WebProNews

Tag: Social Media

  • Skype Becomes More Social With Facebook Integration

    Skype has introduced an updated version of 5.0 beta for Windows along with the integration of the Facebook News Feed.

    The Facebook integration makes Skype more social. Skype users can interact with their Facebook News Feed, including posting status updates, commenting, and liking, directly from Skype. The Facebook Phonebook in Skype allows users to call and SMS their Facebook friends directly on their mobile phones and landlines. If a Facebook friend is also a Skype contact, users can make a free Skype-to-Skype call.

     

     

    Video calling accounted for approximately 40% of all Skype-to-Skype minutes in the first half of 2010. People who download the new Skype will receive a free trial of group video calling in beta for a chance to try out video calling with more than two people. The view makes it easier to follow along on group video calls by automatically focusing on the person talking on the call.

    The new Skype also makes it faster to find existing contacts with pictures and avatars displayed next to contact names along with mood messages, and finding new contacts with realtime search. In addition, the new Skype has automatic call recovery, which helps users reconnect calls that are dropped because of Internet connection problems.

     

  • Corona Light Launches Facebook Campaign

    Crown Imports has launched an online campaign for its Corona Light beer brand targeting people in their 20s.

    The campaign promotes a movement for Corona Light to be the most “liked light beer on Facebook.”

    People who like Corona Light on Facebook will be able to upload their photo to a 40-foot tall digital billboard in Times Square. The Times Square billboard will go live on November 8 and run through December 6. Images captured from across the square are posted to Facebook so participants can share photographic evidence of themselves in a Corona light ad on display in Times Square.

    Corona-Facebook

    Online ads pointing people to the Facebook promotion will appear on sites including Break.com, Tremor and NFL.com.

    The Facebook promotion was created Pereira & O’Dell, the digital agenc7 of record for Crown Imports.

    “Corona Light is taking a more active, social positioning and our ‘Most Liked Light Beer’ digital campaign is the ideal way to make Corona Light active in the digital space and drive engagement and relevance with our consumers,” said Jim Sabia, executive vice-president of marketing for Crown Imports, Corona Light’s exclusive U.S. importer.

     

     

  • A Fake Eric Schmidt And A Fake Mark Zuckerberg

    Michael Arrington of TechCrunch created a fake Facebook account for Google CEO Eric Schmidt, showing that Facebook probably needs to do more to verify users. I’m guessing that Schmidt still has access to more personal information on Arrington, however. 

    On Saturday, Saturday Night Live ran a couple Facebook-related sketches – one, a Weekend Update interview with Mark Zuckerberg (played by Andy Samberg), the other, a sketch about a Facebook filter to hide stuff from your mom. Both are provided by Hulu:

    Microsoft unveiled nine new devices today from a variety of manufacturers and carriers, that will feature its Windows Phone 7 operating system. There is plenty of speculation about how successful this will be. Engadget has provided a nice little roundup of noteworthy apps for Windows Phone 7.

    TechCrunch reports that it’s probably going to be a while before Apple releases an iPhone that works on 4G networks. This appears to be unconfirmed speculation, but not without reason. 

    The Unofficial Apple Weblog reports that Apple has been awarded a trademark for the phrase, "There’s an app for that". If only there could be a fine issued everytime it’s spoken aloud. 

    Rapper Eminem’s publisher is trying to get money out of Apple for downloads of his music (via). The publisher has reportedly asked a US District Court judge in Detroit to enforce a $2.2 million settlement reached in a lawsuit against Apple.

    Chris O’Brien at MecuryNews has an interesting piece about why cell phones may be more dangerous than you think. Along with the article itself, there are some interesting comments debating both sides of the argument. 

  • 15 Reasons Google TV Will Make a Huge Impact on the Web

    Connected TV isn’t a new concept anymore, but it’s about to get way more interesting, courtesy of Google TV. WebProNews was there for the unveiling of the product at Google I/O back in May, and having seen it in person, I can tell you it’s pretty cool. 

    Will Google change the web or is it just a bunch of hype? Tell us what you think. 

    Google TV may have a much bigger impact on the web than a lot of people realize at this point. Here are a few reasons why I think this to be the case. 

    Google Tag advertising - new feature for Google Places1. Google TV is Huge for Local Business

    Google is good at geo-targeting advertising. People turn to Google more and more to look up local business info. Google is placing search at arguably the best place to reach a person in their home – the TV. Connect the dots. 

    2. Google TV is Huge for E-Commerce

    Google TV puts the entire web at the fingertips of  TV watchers all the time. Mobile does the same, but now the web is even more front and center in the viewer’s attention. Anytime a user sees a commercial for some item or hears something mentioned in a TV show, they can easily flip over to the web, find it and buy it without leaving their couch. Even if their phone is charging in the other room, they have immediate access. 

    3. Google TV is Huge for Online Video

    Google TV will make it so much easier for TV viewers to flip channels outside of what their cable/satellite provider offers. Nothing on TV? Oh well, there are billions of things to watch online. Google TV even goes out of its way to make YouTube a more convenient destination for watching video, and the options certainly aren’t limited to YouTube.  One could even envision TV stations coming out with their own paid apps (not unlike newspapers and magazines are currently doing for the iPad). 

    4. Google TV is Huge for Piracy

    One side effect of this is that watching pirated content will be easier and more enticing than ever. This is essentially for the same reasons mentioned above. Those who engage in this activity will be even more tempted from their TVs.  

    5. Google TV is Huge for Internet Radio

    Everybody loves Internet radio. Sites like Pandora, Last.fm, Grooveshark, etc. let users listen to music they are really interested in hearing, rather than being subjected to the same old stuff the traditional radio stations throw at them over and over again (with commercials). Internet radio on the TV is just another hub to tap into these outlets, and likely a better one than the phone in terms of quality. Your TV is probably hooked up with better speakers. 

    Google TV Will Be Big for Android6. Google TV is Huge for Android

    The more Google TV catches on, the more people are likely to flock to Android as their mobile OS of choice. People are going to want devices that have as much integration with one another as possible. Plus, Android apps will work on Google TV. It will be easy to use the same apps between devices if both of the devices are running the same OS. 

    7. Google TV is Huge for Google Search

    Google doesn’t need a lot of help in getting search market share at this point, but Bing is doing everything in its power to creep up. Combined with various mobile apps and social media, people sometimes find less reasons to turn to Google for info. Google TV puts Google search a click away on the most important screen in the user’s home. 

    8. Google TV is Huge for Facebook, Twitter, and Possibly "Google Me"

    People are spending a lot of time using social media these days, whether its sharing content, talking to friends, sharing status updates or whatever. They’re doing it while they watch TV. They’re talking about things that are on TV. If they’re not, TV is probably taking up a separate amount of time in their lives, and Google TV will bring it all together.

    I’m guessing many Google TV users will be Facebooking and tweeting from their TVs frequently. In fact, this could have pretty big implications for Google’s own "Google Me" social layers. How many ways will Google let users socialize from Google TV? Besides offering the entire web, they can pretty much do anything they want with the interface. This could be a big opportunity for Google to push use of its own social features. 

    9. Google TV is Huge for News 

    People like to watch the news on TV. However, having the web on the TV provides instant access to a much greater selection of news sources, which means people will get more personalized news programming tailored to their specific interests. Remember what Google did for print news?  Feel free to try out videos.dev.webpronews.com from the TV. 

    Farmville Comes to the TV10. Google TV is Huge for Gaming

    Once again, this is simply a product of the entire web being on TV. This means web games, which are becoming increasingly popular (Farmville anyone)? Google itself has made various gaming-related acquisitions, and will likely continue to do so. They also have the Chrome Web Store for web apps.  Suddenly there are a lot more options than what the traditional consoles have to offer. As the web on TV becomes more of the norm, online games will only increase in quality.  And of course three is the "free" factor. 

    11. Google TV is Huge for Communication

    The TV may become a primary platform for communication, whether its through Skype, Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, or other video chat options. People are going to keep in touch with one another without having to get out of their recliners. 

    12. Google TV is Huge for Chrome

    Chrome is doing pretty well these days. It’s got a long way to go before it achieves IE-like status, in terms of usage, but guess what browser comes with Google TV. Not only will it increase Chrome usage by default, it will get non-Chrome users accustomed to Chrome, and may in turn get them using Chrome from their computers. 

    More Money for Online Advertising 13. Google TV is Huge for Online Advertising

    Needless to say, Google TV will instantly put online ads in front of more eyeballs more frequently. 

    14. Google TV is Huge for Application Development

    Smartphones have done quite a bit for application development haven’t they? I wonder how many more people have TVs than smartphones. This will be huge for not only Android developers, but for developers of web apps. 

    15. Google TV is Huge for the Web period. 

    Google TV can really only help anything that is web-based for the simple fact that the web is on the TV. I realize this is not exclusive to Google TV, but Google TV, in my opinion, has the best shot at gaining real mass adoption, compared to any of its competitors. The DISH Network partnership won’t hurt either. 

    The biggest obstacle that could potentially impede all of this is if Google TV flops. Given all it’s got going for it, I don’t think it will though. Google was smart to take the Netflix approach in providing a platform, as opposed to a device (like competitors). Netflix uses the model of offering its service on more and more devices. This is essentially Google’s approach, and I would expect Google TV to launch for new devices much more frequently. One good thing for Netflix is that this means more Netflix-ready devices. This strategy will also allow Google to get the product in front of a wide range of audiences and price ranges.

    Remember, you can’t judge the offering entirely from the initial product availability. That will grow – maybe even to a device you already own. Upon Google TV’s announcement, Sony CEO Howard Stringer was asked if consumers could expect Google TV integration with Sony Playstation. He said Sony was working with Google on one product at a time. Judging from the looks exchanged between Stringer and Google CEO Eric Schmidt, it certainly didn’t seem like the idea was ruled out. 

    Google is also smart to support not only Android, but iPhone as well, in terms of remote control use. This could be huge in gaining support even from Apple users. 

    Not convinced Google TV is that big a deal? Give us your reasons. 

  • Parents Say Social Networks Threat To Kids’ Privacy

    Three-quarters of parents (75%) don’t think social networking sites do a good job of protecting children’s online privacy, according to a poll conducted by Zogby on behalf of Common Sense Media.

    The majority (92%) of parents are concerned that children share too much information online and 85 percent say they are more concerned about online privacy than they were five years ago.

     

    Kids'-Privacy

     

    The poll also found that 91 percent of parents think search engines and social networking sites should not be able to share kids’ physical location with other companies until parents give permission.

    Other highlights include:

    *79 percent of teens think their friends share too much personal information online.

    *70 percent of parents think schools should educate students about online privacy.

    *75 percent of teens think adults are a better source than their friends for advice on staying safe online.

    “The poll results present a clear divide between the industry’s view of privacy and the opinion of parents and kids,” said James Steyer, CEO and founder of Common Sense Media.

    “We are all responsible for addressing this enormous challenge: The industry must openly acknowledge the problem. Parents and kids have to educate themselves about protecting their information. Schools should teach students and parents about privacy protection. And policymakers must update privacy policies for the 21st century.”

     

  • Facebook Gets Voicemail Sharing Feature Via HulloMail

    Voice messaging company, HulloMail, has launched version 3.0 of of its Android application with new social updates.

    HulloMail users can now share voicemails and instant messages directly on their Facebook wall from within the app. Friends can listen to the message by clicking on links on Facebook.

     

     

    "We have made it really easy to share voicemails and voice messages directly with Facebook, adding a completely new dimension to voicemail and the social networking experience,” said Andy Munarriz, founder and CEO, HulloMail.

    “Next time you get a priceless voicemail, you can share it with your Facebook wall immediately; I think we might even be the first on the planet to make it this easy! Voicemail will never be the same again. Our latest Android app is the first to have this ability; it has also been re-worked from the ground up and is now a faster and more polished experience."

    HulloMail says it plans to introduce the Facebook share feature to the iPhone sometime soon.

     

  • More Men Using Online Coupons

    More Men Using Online Coupons

    Online coupon websites remain a popular way to save, with an increase in usage among men, according to a new survey conducted by Harris Interactive, on behalf of RetailMeNot.com.

    RetailMeNot The survey found that in the past two years, consumer awareness of online coupon sites has increased significantly, with only 11 percent of online adults stating that they did not know what a coupon website was, compared to 16 percent in 2009 and 17 percent in 2008.

    More than a third (34%) of online adults indicate they will opt to go to a different store and/or wait for a coupon to become available if they cannot find a coupon, compared to 30 percent and 27 percent in 2009 and 2008 respectively.

    Coupon usage has begun to close the gap between genders, with more men using coupons than in previous years. Coupon website usage among male online shoppers increased across all age brackets, with the most notable increase from 16 percent last year to 24 percent this year in men ages 55 or older.

    Additionally the survey looked at grocery coupons for the first time, find the majority of online shoppers 87 percent of men and 93 percent of women—have used coupons for grocery purchases. Despite a third (33 percent) of these adults reporting that they use coupon websites to find grocery coupons, nearly seven in 10 (69 percent) still use newspapers.

    Other popular methods of finding grocery coupons included the postal mail (50 percent), on or inside product packages (43 percent), in-store displays (42 percent), with/on the back of receipts (30 percent), in emails (28 percent), in magazines (25 percent), on manufacturer or retailer websites (24 percent), with a retailer club card (15 percent) and/or on social networks (4 percent).

    “With previous downturns in the economy, consumers were forced to take a more active role in monitoring their spending,” said Guy King, co-founder of RetailMeNot.com.

    “A result of this increased attention has been that people are now more aware than ever of the opportunities to save money and are less willing to make a purchase without first checking for a lower price.”

  • Mark Zuckerberg Talks Success After Dropping Out of School (on The Simpsons)

    Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been in the press a lot over the last couple of weeks. Ok, he’s been in the press a lot all year, but particularly as The Social Network approached its theatrical release Friday. 

    Zuckerberg also announced a $100 million donation to public schools and the launch of a new foundation called Startup:Education. Some considered the move little more than a PR tactic to improve his image as The Social Network paints it as one who betrays, (at least to some – the beauty of the film is that this is very open to debate). Others simply praised the gesture. 

    Either way, Zuckerberg displayed a sense of humor about the topic of education in a voice-over he contributed to The Simpsons, which aired last night. 

    In the clip, Lisa Simpson asks Zuckerberg to talk about how education was instrumental to his success. To this, he reponsed, "Well, the truth is, I dropped out of Harvard."

    "Better earnin’ than learnin’," declared the character of Nelson. 

    "Hell yeah! I’ll get the best kind of degree…honorary baby!" exclaimed Zuckerberg. He then pointed to Bill Gates and Virgin Airlines’ Richard Branson as other dropouts. A janitor steps out and says he hasn’t done too well for himself, and proclaims that he graduated. 

    The Social Network topped the box office over the weekend. Read our review here. 

  • The Social Network Runs Away with Weekend Box Office

    The Social Network led the box office over the weekend. The film, which opened on Friday, took in $23 million, opening in 2,771 theaters, according to BoxOfficeMojo. 

    The film grossed more than doubled the number 2, 3, and 4 movies – Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, and The Town. There were only two other major releases to open at the same time: Case 39 and Let Me In. These both brought in only just over $5 million a piece. 

    Catfish, the other Facebook-related movie that’s out, has so far grossed a total of $1,638,000. It has played in far less theaters, however, and has not received a wide, mainstream release.

    The Social Network

    It will be interesting to see how much The Social Network takes in when it’s all said and done. The movie has received a great deal more buzz than I think many of us expected when we first found out they were making a movie about Facebook. That’s with good reason though. It’s a solid film. 

    Read our review of The Social Network here. You can also watch director David Fincher, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, and co-star Justin Timberlake share their thoughts about Facebook and the film. 

     

  • Justin Timberlake, Aaron Sorkin Discuss “The Social Network”

    Comedy Central was all about The Social Netork last night. The Daily Show had Justin Timberlake, who portrays Sean Parker in the film, and The Colbert Report had Aaron Sorkin, the screenwriter. 

    Timberlake says he’s "ridiculously stupid with computers".  He calls Zuckerberg a "brilliant mind".  

    Colbert asks Sorkin fiction or fact? Sorkin responds, "Fiction…I’m sorry, fact…it’s absolute non-fiction." 

    He goes on to say he wants to "start fights in the parking lot" about which characters are right and wrong. He also says viewers will enjoy the movie whether they love or hate Facebook.  

    He also has a bit of interesting commentary about social networking in general. "I do think that socializing on the Internet is to socializing what reality TV is to reality."  

    Colbert’s response: "Well, we’re not going to get any deeper than that." 

    Here’s Timberlake on The Daily Show:

    The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
    Justin Timberlake
    www.thedailyshow.com
    Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Rally to Restore Sanity

    Here’s Sorkin on Colbert:

    The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
    Aaron Sorkin
    www.colbertnation.com
    Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election March to Keep Fear Alive

    See what director David Fincher has to say about Facebook here. Our review of The Social Network is here. 

  • Variety Partners With Fizziology On Popular Movies In Social Media

    Social media  research company Fizziology, has partnered with Variety to create a weekly chart of the most popular movies in social media.

    The Weekly Fizz10, Fizziology’s proprietary chart of the 10 ten movies in social media, will appear every Wednesday on Variety.com. The partnership also includes the use of additional Fizziology social media data.
    Fizziology
    The Weekly Fizz10 tracks and ranks movies starting four weeks before release through their third week of release.  The rankings are determined by Fizziology’s social media analysts who read and score a sample of social media chatter to grade sentiment, spot trends, and find out what is driving conversation.

    "The industry has been using social media to promote, but a lot can be learned from listening. These millions of online conversations are impacting entertainment,” Ben Carlson, President and co-creator of Fizziology.

    “We help marketers, content creators and other entertainment decision makers understand what people are talking about – spotting challenges and opportunities."

  • CareerBuilder Launches Facebook Referral App

    CareerBuilder has launched a new application called “Work@” that allows employees to share their company’s job openings on their Facebook page.

    Work@ pulls open jobs housed on a company’s website or in their Applicant Tracking System.  After an employee adds the Work@ application to their Facebook account, CareerBuilder’s job recommendation engine identifies matches in that employee’s network to the company’s available jobs.

    Facebook-Work@

    Work@ also provides analytics, through which the company can track and measure trends over time to gauge their program’s success.

    "Work@ helps companies grow their recruiting staff overnight by giving employees an easier, more convenient way to identify and refer friends," said Hope Gurion, Chief Development Officer at CareerBuilder.  

    "It’s never been easier to unlock the potential of your employee referral program."

     

  • More Than Half Of Americans Do Online Research Before Making A Purchase

    More Than Half Of Americans Do Online Research Before Making A Purchase

    More than half (58%) of Americans conduct online research about the products and services they are considering purchasing, according to a new report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

    That is an increase from 49 percent who said they did online research for a product or service in 2004.  The number of those who do research about products on an average day has increased from 15 of Americans in September 2007 to 21 percent in September 2010.  From February 2004, the number of adults conducting research on any given day has more than doubled, up from 9%.

    Online-Research

    Additionally, 24% of American adults say they have posted comments or reviews online about the product or services they buy, indicating a willingness to share their opinions about products and the buying experience with others.

    “Many Americans begin their purchasing experience by doing online research to compare prices, quality, and the reviews of other shoppers,” said Jim Jansen, Senior Fellow at the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project and author of a new report about online product research.

    “Even if they end up making their purchase in a store, they start their fact-finding and decision-making on the internet.”

    Other highlights from Pew include:

    *The percentage of those purchasing products online rose from 36% in May 2000 to 52% in the Project’s May 2010 survey.

    *The percentage making travel reservations or bought travel services such as airline tickets, hotel rooms, or rental cars rose from 22% in May 2000 to 52% in the Project’s May 2010 survey.

    *Product and service information sharing coincides with increasing use of social networking sites. 46% of Americans reporting the use of internet sites such as Facebook or LinkedIn, up from 5% in February 2005.

    “E-commerce is now a 360-degree experience for shoppers,” said Jansen. “It begins with research that in turn leads to purchases that then trigger commentary and reviews by shoppers. Every part of the online experience seems to have become second nature to internet veterans.”

     

  • Gmail Gets a Long Overdue Setting

    Gmail Gets a Long Overdue Setting

    Google is launching a new option in Gmail that lets users turn of conversation threads. This is a feature that was innovative when Google released its popular email service years ago, but not everyone has been a fan of this style of email communication. 

    I’m not sure why it’s taken Google so long to offer a setting to turn the feature off, but better late than never, I suppose, for those who aren’t fans. 

    It’s a smart move, because it could entice some people to use Gmail, who have resisted the service based on conversation threads. I’m guessing some have, and this is another reason the move seems pretty overdue. 

    Gmail is one of Google’s most powerful weapons in the realm of social, which the company is putting an increased emphasis on now. It is in Google’s best interest for as many people to like Gmail as possible. I suspect Gmail will play an increasingly central role across Google’s whole universe as it adds social layers to more of its products, and places more emphasis on Google accounts/profiles. 

    This is a seemingly minor change that could have significant ramifications. 

    To adjust the setting, simply go to settings, find "Conversation view" and turn it on/off. Google will be rolling out the feature over the next several days.

  • Rand McNally Launches iPhone App

    Rand McNally Launches iPhone App

    Rand McNally has launched a free new iPhone app called “Explore America” that offers snippets of travel content, photos and videos, destination information and a daily quiz.

    Explore America users will receive a “daily adventure,” which includes a description of an interesting place in North America, a locator map, and up to five photos showing the location and information about the area.

     

    Rand-McNally-iPhone.jpg

    Users can also Rand McNally editorial content, share ratings, photos and content on social networks including Facebook and Twitter.

    “This is just the first of many mobile applications to come,” said John T. Peters, Rand McNally’s VP/GM of Digital Strategy & Travel.

    “Whether you are just looking for a daily virtual escape or planning a real trip, Explore America is a free, entertaining iPhone app anyone will enjoy.”
     

     

  • AOL Acquires Thing Labs and Brizzly

    AOL has acquired Thing Labs, makers of Brizzly. Brizzly is a social media reader that lets users view and post updates to Twitter and Facebook., see photos and watch videos.

    "AOL is a different company than it was even a year ago. We have to fundamentally change the way we think about the consumer experience and the team at Thing Labs has a vision and a track record of success that we think will help truly transform the messaging space," said Brad Garlinghouse, President of AOL’s Consumer Applications Group. "The team represents a great combination of vision, product knowledge and experience building innovative social products and we believe their contribution will further complement the exciting work that the Lifestream and AIM teams at AOL are doing."

    The Thing Labs team will run AIM, AOL Lifestream and Brizzly. Brizzly will be integrated with the other applications over time.

    "AIM, Lifestream and Brizzly are really complementary and we can’t wait to begin exploring how we can combine and enhance them to improve AIM and Lifestream," said Shellen. "AOL and Thing Labs share a creative vision that the Web should be fun, effortless, inspiring and trusted."

    This would be the third major acquisition for AOL today. The company also acquired 5min media and TechCrunch. Where as the other two acquisitions are clearly content oriented, this one shows that content isn’t the only area of focus for AOL these days. 

    The financial details of the acquisition remain a mystery.

  • Content Creation Slows On Social Networks

    Content Creation Slows On Social Networks

     While the worldwide adoption of social networking is still increasing, other forms of social interactions, such as content creation, have experienced no significant growth in the past year, according to a new report from Forrester Research.

    Jacqueline-Anderson “Social Technographics data can be used as a benchmark to help understand where certain social media approaches might work and where they might fail,” said Forrester Research Consumer Insights Analyst Jacqueline Anderson.

    “For example, while almost 40 percent of metropolitan Chinese consumers can be classified as Collectors, only 10 percent in Europe are [Collectors]. Providing the Chinese consumers with tools to easily tag content would be helpful, while resources would be better spent elsewhere for European target consumers.”

    The number of people who joined social networks increased by 11 percent in Europe, 18 percent in metro China, and 11 percent in Australia. By comparison, North America saw slightly less growth, with only an 8 percent increase. On the other hand, between 2009 and 2010, no markets exhibited growth in the number of people who create social content.

    “A lack of growth in social creation translates into a lack of fresh ideas, content, and perspectives,” said Anderson.

    “For example, one-third of online consumers in the US regularly watch user-generated videos on sites like YouTube. But, only 10 percent of US online consumers upload videos they’ve created to public sites. The traits required to create social content are unique, and at this moment, the consumer market interested in these behaviors has plateaued.”

  • Amazon Brings Kindle To The Web

    Amazon.com today launched a beta version of “Kindle for the Web,” allowing users to sample books directly through browsers without having to download anything.

    To promote the offering, Amazon is allowing bloggers and website owners in its Amazon Associates Program to be part of Kindle for the Web by embedding samples of books on their websites. Website owners will earn referral fees from Amazon when users buy books using the links on their websites.

    Kindle-for-the-Web

    Users can click the “Read first chapter Free” button on a book product page on Amazon or on other websites, and the first chapter will open within the web page. Users can change the font size and line spacing, adjust the background color, and share their favorite books with others via, Facebook, Twitter, and email without leaving the book in the browser.

    “With Kindle for the Web, it’s easier than ever for customers to sample Kindle books – there’s no downloading or installation required,” said Dorothy Nicholls, Director, Amazon Kindle.

    “Kindle for the Web is also a great way for bloggers and authors to promote books on their websites by letting visitors read a chapter without leaving their site.”

     

     

  • David Fincher Shares Real Thoughts on the Facebook Story

    David Fincher, the director of The Social Network shares some interesting thoughts about the story told in the movie – the founding of Facebook. 

    In a press conference following a screening of the film in New York, Fincher lets loose on his thoughts about how the situation among Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin and Sean Parker went down. 

    Fincher says calling the Mark Zuckerberg character an "asshole" is a "reductive and overly-simplistic" way of putting it. 

    Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, Fincher, and the actors portraying those characters talk about their Facebook experience (or lack thereof). Andrew Garfield, who plays Saverin, called his Facebook experience negative "like it is for most people".

    Justin Timberlake, who plays Parker, says he doesn’t have time to look at pictures of his friends.

  • Movie Review: The Social Network (The Facebook Movie)

    It’s not often I get the opportunity to write movie reviews for WebProNews, because it’s not often that major motion pictures are released about subjects within our general scope of coverage. I had the opportunity to attend a screening of The Social Network last night, so it seems appropriate that I offer my thoughts about the film here. 

    Do you plan to see The Social Network? Let us know.

    Interestingly, the theater had tighter security than some airports I’ve been to – no phones allowed. We’re talking metal detectors, searches, and multiple guards. 

    I’m not going to get into all the fiction vs. non-fiction stuff too much. Anybody who has read about the founding of Facebook has probably formed their own opinions, while few can really say with any certainty how it all went down. There are multiple books about it. There are countless articles about it, covering it from numerous angles. 

    Facebook has dismissed the movie as fiction. Aaron Greenspan, who settled with Facebook over a dispute last year (and wrote one of the books) calls it non-non-fiction. I’m going to try to look at this simply as a movie goer and someone who has read The Accidental Billionaires, the book on which the movie is based. Any references I make to people involved in the story will be based upon The Social Network’s portrayal of them – their "characters" if you will – not necessarily their real-life counterparts. How close they are to one another is up for anyone to form an opinion about. 

    Based on the real life Mark Zuckerberg’s public appearances, interviews, etc., I would say that Jesse Eisenberg was a good casting decision. Based on the book, I think he did a fine job portraying the Zuckerberg character, as did Justin Timberlake portraying Sean Parker. In fact, based on the book, I don’t think any character was miscast (real-life is harder to say, as an outsider). 

    The film did a pretty good job of capturing the various emotions of the story itself (as did the book). There are quite a few laughs throughout. You can feel the betrayal and the toll it takes on those betrayed (with perhaps the exception of one character, which was accompanied by more detail in the book – I won’t name names, to avoid spoilers for those unfamiliar with the story). For some the betrayal comes off as heartbreaking, while for others it comes off as humorous. 

    The Social Network

    Trent Reznor’s score was adequate. Those familiar with Nine Inch Nails’ catalog will recognize the majority of the score as his (save for things like a rendition of "In the Hall of the Mountain King"). The score does set an interesting tone for the story that the book is unable to accomplish, simply as a result of the medium. 

    The film is not director David Fincher’s finest work (I’m still partial to Se7en, Fight Club, and The Game), but it’s certainly on par with, if not above titles like Panic Room, Zodiac, and The Curious case of Benjamin Button, strictly in terms of entertainment value (we’ll leave Alien 3 out of this). 

    Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin did a pretty good job of bringing the book to the screen, though there are some things left out. This is pretty standard for any book-to-film project though, so I can’t take too many points away for that. Trimming kept the film at a good  two-hour runtime (approximately).  

    A lot of the talk about this movie has been about its portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg, and how it will affect people’s opinions of him and the company. While clearly, the company isn’t thrilled about it, I don’t think perception will be as bad as they might think. Much of the audience seemed to laugh along with Zuckerberg through the majority of the film, and while some may have found numerous actions he took coldblooded, I think for the most part, much of the audience empathized with him, at least to some extent. That’s in the storytelling. The characters. Real life? You tell me. 

    Have you seen The Social Network? Do you plan to? Tell us what you think about it.

  • What’s Going on With That Twitter Documentary?

    Last year, we interviewed Siok Siok Tan, who was getting a documentary about Twitter off the ground. Now, Twittermentary is nearing the end of the production cycle.

    "We are gearing up for a sneak preview in NYC on Oct 7th 6-9pm at Roger Smith Hotel," Tan tells WebProNews, giving us an update about what’s going on with the film. 

    "We just launched a crowd funding initiative on IndieGogo to raise 10,000 USD as the finishing funds for the film," she says.

    The following teaser has been released for the film:

    "The making of the film has been turned into university level case study on innovation and new media," Tan says. "The case study was recently test taught at the Singapore Management University and will soon be available for distribution world wide."

    Twittermentary may not get the attention that The Social Network has received, but it should be interesting for social media enthusiasts, as it tells stories about how Twitter has affected the lives of real people.