Importance of Your Google+ Profle Pic

As 2014 peeks just around the corner and with all the changes that have been implemented on Google+ this past year, you might not think your little profile pic is all that important. You may not even think twice about changing it for the new year because after all, it's working for you right? It has helped get you to where are today. Or maybe your strategy has been to change it many times. Perhaps your profile pic is a cat and you're happy with that. Either way, you may have had some thoughts about getting a shiny new avatar heading into twenty-fourteen

I'll admit it. The thought of changing my own avatar makes me slightly nauseated. It has helped put me on the map. Everything that I have worked for on the platform was done behind the goofy, fun spirited and some even say "iconic" little photo.

But is it time for a change?

Oh Hai! (Yes, I was in the bathroom for this shot!)

I can't answer this question directly and it may take some further thought long beyond the end of this post but I can't help but wonder if I'm finally in a position where it may be holding me back.

Let me explain...

As part of my head first dive back into the Information Technology world, I've been readily exploring as many avenues as possible including Social Media and more recently my Vlog on my YouTube Channel and this website that you are reading now.

If you have been watching my Vlog then you most likey have had your tongue planted firmly in cheek listening to my rambles, beaming to my various characters, or even checking to see who the next #Goaturday Champion will be.

Don't get me wrong, this has all been a blast but my channel is missing a couple of very crucial elements:

Professionalism and Technology.

Going through these transformations brings me back to image and I don't feel that respectable people in the online tech world are going to take me seriously if I don't look like I'm taking myself seriously. So maybe it's time to remove the aviators and the headphones and get a new, more professional photo heading into 2014.

Let's just hope this is not the equivalent of when KISS removed their face paint...

Your Profile Pic

It might be a good idea for you to get a profile picture if you do not already have one. If you want people to get a better sense of who you are then I would recommend making it a pic of yourself. I'm not saying you should or should not do this but it might help you out depending on what you're doing on Google+ in the first place.

When dealing with first impressions on Google+, people don't really have much to go by. They might briefly scan your About Me page or go back through a few of your posts or maybe check to see if you have any other pictures of yourself but for the most part, your avatar will be the primary means of identification. 

People will choose to follow you or not based only on your profile pic. This rings true for most people, I would think. For example, I won't follow anyone without a profile pic or anyone with a pic that condones hate, racism or violence. Everyone will develop their own rules by which they follow but it all starts with the initial profile picture.

When people think about you when they are offline, the first image that pops up is probably your current profile pic. Every relationship that you have ever built online is linked by this image and serves to be your own personal brand.

There isn't really a set of rules as to what makes for a successful profile pic and if there is then I wouldn't buy it for a second. It's ultimately up to the end user to decide if they like it or not and many will say they don't really care however, it's  in our DNA and subconsciousness to decide within seconds if we would like to continue to engage a person.

If this sounds a little shallow, you're probably right but it's an online world after all, where things can be pretty one dimensional. If you wish to go deeper then you certainly may and most do ; but for the masses that may be looking in at you, your avatar is what they see.

As for me, I may turn to a little advice from  +Michael P. Johnson  and this article that was written over the summer from his blog:

http://www.skyword.com/blog/your-google-profile-pic-is-important/

Check it out if you are interested in changing your own avatar into something more professional.

Authorship - Is it really you?

Google's algorithms are increasingly more aware of your face and doesn't really understand things like sunglasses, heavy makeup or anything that makes it hard for you to be identified. Google can validate your content much easier if it can recognize your face. If you're a content creator then you will benefit greatly from having a professional photo. In short, your articles and posts will be found much easier if Google can put a face with the information.

Conclusion 

Your profile pic should ultimately reflect you and what you put up for the public to see will all depend on what your goals are on G+. If it's for fun, throw up a silly head shot. If it's for business, make sure it reflects the professionalism of your company. If it's for friends and light networking, then a simple seflie will suffice. It's up to you but just remember, it really matters-- not only to your peers and potential followers but to Google as well. 

Make it a good one!

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Being Successful On Google Plus: Don't Believe The Hype

If you've been on Google+ for any length of time then you've probably seen a multitude of guides, lists, tips and tricks - all telling you how to be successful on Google+. DO NOT buy into any of this nonsense for a second.

To clear the air, I must make it well known that I am not taking a stab at the people who have provided such work. I have waded through much of the information out there and most of it is thorough, well written and extremely helpful.  I have actually learned some things while trying to swallow this wad false hype and promise.

But the thing is...Do you really need this information? Is the information going to be beneficial to you? Is the information worth your time? And do you know/trust the author of this information? These are all very important questions you must ask before you delve into 20 page manual/guide or an hour long YouTube video. Time is always money.

There isn't one standard by which success is measured. What is successful in my eyes may not be successful in your eyes and often times people will change their own standards to reflect the reasoning behind their position in life, as well as G+. If someone is a "success" and they can't make money from it then they will often try to justify it by simply saying things like "It isn't about the money" even though they probably had plans and initial goals of being profitable.

Not one person really knows how to truly be "Successful" on Google+ and is very subjective from user to user. If you come across material that claims it can tell you how to be successful on Google+, it's merely for a personal agenda and may or may not benefit you at all in any way. No one has mastered Social Media and especially not Google+, being that it is relatively new in the overall scope of modern technology.

I think it's best to stick by that certain adage of "If it sounds too good to be true...then it probably is." There are a lot of people on Google+ that look and sound like they know what they are talking about and they might, but their intentions may not  always be to help you.

If you see someone touting their expertise on Google+ with with very little user engagement, that might be a sign for you to stay away. That simply means their influence does not match the expertise level they claim to have.

It's important to gauge who you trust both in an online setting and the real world. People will scam you quicker than a hiccup in an online environment where there is very little empathetic quality. No one can truly tell you how to be successful on Google+ or even YouTube for that matter. There are plenty of strange factors that determine whether someone is successful and most of which we truly do not understand.

I can tell you one thing though. Content is king in a Google world. Whether or not the quality of your content makes you successful is really the equivalent of rolling the dice perfectly every time but not always achieving the desired outcome.

And you will FAIL before you succeed.

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What is a GIF Image?

As part of my plans of building a portfolio on different technology topics, it will be necessary to cover some of the more basic elements in Information Technology. Starting with one of the most basic image standards throughout the computer world; I bring you the GIF image - The oldest graphic format for media delivered on the web.

There has been on ongoing debate over the years about how to pronounce the acronym and is commonly spoken as GIF or JIF. Either way is acceptable and you probably don't need to say it out loud anyways.

GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format and is fully supported by modern web browsers. These kinds of images use a technique called Lossless compression and is actually owned by a company called Unisys .They are better suited for images that have fewer details and will support 256 unique colors. Pictures with solid colors or little variation like cartoons or diagrams will be best suited as a GIF, while pictures of people or scenery are usually too detailed for the image to display in high quality as shown below.

When you think of a GIF, you might think of a bunch of weird, flashy pictures and you would be absolutely right!. These are are a type of GIF that are animated and are all the rage around the internet for better or worse. There are those who love them more than life itself and those that despise them and shun them to the ends of the earth.

An animated GIF, formally called "multi-block" GIFs have multiple blocks of information stored along with the image. When the image is viewed by your browser, these blocks go in sequence to form what you see as an animation. It is very similar to hand drawing an animation in a flip book. Quickly turning each page reveals an object in motion.

When used properly and sparingly, the GIF can be an effective format for quickly displaying a small amount of information. When used too often or out of context, they can really get ugly and annoying as all heck. I'm talking to you, 90's website designers.

Love them or hate them, they are here to stay and you will find yet another uprising of these wildly fascinating moving pictures uploaded by users on Social Media sites like tumblr and Google+ and most other places where people share things.

I've been known to share a few GIFs myself because lets face it - Many of them are just so gosh darn cool!

Animated GIF example uploaded to Give-A-Chromebook

Photo Credits: Sing Along by Mushon Zer-Aviv BY-NC-SA

                        Animated GIF by Michael Chase

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Looking Through Google Glass: A Research Project

 Google Glass Explorer Edition by Tedeytan CC BY-SA

Google Glass seems to be a new, exciting and revolutionary piece of technology. Even if you are a casual internet user, you probably have heard of Google's new augmented-reality wearable eye display. The YouTube concept video “One Day"  announced its coming on April 4, 2012 and has been viewed more than 18 million times. It's generated a very exciting buzz around social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Google's own, Google Plus. 

Now with a mainstream audience in place and a cultural backing, Google has recently released the eyewear to a couple thousand people including developers. If the masses buy in to all the hype then Glass will revolutionize the way we think and interact with computers.

Think of Glass as a head-mounted smart phone that can record video, take pictures and perform small tasks via your own voice with a transparent Heads-Up Display (HUD) worn over one eye. Some skeptics are not impressed as they don't believe it's a true augmented reality system, however I am quite impressed as it holds the torch for wearable technology in what could mean yet another massive culture shift.

I personally welcome this new technology and think it marks an exciting time in human history. The stereotypical view of the future seems to be finally falling in place as the streets start to looks more and more like a Sci Fi flick or a George Orwell novel. I'm truly admiring the plethora of #throughglass photos on +Google+ and feel like I'm exploring right along with them.

One in particular I've been following is +Robert Warren who is a vigilant Glass adventurer and family man. He has been on a tireless crusade sharing some of the most beautiful photos through his Google issued display. If you are are not already following Robert then you're missing out on an opportunity to not only explore his world through glass, but also to interact with a wonderful, polite and helpful person. If I were to direct you to a list of top Glass Explorers then Robert would be right at the top of the list.

Avid Glass Explorer +Robert Warren 

Though Glass is very new, there are already questions of personal privacy issue implications. There doesn't seem to be any way of knowing when you are being recorded by the mounted camera so it would be very easy to record data and send it to the highest bidder. I'm not saying that the current foray of Glass Explorers would use them for ill intentions but when the display reaches consumer level, it begins to impose a whole new set of implications.

Google has not yet issued a privacy policy on the product as it is still in early stages and laws have not yet caught up to these privacy concerns. For example, in the United States, law enforcement has the rights to some cellular data even without a search warrant. We have also seen in recent headlines of police ticketing an explorer because they believed her view was obstructed -- which the law already has covered.

If millions are wearing these headsets, then what exactly does Google get to do with this information? All the information will be located in the "cloud" which makes it easy for third party companies to grab and the fact that the data exists in the cloud puts it within the reach of third parties.

Current U.S. statutes allow law enforcement access to e-mail and cell phone records under certain circumstances without a search warrant. Governments in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom are seeking to expand their electronic monitoring powers.

Regardless of these implications Google is ready to press on and unveil a refined consumer version of Glass in 2014 and based on all the hysteria surrounding these eye-glasses, I expect users to jump on board and fork out their hard earned money, even if it means giving up yet a little more privacy in our ever-changing digital world.

I know I will be.

Please note that this is my own personal research project and I do not yet have real hands-on experience with Glass Technology. I hope to acquire these specs in the future so I can enhance my knowledge on the product and further study it's role on how it fits in with humans and the planet.

References

Ackerman, E (2013). Google Gets In Your Face: Google Glass Offers A Slightly Augmented Version Of Reality. Spectrum IEEE (Vol 50 Issue 1) 26-29.

Pedersen, I. & Trueman, D. (2013). "Sergey Brin is Batman": google's project glass and the instigation of computer adoption in popular culture. CHI EA '13  2089-2098.

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Embedded Systems: Computers Everywhere!

We've entered a time in human history where human and computer have merged and the microprocessor has become as common as the wheel. No other time in Earth's existence has this happened. While much of this may be common knowledge now, we must never lose site of the fact that it is a truly phenomenal modern age.

For better or for worse, computers are one of man's greatest achievements. They are the one tool that most people cannot avoid during the span of a lifetime. I could probably go my whole life without using a hammer, a telescope or a sewing machine-- but not the computer.

Information systems are everywhere you turn and go well beyond the scope of PC's, tablets and smartphones -- the things most people think of when the word "computer" is mentioned.

 

Think about when you pull up to a traffic light. It's not some kind of voodoo magic that makes the lights turn at just the right time in fractions of a second. Inside the metal casing of the lights are embedded systems or simply embedded computers.

Many things inside the common household have computer chips that you might not think about are the television, oven, cameras, thermostat, washers and dryers. Anything that uses electricity could be home to a microprocessor of some kind.

These systems are designed to perform very specific tasks, be rugged, long lasting and efficient. In other words, they are never supposed to fail and in some cases should be able to repair themselves. If these systems don't function properly, it could spell disaster for potentially thousands of people depending on the scale of the system.

The programs that run on these systems are technically called firmware and are designed to never be changed or altered. It is quite rare for an average person to ever have to deal with these programs as they are hidden within the system doing behind-the-scenes tasks. Although the firmware will always be apart of a particular system, there are ways in which they can be updated if need be. If you've ever played around with the BIOS on your PC then you might be a little familiar with how these systems work.

 

Computers are everywhere whether we like it or not. They help us tremendously. They can make us terribly frustrated (hopefully not) and they are a fact of life in the modern world. Even when you go out in the wilderness to try and get away from the technology, I bet you at least have your phone with you and you probably drove a vehicle of some kind to get there.

I love technology but am vastly aware of the implications if these systems are not utilized properly. At the end of the day and if the system fails...It's ultimately the human who is responsible, as these machines can only do what they are told.

Look around and list how many things in your immediate line of sight that might contain an embedded system. I'll bet it's not less than three.

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Keep Your Windows Machines Running Efficiently in 2014

I have repaired countless desktop and laptop computers and the majority of the repairs could have been avoided by taking simple preventative measures to keep these systems safe and running efficiently. Of course, I don't expect the average user to be as vigilant as I am when it comes to security but I think everyone should have a standard set of tools on their Windows machines. I will reveal mine here.

Malware including viruses, spyware, rootkits and trojan horses are usually the biggest problems that will infect the host machines and usually without the user ever knowing that this is causing the slowdowns, crashes etc.

No matter how well a system is designed, it is always vulnerable to attacks and your data could be compromised without notice so it's very important to stay on top of things in this ever evolving digital planet.

As the world starts utilizing Operating Systems other than Windows, these malware threats are becoming less and less common but that doesn't mean we should stop worrying about security. Just because someone hasn't broken into your house in a while doesn't mean you should stop locking the door!

Use a Current Version

First and foremost, if you are a Windows user like most of the planet then I highly suggest using either Windows 7 or Windows 8. If you are using anything lower than that then it's time to upgrade. You may be satisfied with your old XP machine but it has become an unsafe system and support will end on April 18th 2014.

If you are not fond of Windows 8 then please at least upgrade to 7. Windows 7 is probably the best overall Windows OS of all time so you can't go wrong there!

Don't Pay for An Antivirus Program

Well, you can if you want, but I never have and I have NEVER gotten a virus in all my years of being an avid internet user and computer geek. I have always used either AVG or Windows Security Essentials which is now called Windows Defender. The most important thing is to keep your Antivirus up to date and do regular scans. You can download AVG here OR Windows Security Essentials here . Do not try to install both, just pick one! I am currently using each program just on different machines.

Spyware Removal

Spyware will accumulate and although not very harmful like a virus, spyware is super annoying and it can really slow down your system and  I mean REALLY slow down your system. For this, I recommend downloading Spybot - Search & Destroy . It's an older program and it's not as pretty as some of the new programs out there but it really gets the job done all for free.

It's important to note that when running this tool, you should be "Running as Administrator" as it doesn't run automatically in that mode Also, you will noticed the "Immunize" and "Search for updates" buttons which you should run on a weekly basis.

Advanced System Care 7

I put this tool directly in the bold heading for a reason. It's awesome and has kept my machines running efficiently for years. This is a one stop maintenance shop. While that may not sound very good as usually "do it all" programs don't "do it all" very well, this is program is an exception.

It's super easy to run too. There is essentially only one button that you need to press upon loading it up and that is the Scan button. Of course you can totally customize it so that it only performs the functions you want it to -- most users have no trouble getting started with this one as the simplicity and ease-of-use is top notch.

It's also extremely powerful under the hood. It performs tasks like malware removal, registry defrags, vulnerability fixes, registry fixes, cleans junk files, disk defrag and system optimization and it does all of this very well. I run this program daily and let it do it's thing in the background.

I may go into more detail about this tool in the future but for now, get it on your machines!!

Backup

In the event of a meltdown you shouldn't worry too much because you've recently backed up all your files right? I'm going to keep this one simple and recommend just using the backup utility in Windows. Back it up to an external hard drive at the very least. You can find cheap external drives pretty much anywhere. Do not skip this step!! You'll be sorry if you did.

 Good Surfing Habits

I'm not here to tell you what you should and should not do on the internet but a rule of thumb I like to keep is "If you wouldn't do it in real life, don't do it on the internet." Now that is a pretty vague statement but I think most will get the gist. 

Also, if you download pornography or illegally obtain copies of software then you WILL catch a bunch of crap that will do a number to your system. Even the stealthiest computer hackers will catch a bug or two now and then but you won't catch them admitting it!

One more important thing to mention here is email. If you don't know the sender, don't open it. It's as simple as that. You should already have a good spam filter in place. People will deploy clever tactics to try and get you to open attachments in emails or they will try to obtain your information by using dubious tricks. Know what's coming to your inbox. If it looks fishy, it probably is!

Update All the Things!

It's vital to keep everything running on your system up to date. This may seem like a chore and is easier to do on other platforms but updating ALL of your software is crucial in keeping a squeaky clean systems. Computer Geeks usually love keeping their systems fresh and clean but the majority of the population don't like to worry about this step too much. Don't get behind on updates!

So that's it! These are the most basic precautions that I use to keep my systems running clean and malware free. There are plenty of other ways to go about doing this and I will deploy a few other tools from time but for the most part, these tips have left me with a lifelong, hassle free computing environment.

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Aviate Homescreen - Invite Only

Having so many ways to customize a phone can be enough to turn the casual user away from an Android device, and while many of us embrace the "freedom" of these options, there are still just so darn many of them!

Personally, when I look at ways to customize my phone, I look for simple styled homescreen apps that have all been pretty much a disappointment up until now.

I would like to introduce to you an app called Aviate, the intelligent homescreen that simplifies your phone. Keep in mind that this is not an advertisement, nor am I affiliated with Aviate. This is merely a tool I use to better my Android experience and am still using  this very day.

In order for you to get your hands on this app, you need an invite. I got mine from a fellow Google Plusser named +Jake Luk . Thanks Jake! I still have 4 invites remaining myself. If you are interested in an invite then please leave a comment leaving me your email address.

After you get your invite, head over to the Play Store and and download away. After a quick and easy install, you might be looking at a screen similar to the one above.

At first glance it may seem a little dull or boring but is very misleading. Swipe the screen to the left and you get the app's options where you can change the skin to either light or dark as well as customize your various Spaces.

Here is where it starts to get pretty cool. Spaces allows the app to change itself to suit you wherever you are going and also changes during different times of the day without you having to keep manually switching back and forth.

That sounds pretty annoying right? I thought so too, but after seeing for myself how well it works, it's nothing less than amazing. The changes are subtle enough for you to thank the app briefly inside your own thoughts and are left with the feeling like this app is working for you and not the other way around.

For example, if you are at the gym, Aviate will display all of your health and fitness apps or your productivity apps while at work.

While these features are pretty awesome and are the driving force behind Aviate, it's not even my favorite part about the sleek little homescreen.

I have my phone customized (shown above) to rock the white and have placed the Appy Geek widget instead of using a photo. This is a phenomenal widget for a geek like me, but you can use your favorite widget, photo or anything else it allows you to put there.

A swipe in the other direction and you are presented with a categorized view of your apps that is completely customizable as well. These are some of the most used apps I have in my phone besides the essentials on my homescreen. I love how Aviate automatically categorizes everything for you so you don't have to spend time creating folders manually.

But where do the rest of the apps go?

One more swipe and you get an A-Z list of all your apps for quick access. It doesn't get much easier than that to find everything you need on your phone and once you get used to using Aviate, it has this way of "growing" on you as it evolves with your life.

I'm not one who likes to do a lot of customization within a piece of technology. I like things to be simple, easy to use, and nice on the eyes. The stock android display is rather dull, feels outdated and can be frustrating to navigate around -- Especially if you are making the jump from iOS. 

Aviate takes care of all of that at first use and I've been so satisfied with it that I've deleted all other app launchers and will be sticking with Aviate into the foreseeable future.

I would like to Invite  you to check it out but keep in mind, I only have 4 left so "first come first serve" as they say!

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