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What Happens on the Internet Every 60 Seconds

 

Let's say that it takes you exactly one minute to read through this post. In that time, over 6,600 photos will be uploaded to Flickr, about 70 new domains will be registered, over 1,200 new ads will be created on Craigslist, and more. Here's what happens on the Internet every 60 seconds.

Now keep in mind that the data below and the infographic above come from the Shanghai Web Designers team. We have done our best to confirm that the statistics provided line up with known data, but you should still take everything with a hefty serving of salt.

That disclaimer aside and without further ado, here's what's happening each minute:

• Search engine Google serves more that 694,445 queries
• 6,600+ pictures are uploaded to Flickr
• 600 videos are uploaded to YouTube, amounting to 25+ hours of content
• 695,000 status updates, 79,364 wall posts and 510,040 comments are published on social networking site Facebook
• 70 new domains are registered
• 168,000,000+ emails are sent
• 320 new accounts and 98,000 tweets are generated on social networking site Twitter
• iPhone applications are downloaded more than 13,000 times
• 20,000 new posts are published on micro-blogging platform Tumblr
• Popular web browser FireFox is downloaded more than 1,700 times
• Popular blogging platform WordPress is downloaded more than 50 times
• WordPress Plugins are downloaded more than 125 times
• 100 accounts are created on professional networking site LinkedIn
• 40 new questions are asked on YahooAnswers.com
• 100+ questions are asked on Answers.com
• 1 new article is published on Associated Content, the world’s largest source of community-created content
• 1 new definition is added on UrbanDictionary.com
• 1,200+ new ads are created on Craigslist
• 370,000+ minutes of voice calls done by Skype users
• 13,000+ hours of music streaming is done by personalized Internet radio provider Pandora
• 1,600+ reads are made on Scribd, the largest social reading publishing company

Impressive? Scary? Overwhelming? We're not sure. But we do know that a lot happened in the few moments it took to look at this blog post — so you better rush to catch up.

By Rosa Golijan for Technolog on msnbc.com

Apple iPad 2 Features & Specs

It’s been long awaited, and it’s now here, or at least it will be March 11. Apple has announced the hotly anticipated second version of its popular iPad, and it has addressed some of the complaints and criticisms of the first generation.

Below is a video by Jason Snell of Macworld and here is his full breakdown of the iPad 2.



The device now boasts not one but two cameras, one for its FaceTime video chat feature and the other for HD video recording. It sports a thinner and lighter design for easier holding during extended periods and offers the same 10-hour battery life as previous models. In addition, it sports a dual core A5 chip.

Does this address all of the complaints of the previous model? No, but the iPad 2 offers plenty to attract new admirers.

Thinner Design
The new iPad is 33% thinner and nearly 15% lighter so it’s more comfortable to hold for extended periods for reading, watching movies, checking e-mail and surfing the Web.

Dual-core A5 Chip
Two cores in the A5 chip makes for a faster experience no matter what you are doing, whether it is playing games, watching movies or making FaceTime video chats. The greater speed also allows for faster app launching and smoother multitasking.

Enhanced Graphics
Apple claims the new iPad has up to nine times the graphics performance for smoother and more realistic gameplay, not to mention scrolling through your photo albums, viewing animations or editing videos in iMovie.

Improved Battery Life
Because of the energy efficiency of the A5 chip and the IOS, the new iPad offers the same 10-hour battery life as the previous version, even with its much slimmer design.

Not One But Two Cameras
Some have questioned whether a webcam would work well on a tablet device, because its lack of a built-in stand would likely result in an annoyingly shaky video, and the awkward size of the iPad would make it difficult to use as a camera for still photos or videos. However, enough people clamored for such a camera that the option on the new iPad is sure to be popular. The camera that faces the screen allows for video chats, while the rear-facing camera captures HD video.



New iPad “Smart Cover”
In addition to the new features, Apple has also introduced a new cover for the iPad 2. The new cover is articulated and hinged to the top edge of the iPad, so that it can be folded up and either used as a stand to hold the iPad in near vertical position or as a typing base to hold the iPad at a slight angle for typing on the virtual keyboard.

The cover is magnetic in design, so it stays put against the glass front of the iPad when closed. The iPad detects when the cover is closed and goes to sleep automatically, and it reawakens when the cover is opened. As if that’s not enough, the cover comes in 10 bright colors. The cover is designed to protect the screen of the iPad without adding bulk to its design, but some users will be disappointed that it doesn’t protect all sides of the device.

LED-Backlit Display
Of course, the iPad sports the same large 9.7 inch high-resolution display as on the first generation (but not the Retina Display like is found on the iPhone 4 — that would probably be prohibitively expensive for a screen the size of the iPad’s). Like previous models, the display features a technology called IPS (in-plane switching) for a wide viewing angle.

Multi-Touch Technology
As with the previous model, the multi-touch display makes surfing the Web, flicking through photos and turning the pages of e-books seem natural. The display detects when your fingers touch the screen using electrical fields, and transforms your taps, pinches and swipes into the appropriate responses.

iOS 4
The iOS 4 operating system for iPad allows for multitasking as well as running the 65,000 apps that have already been developed for the iPad. As on other models of the iPad, it’s responsive and helps set the iPad apart from devices offered by competing companies.

WI-FI and 3G
As with the previous model, the iPad features 802.11n wireless technology, and automatically finds and lets you join WI-FI networks. It is also available with 3G connectivity on either AT&T or Verizon Wireless networks for those places where WI-FI is not available (the 3G data plan requires a separate purchase).

Gyroscope, Accelerometer, and Compass
The iPad has always sported a built-in accelerometer that senses when you rotate the device to portrait or landscape orientation so that the display can adjust automatically, but now the accelerometer works in conjunction with a three-axis gyroscope and compass for even better responsiveness, especially when playing games.

AirPlay and AirPrint
Apple’s AirPlay technology now allows for wireless streaming of your music, photos and videos to your AirPlay-enabled HDTV and speakers on a WI-FI network.
Built-in AirPrint allows you to get a hard copy of your documents directly from your printer over WI-FI.

Video Mirroring
The new video mirroring allows you to show your presentations to a larger audience with the Apple Digital AV Adapter or the Apple VGA Adapter and an HDTV or projector.


Although the iPad to doesn’t include all the features that many people were hoping and wishing for, such as USB ports and Flash compatible, it has enough to offer to keep a new flock of iPad users very happy indeed.

Apple iPad 2 Event Next Week

After countless rumors and speculation, it looks as if the next generation of the iPad will finally be revealed next week.  Apple’s iPad 2 is rolling off assembly lines and could be on store shelves within a few months, according to the latest rumor courtesy of Wall Street Journal and “people familiar with the matter.”

Apple could unveil the iPad 2 as soon as March 2 – around the same time of year that Apple took the wraps off the original iPad. This news comes courtesy of Kara Swisher at the Wall Street Journal, who cites several anonymous sources familiar with the iPad 2 roll-out.  According to her sources, the Wednesday date in a little more than a week is firm and will take place in San Francisco, the scene of many such Apple events.

"Analysts expect the iPad 2 to be thinner than its predecessor and feature an improved display," Swisher writes on the All Things Digital blog, "as well as front-facing camera and Facetime video chat support. And some reports suggest it will be powered by one of Qualcomm’s multimode chips and will run on both GSM and CDMA-based networks around the world."

Since the date for Apple’s event has been confirmed, there is already speculation on whether Apple CEO Steve Jobs will be in attendance or not. He is currently on leave to deal with ongoing health issues, but he has been spotting around Silicon Valley at various places in the past few weeks. In addition, Jobs along with other technology moguls such as Facebook’s Mark Zuckerburg, had dinner with President Obama at a high-profile technology-moguls dinner last week.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on things, of course. As soon as we find more information we’ll let you know. For now, let the speculation begin as we try to figure out exactly what features will end up inside of the successor to the most successful tablet on the market.

Of course, nothing is official until Apple says so, but expect the media frenzy to begin next week!

River Run Tech Blog: Apple iPad 2 Will Be Released In April

Apple will begin production of the iPad 2 in late February and will officially launch the device in early April 2011, according to sources from Taiwan-based component makers quoted by DigiTimes. Foxconn, a factory complex in China responsible for building Apple products among other things, were told they will need to ship 400,000 to 600,000 units within the next 100 days. Apple had originally planned to start mass production in January, but due to delays caused by the device's firmware, the schedule was postponed.

The iPad 2 has been widely expected to come out in the first quarter of 2011 and feature a front-facing camera. Some analysts also expected Qualcomm will provide chips that allow the iPad to run on both CDMA and GSM networks, a so-called "world" iPad. The current 3G version is GSM only.

An April Launch could mean the newest iPad would be out prior to Google's upcoming personal computer, which is due for mid-2011, according to the plans Google outlined Tuesday.

Apple is currently dominating the tablet computer market. In the third quarter, the iPad accounted for 95.5 percent of the market with 4.19 million units sold. The remaining share was lead by Android with 2.3 percent, while Windows and other operating systems had even smaller slices. The company is expected to steadily lose share next year, but it's likely going to put up a fight with the iPad 2.

River Run Tech Blog: Verizon To Offer The iPad

Verizon Wireless has made it official, they are going to begin selling the Apple iPad as of October 28th. Verizon just issued a press release announcing the launch of the Apple iPad in over 2,000 Verizon Wireless stores. Could this mean the start of a new frontier in the Android vs. Apple war?

This is indeed a bit of good news, but it comes with some potentially bad points. The Verizon iPad will NOT be sold as a CDMA device – rather it will be a Wi-Fi only iPad that is bundled with the company’s MiFi service allowing a mobile modem of sorts. Whereas the AT&T iPad can simply roam around and get service via AT&T’s 3G signal. 

Here’s the deal, Verizon will be bundling the iPad with a MiFi Mobile Hotspot modem. Not entirely a bad idea, though this does mean an extra device to keep charged while on the go. That aside, this comes with some good and some bad points. First the good, the data plan will be contract free and only set you back $20 per month. The bad, you will only be given 1GB of data per month. Let’s just say that you are not going to be streaming Netflix with only 1GB. Another downside is the steep sticker price. Verizon will be offering the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB iPad with Wi-Fi for $629.99, $729.99 and $829.99 respectively.

Either way you look at it, this is a huge symbolic shift in the way mobile politics are being played and it definitely foreshadows changes to come. Android and Apple have been very secluded in their own little carrier worlds. AT&T has had the exclusive contract on the iPhone for quite some time. Since the launch of the Motorola Droid, Verizon and the “Droid” campaign have been the dominating Android influence. The Verizon vs. AT&T war has run parallel to the Android vs. Apple war, accentuated by AT&T being the last carrier to get an Android device.

The implications are obvious, the fact is that Verizon and Apple are now officially working together definitely opens the door for the Verizon iPhone 4G early next year. There is a clear partnership and the remaining hurdle is stuffing CDMA specs inside Apple devices. This is something that hasn’t been done yet, but something that will surely come soon. And of course with Verizon getting the iPhone, and other carriers possibly getting the iPhone as well, it makes Android’s competitive landscape in the United States much different.

The Apple & Android showdown has been pretty fun for everyone involved. Not to mention, it’s been great for consumers who are seeing manufacturers and carriers push devices, capabilities, and prices to the limits. With an Apple product being sold within the House That Droid Built, let the games begin!

River Run Tech Blog: Apple's Latest iPhone Woe

Remember the thundering applause and all the excitement that accompanied the debut of Apple's iPhone 4? Then came the discovery of the design flaw involving the smartphone's antenna. There now seems to be quite literally a new chink in the iPhone armor, it has been dubbed "glassgate” and the tech world is buzzing about it. 

By now most of you have heard about the design flaw of the antenna on iPhone 4, and Apple’s solution to the problem. Apple offered free “bumper” cases to end users (which recently ended), creating the space the phone needed between the antenna and the users palm. Now Apple faces another problem, those cases could potentially cause damage to the handset’s glass body. 

According to Ryan Block of gdgt, apparently the non-bumper type iPhone 4 cases allow dust and dirt to get trapped between the case and the back of the phone and the resulting scratches can grow into big cracks in the glass. Specifically, we’re talking about the ones that slide on and off that can cause a scratch or two on the device and lead to bigger problems.

Apple has removed the damaging third-party phone cases from its store and is taking "Glassgate" seriously. It has created a lab and test program to investigate the problem of the cracking glass according to Ryan Block who first reported the story.

It's a pity that the smartphone that generated such excitement has been so plagued. Ho will Apple combat this latest issue? Users with cracked phones won't want new cases, they'll want new phones. Will Apple offer replacements?

River Run Tech Blog: What's All This Ping About

Part of Apple’s new software announcement last week was the integration of Apple’s iTunes Ping into the newest version of iTunes. iTunes Ping, commonly referred to as simply “Ping” is a social network that has been integrated into the largely popular music software. Described by Steve Jobs as "Twitter and Facebook meet iTunes," Ping aims to let the already-existing and rather massive audience of iTunes users “friend” each other, stay up-to-date on their friends' musical tastes, and like/comment on things found around iTunes. Another Ping feature allows users to rate bands and songs. 

The main purpose of the social networking aspect of iTunes is to allow users to discover new music, follow artists, as well as see up to date comments posted by their friends. This aspect of it, is fairly similar to a Facebook or a Twitter account, but keeps all of your music information within a software program that most people already use fairly often, and some people even use daily. What is also great about Ping, is that similar to Facebook and Twitter, Ping is accessible on the go, with Ping being available in iTunes for both iPod Touches, and iPhones. 

Ping will also create a custom chart showing music selections based on those followed. Basically, you can follow your friends or favorite artists and see what kind of music they are listening to. The actual activity stream consists of your friend connections, purchases, comments, and concert plans. Every time a song or album is mentioned, a Buy button is displayed, and this offers additional drop-down choices for Like, Post, Gift This Album, Add to Wish List, Tell a Friend, Copy Link, and Share on Facebook or Twitter. In a demonstration during the official release announcement, Jobs showed how users can also post videos and photos to the service, as well as search concert information and tag concerts attended.

Getting started with Ping is easy. Ping requires iTunes 10 and by default Ping is not activated. Apple must have learned from all the complaints about Facebook's privacy, by making users turn this feature on themselves. Once you install the latest version of iTunes, you can find Ping in the iTunes Store menu bar and click on Ping to set up your account. Once your Ping account is created you can then find Ping in the navigation bar to the left.  For a step by step tutorial on how to activate your Ping account click here.

There are over 160 million iTunes users, all of whom are able to sign up for the new Ping service. Given the shear numbers, I can only assume Ping will be a hit, but only time will tell.

River Run Tech Blog: Facebook Places - How to use it

Facebook's newest feature allows you to share your location with your friends.

Facebook has launched its new Places feature allowing you to share your current location by "checking in" from your smartphone. It’s basically Facebook’s version of Foursquare, a company that Facebook considered buying earlier in the year. If you never really got into earlier location-based social networking services or just want to know what it is or how to turn it off, read on for everything you need to know about Facebook Places.

Checking In Via Smartphone

Before you can share your location with your Facebook friends, Facebook needs to know where you are. Just open touch.facebook.com in your web browser (or use the Facebook for iPhone app on your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad), and you'll see a tab under "Inbox" called "Places." For the iOS app, it'll show a new icon in the middle of the home screen.

Tap Places, and you'll see your recent check-ins as well as where your friends and checked-in from. From here, you can find more detailed information about the places your friends are checking into (map location, description, directions, comments, and other check-ins), or you can check yourself into a nearby location by pressing the Check In button at the top-right corner of the page.

The list of available locations comes from other people's check-ins and listings from Bing's mapping engine, so you might have to add your location manually by pressing “Add”, and it will take you to a page where you can fill out a name and description.

Once you tap Check In, you'll be presented with a list of nearby locations where other people have checked in. Tap the one you want to check into, and you can choose to comment on what you are doing there or add your Facebook friends to your check-in (Press the What are you doing? and Tag Friends With You buttons, respectively). Next, press the big Check In button, and it will show up on your News Feed.

Businesses Owning Their Facebook Place

While anyone can add a Facebook Place, business owners can turn the listing in Places into a proper Facebook Page, with Likes and a Wall. Start by checking in from your Place (or adding it, if it doesn't show up in the list of nearby Places), and click the link on the bottom of the page that says Is this your business?

Facebook doesn't want people cybersquatting on someone else's business listing, so you'll have to check a box certifying you're an official representative of the business and click Proceed with Verification to continue. Next, you'll have to provide your business's contact information, including your Federal Employee ID number (if applicable) and some kind of official documentation (Certificate of Formation, Articles of Certificate of Incorporation, a local business license, or a BBB accreditation).

Once you've submitted that information and received the okay from Facebook's User Operations team, you'll be in full control of your new Place.

Turning Off Facebook Places

If you decided Facebook Places isn't for you, there are a handful of settings you will have to change to fully deactivate it. Start by going to Account > Privacy Settings > Customize Settings under Sharing on Facebook. From here, you'll need to change the settings for Places I Check In, People Here Now, and Friends Can Check Me into Places (under the Things Others Share heading).

You'll need to change one more setting: Go back to Privacy Settings, choose the Edit Your Settings option under the Applications and Websites heading (lower-left), and click Edit Settings for Info accessible to your friends. Uncheck the Places I've Visited box, and you are good to go.

For a more detailed explanation the options available for Facebook Places check out the Facebook Blog, "Facebook Blog: Who, What, When, and now…Where”

River Run Tech Blog: Apple's Special Event

Apple has sent out invitations to the press for a 'special event' scheduled on September 1st at the Yerba Buena Center for Arts Theater in San Francisco. The text in the invite offered no hint of what might be in store, but there has been plenty of speculation leading up to it. Many rumor mongers bet that Apple will introduce the new iPod Touch with camera and/or a cheaper Apple TV box unit. From the buzz over the web and in the technology world, it looks like it might be more of an iPod related event.

The invites sent out contain image of an acoustic guitar with the Apple logo cut out on it. It is fairly clear that Apple would be releasing something related to music. Among the new products and services rumored to be on tap:

• A new iPod touch, possible with a higher-res screen and one or two cameras
• A new Apple TV, priced at $99 and built around iOS and the iTunes store
• A 99-cent TV rental service, subject to the agreement of the TV studios
• A cloud-based iTunes service that makes use of the new data center Apple has been building in North Carolina.

Earlier this year, two iPod touch prototypes with camera were spotted on eBay.

Heavy buzz is being created about the new Apple TV box that would be lighter, cheaper and won't have any hard drive. This complements rumors about the new cloud-based iTunes service. Any or all of this could be wrong, of course. I guess we’ll all have to wait for the announcements from this special event scheduled 12pm Central on September 1.

River Run Tech Blog: Jailbreaking or Rooting Your Phone

At River Run we have had quite a few curious minds ask us about their latest smartphones, and whether or not it is a good idea to “jailbreak” or “root” their phone. There are plenty of reasons why or why not to jailbreak your phone, but more importantly everybody should first understand what it means exactly to jailbreak a phone.

Essentially, the primary purpose of jailbreaking or rooting a smartphone is to allow the phone to install and run third-party applications, freeing it from the limitations imposed on it by the device manufacturer and the carrier. For example, iPhone’s that are not jailbroken can only run applications obtained through Apple’s App Store.

Primarily speaking, the term jailbreaking is used in reference to Apple’s iPhone, shortly after its release in 2007. In fact, the first iPhone went on sale on June 29, 2007, and the first jailbreak was publicized on July 10, 2007. Soon groups dedicated to hacking the iPhone released jailbreaking applications so people without hacking skills could release their phones from AT&T and Apple’s lockdown.

Rooting is a term used in reference to the Android operating system, describing a similar process. In both jailbreaking and rooting, you take administrative control over the operating system. However, the purpose of rooting is a little different than jailbreaking. Android phones are not locked into running only apps that come from the Android Marketplace, but some apps require rooting. Rooting also enables you to install a custom ROM to run versions of Android that the handset maker doesn’t supply or support. Mobile phone carriers often place limitations on the phones they provide, and rooting lets you circumvent those limitations.

Is Jailbreaking or Rooting a Phone Legal?

Previously, jailbreaking or rooting your phone was considered illegal under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) enacted in 1998. However, last month on July 26th, Federal regulators lifted a cloud of uncertainty when they announced it was lawful to hack or "jailbreak" a phone.

Why Would I Want to Jailbreak or Root My Phone?

Jailbreaking or rooting allows the owner to do everything from customizing the look of your phone to installing third-party applications and customizations. Depending on how far you are willing to go, you can do even more than that: Jailbreaking even allows you to unlock your phone so you can use it with a carrier other than the one it was intended for. The customization options are endless for jailbroken or rooted phones.

 
Why Wouldn't I Want to Jailbreak or Root My Phone?

Once you jailbreak or root your phone, essentially, you are on your own. You may have voided your warranty, so you can't rely on your carrier or the manufacturer to fix any problems you encounter. All of the applications that jailbreak your phone are unauthorized and could damage or completely disable your phone. Your useful smartphone could end up as nothing more than a very expensive paperweight. It is true that if you do it incorrectly, you could end up with a useless device, especially when installing a custom ROM. However, in most cases, you can restore the phone to the factory settings if a mistake is made.
Perhaps a more important concern is that jailbreaking or rooting can compromise the security and or reliability of your smartphone. Remember, these phones are actually full-fledged computers, albeit small ones. The devices are vulnerable to malware and attacks just like laptop and desktop systems. An advantage of getting apps from Apple’s App Store is that the apps have been tested thoroughly. This applies, to a lesser extent, to the Android Marketplace. Unofficial apps can contain malicious code, or they may just be poorly written and cause your phone’s OS to crash. When applications have root access, they can do a great deal of harm to your phone’s software.

If you do decide the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, there are a number of tools available to help you with either jailbreaking or rooting your phone. A simple Google search will result in numerous websites, step by step videos and applications to assist you. River Run strongly recommends you weigh out all the pros and cons before attempting to alter your phone in any way.