Qwanz

Decisions, decisions, decisions, so the midterm elections were a referendum on the current administration. Now it’s time to see what Bush thinks about his own run at the office. With his newly released memoir, Decisions Points, George W. Bush attempts to put a human face and spin to the crucial points of his presidency. And with that, perhaps, rehabilitate his legacy. But my question is this, would you even read this Presidential memoir? And to borrow from the Daily Beast,  Has the apparent failings of the current administration put George W. Bush and his administration in a better light? Of course, memoirs reveal much about the writer than he’d like to think. And in that light, how do you feel about Bush’s reaction to Kanye West’s infamous, “Bush doesn’t care about black people?” Though more importantly, should the former president be investigated for his approval of questionable interrogatory practices such as waterboarding? What do you think?

While we’re on the subject of what was done at work, how do you feel about the case where an employee was fired for posting derogatory comments about her boss on her public Facebook page? And it seems to beg the question, should insurance companies be allowed to cancel policies or change premiums based on information on your Facebook page?

Perhaps Facebook should impose warnings when you’re trying to upload that crazy, dangerous week you had that you really don’t remember. Though I don’t think labels like, “Photos might actually be seen by future employers or insurance adjusters,” will do as well as the graphic and gruesome images to be included with every pack of cigarettes that the FDA is pushing for. Crying babies, diseased lungs will stare back at you from your pack of smokes, soon. I see that branded cigarette cases will start selling more. But do you support such warning labels?

There’s tons more going on at Qwanz, so click through and tell us what you really think about something!

Perhaps that it was a good enough idea to have 500 million active users (70% of which live outside the United States,) a movie loosely based on the origins of Facebook were made. And with the grand cinematic visual prowess of David Fincher, the distinctive dialogue of Aaron Sorkin, and the surprising acting fête of Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Timberlake, it seems we have another winner. Interestingly enough, without the blessing of the idea guy himself, Mark Zuckerberg. But what do think? Have you seen the movie? Does The Social Network live up to its hype?

Did ‘The Social Network’ live up to the hype?

We’ve learned to live with everything literally at our fingertips. With our entire lives (or at least as developers would like us to think) on our smartphones or feature phones, the recently released Nielsen Mobile Apps Playbook is more than market research on mobile usage. It’s a quick view of what matters to the modern urbanite. The proliferation of mobile phones has signaled how we love to be connected 24/7 and easy to reach with just a few quick keystrokes. The mobile apps we choose to download are a great indicator of what activities or utilities we find most important. If we are to believe the Playbook, then we spend a good amount of time in our lives playing, checking up on other people’s lives, finding our way around and avoiding a forecasted downpour. But, what do the top 5 iPhone apps say about modern living? [Well modern living is weird, really.]

Games rank as the most downloaded app category. For one, modern living requires a sense of humor. The game app phenomenon “Angry Birds” doesn’t require the IQ of a rocket scientist—just an intuitive understanding of physics and a big appetite for absurdity. Briefly, the game involves angry birds who seek revenge for the theft of their eggs. It’s a clever twist on the Three Little Pigs, but one that is tongue-in-cheek and engaging enough to keep you interested and amused. Consistently well-rated, this paid app will provide hours of entertainment, ideal for long trips or layovers. Everyone’s hung up about the weather If we are to believe Nielsen, it seems that tracking the weather plays a big part in our modern lives. With the free app available from The Weather Channel, it’s a breeze to find out if there’s rain predicted or if it’s a good day to work on a tan. Accuracy aside, as most weather sources are equally reliable, usability is what helps this app shine. And though we may feel quite sci-fi holding so much information in our hands, an interface that allows you to access that information quickly and with ease meets the mark.

With so much information on the web, remembering everything has become a daunting task. Evernote is an extremely helpful tool when you’re surfing on the fly. Essentially, it allows you to bookmark information and take notes via video, photos and text that you can annotate and tag. So you’ll never forget why you wanted to save a picture of Dolph Lundgren (you’re compiling a list of Mensa Club members who are actors.) The mobile app adds more dimension to their tagline, Remember Everything. You can add a voice note to any entry and even plot it on a map. In our virtual lives, it seems fitting that our memories can be accessed anywhere and can be browsed through a scrollable list of thumbnails.

All our lives are on Facebook and Twitter The official Facebook and Twitter apps for the iPhone took cues from the design of the iPhone itself and employed grids for their own distinctive user interfaces. Dealing with that much information both to read and to share, these apps (and their 3rd party alternatives) only signify how important it is for people to remain in the know about each other’s lives, even to a fault. But perhaps the popularity of these apps are more a testament to the websites themselves. Your music to go, just as you like it. It would be remiss to forget that the iPhone was built on the popularity (and design) of Apple’s iPod, so an app which caters to this original use is an interesting contender. Pandora’s app allows you to stream music based on preferences you provide and—if you have constant access to the Internet—then you completely eliminate the need of actually owning music on your iPhone. The simple interface features high-res cover art and a sophisticated rating system Pandora uses to provide you with the music you want to hear. So it seems that modern living does have its soundtrack, one that we can hear through earphones.

If developers keep it up, there is much to look forward to in the mobile application industry. So what do you think? Do you agree with Nielsen’s top 5 iPhone apps? Give us your recommendations, opinions or other favorites in the comments section below.