04/08/2012 Click

reputation. Are you a slave to the rhythm of

your gadgets? This week, we ask who is in charge.

Digital donations. We look at the tricks charities use online to get

us giving and get us directly involved with the people we help.

The biggest stories in technology and the picture powered guides on

your phone that will help you do almost anything.

Welcome to Click. There are not many aspects of modern life that

remain untouched by technology. Most of the time, we are surrounded

by it. Have you ever wondered whether it is all getting a bit

much? Whether we are in danger of creating a landscape so saturated

in technology that we begin to suffer from information overload?

See that girl, that is me. I'm Veronica and I live in San

Francisco. I live and breathe technology, privately and

professionally. I feel the magnetic pull of the digital world

constantly demanded my attention. I used to feel like I was in control

of my technology, but lately it has been feeling like my technology is

controlling me. It is time to step back and ask whether this plugged

in lifestyle is doing as more harm than good. We are on Facebook,

Twitter, foursquare, interest. Will come to take overload 2.0, the new

updated version with a more insidious dimension. It is having a

serious impact on our relationships, ability to manage out time

effectively, even our minds. Something might online connections

seem to relate to. The buyer for it most social media for exactly that

reason. -- I avoid most social media. You do go to connect to

people you care about and make new connections, but you have to manage

the difference between Malays and signal. When a person sent a tape -

- text message and does not get an instant reply, it has the same

effect as someone turning around and walking away. Nick recently

penned a book about the impact of technology on society. He reassured

me it is not just my fault I'm out of control. Companies have a role

to play in the problem and a possible solution. I do not think

companies are sold in this problem yet. This is largely a user

interface problem. When you get a text message, you phone vibrates

and dings and you have to respond to it. It would be like if I wanted

to have a conversation with you and hit you with a Taser. We have to

reduce those frictions on mobile devices. All these digital

distractions are reflecting a steeply. At the University of

California, researchers have been stuck there -- studying the effect

on our grey matter. It does not mean that multi-tasking is a bad

thing, but you have to be aware of the consequences and make decisions

based on that. My recommendation is that people guide their behaviour

based on decisions that are informed by the data. Let me just

get that. Are you guys call me? So the train of thought that was

deeply in my mind a moment ago was broken by the phone and it has to

be reactivated. Each reactivation is an active process. That was

interesting. It is not just our thought processes taking a hit.

Scenes like this are playing out across the globe as a relationships

suffer under the strain about technology are diction. How

smartphones take us out of the moment and into an ever stimulating

online playground. But now it seems Dick Marty is on hand to solve the

problem is created. We are seeing a wave of apps looking to play

digital Cupid. This applet to make video calls with people with

similar Facebook interests. Spot of fire recently released an out to

help you find a partner based on your shared musical taste. You can

send your beloved a thumb case to let them know that you are -- their

inner thoughts. I think a for a -- phone call would be more romantic.

Perrow is an apt that two people might use to connect. Facebook is

something people might use to connect with a lot of people at

once. The problem with information overload is that we have to

remember how we build and create and sustain connections, which

usually entails showing up in people's lives, taking part in

their lives, showing an interest and nurturing those connections.

I finally feel like I'm getting a grasp on how to disconnect. Hold on.

15% off. Looks like I had a way to More tech now. It is our round-up

of this week's biggest news stories. The Dow has apologised for

temporarily suspending the account of a British journalist after he

criticised in BC's prime-time coverage of the Olympics. There

Adams tweeted and NBC executive's e-mail address, encouraging the

public to complain directly. Hotmail is upgrading its interface.

There is no official release date but is currently being offered in a

preview mode. News is making the switch can keep their original e-

mail address. Google is tweaking its Gmail video

chat, to make it more like the hangouts in Google pass. Users will

be able to video chat with up to nine people at the same time, work

together on kugel documents, share their screens and so on.

Warming up for a very slight and there before. The British Cycling

crew has a secret weapon this year. Specially designed trousers that

help them queue up before they compete. The hot pants toast

athletes PIs to run up double 38 degrees. -- flies to an optimal 38

degrees. We looked at an online phenomenon

that is quickly gaining traction. Crowd sourcing cash to help get an

idea off the ground. It turns out charities are also using similar

methods. Not just to change the way people keep -- give, but to

redefine the relationship between donors and those who receive aid.

I am in training. I want to be stronger, faster, less that. I have

been toying with the idea of biting off something big, maybe a

sponsored marathon or swim. With the financial crisis, you would

expect us all to become miserly, but charity giving by individuals

has dipped only slightly in recent years. Charities and NGOs are

moving their fundraising operations on wine and it has never been

simpler to improve the world be a handful of change. -- with a

handful of change. This Berlin- based website has developed

something revolutionary. A platform to put those receiving aid in

direct contact with those giving it. People looking for funding outline

a project on site and donors choose which they want to sponsor.

idea is to give up his ability to small, local grassroots projects,

which are often more in touch with local needs. You can actually talk

directly to beneficiaries and see what they're doing. These are

usually people you would only contact through an NGO. Before the

internet, he would never be able to fund people directly. -- you would.

For the first time, recipients can organise their own projects and

fundraising, making them less dependent on outsiders. Don't is

actually get to talk to whomever they are giving them money. As an

aid organisation and a donor, you do not get feedback from the

beneficiary. You don't know whether you're doing any good because the

organisation will always tell you that your donations make a huge

difference and every penny counts. But to do you really know? When you

look at the history of development aid, it is not as if we have

achieved a whole lot. I think we could have achieved a lot more if

we were more focused on beneficiaries and people on the

ground had more of the boys. -- more of a voice. Donors can keep a

remote eye on a project's progress. They are not out in the field but

they're more engaged. And with more realistic expectations of what is

possible and what is not. They and now even deemed adult enough to

hear when projects fail. This aims for a more hard-headed problem-

solving approach to development. If you are failing, you ain't -- on

trying. It is not as simple as we thought it was. Making it okay to

say that is ultimately what the Of the owners can take in a more

nuanced picture, even then reality comes in with a generous pinch of

grit. The UNHCR wants to draw attention to the intolerable

choices people caught in conflict are forced to make. They have

launched a series game that disentangles our assumptions about

migrants, who arouse less public Symphony - maxim that be, from

refugees who have no choice but to flee. It is a horrible dilemma and

one that has no right answer. But by trying to think about what would

you do in that situation, you start to understand what happens with a

refugee and what they are facing. What they are up against. This gain

is not to be convinced with others on the market. -- gain. It is not

about amusement. It is about engagements and understanding.

Unless people have that personal connection and understanding, it

will be much harder to get them to support the government giving money

for this cause or to make a donation of their own. Have you

ever wondered why charities and humanitarians are always in such a

hurry for us to give now? It seems giving is an impulse and you don't

want the brain getting involved. Basically, if you get an e-mail and

you don't decide to respond within the first three or ten seconds

after you have received it, you are unlikely to make a gift at all.

While it is true that there is space to lay out a more

sophisticated e-mail, we find we are actually writing appeals, the

most important question to our -- and Sir besides YTV is why give

right now, in the next 30 seconds. If you don't do that, it is almost

impossible that you will give. -- besides why give. If this all

sounds terribly manipulative, it is. At least it is being done in a good

cause and by organisations that are mostly non profit. Not always.

Betterplace is non-profit but there are other sides, like those that

have revolutionised online sponsorship, that take a 5% cut

from donations. They say they are the leading charities from having

to fund -- fund raised. If that is OK with you, fine but if 5% seems a

David Reid giving as good as he gets.

We are always interested in your thoughts on the issues that we

raise. Why not get in touch and tell us what you think about the

idea of middle men getting a cut from what you give?

Changing the mood. Let's talk about moods. We all know music really

affects the way we feel. As can images and smells. Although the

internet has not worked out how to do smells yet. But all this week,

Kate Russell has been playing with a website designed to put you in a

mood. Here is what stake. If you are seeking inspiration or a

little excitement, you can start with Moodstream. A browser console

that plays music, images and video to help stimulate your senses in

whatever way you want. Getty Images is famous and this app does not

skimp on style. The music is samples. If you find that

integration you are looking for, you have to find the full track and

pay. Another source of inspiration I found recently is SBS.com. He is

creating a fund community for business owners, looking for mutual

support and promotion on social platforms. Members have imaginative

tips to share. Definitely worth a If you are interested in geology,

there is a great tool at PeoplePlotter .com that allows you

to make visual plots of people's The set-up -- to set it up, you

need a title, description and some images. These could be thinks you

don't, linked through things like Imageshack and Photobucket, and

also through Flickr. I have to say, it was not the most intuitive piece

of software I have ever learnt. You have a lot of Customisation options

and until you realise they are all edited through the same pop out

panel on the right, it can be very confusing to get to grips with. But

once you know where everything is, it is pretty easy to build your

PeoplePlotter and then share it with the world on a website or in

print. The free account allows you to make a limited treat with the

cash upgrades if you want to make anything substantial. -- tree. The

internet is full of people who want to share what they know it. Just

look at Quora or Wiki Answers. You will find more of them in this Matt

Fryatt community. A new social network that allows you to make

step-by-step guides with their free The use of photographs snapped

straight from your hands it is the stand-out feature for me on this

app. It makes explaining complex topics really simple and could not

be easy to execute. Sign in with Twitter or Facebook and you can

start making guides straightaway or browse what other people are making

to get some ideas. Even if you don't have an iPhone, you can look

at the growing number of guides by registering on their website. Like

all good social sides, there is the option to like, comment or build up

a network through the usual Google has launched a new hang-

gliding feature for mobile search and Android 4.0 and hire and iOS 5

devices. You will find the option to enable it under your Google

account mobile settings or by going to Google .com/preferences. You

might need to refresh your browser to see the function enabled. Now,

you can have right words anywhere on your screen to initiate research.

It is a cool feature if you want to show off your friends but you are

limited by space, but whether or not I will use it day by day is

The troubled social book marking site digger mac has gone through a

major and rapid rebuild after changing hands recently. The

revamped site launched this week, supporting a modern New Look and

social sharing features, currently with no comments feature which is

kind of a staple ingredient for this kind of site. Developers say

it will be added soon. But they have a rather handy app which you

can send stories from the browser and it includes integration to keep

track of your short URL best mac and a couple of other apps. --

That was Kate Russell and Webscape. All of those links are of course at