Big Trouble for Websites that aren’t Mobile Friendly

stmedia on May 4, 2015

Most people are calling it Mobilegeddon however Google’s crackdown on websites that aren’t mobile-friendly is something that needed to happen… awhile ago. Now that 60% of website views are coming from a cell phone, iPad or other mobile device it’s time for businesses and organizations to make sure that their website is just as easy to navigate on a cell phone as it is on a macbook. Please take note that this change by google took place on April 21st, your site is currently at risk.
What Website Owners Can Do
If you needed a little encouragement to optimize your website and embrace mobile readiness, this is it. To find out how mobile-friendly your site is right now, Google offers a free mobile-friendly test. Hopefully, you get the “Awesome! This page is mobile-friendly” result, but there’s only one way to find out. No matter what your grade, make sure to visit Google’s official mobile SEO guide because this tells you exactly what Google wants. It’s like getting a teacher-approved cheat sheet for the big test. The biggest mistakes are slow mobile pages, mobile-only 404 errors, blocked CSS/JavasScript/image files, faulty redirects, cross-links that don’t make sense, and unplayable content to name just a few. These mistakes or issues can be outlined and remedied by placing different tests to be undertaken via the use of performance testing services such as Apica Systems and other similar companies can provide.
If you’ve put it off, get someone who knows responsive design on your side immediately or contact Small Talk Media. You may have avoided a penalty so far, but Google will eventually catch you. If you passed, don’t assume everything is coming up roses. You want more than “mediocre.” Use the Google Developer’s Page Speed Insight Tools to find out more information and make your website as fast as it can be–which is a must for viewing on a mobile page. Studies have shown that people want mobile pages to load even faster than desktop. This tool set also tells you if the Flash you use is appropriate, if you have render-blocking scripts on your site that need fixing or changing, if your JavaScript is “healthy,” if your web host is doing you any favors (or not), if browser caching could speed up your website, and if you can compress site images for better display. If you are using a web host and are finding that it’s just not meeting the business needs, it might be worth switching to a CDN (content delivery network). Feel free to visit businessclouddeals.com to have a little look at the differences between a CDN and a web host. Doing a little research can help you figure out if your business should implement a CDN rather than using a web host.
A Deep Cleaning
At this point, it makes sense to go after the easiest, fastest, cheapest solutions first. However, you need more than a light dusting–it’s time to “deep clean” your website and appease the Google algorithm (as well as your customers). Make sure your plug-ins are updated, the navigation structure is simple, and your comments section (if applicable) is clean.
Here’s your checklist for a Google-friendly clean sweep:

Reduce image file sizes when possible
Audit all plug-ins
Reduce how many calls your website is making to servers besides your own
Make the user experience as minimalistic as possible
Hire a website designer with responsive design and mobile readiness expertise
Consider adding a mobile version of your site and/or an app to the experience

The good news? The majority of sites aren’t going to get “perfect” Google scores. Unless your site is in a really sorry state, you’re probably far from the bottom of the barrel. However, being “middle of the pack” isn’t going to carry you for long in the world of website design. Take it one upgrade at a time, from adding in a fantastic app to testing your website to ensure it loads beautifully and quickly on every device and platform.
Remember: Google isn’t out to get you. As a matter of fact, you should be highly motivated to follow along with this update. If you do, it means a better user experience for customers, and a greater likelihood they will help you make money by buying your product or reading your content. If you’ve struggled to beat competitors in the past, this could be the chance you’ve been waiting for to make a move and grow your brand.
If you would like more information about updating your current website or building a new mobile compliant website please reach out to us for a free evaluation.
Content from Inc Magazine

Play Pac-Man on ANY Google Map

stmedia on April 6, 2015

Yes, you can now play Pac-man on ANY google map! Simply type in an address on a google map and click the Pac-Man image on the bottom of the screen. I’ve noticed that some aspects of the game are still a little clunky. A few times it didn’t want to work with the map that I was looking it so it gave me the option to use a map that definitely works. It’s also very difficult to control the little yellow ball gobbler with streets that aren’t on a perfect grid. At first I thought this was another April fools joke but it looks like they’re gonna keep this one around awhile…
Here’s a little video from my first crack at it.

Why You Need To Pay Attention to Snapchat

stmedia on February 17, 2015

This is a great post about the future of Snapchat originally posted by social media guru Gary Vaynerchuk. Original Article Here
Two big things happened recently on Snapchat. One, the release of Madonna’s new video.Two, the addition of the Discovery feature, which puts major iconic media companies front and center with unique content for the platform. Both of these things have created a frenzy of emails in my inbox about Snapchat. And it’s about damn time you guys noticed.
As someone who’s been a very strong advocate of Snapchat marketing since the early days, I’m getting enormous gratification out of receiving these emails. People are asking me what they should be doing on it, saying “Okay, now I believe you.” It’s been fascinating to watch, and I give kudos to Snapchat’s team. Because no matter what you think of Discovery personally, you cannot deny that, as a product feature, it has absolutely brought the mainstream business world’s attention to the platform.
Now, knowing all of this, I am asking all of you for one thing: please do not be on the wrong side of history.
I need everyone to start realizing what happens when platforms mature right in front of your eyes, and you miss it. The way I was able to bet on Snapchat so publicly several years ago wasn’t because of any secret knowledge or talent; it was based on good old fashioned scale.
When you see a platform gain 50 to 100 million teenaged users (as we are seeing currently with Instagram and prior to that Facebook), it will eventually age up. These teens will eventually graduate high school and go to college. Then they will graduate college and head into their life, whether that’s work or family or whatever.
Guess what comes along with them?
The app that allows them to communicate with the largest percentage of their social graph.
This is the reason so many people in their mid-thirties right now still use Facebook. All their high school and college friends use it. They’re all on there. It’s part of their behavior. It’s the same reason your grandma wants to talk on the phone. It became the standard form of communication for their social circle. And the standard form of communication for a lot of sixteen to nineteen year olds right now is being built on the behavior of Snapchat.
This is why I highly recommend everyone pay attention to the Discover feature and how people are consuming content there. Swiping left to right for new stuff, up and down for depth. If you want to market to twenty year olds in the next twenty-four to thirty-six months within a mobile environment, using that cadence and feature set might be a great place to start.
Everything ages up. People don’t leave forms of communication behind. They stick to what will allow them to communicate the most and at a large scale. Pay attention to where the younger generations are going. That’s all there is to it. And get into Snapchat before you miss your chance entirely.

10 New social networks you should know about

stmedia on July 28, 2014

This article was originally posted by KYLI SINGH of Mashable via the following link

Had enough of Facebook and Twitter? It may be time to switch up your go-to social network.
With the daily explosion of startups, there are plenty of new social media tools popping up. These newer platforms could be working on the next big thing, so you’ll want to keep an eye out.
Here’s a look at 10 up-and-coming social networks you should know.

1. Secret

Secret offers a platform for users to share their feelings and thoughts anonymously. All secrets come from Facebook friends or people in your contacts, without you knowing who they are.
The app is available for both Android and iOS devices.

IMAGE: SCREENSHOT SECRET
2. Shots

Addicted to taking selfies? This app was designed for you. Shots is a mobile social network through which you can snap and share selfies. You can reply to any given Shot, and also send private messages.
The app is only available for iOS, but will be launching an Android version soon.

IMAGE: SCREENSHOT SHOTS
3. Snapchat

Snapchat is a popular mobile platform that allows you to share photos and videos with others. You can set a time limit for how long your viewers can see your snaps before they disappear. You can also create Stories, or a series of snaps that form a narrative, and use a variety of features for customization.
Snapchat is available for both Android and iOS devices.

IMAGE: SCREENSHOT SNAPCHAT
4. WeChat

WeChat is a mobile text and voice messaging service. In addition to making free calls, you can share videos and photos (or “Moments”), create group chats, and find new people nearby.
The app is available for Android, iOS and several other devices.

IMAGE: SCREENSHOT WECHAT
5. We Heart It

Think of this as a younger and artsier version of Pinterest. Instead of pin boards, the app has “canvases” and “collections.” Users can “heart” and tag others users in photos.
We Heart It is available for both Android and iOS devices.

IMAGE: SCREENSHOT WE HEART IT
6. Tinder

While not exactly a social network, Tinder is a mobile dating app that pulls your photo and basic info from your Facebook account. Users can swipe “yes” or “no” to potential matches who are nearby. If the feeling is mutual, people can chat within the app.
Tinder is available for both Android and iOS devices.

IMAGE: SCREENSHOT TINDER
7. Medium

Medium is a microblogging platform that launched in 2012, created by Evan Williams and Biz Stone (formerly of Twitter). If you want to publish stories or ideas, you may want to consider using Medium. Users can also recommend stories with their networks and curate their favorites.

IMAGE: SCREENSHOT MEDIUM
8. Vine

Seven months after Twitter acquired Vine, the video sharing service made its way up the charts. The fun app allows you to shoot and share six-second looped videos.
Vine is available for both Android and iOS devices.

IMAGE: SCREENSHOT VINE
9. Bubblews

Bubblews, a social networking startup, allows users to create posts (aka “bubbles”), follow friends, and “like” and comment on other bubbles. It differs from other social networks because the company pays its users who attract advertisers and traffic. Currently, Bubblews does not have a mobile app.

IMAGE: SCREENSHOT BUBBLEWS
10. Whisper

Whisper is another social media platform that allows people to anonymously share secrets. With Whisper, you can send anonymous direct messages and ask others for advice, or just chat.
The app is available for both Android and iOS devices.

IMAGE: SCREENSHOT WHISPER

Restaurant proves that the new generation is ruining their own experience

stmedia on July 12, 2014

Here’s why you the consumer are ruining your own restaurant experience

A busy NYC restaurant kept getting bad reviews for slow service, so they hired a firm to investigate. When they compared footage from 2004 to footage from 2014, they made some pretty startling discoveries. So shocking, in fact, that they ranted about it on Craigslist!

Here’s the transcription:

We are a popular restaurant for both locals and tourists alike. Having been in business for many years, we noticed that although the number of customers we serve on a daily basis is almost the same today as it was 10 years ago, the service just seems super slow even though we added more staff and cut back on the menu items…
One of the most common complaints on review sites against us and many restaurants in the area is that the service was slow and/or they needed to wait a bit long for a table.
We decided to hire a firm to help us solve this mystery, and naturally the first thing they blamed it on was that the employees need more training and that maybe the kitchen staff is just not up to the task of serving that many customers.
Like most restaurants in NYC we have a surveillance system, and unlike today where it’s a digital system, 10 years ago we still used special high capacity tapes to record all activity. At any given time we had 4 special Sony systems recording multiple cameras. We would store the footage for 90 days just in case we needed it for something.
The firm we hired suggested we locate some of the older tapes and analyze how the staff behaved 10 years ago versus how they behave now. We went down to our storage room but we couldn’t find any tapes at all.
We did find the recording devices, and luckily for us, each device has 1 tape in it that we simply never removed when we upgraded to the new digital system!
The date stamp on the old footage was Thursday July 1, 2004. The restaurant was very busy that day. We loaded up the footage on a large monitor, and next to it on a separate monitor loaded up the footage of Thursday July 3 2014, with roughly the same amount of customers as ten years before.
I will quickly outline the findings. We carefully looked at over 45 transactions in order to determine the data below, however, if other restaurants wish to gain and analyze their customer data to outline strong points as well as key performance indicators (KPIs) in which your restaurant could improve on, have a look at restaurant insight software solutions from the likes of Conversant Media or other agencies providing similar software so you won’t have to gain data by manually watching security footage! Here’s what happened in the footage reviewed:
2004:
Customers walk in.
They gets seated and are given menus, out of 45 customers 3 request to be seated elsewhere.
Customers on average spend 8 minutes before closing the menu to show they are ready to order.
Waiters shows up almost instantly takes the order.
Appetizers are fired within 6 minutes, obviously the more complex items take longer.
Out of 45 customers 2 sent items back.
Waiters keep an eye out for their tables so they can respond quickly if the customer needs something.
After guests are done, the check delivered, and within 5 minutes they leave.
Average time from start to finish: 1:05
2014:
Customers walk in.
Customers get seated and is given menus, out of 45 customers 18 requested to be seated elsewhere.
Before even opening the menu they take their phones out, some are taking photos while others are simply doing something else on their phone (sorry we have no clue what they are doing and do not monitor customer WIFI activity).
7 out of the 45 customers had waiters come over right away, they showed them something on their phone and spent an average of 5 minutes of the waiter’s time. Given this is recent footage, we asked the waiters about this and they explained those customers had a problem connecting to the WIFI and demanded the waiters try to help them.
Finally the waiters are walking over to the table to see what the customers would like to order. The majority have not even opened the menu and ask the waiter to wait a bit.
Customer opens the menu, places their hands holding their phones on top of it and continue doing whatever on their phone.
Waiter returns to see if they are ready to order or have any questions. The customer asks for more time.
Finally they are ready to order.
Total average time from when the customer was seated until they placed their order 21 minutes.
Food starts getting delivered within 6 minutes, obviously the more complex items take way longer.
26 out of 45 customers spend an average of 3 minutes taking photos of the food.
14 out of 45 customers take pictures of each other with the food in front of them or as they are eating the food. This takes on average another 4 minutes as they must review and sometimes retake the photo.
9 out of 45 customers sent their food back to reheat. Obviously if they didn’t pause to do whatever on their phone the food wouldn’t have gotten cold.
27 out of 45 customers asked their waiter to take a group photo. 14 of those requested the waiter retake the photo as they were not pleased with the first photo. On average this entire process between the chit chatting and reviewing the photo taken added another 5 minutes and obviously caused the waiter not to be able to take care of other tables he/she was serving.
Given in most cases the customers are constantly busy on their phones it took an average of 20 minutes more from when they were done eating until they requested a check. Furthermore once the check was delivered it took 15 minutes longer than 10 years ago for them to pay and leave.
8 out of 45 customers bumped into other customers or in one case a waiter (texting while walking) as they were either walking in or out of the Restaurant.
Average time from start to finish: 1:55
We are grateful for everyone who comes into our restaurant, after all there are so many choices out there. But can you please be a bit more considerate?
Originally posted by Maia McCann on Distractify

Instead of poking on Facebook now you simply “Ask” them out

stmedia on May 19, 2014

Apparently facebook just got a whole lot more creepy..
Article originally written by Samantha Murphy Kelly for Mashable.
If you’ve been eyeing someone on Facebook whose profile doesn’t list a relationship status, the company is making it easier (or possibly more awkward) to find out if he or she’s single.
Facebook has rolled out a new “ask” feature for those profile pages that don’t list relationship statuses. The owner of the page doesn’t see the button — only the person who is checking out the page.

By clicking “ask,” you must send the user a message related to the status (such as “want to grab a drink sometime?”), as well as a request to list a status as single, engaged, married or in a civil union. Note: users must be friends with the person in order for the “ask” button to appear.

The owner of the Facebook page then receives a request to list select a status that only the sender can see. This means your status can remain private but visible to only those who “ask” for that information, if you so wish to divulge it.

It’s also possible to update your entire network with this information too, but Facebook is probably guessing — correctly — that you’d simply list your status already if you wanted everyone to know.
The feature introduces a new way to use Facebook as a way to find dates. With the continuing success of online dating sites, and Facebook’s massive user base, the only surprise here is that the feature wasn’t introduced sooner.
A user’s relationship status can also be of use to marketers that target products or services to certain demographics. By answering an “ask” request, a Facebook member is telling the site their status (even if it’s not visible to the public) and in turn, giving the company that personal data.

The feature first started popping up on mobile and desktop versions of the site a few months ago, but is now accessible to all users. It’s also possible to “ask” for other unlisted information too, such as phone numbers, email addresses, current city, hometown and place of employment.
Let the awkward inquiring begin.

Your Complete Guide to Facebook Apps

stmedia on May 14, 2014

Check out a great article featuring the best Facebook apps available. Original article posted by Panorama

One of the easiest ways to use your Facebook page to its fullest potential for social media marketing is to employ third-party Facebook applications.

Doing so makes your page significantly more appealing to your audience and improves user experience. You should also look into chances for people to be able to engage with real time messaging, as people love the ability to interact directly with someone online. This usually then translates to more visitors who interact with and share your content, which then appears in their activity streams and is more virally discoverable. Facebook page customization can dramatically increase your visibility, improve your branding, and create more leads and sales.

There are thousands of social media marketing tools for Facebook that assist brands with managing and enhancing their Facebook marketing activities. Here are 37 of the top Facebook apps on the market, ranging from design and customization to creating engagement with polls to blogging and video integration. Start using some of them to take your Facebook page to the next level!

Facebook App Suites

1. Ripe Social

Ripe Social offers 10 apps that increase brand awareness, promote client interaction, drive website traffic, cultivate repeat business, generate sales leads, and ignite viral marketing. Check out the Ripe Social blog.

2. AgoraPlus

AgoraPlus is an all-in-one platform to manage your Facebook page. Its 10 Facebook page applications give you everything you need to attract fans, engage them, and offer exclusive content on your Facebook page, mobile devices, and your own website. Check out the AgoraPlus blog.

3. Heyo

Heyo’s easy-to-use editor and templates enable you to use contests, promotions, and deals to drive traffic, leads, and sales. Drag and drop widgets make it simple to create a custom campaign from scratch without writing a single line of code, giving you complete creative control. Check out the Heyo blog.

4. North Social

North Social offers 19 Facebook applications that allow you to create great pages and fan experiences to increase engagement and promote your brand. Check out the North Social blog.

5. FanAppz

FanAppz gives you everything you need to grow, engage, learn about, and ultimately convert your social audiences into customers and turn good customers into great ones. It’s easy to turn brand assets into high-impact social experiences that leverage your fans’ “amplifier affect” and help you capture emails, likes, interests, and demographics. Check out the FanAppz blog.

Facebook Tab Apps

6. Tabfusion

Tabfusion lets you create your own custom Tab with virtually any content. Be sure to check out their numerous apps for photos, videos, blogs, and more.

7. Static HTML

Static HTML makes it easy to create powerful custom iframe tabs.

8. Tabsite

Tabsite helps you build Facebook tabs for deals, sweepstakes, reviews, contests, and more. Check out the Tabsite blog.

9. Contact Tab

Content Tab lets you easily add a tab to show your contact information and business location through Bing or Google Maps.

10. SocialAppsHQ

SocialAppsHQ offers 26 apps that are easy to set up, multilingual, and easy to set up. Check out the SocialAppsHQ blog.

Facebook E-Commerce Apps

11. LunarMods

LunarMods makes it quick, easy, and secure to embed eCommerce in your Facebook Page.

12. Ecwid

Ecwid is a shopping cart app that seamlessly integrates with your page and can be mirrored on many other sites at the same time. Check out the Ecwid blog.

Facebook Posting and Scheduling Apps

13. HootSuite

HootSuite simplifies posting and scheduling Facebook updates, adding images, monitoring feeds, and more. Teams can manage complex campaigns – including Profiles, Pages, Events, Groups, and Search. Check out the HootSuite blog.

14. Post Planner

Post Planner schedules posts, helps you find content ideas, and brand your Facebook posts across all of your pages and groups. Check out the Post Planner blog.

15. SocialOomph

SocialOomph enables you to schedule Facebook status and wall updates, group updates, and photo uploads.

16. Status Shuffle

Status Shuffle has the largest collection of Facebook status messages to choose from when you’re stuck for inspiration.

Facebook Contests and Promotions Apps

17. ShortStack

ShortStack has many features to help you get the most from your Facebook pages, including contests, polls, data collection, and analytics. Check out the ShortStack blog.

18. Top Tab

Top Tab makes it easy to create and implement an interactive contest on Facebook.

19. EazyContest

EazyContest creates photo and video contests, custom banners, buttons, CSS, custom menu tabs, custom entry forms, and reveal pages that pop. Check out the EazyContest blog.

20. SnapApp

SnapApp sets up custom branded Facebook competitions that help you improve engagement, increase conversions, and drive sales. Check out the SnapApp blog.

21. Antavo

Antavo enables you to run contests, sweepstakes, and giveaways on Facebook, the Web, and mobile devices. Check out the Antavo blog.

Facebook Blog Apps

22. NetworkedBlogs

NetworkedBlogs automatically publishes your blog posts to Facebook, so you get found and generate more traffic.

23. RSS Tab

RSS Tab lets you publish up to five different blogs on your Facebook page.

24. RSS Graffiti

RSS Graffiti automatically publishes your blog RSS feeds on your Facebook Page. Check out the RSS Graffiti blog.

Facebook Video Apps

25. YouTube for Fan Pages

YouTube for Fan Pages syncs your YouTube channel directly to a custom tab on your Facebook Fan Page so your viewers can spend more time with your brand.

26. Livestream

Livestream for Facebook enables you to add an existing Livestream channel to your Facebook Page and share a live broadcast or from their on-demand library.

Facebook Page Design and Customization Apps

27. GroSocial

GroSocial lets you start from scratch or use one of many great-looking professionally-designed templates to create Facebook tabs, timeline covers, and more. Check out the GroSocial blog.

28. SOCI

SOCI brings your Facebook page to life with branded business pages. You can craft custom timeline cover images with in-line editing, host micro websites on Facebook, and more.

29. PageModo

PageModo helps you set up a professional Facebook page for your business or organization. Customize your page with a stunning cover photo, custom welcome tab, and more in just a few minutes. Check out the PageModo blog.

Facebook Fan and Friend Apps

30. SelectrMe

SelectrMe manages your your Facebook fans and friend lists.

31. Fan of the Week

Fan of the Week enables fans to apply to become “fan of the week”. Other fans can then peer-to-peer vote for who should be selected – you can choose the winner manually or let the raw votes decide.

32. LiveChat

LiveChat helps you actively engage your Facebook fans and provide them with friendly customer support. Check out the LiveChat blog.

33. ooVoo

ooVoo facilitates video chats with up to 12 people on Facebook. You can also send video messages and record videos for your YouTube channel.

Facebook Survey and Poll Apps

34. Polldaddy

Polldaddy easily creates surveys, polls, quizzes, and rating systems. Check out the Polldaddy blog.

35. Poll

Poll creates polls for your Facebook pages and improves fan engagement.

36. Polls for Facebook

Polls for Facebook sets up polls that are multiple choice or composed of freeform questions. Check out the Polls for Facebook blog.

37. Cupli

Cupli creates standard polls and surveys, and also has functionality for private interviews and different question formats . You can target by age, gender, marital status, and education, and sort respondents into groups.
Read more: https://www.pamorama.net/2013/11/11/37-best-facebook-page-apps-marketing/#ixzz31hFufFTq

A few things you didn’t know about Google Drive

stmedia on May 12, 2014

This is a great article originally from Mashable. Easily one of my favorite sites.
Google Drive is here to make your life easy, but we’re here to make it even easier.
The multifaceted feature that allows you to create documents, photos, spreadsheets, drawings and more has boundless abilities. However, with Drive’s constant updates and added hacks, we’re only scratching the surface of what it can really do. You can learn how to improve your workflow with Google Drive, I bet you didn’t know that!

Here are eight tip and tricks to maximize your Google usage.

1. Crop photos

There are several kinds of photo cropping options in Google Drive. Aside from the typical square or rectangle, you can also crop your pics into different shapes, such as hearts and smiley faces.
Open an image, then click on it and select the Crop icon in the toolbar to mess around with the feature.

IMAGE: GOOGLE
2. Experiment with add-ons

For documents and spreadsheets, try out one of the many available add-ons. They include EasyBib (which creates a quick bibliography), Twitter curator (which lets you search and save tweets to your doc) or Translate (which translates text into other languages).
You can find add-ons in the toolbar when you open a doc or spreadsheet.

VIDEO: YOUTUBE, GOOGLE
3. Check out your Drive activity

Want to track all of the changes you or someone else has made to your Drive? Open Drive and click on the small “i” icon in the righthand corner. All of your activity will pop up.

IMAGE: GOOGLE
4. Look at your revision history

Speaking of activity, here’s a tip that’s hiding in plain sight. You can see up to 100 revisions made on any of your documents by clicking “File” and “See revision history.”

IMAGE: GOOGLE
5. Use spreadsheets offline

If you’re a spreadsheet fanatic, this feature is going to change your life. It received a number of upgrades last December, such as new functions like averageif (which gives you the average of specified cells), and unlimited cells, formulas and columns.
You can also use it without an Internet connection. Any spreadsheet you edit while you’re offline will simply update once you’re connected to the web.

VIDEO: YOUTUBE, GOOGLE
6. Shortcut to keyboard shortcuts

There are loads of keyboard shortcuts that I use all the time to make life easier. For example, “CTRL-Shift-T” to bring back a tab you accidentally close or “F11” to view your program in full screen mode. Want to know all the keyboard shortcuts for super fast access to everything? Hit “shift” and “?” and Drive will pull up a list of all keyboard shortcuts – a shortcut for your shortcuts.

IMAGE: GOOGLE
7. Customize who sees what

If you’re sharing something on Drive with someone else, you can customize the settings for what type of access each person gets. For example, you can allow or forbid someone from making comments or edits.

VIDEO: YOUTUBE, GOOGLE HELP
8. Make your email life easier

Gmail limits the size of email attachments to 25MB, but you can bypass that by sending an attachment via your Drive. When you compose an email, click on the small Drive icon, and from there pick what you want to add.
When someone sends you any attachment via email, you can save it straight to your Drive. Hover over the attachment and you’ll see the Drive icon. Click on it and place it where you like.

Facebook has become the biggest brother // Person Tracking

stmedia on April 18, 2014

Facebook recently introduced the discretionary “Nearby Friends” feature that allows you to track friends, proving that the company has not shifted from their fundamental competency of essentially enabling stalking. Facebook users can whether their precise location is revealed. This can mean that you will be able to track friends down to the half mile.

Facebook tracking through iPhone

Unlike most Facebook services which request users to opt-out, “Nearby Friends” is a voluntary opt-in service. Other such opt-in features have proven problematic, such as the feature allowing for the automatic uploading of iPhone photos to Facebook. “Nearby Friends” only works when two parties each turn on the service and if you choose to share the information regarding your location with them. According to Business Insider:

To prevent stalking, the function comes with a timer that switches off Nearby Friends after a certain time, for instance one hour. And only friends can see you in Nearby Friends — not friends of friends or members of the public you have not confirmed as friends.
Nearby Friends also produces an activity log, which you can delete at will. The log also produces maps of your whereabouts over time, which you can also delete if you want.

Facebook tracking through iPhone

Facebook has attempted to get users to reveal where they are in the past, but they have not been successful in their efforts. The conception of Facebook Places, a feature similar to Foursquare, did not gain popularity. It was slightly more popular than Facebook Poke, which was a feature similar to Snapchat. Instagram has been experimenting with the use of Facebook Places:

When Nearby Friends is on, you can see when your friends are traveling if they’re also using this feature and sharing with you. You’ll be able to see the city or neighborhood they are in, including on their profile. When you see a friend visiting a place you’ve been, it’s the perfect opportunity to send a recommendation for a great restaurant. You can also make last-minute plans to meet up with a friend who happens to be in the same place you’re headed to.

This new feature is the result of an acquisition, much like Instagram, Oculus Rift, and WhatsApp. Facebook is attempting to become the next Google. Andrea Vaccari, the former Glancee CEO who now works at Facebook, promises Business Insider that all of the information gathered through the “Nearby Friends” feature about exactly where you’ve been will not be sold for to generate revenue for Facebook.

Facebook tracking through iPhone

Obviously, the new feature has the potential to produce a lot of new data on users. Facebook product manager Andrea Vaccari says that, currently, none of that data will be used for purposes outside the app. It will not be used to help target advertising, for instance. And Nearby Friends will not be usable by business Pages that you’re fans of — so local restaurants and stores won’t be pinging you with offers when you walk by. (Of course, given Facebook’s track record, it would seem natural that such a useful new trove of location data might eventually be monetized in some way in the future.)

The operative word there is “currently.”

Philly’s Hottest New Startup: Social Ladder

stmedia on April 1, 2014

You have 3,000 friends on Facebook, 900 followers on twitter and 600 followers on Instagram. You stay very active on each of the networks by checking in, posting food photos, sharing with friends and commenting. Did you know that businesses would kill for a person like you?
The question has always been, “We know these social butterflies are out there, but how do we find them?” Welcome to Social Ladder! This new state of the art (I love using that phrase) technology allows consumers to connect all of their social media accounts to one app and it allows businesses to reward those people based on how influential they are.
We’ve actually gotten quite cozy with the owners of Social Ladder and they’ve allowed our events company, One Up Events, to take on the nightlife marketing end of the business. What does this mean for our clients, friends and prospects? You all get a FREE Trial!
If you’re interested in trying out this revolutionary new software on your business please shoot us an email at Rob@oneupevents.com.

1. Secret

2. Shots

3. Snapchat

4. WeChat

5. We Heart It

6. Tinder

7. Medium

8. Vine

9. Bubblews

10. Whisper

Here’s why you the consumer are ruining your own restaurant experience

Here’s the transcription:

One of the easiest ways to use your Facebook page to its fullest potential for social media marketing is to employ third-party Facebook applications.

Facebook App Suites

1. Ripe Social

2. AgoraPlus

3. Heyo

4. North Social

5. FanAppz

Facebook Tab Apps

6. Tabfusion

7. Static HTML

8. Tabsite

9. Contact Tab

10. SocialAppsHQ

Facebook E-Commerce Apps

11. LunarMods

12. Ecwid

Facebook Posting and Scheduling Apps

13. HootSuite

14. Post Planner

15. SocialOomph

16. Status Shuffle

Facebook Contests and Promotions Apps

17. ShortStack

18. Top Tab

19. EazyContest

20. SnapApp

21. Antavo

Facebook Blog Apps

22. NetworkedBlogs

23. RSS Tab

24. RSS Graffiti

Facebook Video Apps

25. YouTube for Fan Pages

26. Livestream

Facebook Page Design and Customization Apps

27. GroSocial

28. SOCI

29. PageModo

Facebook Fan and Friend Apps

30. SelectrMe

31. Fan of the Week

32. LiveChat

33. ooVoo

Facebook Survey and Poll Apps

34. Polldaddy

35. Poll

36. Polls for Facebook

37. Cupli

1. Crop photos

2. Experiment with add-ons

3. Check out your Drive activity

4. Look at your revision history

5. Use spreadsheets offline

6. Shortcut to keyboard shortcuts

7. Customize who sees what

8. Make your email life easier

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