Cutline Speaks
Welcome to our virtual soapbox, Cutline Speaks! We couldn't pass up the opportunity to share our adventures in the world of tech PR (we're in communications and like to talk, you know), so each week, you'll get a fresh perspective on the latest news, the coolest gadgets, the hottest trends, and whatever else is on our minds. There will be laughter, there will be love (for technology, of course), there might be some loathing - we're glad you're here to enjoy it all. Happy reading!
The Email Voice
posted by Morgan on November 17, 2008
After I arrived at my desk this morning, I picked up a call from a friend. While I was talking with her, I also responded to an IM from a different friend online. Here's how the conversation with my friend on the phone continued at that moment:
Friend: Morgan, are you there?
Me: Um,yes
Friend: What are you doing?
Me: Oh, sorry. Nothing. I mean. I'm IMing with someone
Friend: I can tell. Thanks.
The funny thing about this incident was 30 minutes prior to this conversation, I read about what is called an "e-mail voice" in a New York Times column about multitasking, which described being on the phone with someone and then - all of a sudden - that person becomes disengaged in the conversation and the "e-mail voice" kicks-in. After I got caught doing the "e-mail voice" I revisited the column. From there, I landed on a fascinating four part series on NPR.com, which uses scientific data to prove that humans can't multitask.
When I was growing up we had a rule in our house that we weren't allowed to watch TV or answer the phone during dinner. At the time I thought my mother was doing us disservice to our childhood. Now, I realize that she was trying to teach us a lesson so that we wouldn't ever use the "e-mail voice". If you have a few minutes (and you're not multitasking), take a look at the data from the NPR piece. You might rethink your own "e-mail voice."
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Cutline cRaves: November 14, 2008
posted by The Cutline Team on November 14, 2008
The Cutline Team has plans for another exciting weekend in the city - more details after the jump!
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From Science Fiction to Tech Reality
posted by Christian on November 12, 2008
I suppose I'm not as big of a science fiction fan as most self-described geeks, but I love when writers and filmmakers offer us visions of the future. The funny thing is, even though the worlds they create are often farcical, full of gimmicks and sight gags, they give us some serious insight into where our technological priorities are headed. Take our governor's retributive, interplanetary voyage in 1990's Total Recall - sure, the idea of a bars and cafes on Mars may seem completely fantastic today, but 2008 was the year the Phoenix lander discovered ice under the Martian soil. It seems we're actually getting closer to sending manned missions to the red planet. Or how about the scene from 2002's Minority Report where Tom Cruise's character, John Anderton, walks through the mall to be confronted with a serious of customized advertisements? As behavioral targeting and hologram technology become more sophisticated, it may not be long before video ads call us by name. Finally, who could forget the scene from Back to the Future: Part II where the 2015 version of Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) receives a widescreen video call from Needles (Flea)? With Google's recent integration of video chat into Gmail, people now have more access to this technology than ever before, so maybe by the time the real 2015 rolls around, video calling will be a household standard. It seems as long as people are dreaming of the future, we'll always have technology to look forward to.
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Tags for this post: tech industry