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Yahoo's acquisition express keeps barreling down the tracks. The struggling Internet pioneer said today that it's buying another mobile company you've never heard of. Yahoo isn't saying how much it's paying for Admovate, a mobile ad technology startup that appears to have been focused on targeting people with personalized advertising at the [...]

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#evernote #android #skitch

Now you can find more of what you're looking for on Facebook and discover fun connections between people, places and things.

We all know that social media can be an addiction, a slippery slope consumed by the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). Here's a look at some staggering findings.

instagram

Today, we’re excited to introduce web embedding for Instagram content and bring you an easy way to add Instagram photos and videos to the stories you want to tell.

Now, when you visit an Instagram photo or video page on your desktop web browser, you’ll see a new share button on the right side of…

Yahoo has acquired contacts app company Xobni for somewhere between 30 and 40 million dollars.

#yahoo xobni

Instagram: Did Adding Video Just Take a Bite out of Vimeo, YouTube, and Vine?

Unless you have been living under a rock you are well aware that Instagram just released their version of video via mobile on June 26, 2013 for iPhone and Android. Upon this release, a flood of videos were uploaded to the site. With all the new filters and the ease of use, Instagram enters the Video Application Mobility arena. I have a iPhone 5 so I will be relaying my point of view from that prospective.

The arena is already pretty crowded with Vimeo, YouTube, and Vine competing for that top spot. This is not an easy market to get into as well compete. Each application has it's pros and cons which will be discussed. They also have their specialized features which sets them aside from the rest. But, the question remains: Did adding video just take a bite out of Instagram competitors?

Features:

Record video

Add filter

Choose frame

Upload to application

Add to photo map

Name location

Add caption

Share (Facebook, Twitter, Email, Tumblr, Four Square)

Pros:

Ease of use

Variety of filters

Choose where video starts

Quick upload

Play video in app and Facebook

Share on other platforms

Like video even if you don't follow the user

Cons:

Can only record within app

Short recording time

Needs to share with more social media sites

Features (Basic, Plus, Pro,Business) :

Sell

Online storage space

Full HD playback

Customizable video player (Pro)

Total control (stats, privacy settings, and password protection video and album)

Hosted portfolios with SEO (Pro)

Drop Box Integration

No length restrictions (Business)

Search engine visibility (Business)

No ads on your video (Business)

Pros:

Storage

Easy bandwidth calculations

Transparent cost structure

Drop Box Integration

Mobile, Tablet, and TV Compatibility

Customizable video player

Full HTML5 Compatibility

3rd party video player support

Cons:

Pay to use

Ads on video (except Business)

Video length restrictions

Regulated control of settings (Basic)

Multiple user levels to get full usage (Basic, Plus, Pro, Business)

Features:

Stabilizer

Video transitions (crossfade, wipe, slide)

The ability to save projects across sessions

Increased clips allowed in the editor from 6 to 17

Video rotation (from portrait to landscape and vice versa - great for videos shot on mobile)

Shape transitions (heart, star, diamond, and Jack-O-Lantern for Halloween)

Audio mixing (AudioSwap track mixed with original audio)

Effects (brightness/contrast, black & white)

A new user interface and project menu for multiple saved projects

Pros:

Sharing

Effects

Stabilizer

Video rotation

Audio mixing

Video transitions (crossfade, wipe, slide)

The ability to save projects across sessions

A new user interface and project menu for multiple saved projects

Cons:

Commercials

Lag on upload

Minimal video exposure on platform

Features:

Unlimited free uploads

Explore trending post

Short looping videos

Videos you post to Vine will appear on your Vine profile and the timelines of your Vine followers

Pros:

Profiles are public anyone can view

Sharing

Can post video broadcast or offline

Cons:

No way to post video from phone library

Profiles are public anyone can view

Cannot retrieve deleted post

Now that you have been introduced to the features of each, pros, and cons here are some trends.

Graphic shows Instagram dominating more interest than Vine.

The following issues spell trouble for YouTube (and Google as a whole):

Shorter video formats are increasingly desirable for mobile and tablet devices.

Communities of people enjoy each other’s short videos in social network streams, much like they share and view photos.

Thanks to these short video formats, online social network users are willing to tolerate poor video quality caused by bandwidth limitations and amateur videography.

Few people can make a decent 60 second video. But given the low quality threshhold, six seconds is easy for the average joe to record a video on a cell phone. Fifteen seconds is still shorter than 60, but the Verge argues that Instagram’s addition may be too much for the low tolerance threshold.

Per research and development Vimeo seems to be taken on the look and feel of Instagram to compete.

Summation:

Even though each application has its distinctive differences, all have similar functionality. This leads me to conclude that some apps like Vimeo need to find its niche and move forward in that respect. YouTube needs to consider Instagram a strong competitor and adjust accordingly. Vine is already loosing the battle and needs to consider a niche or to beat Instagram at its own game. Though I do not see any of the Instagram top competitors taking heed to my words in the near future, I predict Instagram to soon update its platform to have more functionality related to its competitors. I see Vine caving in and incorporating Instagram or finding its niche. I see Vimeo fading away if they do not find its niche. All in all the mobile users love video and looking for a one stop shop that includes (filtering, editing, video, audio, and most importantly free)! So I would say Instagram has taken a bite in the Mobile Video Appication arena.

References:

http://blog.instagram.com/post/53448889009/video-on-instagram

https://blog.twitter.com/2013/vine-new-way-share-video

http://geofflivingston.com/2013/06/24/instagram-youtube/

http://appscout.pcmag.com/android/313222-vine-for-android-gets-second-major-update-adds-much-needed-features

http://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/is-instagram-video-really-killing-vine/

http://vimeo.com/upgrade1?utm_source=search&utm_medium=google-upgrade1-brand_vimeo_alone_vimeo_exact-us&utm_campaign=1587&utm_term=vimeo

Image Credit:

iMore.com

https://developers.google.com/youtube/

http://www.zachklein.com/2006/04/vimeo-40-is-live.html

http://blog.howto.gov/2013/04/01/vine-mobile-app-now-available-for-agencies/

http://www.heavy.com/tech/2013/06/how-to-download-instagram-videos-on-iphone/

http://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/is-instagram-video-really-killing-vine/

#instagram #vine #youtube #vimeo

Multi-million greenback projects get another thing in common, that is certainly they must employ project management templates so as to report effectively.

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Godzilla, Frankenstein's monster and Bigfoot are mythical creatures that don't exist (although you might dispute the latter). But now, an equally beastly

Journal: Liberia A Journey for IT Feasibility

By: MaZoe Anderson

On February 15, 2013, I boarded a Delta flight to head back home for the first time since leaving Liberia as a child. This day had been long coming from young realizing my connection to my homeland and knowing one day I would return to “give back” by allowing

my education and career path to be the source of this “pay it forward”. My main purpose for going to Liberia was to conduct an Information Technology (IT) Feasibility Study. The questions I needed answered were the following:

Is IT visible in Liberia?

Who are the main players in the

IT arena?

Should I start a business?

Is there someone on ground I can trust to run day-to-day

operations?

Should I invest in any other IT business?

What type of IT business could I start?

How does the government view IT?

Is the IT Infrastructure compatible to US standards?

In Route

I purchased my ticket via Delta online. The cost was approximately $1,600. Based on the rates at the time it was a fairly reasonable cost. Tickets can range from that low to $3200 depending on the airline. The two known to travel to Liberia are Air Brussels and Delta, which makes a 2-hour delay in Ghana for cleaning where you sit on the tar pit for the entirety of the stop while the staff cleans the plane. After cleaning, new passengers board in route to Liberia the last leg of the flight. Prior to this last stop I went from Charlotte, NC to LaGuardia Airport, NYC then I took a chartered taxi arranged by Delta to JFK airport, NYC. This is where I met some interesting groups in route to Liberia. All the people I met were on various mission trips. One group of men was going to work in an orphanage. Another group was going to build a computer lab. We had a lengthy conversation about technology, their mission, and me assisting them in setting up the lab. We exchanged numbers and before you knew it we were in the air in route to Ghana. As we began to descend the overwhelming feeling of being in the Motherland and close to home brought a warm tingly feeling of peace. When the clouds began to open up in Liberia I will never forget that photographic moment when I saw the green lush land as the ocean mist sprayed a light mist that hung gently over the clouds to make the land almost invisible until we had almost landed. We exited the aircraft straight into customs. O, the hustle and bustle of the people. Of course they had various lines, one for Liberian Residents, another for Liberian nationals, another for US Citizens, etc. This part went pretty smooth and I was able to finagle my way pretty quickly. Now as I approached the baggage section, I could see the conundrum from “a mile away”. One conveyor belt constantly rolling around in a oblong circle formation as bags continued to pile on but nothing coming off. After about 45 minutes I was able to retrieve my two bags of belongings. When I reached outside the heat hit me like a ton of bricks. Not that it was so hot but I had just come from snowy weather into the Tundra. I looked for my cousin who was there to pick me up. I didn’t see him so I asked a young man to use his mobile (this is the common source of communication). When I called he was still in route and would arrive shortly. He pulled up in a SUV that was fairly modern so I was impressed. But my cousin is American and had been living in Liberia now for almost one year. His brother, a doctor, and himself own and operate a local pharmacy called One Source Pharmacy. So we greeted one another as the driver loaded the bags (most middle and upper class families hire domestic help that assist them with driving, cleaning, cooking, and guarding the family and living quarters). So we rode back to my Uncle’s house that is the Land Commissioner of Liberia, Dr. Cecil T.O. Brandy. When we arrived I met my Uncle and Grandfather at home. We greeted each other and spoke about old times. I ate, bathed, and crashed, in that order.

Week 1 Meet & Greet

This week was dedicated to seeing family those that I have conversed with on the phone for years and those who I left behind as a young girl. We enjoyed talking for hours about Liberia then and now. Discussing politics, because as a Liberian if you don’t speak politics 80% of the time you will be ignored. This topic is the core of Liberia’s existence. Being that the country is still at a volatile state whomever is in power matters. They decide what the countries agenda is weather it’s focused on poverty or education, etc. The other 10% of the time I ate traditional foods and tried

Bitter Leaf (Liberian)

Pepper (Liberian)

Beef Rib, Rice, & Pepper (American)

Veggie Pizza (Lebanese)

some American cuisines with a Lebanese twist. The other 10% of the time I was setting up appointments to meet with various colleagues. I met the cook/maid

she really catered to my needs. You just never get enough of being pampered. This time allowed me to get adjusted to my environment. Purchase a smart phone to have a local number via Lonestar Cellular.

Initially, I tried to use my iPhone but in order to do so it had to be unlocked which mine was solely an AT&T functioning device which I had no intentions of unlocking. Had I done so this would have voided my warranty.

Week 2 Family Business

My last name is Anderson and anyone who is from Liberia knows the name. My family on my father’s side is well known for Anderson Funeral Home. My Dad A.B. Anderson started this business in the

fifties. He came to the states to study his craft and went back “home” (Liberia) to own a funeral home and be a Mortician. Before I left, I contacted one of my brothers who gave me relative’s numbers. I knew there were two other MaZoe’s who happened to be my sister. My father had over 19 children. The bulk of them remained in Liberia and some went to the states and returned “back home”.

As you can see I am one of the youngest of many. The only female in the picture is my sister MaZoe. So once I began calling my list of numbers, I was embraced by siblings I never seen or was too young to remember. We had a wonderful week. I was taken on a tour of Bomi County where I found out this was my father’s roots and where he gave most to the community in his “hay day” and the community gave him.

Church dedicated to my father

In a weeks time I travelled more places than many Diaspora Liberians who spend a longer time in the country. I went to Grand Bassa, Bomi, Montserrado, and Margibi counties for business and pleasure.

I saw that the children went to school in two shifts. The shifts are from 8am-12 noon and 12 noon-4pm. The kids are dedicated to their education. I saw them going soaking wet in the rain even.

Parents pay school fees. If you cannot afford to send your Kids to school, they end up working at an early age. The child labor laws are hardly enforced in Liberia.

In this week, based on conversations with family, friends, and associates from Week 1; I decided to initiate business and apply for a business license. This process took four days. By the time I had completed this process, I was licensed to do business in Liberia in IT, Import/Export, Food & Alcohol sales, and several other related products and services.

Confirming meetings and tours was my task in Week 1. Now I began to visit colleagues and tour local places of personal and business interest. In particular I visited Starz College of Technology (Sinkor, Monrovia).

The owner and I sit on the Internet Society of Chapter (Liberia). So, I got a complete tour of his compound and we discussed future partnership. I was invited to be on their radio show to promote my woman’s group LWIT (Liberian Women in Technology) but due to time and scheduling was unable to make the show. I believe Starz is one of the few IT schools in Liberia that produces students ready for the world of IT.

In this time I also visited 10 Internet Cafes to compare for potential business in this arena. I found that all were substandard per US standards. They were dimly lit. Liberia has a dry season and a rainy season.

I went during the dry season so that means it was very hot. Most of these cafes had fans circulating hot air. Others had no form of ventilation or air circulating. The cost is some places we

reasonable in others not so much.

I also had many phone conferences with those who were too busy to meet in person.

I even had realizations that some people talk about the businesses they run while you are overseas but when you get on ground and it is time to see and meet in person, they do not honor their words or simply did not have anything to show for all the conversations about their progress that was relayed via phone conversation. These situations were few and far between but they did exist.

Some things I discovered in this week were petroleum for transport was on

demand. I put on my traditional and went to a wonderful church induction ceremony where my brother is the pastor.

I also spent time at the beach.

I enjoyed family, the sunset, and a little red wine, what a memory, beautiful shores and sea breeze. I was also introduced to the infamous “Pin-Pin Boys”. My spelling may not be correct but when you take a trip to Liberia you will come to realize the spelling doesn’t matter when one of these guys cuts between two cars in traffic or you see a horrific accident on the street and a mother crying for their child who has just been

thrown from a motor bike at a high rate of speed. I never had the need or desire to ride this mode of transportation. It is one of the most dangerous things you can choose to do while in Liberia. Especially when medical care is subpar. You may want to opt out.

Week 3 Wrap-Up

I learned by this week daily life goes on uneventfully. Most people choose to wash on Saturday’s, go to market to buy fresh food for their family daily.

Most importantly, most choose to worship on Sunday.

The average Liberian knows that family is everything and the core of our being. We eat together,

pray together, and work together in some instances.

By this week, I had found someone who I could trust on ground. So, I began to embark on one of the businesses I had come to find would be a means to kick-start my business presence on ground, build trust, and allow for more future growth. This would be in the telecom arena. One thing you will come to learn about Liberians and how we do business is that we talk business over a good meal, in passing on the streets, or at an event. Either way it goes we are face-to-face people. You cannot possibly do business via the World Wide Web. The value of remote meeting is just not there yet. Liberians like to create some sort of personal/business relationship to do business with its fellow Liberian. But, Liberians also do business with other countries and individuals. In this scenario, these entities are normally giving monies to Liberia so the building of a personal relationship is not essential.

Building trust however is essential in doing business in Liberia. If your colleagues do not know you and have not built that trust, you will be an easy target for scams and bribery. Trust takes time and credibility. Whomever you may think you can build this type of relationship with I advise you to watch this person’s actions not just listen to what they say. I know some people in Liberia who could sell you firewood to build a fire in 110° weather. So you really have to be mindful of whom you’re putting your trust in. But, if you find someone worthy, they will be a great resource to have on ground.

The most essential thing in IT that was going on while I was there is the infrastructure of the fiber optic cabling. This will allow Liberia to connect with the rest of the world at a speed they can compete. The core cables have been laid and now people are attempting to extend the infrastructure to the outlying areas. The concentration of cabling is mainly in the government and educational sectors of Monrovia.

Upon finding out information about the Fiber Optic Infrastructure it allowed me to find a focal point for location of business and it made me realize that energy source was essential. Some businesses and homes are on LEC (Liberian Electric Company). Most of Monrovia is still on petro. This discovery is mission critical for business location. I have two choices.

Find a location that has LEC

Find a location that has petro

There are pros and cons to both. LEC is much cheaper than Petro. So, the operational cost is not as high. But, with Petro I seem to find locations cheaper. These locations become expensive after figuring in running PC’s all day for what I intended to do for business. Petro is not cheap. For, example my colleague Latim DaThong who owns Starz College of Technology relayed to me that his petro cost daily is between $1000-$1500. At the end of the day, I did not accrue any energy cost because the person I could trust formed a partnership with me and used their pre- existing space to sell my product.

Closing

I came; I saw; I conquered. This is how I would sum up my trip. I never had any incidents where I felt unsafe or in danger. I advise that anyone thinking about making a trip to Liberia to take all necessary vaccines. Medically wise Liberia healthcare system is subpar at best. You do not want to get sick in Liberia unless you have the means to fly to Ghana to get healthcare or you think you are “Teflon Don”.

I spent many hours speaking to my colleagues about where they see IT going in the next 5-10 years. We all agree that politics will be the factor that negates IT. We feel that we must focus on Internet exposure and building lasting infrastructure. Wi-Fi is present but not to the extent it is used in “Western Business World”. Since Liberia is literally rising from the rubble and needs time to catch-up with the rest of the world. If we nurture our infrastructure and build it for scalability and future growth; Liberia can compete on a global level.

So I packed my bags with a heavy heart to leave all this peace and tranquility to get back to the stress of the “Western World”. All in all I was ready to head back and continue to make an impact in the World of IT.

After all I am a GEEK!

Now for those Feasibility Questions I asked in the beginning:

Is IT visible in Liberia?

Yes, it is visible and a growing infrastructure. Fiber Optic is the cabling used currently to support this industry. I will say though it is visible it is not diverse. Most people are into Internet Café, Break/Fix, or education. Not too many other areas are in this abundance.

Who are the main players in the IT arena?

The major players I would say are the government and schools teaching the curriculum.

Should I start a business?

Yes. But, I must be mindful not to compete with what is in abundance but diversify.

Is there someone on ground I can trust to run day-to-day operations?

I was able to find someone I can trust. They deposit monies into my account once a month and it has been consistent since I left.

Should I invest in any other IT business?

I found that what I do in the states was not what was needed in Liberia. So, I did move into the Telecom arena so that I would not be a part of saturating the market.

What type of IT business could I start?

I advise you to take a trip and find out what works for you or follow me on Twitter and we can discuss some options. As well, I do feasibility studies for companies.

How does the government view IT?

The government feels technology is important as they are trying to automate their services. But, the general public does not understand it’s importance so this is where the education needs to be focused on because all these students going to school need to have a job once they complete their studies.

Is the IT Infrastructure compatible to US standards?

No, but that is not to say there isn’t room for growth. I say Liberia will thrive in IT within the next 10 years.

I am sure that I did not include questions that you may have. Feel free to follow me on Twitter, direct message me, or send me e-mail ([email protected]).

In all I had a wonderful time meeting my people, doing research, and family. Liberians are beautiful, intelligent, hard working people. I hope this article will encourage more business in the field of IT in Liberia. I am looking for partnerships and opportunities so feel free to contact me for these possibilities as well.

What is LWIT & How Are They Making a Difference?

Liberian Women in Technology

We are a group of Liberian Women who are interested, engaged, or retired from the field of Information Technology. Our group is located on LinkedIn . Membership requires that you are a woman interested in technology. Come join us!

Our future endeavors are to create a non-profit Technical Village which will allow women to get donations for their educational, entrepreneurial, and technical needs in order to be well equipped in to compete n the world of Information Technology. Please donate to this worthy cause and follow us on Twitter.

#LWIT Liberian Women in Technology #technical #technology #women #women in technology #liberian women #liberian

Facebook Doesn’t Share

Have you ever noticed that Facebook does not allow you to share externally but you can share within Facebook?

As an avid user of Social Networks, I have come to find that “Facebook doesn’t share”.

There has been many times I have read a post within Facebook and wanted to share it on Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. But, you will quickly find that you can share an article if the article has embedded the social links. In the instance where there is a post from a Facebook user there is no way to share it externally.

It makes the End User wonder if Facebook is being proprietary or just has not developed this mechanism to integrate External Social Links. My assumption is that Facebook is being proprietary and has opt out of sharing to promote sharing within Facebook.

What are your thoughts?

#facebook sharing #proprietary #sharing #social networking #facebook

President MaZoe Anderson Assignment to Academic Advisory Board Acceptance

President of Anderson Technical Management Consulting, MaZoe Anderson has accepted invitation by Starz College of Technology to sit on there Academic Advisory Board. This board will consist of 18 members from various industries ranging from government to education. They will advise the institution on the following areas: market demand, new ideas, soliciting additional resources, and monitoring program performance. The board will meet quarterly. Ms. Anderson is looking forward to working with Starz in this capacity. As a Liberian, she feels it is her civil duty to help shape Information Technology from this perspective.

#Technology advisory Academic

Academic Advisory Board Invitation

June 20, 2012

Hello Mazoe Anderson,

I present our compliments and best wishes.

STARZ is glad to inform you that after the abrupt closure of its joint Degree Program in Information Technology early this year with the United Methodist University, the institute immediately applied for its license to operate a degree program.

After meeting all necessary requirements, the Ministry of Education on Friday, April 27, 2012 officially qualified Starz and issued a license permitting her to offer an Associate Degree in Information Technology. The new college under the name “Starz College of Technology” will be fully functional during the next academic semester.

I wish to invite you to serve as a member of the Academic Advisory Board for the College.

As the name depicts, this body will play an advisory role for the continuous and sustained improvement of the College by shaping the program based on the market demand, introducing new ideas, soliciting additional resources and monitoring the performance of the program.

I am pleased to also inform you that the program has attracted many people from all around Liberia and our aim is to adequately train Liberians into certified IT Professionals.

The academic semester for Starz College of Technology begins this August 2012.

I sincerely ask that you contact us via email to confirm your membership or call and confirm. To inquire more information about the program and its committee, kindly respond.

With assurance of my highest esteem, I anticipate a favorable response.

Kind regards.

Sincerely yours,

Latim Da-Thong

President,

STARZ COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY

#Academic advisory technology AndersonTMC

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