On the bulletin board behind my computer in the office, I have tacked up a New Yorker cartoon by Alex Gregory. It’s two guys in business attire sitting at bar, and one is saying to the other, “I used to call people, then I got into e-mailing, then texting, and now I just ignore everyone.” Here’s the link, if you […]
more about: technology
Stop Asking Me if I Got Your Email
The great thing about email used to be that I could send it whenever I wanted and you could reply when it was convenient. No more. “As our inboxes have become more demanding, we have all become less responsive — because we get so many messages it’s hard to keep up. But the harder it is to keep up, the […]
A Priest and a Rabbi Walk onto a Facebook Page…
“How do I deal with people who make rude or inappropriate comments on my Facebook posts (think: off-color religious or political jokes)?” writes a reader who asked to remain anonymous. “These are not close friends—sometimes people I barely know but am connected with online. I worry it’s offensive to delete their comments, but I don’t want other people in my […]
Three Photos to Keep on Your Smartphone
In addition to candids of your family and pets, there are a few other photos that you might find handy to have when you’re out and about. 1. Photos of your printer cartridges: No more trying to remember that seven digit number that fits your printer model only. 2. Travel confirmation numbers: Send a screenshot to your phone and save […]
Is It Facebook’s Fault if You’re Self-Centered?
Does Facebook turn you into a narcissist? This is the question posed (but not answered) by a recent column in the New York Times. Citing a number of recent students of Facebook users, the Times article described the research so far: Facebook users who tag themselves in photos and frequently update their statuses are more narcissistic; self-centered people are more […]
Save That Cellphone Battery! Five Settings to Change Now
If it seems like you’re plugging in your smartphone to recharge everyday (or worse yet, more than once per day), it might be time to adjust a few of your settings to make that battery last just a little bit longer. Her are the top five settings to change according to Jay Möller of MetroPCS: 1. Dim your screen: You don’t […]
Save Space in Your Carry-On by Downloading Travel Titles
Next time you’re planning a trip to a new location, skip buying paper guidebooks and download them onto your e-reader instead. Not only will you be able to carry all of them with you on your trip, but you will be able to search the books for where to go, or for the back story on that historic building that […]
Email Wedding Invitations: ‘Reply All’ to RSVP?
More and more people are skipping paper wedding invitations to send email instead. A new article (written by one of my students at Columbia University) describes the trend: “There are good reasons a growing number of couples go digital when they send wedding invitations: It saves money, reduces your carbon footprint and can efficiently reach friends scattered around the world,” […]
Making Commercial Breaks Healthier—One Step at a Time
I read about this cool study the other day, where researchers found that people watching one-hour TV show who simply got off the couch and walked in place while their program went to a commercial burned a total of 148 calories and 2,111 steps over a total of 25 minutes of ads. (To compare, a more concentrated, hour-long treadmill workout […]
Bad Manners: Using Twitter to Hound People
Director Spike Lee caused a stir this week by gossiping on the Internet. Lee re-tweeted to his 250,000 Twitter followers a Florida address purportedly belonging to a man who last month shot and killed a teenage boy who was wearing a hoodie, an incident that sparked nationwide outrage. Unfortunately, Lee re-tweeted the wrong address. As a result, “A couple who […]
