Tech, electronic, gadget Discussion

Wikimedia

“Random acts of kindness barnstar” screenshot

Because we are creatures who crave and need positive reinforcement, Wikipedia is going to add a “WikiLove” button to encourage its contributors to keep editing despite the increase of corrections and criticism.

The Wikimedia Foundation, which runs Wikipedia, published a blog post Friday that introduced the button as a new feature being deployed on its prototype site. Users will be able to send each other messages of encouragement to keep from getting down when the haters heap on the snark. Wikimedia is asking users to create a test account, try out WikiLove and give them feedback via the WikiLove talk page.

As the blog explains:

Wikimedia

WikiLove screenshot

WikiLove is a simple experiment in appreciation. It makes it easy and fun to send barnstars or whimsical messages of appreciation to other users. The tool was first built by Wikimedia Foundation developer and Wikimedian Ryan Kaldari as a small gadget, and the new editor engagement team at the Wikimedia Foundation has developed it into a full feature over the last few weeks. 

As a rationale, Wikimedia cited a survey of Wikipedia editors that pointed to 69 percent of them saying “being looked down on by more experienced editors” is the most likely among 17 variables “to cause people to say they will edit less frequently.”

Wikimedia Foundation

This chart shows the relative increase and decrease in warning messages, praise/thank you messages, criticism and teaching messages over time.

Conversely, 78 percent say “having others compliment you on your edits/articles” is the most likely to cause people to say they will edit more frequently. As Howie Fung, senior product manager and Erik Moeller, deputy director of the Wikimedia Foundation, write, ”editing Wikipedia has tended to become harder over time, and the likelihood that new users will receive correction/criticism has increased.”

Starting Wednesday, you should be able to use the WikiLove extension, or disable it. The Wikimedia Foundation has also built-in metrics to the tool so that they’ll be able to measure how frequently it’s used and how it affects new editor activity. They also want to explore ways to engage new users and make the site more inviting. 

There was one comment under the blog that pointed to an obvious tongue-in-cheek observation of any button that resembles that other button: “Showing appreciation by declaring ‘Love’? I suppose it will have to be, since ‘Like’ has already been taken.”

More stories:

• Man prints every featured Wikipedia entry
• 53 percent of Americans use Wikipedia
• Dude-centric Wikipedia needs more women

Check out Technolog on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Athima Chansanchai.

Gloria Sin is a New York-based freelance journalist who writes about the tech toys that you can’t live without for ZDNet. She has little patience for poorly designed user experiences, and is not afraid of opening the guts of her own machines for repair or hacking her gadgets for new uses.

She has written for FastCompany.com, Popular Science, Olympic News Service; she currently covers the startup scene in the Tri-State area for NYConvergence.com.

Prior to ZDNet, Gloria was the online editor for Dance International, and dabbled in web design and social media consulting. When she is offline, you will find her at an ice rink living out her figure skating dreams. Follow her on Twitter.

By Rick.Broida
DealPro(view all posts by Rick.Broida)
at 1:56PM Tuesday June 21, 2011

under
DealPro Tips

^{Image by Joi Ito from Inbamura, Japan (whatsinyourbag) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons}

It’s summertime, and that means vacations. Whether you’re traveling by plane, train, car, bus, or boat, you’ll want to stock up on gadgets and gear that can make your trip fun, efficient, and memorable. Make room in your carry-on bag for these five items.

Tablet: Apple iPad 2

Sure, it’s a painfully obvious choice, but there’s simply no better way to keep entertained, informed, and productive while you’re on the road. The iPad 2 ($499 and up) is good for everything: games, music, movies, books, navigation, and even snapping photos. In fact, with its front-facing second camera and FaceTime software, you can keep in touch with the folks back home–Jetsons-style.

E-Reader: Barnes Noble Nook Color

If you can’t swing an iPad but want most of the same amenities, look to the Nook ($249). The color version of Barnes Noble‘s e-book reader (which is especially good for magazines and children’s books) has evolved into a capable tablet, one that can play Angry Birds, stream music from Pandora, access your Microsoft Office documents, and much more. Think of it as a Kindle on steroids.

Camera: Kodak EasyShare Touch

Every road trip needs a camera, but it’s not easy to pick the right one. I prefer something that can slip into a pocket, but has optics good enough to snap world-class photos–and videos. The Kodak EasyShare Touch ($149.95) not only meets those criteria, but also solves the long-standing problem of how to share your snapshots. Just press the bright red Share button, then choose one or more destinations: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, e-mail, or even your Kodak Pulse frame. The next time you plug the camera into your PC, Kodak’s software automatically routes each photo wherever it’s meant to go.

Camcorder: Kodak PlaySport Zx5

Yes, I’m sweet on Kodak gear these days. And who can blame me? The Playsport Zx5 pocket camcorder ($179.95) captures full 1080p video on dry land or underwater, where it can dive up to 10 feet and live to tell–make that “show”–the tale. I found the device’s controls admirably easy to use, most notably the Share button, which works like on the EasyShare Touch to easily share video via e-mail, Facebook, YouTube, and other services. The Zx5 is available in three snazzy colors: red, aqua, and black.

Mobile Hotspot: Verizon MiFi 4510L

Internet access isn’t quite as ubiquitous as you might think. If you want fast access nearly anywhere you travel, pack Verizon‘s MiFi 4510L (currently on sale for $49 with two-year contract). This mobile hotspot taps Verizon’s speedy LTE network and shares that connectivity with up to five devices. That means you can download new Nook or iPad apps and upload EasyShare photos on the run. Just be prepared for another monthly bill: The MiFi runs $50 or $80 per month depending on which data plan you choose. But, man, it’s worth it!

Self-proclaimed cheapskate Rick Broida has been a technology writer for
over 20 years. He has authored over a dozen books, including, most recently,
“How to Do Everything: Palm Pre.” Currently he writes the Cheapskate blog.

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It has been a couple of weeks since the last column appeared due to a hectic schedule; so much for calling it a weekly column. Since my last one there have been no fewer than five gadgets leave the Manor and a couple of cool ones that appeared.

One of the primary benefits of being a technology writer is the ability to work in my home office, aka Mobile News Manor (MNM). It is a bustling place, with evaluation gadgets constantly arriving and going back to the vendors. As part of my daily work I spend a fair amount of time testing these gadgets for review, and also looking at new apps for various platforms to streamline my work methods.

This column is my look back each week to share pertinent experiences that I believe you might find useful. There is no telling what you might find in this column, but you’ll definitely get a feel for what it is like testing gadgets for a living. Welcome to the Manor.

Revolving door for gadgets

The coolest thing about my job as a mobile tech reporter is that people, many whom I don’t know, send me gadgets to test. Sometimes they give me a heads-up that one is on the way, and others just send them. It is pretty common for the delivery guy to drop off a gadget that I am not expecting. Some days it almost seems to rain gadgets in the Manor.

These gadgets stay a while for testing and then they go back where they came from. The worst part of the gadget evaluation process is the packing up of a device and shipping it back. Not because I get attached to them, if that happens I end up buying one of my own, but because it is an involved process to pack up a device in the original shipping material, and then hauling it to the shipper.

Since my last MNM column I have packed up and returned five gadgets. It seemed I was always packing something up and taking it to the shipping company. It drove home how clever some gadget makers are getting with their packaging. Repacking some gadgets is like recreating an intricate origami model. Somehow things don’t always fit back into a package the way they came out of it. This is actually a good thing as the smaller product packaging is often the result of making things more eco-friendly.

Without going into too much detail, I returned two laptops, two smartphones and a MiFi hotspot. Laptops are the easiest to repack for return, as there is more room in those boxes. Smartphones can be downright tricky as the boxes are now only slightly bigger than the tiny phones. It is amazing how many pieces come out of some of these little smartphone boxes. It reminds me of those little cars in the circus with all of those clowns pouring out.

I have to keep returning gadgets as soon as I can due to others always arriving. My office is not that big and it quickly stacks up with gear unless I constantly rotate gadgets. Two new devices were delivered, one a prototype watch that works with my phone and the other a Honeycomb tablet that just went on sale.

The Fossil MetaWatch is a prototype of a watch for developers to build apps to take advantage of an extra screen for the smartphone. I am finding it very useful, and detailed it in an earlier article. I see this type of gadget kicking off a wave of similar devices in the future.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 just went on sale yesterday in the U. S., and I am finding it to be a delightful tablet for using around the house. The thin, light form makes it the most comfortable tablet I have used to date, and that is an important feature for a device designed to be solely used in the hands. My review of the Tab details the device and what I like most about it.

That review sparked a discussion on Twitter (I am @jkendrick) about Android tablet apps, more particularly the misinformation that is prevalent about them. Many folks still believe that Android tablet apps are simply the smartphone versions blown up to fit the big screen, and that is simply not true. Many Honeycomb apps can’t be installed on phones as they are specifically written for the bigger tablet screen. Other apps that work on both smartphones and tablets have a different interface, display and controls when installed on a Honeycomb tablet than they do on a phone. It works exactly like apps that work on both iPhones and iPads; they are totally different versions depending on what device it is installed on.

I use tablets heavily for a lot of different functions, and I find good Android tablet apps for everything I want to do. The number of tablet apps in the Android Market pales in comparison to the number of iPad apps available, but there are some very good ones for Honeycomb tablets. Those considering a tablet would be wise to not write the Honeycomb tablets off thinking there are no good apps available; there are, and other good ones appearing all the time.

App of the week

I am a heavy Twitter user, but don’t like the official Twitter web site and apps. I have been a long-time fan of the Tweetdeck desktop app but that is changing since Dwight Silverman pointed me to MetroTwit. MetroTwit is a multi-column Twitter application for Windows 7 that borrows extensively from the Windows Phone Metro interface (thus the name). The app is in beta but it works really well and is a joy to use. I like it so much I often run it on the Mac in a Win7 virtual machine under Parallels Desktop. That says a lot.

Ebook of the week

I was ecstatic to find another novel by John Sandford starring one of my favorite characters, Lucas Davenport. Buried Prey is a great story that sees one of Davenport’s first unsolved murder cases get uncovered in the present, forcing the investigation to be reopened. Davenport has to relive the early failure, and put that aside to solve the current case. It is a great addition to the series by Sandford, and I highly recommend it.

Wrap-up

This column is now caught up, sorry for missing last week’s entry. I will probably begin publishing the column on Saturday mornings going forward, as that better fits my schedule. Have a great week and see you next time.

Getty Images

This Father’s Day, ties are out, iPads are in. As gadgets and electronics replace golf shirts and cologne, spending on dad is poised to hit an all-time high.

As the economy rebounds and retailers push more expensive man-gifts, kids and families are expected to spend a record $11 billion on Father’s Day gifts this year, up 13% over 2010, and growing faster than the 11% jump forecast for Mother’s Day, according to the National Retail Federation. That represents an estimated $107 per gift per dad, up $26 from two years ago. And while still small compared to, say, the $16 billion consumers spend on Valentine’s Day, “when you’re buying a GPS for dad’s old car or an iPad 2, you’re spending Christmas money on Father’s Day,” says Dan de Grandpre, co-founder of sale-tracking site DealNews.com.

It’s that new wave of tech gear — and the constant round of upgrades — that’s transformed Father’s Day shopping, according to market research from Brand Keys, a New York-based market research firm. Electronics will account for 26% of Father’s Day spending this year, up from 6% five years ago. Thank retailers for stoking dads’ gadget lust: Amazon is pitching the Kindle as the “No. 1 gift for dad,” Target and other big-box stores are advertising sales on TVs, DVDs and tablets, and Wal-Mart has cut the price of the iPhone 4 to $147 from $197 as part of its Father’s Day deals.

But affection for dad notwithstanding, this isn’t the best time of year for deals on gadgets, say de Grandpre. “Virtually every gadget on sale now will be cheaper during the holiday season,” he says. Better, he says, to buy a smaller, less expensive gift now, then swing for the fences during the holiday season. Or hit the hardware store for something more traditional, like a grill, or power tools. A long winter kept shoppers from buying of gardening, barbeque and other outdoor equipment during the spring, says Sherif Mityas, a partner at Chicago-based consulting group AT Kearney. Father’s Day is the best opportunity retailers have to sell that inventory en masse, so customers should see better-than-usual discounts.

Beyond the wires and hardware, there’s another reason kids and families may be spending more this Father’s Day: they feel closer to their fathers. A study released last year by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania concluded that college-educated men spend almost 10 hours a week attending to their children’s needs, nearly double the amount spent 15 years ago. “There’s more intimacy involved between fathers and their children when it comes to gift-giving,” Shrum says. A combination of these factors means that children are choosing more thoughtful — and expensive — gifts for their fathers, according to Robert Passikoff, president at Brand Keys. “Dad doesn’t need another tie,” he says.

By Caleb Denison

Fri Jun 10, 2011 1:38am EDT

by Caleb Denison

Father’s Day is right around the corner, but there is still time to get dad something totally cool and totally green. Let’s face it, men love their gadgets and, as high-tech gifts go, green gadgets sport some of the coolest technology available. Our list of Father’s Day gift ideas is full of useful, money-saving, high tech and just plain fun stuff that will tickle your dad pink and might just make his friends green with envy, too.

The Eton Raptor really is a must have for any level of outdoor enthusiast. Its mono-crystalline solar panel charges a built-in lithium-ion rechargeable battery that can charge a cell phone (via USB) and power the Raptor’s digital AM/FM/WB tuner, altimeter, barometer, digital compass, LED flashlight and alarm clock. It’s weatherproof, so it can withstand the elements, including rain. Speaking of which, should the sun not be so plentiful, the Raptor can also be charged via DC adapter. And we’re just getting started; the Raptor packs in several other nifty features that dad is sure to dig, too. (Did we mention it can be used as an iPod speaker?)

Available in three different colors at Amazon for about $122.00.

Green Genius Smart Surge Protectors

Every entertainment center, home theater and computer station should be equipped with a high-quality surge suppressor anyway, but these advanced power strips from Accell won’t just protect Dad’s expensive equipment from power surges, outages or brown-outs, they will also put an end to the constant, unnecessary leaching of power that electronics are known to do while in “stand-by mode.” The Green Genius line provides clean, quiet power to devices when they need it, and cuts them off when they don’t. Its smart sensors detect when your TV or computer has been turned off and shuts down associated electronics such as DVD players, receivers and printers so they don’t sip power for hours while sitting unused. “Always on” outlets will provide constant power to devices like DVRs and wireless Internet routers that actually do need power all the time.

Available at Amazon for $35.00.

Eclipse Solar Gear-Solar Backpack

This military-grade backpack is outfitted with a 4 watt solar panel and rechargeable battery that stores up energy while hiking, biking or just studying outdoors. The pack is handy for carrying gear whilst banking juice for charging a cell phone, iPod or other portable media device.

Available at Eclipse Solar Gear for $159.00

PowerCost Home Energy Monitor

If the father in your life is the sort that loves to run around the house turning off lights, adjusting the thermostat or performing other thrifty, energy saving activities, then a home energy monitor will entertain and enlighten him for years to come. The PowerCost energy monitor is a simple to use, yet feature-rich energy monitor which uses a transmitter that connects to your electricity meter with a single clamp. The monitor provides real time and historical data about energy use and can be used with helpful online tools like Google Powermeter. Now dad will know which of his energy saving efforts are helping and which aren’t, all while saving money on the power bill.

Available at Lowes for $109.00.

UFO Power Center

The UFO power center allows remote monitoring and control of up to four connected devices through a slick, graphical interface for iPhone, iPad or PC. With the UFO, dad can see how much energy each of his electronics draw, how much each device costs and can shut down any individual outlet remotely. The UFO also provides visual feedback for how much energy is being used as a light on the top of the unit glows green, yellow or red, depending on the severity of energy usage.

The U.S. version of the UFO power center is available on special from Visible Energy for $99.99.

PowerMonkey Extreme Solar Charger

Don’t let the silly name fool you, the Powermonkey Extreme is one heck of a solar charger and it’s probably a safe bet that none of your dad’s friends will get anything quite like it. This weather resistant device has a super-sized rechargeable battery with enough power storage to charge an iPhone six times. The device can be charged by the sun using its solar panel or from a wall outlet using a provided USB connection. This charger also comes with a multitude of different charging tips, likely to fit most of dad’s (and the kids’) gadgets and comes with a convenient storage pouch to boot.

The Powermonkey Extreme is available through Amazon in a number of colors for $189.95 plus shipping.

Neuton Battery Powered Lawn Mower

Consider getting Dad a lawn mower that is almost as green as the grass it cuts. This mower from Neuton features a 360 watt-hour Duracell rechargeable battery that is said to last for up to an hour, depending on lawn conditions. The mower comes with a bagger and mulch plug. Neuton claims this mower can tackle even long, wet grass due to its superior power. With no gas or oil to worry about, it can be folded up to be stored vertically, thus saving space. And, at an estimated cost of just 12 cents per charge, it will save dad some greenbacks as well.

The Neuton mower is available with free shipping at $399.99 from Neuton.

Eton Soulra XL

The Soulra XL is a solar powered iPod speaker dock with a built-in lithium-ion rechargeable battery, an efficient, high-powered amplifier and eight speakers to deliver high-quality sound just about anywhere dad might want to go. It can provide excellent sounding tunes while gardening, camping, lounging by the pool or manning the BBQ.

Available from Crutchfield for $299.00.

Reprinted with permission from EarthTechling

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Trend alert! Want in on some of the hottest gift ideas for Father’s Day 2009? Whether his interests lie in sports, his home, or the latest in tech geek electronics, we have gathered up some of the years top selling gadget gifts for your Dad.

Don’t be scared off by the perceived cost of electronics – they are not as expensive as you may think. With most of the gift suggestions featured here at under $100, you are bound to find something to thrill you dad and fit your budget on Father’s Day.

Liquid Image Digital Camera Swim Mask

The ideal gift for underwater adventurers or the Super Dad who enjoys nothing more than playing with his kids in the pool, these goggles double as an underwater camera so he can capture the most memorable of vacation photos and videos.

iConvert USB Turntable

Anybody still toting his vinyl collection around would be a happy recipient of the iConvert turntable. Just insert a flash drive or memory card, play the album and press record. You may regret the gift, but your Dad will be thrilled that his Barry Manilow collection has been converted to MP3 files!

Deluxe Digital Wireless Thermometer Set

Now the ultimate entertainer will be able to detach himself from the grill with a digital wireless thermometer. This gadget monitors BBQ cooking progress remotely via a pre-programmed menu, which sets meat type and doneness.

Voice Recognition Alarm Clock

This is a gadget to be reckoned with! Not only does it recognize spoken instructions like “Snooze” or “Cancel Alarm”, but it responds out loud, telling Dad what time it is or if his alarms are set, and so much more!

Nexxtech™ USB Missile Launcher

Is Dad’s stress ball looking a little disheveled? Now he can diffuse any tension at his workstation with this USB missile launcher! It can be aimed in various directions, has prerecorded sound effects, and shoots missiles up to 3 meters away!

2-in-1 Bluetooth Hands-Free Car Speakerphone

Not only is it distracting and dangerous to talk and text while driving, it is also illegal in many parts of our country. This 2-in-1 Bluetooth hands-free car speakerphone will keep him safe behind the wheel, but still connected with his busy life.

Nexxtech Travel Weather Station

If your Dad likes to be prepared, a travel weather station will ensure he only ever takes what he needs when he leaves his hotel room. Among other features, it displays temperature, air pressure, and a forecast, all while doubling as an alarm clock.

Philips Widescreen iPod Dock/ DVD Player

WOW! A widescreen iPod compatible DVD player has to be the crème de la crème of tech gadgets for your Dad on his travels. He can watch DVD’s or iPod video, listen to music, or view view digital photos with the SD/MMC card reader.

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