I am not one to shy away from conversations with strangers. There has been many a subway ride, bar moment or on the street experience when I have found myself locked in a fascinating conversation with a complete stranger. However, like most, I qualify the random people that I talk to. “Do they look crazy?”, is always the first question I ask myself. So, when I first learned about Chatroulette, I was both intrigued and nervous. The prospect of talking to someone who I have never met before and will never see again is intriguing, but I don’t know who this person is. Thus, the premise of Chatroulette is really overcoming the fear of the unknown and making connections with totally random people.

Created in late 2009 by Andrey Ternovskiy, Chatroulette is the innovative website that pairs strangers in conversation via video chat. Since its launch in November 2009, its popularity has grown exponentially. Chatroulette has been featured in The New York Times, on Good Morning America and in various other mediums. It is quickly becoming the newest internet sensation, with over 33% of total site usage coming from the United States. Connecting with strangers is not a new concept to the Internet.   Chatroulette marries concepts and technologies that have existed for years but have not yet been utilized in such a unique and social fashion.

Once you enter the site, you are confronted with two blank boxes. When you select play, your computer’s video camera is activated, and you appear on the screen in one of the boxes. You then wait for a random chat partner to appear in the second box. You start chatting. If at any point you don’t like the chat, you can “next” the person and be paired with a new partner. Sounds innocent, right? Not so much. Stories are popping up documenting the absurd to the obscene things seen on Chatroulette. For example, video chatting with a man dressed as a cat, not normal. Even more disturbing is the quasi pornographic images that some users have reported seeing. What happens on Chatroulette definitely does not stay on Chatroulette. In a quick Google search, I found hundreds of screen shots posted from Chatroulette conversations. It is easy to see why people are scared to use Chatroulette. You don’t know who you are talking to, or what weird stuff they may do, and you have no control over where your image is posted online.

On the more exciting end, various celebrities have claimed to use Chatroulette or have been spotted by users, including Perez Hilton and Joel Madden. In March, John Stewart used Chatroulette as part of The Daily Show. While chatting, he ended up speaking to Brian Williams, Katie Couric and Keith Olberman.  YouTube users have gotten creative and used Chatroulette to create viral videos. A recent CR user gained notoriety for playing piano and writing songs on the fly while using Chatroulette. Could Chatroulette launch his career like YouTube did for so many others? It seems so. In response to the piano guy’s popularity, Ben Folds created his own Chatroulette homage.

Its impact in popular culture is undeniable. With such a bizarre premise and a potentially crazy user base, Chatroulette has changed the internet. It is no longer about us and our computer screens. Chatroulette allows us to be broadcast to the world. No longer can we peacefully hide behind a computer. Though the concept is interesting and has gained a vast amount of popularity, I still say its stranger danger. I think I’ll stick to talking to random people on the street.

The epic battle that has been brewing for years has officially started. It’s Google vs. Facebook, and the winner has yet to be determined. It all started in 2007, when reports surfaced that Facebook was gearing up to take Google’s crown as the most visited site on the Internet. During the week of March 13th, 2010, Facebook succeeded. Though only enjoying a week at the top spot, Facebook managed to accomplish the impossible and attract more visitors than Google. However, the question remains. How did Facebook overtake the giant that is Google?

Google’s three key areas of strength are its search, advertising and applications. Since 2007, Facebook has been transforming to compete in each of these areas.

Facebook Advertising
Back in 2007, Facebook received financial backing from a very prominent player, Microsoft. As of October 2007, Microsoft took a $240 million dollar equity stake in Facebook, making them the exclusive third-party advertising platform partner for Facebook. Furthermore, in March 2010, Facebook announced the appointment of David Fischer as its vice president of Advertising and Global Operations. Mr. Fischer was formerly the vice president in charge of Global Online Sales & Operations at Google. Facebook’s partnership with Microsoft, and the hiring of a former Google Ad Exec have made them poised to directly compete with Google’s AdWords.

Facebook Search
Again partnering with Microsoft, Facebook launched its web search feature in 2008. Users can now search anything on Facebook and be presented with profiles, groups and webpages related to their search. The web results are being powered by Microsoft’s Bing search engine. In July of 2009, Bing and Yahoo joined forces. Thus, Facebook, Bing and Yahoo are all linked together. However, Google is still the household name associated with Internet searching. It is unlikely that users will begin to use Facebook Search in lieu of Google for informational searches.

Facebook Social
The very foundation of Facebook is its vast social networking possibilities. However, in recent years, Facebook has expanded. Now, users can check out profiles, become fans of local businesses and live chat with friends. Adding to this, Facebook introduced interactive gaming applications, such as Farmville. Reminiscent of 2nd Life, Farmville allows users to both engage in their own game as well as their friend’s games. This widely popular application has increased Facebook’s traffic. Google attempted to compete with Facebook via the introduction of Google Buzz. As of March 2010, Google Buzz has failed to catch on and capture users. To compete with Facebook in this area, Google will need to develop a stronger social networking platform.

On these three fronts, it seems that the battle is even. Google is the best in internet search. Facebook is the number one online social networking site. Advertising on both sites has proven extremely profitable. As of yet, internet visitors use Google for searching, and Facebook for connecting with each other. So, what does the future hold? Can Facebook overtake Google again? Will Google forever remain the most visited site on the internet? These questions have yet to be answered, but one thing is for sure, it is going to be interesting to watch.

So, you’re sitting at your desk. You close your eyes and think about a vacation in the sun. Where would you stay? Would you go to the best restaurants? What are the best bars? What if you get there but have no idea what to do? Suddenly, your peaceful day dream has turned into a stressful stream of questions. Fear not, you have Yelp!

Founded in 2004, Yelp is the free, online opinion community that is making waves. Yelpers from across the country can rate, review and find local businesses and services. From restaurants to real estate, Yelp allows users to voice their opinions online for millions to see. Loved a restaurant? Really want to tell someone about it? Yelp it! Going to Miami? Want to find a great, local restaurant? Hit up Yelp and choose from the best reviewed restaurants in town.

Yelp is not only a powerful tool for consumers, but also for businesses. Over 26 million users visited Yelp in December 2009 alone, and it has mobile applications for all major smart phones. Millions of potential customers are just a click away from viewing your business and reading what others have to say about you. This information is both powerful and useful to grow your business.

Getting the Word Out:
Advertising will only get you so far. Each day we are exposed to thousands of messages telling us why one product or business is great. Millions of dollars are spent to “break through the noise” and reach new customers.  Internet marketing is bound by a new set of rules. Credibility is given to opinions not ads. Yelp is a way for your business to reach new customers and establish credibility by getting real reviews from real customers.

Customer Loyalty:
Your best customers can sometimes be your biggest critics. Yelp makes it possible for you to reach out to those customers who may not have had the best experience. Send them a message, ask how you can improve and get them back in the door for a second chance to wow them. Reward customers who left positive reviews. Send them a message and let them know you appreciate them.

Feedback:
Constant improvement through customer feedback can also be a powerful way to grow your business. The most successful businesses know that feedback is important. Businesses can use Yelp to pin point areas where they are successful and areas where they need improvement.

Competitors:
One of the most important ways to be successful in any industry is staying ahead of your competition. Yelp’s user reviews can tell businesses exactly in what areas their competitors are doing well and in which areas their competitors are weak. Capitalize on this information and find your niche. The customer is king, and your competitions’ customer reviews can help make your business even better.

So, today’s the grand opening of your new restaurant. You open the doors and welcome your first customers. They tell you how much they loved the food. You wish they could tell not only you but the whole world how great your restaurant is. Panic sets in. Fear not, you have Yelp!

Like what we have to say? Yelp us!

Remember the days when you had a cell phone for calls, iPod for music and Laptop for internet and e-mail, desperately wishing you had a third hand to keep up with it all? Since the emergence of the Smart Phone, those days are long gone. However, Smart Phones are akin to “two-in-one” shampoo. In theory, it’s a good idea, but, in actuality, it doesn’t really do the job quite as well as the individual products.

Well, Apple has heard our cries and developed the iPad, the first ever tablet computer, designed to combine the E-reader with Laptop and Smart Phone features. So does it pass the test? Is it better to have a pile of great gadgets or one super gadget that can do it all?

As speculated, Apple announced their newest invention, the iPad tablet computer on January 27th 2010. With a release date of April 3rd, we now have visuals, a full list of features and pricing for the formerly illusive “most important thing Steve Jobs has ever done.” Pre sales started Friday, March 12th. In its first day, over 120,000 units were sold.

However, the question remains, is the iPad unique enough to stand on its own? Does it have the power to create its own market, or is the iPad an iFlop?

The Good:

• Screen Real Estate
  • Unlike Smart Phones, the iPad has a large screen, similar to your average Laptop, eliminating the endless scrolling and zooming to read websites. The Full websites can be viewed in portrait or landscape view.
• 9.7 inch, high resolution IPS display
  • No longer will blurry photos and subpar videos be tolerated. The iPad LED technology finally brings crisp, quality images to a hand held device.
• iBook capability
  • The Kindle meets the Laptop with the iPad. iBook is a free application which allows users to purchase and read their favorite novels from their device.
• iWork
  • The popular Mac application has gone mobile. Professional presentations can now be created on the go with the iPad.
• Free Application Transfer
  • Possibly the most convenient feature of the iPad is the free application transfer between iPhones and the device. Not paying twice for the same app … priceless.

The Bad:

• No Camera
  • The iPad does not have a camera, making Skype, Video Conferencing and Video iChatting impossible.
• No USB
  • Unlike traditional Laptops, there is no USB port in the iPad.
• No Phone
  • Without the phone, some say the iPad is just a larger iPod touch.
• No Flash Player
  • Crisper, fuller webpage viewing is nice, but the iPad does not have a Flash player. Most videos and websites utilize Flash in some capacity. Thus, Hulu and the iPad are not friends.
• LED Screen
  • Unlike the Kindle’s e-ink screen, the backlit LED screen is harder on the eyes, and more difficult to use for e-book reading.
• Only Offered Through AT&T
  • iPhonegate 2009 is proof positive that AT&T is lacking quality 3G service in large metropolitan areas, such as New York City. Like the iPhone, the iPad is only being offered through AT&T. The iPad is available with 3G coverage. Can AT&T handle the excess coverage, especially in highly populated areas?
• Multitasking
  • Unlike the popular “Multi-People” iPhone commercial, with the iPad, you can’t do everything “without ever leaving the call.” While it does incorporate multi-tasking to a degree, on the iPad it is much more difficult and inefficient to switch between programs.

How does it size up?
The ultimate determinant for most is the cost. Apple is offering two iPad versions, Wi-Fi ($499 – $699) and Wi-Fi+3G ($629-$829). In comparison, the price of an e-reader ranges from $150 – $500, Smart Phone from $30 – $529 and a Netbook cost less than $400 on average. Ipod touch’s start at $199 for 8GB. In reality, the iPad is a combination of an iPod touch, Netbook, and e-reader. At the low end, buying each item separately would cost roughly $800. The low end iPad costs $499 plus a monthly data fee of $14.99-29.99/month. The lowest monthly data fee equates to $180 for the year. In total, purchasing the iPad would roughly equal the cost of purchasing all three items it combines. Taking into account its good and bad points, is it worth buying a 3-in-1 super product that is good in theory, but, in actuality, doesn’t really do the job quite as well as the individual products?

Is the iPad really the new kid on the block or just a different version of our favorite gadgets? This remains to be seen. Have you used the iPad? Leave comments and let us know what you think about it!

Sometimes we all need a little extra “oomph” to get our rears in gear. That extra motivation “oomph” can provide may mean the difference between success and failure. Or maybe it will just mean the difference between you having a solid Twitter presence or one that overwhelms you with information

Social Oomph is a tool designed to help users better leverage their social media accounts. Formerly known as “Tweet Later,” Social Oomph aides in the management of your social network quiver. With two versions, FREE and Professional, there exist a wide-array of tools to help “boost your social productivity.”

For those of you looking to be Tweet-Stars on a low budget: the free base account offers plenty of useful features to aide in your success.

• Schedule your tweets: Type up some Tweet drafts, save them, publish instantly, or save them for later. Decide when to Tweet and walk away to do other things like go on Facebook.
• Tracking Keywords: Feed Social Oomph some keywords and receive email updates of the usage of those keywords. It is good to be in the know about what people are saying.
• Bit.ly URL shortening service: Bit.ly is another great tech-tool. Having Social Oomph paired with Bit.ly is like getting two scoops of ice cream for the price of one. Seriously though, schedule your tweet, insert your link, have it shortened, and Bit.ly will provide analytics for the click-thrus on your link. This all happens in one easy to use interface.

Inspired social media users with a larger budget may opt for the professional version of Social Oomph. For 29.97 per month users have added features to leverage their presence with even more OOMPH.  A few of the key professional features include:

• Facebook status management and wall post scheduling.
• Scheduling blog postings.
• More robust keyword searching.
• Other Twitter features like direct message management and follower measurement.

Visit the full list of professional features to see what Social Oomph Professional can do.

By far and large the most useful part of Social Oomph for us has been the ability to schedule Tweets for promotions. Rather than take time to hop back on Twitter every hour. Users can type up tweets, save them as drafts and schedule to post them as much as they desire throughout the day.

Social Oomph does not replace the real-time aspect of Twitter which is necessary to be a great Tweep. However, Social Oomph helps alleviate common obstacles which inhibit tweeting like board meetings and conference calls.

Give Social Oomph a try and schedule some tweets to tell us what you think!

Google is the full-service gas station of websites.  From search to email and now to social: Google does it all.  Aptly named, Buzz is the latest step in Google’s emergence as a social network.  Buzz has all the characteristics that you have come to enjoy from your favorite social media websites along with some extra pieces of flair.

• Buzz uses the all important “status update.”
  Tell your followers what you’re doing, what you did, what you’re thinking or maybe just to share your latest haiku.  The status update has become the crutch for Social Internet.   What differs with this status update is the unlimited amount of characters you can enter.  No more using weird abbreviations in a struggle to express yourself in under 140 characters.  Also notable are the privacy settings, which are decided per post by choosing either public or private.  For the forgetful out there be sure to double-check before post. [the default is a public post]  Also, Buzz connects with Twitter. So all you Tweeps out there have no fear, you won’t miss a single tweet.

• Content sharing capabilities.
  Post links and videos into your updates to share with your followers. Along with Twitter, you can connect your Buzz account to your Flickr, Google Reader, Picasa, and YouTube accounts.  The content  you post on these other sites become part of your Buzz instantly.  One piece that I feel cannot go without mention is the photo gallery.  Accessed by clicking an image within the post, the photo gallery appears in light box style and allows for quality viewing and easy scrolling through the images within the post.

• Social Interactions.
  Users have the ability to interact with others in your network through commenting on posts, email forwarding, and  “liking” [To my disappointment there is still no “dislike” or “stoked” option for posts].  Comments are tracked by also being sent to your Gmail inbox.  Other social networks utilize the email notifications but Buzz and Gmail are part of the same platform so you get to save time and browser tabs.

• Suggestive Content.
  Buzz includes algorithms to suggest content which the algorithms deem interesting based on your past habits.  So if your friends aren’t sharing interesting content, at least  Buzz is there for you to hook you up with some good blog posts.

• The @ Reply.
  Buzz allows you to send @replys to others’ Gmail accounts.  The @reply, popularized by Twitter, is now the newest way to send emails.  Simply type @ and then the person’s Gmail address and you’re message is on its way.

• Buzz on the go.
  Buzz and Mobile were meant for each other.  Some of the mobile features include Buzz knowing your location, searching for people Buzzing nearby and layering capabilities with Google Maps.  Buzz mobile is accessible through mobile Google, Google Mobile maps and from buzz.google.com on iphone and android phones.

To become part of the buzz go here buzz.google.com. To watch a video about the buzz scroll down a little bit further. And lastly, to read more more of our cool posts about technology  click Tuesday Tech Tango.

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We are taught from a young age that sharing is a good thing. We’ve all heard the clever rhyme to induce sharing amongst youngsters: “sharing is caring.” In an age of a hyper-connected social web; knowledge sharing is caring. Your presence online is bolstered by your ability to generate content and share that content. Today I present to you a tool to share your knowledge through slide presentations. Presenting “Slide Share” for our Tuesday Tech Tango post.

Slide Share is a place for businesses to share slideshow presentations with the greater web community. Uploading and sharing slides is just the tip of the ice berg. Other features which may tickle your fancy are the ability to embed audio into the slides and upload general text and spreadsheet documents. Ok so you are thinking: “cool I can upload my documents; how does this differ from just emailing them?”

Social capabilities! Users have their own SlideShare profile page where other users can comment on their wall, create and join groups, follow favorite users, use custom widgets and also have their Slide Share accounts connected to LinkedIN and Facebook.

If your business creates documents for public consumption; specifically slide presentations, then Slide Share is definitely something worth your while. Not only will you have a convenient portal to direct folks interested in your presentation; you will be able to expand the audience for your presentations.

One last benefit of Slide Share is the credibility you can generate for your business. As a business, you are viewed as the expert.  The key to growing your perception as the expert is to share that expertise.  Slide Share is the key to sharing and becoming a resource for your community.

Enjoy the slides below from a presentation we did on the basics of Twitter. If you are interested in more knowledge via slide shows; visit VQC’s Facebook Page where our other presentations are posted.

| Get your SlideShare Playlist

The Apple Tablet?

The online grape vines are a-buzz with talks of Apple’s proposed tablet computer which could possibly “change the news media”, what Steve Jobs says is “the most important thing he has ever done” and what one Twitter user claims “to be able to remove lipstick from collar.”  Okay so maybe it won’t do all those things, but 2/3 isnt bad.  Get ready world; the itablet cometh, at least thats what’ve heard.

On Wednesday, Jan. 27th Apple will quiet all these rumors with a press event titled “Come See Our Latest Creation.” Although, there are no specifics as to what will be unveiled, there is visual evidence that an event is being planned. To witness the event first hand, you can watch live via Gizmodo.

So what you can expect from Apple this Wednesday:

• The rumor mill is leaning heavily towards the unveiling of a tablet computer for Apple. For Steve Jobs to come out and unveil something different would be a complete let down for tech-fans across the globe. Plus, Paddy Power, a UK bookkeeping service, is taking bets on the tablet’s name. So far “islate” is favorited with 4/5 odds and ‘itablet” is at 6/1 odds.

• A tablet computer with multi-touch screen interface, 3G connectivity, Wi-Fi and the ability to download print media including books, magazines, newspapers and textbooks. These are the supposed key features for the tablet, which is beginning to sound a lot like a large version of the iphone. The separating factor will be the subscriptions offered for traditional print media.

• A device that looks and acts like an enlarged iphone. Online concepts stay true to the iphone’s design. The user-interface will most likely include Apple’s multi-touch technology, which is being introduced across an array of Apple  products.

• An explosion of tweets leading up to and following the event in San Francisco. Search #itablet in Twitter and you can keep up to date with all the rumors and add your own thoughts to the mix.

The proposed Apple tablet computer will be entering markets occupied by net books and e-readers like the Kindle. But, as we can always expect from Apple, the tablet will be something completely unique and stand in a field of its own. Just as the ipods did in the portable mp3 market and the iphone in the cell phone market. The big question is who will provide service to the tablet computer and will it be determined by the size of their map?

With iPhones, 3Gs and the ubiquitous Google; us humans have become accustomed to having answers at our finger tips. Just as long as we could type in our question.  However, how often have you been out with friends staring at some big monumental piece of architecture and wondered, hmmmm, I wonder what this is but have no way to describe it? Or perhaps you have a book you are interested in learning about but don’t have enough motivation to type in the title.  Or maybe even you receive a business card and would like more information on the company but once again do not desire to type in the full contact information.

Viola! Your wants and desires are once again satiated by Google.  Google Labs released Google Goggles on Monday.  Google Goggles is a visual search tool for Android Devices.  Snap a photo and Google Goggles is able to decipher what your picture is and search based on your picture.

Due to its freshness, the new technology does have its limitations.  For now, Google Goggles is only available on Android enabled smart phones.  (Don’t fret iPhone users, you can utilize other augmented reality applications for your visual search needs.)  Also, not all subjects are easily recognized by Google Goggles; think more general objects like food, cars, animals and people.  The Goggles will recognize artwork, business cards, landmarks, logos and books.

This technology could open up new realms of search optimization and internet marketing. Imagine a world where search optimization plays a roll in the manufacturing phase of products and buildings.   Will search’s influence continue to grow and take us to this level?

It takes two to tango.  It also takes two to use technology, the user and the piece of technology.  Hence our new weekly blog covering the wonderful world of technology.  We spend all week dancing around the internet and come Tuesday we are ready to perform.  Each week VQC will highlight a piece of the tech world which caught our eye and will hopefully catch yours.

This week we’ll take a dive into augmented reality; would you like the red pill or the blue pill?  Okay, so augmented reality may not be on the level of the Matrix, but once it becomes widely available, augmented reality will redefine the way people use their mobile devices.  The technology allows a live digital image of a physical environment to be integrated with virtual information.  Take a moment to let the gears grind and imagine the possibilities this technology offers to users. Check out these examples to get a better idea of what AR offers.

Info for shoppers

FoodTracer concept+demo from gusepo on Vimeo.

This past summer an Augmented Reality Consortium of 8 AR companies was formed with a focus on developing tools, technology, applications, and content for AR.  This technology has been conceptual for nearly a decade and is now being pushed towards widespread application.  President of the consortium and CEO of Ogmento, Ori Inbar, has gone as far as to refer to this technologies development as a “digital renaissance.”

One of the leading companies of this digital renaissance is Layar based in The Netherlands.  Layar, a mobile “reality browser”, launched in June 2009 has recently become available globally on all Android Devices.   I’ll allow the video below speak for itself.  Just imagine the possibilities yourself.