4sq Superuser: “With great power comes great responsibility”

Ever since the “Superuser” was introduced for 4sq users, many users all over the globe cribbed on blogs that they never received their “power” even after they did so much to control the quality of User Generated Content on their beloved 4sq database. It must be massive with the number of absurd places, tips & photos upload every day, minute or second on the 4sq servers.

Though Cafe Coffee Day, the first to offer “Specials” [India-specific] was introduced on 4sq, many managers/staff claimed ignorance of such offers. Not sure of actual numbers of them though. Lot more specials at other brands did get introduced later :-P

Why am i stuck on the app, even after a year? because of all the “tips” my 4sq friends update about food places & their discoveries. The ease of use, badges & mayorships do add up to the delight. The mayorships are sometimes funny though! [probably due to the territorial nature?]

Well to get back to the “Superuser”-ship, will the “Supers” be loyal, non-biased & retain their integrity to get rid of the “scum”? How long will they survive? Will they continue their righteous path in-spite of no benefits?

Too much security is a pain for the user experience

Had to help Dad reactivate his online trading account with PIPIP bank….boy oh boy…first we had received an activation process by snail mail. The instructions were not clear on how to reactivate, there was only activation info. Used the password in that reactivation process and logged in…it worked…grrrrr…
Then had to fill in rest of the info provided in the activation sheet…again there was no mention whether it was activation or reactivation.
On submission there was a link to login again without logging me out..how did that happen?
After I logged in….again there was no info whether my reactivation was successful or not!
Seriously who build such interfaces which is not humanized and keep you anxious throughout the process.
And don’t even get me started on the multi Browser compatibility…Come on this is 2010 :-(
Talk about virtual keyboard..yeah they are secure but Imagine i strained my eyes to get a look at the keys….imagine my Dad would have to Zoom-in and click on them :-(
Phew….I just logged in after an hour later to check and found the profile active.
Even after all this frustration if they hadn’t activated the account…I would have just closed that account for Dad :-P

Blogging from my iTouch

Checking out the experience of blogging through the iTouch (3G). I seem to be clumsy at first then realize the auto words that help correct the words so that I type faster.(have fat fingers!)
Better than most Android keypads so far.
Love the copy-paste feature.
Still not happy the way image selection happens.
Only wish they had the camera with the iTouch then I could completely use the augmented apps.
Bonsai Blast(all levels) is available for free in Android but I love the image rendering in Apple.
Downloaded lot of free apps and Games.
Facebook is not yet compatible with iTouch and I still can’t seem to sign into skype on it.

A piece of the Apple

Always thought the apple products were “over-rated”, “over-priced” & “exaggerated”….but not until i got not one but 2 products of my own!

Didn’t get the iPhone but got the iTouch instead. Registered for the App Store & totally freaked out on the apps i downloaded. Surprisingly there some available for Bhajans….downloaded them and Grandma liked them!

Aww this is addictive…..a bite of the apple is pure temptation….i can’t seem to get enough of the games developed by other 3rd party developers.

The stuff which differentiates the iTouch with my Android Tattoo is: i can download Full Free versions of the same apps (including games). Is this till Android gains a ground in the Smartphone market?

Do check out : Free App a Day

Adobe AIR links

Here are some excerpts from an article i came across that would be useful to get to know Adobe AIR.

adobe_air

Adobe AIR

Published 28 May 2008 by Gil Harland

AIR stands for, the Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) and is one of the latest interesting development from Adobe.

AIR runs on Windows, Mac OS X and a very usable Beta version for Linux. It installs the first time you download and run an AIR application, much in the same way that Flash is installed on a computer if the user visits a web site using Flash and they don’t already have it installed.

AIR applications run on the desktop and are half way between web based applications (which run in a browser) and full blown desktop applications such as Word or Photoshop.

Developers can create AIR applications using the HTML, CSS, Javascript, Flash, Flex (A flash framework) and PDF knowledge they already have and AIR acts as a wrapper that allows them to run on the desktop and go beyond the limitations they would normally have if they were running in a web browser.

AIR applications differ from current web applications because AIR applications do not run in your web browser and therefore are able to use desktop features such as full drag and drop between applications, save files to the local hard drive or network and store data locally in a database.

When compared to traditional desktop applications, AIR applications are simple to deploy, easy and cost-effective to build, have better web integration and will run on all three of the major operating systems.

AIR is also smart enought to know when it is and isn’t connected so you can create programmes that work with online data and use the local database as a fallback if the connection to the internet is dropped.

more on AIR at Adobe® AIR™ Applications Wiki

Download the latest version of Adobe AIR

RefreshingApps.com – Showcase for Adobe AIR Applications and Resources

10 Adobe AIR -Must See- Applications

Adobe AIR Marketplace

my antics at the XYi atm

Do you get nervous standing being a first timer at a different bank’s ATM thinking about how the interface will be like (hoping the same as your old bank’s ATM interface) & how you would take out the cash with ease and take pride that you would have taken the least time inside the ATM than any of the members of the queue?

OK…i’m in, now what? i swipe the card, then i look at the monitor….stare to figure where to ‘touch’…i realize unlike  PIPIP bank’s ATM there is no buttons alongside the monitor, should i press the numbers or should i touch the monitor?….yes it is the monitor…..boy, if they were recording me on the security cam, i’m sure they would have had a blast!! and i’m taking more time than usual!

People behind me might think what a ‘dork’ i am….keeping them waiting. The information architecture is similar so i have no problem navigating and then i do the needful of withdrawing the cash.
Now my dilemma is, am i out the system? (it is very clear in my previous bank’s ATM) what if i am not logged out? i can’t figure out from the screen because it is showing me something that i cant seem to comprehend …because i’m tensed about getting out there as fast as possible. Now i don’t want the next person behind me to come and withdraw all my cash right? so i press multiple buttons and leave!

Phew!!
what was that??
Did i just behave like that? or do people generally freak out every time they need to use a new system?