Great articles on technology and gadgets.

Ad-Tech Jargon Is Like Vomit

May 9, 2012

I work in the advertising-technology industry. It’s exciting, interesting and I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. But it has challenges that many correctly observe: An explosion of poor advertising inventory, and commodity technology and services. Clueless agencies, clueless tech vendors and clueless brand marketers. Ethical dilemmas, like excessive gift-giving and boondogles — even [...]

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Jesus Is Trending On Twitter

April 26, 2012

If Jesus were to appear, would you embrace the moment, or spend your time photographing and Tweeting it on your smart phone? I recently documented my discomfort with “helicopter shutterbugs” — those hovering parents who photograph every moment of their kids’ lives. That sparked some smart feedback from friends and readers, who helped me synthesize [...]

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Get Your Digital Footprint In Order

April 24, 2012

Connected devices are prone to security threats, bloatware and performance degradation. You have to work just to stand still. And each additional device means additional monitoring and maintenance! My biggest vulnerabilities? Whether laptops or smart phones, I tend to download and sample lots of software and apps, and then multitask frequently. That results in frequent [...]

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Does Social Media Make Us Lonely?

April 23, 2012

I have a growing concern about the impact of social media and connected devices (especially smart phones) on our attention and psychological well-being. I’m concerned for myself, and I’m especially concerned for our kids, who are entering an unprecedented period of connectedness. I feel we don’t fully understand the impact, yet we’re forcing it upon [...]

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Helicopter Shutterbugs

April 21, 2012

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to forget or lose any important memories in life — especially with my kids. That’s why people capture memories with pictures — including me. But with a high-end camera embedded inside every smart phone, parents have become addicted to capturing every single moment of their kids’ lives. They’ve [...]

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Your Personal Internet Data For Sale

April 10, 2012

If you use the Internet, social networks or mobile apps, then I can guarantee that advertising-technology companies are tracking and mining your personal data to enable marketers to personalize experiences and more effectively market to you. This is a fact of life, and it’s not necessarily good or bad. However, three trends are clear: Understanding [...]

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Talking Online Safety With Your Kids

April 3, 2012

What is a website, Daddy? That was the response from my five-year old when I asked him to name his favorite website. (For the record, the accompanying picture is not my son.) I found his response insightful. While he doesn’t know what the words “website” and “Internet” mean, he and his three-year-old sister absolutely know [...]

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