Gadget and Technology Reviews
Technology Updates
The History Of Emoticons
06 months ago
by admin
in Technology Updates
Emoticons
An emoticon is most often used to express the mood of the writer through the use of letters and punctuation to form a facial expression. They serve to improve the communication of simple text by informing the receiver of the intended tone and temper of the writer.
An example would be a sarcastic statement that would be lost in plain text but is saved by the use of a smiley face. The word, emoticon, is formed by blending the English words icon and emotion. After years of usage, many internet forums and messenger services as well as many games played online have replaced the typed text with a paired image. For instance, if you typed a colon for eyes and parenthesis for a mouth, this text would be replaced with the familiar yellow smiley face that is commonly known. These corresponding images have also come to be known as emoticons. The Japanese name of kaomoji is given to those complex key combinations that can only be performed in double-byte language.
Emoticon usage dates back to the 19th century and they were commonly used in writing that was either humorous or casual. The first usage of digital emoticons on the Internet is traced back to 1982, in a proposal sent by a computer scientist at Carnegie Melon. This scientist is considered to be the first to introduce the smiley face emoticon over the web but this was not the first time the emoticon was used. The first case of a smiley face being formed from text is traced back to a 1967 Reader’s Digest article. Interestingly enough, Vladimir Nabokov also expressed his interest in emoticons in a 1969 New York Times Article where he proposed a special typographical symbol to represent a smile.
There are numerous examples throughout history of antecedents to what we now commonly know as emoticons. One of the first examples was detected in Morse Code communications, where the number 73 was used to transmit the phrase of “love and kisses”. A speech made by Abraham Lincoln, dating back to 1862 was said to contain the smug faced smiley emoticon, but there is some debate as whether this was a typo or legitimate use of the textual device. In 1881, the humorous magazine, Puck, printed a listing of a few typographical emoticons including images for Joy, Indifference, Melancholy and Astonishment. What has become known as the original emoticon, the smiley face, was actually invented by a freelance artist named Harvey Ball. This yellow smiley was probably the greatest influence on all of the emoticons that followed. (more…)
The Samsung Galaxy Nexus With New Android OS
06 months ago
Samsung Galaxy Nexus
The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the latest Google Nexus smartphone, and the second to be manufactured by Samsung. Generally released as a showcase for the latest versions of Google’s Android operating system, the Nexus series has enjoyed a decent level of popularity since the first instalment, the Nexus One.
In this article I will provide an overview of its key features, so you can decide if it is the right smartphone for you.
Hardware
The Samsung Galaxy Nexus provides pretty much the best available technology in every aspect of its hardware. The screen is advanced, with Super AMOLED capacitive technology providing a responsive and intuitive means of navigating the interface and applications. It is also quite a large screen, measuring up at 4.65 inches, so it outdoes many competing handsets such as the Galaxy S2 and the HTC Sensation. But the most noteworthy feature of the screen has to be its resolution; at 720x 1280, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the first phone to improve upon Apple’s “retina display” found on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. This is of course great news for those who like to view photos, watch videos, play games and surf the web on their phone. There is plenty of available storage for files such as these, with both 16 GB and 32 GB version available. The handset does lack a microSD slot, but this should not prove problematic for most users as the internal storage is likely to prove ample. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is a competent camera phone. Although it only has 5 megapixels (2592x 1944 resolution) it still has all the features you need to take good quality still images and even 1080p HD video. Autofocus and LED flash are included along with face detection and a front facing (1.3 MP) camera for video calls and self portrait photos. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus has the specs to provide very fast internet browsing. 3G coverage allows users to stream data at up to 21 Mbps, putting it on the same level as the Samsung Galaxy S2, which is generally seen as the benchmark smartphone in this respect. It also offers Wi-Fi connectivity, and even a Wi-Fi hotspot feature which allows users to utilise the handset to provide Wi-Fi to other devices like tablets or laptops.
Software
As mentioned, one of the main roles of Google Nexus smartphones is to showcase the new versions of Android and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is no different. The eagerly anticipated version 4, known as Ice Cream Sandwich makes its debut on the handset. Although not much is known about it as yet, it will undoubtedly include the same level of versatility and customisation as well as the opportunity to browse thousands of apps for download, which we have seen in previous versions. Of course, the full list of social networking integration, web browsing, GPS, multimedia player and many more applications are all included as standard, so it is a functional device right out of the box, as are most Android powered smartphones.
The Samsung Galaxy Nexus in, in my opinion, the closest thing to the perfect smartphone yet. Features like its screen resolution really set it apart, and with the new software, there are likely to be many more who share this opinion. Many will be surprised by the 5 megapixel, where the standard for new smartphone seems to be 8 megapixels nowadays, but one can’t argue with its 1080p HD video capture.
If you are looking for an alternative to the iPhone 4S, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus would be my recommendation.
Religion and the Internet
07 months ago
When you think about the things in our lives that the internet has touched there are many things that come to mind. For example, you may think of how we bank, shop, get music or even pay our bills. But one aspect of our lives that the internet has influenced and is not quite as obvious is religion. However, the expansion of broadband internet services has had a profound impact on religion and how it is viewed.
For one, religion is now more accessible than ever thanks to high speed broadband expansion. For example, Muslims around the world can hear the daily call to prayer by simply downloading the prayer schedule onto their phone, tablet or computer. Christians can also log on to hear daily prayers which are posted by some churches. They can also watch a church service from the comfort of their home thanks to streaming video. In addition, Bible passages are just a mouse click away and you don’t even have to know exactly where the verse is located. Jews are also able to learn Hebrew in 140 character lessons thanks to schools which tweet lessons each day. (more…)
Make Your Website Mobile Aware
07 months ago
As a suave businessperson, you must already be having a fully functional and beautifully designed website. In the modern era, it is almost impossible for a businessperson worth his salt to think of making a business enterprise a success without an online presence. However, just having a website is no longer going to work. You also have to make your website mobile aware.
What exactly does that mean? It is becoming rather important to have mobile friendly website for a successful business enterprise today. You have to give your customers the convenience of easy access to your site from their smart phones, if you wish to remain ahead of the competition. This is exactly what means to make website mobile aware.
For this, you have to get your QR code generator right now. Who knows, this could be the only thing that is presently keeping your organization from entirely exploiting its true potential.
With the help of a dynamic QR Code Generator, you can easily create the Quick Response Code for your website. A quick response code or a QR code as it is popularly known, is a two-dimensional barcode that contains the URL of your site. These quick response codes are petite in size and are much easier to type in than a URL. (more…)
