Have you tried the new Facebook Lite yet? I have, and here's what I'm saying about it:
My shiny new toy
Well I gave in - after years of my Production friends encouraging me to ditch my PC in favor of a Mac, I have finally done it.
I am blogging on my new MacBook as we speak and so far, I'm loving my new toy. Managing photos are a breeze with iPhoto, there haven't been any compatibility issues with my old documents that I've imported and tomorrow I get to try out a video conference call with the built-in camera. I can hardly wait to edit my next video on iMovie...
Thanks to my all friends on Facebook who recently recommended the MacBook to me!
Speaking of Facebook, just heard an interesting tidbit from a contact of mine working in the New York office of a major corporation whose name I'd rather not divulge; she told me that new hires are being advised to watch what they post on Facebook after an employee recently took some heat for questionable photos that were uploaded. Lesson learned: bosses are indeed paying attention to social networking sites - particularly at this company which has a strong reputation for encourging the use of social media.
My advice to anyone using a social networking site - upload with care! Think twice before posting that G-string bikini shot no matter how fabulous you might look. You can always upload it to Match.com instead...
If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em
Back from Chicago where I presented a fun, hands-on workshop on Web Video 101 at Ragan Communications' 2007 Web Content Management Conference. I had the chance to meet a number of friendly communicators - from Florida to Qatar! It was interesting to hear how some of their companies are already starting to use video, while offering the enthusiastic attendees useful shooting, interviewing and editing tips. Without a doubt, video and social media are continuing to grow inside organizations. More on the conference in future blog posts...
Meanwhile, I've finally given in to the temptation of shiny new gadgets and the insatiable need to always feel connected - I've gotten a BlackBerry! (In fact, it's going off as I write this!).
After going all these years without one and relying on my good 'ol fashioned cell phone (it was a global phone if that makes it a wee bit cooler), I decided that it was time to join the rest of the business population. Perhaps I was inspired by the plethora of BlackBerry devices I always encounter at corporate communications' conferences...
Nevertheless, I just love the jingly little alerts and the ability to read/send
e-mails while on the go. For someone like me who's constantly traveling, it's really a no-brainer.
Yes, Santa has been very good to me this year; it's definitely one of my favorite Xmas/Birthday presents thus far.
Rock and Roll & Cell Phones, Too
The other night I saw a rockin' concert put on by Snow Patrol, the finest export to come out of Scotland since malt whisky. While sitting through the first two opening acts (don't ask me what their names were), my friend and I couldn't help noticing the crazy amount of cell phones being used to not only take pictures, but to make videos!
Am I imagining things, or did videotaping concerts used to be illegal? If my memory serves me right, I think the term for it was "bootlegging." Judging by the crowd I saw, bootlegging is alive and well and no one was saying anything about it. One of the bands even encouraged people to hold up their cell phones during the slower numbers.
Gone are the days when lighters were used to sway to the music; now we've moved on to electronic devices. Sigh, yet another sign of the times.
Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. I, too, got out my cell phone, joining in the glow of the crowd. While taking a few pictures and texting my friends, I suddenly stopped myself. What the hell is wrong with all of us? Whatever happened to just sitting back and enjoying the music? Bad enough we're distracted by various gadgets in our every-day lives; can't we disconnect for a couple of hours and just chill?
I had the good sense to wait till intermission to check my voice mail. In addition to checking my messages, I also checked my e-mail. Yes, e-mail. AOL now offers "AOLbyPhone", where you can enter a PIN # and retrieve your e-mails. An automated voice reads them off to you, giving you the option to skip, delete or respond. If you choose the latter, you can say your response which is then sent to the person as an audio file. But beware - conditions must be quiet when you're sending or retrieving messages. If there's background noise, the "AOL Lady" (as I like to call the voice) will let you know about it!
For those of us who haven't given in to buying a Blackberry yet, "AOLbyPhone" is a pretty decent alternative (and much cheaper!). Normally I like to avoid shameless plugs, but in this case, what the heck? It's so goofy and offbeat, I just had to mention it.
Putting It to the Text
During my recent trip to the UK, I was amazed at the number of people who relied on text messaging to interact with friends, family and even colleagues. I'd be sitting on a bus in Glasgow and all of a sudden my friend's phone would chime. In the car, on the train, in a club - it was the same story; both in Scotland as well as England.
According to my British friends, it's simply cheaper to text someone rather than phoning them directly on their mobile. 
It also serves as a more subtle way to communicate with people who might be in a meeting or are surrounded by overbearing bosses.
In the States, at least with most of my experiences, texting just isn't as popular here. I, personally, opt for taking part in a good old-fashioned verbal exchange. If someone isn't accessible, just forward the phone to voice mail or simply shut it off.
While in the UK, I suddenly had to brush up on my texting skills which was a very amusing experience. I may be an excellent typist when it comes to a computer, but answering a text message is a whole other story. If you need to type numbers or choose a punctuation, you have to change the setting and scroll for the symbol you desire. And when it comes to choosing the letter you want, you have to press the button a certain number of times before you get the one you need. I just don't have the patience for that. Isn't it quicker to just pick up the phone and dial (especially since most names and numbers are stored in the phone's memory anyway)? 
When my phone receives a text message, it makes this alien-sounding noise - something I didn't realize till I started receiving them on a trip to Paris last year. A charming Italian man whom I had met during my travels began texting me sweet nothings on my Samsung. His words were sweet but the sounds emitting from my cell phone were anything but. The message alerts were, and still are, scary enough to frighten small children. Guess I'd better change the tone settings.
