Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:51 — 31.9MB)
1) Passing Down Digital Assets After Death
I argue with Melanie about why acknowledging your digital footprint in your last will and testament is important.
- What happens to your email, social media, blog, photos, cloud documents, financial, professional, and gaming accounts when you die?
- Why online accounts matter after death:
- 1) Wishes of the deceased: do they want the FB account up as a memorial? for how long? who should be trusted with the emails, records, photos, videos, messages, etc.?
- 2) Money: U.S. consumers value their digital assets, on average, at nearly $55,000. -2011 McAfee Survey. That includes photos, projects, hobbies, personal records, career information, entertainment and email.
- “Online companies face a ‘patchwork of state laws’ and are usually cautious when it comes to granting access to a deceased user’s account.” -via nbcnews.com
- U.S. General Services Administration recommends you set up a social media will
- Only five states’ estate laws include digital assets: CT, RI, OK, IN, and ID. Some states’ statutes just relate to email, with only Oklahoma and Idaho clearly including social networking and blogging as part of an estate (well done, y’all).
- How to set up digital estate planning: consider using one of the dozens of paid services: thedigitalbeyond.com/online-services-list/
2) Fake Facebook Accounts – Categories, Prevalence, Issues, Fake Clicks
- The “bad actors” that Facebook targets are people with many fake accounts
- As of 8/1/12, CNET reports 8.7%, or 83.09M accounts: “Facebook estimates that 4.8% are duplicate accounts, 2.4% are user-misclassified accounts, and 1.5% are undesirable accounts.”
- “We want to ensure that one of the core tenets of Facebook is that you have your unique identity on Facebook.” -Facebook’s Vice President of Global Marketing Solutions Carolyn Everson to Business Insider
3) Facebook to roll out more Timeline changes
- In New Zealand and parts of Europe, FB has started to roll out new changes to Timeline. Changes to expect for personal profiles (and probably for brand pages eventually, if the past is any indication):
- Boxes below your cover image will be replaced with a simpler, tabbed design. Posts will appear in a single wide column on the left as opposed to being randomly split into two columns.
- New “collections manager” lets you drag to reorder your collections, so you can put maps and friends where you want them.
- In a nod to Twitter, your subscribers are now called followers. Subscribers/followers are different than friends. No changes to friends are apparent as yet.
- In another nod to Twitter, your name appears in white over the bottom of your cover photo. Basic info, including your location and job, are now located to the right of your profile photo instead of below.
4) Facebook Ads, Mobile, and Stock
- Facebook shares are way up ($30/share).
- Mobile has gone from being perceived as challenge to Facebook to being seen as a huge opportunity.
- Mobile revenues predicted to make up 20%-24% of Facebook’s overall top line in Q4-2012, up from 3% in Q2-2012.
- Analyst Anmuth says mobile will generate $2.13 billion for Facebook in 2013, up from his previous $2 billion estimate.
- FB mobile revenues to surpass desktop in 2014
- Ads in the Newsfeed are much more effective than ads on the right side (but more annoying when irrelevant)
- Facebook Gifts – predicted to contribute $1 billion+ by 2015, and 5% of Facebook’s profits in 2013.
- Advertisers love Facebook’s ad exchange.
Tips On Tap
- Purchase enough insurance to replace the things you own.
- Get your insurance claims settled faster.
- Substantiate losses for your income tax return.
2) AppGratis is a free iPhone app that recommends a new app each day that’s free for that day. I scored the super skeuomorphic Daily Weather app. We discuss its merits vs. Apple’s iPhone Weather app.
3) Digitally Imported App- http://www.di.fm/ “Digitally Imported – Addictive Electronic Music 24/7″
- A free music streaming app with premium membership option.
- Great for serious electronic and progressive music fans because it is genre-specific and very extensive in sub-genre channels
- Social: Community tab displays Facebook and Twitter conversations
- Radio shows can submit demos to be on the dozens of stations
- They air popular shows like Armin Van Buuren’s A State of Trance at scheduled times, otherwise you can stream Channels
Show Notes
- Digital Afterlife: What happens to your online accounts when you die? nbcnews.com 6/1/12
- Passing Down Digital Assets – WSJ.com 8/31/12
- Facebook Stock Is On A Profound Tear As Wall Street Analysts Praise Its Stunning Turnaround in Mobile- Business Insider 2/2/13
- Flurry: Christmas Day 2012 Smartphone And Tablet Activations Top 17.4M, 2.5X The Record Set In 2011 (a stat I cited)
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:45 — 33.7MB)
I. Kindle Fire HD vs. iPad 2 
I am a longtime Apple fan. Listen to my surprising review of my newest device: Kindle Fire HD Tablet. Find out how it measures up against my beloved iPad 2.
II. Mobile in 2013
As we turn the corner into the New Year, we share our predictions for the mobile industry in 2013.
III. Fake Online Reviews
Bogus online reviews are becoming an area of increasing concern as more and more studies reveal just how prevalent they’ve become. We explain how to spot a fake review. Gartner predicts that by 2014, 10-15% of online reviews will be paid for by companies.
Tips on Tap
1. Instaport
How to delete your Instagram account and download your photos: The new Instagram Terms of Use, effective 1/19/13, have many users concerned about how Instagram (and ultimately, its owner, Facebook) can use their photos and data. Whether you want to leave Instagram or not, Instaport is a useful free web app that allows you to download your Instagram photos to a ZIP file. Be prepared for a long wait time during peak hours. Photos will be 612×612 pixels. Export to social networks like Facebook and Flickr is supposedly coming soon.
2. RedLaser
This highly acclaimed app works as a shopping tool that allows you to scan barcodes while shopping to compare costs at nearby locations and online. redlaser.com
3. How to Hide Your Last Name on Foursquare
Effective 1/28/13, Foursquare’s updated privacy policy means that users’ full names will always be displayed. Sometimes Foursquare only shows the first name and last initial, but users found this confusing, according to Foursquare’s announcement email. You can alter your full name in your settings and make your last name an initial (or anything you want).
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You can download or stream The Digital Dive Podcast at thedigitaldivepodcast.com or search for us in the iTunes Podcast Directory–> If you like the show, please subscribe and leave us an (authentic) review!The Digital Dive Podcast is on Stitcher, the best free podcast streaming app. If you’re new to Stitcher, please sign up with our link below.
Politics aside, the National Rifle Association (NRA) is a brand. Because of social media, the horrific Sandy Hook, CT school shooting this month was a PR crisis for the NRA in a different, more intense way than past violent events involving firearms.
Moments before the news broke on Friday 12/14/12, at 9:35AM EST the NRA Facebook page posted about a giveaway. Shortly thereafter, news outlets announced the Sandy Hook massacre that killed twenty-six people, including twenty children. That evening, the NRA took down their page. They withheld comment until they reactivated it on 12/18/12 with a post explaining their silence:
…Out of respect for the families, and as a matter of common decency, we have given time for mourning, prayer and a full investigation of the facts before commenting…
I see the reasoning for preventing intense flame wars:
“As a PR professional, it goes against my instincts and the recommendations I make to clients who stop posting on social media channels in times of crisis,” says Stu Opperman, chief strategist at Impact Players. “[But] with the nation’s collective emotions as raw as they were, any immediate post the NRA made, short of a complete reversal of their long-held position opposing nearly any form of gun control, would be demonized and seen as callous and unfeeling…” -prweekus.com 12/20/12
One could argue that going dark demonstrates a lack of understanding of social media (focus on transparency). The avoidant reaction was meant to halt the onslaught of an emotionally and politically charged conversation and the demand for a response they did not have.
Going Dark Sends Two Possible Messages
Message 1: We don’t know how to handle this crisis.
- Mea culpa (intentional or not)
- Silencing the conversation to avoid further controversy (a temporary and singular solution)
- Kneejerk reaction demonstrating lack of crisis management plan
Being present on social is not a switch you turn on and off as it suits your brand.
But was this instance an exception?
Retail analogy: Your Facebook page is your storefront – your business address. It’s what you post on that page (i.e., what you stock on your shelves or display in your windows) that sends a message.
Have a crisis gameplan. Learn from the multitude of social media blunders. This was new territory. What would you do?
*My sympathies go out to anyone grieving over this tragedy. This post is about social media and is not meant to take a stance on violence, gun control, or politics.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:17 — 33.2MB)
I. What to Do When Your Phone Falls in Water- Many of us have faced that dreaded moment: one minute you’re sending a text, the next minute you’re panic-stricken fishing your phone
out of a puddle/toilet/pool, etc. In the wake of Melanie’s recent iPhone nosedive into a cup of water, (artist name)-style, the ladies give you step-by-step directions of what to do when that unfortunate digital dive occurs.
II. Top Social Media Catastrophes of 2012 (and What We Can Learn From Them)-
Chick-fil-A’s fake Facebook profile. An NRA journal’s untimely message. StubHub’s self-deprecating tweet. You’ve heard the stories, now Melanie and I look back at them and discuss what we can learn from some of the year’s biggest social media blunders.
Tips on Tap:
I. Ever wonder what you say in your sleep? Want to prove that your partner is snoring? With the Sleep Talk Recorder app, you can do just that. This handy little app for iPhone and Android picks up on your sleep babble and strange sounds in the night and records them (without all of that dead-space in between). Try it out, and take a look at some hilarious findings other users have submitted. sleeptalkrecorder.com
II. The Fiscal Cliff Calculator- how will it impact you? We’re all sick of hearing about the fiscal cliff, but as we near the metaphor’s edge it’s worth taking a look at how it will impact you. Enter your information (filing status, income, and the like) into the calculator and then choose from a drop down that then compares your tax withholdings, etc. under the current law with several potential outcomes. taxpolicycenter.org/taxcalculator/index.cfm
III. Learnvest.com – Learnvest is a website, smartphone app, and email newsletter geared toward professional women. It offers advice about myriad financial topics from negotiating a raise to navigating tax law, dealing with awkward financial situations or different money attitudes with friends and family, etiquette for paying the bill at a business meal, saving for retirement and your 401k, and getting the most bang for your buck at the grocery store, value out of your clothing, and investing in the stock market.
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You can download or stream The Digital Dive at thedigitaldivepodcast.com or search for us in the iTunes Podcast Directory–> If you like the show, please subscribe and leave us a review!
The Digital Dive Podcast is on Stitcher, the best free podcast streaming smartphone app. If you’re a new subscriber, please sign up with our link below.
Say hi on Twitter @thedigitaldive_ and Like us on Facebook.
The Digital Dive PodcastTM: Get the most out of technology… without ever fully giving in
Social etiquette is becoming murkier everyday. Half of all adult Americans now own either a smartphone or tablet, and one-third use their mobile devices to view news stories and video clips at least weekly. -Half of U.S. adults own a smartphone or tablet, Pew survey says Everybody’s on the phone. Yes Jimmy Buffett, but they’re not just talking on the phone.
Instead of reiterating the obvious, I will dive into the implications for IRL interactions. Emily Post Binder is here to help.
Cultural mores dictate certain things you shouldn’t do because they’re rude. And usually there are exceptions to these rules. Common sense used to suffice in this realm. Mobile technology has introduced a host of new implicit rules and exceptions, not to mention the generational divide over what’s considered rude. The key is whether the other person knows you have an exception (assuming they care or loosely adhere to the following). Common scenarios:
| Bad Tech Behavior | Exception | Caveat/Details |
| Texting during a meal/date/outing | Texting a friend who is on the way/lost/running late. Instagram can be fine if the other person gets it or joins in Instagramming the fire hydrant or heart-shaped coffee froth. | Mention to present company that the other party is the person you’re texting. Generally, just give your undivided attention to the other person. |
| Using your phone while watching/listening to a presentation or speech | Taking notes; taking a non-flash photo of the speaker/event; tweeting about the presentation | Even if you’re just notetaking on your phone (and do use Evernote), it would look better to use a tablet, seemingly more public and when so, associated with single tasks like notetaking, whereas a phone screen is smaller, thus less conducive to notetaking and more private. Phone is better at hiding your potential bad tech behaviors. Ongoing tweeting is acceptable if the presentation is meant to be live tweeted- definitely if the event has a hashtag. But try and look up. |
| Texting, web search, or checking Facebook while on a date | Showing something on Facebook that is relevant to the conversation. Googling/texting a mutual burning question to an authority. | If you want to get away with any of these behaviors undetected, do not post anything. The person may now be or may end up your Facebook friend. A simple calendar check would let them put two and two together: you were multitasking them, as in digitally double-booking them. |
| Forgetting to turn your phone on silent or vibrate in the movies or at a meeting | Movie theatre: no exception. Meeting: Vibrate is acceptable if expecting an important call or email but only if the phone is in your lap, pocket, or purse — not on the table. | In a meeting where others are aware (and better yet, mutually affected by the outcome) of your expected call or email or text, vibrate mode on the table is fine. |
This Instagram video is one of the best social media parodies ever. This is us. You know who you are.
I don’t want to be always on. I want to be in the moment even when the moment is paused for a bathroom break. It’s part of the bigger picture: we need to silence our FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). Multitasking is addictive because it produces dopamine. We instinctually want to multitask because the big DA is a powerful reward-based neurotransmitter. It’s what makes cocaine and methamphetamines such fun. We bathe in dopamine for that neurological reward and in order to supposedly maximize our experience of all the available technology. But digital stress on the brain from multitasking makes us perform worse. We really can’t handle more than two tasks at once. We really should focus on the main task at hand: each other.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:28 — 32.5MB)
We interview Dan Scanlan, drummer of psych metal band Zoroaster, about the changing landscape of music in the digital age.
- Distribution – pros and cons of reaching a wider audience through digital, loss of control
- Revenue sources for musicians – mysterious compensation algorithms on YouTube and Pandora
- Internet radio – Spotify, iTunes, streaming services
- MP3 downloads, CD sales, merchandise, touring, and ticket sales
- Amazon, CD Baby, and outlets selling physical albums
- Why Dan loves vinyl and 8 tracks
My favorite song by Zoroaster- Odyssey (off Matador)
Tips on Tap
- Excel – how to open a new instance:
If you or your company are still using antiquated versions of Microsoft Excel, you’ve likely discovered the frustration of not being able to open two Excel documents in two separate windows, and thus compare side by side in the same view.How to get around it:Open up the first Excel documentCreate a new shortcut for Excel on your desktop and open Excel using the shortcutYou should now have two separate windows open for ExcelIn the blank worksheet, use File>Open to open the second document.
- How to clear the “other” space on iPad – the yellow bar can take up gigabytes of memory, with phantom files, email attachments, duplicate music files, corrupt data, notes, contacts, unfinished downloads, etc. First try this: Turn off the iPad, plug in to your computer, sync to iTunes. Try using iExplorer. iTunes will not display all the files that will take up “other.” Check your app usage in Settings -> General -> Usage and look for apps with unusually large memory usage. Otherwise, do a backup then full restore. Forum: Apple Support – Yellow Bar “Other” Capacity
- Wanelo shopping app and website – This very simple app shows a Pinterest-style mosaic of product images that you can endlessly scroll through. What sets Wanelo apart from Pinterest is that it provides a much easier shopping experience. Every image you see includes the price of the item. A simple tap will take you to the site where the image can be purchased. Yay for mobile commerce! Click here for the web version…be warned, it’s addictive.
Show Notes
- Galaxie 500′s song Tugboat earned them $0.21 for 7,800 plays on Pandora: A musician on his 21-cent royalty check – marketplace.org, Kai Rissdal, 11/15/15
- Internet radio audience grew 27%; CD listening fell 16%; 2% fewer people listened to downloaded music files (data from August-October 2012 compared to prior year). -NPD Group “Music Acquisition Monitor” 11/8/12 via technewsdaily 11/12/12
- Slow Southern Steel – Southern Fried Metal Documentary Featuring Zoroaster, Kylesa, Weedeater, ASG, and many more.
Trailer - Zoroaster: http://www.zoroasterrocks.com/
- Buy Zoroaster merch (if you like the music, support the band this way because YouTube and Pandora sure won’t): Zoroaster Store
Rob Zombie Woolite Commercial (correction: it was Woolite, not Tide):
Thanks Zoroaster for all the swag! We love the Matador posters with cover art by artist Brian Mercer. Zoroaster’s new album, Century of Light, will be released in early spring 2013, also with cover art by Brian Mercer. And thanks Jordan for the fantastic electronic refillable Tagger lighters from NBSP INC.
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You can download or stream The Digital Dive at thedigitaldivepodcast.com or search for us in the iTunes Podcast Directory–> If you like the show, please subscribe and leave us a review!
The Digital Dive Podcast is on Stitcher, the best free podcast streaming smartphone app. If you’re a new subscriber, please sign up with our link below.
Say hi on Twitter @thedigitaldive_ and Like us on Facebook.
The Digital Dive PodcastTM: Get the most out of technology… without ever fully giving in
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:09 — 32.2MB)
This week The Digital Dive Podcast covers new Twitter photo filters, standing desk adventures, and a major privacy issue with Facebook/iOS 6 integration that hit a little too close to home for me. Your favorite digital divers are also thrilled to bring special guest Australian Crime Fiction Publisher Liam Jose on the show. Liam chimes in on Australia’s recent controversial policies regarding Internet censorship.
I. Standing Desk Update – How Melanie used stacks of office supplies to prevent cancer
II. Twitstagram- Twitter to add Instagram-like photo filters in the next few months
III. Australian government tries to censor the Internet
IV. The Facebook / iOS 6 privacy nightmare: We learn the hard way about the amount of information iOS Contacts pulls from Facebook based on mobile number and email address.
Source: Brian Farrington via townhall.com
- Special Guest Liam Jose with my co-host Melanie Touchstone
Tips on Tap:
1. Zite: Apple’s #1 iPad news app of 2011 is still pretty great. Zite is “Your Personalized Magazine.” The app automatically learns what kind of articles, blogs, and videos you like and gets smarter as you use it.
2. Instagram spam comments are on the rise. How to delete Instagram comments and report abuse. (Tap the comment button as though you were going to comment. Then tap on the comment. Tap the trash icon that appears to the left.)
3. iOS 6 Ad Tracking: How to Opt Out. By default iOS 6 tracks iPhone and iPad owners’ browsing history to serve advertisements. How adjust your iOS ad tracking settings: Settings –>; General –>; About –>; Advertising. You’ll see Limit Ad Tracking. The default toggle is in the OFF position. That means ad tracking is turned on. If you want to opt out of targeted advertising, switch Limit Ad Tracking to the ON position. Note: Being tracked or not is a personal preference.
Show notes:
- The Standing Desk Adventure – Melanie Touchstone. missmelt.com, 11/14/12
- Twitter to Add Photo Filters to Compete With Instagram – NYTimes.com, 11/6/12
Can’t get enough of Liam Jose? Check out thecrimefactory.com and follow him on Twitter.
Me and Special Guest Liam Jose in the studio
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You can download or stream The Digital Dive at thedigitaldivepodcast.com or search for us in the iTunes Podcast Directory–>; If you like the show, please subscribe and leave us a review! The Digital Dive Podcast is on Stitcher, the best free podcast streaming smartphone app. If you’re a new subscriber, please sign up with our link below:
Ping us on Twitter @thedigitaldive_ and Like us on Facebook.
The Digital Dive PodcastTM: Get the most out of technology… without ever fully giving in
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:03 — 31.2MB)
This week, we offer our insight on a variety of topics, including the ousting of Apple iOS miracle worker and polarizing executive Scott Forstall, the design debate over skeuomorphism, presidential campaigns and voting in the digital age, and commerce as content.
Topics:
I. Adventures in Mobile Payments Part 3: SUCCESS
Melanie and I share a happy update on our ongoing pursuit of mobile-friendly vendors. Square and Level-Up
II. Apple Kicks Scott Forstall to the Curb; Skeuomorphism
Skeuomorphic design
After refusing to sign a formal apology for Apple Maps, among other things, iOS chief Scott Forstall was ousted from Apple. We discuss one of his Jobs-like signatures, skeuomorphic style (replicating the shape of necessary parts of old forms in a new medium where those elements are no longer required). Forstall was a mobile software leader and prolific inventor but also a divisive figure. “Forstall’s name is second on the patent that lays out exactly how the iPhone and iPad work. The first name on that patent is Steve Jobs.”
III. Commerce as Content (and vice versa)
Pinterest, Fab, and Shopkick
IV. Digital Media and the Presidential Election
Electronic voting, ballots, and recounts. Security and hacking at the polls. The future of voting.
Show Notes:
- Twitter mood predicts the stock market – Johan Bollen, Huina Mao, Xiao-Jun Zeng. 10/14/2010
- Will Apple’s Tacky Software Design Philosophy Cause a Revolt? – Austin Carr, fastcodesign.com, 9/11/2012
- SNL Louis CK clip referenced in episode:
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You can download or stream The Digital Dive at thedigitaldivepodcast.com or search for us in the iTunes Podcast Directory–> If you like the show, please subscribe and leave us a review!
The Digital Dive Podcast is on Stitcher, the best free podcast streaming smartphone app. If you’re a new subscriber, please sign up with our link below.
Follow us on Twitter @thedigitaldive_ and Like us on Facebook
