The tech industry loves catchy phrases, but the truth is that most of them either don’t mean anything or they’re just complicated ways to phrase simple ideas. With that in mind, let’s dig into what sayings like "the internet of things" or "disruption" means to us normal people.
As far as humans are concerned, the world didn’t exist until, well, they existed. That means anything that happened before you were born is mere fairy tales and make believe conversation. But what about those words that filled those tales and conversations? When did they start existing? When were those words born? Well, the Oxford English Dictionaries is here to tell you what words were born the year you were born.
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Time to fire up Instagram and party like it’s, um, 2013, because ‘selfie’ has been named the Oxford Dictionaries word of the year.
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I would dare to venture and say that when it comes to those who read books and magazines, this particular crowd can be divided into two – the first who absolutely love all their books, that they loathe to loan it out to others, while the second group would not mind sharing the same book all around, and think that books should be read well – which means folding “dog ears” to mark the position where you have stopped reading to return to later. Bookmarks are for the weak! Well, the £19.95 Electronic Dictionary Bookmark might give you something else to think about for sure.
Not only are you sure that you know where was the last time that you have stopped reading that particular book, the Electronic Dictionary Bookmark holds one very distinct advantage – as its name suggests, it will also come with a built-in dictionary so that you will be able to check out right there and then a particular word that has confounded your brain. It is actually the Collins English dictionary that features 38,0000 definitions, which has been specially condensed into a sleek and slender gadget.
[ Electronic Dictionary Bookmark kisses goodbye to dog eared pages copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Because language doesn’t really matter anymore to the Internet
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Here’s one for the logophiles and the voracious readers: searching for words on Google now returns more than their definitions. So, next time you look up a fancy term, the definition box will also contain its synonyms, sample sentences and a drop-down menu that can translate the word into another language. The new results even give you a glimpse of a word’s origins and show a graph of how commonly it’s used over time. While a relatively minor update, it’s boosted by the addition of a new voice function: when you tap on the Search microphone and ask questions such as “What is the definition of / What are the synonyms of [a word],” a voice will read the first result out loud. All these features are now active on both desktops and Google’s mobile Search apps in the US, ready to lend a hand during weekend Scrabble parties.
Source: Google+
Grammar loving folks who love to point out where commas should be inserted instead of periods and how semi-colons are both simultaneously underused and overused, should pick up their red pens, furrowed brows and pitchforks at the fact that the definition of literally is literally no longer the literal definition of literally. The trolls who say "literally" when they’re being completely non-literal and say it as an exaggeration or emphasizing something have won.
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The recently released beta of the famous touchscreen text software Swype includes a new feature called Living Language. This optional setting automatically adds trending words to the user’s dictionary, giving your parents a chance to smh at your YOLO shenanigans.
According to Swype, Living Language will draw new words from online sources such as the websites of CNN, Yahoo! and Rolling Stone, as well as from other Swype users. Will this lead to memes that only Swype hipsters understand? Will a Swype language eventually emerge? Or will users be flooded with gibberish proliferated by mean pranksters? I’m betting on all of them. Because that’s how I roll. I’m not good at math.
Of course, a list of new words is one thing; actually knowing what they mean is another. Android users who want to be a part of this virtual tower of Babel should head to Swype’s website to download the beta. And get back to me when you find out what “Looper swag Lochte” means.
[via Droid Life via Smarter Planet]
Merriam-Webster decided to flex its mastery and importance over the English language and name the top 10 words of the year for 2012. Unsurprisingly, a lot of them are politics related (we had an election this year, didn’t ya know?) but one tech word was able to sneak its way into the top 10: meme. More »
If you’ve ever been stymied by your Android keyboard’s limited grasp on the latest slanguage, don’t quail: Swype‘s latest beta offering for smartphones or tablets may be your saviour. The latest version of the finger-sliding app will feature “hotwords,” that keep up with language trends so that if you opt in to receive dictionary updates, you’ll never mistype the latest jargon. The new build also brings two more keyboard layouts for tablets, personal dictionary syncing across all of your Android devices, more themes for personalized keyboard styles and additional language support. So, to avoid any catachresis with that latest tweet, hit the source to see how to grab it.
Continue reading Latest Swype beta brings hotwords, knows what Gangnam Style is
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile
Latest Swype beta brings hotwords, knows what Gangnam Style is originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 05:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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