Nuttin Logs » Lifestyle

How generations use the Internet

Nitin G — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:44:00 +0000

Following up on a class discussion, I looked up how different generations use the Internet. The results, predictable, were nevertheless interesting.

The main data table from that post is attached here if you fancy a quick glance. For the entire article, head on over to USA Today.

Loved the first comment a reader posted for the article on USA Today…”At 52, I use the Internet to goof off. A lot”…don’t we all? I guess that’s one thing all generations will have in common!

(click image to enlarge)

(Reproduced from original article on USA Today)

Football’s magical yellow line

Nitin G — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 07:29:39 +0000

With Superbowl just around the corner, Football fever is in the air. Admittedly, I don’t get the game much but one thing that caught my eye since the first time I viewed a game on TV was the yellow line. I knew it was not real and was digitally created but how it was done eluded me. Well, Fandome has an excellent video describing the technology and the process behind the magical yellow line.

Digital TV conversion officially delayed…not!

Nitin G — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 02:00:48 +0000

There was quite a bit of back and forth on the DTV conversion with one side of the camp (Obama administration) saying that the conversion should be delayed and the other camp saying, hell no. Today, it became official as the US House of Reps rejected the bill that was requesting the delay. The Obama administration was requesting that the conversion from analog to digital tv broadcasting be delayed by 4 months (at least). Those of you who still get their TV via rabbit-ears need to get going on this one now….chop chop!

The delay was requested due to the fact that the government fund that was created to help pay consumers to make the switch has run out of money. As of this writing, about a million or so coupon requests for reimbursement are sitting on the desks of the agency responsible for the refunds. The number is expected to grow to about 5 million. The extension would have given the government more time to replenish the fund and hence make the transition smoother for analog watchers.

Question is, who are these analog watchers and how many of them are out there? A quick Google search reveals that about 300,000 of them live in NY City alone! I expect the number to be in the millions nation wide. So, with the new TV seasons starting for almost every popular show out there and with the possibility that mid-season, most of these shows might see a potential huge dip in their viewership, there’s no wonder that the extension idea was at hand (also can be read as advertisers are potentially pulling back their $$).

Did the lobbyists push for the delay? I think so…

update (2/4/2009): The conversion was officially delayed by Congress.

The immense portability of digital entertainment

Nitin G — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 14:09:46 +0000

Scene at O’Hare. It’s a good example of the complete redefinition of how users are now consuming entertainment. Gives a new meaning to the term ‘street entertainment’.

What is love?

Nitin G — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:10:00 +0000

Image by Nuttin via FlickrWhile sitting and listening to a Christmas Carols performance at a local opera house, I witnessed a simple scene that reinforced for me what the meaning of the word love is. There was this elderly couple sitting nearby and throughout the performance (2 hours), the lady kept nudging her husband/partner. Every time she would nudge him, he would politely point her to the correct verse/page on the program booklet so she could follow along with the choir singing. This happened repeatedly through the entire evening. I learned something here.

Love is:

Patience: The gentleman not once ignored his lady’s request even though they were for the same simple thing.
Trust: The lady knew that she could trust her man, he would help her.
Openness: Maybe the lady knew that she gets lost easily but she did not let that deter her from asking for help.
Predictability: The man knew each time what the lady was looking for, no words were exchanged.
Selfless: In helping the lady follow the program, he enjoyed (or at least it seemed) the evening through her enjoyment. She did not feel lost.
Kindness and understanding: Despite the repeated nature of her requests, not a single harsh glance was exchanged between the two.
Simple: This was not a complicated issue…yet I think it was something that got them closer

All in all….it was a good evening….the holidays are here