Class is almost over, grades will be posted by this weekend. The ending of the quarter brings along feeling of relief and while you enjoy your break here is a short video for you to watch and enjoy. This video is a recreation of a famous video that appeared in 2007 with updated statistics and lists some interesting details. . Watch the video, let it sink in and contemplate its contents and comment.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o9nmUB2qls&feature=related


Enjoy the short break between quarters!

Yeah, so allegedly this newest Japanese dating simulation game for the DS has taken a lot of people by storm...and offended a few along the way. Currently only out in Japan, "Love Plus" is a dating simulation game that lets you court several different virtual girls who, if you're lucky, will start to fall for you. "As you grow closer, you'll need to take your new fake girlfriend out on dates -- in real time, no less -- and start planning your future together."

Considering what we were talking about in class with things like Second Life and such, I thought this sort of thing had a lot of possibilities...even if playing it shames the male race.

Read the full article here.

A survey conducted by emarketer.com offers the statistics that prove that many shoppers this holiday season are looking to social media sites for gift ideas for others. Facebook users are looking at their friends' and family members' statuses to find hints and also looking to Twitter for special deals and offers. The article says that 60% of shoppers will use social media to find discounts and coupons.

The New York Times recently tried writing a story by crowdsourcing the information instead of having a regular reporter on the job. The Times was looking to tap into raw talent and real experience for the story. Although the story did not come out with quite as high of quality the Times would expect from a regular writer, it allowed for readers to hear about something that the paper would not usually cover. The New York Times also was able to include news about an interesting topic that they might not be able to pay a writer to research.

To read more about the story click here.

To read the crowdsourced article on the New York Times site, click here.

Are you welcoming social media with open arms? or are you not quite there yet.

Mashable has been conducting a poll on their site about whether people prefer Microsoft Office or Google Docs. Eventually, they found out 51% prefer Microsoft Office and 37% prefer Google Docs. I think Google Docs is coming pretty close considering the fact that they haven't been around as long. I do like using Google Docs when you are trying to have multiple people edit one document... but I'm also use to Microsoft Office and how convenient it is. Google Docs is free for all users so maybe soon everyone will switch over to Google Docs.

Microsoft Office vs. Google Docs

It looks as if Tumblr has been getting many users and visitors. They have shared their statistics and it seems as if they are doing pretty well. They actually have two more years before they run out of money.

Tumblr Statistics

Now I was looking to see if I could figure out how much money the game Farmville is making on Facebook and came across this post. It calculates which plants produce how much and the 'revenue' you can make from them each day. In my search I found countless others on this same scale and I just found it amazing how important it is to some people that they have calculated these for every single plant in the game.


http://blog.adamnash.com/2009/08/22/the-personal-economics-of-farmville/

Always gotta do at least one article on Facebook =D

Ok so I am not one who knows a whole lot about game consoles or anything, but it seems like they are making a move in a good direction. Since games are beginning to be more and more internet based, with users being able to connect with users around the world, it makes sense to incorporate social media sites like Twitter and Facebook to make it more... social? Haha.

Anyway, the dashboard improvements will be a great addition if it indeed increases usability.

To read the rest of this article, click here.

It seems that Texas is doing the right thing during this current economic crisis as five of its cities have been unaffected economically.

http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/hotproperty/archives/2009/11/milken_institut.html

It seems as if Dell is finally getting on the smartphone bandwagon, behind Apple and other manufacturers. The first phone will be called the Mini 3, and is being released in the emerging markets of Brazil and China, as opposed to the United States where the iPhone and Blackberry pretty much dominate and have saturated the market.

The article did not say if and when they plan to enter the US market, but I would assume its in the works. It kind of reminds me of what a lot of music acts do, start out in Europe or Japan, iron out the kinks then hit the big time in the US. I think Dell's strategy is good, and I think it will be interesting to see how it unfolds in the coming months.

To read the full article, click here.

On November 17, 2009, Facebook and Twitter will be available on the Xbox 360 Dashboard. Sony is also following along with this strategy to get gamers connected by implementing Facebook into their PS3 sometime next year. With over 10 million sold, "Twitter and Facebook on Xbox 360, the largest social networks combine seamlessly with the largest entertainment and gaming network, Xbox Live."

http://www.huliq.com/8059/88727/facebook-and-twitter-xbox-360-tuesday-ps3-follow

• Augmented reality is basically like looking at the world through a camera, and that camera not only displays what you see but what the program wants to show you. For example in this image the yellow circle shows the location of a restaurant with the percentage of people that liked the restaurant inside the circle.

According to TechCrunch Google's OS will be released next week.

Dave Schultheis a US Senator was found to be tweeting and making a statement comparing Obama to 9/11 hijackers. I think its pretty hilarious and interesting that the US senate is now using Twitter for mudslinging.


Source Here

For those skeptical about twitter and linkedins partnership, linkedin has seen an outrageous increase in status updates with 200 of their users. These 200 users actually have their status updating every minute. It amazes me that people are updating their status that often, but it is showing that this partnership can be a success.

Twitter and Linkedin

Yet another Google Product: Google is sending out a tricycle to whatever location gets the most votes so they can do the street view on sidewalks. One of the places that you can vote for is RIT, where you could actually "walk" down the quarter mile on Google Maps. The only way this will happen is if RIT gets a lot of votes.

RIT Campus Street View

To keep with the real estate theme of my last post: Google is now getting in the real estate market, allowing customers to post listings on Google maps. This is system allows users to check out the area around listings using the pre-existing functionality of Google Maps. In the future I am sure they will improve this to have even more functionality to compete with the leaders within the industry. Watch the video at:

Video

For another class I have been working with an online start-up that is implementing many of the things we learned about in class. The company is called newdigs.com and is an online apartment search database that provides a great deal of flexibility for online searchers. In the future they plan to add social networking and implement crowdsourcing plans for both content addition and through youtube campaigns.

Check them out at: newdigs.com

I found this really interesting article about employing eye-tracking technology to help people with disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, move their avatars in a gaming world. This may be employed in both Second Life and World of Warcraft. I think this a great idea and a really interesting prospect for all players.

On another note, I think the following site has more ads than the human brain knows what to do with:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630075449.htm

Like I've said in one of my previous posts it really seems like Google is going to take over the world with their ideas. It looks like they have started to find ways by using Google Chrome and built in SPDY support to make website loading at least 55% faster. This would be a big contribution to the history of the internet and it would definitely be sweet to have faster page loads.

http://mashable.com/2009/11/12/google-spdy/

200th POST ON CLASS BLOG: Thank you very much...


After reading the post about how Online Video Ads are Booming, I came across this article about how Google will begin testing "skippable" pre-roll ads in videos on YouTube this week, and how it could lead to a new advertising model.

People who find the video they are looking for have the option to skip the ad and go directly to the content. This can open a whole new look at how people view ads online and what ads actually work. It will give Google (along with partnering companies) better insight on human behavior.

"The test that determines if and when people watch the video clips will provide Google with insight into the type of person who may skip an ad, what type of ad they might skip, and what piece of content does better than another. Google also will look at whether some ads are skipped in a specific portion of the session. Does the person skip the ad in the first video versus the third during a 30-minute time slot while on YouTube? "

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=117200

I thought this article was kind of funny, but at the same time it really gives you a wake up call as far as security purposes go. Apparently Britney Spears Twitter account was taken over by hackers who changed her picture and background as well as posting:

“I give myself to Lucifer every day for it to arrive as quickly as possible. Glory to Satan!”

“i hope that the new world order will arrive as soon as possible! -Britney”

Either people really hacked her page or she has had another episode of the whole shave my head and go crazy thing, but with her twitter account instead.

If people really did hack her page it is definitely a wake up call considering it could happen to anyone. If you were starting a business and using Twitter to make yourself known and someone posted something such as the above, it could be extremely detrimental to your business. I am sure everything will work out for Britney Spears, and I am sure she will get some publicity out of it as well.

read more at...

http://mashable.com/2009/11/12/britney-spears-twitter-hijacked/

You know those short clips you're forced to watch before you can actually see the video you clicked on? Well those short little ads seem to be doing their job pretty well.

According to the New York Times, videos are now the fastest growing segment of online advertising.

"Digital video amounted to $477 million in revenue in the first half of 2009, up 38 percent from the same time period in 2008, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau."

Do you think revenue for online video advertising is increasing because the ads are successful, or is it simply because online video content is becoming more and more popular?

Article

Have you ever uploaded photos on Facebook but were too lazy to untag them? I know I've always been willing to upload the pictures from the other night, but once people start nagging me to tag them it's a hassle. Now there is an app from Face.com that is able to scan your entire album and put the same people into groups. So you would only have to tag that particular group. Since we tend to have pictures that are with the same people, this is very useful. It saves time tagging 20 photos of the same 5 people. Check out this article and give the app a try since it's completely free:

Photo Tagger for Facebook

I thought this article was interesting. It gives ten suggestions for programs to use if starting a business or if you already have a small business. It tells you to utilize everything from Facebook and Twitter to Mailchimp and Monitter.


Read more at....
http://mashable.com/2009/10/26/socia-media-entrepreneurs/

I thought it was interesting that companies are now starting to appoint social media editors to specifically take care of things in that market. But it is true, embracing social media boosts traffic.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/oct/21/bbc-huffington-post-social-news

apparently, those tech savvy, stay in doors all day, online "geek" type neighbors you may have might be the best kind. This article talks about how those types of neighbors are even more likely to get themselves and neighbors out of the house and volunteering!

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/good_bloggers_make_good_neighbors_new_survey_shows.php

The spammer Ozdok was responsible for almost 1/3 of the worlds spam was taken out of commission by the security firm FireEye. Even though email spam not only rarely makes it through spam filters and people don't really read it anyway... it is nice knowing there will at least be less of it.



Source Link

Palo Alto Networks released it biyearly report today. The report, that looks at application usage on 200 different enterprise networks, found a dramatic increase in social media for business purposes.

Apparently a partnership was announced yesterday between LinkedIn and Twitter, allowing them to exchange status updates and tweets. This poses some obvious potential problems for those users who have both accounts and take advantage of this feature. The two sites are very different in their desired application. Some things that are common on Twitter would be considered unprofessional on LinkedIn and probably decrease the respectability of the user. As we have talked about in this class, it's important to be aware of the implication that a social media profile has on getting and keeping jobs.

Recommendation: Keep professional and personal lives as separate as possible. However, it may be possible and beneficial to link back from Twitter account(s) to a LinkedIn profile to increase internet presence. But certainly don't automatically send tweets to LinkedIn!

This article proposes some ideas that could turn Skype into a great social network. They can use their existing clientele while implementing some easy coding to hold user status and information to create great social networking promise. It would also drive down use of cell phones and text messaging while implementing functionality to broadcast status information like twitter.



Source Here

Video games and social media have both seen mammoth growth trends within the last few years, and now, video game giant "EA" has bought out "Playfish," a social gaming manufacturer of Pet Society and Restaurant City. Kind of like Second Life, Playfish generates revenue through sales of virtual goods and advertising. There are still many social gaming competitors out in the open, including Zynga, which spends around $50 million in advertisements on Facebook. The problem is that there are more social gaming companies than video game publishers who are willing to pay a $300 million price tag, "In other words, we still don't know who the next real winner will be."

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10393957-36.html

Google has been working on a new search engine called the Google Caffeine. The search engine "wouldn’t change the face or design of the Google search engine, but would instead provide an overhaul of the architecture of Google’s web search that would improve its indexing speed, accuracy, and comprehensiveness." Google has been coming up with so many new things that have become highly successful. It seems like everything we use in the future will probably be made by Google.

http://mashable.com/2009/11/10/google-caffeine-soon/

It seems that Twitter and Linkedin have come together and now you can see tweets on Linkedin. Much like the Twitter being synced with Facebook statuses, you can now do the same in Linkedin as well. As with Facebook, you can also choose the tweets that are shown on LinkedinIt seems like everywhere we go, twitter is integrated. Check out this article:

http://mashable.com/2009/11/09/twitter-linkedin-sync/

The article brings up an interesting idea for Bing to use exclusive content and to pay for it in order to compete with Google. If they can get enough big names on-board early, then it may work. If it is only one or two sources like the New York Times, it will likely not work.

http://blogs.forbes.com/velocity/2009/11/09/how-murdoch-can-kill-google/

This article is about how Google's Android and interplanetary transmissions are pioneering a new way for data transmissions. This new method of transmitting information uses technology developed by NASA for interplanetary transmissions. It works with the same concept that servers hold onto packets until connection is reestablished and then resumes. This means that with Disruption-Tolerant Networking does not require a constant connection!

Source Link

Since we all had to talk to our clients about SEO and social media marketing, we probably all suggested the basics of online marketing: getting a Facebook fan-page, Twitter, blog, etc. This article talks about how these tactics may work at first in increasing visibility, but eventually, "if your content isn't seen as valuable, you'll lose that search engine ranking." Only the viewers can determine what is valuable to them, and what you might think is valuable, may be worthless to your viewers.

http://searchenginewatch.com/3635597

CoTweet, a service that helps companies reach and engage with customers through twitter, has just upgraded from its free beta version to a enterprise version, charging $1,500 a month.

Twitter introduced a new feature recently where users can organize all of the people they follow or are interested in into lists. The article below shows some different ways to use Twitter lists, such as creating a professional network of other people in your industry or a list of Tweeters that you think others should follow.

Users can even follow Lists, without having to follow every Tweeter on that List. This can be helpful if you do not want to follow frequent Tweeters that fill up the stream on your home page, but still want to occasionally check their updates.

The article can be found here.

I found this article to be really interesting, especially since we were just talking about second life in class on Wednesday. Because the economy has caused businesses to tighten their budgets, businesses need to start getting creative in order to compensate for their smaller traveling budgets. Second Life is planning on jumping on this opportunity by creating a tool that will enable companies to meet privately and safely online using avatars. According to the creators of Second Life, there are 14 businesses currently using this tool designed for them. Here is a link to the article if you are interested in reading more:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/BUSINESS/11/05/second.life.virtual.collaboration/index.html

The Google Dashboard basically connects all of the popular Google services into one page. It gives people more control and management over their data. For instance, Gmail attachments, search histories, and Google docs can all be managed within Google Dashboard.

http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/google-dashboard-to-help-control-of-data-646819?src=rss&attr=newsintern

I found this article while trying to come up with a name for our consulting company. I'm going to take a shot and say non of the groups need this anymore but if you do in the future, here it is.

http://www.developer-resource.com/how-to-select-a-company-name.htm

We will see when the droid can do tethering and we will see what happens in 2010, but anyone who says Verizon is better than AT&T should take this into account before they talk next time. in my opinon, AT&T and Verizon are the same, same prices, same service but I believe AT&T has the iPhone is better. I like how AT&T operate because they don't mangle their phones, make users do certain things and have good features on the phone.


http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobilize/verizons-droid-tethering-option-comes-hefty-price-tag-101?source=rss_infoworld_news

If your looking for the basics of starting up a business, this free site is where to start. I came across MyOwnBusiness and was expecting it to be a scam but I registered and it turned out to be a legitimately free aid.

What the site offers are 16 chapters that outline the key components of various topics important to entrepreneurship from a basic business plan to international trade. Each chapter is a detailed summary of Phil Holland's, founder of Yum Yum Donuts, textbook and offers video explanations and quizzes alongside.

What was most surprising is that although an optional charge is available for the entire textbook or to get a certificate of taking it, this 'course' is FREE and all they require is a name and an e-mail.


http://www.myownbusiness.org/index.html

BusinessWeek recently posted an article and video about how to improve your presentations. Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, is one of the best presenters out there and his presentations attract so many people. The article gives some tips that may be extremely helpful for many of us as we come into the home stretch of the quarter and many of us are going to be giving presentations for classes (this one specifically). Some key points are create a great headline, avoid bulletpoints, use a lot of images, and keep the slides simple and clutter free. Check it out and maybe we can all have spectacular presentations in this class.

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/oct2009/sb2009106_706829.htm?utm_source=MailingList&utm_medium=email&utm_content=jameskm03%40gmail.com&utm_campaign=Newsletter+2009+Nov+1

I just stumbled upon this post that was at the top of Digg. It basically discloses the contents of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement within the Obama administration, and it none of it sounds good. Firstly, ISPs have to constantly overlook user-contributed content, such as pictures or videos, which would mean that services such as YouTube and Flickr would not be able to exist. It also says that copyright infringers will be cut off from the Internet, "This means that your entire family could be denied to the internet -- and hence to civic participation, health information, education, communications, and their means of earning a living." There is more at the link.

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/11/03/secret-copyright-tre.html

A funny but true flow chart that describes the thought process that goes on when someone buys a new gadget.

I thought this was interesting that he is claiming that more access to information actually pulls our society apart, where as most people feel that the more information offered, the more people will feel together because there is no competition mentally. wrong. read ahead.

Microsoft is releasing a new booklet and looks so functional. its in tablet form and can be drawn on, used with fingers or a stylus, and a whole lot more. Apple might have some competition.

So i wanted to touch on this whole Farmville application real quick. There seems to be an uproar with the multiple users that join Farmville each day. Whether its from boredom, or simply ease of mind, all ages are using it. I was grocery shopping the other day and bumped intoa woman by accident. She turned around and we started talking and she was telling me how us young kids have such a great thing with facebook, and that her and her co workers play it everyday and update each other through text and phone calls when there are special updates within the game. I found that kind of interesting so went to see if there was an article on it and waalaa:

It is no surprise that an increase in social media will undoubtedly result in an increase in malicious software. One scam involves users receiving email updates from a fake Facebook. The fake has them logging into their website, and then prompting them to download an "update" hidden as a password stealing virus. Microsoft did a study that indicated that social media users are more likely to get scammed by malware. More information on the link.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/11/spike_in_social_media_malware.html?wprss=securityfix

Here are some great little tips that I found for those of us who are actively on social networking sites and are also looking for jobs. These tips help you to vamp up your networks and tailor your profile to attract employers. It also tells you how you can use these sites as tools to find job openings.

If you're interested in reading more about these helpful tips, here is the link to the article:
http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/04/news/economy/jobs_social_networking.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2009110405?CNN=yes

Good luck!

This article talks about how to build your personal brand using YouTube. Because YouTube is one of the largest sharing networks out there it is extremely useful, consumers who view your post will feel like they know you by watching the video, which is an extremely powerful medium. Users can then link their YouTube posts to their facebook, linkedin, myspace, or blog account, giving them the advantage of distribution to friends and followers.
I thought this was pretty interesting, espeically because it is about personal branding and how to use a medium that is extremely powerful and popular, but extremely simple and easy to do.

Read more at....
http://mashable.com/2009/11/04/youtube-personal-brand/

Yes the title is correct-- I recently found an article, which describes a survey of college students on their social media use.

And I quote "A recent survey of college students dually coordinated by the Participatory Marketing Network and Pace University’s Lubin School of Business’ IDM Lab discovered that students on average spend 33 hours on social media sites. However, when asked if they could go a week without it, only 9% said death would be a better option."

Death? Really...wow. Additionally, 26% respectively said they really couldn’t make it without email or text messaging.

Do you think you would feel that abandoned by a week without these?

See the article here.

Click Here to see an article about the Holiday season this year looking for a big push in advertising by social media. This article discusses how many companies this year plan to use social media (especially because it is a free source of marketing) to promote their sales for the Holidays.

An example they cite is "Innovative uses of social networking include Best Buy's Twelpforce, which uses Twitter to answer tech support questions, and will offer holiday gift advice this winter".

Not all marketing experts are convinced this will be effective. My thoughts are that since it is free, they might as well utilize the resources at hand. I also think that in this class we have proven time and time again how effective social media marketing can indeed be. What do you think?

If you don't want to spend reading tweets, you dont have to! A new website, Tweet Radio ( http://tweetrad.io/), allows users to search for a topic or select a pre-picked, and an auto-dj will read the tweets out loud. I clicked on some of the pre-chosen topics, and it is pretty interesting to see what is going on currently on Twitter and is pretty funny to hear through an automated voice..

Many social networking sites set age restrictions for its members. Most require members to be at least 13 years of age. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible for these sites to verify the age people enter in when registering. Many people are becoming concerned as younger generations enter these social networking sites. This is a growing concern especially with scientists who believe young children spend too much time on the computer, which will later inhibit their development as they mature.

My concern is that people are going to begin relying on the internet as their main source of interaction and soon there will be no real face-to-face interaction and actual socializing which can be damaging to development and social skills. I also think that many kids are in position to be at a higher risk of privacy invasion because many do not understand the dangers of providing information online and how to properly protect themselves. I am curious to see how other people feel about this.

If you want to read more about this topic, here is an article related to it:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/11/02/kids.social.networks/index.html

Mashable recently posted an article about a lawsuit between AT&T and Verizon. The lawsuit stems from Verizon's advertisements; "There's a map for that". The campaign includes a map comparison of the 3G coverage across the nation which AT&T claims is misleading. Although AT&T does have the vast 3G coverage in comparison to Verizon the advertisement does contain fine-print which excludes certain coverage areas. Does the AT&T case hold water?


http://mashable.com/2009/11/03/att-verizon-lawsuit/

It seems that even in a low budget, cost cutting, and unstable economy, Google is still able to attract business. L.A., in this example, is deciding to make a deal with Google to switch its current e-mail provider from Novell to its Gmail services. Novell tries to defend by stating that the transition will cost $1.5 million to "learn" how to use Gmail, which is free. The city will probably save money in the long-run using Gmail, but it will still cost the taxpayers $1.5 million.

http://blogs.laweekly.com/ladaily/city-news/free-email-to-cost-city-15-mil/

This article made me think of our previous assignment. In Europe, users can edit maps such as adding public bathroom locations, new one-way streets or even just recommend beautiful sightseeing spots. The project was coined the "Wikipedia of Map." Users aren't allow to use the service for commercial uses, but for the past couple years the project has appeared to be successful.

The NHL is using Twitter lists to create lists of fans through crowdsourcing. NHL fans are rapidly requesting to be put on lists and fans are networking with each other more than ever before. This has also exposed some issues with Twitter lists that may not have been thought about before:

According to an upcoming eMarketer report that previews the online holiday shopping season, the tough economy has affected how holiday season retailers will go about marketing to consumers. Retailers will rely on 'proven marketing techniques like paid search and e-mail marketing', while other techniques such as social media (Facebook, Twitter), won't be used.

I would have thought that social media would be used in a tough economy where companies may be strapped for marketing money. Being that social media is free, it seems like it would be favored by those companies who are looking to keep their money in the bank, however, social media is not yet a proven marketing tactic. Since it is not yet a proven tactic, the marketing tactics that are proven will be used because the companies can be assured that the tactics will work, which means more money in their pockets.

Interesting article because I would have assumed the opposite.
http://www.emarketer.com/blog/index.php/retailers-focus-basics-holiday-season/

The conference is being held at the Memorial Art Gallery at a cost of $150 for registration. More information can be found at http://www.sm2day.com/.

I'm sure this would be a very interesting conference to attend, though for a college student it would probably be difficult to attend being on a Wednesday and the cost, but I thought I would share it anyways. It's interesting to see the conference come here and if it is successful I'm sure that it will be back at some point.

Imagine your browser being able to remove all the clutter around the content you really want to read. Well imagine no more, it's called Readability.