Google Hangout, another reason Google is winning the technology war

If it came down to a war between Facebook and Google, my money would be on Google.

Although Google+ was arguably a bit of a flop, the search engine has evolved into a much more powerful tool in recent years.  One of their major successes, in my opinion, is Google Hangout.

Most people in the professional realm have been subjected to at least one web conference or phone conference.  These meetings require audio and usually video capabilities to talk to some big wig in another city, state or country.  Google Hangout has made these conferences just a little bit easier.

Hangout can bring 10 different people/computers together into one chat.  You can type, speak, and be seen (as long as you have a webcam).  In addition, Hangout is available on mobile devices - and is  more powerful as a group conversation tool than FaceTime.

Perhaps Hangout is a little less professional than other sites, but I know that I've used it for work a few times already.

As for document sharing and editing, Google already has a group editing program through Google Docs.  You can watch in real-time as each person edits a document or spreadsheet.  Google really knew how to corner the market with their products.

For you Apple lovers, Hangout has infiltrated the system.  It can be downloaded as an application to run on iPhones and iPads.

As a random plus, you can speak sign language to each other with video chats and Google even added shortcuts speccifically for those using sign language.

So how do you get started?  Sign up for Google+.  This is really the only drawback to the system: registration puts you solidly under their social media wing.

Take my money Google! Oh wait, did I mention all these tools are completely free?

Overall, signing up is worth the small effort.  Google may move slowly with development, but as soon as we get the big picture, the final product is pretty impressive.  Google is working its way into the business realm in a great way.

Facebook and Oculus Rift

When the internet community heard that Facebook had bought the Oculus Rift gaming system for $2 billion dollars, there was an audible outcry.

Despite reassuring messages that the gaming system would continue to be developed independently of Facebook, I think we all had an idea of where this was going.

The Oculus Rift system is an immersive gaming project that has users put on goggles and headphones to enhance the full-body effects of video games. Users are free to explore their environments and actively look around just by turning their heads.

So basically, it's pretty badass, especially for gamers… Then Mark Zuckerberg had to get involved and it's pretty clear that our fears of tweens Facebooking their entire mundane day with interactive gaming technology may be more realistic than we think.

In Zuckerberg's announcement, he had this to say, "This is really a new communication platform. By feeling truly present, you can share unbounded spaces and experiences with the people in your life. Imagine sharing not just moments with your friends online, but entire experiences and adventures."


Can you say terrible idea anyone?  The older generations understand the dangers of social media as is, but adding an eye-view of our lives is not only creepy, but incredibly invasive.

Zuckerberg again — "One day, we believe this kind of immersive, augmented reality will become a part of daily life for billions of people."

No Mark, no.  I can understand the benefit when we can relive amazing vacations, visit hard-to-reach places of the world, and watch our children be born while serving in the military, but also remember that someone has to wear that weird little headset to film these events.


By immersing the rest of the world in whatever we are doing, we are also isolating ourselves inside those goggles.  Maybe we should just experience the world in-person instead?

Disney Magic Bands

Disneyland and Disneyworld are just as magical as an adult as they were when we were kids. The rides are getting more high-tech, the lines are moving (somewhat) faster and now you can even ditch the typical tickets for a Magic Band.

Magic Bands serve as a room key for guests, park admission, a fast pass ticket, a link to all the photos you get taken and even operate as a credit card to charge food and other items to an account. The only aspect of this that's truly digital promotion is the photo link, but how cool is this system?

You never have to worry about your kid losing their ticket again — although five ice cream cones may be charged to the family credit card.

By signing in online, you can even customize these snazzy little bands. You have to sign in and order the band before your trip, but for families with younger kids or too many kids to count, it can be a blessing.

Thus far, the bands have met with good reactions and even praises from journalists.

The bands aren't free, but local papers reported they cost as little as $12.95. Let's be honest, if you're going to Disney, you know it isn't going to be cheap.

Disney is still modernizing and still magical. It will be interesting to watch how they continue to revolutionize their parks and promote themselves. I'm 21 and I'd still scream and run around that park for hours on end.

Keep it up Disney.

Anyone else annoyed with Facebook lately?

When Facebook started it didn't take too long before it blew Myspace out of the water. Facebook was "cool" and "trendy." It was started by Mark Zuckerberg — a kid just like us. We, the digital generation, latched on to yet another over-personal social media site. Our interests stayed there and remain there to this day.

But lately, Facebook is dropping the ball with crazy advertising — they monitor our posts, our searches and our interests. They've started imbedding ads into the timeline stream and they seem to be passed off as normal content.

Last Valentine's Day, Facebook even had the audacity to 'suggest' wedding ring advertisements for me. Just because I am 21 and have a boyfriend listed, it does not mean I want to get married — but thanks anyways.

Facebook has also become pro at taking random photos and repurposing them for the weirdest display ads ever. I'm sure you have your own examples, but here are a few more:

Rumor has it that these are profile pictures that Facebook can legally take and use. The copyright info is definitely in the fine print, but Facebook can use your pictures.

I've also noticed that the advertising is abusing people's "likes." Before, you liked a page and it just went into a list on your profile. Now, these likes are being used to constantly bring up new advertisements.

For example: your friend John Johns liked Coke maybe six months ago. Facebook will bring up John's love of Coke every week or so, usually every time Coke has a new ad to broadcast.

The moral of the story is that Facebook is getting a little weird. It feels like half of the timeline is full of advertising and sponsored content. Only time will tell if they will lose their followers because of their newfound love of advertising income. As for me, I'm getting more than a little annoyed.

The Unicef Tap Project

Ask yourself: can you leave your cell phone alone for ten whole minutes? No touching, no checking the time and no texting.

If you can do this, UNICEF will reward your time by providing clean water to a child for one day.

Sounds day right? For some of us this is harder than you think. The task is quite simple and the reward is clearly worth the time. For UNICEF, this offer tries to show us just how silly our cell phone addiction really is.

I won't lie, running this program is a battery killer. Users start the timer in a browser and can't move the phone until they reach their desired time. However, what's five percent of your battery for a child in need?

Online the numbers are actually rather impressive: 4.5 years worth of clean water have been donated, at this exact second 872 people are taking the challenge, California has the top donations and the record time by one person is over 17,000 minutes of hands-off time.

When it comes down to it, the risk is zero and the reward means a lot. Even if you set the timer while in the middle of class, you donate five days worth of water.

How easy is that? How good does it make UNICEF look — pretty damn good in my opinion.

For a generation glued to our phones, this is the perfect way to create awareness and involvement.

So what am I doing now? Donating two days worth of water, just as I write this. Get out there.

Newsjacking at the Oscars

From getting pizzas delivered to taking a photo leading to the most popular Tweet ever, Ellen DeGeneres' stint as host of the Oscars was arguably the most successful yet.

Ellen's famous Tweet was later revealed to be a stunt to promote Samsung phones, but at the time, her involvement was brilliant.

She gathered several A-list celebs and had Bradley Cooper snap the shot.  The words accompanying her Tweet read: "If only Bradley Cooper's arms were longer."

Her single Tweet — rehearsed or not — gathered over 3.3 million retweets and about 1.9 million favorites, beating the pants off Obama's "Four more years" Tweet which held the previous record.  The overflow of action actually crashed Twitter for nearly an hour, which she proudly announced during the Oscars.

Since her appearance, there have been countless parody photos, including a Simpson's version that has also gained Twitter stardom.

In addition, Ellen ordered pizza on-air.  After asking for money, she ordered three pizzas — as if that was enough for all her guests, but then again, they're all on diets right?  She enlisted Brad Pitt to hand out slices, causing another trend of Tweets, posts, and various postings all over social media.

Conclusion: Ellen wins the Oscars all by herself.  There is no doubt in my mind that the ratings will reflect her popularity and she will be invited back next year — hopefully with a new set of ridiculous stunts.

I could be selling your click

Did you know that, right now, I could be selling your view of my blog?  If I so desired, I could have my page loaded with ads screaming "Click here!" and "Loose weight now!"

Well, you're welcome— cause I didn't.

Google, being the innovator it is, invented this nifty system of advertising call AdSense and AdWords.  Together, the system brings together advertisers and publishers to sell relevant ad space and — hopefully earn some clicks.

AdSense is targeted at the publishers, like me.  I can tell Google, "Please sell this box of space on my page to a relevant advertiser."  I could give them keywords, identify some hated competitors and then get the dough rolling in.

With my 20 views a week, the likelihood that anyone would want my space is pretty low, but a girl can dream right?

If there was anyone interested though, they would go through AdWords.  AdWords allows advertisers to go in, pick keywords and then bid on how much they want to pay — say 15 cents for the word blog.  The auction continues until someone outbids the others and that advertiser gets top priority.

The advertiser sets a start and stop date and puts their ad on however many pages.  Compare 15 cents per click, to a $5 million dollar Super Bowl ad.  Well maybe the Super Bowl ad will get more exposure, but how do you know?  That's the beauty of online.  Your every click is tracked and recorded … actually that's a little concerning too.

AdWords does not end just on websites.  It also works for search engines, like Google results pages, Bing and other lesser-known sites.

The exposure may rotate, but you can get your ad up and out there on a tight budget.  We may hate ads, but advertisers certainly love us.

The exposure may rotate, but you can get your ad up and out there on a tight budget.  We may hate ads, but advertisers certainly love us.

So the next time you see an annoying ad online, think about the work it took to get there and know that just a click can cost money and also earn money, regardless of what you do after the click.

"Are you the one?"

"Are you the one?" is yet another MTV reality show with too much drama, fighting and sex. However, MTV has done something new to make viewers actually care about following this over-dramatic new show.

The show features 20 people: 10 men and 10 women, all in their early 20s. The catch is that each person has a "perfect match," so theoretically there are 10 perfect couples in the house. The matching is based on compatibility testing, interviews with family and friends and personality matching.

If the 10 perfect couples can find each other, they win $1 million dollars. If not, they walk away empty handed and without their "perfect match."

The show is one season long, with ten episodes to find the perfect matches.  Each episode, the couples send in one single couple to a "truth booth," which tells them if they are a match. They also pair the rest of the participants up and tell them how many matches are correct, but not which are right and which are wrong.

It sounds silly, but you'd be surprised how much it pulls you in. You watch couples come together, only to be ripped apart in the truth booth. Women steal men, men steal women, it gets dramatic. Throw in a few episodes where exes come reveal embarrassing secrets and you've got the typical MTV show.

I'd never have watched this show if it wasn't for my roommate, but here I am, pulled into the sexy, angsty show.

So where does the digital promotion come into play? The show offers viewers tantalizing secrets if they participate online, Tweet out to the producers, or take online polls to vote who should be sent to the "truth booth."

This sort of advertising gives the show an edge: it makes viewers care. When you watch you're turned into a detective. If you care enough, you can Tweet an "Are you the one?" message with specific hashtags and learn who a perfect match is before it is ever revealed on the show.

For now, we are about five episodes deep with only one perfect match. It's no "Walking Dead," but it does have its dramatic moments.

The show also offers inside interviews with cast members, links to music featured on the show. The website also has an "Are you the one?" Facebook application that will find the "perfect match" in your friend list.

For the dedicated viewers, this sort of promotion plasters their show all over Twitter, Facebook and other popular social media sites.

Maybe MTV hasn't improved their quality… but they have improved their promotion tactics rather effectively. Anyways, who isn't interested in fistfights, booze, attractive men and women and random one-night hookups?

The Walking, Talking Dead

"The Walking Dead" is a fabulously gory and entertaining show. On its fourth season and running, the show has created an entire franchise, a loyal following and a handful of branch-off enterprises.

The show, originally a comic for adults, was adopted for television in 2010. Shortly after, in 2011, producers created "The Talking Dead" hosted by Chris Hardwick.

The talk show is entirely conversation based, which may sound boring, but was actually a genius move on the part of AMC.

The show allows viewers to call in and ask questions, Tweet questions and comments and answer polls online.

On several occasions, this show has dominated Twitter with trending hashtags and blown up the social media world.

AMC drew in dedicated viewers in the most effective way possible: by creating a two-way model of conversation. Viewers are flattered into obsessed fandom and producers are driving up their viewership.

What better form of digital promotion?

In addition to the show, the franchise now includes online games on Facebook, console games for XBox and PlayStation 4 and even websites where viewers can create "zombie-proofed" Hyundai vehicles and applications where you can turn yourself into a gruesome zombie.

AMC took a gamble on adding a horror-genre show, but skilled promotion has powered it to a top spot and a fan-favorite among cult television shows.

Sochi has finally reached the 21st century...

With an 11-hour time change from Denver to Sochi, Russia, it's no surprise that NBC had to make some changes to Olympic coverage.

It seems ridiculous, but NBC has finally discovered streaming and On Demand viewing of olympic events. While they've kept primetime viewing, the addition of independent viewing has changed the game for NBC.

While viewers could always rely on Twitter or other news sites to fill them in on the winners, seeing it on television is always the best part. A news article can't explain each performance of figure skating in detail, nor can it tell you how snowboarder, Sage Kotsenburg looked flying through the course during his gold medal slopestyle run.

It may have taken the networks a few years, but everyone is finally on the same page with free, streaming recaps of events. 

Maybe you're awake at 3 a.m. for the live broadcasts, but I'll bet most of us aren't.

Even if all you care about are American gold medals, you can still turn on the Olympics and watch us win at your leisure. 

Thanks, NBC, for finally giving us the chance to watch when, how, and what we please.

The ultimate commercial retail: Super Bowl advertising

Most football-invested Americans watch the Super Bowl, and let's be honest usually the rest of us do too.

For many, the interests lie not in the game itself, but in the breaks in between. Americans love Super Bowl commercials.

As viewership skyrockets year after year, advertisers know that the big game is some of the most valuable retail they can buy all year. That is, if they can afford it, since a 30-second ad costs about $4 million dollars.  However, the big businesses still roll out the cash for Super Bowl fame.

Having a spot during the game was enough to boost a business. In an evolution of its own, a Super Bowl commercial has become far more, thanks to the internet.

Recently, advertisers and the NFL have pre-loaded their commercials to show online at various sites. On the Super Bowl website, viewers can watch commercials just for fun.  Since when do we watch advertisements for fun?

A ranking system on the website gave each ad numerical rankings and a number of views.

What better real estate could an advertiser ask for? Not only did millions of viewers watch the commercials during the game and after when they aired, but they also averaged about 100,000 views online. That's broadcasting power.

Even after the game, views continued to rise. Websites asked for votes and comments, making the commercial portion of the game into a competition as well. USA Today even broke it down by winners for each quarter in their "Super Bowl Ad Meter."

Days later, the buzz continues.

In an era when DVR allowed us to skip over unwanted commercials, viewers are now seeking out the content they want to see. We are even giving these brands a valuable feedback mechanism, which they will doubtlessly use to improve and streamline future messages.

It seems that, by giving viewers a choice, we have brought them back into the fold — voluntarily.

The best digital promotion is free-will and it seems the Super Bowl is getting that down to a science.