Google+(Needs You!)

So.

The calendar event of the social networking calendar is here. And I have  a lot to say. I’ve only been playing with Google+ for a few hours, and already there’s a lot I like. Which surprises me, because I really thought it was going to be another Google Wave.

However, the most important thing about Google+? It needs more people. So to help with that, I’m giving out my invitations (however many there may be).

To grab an invite, just do the following:

1 – Follow @haemeternal on Twitter
2- Send me a message with the hash tag #IWantAnInviteBecause
3 – Tell me why you’re a worthy candidate

Easy as that.

Most days I Love Spotify (This isn’t one of those days)

To say that I’m crazy about Spotify would probably be understating the situation.
I have a premium account, and over the last few years, I have virtually stopped consuming music through any other medium.
I think it’s a brilliant service, and love how I can create lists to play all day at work, and sync offline content to my Android phone. The size of the library is fantastic, and growing everyday.
My only real problem, is one that they’re never really going to be able to fix. It isn’t really even their fault.

Stuff disappears sometimes.

You’ve spent time putting together the ultimate playlist, or you’ve been looking forward to listening to the new album by your favourite band, and then out of the blue, boom. Not available in your region anymore.

This isn’t something that’s happened to me very often, but every time it does, it totally ruins my day. I realise that I’m paying for a service, and that I have no ownership over the content. But it kind of makes me think about the cloud as a whole.

What happens when a service stops?

It doesn’t matter how much time and effort you’ve put into a profile, if the licensing changes, or the company decides to stop the service, you’re left with nothing.

Is the price we have to pay for the cloud worth the payoff?

Tech in Sports (you’re doing it wrong)

Technology in sports isn’t a new thing.

For years we’ve had a beep when a player’s serve is out in tennis, and instant replay has been around for years in American Football. But don’t we need to change up the rules to move with the times?

I just watched Andy Murray play his third round Wimbledon match against Ivan Ljubicic. At one point in the game, Murray made a serve that was judged out, while Hawkeye (the computer line judge) found the serve was in fact in.
Murray didn’t get the point, because the rules are that he has to challenge the point before the computer will be checked.

Have we not reached the point that we can agree, if the computer can judge it better than a human, that should be it?
Why no instant replay in Football(soccer)?

Lets move into the 21st century, and let the guy who wins, actually win.

The Interweb is Eating You! (Why are we all here?)

Stop for a moment, and think about your identity.

What is it that makes you, you?

Is it your face in the mirror? What people who know you think of you? Your passport?

Now we get to the bit that should worry us.
Imagine someone steals your passport, and pretends to be you.
Now imagine someone hacks your Facebook, your Twitter, your online gaming account.
Which would bother you more?

I’m reaching the point that with every new online account I create, I feel like I’m horcruxing out my soul a little more, and with each site that dies a death (see Myspace and Bebo for details) I feel like a little bit more of me is left floating in cyberspace.

Wouldn’t it be better if we had just one account.
One online identity.
Something that was unmistakably and assuredly us.

I realize that it makes it that much easier for identity theft if there’s only one lock to pick to take everything we have, but is that not better than having unlinked data floating around, waiting to be eaten up?

All this talk of identity leads to an obvious question…
Who am I anyway?
Well, I’m Haem. I’m a 25 year old software developer with too much tech and not enough time in the day.
With the introductions out of the way, welcome. I hope to see you again soon. Bring a friend.

EDIT: I am happy to see that while a search for my online handle happily fills a page of Google, a search for my real secret identity only gets one result that’s actually me.