Android Social Media

I first started using Fring on my Windows Mobile phone about 2 years ago. Fring is best known for their light weight IM capabilities including Skype calls. I copied the following press release directly from the fring.com website:

Android device users can now get onto fring (we know you’re been missing us since some of you recently switched to Android devices ) with (the first) free VoIP calls over Skype, MSN and GoogleTalk and via hundreds of SIP providers. As always you can see real-time presence and live chat with your ICQ, Yahoo! And AIM buddies too. You can also use Twitter there, as part of  your integrated contact list.

fring on android works over 3G, GPRS or Wi-Fi internet connection.

What do you need to do to get your hands on this brand-new version?

You have 2 simple options for getting fring onto your Android device:

1.    Get it directly from the Android Market:

•    Start the Market application on your phone

•    Search for fring and install

2.    Get it from fring’s WAP site:

•    On your Android phone, go to Settings > Applications and check the box to allow ’unknown sources’

•    Point your phone browser to m.fring.com and download

A big thank you to our early access group for your invaluable feedback over the past few weeks!

Welcome to the big, happy, free fring family fringdroid-ers!

Known Issues (Will be fixed in the next version):

- GSM contacts do not appear in fring’s buddy list on the Motorola DROID device
- Call disconnection tone may be heard a few times when terminating a call
- SIP and SkypeOut calls are not yet available on the Motorola DROID device

The fringTEAM

[Update]: Here’s a direct link to the .apk [Link]

Source: http://www.fring.com/blog/?p=1735

We are please to announce the official launching of our first ever “Android Social Media User Manual.” This helpful E-book will help Android users who wish to create and maintain an active online presence in social media and generate an online revenue without wasting endless hours in front of a computer screen.
This manual is about FREEDOM. The freedom to leave your office and continue to be just as productive and effective from your Android phone. This Ebook is 100% FREE OF CHARGE!!! Here is a preview to what’s inside:

• Overview of Internet Marketing & Social Media Principles
• Overview of Mobile Internet and Utilizing the Android device
• Specific App reviews and instructions to help you create & syndicate content, track results, and create relationships
• App Indexes to all the standard Social Media websites including Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, LinkedIn, Freindfeed, Plurk, Blogger, Wordpress, and More.
• Productivity Apps that will help you get more done in less time including an overview of how best to utilize Android Gmail, Contacts, Calendar, etc.

Fill out this simple form to get your E-Book emailed to you right away!

Don’t forget to Re-Tweet & Digg this post!

With so many services online to shorten your URLs many people are wondering how they should move forward. Short URLs are a huge convenience when working in limited space such as in twitter where you are limited to 140 characters or less.  In addition to shortening your URLs there are a few services that will also track your URL syndication by letting you know how many clicks you receive. This makes URL shortening a 2-in-1 tool for use in the social media and internet marketing arenas.

As an Android user there is one service that stands out. Bit.ly is the most widely used service among twitter users and now allows 3rd party applications to connect and shorten/track urls on your behalf. Bit.ly provides tools including browser plugins and shortcuts to make easier the use of their service. In addition to tracking your own URLs you can search twitter by keywords or by profile to see the results of other user’s Bit.ly links.

After setting up your account with Bit.ly you will be able to access your unique user API. If you have the Twidroid PRO app on your Android you can enter your bit.ly username and api to shorten URLs in the Twidroid app via your own bit.ly account. This will allow you to view tracking results later and get quick access to shortened URLs.

There is also another great app in the market for URL shortening called URL Juicer (@urljuicer). URL Juicer will shorten URLs using a variety of services including bit.ly. Enter your username and api in the credentials menu to get started.

My friend made the mistake of showing me an app for his phone that was for tweeting an audio recording, and then challenging me to see if the Android could do it. I don’t have to tell you that his phone was made by a company named after a fruit and he is always trying to show me something his phone can do that my Android can’t. Well I out did him again.

WHY: Why would it be important to syndicate audio? What’s the application? In internet marketing and social networking it is greatly important to syndicate content. Pictures, videos, audios, webcasts, blogs,and links all play a role in networking. If your end goal is to increase your business than you must drive more people to your site who find you as a credible source. In order to do this you must form relationships with people and allow your true transparent self to be reachable. By syndicating your content you become more transparent, real, credible, and above all else valuable to others. Each form of media has its place.

Audio recording can be great for interviews with people, quick inspirational thoughts, music, etc.

HOW: So now how can you go about it? You will need two apps from the Android market. 1st download Pixelpipe Pro. I know its not free but it is the single most powerful syndication tool for video, pictures, and audio recordings available both online and from your phone. You need this app. 2nd dowload an app call Hertz. I tried 11 different audio recording apps yesterday and Hertz is the best one that saves the file in the correct format for our purpose.

Record your audio using the Hertz app and save it with a title that you will remember. Then open the PixelPipe Pro app and (assuming you have already configured your pixelpipe account) hit the menu button. Go to the audio menu and find your recording. Make sure to choose a good title, description, and tags and then hit the upload button.

Done! Now it will upload the audio and update your status/tweet the title and a link to the recording on all the sites you have configured which could include Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, Bebo, Hi5, Plaxo, LinkedIn, etc.

Cool huh? If you really think so then share this article on Digg and Retweet it to your network!

Jacob S. Paulsen

Today I set out to test out more Android Twitter applications. Its been a little while afterall and we have to assume that developers will improve their apps and come out with new ones.

I tested 15 total apps of which most were free. I only purchased the two paid apps that had the highest user ratings. I don’t see much need to discuss those apps that didn’t meet the standard but let me lay out the few that I feel really pass the test.

Twidroid. We have talked about this one before and it continues to be my favorite. I use it for my personal twitter account (@jacobspaulsen) and it is the very best at running in the background. It will always notify you when you have new replies, dms, etc. Lots of ways to change configuration settings makes it the most customizable. By far the most options and flexibility.

Twit2go. This one was new to me today and I’m impressed so far. I’m hopeful that it will truly run in the background and the interface is nothing short of beautiful. I had a couple of force close issues because I kept telling it to refresh, not knowing it does it automatically. It doesn’t show you that its working but with a little faith on my part it did its job perfectly without me hassling it.

Itweet. This is probably my very favorite interface and while the app has great features I have 3 issues with it. First it costs money and while I’m always willing to pay for good work, I don’t see any need with all the great free apps available. Second, It doesn’t truly run in the background. You have to remember to open it every once in awhile to keep it checking for replies and DMs. Third, it takes up a lot of space.

TwitterRide. Well this is an ok app giving you all the twitter functions that you need in a light app but once again it doesn’t run in the background. Only if its running will you receive notifications.

Swift. Not yet available in the market the promising twitter app from http://www.swift-app.com is already available for download from their site. It looks a little on the big size but I’m loving it so far. The interface is certainly good looking enough and the functionality seems to be all there. I will cross my fingers for the next few days hoping it will truly run in the background and if it does… you can be sure you will hear more about this app from me.

That’s it for today. Let me know if you use a different app that you think the world of!

In our original PixelPipe post we talked about the power of the PixelPipe photo syndication app. Today we want to add to that chain of thought by talking about the new 1.5 pixelpipe app which supports video & audio uploads as well. The new Android version 1.5 added the ability to upload videos directly to Youtube.com While this is a great feature on its own it doesn’t begin to compare with PixelPipe. Let me give you an example.

Today while grilling some steaks in the back yard I took a short video clip of my crazy dog trying to “bite” the smoke out of the air. I chose the share option and instead of choosing Youtube I shared it via Pixelpipe. What did this do? Not only did it directly upload the video complete with title, description, and tags to YouTube but it also uploaded it to Dailymotion.com and Facebook video. Then it also updated my status on all 18 of the social networks I participate on to include the title and link to the video. All of this from the camcorder app on my Android… THATS COOL.

Get an account at PixelPipe.com if you haven’t already and then download the pixelpipe app from the android market. From either the app or the website set up your “pipes” to include all of your photo, video, and social networking websites. Give it a test run… go ahead… syndicate a photo, video, or audio…
How cool was that?

Continued from “So You Want To Make Money Part 1 and Part 2”

The whole point of this site is to educate people about social media all the while trying to emphasize that people can run their internet business from their phone and more specifically that the android platform is the very best for that purpose.

Focus on this idea… Your goal is to put in as little time as possible into building sincere relationships and inevitably making a profit online. You want maximum results for your online time investment.

This also means you will have to find a way to do this while on the go. Sitting in front of a computer all day is a really lame lifestyle.

Let me show you a couple of ways to do this:

First you need your own website as we discussed. I hope you will use wordpress for that website and if so you need to download “wpToGo” from the android market. If you use a non android device search for wordpress apps. This will allow you to create content on the go and will grant you freedom.

You will also need to track visitors and usage of your site. Install google analytics to your site and then download and install the “Mobile GA” app from the android market. This will allow you to track your usage on the go.

Next you will need to download “twidroid” from the android market. Twidroid will give you COMPLETE control over your twitter account. You can manage @replies, direct messages, tweets, etc. One more way to decrease the amount of time you spend on your computer and increase the time you spend living life on the go.

Now download “Pingdroid” from the android market. This will require an account with Ping.fm This app will allow you to tweet/update your status on up to 60 different social media sitrs at once. This includes all the major players such as twitter, facebook, myspace, bebo, friendfeed, bebo, hi5, etc.

Now download the “pixelpipe ” app from the android market. Pixelpipe is the most powerful online picture syndication service. Every time you take a picture with your phone worth sharing you will be able to upload it directly to all your social media sites.

Also don’t forget to utilize your video recording options from your android phone. You can upload directly to Youtube every time you record!

Now you need to get set up with Google Reader. Subscribe to blogs that will help you grow. This is part of the online educational process. Once you are subscribed to several good content blogs download the “Newsrob” app from the android market. This will allow you to read your blogs on the go. You will never miss anything!

Now is there any doubt in your mind that you can have an active presence in social media from your android phone?

On occasion someone will ask me, “Why? Why do I need a cell phone so that I can do the same things I am already doing from home while on the go from a 2 1/2 screen?” This post is to answer that question. Why should you invest in an expensive cell phone and pay the monthly fee for unlimited data service (mobile internet)? There are basically three HUGE reasons and here they are:

1. I am assuming that since you care at about Social Media Marketing that you must be an entrepreneur of sorts and have a desire for FREEDOM. The usual formula applies: TIME + MONEY = FREEDOM. Now here is the problem; if you are going to utilize social media and the internet to build your business how do you ever expect to acheive freedom while sitting in front of your computer? That would make for a great video on youtube as you sit in front of your computer for 10 hours a day and claim to live the ideal “lifestyle.” GET REAL!!!! Living a life of freedom requires leaving the computer desk and sometimes for days or even weeks at a time. The only way to live that true lifestyle of freedom as an internet marketer utilizing social media is via a good cell phone (Android of course) with mobile internet. ACCEPT IT.
2. Using your android device (or any cell phone for that matter) will cut the amount of time you spend “working” your online business in half. WHAT??????? Are these Android Social Media guys claiming that if I will just get a nice Android device and get away from my computer for awhile that the total time I will work will be 1/2? YEP, YEP, & YEP. Let me explain this from a different angle. Half of the things you do while sitting in front of your computer “working” are in fact non-productive and time wasting. If you instead made the decision to operate your online business from your cell phone you would in fact eliminate the wasteful, non-productive activities because frankly they just aren’t as entertaining from a 2 1/2 inch screen. Make sense? Wouldn’t you rather spend that time out on an adventure/vacation/trip/golf course?
3. Now, this is where you are going to have to really take my word for it. I PROMISE you that when you get your android device with unlimited internet access a whole new world will open up for you. Your life will change! It will be like the time when you got your first cell phone. It doesn’t take long before you start to wonder how you got along without it! You can scan barcodes to check prices of any item for sale locally and online. You have access to google maps with street view everywhere you go. You can use your own cell phone as a wireless router to connect with your laptop when out and about. Its not JUST social media. There is a whole world of endless exciting options waiting for you. Get plugged into it.

Jacob S. Paulsen

P.S. The image shows my primary desktop screen on my android phone. At my fingertips I have access to Facebook, twitter, myspace, friendfeed, linkedin, plurk, ping.fm, flickr, pixelpipe, delicious, google reader, google analytics, wordpress, & TONS more.

This is a two part post. First we need to discuss rss feeds. As you begin to network with others online you will begin to want/need to subscribe to other people’s blogs. This is how you invest in yourself in social media. Find the best people whom you can learn from and subscribe to their blogs.

The term RSS feed refers to a consistent feed of new information that can be subscribed to. Blogs, news sites, and twitter profiles are all in the format of RSS. There are lots of different ways to subscribe via email etc but the most effective way is by utilizing a RSS reader. The most popular of which is Google Reader.

If you have an Android phone (we have to assume you do) you will also find a HUGE increase in effectiveness by reading blogs from your phone. It will decrease wasted time in a big way!

NewsRob is the best program available for the android platform right now. It downloads content to your phone’s SD card. It syncs directly with your google reader account. It works fairly well and has some decent options. Newsrob has released two updates in the last 7 days and I’m more pleased than ever. It allows for easy reading of your blogs and I love that it syncs the statuses. It downloades new entries in the background so that when you open the program you are ready to start reading.

Newsrob also allows for you to share articles in google reader or by email. This program really is fantastic.

Remember that our overall goal is to maintain an online presence in social media without wasting a lot of time or becoming tied to our computers. This program is a HUGE part of making that happen.

Here are a couple of screenshots:

Source: http://newsrob.com/

Wow! Twitter is quick becoming the most popular/powerful of Social Media websites. There are a lot of different twitter apps out there for the G1, android platform but so far Twidroid is my favorite.

In looking for a twitter app it was important to me to find something would allow me to send and receive both @ replies and direct messages. It also needed to display new messages in the notification bar.

Twidroid does all of this. Here is a quick glance at all their twitter features:

• full-featured twitter client
  • postings, replies & direct messages
  • user detail information
  • follow/unfollow a user
  • auto-completion of your contact names
  • secured operation via SSL
  • option to use identi.ca instead of twitter
  • option to use twitter compatible APIs (e.g. laconi.ca)
• integrates directly with android’s browser & gallery for sharing
• GPS location support to update your profile or embed into photos
• location-based nearby search
• directly integrated photo-posting from cam or disk via phodroid and twitpic
• directly integrated search through all public tweets
• native url-shortening
• background notifications for replies & direct messages
• auto layout for landscape and portrait mode
• custom alert ringtones
• API to send tweets from your android application
• ‘buzz’ feature that allows you to view today’s most talked about stories on twitter directly in the app.

If anyone else would like to suggest a twitter app do so by making comment below or by visiting our suggested content page above! Here are some screenshots:

Source: http://twidroid.com/