Reviews

Google's Next Social Media Wave Might Be Shared Spaces?

by Ron Callari

Google, as the current Internet leader may be deposed soon by the one consituency of the Web it's been unable bring under its allegiance. With flawed social network attempts such as Orkut and Buzz, and even it's still-to-be-released Google Me - it just doesn't seem to have the social media gene to pull it off. When Google Wave closed shop recently and engineers started an exodus for greener pastures at Facebook, it looked like the search giant had seen its better days.

Social Media Gives To Charity Every Time You Shop For The Holidays

by Ron Callari

Now your holiday shopping will not only bring a smile to the faces of those on your shopping list, it will also be used to donate to worthy causes. This year many of us became acquainted with location-based social networks that add a layer of social media to our mobile devices. This holiday season, four of the LBS applications that allows users to broadcast their location to their followers will also trigger merchants and venues to donate to charities. It's a win-win for all!

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Social Media Monitor Sizes Up A Brand's Competition On Twitter & Facebook

by Ron Callari

During the last decade when Google was the leader in driving traffic to Web sites, a number of analytical services became available for brand competitors. Vying for Google's search results on Page 1 (preferably above the fold), brands utilized tools to tell them if they were gaining or losing ground.

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iPad-Compatible Clothing For Carrying Social Media On Your Person (Just In Time For The Holidays)

by Ron Callari

As innovative as the iPad is, the one challenge that most owners are up against is how to transport their portable hand-held computers around. Sling bags, purses and backpacks are jerry-rigged solutions. When you're on the go with an urge to tweet or check your Facebook status quickly, the best access is reaching for the envied device from the inside pocket of a jacket or vest designed specifically for the purpose.

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Flip.to & Magnetic Marketing: Social Media That Engages 21st Century Travelers

by Ron Callari

Flip.to, a new marketing service that turns travelers into a brand's best advocates (spreading the word about their upcoming stay or flight to their social networks), has expanded to five continents with over 50 charter members. Differing markedly from the traditional push or pull marketing of the last century, Flip.to is based on “magnetic marketing” and is already showing extraordinary results when engaging with hotel guests and airline passengers, at time of booking.

MTV Music Meter Tracks Social Media To Return To Roots

by Ron Callari

Who ever remembers the launch of MTV in the early 80s may wax nostalgic in learning that the network is returning to its roots. The slogan "I want my MTV" accompanied the latest Michael Jackson and Madonna music videos and certainly aided in the meteoric rise of these artists. This week with the release of the MTV Music Meter and its interface with social media, the parent company Viacom will showcase up-and-coming artists and bands that are most buzzed about on social networks.

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Social Media's Person Of The Year Vs. Time's Person Of The Year

by Ron Callari

While Time Magazine does conduct a user-generated poll each year to determine their "Person of the Year," it's not as democratic a process as a true social media survey might be. While the periodical's designation usually honors 'honorary' people, it has fallen out of favor with voters with selections such as Adolf Hitler (1938), Joseph Stalin (1979) and the Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979. This year, the same could hold true with this year's top three poll winners.

Social Media's Great Red Meat, A Mere Blip On The Silicon Valley Radar?

by Ron Callari

What could generate more page-views than a good old fashioned Deep-Throat-like scandal? And TechCrunch, one of the Internet's top blogs and its editor Michael Arrington are masters at this type of reporting. Whether they're lampooning Zynga and their online games as "Scamville," accusing Facebook of stealing from Google or suing Fusion Garage for false advertising regarding its ill-conceived "Crunchpad" project - this TMZ-type of journalism does whet the public's appetite for good story-telling.

Social Media Hackers, Heroes Or Villains?

Social Media Hackers, Heroes or Villans?

by Ron Callari

Anyone who has seen the movie, The Social Network is familiar with how in the early years, Mark Zuckerberg pitted young students against each other in a heated competition as to who could "code" the fastest. The most savvy cognoscenti won a chance to join Facebook's start-up team back in 2004. On a recent installment of 60 Minutes, Lesley Stahl noted that "Hacker" posters papered the walls of FB's HDQ. Which begs the question - what determines whether hackers are heroes or villains?

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iPad Graphic Novels Feature Buddha & Social Media

iPad Graphic Novels Feature Deepak Chopra, Buddha & Social Media For Holiday Shoppers

by Ron Callari

Graphic novels on iPads make for great gifts as they are the perfect format for reading a genre presented in illustrative color. Kindles which continue to be one of the most popular eBook Readers fall short for graphic novel fans by only offering black and white text. This holiday season, two exciting iPad books hit digital shelves and can be purchased for as low as $4.99 a download.

Aquadoodle Classic Mat A Draws Kids In Again And Again

by The Toymaster

As Christmas rapidly approaches, parents are seeking the perfect gift for their young children - preferably one that won't damage the house or dye the dog purple. Say hello to the classic Aquadoodle mat.

Social Media Payback Can Be A B*tch Sometimes

by Ron Callari

With Julian Assange now under arrest, it's not enough for protesters to wield protest signs asking to "Free The Wikileaks Founder." No, in the digital age, you hit opposing forces where it hurts - their Web sites! To that end, a group of hackers under an initiative dubbed "Operation Payback" are in full throttle mode to take down Web sites of those that have denied service or accused Assange of illegal activities.

Social Media Twins Seek Greater Fortunes From Facebook Coffers Graphically

by Ron Callari

The Ivy League twins who accused Mark Zuckerberg of stealing the idea for Facebook at Harvard back in 2004 have reengaged their legal battle with him on the heels of an award-winning movie, an unauthorized biopic and a graphic novel that have brought greater focus to a social network that has already attracted a half billion-plus followers.

Out Of All Social Media Shopping Deal Sites, Did Google Bet On The Wrong Horse?

by Ron Callari

After the smoke cleared and Google's all-time highest acquisition offer for Groupon went south, one has to ponder if the search giant should have gone after one of its competitors versus the market leader? And instead of spending $6 million they could have gotten away with a lot less - say, with a site like, LivingSocial.

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File Sharing, The Ultimate Social Media Activity Rachets Up With Michael Jackson Release

Michael Jackson's Posthumous Album Release Leaked!

by Ron Callari

From the days of Napster to Peter Sunde most recently facing millions in damages and an actual prison sentence for his illegal music and video sharing on The Pirate Bay, torrent files are prompting the government to intervene. And with the release of Michael Jackson's posthumous album "Michael" being leaked via file-sharing sites this week, Big Brother may enact more forceful censorship laws.

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Google's Attempt At Grabbing Social Media Profiles With Sitelinks

by Ron Callari

There's a marked contrast that while Mark Zuckerberg gets to basically advertise a new Facebook user profile for free to millions of viewers on 60 Minutes, coverage of Google's attempt to capture social graph profiles from netizens is limited to a handful of search engine blogs.

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Social Media As New Movie Genre May Take Home Oscar Gold

by Ron Callari

If Slumdog Millionaire and No Country For Old Men are any indication that the winners of the the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures are a precursor for deciding Oscar winners, then this year's first movie about social media might score that coveted award. Winning four out of the top 15 awards from the NBR, The Social Network was distinguished best of the best when it was named the 2010 Film of the Year.

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Social Media Leaks Categorize Julian Assange As The Osama Bin Laden Of The Internet

by Ron Callari

The founder of WikiLeaks is not only a wanted man by the American authorities, his now infamous Web site WikiLeaks is also under attack by notorious hackers, while its services are being cut-off by Amazon and EveryDNS.net. Although not officially announced, Julian Assange might be considered today's public enemy number-one, taking the place of the illusive Osama bin Laden. Not since 9/11 has any one figure reached such notoriety due to what many consider acts against a state.

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Social Media Plus Sergey Brin Equals Google Plus One

by Ron Callari

To date, Google has chased the elusive social media butterfly hither and fro with little to no success to really call its own. Over the years, it has experimented with Orkut, Google Buzz and the yet-to-be-launched Google Me. Even its collaborative enterprise and much ballyhooed project Wave was just recently scrapped. So what's a search engine to do?

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Social Media Random Chat Minus The Private Parts

by Ron Callari

When Howard Stern titled his 1997 movie, "Private Parts," it was of course a double entendre that exposed the bad boy radio jock's origins while also referencing his obsession with the physical anatomy. When the video chat site Chatroulette graced (or disgraced, dependent on your point of view) our computer screens, that social network gave a whole new meaning to the psychological term "penis envy." With the recent launch of HowRandom.com, a new social media site looks to eliminate visuals from the chatting equation.