It seems the buzz all around the internet for the past couple of weeks has been about Google’s new social platform Google Plus or Google+. We have seen Google social things before like Buzz, which really did not catch on, but it seems many people are embracing Google+. Google+ is a social network, but what makes it different from Facebook? Well first off Google+ does not have games or 3rd party apps at this time. This means you are not getting stupid requests for apps and for people asking you to help them in Mafia Wars or something like that.
The core elements of Google+ are your friends, profile, photos, and hangouts. Lets start with friends, you can add friends by their e-mail and group them in to circles. Each circle is like a grouping, when you post something on Google+ you can either make it public so everyone can see it or you can select which circles you are going to post it to. Circles can also be used to filter your stream, you can select to only see what your friends are doing etc.
Your profile is pretty simple, it shows your posts, has an about tab, photos tab, videos tab, +1′s tab and a Buzz Tab. Unlike Facebook your friends or people who follow you cannot write on your profile. This is interesting, as the only way people can communicate with you is commenting on things you post. This may drive people to share more.
The photos section is pretty cool. The photo uploader is much better than the Facebook one and I like how the comments show up on the right side of the photo page. You are able to tag people in photos. When people tag you, you will get a tag request, which is a nice touch.
Hangouts are social video chat. You can chat with up to 10 people at once and it works great.
So where do where we go from here with Google+? Right now Google+’s user-base is mostly tech people, which is great if you are into that sort of thing. It makes it a really cool hangout, but if you are not into tech or the internet then you might have to wait for Google+ to have enough relevant content for you to enjoy. I think the big thing with Google+ is going to be engagement, just in the week that I’ve been on Google+ I’ve seen extremely long threads of replies and +1′s on posts. I think the fact that you cannot write on people’s profiles has a big part in this. I really like Google+ and if you are on it check out my profile here. Also if you need an invite send me your e-mail account and I’ll send you an invite!
If you are anything like me you carry your iPhone with you everywhere and it is more than just a phone. To me it is my way of connecting with the world when I don’t have access to a computer. There are a ton of iPhone Apps out there, but what ones am I using the most and why? Here are the top 5 iPhone Apps I use the most right now.
Foursquare – If you don’t know what Foursquare is then check out this post. I use Foursquare to “check-in” places and I really like it that now you are able to have it update your Twitter and Facebook as well as allow you to upload a photo as well.
Instagram – This App really came out of nowhere. I’ve had it for a while, but until recently I really had not used it that much. I mainly used twitpic to share files on twitter. Instagram is a photo sharing App that allows you to add cool effects to your photos. It really makes them look awesome and people can follow you on the app. You are also able to share your photos on Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, Posterous, and Tumblr. You can check out some of my photos from Instagram here.
Facebook – Of course this would be on the list. I always have to check Facebook a few times a day. The iPhone app works great for that if I am not at a computer.
Tiny Tower – I’m not a huge fan of single player games on the iPhone, but this game is very brilliant. Tiny Tower is a game where you build a tower floor by floor. Residence move in and as you create floors you create jobs from them etc. I have to play this game every night before I go to bed, so I suggest you try it out!
RunKeeper – I have been doing a lot of running lately, since I live right next to Highland Park. RunKeeper is a great App that tracks how long you have been running, uses the GPS on your phone to track you and even tells you how many calories you have burned. It not only can be used for running, but other activities like Cycling, Skating and even Snowboarding. Everything is saved online and you can view each activity. Here is a run I did just the other day.
Have a really cool app you think I would like? Let me know in the comments!
One of the biggest problems I’ve faced since I was young was being able to fall asleep. It would take me 1-2 hours or even more to fall asleep after actually going to bed. I think this is because I always have a lot on my mind and I think about what all I have to do the next day. Wasting 1-2 hours falling asleep makes me get less sleep, which is never good. Also for the past month probably I have not had a morning where I woke up and felt refreshed. It seems I wake up and I always still feel tired. This obviously affects my work so I knew I had to do something about it.
A while ago I read this post by Tim Ferris about hacking sleep and it really intrigued me. So I have decided to give hacking my sleep a try. I mean who does not want to be able to fall asleep faster and wake up feeling better? After doing some research here is my plan to hack my sleep.
1. Have a pre-bed snack – Often times I wake up still feeling tired and even at times I have a headache, this can be caused by low blood sugar following sleep. My plan is to have an apple and 1-2 tablespoons of flaxseed oil. The flaxseed oil will increase cell repair during sleep. I plan on getting flaxseed oil capsules because I heard the liquid tastes like cat urine!
2. Avoid late night planning – I used to plan out my next day right before I went to bed. This is a really bad habit! It keeps my mind going, which makes it harder for me to fall asleep. My solution to this is going to be to make my to-do list for the next day by mid-afternoon.
3. Take a Cold shower 1 hour before bed – There are many health benefits to taking cold showers. Most people suggest taking an ice bath before bed, but since I do not have a full bath tub a cold shower is going to have to suffice. I took my first cold shower a few days ago and be warned it is quite the shocker and it is not pleasant at all!
4. 30-45 minutes of relax time – I often don’t relax before I go to bed. Most of the time I go from my computer right into my bed. I’m going to define relax time as either watching tv, reading a book, or just simply relaxing before I go to bed. This way both my mind and body can relax before I decide to go to sleep.
5. Eating meals at set times – Eating meals at set times helps regulate melatonin, ghrelin, leptin, and other hormones that affect sleep cycles. I am going to come up with a good set schedule of meal times. I will most likely do a blog post about it in a few weeks.
So that’s the plan! I really want to stay strong and do this plan for at least 30 days if not longer. I will be updating you to let you know the progress and how it is working out for me. The main goal with this experiment is to fall asleep faster, get better sleep, and wake up feeling refreshed all so I can be more productive. Wish me luck!
I am lucky enough to live right beside one of the biggest parks in the city of Pittsburgh, Highland Park. If you didn’t know Pittsburgh has many city parks and they are great places to get away from the office. For me living right next to one is very convenient, that way I can just walk across the street and get a run in or explore the park. One thing that really sets Highland Park apart from other Pittsburgh city parks is the large reservoir in the center of the park. They have made a track that goes around the entire thing, which is perfect for running or walking. If you want an entire overview of Highland Park, check out my write up on The Pittsburgh Bucket List.
In this post I wanted to talk about some of the hidden gems of the park. These are things that some people might not find the first few times they visit the park. I have been going to the park on a daily basis to run (more on that in another post). The first gem I want to talk about is a path the goes back through the woods. This path is great, especially on a nice day. Walking or running through the woods gives you a great atmosphere and is just simply relaxing. I’ve never seen anyone else on this path all of the times I’ve been to the park.
As you go along the path you will end up at a little creek that comes down from the hill. There are multiple waterfalls and a cool wooden bridge that goes across it. The first time I stumbled upon this I was amazed. It’s like in the movies when they are going through the jungle and come upon a waterfall or something like that. The bridge does not look out of place and fits in perfect with the scenery as well.
The last gem is the tunnel. I’m not sure when this tunnel was built, but it looks pretty old. It is actually a really cool spot and the first time you see it, it sort of sneaks up on you.
If you have a chance to explore Highland Park I would highly recommend it. Remember you can check out my full write up on it here and to see all my photos check out my Flickr set!
A few weeks ago I kept on hearing about this site called Empire Avenue, then people kept on tweeting about it so I had to check it out. Empire Avenue is basically an online stock market simulation, but you are not investing in companies, but people. How it works is that you create an account add your social profiles (Twitter, Facebook, etc). Once your accounts are connected you are eventually given a share price based on the activity and engagement of those accounts. When your share price is established people are able to invest in you.
Empire Avenue uses what they called “Eaves” as their virtual currency. You are given a set amount of Eaves when you start and can gain Eaves by doing many different things. First you are able to invest (buy shares) in users on Empire avenue. Once you buy the shares you will be given a daily dividend, which is a good way to earn Eaves. You also earn Eaves when people buy shares in you. You can earn achievements or invite people to join Empire Avenue and that will give you Eaves as well. If you are lazy you can purchase Eaves.
The site can be quite addicting as the normal stock market is for many people. At least with Empire Avenue you are spending fake currency not real money. Your share price is based on engagement so the more you interact on your social networks the more you will end up being worth. This makes the game fun and makes your more productive on those social networks. The main goal of the game is to have the most wealth based on your your investments and income. The best way to do this is invest wisely and keep trying to grow your market share so more people will invest in you.
Right now I have a net wealth of 84,799.945 and 11 people have invested in me. I currently invest in 14 people and have 28,232.31 in the bank. Empire Avenue is a lot of fun, go ahead and check it out and maybe you might want to invest in me!
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