etiquette
Geek Out

Opinion: No, You May Not Use My Earbuds

Have you ever had someone ask you to borrow your earbuds? It’s gross, right? I typically say yes, but I’m always skeeved out, and reach for the alcohol wipes afterward. Bottom line: earbud sharing is not acceptable social behaviour.

August 27, 2011
Online

Turning Tragedy Into Memes For Fun And Profit

A hurricane is barrelling down on the US east coast. Earthquakes are everywhere. Steve Jobs is retiring. Everything is f**ked! Which means it’s the perfect opportunity to cash in with a viral meme. But how?

August 20, 2011
Online

Why Do You Like Bad News?

Last year, a rental scammer conned my pregnant wife and me out of $US5100 and very nearly left us homeless. I wrote about it on Tumblr. Almost immediately, 50 people “liked” my bad news. Jerks.

August 18, 2011
Online

Restaurant Customer Tossed Out For Angry Tweet

The war of phone wielder against chef rages on: despite today’s pro-phone victory in Washington, Texan comrades have been hit with a setback. Allison Matsu was having a drink. She didn’t like her bartender. She tweeted about it. BOOM: booted.

Mobile

Fascist Phone-Banishing Restaurant Liberates Customers

Dining Instagrammers of the world, rejoice — the totalitarian owner at DC’s Rogue24 is no longer forcing you to sign a contract before choosing to eat and pay for his food. So pull out that smartphone! Screw talking! Tweet! FILTERS!

August 16, 2011
Mobile

Restaurant Forces Customers To Sign No Mobile Phone Contract

A shout of OHHH MY GODDDD ARE YOU SERIOUS? SHE DID? The LED flash of someone Instagramming their entree, followed by look of smug gratification. Some jerk waving his phone around trying to get a mobile signal Foursquare. Not anymore!

Mobile

13% Of Mobile Phone Owners Pretend To Talk To Avoid Human Contact

The stat diggers at Pew dug up a new gem: in their nationally representative survey, “13 per cent of cell owners pretended to be using their phone in order to avoid interacting with the people around them”. This seems very, very low.

August 12, 2011
Software

How I Made A 15-Year-Old App Developer Cry

When I was 15, I was wearing baggy jeans, chasing girls and listening to hip hop. If I was 15 today, I’d probably do the same things but with skinny jeans on. Not Nick D’Aloisio. He’s a 15-year-old kid who makes iPhone apps. And I made him cry.

Geek Out

Talking With Your Earbuds In: Rude Or Not Rude?

Slate’s Farhad Manjoo and Emily Yoffe had a discussion today about whether or not it’s rude to talk with your earbuds in. But is rudeness the issue with this particular practice, or is it another factor entirely?

August 9, 2011
Gadgets

Is Technology Making Everyone You Work With A Dick?

“Workplace incivility” — people at your job being inconsiderate, rude, or otherwise unpleasant — is on the rise, reports USA Today. An obvious factor is the dismal economy, sure. But could tech be reprogramming us into insufferable office jerks?

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