Today, more than ever, we’re sharing our lives with each other in both simple and profound ways. With the rise of social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, we can keep in touch with our existing friends or make completely new ones with just a few clicks of a button. Which technologies are advancing this idea even further? Today we’ll take a look at six of them. From the huge site that calls itself “the front page of the Internet” to an up-and-coming video sharing platform, these six are revolutionizing the way we socially connect.
6. Vine
If Instagram and Twitter had a child, it would look something like Vine. The mobile app lets users create and post quick, 6-second video clips and then share them on services like Twitter and Facebook. Founded in June 2012, the company was acquired only months later, in October, by Twitter. (When asked why he acquired Vine, Twitter CEO Dick Costolo said this “hyper-constrained publishing” is the “next best thing down the road.”) As of April 9, 2013, Vine has become the number one most downloaded free app in the Apple App Store. While many are trying to figure out how businesses are going to use Vine for advertising purposes or how Twitter could make money from their investment, early adopters are just having fun, sharing their short, entertaining clips with the world.
5. Sony VAIO Duo 11 Ultrabook™
The Sony VAIO Duo 11 Ultrabook is a touchscreen tablet and a full HD laptop in one. Its clever design includes a keyboard that’s hidden underneath the 11.6-inch screen. By sliding the screen up, one reveals the backlit keyboard. Running Windows 8, Microsoft’s latest and greatest operating system, the user is presented with a series of Live Tiles that horizontally stretch across the screen. For students or young professionals on the go, this sleekly designed hybrid acts like both a powerful tool and a fun toy. Not only is it fast with lots of storage space, by running Windows 8, it lets you connect to people, apps, folders, photos and websites in a quick and seamless way.
4. Facebook Home
If you’re a person who uses your smartphone mostly for checking your Facebook feed, you must have been excited when you first heard about Facebook Home. Launched in early April, the new user interface replaces the standard Android homescreen giving you a full-blown Facebook experience. From the moment you turn on your phone, you’ll see what your friends are doing, from their posts to their photos. Through this software you can also send and receive text and Facebook messages all in one place or chat with friends while you’re using other apps. Current Android users can install Facebook Home for free right now on the Google Play Store or you can pick up a HTC First to see Home built right in. While critics are still trying to decide if Home is a hit or a miss, one thing is certain, there’s never been a mobile device that could be this social.
3. Google Plus
Photo credit: Trey Ratcliff
It’s finally time to believe that Google Plus is a verified hit. When it first launched, in the summer of 2011, tens of millions of people quickly signed up, and then it seemed to have lost its luster. According to Internet analytics firm GlobalWebIndex, Google Plus, however, has been silently gaining momentum, continuing to outpace Twitter as the world’s number two social network only behind Facebook. Throughout the past few years, Google Plus has carved out its own niche. It’s now widely regarded as a place where strangers can connect over shared interests like photography. With the most hyped about gadget on the horizon, Google Glass, we’ve yet to see what this social network can really do.
2. Instagram
Last April, when Facebook announced that they had purchased the photo sharing social network Instagram for a whopping $1 billion, many were shocked by the exorbitant price. While at the time of purchase, Instagram had about 30 million users, today there’s more than 100 million monthly active users posting more than 40 million photos a day. Celebrities and brands have jumped in head first, as they see it as an important place to visually market themselves. Just recently, Instagram launched a new feature that allows users to “tag” photos. Called “Photos of You,” the feature is similar to tagging your friends on Facebook. It will be rolled out on May 16.
1. Reddit
Ask anyone on the Internet which website they think has the most influence right now and more often than not they’ll say Reddit. The user-generated news link site has been grabbing headlines these days for doing everything from getting President Obama to participate in an AMA (“ask me anything) to contributing to the most crowdsourced terror investigation in American history (over the Boston Marathon bombers). In 2012, Reddit had more than 37 billion pageviews and 400 million unique visitors. More than its incredible numbers, Reddit wields incredible power as people from all walks of life flock to the site to share and read some highly personal and often inspiring stories.
Which of these technologies do you use?
Source: Forbes
Authors: Alice Yoo / My Modern Met
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