iOS vs. ANDROID... Oh & Windows!

Rebranding Window Phone

According to Emarketer, by the end of 2014 there will be 4.55 billion mobile users and 1.75 billion smartphone users. We can all concur the two top operating systems for smartphones are Apple and the iOS system, and then for phones such as the Samsung Galaxy, or HTC operate using Android. Lagging behind these operating systems, are the new Windows phone. In the past, I personally have purchased a prepaid windows phone in between waiting for an upgrade and suffering from the loss of no smart phone. I was not a fan of the operating system, there seem to be quite a few glitches, and the screen would constantly freeze. 
          Apparently Microsoft is trying to stay in the running and revamped their online portal- MSN. The new MSN is aesthetically pleasing and connects users to Microsoft consumer-facing cloud services, and can be customized to the user's preference. Microsoft is also announcing that more than ten million users have sampled the new MSN, and received feedback from at least 80,000. The new window's phone is carting to a Microsoft-focused audience. Being a business major, I choose to use windows 7 as my desktop because it is extremely user friendly when using Microsoft word, excel, creating spreadsheets etc.
We can gather majority of the feedback must have been positive because Microsoft/ Windows have announced they are rolling out MSN within the next three days. 
       Microsoft is extremely confident users will love the new portal MSN so much that they even decided to rebrand the Bing app to suite MSN on Windows and Windows Phone. In months to come MSN apps will launch on Android and iOS. Aside from Bing Finance, which will now be MSN Money, all of the apps retain their existing names. MSN will re branding Bing to hopefully attract new users, and keep up in the running against search engines such as Yahoo, or the lead- Google. I was never a huge fan of Bing but will be curious to see the new revamped portal.

TWITTER: FIRST TO BREAK WORLD CHANGING NEWS

http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/23/tech/isis-attack-tweet/



        We are aware, as time goes by, social media platforms are becoming the most efficient way to get the word out there. Facebook and Twitter are used not only for entertainment but also to spread word fast. Major news anchors like NBC or FOX use Twitter to share breaking news.  Roughly half of both users on Facebook and Twitter get their news from their platforms, as opposed to Youtube in which only one fifth turns to this platform for the news.

According to Pew Research Center in collaboration with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation analyzed the characteristics of news consumers and the size of their population across 11 social networking sites they have come to the following conclusion:

Just last night, Twitter has been noted as the first platform, to break the news of the bombings in Syria (see video above). A man tweeted the news of the airstrike attacks beforethe Pentagon could even confirm. The Pentagon announced Monday night that the US military and arab allies escalated the fight against the Islamic State with airstrikes in Syria. But almost 30 minutes before the official confirmation, a Twitter handle claiming to be from a man named Abdulkader Hairiri  in Raqqa, Syria, released the news to the Internet. Abdulkader also known as @3bdUlkaed6r on Twitter tweeted: Breaking: Huge explosions shook the city in what might be the beginning of US airstrikes on ISIS HQs in Raqqa. As previously stated in another blog I noted that a positive aspect of social media platforms is the time and efficient way in which people can share news globally. This is a perfect example of social media is leading the way in the News.



Social Networking Yay or Nay?

         It is safe to say social technology has consumed several generations. There are both positive and negative impacts in which social networking has on our user content in generations today. Social media has evolved into a typical aspect of every day life. Social media is a defining trait of how integrated our social interactions have become.

         A positive aspect of social networking giants like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram have contributed to create a parallel universe where people are free to express their opinions as well as share milestones and memories with family and friends no matter their geographical location. The world of social media gives opportunity to anyone interested in expressing and sharing ideas, feelings, thoughts, opinions to anyone who wants to be a part of it.  

        Not only has social media granted a vast scope of opportunity to express one's thoughts but social media has become an important source of news. News channels use platforms such as Twitter to give updates, breaking headlines, or give updates on significant occurrences worldwide. News' channels availability on social networks makes news more accessible and the news quickly gets passed around in networks never quicker then ways ever experienced before. 

             Social media is not all it is cracked up to be. A major downfall impacting recent headlines is a concern for privacy. Social networking sites encourage people to be more public about their personal life. When using platforms such as Facebook it is very easy to post intimate details about ones life without using filters one would normally employ when discussing the manner in real life. Users are more prone to bypass those filters when posting on the world wide web. Also, users tend to agree to terms and conditions without actually reading them. Recently, Facebook messaging app was exposed when a user dug a little deeper. Facebook can seek our your contact list, listen to audio from your cellular device, as well as creep into text messages. Facebook's advises users this is all for research purposes. 

         Another downfall of social networking is a decrease in productivity. Research has proven that because people are so "plugged in" to social media it takes time away from doing productive things such as reading a book, or actually doing homework. Employers are instilling policies and procedures forbidding cell phones to be exposed at work other than lunch time because of dramatic decreases in productivity. Social media can be viewed as an addiction as well, and as any addiction too much of anything is not a good thing.