Facebook is in the process of making it easier, and creepier, to tag your friends in pictures.  The site will be using facial recognition software that is already available on some photo editing programs.  Once a friend has been tagged the software will prompt users to tag friends that have been recognized in other photos.  Users will be able to turn this feature off in their account settings if they would like, going back to manually typing in the name of the person(s) being tagged.  In one sense the new feature will make tagging numerous photos after a night out or an event much easier.  However, I think the possibility that wrong person was recognized and tagged may come about, which may lead to some upset friends.  It seems like something out of a spy movie but I guess that is just the price we will pay as technological advances become more and more accessible.
 
I recently finished up an AD/PR course in Emerging Media.  Overall the experience was worthwhile.  Prior to the course my use of emerging media was limited to going on Facebook and the buying and selling stuff on eBay.

                Not only did I learn from the instructor but my classmates as well.  As emerging media is constantly, for lack of a better word, emerging it is tough for anyone to keep up.  Having multiple sources of people interested in the subject definitely provided insight that I wouldn’t have received otherwise.

                Probably the best part of the course for me was the number of professionals that came in to speak with us.  It is nice to know what is being used by those working in the advertising and marketing industries.  The professions are very much involved in the creative side of doing business and they would know what is hot and what is not. 

                The course also left me with an interest of expanding my use of emerging media.  I went in wanting to know how to use some of the tools available to me and I got just that.  I never thought of myself as the type to use social media for anything more than a way to keep up with friends and family.  I am now able to tap into the resources of a wide range of likeminded individuals that I would not have been exposed to otherwise.  Being able to join into the conversation that is going on in web 2.0 will only serve to keep me I the loop and up to date, making me marketable as an individual.    

 
I recently started using the blogging site Tumblr.  I was intrigued by how basic it was.  In its simplest sense it is a fast easy way for users to express their thoughts and creativity.

                My initial thought was to start a 356 daily photo blog.  I felt my biggest obstacle would be to produce photos on a daily basis.  However, that wasn’t the issue.  I first ran into problems when Tumblr’s site went down on Tuesday, December 7th.  According to the site they ran across issues when performing regularly scheduled maintenance.  Shortly after getting back up and running the site was down again.  Fortunately, I managed to get my pic of the day up.  According to an update to the site’s blog they have grown their engineering team fourfold.  This was apparently due to the rapidly growing number of users the site is getting.

                With that small hiccup aside I thought it would be smooth sailing.  After I started using the site I downloaded the mobile app for the Blackberry.  At best the app could be described as basic.  As one user noted “Did a grade-schooler design this?”  Looks aside the app actually worked.  I could view my dashboard and upload pics and make posts.  A few days after the site going down I received notification that there was an update available, unfortunately I downloaded it.  The app no longer opens up, leaving the only option for uploading from a home computer.  I have since deleted the app and am currently looking for a way to download version 1.1.  I like the ease of use Tumblr offers but being able to update on the go is key.   

Update:  I scoured the net and came across an old post on the Tumblr staff blog which hosted a downloadable link for the app version 1.1.2.  This version is not available in Blackberry app as of yet.  Get it here



medal of honor, flash, google, html 5, emerging media, marquette