#Geekish 3: What is Flash?
Flash. Isn't that what streakers do on the cricket pitch mid-game? Well, yes, but we're referring to a vector animation software that facilities rich, interactive content including video, games, presentations and advertisements in multimedia design that just aren't possible with HTML alone. In fact, you've probably encountered it before. Ever seen an animated, online advertisement or played a game in your browser? That's Adobe Flash, and it has spawned a whole new generation of fast, interactive websites and mobile applications. Who uses Flash? Flash is predominantly used by professional website designers to create high quality and lightweight animations, images and layouts to increase the visual appeal and interactiv...
Gamifying Our World: Blurring the lines between online & offline interactions
I've just become the Mayor. Of Vivo Group, that is. I didn't have to run for parliament, and I didn't have to convince my peers that I was the right person for the job. In fact, all I had to do was 'check-in'. This phenomenon is called 'gamification' and it is increasingly becoming our reality. What is Gamification? Gamification is a trend in social networking, or the use of game-play mechanics for non-gaming products and services. Today, companies are actively integrating gamification into their user engagement and networking strategies by offering challenges, leader boards, achievement badges and physical rewards for participation in real-world tasks. Basically, the gaming engine comes first, and the social platform second...
Google Goes Social: A Huge +
This week, Google announced the new social networking platform known as the Google+ project. While it's currently in trial mode and available by private invitation only, we managed to secure an invite to give you the low down on Google's contribution to the social media soiree. So, what's new? We all remember Google's attempts at online networking with Buzz, Orkut and Wave, and despite Google's best attempts to differentiate itself from Facebook, Google+ looks, feels and functions a lot like the social media giant. The Google+ homepage stream is reminiscent of Facebook's News Feed, and you can similarly invite your peers, post status updates and share content and locations. However, in our humble opinion, the creative team at Google have taken social networki...
