LivingSocial has been hacked, reports All Things D.
An internal memo to employees said that the company noticed “unauthorized access to some customer data from our servers."
Just how much data? More than 50 million customer names, email addresses, birth dates, and encrypted passwords...
Large companies aren’t just spending on social media in a way that touches customers directly. They’re also investing in developing social media capabilities within their own organizations. According to a study of worldwide companies with over 1,000 employees conducted by the The Altimeter Group, companies dedicated between 20% and 37% of their total social media development spending to “internal social media” in 2012. Larger companies were the biggest investors in internal social development, both in dollar terms and as a percentage of total social development spending. Companies with revenues between $1 billion and $10 billion spent an average $562,069 on internal social media, compared with $968,548 on external spending. Companies with revenues over $10 billion spent $1.3 million on average on internal measures and $2.9 million on outward-facing ones...
First coined in 1990 by Tom Caudell, a researcher at aircraft manufacturer Boeing, ‘augmented reality’ used to refer to a head-mounted digital display worn by aircraft technician to guide them in the assembly of electrical wires in aircrafts.
Today, the fundamental idea remains in the definition of AR, which according to Digital Trend is "the interaction of superimposed graphics, audio and other sense enhancements over a real-world environment that’s displayed in real-time".
When you combine the common old school methods of grifting with the technological advancements of hacking and social research, you have social engineering.
The nerds are so excited. Our Internet-augmented, face-computer-wearing future is just over the horizon. Leading us there will be Google Glass, the first iteration of this particular sort of wearable, semi-immersive computing experience. If the product is successful, it will merely be the beginning.
The anticipation is understandable. If having Internet-connected computers in our pockets can transform our world, just imagine what wearing them on our faces will do. The prospect of everything from augmented reality games to futuristic surgery has people pumped for the days head. It's all very cool, but there's another side to Google Glass: the creepy factor.
For every exciting use case, it seems there's at least one social or policy-related concern. How will this impact privacy? Will we even have privacy in the future? When will we overcome the social stigma of face-mounted computers? Will we?
It will be some time before these questions shake out, a process that will continue as the technology evolves beyond Google's audacious first stab at it. In the meantime, here are five socially unacceptable things we expect some of Glass's earliest adopters to get into.
Mere days before the successor to the PlayStation 3 is rumored to be announced, The Wall Street Journal has published a few more tidbits on what we might see. According to anonymous sources, Sony will be expanding on the console's current social features, allowing users to share achievements through Facebook and Twitter and upload gameplay footage to YouTube. These features were already present to some extent on the PlayStation 3, but we could be seeing a better experience in the future, in line with previous reports that the new PlayStation would emphasize social gaming experiences.
The French were not able to maintain their 75% tax on the super rich, so now they’re aiming for the super, super, super rich by going after companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon. Their latest scheme: an Internet tax that will affect those collecting personal data from French citizens. This concept emerged late last week in a report commissioned by President François Hollande that details the unfair ways that large American internet-based companies are able to circumvent the French tax system and still remain relevant to its citizens.
In the turn of the Millennium Internet growth has truly risen, although it has clearly been rising in the past two decades. Globally we have become more united and through the creation of an array of social networks sharing around the world have become simpler and as we have begun a new year we are able to easily reflect on the most recent year that has passed, 2012.
50% of all Internet users have signed into at least one social network, while 63.2% of Internet users visited a social network at least once a month. There is still a good chunk of us who use social sites more regularly and usually on a daily basis, but of course this would depend on what part of the world you live in and how frequently you are able to access a stable Internet connection.
Before we had the Internet, the closest form of written communication we had were handwritten letters posted to family, friends and pen pals. Then there are the regular phone calls, family reunion meet-ups, parties, events etc.
As a whole, these offline social interactions had more depth than what we are experiencing online today because we could at least hear the tone of voice through phone calls or read the body language and facial expression of the new person we have just met at the party.
Observers of the 2012 campaigns know that this cycle has been dubbed the first “social election,” with candidates up and down the ballot using social media to do everything from raise money to organize supporters.
CQ Researcher published a thorough examination of social media’s role in 2012 politics in an article entitled, “Social Media and Politics,” which is located behind their pay wall.
While many social networks were tried and tested this cycle, Vincent Harris, the digital director for Newt Gingrich’s campaign, calls Facebook the dominant media platform, the ‘800-lb. gorilla’ of the 2012 elections, because of the number of friends a user can obtain and its reach potential.
With all the things that people have strong opinions on: religion, politics, and the like - surprisingly people have very strong opinions on their smartphones. Whether you’re an iOS or Android fan, you’re sure to have a strong opinion and find something interesting in this cool infographic, courtesy of StartApp.
Social recruitment market is going crazy these days as more and more companies are getting into the segment which has huge potential. Two weeks ago,Social Talent was asked to pick the brains of recruiters, agency and in-house alike, in their use of Social in their recruiting mix. There was such scarce up-to-date data available on how recruiters actually use the net to hire that some of the results of our survey took them by pleasant surprise.
There are many schools of thought on whether or not charity belongs in the workplace, or if it should be kept solely at home. Some businesses simply can't justify giving to charity when they're fighting just to break even. Others actively support various missions.
What's the right way to approach it?
The answer is that both approaches are right. It really depends on what's the right fit for your company, what you believe in and, frankly, what you can afford. However, one of the things I'm continually surprised by is how much charitable giving can help your business. Really.
Whether it is YouTube subscribers, Facebook likes, or LinkedIn connections, nearly everyone is trying to build a larger network. The skill it takes to be successful at social media is found directly in its name:
Social – the ability to communicate with others.
Media – the ability to use different platforms to communicate.
It is a highly demanded area of expertise, and is one of the fastest growing industries in history.
The methods we use to communicate change constantly. Regardless of what you use – language, letter, phone, poster, email, commercial, or social network – it is essential that you don’t lose focus on the fact that you are a communicator, and you are communicating to people.
Social media gets its share of grief for being a force for evil, but that doesn’t mean plenty of people aren’t also making it a platform for positive change.
This infographic from TheBestColleges takes a look at people’s urge to do social good, as well as those who’ve redefined the giving game in social media, and what you can do to get involved.
All around the world, people are using Facebook apps to experience the Olympics with friends. From predicting the outcome of events to sharing favorite Olympic moments, these apps add new ways to interact with London 2012.
Whether it is YouTube subscribers, Facebook likes, or LinkedIn connections, nearly everyone is trying to build up a larger social network. The skills it takes to be successful at social media is found directly in its name:
Social – the ability to communicate with others.
Media – the ability to use different platforms to communicate.
It is a highly demanded area of expertise, and its importance lies in people. The methods which we use to communicate change constantly. By language, letter, phone, poster, email, commercial, or social network, it is essential that you don’t lose focus on the fact that you are a communicator, and you are communicating to human beings.
Who
People should know who you are. Why do millions of Twitter users follow a celebrity who posts few things of substance? That’s simple – it’s because they find that person worthy of their attention.
One of my first experiences with Twitter was with a friend at my apartment in Colorado. I walked outside to check the mail. Out of nowhere, she stopped me and said “Guess what! Mariah Carey is eating a sandwich right now!” Never had I seen someone more excited about something so useless. My friend was captivated by the hollow words, not because how it was said, but who said it.
Your followers want to hear from and engage with a person of value. This doesn’t mean you have to be a celebrity. The most important people in your life right now probably aren’t famous, but they are someone who you respect, whose company and message you value. Be a person or business that your network knows and can engage with.
Just as important in knowing who you are, is knowing your audience. It has become a cliché in business, marketing, and networking to “find your target market” but it is absolutely essential. Are your followers older or younger? Are they interested in articles, or tutorials? Do they want to hear about news, or discounts? Take note any time a particular post you make gets a good response. Keep track of what your followers are talking about, who else they are listening to, and if you don’t know what they want – ask.
What
The most significant aspect of your social networking is your content. What you say, and how you say it, is the indispensable aspect of having social media success.
Post content that matters to your followers - something they can use, or that benefits them. People and business often think from the wrong side of the conversation. A mentor of mine once told me “when in doubt in a conversation, talk about everyone’s favorite subject - themselves”. It may seem vain, but people very much look at the content you are posting and immediately ask the question “what can this person do for me?”.
Your content should educate, inform, or inspire, not based on what you want to share, but what they want to hear. For example: “I just read an awesome quote by George Washington - what a great leader” vs. “This quote by George Washington is inspirational… insert quote here” Can you see the difference? One is based around yourself, the other around your audience. The goal of all this is to make your content shareable.
Making sure your content is shareable, is the biggest tool for your growth. Lets do the math on that, shall we?
If you have 100 followers who each have 100 followers of there own, how large is your potential network if your direct followers decide to share your content?
The answer: 10,000 people.
A good indicator that I use to see if my content is good enough to share, is asking the question: “Would I want to share this to my friends or family?” Don’t fool yourself. Just because you have a particular interest in your product or thoughts, doesn’t mean your network will. Think from your audience’s perspective. Did they just get home from work? Do they want to read a novel, or just the headline? The ability to put yourself in the mindset of your audience is an irreplaceable key to good communication.
Also, never forget to make sharing your content as easy as possible for your viewers. Include links, embed videos, attach files, whatever you are trying to spread, always ensure that your viewer goes through the least amount of steps possible to view and share your content.
When
When and how often you post content varies based on your audience. If you aren’t using one already, I recommend utilizing analytics tools such as Socialbro to help you find out what time and day of the week is best for you to post content.
Over-posting or under-posting can hinder you. Keep in mind there are 2-sides to the coin. I have often heard that too many posts annoy your network and people will ignore you. On the other side, there is the famous saying “out of sight, out of mind”. I tend to lean towards the latter. If you are sharing good content that your followers want to hear, than you can be frequent in your posts. With that, space out your posts so you don’t overwhelm your audience, and they are able to read and interact with each one.
Where
There are dozens of social networks out there, each of which has value. My rule: Go where the people are. There is no harm in expanding to multiple social networks, so long as you can manage them. An often-ignored network is Google Plus (despite it’s hundreds of millions of users). Keep in mind that while some websites and networks are less popular, there is significantly less competition, which lets you stand out much more.
Different people use different media. If you are a photographer or graphic designer, and you are only on Facebook and Twitter, I would strongly suggest that you expand to where your craft is appreciated, such as Instagram or Dribbble.
Get specific with your social networks. For example, one my favorite websites is logomoose.com, a website dedicated to only logo designs – that’s it. Find networks as specific or as broad as you’d like, but keep an open mind about each of them.
Consider areas you haven’t thought of, and forms of content you haven’t used before. Communication doesn’t always have to just be in written form. Consider uploading videos onto Youtube and Vimeo, or images on Pinterest and Flickr.
A mistake I have found in most of my clients is they don’t connect their networks. In the name of all things good and holy - connect them! Your LinkedIn should lead to your Facebook, which should lead to your Youtube video, which should lead to your website. Make one social network or your website your central hub, and along with a solid profile and description on each of your social networks, include a link back to that hub. This in turn can direct them to any and all of your other forms of media you have available, depending on their preferences.
How
I have heard it so many times from people that “you need to manage all those social networks? Who has the time for that?” Truthfully, if you set things up properly, it doesn’t need to be a part-time job managing your social media. Use as many tools as you can find to save yourself time. A website can be coded to automatically share your updates on your social networks. Tools such as Tumblr or Posterous (a personal favorite) let you create one message, and have it automatically post to multiple social networks.
How do you build a large network? - One person at a time. Building a solid network will take time and effort. Often people have to start with their friends and family, and market themselves out in the real work (yes, there is a life away from your computer) in order to get started.
Why
I love social media. Despite Internet “trolls” and “know-it-alls” who insist on correcting my grammar, I very much enjoy engaging with people through social media.
Social media is a powerful tool, a great way to promote your business, get connected with others, and to share your arts and thoughts with the world.
In time, I will be sharing more on the hands-on ways to improve your social media skills, but for the time being I hope you have found this useful… and shareable.
Social media icons are assimilated in every website design now days to make the websites popular all around the internet. The trend of social media icons is much popular in blog designs. Great Designers are continuously engaged in designing new and attractive social media icons and definitely high quality icons help to make web design looks more striking and furnished. This time we have collected 1000+ absolutely free social media icons for free download. If you are a graphic designer and looking for social media icons for you website or blog than don’t waste your time just take a look at this huge social media icons collection and feel free to download.
This is the million dollar question that everyone’s trying to answer, isn’t it?
In my capacity as an evangelist of new technology products, I have pondered upon and researched this question for years now. In my research, I have recently come across a highly interesting discussion happening around this question on Quora.
There were many of interesting answers given to this question.. However, one of these responses, given by Rick David, stood out in my eyes and I wanted to use some of the points illustrated in his response as the basic outline for my post, shed more light and detail on each step plus also include my own insights from my years of working in the industry.
At this point, no single customer engagement channel can deliver marketers a complete picture of consumer behavior.
Google knows what you’re interested in, but not what you’ve done. Facebook knows who your friends are, but not what you buy. Pinterest knows what you share, but not how you act on it. Foursquare knows where you are, but not what you like. You get the idea.
