Using Hashtags
By Joel Feder | February 15, 2010
If you don’t use Twitter on a regular basis you might be wondering why certain words in tweets have the # in front of them. This is called a hashtag and it is used to help ease the search of a topic or keyword. When people on Twitter search for things or try to keep track of a topic, they search for a word with a hashtag in front of it.
A good example is a conference such as social media breakfast. The Minneapolis social media breakfast uses the hashtag #smbmsp. Most of us Minneapolis social medialites have a search column on our Tweetdeck and of course we use the hashtag.
When I tweet about an auto-manufacturer or any company, I always use the hashtag in front of the name. These companies are searching for their names using the hashtag. You can even make a hashtag out of nothing. For example, I have made a hashtag out of #GoodDay simply because I was having a good day.
Something to keep in mind, you have to make it all connected with no spaces in the words. People are used to reading the hashtags and figuring out the words. It is usually not hard. Overall majority of the people you follow are likely using hashtags in tweets and you can view them as examples.
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Unplugging
By Joel Feder | February 11, 2010
It was recently brought to my attention that I have consumed my life in the online world and everything that goes around it. When I was in college my major was marketing. Social Media as a marketing tool was not fully being embraced in school, yet students were using it as case studies for projects. Like every other college student, I used Facebook but it was not the same as it is today.
My life recently has been consumed by tweeting on Twitter, checking in on Foursquare, messaging and chatting on Facebook and the list goes on. Some of the important people in my life started taking a back seat. It suddenly hit me one day (after multiple people telling me multiple times) that there was a problem. Now that I have acknowledged that there is a problem (after all that’s half the battle and the first step) I realized I needed to fix this immediately.
I am working harder at unplugging. This goes to all aspects of my life. Further than social media. Writing blog posts, surfing other blogs, chatting on Facebook, these are all part of the problem. It is all being connected. Taking time to just go for a drive with a loved one. Cuddling up and watching tv with your significant other. These are examples of how to unplug.
Lately I am trying to embrace the concept of unplugging a little more often. When I am with ones that matter most, I do not necessarily need to check the text the minute it comes in. The truth is, if someone is dying they will most likely call not text. Before you say how can Joel be saying this, hear me out. Spending a few hours with no Twitter or any real connections for that matter, turns out is nice.
This is not to say you should not be on Twitter and other platforms. I have made invaluable connections and relationships which I would not trade for anything. With all that said, I am enjoying unplugging more often. The point is make sure there is a balance, make sure one thing does not consume all your time.
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Going Mobile
By Joel Feder | February 4, 2010
Wordpress is without a question one of the more popular blogging/website platforms. The world has been going mobile more and more lately and Wordpress is not sitting on its hands. They already have an iPhone app that is on version 2.1 while no app was even available for either Android or Blackberry. That changed this week. Yes, there has been a Blackberry app in development for a while. In fact some people had the app for beta testing but it is now out of beta and public. The same goes for the Android app. The world is going mobile and with the Wordpress application it is even easier to have your blog mobile with you. I personally use the Wordpress app on my iPhone to both post and make changes to my blog all the time. It is much more convenient than logging into the website on my phone all the time. If you are a Wordpress user and have an iPhone, Android device or Blackberry I highly recommend downloading the Wordpress app.
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Social Media at the Detroit Auto Show
By Joel Feder | January 21, 2010
As many of you might already know, I recently attended the Detroit Auto Show. I was invited as a guest by General Motors to be part of the Social Media press they were bringing in. It was interesting to see how Social Media has emerged beyond traditional media on “their turf.” It is clear that the marketing and journalism industry is changing and the lines are starting to blur. Read more on how Social Media played a role at NAIAS (Detroit Auto Show) by clicking here.
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Direct Messaging Tweeple
By Joel Feder | January 15, 2010
Using the Direct Message feature on Twitter (aka DM) is an easy way to message someone privately. You are still limited to the 140 characters imposed on regular public tweets. However, this type of message will not be visible to anyone other than the person it is directed at.
The catch22 with direct messaging that many people aren’t familiar with is that you can only direct message someone that is following you. One way to overcome this is by @replying someone publicly asking them to follow you. This is an acceptable method that many people use on a daily basis. The person might follow you merely long enough to receive the message and then unfollow you but you at least get to message them. Some people will not respond to you or follow you even when asked through an @reply. It differs from one individual to another.
In sum, Direct Messages are an effective way to communicate within the Twitter platform with people that follow you privately. A tool that should not be taken for granted but rather utilized.
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MobileMe Gallery for iPhone
By Joel Feder | January 14, 2010
Apple launched its fifth first party app today. The MobileMe Gallery for iPhone is an app that essentially allows you to log into your MobileMe account and view within a gallery your albums uploaded to your account. You can view, email, and access photos previously seen while offline. Like all other Apple software the interface is very well executed. The app itself is something that should have come out a long time ago, but you know what they say, better late than never. You need a MobileMe subscription to login to the app. The app itself is free and available to download in the App Store in iTunes.
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Why the Nexus One IS NOT an iPhone Killer
By Joel Feder | January 7, 2010
As many of you know, Google held an event last Tuesday announcing the Nexus One. By then, almost everyone knew the phone’s specifications from the numerous leaks. The only surprise I learnt is the fact that it will be sold on Verizon Wireless in the near future. Here is a quick rundown on the specifications;
- 3.7″ AMOLED display with a trackball.
- It comes with features such as a light sensor, GPS, and accelerometer.
- 130 grams in weight and 11.5 mm in width, about the width of a standard #2 pencil.
- Camera is 5MP with LED flash.
- Two microphones, one of which is used for noise cancellation.
- Customization is a key to the Nexus One. There are five home screens to customize your interface.
- Dynamic touchscreen features of the software. For example, one of the wallpapers is a lake with leaves. When you touch it, it will ripple. It’s quite nifty, actually.
- Every text field is voice-enabled. Every time you speak, it will process your speech into text. It gets better and better the more you use it.
- You’ll be able to buy the phone at the Google web store. You can find it at Google.com/Phone. It costs $179 on T Mobile with a two-year contract.
- It will be on Verizon in Spring 2010. Europe’s Vodafone will also support the Nexus One later this year.
The phone overall has some awesome features. The complete voice control anywhere in the phone is truly awesome (if it works well). The phone is thin, has great battery life, and really competes as far as specifications are concerned.
The fact remains this is not an iPhone killer. In fact I personally am sick of hearing about every phone that comes out being hailed as the iPhone killer. It happened when the Motorola Droid came out and now with the Nexus One. Android simply does not have certain things that make the iPhone what it is. The iPhone comes with the Apple experience. It fits in the Apple eco system with MobileMe and iTunes. Yes, the Android platform has similar sync capabilities with Google Calendar and Contact syncing. The problem lies with the computer interface. There isn’t one! The great thing about the iPhone is the desktop experience with iTunes. I am not claiming iTunes is awesome but I am going to claim it is a large part of the iPhone experience. I can control my apps, music, photos, and pretty much whatever I want to sync and manage through iTunes without even touching my iPhone. It is all backed up and I have physical control over the data. With Google, it is all in the “cloud.” The application market on Android is also no where near the size of the App Store on the iPhone. If you need to get something done on the iPhone, it’s almost guaranteed you will find an app for it.
In my opinion (and it seems to be many others as well) the real shifting point of the Nexus One and Tuesdays announcement was not the Nexus One phone itself. It is what Google is using it to launch. The web store to sell the phone both unlocked and on T-Mobile. Google is moving towards taking more control of the Android platform. It will be very interesting to me to see how this all plays out with both the online store and Google selling/pushing its own phone.
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Apple – About to Change the World Again?
By Joel Feder | December 31, 2009
Mock Up of What an Apple Tablet Might Look Like
It has become official that Apple will hold an event on January 26th. It is said the event will focus on “the mobile space.” No further details have been provided. Many have been foaming at the mouth for a tablet like device from Apple for years. It seems this dream might finally come to fruition soon. Rumors have it that Steve Jobs has mentioned repeatedly that this mystery device was not ready for prime time. It was recently leaked out that Jobs has finally given approval on a device that is like nothing out there. This all sounds somewhat familiar.
Lets rewind nearly four years, this situation sounds exactly like the pre-iphone era. The iPhone has changed the mobile world forever. Apps are now robust, phones are going touch screen, sleek and svelte are now terms associated with phones, and Apple is printing money.
Rumors of a tablet from Apple have been around for years. Everyone has been focused on an announcement in January and now with this event being official it can only be a matter of weeks until we know the truth. We have heard many different sizes mentioned for such a device but many believe it to be around 10 inches and similar looking to a large iPhone. Application developers have been asked to make their applications compatible with larger resolutions. Names have been found in patent filings including iSlate and iGuide.
Last year Apple announced they would no longer participate in future Macworld Expos. Apple stated they did not like being on a time table to announce things when the expo was being held. Obviously with Apple holding their own event this year so close to Macworld Expo, the organizers of the expo can not be very happy. One thing is obvious, Apple does not need Macworld to create a buzz. Apple aficionados are foaming at the mouth and ready to buy anything Apple is ready to release. Apple is on fire and they have found the secret to printing money, have Steve Jobs on your team.
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Operation Chokehold- What Happened?
By Joel Feder | December 24, 2009
Last Friday Operation Chokehold was in effect for a full hour. As some of you know Dan Lyons (aka Fake Steve Jobs) called for Operation Chokehold at 12pm PST. The premise was for everyone with an iPhone (and any other data driven device) on AT&T’s network to use as much data as possible for an hour. Most people streamed YouTube or Pandora. The point of this was to show AT&T that people are sick of the network problems.
The back story here is simple, people are sick of the horrid network experience that they are having with AT&T. Many people would rather be on another network but can not because of the exclusivity agreement Apple has with AT&T for the iPhone. AT&T actually commented about Operation Chokehold. They stated it was irresponsible of people to purposely degrade network quality and service. They have admitted that service in both San Francisco and New York is sub-par. As far as I am concerned, while admitting it is the first step, it is by no means good enough. Fix it!
So what exactly happened during Operation Chokehold you ask? Well many participated and streamed live media. I personally streamed Pandora and had a search set up on Twitter to watch what people were saying. I would have liked to post a screen shot of what people said but most were inappropriate. I personally did not see performance issues although some people did. The network did not burn to the ground and AT&T did not crumble over all. The point is many people got behind this cause and wanted to show their support. People from across the nation banded together through social media and tried to teach a giant company that they will not be pushed around.
Below is the message originally put out by Dan Lyons (aka Fake Steve Jobs)
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Bing Come to the iPhone
By Joel Feder | December 16, 2009
Bing launched an iPhone app today. This continues Bing’s move to compete with Google on a mobile level. The Bing iPhone application is fine in nature but slow in execution. Even over wifi, the application seemed to drag slightly. Reports are stating that the mobile online interface is snappier and overall a more polished experience at this point.
The apps homepage has buttons for images, movies, maps, businesses, news, and directions. The Movies option uses your location and can show what is playing around you. The Directions option utilizes Bing maps, detailed directions, traffic, and offers different views on the map. The application also has a voice search feature that can use most of the functions by voice.
Overall, there is definitely room for enhancements. Loading and response peeds within the application could both be faster. Adding the ability to buy tickets for movies right through the app would be helpful. This is a valid first attempt but Google should not be worried, yet.
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