Kelsey McCullough
Byte Me: Facebook’s evil twins
The Winklevoss twins are at it again. The first time they infamously took on Mark Zuckerberg for stealing their idea for an exclusive collegiate social network, they walked away with a $65 million settlement in exchange for dropping all charges against Facebook. The settlement, three years later, is now valued at $200 million. But why stop at $200 million when you can get $650 million? The Winklevii are back, claiming that Facebook overvalued their stock when they made the first deal, which, had it been valued correctly, would be worth $650 million today.
By Kelsey McCullough November 10, 2011
Byte Me: A decade after the iPod
On October 23, 2001, Steve Jobs took the stage in Cupertino, Calif., to announce what he called a “breakthrough digital device”—the first iPod. It had five gigabytes of storage and cost $399. Critics were not convinced. The name iPod itself was mocked as “Idiots Price our Devices” and “I Prefer Owning Discs.” But the iPod was not just another MP3 player, like many people claimed. It was the first device that made the music industry’s transition to the digital world possible.
By Kelsey McCullough October 27, 2011
Byte Me: A not-so-tempting Apple
Let’s talk iPhone. Apple fanatics waited to hear these words for 16 months since the debut of the iPhone 4. As if there were not already enough rumors surrounding the launch of what most people hoped to be the iPhone 5, the announcement that Apple would be hosting an event at its Cupertino campus to “talk iPhone” sparked a firestorm of speculation. Unheralded bloggers and world-renowned news sources alike all released their lists of what we should count on for the next-generation iPhone. And with 66 percent (according to an August survey by RBC capital) of current iPhone owners planning to upgrade to the new model, sight-unseen, people were listening.
By Kelsey McCullough October 12, 2011
Byte Me: Please don’t Google me
In my last column, I argued that with people already overwhelmed by the likes of Twitter and Facebook, Google Plus did not offer enough to justify investing even more time in a social network. It didn’t seem like a controversial statement to me.
By Kelsey McCullough September 29, 2011
Byte Me: Google Plus doesn’t add up
I logged into my Google Plus account today for the first time since August 15, only to find that during the past month, I had missed absolutely nothing. During the time that my account went completely unused, there were four new posts in my “stream,” the Google Plus equivalent to the Facebook newsfeed.
By Kelsey McCullough September 15, 2011
Byte Me: Pre-frosh poketacular
Each year, after receiving their acceptance letters and sending in their tuition deposits, most of the new crop of pre-freshmen take what must seem like a big step toward becoming part of the Georgetown community: joining the Class of [fill in year here] Facebook group. This group facilitates Facebook stalking at its finest: it’s full of hundreds of complete strangers, all of whom have the potential to be a roommate, classmate, or new best friend. And before ever meeting them, Facebook allows soon-to-be freshmen to imagine exactly where all these strangers might figure into their next four years at Georgetown.
By Kelsey McCullough August 26, 2011
Summer internship forces student out of Wonderland
My family is about as Disney as you can get, without actually being part of the Disney family. My mother, father, and grandfather have worked at Disney for a combined total of almost 111 years—longer than the Walt Disney Company has been in existence. All of them have worked for the small and mysterious division of the Walt Disney Company known as Imagineering. The so-called Imagineers design Disney’s parks and resorts and, as they like to say, “make the magic.”
By Kelsey McCullough March 24, 2011
Food truck craze hits Georgetown student, but not campus
Foodies everywhere are rejoicing at the latest culinary trend sweeping the nation: food trucks. And unlike the personal espresso maker or the “foam on food” trend, this one is cheap. These trucks are not the traditional roach coaches that serve construction workers greasy burgers with a side of Twinkies, but rather adventurous, relatively low-risk ventures in unconventional cuisine that bring high quality but inexpensive food to anyone willing to wait for it.
By Kelsey McCullough February 17, 2011
Late bloomer close to realizing her gasoline fight dream
For most people, their sophomore year of high school was a time of sweet sixteen parties and the increased independence that came with learning how to drive. For me, it was the year I had no friends and watched Zoolander every weekend.
By Kelsey McCullough January 20, 2011