I’ve taken a bit of a hiatus from blogging in recent months but have still been actively following news in the social media and technology space. Below are a few of the stories that I enjoyed reading the most over the past seven days.
Archive for category Technology
Short Post about @oldspice
Jul 13
I haven’t been posting very often in recent weeks (sorry!) so wanted to write a quick post about what Old Spice has been up to that is starting to make a splash in the social web. They developed an interesting campaign utilizing Twitter and the “Old Spice Guy” that I think it’s brilliant.
I’m a PR girl and have a soft spot for anything the involves social media. In terms of an integrated campaign, this is a great example of taking the character developed for the brand, from television commercials, into the digital realm. The “Old Spice Guy” posts response videos to tweets of pretty high profile folks on Twitter that are clever and entertaining. I think I’ve already watched six of them and the evening is just getting started. This is by far one of the most interesting integrate approaches I’ve seen in quite some time, now it’s a matter of watching to see if this grows into something truly viral.
Originally posted on Examiner.com
Have you ever finished a long work week and want to go to happy hour but don’t want to go to the same old place? Check out SFWeekly’s Happy Hours App available on the iPhone and Android.
The application is free to download and leverages built in GPS technology on your phone to find the happy hours closest to where you are. It quickly calculates your location then creates a list of places that have happy hour going on right now and will tell you the specials (including prices), the distance and the time happy hour ends. It you find a happy hour that looks attractive to you, simply click the name of the place and you’ll open up a new page where you can rate that event if you attend, send the details to a friend, see how other people rate it and even get connected to City Wide Taxi. You can also get the phone number if you have a question to ask the staff and the address will auto load to Google Maps.
The app is simple, convenient and will help you find your next favorite spot in the city. If you’re in more of a planning mode you can also search for other days, times and locations or specific specials and cuisines. The app is truly awesome
Check out this video demo:
For those of you who read my blog regularly, you know I’m a bit of an Apple fan girl. I love my MacBook Pro, iPod, iPhone and pretty much anything with the letter “i” in front of it. That being said, you won’t see me in live at the Apple store or waiting for my pre-order of the iPad to arrive. Nope, I didn’t pre-order and am not planning to pick one up in this first run.
Apple’s iPad offers a few great features including a book and newspaper reader (seems a step up from the Kindle), document editing, picture sharing, etc. There are certain perks, like the ability to edit documents, that aren’t available on the iPhone based on sheer size. I’m looking forward to hearing from the people who do pick up the first version of the iPad and their thoughts about it’s use. With an iPhone and MacBook with me at most times, I don’t really see the need for another gadget and what void it is filling. It’s pricey, required using AT&T (an incredibly unreliable network) and appears to be an overgrown iPhone.
Then there’s the video from Gizmodo showing the prototype of the Microsoft Courier and I am truly in love. I can see myself using this product everyday in both my personal and work life. If you haven’t watched the video, check it out here:
There is no limit to the quantity of iPhone apps out there. From apps that make silly noises to apps that calculate your tip on a dinner out, the selection is almost limitless. A new app, Zoetica, launched today offers a solution for those interested in the nonprofit world (an interest of mine). The Zoetica iPhone app aggregated nonprofit tech and social change blog posts, making sure the content is at your fingertips at all times. Continuing with the nonprofit theme, the application is free of cost in the iTunes store.
What makes Zoetica different than other news aggregators is that Beth Kanter, Social Media and Nonprofit expert, hand selects the blog feeds that are ultimately aggregated into the app, ensuring the user will receive the most relevant information in the space. The app was created through a partnership with AppMakr and is in itself an example of the possible use of such a tool for nonprofits. The service makes app development possible for groups with limited budgets and limited tech skills, something many nonprofits can use. AppMakr offers different price points that allow for almost any marketing budget to include an app in the plan.
For more information about the application as well as possible uses for nonprofits, please visit Beth Kanter’s blog
Social Media has allowed for average people to connect with other people all over the world. The majority of those connections are with friends, family, colleagues or acquaintances on Twitter, Facebook and the other popular social networks. Especially with Twitter allowing anyone to follow your stream, the random connections are unavoidable but usually based on something like a comment about a similar interest.
In comes Chatroulette! to truly randomize connections. The site has been covered in excess since it’s launch as a breeding ground for flashers but with some filters and focus it can be a great access point for connections. Although I’m too scared to actually try it out (random nudity is not my thing), the process to play the game is simple. All you need is a webcam and internet and you’re good to go. There are no filters, search terms or common interest just raw, random connection.
This concept is exciting and intriguing because it is fundamentally dangerous. That danger attracts a certain audience for at least a one time visit but to keep people interested and coming back, it will require the option of filtering. For example, today I might want to talk about Fashion and Style, I would be much more likely to jump onto the site if I knew it was likely I would connect with someone wanting to discuss the same topic. With those filters, Chatroulette could become a site with staying power rather than a passing trend.
Here is a video, no nudity included, showcasing the fun nature of the tool.
Originally published on bub.blicio.us
Ke$ha, a Los Angeles based singer, moved 610,069 downloads of her first single “Tik Tok” in a week placing her at the number 2 spot for one week downloads ever with Flo Rida’s “Right Round” at number one in one week sales (with Ke$ha as an uncredited singer). That number is remarkably similar to the number of times New Moon was illegally downloaded online during it’s first week of release (610,000). That number pales in comparison to the first week illegal downloads for Avatar which came close to one million illegal downloads.
Illegal online downloads during the theater run doesn’t appear to have much of an impact on the box office numbers, the challenge for the movie industry comes when the films are released to DVD/Blu-Ray. With Netflix and other cost effective (or illegal and free) options for watching movies, it’s become harder and harder to sell DVD/Blu-Ray discs. According to the Wall Street Journal, 2009 was the first year since 2002 that ticket sales out did DVD/Blu-Ray sales, challenging the existing business model of the movie industry. The music industry faced a similar challenge with the appearance of digital downloads but they were able to recover from the disaster that Napster could have been after a little resistance. The did lead to the near death of the compact disc.
The movie industry isn’t quite there. With new release digital movie downloads costing up to the monthly membership at Netflix (and I mean the good membership with 3 movies at a time), what is the movie industry to do in 2010 to turn that around? SmartMoney recently released a list of things not to buy in 2010 and along with newspaper subscriptions, new college text books and CDs was DVDs. Perhaps it’s time the industry lower the cost of a digital download and move the home release date closer to the theatrical release date. This will allow for two money making opportunities for the industry and allow for the movie watcher to choose the type of experience they want and trump the massive amount of illegal downloads. Of course, with Avatar passing $1 billion dollars at the box office, the need for change is not as immediate but as the quality and availability of downloads become a bit easier for the non-techie, that may shift quickly.
Objectified: A Documentary
Dec 13
Like so many other design-loving filmgoers, I was pulled into the intricate story and visuals in the 2007 documentary, Helvetica. Although a documentary about a font may not initially seem captivating, it is a beautifully crafted independent film that explores typography, graphic design and global visual culture. Helvetica as a typeface celebrated its 50th year in 2007 and had a surprising impact on design. After seeing the film, I couldn’t wait to see what came next for the director. 
Gary Hustwit, the director of Helvetica, decided to look at design from another angle in his 2009 film, Objectified. The film was released in the theatres in March and made its television debut in November on PBS. Although similar to Helvetica, this film focuses on the origins and designs of objects. The term “objects” can cover almost anything: the focus of this documentary is on modern design. Something as simple as the grip on a vegetable peeler was a well thought out design created for each consumer by focusing on the needs of the weakest and strongest to find the perfect balance. The documentary examines our relationship with objects and by proxy, those that design those objects. Objectified opens viewers eyes to the process that takes place to create and perfect the products consumers us on a day-to-day basis.
On of the more interesting sections of the film was the discussion around sustainability and the future of design. Electronics in particular are designed for short-term consumption and are quickly discarded and end up in a landfill. Smart marketing makes the newest product old very quickly and leaves us craving the next new thing. The challenge for designers is to create products that are recyclable and/or reusable that also stand the test of time. The film features interview and commentary answering this question as well as many others tied to the history, present and future of design.
The documentary is smart and interesting. You may also find yourself rattling off random facts about design to your friends (which may or may not be appreciated depending on the setting). If you missed Objectified in theatres or on PBS, the film is available on DVD for rent or purchase.
Originally published on bub.blicio.us
Brizzly.com, a reader that works with Twitter and Facebook, officially launched to the public today (previously available by invitation). The site pulls in the information from each social networking account, which is relatively straight forward. Beyond simple aggregation, Brizzly adds additional features that make the site attractive to users of both social networking sites. The two streams are accessed with tabs at the top of the page and at first glance, it seems like a simple site that brings Twitter and Facebook onto one page but the additional features are what make this reader useful.
One of the additional features that stands out is the “why?” button next to the Twitter trending topics. For example, Oprah Winfrey is trending and you may be curious why. Click the “why?” button and you see this simple blurb “Oprah is ending her talk show in late 2011 when her contract expires. She will then launch her Oprah network in partnership with Discovery Networks” Brizzly allows users to get that extra trending information not available in the web based version of Twitter.
Also, the ability to save searches is included in Brizzly so you can easily track conversations that interest you without having to do a unique Twitter Search every time. Brizzly will also translate a tweet from one language to the accounts default language.
The Facebook tab does not offer much in addition to the existing streams in Facebook. The ease of quickly clicking between Facebook and Twitter is one of the features that makes Brizzly useful when accessing Facebook information. There aren’t many perks for the Facebook only user.
Brizzly did officially launch today so additional features will likely be added in the near future. The site offers a simple and clean user interface, making it an attractive option for staying on top of your social networks. There’s also an adorable bear mascot, who wouldn’t love that?
Originally published on bub.blicio.us
A book may not be the first thing that comes to mind when discussing innovation but as technology has progressed, the way we consume the information presented in books has made a steady evolution. From the audio book to the Kindle, technology has jumped in to make books easier to consume in a variety of formats creating a debatably richer experience.
New to the market is Vook. It is the latest innovation in reading that brings together books, video and the Internet. Vooks are available on the web and to download on a mobile phone. It’s an interesting idea with the goal of supplementing books with video and social content that aren’t available in the static format.
The web-based version allow for the reader to view the text of the book in a similar format to an e-Reader. Video is incorporated on the side of the screen so you can easily view complementary material without flipping between screens or from book to computer. It also includes social media capabilities by integrating with Twitter, Facebook and other social networks. The mobile format has similar features but due to the size of the screen, readers are directed to video rather than it being incorporated in the screen. Although I have yet to try it, I imagine this is incredibly useful for cookbooks and fitness materials more so than novels.
The book selection is on the smaller side and focused on fitness and cooking texts but the site is new and I expect their library to grow. I do wonder if they will attempt to turn some of the classics into Vooks, which could be very interesting to see.