In recent social media news, Facebook acquired Instagram for almost $1 billion in cash and stock. Om Malik, a writer for gigaom.com, thinks that Facebook finally met its match as a social media competitor because Instagram was mobile based.

photo credit: Blazo Mania

Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom assures Instagram users that the app will remain a separate network but will be able to have new features that will create a better photo sharing experience. Systrom added in a blog post that he is excited to be joining Facebook.

Mark Zuckerberg announced in his Facebook timeline post that he’s focused on building the best photo sharing experience and now he will be able to work more closely with the Instagram team to offer the best experiences to share beautiful mobile photos.

Now that Instagram has created an Android app, the amount of users is expected to skyrocket. Molly Wood, writer for CBS News, asks the question, “Why does Facebook need more users?”
I recently just became an Instagram user and enjoy the app for what it is. I like that it is separate from Facebook, but if I want to add a photo to Facebook from Instgram, I am able to do so. I have to ask the same question as Wood. What is the purpose for Facebook buying an app that, as far as we know, doesn’t make any money? Any why would one of Facebook’s biggest competitors sell out and give in to its competition when Instagram has the potential to push Facebook off the map?

Without answers, it makes me question both social media sites’ intentions. What do you think?

What is augmented reality? Sounds like something from the next Sci-Fi summer hit right? Wrong? Augmented reality is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data.

What does this mean? It’s a way that we can use technology to not only interact with other people, but locations as well.  Imagine being able to hold up your phone to a sign on a restaurant and be able to get all the specials that they have, their menu or even  get their phone number to make reservations.

This technology isn’t just for the typical tech hipster to use, experts are projecting great markets where tourist, soldiers and everyday people can use it.  New to a city and need to find the nearest subway stop, that can be easily accomplished with augmented reality and your smartphone camera, at least someday.

It’s not just technology companies that are trying out augmented reality.  This past Valentine’s Day Starbucks used augmented reality to help spread the love.

Also, Google has recently introduced its new augmented reality project entitled Project Glass, shown here in this video.

Augmented reality technologies are developing fast and could make our lives and travel so much easier.  It’s only a matter of time till Googe’s dream of “one day” is a reality.

Lately, it has been rumored that employers are asking potential employees to provide their Facebook passwords. Because I am currently in the process of looking for a job, this question intrigued me and made me ask, “Would I give a potential employer my password?”

photo credit: newsday.com

Michelle Singletary of the Washington Post thinks people ought to be outraged and that giving up your username and password should be illegal. What do you think?

The exchange has been extremely controversial. If an employer asked me this question I would question their ability to read my personality in the flesh and their intentions of what they are going to do with the password. Depending on the job, I may or may not give up my own password. If I wanted the job badly enough I would; but I would hope that any employer I work for will be able to determine my working abilities based on my resume, portfolio and work ethic I’ve exhibited.

John Theriault of The Herald News says that it has been reported that an employee has been fired for not giving up their password. I understand that employees reflect the reputation of companies and organizations. Employees should represent their employers in a positive light. However, what does it say about the organization to leave its ex-employee jobless and unemployed?

There needs to be some kind of medium for both jobseekers and employers. It should be understood by potential employees that employers are likely going to search the candidates’ social media, and understood by the employer that asking candidates to give up their passwords is an invasion of privacy.

iCloud and Dropbox have many similarities and I was confused as to what was really the difference between the two programs. After doing some research, I’ve discovered a few key differences that may help you decide which program to use.

photo credit: gadgetsboy.co

If you do not know what iCloud and Dropbox are, I would suggest watching these videos that explain the basics of what each program does. Watch the videos by clicking these links:
·         iCloud Video
·         Dropbox Video

iCloud is an obvious choice for Apple users. If you take a picture on your iPhone you can come home and your photo will be waiting for you on your Mac computer. iCloud is great for keeping up with all of your music, photos and documents. You don’t have to worry about ever syncing your devices together anymore.

But what if you’re on vacation and your iPhone breaks? You really need to access a document you had saved on iCloud but you did not bring your Mac with you. What do you do? Well, you are pretty much out of luck.

Here is where Dropbox beats iCloud. If you had saved your document on Dropbox, you would still be able to access your document without having your phone or your computer. As long as you have an Internet connection (i.e. your spouse’s phone, a friend’s computer), you could simply go to the Dropbox website and your document would be there waiting for you. No Apple product required.

Dropbox also makes sharing files easier than iCloud. Put anything in your Dropbox account: documents, videos, photos. Simply log in to your Dropbox account, click share and viola! It is that simple.

iCloud allows you to share your documents, photos and videos but only with yourself. You cannot share documents to other apple users. iCloud is strictly useful for having all of your content on all of your devices.

So, what would happen if you added iCloud to your Dropbox account? This thought crossed my coworkers’ minds and had me wondering too. Out of curiosity I added iCloud to Dropbox on my PC. However, I was unable to see what would happen because I did not have my Apple device with me. It was an experiment that is to be continued. What do you think would happen? If I save something on my iPad with iCloud, would I be able to access this content from my PC on Dropbox? The answer is to be determined…

by: Mallory Deason

November 2008 was when social mobile gaming got its start with two brothers and an idea.  The iPhone game was Chess With Friends and it enabled friends to play each other in multiple games of chess anywhere over the iPhone network.  Less than a year later Words With Friends was released and became a quick hit.

The Guardian shows how this went along until November 2010 when Zynga paid more than $53 million for the brothers company, NewToy.

Since this time there have been two more “With Friends” games that have come out.  Hanging With Friends and the newest hit to catch fire, Scramble With Friends.  As of Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, Scramble With Friends ranks as the top paid app in the iTunes store, and it ranks third in the store for free apps.

With 115 of my Facebook friends currently playing I can say that this is the most popular game among my friends.  I currently have six games waiting for me once I’m off work.

This online version of Boggle has quickly taken off, but this is just one part of the massive social gaming network.  As Max Parker points out, they’re, the “With Friends” games, are perfect for picking up whether you have a minute between calls at work or hours of lounging around time.

Social Mobile Gaming as a whole has boomed as a market, and companies like Zynga are earning $500,000 a day.  In 2012 profits are expected to reach $4.5 billion according to Gartner Newsroom.

While one may think social gaming isn’t a huge industry, I’m saying it already is.  To make something that all ages and genders can play is huge.  To make it easily accessible is even better, and to make it mostly free, amazing.

Even celebrities and companies are jumping on the social gaming bandwagon.  Last year when Lady Gaga was working to promote her album “Born This Way” she teamed up with Zynga and Farmville to create a Gaga themed farm.  Tech Crunch showed how the game offered Lady Gaga styles and  themes, as well as videos and even songs from the album before its release.

I had no idea that the social gaming market was this big, or that it had attracted this many companies and celebrities.  Companies such as McDonald’s, Megamind, the movie, Farmer’s Insurance, Bing and 7-Eleven have all taken to using Farmville as advertising space.  Who knew that there were so many different platforms in social gaming for other companies to become involved?

Although fourth quarter earnings have been shaky since Zynga’s going public in mid-December, the company is hopeful that it can bounce back and deliver the results that many thought it would have.  Mark May, an analyst for Barclays, and other analysts seem to think that the first public earnings are solid.

Social gaming is like gaming 2.0.  It’s a gaming industry for people like me who don’t own a PlayStation or Xbox and don’t really want to.  There’s money to be made and money to be spent, and many think that this is the future of gaming as a whole.

When creating a brand for ourselves or our company, the most important aspect of branding to keep in mind is the public. Strangers; people passing us on the streets or in the grocery store; could be our potential employers, customers, prospects or even a friend we’ll make down the road. What we make public to the public has a major influence on our future.

photo credit: Tech Genie

I can definitely tell you what a brand is not. A brand is not something that can become successful over night. General Sentiment gives a weekly report of top global brands as well as other popular topics. The top 10 global brands did not land themselves there by accident. In fact, most of the top brands have been around for many, many years.

Apple, this week’s number one brand, began in 1976. Google, Microsoft, Sony and Intel follow Apple for the rest of the top five brands. My point is: these brands all have something in common; and it’s not a fancy logo or picture.

A brand is much more than a symbol. A brand is what you communicate to employees and customers. Think about how you want others to perceive you. Would you create a brand that is inconsistent with how you act? Well, if you wanted an unsuccessful brand then you would do this. However, for most of us who want to be perceived as credible, we want a brand with a positive image that reinforces our authentic positive values and goals.

This being said, everything we do influences how others perceive us. In order to create a successful brand for our self we must market ourselves in the correct way. Brian Solis, writer for Mashable, says our brand is in our tweets, photos, status updates, check-ins and social media. Do you ever think about who is looking at this stuff? Well, I personally have 1,125 so-called “friends” on Facebook. I’m thinking in order to better brand myself I either need to reconsider who is my friend or what I am posting.

With that being said, it is important to step outside of our selves and see what the public sees. What does your brand say about you? I want people to view me as a sincere person who has a genuine desire to help others. I want others to feel comfortable around me. For a brand to be successful, you need to make others feel exactly how you want them to feel.

Four years ago, before I started college, a wise friend asked me a question that has resonated through my thoughts ever since. She asked, “When you leave college, what will be your legacy that you leave behind?” In the same way, a brand is your own legacy. How do you want people to remember you?

V3 Media Group can help you brand yourself in a light that helps you appeal to the audience you want to target. V3 Media group is an interactive design firm specializing in web-based software applications. We are a small firm with a vast array of talent.  We believe in the importance of design, the future of the web and the distinction of our work. Distinctive work is created from a close relationship with clients. By better identifying with our clients’ needs, we can make them successful, which is why everything we design is tailored individually.