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Written by Malek Sunday, 19 June 2016 15:18

Since SMS' conception in the 1980s, text messaging hasn't changed much. Sure, over the years, smartphone messages got longer, added photos, videos, and emoji, but their purpose-concise communication-stayed more or less static.

Lately, the technology has experienced something akin to the Cambrian explosion, with a broad range of new species of messaging emerging from companies large and small around the world.

These are stretching the purpose and possibility of the lowly 'text' in novel directions. In the process, the trend has created one of the most effervescent, interesting technology races in recent memory.

Apple is the latest to rethink messages. During its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote on June 15, the iPhone-maker announced that it will

Written by Malek Wednesday, 8 June 2016 16:17

Screen Shot 2016 06 08 at 9.55.48 AM

The era of mobile apps is over and Facebook — with a touch of Snapchat — won. 

The following chart, which comes to us from Anthony DiClemente at Nomura, shows how Facebook absolutely dominates the mobile app space, owning four of the top five most downloaded apps in May with only Snapchat breaking up its stranglehold on the space.

Only Uber and Snapchat saw year-on-year download growth in the US during May.  "In our view, this highlights the growing maturation of the internet’s largest mobile platforms’ user bases, particularly in developed markets," DiClemente said. Snapchat, however, is still seeing accelerating download trends.


Written by Malek Friday, 20 May 2016 16:24

I spent nine years working as a flight attendant. I found the airline subculture to be very fascinating and unique. I knew I would eventually write about it. Flying all over the world, staying in a new hotel every night, meeting hundreds of new people every day…it was difficult, intimate and lonely all at the same time.

Flying isn't what you think. There isn’t any typical path for flying as an attendant. We had attendants from other airlines, other countries. What you’ll find is that some flight attendants haven’t taken a single college class, others have associates or bachelors and masters degrees, it was such a great experience.

Written by Malek Sunday, 27 December 2015 17:44

Since it launched in 2013, Product Hunt has become the go-to place to find the next big app, gadget, or service.

Here's how it works.

A new tech product gets added, and then people vote on whether they like it or not. In this way, the site functions a bit like Reddit, though there is a heavy element of curation by Product Hunt's team, which decides what gets featured on various pages.

This year, Product Hunt decided to hold its first annual awards for the coolest things to come out in the year, named "The Golden Kitty Awards." Starting December 9, Product Hunt invited its users to nominate and vote for the best products in a variety of categories, from best maker to most WTF product.

Now the voting has closed. To find the best of the best, we took a look at the "Tech Products of the Year" category. Here are the 11 tech products that rose to the top:

Written by Malek Tuesday, 15 December 2015 15:54

Written by Malek Sunday, 8 November 2015 17:17

Written by Malek Tuesday, 20 October 2015 14:46

The word “superfood” has gained popularity in recent years, as people are more in pursuit of optimal health and longevity than ever. Superfoods, described as nutritionally rich foods that provide solid overall health benefits, are characterized by having high levels of vitamins and minerals as well as other beneficial nutrients like antioxidants, protein, fiber, and healthy fats — all of which boost health and are thought to ward off illness. Additionally, superfoods are typically plant-based and notoriously versatile, meaning they can be consumed in a number of ways. And given that the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirms that people who consume more fresh fruits and veggies are less likely to struggle with chronic disease, there are ever more reasons to start eating some popular superfoods.

But it’s not enough to grab just any superfood and plop it on your plate. Those that are in season provide even greater nutritional bang for your bite, as they are more likely to be produced locally — not picked well before their peak and subjected to chemical processing in order to withstand a lengthy transit to your local grocery store. And they’re tastier and easier on your wallet too.

Written by Malek Monday, 12 October 2015 19:28