Totally addicted to tech

Hey there,

Okay, so I realize the title might be a big vague. Let me just clear up any confusion as to what this post might be about. This is specifically regarding several...settings in which the seemingly irresistible urge to be on one's cell phone has come up in my own personal life (as far as observing others, not my own personal use) that I just had to share.

And these aren't in any particular order.

The first is, with men, the urinal.

Really guys?? C'mon now...you can't wait to finish your business and wash your hands before you check Facebook?? I seriously don't anything is that urgent.

We survived before cell phones and social media long enough to take a wiz. I'm sure we can continue to do so.

The second is when working out. Okay, yes, fine. This is excluding the individuals who use the multimedia aspects of their mobile devices, regarding music and whatnot. But even then, shouldn't you already have a playlist ready to go?

I guess, what I'm really commenting on is when people start focusing on whatever they're doing on their smartphones, more than they're actually working out. I suspect many of them are falling victim to WWILF'ing, aka "what was I looking for"...it's that phenomenon that happens when you start of by checking one thing, then see a post, or a link, or an article, and you click on that, and before you know it, your 10 clicks away from what you originally opened your browser or app for and you have no idea what it was anymore.

But hey, it's your time

The third and final thing, as a performer, is on stage. I did a production in which our stage mother had to yell at us after the first performance, because people pulled out their cell phones, on stage, in the middle of the show!!

Now there was a backdrop of sorts that was downstage of us, but when you're in almost complete black, cell phone screens are quite bright. And while there weren't any more illuminating incidents, one of the following shows another performer's phone went off IN THEIR POCKET!!

Thankfully, they were quick enough to hear it and almost unnoticeably turn it off. I mean, I'm sure none of the audience could see it from the house, but I'm sure you can imagine how jarring it was for the other performers around him.

Anyway, so it's all still relevant to the subject of the post. It's just having to do with how mobile technology has encroached upon certain areas of our life, in addictive ways, both perceived and actual.

I know I'm not the first to write about this, so I obviously encourage checking Google News for "addicted to tech" (which you can do by just clicking on the link). I'd also like to hear if anyone's had similar experience, either in the same environments or other ones.

Do you think we'll eventually balance this behavior out and see a decrease in incidents where our mobile devices don't distract us from what we're doing in the moment as much?

Curious mind wants to know,

- JR

P.S. Whether you did or did not get the song reference in the subject (although I changed a word), here's a music video:

Ten things to know about the Niantic Project

Hey there,

So for anyone interested, just wanted to blog about what has become my latest...obsession: Ingress. Here are 10 things you should know, primarily links. Also, please note, this is not a review, but rather more of a post for people interested in participating in Ingress, or who already are. Definitely check out Google news for "Niantic Project" as there are a host of individuals who have already covered the review angle better than I could.

1. XM (Exotic Matter) - "A rare and powerful form of tri-polar energy leaking into our universe from another dimension. This energy forms the basis for all Shaper technology. XM is needed to power your Scanner. If XM falls below critical levels, your Scanner will be disabled. You can collect XM (represented by glowing orbs on the Scanner Map) by moving through those areas. The XM will be automatically harvested by your Scanner."

2. Two Factions

• The Resistance - Faction defending the Earth from the Shaper ingression. They are seen by some as being fearful of change or progress, but the Resistance is firm in its belief that it is protecting humanity.
• The Enlightened - Faction attempting to help the Shapers infiltrate Earth. Followers believe that the Shapers bring a powerful Enlightenment that will lead to an evolution of humankind.

3. Vocabulary - The above terms and all other game related ones came be found at this Ingress Vocabulary support page.

4. Support - General support, particularly for using ingress scanner technology and troubleshooting, as well as the root page for the previous link, can be found here.

5. Investigation - A brave young soul has been tracking...phenomenon and sharing his findings and musings at his page for the Niantic Project.

6. Intel Map - Players can use this intel map to strategize, either alone or with others in their faction, as the mobile app will only display your immediate surroundings.

7. Player Maps - Players from both factions are adding placemarks to their respective group's map.

• Resistance Faction Map
• Enlightened Faction Map

8. Google Groups - There are groups, for the endeavor as a whole, as well as each faction.

• Ingress Discussion
• Resistance
• Enlightened

9. Social Media

• On Twitter
• The Niantic Project
• Ingress News
• On Facebook
• On Google Plus
• On YouTube

10. Resistance is not futile - But humanity has constantly defined itself by change, our capacity to adapt to it as well as create it, especially by aspiring to ideals that transcend our immediate  reality. Beauty, joy, truth, and the like...to say those belong solely to the human experience negates every ounce of humility we owe to the very fact that we exist, and that there is more to us than mere flesh and bones. To resist change is to deny our own fundamental humanity, and our capacity to constantly be more than we were before. No matter how much we grow and are inspired, whether by each other, nature, or any other source, it is not possible to ever become less human than we are. And there is so much more out there than what we can measure or explain, yet we've never doubted our ownership of our own fate, whatever combination of nature or nurture, of science or faith, affected our own growth as individuals or collective paths as communities. For any who are willing to take the ultimate leap of faith, you understand why joining the Enlightened in partnership with the Shapers is not a choice, but rather our destiny.

And that's all I've got. Anyone else 'playing'? Let me know, as well as which faction you chose and why.

Any others on either side in the DC area? Hit me up. We need to figure out a cover story so that local authorities understand (the multitude that we have), are informed as to any increase of activity around portals that they observe.

And if you're still not sure what Ingress and the Niantic Project are about, check out this trailer:

Post about actual Ingress use and strategy coming soon.

- JR aka AWayofLife0

SXSW panels I recommend checking out

Hey there,

So I wanted to share some panels that have come up in my FB feed and twitter stream, proposals for next year's SXSW Interactive. If you're not familiar, here's a blurb from their page:

The 20th annual SXSW Interactive Festival will take place March 8-12, 2013 in Austin, Texas. An incubator of cutting-edge technologies and digital creativity, the event features five days of compelling presentations from the brightest minds in emerging technology, scores of exciting networking events hosted by industry leaders and an unbeatable line-up of special programs showcasing the best new websites, video games and startup ideas the community has to offer

Let me just point out that the following highlighted panels are not the result of any comprehensive vetting process. They are mostly people, and in one case an organization, that I've been fortunate enough to connect with in person.

That being said, I'm not receiving any compensation from any of of the people or organizations I mention below.

I also don't believe in coincidence, and I'm grateful to know those I've crossed paths with. Because people, in general, are up to amazing things.  With that, here are some panels I recommend checking out.

Education

• Minerva Project & 2tor CEOs: Future of Higher Ed - "Higher education is transforming before our eyes. Universities and colleges are under increasing pressure to stay relevant during the current digital revolution. But with a plethora of options, ranging from...(read more)"
• College Vs. UnCollege: Are Degrees Worth It? - "In the Information Age, where knowledge has become ubiquitously accessible and informal education courses and certificates have blossomed, do formal college degrees still offer enough...(read more)"
• My connection - I sing with a guy who works at 2tor, a company which has a representative on each panel proposed. You can check them out at their website previously linked, or also on Facebook.

Health, health care, and patient advocacy

• Crowds for Care - "Who Controls what new drugs, treatments, and tech will emerge to improve care? Until now, the answer was only giant corporations and government committees because they control the funding. In July 2012, Patients and Doctors began funding the healthcare innovations that they care about through Crowdfunding, creating a huge wave of support that the corporations and government love because...(read more)"
• My connection - Regina Holliday, she is one of the speakers on the panel. I met this wonderful woman at the first Social Justice Camp DC. In a related note, if you'd like to see the FB note I posted after the first night of this event, you can check it out here. You can found out more about her at her blog, as well as follow her on Twitter, and connect with her on Facebook. I encourage you to do any, if not all, of the above.

Nonprofits & social media

• We <3 Social Data! But What Do We Do With It? - "Lots of nonprofits are buying social data, giving them an unprecedented amount of information about individual supporters. But once you have it, what do you do with it?" (Read more)
• My connection - one of the panelists is with Small Act, who's tag line really sums up what they do, "Make a big impact in social media". I've gone to a couple of free trainings at the Foundation Center in DC, led by a small act employee, the wonderful Annie Lynsen who's position is Director of Awesomeness. And awesome is what anything they're involved with is guaranteed to be. You can follow them on Twitter and like them on Facebook.

Theatre

• Smooth Scrum: Lessons from the Theatre - "The last few decades of the American theater have seen a rapid growth in the number of ‘devising ensembles’—playwrights, actors, directors, and designers working together in collaborative groups to develop plays. It's agile development for the American stage. Instead of beginning with a script...(read more)
• Here's a video embedded on the proposal page:

• My connection - This is actually a second degree one, but the DC Theatre community is small like that, which I love. When I put it out on Twitter that I would be blogging about this, a fellow DC artist, friend, and social media rockstar, Chelsey (aka @chelseydc) tweeted back
  

  @awayoflife0 Talk to @gwydions! #dcarts#sxsw
  — Chelsey Christensen (@chelseydc) August 18, 2012 

   And I did. Well, Gwydion actually got to me first, and let me know about his proposal, which I promptly found and voted for. You can follow him on Twitter.

So there's that. I hope this helps you sift through the multitude of proposals if you've been in it, and if not, I hope this is a good start. And if there's any that you're involved with or support, certainly share them in the comments. But don't just copy & paste the link. At least say a little bit about how you're involved or connected.

And for any other friends who have proposals, let me know. Also, I want to go!! If anyone is looking to have someone help out and work with their social media presence before and during, hit me up :-)

- JR