Erik Qualman's Blog, page 536

Google Launches A New Home For Journalists With “News Lab”

TechCrunch – Google today announced the launch of a new site called News Lab, a destination that aims to connect journalists with programs, data and other resources to aid in their reporting. The site will feature a number of tools for newsrooms, including tutorials and best practices on how to use Google products in reporting, as well as provide access to the recently updated Google Trends service, and more. It will also showcase Google’s numerous efforts surrounding new media partnerships and citizen reporting.

The News Lab site builds on a series of announcements that came out last week which were similarly focused on Google’s increasing efforts to play a larger role in the world of journalism. For example, in partnership with social news agency Storyful, Google rolled out YouTube Newswire – a curated and aggregated feed containing daily newsworthy events that have been published to YouTube. It also announced a series of initiativesaimed at supporting and verifying news videos on YouTube. These included WITNESS Media Lab, which will produce a number of in-depth projects on human rights issues, and The First Draft Collection, which teamed up journalism experts to train others on video verification, research and ethics.

These, too, will be housed and linked to from News Lab, which is now serving as the home for Google’s many projects in the journalism space. Here, Google will keep a continually updated list of tools and resources at g.co/newslab, and the site will feature Google’s various media partnerships and projects, including those listed above.

Image from TechCrunch via Google

The site currently details some of the partnerships Google has undertaken, such as its efforts with the San Francisco-based media accelerator Matter; grassroots journalism organization Hackers/Hackers; TechRaking summits Google is holding with the Center for Investigative Reporting, and others. Plus, the site offers information on hackathons dedicated to developing new investigative tools, like the use of drones in reporting. And, as a global initiative, Google’s News Lab will also power the training and research arm of Google’s Digital News Initiative in Europe, the company says.

Meanwhile, the “Data” section of News Lab links to the recently updated Google Trends service and highlights media organizations which have used Google Trends data in their reporting. On Wednesday last week, Google rolled out a redesign of Google Trends which now brings real-time data for 28 countries to its service.

The move to better showcase Google’s tools and resources for reporters comes at a time when a number of social media services are often found to be the place where news first breaks. These social media posts then become embedded in reporter’s stories, including Facebook updates, tweets, and now, live streams from services like Twitter’s Periscope or Meerkat.

With citizen reporters regularly turning to social media first – and not typically on Google+, the company’s own social media site – Google is working to assert the variety of other ways it has to participate in the reporting process, ranging from first-hand videos posted to YouTube to its wealth of data and information collected from the world’s searchers.

Google is smart to play up the troves of data it can offer journalists, as that’s the company’s strength. More importantly, it puts access to Google’s tools all under one roof which will make it easier for those looking for this sort of information to find it more quickly, bettering Google’s chances of having its data used in reporter’s stories.

Article by Sarah Perez for TechCrunch 

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Use Social Media to Click with the Right Telephone System

If you run a small business, a large part of your job is communicating with customers, vendors and employees.

In order to communicate effectively, your business needs to have the right phone system in place. If your phone constantly cuts out, loses signal or drops calls, your business will eventually be affected in a negative way.

To make sure you choose the right phone system for your business, you should research a variety of systems plus rely on social media.

Options Seem Endless

As the following article looks at, when it comes to telephone systems, the options can seem endless.

It’s important to ask yourself what you want and what you need out of a phone.

Caller ID, for example, might be a must, but do you really need “hold music” for when you place your client’s on hold? Some businesses do, whereas others can get away with not having it.

Do you want to be able to make calls from your computer?

If so, a business VoIP, or voice over internet protocol, could give you the most value for your buck.

Dial-in Social Media

In addition to researching a variety of telephone systems companies, it’s in your best interest to also turn to social media when looking for the best phone system.

Social media is quickly becoming a large form of communication.

You can find information on products, read reviews, ask for others’ opinions, get discounts and more.

Specifically, here is how you can use social media to get the best phone system:

Follow your favorite phone systems companies – Once you’ve narrowed down your search, follow your top companies on social media. Typically, companies will announce on social media when they are running special promotions or any discounts you might be eligible for. Take advantage of these discounts by simply following your top contenders’ social media profiles.
Read reviews – Oftentimes, if users have a positive or negative review of a phone company, they will post their thoughts with a hashtag (#) of the company’s name. This can be an easy way for you to read honest reviews from other businesses and phone system users.
Engage with the company – Instead of just following companies, why not take it one step further and reach out to them? You can ask questions, speak with someone who works for the company and simply touch base to let the company know you are interested in using their phone systems.
Ask family and friends what they think – Hopefully, you have active social media profiles with hundreds of followers. Most likely, some of your followers are business colleagues and associates. Reach out to them on social media and ask what they use for their phone system. Someone might have a great recommendation for you and might be able to get you in contact with a helpful representative.

These days, social media can be used for everything – including connecting with family and friends, finding jobs, receiving important weather updates and even finding the right phone system for your small business.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Shutterstock

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2015 Web Design Trends That Have Changed Our Understanding of a Modern

When thinking about web design, one must consider the full spectrum of possibilities that the Internet presents. But web design is not an end product – it is changing and evolving very quickly, and constitutes an important asset in the presentation of a product. When shaped boldly, web design can push the limits of human interaction and imagination on a global scale.

In this article, we will outline the most prominent design trends in 2015 that have changed our understanding of a “modern website.”

1. Image and Video Backgrounds

Caption: Cinematic. Website via bellroy.com

A great number of websites have adopted image or video backgrounds on their homepage as a way to give users maximum impact. This trend usually consists of just a few words overlaid over an image or video, with the navigation usually removed or hidden as a small icon. On top of their visual impact, image and video backgrounds are very pragmatic and much easier to code, so they work well on desktop computer monitors and mobile devices since the same layout remains unchanged despite the display size.

Caption: Book Cover. Website via voidandform.com

This web design trend usually comes in two forms: as “Cinematic” and as “Book Cover.” While the first relies on fullscreen (or almost fullscreen) video with a few words or elements overlaid on top, the second is based on the classic concept of printed books and catalogues.

2. The Parallax Effect

Caption: Parallax. Website via mintdesigncompany.com

The parallax effect has suffered a lot of mutations in 2015 that have one thing in common: designers use mouse movement or page scrolling to animate elements or properties of a web page. Most websites implementing web pages using the parallax effect use hand-drawn illustrations that add a high-end feeling and make the interaction more personal. However, too much parallax can break the design and ruin the experience, so websites should consider employing it on just one page instead of multiple pages.

3. Flat Design

Caption: Flat Design. Website via colinanddewi.com

Over the past three years, flat design has been hailed the “king” of web design trends many times over. Not only do flat elements such as icons, illustrations and menus look way better than glossy web 2.0 icons that used to cover most websites a few years ago, but they are also easily manageable and scalable thanks to the icon font technology.

Caption: Flat Origami Design. Website via lab21.gr

Many times, a flat design is not as flat as you may think. Some designers prefer incorporating subtle gradients, photos and textures to achieve the “wow” effect. That’s because the best part of flat designs is not their flatness (which adds fun visual appeal to otherwise bland elements), but how it opens up to creative visual metaphors.

4. Big and Bold Typography

Caption: Big and Bold Typography. Website via redantler.com

Oversized headlines and large-punch lines have become incredibly popular this year, as more and more websites are trying to create visual impact. Big and bold typography is powerful and can effectively communicate your brand message. At the same time, it makes it easy for designers to convey what a page is all about, without using lengthy paragraphs or small-sized fonts.

It’s no doubt that we will be seeing more of this trend over the next few years – and with technology evolving so quickly, we can expect designers to come up with even more visually appealing ways of integrating it into web pages.

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Samsung Says It’s Fixing a Nasty Security Flaw

TIME – Samsung is planning a security update after researchers uncovered a vulnerability that could threaten as many as 600 million Galaxy phones. The company said in a statementThursday that it will roll out an update in the coming days to address the issue, which makes phones vulnerable when downloading updates for the SwiftKey keyboard.

The vulnerability was discovered by the security company NowSecure last fall and made public this week. The SwiftKey keyboard searches for language pack updates over unencrypted lines, making it vulnerable to attack. In a statement, Samsung noted that the probability of a hacker actually exploiting the vulnerability was low.

Owners of the Galaxy S4 and more recent models will have the security update automatically pushed to their phones. To ensure your phone receives automatic updates, go to Settings > Lock Screen and Security > Other Security Settings > Security policy updates, and make sure the Automatic Updates option is activated. Users of older Galaxy models will have a firmware update made available to them that they can download.

Article by Victor Luckerson for TIME 

Thumbnail from Shutterstock 

 

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Socializing the Home Inspection Needs

If you’re in the home inspection business, then it’s time to start inspecting the benefits of social media.

Social media can help you reach out to homeowners while also increasing your tech-savvy business skills.

Here are just a few reasons social media can work for your home inspection business:

Social Outreach

Many home inspectors believe that social media is a time wasting approach to finding new customers.

The truth of the matter is social media can actually increase your outreach exponentially without expending much time or energy in the process.

In fact, according to a recent report from Digital Insights, social media participation is the highest it’s ever been. There are more than 1.2 billion users on Facebook and more than 1 billion users on Twitter.

As for promoting your inspection services on professional social sites, both LinkedIn and Google+ have almost 2 billion followers between the two of them.

With a majority of users between the ages of 25 and 40, it’s a safe bet that a large number of social followers are homeowners or soon-to-be home-buyers.

Technology and Social Media

Social media isn’t just a way to stay connected to friends and family, it’s a growing technology that’s helping connect businesses and customers. If your home inspection business needs a push in the tech direction, getting social just might be the solution.

According to the article “3 Ways Technology Makes Home Inspection More Efficient”, the use of automated appointment scheduling improves efficiency. Well, using social messaging tools like the Facebook message feature allows you to send your customers helpful appointment updates and reminders too.

Likewise, many business owners are using social media to answer customer questions and post information about their services.

Your home inspection business can do the same and it all starts with adopting a tech-savvy, social mindset.

Big Three

In the world of social media, there are three sites that your inspection service can benefit from the most: Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Facebook is a great all-purpose social site that allows you to communicate with homeowners and inform the general public about important inspection topics.

Twitter is a quick and easy way to stay socially relevant to your customers.

With Twitter, you can engage customers via short messages about your services and promotions. It only takes a few seconds to create a tweet, which makes it efficient too.

LinkedIn is the perfect way to build your home inspection brand and give it a professional online presence.

Homeowners can search for your home inspection company through the site as well as read your portfolio and review recommendations from your past customers.

Social Media and Mobile Technology

Just about every social site on the market has a mobile app, which is good news for your business. By downloading social apps on your smartphone or tablet, you can bring your customer outreach to work with you.

Homeowners appreciate it when inspectors respond quickly to social comments and messages.

With mobile apps, you can stay connected to your customers whether you’re in the office, at an inspection, or anywhere in between.

When you’re ready to make your home inspection service more tech-savvy, consider the benefits of social media.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Adam Groff is a freelance writer and creator of content. He writes on a variety of topics including social media and technology.

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4 Reasons Your Ecommerce Strategy Is Failing

Just like in the “real world” of brick and mortar businesses, most online businesses selling goods and services have either failed already or are just struggling to keep up. There are many reasons for this, and just about all of them can be fixed with a little time and effort or the willingness to pay someone to help you.

Photo by Stuart Miles at freedigitalphotos.net

1. Nobody Knows You

The comparison to offline businesses is very relevant for this issue. If your business is tucked away down a dark alley, then you should put up lights and signs on the main street to direct foot traffic toward your door. The same strategy applies when marketing your website, because you can’t sell anything to people who don’t know you exist.

Consider putting up advertisements on relevant websites that will attract the audience you are looking for, try promoting your business through Twitter or other social networks, or go with Google which is also great at targeting particular segments of the population.

2. Your Site Design Is Not Appropriate

Do you think it’s true that “you can’t judge a book by its cover”? Well, your website is not a book, and people will absolutely judge it within seconds after arriving on your front page. You have very little time to capture the interest of each viewer, and if you fail to do that then you have wasted all of that time and money spent on marketing.

You could hire that kid on your street who seems to know a thing or two about computers, or you could hire a professional ecommerce design studio that knows what they’re doing. Which one of these two options do you think the major players and competitors in your industry are choosing?

3. Poor Social Media Presence

The ability to build a loyal following on social media could make or break your online business, depending on what it is that you’re selling. If done right, these people will basically start marketing your website to their friends, family, and fans to create a constant stream of new business.

Consider all of the social media platforms available today, and don’t disregard any of them as irrelevant to your business. Do you think Instagram is just for sharing pictures of puppies and breakfast? If so, you are missing out on potential customers and letting your competitors win.

4. Not Competitive

It is so easy to compare prices online now, and what can be a blessing for the consumer can be a curse for the provider. This doesn’t mean that you always have to lower your standards and prices to beat the cheap Chinese junk you may be competing with, but you have to be reasonable. Do your research on the people and businesses that are selling similar goods and services as you, and honestly ask yourself why a person would choose you over them.

This is just the start of what it takes to survive and thrive in an online marketplace that is becoming more saturated day by day. If you think you are doing poorly in any of these four aspects, then this is what you should be working on right now. Don’t try to do it alone if you don’t have the required skills and knowledge. It is usually cheaper to hire someone rather than spending the time to learn while you have more important things to worry about.

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Social Media as an Effective Tool For Learning

Many experts and apparent professionals criticize social media as a negative development for this society. We are totally aware of the fact that every aspect and process has its pros and cons, so why not stick to the positive dimensions of social media? The usage and application of any concept is totally reliant on an individual. Whether they are inclined towards its positive usage or looking forward to create distractions for themselves as well as for others, the treatment or the practicality entirely depends on the human mind.  Keeping every debate and argument aside, we have made sure that social media delivers and presents to the mankind what it needs the most; learning and education. The acquiring of education is not limited to the high schools or university going classes, therefore, you do not have to make excuses in order to attain knowledge and insights. Social media works as a positive tool for this purpose, keeping it simple yet detailed; social media has provided itself to be one of the most inspiring and impressive platforms, especially for the upcoming youth. With the exposure, they have created and initiated an inline based community, which deals with education and informal aspects of learning. The niche of social media is different, yet attracts millions of users in a day. Let us analyze in detail why and how this medium is said to be more effective than the others and why the teachers should encourage its use in the classroom.

Contributors and participants

Social media is a forum, which incorporates millions of users and individuals. This is why, it is said to be more global as it includes people from all the backgrounds, races and cultural wisdom. This way the number of participants and contributors increase, and every individual based on their own sets of knowledge and experience contributes with a positive intention, which is read, liked and appreciated by all. This way knowledge does not remain stagnant and is in a constant flow, from one individual to another.

Reliability and credibility

Regardless of fake and hoax programs offered by the internet, social media is more reliable and therefore authentic. There are certain mediums which depict and present knowledge, which falls right under the praiseworthy category and is approved by the experts. This way credible and dependable knowledge is transferred to people and the users and this is how they benefit from it on a regular basis.

Part of e-learning program

Many students are taking part and enrolling themselves in online based programs, which offer short courses and sessions. They are of different quality, but serve the same purpose. Moreover, social media is an efficient and a capable part of e-learning. They assist the students and those who are seeking help academically or intellectually, by pursuing everyday discussions and online debates.

Informal learning

In a nutshell, social media is said to be a productive and a constructive medium for informal learning. With new innovations and thinking perceptions, it has changed the way students think and achieve education. With the availability of online articles, scholarly journals and opinionated related blogs, students can get first-hand knowledge about various new disciplines and teach themselves.

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The Importance of Keeping Your Data Up to Date

With the growing important of technology, big data, and the implications for the Internet of Things, keeping your company’s data up to date is more important than ever. Bad data compromises many different aspects of your business including marketing, sales, and business development – three key areas of growth. If your business deals in B2B, there is a greater chance that a large portion of your data is compromised because corporate turnover rates can reach up to 40% each year and with it, emails and phone numbers change. Data churn is a reality for every type of business, but cultivating the best data possible is going to become more important as more companies become reliable on data.

The Internet of Things and Big Data

These may sound like to buzz words or catch phrases, but get used to them. They are both going to be vital to the future of all businesses, not just internet businesses. If you are not familiar with The Internet of Things, also known as IoT, it is the growing network of everyday objects that are coming online as they are becoming internet enabled. The Internet of Things will impact every industry and big data will grow as part of it. As everyday objects become digitized, they will begin to collect data from users, shoppers, drivers, etc. The implications are limitless. Smart shelving will be able to let inventory managers know when to restock and when to reorder merchandise. Smart pills will relay medical information back to doctors including whether or not patients took pills and if they had a fever when they did. Smart products will tell brands where consumers took them plus when and how they were used. The data that will be created by all of the new smart objects in the world will need even more managing than the databases that are considered “big data” now.

Correct Data, Personalization, and Driving the Customer Experience

Another implication of the benefits of maintaining good data about your customers is what you can do with it in terms of personalization and segmentation. Consumers are now learning to expect personalization and customization as part of their experience with their company. If you aren’t delivering that type of elevated experience, they are likely to turn to other companies that are. Utilizing the data you collect properly can also be used to this effect to help improve the customer experience and your company’s customer service efforts.

Protecting and Cultivating Your Data

Companies need to start implementing ways to protect and cultivate data now to stay ahead of the curve and maintain a healthy database as the need grows and blossoms in the future. Here are a few ways to maintain a healthy database and prepare for the growth of big data.

Ask all contacts for multiple pieces of contact information. Since corporate turnover rates are so high, ask for a personal email address in addition to a business one. Maintain phone numbers and other pieces of data such as social contacts like establishing a LinkedIn connection.
Give something in exchange for the extra data you are asking for. Make your content something that your customers need and want. If content isn’t an option for your type of business, give something in exchange for their contact information like a coupon for their next purchase or entry into a contest or drawing.
Contact your list often. Ideally, contacts should be reached out to once a month. Of course, this may be different for your company, but the more often you keep in contact with your connections, the less chance there is of a contact or lead going cold.
Remove bad email addresses and other bad contact information from your database. No need to continue spending money emailing or calling contacts that aren’t valid. If you use an email service provider, they should automatically remove bad addresses. When you receive a report of bad contacts, look through to see if you can re-establish a new connection.
Tap companies that offer services to protect, verify, and maintain your data. There are many different companies that each performs slightly different services. ZoomInfo provides statistics, Isentia provides social media cross referencing, and Stack Overflow validates data as you input it.

Summary

Once you understand the importance of big data, you might take heed to the tips we have listed here. Your company’s data is likely very important now, but that importance will only continue to grow as the level of information grows. The implications of the Internet of Things here is almost unfathomable. What was once the fantasy of sci-fi movies is now becoming a reality and your company can benefit from properly maintaining and managing your contact data.

 

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Google Chrome promises to fix that battery drain problem for Mac users

Mashable – Google Chrome users on Macs are getting a fix for the browser’s biggest weakness: battery drain. The company announced it is updating its browser so that it sips, not guzzles, a Mac’s battery when compared to the built-in browser, Safari.

Google has already made some changes to curb Chrome’s battery appetite, according to aGoogle Plus post from Peter Kasting, Chrome’s senior software engineer. The browser will now prioritize the current tab, as opposed to giving all tabs (like those in the background), equal priority.

Chrome is also now adept at handling websites you visit every day; the new updates make it just as efficient as Safari when loading Amazon or performing a Google search.

Despite the improvements, Chrome still isn’t all the way there. Google is working to make Chrome less of a RAM hog, something that not only drains the battery but makes computers lag.

“Memory use is certainly another complaint, which we’ve been working on separately,” Kasting wrote in a reply to his Google Plus post.

Last week, Google said Chrome would stop autoplaying flash ads. Flash is yet another battery drain culprit, so that’s another change that will keep laptops running longer.

Chrome is already the world’s most popular browser, but complaints have been mounting about the browser’s performance. Google has to address the issues if it wants to keep people tied to its services.

Article by Ronald Chavez for Mashable

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6 Best Social Networks for Gamers

The gaming world encompasses a fairly social group, with many choosing to join games that offer online competition and cooperation opportunities. Popular games, like Destiny, Madden, Halo, and others have helped players connect virtually in order to spar and team up for special missions and rewards. It only makes sense, then, that social networks would lend themselves to the gaming community, building a sacred place where achievements can be celebrated and new team members found.

Raptr

A great place to kickstart your social gaming network, Raptr offers a simple interface and quick tutorials to start you down your path. Keep up with friends, upload photos, manage your online gaming life, and support your favorite teams with this social gaming network for the PC gamer. A unique desktop app allows you to easily create site content and upload it to your profile. Raptr makes recommendations for new gaming options based on the games you already enjoy. It also connects you with live games and offers real-time presence indicators to help you join in-progress games with your friends.

Raptr is for the serious competitive gamer just as much as it is for the casual player. Communities here are divided into game-based sub-communities, highlighting the commonalities between community members and promoting competition. To make the platform more impressive, most of the sub-categories each have thousands of members that keep the site hopping.

WeGame

Image via Flickr by TORLEY

With its own video capture tool, you can snag gaming moments and share them with the network of gamers who also use WeGame. The focus on video footage and screenshots is unique to WeGame, and users get to rate individual videos vying for top spots on the main page. The platform also issues challenges to encourage users to post on shared themes, such as “biggest guns,” “ugliest boss,” or “coolest vehicle.”

Gamurs

Relatively new to the scene, Gamurs is a free social gaming network that launched in 2013 and features profiles reminiscent of Google+. With thousands of available games in the database and a robust platform, Gamurs has set itself up as a top gaming social network. Gamurs also pulls serious news from top games, provider networks, YouTube, Twitch, Steam, and more to let you know what’s happening in your gaming world.

Playfire

If you are interested in connecting with friends outside of your games, then Playfire might be the right social gaming network for you. You start off by providing all handles you use on your smartphone, PSN, Xbox Live, and other platforms. Then Playfire pulls down all available content, numbers, and stats to get you involved in rankings. When you connect to Playfire using a gaming smartphone, like the powerful Galaxy S6 Edge on a strong and reliable network, you can take the handheld gaming experience to the next level by staying connected socially with friends.

You will then connect with your Facebook account to find other friends who might have a Playfire account. This social network offers an activity feed to keep you abreast of all updates for your games and players you’ve connected with. A huge forum also keeps Playfire members active and chatting.

Duxter

Gaining force with a sort of vengeance, Duxter is a newer social gaming network that is gaining popularity with a sleek interface and the ability to upload images, videos, text, streams, and more to your communities. With additional quests like filling out your profile and posting on the forum, Duxter makes the social gaming network a bit more fun. Purchase physical goods right out of the Duxter store, visit the flash arcade to level up your account, and enjoy creating your very own memes with the in-house generator.

Onverse

If role-playing and virtual reality are more up your alley, you might enjoy the unique setup of Onverse. Customize your home and avatar, and mingle to meet other players in a very different kind of social network. The three-dimensional space allows you to move and chat with a strange sense of real connection.

Gaming networks help you connect with people who share your same love for the game, spurring you to new heights and helping you make new acquaintances. There are plenty of gaming sites out there to help you find new friends and boost your gaming experience. Which one will you choose?

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