From the monthly archives:

August 2009

Facebook Share Keeps Users In Control

by Kristen Nicole on August 31, 2009

Facebook has enhanced its sharing options for website publishers in two ways; the Share button, and the FB.Connect feed form. While the feed form was released a few weeks back, it’s the former update to Facebook’s sharing options that is of particular interest to me because of the way in which it rests the majority of the perceived privacy control in the hands of the end user.

With the new dialog, Facebook users can post the link to their profile (wall), or send it directly to a few friends or a single friend, select the image they would like to attach, and include a comment as well. Users could already share web content on their Facebook wall by manually posting the link or by adding their own browser bookmarklet, which gave you the option of adding the web content to your wall or sending it to a single friend. But the new Share button is designed for third parties to better promote sharing capabilities to Facebook profiles without the necessary use of full Facebook Connect integration and giving more options to web publishers for encouraging sharing capabilities on their sites.

Fb_share

The new Share button has the same privacy options as the Facebook bookmarklet, which is important as Facebook needs to retain user’s ability to maintain full control of their sharing settings. As Facebook both competes with Twitter for more open content sharing within and across sites and seeks to give users more privacy settings in an easy-to-use format, Facebook’s new Share button must achieve these multiple goals.

The overall changes may seem slight, but I think it’s another step in the right direction for Facebook. The news feed is central to many of Facebook’s long term goals with its network, and providing even more options to both site publishers and end users is another way in which Facebook is looking to add and generate value from its news feeds.

Likewise, site publishers that add this new Share button to their website will garner some interesting user behavior data that could tie into a few other initives that may or may not relate back to Facebook. As Facebook Pages also become more open to content sharing they become better tools for businesses to use. We’re seeing a lot of development for Pages to become more able to integrate news feeds with third party sites and content, in an automatic and user-facing sense.

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Mickey Mouse Dons a Mask & Cape

by Michelle Lentz on August 31, 2009

spiderman-mouseearsDisney is acquiring Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion in stock and cash.

Why? Well, princesses can only grab so much of the kid demographic. Something has to interest the little boys as well, and I guarantee it’s not Wendy Wu, Homecoming Warrior.

The deal still faces shareholder and regulatory approval, but has been approved by the boards of the both companies. Current Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter will be retained to oversee the Marvel properties. According to paidContent,

It’s one of the largest acquisitions in Disney history and has the potential to transform the company. But it will take years in some cases before Disney can do more than reap the licensing fees from some key Marvel characters through its own movies, games and even theme parks. In an interview soon after the announcement, Disney CFO Tom Staggs told paidContent that the licensing “actually underscores the value of these properties.”

As part of the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Marvel including over 5,000 Marvel characters, including Iron Man, SpiderMan, Hulk, the X-Men, and more.

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Cheers!

Tweet Michelle @writetechnology, send her technology news at michelle[at]writetech[dot]net, visit her wine blog when you’re thirsty, and drop by her day job.

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If You Own a Macbook, You Need a HyperMac

by Brian Solis on August 31, 2009

I usually carry a MacBook Pro 15 unibody, one generation back, with an extra battery. I intentionally did not upgrade to the new version of the MBP 15 because I enjoyed the luxury of carrying additional batteries should I need them. Even in the best, yet practical situations, I could wring 3′ish hours per battery – just enough to cover a transcontinental flight.

The problem is that I have to dim the screen and turn off bluetooth and wifi in order to ensure longevity. I enjoy the brightness and it helps especially when writing for long periods of time, but the caveat with doing so is that I have to give up a significant fraction of juice.

I recently ran an experiment where I took my MacBook Air on a flight from New York to San Francisco and even though Apple claims up to 5 hours of battery life, I was left roughly with 1.5 hours of down time. The notebook didn’t make it, even though everything was tuned for maximum life.

I’m scheduled to travel to Europe soon and as most airlines have yet to include power outlets in economy, I did some research into power alternatives for both the MBP and the Air. I’m in the throes of writing my next book and I need all the power I can get!

After hours of thorough investigation and analysis, I decided to give HyperMac a shot.

HyperMac is an external battery specifically for MacBooks and also provides a USB port to power to power a variety of other devices, in my case, a power hungry iPhone 3gs.

My initial attraction to HyperMac was its design quality and focus. It’s specifically engineered for people just like me who need up time due to extensive travel or in-field activity. The secondary factor for selecting the HyperMac is its aesthetics and construction. It’s gorgeous and of course complements the lines of any aluminum MacBook.

The company offers four different models depending on power consumption needs and behavior, including the MBP-60, the MBP-100, MBP-150 and MBP-222. Prices range from $199.95 to $499.95.

I opted for the MBP-100, which boasts a capacity of 100-watts per hour.

The MBP-100 can power a MacBook Air for up to 16.7 hours of wireless productivity and up to 15 for the MacBook Pro 15. However, for those power users who require ultimate life, the MBP-222 can provide up to 31.5 hours and 27.2 hours of wireless productivity on the MacBook Air and 15-inch Pro respectively.

Weight isn’t an insignificant issue however. The MBP-100 weighs in at 1.6 pounds, The MBP-222 checks in at 4.7 pounds and the smaller MBP-60 weighs only .8 pounds. When carrying a bag of gear while making the rounds, every ounce starts to add up. But there’s a reason that these HyperMacs aren’t lighter…they’re constructed of aluminum yes, but they also feature high-end military-grade lithium batteries that are rechargeable up to 1000 times and ship with a one year warranty.

My usage experience differed however, simply because I choose a higher brightness than used in most battery life tests.

In the end, I am extremely pleased with the performance of the MBP-100. In fact, I may actually purchase a MBP-060 in addition when I need to save the weight and only require up to 11.8 hours of wireless computing.

I also enjoy the freedom from being tethered to power outlets wherever I travel. Now I can pick a table instead of a floor seat, a view over a corner, and also set up shop anywhere I please instead of waiting for those individuals who consume all the available outlet to power every device they own.

The other benefit I should add, is that for those new MacBook users that don’t have the luxury of replacing internal batteries, the HyperMac is your portable power and charging station and backup battery all in one.

Follow HyperMac on Twitter.

I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story…

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Sourced from PR 2.0


Source: PBCentral

It is not only an interesting question for those who run rampant in the streams of the social web, it’s an intellectual voyage that unravels answers that just may hit home.

According to a Stanford study, multitaskers are “suckers for irrelevancy” according to communication Professor Clifford Nass, one of the researchers whose findings are published in the Aug. 24 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “Everything distracts them.”

A group of Stanford researches found, “People who are regularly bombarded with several streams of electronic information do not pay attention, control their memory or switch from one job to another as well as those who prefer to complete one task at a time,”

Fascinating.

Irrelevance?

Maybe…

A new method for learning?

Maybe…

At the very least, we are becoming an increasingly social society. Perhaps with this evolution and transformation we’re concurrently witnessing a greater set of distractions.

I believe many of us are sidetracked by choice.

It’s our willingness and readiness to be distracted, which I think points to something deeper than this particular study is researching.

Part of us longs for distraction. It serves as temporary releave or an opportunity to recharge. The question is, can we snap back with vigor, diligence, and focus to regain and continue momentum?

I can point to countless individuals on Twitter and FriendFeed alone who are defining the infrastructure and associated culture and psychology of the Social Web and are learning as much as they’re consuming and producing.

Perhaps it’s less about multiasking and more about feeling connected, drawn to a sense of community over individual experiences.

Researchers continue to study whether chronic media multitaskers are born with an inability to focus or are damaging their cognitive control by willingly biting off more than they can mentally chew and process.

They’re convinced however, that the minds of these media multitaskers are operating ineffeciently and possibly experiencing intellectual erosion.

“When they’re in situations where there are multiple sources of information coming from the external world or emerging out of memory, they’re not able to filter out what’s not relevant to their current goal,” said Anthony Wagner, an associate professor of psychology. “That failure to filter means they’re slowed down by that irrelevant information.”

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On Monday, I’m speaking at the Future of Influence conference at CBS in San Francisco, an ambitious event that is simultanesouly occuring in Sydney and San Francisco, linked by online video and conversations.

I speak at 4 p.m. on the Cross-continental Panel: Influence at the Center of Marketing and Advertising, How influence is taking central place in the US$1 trillion global advertising and marketing industry.

I’m joined by:

Michael Brito, Social Media Strategist, Intel

Erin Byrne, Chief Digital Strategist, Burson-Marsteller

If you’d like to attend the event, register here and use the code “SOLIS” to save 25%.

Following the event, we’re heading over to 111 Minna to celebrate and you’re welcome to join us, just say you’re there for Future of Influence when you arrive and look for the Future of Influence Summit logo as above.

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