A recent article from Yahoo's tech section, found here, talks about a new shopping website - Pixazza. Pixazza is unique when compared with all other shopping sites out there because it approaches online shopping through a web 2.0 lens. The fundamentals behind Pixazza are that various websites can link photos of clothing items to Pixazza. Then users tag the photos with links to common shopping sites such as Amazon, Overstock, or Macy's. For example, a celebrity gossip site such as "I'm Not Obsessed" will post images of shoes worn by an actress in a recent television show. Then users can tag the photo with links to the same or similar shoes at online shopping sites. The website benefits all parties involved. Websites that allow Pixazza to use photos are getting advertising and would post the photos anyway. Users that tag the photos get a commission of the sales generated through the tags.
I think that this website is the perfect example of web 2.0 and how websites are becoming more user orientated. Pixazza merges a number of different new website trends such as tagging, online shopping, and user input in order to create a new market place. I also see Pixazza as a further example of how people are beginning to re-think traditional media such as photos or news stories. Instead of merely seeing a photo of an object and then having to spend hours trying to find out who makes it. Now people can view a picture and know exactly who makes it and where to buy it by simply hovering over it with a mouse. I do not think that I will really take advantage of Pixazza from a usability standpoint because I am not a big online shopper. However, I do like that people are thinking outside the box and developing new website ideas.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Full length movies on You Tube
A recent article on CNET.com talked about a deal that might be fourth coming between YouTube and Sony Pictures. With the deal Sony would give YouTube the rights to full length Sony movies but still control the advertising. In all likelihood it would probably be only a limited number of titles, but it would help Sony market its own online video streaming site, crackle.com. Although YouTube would not gain substantially from this deal monetarily, it would be a great step for them in convincing other production companies to give YouTube rights as well.
I think that this is an interesting article because it shows how technology is changing. There has been a lot of talk in the past couple years about how everything is turning digital and how newspapers will soon be obsolete. However, I think that there might be a case for arguing that even movies in DVD form will become obsolete. It seems like everyday online movies and television shows are becoming better and better quality. It also seems like more people are choosing to watch their programing online because of the flexibility it offers them to watch at their convenience. I can foresee many of the major motion picture companies starting their own subscription based websites where consumers can pay a monthly subscription and watch whatever movie they want online.
Some will say that it is still nicer to watch a movie on a television than a computer for quality purposes. Well, they may be right to some degree, but not entirely. I think that in the coming year the quality of online media will rival standard DVDs (not Blu Ray). And there will most likely be a component that will allow consumers to hook their cable modem up to their TV and watch the movies there. I still think there will be a place for HD and Blu Rays, but I think that in the coming years we will start to see fewer and fewer DVDs.
I think that this is an interesting article because it shows how technology is changing. There has been a lot of talk in the past couple years about how everything is turning digital and how newspapers will soon be obsolete. However, I think that there might be a case for arguing that even movies in DVD form will become obsolete. It seems like everyday online movies and television shows are becoming better and better quality. It also seems like more people are choosing to watch their programing online because of the flexibility it offers them to watch at their convenience. I can foresee many of the major motion picture companies starting their own subscription based websites where consumers can pay a monthly subscription and watch whatever movie they want online.
Some will say that it is still nicer to watch a movie on a television than a computer for quality purposes. Well, they may be right to some degree, but not entirely. I think that in the coming year the quality of online media will rival standard DVDs (not Blu Ray). And there will most likely be a component that will allow consumers to hook their cable modem up to their TV and watch the movies there. I still think there will be a place for HD and Blu Rays, but I think that in the coming years we will start to see fewer and fewer DVDs.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Surfing the Internet at Work: A productive idea?
There is an interesting article here about productivity in the work place. Specifically, the article presents a study done by researchers in Australia involving workers and time spent surfing the internet. The study found that workers are 9% more productive when they are given time to sporadically surf the internet. Out of 300 workers 70% of them spent time during their work day surfing the web. In that time You Tube and Twitter were among the most popular sites.
The study found that people were more productive because they would then concentrate even more when they went back to work. It is the same principle as taking a break from intense work every 30-45 min. When a person is heavily engaged in a task they often function better when they take a break to recollect their thoughts every so often.
In theory the study makes sense. Everyone focuses better when they take breaks every so often. However, I find it interesting that the study is advocating letting workers surf the internet at work. The article did specify that in the study only workers surfing the internet for 20% or less of their day were studied and any more than that would be detrimental to their overall productivity. Still, the fact that businesses pay thousands or millions of dollars on software to prohibit people from surfing the web makes me think that companies would not buy into this idea regardless of the evidence. While this all sounds well and good, I do have some skepticism about companies buying in to letting their employees surf the internet. There is a very fine line between surfing the internet for a break and not being productive. I think that companies will not be able to monitor surfing properly and as a result will not endorse it, despite the benifits it might produce.
The study found that people were more productive because they would then concentrate even more when they went back to work. It is the same principle as taking a break from intense work every 30-45 min. When a person is heavily engaged in a task they often function better when they take a break to recollect their thoughts every so often.
In theory the study makes sense. Everyone focuses better when they take breaks every so often. However, I find it interesting that the study is advocating letting workers surf the internet at work. The article did specify that in the study only workers surfing the internet for 20% or less of their day were studied and any more than that would be detrimental to their overall productivity. Still, the fact that businesses pay thousands or millions of dollars on software to prohibit people from surfing the web makes me think that companies would not buy into this idea regardless of the evidence. While this all sounds well and good, I do have some skepticism about companies buying in to letting their employees surf the internet. There is a very fine line between surfing the internet for a break and not being productive. I think that companies will not be able to monitor surfing properly and as a result will not endorse it, despite the benifits it might produce.
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