Joshua Guffey

Posts Tagged ‘iPhone’

As you know, Google Buzz hasn’t even been out a week yet and it’s been big news…and yet not.

What I like about Google Buzz

• My Gmail contacts are already there.
• Since this is a Google service connected to Gmail, it’s likely that it’ll
  draw more of my non-Twitter friends into a social media space…where I live.
• Inevitable integration with Google’s gamut of innovative and powerful products.
• Nearby feature which is pretty good (like Tweetie for iPhone does)
• Integration of tweets into my buzzstream.
  • I’m already on Twitter & Facebook. I don’t need a new place to consider posting to. It’s nice to be able to buzz without ‘going there’ on my iPhone or MacBook. Then I get updates via email. And if I want to see what’s happening outside of ‘my’ conversations I drop into Buzz and look around.

What I don’t like about Google Buzz

• If I comment on anything Mashable posts, my iPhone buzzes like mad
  for hours. This is fixed easily enough by ‘muting’ the gmail conversation.
• The eery feeling I get that Google is going to release something so
  integrated and so powerful into the mobile space that I will love my iPhone a little less.

What I’d like to see Google Buzz do

• Location based check-ins. Of the major players in this arena I prefer
  Foursquare, but I don’t like the way they format links in my Twitter.
  And I’m over the ‘game’ aspect of it. Google’s got great positioning
  to enter the local check-in game. (maps/local+reviews+buzz=useful!)
• A Google Buzz widget that I can install on my website so that peeps
  can Buzz me from there.
• Easier integration of pics and other multimedia using iPhone
• Functional @mentions and some type of tagging, perhaps #hashtags
• Local, regional, national and global trends.
• Aardvark integration (they bought Aardvark this past week)
• Google Talk integration to take a thread to private chat
• Integration with analytics like bit.ly’s stats but better, perhaps
  with Google Analytics
• Filters as powerful as Gmail’s filters
• Integration with Google Voice (click to call). Permissions would be
  highly important here.
• Alerts like ‘Google Alerts’ but applied like a persistent Twitter Search.
  So you know when your company’s name is mentioned or when people
  buzz about your product or industry.

What did I forget? Please add your thoughts to the conversation in the blog comments.

Recently a friend asked about Twitter apps for iPhone. “are there any Twitter apps for iPhone” was the question. Sparked a post about the best ones. Here’s my take on “The best Twitter apps for iPhone”.

There are many! I use two different ones I’m afraid. Each is a gem in it’s own rite. Both have features I find critical that the other does not offer.

Hootsuite uses streams to organize your tweets, which is unique and has it’s advantages. One being that a stream can be YOUR tweets, (a/ all) friend’s tweets, search results or tweets with certain #hashtags. Useful if you like to keep up on #iPhone related tweets or watch for your business name or url in tweets. Hootsuite also has a full desktop counterpart and offers tweet-scheduling and click-tracking via both desktop and iPhone.

Tweetie2, on the other hand, offers the most efficient and funtional Twitter interface available (including desktop apps), in my opinion. It also offers up an amazing feature-set and is probably the best option if you weren’t already using Hootsuite on the desktop. Bookmarklet, embedded location maps, TwitPic functionality (including thumbed images), bit.ly URL shortening, one-click RT and other cool features.

Posted via email from joshua’s quickblog

Now you can search for listings on Craiglist via iPhone as well as list some things yourself.  You can even include pics on a post you list via your iPhone.  It’s pretty awesome. You can get it here from the app store: Craigsphone – Craigslist for iPhone

Keep innovating,
Joshua Guffey

www.JoshuaGuffey.com

Posted via email from joshua’s quickblog

It’s really interesting to see each of the two major social networking platforms adopting the best features of either at the same time that each innovates newer and better features. It’s like a symbiotic evolution in warp-speed with an interesting blend of social and business repercussions.

I’m excited at the newest changes taking place over at Facebook. If you haven’t yet noticed, you can now ‘embed’ a friend’s hyperlinked (click-able) user name or a page name into a wall post. To do it just type “@firstname lastname”. The post will show up by default on the wall of all involved parties. THIS was Twitter’s biggest draw for me because it enables linking people together in conversations and giving credit where it is due (as in ‘retweets’).

Facebook also just launched a new privacy preferences structure. Now you can specify EXACTLY who can and can’t see each and every post you make. The down side to this is that it will drastically reduce the number of comical social mishaps that have become labeled Facebook Fails. The upside is that you’re less likely to be fired from your job or ostracized by your family because a controversial post made after a few too many to drink.

Suggestions that I’d like to see over at Facebook:

Hashtags – I know that we can now embed page links into posts, but hashtags are more flexible and would provide a way of enabling realtime communications about themed topics across various networks irrespective of previous friend connections. This facilitates the expansion of these networks along the lines of interest.

Adoption of newest changes to iPhone application – iPhone junkies like myself would love to see the new Facebook changes (username/page embeds & custom privacy) implemented into the iPhone app. Joe Hewitt designed the current Facebook app for iPhone but has recently handed it down. (The new guy has some big shoes to fill)

Over at Twitter lists are the newest big thing. You can add people to lists (even without actually ‘following’ them). Then you are able to look at a list and see only tweets from people that list. I like the new list feature and I’m still conceptualizing how to best use it.

What are your thoughts on the social media evolution?

Posted via email from joshua’s quickblog

I love that Care2 has taken the time to make signing their petitions super quick & simple via iPhone!

The whole process took me about 30 seconds. See below:

Open email. Click “Take Action!”.

Petition loads.

Use iPhone AutoFill to complete form instantly.

Opt-out of additional emails. Click “Sign”.

Success!

Keep doing your best,

Joshua Guffey

Posted via email from joshua’s quickblog