Lost generation.... Merry Textmas




A Brief History Of Web Standards [Infographic] - Data Visualization Encyclopedia, Information Technology, Symbols, Posters, Infographic

Throughout the history of the Internet, there has been an evolution of web standards. Due to these transformations, today, "the number of devices connected to the Internet exceeds the number of people on Earth." Vitamin Talent has collaborated with Eric Meyer and Jeffrey Zeldman, founders of An Event Apart, to create this fantastic infographic detailing the changes of web standards during the lifetime of the Internet.


Why Skyrim Is Horrible for the Economy | GeekDad | Wired.com

We live in very troubled times. Unemployment is higher than it has been in a generation and job numbers continue to be dismal; the stock market turbulently boils, destroying billions in wealth; and entire continents look to the rest of the world for bailouts. Still, there are pockets of economic hope. After a very positive October, video game sales continued to increase in November. During the week following Thanksgiving, XBox had its biggest week of hardware sales ever, moving nearly one million consoles.

Yet, in this period of bullish video game sales, there is some decidedly bad news. There is one game that is leaving a black eye on the gaming industry and single-handedly keeping us in a recession. Released one month ago, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has done more to damage our economy than a committee of congressmen with a wallet full of US Treasury credit cards and a case of whiskey.

I know what you're thinking: it's the second-best selling game in the world right now. In the first 48 hours that Skyrim was available, 3.5 million copies were sold, a number that has continued to grow. How can a game that will generate millions possibly be bad for the economy?

The answer is quite simple: Skyrim is incredible. The game's world is so big and there are so many quests to complete that those millions of dollars in sales are being nullified by players' lost productivity and lack of economic participation in the real world.




Owning A Cat a biological hazard that could Void Your Computer Warranty? - The Consumerist

After 3 weeks of HP support-hell, I finally reached someone who could give me a little info on why my laptop wasn't repaired...Cat hair or not, I just want my computer fixed. It's a manufacturing defect, and it just so happens that the laptop is sprinkled with a bit of hair.

catfan.jpg

Anyway, I kept arguing with him about how that was really not a lot of cat hair. He told me that it was "covered" and that he was positive that the computer had overheated (multiple reps told me the same thing). I knew it was all a lie, I was looking at the same photos he was, and there was hardly any hair in there. I kept saying that, and I told him the computer cooled itself fine.

He seemed to relent later, and he pretty much agreed with me, so he talked to his supervisor (to make an appeal). Then he gets back on the phone with me and says that the supervisor said that there was SO MUCH cat hair that it's considered a biological hazard. That's absolutely ridiculous, and he wouldn't even give me the number for his supervisor or transfer me to him (why not?).

I probably have more cat hair on my shirt than what was in the laptop. Am I a walking "biological hazard"? I don't think so. Why don't they lock me up and throw me in jail for sending such a dangerous computer into HP's service center? 

Read the awesome at: http://consumerist.com/2011/12/cat-hair-in-hp-computer-means-no-repair-for-you.html

Social Media Facts Every Communications Person Needs to Know - OhMyGov News

 ohmygov...composed this list of impactful factoids about social media.

 

Our Top 10:

1. The average Facebook session lasts 37 minutes.

2. The average Twitter user logs on for 23 minutes.

3. More than 400 million people log on to Facebook daily.

4. There are > 1 billion social network users worldwide.

5. 38 percent of Internet users have a smart phone. They are more intensive users of social media than those without a smart phone.

6. Out of 7 billion people in the world, 2 billion have internet access.

7. Of emerging markets, India and Brazil show the highest awareness of social media.

8. 510,000 comments are uploaded to Facebook every minute.

9. 93 percent of social network users have no intention of stopping their use of social media.

10. Over 60 percent of social network users state they have no desire to change or add a new social network.

 

More Facts:



Windows 8 will be 'largely irrelevant' on PCs, predicts IDC - Computerworld

Computerworld - Windows 8 will be "largely irrelevant" to traditional PC users, a research firm said Monday.

Microsoft faces a tough sell with the new operating system, IDC said, because Windows 8 tries to "offer the best of both worlds" with a single OS suitable for both desktops and tablets.

"Windows 8 will be largely irrelevant to the users of traditional PCs, and we expect effectively no upgrade activity from Windows 7 to Windows 8 in that form factor," said IDC.


U.S. tech employment nears its all-time high - Computerworld

Computerworld - The U.S. government's report today that the unemployment rate is down and hiring is up showed some good news for tech workers as well.

The tech industry added 7,100 jobs last month, an increase of .17% from the previous month, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data analyzed by the TechServe Alliance, an industry group that tracks labor data month to month.

This brings the overall employment number for the industry to 4.068 million, which represents a year over year gain of 2.1%.

Tech industry employment is nearing the all-time high of 4.088 million, which was set in June, 2008, according to TechServe.