entirely aware of which information can be visible by whom as you can create your own circles – as many as you wish. Thanks to your grouping, you can share the given info only with that group(s) you choose to share with.


Watch this video that contrasts facebook and google+ in a funny way:

This one helps you to explore Google+:

And to get to know more about circles, watch this one:

Hacking life

Long time, no see, everyone! So let's not waste any more time, here's my review of the blog I had to follow.

The Lifehacker (www.lifehacker.com) got my attention with its promising name/title, that's why I chose it. At first glance, the blog is mainly about the products of Apple, Microsoft, etc, and things that are connected to them, like programs, upgrades, downloads, and little tips of how to make their usage easier (life hacks = "anything that solves an everyday problem in a clever or non-obvious way", according to Wikipedia).

As I'm not really interested in this kind of stuff, I was a bit sceptical at first, but I found out that the blog covers a much bigger ground than I expected. There are also tips on how to cut back on your smartphone-addiction, how to keep your food fresh in the fridge, how to tell if your credit card got hacked, how to keep your belongings safe on a holiday, and lots and lots of others.

The entries are kept neatly and can be accessed easily (okay, not so easily; it's a bit chaotic at first, but you can get used to it). The staff keeps the blog very much up-to-date, putting up more than 15 entires every single day, and they also pay attention to the webpage's Twitter account (http://twitter.com/lifehacker).

All in all, great website, I'm actually thinking about following it, not because I have to, but because I want to.

I tried to find a funny picture but I failed. Sorry to dissapoint you all.

Homework post: Kottke.org

The blog I had to follow in the past week or so is Jason Kottke's kottke.org, a site that a guy living in New York City uses to share all the funny and/or interesting things he finds online.

Exactly what it says on the tin.

QR code

Probably, most of you have already heard about QR codes. However, if you belong to those who haven’t, then here is a blog entry for YOU.

In the last couple of weeks, I bumped into these little (or not that little) signs basically everywhere and I had no idea about their function. I saw them on the last page of leaflets, on the bottom corner of posters/billboards on the streets or in the underground stops. I even saw one - in extra large size - on the side of a house. So, I became curious what they could be good for. 

First of all, let’s make this acronym clear for everybody. ‘QR Code’ is the short version of Quick Response Code. These codes are similar to a simple barcode that you can see on packages and labels of every single product in shops. The difference between a QR code and a barcode – besides their appearance – is the capacity of information they can hold and share. As for the exterior, a barcode is a linear one-dimensional code and its capability goes up to 20 numerical digits, whereas a QR code is two-dimensional matrix barcode that is able to store thousands of alphanumeric characters of data.

They look like this:

QR code

The code was invented in Japan in 1994. Originally, it was designed for automotive industry (for Toyota’s subsidiary, Denso Wave) but nowadays they are used worldwide  in consumer advertising and packaging.

Now, let’s have a closer look how they work. To read a QR code, you need to have a camera-enabled smartphone. If you’ve already had one, then you only need to download a QR code reader that is able to scan a code like that. (You can download one from the website of i-nigma or kaywa). From this point, the whole process is just a piece of cake. You enter your ‘camera function’, let your QR reader scan the code and hop! you are on the advertiser’s website immediately. Once, the code is on your phone, you can have the latest information straight from the horse’s mouth. You can obtain relevant details about the given business or get the direction to there. Or you can find an URL link which you can click on to see a movie trailer. In other cases, you can get a coupon which is consumable in shops. The list is endless.

A card company, for instance, uses QR codes in business:

You can use QR codes in a number of ways. Here is a video for brainstorming:

And now, probably you get some ideas what for you would use a QR code. Then, this is the time, I guess, to generate your own code. You can do that using kaywa again or studying a bit closer Google’s tool here. 

Ok, so now you can easily grow your own business! ;) Go ahead!!