Fitness Social Networks

I would have two options when it comes to trying to utilize a social network to help motivate people, either create a Facebook app or else create a Social network. If I was going creating a website I probably would use ELGG. 

"Elgg is an award-winning social networking engine, delivering the building blocks that enable businesses, schools, universities and associations to create their own fully-featured social networks and applications."

After basic research using Google and Yahoo i came to the realisation that there already is numerous fitness social networks on the web I could be here listing them all evening. That's not what I want to create, and end up being just another number in a long list of sites. 


If I could come up with a device of some sort that was capable of motivating people to do fitness in an area that hasn't been completely addressed yet by a new media, I would drop the social network idea.

Stepmatron

This project was funded by Lincoln City Council, it uses a pedometer (counts how many steps a person walks). This information is then displayed on the persons facebook app which could be seen by all their friends on the social network site. It was tested with 20 nurses and the results (Table Below) proved that it motivated the nurses to walk more to boast their results on the social network.

This showed me that multimedia can be utilized to motivate people to get fitter. This project was also basically what I was thinking of doing, so I'm going to try specify what kind of fitness I'm going to promote using multimedia. I'm going to go to the GYM and see if I can think of anything that could be utilized using multimedia to motivate people more to use it. I'm also going to discuss the subject with my martial art's instructor.

"Creating a motivational atmosphere to help improve people's fitness, using a social media"

I'm after narrowing it down to the fitness aspect of sports, and peoples lack of motivation when it comes to fitness interests me.

To make a multimedia learning environment you need these four qualities. (Malene & Lepper 1987)

1.Challenge

2.Curiosity

3.Control

4.Fantasy

I'm researching any new motivational methods combining both a Facebook  app and maybe an iPhone fitness app. By doing some sort of fitness measured by the iphone app would allow the user be rewarded in the Facebook app allowing them to compete with friends.

It would either be an arbitrary iphone app that people could be exercising even if trying to cheat to get rewarded or else maybe an app measuring how much physical exercise some one is after doing and reward them on that basis. 

The Future of Urban Transport

This seems as close as we will get to seeing flying cars next to skyscrapers for a few more years at least. It is the gigantic lane-straddling bus Chinese engineers are trying to introduce to America. Their offering a new cheaper way of urban transport in comparison to the subway. Its also more energy efficient running off electricity and has solar panels making it Eco-friendly another huge advantage.   

Images: US Elevated High-Speed Bus

A Phone Designed for 2015

You ever think how did they use those old rotary phones that seemed more hassle than their worth well it looks like they are on a comeback. Samsung are after revealing their Concept Samsung Jot Rotary Dial Phone designed by Raymond Bessemer.

It will have a capacitive OLED display, removable stylus and a out of the ordinary physical rotary dial. Samsung have designed this concept for the year 2015 so it wont be awhile before well be getting our hands on it.

My Mind Map So Far (will be constantly updated)

Starting My Research

Technology/Multimedia in sport both includes macro and micro-interventions. I'm going to research both aspects and see which appeals to me the most. Firstly lets see whats the difference.


Macro-technological interventions: Are those that involve equipment, external / internal alterations of joints or ingestion of a substance.  


Micro-technological interventions: Are those practices, which make possible acquisition of sports skill's and include such things as bio-mechanical adjustments and repetitive skill exercises. 


Definition from Debra Shogan in "Sport Technology: History, Philosophy and Policy"

Mac OS X 10.7 Lion Coming In Summer 2011

The self claimed the "worlds most advanced operating system Mac's OS X Lion will be released in 2011 and we got a sneak peek of some of its exciting new features. What has caught my attention is the new Mac App store it seems to have the same concept as iPhone, iTouch, iPad App store but you can download apps for your Mac Lion. They also seemed to have incorporated a similar feature to the iPad in the way every app is displayed full screen and you can easily get back to your other apps with touch of a button. 

“Lion brings many of the best ideas from iPad back to the Mac, plus some fresh new ones like Mission Control that Mac users will really like,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. Have a look of his presentation below of the Mac OS X Lion.