Maybe I’m the last to pick up on this, but I inadvertently discovered Google Cloud Print today. I’m most excited about having the ability to print from my iPad and iPhone.
By connecting your printer with the Google Cloud you will be able to print to your printer from any computer or smart phone, regardless of where you are. Just activate the Google Cloud Print connector in Google Chrome and your printer will automatically be available to you from Google Cloud Print enabled web and mobile apps.
A few weeks ago I received a rather large envelope from Google congratulating me on being considered a “favorite place on Google.” That’s all very nice, but I know well enough that I serve a very niche audience. I do appreciate the kind words though
A few weeks ago I received a rather large envelope from Google congratulating me on being considered a “favorite place on Google.” That’s all very nice, but I know well enough that I serve a very niche audience. I do appreciate the kind words though.
The envelope contained a decal that I could place on the window of my business. Since Big Heart Design is run from my converted garage and my wife wouldn’t appreciate me placing the decal on our front door, I’m left appreciating my decal alone.
Here's a QR Code that you can try scanning. Visit http://qrapp.com/ and download the app to your iPhone.
I was fascinated to find that Google had emblazoned a strange bar code on my new decal. This very Orwellian code of course sent me to Google to learn more. Once again, feeling like the last guy to know, I learned that Google had stamped my decal with a QR code. The “QR” acronym stands for “Quick Response.” Widely used in Japan, QR codes store bits of information like serial numbers or in this case, a URL web address. To read the code, it requires that you snap a photo using a smart phone like an iPhone, Android, etc. In my case, I downloaded the QR App to my iPhone – it allowed me to shoot a photo of the QR code that Google provided and then immediately processed the code. I was then directed to a Google landing page detailing my business address, phone number and URL. Customers have the ability to read reviews of my work, see business listings, hours of operation, etc. And as a business owner, I have the ability to customize the page. This is social media at its best. Learn more about what Google has to offer at Google.com/localbusinesscenter.
Of course this got my wheels spinning about how churches could best use QR codes. Imagine if churches far and wide had QR code decals on their doors, printed in bulletins, business cards, etc. These codes are a great way to share the message of your church to that person passing by your building, in the building for an AA or NA meeting, etc. The scan could deliver them to a landing page that invites them to church, lists opportunities to get involved, or simply offers a devotional. A QR code stamped in a Sunday bulletin could reference a landing page offering sermon resources, etc. The fact that you can generate your own unique QR codes on sites like qrcode.kaywa.com or Google’s zxing.appspot.com/generator creates endless possibilities.
QR codes are still new enough that they could be used as a way to generate curiosity and buzz for your church. Here’s an idea, print one in next Sunday’s bulletin without explanation. Have the code direct visitors to a landing page on your website inquiring how your church might use QR codes. See what kind of feedback you receive. Be sure to explain to everyone the following week what that funny little mark means.
UPDATE: Wayne Sutton from SocialWayne.com has some great things to say about QR Codes: Getting started with QR Codes Pro Tip #1. Remember the K.I.S.S. rule! Check it out.
Apple Co-founders Steve Jobs (left) and Steve Wozniak (right) phreaking with homemade blueboxes – image: woz.org. Jason Chen displays the next-generation iPhone, image: Gizmodo.com.
So are bloggers “real” journalists? This is a question that has long plagued the blogging community. It looks like this question may inadvertently be answered by a court of law. If you’ve been following the saga of how blogger, Jason Chen, leaked Apple’s next-generation iPhone on Gizmodo, you know that the story has taken a new direction.
An Apple engineer lost the new iPhone in a bar – it was found and then sold to Gawker Media, Gizmodo’s parent company, for $5,000. Soon after, Jason Chen posted pictures and video of the new iPhone online. Section 1070 that has historically protected journalists’ property from being confiscated is being tested. After police seized the iPhone, Chen claimed that he should be protected from the same rights as a journalist.
What fascinates me about this case is that the results of a snafu by Apple may ultimately change the course of open media online. Steve Jobs, Apple’s founder, in his youth helped to launch the social media movement as a Phone Phreak. Phreaks sniffed out telephone company test lines and conference circuits in order to host virtual seminars and discussions. So I’m left to ponder if Jobs’ actions against Chen are hypocritical – I suspect that Steve would have done the same thing as a young man. To see the open nature of blogging and civic journalism limited by a social media pioneer would be a shame.
Thanks to Mashable for first bringing this issue to light …
The tale of the engineer who lost the next-generation iPhone that was leaked across the web has taken a dramatic turn, one that could determine not only whether criminal charges are filed, but whether bloggers should be treated as journalists under the law.
Last Monday, gadget blog Gizmodo posted pictures and videos of what is most likely a prototype of Apple’s next-generation iPhone, which was lost at a bar by an Apple engineer. It was soon revealed that Gizmodo’s parent company, Gawker Media, paid at least $5,000 for the device. Controversy soon erupted over whether Gawker violated the law by purchasing the next-gen iPhone, as it could be construed as stolen property.
On Friday, police raided Gizmodo editor Jason Chen’s home and seized his computers as part of an investigation over whether purchasing and leaking the phone was indeed a crime. Now Gawker is claiming that the search warrant was illegal because it confiscated the property of a journalist, a protection granted in section 1070 of the Evidence Code.
The entire saga has brought a slew of legal, moral, and ethical issues that could impact the future of blogging and journalism. It depends on how the legal and criminal issues play out. Continue Reading
Best described as a tech-toting evangelist for web and social media, Matt Carlisle consults with non-profits and faith groups to make the necessary changes to fully embrace new media.
