Summer has arrived in the Baltimore area with its 80 degree mornings and high humidity. Kids are out of school, the pool is crowded and it now stays light outside until 9pm. Isn’t summer lovely?

As a kid I always enjoyed spending days outside by the pool and playing games with the neighborhood kids, I remember hating when my mom would call us in for dinner… that meant the day was over. Wow, am I making myself sound old…seems these days the only thing kids want to do over the summer is hang out inside and use the latest technology.

According to eMarketer, kids will spend their summer indoors entertaining themselves “traditionally”. “Traditionally” meaning playing video games, using social networking sites, and watching videos online…sounds traditional to me?

The internet is endless and kids are getting lost in it. Parents are concerned about their children’s safety while using the web. According to eMarketer, 85% of parents regularly check their kid’s online activity.

So what kind of information are the kids putting on the internet? Over the past few years kids are becoming more comfortable with the information they make public, some of which they would never have thought of putting on the web 2 years ago. Today kids and teens under the age of 18 are posting pictures and videos of themselves using drugs, alcohol and even fighting. Information such as cell phone numbers and location are even being posted without a blink of an eye.

What’s the problem with all this? One, it’s dangerous and two, marketers are targeting kids based off of all the free information. Marketers need to be careful and choose wisely when it comes to targeting kids. Regulations like The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) exist already to protect kid under 13 from marketing and I’m sure we will see many more regulations as technology keeps growing – marketers need to be careful of who they target and how.

I guess spending days at the pool and playing capture the flag are things of the past…especially when you can spend all day playing Webkins and checking Facebook.

Read the full article on eMarketer.com

Spring is great, right?

Yeah… that’s what we thought too, until one of our web designers noticed something was going horribly, horribly wrong…

Basically, we’ve just had bees swarming into the office for two days now. Attempts to stop them seem only to have slowed them down.

Anyhow, below is a video of the monster colony hanging out outside our window.

Where did they come from? What do they want? No one will ever know…

What the heck are Instant Personalization and Social Plugins?   Last week, Facebook released two new features and they have decided that everyone is automatically “opted in”, meaning you have to turn them off.   Consequently, you could be sharing some of your Facebook data without knowing it.   Interestingly enough, even Congress might be getting in the act.

So what are instant personalization and social plugins?    Instant personalization is the sharing of your public Facebook data with other websites.  At the current time, there are 3 partners who are linked with Facebook…..Pandora, Yelp and Docs.com.   If you are logged in to Facebook, and visit these sites, you will see a blue bar across the top that will say…”Hi Larry (or your name).  XYZ company is using Facebook to personalize your experience. “ At this point, you can click “No thanks”.  If you don’t then the site will use your public Facebook data to tailor the site’s functionality to you.   This information includes you name, profile picture, gender and connections.    If you want to stop instant personalization, then login to Facebook, go to Privacy Settings, then Applications and then uncheck the Allow box for Instant Personalization.   At this point you will get an “Are you sure” box with a message……the important sentence in this notification is…..”Please keep in mind that if you opt out, your friends may still share public Facebook information about you to personalize their experience on these partner sites unless you block the application.”  Now that is fascinating.  To stop this, you then need to block the Docs, Yelp and Pandora applications.

The second feature, called Social plugins, add Facebook functions to websites, such as the “Like” button.   If you click the “Like” button, then all of your friends will see that you liked the story when they see the posting on your wall.  To avoid this feature, simply don’t click on the button or log out of Facebook first.

As I said before, the social media concept is fantastic and I believe has yet to come close to maturity.   There are however, many related issues.  While I don’t agree on the default of “opt in”, I really like the concept of using data to create a better online experience.  This is clearly the future.  Marketers have been using this concept for years with cookies and IP traces.   So the concept isn’t new, but this degree of sophistication is. 

Another potential issue for any company is the gathering and sharing of personal information and this issue just got a little more complex.  The rules and regulations on data privacy are still evolving and data breaches still occur, so you need to be careful.

Data on Facebook is personal and most people that I speak with are not aware of the various security settings within their Facebook page…..or what to do if something embarrassing to them happens on their site with all of their friends watching……right Beth?  LOL!

Facebook is great, and I love it.   The bottom line…..go to Facebook right now and log on.  Go to the privacy settings and make sure they are setup to fit your views on sharing information.  For all you parents, the next step is to make sure your kid’s pages are secure as well.

Happy Earth Day, everyone!

I was greeted this morning with the following email this morning from Matt DeVille, G.1440’s Creative Director:

Happy 40th Earth Day. I just found my inner Burt. Check it out http://www.findyourburt.com/gallery/453.

So, being a dutiful co-worker, loyal friend, and just plain old confused, I followed the link.  What I found was a cool little social marketing site put up by Burt’s Bees, a maker of natural & “earth-friendly” skin care & beauty consumer products.

User’s upload a photo, or activate their webcam, and their image is overlaid with the iconic bushy white beard found on Burt’s Bees mascot/logo.  After you’ve created your “inner Burt”, you’re encouraged to share this newly quirky version of yourself… Just like Matt did with me this morning.

It’s not a new idea, but it’s a great application of social marketing.  The tie-in to Earth Day is loose, and the application takes far too long to load (and I’m using the crazy high-speed connection at work – it must be awful at home!) but the concept is solid: tie users to your brand and encourage them to share it.

The key with this social marketing campaign is that users are essentially sharing themselves – after being touched up by the brand.  It’s far easier to encourage a user to share a funny picture of themselves than it is to ask them to share a video or article that’s all about you…

So, if you’re on a high-speed connection and in the mood to be amused, check out the link above.  Once Matt’s inner Burt loads, you can make your own and let the social Earth Day celebration begin!

The 14^th annual Webby Awards are in and we’ve got something to celebrate!  From more than 8,000 entries submitted fewer than 15% were distinguished as Official Honorees, and the Medi-CareFirst.com website designed and built by G.1440 was one of them.

The Webby Awards are the Internet’s equivalent of the Academy Awards and entries are drawn in from all 50 states and 60 countries worldwide. Winners are chosen by well-renowned judges at the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences. Members of this organization include: Virgin Group Chairman Richard Branson, Internet Inventor Vinton Cerf and Twitter co-founder Biz Stone. This award represents a certain standard of excellence and demonstrates the outstanding caliber of work here at G.1440.

The Webby Award categories are broken down into Websites & Mobile, Interactive Advertising, and Film & Video, and then further divided into subcategories of criteria. Medi-CareFirst.com was recognized under the Websites & Mobile category and was assessed on the following criteria: content, structure and navigation, visual design, functionality, interactivity, and overall experience.

Our excellent team of web designers and developers made this award possible – G.1440 boasts the best and most creative web designers in the region. Our Consulting Solutions team offers an extensive suite of products and solutions that help enhance our clients’ business and we have an unmatched reputation built over a decade for having high quality, on time, and on budget delivery. We offer company specific customized solutions – see for yourself! Our Design Portfolio showcases some of our websites, user interfaces, and marketing solutions.

G.1440’s award winning team delivered a website for Medi-CareFirst.com that possesses unparalleled qualities. The website has proven to be user-friendly, informative, and interactive, which has helped it succeed. This Webby Award proves that G.1440 uses innovative technology combined with technical expertise to help differentiate businesses from the rest of the pack.

Check out the website here for a look at its award winning quality design:  Medi-CareFirst

Bet you never thought about just how smart your “smart phone” really is.  Well, now you should.  In addition to managing your email accounts, voice calls, texting, Facebook, etc…your phone tracks your location and reports back to your carrier on a 1440 basis…that is, every minute of every day.

While this might surprise you, it really shouldn’t.  For example, how many of you are using Google Maps on your phone?  I happen to love this little app on my Blackberry.  I get driving directions, maps, satellite views anytime and anywhere.  I recently used this app in Puerto Rico and it didn’t miss a beat, but did you ever think that the phone has to know where you are to give you directions and…here is the surprise for most – this data is stored after it is created.  So your whereabouts are being recorded.  For most of us, this isn’t really a big deal as I don’t really care if someone knows that I went to Starbucks for a coffee…although my wife might think that I go there too much, so don’t tell her.  As a parent, I welcome the idea of knowing where my kids are. However, it is true that this data could be used inappropriately, and we need to make sure that it is protected.

Interestingly though, this data is proving to be a real asset in the fight against crime. Cell phones are increasingly being used to prove that criminals are travelling to a secret meeting or are at/near the location of crimes.  Law enforcement also has the ability (with the right authority) to listen in on the conversations these folks are having since your carrier can turn on your phone remotely and without you knowing it…just something else to think about.

You may want to keep your eye on this one.  There appears to be quite a debate raging.  Reports indicate that Barack Obama’s Justice Department insists it should have the authority to conduct such tracking without a warrant, although some judges aren’t buying it.

Man, I had no idea my phone was so smart!

I’ve been saying this for a long time… It’s been on our blog before, and I’ve even been on the news to discuss it…

When you’re in the job market, you need to make sure that you’re managing your online image.  Including your social media profiles!

As one of the region’s leading technology staffing and recruiting firms, we work with some of the area’s most talented IT professionals.  It still surprises me when someone who’s been in the workforce for a while and has a career in technology keeps less than flattering information on their Facebook profiles!

Businesses are increasingly using Facebook & other social networks for marketing – and recruiting.  In fact, we just launched a full-on social media recruiting campaign for a large, national financial firm.  So, it’s no shock that 70% of recruiters have denied someone based on information they found online.

Take a look at this article from the Consumer Reports blog, consumerist.com:  http://consumerist.com/2010/04/if-youre-looking-for-a-job-that-facebook-profile-can-only-hurt-you.html

I’m happy to see that we’re not the only ones signaling the alarm anymore!

This past Saturday was another well publicized milestone for Apple, Inc. – the release of the their latest gadget: the iPad. Praise, criticism, and massive discussions have the web bursting at its seams, and now businesses are asking the question: “What can the iPad do for us?”

Let’s start with the bad news for businesses (check out the article here):

1. Multitasking not an option.

2. No camera for video conference.

3. No Adobe Flash support.

4. No choice in wireless carrier for 3G network.

5. No output/input ports.

And the great business features that Apple promotes?

1. Email, Calendar, and Contacts a breeze to use and sync with other providers.

2. Secure data.

3. Powerful platform for apps.

4. iWork for iPad – create documents, presentations, spreadsheets, etc.

5. Anticipated accessories to adapt to the business person’s lifestyle.

Many have argued that the iPad with its lack of innovation and capabilities may just be a glorified version of the iPhone, maybe even and iPhone on steriods… Regardless, now that the facts are on the table I’m starting to wonder if the product was released simply to be released and rely on the brand’s success as opposed to the product quality. If “Apple” is so often described with “innovative”, I feel like something is missing here from their usual top notch performance. We all know that there are numerous advantages to being a first mover, but there’s also a huge risk of moving too fast.

Having a caffeine meltdown and need to find the nearest Starbucks pronto? There’s an app for that.

Want to know the inside scoop of the Starbuck’s world? Join in with the other 775,000 Twitter followers to hear the latest scoop.

More and more each day businesses are beginning to realize the limitless power of social media, and now what began as a means of communication for internet savvy young adults has become the ultimate catalyst for brand awareness and marketing in virtually every industry. Now Starbucks is jumping on the train to pick up some of that social media success, and doing quite well as a matter of fact.

Early 2008 proved to be challenging times for Starbucks as the company experienced a decrease in traffic and sales for the first time ever in company history. But this occurrence led them to think outside the box and reinvent their marketing tactics to get back in the game. The answer: reconnect with customers digitally.

During the past two years Starbucks has entered the social media scene through their customer forum website MyStarbucksIdea.com, a Facebook fan page, two iPhone apps, and a Twitter feed operated by a former Starbucks barista. The success of these digital communications was phenomenal – customers were getting to know the brand like never before and Starbucks was seeing growth once again.

The innovation won’t stop here though. Chris Bruzzo, Starbucks’ VP-brand content and online, is focused on the future with the social media trend and endless possibilities of the internet, looking for more ways to enhance customers’ experience with the Starbucks brand both digitally and physically.

Here’s the ultimate question: do you have to be a huge, international company like Starbucks to make social media work for you? No way! Small and large businesses alike can find the right mix of social media marketing to reach their customers in their digital lives (and it’s pretty affordable!). In fact, why not let G.1440 do just that for you?

So now since you’ve used your iPhone to locate the closest Starbucks, used your drink app to find out what the heck a venti half-calf extra dry two-pump skinny cappuccino is, and tweeted to @Starbucks about the new Yukon blend of coffee, maybe you can sit back with your cup of joe and grab the paper to get the latest news (oh wait, there’s an app for that too…).

Find out more about digital marketing and check out the original article at Advertising Age.

Ever wondered what it would be like to actually see and talk with folks all around the world?  Want to join a really, really big chat room (a.k.a. the planet Earth) that combines video chatting and texting?  Here is the catch, you won’t know anyone that you are seeing/talking with and they can be doing anything they want.

Well, www.chatroulette.com is all the rage.   Chat Roulette has only been around for approximately 3 months, and reportedly already has 85,000 users.  I jumped on the site on Tuesday with about 20,000 of my closest friends…. just to try it out and got some real surprises!

The site is remarkably simple, one page.   All you need to do it enable your webcam and click “play” and you are all set.  You are now in the queue and Chat Roulette’s servers start to randomly assign you people that are available to video chat and/or text with.   If you don’t like who you have been matched with, then just click “next” or hit F9 and you are randomly assigned to someone else.   Truth be told, you don’t even need a web cam.

Chat Roulette has come under fire for the lack of controls to keep minors from participating.  Additionally, there are reports that some of the video cam shots you will see are of men that are doing inappropriate things. If you aren’t’ sure what I mean, then use your imagination.   So, I tried it to see if these reports are true.   I started using Chat Roulette and purposefully kept track and my experience was that about 10% of the people that I “met”  were female and of the remaining 90% percent, the majority of the men were either holding the camera at a weird angle (not sure what they were planning and I didn’t wait to find out!) or they weren’t wearing any clothing, so the reports appear to be true.

So as a parent, I don’t want my kids anywhere near this site, and as an adult, you have to wonder if anyone will go there more than once.

Video chatting is finally coming in to prime time, even my kid’s video chat with their cousins all over the USA…..and while random chatting could be interesting, not with a bunch of nude middle aged guys that are doing some weird stuff.