The Digital Story of Nativity - (or Christmas 2.0)

An incredibly witty take on the birth of Christ. Enjoy and happy holidays!



Special thanks to @Jks725 and @JakeVerterano for passing this one along.

Mark Zuckerburg to announce Facebook profile redesign on 60 Minutes

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be on 60 Minutes tonight talking to Lesley Stahl about his life and his $35 million company - Facebook. Zuckerberg is also expected to release information about re-designed profile pages.

60 Minutes
Sunday, 7 p.m. EST

Former President George W. Bush attends Live Q&A at Facebook headquarters

Watch live streaming video from facebookguests at livestream.com

For the first time in history, a U.S. President (past or present) took part in a live Q&A session at Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, California. It was Former President George W. Bush who sat beside Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg while speaking about leadership and team-building in the sense of both big business and government.

Description by TechCrunch
Bush will be talking to Facebook employees about his new book Decision Points, and those of us not employed by Facebook will have the opportunity to watch it on Facebook Live and the Livestream above. According to The Next Web, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg himself will in fact moderate the discussion along with Facebook General Council Ted Ullyot. Ullyot also happens to have been an attorney for the Bush White House, which might explain why the former President’s only Bay Area appearance is at the social network.

Apple's iPhoto face recognition causing more trouble for Superman

Part of my job (outside of blogging) is to write about art. I write an art column and just a few months ago (and again last week), I wrote about graphic novels and their increasing popularity in the art world.

I wrote about how Superman and other comic heros are "well defined symbols" that can be used in unique situations to get a message across in a piece of art.

A few weeks ago, we saw that Superman was used in a comic to show how Facebook has changed the world even to the point that superheroes can't even keep their identities secret anymore.

We'll it's happened again. Except this time it's Apple's iPhoto face recognition feature that is causing trouble for Superman.

Below, Apple's Phil Schiller describes Faces and the face recognition feature in 2009.

TweetDeck releases app for Android OS

TweetDeck released android app, Wednesday, after months of beta testing. The multi-social-media manager is already one of the most popular social media managers on the iPhone and iPad, however, as the Android operating system continues to grow (last August, Google said it activated more than 200,000 Android phones a day) , TweetDeck could see massive download numbers over the next few months.

Users can sync to their Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and Buzz accounts, however, Facebook Fan Pages are not included in the app. This is a big problem for Fan Page users like myself who need to update both Twitter and Fan Pages in one click.

Fan Pages aside, the Android app has customizable update notifications that allow users to assign specific vibrations and sounds to specific friends, geodata, and a speed dial feature similar to that of Google Chrome's SpeedDial extension and Google TV's speed dial feature.

I've had a chance to try the app on a first generation Droid and so far the apps seems pretty fast. Unfortunately, on a 3G iPhone, I've noticed lag time which doesn't appear in the official Twitter app, nor the HootSuite app.

Superman busted on Facebook!!

I found this really funny illustration today via Blogzz. Here Clark Kent is checking his Facebook page when he notices his mother has posted a few revealing (to say the least) baby pictures to his wall. Notice Batman's comment. Also, notice he's using an iMac.

Facebook announces three new features, redesign still to come

Facebook had invited several press members to its headquarters in Palo Alto where the company expect to announce "something." The company live streamed the entire event via its Livestream account - Facebook Innovations.

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UPDATE: Three new features coming soon to Facebook

Maybe today's announcement wasn't quite what we were looking for but according to TechCrunch, this was only the first phase of Facebook's lockdown and the redesign is on its way.

Regardless, Facebook announced three new features that will dramatically alter the way we interact on Facebook including an overhaul of its Groups feature, a new dashboard for apps management and a new "Download Your Information" feature.

"Groups" overhauled

Under Facebook's "Groups" overhaul, users will now be able to add other users to Facebook Groups just like they would if they were tagging a friend in a photo. Zuckerberg noted that users do not want to create lists of friends to add to their Facebook Groups. So instead of one user creating a group and then picking who is allowed into the group, groups will now create social groups.

According to Justin Shaffer, product manager, groups will also have access to group chat, group doc editing and other Facebook apps.

Connected Apps Dashboard

Tools I've mentioned in the past like HootSuite - which allows users to manage Facebook accounts - and BannerSnack - which allows users to log in using a Facebook account - use Facebook apps to serve their purpose.

Now, Facebook has created a dashboard to help users manage the apps they connect to and even restrict the amount of time those apps can access your Facebook account.

Download Your Information

As Zuckerberg pointed out, users control the information they put into Facebook but there has never been any real way to pull something out of the social network...until now.

"Download Your Information" will be a key addition to Facebook users who want to take information from their Facebook profile and add it to a profile on another social platform. Now users will be able to download all forms of Facebook data into a .zip file. This marks a much more "open" path for Facebook in that users can now leave Facebook and take their entire past (as appears on Facebook) with them.

According to a post on TechCrunch, yesterday, Facebook may announce a redesign of their website today at its headquarters in Palo Alto, CA. The rumor spreads only a two months after the company went into a state of "lockdown." According to TechCrunch's sources this is a tactic CEO Mark Zuckerberg uses to get the staff ready to work 24/7. Something "The Social Network" calls "wired-in."

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Posted 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 6

Facebook may announce redesign as soon as today

According to TechCrunch, some users are already reporting a new version of Chat appearing in their browsers with larger avatars than the current design. Other rumored changes include redesigned app icons which might be moved directly under the profile image. Read more about the changes here.

More is expected to be announced or at the very least mentioned today including the possibility of an official Facebook iPad app, Places improvements and a possible mention of the mythical Facebook Phone.

Facebook announces new Pages Browser

In a post on the Official Facebook Blog, Ben Blumenfeld, communication design team manager at Facebook, announced the company’s new “Page Browser.”

No, this isn’t a new internet browser, instead it’s a new way to look for Facebook Pages to “Like.” Users can browse by musicians, sports, moves, TV shows, media, politicians and more by simply accessing http://www.facebook.com/pages/browser.

The service tells the user which pages they have already liked by highlighting the page’s icon in blue. Beyond searching for new pages to like, Facebook expects users will be please to find the pages they have Liked and forgotten about.


Today, while browsing the new service I noticed a few pages that I had Liked a while ago but since have completely forgotten about including “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me” and “Google Chrome.”

While this is still only a minor improvement in Facebook’s infrastructure, it is certainly one both individuals and businesses will immediately find useful.

“As with all experiences on Facebook, the Page Browser will continue to evolve as we get feedback from you,” Blumenfeld said. “For now, we hope you enjoy connecting with your interests and maybe even find a few new ones.”

Facebook's Zuckerberg leaps on Forbes' list

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates may be the wealthiest man in the U.S., but according to Forbes magazine's annual ranking of 400 wealthiest Americans Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg could be next.

Zuckerberg made an astounding leap this year on the 400 list rising from 158th to 35th place while his wealth grew more than anyone else on the list as a percentage - $2 billion to $6.8 billion.

Mashable was quick to point out this morning that Zuckerberg - at 26-years-old - has passed Apple co-founder Steve jobs who is 42nd on the list.

Others on the list include Oprah Winfrey at 130th richest and Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim who passed Bill Gates earlier this year for the first place spot at $60 million.

Three ways to integrate Facebook into your blog

Facebook is by far the largest and most powerful social network on the internet today hosting "more than 400 million active users" according to statistics released by Facebook. But what bloggers should find even more interesting is that those 400 million users spend a combined total of "more than 500 billion minutes on Facebook," according to the statistics.

Today, while Twitter tried to sink its "fail whale" Mashable asked readers an important questions, "Is Facebook Getting Bigger than Google?" The story was related to a report by Hitwise's which said internet users in the UK are visiting Facebook.com more than Google.com for the first time in internet history.

On that note, we've created a list of ways to integrate Facebook into your blog. In doing so, bloggers are likely to increase readership and even increase the likelihood of reader interaction.

Build a Facebook Fan Page

So you want to get the word out about your blog. The important thing to remember is that even though you may not have many readers coming to your site on a daily basis, there are millions of potential readers visiting Facebook everyday.

You could just post your stories to your personal Facebook wall and hope that readers take interest, click your link and see what's on your blog; however, in doing so you aren't really building a community around the site.

When you create a Facebook Fan Page, you are asking users to show support for your blog and to subscribe to what you post. But you can take it a step further.

When you post your latest blog post to your Facebook Wall, ask questions and encourage readers to interact with one another. Eventually, readers will become more familiar with your blog and the interaction on your blog will improve as well and when it does, be sure to tell your fans by pointing out interesting comments and questions submitted by their fellow readers.

Create a Facebook "Like Box" (Fan Box)

Now that you have a fan page, show it off on your blog page. Create a Like Box at Facebook's Developer page and embed the widget into your site. The Like Box advertises your fan page to readers who may not know that you are on Facebook and, with specifications, links to the latest post on your page. You can also add a Like button to the box so that users can like your fan page directly from your blog.

"Like" Button

The "Like" button is one of the easiest ways for readers to share your blog content to Facebook. When a reader clicks the Like button on a blog post, that post is then immediately shared to the reader's Facebook Wall and network (Statistic: The average Facebook user has 130 friends.) The Like button can be added to almost any kind of website, or blog such as Blogger, Wordpress and Tumblr. It's also really easy to make a Like button for individual Web addresses.

Five social media extensions for Google Chrome

Google Chrome is by far the fastest browser available for download according to tech reviews from ZDNet and CNet. However, can Google's browser compete with FireFox's add-on catalog? Over the past few weeks 140 Characters has collected five Chrome extensions that may even push FireFox into your second-string browser slot. Below is a list of five Chrome extensions which can greatly enhance your social media use and reduce time-spent tweeting and posting to Facebook.

Facebook for Google Chrome

Manage the essentials of your Facebook account from the top-right corner of your Chrome browser. Using the Chrome Facebook extension, users can view the news feed, wall and messages and receive Facebook notifications. If developers were to include a Facebook Chat feature, this extension would nearly replace the need to run Facebook in the browser. NOTE: Users cannot edit their fan pages nor groups or events.

Chromed Bird

This extension is just like the previous tool but for Twitter. Users can literally manage their entire account from this extension including tweets, @replies, direct messages, favorites and lists or hash tags. The downside to this extension is that you cannot manage multiple accounts and since you cannot install the same extension twice, users may revert back to their primary desktop app (Tweet Deck, Tweetie).

Goo.gl URL Shortener

It's hard to mention any URL shortener other than Bit.ly but here goes. Google's URL shortener goo.gl is probably the simplest shortener around. Unlike Bit.ly, no sidebar will pop-up and users definitely do not need to go to any Web page to shorten a link. Instead, just select the Goo.gl URL shortener extension in the Chrome browser and a small speech bubble will appear with the shortened link. Unfortunately, Google's shortener does not track clicks like Bit.ly does but if you're using SnipURL, I recommend using Goo.gl instead.

Autopen - Email Signatures

It seems Gmail will never have the ability to build social media icons into user signatures. Instead, the email service relies on WiseStamp in FireFox and now Autopen in Chrome. But while WiseStamp asks users to select a social network and add a profile link, Autopen allows users to use HTML to create buttons.

This is both good and bad. For users who have HTML experience, this allows greater freedom to customize your social media icons. However, for users who don't know HTML (or refuse to find the proper codes via Google), Autopen is almost useless.

UPDATE: You can copy and paste your WiseStamp signature into Autopen and link the social media icons to the proper Web addresses.

Speed Dial

This is just barely a social media tool but it's still worth mentioning. Remember the last time you pulled up a new tab in Chrome or Safari only for your co-workers and friends to see that you've visited an embarrassing site enough that it became one of your browser short cuts? Well this extension will put an end to the embarrassment.

Speed Dial allows users to assign up to 12 shortcuts in the Chrome browser once a blank, new tab is opened. The extension also offers a number of backgrounds to use in the Speed Dial tab.

Three iPhone apps for your mobile multimedia tweets

VR + Voice for Twitter/Facebook...

When I first started my journalism job at Montgomery Media, I was obsessed with two things: NPR and podcasts. VR + Voice for Twitter/Facebook/Blogger/Myspace may not be the easiest name to type into your iPhone app store but it is the easiest way to produce audio snippets which can then be shared to social media outlets.

Simply record your audio snippet, whether it be a political speech or your own on-location report, press share and you're done. You've just shown your boss how innovative you can be.

iVideoCamera

Not all of us have the iPhone 3GS, but now you can shoot and share video even with your 3g using iVideoCamera. This app is the most basic of video recording apps, you simply press record, point and shoot.

This app does have an optional HD feature but I've found that it doesn't work on the 3g. Further, this app only allows video to be shot in the iPhone's vertical position. Nevertheless, this app lets you shoot low-res video that can be shared to almost any social media outlet including Twitter, Facebook and Flickr.

Kyte Producer

Here's the photographer's Ustream. Kyte Producer is an app that allows its users to produce slide shows via your iPhone. Capture and add photos on the go then preview and post. You can even add links to your slide shows to pull followers to your latest blog post.

The down side of this app? It doesn't have the ability to add audio to your slide show. The upside? When the iPhone SD card reader extension is released for Apple mobil devices, you will be able to post high-quality photos in realtime.

YouTube-versity: No more questions, just ask YouTube

At my office, I get a lot of people asking how-to questions about Twitter, Facebook, really anything technology related. I don't mind it, in fact I love helping coworkers with technical problems. Last week, when I helped a woman understand how to use Twitter, it was as if she had learned to speak Spanish. A whole new world to explore, a new hunger to learn and communicate.

But everyone knows the old saying, give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, teach the man to fish and he'll eat for life. So if I can offer one bit of wisdom to readers, it's this: Stop asking the office tech geeks for help. Instead, ask YouTube.

Below are three ways readers can use YouTube to become the ultimate know-it-all:

How to tie a tie
I learned how to tie a tie from YouTube. I remember, I was still in college and I needed to wear a tie to a job fair. With my father no longer in the next room I decided to see what YouTube could teach me. Thankfully, YouTube has a dedicated network of tutorial producers. I never found a job at that job fair but I did the following week for my interview with Montgomery Media. I wore a tie that day too.

How to Tweet

Every business in today's economy needs someone to handle social networking. If your company doesn't have a Twitter, Facebook Fan Page or Foursquare Venue, chances are they should and the company just hasn't realized what potential lies in these networks.

Flash...in a flash

Web design, HTML, Action Script, these are some of the most challenging skills to learn and yet some of the most sought out in the business world. You can pay a University thousands of dollars to teach you the basics of all. But I say, see what you can learn from YouTube first.

I learned to create a Flash video using CS4 from the tutorial below. Sometimes the best way to learn Web design is to think of something you want to create, then ask YouTube how to do it.

-- Post From My iPad

Google Buzz: Twitter-Killer or another Google flop?

When rumors hit the Twitterverse that Google had created a social network of it own, bloggers were quick to dub the network a "Twitter-Killer." Twitter was shaking in its nest....false!

What Google would later call Google Buzz is now no Twitter killer. In fact, most users would agree that without the ability to sync their accounts directly to Twitter (and Facebook) Google Buzz would be little more than an expanded version of Gchat.

But the real question is, would Google Buzz even have any real value if not for Twitter? My response, barely. Without Twitter and Facebook, there is really no need to use Google Buzz because, at least in my case, Buzz is only a means of organizing a Twitter into a more personalized feed.

What do I mean by this? Twitter users often need to follow over 500 people to get a following of over 800. In trying to build a following, most users have to give up a quality group of users to follow. However, with Google Buzz, users can revert back to that smaller group of friends to follow. This is where Buzz can excel.

In other business, Buzz is a middle ground between Twitter's restricted 140 characters and Facebooks unfiltered clutter. It is a place for Google account users to post all forms of media including photos, videos and text content (like Twitter) without archiving the content in a personal profile (Facebook archives wall photo and video content).

But if there wasn't the added conversational content taken from the two other network giants, users may have eventually seen Buzz as another network that couldn't "catch-on" and the "twitter-killer" would get rolled up and thrown in the waste basket beside it's compadres Google Wave and Orkut.

The Birds and the Bees make the perfect team:

In my opinion, Buzz is actually one of Google best tries at creating a social network thus far. The fact is that Buzz, being that users can access it direct from their Gmail accounts, has accomplished what Twitter, so far, has not. Google has created a network as accessible (and visible) throughout the day as email.

So don't expect to see Buzz pushing up daisies anytime soon. My guess is that eventually it may find a way to surpass Twitter in accessibility and usage. That will take a long time but if anyone could do it, it would be Google.

What is the One Forty Blog about?

Welcome to the 140Characters blog. Being that this is my first post I would like to provide readers with a few ideas of what one can expect to find here.

1. This blog revolves around Social Networks-

I've never claimed to be a social networking specialist. In fact, I may be just like you. I'm a heavy user of social networks like Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and Buzz. But we should keep in mind that blogs, YouTube and even Google Wave are also forms of social networks and those will be covered here too. This blog will ultimately revolve around Social Networks.

2. This is a place to learn about Social Networks and how they can be used-

Any business, organization or individual that has yet to grasp the power of social networking is far behind today's standards of technology, marketing and promotion. However, if you are a reader who doesn't necessarily understand social networks both new and old, hang in there. This is the place to learn about them!

3. I have no life...outside of Tweet Deck...

It's true and it may be true for many of us. Talking about your social life in 2010 is far different than what one would call a social life in 2000. While this blog will also be a place to read up on my (physical) social ventures, and how they lead back to social networks, expect a few posts on what Foursquare badge I've just won and who has retweeted me.

Just to kick things off, I've posted a few items from my previous blog "Renewing the Voice" which runs out of MontgomeryNews.com. So adjust your lumbar support, stay a while...and welcome to the One-Forty Characters Blog.