Finally an interesting use for web cams. Chat Roulette is a new popular web trend where people connect to the site, activate a video capture device, and randomly access other users for two seconds of interaction before being “nexted.” Mashable presented a short by Casey Neistat who took to the scientific method for some insight on the service. The video is embedded below. Be aware that the film contains some language, so put some headphones on if needed.
In my usual perusal of the internet, I discovered on Twitter a new site called Lockerz. It markets itself as a place where users can come, connect, consume trends, and earn points (or PTZ as the site calls them) through games and responses. These “PTZ” can be then spent on prizes the site offers. From the Lockerz web site:
When you watch a video, play a game, or even log in, you’ll earn Pointz (or “PTZ”) Lockerz own form of currency. Turn around and redeem your PTZ for incredible merchandise, unique experiences and exclusive deals and sales.
Lockerz seems to really view itself as a private community that grows through invites rather than public registration. Right now the site is in Beta stage and visitors can request an invite directly.
Because this site is devoted to current trends in the market and in culture, it will be interesting to follow the site’s growth and whether it stays afloat. There are no on-page ads (which is nice as the site’s theme is minimalistic), but with the daily polls I can only assume that over time the trend data collected will be used to make money as Facebook does. Considering the high-profile guests advertising the site from videos made at fashion shows, this network has some great potential.
Hey guys. Sorry I haven’t posted anything on this in a while. I have been really busy these past few weeks, with little time beyond schoolwork. With my break coming up I should be able to sit down and hammer out some skins for you all to enjoy. Here is a little taste of what’s to come:
Keep a sharp eye for some other designs and links for download! I am also open to any suggestions you have for my skins. Leave them in the comments!
Google today released a new social media service that it hopes will compete with services like Twitter. Access is primarily from Gmail and mobile devices. From my beginning experiences, the service seems somewhat complex. It has the makings of Twitter – using a Google profile (who doesn’t have one of these), a user can follow and be followed by other Buzz users. Buzzing is the equivalent to tweeting – seemingly without a character limit – and others can comment on them. The neat aspect of Google Buzz is its integration with Google Maps. This function is mainly for mobile users, and connects with GPS, WiFi, and cell towers to list available locations for display. Using Google Maps as a canvas, one can literally peruse the globe and see what people are saying visually, rather than in a list.
I feel like this could definitely catch on if the UI of desktop Gmail, mobile Gmail, and maps were a little more consistent. They are three totally different styles, and finding similar options is a little difficult. Google also needs to fix up the public profile pages for users. They are a quite blank. But overall for a service that just opened its gates it is quite good. I highly recommend you check it out!
Yesterday I implemented a mobile version of this blog, so for all of you who access here on your mobile device, you will be able to read, comment, and enjoy without all that unnecessary scrolling! Just point your browser to the same link, www.ashersimonds.com, and it will do the rest.
I just posted my review for two Android Twitter apps, Twidroid and Seesmic. I compare and contrast them, so if you are in the Market (pun intended) for a new Twitter app, check out my review and the two apps to see which one you like best!
Mashable today posted about a report released comparing Super Bowl 44′s ads and the online reactions that ensued. While numerous angles regarding amounts of interaction were present, one graph reported on the ads’ SEI – Social Engagement Index – which looked at the interactive behavior between viewers of the game. According to the chart, Google grabbed the top slot, followed by Doritos and “Focus on the Family” battling for second. The Weighted SEI, which only looks at positive and negative comments, announced that Anheuser Busch was the winner, meaning it was the brand liked the most.
In an interesting turn of events, the Internet has made it onto the nominee list for the Nobel Peace Prize. The addition was made after the Italian Wired Magazine started a petition for its inclusion, arguing that the Internet’s capability for world communication makes it a prime entry for the coveted prize. Mashable points out that the entry will be a very unlikely winner, especially since last year’s winner was newly-elected President Obama. Mashable figures that the Nobel Committee, because of this choice, will be more conservative when picking this year’s winner.
While definitely surprising, this nomination doesn’t come too much of a shock considering the impact of digital communication. This reminds me of Time Magazine’s 2006 Person of the Year winner – “You” – because of the popularity of Web 2.0 tools, allowing regular people to present themselves to the world.
A recent assignment for my Internet Marketing course separated us into groups and tasked with interviewing a social media expert. Being a member of EverythingWM, EverythingPre, and EverythingAndroid, the first person that I thought would be perfect was Christpher Meinck, the founder and administrator of these sites. Gaining a large following from his iPhone community, EverythingiCafe, Meinck has spread into several sites devoted to the major mobile operating systems. Complete with social networking and regularly updated blogs, it is quite an amazing task for one man to accomplish. Hear the interview or read the transcript after the jump.
I recently stumbled upon a brand new SEO website, and thought I’d share. WooRank is a simple yet fairly powerful website analysis tool. It features a streamlined interface with easy-to-understand analytics summaries for any web address given. Each web analysis is listed in sections ranging from general traffic to social media exposure. While recently released and currently in beta, WooRank promises to provide real-time reports on how Google indexes the searched site with SEO suggestions on improving your “WooRank” score. As stated before, WooRank is in beta so some features may be disabled or may not load properly, but the reports are worded for anyone to understand them easily.
In my usual perusal of the internet, I discovered on Twitter a new site called Lockerz. It markets itself as a place where users can come, connect, consume trends, and earn points (or PTZ as the site calls them) through games and responses. These “PTZ” can be then spent on prizes the site offers. From the Lockerz web site:
