mortarandpixel » Uncategorized http://mortarandpixel.com/blog the findings and observations of a Digital Channel Strategist Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:14:34 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Censoring, err ‘Filtering’, comes to Twitter http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2012/01/censoring-err-filtering-comes-to-twitter/ http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2012/01/censoring-err-filtering-comes-to-twitter/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:14:34 +0000 Mickey Slater http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/?p=233 If we call it Filtering then it sounds like a ‘Feature’

Starting today, we give ourselves the ability to reactively withhold content from users in a specific country — while keeping it available in the rest of the world. We have also built in a way to communicate transparently to users when content is withheld, and why. – via Twitter’s Blog

Forbe’s Response Article

Original Annoucement

]]> http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2012/01/censoring-err-filtering-comes-to-twitter/feed/ 0 Meet Evi, the cycloptic Siri for everyone else http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2012/01/meet-evi-the-cycloptic-siri-for-everyone-else/ http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2012/01/meet-evi-the-cycloptic-siri-for-everyone-else/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:19:13 +0000 Mickey Slater http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/?p=229 Have you been pining for the ability to talk to your phone and have it respond but don’t have one of those shiny new iPhone4s? Well fret not anymore. Meet Evi. Evi is Siri for everyone else. Available for both iPhone and Android platforms it uses the same language engine as Siri but makes claims of being even better than Siri for a variety of queries.  It costs $0.99 to get it on your phone which, while not free, is still cheaper then a new phone/contract.

At the moment Evi’s servers are being hammered by publicity and are not responding but expect those to get fixed up shortly. View Evi in AppStore

What time is it in Paris

 

 

]]> http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2012/01/meet-evi-the-cycloptic-siri-for-everyone-else/feed/ 0 The art and competition of growing a beard. http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2012/01/the-art-and-competition-of-growing-a-beard/ http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2012/01/the-art-and-competition-of-growing-a-beard/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:45:22 +0000 Mickey Slater http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/?p=226 This past saturday Portland played host to the West Coast Beard & Mustache Championships. And yes, it is what it sounds like and yes it is pretty awesome.

The rules are simple: Mustache wax and hair spray are the only haircare products permitted. But there are almost as many categories as there are competitors. Natural mustaches. Styled mustaches in two divisions: Smaller than, or greater than, 6 inches wide. Muttonchops. Full beards and partial beards, with or without styled mustaches. And, of course, the anything-goes freestyle mustache and freestyle beard categories.

Click through to read the full story and see photos via Wired

]]> http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2012/01/the-art-and-competition-of-growing-a-beard/feed/ 3 It’s been a while. http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2012/01/its-been-a-while/ http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2012/01/its-been-a-while/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:37:32 +0000 Mickey Slater http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/?p=220 It has been a while since I last posted an update to this blog but I was recently inspired to give it another go. I will be posting about everything from dogs, digital musings, bikes, movies, to gadgets, to my various side projects. But i have faith that after a couple of weeks I will find a nice rhythm to it all.

 

M

]]> http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2012/01/its-been-a-while/feed/ 0 Apple banning sexual content in the App Store? http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2010/02/apple-banning-sexual-content-in-the-app-store/ http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2010/02/apple-banning-sexual-content-in-the-app-store/#comments Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:30:31 +0000 Mickey Slater http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/?p=200 Apple has begun waving the proverbial ban-hammer once again, this time its coming down on ‘overtly’ sexual content. What does that mean? Your guess is as good as mine, but if you were hoping to download iBoob Premium Uncensored you are out of luck.

On the flip side iBoob Premium is still a top seller for Android… just kidding I have no clue but it probably is.

Apple banning sexual content in the App Store?.

]]> http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2010/02/apple-banning-sexual-content-in-the-app-store/feed/ 0 Ice and Technology and Social Media http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2009/08/ice-technology-socialmedia/ http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2009/08/ice-technology-socialmedia/#comments Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:28:16 +0000 Mickey Slater http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/?p=151 A tweet earlier today sparked an interesting dialogue today about technology and behaviors around them. When I initially got involved in the conversation it had already moved a bit away from the original statement, but i wanted to take a moment and add my two pennies around the tweet that kicked things off.

Original tweet from @mikegermano

If you don’t understand the technology you realistically can’t see the future of social media. I am just saying. [link]

Parts of this comment feel right, but parts also feel wrong. Understanding the elements in play are always key to being able to do things in that space, or to plan a next step. But when it comes to ‘seeing the future’ of something you need to be able to step away from it, at which point i think the technology plays a much smaller role. Guy Kawasaki tells a wonderful story about the ice industry that well illustrate that point, retype with no ones permissions. ( email me if its a problem ;) )

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in life is to accept
the known and resist the unknown. You should, in fact, do exactly the
opposite: challenge the known and embrace the unknown.
Let me tell you a short story about ice. In the late 1800s
there was a thriving ice industry in the Northeast. Companies would cut
blocks of ice from frozen lakes and ponds and sell them around the world.
The largest single shipment was 200 tons that was shipped to India. 100
tons got there unmelted, but this was enough to make a profit.
These ice harvesters, however, were put out of business by
companies that invented mechanical ice makers. It was no longer
necessary to cut and ship ice because companies could make it in any
city during any season.
These ice makers, however, were put out of business by
refrigerator companies. If it was convenient to make ice at a
manufacturing plant, imagine how much better it was to make ice and
create cold storage in everyone’s home.
You would think that the ice harvesters would see the
advantages of ice making and adopt this technology. However, all they
could think about was the known: better saws, better storage, better
transportation.
Then you would think that the ice makers would see the
advantages of refrigerators and adopt this technology. The truth is
that the ice harvesters couldn’t embrace the unknown and jump their curve
to the next curve.
Challenge the known and embrace the unknown, or you’ll be
like the ice harvester and ice makers.

My conclusion? Very difficult to use the technology of today.. and the current ‘way of doing things’ in social media to dictate what the future is going to look like if we are talking more then a couple months out.

]]> http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2009/08/ice-technology-socialmedia/feed/ 3 40 min interview for $50 http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2009/04/40-min-interview-for-50/ http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2009/04/40-min-interview-for-50/#comments Tue, 14 Apr 2009 20:58:39 +0000 Mickey Slater http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2009/04/40-min-interview-for-50/ Have you recently purchased a laptop or home appliance?
Did the internet play a role prior to your purchase?
If you did I would love to talk to you and ask you a couple of questions regarding that experience.

The entire interview should only take about 40 minutes. I will be making a video recording of the interview, but this video is not something that is going to ever be public, so you don’t have to worry about it appearing on youtube.

If you are interested, please email me.
In your email make sure to include what it was that you purchased as well as your phone number so I can give you a call.

Interview location is Downtown SW Portland.
Compensation for your time is $50.
Date of interviews – April 15th

Thanks.

]]> http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2009/04/40-min-interview-for-50/feed/ 0 New iPod Shuffle, now with Voices http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2009/03/new-ipod-shuffle-now-with-voices/ http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/2009/03/new-ipod-shuffle-now-with-voices/#comments Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:38:26 +0000 Mickey Slater http://mortarandpixel.com/blog/?p=113 via @citobito

Apple has quietly updated their Shuffle line of iPods, you know the ones which are super tiny with few buttons. New for this update is the inclusion of VoiceOver, which will speak to you the name of the Artist that is currently playing.

Seeing as the Shuffle never had a screen and did not previously have a way to know the Artists or navigate playlists this is a welcome addition. Unfortunately the voice still sounds like the normal Stephen Hawking’s type voice.

See it yourself : http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/voiceover.html

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