Stefano Paganini: mining for web, marketing, technology, fun

The new Xbox One unveiled – Live from Redmond (WA)

Stefano — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:44:34 +0000

Time has come for the new Xbox One from Microsoft, soon a worldwide-event will introduce the brand-new third generation Xbox console.

Some specs?
The new Xbox One include an 8-core processor, 8 GBytes of RAM, Blu-ray player, USB 3 ports, HDMI (of course) and a 500GB hard drive.
Besides all of this, Microsoft is promising a new operating system fusing Xbox and Windows.
The Xbox One architecture has (reportedly) “three operating systems in one”: and Xbox, a kernel of Windows (somehow resembling Windows RT), and a multitasking interface.

A new Kinect will be introduced too with the Xbox One with improved accuracy and a 1080p camera, Skype connectivity, and understanding of rotational movement in a structure like skeleton.
Microsoft even claims the new Kinect can read your heartbeat.

Same goes for the New Controller: Xbox controller’s gotten a revamp with an integrated battery, improved ergonomics, a better d-pad, and improved-response triggers.

SmartGlass anyone?
The tablet-based SmartGlass experience will be around on Xbox One, and will work as before with a variety of phones and tablets.

More info upcoming.

Check this live coverage on Xbox.com by clicking here.

Flickr announces new features, new look and 1 Terabyte of free space

Stefano — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:39:05 +0000

Flickr gets new, huge and fantastic (again)!

Yahoo’s CEO Marissa Mayer, after yesterday acquisition of Tumblr, gets a new score by revamping Flickr with the main release since 2005.

What’s new:

1 Terabyte of free space for everyone,
Ad free plan that gets you rid of advertising and costs $49.99 per year
if 1 Terabyte is not enough, get yourself another TB for $499 per year.

The cool part is the new user interface that puts images back into focus, you’ll get a screenload of photos, most of them full-screen.
More info on Flickr and here on Flickr’s Blog.

What does the modern marketer look like? Check this infographic

Stefano — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 19:13:59 +0000

The marketing profession is changing.
Check this cool infographic about what’s required, today, to work as a 2013-marketer: Part Artist, Part Scientist.

[Via SalesForce Blog]

Google inside: where the Internet lives

Stefano — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 21:00:20 +0000

Imagine you’re using Google, searching as usual.
Now imagine you’d like to know what behind the curtain, what are the inner secrets of Big-G.

Imagine you could see inside a server-farm, take a peek at the some of the best tech around.

Imagine you could even take a look at people working at Google.

Stop your imagination.

Just click here: Google Data Centers.

Three different points of view: The Tech, The People, The Places.

Three ways to discover the life on Planet Google.

Check more on Google DataCenters

April Fools’ #4: Bing pranks Easter Island Statues

Stefano — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 14:16:43 +0000

Check it out for yourself: Bing has turned Easter Island statues (Moai, that’s the correct name) into some April Fools’ best.

April Fools’ #3: Twitter will cost $5 per month, if you use vowels!

Stefano — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 10:07:42 +0000

Ok, this is great!

According to Twitter, you’llmhave to pay $5/month to be able to tweet with all alphabet letters, otherwise… say farewell to vowels!

Your next tweet may look like “Grt nws frm twttr!”.

Trd th nw Twttr yt? Mr tm fr mr twts! blog.twitter.com/2013/03/annncn… #nvwls discover.twitter.com/twttr/

— Twitter (@twitter) April 1, 2013

Check Twitter April Fools’.

April Fools’ #2: Youtube pranks

Stefano — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 01:16:07 +0000

This is my 2013-second-favorite April Fools’ (right after Google Treasure Map).

Are you ready for the closing of YouTube?
Looks like, YouTube has been, all this time, running an eight-year contest, the goal of which was to find the best video ever created.

Google is getting ready to pick the winner; at midnight on April Fools’ it is shutting down the site.

(the company will relaunch it many years later with just the winning video)

Google says it has 30,000 technicians working on narrowing down the list. It has even managed to get YouTube celebrities, commenters, as well as film reviewers on board to participate in the prank.

April Fools’ #1: Google Treasure Map!

Stefano — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 23:10:27 +0000

Try it now: Google Maps has gone crazy just for April Fools’!

What’s this treasure map for?

The main aim is to explore 2D hand drawn landmarks, find hidden treasure chests, and “Be-aware of pirates!”.

An Apple or Samsung commercial? No, even better: Somersby Cider (yes, made with apples)!

Stefano — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 10:15:09 +0000

This commercial is so brilliant!
We all know how people (us) queue up outside stores whenever Apple releases a new product.
It’s amazing how much this event has become ritual: door opening, store people welcoming customers, people getting crazy around light-wooded tables.

Ok, this time it’s not about Apple iPhone-alike products (or Samsung, check their so-similar store furniture) or any hi-tech product.

It’s about Somersby Cider (yes, it’s made of apples…).
Somersby is in the cider business since 1749 so they’re quite competent when it comes to give people some relief; check their Facebook page too.

“Less apps, more apples”, makes you thirsty, isn’t it?

Ad agency: Fold7, London.

Coding as education: Code.org inspiring video

Stefano — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:59:53 +0000

I love this video (and coding as well).

Truly inspiring.

Code.org has put together several hi-tech VIPs (and some non-tech guys) in this video witnessing how much programming opens minds, gives logic and opportunity and… definitely it’s fun!

Who is Code.org?

Code.org is a non-profit devoted to the vision that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn how to code. We believe computer programming should be part of the core curriculum in education, alongside other science and math courses such as biology, chemistry and algebra.