Vine is Finally Available for Androids

After 6th months of releasing Vine for iOS, it is finally available for android users. Why did it take them so long for us android users? This version has features that are exclusive to android only.

What is Vine? “Vine is the best way to see and share life in motion. Create short, beautiful, looping videos in a simple and fun way for your friends and family to see.” Essentially, its Instagram for 6 seconds at a time.

The android app allows users to zoom while recording, a feature that iPhone users can’t do. However, android can’t connect with Facebook or use a front camera yet. The android version is soon to be updated to the iPhone equivalent, but it currently has many bugs involving the buttons and syncing to twitter. However, its nice to finally be able to get revenge on my iPhone using friends by tweeting a bunch of pointless vines.

Right now vine is on its way up the social media latter. I am curious to see if it reaches the same popularity level as Instagram. The problem with vine is that it takes longer to share than a picture. For me, I would rather see one nicely filtered photo than 6 seconds of a video. Instagram is successful because its instant. When viewers look at the picture, they can decide whether they “like” it or not within one glimpse.

However, it is predicted that vine will be an even greater success than Instagram. It already has a leg up since its parent is twitter. Some say 6 seconds is better than 1. The more time we can distract ourselves from working or being productive, the better!

What are your thoughts on Vine? I think it will just be another format of social networking that has its benefits and disadvantages. Nothing too special.

Related articles

• Vine for Android Is Finally Here, Huzzah (gizmodo.com)
• Vine finally arrives on Android (engadget.com)
• Vine for Android launches with the basics and promise of frequent updates (androidcommunity.com)
• Twitter launches Vine for Android (androidos.in)
• Vine hits Android, so now everyone you know can make looping videos (digitaltrends.com)
• Twitter’s Vine for Android now officially available in the Play Store (androidauthority.com)

J-Lo launches her latest… Cell Phone Company?

Instead of going for a fashion line or a perfume, J-Lo aims high and decides to launch her own cell phone company called Viva Movil. Her goal was to target the Latino community and provide them with a cell phone provider thats catered to spanish speaking residents.

Viva Movil is essentially an extension of Verizon, that offers Verizon’s services and plans. Verizon will handle all of the customer care. J-Lo is the face of the brand and in charge of the more creative side of the company.

I am still trying to decide if this is ridiculous or genius. Does the Latino community truly need a phone line that was meant for them? Is this reverse racism? Or a smarter way to reach her target market to further increase her fan base?

Jennifer Lopez announced at the CITA 2013, which Geekosystem says is the “largest trade association for wireless and internet providers.” At the CITA conference she displayed her passion for the Latino market and shipping experience for that demographic.

Financial partners that have agreed to sign with her include Big Red, Brightstar, and Moorehead Communications. The partnership started with the CEO of Bright star who bought the idea to Verizon and ran it by Jennifer.

In regards to thoughts on how Hispanics are represented in the technology world, Lopez says” they weird a great customer power. It wasn’t something that people were taking care of or really, really, targeted.”

Viva Movil will take an “omni channel approach. This will be included in their store front to social content. Everything will be developed with Latino customers in mind. They aim to offer a “unique social shopping experience” on Facebook so customers can see recommendations and shop with their friends.

A Nielsen report showed that 75% of Latinos in the US own smartphones, which is higher than the overall percentage for Americans (63%). Overall J-lo made a smart business decision and is catering to a demographic that is in need.

Gmail Sets Itself Apart With Its Latest Features

Finally, we may have a chance at a clean inbox. At the Google I/O conference they mentioned that users can now send money, book flights, RSVP, review movies, and more.

Gmail users can not send money and make payments from their inbox with the new Google Wallet. Now, users will not need to go to the bank or use a PayPal account.  This is a free service if your bank account is linked to Google Wallet, however credit/debit transactions will cost 2.9%.

Gmail is also adding more buttons referred to as “quick actions” to make your email reading a faster and more efficient experience. They appear in the subject line and can help you with things like RSVPs, flight check-ins, adding a calendar event, and other actions to further organize your life.

Additionally, Google ups its search engine and its collaboration with Gmail. If you are responding to an email, you can get the answers from Search easier and quicker with their updated features.

Lastly, Google presents “cards” through Google Now which help the user get to the right place at the right time. These cards will update you with your information at the time it is needed. For examples see here: https://developers.google.com/gmail/schemas/google-now.

These advanced new features in google’s mail will bring in a new wave of users. I believe that these features will set Google apart from the other email account services. However, do you think people will utilize these features to their fullest? I know often times excessive features can go un-used.

The sending money feature stands out to me in particular. Google’s main specialty is not dealing with money. How can we be sure they are as safe and secure as PayPal or an online banking system, where security is their main priority? I know for me, I will most likely not use Google Wallet but it is a nice convenience for others.

More social media overlap

Instagram recently released its latest new feature: tagged photos. This concept is essentially the same as Facebook’s tagged photo feature.

Privacy aspects include the choice of even getting tagged, or approving all of the photos you are tagged in. Instagram is giving us until May 16th to get used to it before they go permanent.

Here is a video for further insight:

http://vimeo.com/instagram/photosofyou

Personally, when I first got my own Instagram account, I wondered why they didn’t have tagged photos in the first place. What do you think? Some people may feel they are blending into the norms of social media by using Facebook’s concept. However, I believe tagged photos will enhance the user’s experience.

How can Instagram copy Facebook? Well, USA Today tells us “Facebook purchased Instagram in 2012 for $1 billion, so it was only a matter of time until the social network began adding tools for Instagram users.” However, if Instagram enables their photos of you feature for their website, then it seems pointless to even have an Instagram and Facebook when they are essentially the same thing.

I predict that eventually Instagram and Facebook will merge together and users will be able to use filers on their Facebook photos rather than having two separate platforms. Most users predict this as well. However, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he is committed to to “building and growing Instagram independently.” Do you believe he will stick to this plan? Do you think this will be successfull?

From a business perspective, this feature opens up a greater opportunity to brands to play a greater role in people’s lives. If a user tags the brand in their photo, they can help bring more publicity to the brand. An additional benefit to tagging is that it allows more information to display the right ads to the user. However, Zuckerberg says he doesn’t plan on adding ads to Instagram.

Overall, Instagram has upgraded to a feature similar to Facebook, however Zuckerberg plans to maintain the different uses for Instagram and Facebook by keeping them separated.

A Toast to Technology

Budweiser makes an interesting point. Whats the most common way people make friends? By clinking glasses. Budweiser bring’s their name to a whole new level with the Budweiser Buddy Cup: with just one click you can be Facebook friends with the person you’re cheers-ing to. 

Geekosystem puts it simply: “While the pairing might seem odd at first, it actually makes sense. It’s hard to avoid making friends while your offering cheers and beers to a roomful of strangers, and the beverage is a natural fit for the scheme — cheap, watery, unsatisfying, and only partaken of because it’s kind of expected of you, Budweiser is to beers what Facebook is to friendship.”

The social beer glass was created by Agencia Africa and Bohla, a digital innovation studio. Users scan the QR code on the bottom on the glass using their smartphone, which links to their Facebook profile. The “clinking” is detected by a chip inside the glass.

Budweiser claims “Its the same as always. Go out drinking, and make new friends.” But is it the same as always? This gadget could potentially bring up two different types of issues. The engineering issue of what happens if liquid somehow reaches the chip?

Additionally, this compromises aspects of “Facebook manners”. What if you are clinking glasses with someone out of courtesy, but do not want them into your personal life? Perhaps you can set different privacy settings for your profile for your Buddy Cup friends. Later on, you could decided if they are worthy to full access of your profile.

Currently, the Buddy Cups are being used strictly for marketing, and are not for sale. Additionally, as soon as you clink glasses, announcing to your friends that you are using the Buddy Cup.

For further information, please see this video:

Another article on the topic: http://www.geekosystem.com/budweiser-cup-adds-facebook-friends/

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Google Wants a Closer Look

Google has announced its latest creation–Google Glass. Google glass is basically a computer installed in glasses. What do I mean by this? See this video:

My initial reaction to this is that its turning our society into a place where we cannot live without photographing or videoing or keeping in constant communication. Is it too much? Do you think Google is trying to take over our lives?

Then again, think of all the possible advancements in technology could come out of this. This could lead to Google contact lenses, and other wearable technologies.

The idea of wearable technology could branch off into many directions: exercise and technology, fashion and technology, and even medical aid.

Is this a gadget you could see yourself using? I don’t know if I could take myself seriously while wearing a pair of those. To follow one of the tester’s opinions through their use of glass, see here.

 

Despite my doubts, the “Initial shipments are expected to be around 124,000 units this year as Google Glass becomes available to developers. Adoption is expected to accelerate by 250% in 2014 as Glass becomes available to the general public.”(Yahoo news).

However, this product is not completely stable. Hackers have already found a way to break into Google glass software and “remove restrictions Google might place on glass”. This puts the customer’s at risk for having other’s see private information.

Oppositely, this gadget could have a whole new effect on society. Google CEO Eric Schmidt states that “people would have to figure out new etiquette to handle Google Glass and even then, that “there are obviously places where Google Glasses are inappropriate”. Maybe like bathrooms? Or maybe on first dates?”(gizmodo).

He also admits that the gadget is weird, and hopes to somehow find a way to make it less weird. Overall, this advancement truly reinforces how quickly technology is advancing, which makes me a little intimidated.

“Death Setting” on Google

Have you ever wondered what happens to your email when you die? Luckily, Google has already thought it through for us. Google’s latest setting, Inactive Account Manager was made for this purpose.

The Inactive Account Manager allows the user to tell Google what to do with their digital information after the user dies. You get the choice of deleting all of your data or passing it on to a trusted user after three, six, nine, or twelve months of inactivity. ABC News informs its viewers: “Instead of someone informing Google of your death, the service uses inactivity as a barometer. You set the time of inactivity — three, six, nine or 12 months — and if you don’t log into your account after that period Google will do one of two things. You can have it alert up to 10 trusted friends or contacts and choose to share your data with them or you can also just have it set to delete your entire account.”

Has Google gone too far? After all, if we’re dead, why do we care who knows our Google data. However, think about how much google knows about you. They know everything you’ve searched, your contacts, your emails, your pictures, your YouTube videos, and your shared files. This opens up a whole new area of social networking.

Facebook has an app called ifidie, that allows you to message your Facebook friends after you have passed away. Personally, if one of my good friends died I would be a little creeped out if I received a Facebook message from them.

Aditionally, twitter has an app called _LivesOn that reads your tweets and will tweet for you after you die. Are these features significant? Is it really that important to keep up your social networks when your dead? However, if you want to live forever, I guess tweeting and Facebooking while your dead is your best bet.

What are your thoughts about internet after-life? Do you think this is something you will worry about before you die?

For more about this topic, see these articles:

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/google-inactive-account-manager-decide-account-die/story?id=18933370#.UXDhA78Vdm2

http://www.geekosystem.com/google-inactive-account-manager/

http://googlepublicpolicy.blogspot.com/2013/04/plan-your-digital-afterlife-with.html

Facebook-morphing into myspace?

Just recently, Facebook added a feature that displays your mood when updating a status. A bold move made by Facebook, since the same concept had been previously done with MySpace, a quickly outdated social media site. It is from my experience that users do not handle changes in Facebook happily. I believe that this is a feature that will be soon to go, as it seems overly specific.

This feature allows people to further connect  by  interests and likes. From the Facebook newsroom itself, ” if you share that you’re watching a movie like Jurassic Park, your post will contain the movie icon and a link to the movie’s page.”

Why would Facebook opt to turn itself into MySpace? It turns out, selecting something pre-made rather than typing it out helps Facebook structure its data. Sure, Facebook needs a little help with its data considering it has “1.06 billion monthly active users.” It is too hard for Facebook to read user’s statuses, so this allows Facebook to do collet data from statuses in the simplest way.  Thus, allowing Facebook to choose ads more accurately and earn more money.sing twitter as a research tool, most mentions of Facebook mood have been negatively tied to it’s similarities to MySpace.

Overall, Facebook isn’t trying to be MySpace. It is just trying to get to know its users as much as possible. Knowing their users enables them to produce the best ads for that user, which is how websites make their income. However, will its users take advantage of the mood feature since it is similar to MySpace? Will this MySpace characteristic lead to Facebook’s downfall? This is something that Facebook will have to face if they want help from their users to structure data.

For more views on this feature, see these related articles:

• http://www.geekosystem.com/new-facebook-status-update-feature/
• http://upstart.bizjournals.com/resources/social-media/2013/04/09/facebook-wants-to-know-how-you-feel.html
• http://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/facebook-rolls-out-emoticon-mood-and-activity-status-updates/