Aug
26th

Oneupweb Reviews: Judgment Day – The New Digg

Posted by Adam D on August 26, 2010 at 6:39 am

“Something wonderful has happened…YOUR COMPUTER IS ALIVE!” This was the message I received from our childhood computer after inserting a floppy disk that contained a computer virus. All I could picture were images of Terminator 2 robots coming to kill me! I was so scared that I took the disk out into our backyard and smashed it with a rock until it was dead. After my dad — the computer whiz — came home, I told him about the computer’s attempt to gain self-awareness and kill me. I don’t ever remember him laughing so hard. It was then that I realized the only danger I was in was being made fun of for the rest of my life.

But that was another time — long ago. It was before the World Wide Web, before Wikipedia and before kids knew they could sue their parents for emotional abuse (you’re safe dad).

Now we have sites like Digg.com that we can go to and learn about the top voted content all over the web. And today, Digg just got an upgrade!

The first change you’ll notice (besides the blue theme) is the sign-up process. You’ll be encouraged to connect social networks like Facebook to your Digg account. The reason for this is that the new Digg will list the top stories that have been Dugg by your friends. Giving you news that only you and your friends care about.

But this is only an add-on to the “normal” Digg experience. You can still access the old style Digg feed by clicking “Top News” at the top left of the page.

The submission process also has a few improvements. Most notably, Digg now pulls thumbnail images from the links you submit, similar to Facebook.

Oneupweb Reviews: Thumbs Up!

In case you haven’t noticed, the world is going social. Digg understands this and has made the adjustments to keep pace with Facebook, Twitter and other social services. Semantic web, social revolutions… call it what you will. It’s here and it’s here to stay. Need some social help (of the inter-web kind)? Check out Oneupweb’s Award Winning Services.

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Aug
23rd

Oneupweb Reviews: Facebook Places

Posted by Adam D on August 23, 2010 at 4:18 pm

Attention sports fans! I just wanted to let everyone know that I will be referring to you as sports fans from now on. How exciting is that? Oh, and Facebook Places is now live!

You can now let all your friends know exactly where you are and what you’re doing!

You also have the ability to tag others who are with you at a location. This can be a lot of fun, but be careful. As I found out, the wording can give the wrong impression. For example, if you said you were maxing and relaxing at the mall, and then tagged a friend it would read: John Smith is maxing and relaxing with Sally Sue at the Mall. Maybe not the idea you were trying to get across. This is very similar to photo tagging in that the person tagged can also remove the tag.

If you’re a business, you have the option to claim your new Facebook Place. Facebook.com says,

“To claim your Place, search for your business name on Facebook via the normal Search bar. If your business’s Place already exists on Facebook, click on it to visit its page. At the bottom left side of your Place there will be a link that says “Is this your business?” Click on the link and you will be directed to a claiming flow.

We will ask you to verify that you are the owner through a phone verification process, or you may be asked for document verification. Once your claim is confirmed, you will own your Place on Facebook.”

Oneupweb Reviews: Thumbs Up!

It’s about time Facebook got into the location wars. Although, with Facebook being the behemoth it is, it’s less like a war and more like mosquitoes (Foursquare/Gowalla) vs. a flame thrower.

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Aug
18th

Oneupweb Reviews: Shopkick

Posted by Adam D on August 18, 2010 at 4:41 pm

So, to be honest, location based services freak me out. Posting my location for all to see reminds me of George Orwell 1984. Foursquare and Gowalla are Watching You!

I understand that I can make my location available only to friends, but even still, making this information available to anyone seems creepy. However, I’m not exactly a socialite, and there are a lot of people out there who love Foursquare, Gowalla and location based services. But there have been some growing pains along the way. Foursquare and Gowalla have had problems with the accuracy of GPS, with users able to check-in to places without even being there.

One company, called Shopkick, has created an entirely new location type service, which claims to bypass many of the problems that Foursquare and Gowalla face.

Instead of using GPS like traditional location based apps, Shopkick has technology installed within each store that detects when someone arrives. And unlike Foursquare and Gowalla, this does not rely on GPS, which can be tricky in malls because stores are so closely placed together.

With Shopkick, the moment a customer using the app walks in the store, they are notified of their savings. The technology is installed within the store itself and turns the entire store into an interactive experience. Plus, the signal can’t pass through walls, making it much more accurate and trust worthy for businesses than GPS services. Check out the video demonstration of Shopkick in this article.

I think that this service—for now—is better for businesses than Foursquare or Gowalla. Accuracy combined with security is a riddle that location based services have yet to solve. But we don’t know the cost of this technology. It’s possible that not every small business will be able to afford Shopkick, where with Foursquare or Gowalla there is no cost.

Shopkick is an interesting idea and could become very successful in the location based arena. It’s really too early to tell if this will gain widespread adoption, but it’s certainly something to keep your eye on.

Oneupweb Reviews: Thumbs Sideways

We’ll keep our eye on this one. Would you install this app on your phone to get a discount? Let us know in the comments below.

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Aug
12th

Oneupweb Reviews: Google & Verizon Net Neutrality Policy Proposal

Posted by Adam D on August 12, 2010 at 3:13 pm

The issue surrounding net neutrality reminds me of the early days of America. The country was truly an untamed land of opportunity. Business men, oil barons, railroad tycoons and capitalists alike came from all around to pursue the American dream. For a time, some became very wealthy, while many others became slaves.

It wasn’t until government regulators got involved that the wealth began to spread to more than just a few lucky ones. The profit motive in America, aka capitalism, has been a driving force in our economy for a long time. And because of this, you can count on big business to do whatever it takes to ensure they remain the lucky ones at the top. When big businesses begin taking advantage of people, the hope is that the government will step in and bring balance. After all, the only power us little guys have is the ballot. Big businesses hold the rest of the cards.

Well, here we are again. The internet is the Wild West, and everyone has rushed in to take advantage of the many opportunities this tool presents. But this time, it was the little guy who was given the power, and not just big business. We’ve seen internet campaigns win presidencies, change policy and allow voices to be heard (especially those that would otherwise have been drowned out). This is largely in part due to the internet not being controlled by big business—at least not yet.

This video was released a few years back, but explains net neutrality pretty well.

In a confusing move by Google (confusing because their pledge is to not be evil), the company released their “policy framework”. To further explain, Huffington Post’s Craig Aaron describes Net Neutrality below:

Real Net Neutrality means that Internet service providers can’t discriminate between different kinds of online content and applications. It guarantees a level playing field for all Web sites and Internet technologies. It’s what makes sure the next Google, out there in a garage somewhere, has just as good a chance as any giant corporate behemoth to find its audience and thrive online. What Google and Verizon are proposing is fake Net Neutrality. You can read their framework for yourself here or go here to see Google twisting itself in knots about this suddenly “thorny issue.”

So here’s the bottom line folks—if the little guy doesn’t stand up to the big companies, by encouraging the FCC to stop big business from abolishing Net Neutrality, then the future looks pretty dim. Click this link to see a possible world without Net Neutrality. (Oops, wrong mental picture, sorry!) Try the one below instead.

So what can you do to get your voice heard? Well, you can start by joining the campaign at SaveTheInternet.com. And continue to do what the little guy has always done: use the channels that are available to get your voice heard (and hope that the FCC listens). Use these channels my friends… use them while you still can.

Google and Verizon’s Net Neutrality policy…

Oneupweb: Thumbs Down

What are your thoughts concerning Google’s recent policy? Let us know by commenting below.

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Aug
4th

Oneupweb Reviews: Posterous—The Next Generation of Blogging

Posted by Adam D on August 4, 2010 at 7:50 am

The internet. The final frontier. These are the bloggers of OneupwebReviews.com. Our mission to explore strange web start-ups, viral videos, and really, whatever is awesome. To seek out new tools and services. To boldly write what no one has written before!

Do I love Star Trek, you ask? Does a Farangi love Oo-Mox? You bet they do! And as much as I love Star Trek, blogging comes in a close second. So if I discover a new way to make blogging that much more convenient and fun, you bet I’m gonna write about it!

Enter Posterous (queue 2001: A Space Odyssey theme).

I think a lot of bloggers love to write and share ideas, but don’t necessarily have the technical skills to setup a WordPress blog. So when it comes to blogging, the easier the better. This is where Posterous comes in.

For example, to setup your account, all you have to do is send an email to Post@posterous.com. That’s it. It really couldn’t get much easier than that. Don’t believe it? I know, it sounds too good to be true, but try it. We won’t spend too much time on the setup because it really is easy as pie. So let’s look at some Posterous features.

Posterous boasts the ability to create blogs on the go. You can write a blog on your laptop or mobile phone, email it to Posterous, and your blog will be created for you. Want a few images in your blog? Simply attach them to the email and they will be uploaded and posted quicker than you can say, “Engage”! You also are given a robust set of controls to manage your blog.

But possibly the most attractive feature that Posterous offers is Auto Posting. If you suffer from IAD—Internet Addiction Disorder like I do—then you have several social networks to update (Not sure? Take the Internet Addiction Test.). Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, Vimeo, Tumblr, and Wordpress to name a few. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to push your blog to these sites automatically? (I know, an obvious segue right? Just go with it.) Well, with Posterous you can!

For filling in that small spot somewhere between desktop blogging (Wordpress) and micro-blogging (Twitter), we give Posterous a

Oneupweb Review: Thumbs Up

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Aug
2nd

Fun Friday: Guy Walks Across America, Newport Rap, Basil, And Jane Austen’s Fight Club

Posted by Adam D on August 2, 2010 at 9:16 am

Hello Oneupweb Review fans! It’s been an exciting week for video. YouTube increased its video limit to 15 minutes, and some very entertaining viral videos were created along the way. As always, you can count on us here at Oneupweb to keep you informed of the most viral/entertaining videos each week in our Fun Friday Review. Let the journey begin!

Guy Walks Across America:

Speaking of journey (Don’t stop believing! Oops, wrong Journey.), the creators of this next video took a very long journey across America, and the result is quite impressive. Now I know that no one would want to watch a video of some guy walking across America in real-time (I have a feeling a video like that would exceed even YouTube’s newly extended 15 minute limit). But never fear! These creative folks applied some nice stop-motion and time-lapse video to create a short-attention-span-friendly video for the rest of us.

Look behind the scenes of this epic video by clicking Behind the Scenes of Guy Walks Across America.

Best Celebration Ever In Football:
Everyone loves a good celebration dance; unless you’re on the opposite team, of course. But we have to give it to this team. This is a new one!

Newport (Ymerodraeth State of Mind):
Comparing Newport (located in the United Kingdom) with New York, as this song creator alludes to, is like comparing Apples to Tangerines. But the extreme differences didn’t stop this professional rapper from creating the massively viral music video you’re about to see.

Basil Marceaux—The Next Governor of Tennessee:
There are some things that you don’t have to speculate about, and in this case, there’s no doubt that Basil Marceaux is the next governor of Tennessee. I had our team of experts look at Basil Marceaux’s website, and for the first time in Oneupweb history, we realized that we really just couldn’t make it any more perfect than it already was.

All kidding aside, Basil’s offer to “IMMUNE YOU FROM ALL STATE CRIMES FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!” if you vote for him is a tempting offer, you have to admit.

Jane Austen’s Fight Club:

Two things at the opposite ends of the spectrum: movies I love, and books my wife reads. I suppose that if you meshed the two together, you would have something similar to this.

Oneupweb Reviews: Thumbs Up!

Well, I hope you enjoyed the videos. Make sure and let me know what your thoughts are by commenting below. And please be sure to let me know if there are any I missed this week that you think are worthy of a Fun Friday Review.

To read more Fun Friday reviews, click Oneupweb’s Fun Friday Reviews.

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Jul
27th

Oneupweb Reviews: StarCraft II Wings of Liberty – The Social Media Strategy

Posted by Adam D on July 27, 2010 at 4:09 pm

It’s a big day for geeks all around the world. Today one of the biggest games in history is being released: StarCraft II Wings of Liberty. 11 years in the making, the newest version of this epic strategy game played by millions has finally arrived, and geeks like me can’t wait to get their hands on it.

The YouTube video above has received over 3 million views in 6 days. StarCraft, the original game, also holds several marks in the Guinness Book of World Records.

StarCraft II YouTube Channel: Total Upload Views = 4,602,811

In addition to the StarCraft II YouTube channel, the game has made waves by effectively using social media channels like Facebook and Twitter. With over 370,000 Facebook Likes, it’s safe to assume creating StarCraft II’s Facebook page was a good move for Blizzard Entertainment, the creators of the game series. Blizzard has also setup individual Facebook pages to target several countries, including Korea, Italy, Singapore, and Russia.

StarCraft II’s Facebook Page: Over 370,000 Facebook Likes

Last night, Blizzard Entertainment held midnight premiers all over the world to kick off the launch of the highly anticipated game. Photos of the Global Midnight Launch events were also uploaded to Facebook.

StarCraft II’s Twitter profile has also been very effective – having already acquired over 38,000 followers. Similar to its Facebook Page, separate Twitter profiles have been created to target several different countries.

StarCraft IIs Twitter Account: Over 38,000 Followers

Being a Gold Level beta tester (this simply means I’m awesome, he he) I can vouch for the game itself. It really is something else, and certainly lives up to all the hype. But the use of social media for marketing and promotion of the game is what I wanted to focus on with this review.

Blizzard Entertainment has done a great job connecting with fans of the game on almost every social media channel possible. For great use of YouTube videos, Facebook Updates, Tweets, and much more on Starcraft2.com, we give the marketing strategy for this epic strategy game a…

Oneupweb Review: Thumbs Up!

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Jul
22nd

Oneupweb Reviews: Google’s New Image Search

Posted by Adam D on July 22, 2010 at 4:11 pm

Google’s image search has been falling behind the pack for a while. Bing and Flickr for example offer much more aesthetically pleasing options for viewing photos. It looks like Google agreed. And that’s why the search engine has released a new layout for its image SERPs.

Google’s image search used to display images that were too small, included irrelevant information, and were too few per page. Now images are large and include more images per page. Google remained consistent with the simplicity of the new image search results. In fact the pages are now even more simple than before.

Now when you click on an image you are taken to the image’s source page. But instead of the entire page loading, leaving you not knowing where the image is on that page, you are presented with an image overlay. Nice! These are just a few of the new key features in Google image search.

Here are the rest according to Google’s blog:

Dense tiled layout designed to make it easy to look at lots of images at once. We want to get the app out of the way so you can find what you’re really looking for.
Instant scrolling between pages, without letting you get lost in the images. You can now get up to 1,000 images, all in one scrolling page. And we’ll show small, unobtrusive page numbers so you don’t lose track of where you are.
Larger thumbnail previews on the results page, designed for modern browsers and high-res screens.
A hover pane that appears when you mouse over a given thumbnail image, giving you a larger preview, more info about the image and other image-specific features such as “Similar images.”
Once you click on an image, you’re taken to a new landing page that displays a large image in context, with the website it’s hosted on visible right behind it. Click anywhere outside the image, and you’re right in the original page where you can learn more about the source and context.
Optimized keyboard navigation for faster scrolling through many pages, taking advantage of standard web keyboard shortcuts such as Page Up / Page Down. It’s all about getting you to the info you need quickly, so you can get on with actually building that treehouse or buying those flowers.

Oneupweb Review: Thumbs Up

Have you had a chance to try the new Google image search yet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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Jul
20th

Oneupweb Reviews: 4 Ways To Schedule Tweets And Facebook Updates

Posted by Adam D on July 20, 2010 at 4:04 pm

Have you ever just wanted a simple way to send your Twitter and Facebook updates at a later time? Maybe you’re going away for the weekend, or you’re at work all day but you still want to send your friends and family updates. Here are a few of our favorite ways to schedule tweets and Facebook updates.

FutureTweets:

The great thing about FutureTweets is that you can schedule tweets simply and months in advanced. For example, you can schedule all your family and friends’ birthdays, then let FutureTweets remember them for you. I’m pretty sure my grandma does this somehow with snail mail cards. She never forgets a birthday (you can’t keep this secret forever grandma!).

Twuffer:

Twuffer is another free, simple, and easy to use way to schedule your tweets. The layout is clean and professional. It also includes a calendar and lists the tweets that have already gone out.

Su.pr:

StumbleUpon is really starting to grown on me. I’ve always enjoyed using this site personally but now they are adding some nice features that help to simplify your social media world. For example, you can schedule updates through StumbleUpon using their URL shortner, Su.pr, and share it across your Twitter and Facebook profiles.

LaterBro:

The thing I really like about LaterBro is its simplicity. You login with either your Twitter or Facebook account. Next, you’re taken to an intuitive scheduling interface. You will have no problem figuring things out from there. It doesn’t get much simpler than this.

Let me give a warning to those interested in automating your updates. You don’t want to use these services too much, especially as a business. People are looking to connect with another person, not just automated news or updates. While these services can be useful and save time, they are not meant as a replacement for authentic tweets and Facebook updates.

Oneupweb Review: Thumbs Up (but use sparingly)

What’s your favorite Twitter/Facebook scheduler? Let me know in the comments below!

Read more Oneupweb reviews on other Twitter Tools.

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Jul
16th

Oneupweb Reviews Fun Friday Videos: New Spice & Steve Carell Spoofs Lebron James

Posted by Adam D on July 16, 2010 at 1:34 pm

The biggest thing in video this week (even this year) is the Old Spice Man responding to tweets through personalized YouTube videos. I know, I know we already talked about it earlier this week. What’s there left to say? Well I’m glad you asked. (Don’t worry you didn’t forget, I asked for you.)

It’s been interesting to see how these videos have played out. While Old Spice’s personalized video campaign started and ended this week, that didn’t stop a certain Harold B. Lee Library from making its own version of the original commercial.

New Spice | Study like a scholar, scholar:

Very nicely done. I especially like the guy lying next to the plant around 0:18. It is a library; he knew the risks going in there.

To give you an idea of how popular the Old Spice campaign has become, take a look at this screen shot of YouTube’s Most Viewed videos.

The guy with no shirt, standing in a towel, represents the video responses from The Man Your Man Could Smell Like. That’s a lot of Most Viewed Old Spice videos.

Another popular topic this week has been Lebron James and his decision. I’m not going to pretend that I know a lot about tennis or what doubles team Lebron James was traded to, but I will say that this next video is hilarious. Steve Carell is truly a comic genius.

Steve Carell spoofs Lebron James The Decision during ESPYs: