Multimedia-Fashion

QR codes are two dimensional "quick response" codes that can be easily read by mobile devices like smartphones and camera-enabled media players.

Who knew there was such a large, mainstream market for artfully arranged pictures of other people's stuff? Or that "curation," that rarefied and highly specialized skill, would all of a sudden go viral?

I just received this e-mail regarding this social media network.

"Some job experts say we're already there. With news that Facebook might be joining the ranks of online-employment brokers, it's looking more and more like the old-fashioned resume might be growing obsolete."

We learned today that Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson's resume boasts a computer science degree he never got. This news is likely to have a ripple effect as we learn who else in the Valley has tried to pull a stunt like this. Here's what happened to 10 other executives who fibbed on their resumes.

"Edutopia.org asked several innovators in the field about what practical steps teachers and administrators could take right away -- without making any major investments or waiting for policy shifts -- to improve technology integration in our classrooms. Here's what they suggest:"

Will we be a country of high-volume and low quality? Or can we become an economy of quality and price premium? Whether it's drinking, buying computers or choosing what industrial policy to support, we are in the process of answering those questions.

Our students want to be creative, collaborate, utilize technology for learning, connect with their peers in other countries, understand the messages that media convey, and solve real-world problems.  Schools and systems of education that do not embrace digital learning and place a high emphasis on standardization will always fail to resonate with our students

"In a world where content wants to be free, the publishing industry is searching for a saviour. Could it be social commerce? ELLE Magazine has launched two parallel social commerce experiments on Pinterest and on Facebook - based on the concept of editorially curated and shoppable trend catalogues. In a nutshell, ELLE is using Facebook and Pinterest to create trend catalogues that could be monetized through affiliate payments. Speaking about the Facebook Trend Reports, as they've been branded, chief revenue officer Kevin O'Malley for ELLE, says the first step of the experiment is to see whether it works without affiliate monetization;"

Social media has surpassed search, and is poised to overtake online display advertising as the No. 1 source of digital media planning and buying, according to the latest edition of a quarterly survey of U.S. advertising agencies. The survey, conducted by Strata, the agency media software and processing firm owned by Comcast, found that 69% of agency executives now consider social the "focus" of their digital ad spending -- up 32% over the past year, and now a close second behind display (71%) as the dominant digital media-buying platform in the minds of agency executives.

""During one of the keynotes," he explained, "I found myself really wanting to hear what others at the conference thought about the speaker's ideas, so I visited Twitter on my loaner device to do just that. I found that there was a rich back-channel conversation going on there, so I created a Twitter account for myself and jumped in." "It wasn't until that moment," he says, "that I realized that Twitter could be a medium for smart, engaging conversations, too. I've been an active user ever since.""

It's hard to use the Internet anymore without being watched. Tracking cookies follow your every move, so advertisers can figure out what to sell you. Social networks keep you constantly signed in, in part so they can see what other websites you visit. Phone and tablet apps may be gathering information about you, including your contacts list or your camera roll.

SceneTap is a maker of cameras that pick up on facial characteristics to determine a person's approximate age and gender. The company works with venues to install these cameras and track customers. It also makes web and mobile applications that allow random observers to find out, in real-time, the male-to-female ratio, crowd size, and average age of a bar's patrons. And no one goes unnoticed. "We represent EVERYONE in the venue," SceneTap proudly proclaims on its website.

These free or low-cost education services confer the direct benefit of their programs, and advantages by using the large numbers and real-time aspects of the internet to obtain and incorporate immediate feedback from growing student populations. This is leading to a better education product, and a mechanism for learning about learning.

Infographics are visual designs that help to explain complicated data in a simple way (mental-health emergencies at Burning Man, anyone?). But how are they created? What can we learn from the designer's process? And what does an infographic designer know about storks delivering babies?

"Just as certain types of Facebook posts spark a higher number of comments, likes and shares, certain types of blog content inherently drive more engagement. As you brainstorm and write blog posts, try incorporating a mix of the following content types into your editorial strategy. Then take note about what your audience responds to and tailor your posts accordingly."

People who multitask a lot are in fact a lot worse at filtering irrelevant information and also perform significantly worse at switching between task, compared to singletaskers.

" YouTube is not just television on a computer, and YouTubers, whether established or aspiring, are their own breed. The Next Up winners are an almost random group of nonfamous people with an idiosyncratic range of talents, striving to succeed and fully conversant in the culture of this relatively young medium. And this medium definitely has its own culture."

Remind yourself that social media is a means to an end--not an end in and of itself.

"Losse eventually reactivated her Facebook account. Rejecting it altogether felt, to her, extreme. But she approached it this time with a new wariness, not as a place to make and maintain friendships but one where a new author could cultivate a public image. Along the way Losse has found a point of balance, a mix of technological connection and disconnection that, for now, suits her. "You can't get away from it. It's everything. It's everywhere," Losse said. "The moment we're in now is about trying to deal with all this technology rather than rejecting it, because obviously we can't reject it entirely. "

I found this article on Facebook quite interesting. It makes you think about how much personal versus professional you want out there!