Technology Effect

facebook vs google+

2011-08-02T00:29:00.001-07:00

Microsoft May Reveal First Nokia Windows Phones On August 17

2011-08-02T00:27:00.000-07:00

Microsoft and Nokia have announced that they are holding a joint event later this month in Cologne, Germany. The party is set for August 17 and promises “exciting actions and surprises” that will make it an evening to remember. Free food, free drinks, live act, and DJ, what else could you ask for? Well, maybe Nokia’s first Windows Phone Mango device?

Microsoft’s Windows Phone Mango update was recently released to manufacturing, which supports a rumored September launch of various Mango devices. A Fujitsu-Toshiba handset with Mango has already been officially revealed, but it’s set for a Japan-only release.
Nokia’s Mango device, codenamed the “Sea Ray” was leaked in June when Nokia CEO Stephen Elop unveiled the handset in an internal meeting. The device appears near identical to the Nokia N9 that runs on the MeeGo OS, featuring a sleek button-less front-face covered with gorilla glass on a pillow-shaped body sporting an 8-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics. Another video of the Sea Ray surfaced later on showing it already running a Windows Phone Mango build.
Nokia has said that the phone has been well received by those that have gotten an early hands-on with the device, and he expects it to launch in six European countries first, which includes France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, and the Netherlands.

Sony S1 And S2 Tablet Details Leak

2011-08-02T00:25:00.000-07:00

Sony’s first entries into the tablet market are the codenamed S1 and S2 Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets. The company has already revealed them to the public with plenty of teaser videos and even a press preview, although most details on the tablets still remain a mystery. Today, however, some new information on these slates have emerged.

According to CNET, a source familiar with the company’s plans for the S1 and S2 tablets, says that the duo will be available in both 16GB and 32GB models. The S1 tablet will have both a Wi-Fi-only model as well as a Wi-Fi and 3G model. The S2, however, will only come in a Wi-Fi and 3G capable model.
Additionally, the source points out that the S1 will feature a 9.4-inch IPS display with TruBlack and Bravia display technologies as well as a full-sized SD card slot. And when probed about battery life, the source mentioned that the S1 is “comparable to the iPad 2.” Accessories such as a dock and at least one Bluetooth keyboard are planned for the tablet with the keyboard designed such that it can be clipped to the bottom of the S1 when not in use.
The S1 is the 10-inch tablet that takes on the form of a folded-back magazine, while the S2 is the smaller clam-shell tablet that folds open to reveal dual 5.5-inch displays. They will both be PlayStation Certified devices running on Android 3.0 Honeycomb with a customized interface that integrates some of Sony’s existing services such as Qriocity for music and movies.
The tablets are expected to launch in Europe in September, but release information for the US has not yet been revealed, except that the 3G versions will likely get service through AT&T, which is also the exclusive carrier for Sony’s PS Vita portable gaming device.

Adobe Edge marks pivot to HTML5

2011-08-02T00:08:00.000-07:00

A screenshot of multimedia design program Adobe Edge as provided by Adobe Systems. (Adobe Systems)

Adobe Systems released Edge — their HTML5 design tool — at midnight Monday. Edge is the most aggressive move yet by Adobe to establish a foothold among developers in the HTML5 arena.

Edge is a motion and interaction design tool for visual web and interactive designers who want to use web standards to create animated Web content in HTML, CSS and java script. Edge works natively with Web standards, rather than working with a proprietary format, allowing designers to bring in an existing design and enhance it.

Asked if Edge is a sign that Adobe is abandoning its multimedia platform, Flash, Adobe’s Web Segment Group Product Manager Devin Fernandez said that wasn’t the case, insisting the development of Edge is an addition to Adobe’s suite of multimedia design products — not a replacement. Fernandez cited Flash’s continued use in high-end video and data-driven applications saying, “Flash remains very relevant in those areas.”

Edge signals a move by Adobe to provide developers with an animation tool that can produce a finished product supported on Apple’s iOS platform. This is a critical move, considering Flash is not supported on iOS. This has prevented dynamic pages from being seen by users of Apple’s popular mobile products. Research In Motion’s (RIM) less popular tablet, the Blackberry PlayBook, supports Flash, however RIM has been struggling with falling profits, and announced last week that the company would be slashing 10 percent of its workforce.

Edge is available for download on the Adobe Labs Web site for free as part of the company’s newly-adopted “open development methodology.” The program is not yet in beta, but is being released in ”preview release one” — a development stage that is intended to give developers an opportunity to kick the tires and send Adobe feedback. “Now, with Adobe Edge, we’re taking our HTML5 tooling to a whole new level and look forward to getting some really useful feedback from the community over the next few months, as we refine the product,” Paul Gubbay, vice president of Design and Web Engineering at Adobe, said via a press release.

Edge incorporates a number of features from existing Adobe products, such as Dreamweaver, After Effects, Photoshop and Flash in hopes of creating a user experience that will make adoption by frequent users of those programs relatively smooth. The most original feature is the timeline’s playhead and marker workflow, which allows designers to sketch their animation without having to address individual keyframes. The program also gives users an opportunity to monitor changes to HTML tags in real time.

In a demonstration, Adobe Fellow Mark Anders showed how a static HTML Web page could be imported into Edge and transformed into a dynamic page in under 10 minutes. We took at look at the page’s source code after the animation was finished. Adjustments to the code were compartmentalized in the header field, preserving the vast majority the page’s original coding.

Adobe said they intend to build the industry standard for production environment worldwide. “We’re becoming much more transparent,” said Fernandez. Adobe is working with Apple and Google on standards, and did work a little more closely with Google in terms of having them in the loop. The company also talked to Mozilla and Microsoft, but the development was done primarily by crowd-sourcing the big creatives, including Disney.

“The tool chain for creative design is how Adobe makes its money and there is a great need for HTML5 tools right now,” IDC Program Director Al Hilwa wrote in an e-mail to the Post, “There are very few companies as in-tune with designer needs and sensibilities as Adobe.”

Edge is free for now, but it remains to be seen whether it will stay that way. When asked, Adobe did not provide a price tag for Edge, citing the fact that the program had not yet entered beta. But it appears likely that should it be well-received, it will become part of the Adobe’s design and development suite, which currently retails for as much as $2,599

How Your Google Profile Can Help Recruiters Find You

2011-08-01T23:55:00.000-07:00

Miriam Salpeter

If you have an ear to the online sphere, you know Google+, Google’s newest social platform, is all the rage. While Google+ is still in invitation-only mode, early results indicate it could be a keeper. The Wall Street Journal estimates Google+ had 20 million visitors in three weeks. (Google declines to comment, and leaders are cagey when asked for specifics.)
Many early adopters are excitedly proclaiming the new network a replacement for everything from LinkedIn to Twitter to Facebook. No one knows how things will shake out in the social networking sphere, but there is no doubt Google+ heightens the importance of your Google profile.
If you use Google for search and have a profile already, you may have noticed Google provides search results “from people you know.” Current Google search results may include links (even on page one) identified as being shared by your community, assuming your contacts share links regarding the topics you search. They pass along these links by giving articles +1, Google’s version of a Facebook “like.”
Whether or not you choose to join Google+, Google’s ability to connect your profile with searches and the fact that more recruiters may begin to search Google profiles for people to hire make your Google profile an important and powerful tool in your online arsenal.
[See 10 Ways to Use Social Media in Your Job Search.]
If you do incorporate Google+ into your online activities, a profile you may not have taken much time to update becomes the backbone of what could be a very visible presence in Google+. It is worth taking the time now either to create or update your Google profile to be sure it represents information you want people to know about you. If you do join Google+, the network uses your profile to populate your bio.
The good thing is, most of your Google Profile is similar to pieces of your other online profiles, so if you’ve written strong messages on other networks, you will be able to transfer the information to Google. Take a look at the following suggestions to make sure you represent yourself professionally in the newest social network. Start out by visiting Google profiles.
Add your name and gender. This information will be public and available to anyone on the Web.
First things first, add a photo for your profile. Conventional wisdom suggests using the same avatar you use for other social networks, so potential followers will easily recognize you.
[See How Using the Right Photo Online Can Help Your Career.]
If you’re familiar with Facebook’s home profile page, you will recognize a similar photo layout on your Google profile; you may display several photos at the top of your profile. Select pictures that represent you at your professional best. In my Google+ profile, I include a picture of me with my book about social networking, a photo from my visit to Maggie Mistal’s SIRIUS/XM radio program, and a shot of me speaking. Think about what images would best represent your professional brand. Consider taking some pictures specifically with the goal of populating your profile.
In the “introduction,” you have an opportunity to include your “pitch.” It’s your Google bio, and could be very similar or the same as what you use in your LinkedIn “summary.”
Make sure you keep your target audience in mind when you populate this section. There’s no need to wax eloquent—get to the point and include keywords that describe your professional assets.
“Bragging rights” suggests including some tongue-in-cheek information, such as “survived high school.” Don’t be frivolous when writing a professional profile; include awards and accolades pertinent to your professional targets. It’s a good idea to fill out this section, but unless you’re in a creative profession, avoid trying to be funny.
“Occupation” can be your job title or description. Especially if you’re unemployed, consider using a description similar to your headline on LinkedIn. Download the free sample chapter of my book for suggestions of what to write in a headline for LinkedIn and Google. Google uses this description as your “tagline” on your Google+ profile under your name, so it’s an important addition.
“Employment” offers a chance to list your work history. It doesn’t allow more description than your place of work, title, and dates. It’s a good idea to fill it in completely, as it will help people find and identify you down the road. Be sure to be careful with dates. This information should be consistent with all of your other online profiles (specifically, LinkedIn), and your resume. Include links to any other sites you own and use. Include profiles for social networks such as Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook (assuming it’s all professional). Add links to your professional websites/social resumes.
“Education” asks for your school names, degree (or field of study), and dates. Make sure these dates are consistent with other online and job application materials. You don’t want to raise any red flags with prospective employers who find your Google profile during a search.
[See How to Use Twitter to Change Careers.]
“Places you’ve lived” may be less important than your other information, unless you want to highlight international experience or some other geographically focused identity in your profile. How you fill out the sections at the end is up to you. Don’t feel compelled to list a phone number unless you want it to be available.
It’s a good idea to list nicknames or maiden names (to help with search). As for the “looking for” section, consider keeping it professional. It’s not really necessary for people to know if you are seeking a relationship or not. “Networking” is a great reply.
Note, Mashable reports, beginning August 1st, all Google profiles will be public and Google will delete private profiles. However, your full name and gender are the only information you must share to maintain a profile with Google. If your profile is set to “private,” be sure to re-visit your settings if you don’t want it to be deleted.
Miriam Salpeter is a job search and social media consultant, career coach, author, speaker, resume writer and owner of Keppie Careers. She is author of Social Networking for Career Success. Miriam teaches job seekers and entrepreneurs how to incorporate social media tools along with traditional strategies to empower their success. Connect with her via Twitter @Keppie_Careers.

Facebook-Heavy Skype 5.5 for Windows Released

2011-08-01T23:38:00.000-07:00

Skype 5.5 for Windows was officially released Wednesday after being available in beta form, and the Internet calling software and the social network continue to become more intertwined.

The update allows users to see which of their Facebook friends are online and instant-message with them via a Facebook Contacts tab, without leaving the application.

Users can also perform Facebook tasks including status updates, commenting on posts, and liking posts directly via the Skype homepage.

Skype 5.5 for Windows also features streamlined controls for video and group calls, a new call control toolbar with redesigned icons, easier saving of phone numbers in the section labeled “call phones,” and an improved graphics interface when calls are placed on hold.

Readers, are you using Skype 5.5 for Windows yet?

The Wide World of Apps

2011-05-14T08:53:00.001-07:00

Are apps a trend or are they here to stay? There has been plenty written and talked about regarding the so-called phenomenon of the app ecosystem. Developer conferences, trade shows, meet-ups and more have all popped up over the past few years as people have recognized the app economy and looked to capitalize on it. I believe apps are a vital part of the software ecosystem going forward, and here is why.

The Role of Software

If you look back at the history of computing all the way from the mainframe, mini, microcomputer, desktop, notebook etc it has always followed the same value chain. Hardware, software and then services. This evolution started with fragmented hardware which then became standardized. That was followed by the rise of software which was also standardized to a degree, but most importantly software was developed which took advantage of the standardized hardware. Lastly the value chain moved to services. Services were the glue that tied the software and the hardware together.
We can debate about where we are currently in this value chain, especially because all three elements are in existence, yet there is still little standardization among them. Nonetheless, if we are to look at what is driving consumer buying decisions with next-generation devices, we see how much software or apps are currently influencing the buying process of consumers.

Why is this interesting?

For starters it’s very interesting to developers. Way back, before smart phones and tablets, when all we had was a clamshell PC, the availability of 100′s of thousands of software applications available for their PC was rarely part of the mainstream consumers’ purchasing process. In fact, our firm had done some research and found that at most mainstream consumers used less than 5 applications regularly on their PC. Knowing that, how could developers make a strong case to continue to emphasize their work developing for the PC when they were competing for such little consumer mindshare?
This has all flipped in the new app economy. Many consumers we talk to browse their app stores 3-5 times a week looking for new applications and have on average 12-15 applications installed at any given time. Interestingly, the number of apps on smartphones used daily is still similar to the numbers I shared with the PC, averaging 4-5, but we anticipate that number will go up as the market matures.
It is also interesting as apps may play a role in what keeps consumers loyal to a platform. Once you have made investments in that platforms ecosystem of apps perhaps consumers will be less likely to jump to new platforms where new investments in the ecosystem are necessary. This is the philosophy of sunk costs, to which i’d like to explore more at a later time in regards to hardware.
Even though I still consider us as being relatively early in the software value chain it is growing much faster with smartphones and tablets than with PC’s at a similar stage.
This is exciting for developers, consumers and manufactures and again it’s only the beginning.

If u printed Twitter [infographic]

2011-05-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

How 2010 changed our lives [infographic]

2011-05-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

History of human/computer interface [infographic]

2011-05-14T08:18:00.000-07:00

Seagate to ship pencil-thin $99 GoFlex Slim hard drive on August 5th

2011-04-08T07:33:00.000-07:00

Remember that 9mm 2.5-inch GoFlex external HDD that Seagate teased us with back at CES? You're looking at it. The company has just gone official with the newly christened GoFlex Slim, a performance-oriented, multifaceted drive that's slimmer than your mother's last smartphone. The final product will boast USB 3.0 support, a 7200RPM drive (ours was 320GB), a three-year warranty and a price tag that's still being determined. By the numbers, you're looking at a pocketable drive weighing 0.356 pounds and measuring 4.91- x 3.07- x 0.354-inches, but due to the GoFlex attachment on the bottom, you'll need the special SuperSpeed USB cable that Seagate includes in order to make contact. In our testing, it managed to transfer files at upwards of 40MB/sec when attached to a USB 3.0 system, which ain't half bad for a drive that's powered via USB and slimmer than a pencil. It'll hit US retailers on August 5th, and at just $99, you know you'll be picking up two just for kicks and giggles.

Google Maps 5.3 for Android allows you to view your location history dashboard

2011-04-08T07:29:00.000-07:00

For anyone grasping tightly onto an Android 1.6+ device, you’re once again being treated with yet another tasteful update for Google Maps.

Naturally, Google’s highly prized mobile platform is getting in with the latest version of Google Maps – and with this one, it’s now version 5.3. Although some people might not be all that into “checking in” to various places, like Foursqaure, Google is nonetheless attempting to get its users to get on board with this trend.

Specifically, the new update features things like the ability to check in at home once you’ve set the location in Google Latitude, adding specific feedback to certain places when you rate them, and access to your very own location history dashboard. With the location dashboard, it actually breaks down the amount of time you’re at work, home, or elsewhere – thus giving you a detailed look at what you do on a weekly basis.

Definitely more focused on Latitude aspects more than anything, hopefully it’ll get user to consistently check-in to specific areas.

source: Google Mobile Blog via Android Central

Five New Technologies that Will Change the World of Mobile Advertising

2011-04-08T07:25:00.000-07:00

With all the advancements in the mobile arena, many people claim that we have reached our limits. “What else is left to be done?” they ask, and the truth is, over the last few years, we have taken giant steps forward. Having said that, there is always room for more. The mobile space will continue to move forward at an increased rate, both in terms of enhancements to the technology we already have, and the introduction of new and exciting technologies.

Of course, these new technologies will benefit first and foremost the end user when it comes to how they interact with their phones. There is, however, another realm in which new mobile advancements will change the world. Mobile advertising is already a booming industry and advertisers are now realizing that spending their resources on traditional marketing such as newspapers or billboards, might not be as effective as reaching audiences on their mobile devices.

Mobile advertising is already advancing at an extreme pace and new technologies will only act as a catalyst to speed up the process. A reality in which the majority of the world’s marketing campaigns are implemented on mobile devices, is a reality that is much more believable than it was just a few years ago.

The following are five new technologies that are already showing their face and will have a great impact on the mobile advertising universe:

4G Networks: As you probably know, 4G broadband is already making waves in the mobile world. Phones like the new HTC Thunderbolt with LTE support are outselling the popular iPhone at Verizon. It is important to remember that without the accompanying infrastructure, 4G is useless. Based on current predictions, within a few years, 4G will be available globally and our phones will access the Web significantly faster than today. This will of course have a major affect on mobile advertising. One consequence we can expect to see is a higher average CTR on mobile devices since the process of clicking an ad, viewing a landing page, and going on with whatever you were
doing, will be shortened significantly.
NFC: Near Field Communication, a technology already integrated in some high end mobile devices such as the Nexus S, is expected to go mainstream in the near future. Recent reports claim Apple is considering NFC integration into iPhone 5. Once again, without the infrastructure, NFC is not worth much, but from what we hear, certain Asian countries have already implemented this technology and NFC has taken off. In terms of mobile advertising, the effects are obvious. Imagine a world in which you hold your mobile device near an ad in a magazine, and the ad then becomes interactive on your device’s display. Such a campaign would once again generate more clicks due to its interactive nature. NFC will change the mobile advertising world as we know it.
HD Displays: Whether the displays of the future will be HD as we know it, there is no doubt that after the iPhone 4′s Retina display, screen resolutions will only continue to get higher. One of the many features experts are predicting in the next generation iPhone as well as iPad is a higher resolution screen. Of course, the higher the resolution of a display, the more life-like the content on the screen appears. This will also have a real impact on mobile advertising, and will give advertisers a whole portfolio of options that were not available in the newspaper or billboard eras.

3D: Companies like Samsung and others are already bringing 3D technology to TVs and other devices. Nintendo just released their 3DS device, which offers 3D graphics on a gaming console without any glasses. Of course, with all the buzz and competition surrounding the mobile market, it won’t be long before we have a full fledged 3D experience on our mobile phones. How will this affect mobile advertising? I think the question is, how will it not affect mobile advertising? The potential is endless.
Interactivity: We have already seen interactive Youtube videos, interactive online marketing campaigns, and even an interactive Facebook campaign (which was later removed by Facebook). With HTML 5 hitting mainstream, we can expect to see full interactivity on our mobile phones very soon. When that day comes and we begin interacting with our phones the way we interact with people, that is the day traditional marketing companies can close down shop. The advantages of a mobile phone being accessible to billions of people at all times, combined with rich media and interactive abilities will truly change the mobile advertising world forever.

Of course, this is just a short list, but there are many more technologies that will provide more abilities in the mobile advertising space. Then there are the ones we do not even know about yet. The bottom line in all this is, the world of mobile marketing is an exciting place to be right now!

What other technologies do you think will have an effect on mobile advertising? Please let us know in the comments or on Twitter and Facebook where we are always listening.

Twitter finally gets a legitimate search function, lets you filter tweets using smiley faces

2011-04-08T07:19:00.000-07:00

Like Google's web search, Twitter started off life doing one single thing and doing it very well. And, just like Google, it's kept adding subtle little enhancements along its way to becoming a mature internet tool. Today, its own famously simplistic search functionality has take a turn through the makeover booth and has emerged shinier, happier, and much smarter on the other side. No longer do you need to have, for example, the specific names of your favorite smartphone jailbreak artists, you just search for the general term and Twitter will do some actual searching for you instead of merely matching your query to usernames. You can even step up to an advanced search, where adding the ":)" and ":(" operators determines whether you'll get happy or downbeat tweets on the topic. Come to think of it, that is pretty advanced. Yo Google, where are your emoticon operators?

Twitter

Google’s Gmail Motion Prank Turned Into Reality [VIDEO]

2011-04-07T03:28:00.000-07:00

Remember Gmail Motion, the new feature that lets you use body gestures to compose and send emails in Gmail? It was obviously an April Fools’ joke, but now it’s also real, courtesy of the folks from the Institute of Creative Technologies.

The technology is jokingly dubbed SLOOW – Software Library Optimizing Obligatory Waving – and it uses a Microsoft Kinect camera to control Gmail. The same team used the technology, which is actually called Flexible Action and Articulated Skeleton Toolkit (FAAST), to play World of Warcraft using only body motions in December 2010.

Amazingly enough, it works pretty much as Google had intended: You can type text into Gmail by using body gestures, and send an email by “licking” the stamp and slapping it onto an imaginary envelope. Check out the video below for a demonstration.

ActiveInbox Turns Gmail Into a Task Manager

2011-04-07T02:44:00.000-07:00

Maintaining an empty Gmail inbox should be classified as a superpower. It’s just not something that most humans can do.
But the day when mere mortals master the task might be getting closer. ActiveInbox, a Gmail plugin five years in the making, launched a product this week that organizes emails into manageable projects and tasks.
CEO Andy Mitchell based the product on David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” (GTD) productivity philosophy, which aims to “transform personal overwhelm and overload into an integrated system of stress-free productivity.” Its first iterations were hence named GTDGmail and (after a letter from Google’s legal team) GTDEmail.
The first ActiveInbox product is a free plugin for Firefox and Chrome that adds a to-do list and project manager to the left sidebar of Gmail. Users can add items to the list using a task bar that appears at the top of each email. They can mark e-mails as “action,” “waiting on,” or “some day” and add them to a project, similar to the way that Gmail labels work. The plugin also adds new shortcuts, like the ability to look up previous email conversations by simply right-clicking a contact and a button that simultaneously archives a conversation and sends a reply.

ActiveInbox’s paid version, which costs $25 per year, includes the option to tack notes to emails and attach deadlines to messages. The latter option helps keep track of daily and upcoming tasks in the to-do sidebar.
“It’s actually a completely different way at looking at email,” Mitchell says. “What we’re doing is emails as tasks between you and your colleagues.”
Until 2009, he had been running the inbox as a side project while working with another startup. After more than 700 people donated $20,000 to the project, he decided to start working on the project full time.
Through various beta versions of the product, the startup already has collected about 15,000 users, 1,500 of them paying customers.

Email Provider Epsilon Responsible For Gigantic Security Breach

2011-04-07T02:39:00.000-07:00

Epsilon, the world’s largest permission-based email marketing services company that serves TiVo users and many more, reported a breach in its security Friday, and the list of companies affected keeps on growing.
TiVo users had a rude awakening this morning, finding out the email address they’d given to TiVo as part of their account registration had been compromised.
According to SecurityWeek, Epsilon is currently disclosing even more companies whose email marketing lists had been compromised. Noticing the problem first with grocery retailer Kroger, Epsilon continues releasing company names that were affected by the breach. Here’s the list gathered so far:

Kroger
TiVo
US Bank
JPMorgan Chase
Capital One
Citi
McKinsey & Company
Ritz-Carlton Rewards
Marriott Rewards
New York & Company
Brookstone
Walgreens
The College Board (added 4/3 @8:20am)
Home Shopping Network (HSN)(added 4/3 @10:22am)
LL Bean (added 4/3 @1:20pm)
Disney Destinations (added 4/3 @1:20pm)
Barclays Bank of Delaware (added 4/3 @1:20pm)

Considering that Epsilon has more than 2,500 clients sending 40 billion emails each year, this list could keep growing.
TiVo tried to sooth victims, saying the release of personal data “was limited to first name and/or email addresses only.” Here’s the email we received from TiVo this morning:
While TiVo attempts to minimize the implications of this security breach, email addresses are now in the hands of those who would break into the database of a huge email conglomerate. This means those addresses might be targeted with phishing schemes, spam, and other annoyances.
Now that they have a list of confirmed email addresses, those spammers and other miscreants will have much better success at targeting their victims.
Other organizations such as Citi, Marriott Rewards and Ritz-Carlton Rewards also warned their users, with lots more warnings probably on the way.

Massive Email Breach Exposes Data From 50+ Major Retailers, Including Target

2011-04-07T02:37:00.000-07:00

A huge security breach has exposed the names and email addresses of customers of major brands, including Target, Best Buy, Walgreen’s, Capital One, and more.

UPDATE: Apparently, a slew of hotel chain rewards programs have also been hit by the Epsilon breach; affected chains include Hilton, Red Roof Inn, Ritz-Carlton and Marriott.

While most of these companies are understandably mum on how many customers might be at risk, it’s not inconceivable that millions of users’ information may have been accessed by an unauthorized party.

Epsilon, a digital marketing firm that does a fair amount of email marketing, notified its clients Friday that “an unauthorized entry into Epsilon’s email system” had occurred. The firm stated at the time that the compromised data “was limited to email addresses and/or customer names only. A rigorous assessment determined that no other personal identifiable information associated with those names was at risk.”

By yesterday, we knew the names of a handful of affected clients. However, we are learning today that the data breach applies to some of the largest names in retail, including Target and Best Buy. Anyone who has signed up for or opted into email or other digital marketing campaigns from these companies may have had their name and email address or addresses accessed by an unknown party.

According to an email from Target, “Epsilon took immediate action to close the vulnerability and notified law enforcement.”

However, Target is now notifying customers whose information was compromised that their email addresses and names may now be in unsafe hands and is asking customers to exercise care when opening and responding to email.

The entire list of companies whose customers’ data has been accessed is unknown, but we’ll list the ones we know about below. We’ll add more names as they become available. If you received an email that your information may have been compromised due to the Epsilon breach, please do let us know in the comments section.

Target
Best Buy
Walgreen’s
Capital One
TiVo
JP Morgan Chase & Co.
Kroger
US Bank
Citi
McKinsey & Company
Ritz-Carlton Rewards
Marriott Rewards
New York & Company
Brookstone
The College Board
Home Shopping Network (HSN)
LL Bean
Disney Destinations
Barclays Bank of Delaware

The items below have been provided by Mashable readers who said they’ve been notified by the companies about Epsilon email breaches:

Air Miles
Red Roof Inn
AbeBooks
Hilton Honors
Beachbody
1-800-Flowers
The Home Depot
TigerDirect
New York & Company
Bebe

For marketing companies that handle customer data for multiple large corporations, security ought to be a top priority — especially since these third parties are often a more attractive and “easy” target for black-hat hackers.

For now customers are advised to use common sense: Don’t provide sensitive information over email, and don’t respond to emails from senders you don’t know. At the best, you might see slightly more spam than usual in your inbox. At worst, you might have you email account brute-forced and mined for other sensitive data. In either case, an extra dose of caution and an extra secure password are in order.

‘Angry Birds Rio’ a Big Hit: 10 Million Downloads in 10 Days

2011-04-07T02:36:00.000-07:00

Angry Birds fans can’t get enough of the bird-hurling application and game franchise from mobile developer Rovio.
Angry Birds Rio, the latest iOS and Android edition of the game, features a theme based on the upcoming FOX animated motion picture Rio. The app saw ten million downloads in its first ten days after release.
The milestone metric spans all free and paid versions available in the App Store [iTunes link], Android Marketplace and Amazon Appstore. The stat was first announced on Rovio’s Twitter account.
The news is a flashy tidbit of information that demonstrates Rovio’s stronghold in the mobile gaming genre. Everything the company releases in the Angry Birds franchise is an instant hit, plush toys included. The impressive figure also demonstrates why investors were keen on forking over $42 million and could help lay the groundwork for a profitable IPO.

HOW TO: Get the Most Out of Facebook and Twitter Promotions

2011-04-07T02:30:00.000-07:00

Alanna Francis is an SEO Strategist at Blue Fountain Media, the website design and marketing company. Her focus is ecommerce websites, including the men’s skin care brand Anthony For Men. You can follow her on Twitter @alannafrancis.

Once upon a time, you had to use a phone book to find a business’s contact details. Mercifully, those days are behind us. As social media has worked its way into every aspect of our lives, we as a culture have come to expect that our favorite brands — from “Big Gay Ice Cream” trucks to national airlines and fashion houses — are easily accessible on the most popular social networks.

However, it’s no longer enough to simply interact. Consumers are increasingly hungry for promotions, exclusive discounts and giveaways. In fact, recent data suggests that most people who follow brands on Facebook and Twitter both expect and want to receive coupons from these brands.

According to an Ad Age/Ipsos Observer survey of 1,000 participants regarding digital consumption habits, 65% of consumers want the brands they follow to offer coupons. Compare this figure to the percentage of respondents who said they wanted enhanced customer service (42%) and you begin to get a clearer picture of the landscape.

Certainly the Ad Age numbers indicate that the demand for promotions exists, but how effective are Twitter and Facebook promotions in practice? Do they really increase engagement or sales? While no conclusive studies have been done on this exact topic, substantial anecdotal evidence suggests that they do.

Examples to Learn From

A recent Facebook case study highlighting a campaign by Healthy Choice, shows positive results.

Targeting healthy eating-related keywords on Facebook’s ad platform, Healthy Choice created a promotion that exploited the viral nature of social sharing. The frozen food brand offered a coupon that increased in value as more people “Liked” its page and signed up to receive the deal.

As a result of the promotional campaign, Healthy Choice saw their connections explode from 6,800 to approximately 60,000 at the time of the study. A quick check of their fan page shows that they have gained over 8,000 additional connections since that time. Healthy Choice witnessed 3 times more user engagement after the promotion than prior, and by offering a newsletter capture on the coupon signup form, they were able to register approximately 60% of connections for their mailing list. Pretty impressive for a product as mundane as frozen dinners.

What remains to be seen is the staying power of Healthy Choice’s newfound audience. It seems likely that engagement will taper at least slightly now that the campaign is over, as users who connected solely to receive coupons start to tune out. It will be up to Healthy Choice to continue interacting with their broadened fan base in new and creative ways.

Renowned designer Diane Von Furstenberg has also been famously successful in social media. With over 100,000 Facebook fans and 182,000 Twitter followers, the brand certainly has a solid audience to draw on. At this very moment, DVF is offering free shipping and an unspecified gift (a pony?!) to users who refer a friend to the brand’s page. What makes this campaign smart is that, similar to Healthy Choice, it offers rewards for spreading awareness of the brand to others.

In 2010, Diane Von Furstenberg reported a 13% gain in web traffic after having been active in social media.

All these numbers are exciting, but the key to seeing a positive return on your efforts is to execute your promotion in such a way as to encourage maximum engagement. Here’s how to dive in.

Define Your Goals

“Defining goals” sounds almost too obvious to be worth mentioning, you’d be surprised at how often businesses fail to pinpoint goals for their social media efforts. The allure of Twitter and Facebook promotions is strong. It’s tempting to look around at the competitive landscape and imitate the actions of others without fully understanding what’s at stake. By defining exactly what you hope to gain from your promotion, you can better design the promotion itself to achieve these goals.

Do you want to gain followers or “Likes?” Design your promotion to provide incentives for doing so. Reward your 1,000th follower with a lavish gift bag, free consultation, or complimentary meal. Encourage retweets and shares to further spread the word.

Do you want to drive sales on your ecommerce site? Offer small, one-time discounts or free shipping offers to anyone who follows or “Likes” your brand and shares your campaign.

Do you want to garner more newsletter subscribers? Give users the chance to sign up to your mailing list when you give them their coupon or promo code.

Exploit the Medium

Facebook and Twitter both have enormous potential to spread promotions at viral rates. It’s up to you to craft your campaign to take full advantage of this fact. Learn from the strategies of Healthy Choice and DVF, who incentivized sharing with rewards, thus expanding their campaigns’ reach exponentially.

Set Metrics

Once you’ve defined your goals, you must also set metrics for measuring your achievements. Make sure you have a solid grasp on all your “before” figures before the campaign launches and be sure you know how to isolate social media traffic from your data.

Evaluate and Adjust

Finally, as our grade school teachers always told us, learn from your mistakes. If your first attempt was more of a belly flop than an olympic dive, don’t develop a fear of the water. Just be sure to assess the strengths and weakness of your first campaign before suiting up again.

In the end, unless you are cranking out extremely high quality content at a breakneck pace or are a naturally dazzling public face of the brand (and let’s face it, we can’t all be Tony Hsieh), your brand might not be able to engage people the way you really want to. Social media promotions are a great way to obtain a larger audience base on which to build your brand and maybe pocket some extra cash while you’re at it.

3 Facebook Mobile Trends to Watch This Year

2011-04-07T02:25:00.000-07:00

The Facebook Marketing Series is supported by Buddy Media, Power Tools for Facebook. Have something new to tell 500 million people? Learn the best way to manage multiple brands on Facebook with this webinar.

Facebook CTO Bret Taylor has said that a lot of the company’s focus this year will be on mobile. When Facebook declares an intention in any direction, people take notice, but for marketers, this may mean that 2011 is the “year of mobile,” a designation that has been tossed around every year since 2006 or so.

It’s unthinkable for a marketer to ignore Facebook, but that said, there are a lot of mysteries and frustrations around the platform. Display ads don’t perform very well there, for instance, and a lot of consumer data is kept under wraps. Facebook’s mobile operations are even harder to get a handle on. The company’s mobile app, for instance, doesn’t at the moment provide any opportunities for advertisers through traditional venues, such as display ads.

But things are changing. Eyeing Groupon, Facebook recently expanded its Facebook Deals platform to include local deals in at least six cities. Facebook Places hasn’t been used much by marketers yet, but that could also change. Here are three big potential growth areas for Facebook’s mobile operations this year and some ways that marketers have already capitalized on them.

1. Mobile Friendcasting

Last November, Constellation Wines worked with mobile marketing firm Augme Technologies for a program that offered consumers a mobile site accessible via a 2D barcode or a text message. The site, which offered a party-planning calculator and suggested food and wine pairings, among other features, was designed for consumers who were out at liquor stores looking for a wine to bring home or to a holiday party.

One viral aspect of the effort was a feature that let those users share their purchasing decisions with their Facebook friends. David Apple, the CMO of Augme, predicts that such sharing will become easier this year as Facebook attempts to get retailers to register for Facebook Places. Doing so, Apple says, is going to “allow general grocers like Safeway and Kroger to create on-the-fly inventory deals.”

That would also mean that the deals will be broadcasted across Facebook, opening up a new form of advertising: Mobile to Facebook. Another marketer that sees potential in mobile-to-Facebook is ABC, which is using MMS video messages, distributed every Wednesday, to publicize its new show Happy Endings. Users who get the messages also automatically post them to their Facebook wall. The network is hoping the Wednesday distribution will encourage tune-ins. In this case, the salient aspect about texting is not the ability to reach a consumer in a given location, but the fact that consumers are generally more responsive in real-time to texts than emails.

2. Deals

The combination of location-awareness and time-sensitive deals opens up a whole new area of mobile marketing for Facebook. Facebook got into the market when it introduced Deals as part of its Places service last November, and expanded it in March with Groupon-like deals specific to each city. (The pilot launch is in Atlanta, Dallas, San Diego, San Francisco and Austin, Texas.)

The expansion of Deals, in theory at least, gives retailers more incentive to register with Places. Imagine the following scenario, for instance: A consumer with 150 Facebook friends cashes in on a deal at Kroger, which automatically sends out a status update on her account describing the deal. Assuming 10 friends are shopping nearby that day and checking the Facebook app on their mobile phones, that’s potentially 10 more customers than Kroger might have had if not for the Facebook-broadcasted deal.

Jamie Tedford, CEO of Brand Networks, predicts that a lot of brands will begin exploiting the possibilities of Places in earnest this year. “We will see more marketers building games and promotions on top of the Facebook Places platform delivering ‘check in to win’ and loyalty points as reward for checking in and broadcasting their location,” he says, noting that his firm did something along those lines recently with JetBlue.

3. Phoneless Checkins

Since Facebook is so pervasive, it’s easy to see a day where consumers can access the social network by means other than a computer or mobile phone. For instance, under a program at the Coca-Cola Amusement Park in Israel last summer, visitors were able to update their Facebook statuses via their RFID-enabled bracelets. (See video below.) According to All Facebook, the program netted more than 35,000 updates each day of the program even though the village only hosts 650 teens at a time. Similarly, Vail Resorts last fall launched a platform where skiers could post the amount of vertical feet they traveled on their Facebook profiles. In another program, running shoe brand Asics let friends and family members send individualized messages to runners in the New York Marathon via Facebook. When a runner’s tag was recognized by an RFID reader, the message ran on a video screen.

Mark Roberti, editor of RFID Journal, says phoneless checkins make sense at waterparks or skiing resorts where people might decide to leave their phones behind, but also at an event where connectivity might be a problem. Though he thinks it will take a while for the technology to go mainstream, he says that it opens up a lot of possibilities. “As marketers learn about it, they’re going to find new and interesting ways to use it,” he says of RFID Facebook checkins.

Series Supported by Buddy Media

Foursquare Makes Discovering Brands Easier

2011-04-07T02:18:00.002-07:00

Foursquare has launched a new web page to showcase top brands on its network in an effort to make it easier for users to find and follow them.

You may not know it, but there are hundreds of brands using Foursquare (1,323 brands to be exact), but most people don’t follow them, mostly because they aren’t easy to discover. Foursquare is trying to address that issue with Pages Gallery.

Pages Gallery, as the name suggests, is a gallery filled with the different company Pages on Foursquare. Through it, you can follow everyone from MTV to Zagat (or even Mashable) to get tips and other content.

The feature also includes a simple tool for searching through pages and browsing by popularity, whether they’re trending or whether they’re new. Pages Gallery also suggests pages that are popular with your friends.

Lots of brands are hopping onto Foursquare in a big way, but the additional exposure should help boost brands’ follower counts, which could be vital to Foursquare as it tries to monetize its millions of users. While it still desperately needs a way to discover brands within its mobile applications, Pages Gallery is a good start.

Android Developers Report Issues Updating Their Apps

2011-04-07T02:12:00.000-07:00

A bug in Google’s Android Developer Console has left a large number of Android developers unable to perform basic functions within their developer accounts, leaving them without the ability to upload or update apps and view comments.
Frustrated developers have posted messages on Google’s Android help forums, highlighting error messages, file size errors and restrictions when trying to change feature listings and screenshots on their Android Market listing.
One developer reports:

The Android Developer Console is not working since 18 hours now. The website is shown but the application list is empty. This is what we see:
“Failed to load application list. Try again later.”
This is since over 18 hours now. We would like to upload new releases as we promised to our customers. We just got the first two complains. Why do we developers don’t get any information about outages???

Many other developers have taken to the forum to report they are suffering from the same problem, some expressing dismay at the fact a Google employee hasn’t acknowledged the errors despite the fact the issue was raised three days previous.
Those who were persistent enough have been able to upload and update applications, resubmitting requests via the Android Developer Console until uploads or edits were recognised.
With upload or edit functionality temporarily unavailable, it is possible some developers are missing out on issuing updates and bug fixes for paid apps, potentially affecting sales volumes.

The 6 Best YouTube Brand Takeovers

2011-04-07T02:05:00.000-07:00

There’s a form of advertising that is pretty much my favourite of all time and that’s the Youtube Takeover, an interactive YouTube experience. We’ve seen some brilliant examples of brands taking over YouTube channels for a day and doing the unexpected. What I like about the YouTube Takeover is you barely notice you’re actually engaging with a brand and it’s where you can really see brilliant technical and creative minds combining. Here I share what I think are some of the best YouTube brand takeovers, some old and new!

Samsung’s 3D Game

Samsung introduced a first with YouTube, when they used their takeover to develop a 3D game that the user was part of. The ad was part of a giveaway, incentivising the user to stay even longer on the page. The ad also worked to keep people’s attention, as it changed from a usual YouTube clip of their projection, to the screen falling apart, before releasing the game.

TippEx

This is pretty much the daddy of Youtube takeovers! TippEx took things to the next level with their Youtube ad, when they invited users to interact with the ad in a very real way. I’m sure you know this one by now, so just behold the magic below.

Chrome Fastball

This is a very inventive Youtube takeover, this time by Google Chrome. They involved people in an interactive game across different websites, starting with a challenge using Google Maps. This is a great example of thinking a little bit differently, while also encouraing people to interact with other products of yours, all within an ad unit.

VW Black Beetle

I think this deserves its place on the list for the quality of the video, which was produced by The Mill’s London office. Volkswagen have focused on creating a visually impressive video, rather than just the trickery available with a Youtube takeover. It may not be remembered for really wowing people, but given that Youtube is a video channel, I like what VW has done here. I don’t recommend you watch this if you get scared easily by creepy crawlies!

Wario Land – Shake It

Though by no means the first Youtube takeover, this campaign seemed to really make people take notice of Youtube advertising and at the time it was pretty innovative. The user experience was incredibly good and I remember being surprised when I watched this in its original run in 2008.

Skittles

In just 3 days, the following YouTube video, part of Skittles Touch Series, has had nearly 1 million hits. The videos invite ask you to interact with the ad by touching your computer screen. Then, sit back and watch as your “delicious” finger gets licked by a cat… and then a man dressed as a cat… Is it funny? Creepy? Brilliant? You decide…

Will AT&T be the next carrier to offer the Nexus S?

2011-04-06T23:24:00.000-07:00

Is AT&T next to carry the "pure Google" Android smartphone?

(Credit: Samsung)

A variant of the Nexus S optimized for AT&T's network has appeared on Samsung's Web site.
Listed with a model number of GT-I9020A, the handset is strikingly similar to the Samsung I9020T currently supported by T-Mobile. The Web site specifically mentions AT&T and references the carrier's UMTS 850/1900 network bands, but with no announcement from Google or AT&T, this remains strictly unofficial at this point.
Given that Sprint recently unveiled its version of the Nexus S, it would not surprise me to see a Verizon variant offered down the road. Samsung has been making it a practice to offer different iterations of the same device, especially those in the Galaxy S series.
I'm very interested to see how AT&T handles this "pure Google" smartphone, considering it blocks the ability to install applications and games from anywhere but the official Google store front (even the Amazon Appstore is out). Will it loosen the reins a bit and allow users to download apps from outside of the Android Market? Or will it continue to lock things down? We'll have to see.
(Via Pocketnow)