by
3 Comments

Police Down Under Warn Against Using Apple Maps

posted on December 10, 2012

I thought this ‘issue’ had gone away especially since many in the US report that their Apple Maps experience has been more than just fine but apparently there are still some worms in the maps that are Apple’s.

Normally I wouldn’t even bother with reports of bad Apple Maps directions at this point. The furor has died down and people either accept their maps or are using the Google Maps web version for mobile (which many see as a major step down from the native app).

But when you have a police department issue a warning against using Apple Maps based on the need to rescue several people as a result of being misled, well, you gotta share that, right?

MacRumors reports

by
4 Comments

Instagram Photos Now Gone Completely from Twitter

posted on December 10, 2012

We told you last Thursday about how Instragram (well, let’s face it, it’s really Facebook) had disabled sharing with Twitter Cards.

Well, yesterday the inevitable took place and the photo sharing service shut down any capability to share a photo with Twitter (other than a URL). An update to last week’s status report from Twitter confirms this.

Update: Dec 9, 3:10pm PST
Instagram has disabled photo integration with Twitter. As a result, photos are no longer appearing in Tweets or user photo galleries.

While tweeting links to Instagram photos is still possible, you can no longer view the photos on Twitter, as was previously the case.

Will not sharing tweets in Facebook be next? (I sure hope so!).

by
2 Comments

Millennials See Themselves as Alpha-influencers (Infographic)

posted on December 7, 2012

Millennials are those people born between 1980 and 1995 and they’re a very powerful consumer group. Though many around the world are struggling to find jobs, they’re finding new ways to make money and influence those around them.

Edelman found a shift in thinking when they compared the results of their latest study to a benchmark study back in 2010. The age group as a whole has grown up. Many are now parents, they have their own homes and responsibilities. This change in lifestyle has added a layer of realism to the once totally idealistic group.

by
0 Comments

Holiday Shopping: 36 Percent Have Yet to Get Started

posted on December 7, 2012

This time, I truly am done talking about Cyber Monday and Black Friday but that doesn’t mean we’re done with holiday shopping – like 36% of Americans, we’re just getting started!

ConsumerReports.org polled your average Americans to discover their true feelings about shopping during this time of the year. Almost half said they were three-quarters finished or completely finished. (Count me in that group if I can just resist the urge for the rest of the month!). That still leaves plenty of shoppers who are searching for deals online and off.

People with gifts in hand said they mostly shopped at big box stores like Wal-Mart and Target. 39% bought gifts online (you know I did!) and 32% when for department stores such as Sears and Macy’s. Only 28% picked a retail specialty chain such as Toys “R” Us and Best Buy.

by
2 Comments

Latest CEO Nominated for Social Media’s Hall of Shame is Reed Hastings of Netflix

posted on December 7, 2012

Kids these days.

You tell them over and over again that you have to be REALLY careful what you say on social media because it can get you in trouble. Some of the really smart ones take heed and do the right things. Many simply do what they think is right they act surprised when the #2 hits the fan.

That’s kids. Now let’s talk about an even more arrogant and likely to not listen to anyone else but themselves group: the corporate CEO. The latest example of “CEO’s Gone Wild on Social Media” comes from Netflix, CEO Reed Hastings.

Computerworld’s Richi Jennings reports

by
11 Comments

Google Apps No Longer Free to Anyone New To the Service

posted on December 7, 2012

I have to admit that this news doesn’t surprise me at all. It’s a little disconcerting because once Google gets away from the free model on anything that is already large and still a lot of room to grow, like Google Apps, the rest of the freemium world will follow suit. Actually, if the paid version of the suite of productivity gets what is being promised as a result of generating revenue it would be a good thing.

The Wall Street Journal tells us

Sundar Pichai, Google’s senior vice president in charge of Google Apps, said Google wants to provide small businesses that use the free version of the software with dedicated customer support—something only paying customers currently get. “We’re not serving them well,” he said of the free users.

by
3 Comments

Yelp Reviewers Sued for Writing Bad Reviews? Say it Isn’t So!

posted on December 6, 2012

People love to stand behind the concept of Free Speech but even that doesn’t give you the right to slander another person, spout lies or yell “fire” in a crowded theater. Unfortunately, the line that divides protected opinion from legal liability is blurry and hard to see.

The Washington Post just posted a story about a woman in Virginia who is being sued by her contractor because she gave him a bad review on Yelp. Actually, bad isn’t a strong enough word. She said he damaged her home, charged her for work he didn’t do and then stole jewelry from her home. If she’d stopped after the first two remarks, she might have been alright, but now she’s fighting a $750,000 defamation of character law suit.