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Keeping up With the Times in a Fast-Paced World

Today’s society is ever changing—and rapidly so. In the not so distant past, we communicated by telephone (a stationary one) and kept business records on paper in towering metal file cabinets. In the “old days,” before smart phones, personal computers and the Internet, business was done by traveling to meetings and sending paperwork out through the mail or by overnight services. How quickly it all has changed!

Since the dawn of the computer age (the 1970s) and the rise of the Internet (the 90s), our world has been transformed by the ideas developed by computer geniuses working out of garages in Silicon Valley and elsewhere.

Technology has taken us very far very quickly. Not only have we become able to communicate quickly and stay in touch with people globally, we’re also able to receive new ideas on a greater level.

This ability to communicate also helps us stay in tune with changes globally, from the restructuring of corporations to the realignment of the banking industry and even changes in health care. Ideas that were once considered very “alternative,” like acupuncture and holistic health treatments, are now becoming part of the mainstream, largely due to our exposure to so much information and so many new ideas.

Here at Portalmes.org we’re committed to bringing our readers everything there is to know about new developments in communications technology and how it affects us in business and in our daily lives. Our blogs and articles will continue to stay in touch with the rapid changes in our ever-evolving society, so check in with us often for updates and news on what’s happening in our fast-paced world.

Filed Under: Businesses, Computers Tagged With: , ,

A Guide to Blackberry Playbook’s Video Calling Feature

Video call between Sweden and Singapore, on So...

Image via Wikipedia

With the release of the Blackberry Playbook, users are discovering its wide range of applications and uses, one of which is video calling with other Playbook users.

A video call can be made by launching the application and adding a buddy to the listings. This has to be done manually by entering the Blackberry ID email address. Once you have added a person as a buddy, you can name them and add a picture. To make a call you simply click the icon to call the buddy that you want to talk to. The great thing about this feature is that you don’t need to have the video calling application running in order to receive calls.

The quality of the video calling picture may vary depending on where you are and what type of connection is being used. If you have a good solid connection, then there shouldn’t be any problems.

The video call features on the Blackberry Playbook work best when the device is held away from the face, or if it is sitting on a desk or table in front of you. This means you can be comfortable while making your call as you do not have to hold it up near your face. There won’t be any issues with sound quality when making a video call. The high quality speakers enable for a large range of volumes without distortion.

With constant updates being released by RIM for the Blackberry Playbook, the video calling feature will no doubt continue to keep up to date with operating systems and communication technologies.

Filed Under: Computers, Technology Tagged With: , ,

Computer and Internet Addiction

Addictions come in many forms, while being addicted to computers is not really a recognized addiction; it is another kind of addiction that can ruin your life.   A lot of people use the internet to “escape”.  The real world no longer feels real, the world of the internet is what is real for these people.  They push their real families away for families that they make online.  There are even some games online that are all about making a living and a life online.  These games are not conducive to a healthy mental state of those addicted to the computer and internet.

The most important things that were once upheld in someone addicted to the computer no longer apply.  They only care about their virtual lives and the basics utilized to maintain human life.  They stop surfing long enough to eat and rid themselves of waste.  They do not consider things like showering to be essential in maintaining their virtual lives.  This is the worst case of addiction to computers and the internet.  Some cases are not so awful, but still have devastating effects on their lives.

Many people establish other marriages online and other children online.  Making their real life families seem as though they are extra baggage.  So this is the catalyst for divorce and worse.  They can get addicted so badly that even when they are at work they are using the computer designated for work in order to satisfy their addiction.  This can lead to loss of a job.

The worst case of computer addiction can truly be the end of the addicted persons real life and mental state.  If they are not rehabilitated they will live in their fantasy world for the rest of their lives, with or without the computer.  Should they only have a mild addiction, it is possible to stop them before they ruin their families and their source of income.

Filed Under: Computers, Internet Tagged With: , ,

The IM Takeover

BlackBerry Home (1)

Image by The Lazy Canadian via Flickr

As if the human craving for social contact wasn’t satisfied enough through the advent of email, cell phones, and more recently social networking – all the aforementioned mediums are now adding instant messaging to their list of services to insure that people are never truly alone.

Companies are now finding it beneficial to integrate instant messaging technology into their systems. Google was the first one to introduce this to their gmail users – it cleverly built in a Googletalk messenger onto their email webpage. Soon this notion was taken over by companies such as Hotmail, who have recently integrated their MSN messenger into their email page as well. This new phenomenon gives a new take on emailing – why bother when you can just reach your contact through the in built messenger?

This similar concept has been taken over by social networking companies such as Facebook. The idea of writing on a “wall” has now been replaced by simply instant messaging the person you choose to contact. Gone are the days where one would log on to AIM to talk to their friends – now people simply log on to Facebook where they can chat with their friends while browsing their pages at the same time.

Finally, gone is the idea of “texting”, and it’s been replaced by “bbm-ing” or “whatsapp-ing”. Why send out texts or make phone calls when one can get in touch with people for free, and with instant gratification. This adds to the idea of being in “constant” contact with a person.

Thus, instant messaging is now taking over and replacing even the most basic technological forms of communication. This now begs the question – What’s next?

 

Filed Under: Computers, Technology Tagged With: , ,