9 ways the Internet can cheer your mood when you’re feeling sad

A rough day: we all have them. Yet no day is so rough that it should shake your faith in the Internet as, if not a universal cure, than a widely applicable balm. Here are 5 ways the Internet can cheer you up when you’re blue: Create something. Upload a picture....

3 reasons to make TV social & connected with the new Plex & myPlex

I want you to think really carefully about how happy you are right now, because as soon as I describe the killer features of the latest iteration of the Plex media center software, you’re going to be plunged into deep despair. Despair over the fact that you...

Learning from social media failure at Qantas and beyond

My latest post for Harvard Business tackles the lessons other companies can learn from the latest social media disaster, this time brought to you by Qantas Airways: [A]irlines are far from the only businesses to face a newly redrawn balance-of-power between company...

5 ways to maximize computer use — and happiness

Q: How many computers does it take to enjoy a relaxing evening at home? A:  7.  Five to use simultaneously, a sixth to blog about how you’re doing that, and a seventh to keep your spouse entertained while you do. Yeah, I know, it reads like a formulaic joke. But...

Do ebooks help or hurt children’s literacy?

Print books may be under siege from the rise of e-books, but they have a tenacious hold on a particular group: children and toddlers. Their parents are insisting this next generation of readers spend their early years with old-fashioned books. This is the case even...

Trust, disclosure and social media

Two of the most frequent criticisms of social media hinge on the quality and quantity of information people disclosure through blogs, Twitter, Facebook and other social tools: Why does s/he think anyone cares? Asked about people who blog their latest meal, tweet their...