Internet Snacking
By Ken Kaplan (from Inside Scoop) on November 20, 2009
There aren't many things I like more than sitting down for hours eating a multi-course Italian or Indian dinner. Conversing, laughing, eating, drinking in good company...it satisfies my mind, body and soul. Less satiating but in many ways just as vital to actually arriving at the big meal...is the snack. Snacks hit the spot and keep me going. And for my on-the-go lifestyle balancing (read: juggling) family and work, I'm finding that pint-sized computer devices are fulfilling my need for quick bites of the Internet.
Small, mobile computers are allowing me to quickly check-in live with email, Twitter, Facebook and other Websites so I can communicate with others, or munch on the latest news and information.
Mobile devices are making Internet snacking easier, and in many ways allowing me to manage more things, be in more places and with more people - especially my family -- than ever before. I'm certainly the extreme techie of our household, but more and more I seen the rest of my family appreciating the benefits of Internet snacking.
One Device Is Not Enough
When it comes to technologies on my daily menu, I consider my HP Laptop and MacBook as serving me the full course Internet meal. The HP is my Intel Centrino Pro powered business laptop managed by our Intel IT department, and it reliably helps me manage all of my planning projects and work collaboration. The MacBook is my portable powerhouse that serves up all my video and photo editing and sharing needs. Already two laptops are too many, but having both helps me rev up my creativity and productivity.
But sometimes I just don't have time for a full boot up or a comfortable place for working my laptop. That's where my snacking devices coming in into play. For me and my family, these snacking devices are Mobile Internet Devices and netbooks:
Classmate PCs
For the holidays last year, I got my then five-year-old daughter and six-year-old son a netbook computer designed for kids, called a Classmate PC. These are nifty, rugged, powered by an Intel Atom processor, and packed with the Windows XP operating system and learning software for grade schoolers. I limit the amount of time my kids can use their computers, and I watch what they're doing on the Internet in order to keep them on clean, useful content. They're so curious and discover great things on their own!
These ClassmatePCs are also tools for teaching responsibility. I see them treating their Classmates with great care. They get really excited to use their little computers express how much they want to improve their typing, reading and math skills. I even got to help personalize their Classmate with a colorful decal from Skin-It.
What surprises me most is seeing my wife using the Classmate PCs for researching her dissertation while she lays quietly next to the kids to help them fall asleep on some nights. She also "borrows" the little computers and uses them in the kitchen. One time I caught her watching videos on how to make sushi, and sure enough the next night my Italian wife made her first homemade Japanese-style California Rolls. She would rather work on a desktop PC with a full keyboard, but for quick searches on the Internet, the Classmate PCs are helping her get quick bites of information from anywhere in the house.
Smaller Yet Serving the Full Internet
My favorite snacking and microblogging device these days is the Viliv X70, which is a small, touch-screen tablet computer powered by the Intel Atom processor. Click a button on the side and a soft keyboard appears on the bottom of the screen that vibrates to let you know every time you hit a key.
It gives me the full Internet experience, including searching, watching videos, microblogging, updating my bookmark collection and enjoying all the rich media and interaction of Facebook. And by adding a few of my favorite applications like Firefox (many add-ons), Flash, Adobe Air, Seesmic Desktop and others, I keep personalizing and optimizing the experience I get on this nifty device.
Here's a video I shot of my Intel pal Rama, who shows how she optimized her Viliv X70 for enjoying her entertainment.
Other Internet Snacking Devices
Netbooks are very popular and many are priced at about $300. Mobile Internet Devices are a little more expensive but we're seeing more devices for sale and some prices are dropping below $500.
Here are a few other Intel powered Internet snacking devices that intrigue me most:
• The new limited edition pink UMID, which originally came out in white and then black
• The Viliv S7, which is similar to the Viliv X70 but has a clamshell, swivel tablet with full keyboard
• The stylish HP Mini 110 Studio Tord Boontje netbook, which was just named in this year's Uber 10 top gadgets for under $500.
Snacking and Sharing On-The-Go
These devices connect to my home wireless router as well as any Wi-Fi hotspots. Some can be purchased with built in 3G internet capability (you have to pay for a wireless data service plan).
None of my computing devices have built-in 3G, but the more I see how my family is using computers...the more I get inspired to try new things like Mi-Fi, which is a credit card-size device with a SIM card inside (purchase device with data service, or find device that allows you to put your own data SIM inside). Mi-Fi turns the wireless phone service into Wi-Fi then allows up to five devices to connect to the Internet.
OK, so if I'm snacking so much how do I find the time or appetite (read brainpower) to sit with my laptop to get real work done? The answer is found somewhere between being daring and being disciplined. Like my kids, I gotta have fun, do my homework and get at least 8 hours of sleep. Leading a family and career can be challenging, and I believe Internet snacking helps me live a more connected, informed and well rounded life.
What tech tricks do you use to get the most out of each day?
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Ken
Kaplan a broadcast and social media strategist and producer inside
Intel Corporation's Global Communications Group. He helps the Consumer
and Social Media team tell stories and connect with online media by
producing videos, photos and other online communication. Much of his
work can be seen on the Intel Pressroom, Channelintel on YouTube, Intel Fan Page, and Intel blogs such as Technology@Intel and Inside Scoop.
Prior to Intel, he worked as a publicist for eight years at then
NBC-affiliate, KRON-TV. He graduated from California State University,
Chico, where he studied journalism, philosophy and economics. More
about his approach to public relations in this interview. You can find him on:
Twitter www.twitter.com/kenekaplan
Facebook www.facebook.com/kenekaplan
LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/kenekaplan
Small, mobile computers are allowing me to quickly check-in live with email, Twitter, Facebook and other Websites so I can communicate with others, or munch on the latest news and information.
Mobile devices are making Internet snacking easier, and in many ways allowing me to manage more things, be in more places and with more people - especially my family -- than ever before. I'm certainly the extreme techie of our household, but more and more I seen the rest of my family appreciating the benefits of Internet snacking.
One Device Is Not Enough
When it comes to technologies on my daily menu, I consider my HP Laptop and MacBook as serving me the full course Internet meal. The HP is my Intel Centrino Pro powered business laptop managed by our Intel IT department, and it reliably helps me manage all of my planning projects and work collaboration. The MacBook is my portable powerhouse that serves up all my video and photo editing and sharing needs. Already two laptops are too many, but having both helps me rev up my creativity and productivity.
But sometimes I just don't have time for a full boot up or a comfortable place for working my laptop. That's where my snacking devices coming in into play. For me and my family, these snacking devices are Mobile Internet Devices and netbooks:
Classmate PCs
For the holidays last year, I got my then five-year-old daughter and six-year-old son a netbook computer designed for kids, called a Classmate PC. These are nifty, rugged, powered by an Intel Atom processor, and packed with the Windows XP operating system and learning software for grade schoolers. I limit the amount of time my kids can use their computers, and I watch what they're doing on the Internet in order to keep them on clean, useful content. They're so curious and discover great things on their own!
These ClassmatePCs are also tools for teaching responsibility. I see them treating their Classmates with great care. They get really excited to use their little computers express how much they want to improve their typing, reading and math skills. I even got to help personalize their Classmate with a colorful decal from Skin-It.
What surprises me most is seeing my wife using the Classmate PCs for researching her dissertation while she lays quietly next to the kids to help them fall asleep on some nights. She also "borrows" the little computers and uses them in the kitchen. One time I caught her watching videos on how to make sushi, and sure enough the next night my Italian wife made her first homemade Japanese-style California Rolls. She would rather work on a desktop PC with a full keyboard, but for quick searches on the Internet, the Classmate PCs are helping her get quick bites of information from anywhere in the house.
My favorite snacking and microblogging device these days is the Viliv X70, which is a small, touch-screen tablet computer powered by the Intel Atom processor. Click a button on the side and a soft keyboard appears on the bottom of the screen that vibrates to let you know every time you hit a key.
It gives me the full Internet experience, including searching, watching videos, microblogging, updating my bookmark collection and enjoying all the rich media and interaction of Facebook. And by adding a few of my favorite applications like Firefox (many add-ons), Flash, Adobe Air, Seesmic Desktop and others, I keep personalizing and optimizing the experience I get on this nifty device.
Here's a video I shot of my Intel pal Rama, who shows how she optimized her Viliv X70 for enjoying her entertainment.
Other Internet Snacking Devices
Netbooks are very popular and many are priced at about $300. Mobile Internet Devices are a little more expensive but we're seeing more devices for sale and some prices are dropping below $500.
Here are a few other Intel powered Internet snacking devices that intrigue me most:
• The new limited edition pink UMID, which originally came out in white and then black
• The Viliv S7, which is similar to the Viliv X70 but has a clamshell, swivel tablet with full keyboard
• The stylish HP Mini 110 Studio Tord Boontje netbook, which was just named in this year's Uber 10 top gadgets for under $500.
Snacking and Sharing On-The-Go
These devices connect to my home wireless router as well as any Wi-Fi hotspots. Some can be purchased with built in 3G internet capability (you have to pay for a wireless data service plan).
None of my computing devices have built-in 3G, but the more I see how my family is using computers...the more I get inspired to try new things like Mi-Fi, which is a credit card-size device with a SIM card inside (purchase device with data service, or find device that allows you to put your own data SIM inside). Mi-Fi turns the wireless phone service into Wi-Fi then allows up to five devices to connect to the Internet.
OK, so if I'm snacking so much how do I find the time or appetite (read brainpower) to sit with my laptop to get real work done? The answer is found somewhere between being daring and being disciplined. Like my kids, I gotta have fun, do my homework and get at least 8 hours of sleep. Leading a family and career can be challenging, and I believe Internet snacking helps me live a more connected, informed and well rounded life.
What tech tricks do you use to get the most out of each day?
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Ken
Kaplan a broadcast and social media strategist and producer inside
Intel Corporation's Global Communications Group. He helps the Consumer
and Social Media team tell stories and connect with online media by
producing videos, photos and other online communication. Much of his
work can be seen on the Intel Pressroom, Channelintel on YouTube, Intel Fan Page, and Intel blogs such as Technology@Intel and Inside Scoop.
Prior to Intel, he worked as a publicist for eight years at then
NBC-affiliate, KRON-TV. He graduated from California State University,
Chico, where he studied journalism, philosophy and economics. More
about his approach to public relations in this interview. You can find him on:Twitter www.twitter.com/kenekaplan
Facebook www.facebook.com/kenekaplan
LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/kenekaplan
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