Email Surveillance

So I'm in the final stages of my capstone course (yay!) and that means I need to take action on the issue I chose to write about. My topic was email surveillance in the workplace and whether is should be legal or not and considering I just learned how to create a web video I thought I'd post it up here and see what kind of responses I could get...

Email surveillance has demonstrated to be both beneficial and effective for companiess, yet studies have also shown employees develop a sense of fear, distrust, and stress while working under such monitoring activities. So I developed a solution for companies to consider: TALK TO YOUR EMPLOYEES! EXPLAIN WHY YOU NEED TO MONITOR THEM!

Local Bloggers Unite!

Austin Bloggers ATTENTION!!!


There will be a local meeting for local bloggers Today, Nov 19th @ 7pm @ the Clementine Coffee Bar. So if you're a blogger, attend tonight's meeting. Have some coffee, share a few laughs, and blog away!

Clementine Coffee Bar is located 2200 Manor Rd.Austin TX 78722
p: 512.472.9900
email: mail@clementinecoffeebar.com


"The Austin Bloggers get together monthly. If you are a blogger, blogger groupie, or just want to find out what this blogging thing is about, you are welcome to join us. Our meetings are informal gatherings where people interested in blogging can meet and exchange ideas. We meet the third Wednesday of every month at varying locations around town. We like to pick places where it's nice to sit and chat. When possible, we steer toward locations that offer free wireless access."

Google Mobile App for iPhone

Starting today, Monday, Nov. 17th, 2008, a new application for the iPhone will be available. The new application Google Mobile is a voice-recognition search app for the iPhone, which Google has been working on for some time. They've launched an instructional video with their own, Mike LeBeau to learn about the cool tricks that come with this application.



The application appears to be great, fun, and easy. Makes me wish I had an iPhone. :)

Web Video Project: Love is...

For our last project, our professor asked us to create a web video to raise awareness on a social issue of our choice. After thinking about it I decided to create a web video on same sex marriages. Always the controversial topic, my stance has always been for same sex marriages. I support love, equal rights, and gay rights.
To make my video I used Jumpcut, a cool website that makes web videos fun and easy.

So make your voice heard!

Personal branding & Donald Trump

This past class we were asked by our professor to conduct a Social Media Scavenger Hunt in which the topic of personal branding came up. I remember when we spoke about personal branding and so I decided to do a little more research on it.
According to Wikipedia, personal branding is is the process whereby people and their careers are marked as brands.
Their example of personal branding was Donald Trump, a celebrity mogul who is a perfect example of what personal branding is. Donald Trump has used his last name extensively on his buildings and on the products he endorses, which are universally recognized.
Since Wikipedia had Donald Trump as their example, I googled him and came across some very interesting information.
For one thing: his website: Trump University, has everything from information on instructional courses of Real Estate Investing, Entrepreneurship, investing, training workshops, to his own personal blog: The Trump Blog.

He's also got:

1. a clothing line sold at Macy's
2. His own cologne: Donald Trump, the fragrance
   
3. A NBC show: The Apprentice
4. Real Estate Company, where he's chairmen and CEO, The Trump Organization,

among other things.

I kept researching and was able to find some advantages of personal branding:

• Establish yourself as an expert in your chosen field.
• Build a solid reputation within your industry.
• Increase your notoriety and improve your perceived value in the marketplace.

Donald Trump has really embraced the idea of personal branding, using his name to establish a brand.

"Unleash Your Inner Rockstar"

Guitar Hero has launched a new commercial with Heidi Klum as their latest celebrity "rockstar." It's the same concept, a recreation of the famous Tom Cruise scene in Risky Business, however, Heidi's rendition is a little more exposed.
She's a beautiful woman with an extraordinary body but having her jump around in her bra and panties shows that Guitar Hero is obviously going for the SEX SALES option.
Sure, A-Rod, Kobe Bryant, Michael Phelps, and Tony Hawk were running around in their underwear, but even THAT wasn't as exposed as Heidi. She's got kids. I certainly don't believe that's how she plays Guitar Hero at home.
The first commercial was tastefully done, this one...I'm not sure.
I'm sure men men will love this commercial.

The commercial concept is great, it grabs the audience attention while still relating to the product BUT
Heidi should've left her SHIRT ON!

Let's remember the original scene....with Tom Cruise


Tony Hawk, Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez, and Michael Phelp's Rendition:

Heidi Klum's Unsensored:


They all left their shirts on!


I had already posted this blog when I was watching TV and noticed the Heidi Klum commercial come on. It wasn't the same one I had seen before, apparently Heidi keeps her shirt on! Good Job Guitar Hero! :) That's more like it. If you're rating this game T (Teenager Approved), then keep it a little more conservative.

Here's the video that comes on now:

Because I'm a PC

So I wanted to know a little more about the new "Upload Yourself" campaign that Microsoft just launched. I visited the Windows website and was amazed at just how this campaign has changed the company. It seems like PC wants to incorporate the users a lot more. They want to see like a friendly, relate-able company, who cares about their customers. Their mission statement alone was very encouraging for a PC user. Here's what is says:

IMAGINE A LIFE WITHOUT WALLS.

Where you connect to a global community of more than a billion people and nothing comes between you and a world of ideas and opportunities. With Windows on your mobile phone, PC, or the Web, walls begin to disappear—at home, at the office, and anywhere in between. You can balance work and life as well as fun and functionality. And with a wide range of software, services, and devices to choose from, your technology can be as unique as you are. That's
Windows. Life without walls.

I kept surfing their website and found their PC gallery where all those that have uploaded their videos are placed. The gallery has a whole lot of videos with different people. It almost seems infinite.Videos aren't the only thing that you can upload, a person can also upload photos.
Since I can't do a video, I decided to upload a photo of myself. The website asks for age and for me to fill in the famous line of "I'm a PC and I..."

I did as I was required and uploaded my picture. So you can find me there if you decide to upload yourself as well.
Here's an ad that's currently airing on TV:


Watch the rest on the Windows website.
Click on the SEE the PCs and watch what others have said.

TiVo & Netflix...a new partnership

Netflix just announce a partnership with TiVo.
TiVo users will be able to watch Netflix movies from their TiVo boxes. No extra charges are included, just the charges that NetFlix users already pay.
Their partnership had first established in 2004, but now subscribers who own the TiVo Series3, HD, or HD XL will be able to stream over 12,000 movies and TV shows through Netflix's online streaming service.

To get the service started, TiVo users must visit the Netflix website and select their favorite movies and TV shows to be shown on their instant queues. Once you have visited the website and the movies or TV shows have been selected, TiVo users will be able to select the instant queues from their couch!

This is awesome. I don't have TiVo, but I know people who do and they love it! This partnership will definitely complement each other. TiVo users will now have the option of watching over 12,000 movies and TV shows of new releases and classics, without leaving the comfort of their home.
But for those of you that don't know what TiVo is check out their virtual tour on their website!
Click here to watch it!
The video may be a little cheesy, but it does it's job. :)

And the Apple vs. PC battle continues...

Apple continues to develop new ads that sum up PC problems. The newest one to the group "Bake Sale" shows PC having a Bake Sale to raise funds for their "problems," as Apple has so longingly discussed in their ads.
Always clever, Apple seems to outshine PC each time.
Now it seems PC has developed a campaigned that allows people to upload their own messages. Microsoft wants to show that throughout this whole mess, people still use Microsoft and are PC users and I think this campaign will allow Microsoft regain some of their dignity. People appear to be responding and it's about time. For so long, Apple just bashed PC/Microsoft, and they said nothing. Things are definitely getting interested?
I'm sure Apple will think of more clever ways to shun Microsoft.
But, I love how Microsoft does not involve nor mention Apple in their ads, even though Apple does so.

The battle continues, even though it seems Apple is the only one fighting....

DIGITAL GET DOWN!

While doing the podcast project this semester, we were asked to either podcast about a PR/ social media concept or interview an expert about social media. Our group decided to podcast about a social media concept that really interested us during one of our class' lectures. Our concept includes: Digital Footprints.

Here's a brief description about our podcast:

10 sec: Melanie introduces show, concept and participants.
15 sec: Melanie talks about digital footprints: what they are, what they do and who they effect.
2 min: Denise is introduced and talks about googling her name and what information she discovered about her digital footprint.
3 min: Denise talks about how her digital footprint could potentially affect her (positively or negatively) 3:45 min: Denise reveals her outlook on the future of podcasting.
4:20 min: Mandi is introduced and talks about her digital footprint within Facebook.
5:25 min: Mandi reveals how she uses Facebook as a social networking tool.
5:45 min: Melanie begins to conclude what effect digital footprints have on us and how they affect us daily.

So feel free to listen and enjoy!

Apple Strikes BACK!

Apple always delivered awesome commercial advertisements that made PC look stupid. Their ads were always funny, appealing, and delivered the message they intended to share with the audience, while keeping it simple, cute, and fun.
Microsoft didn't do anything for a while. It was not until long ago that they spoke back and launched some new commercials that had everyone talking. The "buzzing" was not a good thing. Many didn't understand the commercials. It was not until the current ads "I'm A PC" were released that good reviews were reported. Microsoft had people talking with no response from Apple.
I must say so myself, I wanted to see what Apple would do. It was definitely worth the wait. Just recently I was able to see Apple's latest commercial, "Bean Counter" and it's as fun as they have always been. They've managed to capture Microsoft's current situation. I wonder what Microsoft will do now??? No matter what Microsoft does, Apple always seems to have the upper hand. I just hope that Microsoft doesn't launch another Shoe Circus Ad.
Here's the "Bean Counter" Ad from Apple, Check out the Apple website for more of their fun commercials.

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Blog Action Day 2008

So I first found out about today's cause through my Social Media class professor. I knew that today was an important day to take action and that blogging is a great way of doing it. Today is a perfect example of the concept of Power of 1%. Each person just contributing content to this special cause to demonstrate how important poverty is and that something must be done to change it.
I'm not going to say that I'm truly well-informed about the issue of poverty, other than the obvious that it exists, so I decided to research on it. I started off by going to the Blog Action Day official website and was immediately impacted by their mission statement. It says so much in just a few words.

What is Blog Action Day?

Today thousands of bloggers will unite to discuss a single issue - poverty. We aim to raise awareness, initiate action and to shake the web!

It simply amazing just what my blog, as well as thousands, maybe even million of bloggers can do with our computer. Poverty, the topic of this year is important and deserves to get the proper attention it deserves. Although I am one that does not experience it as much as others do in other parts of the nation and world, I know that something must be done to cease it. So I joined the cause and decided to blog on such an important day. Together we can do something about poverty.
.

When I began doing my research, I found some shocking facts like:

About 25,000 people die every day of hunger or hunger-related causes, according to the United Nations. This is one person every three and a half seconds.

It is children who die most often.

-The Cycle of Poverty-
There is plenty of food in the world for everyone. The problem is that hungry people are trapped in severe poverty. They lack the money to buy enough food to nourish themselves. Being constantly malnourished, they become weaker and often sick. This makes them increasingly less able to work, which then makes them even poorer and hungrier.

Then I began researching information about our city of Austin and found some interesting information.

Approximately 200,000, or 20%, of Travis County residents are classified as "working poor" by the Texas Department of Human Services.

The annual income needed for a Travis County family of four without employee sponsored health insurance to "afford" to live in the Austin area is $53,080. That's 257% above the Federal poverty level.

Austin continues to have the highest cost of living in the state of Texas, exceeding housing costs in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Fort Worth.


Today is the day to get informed. Today is the day to take action.
So TAKE ACTION!!! DO YOUR PART! Let's do something to change our community.
Together it can happen.

Oh how times have changed...

Times have certainly changed. Things have become increasingly easier and affordable for us with the creation have the internet. We have access to things all over the world and can do so much more. As I sat in the library doing my midterm review, I realized that technology, mostly the computer, run our daily lives.
It's incredibly exciting to know that everyone has the power to start a change with just a click of a button. Such things like blogs, podcasts, wikis, and social bookmarks, have made things easier for us to communicate one's own thoughts, ideas, and even complaints on situations or products/services. Who knows what things will be like in a few years, or when our generations begins having kids! It makes it wonders, how much more advanced can things get?

Axe "Chocolate Man"

I was watching TV and noticed that the Axe "Chocolate Man" commercial is on constantly. The product being advertised, AXE Dark Temptation, "One quick spray of AXE Dark Temptation and women around you will not be able to resist you."
I never thought about it, but when I did, I realized how confused I am by the commercial. Are men going to smell like chocolate? And if so, what type of scent is that?
I know I'm not the target audience (obviously it's being targeted to a male audience), but if this scent is supposed to attract me, and other women, shouldn't I like this commercial or at least understand it? The message that AXE normally gave was that using their products would give off a sexy, attractive scent that women would adore, therefore, men would love to use it! When I would smell the other AXE products, they weren't bad at all.
Now, it just seems rather disgusting to see a chocolate-related scent being used to advertise this product. When I think chocolate I think about something great to eat, not something I want to smell. Chocolate is something boys should give to girls, not smell like. So what is Axe exactly trying to do???
I realized I should try to think outside the box and try to think like the target audience, but it's really hard to imagine walking by a guy who smells like chocolate.

You are what you google

It had been a while since we were first asked to Google our names and observe the results that were found. I remember sitting in class and typing in my name into Google. I saw my results and found an 18 year with my same name. I didn't think much of it. In fact, I just laughed about it and forgot. Weeks went by before I thought about it again.
However, after today's lecture in class, that changed. Our professor starting explaining that many employers look at personal accounts when hiring new employees. I'm not saying I have misleading information on my personal accounts, but this young lady, who has my same name could perhaps be mistaken for me.
I run the risk of being confused for someone else. Someone else who is completely different. Perhaps I jumping to conclusions. The only thing that distinguishes us from each other is our age, (at least from just looking at the page) employers could easily overlook something like that. Not to mention this young lady is the #1 result. She appears before I do. CRAZY!
So Myspacers, Facebookers, Flicksters, BEWARE! You never know who's watching. Future employers may have already gazed at your account.
So as our guest lecturer, Camella Manges, Director of E-Marketing at St. Edward's University said in class, "Don't have anything that you would not be comfortable having your mother see about you on your page. Be wise about what's on the internet about you."

You Wanna be on Top??

While surfing the web, I came across what I think is just too much. It's crazy how any hit show, movie, series, etc, is then released as a video game. The next hit show hit the shelves as a video game as well is America's Next Top Model!
The video game has the same structure as the show and is being released by Nintendo on November 7th, 2008. Digital Models will do photo shoots and will get eliminated each week. If you make it to the end than you're on TOP! You'll be the digital Nintendo DS, America's Next Top Model! Crazy! This is just too much. I know the show is has had success in the ratings, but a video game is simply too much. Tyra is really milking this show. Creating a model contest and having your characters compete is not necessarily a game I would want to play. I'm sure there's those that will buy it, but it is really is too much. America's Next Top Model should just stick to being a television show. Who knows, maybe it's actually a good game. We'll have to see Nov. 7th. Good Luck! :)

Grandfather PREGNANT?!

Ok...So I was doing my daily gossip dishing on my favorite blog Perez Hilton, when I came across an interesting article title, "Hospital tells grandfather, 71, that he's pregnant." I was shocked. I had to re-read the title to make sure I read it properly.
I did some investigation and came across the information explaining the title. Apparently this 71 year-old man, John Grady Pippen of Gold Beach, checked himself into a Portland, OR hospital with some abdominal pains and was reported to have been told he was pregnant. SHOCKING! However, the hospital reported that "an errant keystroke caused the hospital's computer to spit out the wrong discharge instructions."
Poor Mr. Pippen, he just wanted to be treated for abdominal pain and he came out thinking he was pregnant!

Blogging Week...

This past week our class consisted of blogging topics and how it's impacted the business world. We discussed just how important and controversial blogging can be for both ordinary people and CEOs. Our professor was able to provide us with examples of official blogs of some major companies like:

• Coca Cola
• Wal-Mart
• Kodak
• Whole Foods.

Blogging has really gotten intense. CEOs of major companies have begun using this new way of technology to build better communication with their community. Although statistics have shown that fewer than 15% of Fortune 500 CEOs blog, sooner or later than will change and more and more CEOs will begin blogging. The future is blogging.

Are you Serious?

I'm not really sure when the R.Kelly interview on BET was conducted but it caught my attention immediately. Every part of the interview is just incredible. The interviewer's face is just priceless. It's pretty obvious that HE can't even believe the answers that he's getting from this celebrity. R. Kelly is just completely clueless. He definitely needs a better publicist. Did he NOT anticipate these types of questions? Could he seriously not come up with better answers?! Did he not learn anything from his trial?!

R. Kelly obviously needs a better PR team. This guy's image may very well be ridiculously at its worst, but, I would assume that he wants to change at, and if he doesn't he definitely should. For the sake of his fans, he should have answered this questions with better answers. A good publicist would have arranged that. A good publicist would have anticipated this precise situation and prepared for it. Obviously he lacks this type of team. I feel bad for R. Kelly. I hope that in the future, his interviews run smoother than this. I truly hope that a apology or some type of conference is held to explain this interview. He NEEDS to do it, to continue with his career.

The Power of 1%

I was sitting in class, while the professor was lecturing on the advances that technology has made and how the public has responded to it. She explained how people nowadays have the option of reviewing, adding, changing, buying, and so forth on the internet. The influence that WE have created is truly astonishing and makes you wonder...what's in store for us later on, if things have already advanced this much? I was aware that people blogged, uploaded videos to YouTube, using MySpace, Facebook, and writing customer reviews, but I was in no way aware at how powerful we have become with just access to the internet.
In our textbook, Citizen Marketers, it describes this era as "the democratization of self expression," in which the public has lots of power with easy access tools that has enabled them to acquired it, as has been for many like Perez Hilton, whose blog is highly recognized for news on celebrity gossip, fashion, and to some extent politics. He even has his own fashion line, now available at Hot Topic stores. It all started with a blog....
Before that cheesy saying "It only takes 1," was something just completely cheesy! But now....it really does only take 1.

Oh, Bill! Oh, Jerry...What next?

Microsoft's 2nd Commercial...
Yeah, a second ad was released on to the media, depicting Jerry Seinfield and Bill Gates interacting with a family in an attempting to make a connection. Their ad, a 4 minute commercial, is not what I expected at all. In fact, I wasn't quite sure what to expect after the first one.
The whole family scenario just doesn't really do much for me. I can see Microsoft's will to strike an effective campaign like Mac has had for the past years, but I just don't see one coming out with these commercials.
The SIMPLICITY used in Mac ads have made them effective. Customers don't have to think beyond what Justin Long is tell them or what they're watching. EVERYTHING IS OBVIOUS, something people like. But, that's not the case for Microsoft. People REALLY have to think about the commercial to try to understand it. THAT'S NOT a GOOD THING!
This just kind of makes you wonder...What's next? How can Microsoft confuse us anymore?!

Wikis: To Trust Or Not To Trust?

Wikis have certainly made their mark in today's technological world. Wikipedia, a highly-recognized, and often overused, example of a Wiki, defines it as a "page or collection of web page designed to enable anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify content, using a simplified mark up language." They've introduced a whole new to look at information and their accuracy. People now have the option of applying their own knowledge and exposing it to the world.
But is that a good thing? Or a Bad thing?

Throughout my college years, the professors advised to not use wikis as a credited source of information, advising us to use other "trusted" sources for our assignments. I've never really found any information to be misleading in the wikis that I have used, which has mainly been Wikipedia. However, it is understandable that uses these forms of information as trusted sources for research papers is not ideal for accurate information. Can we really trust the people who are posted their own insight on things as "trusted?" For all we know the person who posted up the information is a high school drop out with no real knowledge on the topic and chose to write out of boredom. Then again, it could be a doctor, who has expert knowledge in that particular field. Wikis = Risks!!!