Is Google Really Making a Facebook Killer?
By Joel Feder | July 2, 2010
I have read the articles and heard the talks revolving around the upcoming “Facebook Killer” from Google. I will say one thing, many have noted that Google now realizes that Buzz was not enough. Yea, I would say that is a contender for understatement of the year.
Back to the point at hand, is Google really making a platform to go head to head with Facebook? I would not put it past them. Yes, I said it, I would assume Google is making something that will contend with Facebook. I don’t believe however, that it will dethrone Facebook, the main reason being Facebook has a foothold in the market. They are also constantly evolving and adding new features. The fact is, Facebook is the center of social networking. Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, the list goes on, they all play a role but Facebook is full featured. It is dynamic in nature.
The bottom line is simple; I do believe Google is creating something. I do not believe it will kill Facebook or even overthrow it. Competition brings innovation. If anything, Google making an attempt to really compete with Facebook will likely bring new and cool innovative features to the market.
What’s your take on this?
Topics: Social Media | No Comments »
Why I Am Getting The New iPhone 4
By Joel Feder | June 11, 2010
Anyone that knows me probably figures I am getting an iPhone 4. If you ask them why, they will most likely say it is the newest, shinest piece of Apple phone hotness to come out of 1Infinite Loop this year. While that maybe true, it is not the entire reason.
Fine I will admit it is part of the reason. The other part is because the upgraded technology is more then enough for me to justify the cost. The upgraded camera (now up to 5 megapixel) and the insane screen resolution alone justify it for me. The ability to have 5x zoon and HD video recording are more then icing on cake.
Oh did I mention the bigger battery? That might make it so I almost make it through a full day without needing to hit up a charger. The video calling over Wifi called Facetime is cool, but not my key selling point. Lets not forget between how big my bill is every month and the fact that I am the main line on the account AT&T is letting me upgrade (read resign to be locked with them for another two years) for a cheaper entry price to the new iPhone 4. So you know why I am getting the new iPhone 4, half because it is the newest, shiniest piece of Apple phone hotness this year, and also because it has features that I can and will fully utilize that are upgraded from my current iPhone3Gs. So the only question is, are you getting the new iPhone 4 and if so, why? What was your deciding factor?
Topics: Technology | 2 Comments »
The Next Generation iPhone
By Joel Feder | April 23, 2010
The Next Generation iPhone
As many of you might know Gizmodo, a Gawker Media owned blog recently acquired what appeared to be the next generation iPhone. When I use the term acquired I really mean paid $5,000 to get their hands on the device. This particular iPhone was left at a bar near Apple’s campus back in March. Being the good samaritan he is, the person that found the phone tried twice to no avail to return the phone to Apple (sounds like a system fail to me). The individual then sold the device to Gizmodo.
They tore apart the phone and worked tirelessly to confirm it was a legitimate Apple piece. Gizmodo indeed deemed that this was in fact made by Apple deducting that it was more than likely the next generation iPhone. After making sure they had their ducks in a row they blasted it out on Gizmodo and every other Gawker media blog ensuring their readers knew about it as well. The news picked it up, and before you knew it, all Gawker servers could not handle the amount of traffic they were receiving. They were forced to turn off comments.
Apple contacted Gizmodo and requested that what belonged to them be returned. Gizmodo said they would be happy to return the device as long as they had a written request (essentially confirming in black and white that this was an Apple device). Apple sent a written request which of course Gizmodo posted. That folks, is the story of how we got a glimpse of the new iPhone.
The Next Generation iPhone
Below is what Gizmodo posted as to their findings of what’s new and what’s changed:
What’s new
• Front-facing video chat camera
• Improved regular back-camera (the lens is quite noticeably larger than the iPhone 3GS)
• Camera flash
• Micro-SIM instead of standard SIM (like the iPad)
• Improved display. It’s unclear if it’s the 960×640 display thrown around before—it certainly looks like it, with the “Connect to iTunes” screen displaying much higher resolution than on a 3GS.
• What looks to be a secondary mic for noise cancellation, at the top, next to the headphone jack
• Split buttons for volume
• Power, mute, and volume buttons are all metallic
What’s changed
• The back is entirely flat, made of either glass (more likely), ceramic or shiny plastic in order for the cell signal to poke through. Tapping on the back makes a more hollow and higher pitched sound compared to tapping on the glass on the front/screen, but that could just be the orientation of components inside making for a different sound.
• An aluminum border going completely around the outside
• Slightly smaller screen than the 3GS (but seemingly higher resolution)
• Everything is more squared off
• 3 grams heavier
• 16% larger battery
• Internals components are shrunken, miniaturized and reduced to make room for the larger battery
Next Generation iPhone Next to the Current iPhone3Gs
Source- Gizmodo
Topics: Technology | No Comments »
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.
Topics: Social Media, Twitter | No Comments »
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.
Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
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.
Topics: Social Media | No Comments »
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.
Topics: Twitter | No Comments »
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.
Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
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.
Topics: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
