Technology freaks me out, like truly terrifies me sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, I think the advancements we take in the tech world each day are amazing and innovative. They show just how much humans (and machines, thus the terrifying part) are capable of. The idea that machines and computers can do just about anything these days just makes me think of War of the Worlds and all those movies about the machines taking over, and humans being completely defeated and defenseless. It could happen, right guys? Technology is insanely cool, but also horrifies to my very soul. I want my cassette tapes back.

In the spirit of insane tech advancements, yesterday Google revealed their newest innovation that takes computers and smart phones to an entirely new level of awesome. They have come to call this new gadget Project Glass. Project Glass is a pair of augmented reality glasses that seek to provide users real-time information right in front of their eyes. Texts, video chats, maps, weather, etc. are literally right in front of your eyes. There is one point during the demo video where the guy with the glasses actually tracks his friend and knows exactly how many feet is away from where they were supposed to meet.

That is just so scary and stalker-esque. I have so many questions about this Project Glass hoopla, and I am wondering how anyone could avoid an awkward moment whole wearing these bad boys that literally track your very move while wearing them.

initiating the gallery...

When I blew all my babysitting money on an iPad this summer, I knew that I would use it for entertainment. I planned on cuddling up in bed watching Hulu and Netflix, finishing the Millenium series and checking up on my friends on Facebook and Twitter.  What I mean to say is that I mistakenly thought of it in terms of entertainment and social networking, not education. I just had no idea an iPad would be so useful in college!

I am definitely one of those people who is obsessed with their tablet. A lot of people in my classes have asked me if an iPad is actually useful in college. I respond with an emphatic “yes!”.  So email this article to your parents with the subject line “Why I want an iPad for Christmas”. Apple even lets you buy it with 12 months interest-free credit (so you could feasibly pay for it yourself).

How has the iPad affected my college career? 5 weeks into school, I’m basically glued to it. At this point it feels like an extension of my brain, which I know sounds kind of creepy but it is actually really awesome. Imagine college with no bulky backpacks, overstuffed binders or paper cuts. A great tablet like the iPad opens up a new world without wasted paper or heavy books.

To be clear, I don’t think an iPad can take the place of an actual computer.  Though you could feasibly buy a word processor like Pages and write a 15-page term paper, it just doesn’t sound like a good idea to me. Some people might be able to do it, but I think writing large documents on the iPad is uncomfortable.  A computer is also better for switching between screens and organizing your documents. On a personal note, using an iPad as a replacement for a simple notepad and a pen is silly. You don’t need an app to outline a paper or make a to-do list.

But there are so many things that a great tablet can help you do better. If you make the most of it, it can help you stay organized and be more productive. It is a great supplement to your college life.

• Before debating what to download from the app store, explore the great organizational apps that already come with it: Calendar, Contacts, Notes and Mail. These can all be synced to your Gmail account. Even though mail can be synced to other email accounts, I recommend setting up a Gmail account that automatically receives your email from other accounts. This easily can be done in settings. Once this is set up, all of this information is constantly synced to your other devices, including your iPod, iPhone and laptop. Amazing!
• On the subject of  syncing, you should download a smart note-taker that  you can access from your computer. Evernote is a great note-taking app that saves your virtual “notebooks” in a cloud. You can record live audio and view your notes on any computer or mobile device. This app is super user-friendly and best of all, free! As a PSA that may seem obvious to seasoned students,  I have to mention that some classes aren’t suited for virtual note-taking. If you will be drawing diagrams or writing down a lot of equations, an iPad or computer will only slow you down. There are apps out there that let you “draw” on the tablet, but nothing is faster than pen and paper.
• If your major requires that you download a ton of scholarly articles, you should look into a PDF annotator. At $9.99, iAnnotate might be expensive for an app, but it is totally worth it if only for the satisfaction of never printing another article again! iAnnotate lets you to annotate literature in ways you couldn’t with a paper copy. This app makes it super easy to download and highlight pdfs. Instead of writing on the margins of an article, with this app you write notes that pop up when you click on them. It’s like pop-up video but more educational. I really love this app because it is practical and eco-friendly.
• When I registered for a class that required a $200 30-ton constitutional law book, I freaked for a second. Having blown all my money on an iPad, iAnnotate was the perfect solution. I borrowed the book from Course Reserves in the library, spent an hour scanning and emailing myself the required chapters while I listened to This American Life, and saved myself $200 plus chiropractor’s fees. While everyone else in the class dumps their gigantic books on their desks, I pull out my dainty e-reader and flip to the appropriate page. Awesome.
• A more obvious use of the Ipad, a lot of classes require books that are available in digital form. This is where iBooks and the Kindle app come into play. Though the romantics among us claim that e-readers cannot replicate the rich tactile edition of a bound book,  e-books win hands-down when it comes to school. You can look up definitions right away, find specific words and phrases with the search bar and even highlight passages that are automatically compiled  in a separate document. You save so much time by making a study guide while you read the book.  These apps are free and the books generally cost less than they do at the book store. Furthermore, in a fantastically geek-chic development, public libraries around the country are starting to lend out e-books for free.
• Kno is one of several apps that allows you to purchase full textbooks and see them on your iPad. I don’t have any textbooks this year, so I haven’t personally used Kno. It has pretty good reviews and seems to have a good selection of textbooks. Please comment if you have used this app, does it have good features?
• Another useful app for getting your reading done is Instapaper Pro. This app lets you save articles for offline reading for $4.99. While you wouldn’t necessarily think of downloading this app, it is very practical. You can have constant access to articles and news posts you enjoy without having constant WiFi access.
• With all your reading out-of-the-way, you are going to need some apps  that will have your back around midterms. The Apple store has some great Flashcard apps. They tend to be pretty user-friendly and cost between 3 to 5 dollars. Flash my Brain Flashcards and Cramberry are both pretty good.
• Lastly, don’t forget to build your vocabulary with Dictionary.com’s free app. Never be caught without a synonym again!
• I’m sure my iPad love is obvious at this point, but I’m still discovering new apps every day. I just downloaded Flipboard a couple of days ago. It is perfect for keeping up with my social networks and favorite magazines and blogs in one quick stop. Plus, the interface is amazing. It really feels like a magazine made just for me.

Now it is you turn, do you have any apps that you can’t live without? Or despite my raving reviews of the iPad, would you never trade in your paper and pencil college experience?

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None of these tricks I’m listing below are rocket science and some of you probably know how to do all of them, some of you none of them, and some of you have probably heard vague mention of them but have shown no interest in actually determining what they are. Which is totally fine. But have a look anyway because these tips and tricks may come in handy some day.

1. Create a compressed a zip folder. Zip folders reduce the size of your files and the space they take up on your computer. And they make it much easier to send files over e-mail because they upload in half the time. It’s especially useful for pictures. All you have to do is right click on the folder, select send to, and then select compressed zip folder. It’s the same for a Mac, you’re just selecting “compress” instead of send to after you’ve selected the folders. Easy and efficient.

2. Back up your files. Backing up your files is essential. Especially once you get to college and you’re working on projects over long periods of time. If you back up that semester long assignment and your computer breaks down two days before it’s due, then you won’t majorly freak out have lost everything. If you have the money I suggest backing your stuff up on a flash drive or an external hardrive.  If not you can back up for free online. 

3. Crop and/or edit your photos. Necessary for fixing red eye, adjusting size and embracing the black and white photo. People get really fancy with this when they use programs like Photoshop and whatnot. But for me it’s simpler and cheaper to just use a free, online resource. Like picnik. No instructions needed. I promise.

4. Attach a file to an e-mail. It seems simple but a lot of people still don’t know how to do this. All you have to do is open the e-mail, click the “attach a file” button, browse your files until you find the right one the same way you would browse them to open a document, select the file, and done. Or you could download Google Chrome and get a g-mail account. Because they now allow the dragging and dropping of files. It’s fabulous. 

5. Save a document as a pdf.  It makes your resumes and your cover letters printable and more professional and it’s nowhere near as complicated as it sounds. All you have to do is select file, then save as, then click the drop down by file format and select pdf. And you’re done.

The following is a guest post by our (nerdy) friends at Hack College, the #1 tech site for college students. Check ‘em out.

As hopefully all of you know, LinkedIn is a professional networking website that allows those looking for jobs, especially college students, to create profiles and look for business and career opportunities. It’s a really fantastic service, and if you haven’t signed up yet, you definitely should. LinkedIn caters to 80 million users worldwide and is an easy-to-use tool that may help you find a job or career after college.

To add to its professional networking services, LinkedIn recently added a new feature to its site called Career Explorer. The new feature will allow college students to essentially map out their desired career path and visualize how they can attain this path. Students are able to look at career paths that those before them have taken in order to understand what steps they must take to get to their goals.

On LinkedIn’s press page, the chief executive officer of LinkedIn Jeff Weiner said,”LinkedIn is about connecting talent with opportunity at massive scale. Career Explorer is the latest example of how we make that possible by providing one of our fastest growing demographics, students and recent college graduates, unique and valuable insights enabling them to develop the optimal career path. We’re excited to be launching this product in partnership with PwC, one of the largest and most forward thinking recruiters of new graduates.”

Other features that LinkedIn Career Explorer offers include:

Connections – allows students to seek out those in their field of interest as possible sources of information or career opportunities

Statistics – gives users stats about different careers

Jobs – alert students to possible job openings and possible networking opportunities to help them attain those openings

Follow Potential Employers – acts kind of like a Twitter feed for LinkedIn businesses as it sends students information and updates about businesses that you follow

Currently Career Explorer is being offered to a select 60 universities (which are not all listed) across the country. However, on-campus demonstrations and events promoting LinkedIn and Career Explorer have begun at several larger universities. If you attend New York University, Boston College, Brigham Young University, the Ohio State University, the Pennsylvania State University, Syracuse University, the University of Florida, the University of Illinois, the University of Maryland, the University of Southern California or the University of Washington, look for LinkedIn events happening on your campus. These universities are obviously part of the 60 universities to which LinkedIn has limitedly released Career Explorer, but gradually, the service of Career Explorer will be offered to more and more universities.

For more information, head to the press page regarding Career Explorer.

What do you think of the idea of Career Explorer? How useful do you think it would be to college students? Are you eager for the release of the service to your university? To those who have access to the service, what do you think of it?

[LinkedIn Career Explorer via TechCrunch]

What happened to the days when the most intense things to happen in a relationship was a game of Twister?  Oh my goodness, Mary is practically on top of Bobby! Scandalous!  OK, maybe I’m being a little over-dramatic. But, dating throughout the years has definitely changed.  And one of the underlying factors for the dating transformation?

Technology.

Besides the confusing text messages and application overload, technology has been a positive presence in my life. And, following in the footsteps of socializing, shopping and consuming information, the dating world has taken a cannonball-esque dive into the deep waters of technological communication.  Now you can use technology to do just about anything that has to do with dating….or “dating.” A year ago, I would never believe that one day I’d be able to ring a bell on my phone when I wanted to let my friends know that I was gettin’ some. But it’s happened, along with a few other “advancements” in dating.

Booty Gong
This application is so special because you can finally (silently) voice your victories under the sheets. So, when your buddies are searching for your existence and calling you non-stop – instead of sending a text about your down under adventures, you can simply type their number and ring the booty gong. I can see the new phrase now, “I don’t mean to toot ring my own horn gong, but…we got freaky last night.”

Passion
Right when you think your sexual skills have gone amiss, iPhone has you covered. Because the new Passion application actually rates your sexy time skills.  How does it rate, you ask? Well, based on duration and power (thanks to the iPhone’s built in accelerometer) and the volume of your “feedback.” Like the Olympics, it gives you a score out of ten on your efforts. And get this: you can compare with other singles around the world(!!) My advice for getting a Passion perfect ten? Lots of intense movement and screaming your name as loud as you can. Now, get to work.

PinPointsx
This mobile application automatically pinpoints your location and provides you with all of the imaginable erotic resources near you. Also included: a personalized and interactive ‘Passion Map’ of your current location.  With your helpful ‘Passion Map’ you can be directed to all of the nearest singles, couples, peepshows and special clubs. Whew, if that won’t keep you busy I don’t know what will.

Girlfriend Keeper
With this handy dandy application, boys are finally able to show they truly care.  This application allows you to set up automated text messages to your loved one(s) based on your specified “dating criteria” (AKA relationship seriousness). The messages will be automatically sent – based on the criteria – once or twice a month.  In an “Advanced Settings” feature, you can specify eye color, anniversaries and birthdays (you know, so the messages are extra personal). Want an example? Here: “Diana, did you know we started dating 38 months and 3 days ago?”

Please Diana, make it stop before you hit 38 months and 4 days.

Elite Text Game
It’s time to welcome the ‘sexy chat message generator’ for singles! Hoorah. Within this application is a healthy concoction of 60+ previously constructed unique and hilarious text messages.  I don’t know what they are but I can only hope they sound better than the 2am “where arre yoiu? letsdd do it” texts I’m apparently a huge fan of.

The Tigertext
Well, this one should almost explain itself. Thanks to our buddy Mr.Woods, an application has been created that automatically deletes all of those unwanted texts (and nudey photos) as soon as they are viewed.  All of the cheaters out there, raise your glasses to the Tigertext.

Can you fix my iPod?

But no matter if we are clueless (“which end of the charger goes into the wall?”) or tech savvy, we all have one thing in common: we’re girls. And with that comes the need to accessorize, decorate and carry around gadgets that match our outfits.

So instead of running around campus with boring gray accessories, why not add some excitement to the tech side of your life with cute, girly gadgets? Hey, it might even help you down the road. When your computer crashes, the fact that it’s pink may just stop you from throwing it out the window. And if it doesn’t, well at least you’ll have a cute padded case to cushion the fall.

Flash Drive:

I can barely remember a pen when I roll out of bed in the morning, let alone the flash drive that has my essay saved on it. Now there’s no need to place Post-its everywhere I may happen to look (my shower caddy, my makeup bag, you get the deal), because you can’t miss this sparkling bracelet hanging in your jewelry box. Add flair to an outfit and bring your documents with you wherever you may go? Done and done.

Keyboard:

Okay perhaps it’s a little gaudy, but in the privacy of your dorm room, why can’t you indulge your inner girly girl? Staring at a word document for 6 hours will have you passed out on top of your keyboard, squares imprinted on your cheek, drooling onto the space bar. It’s just messy. A flashy keyboard will put a little excitement back into your homework (Okay, excitement may be a bit much, but the light from your lamp bouncing off the rhinestones will at least keep your eyes open) so you can get ‘er done.

Mouse:

After awhile the touch-pad on my MacBook really starts to bother me. You bump it, it clicks off the page. You have to hold down control to right click. You have to use two hands to do anything because you’re too challenged to maneuver this thing with just one. It’s annoying. And don’t even get me started on the little ball. How does anyone ever use that!? I’ve had enough and I’m ready for a real mouse. But, I don’t want just any mouse to plug in, I want a cute one. That sparkles. Yeah, it’s pricey, but it’s also the coolest thing to happen to my computer since, well, I got my computer.

Laptop Sleeves:

Lugging your laptop around campus sucks, but it sucks less if you do it in style. These sleeves are super cute, come in a variety of colors and are padded to protect your laptop from damage. (“Dad, I don’t know why it won’t turn on! It’s not like I accidentally drop-kicked it down the stairs or anything…”)

iPhone and Blackberry cases:

Pretty much everyone has a Blackberry or iPhone these days, and I refuse to be one of the automatons with my handheld glued to my hip. But I’m also not willing to give up BBM, so I’m going to make mine prettier so it stands out from the rest. Good plan, right? These cases are so adorable your phone will be more like an accessory than the addiction it currently is.

Earphones:

How freakin’ cute are these? I’ll take any opportunity I can to spruce up an outfit, and these headphones are like adorable earring! Plus I’m hoping the opportunity to sport these on an elliptical will get my ass off the couch. (Especially when my mom starts sending her fall treats my way.)

This week, I’m counting down the ten craziest technologies. Whether they’re crazy in the “what the f&!# way” or crazy in the “I need that NOW” way, I’m listing them all, from social media to iPhone apps. Gen-Y has access to the wackiest and most innovative technology right now and here’s my “Weekly Ten” take on all of it:

10. Twitter Peek
How have we reached this point? A device solely for Tweeting? The end is near.

9. Last.Fm
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if you’re a music junkie like me you MUST get last.fm. You can download an app for your computer that scrobbles (crazy jargon!) whatever you’re playing and can show the world what you’re listening to. I love seeing what my friends are jamming out to. Last.Fm also creates a personal radio station for you that kicks Pandora’s butt by a mile. Love it.

8. Skype
Phone calls, video chat and texting. All in one and it’s international. You can even place calls thru Skype via the wifi on your iPhone. It’s a little buggy, but still pretty cool to call your friends abroad. FOR FREE.

7. DJ Hero
Okay, maybe it’s not revolutionary, but I’m so beyond excited for this it’s not even funny. Finally, I can create mashups of my very own! Hopefully I’ll be better at this than the drums on Rock Band. And hopefully this won’t give me those awful foot cramps like the drums on Rock Band.

6. Texts From Last Night
Yes, you can share every drunk text. In the world. And read everyone else’s. And read the ones that apply to your lives. Get them on your iPhone and even on your Twitter. TFLN is EVERYWHEREEE!

5. Farmville
I don’t know what it is but I don’t like it. However, Newsfeed lets me know that a huge amount of my Facebook friends are happily plowing away on their internet farms. Cool?

4. Google Wave
Kinda awesome concept, impossible to understand at this point. Get it together, Google!

3. BBM or Ping! app
If you have a Blackberry, you have a special messaging system for you and all your Blackberry friends. iPhone rebuttal? Ping! iPhone users exclusively chatting with other iPhone users. What is it about smartphone people that makes them so damn entitled to their very own messaging system? I don’t care – I love ‘em both.

2. Twitter
Okay, so maybe not brand new, but definitely newer than Facebook. Twitter rules. I’m not ashamed to admit it. I love following the constant updates from Perez Hilton to my fave haircare brand to my best friend. All in one. And the microblogging gives me the nitty gritty as opposed to all the the overshare of Facebook.

1. Knocking Pic
This insanely tech-forward iPhone app just broke today. First ever LIVE picture sharing. I’ve been beta testing this for a while and it lives up to the hype. Yes, INSTANTANEOUS sharing of pictures. No more MMS, no more uploading, live sharing of images. So if you catch your bff’s boyfriend cheating on her, you can instantly let her know; or if there’s a hot sale at Bloomingdales, your friend can instantly show you the dresses on the racks. I love the idea of this, but it’s crazy how far we’ve come with tech. Not to mention, the first 50,000 downloads are free.

Scary thought… live video sharing? We’ll see.