All
  • All
  • Products
  • Articles
  • Videos
  • Galleries
  • Conversations
  • Social

Tech Etiquette

Facebook Home Dinner Ad
digital culture

Facebook at the Dinner Table: Thumbs Up or Down?

It's no secret that smartphone addiction is spreading like wildfire in the digital age.
by

It's no secret that smartphone addiction is spreading like wildfire in the digital age. These days, phone use is rampant and considered socially unacceptable in few places. Movie theaters are vigilant about keeping devices tucked away, and checking phones behind the wheel is now a major faux pas — as well as downright dangerous.

But what about the dinner table? A new ad for Facebook Home titled "Dinner" is riling up the Internet for seemingly encouraging phone use during family dinner.

In the ad, a bored young girl looks down at her phone, scrolls through Facebook Home's full-screen Cover Feed, and is suddenly transported to more exciting activities à la her friends' statuses. With a single glance, her attentions are completely taken away from dinner table conversation. It's basically your mom's worst nightmare.

But the "Dinner" ad speaks to a certain truth: when people take their smartphones to the dinner table, this is exactly what they imagine — a distraction from reality. Facebook Home replaces your phone's home screen with an endless stream of status updates from friends. The ad shows exactly how Facebook's social media/mobile integration will tempt you to check your phone and see what your network is up to.

Do you ban smartphones at the dinner table to eliminate social media temptation entirely? Or are devices so ubiquitous in our lives that it doesn't matter?

How to Clean Your Smartphone
Geek tips

Geek Tip: Keep Phones Clean During Flu Season

You may never give up tweeting and Tumbling from the dirtiest place in any building, but there are plenty of easy precautions to take to keep your most-used device germ-free, especially now, while much of the nation battles a powerful flu virus.
by

You may never give up tweeting and Tumbling from the dirtiest place in any building, but there are plenty of easy precautions to take to keep your most-used device germ-free, especially now, while much of the nation battles a powerful flu virus. Follow our below guide for safe and healthy use of phones — and any other mobile devices — this season.

  • As with cleaning any other gadget, when disinfecting a touch-screen smartphone, you don't want to use any harsh chemicals or, the ultimate no-no, water. Using a tried and tested cleaner like iKlear ($25) to ensure you won't damage your phone's sensitive bits. Use the included microfiber cloth, and shine that baby up.
  • If you don't want to spring for a special formula, then a 40/60 alcohol-to-water mixture on solid phone parts and keyboards should be OK (use a damp cloth and/or cotton swab for small and hard-to-reach places). However, don't use any sort of alcohol, ammonia, or harsh cleaning agent on touch screens.
  • In a pinch and want to quickly rid your phone of dirty crevices and fingerprints? Use a piece of Scotch Tape to peel away dirt and rid your phone of fingerprints. Perfect for when you're at the office (without a microfiber cloth), but unfortunately, it won't help the germ situation.
  • Serious germaphobes can ensure a clean device with the Vio UV Cell Phone Sanitizer ($50), which wipes your device clean of 99.9 percent of strep, E. coli, salmonella, listeria, and H1N1 viruses in under five minutes. Drop the phone in the sanitizer once a day to keep germs at bay.

While in cleaning mode, give headphones or earbuds a quick refresh. Use a gentle cloth to wipe them down with a small amount of dishwashing detergent and water mixture. Careful, though! Too much soap could leave a residue on your earbuds, and you never want to use more water than absolutely necessary . . . to your — and your tech's — health!

Source: Instagram user krystlenatasha
Should I Be Facebook Friends With My Boss?
Editor's Pick

Are You Facebook Friends With Your Boss?

The line between your workplace respectability and social network persona needs to be treaded with care, an issue that often starts with which, if any, colleagues to digitally befriend.
by

The line between your workplace respectability and social network persona needs to be treaded with care, an issue that often starts with which, if any, colleagues to digitally befriend. In a recent survey of over 4,400 18- to 25-year-olds, AVG Technologies found that 33 percent of respondent in the US are Facebook friends with their bosses. Kudos to your modern take on work relations! But be careful. Better not vent about a hard day at the office on the same space where the person in charge of your annual review can see.

Of course, when everyone in the workplace is connected on Facebook, it can be inappropriate not to connect with colleagues and executives — just do it smartly. Step 1: Unlike the 59 percent of surveyed US respondents who don't set any filters on their status updates, make sure to organize friends into lists on Facebook. Next, update with caution. A good rule of thumb is to avoid writing anything online you wouldn't want a boss or coworkers to see, even with the filters on.

Chime in: how do you manage your social networks when linked with a manager or colleague?

Source: Instagram user Codgamerdude
Technology and Social Media Sharing Etiquette at Weddings
digital life

7 Tech Etiquette Rules For Weddings

Smartphones at a wedding, and the ability to instantly capture the memories and share with others, can be both a blessing and a curse.
by

Smartphones at a wedding, and the ability to instantly capture the memories and share with others, can be both a blessing and a curse. When the emotions are high and the champagne flutes are flowing, err on the side of caution before publicly postings certain photos, which could potentially upset the bride and groom (maybe they want to be the first to share photos of the food on Facebook!). Since you're an invited guest, maintain good tech etiquette with our seven-rule guide:

  1. Ask first: Before you start snapping and sharing away, ask the bride and groom if it's OK or if there is anything they would prefer you don't capture. While many people actively engage in social sharing, some prefer a private and intimate affair.
  2. Don't circulate dress photos before the ceremony: As tempting as it is to tweet a photo of the bride's gown before the ceremony, never ever do it! It spoils the surprise for the groom and guests.
  3. Be courteous and cautious: The vibrating buzz from your cellphone is distracting, so keep the attention on the bride and groom by turning your cellphone off, putting it in airplane mode, or silencing the vibrator during the ceremony.
  4. Capture big moments when appropriate: The bride and groom are busy greeting their guests throughout the reception. Don't follow them around like paparazzi, but do snap big moments like toasts, first dances, and the cake cutting. The bride will appreciate seeing your photos before the photographer's come in.
  5. Keep the commentary to yourself: Even if you think the food is inedible or that it's hilarious that the groom is sloshed, the web is no place to publish offensive thoughts and bawdy photos (especially if you want to remain friends). Avoid the negative and focus on the positive!
  6. Remember the most important photo: The night goes by fast, so keep your phone at hand when you finally do have an opportunity to greet the bride and groom. That way you are prepared to snap at least one photo with the couple, which is arguably your most important personal photo from the event.
  7. Pay attention to your friends — not your phone: Sometimes our smartphone can be overly distracting at social events; forget Facebook and Twitter updates for a few hours and enjoy the moment.