Groupon, Hotpot, and Google - A Killer Trilogy

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Google and Groupon are getting a lot of press about the upcoming purchase. Some reports highlight the $5.3 billion price tag Google is about to pay, others are talking about what Google plans to do with the aquisition.

Here is a short description about Groupon




I like th idea of a Groupon: get enough people (Group) before the coupon becomes active. This way businesses only pay for results and potential customers spread the word about Groupon and the local business using Twitter, Facebook, and email in order to meet the quota needed to activate the coupon.

I am personally excited about this acquisition. I'll be interested to see how Google is able to integrate Groupon with Google Hotpot, another attempt to review and share local businesses. I hope Google is able to pioneer a new method of online commerce and marketing that small business owners can understand and make use of.

Related articles

• Creative Joke: Groupon for Groupon (mymodernmet.com)

So Happy About Angry Birds

Angry Birds was the first iPhone game I could play for more than 5 minutes without getting bored. Soon I found myself cursing when one tiny pig was left over, or getting lost for several minutes as I plotted how I was going to launch another bird into the air. It's no doubt Angry Birds is a global hit, the question is what's next?

Last month Rovio released a sequel called "Angry Brids Halloween", now the company is back with "Angry Birds Christmas". Gameplay is the same as the other versions only now it has an updated Christmas theme. I've only seen screenshots, but it looks like fun. I read this version will be a free upgrade from the Halloween game.

The only frustrating part of the game for me was understanding how to earn 3 stars on a level. I tried to look it up, but was unable to find a credible resource. If you know how the game determines the amount of stars to award please let me know.

Angry Birds Everywhere

This great game is not just for the iPhone anymore. I read the game will be on the XBOX, PS3, and the Android  marketplace. In fact the Android version is free and ad supported. I'd be curious to know which model brings them more money, the paid app or the free one. I'm sure numbers will be reported next quarter.

Now it's the Pigs' turn

I heard Rovio is working on another sequel taken from the Pigs' point of view. Here is a funny video about the   upcoming game. Please be advised the birds use strong language.

Mozy - The Sexy Backup

Image via CrunchBase

That's right, I called Mozy sexy. Well maybe not sexy, but it is pretty cool. I subscribe to this service because I'm afraid of losing my important data (douments, photos, and videos of the kids). Mozy is a cloud based service that allows you to upload your data to their servers, then saving it in case your computer crashes and loses the data. If this ever happened I would simply acces Mozy online from my repaired computer (or hopefully a new one) and download all my data from the compromised hard drive.

I checked into a few cloud based backup services and decided on Mozy for a few reasons:

1) All you do is install a small program and Mozy automatically manages your backing up for you. You no longer have to thik about backing up your files again, Mozy takes care of it for you according to your settings. I have it set to the default of backing up every 3 days.

2) $5 per month, that's cheap.

3) You can choose a local back up drive in addition to the cloud service. I purchased an external hard drive a few weeks ago and click a button for Mozy to add a copy of all the back up files to the new drive. Restoring from a local back up drive will take a couple of hours while the online restore will take several days. It's nico have both options in case of a fire or theft I can rely on the online files. This is one reason I chose Mozy over Carbonite.

4) Untimited data, even if you have an external hard drive. I back up my computers hard drive including an external drive I use for photos and videos. Mozy copies the files from all my drives. This is the scond reason I chose Mozy over Carbonite.

So far I couldn't be happier with Mozy. The ultimate test will be if I ever have to restore some files. I hope I never have to get to that point, but it's nice to know I'm preparing for the worst.

Related articles

• The Good, Better, and Best of Mobile Backup (itexpertvoice.com)
• Mozy 2.0 improves backup performance, interface (macworld.com)

Sony Bloggie - Sounds Perfect For A Blogger

Now that it's officially the holiday season I am ready to search for the perfect Christmas gadget to add to my collection. I already have last year's Flip HD camcorder, but since I returned my iPod Touch I've always been on the hunt for a replacement that will not online shoot HD video, but will also edit within the device.

My wish almost came true with Sony's new Bloggie camera. I like the large capacitive touch screen and the variable frame rates available and the availability to tag videos for sharing later when connected to a computer for uploading. I also like having the choice of portrait or landscape orientations for shooting.

Here are two great reviews I found about the Bloggie. The first one you're going to have to skip ahead a little since the girl is a little wordy.





Personally I think I'm going to hold onto my Flip HD and wait around for the next generation HD camcorder that will also allow me to edit within the device. Otherwise it's hard to compete with the convenience I already have.

Related articles

• Why I Returned My iPod Touch (geekdadlab.blogspot.com)
• Why You Need an iPod Touch This Holiday Season (mashable.com)
• Sony's Bloggie Touch Video Contest Offers Free Ride to SXSW Music (adrants.com)

Shopping For That Perfect Cell Phone

Image via Wikipedia

After returning my iPod touch I learned my main issue was lack of connectivity. Since Wifi was my only connection option was limited to my house whereas I might as well be on my computer to surf and publish content.

I know I could have upgraded to an iPhone to gain 3G connectivity and maintain the same platform (however unlocking the iPod touch every few minutes was very annoying), I realize I'm way too cheap to pay for a $30 data plan plus voice. I know I don't have to spend that much on data, but if I'm going to buy such a phone I better make sure I have the capacity to use it's features.

Now I'm taking a close look at what I want to use a mobile phone for, what specific use cases do I want the phone to accomplish? Here is a short list:

1) Checking email - I know this is a common use, but I am annoyed the way my current phone handles this task. I have to dig through three different menus and ok the sending of personal data before I can refresh the email screen. I want a shortcut button that takes one or two seconds to access the email.

2) Landscape QUERTY keyboard. My current phone has a portrait QUERTY keyboard which is too small for my thumbs and annoying to type on, the only way I'm going to get any typing done is on a wider landscape keyboard.

3) Works with Google Sync - I use lots of Google products including Gmail. Google sync allows me to synchronize my online contacts and calendar with my phone. The problem is not all phones allow this functionality with Google, that means I have to dig through the online manuals for each phone to find out if it will synchronize.

4) Twitter, Youtube, and Facebook - I want to be able to post photos and videos to Twitter, Facebook and Youtube with one or two clicks. Currently I have to dive through menus to accomplish this, I know the smart phones have quick apps for this, but again I don't want to pay those high data plan rates.

5) A $15 dollar unlimited phone plan - This is the big limiting factor. This means I am searching for a feature phone, the trick is to find the right feature phone that meets these requests.

Am I dreaming? Do I want too much? I don't think so. My current phone will already do most of these things, but I need it to be much more streamlined in order for me to make use of it. Later today I plan to walking into the local AT&T store to test out some phones, I'll be sure to report back with my findings.

Why I Returned My iPod Touch

Image by Mr Noded via Flickr

First of all I was annoyed by having to constantly unlock the screen. Most of the time I wanted to pause the audio or play back the last few seconds of a podcast that I missed. I realize I could have changed the default settings to increase the time before the screen would automatically lock, but then I would be compromising too much battery life.

The second problem was the lack of 3G connectivity. I knew going in the device only had Wifi, but I didn't realized it was going to be as big of a problem as it was. The only place I could use it was at home, which I'd rather be using a regular computer with a faster Internet connection  instead of an iPod touch.

Third was the low quality camera. I know Apple says it can record HD video, but the quality was terrible. I don't know very much about video recording and playback, but I do know bit rate is important. The video I saw was pixelated and grainy. The only good thing about working with video was the iMovie app. I found it simple and effective. Unfortunately that one app was not enough for me to keep the iPod.

Since returning the iPod I'm happy to be back to using my iPod classic. I thought the new version would be bigger and better, but in the end all I care about is listening to music and podcasts. Now I'm thinking maybe I want something like an iPhone, but there is no way I'm ever going to pay the outrageous fees for mobile Internet service or hundreds of dollars for the premium Apple product.

My other idea is to get a feature phone that only requires at $15/month data plan. I currently have an LG phone from AT&T, but I have no option to attach photos to Tweets or Facebook status updates. The interface is also clunky and I have no way of syncing my Google contacts with my phone. So now I'm on the hunt for the phone that will all do this without breaking the bank. I always love a good challenge.

TONYZERRER@facebook.com

Image via CrunchBase

I read today that Facebook is working on an email service for their users. I think this is a fantastic idea and welcome the innovation. I can't say I'll participate with the service, but I know many of my friends and family will.

The Good:

1) Everyone already has a Facebook account and uses it regularly, this new email feature will help consolidate the user's time  by making Facebook a one-stop shop for most of their Internet uses.

2) I'm sure Facebook will be able to integrate their email service with all the other services seamlessly. Surely the mobile app will continue to be a streamlined version of the popular desktop version, which will make reading and writing emails from Facebook even easier.

The Bad:

1) Trust is an issue for Facebook users. Many are familiar with Facebook's unscrupulous actions by selling user data to third parties, integrating email will become another avenue for advertisers to target users on a deeper level than before.

2) Alone the lines of private data becoming compromised, I could see email messages being searchable via Facebook or oven Google. Have you ever heard of myopenbook.org? Imagine if they could add email addresses and messages to their search engine.

The unfortunate part of all this are the scores of people that think Facebook is the Internet. I'm afraid that adding email services will only help complete the brainwashing. On the other side I see Facebook having a lot at stake. If they don't execute this service properly they could risk a major downfall and alienate many users prior to their big IPO. On the other hand if Facebook is able to build email as a popular service, they could possibly become the largest email provider in the world.

Related articles

• Why You'll Give Up Gmail for Facebook Mail [Facebook] (gizmodo.com)
• Here's How Facebook Email Is Going To Kick Gmail's Butt (businessinsider.com)

Greetings from my iPod Touch

I'm typing this on my new iPod touch so this post will be short. I have a pretty cool story about how I purchased it from Costco, but I'll have to save that for when I'm in crnot of a real keyboard.

-Tony