Is Your Media Social?

Is your media Social?
The basics for your online persona....

I remember the days when people carried pagers and would always have quarters handy just in case they needed to make a phone call.  Talk about staying in touch! Now communication is expected to be instant, fast, and in quick sound bites. The social media revolution of the 2000’s has changed society and the way that we communicate forever. You could argue for better or for worse depending on your age group and access to technology. Today a “tweet” or Facebook post can ring bells all the way around the world, just ask Congressman Anthony Weiner. Today, there are many different choices and platforms of social networking. I am going to dissect the most popular social networks that have the most influence on the internet today.

Twitter

Twitter was created in 2006 by founder Jack Dorsey. To date there are over 500 million users and over 340 million tweets are generated daily. Twitter is considered to be a micro blogging network service that allows users to communicate publicly and privately using 140 characters or less. Twitter and its founders wanted users to communicate like they were sending text messages to each other. Twitter allows anyone to talk about and broadcast to the world their views and opinions. The power of Twitter is at its essence when “tweets”  are displayed alongside live events and television shows.  Promoters and sponsors create “hash tags” (#) for their events to allow media, and marketers to gauge people’s interest and feedback in real time.  If you are looking to comment on social issues and see other people instant responses then this is the place for you.

Facebook

Facebook has finally reached its One Billionth user worldwide. Facebook has allowed friends and family members to connect and re-connect with each over the years. Now, at least 1/5th of the world’s population has a Facebook page. Facebook was founded in 2004 by a little known Harvard computer programmer, Mark Zuckerberg. He began this quest as just a website to rate pictures of hot or not co-eds. Facebook allows you to create posts (your thoughts) and share photos and videos from memorable events in your life. The supremacy of Facebook lies within its size and simplicity of design. Facebook is great for networking, staying in touch, and dating (A little known open secret). Overall Facebook is a great tool, but you must realize that your actions will be seen by everyone and some people are left in the past for a reason. 

Pinterest

Pinterest is fairly new to the social network scene. Out of all the ones listed here, it is by far the most unique. Instead of posts or updates, Pinterest allows you to create Pins (Photos) and Boards (Collages) of your favorite items and interests. Unlike the other social networks, Pinterest does not play up competition. They would rather you post great and insightful content instead of a lot of random content. This allows the Pins (Photos) on Pinterest to be of very high quality and extremely interesting. Pinterest has become a mega hit with women who love to Pin their favorite recipes, designer handbags, and great weeding ideas. Without leaving the Men out, Pinterest caters to great watches, beautiful cars, cool clothes, and beautiful women. Pinterest is great for the reader that wants to see exciting new items, pictures, and to show off a little bit of their style. As well as plan a wedding, redecorate a home, or plan Thanksgiving dinner.

LinkedIn

For all the professionals and Entrepreneurs out there, LinkedIn is for you. LinkedIn has over 175 million registered users in over 200 countries.  LinkedIn allows users to post resumes, find job opportunities, and communicate with like minded professionals. Users are able to subscribe to companies to be updated on new job postings and company related news. In order to have connections (friends) users have to ensure that they know the individual they are requesting for a connection or know someone who does. This level of security ensures that not a lot of spammers and frivolous contacts are made. LinkedIn allows its user to build a database of business contacts and associates to network and explore new opportunities. Similar to the other social networks, the basic membership is free but to have every feature available to you they have a tiered pricing structure. If you are a professional looking to network and let recruiters and companies know that you exist, this is the place for you.

There are many choices of social networking platforms to choose from. Pick your choices wisely on what benefits you and what interests you are most looking for.  And remember anything you do online will be there forever. Happy networking…

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To iPad or Not. That is the Question...

So I guess everybody has had a chance to release their bated breath in anticipation for the Ipad 3, oops I mean the NEW IPAD. I will give Apple credit, they have the best brand recognition and marketing machine on the planet. Nothing says cool or sexy more than a new Apple product. On March 16th, the new iPad was released into the world to a standing ovation. Apple recorded record sales figures that even blew their wildest expectations out of the water. "The new iPad is a blockbuster with three million sold- the strongest iPad launch yet," said Phillip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing. 


The new iPad (iPad 3) has added several new features that are being applauded by critics and customers around the world. The iPad has been equipped to work on the new speedy 4G LTE networks (AT&T, Verizon). It's Dual-Core A5 chip has been upgraded to include Quad-Core graphics processing. Both front and rear cameras have received megapixel upgrades. A larger battery has been shoe horned into the aluminum body. Voice dictation, no not Siri, has also been added as well as 1080p video recording. And last but not least (drum roll please....) the display has been upgraded to the new "Retina Display" capable of 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution at 264 pixels per inch. (Ooohh)


I, for one, am not very impressed. For starters the great "Retina Display" is a Samsung product and invention. Lost in all the celebrations I think that this fact is very ironic at best, laughable at worst. Samsung and Apple has been embroiled in legal warfare for patent laws that no one can really understand, except for the lawyers. If the main selling feature for the new iPad is it's super high resolution "Retina Display" screen outsourced through Samsung, what did Apple create that was new? Don't get me wrong, I believe that the iPad is a great product and has done a lot to further advance the mobile computing revolution, but they have failed to execute something new that truly deserves all of the fanfare. 


If you are in the market for a tablet, the iPad is a great product. But, I think a buyer should look at all options on the market (Android, Windows 8-Q3 2012, OS 2.0) before making their purchase. All of these features on the new iPad are welcome additions but I don't think they warrant upgrading from the iPad 2 if you already have one. Most of the new features added have been available on Android tablets for a awhile now. The mystical "Retina Display" should make it's way into a Samsung product near you soon. Good luck on your tablet hunting and your decision to iPad or not, just keep in mind that marketing and brand recognition should not be the force behind what is driving your purchase decision.