E-Fame and Internet Celebrities

The internet has opened up a world of instant communication opportunities, and these opportunities can have both positive and negative consequences.

To begin with, what is E-Fame? E-Fame is basically internet celebrity status. A person or event can become popular or notorious across the web in a matter of days. YouTube and other social media and networking outlets open the doors for internet users to voice their various talents or opinions. Specifically, weblogs, viral videos, and internet community interactions are the most prevalent routes to E-Fame.

In some cases, this can lead to amazing results and a league of dedicated internet fans. We can look to Justin Bieber's rise to fame as an example: his music career began with YouTube videos being posted for family members. Random internet users stumbled across his work and he grew a fan base. The popularity of his videos caused Scooter Braun, a former marketing executive of So So Def, to click on one of Bieber's 2007 YouTube videos. At this point, Justin Bieber's E-Fame turned into into real-life fame, as Scooter Braun introduced Bieber to Usher, leading to Bieber's current successful celebrity status.

Unfortunately, Justin Bieber's situation is less likely than the typical notoriety that bloggers and musicians experience on the world wide web (as we all know, bad news travels faster than good news). Let's look to another musician's experience with E-Fame: Rebecca Black.

Rebecca Black's E-Fame spurred from a single video. Let's take a look...

OK. So it is pretty annoyingly catchy, but I'm sure there are tons of videos just as confusing starring awkward teenagers and random rappers... but this video went viral and now Rebecca Black's name is known across millions of internet users. Some people are fans, but most people cringe at the mention of her name. With 375,683 likes and 2,706,251 dislikes, the criticism of her song "Friday" has led Ms. Black to E-Fame status. Her E-Fame has led to hate mail and death threats. Unfortunately, this is the reality for most E-Famous people.

Social posting sites such as myspace or 4chan can allow many misguided users to embarrass themselves or open themselves up to attack from other users. One myspace user's E-Fame has completely destroyed her life.

Kirsten Ostrenga became E-Famous under the alias of Kiki Kannibal. She began as a teenager in South Florida who posted edgy photos of herself on Myspace. The results were statutory rape, the suicide of her ex-boyfriend, death threats, vandalism, and online stalking. RollingStone Magazine posted an article on her tragic story five years after she earned this "internet celebrity" status.

All-in-all, the world of the wide web, and all of the social and media interactions that have spurred forth, can lead to fame and notoriety outside of newspapers and movies. E-Fame is a new class of fame; a person doesn't need to have money or even have a decent set of talents or knowledge. Internet users can choose to plaster their own names and faces all over the place, or post a video or two for friends and family, but both of these scenarios open the doors for adoration or abuse by other internet users.

Peer to Peer Networking

Peer-to-peer networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks between users, who are granted equal privilege within the network (thus the title ‘peers’), and who require no stable host or central server. Whereas in the client-server model there is a distinction between the one who supplies and the one who consumes, in a peer-to-peer network both peers in any given interaction are seen as both a supplier and a consumer. One of the great sources of publicity for peer-to-peer networking is due to the proliferation of peer-to-peer file sharing networks.

Peer-to-peer systems utilize abstract overlay networks on top of the native topology, rendering the network independent of the system’s physical topology. In structured P2P networks, peers are organized according to specific criteria, usually using distributed hash table-based (DHT) indexing. Unstructured P2P networks, however, do not provide an algorithm to organize network connections.

The peer-to-peer overlay network consists of each participating peer as a network node. Any two nodes that ‘know each other’ are linked, which is to say that a directed edge is formed between one node and another if the first peer knows the location of the other within the overlay network. The classification of a P2P system as structured or structured has to do with the way in which the nodes in the network are linked to one another.

There are several pros and cons to the use of such a network. On the plus side, within a given P2P network, each peer provides resources, including but not limited to bandwidth, computing power, storage space, etc. In a traditional client-server model each client presents only demands, which do nothing to improve the capacity of the network, whereas in P2P networks the system will grow with more interactions between peers. However, there is always the risk that non-secure codes could allow remote access to data on a user’s computer or even compromise the security of the entire P2P network. Measures can, of course, be taken (and today often are) in order to enforce file verification for security purposes on many networks; among these security measures are more advanced encryption methods, chunk verification and newer hashing methods. Internet service providers also tend to come down heavily on P2P networks, given their relatively heavy bandwidth use as compared to the most common browser activities (e-mail, etc.)

As much controversy as the illegal dissemination of protected content on P2P nations has aroused, this genre of network has also inspired some to view other topics on a peer-to-peer rather than server-client basis. Examples include the projected ideas of peer distribution, peer governance and peer property.

3D on the internet

3D is huge today. With the overwhelming influx of 3D movies in the past few years, and now the growing numbers of 3D enabled televisions and home video cameras, everybody wants 3D. It seems, the last frontier for this is the internet, and the ball is already rolling and we may soon have websites in 3D.

3D on the internet is not a new initiative. In the mid 90s a markup language called VRML (virtual reality markup language) was created to try and bring 3d to the web. Only surface colors could be defined, and it was relatively low fidelity in regard to the realism of rendered objects and environments. For it’s time it was a powerful tool, but ultimately did not succeed. It was used very sparingly, mostly due to long load times due to the bandwidth it required. It was succeeded by another language, X3D

X3D replaced VRML, it is XML based and an ISO standard formatting language. X3D supports more refined rendering quality than VRML, as well as shading and texturing of the 3D files. It also supports open source standards like XML, DOM and XPath, which allow for the inclusion of tools like an exporter and an editor. X3D has many applications, many of which are based in open source software. One such application is the program Blender which is a free open source 3D graphics application.

Google is also on point with the development of a functional 3D internet, as they are with most cutting edge web technology and applications,. They released a web based 3D api, called O3D which allows web developers to add 3D content to web pages. Developers can embed a regular obj file in a web site, and users can articulate and explore the 3D element right on the page. The beta was released in 2009, and while not many developers have taken advantage of it as yet, Google has been updating and expanding it since then, and it is now out of beta. Currently it is a plug-in which users must download in order to view the 3D content, but eventually the software will be built into browsers.

We are just in the infancy of the practical implementation of 3D on the internet. With the gradual release of HTML5, which will support more advanced 3D capabilities we will be seeing much more of this in the future. Some of the most obvious applications for 3D on the internet are games and advertisements, already two of the biggest online areas. Being able to manipulate and game in 3D environments, as simulated in the O3D video above, would completely revolutionize the online gaming industry.

This past summer I worked at a company called Direct Dimensions, who deal in the scanning and 3D digitizing of all kinds of objects and environments, from buildings and airplanes, to crime scenes and jewelry. I worked on a project called ShapeShot, which, using software from a company called Dimensional Imaging, digitizes faces in full color using a regular digital camera.

The video above shows the same system, but using video camera to capture 3d facial movies instead of images. The possible applications for having a 3D avatar of yourself for use on the web could prove interesting. It allows you to have a personalized avatar for that 3D game you will play on the internet in the future, or buy a bobblehead of yourself from an online retailer, or try on glasses or a hat from an online store, before you put in on at home to see how it looks.

We are just on the edge of the possible practical applications for a 3D enabled internet, and it will be very interesting to watch this new technology take hold in the coming decade.

sources:

http://news.cnet.com/google-tries-jump-starting-3d-web-with-o3d/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X3D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VRML

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O3D

http://code.google.com/apis/o3d/

The Evolution of Startups

In the past three years, two atypical events - on two entirely different channels - have radically changed the way organizations function: the Economic downturn following the subprime mortgage crisis in the US; and the uprising of Social Media giants, towering the likes of Facebook, Twitter etc. And with the occurrence of both, it is only natural then, that companies rethink their way of functioning, their management of resources, and particularly so, their channels of communication – more so in largely consumer-driven businesses. Should the organization jump on the bandwagon to establish, or more usually, defend, its online brand? Or should it invest in an online ‘Social’ startup which happens to be rather promising? How have such innovations evolved, and have they always been successful? Are customers attracted to them faster than the usual channels of communication?

The article in turn, intends to establish a definite pattern in such startups, in hopes that it might just be easier to recognize one in the “next big thing”.

Going Google

When Google first opened to the world, it offered something most Search engines didn’t: subtle, ad-free search – and with nothing obvious on its website to sell to users. It was inherently smart.
Pitting it off against other search engines at the time, AltaVista, Yahoo! etc, which were otherwise crawling with news and advertisements, Google in turn kept it simple. Their clean webpage gave out the obvious message that their focus was indeed to provide the best of Search capabilities, and early adopters quite naturally took it in a stride - possibly owing to its reputation within Stanford as well. Its popularity soared, and so did widespread adoption. People shifted rapidly, not only because it was the best, but because everyone else was now using it.

The rest is history. Google now offers much more than just Search – Maps, Gmail, Chrome, Picasa, SketchUp, and the upcoming Wave. The list is endless, if not perfect.

‘The’ Facebook

Facebook in turn, albeit a different platform altogether, had similar beginnings. Written by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg, it started off, best-described by Wikipedia, as a “Harvard University version of Hot or Not”. While the hot-or-not concept most certainly died out, the social-networking aspect stuck.

Reprogrammed and refurnished, it garnered around itself a certain exclusivity reputation, open only to Harvard students in its initial stages. Consequently, when opened for Ivy League universities, unsurprisingly enough, it attracted students by the masses; Zuckerberg glowed. The Networks grew, expanded to other universities, added Canadian Schools, Microsoft, Apple, and even High Schools. Facebook, it seemed, had provided people with the perfect way of staying connected, with old friends, acquaintances, and everyone else, occasionally offering a peek into the on-goings of their daily lives, with photos, status updates etc. etc. The website was simple, friendly, fresh, and clean.

Fast-forwarding a few years past that, Facebook, of course, is now open to users worldwide. While the ‘exclusivity’ factor is perhaps non-existent, users now flock to it by the thousands, if not millions, not only because of the same features which had attracted its early users, but more so because everyone else is now on it.

Twitterbits

Twitter, perhaps Mashable’s favorite Social platform, had a rather interesting start as well. While not concocted in the likes of a garage, or as an accidental startup, it was rather the product of a brainstorming session at Odeo. Initially a simple SMS service offering the ability to post public messages, it was devoid of the sheer laziness accompanied with writing long blog posts (Such as this one). Everyone could give nippy little updates on their life – in 140 characters or less. It was simple, easy to use, and quite, quite unique.

While its long-term success might be hard to predict, it is definitely a fact now, that following its initial adaptation and success at the SXSW conference, it most certainly became quite a huge hit. Still in its early stages, people are starting to find uses which even its makers could not have possibly comprehended – viral marketing, research, and possibly even more.

Putting it all together

There are more that may be talked about – YouTube, Blogs, Wikipedia etc. - the list isn’t exhaustive. For the purpose of this article however, let’s stick to highlighting certain common characteristics in these particular cases.

They all started out simple, quite unlike their competitors. Google, with its clean homepage; Facebook, with its simple connectivity features; and Twitter, of-course, for being Twitter. More so than simplicity of course, all three offered users something which other websites didn’t: an unusual, unique characteristic. Google, with its PageRank, for offering the most relevant of results; Facebook, with its Networks feature, to connect with all the right people; and Twitter, for its short SMS-like bursts of 140 character-long messages, which were so much more easier to jot down than blog-posts. These peculiar traits in turn, made the three platforms much, much more interesting - easily attracting the early hordes of adapters towards them.

Foregoing the exception of Twitter, (still just about 2 years old,) Google and Facebook themselves have now evolved into a lot more than what they started out as. While the Search Engine does provide some incremental features, Google has also tied in more and more efficient services to it – YouTube results, Google News, Maps etc. etc. And while Facebook itself has in fact discontinued its Networks feature, it now offers a lot more than just that – Videos, Groups, Fan Pages, Events, Applications, Games, E-Commerce systems - and much, much more.

So what’s next?

What after them? Will Twitter evolve in a similar manner – incrementally, as Anil Dash likes to put it? It's already on the way to implement better Retweeting abilities, among other things. The only thing I fear is a substantial lack of clarity in exactly what it'll be offering businesses through subscription-based models.

What of the foregone Google Wave? The email-defying platform was certainly unique – too unique perhaps. While it provided an excellent array of features for developers, first looks alarmed common users with its complexity, rather than awe them with its savviness. Perhaps if they gradually rolled out similar features within Gmail itself, now one of the biggest email platforms worldwide – then yes. Google knows best.

As for future startups? Will they be as simple, unique, and viral? Time will tell.

Video Games: Learning in Disguise?

Ever since its birth, technology has grown exponentially. Today, it is all around us. It has seeped into almost every aspect of human behavior, be it education, entertainment, work, personal or social life. It is an unstoppable tide and will continue to have its growing impact on us. Video games came into the scene around 35 years back. Though it was invented with the intension of imparting entertainment value, over the years, the objective of video gaming has changed. In the recent years, the video game industry has enhanced surprisingly. It has captivated the market with new inventions in regular intervals of time. Its targeted audience, the teenagers have been increasingly attracted to it. As a consequence, there is a worry hovering around the minds of teachers and parents. A very important topic of concern for the adults today is the video games. We often hear mothers complain about the number of hours their children spend on video games. ‘Is video gaming an addiction?’, ‘Does it have detrimental effects on the thinking skills of a regular gamer?’, ‘Are the concentration skills of a teenager being drained due to this?’ Various studies and surveys are being conducted to answer questions like these. Though one might consider video games to have only entertainment value, in my opinion there is more to video gaming.

Video gaming demands from the players a high level of visual and audio attention, rigorous interactive involvement, accelerated responsive skills and multitasking abilities. Players are required to divide their concentration among more than one thing. We might not be able to see any instant or visible learning as it is not in the form of grades, but players enrich many elements of their learning curve while engaged in a video game. Players will usually struggle until they complete a level and then move on to the next one to face greater difficulty. Thus, video gaming is a gradual process of learning.

I must not overlook the fact that just as every coin has two sides to it, video gaming too comes with certain counterproductive traits. Just like any other beneficial object, excess of video gaming can prove to be damaging. Though I support the play of video games, I do not encourage gamers who ignore other aspects of learning. Playing does add certain important values to ones’ learning curve, but it cannot act as a perfect source.

Games like World of Warcraft give players the means to save worlds, and incentive to learn the habits of heroes. What if we could harness this gamer power to solve real-world problems? Jane McGonigal in her TED Talk says we can, and explains how.

Jane McGonigal, TED Talk

Another TED Talk by Ali Carr-Chellman on how video games can particularly re-engage boys in learning.

Ali Carr-Chellman, TED Talk

I would like to restate in assurance that video game is a learning in disguise. Teens' develop certain vital abilities which are needed to form a dynamic learning curve. These skills cannot be learnt in school. I would also like to state that excessive video gaming can cause addiction which will prove to be deleterious. Thus, taking into consideration the fickleness of a teenagers'mind, I would like to belabor that the teenagers' video gaming habits should be monitored by adults. If played under supervision, video games can definitely be an entertaining way of gaining education, a point where learning would meet fun.

Resources: TED Talks: ideas worth spreading

Collaborative Software

Definition

Software that tries to compensate for face-to-face or collocated tasks by providing a system that allows users to store and modify data, interact with each other and achieve mutual goals. Popular examples of software are

I would like to expand this definition to include technology that we use regularly to communicate with people that are not physically collocated, sharing information and knowledge that pertain to common objectives. Applications such as Skype allow file sharing, instant messaging and video conferencing. Another application, Basecamp, provides project management tools for teams to create milestones, to-do lists and track hours, while working in disconnected settings.

Collaborative software to my understanding is any software application that attempts to bridge the gap of communication between people that are not geographically collocated by providing a set of tools that constitute an interactive virtual environment.

Interesting Concepts related to Collaboration

During the late 20^th century and early 21^st century, with the rapid advances in computer technology, companies envisioned reaching certain milestones in the next few decades that are yet to be accomplished.

A popular concept video is the Apple Knowledge Navigator. These concept videos seem absurd but to think that we do not have anything equivalent to the Knowledge Navigator, more than 30 years since this video was made, exposes the flipside of technological progress.

Apple Knowledge Navigator:

However, a few innovative and rather expensive collaboration tools have been implemented. ATT’s Video Conferencing and Cisco’s Telepresence are elaborate systems that require companies to make large monetary commitments to install these collaborative tools for their employees.

ATT Telepresence:

Cisco Telepresence:

Two other interesting ideas are MIT’s ClearBoard and Mircrosoft’s Future Vision 2019.

ClearBoard: http://web.media.mit.edu/~ishii/CB.html

Future Vision:

History

Colossal Cave Adventure created by Will Crowther in 1975 can be called the beginning of online collaborative software, a beginning that came about through the gaming community. With an increase in online gamers and faster Internet connection, the need for collaboration to boost the gaming experience led to new innovations such as MUD, Multi-User Dungeon in 1978. Most of these applications remained in research communities and were not accessible to general public till the advance of dial-up modems in homes.

Outside of gaming, VOIP(voice over IP) and video sharing contributed to the growth of collaborative software. The government began using collaborative applications in the early 1990s and the Navy's Common Operational Modeling, Planning and Simulation Strategy (COMPASS) was the first robust collaborative application. It allowed up to 6 users created point-to-point connections with one another; the collaborative session only remained while at least one user stayed active, and would have to be recreated if all six logged out.

Groupware is another interesting concept closely associated with collaborative software. It focuses on increasing efficiency of groups in a distributed setting. Groupware has been talked about since the 1980s and there a two quotes that express what the idea is and what people expect to see-

"Like an electronic sinew that binds teams together, the new groupware aims to place the computer squarely in the middle of communications among managers, technicians, and anyone else who interacts in groups, revolutionizing the way they work." -Richman and Slovak

"If GROUPWARE really makes a difference in productivity long term, the very definition of an office may change. You will be able to work efficiently as a member of a group wherever you have your computer. As computers become smaller and more powerful, that will mean anywhere." -Kirkpatrick and Losee

What you are most likely to hear about today(I have personally enjoyed using)

Dropbox is a file hosting service operated by Dropbox, Inc. which uses cloud computing to enable users to store and share files and folders with others across the Internet using file synchronization. Sharing can be done between dropbox users, right click a folder in your dropbox and choose share and you can then invite another user to share it. Each one of you can put files in the folder for eachother, and you each have full access to the files. So you can each edit, delete, add files etc. The only thing to be aware of is that files in the shared folder count against the quota of all people sharing it

Dropbox has free and paid services, each with varying options. There are a total of 10 clients, including versions for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux as well as versions for mobile devices, such as Android, iPhone, iPad and BlackBerry, and a web-based client for when no local client is installed. Dropbox uses the Freemium financial model and its free service provides 2 GB of free online storage and users who refer Dropbox to others can gain up to 8 GB of free storage.

Further Information:

http://lifehacker.com/#!397778/dropbox-syncs-and-backs-up-files-between-computers-instantaneously

Google Docs & Spreadsheets can handle the nuts and bolts of daily office work, such as composing and editing text documents. Crunching numbers in a spreadsheet, and making basic slide shows. While the features are far fewer than those of desktop software such as Microsoft Office, this online service conveniently lets you do your work anywhere and collaborate with other users.

It is free service from Google that allows you to upload and save documents from your desktop, edit them online from any computer, and invite others to read or edit your documents. Files are stored in Google's secure servers.

Google Docs & Spreadsheets is easy to set up and offers a clean interface. The service tags documents by subject and imports various file formats. It can export to PDF or download as original file format. The spreadsheets includes formula shortcut, auto saves files, works with ODF and Microsoft Office files

What to watch out for

Amazon’s cloud service provides a virtual computing environment, allowing you to use web service interfaces to launch instances with a variety of operating systems, load them with your custom application environment, manage your network’s access permissions, and run your image using as many.

Here are some interesting articles that involve these three services and what has been happening recently:

http://lifehacker.com/#!5786884/cloud-storage-faceoff-windows-live-skydrive-vs-dropbox-vs-amazon-cloud-drive

http://venturebeat.com/2011/04/21/amazons-cloud-crash-takes-down-foursquare-reddit-and-others/

Implementation and Consideration Issues

Chat and voice communications are routinely non-persistent and evaporate at the end of the session. Virtual room and online file cabinets can persist for years. The designer of the collaborative space needs to consider the information duration needs and implement accordingly. And until recently, bandwidth issues at fixed location limited full use of the tools. These are exacerbated with mobile devices.

Authentication is a major problem for Groupware. When connections are made point-to-point, of when log-in registration is enforced, it's clear who is engaged in the session. However, audio and unmediated sessions carry the risk of unannounced 'lurkers' who observe but do not announce themselves or contribute.

Collaborative software is an umbrella tern for desktop applications, web services and management tools that allow users to communicate through the service. There is a plethora of tools that enable sharing such as video conferencing, wikis, revision control etc. and each has a different set of challenges associated with it.

Conclusion

This blog post does not seek to cover all the existing collaborative software tools but is a way for me to talk about some of my favorite tools, what I think will be big next and how ideas from the last 50 years have evolved into the most useful applications for me as a college student.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collaborative_software

http://aws.amazon.com/ec2/

http://reviews.cnet.com/online-software-services

http://web.media.mit.edu/~ishii/CB.html

http://venturebeat.com/2011/04/21/amazons-cloud-crash-takes-down-foursquare-reddit-and-others/

http://lifehacker.com/#!397778/dropbox-syncs-and-backs-up-files-between-computers-instantaneously

YouTube

Youtube and Its History:

Youtube is the largest video sharing website on which users can upload, share, comment and view videos. The insanely popular online video community (3rd most visited site behind Google and Facebook) was created by former Paypal employees Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim. The domain name www.youtube.com was first available on February 14, 2005 and featured a video of Karim titled "Me at the Zoo".

From the very beginnings of its inception, Youtube has grown tremendously fast. Only a year after it first started, the company announced that over 65,000 new videos were being uploaded each day and over 100 million videos were being viewed each day. It is estimated that in 2007 YouTube consumed as much bandwidth as the entire Internet in 2000. Now, Youtube says that 35 hours of new videos are uploaded every single minute. Also, in November 2006, YouTube was bought by Google Inc. for $1.65 billion.

Uploading:

Unregistered users may watch videos, and registered users may upload an unlimited number of videos. Most standard users can only upload videos under 15 minutes of length but users with a good track record (no violations of copyright policies or Youtube rules) may upload videos of unlimited length. Youtube features a simply and efficient way to upload videos. It accepts most formats and also supports 3GP, which allows videos to be uploaded from mobile phones. Additionally, Youtube now allows high quality videos to be uploaded up to 1080p.

Ethics of Uploads:

As expected with a fairly unregulated community, there are several ethical problems that have spawned from Youtube. In the past, the company has faced criticism for allowing offensive material to be uploaded. Because of the sheer amount of material that is constantly uploaded to Youtube, the company does not screen material before it is uploaded. YouTube relies on its community of users to flag videos that they deem inappropriate, and a YouTube employee will view a flagged video to make a final decision and determine whether or not it violates the site's terms of service. Additionally, videos that are considered to contain potentially offensive content are available only to registered users 18 and older.

Other than inappropriate videos, there has been a long struggle between Youtube and media companies of videos that break copyright policies. For all uploaded videos, YouTube users are shown a screen with the message "Do not upload any TV shows, music videos, music concerts or advertisements without permission, unless they consist entirely of content that you created yourself". This of course is largely ignored. Many organizations including Viacom, Mediaset and the English Premier League have filed lawsuits against Youtube but did not pass as Google is protected by provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Youtube has, however, introduced a system call Video ID, which checks newly uploaded videos against a database of copyrighted content to reduce the amount of violations.

Youtube Community:

Before Youtube arrived, there were very few cheap and easy methods for ordinary to reach out to the world and share their thoughts, experiences or memories through video. Now, with its simple interface, YouTube made it possible for anyone with an Internet connection to post a video that a worldwide audience could watch and enjoy within a few minutes. With its wide range of topics and gigantic fan base, Youtube has become one of the most important part of the Internet culture.

One special phenomenon that I'd like to point out is the emergence of extremely popular videos that go "viral" in the online community. These videos reach millions of views in a short amount of time and become common place in our society. Some of these include "Charlie Bit My Finger", "Jizz in My Pants" and Rebecca Black's "Friday".

iPhone Applications

Since the App store launched in July of 2008, the quantity and caliber of Apps has been steadily growing. Today there are over 350,000 apps, which can do anything from keeping you entertained during a boring bus ride, to online banking, to identifying the name of a cool song that is playing. As the number of iPhone and iPod touch users has exploded, so too have the number of App developers looking to make their mark on the mobile landscape, and perhaps make some money in the process.

Mobile applications have been available for many years, but it wasn’t until the introduction of Apple’s App store that the App industry began to gain any serious traction. In the few short years since the App Store launched, mobile applications have gone from being almost a gimmick, which served little purpose beyond novelty and entertainment, to being powerful tools that enhance people’s lives in powerful and dynamic ways.

While the mobile application market is primarily dominated by games, there are many innovative apps which show the potential mobile devices could have to change our lives; one such app called “Word Lens” allows you to point your camera at a sign in Spanish and it will instantly translate the sign and display its contents in English, and vice-versa. An App called “TuneIn Radio” lets you listen to over 50,000 radio stations from all over the world sorted by genre, location, or popularity. Other Apps, such as those for Facebook and Twitter let you stay connected and on top of your social life literally 24 hours a day. The era of being allowed to take half a day to respond to emails or Facebook messages is rapidly coming to an end as rapidly changing social norms now create the expectation of immediate and total connectivity at all hours of the day and night.

The Apps becoming available, and the technology powering mobile devices are changing so quickly it has become very difficult to predict what kinds of trends and technology will be in favor a few years, or even months, from now. However given current trends I think it seems very likely that mobile devices will eclipse personal computers in terms of usefulness and usage-hours sometime in the very near future.

Over Winter break a few months ago I decided it would be a fun experiment to try to develop my own iPhone App. I downloaded the iPhone Software Development Kit (which is completely free, but you have to pay $100 before you can submit your app to the App store, and you need to have a Mac), and found it to be an extremely powerful and well thought out platform. There is a bit of a learning curve associated with understanding how to use the software, and with learning Apple’s special programming language “Objective-C”, but there are a lot of extremely well made tutorials on YouTube and elsewhere that can help you get started quickly, and whenever you encounter errors or do not know how to do something, you can Google your issue and you will almost always be able find the solution very quickly on sites like stackoverflow.com or iphonedevsdt.com. Whatever your problem is, chances are thousands of other people have encountered it already, and the solution is only a quick Google Search away. Programmers tend to be extremely nice about answering questions, and helping people along in online forums. I have Goggled many hundreds of Objective-C errors and how-to type questions, and I think I have yet to encounter a situation in which a solution is not available online somewhere.

iPhone development isn’t exactly for the technologically faint of heart, but if you are willing to invest the time necessary to learn a new language and development platform, and you are looking for a way to change the world in a way that doesn’t require much start up capitol, I think iPhone (or Android) development is a very exciting path.

If you are looking for ways to get started, DO NOT start with Apple’s official tutorials and documentation – they are terrible and will probably discourage you unless you are already a pro Mac developer. Instead, go to YouTube and type “Xcode Tutorial”, then follow along and do exactly what the 10-year-old super genius coders are doing. You can learn how to make a very simple iPhone App almost immediately this way.

This is probably the approach I would recommend for learning any new programming languages actually, if you are trying to do so on your own. Do not start with official documentation unless you are a pro, always start with YouTube tutorials or tutorials from elsewhere. The internet is full of wonderfully helpful tutorials, and they can usually get you up and running much faster, and with much less pain than books or official documentation.

The App I was working on is mostly finished, and it has a relatively functional prototype right now, but I haven’t had much time to work on it in the last few months. I hope to finish it and hopefully get it released over the summer.

To anyone else who wants to give iPhone dev a try, best of luck! Especially for people who are into programming, I think it can be quite fun.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/App_Store
http://tunein.com/
http://developer.apple.com/devcenter/ios/index.action