November 2011
37 posts
#RotoloClass Viral Magic
A few weeks ago, #RotoloClass students were sorted into the four houses of Hogwarts: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. (Students who were absent for the Sorting Ceremony were formed into a fifth group: Muggles.)
Each house of aspiring wizards was challenged to use their best magic to create a video with the best shot of “going viral” online.
The Assignment was simple:...
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Zite Review
With a focus on personalized news, Zite uses the twitter and delicious APIs to deliver a unique news aggregating experience.
Zite feels less like a traditional news experience (flipboard tries to recreate newspaper/magazine reading) and more like curated rundown collected by a personal assistant.
Price: Free. Ads: None (publishers add them soon) Content: ★★★☆ (3/4 stars) - Twitter, Google...
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iTunes Ping
With all that Apple had accomplished over the years previous, they had a hard time thinking of what market they could make a move into next. With the rise of social media amongst the younger generation, they knew that this had the potential to be the next big thing. Well… it hasn’t become that yet, but I am going to take a look at what makes Ping so interesting from a music industry...
Rdio Review
From the founders of Skype we get delivered Rdio for our listening pleasure. Rdio is a add free music-streaming social network. Now there are many things that are done very well when it comes to Rdio, and then there are some lacking points. When you got developers with the type of experience that the Skype guys have you can expect to get a certain level of quality no matter what. Did they fall...
Shelfari Review
In our current age of technological development, some people believe that books are being replaced. Why read an entire book when you can listen to podcast, read a blog post, or watch a video that offers the same information or enjoyment? It is true that the definition of a book is changing. No longer is it a pile of bound paper, but a literary work that can be presented in many different mediums....
SoundCloud Review
by Ben and Eric
SoundCloud is an online audio sharing platform where users can upload, collaborate, promote, and distribute their audio.
What can it do? SoundCloud makes sharing sound files super easy. Once you register for an account, you hit the upload button, where you are free to either 1. record a sound right then and there using your device’s microphone or 2. upload any sound file from your...
canv.as, future source of >9000 bad memes
hay guise, here’s a review of moot’s new social media extravaganza, canv.as!
canv.as was first revealed early this year to rather mixed reactions. Widely characterized as some kind of “4chan 2”, there was quite a bit of skepticism and disdain spread across the interwebs. However, back then, barely anyone had actually given canv.as a shot. Not only did it remain in closed...
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Quora: Crowd-Sourced Q&A
How many times have you typed in a question on google like “What is new and exciting in the tech world?” or “What are the best home remedies for a sore throat?” more often then we’d like to admit right? It would seem though, every time you do type one of these questions in, almost without fail, Yahoo Answers pops up with an answer to that very question, and chances...
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Socialcam
About
Socialcam is a mobile video app for your smartphone that makes it dead simple to share videos with your friends. Created by the folks at Justin.tv, Socialcam is often billed as the Instagram of video. Within the app, users are able to find and follow their friends. Videos are automatically uploaded to Socialcam as they are shot. Once the upload is complete, your followers are able to...
Get Glue
By: Stacie Foster and Anne Frances Krengel
Description
Founded by Alex Iskold, Get Glue is a service that enables people to find entertainment and interact with people to discover new diversions. Based on each person’s individual tastes and their friends’ likes, the site will provide users with information about additional items they might enjoy.
How to use Get Glue
Get Glue is unique...
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Klout: How the Score Really Stacks Up.
Who doesn’t want to know how they do with social media? Why wouldn’t you want to brag to your friends that you are better than them in an online ranking? Klout is a way for you to manage your presence on line by tracking your influence on social media. Klout uses 4 main pieces of information to track how you are doing online. They track obviously your overall score, your true reach, amplification,...
Livingsocial Vs. Groupon: Which site will prevail...
There has been a world wind of talk concerning two up and coming emerging technologies. In the world of discounts, both Livingsocial and Groupon have pledged to offer customers the best possible deals in anything ranging from escapes to adventures. Now, you may be wondering what exactly makes these sites different? Which site should you use? The following review will cover the ins and outs of...
Square
In 2009, when James McKelvey, friend of Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, was unable to complete a sale of his $2,000 glass faucet and fittings because he had no way to accept credit, Dorsey knew he had found his next project. Dorsey and McKelvey founded Square, Inc. in May 2010, to revolutionize electronic payment.
Square is a combination of software for iPhone, iPad, and Android, and a hardware...
Apple's Find My Friends
I spy with my little iPhone… where all my friends are at this very moment. With the new Apple app “Find My Friends”, no more wondering where your kids are, or how far away your friends are from you. People using iOS 5 with an iPhone, iPad, or iTouch, are now able to find friends by geolocating their iOS devices. It is super easy to use and also completely free. All one needs to do is download the...
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StumbleUpon
What is StumbleUpon
StumbleUpon is a discovery engine that allows users to find and recommend web content that suits their interests. Its features allow users to discover and rate Web pages, photos, and videos that are personalized to their tastes and interests using peer-sourcing and social networking principles. This social bookmarking website helps you to sort through the World Wide Web...
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Hashable - Hashtagging Your Real-World Connections
Hashable, which is still in beta, is a service that allows users to manage and keep track of every person they meet. Essentially, Hashable aims to make networking social and easier for everyone. Industry events, networking outings, or a simple meet and greet can be recorded on Hashable to ensure you don’t forget when, where, and how you met someone.
GETTING STARTED
Set up a profile that...
CouchSurfing
by William Pace and Ryan Barber
“At CouchSurfing International, we envision a world where everyone can explore and create meaningful connections with the people and places they encounter. Building meaningful connections across cultures enables us to respond to diversity with curiosity, appreciation and respect. The appreciation of diversity spreads tolerance and creates a global...
A Review: Airbnb
By Eric Candino
Description of the Tool and Business
Airbnb is a listing service that allows people to list and find cool and unique places to stay for a vacation or trip. People can stay in apartments, boats, houses, or practically anywhere for a weekend trip, a night, or even a month. It is a great alternative to staying at a hotel or motel. Guests get more a sense of the place they are...
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Is Google in Your Wallet?
The advancement of technology over the years has made many constants obsolete. Some people cannot remember the last time checked their mailbox or even attempted to buy a real newspaper. In a age where most tasks can be handled online many people no longer require items in their physical forms. Through all the technological advancements there are still a few items that most people everywhere try...
Zaarly and Me
By: Gavin Adee & Jeff Russ
What is Zaarly anyway?
With the current explosion of social media, many business practices, including existing ecommerce websites, are finding their way in this new space. By allowing people-to-business as well as people-to-people interaction, certain businesses have aligned their strategies with a new type of communication. There is one emerging website that...
Turntable.fm
What is Turntable.fm?
Turntable.fm is a website tool that allows users to combine life’s two greatest loves, music and social media. Turntable brings together an interaction like no other by giving people an opportunity to become a DJ and play some of their favorite songs to an audience of friends. The main concept is to generate a live experience between an array of different people by the sole...
Google+
Google+ is Google’s attempt at creating a social network after their previous failures with Google Wave and Google Buzz. It provides an alternative to the social network giant Facebook. While Facebook has over 800 million users, Twitter has 175 million users and LinkedIn has 120 million users, Google+ only has 50 million. Many bloggers have dismissed Google+ while others are refusing to try it...
4chan: the four leaved channel
4 - what?
With a name incorporating the Japanese grammatical suffix of -ちゃん (“chan”), this image-based bulletin board was framed around one of the most popular forums in Japan, Futaba [double-leaf] Channel (2chan.net). Emulated by a teenager, under the alias “moot”, with a deep fondness for Japanese animation and comics (manga), 4chan was initially a place to gather and discuss...
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Goodreads
A home for casual readers and bona-fide bookworms alike, Goodreads users recommend books, compare what they are reading, keep track of what they’ve read and would like to read, find their next favorite book, form book clubs and much more. - About Goodreads
Goodreads was launched in December 2006 and has grown to over 6.3 Million users who have shared reviews on over 210 Million book...
Spotify
Description Spotify is a web-based music streaming platform. It was created in 2006 by Daniel Ek (Stardoll) and Martin Lorentzon (TradeDoubler) and released throughout Europe on October 7, 2008. Because of lengthy legal battles with record labels, the service was not launched in the US until July 14, 2011. Spotify boasts a library of over 15 million songs from major and independent record...
Modelwire network (beta model)
A bit of Background
Modelwire network is a social network designed for photographers, models, makeup artists, talent scouts and many others in the creative industries. The idea of a social network built around this industry of fashion is not a new idea. There are many other sites that have been in existence prior to modelwire’s network but many of those sites were originally founded by...
USTREAM
Description:
Long removed from the days where a webcam was the means of capturing video frame by frame at an extremely slow pace, USTREAM acts as a website which is devoted to providing a platform for lifecasting and real-time live video streaming. Aimed to revolutionize the way people and media are broadcasting information, USTREAM has over 2 million register users. Each user has the ability...
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Google Places: Taking You There or STOP Right...
In 2009, Google launched Google Places which allows users to rate and review places and make recommendations to friends. For business owners, Google Places gives businesses the option to “claim” their business. What the hell does that mean? Well, it means business owners can verify the information listed for their company and once this is done, they can update it with photos, links, and offers....
GraFighters
What is GraFighters?
GraFighters just might be the new or the next addition to the current ways to entertain yourself during your downtime, rather then just looking at what your friends are. Instead of checking out where or what your friends or favorite celebrities are up to you can spend that downtime (the downtime that everyone seems to have, but yet does not have to do anything productive)....
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Pinterest
For this review we chose to highlight the up and coming social media site Pinterest. The unique thing about Pinterest is that it is heavy on visuals and light on text, unlike other popular sites. The main concept is to be able to share images that users find to be interesting and helpful, and to create “vision boards” in a sense to catalogue these pictures. These are called Pinboards, and you can...
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SCVNGR - Go Places. Do Challenges. Get Points!
Description:
SCVNGR is a check-in/game application on the android and iOS mobile platforms. The founder of SCVNGR is Seth Priebatsch. Their Headquarters are in Cambridge, Massachusetts and they currently have 60 employees. SCVNGR is funded by venture capital, and companies like Google Ventures, Highland Capital Partners, and DreamIT Ventures. SCVNGR has raised $20 million in venture funding and...
Minimalism at its best -- Cargo Collective
The Cargo Culture
Cargo is a creative publishing platform where everything, from the ever-changing visual appearance of people’s personal websites to the user interface, is built around the work shared by its members.
Cargo Collective is a great CMS tool for artists who want to create and manage their own portfolio website. Users don’t need any extensive knowledge on CSS or...
Instagram
“Fast beautiful photo sharing for your iPhone”
Description:
Inspired by the way that old Polaroid cameras were instant and simple, Instagram is a photo sharing social network app that allows users to simply snapshot and share their everyday life moments. Instagram pays homage to the Kodak Instamatic and Polaroid cameras that confined photos to a square shape. It is six-person company that only...
LibraryThing
What is LibraryThing?
LibraryThing is a social-cataloguing web app that allows users to share and store personal library catalogues and book lists.
The site was founded in 2005 by Tim Spaulding, a web developer and producer. Recently, online bookseller AbeBooks purchased shares for LibraryThing, and this company is owned by Amazon.com. Since then, Amazon.com has influenced how LibraryThing...
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Staff Development Group Touches Base with Maren
We had a chance to speak to Maren Tuesday about her initial thoughts to our ideas for the staff at CNY Central.
Short refresher: our plan focused on five tools - Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Blogging, YouTube - and finding a way to have each department withing CNY Central - news, sports, weather - have its own presence. We also suggested using Get Glue to make TV viewing a more social...
Mobile/Deals/Location
Our group is working hard to provide mobile and location based solutions for CNY Central. We are primarily focusing on helping CNY optimize its mobile website, providing recommendations for a mobile app and creating and managing a foursquare account. We have the following goals:
1. Foursquare:
a. Provide a business justification for using the service
b. Help CNY create the...
Policy Group Update 2
Well we are dividing the project up in to two sections. The group will be brain storming a draft of the document this week and then we should have a draft ready before going on break for Thanksgiving. Some recent issues in the world have drawn attention to the need to have policies that explain clearly the boundaries for what is considered company and personal property in relation to contact and...
