Social Media Marketing Blog

PayPal Wallet’s Take on Payments- Click here http://bit.ly/rXt6xm for full article

PayPal Wallet’s Take on Payments- Click here http://bit.ly/rXt6xm for full article

The idea of a world where consumers are free from carrying multiple debit and credit cards with them has picked up a head of steam over the last year. The biggest push for this concept may have come from Google Wallet, the company’s NFC-based payment solution. Google’s dream of a future where everyone uses Google Wallet won’t come to fruition if PayPal has any say, though.

PayPal recently unveiled its new PayPal Wallet interface. Like Google Wallet, the service lets consumers spend anywhere that PayPal Wallet is accepted using a unified account. All a person needs to do is select what account they want to spend from, and either key in a PIN or use a PayPal credit card. The rest is handled by PayPal, without the buyer needing to carry around a card for each of their spending accounts.

The biggest differentiator for PayPal Wallet from Google Wallet is that PayPal’s new service isn’t based on NFC. While Google Wallet requires its users to have an NFC-enabled phone – something that is still a rarity in the world of smartphones – PayPal doesn’t require NFC. It will have support for NFC in the future, it won’t be required. Instead, users can use the aforementioned PayPal credit card or PIN method to verify purchases.It’s a great idea, and one that PayPal is hoping will allow it to be a leader not just in online payments, but also in offline. When compared to Google Wallet, its largest competitor, the only major advantage that Google Wallet has is that it lets the user choose what payment method they want to use prior to the purchase. PayPal Wallet, meanwhile, uses a default payment method that can’t be conveniently changed prior to each purchase.

To make up for this shortcoming, PayPal Wallet lets its users change their payment method after the purchase has been made. For example, if a person sets their debit card to be their default payment method, then that’s what will be used in all PayPal Wallet purchases. Once that person gets home, though, they can log on to their PayPal account, single out the transaction and switch the funding source for it.PayPal Wallet promises to be an innovative new service that will allow consumers to spend more while fumbling through different cards less. Because of this, business owners can benefit from implementing PayPal Wallet functionality. It takes away the roadblocks associated with traditional spending, and that means more sales for businesses. And, of course, more business for PayPal.

The Release of Siri: What You Need To Know-Click here http://bit.ly/nF4i6q for full article

Of all the many upgrades and new features included in the latest iPhone 4S, the most highly anticipated has got to be Siri. In a nutshell, Siri is a digital personal assistant program that’s included in iOS 5, the latest and greatest version of Apple’s much-lauded mobile operating system. Relying on natural language recognition and artificial intelligence to respond to queries from the user, Siri can do everything you would do yourself automatically without having to push a single button. While there are many similar programs on the market, few attain the level of polish and sophistication that Siri achieves.Main Features and Benefits
Siri is like having a digital personal assistant within your phone. Using natural language recognition melded with cloud database storage, Siri responds to a user’s commands and questions and learns as it goes. In order to launch Siri on a new iPhone 4S, simply hold down the home button. Once activated, you can ask Siri nearly anything you can think of and it’ll answer you to the best of your ability. Simply ask Siri “What can you do?” if you’re unsure where to start. It’ll give you a rundown of the available options and capabilities built in to the service.

Siri’s voice-activated web search is impressive enough by itself. But the truly astounding thing is the way in which it organizes and streamlines communication online or on the phone. Due to its tight integration with your contacts, E-mail, and messaging accounts, you can easily fire off calls and SMS messages by voice command alone. If you want to update your Twitter stream or see what other people are saying, Siri’s got you covered. It can tell you if you need to grab an umbrella before you leave the office, and even book a hotel room for you if you so desire.

How Siri Will Change The Digital Landscape
It’s not an understatement to say that Siri will be a major boon to small and medium-sized businesses that rely heavily on the iPhone to make their work force more productive. Siri’s personal assistant technology makes having a secretary for lower-level executives almost redundant. For the rank and file, Siri makes keeping track of appointments and staying on top of deadlines less of a headache. Overall, Siri makes everyone a more effective worker. As Apple’s flagship voice recognition software catches on with more and more users, expect to see competition in this sector heat up as Android jumps on the bandwagon and releases a digital assistant application of its own.

Wall Street Protests- Click here http://bit.ly/ptkPFs for full article

Back in August, the self-proclaimed ‘culture jamming’ Canadian magazine Adbusters launched a call to action to all disenfranchised Americans. It was time for the USA to have its ‘Tahrir moment’ they said, and they began a movement to ‘Occupy Wall Street’ with at least 20,000 people.

On September 17, the date finally arrived, and fewer than 1,000 people showed. Only a small shadow of what the original call was. Come next morning hundreds had left, and by Monday the 19th, only two days into the Wall Street protest, a mere 150 committed people remained.Those who followed the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ movement expected it to fade out into the background and disappear, obscured by a mainstream media blackout. Now, 20 days in and contrary to early forecasts, the movement has not only grown, but snowballed nationwide beyond the already high expectations of the original organizers.

‘Occupation’ actions are being held and organized in over 200 US cities, including Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco and the District of Columbia. It has also grown internationally, with ‘Occupations’ taking place in Spain, Canada, France, Brazil and Greece to name a few.The occupation movement was originally met with derision and condescension by the media, due in great part by the lack of a cohesive and unifying message. But it may perhaps be this lack of a clear demand what is the most telling about the Wall Street Protests.

On Thursday, President Barack Obama addressed the protests, stating he believes “it expresses the frustrations that the American people feel” and that “the protestors are giving voice to a more broad-based frustration about how our financial system works.” It may very well be this generalized message of frustration towards inequality that has made the movement resonate with so many Americans – and draw support from so many varied and eclectic sources.Increasingly, these grassroots demonstrations against perceived injustice and corporate greed are drawing the attention and support of heavy hitters across the sociopolitical spectrum, like labor unions, Nobel laureates, anarchistic organizations like Anonymous, celebrities, active-duty and veteran US military, politicians and even groups of Tea Party members.

Ironically enough, the NYPD presence which was deployed to contain and disperse the Wall Street protests has only succeeded in helping galvanize public support for ‘Occupy Wall Street’. In fact, on September 23rd the occupation movement was still only a couple hundred strong, but the now infamous video of Deputy Inspector Anthony Bologna pepper-spraying female protestors on September 24th played a key role in creating public support for the Occupation movement; catapulting it to the nation-wide pressure group it has become.With such a broad range of issues ‘Occupy Wall Street’ wants to tackle, as well as the growing number of groups, parties and unions attempting to co-opt the movement into their own agenda, it is extremely hard to tell what the future of this grassroots campaign holds. However, one thing is certain: It has been 20 days and everything indicates it will only get bigger.

The Loss of a Visionary, the Death of Steve Jobs- Click here http://bit.ly/r3QA8F for full article

Hailed as both a visionary and creative genius, Steve Jobs passed away Wednesday night after a long and mostly secret battle with cancer. In addition to his friends and family, Steve Jobs leaves one the most successful technology companies and a host of innovations that will forever change the world. His family issued a short statement Wednesday, informing the public that he had left peacefully. Although many knew him as a creative genius, the release noted that he cherished his family. They requested privacy as they mourn his loss and committed to setting up a website dedicated to honoring his memory.In response to the tragedy, many have begun to take a second look at Jobs fantastic life. Some have begun to assemble at Apple retail stores as they remember Jobs and his profound effect on the world. This effect was most recently realizied in the development of some of the most celebrated technological devices, the iPod, iPad and iPhone. The personal device revolution they have inspired is not dissimilar from the success Apple first experienced in the realm of personal computers.

Without Steve Jobs, in cooperation with Steve Wozniak, the computer revolution may have never happened, or at least been significantly delayed. Apple led the industry in personal computing until the 1990’s when the company lost a great deal of its popularity and market share. This coincided with Job’s absence from the company, beginning in 1986 when the creative genius and ended after Jobs returned in 1996 and led the company to release the first iPod in 2001.

Jobs brought more than just technology to the world. The visionary was responsible for number of contributions to society and worked with other corporate leaders like Bill Gates to encourage positive growth in society. He also gave joy and laughter to millions through a number of films produced by his animation company, Pixar. Steve Jobs bought the company in 1986 and after leading it for a number of years, accepted a buy-out agreement in 2006 and became the largest share holder in Disney. He continued to serve as a director until his death.Apple issued a statement declaring the visionary a mentor to those he knew and an amazing human being to all. Until a website is released, they officially designated rememberingsteve@apple.com as the place to send condolences and appreciate for the man who changed so many lives.

Take Your Best Shot!- Click here http://bit.ly/nEgedy for full article

Take Your Best Shot!- Click here http://bit.ly/nEgedy for full article

It used to be that anyone who wanted to take good display-quality photos would need to invest a lot of money in serious photo equipment. Most people who took photos did so with instamatic-type cameras and were happy to just have personal records to keep for memories’ sake and not to necessarily display.With the advancement in today’s technology, though, it is now easy and relatively inexpensive for anyone to explore their creative talents with photography. Today, a digital camera comes with almost every cellphone made. For example, the latest iPhone comes with a 5 megapixel camera and an L.E.D. flash. You will find cellphone cameras in use by many teenagers today. They love to send pictures to each other via the Internet and to post them to social networking sites. You will even find many of them sporting iPhones. Whether it be an iPhone or another type of cellphone camera, no child today feels complete without their digital camera.

For a minor investment, a budding photographer can more deeply enter into the world of photography by buying what used to be thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment in one affordable digital camera (typically known as a prosumer camera); a camera that allows the user to go from total novice settings to fully manual. Prosumer cameras typically come with zoom lenses of various focal lengths, some have a very impressive range of zoom—from wide-angle to super-telephoto.

For those who want even more, a modern DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera is the way to go. The DSLR is the camera of choice for those serious about photography, especially for those who make their living taking photographs, such as photojournalists. The DSLR allows the photographer to add myriad accessories such as different lenses to multiple flash units in order to get the shotIn a fast-paced working environment such as photojournalism, DSLRs are the cameras of choice. Photojournalism has become simpler with their use. The photographer no longer needs to wait to get back to the lab to get the film developed. She can now transfer the images directly from the location over the Internet to her editor for review. In some ways, digital cameras could be said to have revolutionized the world of photojournalism.

Digital cameras truly have opened up a new world for many today. There’s never been a better time to enjoy the fun of picture taking.

Why Facebook Needs a Hit- Click here http://bit.ly/pOVBwc for full article

While Facebook still reigns over the social media kingdom, boasting over 750 million subscribers and $4 billion in sales so far in 2011, the site seems to have hit a snag. Essentially, Facebook hasn’t come up with anything innovative in recent years, and is unfortunately falling victim to the curse that so many businesses have fallen victim to; getting too big for your own good. Facebook, it seems, has begun to stray away from their core audience; people that want to interact with their friends. Instead, the site has tried to incorporate a litany of options to do so, leaving many people to wonder just what Facebook is anymore.In the beginning, the concept was simple. You signed up, filled out some info about yourself, uploaded a picture, started adding people, and before you knew it, you were stalking your friends. Most people enjoyed the fact that it was simple, as the “less is more” approach is a key element to survival on the web. Google has proven this time and time again by remaining minimalist in almost all of its offerings. However, as Facebook has grown in popularity, the site’s developers seem to want to cram anything and everything into the site and it seems that no one has told them that the vast majority of users really don’t care about this stuff.

For instance, Facebook began offering facebook.com email addresses. What no one stopped to think about was the fact that people already have so many personal email accounts, social network accounts, work email accounts, school email accounts…no one wants another email account! It doesn’t matter what the domain name is, it’s just that people are overloaded as it is. Facebook has also toyed with pushing its Places feature, but users already had other sites for that. As well, they tested a daily deals type of offering, similar to Groupon. Once again, however, there are already sites for that! Facebook has failed to realize that people want to use Facebook to Facebook, not to do other things.With all of that said, Facebook has come up with innovative features in the past, and the site in and of itself is innovative, but in order to keep that momentum going, they are going to need to find a simple, useful offering that people will actually care about. Every company is going to have duds from time to time, but the way Facebook’s current track record is looking, they may need to wait until next season to have another crack at this year’s championship.

Google Plus Open To Everyone!- Click here http://bit.ly/rgxKVq for full article

[[posterous-content:pid___0]]Google Plus Open To Everyone!- Click here http://bit.ly/rgxKVq for full article

Google has opened the doors on its new Google+ platform allowing anyone join. Over the summer, they had been beta testing this platform to compete with Facebook, and users could only get in by invitation only.This shift to being open to everyone coincides with recent changes that have frustrated Facebook users. Some of those unhappy Facebook users are seeking an alternative, and Google has opted to be available to those seekers.

Google+Google+ is a social media platform designed to compete with Facebook. Google’s version offers many features that Facebook does not yet offer, or did not offer until very recently. Google+ distinguishes itself with circles, hang-outs, and search capabilities far beyond other social networks.

CirclesOn Facebook, you either “friend” a person or “like” a fan page. On Twitter, you follow a user. Both of these platforms offer list functions you can use to sort your connections, but adding people to lists after connections have become unmanageable challenges many social network users.

On Google+, you add people to your “circles.” You name each circle, they can overlap (a writer who is also a cousin might appear in both a “writers” and a “family” circle), and no one can see in which circle you have placed him. By forcing users to assign connections to circles at the beginning of the relationship, Google+ helps users manage their lists right from the beginning.With each post you make on Google+, you are asked which circles you want to share the post with or whether you would prefer it be open to everyone. This helps users consider the level of sharing they will choose for each item.

Hang-outsHang-outs are video chats that allow you to have a video conference with up to nine other people. Others can watch your hang-outs, and you can record them for later review.

Facebook does not yet have a video chat option, so Google+ has the competitive edge here.Search

Of course, Google owns online search at this time, so it is no surprise that they would have search capabilities that others will rush to imitate. The Google+ search function includes posts you are permitted to see via circle connections along with public news and views.Facebook Stumbles as Google+ Grows

Facebook’s recent changes demonstrate they are feeling the pressure to catch up with Google+’s improvements to social networking. Now that Google+ is open to everyone, we can all take a peek and see whether we think Google can compete with Facebook.

California New Cell Phone Laws-Click here http://bit.ly/p8WyjM for full article

California New Cell Phone Laws-Click here http://bit.ly/p8WyjM for full article

In California, as well as in many areas of the Western world, law enforcement agencies are having to adjust to changes as a result of new media sources like cell phones, mobile media devices, and laptops. In the past, California authorities were able to obtain evidence without a warrant from mobile media devices taken from anyone arrested for a crime that carried such a device, but as a result of recent legal developments, that approach may soon change.California Sen. Mark Leno has sponsored a bill in the California legislature that would make it illegal to obtain data off of mobile devices such as cellphones without a warrant in the event of an arrest. Previously, due to a January ruling by the California Supreme Court, authorities could conduct warrantless searches of these devices in the event of an arrest, even if the device and the data it contained had nothing to do with the case, and even if no criminal charges were ever filed. The bill has already been unanimously passed and is awaiting the signature of Governor Brown.

The ramifications this change would make are massive. If signed into law, essentially, law enforcement would need to have probable cause to even seek a search warrant to obtain data from mobile devices, even if the information on the device pertained directly to an arrest. Opponents of the bill claim that it would hinder the ability of law enforcement to do its job, leaving police officers and other authorities to waste precious time seeking a warrant, which could be denied.However, proponents of the bill state that mobile devices do not pose an imminent threat to police, and the current practice of confiscating such devices while in custody eliminates the ability for the suspect to destroy evidence. The real issue, they claim, is that the ability of the police to search a suspect’s mobile device without a warrant is a violation of the 4th Amendment, and that if authorities believe they have probable cause, then there should be no issue in getting a legal warrant.

Whether the bill passes or not, what remains to be seen is if there will be further legal challenges to the issue. Just as this bill would over rule the original January Supreme Court decision, it is almost certain that the issue won’t end there. Because of the language of the bill, the argument may then become what types of mobile media devices are covered, and what information can be obtained from them. More than likely, the issue will end up back in the Supreme Court in one way or another, but until then, California’s legal system is holding its breath.

Facebook Changes- Click here http://bit.ly/pz0iNU for full article

Along with the September 2011 changes made to Facebook came many angry users. While Facebook has had complaints about changes it has made in the past, the latest round of changes has drawn criticism from even the most supportive Facebook fans, and many users have even vowed to leave the social networking giant for good as a result. The reason for this is because Facebook essentially changed the way the site operates, leaving many users in the dark as to how to even navigate the new system, let alone enjoy its new features.For many regular Facebook users, the draw to the site was its simplicity. Users posted status updates and could read their friends’ status updates in a real time, chronological order via a news feed. This meant that site members could keep up with their friends, family, and coworkers in an easy to read list, all without having to search for information. If someone did not want to have a post or a particular person’s posts in their news feed, they could simply choose to hide the post or hide all posts by a particular person. As well, Facebook tailored each ad to the specific post being read at the moment, allowing for more targeted ads relating to what the user found relevant.

Unfortunately, Facebook’s ideas for the future of the site have left most users quite unhappy. Most users have a “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it” mentality when it comes to internet sites, and unfortunately for Facebook, the site’s developers did not share the same view. The new version of Facebook now sorts status updates and posts based on what they think you will want to see. As well, the site now forces users to classify their friends into different categories, such as close friends, schoolmates, etc., meaning users no longer see a list of all updates, and instead only see updates from the people Facebook thinks they should see. Facebook claims that this was done based on user feedback, and that the new layout allows people to see top news stories instead of just updates. While users are still able to see updates from everyone on their friend’s list, they now have to sift through updates and fiddle with settings in order to make it a reality, and even then, the system still inundates a user with updates.The ultimate problem that this will cause is for advertising on the site. Facebook has long been an advertiser’s dream, as they could target specific ads to specific users based on specific posts. Now, because users are left sifting through various updates in various places, the targeted advertising methods that made the site so popular among the marketing community may be a thing of the past, leaving advertisers to seek the next big thing in social media. As to whether Facebook will hear the message or not is anyone’s guess at this point, but unless they want to become the next MySpace, they may want to turning up their hearing aid.

Is Facebook the Next Big Thing in Music?- Click here http://bit.ly/qPJDnK for full article

Is Facebook the Next Big Thing in Music?- Click here http://bit.ly/qPJDnK for full article

Facebook saw a bevy a new features and changes recently, and while they have been met with mixed reactions, it looks as though they may be just the start of something even bigger. As Facebook gets even closer to a billion users, more changes are coming and this time they have to do with how users share their music. Will these changes make Facebook the go-to site for music?While illegal file-sharing is certainly not a part of their plans, reports state that Facebook is reaching out with many legal music services to deliver a new sharing experience for its users. For instance, they are partnering with Spotify, which allows users to listen to streaming music for free. In addition to the ad-supported free version, Spotify also offers a paid-for subscription that is completely ad-free. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek spoke at the 2011 Facebook F8 conference to announce that Facebook would be partnering with Spotify. He detailed a plan to have users connect with not only words, but by sharing music as well. Facebook’s nearly one billion users will be able to play music shared by their friends over Spotify right from their browser without leaving Facebook at all. He also stated that Facebook’s Spotify users are also more likely to purchase music.

These changes to Facebook are sure to please music lovers, but many of the other recent changes didn’t sit so well with all of their users. Recent changes to the site include larger photos, a newly designed News Feed complete with live ticker, and a subscription service for users to stay on top of what certain friends are doing. Some are happy with the changes, but others have complained that the changes are simply trying to compete with other sites like Twitter and Google Plus.Since Facebook is close to a billion users, it is more important than ever for businesses to develop some social networking integration into their business plans. When Facebook users have the option to immediately purchase songs they’ve just heard thanks to Facebook’s partnering with Spotify, the music industry may see untold benefits. These same benefits could come to businesses of all types, but the first step is to integrate aspects of these businesses with social networking sites like Facebook. Facebook holds close to a billion potential customers, and that is something that every business would be remiss to pass up.