by wildcherry on Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 | News, Tech/Gadget | No Comments

AOL and Facebook have integrated their chat features to allow users to chat with their Facebook friends on AIM (AOL Instant Messenger.)

The new move comes hot on the heels of Google’s new social feature, Google Buzz, which seeks to compete directly with Facebook.

AOL says of the new feature:

Use AIM to chat seamlessly with your Facebook friends. Chat with them in AIM whether they’re AIM users or not.

Tags: Facbeook Aol Instant Messenger, Facebook, Facebook Aim, Facebook Aol, Facebook Aol Aim, Facebook Aol Integration, Facebook Connect, google buzz

by bintangkecil on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 | News, Tech/Gadget | No Comments

Tuesday morning, Google launched Buzz; the latest Google product for sharing links, media, and status updates with your friends.

Google Buzz is integrated in Gmail. So, if you have a Gmail account, you can go to buzz.google.com to turn the feature on right now!

Buzz is more than a little bit like Twitter — and a whole lot like Facebook and FriendFeed. Anything you post is automatically sent out to the people on your Google Contacts list you interact with the most. All updates are real-time, and anything you share is open for comments. You can also post privately to a select group of friends.

During the Buzz press conference, Google expressed eagerness to integrate Buzz with the company’s existing properties (Wave, Latitude, Voice) the way it has with Gmail.

	No setup needed Automatically follow the people you email and chat with the most in Gmail.
	Share publicly or privately Publish your ideas to the world or just to your closest friends.
	Inbox integration Comments get sent right to your inbox so it's easy to keep the conversation going.
	Photo friendly See thumbnails with each post, and browse full-screen photos from popular sites.
	Connect sites you already use Import your stuff from Twitter, Picasa, Flickr, and Google Reader.
	See updates in real time New posts and comments pop in as they happen. No refresh required.
	Just the good stuff Buzz recommends interesting posts and weeds out ones you're likely to skip.

Google Buzz in Action!

Google Buzz for mobile

Tags: buzz, buzz google, Facebook, friendfeed, gmail blog, gmail buzz, gmail google buzz, google buz, google buzz, google buzz for mobile, google buzzing, google facebook, Google Latitude, google social, google social media, google social network, google social software, google twitter, google voice, Google Wave, googlebuzz, social network, twitter

by wildcherry on Monday, February 8th, 2010 | News, Tech/Gadget | No Comments

Gmail is set to become Google’s next major push into social media. According to The Wall Street Journal, the popular webmail service will soon launch a new feature for sharing content and status updates with friends. [Update: We think Google might announce these features on Tuesday]

In other words, your Gmail contacts aren’t necessarily the same people you want to share status updates, photos and videos with. This is an issue that shouldn’t be overlooked in evaluating the new features Google is soon to unveil.

As WSJ points out, Gmail users can already update their statuses — sort of — through Gmail’s chat feature. Currently, this feature is more akin to the traditional IM “away message.” However, with this new social push, Gmail will offer a timeline-view of your friends’ status updates, just like on Facebook and Twitter.

Those updates might come from both Gmail and third-party services. According to WSJ, Google-owned YouTube and Picasa will be integrated into the stream. The huge question then is whether or not the new feature will include updates from Twitter and Facebook.

If so, the new features could be thought of more like a TweetDeck or Seesmic, looking to provide an aggregate view of your friends’ social media activities along with the ability to push status updates to the services you use from inside of Gmail. If not, it could be thought of as a major competitor to Twitter and Facebook as Gmail looks to covert its millions of e-mail users into adherents to a whole new breed of social media service.

Full article:Mashable

Tags: Facebook, gmail, gmail social, google, trending, twitter

by wildcherry on Saturday, January 16th, 2010 | Deals, Products Review | 11 Comments

Here are the 10 best Blackberry apps that you should have on your Blackberry Cell!

1. Google Maps

This is one of my favorite programs. It’s not only great for the PC, but in my opinion it’s one of the few PC programs that actually offers users a more rich experience on their handheld cellular devices. With Google Maps users can find local businesses and other points of interest, discover traffic delays, receive turn by turn directions, and even use GPS capabilites via My Location Based Services without having a GPS receiver installed on their device. (Of course it will work with a built-in recevier or Bluetooth GPS receiver add-on). Adding to all of the Google Maps for Blackberry devices is the price - it’s 100% free.

2. Xplayer

I really don’t like the Media Player found on Blackberry cell phones, but xPlayer definitely steps up the devices game. It supports all type of media files including MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, etc. Plus it will even play video files and offers a pretty impressive codec base for playing back a ton of different video file types. Again this one is free, so it’s worth a look see.

3. Opera Mini

The Blackberry included browser is horrendous (only because I couldn’t think of a better word to use than horrendous). The factory-installed browser doesn’t offer good page views, and the pages that do come up render rather slowly.

In comes Opera Mini! Not only can you zoom in and out of pages allowing you to see the whole page as nature (or the webmaster) intended it, but you can also set the page views for your own optimal viewing. You can even use a landscape mode and save pages easily to your bookmarks section. Plus, it uses very little system resources in the grand scheme of things. Overall another awesome program that’s once again freeware based.

4. BBWeather

I don’t like to get rained on, or suffer from heat stroke, and I don’t have to thanks to this nifty program. BBweather gives Blackberry cell phone users the ability to configure their weather forecasts for the city they’re in.

Users who travel can also set up different profiles for several locations, while viewing anywhere from 2-10 days of future weather forecasts. With dewpoint, humidity and other information also given its another great freeware program that’s worth a go around.

5. Google Mobile Search

Once again Google proves why they’re on top of the digital world. Google Mobile Search For Blackberry Devices is the best option for quick web searches. Not only can you find local businesses, but you can store your recent searches for quick look ups later. Not to mention you can find images, phone numbers, addresses and much more directly from your device.

The Google Mobile Search option will also show off by providing up-to-date stock quotes, offering a glossary of search terms, displaying Local listings, offering Movie times and it will even let you click on a phone number to auto dial the number being displayed. It’s also offered at the very cheap price of FREE.

Even if I had to pay for this program I would use it - it’s really that good, and pretty much an essential install for any traveler.

6. Facebook For Blackberry

I must admit that when on my Facebook account, I rarely install many apps offered to me by friends. However I love the cell phone apps offered by some very skillful developers, and the Blackberry Facebook Application is no exception.

With this free application you can be notified on your Blackberry homescreen when you receive new messages on your facebook account. The program will even display your full wall messages, let you know who’s poking you, show new photo tags and so much more. You can even update your status, check out your friends’ status, and even post your pictures from your device directly. Basically you can manage your entire Facebook account without ever stepping near a computer. The cost is again free, and it’s a simple install to your Blackberry device.

7. BBLight

This is a really simple freeware program that offers one simple solution, however, it’s a solution that users who watch alot of videos will want to take advantage of. BBlight allows you to set a time length for when your screen will turn off. This is really useful if you’re on a plane or travelling by some other means and your watching a longer video. Yes it’s simple, but again it’s free and rather a quite useful application for the heavy video viewer crowd.

8. WorldMate For Blackberry Devices

This is a must have application for travellers. The Gold package will cost you $99 per year, but pardon the pun when I say it can be worth its weight in gold. The app allows users to store their own itineraries, view a world clock and check out the weather.

Where the application really shines though is in its ability to display flight schedules and show the status of each flight you want to look up. This application can save valuable time by always keeping you on top of your flight plans, while giving you easy access to your airlines’ phone numbers in case you need to make other arrangements. It may cost money, but with the time it can save travellers, it may be worth the cost.

9. Open Office For Blackberry

This is a great option if you need to edit Microsoft Office, including Microsoft 2007, documents on the fly. At $69.95 the program isn’t too pricey especially when you consider what it offers. The screen on the Open Office application allows users to easily add Bold, Italic, and other formatting standards. If you need to edit office documents and keep the original formatting this is the way to go. But beware - to create and not just edit documents you’ll pay an additional fee up to $70.

10. Cellfire

Normally I wouldn’t include this program, but given the price of gas, every dollar saving technique is welcomed.

Cellfire basically blasts coupons to a user’s cell phone with a unique 5 digit code which users can then show to clerks at local stores to receive the discount. Right now the program is already working with some major companies such as Dominos, McDonalds, and Sears to name just a few, and the number of subscribing companies is continuing to grow. The best part? You only receive the coupons when you choose to have your device go out and fetch the newest offerings, meaning you won’t be bombarded with advertisements at all times of the day. This one’s better than free. Not only will you not pay for it, but Cellfire can literally save you money.

You can also read our articles about “Top Free blackberry apps”

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by wildcherry on Sunday, December 6th, 2009 | News, Weird | No Comments

A groom interrupted his own wedding to get his phone out at the altar to update his relationship status on Facebook and Twitter.

He whipped out his mobile immediately after the minister pronounced the couple man and wife, reports The Sun.

The audience then burst out laughing as the minister, who was in on the stunt, tells them the groom is updating his relationship status.

He also Tweeted: “Standing at the altar with TracyPage where just a second ago, she became my wife! Gotta go, time to kiss my bride.”

He then hands his new wife her phone so she can update her Facebook status from “in a relationship” to “married”.

A clip of the stunt has been posted on YouTube (see below) where it has become an internet hit with nearly 180,000 viewers to date.

On YouTube, the un-named groom says: “This was just done to be funny - we really don’t Facebook THAT often:).

“I have a lot of family scattered around the country and we all use Facebook a lot to keep in touch. So when Tracy and I were engaged, most of my family found out via Facebook because we updated our statuses.

“I surprised not only my guests, but also Tracy by pulling out my phone and posting on Facebook and Twitter from the altar during our wedding.

“I had her phone ready in my pocket, so when she asked for it I could hand it to her. No one knew about this except the minister, and myself.”

Technorati:facebook,twitter,twitter groom,facebook wedding,facebook twitter,twitter wedding

Tags: couple facebook, couple twitt, Facebook, facebook groom, facebook wedding, twitter, twitter groom, twitter wedding

by wildcherry on Sunday, December 6th, 2009 | News, Tech/Gadget | No Comments

One of the most innovative and interesting new toys out there are the new toys from the upcoming movie by director James Cameron, Avatar. Avatar, the anticipated action-adventure film from the director of Titanic, James Cameron, and Twentieth Century FOX hits theaters December 18th.

In anticipation of this landmark film, Mattel was tapped as master toy licensee for the property, and created a line of action figures, creatures and vehicles beyond imagination. Purchase select Avatar toys, you can get a free iTag with purchase.

The toy line is the first to incorporate i-TAG technology which allows for three dimensional, augmented reality play – mixing real and virtual worlds together in real time – for a truly unique play experience.

Watch the video to see how Avatar iTag works :

Technorati:3d,avatar,iTag,avatar action figure,avatar toys,James Cameron

Tags: 3D, augmented reality, avatar, avatar toys, AVTR, Chat, Coke Zero, Entertainment, event, Facebook, Film, footage, iTag, James Cameron, james cameron's Avatar, live, mattel, McDonald's, movie, MTV, new technology toys, new toys, Pandora's Quest, S3D, Sam Worthington, stereoscopic, Tech toys, Webcast, Zoe Saldana

by wildcherry on Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 | News, World | No Comments

A Facebook poll about President Obama asking users to vote “should Obama be killed?” caused FBI to ask Facebook to takedown the poll and investigating the people behind the poll.

“We are taking the appropriate investigative steps,” the spokesman, Ed Donovan, told our reporter, Amanda Erickson. “We are aware of it.”

The poll asked: “Should Obama be killed?” It offered four choices: No, Maybe, Yes, and Yes if he cuts my health care.

The poll, of course, is only the latest example of the sort of viral incitement to violence that flares up when the sparks of anti-Obama hatred are fed oxygen by the bellows of the Internets. While anyone can put up such a poll, this kind of stuff is a sign of the moment — as David Kurtz put it, it’s akin to graffiti on the virtual wall of our times.

According to a source, the Secret Service has contacted Facebook and asked them to take the poll down. And, indeed, it’s already down.

Given that the Secret Service is investigating the circumstances of the poll, it seems clear that they’re looking into who was behind it.

Over 730 people had taken the poll, which was later removed from Facebook. The poll is now being probed by the Secret Service, reports the Associated Press. Read more about the investigation here.
Included on the list of the top 100 most popular polls on Facebook was a poll responding to the “should Obama be killed” query, and which asked users to vote, “Should the creator of ’should Obama be killed’ be arrested?”

Tags: Barack Obama Facebook, Facebook, Facebook Poll, obama, Obama Poll, Obama Poll Facebook, Photo Obama Facebook Poll, Screengrab Obama Poll, Should Obama Be Killed Poll

by bintangkecil on Friday, September 18th, 2009 | Humour, Life, Tips | 1 Comment

Balancing your work and personal life on social networking tools such as Facebook has become more complex than ever — and the dangers go beyond the well-publicized examples of posting party pictures to your profile.

A more subtle faux pas can affect your online reputation and even future job path, as your friend list on Facebook includes both personal and professional contacts. Information you post can mess up your work relationships and personal ones in one quick swoop.

For example, the immediacy and ease with which you can post a quip on Facebook may get you into trouble if you’re teasing your significant other — plus tell work colleagues more than they need or want to know about your relationship. This recent story of a man caught cheating by his wife when she perused his iPhone got us thinking: In this day of gadgetry and near-constant contact via social networking, how can you avoid blunders that will deem you a thoughtless spouse, friend or colleague?

Kirsten Dixson, a reputation management and online identity expert, has some tips to keep you on the appropriate social networking etiquette path. Because Facebook mixes your personal and professional life, she says it requires more careful attention than LinkedIn, the social network for professionals, which keeps a strictly all-business look and feel due to its design.

Here are Dixson’s suggestions for managing your Facebook profile and your overall social networking persona, and warnings about places where you can get into trouble with people who matter to you personally and professionally.

1. Choosing your profile picture

Thoughtful: Some people militantly believe that Facebook is all personal while LinkedIn is all professional. If this sounds like you, you might choose a Facebook pic of yourself fishing, hanging out at a party or playing a guitar. But Dixson says you’re better off to err on the side of caution here, by keeping your profile picture professional, or at least neutral. Your photo doesn’t need to be in a studio with a boring canvas backdrop - it could be outside on your deck or on a mountain side, for instance - but it has to be fairly even-keeled. (This is different than LinkedIn, where photos should be strictly professional, Dixson says).

Thoughtless: According to Dixson, don’t post profile pictures that are “too sexy, cartoonish or that might alienate your audience.” A look through your friend list can usually reveal the ones she’s talking about. The stylized glamour shot, the quick snapshot of slicked up hair or low-cut dresses taken right before heading to a party, or worse, costume-like pics: wet suits and surfboards, bike gear, Halloween outfits -the list goes on.

2. Filling Out Your Biography

Thoughtful: The biographical section of social networks vary. On Facebook, the service provides fields for a variety of interests, both professional and personal. Don’t be afraid to post some nuggets that convey who you are, within reason. On Facebook, you can decide with great granularity what information people can view by altering your privacy settings. For instance, you can set it so every visitor to your profile sees that you enjoy golfing, reading and civil war history, but maybe only a certain group of people see your religion, political affiliations and relationships. For Facebook’s “About me” section, building on the Twitter doctrine, Dixson says to be short and concise. Don’t worry about being clever.

Thoughtless: While there aren’t many numbers to back this assertion (because Facebook is a private company, and data can be hard to come by), most social networking and identity experts believe a great many Facebook users never so much as glance at their privacy settings pages. The same probably holds true for other social networks. Remember that social networks plan to monetize their service by ensuring that you share as much information as possible. As such, you should believe that they’ll share as much information about you as they can, and make it available to the widest audience.

The default settings for Facebook, for example, make all your profile information available for everyone on the service to see. “Assume from the get go that anything you put in there is viewable on the public internet,” Dixson says. “Go in with that line of thinking. Then go in and say, if you don’t want to make certain information available to certain people, go turn them off with the privacy settings.”

With the information you do share, avoid being vain. Social networks do enable, if not encourage, a bit of narcissism. But don’t assume people want to read a novel about your life. Also, be protective of your family. It’s fine to list yourself as “married” in the info section, for instance, but don’t necessarily feel that you have to put down a link to your significant other. If you have young children, for their protection and privacy, Dixson recommends you don’t include their names anywhere in the bio or in pictures of them that you decide to share.

Oh, and a word about age. While you may want to include your birthday on your Facebook profile, so people can message you on the big day, you should exclude the birth year, Dixson says. Your friends and family know how old you are, and there’s no reason for your professional ones to know.

3. Posting content, links, and news

Thoughtful: Post content that highlights your personal interests and your professional areas of expertise. A marketing professional might post some interesting links for a relevant trade publication he or she wanted to share, for example. Posting personal picture slideshows is fine — again, within reason. You clearly want to avoid the aforementioned pitfalls of displaying shots of wild revelry. But for all the agony about what’s acceptable and what’s not, remember that offering contacts a decent glimpse into what makes you you can have business benefits. “It strengthens relationships,” Dixson says. “It really helps establish connections. People like to do business with people they know.”

Thoughtless: Spamming people is a big no-no, as it can irrevocably ruin your social capital. It’s great to be so passionate about things in both your professional life and personal life that you feel compelled to share it with people who are important to you, but remember that people can only take so much time out of their day. Also, don’t assume they care about every little thing in your personal life. People know you’re proud of your kids, for example, and that speaks to your commitment as a parent. Yet you need to know when to draw the line somewhere in how much they want to hear.

Definitely keep your romantic break-ups and get-togethers in private forums, like e-mails, IMs and (who still uses it anymore?) the phone.

Oh, and this one should be self-explanatory: don’t go flapping your gums about your company’s affairs.

4. Talking to One vs. Many

Thoughtful: Posing a question to your entire network is OK, provided it’s relevant to all of them, or at least won’t be viewed as a nuisance. For instance, you might ask, “Getting a new phone. iPhone or BlackBerry?” Such a question will be relevant to a lot of folks who have gone through the same issue. The key is, if you’re on the receiving end and want to weigh in on such an issue, be sure to respond to that person only - unless it’s been made clear that he or she wants your comments public. This way, you avoid spamming people.

Thoughtless: Know that self-satisfied guy who unrelentingly decides to hit reply-all to every group e-mail that’s sent in your company? You don’t want to be that guy on social networks. On Facebook, one of the most utilized features is the Wall. It’s a fun place to leave publicly displayed messages and a bit of witty banter. However, making specific plans with a person on the Wall, for example, is rude to that person’s other profile visitors. Too many times, you see “let’s get a drink at 5 today” posted to someone’s Wall. Unless you want to include all of that person’s friends in on the social engagement, there’s no reason not to pose that question in the private messaging section of Facebook (or any social network for that matter; Twitter, for instance, has the direct message function).

5. Watching Your Tone

Thoughtful: It’s important to keep a polite and measured tone on social networks; after all, the mainstream ones like Facebook are an extension of our lives in real life (that’s not necessarily the case in virtual worlds, but that’s a whole other topic). Say things you’d feel comfortable saying in person, and avoid inside jokes that only a few of your contacts would understand.

Thoughtless: With a social network that is fairly open, nobody is really going to be impressed when you post inside jokes that they don’t understand; in fact, you run the risk of insulting people if they think you’re making some veiled or coded comment about them. Remember, within most social networks, you can set up private groups where those kinds of exchanges will not only be more appropriate, but also encouraged. “It’s better to be clear than clever,” Dixson says. “Don’t expect people to get it. Be very explicit.”

Finally, sarcastic humor and anger can be dangerous in social network postings, just as they are in e-mail messages. Think twice before sharing.

Source: PC World

Tags: bill gates facebook, bill gates facebook profile, biography on facebook, Facebook, facebook doctrine, facebook don'ts, facebook dos, facebook dos and don'ts, facebook etiquette, facebook profile funny picture, facebooking etiquettes, Kirsten Dixson, LinkedIn, posting comments on facebook, posting contents on facebook, posting links on facebook, privacy on facebook, twitter

by wildcherry on Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 | News, Tech/Gadget | No Comments

Facebook users have been chosen to test out Facebook Lite, including myself. And just as quickly, the message disappeared. What it is exactly…we’re not quite sure.

Here’s the full text you see on the homepage if you were selected:

“You have been selected as a beta tester for Facebook Lite!

We are building a faster, simpler version of Facebook that we call Facebook Lite. It’s not finished yet and we have plenty of kinks to work out, but we would love to get your feedback on what we have built so far.

Check out Facebook Lite now at http://lite.facebook.com.”

Tags: Facebook, facebook light, facebook lite, facebook lite beta, facebook lite beta tester, facebook lite invite, lite facebook, lite.facebook, what is facebook lite

by nate on Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 | Inspiration, Knowledge, Life, World | No Comments

People surrounding you complaining about your first morning with opening your facebook account? With the information I digg from CNN.com, facebook can actually benefit you. You might want to consider a new job search under these categories:

1. Recruiter

Candidates have been on social networks for years now, and it’s about time recruiters joined them. Daniel says Dan Temps’ recruiters can find candidates faster, screen them better and reach out to individuals they wouldn’t see otherwise.

“Dan Temps believes that the environment candidates are accustomed to in a social network will keep the conversations and information real,” Daniel says. “Candidates don’t feel they are being pressured in that environment like they would in a more formal interview or screening process and are more likely to get real with our recruiters.”

2. Strategist

Many companies are seeking social media strategists to find the best way to interact within various social sites and online communities. In this role, you would be the face of social media for your company, creating and maintaining an effective social media strategy by interacting with users, growing brand awareness, creating buzz, increasing traffic and providing valuable information. To thrive in this position, Durbin says you must have a proven track record of achieving goals, or companies will be hesitant to hire you.

3. Enterprise architect

“This is the most exciting job in social media and requires someone with broad experience in networks, multiple platforms, development, security and political infighting,” Durbin says. “This is a very rare find. It’s for companies looking to completely revamp their content management strategy and internal networks. It could be the most important role in a company in the next five years.”

4. User operations analyst

For any company with an online presence, user experience is one of the most vital parts of the business. The only way to monitor that is to have someone in charge of the experience themselves. No matter if the company is blogging, has a Web site or pages on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, user operations analysts interact with users, answer queries, investigate problems and keep track of user habits.

5. Director of social media

Similar to a strategist, companies need someone to organize company blogging, viral marketing, podcasting, etc. This person has a background in building teams and who really gets the promise and the purpose of social media, Durbin says. These folks should be wary of new technologies and be all over blogs, RSS, have Facebook and Twitter accounts, and know the difference between his or her employees playing and researching on MySpace and YouTube.

Tags: enterprise architect, Facebook, how to become a media guru, Job search, job seekers, media guru, recruiter, social networking, user operations analyst, what can a facebook do?