Next Craze for Social Networking: Chatroulette

Even though the Internet has existed for some ten years now (in it’s present form) and has a fair amount of order and regulation, it is still somewhat of a wild frontier. As vast as the Internet is and the wide array of things that can be found on there, there is still room for new ideas and new trends. Just when you think that you have seen it all, another unique idea comes to the surface. Web ideas although often very simple, can often take the Internet world by storm. This is definitely true with the web site that I am exploring this month. The idea for this web site is fun, it’s unique and it’s curious… and it is called Chatroulette.

The Chatroulette web site is fairly new and can only be described as social networking with a new twist or ‘spin’ (pun intended). Chatroulette.com is a video chat web site where users enter the web site to chat with others. People visit the web site from all over the world and are randomly paired in a video chat with another user. This probably all sounds simple enough, until you add people. The users of this web site have given the web site its own momentum and have taken it in a direction that the developer probably never imagined.

Once you enter into a chat with someone on Chatroulette, you can talk freely. However no information is given to you about the other person. Therefore the things you learn about them will only come from the conversation you manage to have. What makes things interesting is that the conversation can be terminated at any time by either of the users. Users simply click the ‘next’ button to be moved on to a new conversation with a completely different random user. A conversation can end for any number of reasons. In many ways, this feature alone puts the pressure on to keep things interesting.

Surprisingly, Chatroulette was developed by a seventeen year old boy from Russia. He came up with the idea and he actually programmed the web site himself. The web site is developed in a very simple way and it is also run very simply. Although there are warnings on the web site about keeping things decent, no rules are actually enforced. This means that many inappropriate things take place on the site. Users have complained that on average one in every ten chats contain content that is not appropriate for children. Therefore it is definitely not a web site for children to play around on.

As for the future of Chatroulette, it is currently very low on features. However the owner is said to have received proposals from investors that want to plump it up and expand on the idea it is also spawning the resurgence of web video conferencing. Watch this space…

The Intel i7

Intel has played a significant role in all things computer ever since the development of the personal PC… and beyond. In fact, many people are not aware that Intel was formed way back in 1968. Since their formation, they have steadily made strides in the development of semiconductors and computer processors. Intel became a household name during the 90’s through their popular “Intel Inside” advertising campaign and because of the fact that theirs was the processor of choice when it came to manufacturing personal computers.

Although Intel is known historically for developing microchips, they now offer a variety of products for computer manufacturers:

• Graphic Chips
• Motherboard chipsets
• Flash memory
• Network Interface Controllers and Integrated Circuits
• Embedded Processors

The latest product offering by Intel is creating somewhat of a stir. It is the new Intel i7 and it is their most recent processor. The Intel i7 expands on what they have already done in the area of computer processors and it is said to be extremely fast. I have been hearing a lot about this product but wanted to get the facts for myself, so I decided to do a bit of investigation. When I first heard that Intel had a new processor, my questions were along the lines of how quick would it be? What would it offer the user that is new in comparison to what we have seen before and what features have been improved upon since their last release?

What I have discovered is that the i7 processor makes the most of all of Intel’s breakthrough technologies and then combines them together for maximum power:

• Intel Turbo Boost technology
• Intel Hyper-Threading technology
• Intel Virtualization technology
• Enhanced Intel SpeedStep technology
• Execute disable bit
• Intel 64 architecture

Excitingly, the Intel i7 is described as “adrenaline on a chip”! It appears that Intel went all out when it came to packing the processor with all of its most successful technologies. The i7 uses multi-core technology. This is a feature that helps the processor to direct and send power to the places that your computer needs it most at any particular moment in time. The i7 has the ability to perform 8-way multi-tasking and has increased cache size. All of this works together to make things much easier for computer users that multi-task in a serious way. They can now open several applications at the same time without worrying about their computer getting sluggish or freezing. Multimedia users will also be happy about how smoothly their PCs run even with their heaviest applications open.

Two powerful technologies that Intel have included with this processor are Turbo Boost technology and Hyperthreading. Both of these have worked well for Intel in the past. They contribute to increased processor speeds and better multitasking capabilities.

Keep your eye out in the media you will be sure to hear about this amazing advancement in computing

How reliant on the Internet has society become?

The Internet is an amazing tool that continues to grow exponentially year by year. The vision of those that developed Internet technology could never have included the immeasurable and unlimited ways in which the technology has taken off. The web has grown in ways that even the most expansive vision could not have predicted. It has changed the lives of those that use it and has provided new levels in the dispensation of information. A lot of doubt was cast on the Internet in the early days predicting it would never be a reliable source of information but that has changed as major credible news outlets and educational institutes have placed their material online.

There are still those that resist advancements in technology in general, but for those that embrace it, the Internet has become an indispensable, almost loveable tool. Once you begin to use it as a resource, there really is no turning back. The average person relies so naturally on the Internet that when there is an outage or when they can not gain access to the Internet there is a major feeling of loss. For those wrapped up in social networking web sites, aimless is a word that could describe how they feel when suddenly deprived of the Internet.

A Source of Information

Throughout the course of a normal day, a person might use the Internet to check the day’s weather forecast, local traffic conditions before leaving for work to help them avoid congestion and they might also use it to check the news. In fact, for over 10 years now, I myself have chosen Internet news sites as a preference for reading news over buying a newspaper.

People also use the Internet as a research tool; whether for academic reasons, for trivia or for personal knowledge. The amazing thing about the Internet is that no matter what you are looking for, someone, somewhere has usually already written on the topic.

Staying in Touch

Almost everybody these days tries to check their email at least once a day. The Internet helps us to stay in touch with others. Facebook, Twitter and MySpace are among the most popular places online to catch up with friends and to let the whole world know what is going on in your life. In fact, the Internet has very much become a place of self-promotion. The various social networking web sites definitely give the everyday person the opportunity to promote and celebrate themselves.

Online Shopping

Although there was some wariness about shopping online in the past due to credit card security issues, most people do at least a small amount of shopping online. This can entail buying clothing, buying groceries, booking a vacation, and more.

Banking

Online banking is hugely popular these days. People can now check their accounts and have information on what is happening with their accounts in an instant. They can also pay bills online, transfer funds and communicate with their bank at will. These online services provide huge conveniences for customers in comparison to traditional banking.

I believe that the average member of society has become extremely reliant on the Internet. No single tool measures up to the usefulness of the Internet. Although some people resist this technology, it is only a matter of time before everyone adopts the convenience and ease that the Internet offers.

Windows 7 Smartphone: The next big thing?

Microsoft’s latest offering to the world is the Windows 7 operating system (OS). This operating system release offers a host of brand new features for Windows users. Along with Windows 7 for desktops, Microsoft has also released their mobile counterpart operating system called Windows Phone 7 which is scheduled for a later release than the desktop OS.

Windows Phone 7 is the mobile operating system designed for Windows compatible smartphones and mobile devices. The great thing about Windows Phone 7 is that Windows has literally started from scratch and developed a brand new operating system that legitimately competes with some of the top interactive phones on the market. Windows Phone 7 easily competes with the iPhone and the Google phone.

Previous versions of Windows mobile operating system worked against Windows in many ways. They made the mistake of packing too much into their previous mobile operating systems. Although there was widespread use of the Windows mobile operating system, users were frustrated and therefore it did not take too much persuasion for them to look at other mobile solutions when the opportunity arose. The problem with previous Windows mobile releases is that they did a lot of things but did not really do any single thing well. In many ways, Windows tried to pack a complete PC into their mobile devices, it was too much. They have learned however and in their latest release they have trimmed things down considerably.

The new Windows Phone 7 operating system focuses on two areas of excellence: an easy to use interface and quality business tools. The new Windows Phone 7 has an extremely attractive interface. They no longer use the typical windows icons but have given that up for an interface that gives users quick access to the applications they want to use. Games, messaging, photos and music are all easily accessible and at the same time, important business tools like Outlook email and various Microsoft office applications are of a high standard and equally accessible.

So far Windows Phone 7 has received rave reviews from Internet review sites like Engadget and Gizmodo. One thing that they all agree on is that Windows Phone 7 is a brand new experience. It is not an old operating system slightly edited and repackaged. They have truly taken this OS from scratch and have developed something fresh, new and exciting.

Although the Windows Phone 7 leaves those that read about it anxiously wanting to get their hands on it, unfortunately there is a bit of a wait. Windows Phone 7 is not scheduled for release until end of year 2010.