Dividing Social Media: Why I Only Focus on One

Image Credit: Aaron Wood http://www.etsy.com/shop/Justonescarf

Yesterday I created my new MySpace page after I had received an invite from the site. The new MySpace is really nice focusing strongly on gorgeous imagery and music and it definitely looks like it can be a legitimate competitor to Spotify. You can read about my initial impressions of the site here. 

When I first received the invite I have to admit that I was a little ecstatic and my first plan was to give as many people as I could an invite. Immediately, I called a good friend of mine and asked him if he wanted an invite to this new service. Without hesitation he agreed but, what he said next left me at odds. He jokingly said, “Wow, I’m not sure how many more of these social networking sites I can take.” I paused for a bit and I said to myself, neither can I.

MySpace represents to me an old site being reborn in hopes of making a comeback and it really is an underdog story. I’ve been on MySpace for only a day but already I’m hoping to experiment with it periodically. Google+, according to my RescueTime tracker, has taken much more of my time in recent months so I believe it’s safe to say that I’m pretty much a Google+ power user. My Facebook also has been steadily receiving activity due to some added leisure time. The point is, among the three sites my time, attention, and energy, are being spent in all three. That is simply unacceptable.

Social Media is great because it allows us to connect with the people, topics, and ideas, that we all care about most. So why is it so difficult to have one site dominate all the others? The answer is simple really, since each Social Media service is appealing for different reasons. Facebook has the people, MySpace has the music, Instagram has the photos, and Google+ has the ideas. Each service is great because they each provide something unique. However, is it beneficial to actually use all three together? 

As I’ve said before plenty of our energy is being invested into these sites and I can’t help but think that being involved extensively in all three is really unhealthy. This thought hit me as soon as I decided to update my profile pic on my new MySpace page. As soon as I uploaded the photo I asked myself, am I really going to do this for all three sites? What about for a status update?  Let’s say I get married, graduate, get a job promotion etc. am I going to update every single website that I am on with the same status update? Talk about counterproductive!

There’s absolutely no way that I am going to update every status, post, or photo, on all three sites. It really is extra work that is highly unnecessary (excluding business purposes). Plus, I only really enjoy one out of the three. So, my solution to this dilemma is simply to focus on one site rather than the three.

I’m already a Google+ power user and I’m on the site more often of the three. There is where I’ll be updating my page more frequently than the rest. MySpace is nice and I’ll experiment with it to see if it develops into something better, but only occasionally will I visit the site. Everyone is already on Facebook and just as I’ve done for months past, I will be on the site but my updates will be minimal.

This however is only my solution and might not fit everyone’s needs. Here are a couple of ways to decide upon a solution. Do you enjoy Facebook the most? Focus on Facebook. Do you enjoy Instagram more? Focus on Instagram. What if you still want to use all three? Try setting up days/times/weeks focusing on one site over the other. In reality, there are plenty of solutions out there. Try experimenting and try to discover which one fits your own needs.

With so many Social Media websites out there it definitely becomes difficult to manage a combination of them. There are benefits to each site accordingly and my suggestion would be to focus on the service you enjoy the most so that your time is being well spent.

How do you manage your combination of Social Media sites? Do you focus on one? Or do you divide your attention among your combination?

Kobe Bryant V.3 HD PS3 Theme [Update]

Update: This post was originally written on January 1, 2011 and was relocated to exist here in the GallantTeddy blog.

This is my second attempt at a Kobe Bryant PS3 Theme. I made a couple of changes to the old theme and I think they were for the best. Please comment and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Description:

A Kobe Bryant HD PS3 Theme with 9 Backgrounds by various artists and Menu Icons by Edward Redeem. Default Icons belong to SCEA.

Credit for the Kobe Bryant backgrounds belong to the following: NBA Croatia of NBA-Croatia.com, DJ Rom of www.djromconcept.com, Lufcias of DeviantArt.com, Marco Cuca of NBA-Croatia.com, Lakers.com, Melo Man and Dirk Nowitzki41 of MixMembers.net Forum, Felix Garcia aka Ya Dig of yadig.deviantart.com, and Eppy91 of eppy91.deviantart.com. Thank you guys for some really great backgrounds.

I do not own these images. These images belong to their respective owners. This is purely for entertainment purposes. Not for sale.

What’s New In Version 3.0:

-Removed 2 backgrounds that didn’t correspond with the new icons.

-Replaced Image Icons with new Glass Icons.

-Substituted Colored Icons for Default Icons to better suit the backgrounds.

-Added 5 new backgrounds, totaling 9 different backgrounds.

Download: Kobe Bryant V.3 HD PS3 Theme

Install:

To INSTALL the theme Follow One of Two Methods:

Method 1:

1. Log into the Internet Browser via the PS3.

2. Download the theme by CLICKING HERE.

Method 2:

1. Prepare a storage media such as a Memory Stick Duo or a USB device.

2. Create a folder named “PS3″ (without the quotes) on the storage media and create a subfolder named “THEME” (must be all uppercase, again, without the quotes) within that folder.

3. Copy the theme (.p3t) to the “THEME” subfolder on the storage media.

4. Insert the storage media in the PS3 system.

5. In the XMB (Xross Media Bar), go to Settings > Theme Settings > Theme, and then select [Install].

6. Select the theme.

After installation has been completed, go to Settings > Theme Settings > Theme again, and then select the theme.

Kobe Bryant PS3 Theme [Update]

Update: This post was originally written on August 15, 2010 and was relocated to exist here in the GallantTeddy blog.

Hey everyone, welcome to a special edition post of “ERC.” I call this a special edition post because I tried out something new the other day and I was hoping that I could share it with you all. As you can see from the title, I decided to make a PlayStation 3 theme based on my favorite sports star Kobe Bryant.

I have always enjoyed changing up the style of my PlayStation 3 because I feel as though not that many people are aware of its full capabilities so I figure a theme is a nice way of showing a little piece of what the PS3 is capable of. Since I change my PS3 theme quite often, I visit BestPS3themes.com regularly because they have a nice collection of various different themes. However, many of those themes I also didn’t care for much, not necessarily because they were bad but just simply because they didn’t appeal to me. 

Also, as far as I know I still have not seen a Kobe Bryant PS3 Theme anywhere out there so options were also limited. Anyways, to not make this any longer I decided to follow the tutorial that BestPS3themes.com has to offer, which might I add is fairly simple to use. In all honesty, this is my very first theme that I have created and it required a lot of work and a lot of my own personal time. However, I can’t help but feel a little proud of my efforts and I hope you enjoy the theme.

Please comment and let me know what you think about the theme.

Credit for the Kobe Bryant backgrounds belong to the following: NBA Croatia of NBA-Croatia.com, DJ Rom of www.djromconcept.com, Lufcias of DeviantArt.com, Marco Cuca of NBA-Croatia.com, Lakers.com, and Melo Man and Dirk Nowitzki41 of MixMembers.net Forum. Thank you guys for some really great backgrounds and I am sorry for removing your names from the images. I just felt as though they remove the attention off the images. But please let me know if more acknowledgement is needed.

Download: KB24 V.2.0 Theme

To INSTALL the theme Follow One of Two Methods:

Method 1:

   

   1. Log into the Internet Browser via the PS3.

   

   2. Download the theme by CLICKING HERE.

Method 2:

   1. Prepare a storage media such as a Memory Stick Duo or a USB device.

   2. Create a folder named “PS3″ (without the quotes) on the storage media and create a subfolder named   

       “THEME” (must be all uppercase, again, without the quotes) within that folder.

   3. Copy the theme (.p3t) to the “THEME” subfolder on the storage media.

   4. Insert the storage media in the PS3 system.

   5. In the XMB (Xross Media Bar), go to Settings > Theme Settings > Theme, and then select [Install].

   6. Select the theme.

After installation has been completed, go to Settings > Theme Settings > Theme again, and then select the theme.

The Motivation Wallpaper [Update]

Update: This post was originally written on September 20, 2010 and was relocated to exist here in the GallantTeddy blog.

The other day, I couldn’t help but feel a little inspired. I read a quote online and I thought it was by far one of the best quotes I have ever heard. When I say quote, I am mainly speaking of a good motivational saying that can help you in achieving whatever goal you’re pursuing. I keep a lot of these quotes in my head and to be honest I feel as though I have too many to count. The reason I remember so many, I guess, would be because in a sense I am always trying to find ways of improving myself. Sometimes I get a little sidetracked, and when I do, I look back at some of these quotes to get myself going again. I decided to share some of these quotes in the form of a wallpaper that I myself made with a sunset image taken from Google Images. The wallpaper isn’t going to win any Photoshop contest but I hope the quotes can provide some type of guidance if you too get sidetracked. I’ll consider posting short entries of quotes on my blog so that I may share them amongst you the reader, but that all will be in good time.

TO DOWNLOAD, CLICK ON SIZE: 1280x1024, 1024x600.

Below are the quotes that are in the wallpaper as well as a description of what they mean to me. I hope these quotes help you and again, provide some guidance. Enjoy the wallpaper.

“Don’t be tied by your past.” – Remember that your past is just that, a past. There is no reason for you to look back. Keep headstrong and move forward.

“Just do it.” – Borrowed this quote from Nike, and pretty self-explanatory.

“It’s okay to have contradictions, even God was misunderstood.” – If the mighty one can change his mind, so can you.

“They can, because they think can.” – Believe it and make it happen.

“Overcome your past self.” – Eliminate your view of yourself in the past and begin with the new you.

“Luck does not exist, only good and bad decisions.” – Be intelligent, make the right choice.

“Hard work is required of successful people.” – The ultimate prize requires determination and commitment.

“Experiment with ideas, through experiences.” – Think, and then do.

“Enough is not enough, do more.” – Don’t limit yourself, pursue your goal with strong ambition.

“Work Hard.” – My favorite, the recipe for your success.

Windows 8 Consumer Preview Is "Somewhat" Netbook Friendly [Update]

Update: This post was originally written on April 6, 2012 and was relocated to exist here in the GallantTeddy blog.

This image is a print-screen taken directly from my Netbook, my Samsung NC10. The OS that I am running is the Windows 8 Consumer Preview and the resolution being displayed is at 1024x600.

The reason that I am mentioning the resolution is because as you can tell from the image, everything is static (not moving) and the "Photos," "Mail," and the "People" apps are not functioning the way they should be, by which I mean they should be animated and be displaying my mail, photos, etc.

In order for the apps to function properly your PC should have a resolution of 1024x768 or higher, otherwise you will receive an error indicating to increase your resolution.

This of course tends to be problematic for the complete usage of W8 on a Netbook. To make matters worse is that upon installing W8, it automatically changed my Netbook's native resolution of 1024x600 to 800x600. I literally had to install a separate driver in order to "trick" the W8CP to think that my Netbook could be able to run a higher resolution.

However, even through all of this I have to admit that W8CP looks gorgeous on my display even though the apps don't necessarily work. It certainly brings new life to my small PC I once thought of as dead.

I'm really hoping that once Windows 8 is fully released they will change this entire "limiting apps to resolution" thing. It makes no sense making a very good OS that is capable of running well on a Netbook, not running on a Netbook at all. I know I wouldn't mind taking this OS around with me so long as it works and it looks nice.

Buying Digital vs. Buying Physical: A Method to End the Dilemma

With the most recent Sony Network (PlayStation Network) update on the PS3 one of the games that I have been waiting to buy is available at a significant price drop. The game is Persona 3 Portable and I have to say that at a mere ten dollars it is definitely a steal. There is a catch however, the game is only available at that price in “Digital” form.

This isn't the first time that I’ve encountered this specific scenario and if you’ve been following my posts I’ve probably mentioned this once or twice before. There’s been numerous times where I’ve seen a game become available at a much more convenient price only to discover that it’s in digital form.

It makes sense that digital copies are not equally priced as physical copies too. For one, you are not getting the actual disc or booklet that you would normally get in the physical copy. Second, you won’t ever be able to hold the game or feel it in it’s physical state. Still, I can’t help but ask is this really such a major trade off?

It’s important to take a look at the benefits of owning digital games as well. If you were to buy digital the game box would never be a problem again in terms of physical clutter. The disc also won’t ever pose a problem if it were to get scratches. As for portability, you would now have the freedom of having multiple games inside your devices without taking along each individual disc or cartridge with you.

Basically, the choice for buying digital over physical copies is all a matter of choice, however, I believe that I have found a good solution to get the best of both worlds. Simply, don’t be afraid to buy digital over physical, buy a balance of both, and don’t pass up on great deals.

The first part of this solution is meant for the people that are worried that their digital copy won’t always be there for them. I’m not one to assure you that they will be there “forever” but from what we've seen before chances are your media isn’t going anywhere. Let alone, digital distribution is probably the safest bet when thinking of the future. Every major company from Nintendo to Amazon has found a new appreciation for digital distribution and they have shown no signs of letting this idea go.

Second, I would suggest buying a balance of both digital copies and physical copies. This is pretty self-explanatory, try buying both so that you are not left out of the benefits of either side. Personally I buy games that I am really fond off in physical form while other games of franchises that I’ve never played I buy in digital form. Try buying both so that you don’t miss out on the benefits of each.

Third, don’t pass up on a great deal regardless the form of the game. Persona 3 Portable is only ten dollars in digital form while its physical counterpart via Amazon is a full twenty dollars. In other words I can get this game at a great 50% discount. Imagine if the latest Call of Duty was available digitally at a full 50% discount, I would not think twice of passing up this deal. Don’t be afraid to buy digitally specially when it means that you can save some money in the process.

As I have mentioned before I tend to buy a combination of both digital and physical copies and this is the best method that I have discovered when buying games. However, this method doesn't just apply to games since it can also apply to any other form of media as well such as books, movies, music, etc. Deciding whether to buy digital or physical copies shouldn't be an issue and this method may help ensure that it never is an issue ever again.

Do you buy digital over physical? Physical over digital? Or both?

Review- Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

When I first picked up this game I was definitely thrilled about it. More so simply because I bought it through Amazon for a mere thirteen bucks, but I had also heard about how it was one of the few "hidden gems" at the time.

When the game was finally in my hands though, I played it for a couple of hours and for some reason I just lost interest in it. This resulted in me putting the game aside for months.

I picked it up once more about two weeks ago but only because I was now reaching the point where I was close to completing every game that I own. So I tried Enslaved once more and honestly, I'm really glad I did.

What put me off the first time around I guess would be how the game begins. It has a slow beginning, a very slow beginning. I did not know who I was in the game, what exactly I was doing, and what exactly was the purpose.

You control the main character by the name of Monkey and you travel alongside Trip, a young girl who has enslaved you with a poisonous headband. If she dies, you die so you basically have to do what she says. The goal of the game is simple at this point. All you have to do is take Trip home and she will free you from enslavement.

The game does away with back story for the most part. As you continue to play things will begin to be revealed but at the same time they will grow even more distorted. The more you progress the more you learn but also, the more you question.

The Gameplay tends to be pretty simple. Basically, playing as Monkey is similar to playing as any other action hero such as Dante or Kratos. The more you fight, the more orbs you collect allowing you to become stronger. It's an action game at heart.

One significant difference though is using Trip to aid you by guiding you when lost and distracting opponents when necessary. Having Trip with you at all times however also results in having to rescue her a couple of times. This might get annoying for some, but I didn't really mind it.

From what I've mentioned so far you would think the game is bland. Average game play, average hero, average damsel in distress. But the game shines in probably the most crucial aspect of any game, the story.

I know I previously mentioned that there is no back story in this game whatsoever. But that is what makes you as the player keep going. You want to know who your characters are, you want to know where they are and what is their purpose. This is a game entirely about answers. You play because you want answers. The goal is to discover "everything" about the story in the game.

The "everything" that you are after slowly starts to make sense through each chapter. Pieces come together more and more until finally you reach the end. The final moments of the game make up for the slow start in the beginning, but they also make the game a much more memorable experience. What follows next is a rewarding conclusion, and I'll just leave it at that.

Aside from the great storytelling, the game itself is absolutely gorgeous in detail and presentation. The colors and the vibe you get from playing the game, you instantly get the feeling that nature has come back to claim the land once more as her own.

The combat though simple, is naturally fun. Destroying Mechs feels the way it should be in the sense that you obliterated the enemy. Trip and Monkey are like-able characters. Monkey is a badass but doesn't act like it, while Trip grows to be less master and more friend. As for the back story being empty, it needs to be this way for the ultimate goal of the game to make sense.

All in all, I had a great time with this game. It really is a "hidden gem," but it definitely shouldn't be. Slow beginning but rewarding end. Simple game play but great variety. Good characters and an excellent story.

This game is best defined in the words of Homer, "the Journey is the thing." It really is. 

Grade: 9/10