Julia Roy, A Digital Girl

The Top Foursquare User List

I discovered from a post on Techcrunch today that I am ranked #8 on the newly released Top Foursquare User list by Osnapz. When I saw that I was within the top 10 "most friended" users on on Foursquare I was definitely surprised because Foursquare to date hasn't provided friend count stats on user profiles. They measure and display a lot of other statistics on user profiles like number of check-in's, badges, mayorships, etc., but not friends. I was never sure why they didn't show a friend count on profiles, but I imagine it is because they wanted to encourage and reward users for their participation rather than popularity (which is what Twitter does by only displaying following and follower stats on user profiles rather than any kind of real engagement metric).

With that said, since I started on Foursquare I have had a few debates with other Foursquare users about the fact that I accept every Foursquare invite I receive, no matter if I know who they are or not. I always understood the argument against accepting friend requests from people you don't know. Foursquare is a platform for users to inform their friends where they are hanging out and compete with each other for the most number badges, which signifies who is the most adventurous out of the group.

Although I respect why most people restrict their Foursquare network to real life friends, I've always looked at it differently. I like to use Foursquare when I am out socializing and crusin' around NYC as a way to help me connect in real life, with both the people I know very well, and people I don't know well at all (yet). When investing so much time into digital relationships, it's a unique opportunity to be able to tell my close friends where I am at, and at the same time unexpectedly meet others that I likely would have never connected or had a real life conversation with. 

Also, as Foursquare expands to more cities and countries, the opportunity when traveling to meetup with and learn from your Foursquare friends who live there can make an unknown city a friendly, local experience. As soon as you switch cities on Foursquare, you can see what the locals are doing and where the most checked-in hangouts are.

I've had lots of people tell me that sharing my location publicly, with people that are practically strangers, is weird and creepy. But they also said similar things about Twitter in the beginning, and look what Twitter has done to change the way millions of people connect, communicate and learn from each other. And although at first it feels awkward, there is nothing better than turning a stranger into a friend.

Bom Dia Brazil

A Brazilian journalist interning in NYC for the largest TV network in Latin America, GloboTV, reached out to me unexpectedly last week and asked if I would be interested in discussing my experiences with Twitter and Foursquare as it relates to establishing virtual, and real life friends. The best part of the whole thing is that my the interview is translated into Portuguese, and I can't help but how awesome it is. The segment aired yesterday on GloboTV's Bom Dia Brazil morning TV show, but you can watch the video below (my part is 1:35seconds in) and read the accompanying article in either Portuguese or translated into English. I bet you can guess how I found out yesterday that the segment had run earlier that morning in Brazil. Yup, a rare Brazilian tweetie bird flew all the way from Latin America to NYC to give me the good news. ;) 

When we discuss social networking and its ability to drive more real life networking, it's important to remember that the synergy between online and offline interaction is an essential component of what this whole social networking thing is ultimately about.  You have to get out there and give quality face time to make your digital relationships stronger. Meet more people and solidify your digital relationships into something more tangible and memorable.

The MyNewPlace iPhone App

This is a sponsored post on behalf of MyNewPlace via Izea. All the opinions expressed here are mine.

I've lived in New York City for almost two years now, and have moved a total of three times since. To say the least, the NYC apartment hunt and move is a hellish and stressful experience, and, to be perfectly honest, I hate the entire process with a passion. It's time consuming and typically disappointing - as apartments come and go as quick as they become available.

I've only ever used Craigslist on my computer to search for, and find, an apartment. So I was very interested in downloading the MyNewPlace free iPhone application, and check out how useful it could be in helping me find my next place.

It uses GPS to find nearby apartments based on where you're currently standing, which, I feel, is pretty innovative. I used the app to search for available apartments when I was in both Midtown and the West Village, and it was really convenient to be able to see what was currently available based on my position at any given moment. If I was actually searching for an apartment at this time, I would be able to get directions to listed apartments and call or email the property directly from my phone.  When you're seeing an apartment listed on MyNewPlace, you can use your iPhone camera to take photos and notes, saving them directly onto the online property listing. You can also use Facebook Connect to easily share listings on your Facebook Wall to get feedback from your friends during your apartment search.

Although the functionality of the app itself is really cool and they list over six-million apartments and rentals nationwide, I discovered that 80% of the listings in the MyNewPlace search were out of my price range. Because of this, I would not be able to find enough apartments through this application alone to be able to use it exclusively when searching for an apartment. I would likely still need to turn to a service such as PadMapper, which simply integrates listings on Craigslist with Google Maps. Though Craigslist is the only listing service I've used to find an apartment in New York City, I'll definitely take MyNewPlace for a spin when I have to move again in eight months.

Socialnomics

I really dig the way this video begins, asking the question "Is social media a fad? Or the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution?"

Some fun facts from the video that stood out for me:

By 2010 Gen Y (that's me!) will outnumber Baby Boomers.
Watch out! We're taking over this joint!

Social Media has overtaken porn as the #1 activity on the Web.
I am not sure I entirely believe this, but cool to see some category online is as popular as porn. Ha!

1 out of 8 couples married in the U.S. last year met via social media.
Awe. I can say that is true in my current relationship too ;)

1 in 6 higher education students are enrolled in online curriculum.
I truly believe in the power of online education, and am excited to see how schools will innovate to offer more online education options.

25% if search results for the World's Top 20 largest brands are links to user-generated content
Wonder why brands care so much about what is said about them by consumers online ;)

Media Diet

I was browsing my feed reader when I came across FlowingData's reposting of Wired's "Balance Your Media Diet."  My media diet consists of much more Twitter and social networking than is shown here for sure. What does your media diet look like? Does this chart represent your consumption accurately?

When you add it all up, the average American spends roughly nine hours a day glued to some kind of screen, and like your diet, quality is as important as quantity. Here are Wired's suggested servings for optimal media health.

Digitizing the Traditional Business Card

Attending an array of conferences, tweetups, and other social networking events has made me a professional business card collector. I always have the best intention of adding important business card contact info to my address book, but it's a task that's always on the bottom of my to-do list. This is a problem for me, because what is the point of giving out or receiving business cards, if they are most likely going straight into a desk drawer or a filing tray.

For me, contact info is only useful when I can search for it on my computer. I need to be able to easily find who I am looking for by simply browsing my address book for keywords – like the name of the conference I met them at, or the company they work for that I miraculously remember them telling me about. Most of the time I don't need someone's contact info right after I meet them, it is usually at a later date when there's a real and important reason to reconnect with them. The result, I have a desk full of business cards that do not help me whatsoever in reconnecting with people I've met and chatted with in person.

I posted a photo last month after the #140 Character Conference (pictured left) expressing how ridiculousness it is that all the business cards I received were about 5 seconds away from being tossed into my desk drawer, probably to never be looked at again.  I later received a message from Laura Nelson at SHIFT Communications on behalf of The Neat Company offering to send me one of their scanners.  The Neat Company scanners with accompanying software, reads text from business cards, receipts, and documents and imports the info directly into your computer. Of course I said heck yes send me one.

I had to choose between their NeatReceipts or NeatDesk scanners – the former being small in size and less expensive than the latter, which is much larger but can apparently scans items faster than the smaller, more mobile one. I decided on the NeatReceipts (mobile) scanner over the NeatDesk (faster) scanner, mainly because I have very limited desk space, but also because I though it would be useful to bring with me when I travel to conferences and events.

My thoughts after using the NeatReceipts scanner is that no matter which way you approach it, the process of entering contact info from business cards sucks. However, NeatReciept's is undoubtedly helpful at making the tedious process way more efficient and significantly less painful. The scanner's accompanying software imports scanned text to your computer and automatically organizes the information into a contact form. Even after scanning, there is usually some text info you have to manually enter, because the scanner can't decipher the text or doesn't know where it should go. Even despite the fact it is not a perfect machine, I am definitely going to continue to use it, because it scans and imports text not only from business cards but documents and receipts too, which I have already found really useful. However, my final recommendation would be to shell out the extra money and desk space for the faster NeatDesk scanner, because ultimately the point of these scanners are to help you save precious time when doing manually tedious, time-consuming tasks.

I liken the usefulness of these two products to that of a printer. Without a printer, manually copying large amounts of text from the screen to paper would be a huge time sink. In the same light, even though considering these scanner's are not perfect, they do make copying text from paper to your computer the easiest and most efficient method possible right now. 

This makes me think, how long before it's a common and universal practice that we strictly share business cards digitally? There are some digital business card solutions out there right now like beamME and Drop Card, but it's challenging to adopt these services when most people still want you to simply hand them your business card. I wonder if the traditional business card will ever really become completely extinct?

Digital Citizens of the World

You may have already seen the data heavy and awe inspiring Shift Happen (aka Did You Know 2.0) video released in 2007 by Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod dipicting the global progression of information technology.  Well, I came across a video today (below) that remixes the information presented in that video in such a way that triggered much deeper thought for me about the implications of the speed, spread and advancement of technology.  The rapid advancement of technology 's  is dramatically impacting the educational system, the development of the human race and the way we interact with each other.

Some quotes from the video that really stood out in my mind:

• For students starting a 4 year technical degree... half of what they learn in their first year of study will be outdated by their third year of study. 
• 1 out of 8 couples married in the U.S. last year met online. 
• The #1 ranked country in Broadband Internet penetration is Bermuda (United States is #19)
• Today the number of text messages sent and received everyday exceeds the total population of the planet.
• By 2013, a supercomputer will be built that exceeds the computational capabilities of the human brain. 
• The top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 did not exist in 2004.

If the information presented here intrigues you as much as it intrigues me, you can join the discussions on the Shift Happens Wiki.

Bus with WiFi? I'm In!

I'm heading to Boston for the weekend and there's only one mode of transportation that gets me excited  - the Bolt Bus.

Notice the first and third item listed in Boltbus' features: Internet and Power Outlets. This bus is cheap, reliable, clean and (most importantly) the most blog-able and charg-able mode of transportation available. **That is if your going to and from Boston, New York, Philadelphia and/or Washington.

see this photo on flickr

Side-note: From Boston to NYC there is the LimoLiner, but it is $89 for a one-way trip, compared to Bolt Bus which is only $20. These days, I say cheaper is better.

Best Twitter iPhone App is Tweetie

Tweetie (@tweetie) is THE BEST Twitter application for the iPhone. Go to the iTunes App store and purchase it for $2.99. Trust me, you will not be let down. Check out the video below where I explain and show Mike Schneider (@schneidermike) why Tweetie is da bomb!

Julia Roy Schools Schneider Mike on Tweetie from Schneider Mike on Vimeo.

How To Keep Up With Your Facebook Friends Using RSS Feeds

The following is a guest post from Walt Breuninger. He's insanely awesome, and you can follow him on Twitter here.

To start with, I'm going to assume that you have a Facebook account and that you use RSS feeds.  Not unreasonable assumptions, given that you're reading Julia's blog, but if you don't know what RSS feeds are, watch this video.  It'll bring you up to speed in under 4 minutes.

If you don't have Facebook, you're beyond help at this point.  Sorry, come back tomorrow.

The whole point of Facebook is to connect you with friends so you can keep up with what's going on in each others lives.  That can be a little difficult when you have hundreds of friends.  Some of them will be constantly updating their status, others will only update once or twice a month, and those are the ones you always miss.

I live inside of my RSS Reader, and one day I found myself wishing that Facebook updates were available as RSS feeds.

After doing a little digging, it turns out that there are feeds available...Facebook just makes them really hard to find.

There are three feeds to choose from (make sure you're logged into Facebook before clicking these links):

1) Facebook Notifications Feed - This is an RSS feed for when people send you messages, add you as a friend, comment on your status updates, invite you to events, etc.

The Notifications feed can be found on this page. It looks like this: 

 

2) Facebook Status Updates Feed - When your friends update their statuses, this feed will give you all of the details.

The Status Updates feed can be found on this page. It looks like this:

3) Facebook Posted Items Feed - Any time your friends post a link, video, photo, etc, you'll get the full scoop right from the comfort of
your RSS reader.

The Posted Items feed can be found on this page. It looks like this:

Keep in mind that those three feeds won't cover everything your friends are doing - you'll still see plenty of other stuff in your News Feed.

Hopefully one day Facebook will make more feeds, or even one big RSS feed for all of your friends activities, but until then, those three are a great start.

Stop Motion Day In the Life of a Born Digital Human

Thousands of photos from a single day in New York city were edited together by my boss's brother, Micah Spear. We are a generation that is always on and always connected. Where our lives jump online and off is no longer just indecipherable, it's irrelevant.

Full Credits:
Shot and edited by Micah Spear for Undercurrent.
Music: Kraftwerk, Pocket Calculator (used out of love)
Buy the single on Amazon: tinyurl.com/4arfxy

Zinio's Go Read Green Initiative

 

Zinio launched Go Read Green Initiative yesterday, a program designed to increase the consumer awareness and use of paper-and-ink-free, digital reading alternatives.  Zinio is encouraging consumers to embrace an environmentally sustainable alternative to traditional print reading, whether it's allowing international readers to download their favorite American magazine, or providing readers access to archived magazine content dating back several years.

For the launch, they are giving away digital subscriptions of 100's of top magazines.  I signed up for my free subscription, and browsed the pages of October's ELLE Magazine. I like the layout and love the scroll at the bottom of the screen, allowing you to view thumbnail previews of each page of the magazine. Sometimes, the pages did take a few seconds to load, but overall I am quite impressed with the concept and execution.

It is a really great way to interact with a print magazine.  It brings the print and web together in a easy and convenient way for the consumer. If you have not signed up for your free subscription yet, you need to. It is simple and fast and the reader works on iPhone as well, so you can take it on the go. We are looking at a paper-free future, get on board. 

Showcasing your Lifestream

I may not blog as much as I should, but I sure do create a lot of social network activity. Through bookmarking interesting sites on Delicious, posting updates on Twitter, uploading photos to Flickr and videos to Vimeo.

Blog sidebar widgets are helpful in tying all my activity and content to my blog, but not in a way that features new content or shows a timeline of my activity.

Enter - Sweetcron - the automated lifestream blog software.  I am really into the concept that drives this software, but the way it visualizes your social activity is a little too busy for me. Not sure where my eyes should go when I am viewing a Sweetcorn lifestream blog.

I know there are a lot of people like me who participate in several social communities and are always interested in tools that brings it all together nicely. It is interesting to think about how new tools can improve upon other aggregating services like Friendfeed, by bringing your activity right to your blog, instead of keeping it a seperate feed that lives somewhere else.

Removing iPhone Apps

I am only keeping three applications on my iPhone- Yelp, Tetris and Pandora -and the rest I have removed from my phone. Not because I don't like them or find them useful, but because they make even the simplest tasks like texting and emailing really slow to load and I've been having serious keyboard slowdown. When opening my texts, I wait 20 seconds for my texts to be visible; i wait up to 30 seconds sometimes for the keyboard to catch up to my fingers. I never had these problems before. I also found the apps themselves are kinda crappy and often take forever to load, if they'd even load at all.

To keep my word, below is a critique of all the apps I talked about in my previous post. Here is my official MonkeyButt list for iApps^sm (title graciously suggested by THE Paisano, *hat tip.*)

Typepad: I cannot get into blogging from my mobile phone. A few months back Typepad launched improved mobile blogging features and although this app is a great addition, I don't like blogging from my phone. I am too slow typing on my iPhone and I am unable to edit and add images/multimedia to the post with the ease that I can when blogging from my laptop.

AIM: Didn't work at all. Could not even get it to load, at all. This was the first app I deleted, so moving on....

MoPhoto: To be honest, I never even opened this app. Flickr makes posting photos from my phone to my Flickr account incredibly easy. I email photos from my phone using my designated Flickr email. I never even gave this app a chance.

SunCompass: I wanted this to work so bad. I use Hopstop a lot for getting around NYC and the directions always say "go north" or "head south," and I never have any clue which way to turn. To my disappointment, this app did not work for me. It took way too long for the app to figure out which way is which.

Jamd: As much as I wanted to use this to keep up with pop culture/celebrity news, it seems I just don't care enough about the world of glamour to use it.

Bank of America: I like this app a lot, but I've always been able to easily access my account on the BOA website via my iPhone browser. I removed it because my iPhone is so slow now with these apps, so if I don't need it or love it, it's gone.

New York Times: Who am I kidding, I don't read news on the go, on my iPhone, ever. The only time I want to read news on phone- is on the Subway, which is impossible because no phone service underground. (So, while in transit, I read fiction bestsellers instead.)

Google: This app loads but then freezes and does not allow me to enter any text for at least 90 seconds. I can't wait that long. I am actually thinking I might try to keep this one, I do like using it better than the iPhone Safari browser.

Jott: Jott is a great organization and voice-to-text service, that I never fully got into. Thought I'd give it another whirl, but I quickly realized it was redundant as I am using a great task/note organization service at work already.

iPhone 2.0 Software Update and Applications

I finally took the time to update my iPhone with the new 2.0 software.  The new searching and storing features included in the update are fantastic and were much needed. I can now search my contacts in a search box, instead of having to scroll through my contacts alphabetically; delete multiple emails at once, instead of having to select, load and delete each email individually; and easily organize emails into folders. Other new features like the scientific calculator and language dictionary I could care less about, but I still wish it had the ability to cut, copy and paste. Oh well, maybe next time. 

The new applications I've synced to my iPhone are AWESOME.  I can't get enough of them and I can't stop searching for new ones on the iTunes store everyday. Here is a sample of what I've downloaded so far. I'll post a follow up with a review of the applications once I get time to really use them all. What do you think of the apps? Are there any that you think I should try that are not pictured here?