5 for Friday: A Memorial Day Message.

                                         

The above image is my old neighbor Jason Ray Parsons, who was killed in a Roadside bombing while serving in Afghanistan on Janurary 9th, 2009.  Monday is Memorial day, so please remember the people who have fallen so we can enjoy your freedom.  

Wherever you are Jason, know that you are missed by not just me but thousands of others.

5 for Friday:

1. Apple officially passes Microsoft in Technology supremacy.
   
   
2. Facebook announces even more privacy changes and the Wall Street Journal is there to cover it.
   
   
3. To pave room for the Upcoming Iphone, Wal-Mart slashes iphone 3GS price to $97.
   
   
4. Limewire COO talks about filtering out pirated content that currently has his company in a whole heep of trouble.
   
   
5. After years of doing nothing, the FCC finally takes a long hard look at the wireless community.

Follow Friday:  @RickM, @Helpaprproout, @SocialMediajobs,

Podcast you are not listening to but should:  Security Now with Steve Gibson

Have a story that you want featured here?  Send me an e-mail at ColinWWatts (at) Gmail.com

Why no Social Media plan, does not make it a Good Plan.

If you do not get Social Media at this point YOU ARE AN IDIOT.  There I said it.  As most of you know, I am at a giant turning point in my life where I am looking for a full time position in the Marketing world, preferable in Social Media.

I love it and I get it!  Yes, I don't have 20,000 thousand readers for my blog, but that's not the point.  My blog is for me to rant and rave about Social Media and the occasional episode of Lost.  I do not want to make money at it.  I am not Chris Brogan or Amber Naslund....at least not yet.

But the amount of followers that I have should not stop you from hiring me, because apparently I have a stronger presence than some of you out there.  As I have been planning my next grand adventure of what to do next, post my current Internship, I've been reaching out to Ad agencies both small and large, and I have been DUMB FOUNDED by the number of agencies/companies that do not have any social media links anywhere on their webpage or a social media presence of any kind.

Do these people not realize how many early adopters there are out there!  Do these people not realize that Foursquare is gaining 15 thousand users a month!  Do they not realize that Facebook has gained 10 million active users since April 21st  and despite recent backlash they do not seem to be slowing down!

As an Advertiser/Marketer you have to follow your audience, no matter where they are, if it's down the dark hallway of Twitter or the hip check-in's of Foursquare.  YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW THEM!  You have to understand that kids these days are growing up with this technology and they cannot imagine a future without it.  So it's best to target this medium now!

So I'm not asking you to hire me to fix your problem, but for crying out loud, just adopt a Social Media plan because if you don't YOU ARE AN IDIOT!

My Goodbye to Lost.

I have to do this...as a Lost fan I feel almost obligated to write a post about the final episode of Lost.  So if you are not a Lost fan, go somewhere else....maybe here Amber Naslund's blog or here at Laura Ruettiman's blog.  Okay, are you still there?  You are, GREAT!  You will not be disappointed, I promise.

Before I start anything I want to say good-bye...good-bye to Jack's self-doubt, Sawyer's charm, Sayid's tortured soul, and John Lock's spirtual quest.  Thank you Lost, it was a fun and crazy journey and I enjoyed every bit of it.

Now it's been a little over 72 hrs since the ending and many people are still talking about what the hell just happened?    Was this future purgatory?  Did Jack die in the plane crash?  Though these questions like many others were unanswered, I have to honestly say that this show, told it's story.

The number one thing about figuring out Lost's ending, is figuring out what the show was about.  Watching an episode of Lost, many people will tell you that the show is about a group of people on a mysterious island and at that point I have to agree, but then most people will ramble on about the mysteries of the island and I have to say that's where I disagree, about the premise of the show.  The show is, was, NEVER ABOUT THE ISLAND instead it was about the characters.  The show was named Lost not because this is a group of characters who are lost on a mystical Island but because this is a group of character's who are lost in their lives.  These people were battling there own demons before they ever landed on the island, be it a woman on the run or a soon to be mother who was giving away her baby, all of these people were lost in their lives and they found themselves on this island.  This is what Lost is in a nutshell, not a story about a smoke monster or.two brothers locked in a battle of good versus evil, but a show about a group of people who found each other in their time of need.

This show was more about the characters than it ever was about the Science Fiction.  Yes, I was one of those guys, who read the blogs about Walt's visions, the maps on the hatch, and Eloise Hawkins appearances, and I can honestly say I am happy that some of these questions were never answered.

So good-bye, once again Lost, there will never be a show that confused this many people ever again.

5 for Friday: A case of Stolen Identity, Google Announcements and Microsoft Updates.

  

If you have not heard by now, I am currently suffering from a case of Identity Theft.  When my twin brother heard about it, he couldn't help but grab a magnifying glass and run around going "there's a mystery a foot."

5 For Friday:

1. Microsoft has upped the Ante in the map game, by introducing new features into Bing maps. including Apps to find Gas prices and parking spaces.
   
   
2. Google introduces GoogleTV leaving this writer to wonder if the Google Fridge and Microwave are next.
   
   
3. In other Google news, Google announced the Google Chrome Web App Store. at the Google I/O conference.
   
   
4. The number one E-mail service in the world Hotmail not Google, receives some long needed updates.
   
   
5. In Social Media news, the Wall Street Journal has dug up some info that show Digg, Myspace and Facebook giving your private information to Advertisers.

Follow Friday:  @Rena_Turnmire, @Kaylee11, @Sweetsammi11687

Podcast you are not listening to but should:  What the F@#$!  With Marc Maron.  

Want to be featured here?  Contact me at ColinWWatts (at) Gmail.com

What to do about that other Cole Watts? Yesterday's tale of Identity Theft.

So I became a victim of Identity theft, yesterday.  Yes, you read that right.  I came home yesterday from my Internship and found out that I was now the owner of six cell phones attached to family plans with both Verizon Wireless and AT&T. Thankfully, I was able to call and cancel AT&T's plan almost immediately, and I am still waiting to hear fromVerizon Wireless.

I micro-blogged the whole event starting with this tweet, and followed it up until my eventful return from the police department.  As I was tweeting my friends at JHP Advertising, they sent me their sympathy and I said thank you, and went on to tell them that my bank account's safe but my social security numbers are another issue entirely.  These thieves used my Social Security numbers to order the phones and if they're smart enough, they will realize they that they can use these numbers to order anything at all.

This got me thinking about just how important our social security numbers are to us and our future.  Now that we have decided to become a digital society, paper money is becoming irrelevant.  Though it is easy to go to an ATM these days, few people actually carry around cash or any coinage.  With debit and credits so easily to be stolen is it not time that we implement some kind of retinal scans, or the fingerpriting devices that we see in the movies.

Though these thoughts of simply being a number in the system are scary, being a victim is scarier.  Now, I have to worry about myself and my future, because I am a victim and this can only make me wonder where our current future will take us.

Where will the banking industry take us, in order to protect our security?  Are we going to have chips in the back of our heads that serve as our bank accounts as well?  Let me know.

With Lost over, I am now Lost.

So after tomorrow night, there will be only be one episode left of Lost, which means the end of the Oceanic Flight 815's journey and also the freedom of my Tuesday nights once again.

There are few shows that have captivated me in the last five years like Lost.  I am not an avid TV watcher to begin with, but I have given a few shows a chance such as the Mentalist, The Unusuals, Dark Blue, and Pushing Daisies.  But none of these shows have filled with the same wonder as Lost.  None of the shows filled me with the same wonder and awe that Lost has, so I am left wondering what show will fill this gaping void that is now in my life.

Breaking Bad(AMC) - A show that I've told myself numerous times that I would watch.  I even have a sister who watches this show religiously, but have not been able to make myself to sit down and watch it.  The story centers around a Science teacher turned drug dealer and if that does not remind you of your high school days something is completely wrong.

The Wire(HBO) - Yes, the show is off the air and despite winning thousands of awards, I have still never watched a single episode of it.  I love shows that do not pull any punches and from what I understand this is the show to watch if you want the see true dirty underworld of the streets.

Dexter (Showtime) - A show my friends give me hell about every season for not watching.  I watched the first season in the span of a week and was truly captivated by Michael C Hall's scary performance of a forensics agent with a deadly secret, however, I was deeply worried that after the first season of the show, that the premise would get repetitive and dull, but I keep hearing good
 things about it.

Mad Men(AMC) - A character piece at it's best.  The story of an Advertising Agency in the 70s truly captivates me and though I know nothing else about the show beyond it's location, I am still intrigued by it.  I really want to watch the first season of this show, just to see what it is all about.

Walking Dead(AMC) - The one show I am looking forward to the most this fall season.  This is not a truly episodic show but instead a mini-series.  Though, word is if it succeeds it will turn into a weekly.  If you are unfamiliar with the Walking Dead, it's based on a Comic book series by Robert Kirkman.  Walking Dead tells the story of Rick Grimes who tries to survive a Zombie Apocalypse.  AMC + Zombies = You have me hooked.

If you have not heard of any of these shows, something's apparently wrong or like me you are a Lost zombie.

Now that I have listed the shows I look forward to spending my free time with, is there anything I missed and what are you looking forward to watching now that Lost is over?   Leave a comment below.

5 for Friday: A Turkish Kid, Matt Vaughan, and My Sister's Graduation.

Last weekend was graduation weekend for my sister and another excuse for my mother to take ridiculous shots of the entire family.  On the plus side, I got to spend my free time the cutest neice/nephew combo in the world.

1. Android outselling Apple?  Looks that way.
   
   
2. Leo Laporte and other web leaders are leaving Facebook, but for how long?
   
   
3. Hear the one about the Turkish kid and Twitter?
   
   
4. Facebook jumps into Geo-social networking.
   
   
5. The NYTimes says suprisingly, we do not use our cellphones as phones.
   
   AND THE BONUS SHOT:  919 Marketing's Matt Vaughan decided to start a blog, check it out and tell him I said hey.

Follow Friday: @919marketing, @VaughanMatt, @ALanning79, @grchapman5

Podcast you're not listening to:  Engadget

Have a story you want mentioned here?  Contact me at ColinWWatts (at) Gmail.com

Microsoft and now Facebook, the Bullies of the Technological age.

Last Thursday, I posed the following question on Facebook, "What Internet browser do you currently use?" and got the following results:
  
     3 - for Explorer
     3 - for Chrome
     2 - for Firefox

I had posed this question to see how many people still used Internet Explorer and was surprised that I found a decent portion of my test audience still used it.  If you are familiar with Explorer, you know it as the default browser for all Windows operating systems.  I partially wonder if people still use it, because it came as the standard browser in early computer systems and people have yet to make a switch.

Microsoft was a bully in those early days and felt it a crime to allow any other Internet browser on it's operating systems.  Those times have changed though with Microsoft being more lenient on other Browsers being on there machines.  Though Microsoft is no longer the bully it once was, other such programs have been bullying us the last few years, such as Apple's Safari which is almost a required download when updating Itunes/Quicktime these days.

Do we want these bullying sales tactics and what of the future?  Facebook, is currently taking our privacy away, but if we leave it, such as Tech host Leo Laport  who recently did, will we be able to communicate with our core audience, whose still on it?

Being forced into something, is not a good thing, but in the age of the branded Internet, bulling is almost a given.  Microsoft was the original bully in the early days as it "convinced" us to use Explorer and now Facebook is trying the same tactics by telling us that sharing our information is a good thing. As a salesmen I understand this tactic, but these stakes that Facebook and other Internet companies are playing with our different, by eliminating our options and making us do exactly what they say, they are not just being cruel but straight bullies.

5 For Friday: New Beginnings.

Ah...new segment time.  Welcome to 5 for Friday's, 5 links that send you to the stories that you might of missed.

1. Google's new look, examined by the LA Times.
   
   
2. Bit.ly and the real time web.
   
   
3. Conan O'Brian on 60 minutes, in case you missed it.
   
   
4. Apple vs. Flash, the fight heats up.
   
   
5. Walking Dead Free #49 free comic book day was last weekend, but that doesn't mean the free comic books have stopped. Check out Walking Dead, soon to be an AMC Miniseries.

Follow Friday:  @RRW, @NYTimes

Podcast You're not listening to.:  TWIT(This Week In Tech)

Have a story that you want featured?  E-mail me: ColinWWatts@Gmail.com

I Dream in Tech Update

Okay for those that have been wondering, about the status of this blog, I believe it's time that I update the ground rules and structure for this blog. I believe in my very first posting, the rules were that I would post a blog every Tuesday and Thursday and for those of you that have noticed, Tuesday has just passed and there is no new blog. So, I think it's time for you to know what you can expect from me as a writer.

I cannot make any true promises, my life is upside down and inside out at the current moment, but I will make a vowel to post once a week. That is my job, as your writer. You come here for a particular reason, all of you do, and so it is my job to at least keep this blog updated and fresh. So in order to do that I am laying out some ground rules as your regular blogger.

1. I will post every Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning.

2. I am rolling out a new column, 5 for Friday's. 5 for Friday's, will be five stories from the week that I believe you should read. This will be started this coming friday.

Now that I have laid those rules out, that does not mean things are not subject to change. Does this mean, you can not expect me to write anymore than those two articles a week? No, it does not. You might still get the average three posting a week from me or more. It depends how my schedule goes. But in the meantime, my job is to keep you the reader pleased.

I want to say thank you for following me so far and I look forward to continuing to educate you on tech and social media, as the future we once dreamed of, is now here.

"Bitching and Moaning" on Social Media.

So as everybody knows I am one of those social media dorks that believes Twitter is a religion, checks Facebook every hour, and "check's in" everywhere I go on Gowalla and Foursquare, but today I committed a cardinal sin in "Social Media" by bitching and moaning about my life on Twitter.

As most people know, I am constantly staying busy on a variety of levels:

1. I work full time at Radioshack, to make ends meet.
2. I am an intern at 919 Marketing, a marketing company located in Holly Springs.
3. I try to manage this blog.

But today I reached a new all time low by committing an act of Social Media that I never thought I would do, I COMMITTED BAD SOCIAL MEDIA. . Exhausted and unhappy with my performance at 919 I bitched and moaned on Twitter. A lot of factors could of led to this...exhaustion maybe, failing to reach a level of performance, I have placed on my life? But regardless of the reason, once someone "bitches and moans" online, can such a cruel act on Social Media be fixed? Sadly, I do not believe so. Though, I am just a normal everyday Joe, and most people will see it as my one only slip up, imagine if I was a company spokesman. Would they have the same leverage that I, the average Samaritan have.

Imagine if I was a top notch executive at Radioshack and was bitching about the company on a company social media account. What would happen to me? Would I lose my job? Would I be fined? Most companies have Social Media rules and regulations in place today to prevent such an action from taking place, but I have to wonder are these rules enforced and what are we going to do in the future as Social Media becomes more of a part of our every day life. Though we are protected by the First Amendment, I can only wonder, what exactly would happen next.

We have reached that point in Social Media where our very lives, our being monitored 24/7 and "bitching and moaning," is just counter productive to the whole notion of social media. We as a civilization do not want to hear about your daily problems, or your cry for help, this is not your soapbox. If so GET A BLOG! So please stop the "Bitching and Moaning," because if you promise too, I will as well.

Smartphone slideshow.

The following exert is from Jesse's smartphone powerpoint that he created for his one of his college classes. Enjoy!

Simon says the smartphone wave is upon us! It has been nearly 17 years since IBM released Simon, the world's first smartphone. We haven't looked back since then. Simon's touchscreen and applications suite (calender, address book, email, games, etc.) resemble today's models, only on a smaller scale. Smartphone users today enjoy an endless array of features, such as GPS, voice command, and multi-tasking, and choose from an even greater playground of approximately 128,000 applications (...and counting). The smartphone market has taken a mighty leap in just the past few years. Across the globe, less than 8 million units were sold in 2003, as opposed to a nearly 80% increase in that number in 2008. Smartphones are owned by roughly 15% of the American population and these devices have been mainstays in the lives of their users - users that are waiting for everyone else to jump onboard!

-Jesse Ford