Facebook has begun feeding select news outlets real-time social network chatter about hot topics to weave into story coverage, wading deeper into Twitter territory.

A pair of software tools, Public Feed and Keyword Insights, lets Facebook’s media partners tap into comments posted on the service.

‘Selected news organisations can begin to integrate Facebook conversations into their broadcasts or coverage by displaying public posts of real-time activity about any given topic,’ Facebook’s online operations vice president, Justin Osofsky, said in a blog post.

‘From favourite television shows to sporting events to the latest news; the conversations are happening on Facebook.’

Facebook listed its media partners as Buzzfeed, CNN, NBC’s Today Show, BSkyB, Slate and Mass Relevance.

For a while now, news outlets have turned to globally popular one-to-many messaging service Twitter for real-time insights, opinions, and perspectives for stories.

Osofsky said that Facebook is ‘committed to building features that improve the experience of discovering and participating in conversations about things happening in the world right now, including entertainment, sports, politics and news.’

Only public posts by Facebook members will be streamed to news outlets, according to the California-based social network.

The software tools also allow news outlets to report demographic breakdowns of those discussing topics online, as well as how often specific words have been mentioned.

Osofsky gave the example of NBC’s Today Show being able to ‘include how many people on Facebook talked about a popular subject, where it’s getting the most buzz, whether it’s most popular among males or females, and with which age groups.’

Story source: www.bigpond.com

As a busy business owner, you’re unlikely to have endless time and resources to spend on marketing, so what you execute needs to really count. Focus on these five strategies for maximum bang for buck.

A survey conducted by US email marketing company Constant Contact has revealed the most effective marketing techniques for small businesses. Even though the study is perhaps biased to email marketing, the overall results are consistent with what I believe works well for soloists.

Here are the top five marketing strategies for small businesses according to the survey, and the percentage of respondents who found these strategies effective:

1. Email marketing – 83 per cent

2. Website marketing, including both content marketing and SEO – 71 per cent

3. Face-to-face interaction – 68 per cent

4. Social media – 49 per cent

5. Events – 41 per cent

These results show some interesting trends, which may change the way you think about and conduct your marketing activities.

If you are actively trying to promote your business, you will likely have a website, and you probably undertake some form of email marketing and social media activity. These are relatively straightforward and low-cost ways to market your business and, done properly, they get results.

However, from the survey results, it appears that combining face-to-face interaction with online marketing techniques is the most effective way to market a small business. Who would have thought that this traditional marketing approach would trump social media?

It is worth noting that other more traditional forms of marketing, including offline advertising and outbound calling, ranked much lower on the scale, along with pay-per-click advertising, direct mail and public relations. However, they are still effective, in my opinion, when combined with some of the other techniques noted above.

Here is how an example of how using a combination of the top five marketing strategies works in practice:

I am a consumer looking to install new solar panels in my home. My friends tell me it’s a good idea, but I don’t know much about solar panels.

I use Google to find out more and come across Company A, which has an interesting blog covering the topic. (Website marketing).

I like what I hear from Company A, and have a look on their Facebook Business Page to see what others are saying about them. (Social media). Still impressed with what I read, I sign up to receive updates from the company. (Email marketing). Being a busy person, I run out of time to make an enquiry.

However, in the coming weeks, I receive an email from Company A, inviting me to a free information night (event) on solar panels. While I don’t have time to attend, I take them up on a free consultation in my home to learn more about what they do (face-to-face interaction). From that point, the sales process kicks in.

As a soloist, there are many ways to market your business; however considering what techniques will give you the best return is critical. A well-thought-out, integrated marketing strategy using these top five methods can really boost your business.

Story by Jo Macdermott, Flying Solo, Story source: www.ninemsn.com.au

Facebook and other technology giants have launched an initiative designed to give the whole world access to the internet.

The project is entitled Internet.org and its goal is to extend internet access to five billion people by cutting the cost of smart phone-based internet services in developing countries.

"Everything Facebook has done has been about giving all people around the world the power to connect," Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said on Wednesday.

"There are huge barriers in developing countries to connecting and joining the knowledge economy," he said, adding that the project aimed to make it easier and cheaper to connecting to the web.

The other partners in the project are Nokia, Ericsson, Samsung, Qualcomm, MediaTek and Opera, while Twitter and LinkedIn are also due to sign up.

Today some 2.7 billion people, just over a third of the world’s population, had access to the internet, and the number of new users was growing only slowly each year, a statement said.

"The goal of Internet.org is to make internet access available to the two-thirds of the world who are not yet connected, and to bring the same opportunities to everyone that the connected third of the world has today," the statement said.

The seven founding partners are going to develop joint projects, share knowledge and mobilise governments and industry to bring the world online.

Specifically, they want to simplify mobile apps to make them more efficient and improve telephone components and networks so they perform better while consuming less energy.

They also want to develop lower-cost, higher-quality smartphones and partnerships to more broadly deploy internet access in underserved communities.

Zuckerberg insisted in an interview with CNN that the project was not simply aimed at generating more customers.

"If we were just focused on making money, the first billion people we’ve connected have way more money than the rest of the next six billion combined. It’s not fair but it’s the way that it is," he said.

The partnership emulates one launched by Facebook in 2011 called Open Compute Project, which also aims to improve the materials used in call centres and make them less energy-hungry.

That project was originally met with scepticism but has gradually won over the major players in the computer industry.

The new thrust comes at a key time for tech groups. Mature markets are saturated and have little potential for significant growth, while poor regions like Africa, Latin America and some parts of Asia are pools of potential new customers.

Facebook could be spreading unhappiness through society as well as keeping people connected, research has shown.

The number one social networking site is strongly associated with declines in well-being, psychologists claim.

Scientists found the more time people spent on Facebook over a two-week period, the worse they subsequently felt.

In contrast, talking to friends on the phone or meeting them in person led to greater levels of happiness.

‘On the surface, Facebook provides an invaluable resource for fulfilling the basic human need for social connection,’ said study leader Dr Ethan Kross, from the University of Michigan in the US.

‘But rather than enhance well-being, we found that Facebook use predicts the opposite result – it undermines it’.

The researchers recruited 82 young adults, all of whom had smartphones and Facebook accounts.

To assess their personal levels of well-being, participants were sent questions by text message at five random times each day for two weeks.

The ‘experience sampling’ technique is a recognised reliable way of measuring how people think, feel and behave in their day-to-day lives.

Participants were asked how they felt ‘right now’, how worried or lonely they were, and to what extent they had been using Facebook or interacting with other people directly.

Writing in the online journal Public Library of Science ONE, the researchers said higher levels of Facebook use correlated with greater loss of well-being.

Volunteers were also asked to rate their level of life satisfaction at the start and end of the study.

Over the two-week period, satisfaction ratings were found to decline the more people used Facebook.

‘This is a result of critical importance because it goes to the very heart of the influence that social networks may have on people’s lives,’ said University of Michigan neuroscientist and co-author Dr John Jonides.

There was no evidence that people were more likely to log into Facebook when they felt bad, said the researchers.

In addition, loneliness and Facebook both had an independent impact on happiness.

‘It was not the case that Facebook use served as a proxy for feeling bad or lonely,’ said Kross.

Further research is planned to look at the psychological reasons for the negative effect of Facebook on well-being.

Story source: www.bigpond.com

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has never paid to boost his social media profiles.

But his office acknowledges some of his 1.4 million Twitter followers aren’t genuine.

‘Neither he (Mr Rudd), nor his office, has ever paid to boost the Prime Minister’s Twitter followers, Facebook friends or Facebook likes,’ a spokesman for Mr Rudd told AAP.

‘What spambots choose to do in their own time is a matter for them.’

Spambots are automated programs that create fake social and email accounts to flood users with spam and a number appear to follow Mr Rudd, who is easily one of the most popular Australians on the social media site.

Telltale signs of spambot Twitter accounts include those with little or no personal profile information combined with zero or few tweets and very few followers.

An analysis of Mr Rudd’s followers list shows a number of accounts fitting that description – though it remains unclear what proportion are genuine.

Most famous people on Twitter have spambot followers – and there’s little they can do about it apart from the report the accounts and hope they’re removed.

It comes after Opposition Leader Tony Abbott was bombarded by about 80,000 fake, paid-for followers over the weekend.

‘We are working with Twitter now to remove the fake accounts and investigate who was behind this,’ the Liberal Party wrote on Facebook.

‘The Liberal Party has not purchased or artificially sought to inflate any social media numbers.’

By Monday morning Mr Abbott reached 208,357 followers – up from just over 120,000 two months ago, with most of that increase occurring on Saturday and Sunday.

Shortly after 8.20am (AEST) on Monday, the opposition leader’s numbers plunged to just over 165,000 as the paid-for accounts were removed.

His numbers reached 168,725 by early afternoon.

It’s unclear who paid to boost Mr Abbott’s account.

One hundred thousand Twitter followers can easily be bought anonymously online, with marketing companies offering to supply 100,000 new followers for as little as $274.

Followers can be added at a pre-prescribed rate, such as five per day or one per hour.

Facebook likes’ can also be bought online for similar prices.

Queensland University of Technology’s Associate Professor Axel Bruns said Mr Rudd’s numbers were also boosted by about half a million in 2009 and 2010 when Twitter suggested new users follow him.

‘We actually looked at the follower growth over time and there are periods from mid-2009 to the start of 2010 when Twitter recommended Rudd to people who were signing up in Australia,’ Prof Bruns told AAP.

‘To the point where you almost had to follow him to complete the account set-up process.’

Prof Bruns said it’s unclear if a big, genuine Twitter following translates into increased popularity at the ballot box.

Story source: www.bigpond.com

The television networks’ worms were split on who won the leaders’ debate, but the verdict from the blue birds of Twitter was unanimous: they were not impressed.

The commentary on social media was that the debate was boring, the leaders were evasive and the rhetoric was more of the same.

John Collins tweeted that the handshake was the most interesting bit.

Jeff Neale tweeted he didn’t think the leaders moved anybody from entrenched positions.

‘Only item to excite ppl was Rudd’s SSM commitment,’ he said of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s announcement Labor would move to legalise same-sex marriage with a conscience vote.

Twitter traffic peaked at 1,952 tweets per minute during the same-sex marriage discussion.

The announcement was largely greeted positively on social media.

Rauri Jayne wrote ‘KRudd, You just got my vote with that statement.’

But others questioned why Labor was waiting until after the election to move on the issue.

‘I just don’t think I can trust Labor on delivering marriage equality; you just played politics with it for too long,’ Stephen B Sander wrote.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott came under criticism for ducking the issue.

Many were unimpressed by his reference to his sister Christine Forster, including actress Magda Szubanski, who came out as gay last year.

She wrote she wished he would ‘stop trotting out his gay sister every time he is asked a direct question’ on marriage equality.

When it was over, Mr Abbott took to Twitter to say he was pleased with the debate.

‘If you want a new way, you’ve got to choose a new government,’ he wrote.

Mr Rudd also tweeted post-debate, but he did not comment on the outcome, preferring to reiterate there would be legislation for marriage equality with a full conscience vote.

‘I believe this is the right thing to do,’ he wrote.

Story source: www.bigpond.com

Yes folks the news is official, it is now legal for Segways to be used on footpaths across Queensland last week and reports are that tour operators and members of the general public are already planning to ride them on public footpaths.

Reaction from pedestrians is understandably mixed, most did not care when they were displayed at Currumbin last week, some enjoyed the spectacle but others seem distressed and annoyed that they had to move out of the way.

The Segways take up a large chunk of the path, but with legislation restricting them to 12km/h and mechanisms in place for them to slow down, they may not be as terrorising as some people think.

Surfers Paradise councillor Lex Bell was still adamant about their danger, having received feedback from the community they were dangerous and riders could "sneak up" on pedestrians.

"I see it as a sad day for pedestrians because they have yet another quietly moving object to contend with on their walks," Cr Bell said.

"I’ve received a lot of feedback from elderly people who are personally concerned about Segways for themselves, but also for children."

In the US, a toddler in Honolulu was left with bruising and red welts after being run over on the sidewalk by a careless Segway rider and a Connecticut jury awarded a man $10 million after he tumbled from a Segway and suffered brain damage in 2009.

Queensland is the first Australian state to approve the vehicles which are used in many European countries and the majority of American states.

Transport Minister Scott Emerson defended his approval amid claims he ignored a string of safety warnings.

Police, the National Transport Commission and transport department officials were concerned Segways were too wide for footpaths, had poor manoeuvrability in wet weather, had wide turning circles and raised insurance issues.

Mr Emerson said he took the advice on board and imposed safety measures that are tougher than in other parts of the world.

Safety measures include bans on people under 12 using them, a speed limit of 12km/h, helmets, bells and banning mobile phones and drink-driving.

The problem with Segways however is insurance. What if you’re injured as a result of a Segway colliding with you? What if you’re hit by a drink driver, or run over as you’re walking down the footpath or when you’re taking out the rubbish?

Segways are a personal mobility device.  Like a bicycle or a motorised scooter, they are not covered by Third Party Insurance, in the same way that cars, trucks and motor cycles are insured against claims for compensation for injuries arising out of accidents that occur on the road.

This means that if you’re hurt as a result of the negligent driving of a Segway, you’re not covered for insurance.

You’re on your own with your injury, medical expenses and any loss of income.

It should be compulsory for Segways to be registered and covered by CTP insurance in the same way as vehicles that travel on our roads.  Otherwise, there’s no safety net for people who are injured by Segways.

If you or a member of your family suffers an injury on the road you may be entitled to claim compensation, to ensure your rights are protected it is important you contact a lawyer immediately.

At GC Law we specialise in personal injury law and will fight to protect your right to claim compensation, so call us today or use our Free Case Review to determine if you have a case for compensation. 

If you concerned about Segways and the Law and how it affects you, download a copy of this article as a PDF form.

Story source: http://gclaw.com.au/news

Facebook has begun letting people share social network posts at blogs or other spots on the internet.

An Embedded Posts feature being tested out at CNN, Huffington Post, Bleacher Report, PEOPLE and Mashable websites lets Facebook members broadcast posts in real-time to broader online audiences.

‘We are beginning to roll out Embedded Posts to make it possible for people to bring the most compelling, timely public posts from Facebook to the rest of the web,’ Facebook software engineers Dave Capra and Ray He said in a blog post on Wednesday.

‘When embedded, posts can include pictures, videos, hashtags and other content,’ they continued.

‘People can also like and share the post directly from the embed.’

Facebook posts that people allow to be shared publicly can be fired off to blogs or selected outside websites, with the list of venues to grow quickly, according to the engineers.

Examples given by Facebook included an official British Monarchy Page publishing a picture of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their newborn son.

‘Every day, public figures, journalists and millions of regular people share their thoughts on what’s happening around the world on Facebook publicly,’ Capra and He said.

‘Many journalists post detailed commentary about world events from their Facebook timeline.’

The Twitter-style feature is being added as California-based Facebook works to expand its presence on the internet and its appeal to members increasingly accessing the internet on the go with smartphones or tablets.

Story source: www.bigpond.com

Today many modern cars have onboard computers that record data about speed, air bag deployment or failures, braking and other mechanical functions. This information can sometimes help to determine the cause of a car accident.

Police can establish for example how fast a car was travelling at the time of impact from recording devices onboard the vehicle. These recording devices are much like the black boxes everybody has heard about in aeroplanes.

Data recording devices, or black boxes, in both your car and in the car at fault, are one of the many tools experts can use as evidence to help determine fault for a car accident.

Nearly every car being manufactured right now comes with a little added bonus by way of a tiny recording device nestled under the centre console. And if you’re looking to keep your driving habits under wraps, you might want to start worrying.

As many as 96 percent of the cars mass-produced in 2013 include event data recorders, or EDRs, yet the existence of these small “black box” surveillance devices are rarely known among the automobile drivers whose data is being collected with every quick turn of the steering wheel.

This following story from the USA indicates how these will affect court cases in the future, and this includes Australia:

Despite widespread ignorance of EDRs, they could soon become mandatory. The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is asking that the installation of EDRs in light passenger vehicles be mandatory starting September 2014, and opponents are already attempting to raise awareness in order to make auto drivers aware that their sudden speed bursts and even seatbelt data is being collected and could be easily shared.But with little safeguards in place, the still emerging technology is raising a lot of questions about what can legally be collected and who can access that information.

But what kind of data is recorded exactly? Standard EDRs don’t log the identity or actions of specific persons in cars, per se, but they are able to provide investigators insight with what happened moments before a collision. When they were first rolled out, though, that wasn’t the plan.

Depending on the type of EDR, these black boxes can record the speed of a vehicle, the crash force at the moment of impact and an array of other information about the automobile’s inner workings.

Other information that can be collected and then shared includes whether or not the car’s brake was activated before the crash, the state of the engine and whether the vehicle seat belt was buckled before an incident.

A smart personal injury lawyer would send a letter to the driver at fault and to that person’s insurance company immediately after a car accident warning them against destroying or tampering with the black box, if the information stored electronically could be used to establish fault for a car accident.

If you have been injured in a car accident and want all the compensation you are entitled to, then call us now on 1300 302 318 to arrange a free no obligation appointment or email us your enquiry for a free online case assessment within 12 hours.

Story source: http://gclaw.com.au/news

Google has unveiled a slimmer, more powerful tablet computer on its Nexus brand and a thumb-sized device that lets popular mobile gadgets feed online content wirelessly to television sets.

The ramped-up second-generation Nexus 7 by Taiwan-based Asus made its debut along with a Chromecast dongle that plugs into television sets to let people easily route online content to big screens.

Mario Queiroz, head of Google TV, said Chromecast ‘won’t clutter your entertainment cabinet. It simply disappears behind your TV once it is plugged in.’

The new connector device went on sale for $US35 online at Google play and will also be sold through Amazon and Best Buy in the United States.

‘Cast’ icons built into applications for online video services YouTube and Netflix let people use smartphones, tablets or laptop computers to easily direct online videos to television screens, a demonstration showed.

‘If you know how to use YouTube on your phone, you know how to use YouTube on your TV,’ Queiroz said while describing the vision behind Chromecast.

‘Any device in your home can become a remote control for the television.’

Google also made available a software kit for developers to synch mobile apps with Chromecast. Online radio streaming service Pandora is among those with Cast application features ‘in the works,’ according to Google.

Google is also working to let people ‘cast’ online content from Chrome web browsers to televisions.

Content fed to televisions is delivered directly through home internet connections, with smartphones, tablets or laptops serving essentially as remote controls, according to Queiroz.

‘We are paving the way for more apps to come,’ he continued. ‘Over time, we expect the technology to be embedded in a range of devices from our partners.’

The Nexus 7 ramps up Google’s challenge to Apple’s iPad with a slimmer tablet to be easily slipped into a pocket or handbag and allow easy access to rich online content or services.

Nexus 7 prices will start at $US229 and top out at $US349 in the US market.

Story source: www.bigpond.com