You may not be familiar with the company Tronical but you will know their work because they are responsible for Gibson’s Robot Guitar tuning systems. Well judging by this video it appears that Tronical are about to launch some standalone systems that can be retrofit to pretty much any guitar be it a Les Paul [...]
Tag: Facebook
How To Tame Your Facebook Emails
Here’s something like 500 million Facebook users around the world, which means that at any given second someone is probably receiving a notification message in their inbox. And if this is correct, that means that the servers at Gmail, MobileMe, and University email accounts are flooded with notifications announcing the arrival of a new comment on a photo, video, or hilarious post that you published on a friend’s page.
Simply put, those emails are really annoying. And we’re sick of them flooding our inboxes and distracting us from getting any work done around here. Chances are you’re also sick of having your inbox look like an ad for Facebook. We’re here to help by showing you how to stop, reduce and organize those emails.
How to turn off any and all Facebook notifications
If those emails are seriously annoying you, all you have to do is head to Account Settings > Notifications and uncheck each and every box so that Facebook stops sending you emails.
Similarly, if you do want Facebook to send you some notifications about certain things–say, for instance, someone posts on your wall–then you can opt in so that you only receive emails about Facebook activity you care about.
Also, in the sidebar you can select the notification settings for different sections and set what kind of emails you’d like to receive from Facebook features like Walls, Places and Events.
We’d suggest that you uncheck the ‘Comments after you on a Wall story’ option, because do you really care about what some other guy said after you on your friend’s wall?
How to make sure that Facebook emails don’t take over your inbox
We like to think that the point of Facebook notifications is to constantly remind our awesome selves that the world really does revolve around us. Also, everyone likes to see that they have new messages in their inbox after a few hours of work. But sometimes you can’t get to all of those notifications and your cluttered inbox suddently becomes a tad overwhelming.
Fortunately, using rules and filters, there’s a way banish this clutter and get back on track to a Facebook-free inbox, while still having your notifications sent to you.
Gmail Users
Create a New Label
In Gmail, this is simple. Click on ‘More’ under your labels sidebar, and then select ‘Create New Label.’ Then, this dialog window will pop up:
Label it whatever you like; we stuck with the generic and very obvious ‘Facebook Notifications.’
Create a Filter
Then, it’s time for you to create a new filter. You’ll be using this to send emails sent to you by Facebook to your Facebook Notifications label. You can use this procedure to filter any emails you get. To find out who the email was mailed by and what information you’ll need to properly filter your messages, go to ‘Show Details’ and copy down the address that sent you the notifications.
In this case, it’s facebookmail.com.
Go to Settings in the upper right-hand corner, select Filters, and click on ‘Create a new filter.’ Now, you’ll be asked to input certain search criteria to keep those pesky Facebook notifications from tempting you while you’re at work.
In the filter criteria, put that you want to redirect emails that come from the address facebookmail.com, and this will catch any type of Facebook email that comes to you and funnel it directly to the folder that you set up for it.
When you click ‘Next’ and head to the last page in the Create a Filter walkthrough, make sure to select ‘Skip the Inbox’, ‘Mark as read’ and ‘Apply the label’ to get everything squared off, then select the check box that says ‘Also apply filter to the conversations below’ so that you can easily scope out the Facebook emails that have been sitting in your inbox all this time. When you’re all finished, select ‘Update Filter’ and voila! Now, you have a designated folder for all of your Facebook notifications.
MobileMe Users
MobileMe users, make sure you do the following via the web-based client rather than through a mail application that you have installed on your desktop. You want these folders and ‘rules’ to apply to your MobileMe account across the board so that even your iPhone isn’t infiltrated with Facebook noise.
Log in to your MobileMe account at Me.com. Under Folders, click the plus sign and create a new folder called ‘Facebook Notifications.’ Then, click the settings icon in the upper right-hand corner and select ‘Rules.’ This dialog window will pop up:
Select ‘From’ from the drop down and input facebookmail.com into the field and make sure your Facebook emails are headed to the Facebook Notifications folder. Don’t forget to click ‘Save’!
When you’re finished, click ‘Done’ and your MobileMe inbox will have been saved from the tyranny that is the Facebook email account. Huzzah!
(Via Mac|Life all.)
33 New Social Media Resources You May Have Missed
Below, we’ve collected some great Social Media stories about how to win an SEO battle for your name, or a list of words that Google Instant blacklists. Tech & Mobile can help you get a job in social gaming or reveal which Sci-Fi predictions actually came true. Business comes loaded with productivity tips, ways to use Google Voice for your business, and some emerging trends in online brand campaigns.
Looking for even more social media resources? This guide appears every weekend, and you can check out all the lists-gone-by here any time.
Social Media
- Exclusive: Trent Reznor on ‘The Social Network’ [INTERVIEW]
As the premiere of ‘The Social Network’ approaches, we decided to talk with Reznor about scoring a movie in its entirety, among other things. - How and Why PepsiCo Engages in Social Good [VIDEO]
We had an opportunity to chat more in-depth with Bough about how Refresh is going, what it means for PepsiCo and its various brands, and what’s next for the project. - ‘The Social Network’: Mashable’s Complete Movie Review
‘The Social Network’ is more than just the story of one website; it is both a micro and macro look at success, failure and the trappings of ego and greed. - Which Words Does Google Instant Blacklist?
You have to hit enter to confirm, yes, you really do want to know about something in some way related to bisexuals or lesbians. - Tech Entrepreneurs Discuss ‘The Social Network’ [VIDEO]
We followed up our Mashable New York screening of ‘The Social Network’ with a panel that discussed several of the prominent themes of the film. - The Case For Social Media in Schools
Teachers and parents are often wary about using social media in the classroom. Here’s why the benefits outweigh the risks. - 9 Creative Social Good Campaigns Worth Recognizing [Mashable Awards]
Many causes have leveraged the power of social media in some incredibly creative ways. In connection with the Mashable Awards nominations, we’ve highlighted the standouts. - How NPR Is Leveraging the Twitter Generation [STATS]
NPR has just released a fascinating set of stats about its Twitter followers. - HOW TO: Win the Search Rank Race for Your Name
In a world where almost 80% of hiring managers Google job candidates, it’s important to make sure that people can find the right ‘you.’ These tips can help. - Minecraft: How Social Media Spawned a Gaming Sensation
The sandbox building and exploring game Minecraft has taken the web by storm, and it couldn’t have happened without social media. Here’s a look at its recent meteoric rise.
For more social media news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s social media channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.
Tech & Mobile
- HOW TO: Score a Job in Social Gaming
Social gaming can be a tough industry to break into. We spoke with some pros to get a few tips on tackling the social gaming job market. - 11 Astounding Sci-Fi Predictions That Came True
Decades, even centuries ago, some of literature’s most creative minds imagined — with eerie accuracy — some of the high technology many of us take for granted today. - 7 Ways Mobile Apps are Enriching Historical Tourism
Wish you could get more out of sightseeing without expensive books and hired guides? Mobile apps are changing historical tourism, and these 7 are particularly intriguing. - The Evolution of the Apple Mouse [PICS]
We’ve taken a look at Apple’s input device — the humble mouse — to see how the design has changed from way back in the early 80s right up to today. - A Detailed Look at Apple and Google’s Fight for Mobile Developer Attention
Google’s Android platform continues to be where developers see the most longterm potential, especially when powering multiple types of devices. - 11 Trends in Web Logo Design: The Good, the Bad and the Overused
Good design, like any art or fashion, has roots. What’s hot in web logos right now, and what’s been done to death? Check out this detailed rundown of the biggest trends. - How Popular Is the iPhone, Really? [INFOGRAPHIC]
While the iPhone is a very popular smartphone, Apple’s overall share in the mobile phone market is still very low compared to giants such as Nokia and Samsung. - 10 iPhone Apps for the Global Foodie
Let your taste buds rejoice! We’ve found 10 iPhone apps to help adventurous foodies explore and enjoy the best international dishes. - 10 Killer Firefox Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts
These simple but powerful tips and tricks for the open source browser will have you cruising the web faster and smarter in no time. - How the iPad Is Transforming Web Design
In the last few months, several high-profile websites have adjusted their designs to look and feel more like the iPad. We’re dubbing this, the ‘iPadification of the web.’ - DROID R2-D2: The Unboxing [VIDEO]
The DROID R2-D2 is here and Mashable has a rundown of the all the special features that will make any ‘Star Wars’ fan swoon. - 10 Incredible Inventions from The World Maker Faire [PICS]
The World Maker Faire is an impossible density of coolness, but these 10 exhibits stood out. - 10 Stories Beautifully Told with Animated Typography [VIDEOS]
Moving type, or ‘kinetic typography,’ is a clever way to make simple text cut through the visual clutter of today’s online world. We’ve hand-picked 10 great video examples. - Connected TV: The New Battle for Your Living Room [INFOGRAPHIC]
Apple TV, the Boxee Box, and Roku are finally bringing web entertainment to the living room. How do these products stack up? Check out this detailed price and feature comparison chart.
For more tech news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s tech channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.
Business
- 3 Business Tools to Spice Up Boring Work Tasks
While there’s no escaping boring work tasks, newer web and mobile apps, like Prezi, inDinero and Expensify, make the time spent doing them much less arduous. - 37 Productivity Tips for Working From Anywhere
These days, your office is your laptop, whether you’re in a cubicle, a coffee shop, or on a plane. We asked professionals for their best advice on getting things done no matter where you work. - 6 Free Web Tools for Managing Time Differences
Conducting business with international clients can mean more than just a language barrier — there can be a time barrier as well. These web apps can keep your biz organized across time zones. - HOW TO: Advertise Inside Social Games on Facebook
One of the most effective new ways for companies to reach consumers on Facebook is to advertise inside social games. Check out these key strategies. - Top 5 Emerging Brand Trends on Facebook
Big brands are finally keyed in to the power of social marketing on Facebook, and they’re launching some impressive campaigns. Keep an eye on these five important trends. - 5 Ways to Use Google Voice for Your Business
Google Voice can greatly improve the efficiency of your business’s phone communications, and save you money. Check out 5 easy implementations for the office. - Why We Need to Reframe the ‘Women in Tech’ Debate
While the media decry the lack of women in tech, the numbers paint a different picture. It’s time to change the discussion around female entrepreneurship. - How Social Media Marketers Can Convert Attention Into Action
It’s one thing to start a conversation on the social web. It’s another to convert that into a sale for your business. But keen analysis of your strategy can boost the odds. - Why Product Reviews Can Drive Group Buying Success for Retailers
Group buying sites like Groupon represent a major potential market for small businesses, but with money lost on every sale, it takes something special to succeed.
(Via Mashable!.)
Voxox Expands Functionality As Facebook and Skype Talk VoIP
TeleCentris is currently testing a new function for its Voxox Internet telephony service that enables users to quickly extend VoIP calls to any phone. Voxox Call Connect works by first calling any phone that the user possesses and then automatically connecting the caller with a selected contact.
Call Connect will be available in a soon-to-be-released version of Voxox, but Mashable readers are invited to sign up for a preview of the service. Voxox accounts are free and come with a phone number and voicemail. The number can receive free inbound calls, texts and faxes. Unlimited outbound VoIP calls can be added for $2.50 for U.S. and Canada or $13 for international.
While VoIP is nothing new, there has recently been an increased push in the consumer VoIP field. Just yesterday, reports surfaced that Facebook and Skype, the most consumer facing of all VoIP providers, were in the final stages of establishing a ‘deep integration partnership.’
The integrations are said to be included in Skype 5.0, which is set to launch in the coming weeks. It will see Skype gaining the ability to SMS and call Facebook contacts through the integration of Facebook Connect. The rumor has led some, like Om Malik of GigaOm, to speculate that Facebook should simply buy Skype.
Talks of Facebook joining forces with Skype came one month after Google enabled Google Voice calling directly through Gmail. Google Voice has long carried functionality similar to Voxox Call Connect through its online interface, but TeleCentris CTO Kevin Hertz, explains some of the key differentiators of the new Voxox:
(Via Mashable!.)
Facebook Hooks Up with Skype
Facebook and Skype may join forces to integrate video and voice chat with the social networking site, the iPad could be capable of running Chrome OS, and Firefox 4 may bring hardware acceleration to the Mac.
Facebook and Skype are working on a broad partnership that will include the integration of the two services through Facebook Connect, according to a person briefed on the plans, who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity because the plans were supposed to be confidential. The partnership will be announced in the next few weeks, the person said.
A Facebook spokeswoman and a Skype spokesman declined to comment.
Under the partnership, people who use their Facebook credentials to log in to Skype will be able to see their Facebook friends on Skype. They will also be able to see their news feed and to sent text messages and call their friends’ landlines using Skype.
News of the partnership, which was first reported by the blog AllThingsD, comes as Skype is getting ready for a public offering.
Facebook has sought to blend its social network with popular communications services before, for example tying its service with AIM from AOL in February. And Facebook has said recently that it is planning to integrate its service into some mobile phones, though it denied it was building its own phone.
The tie-up with Skype presents an opportunity for both companies to grow their usage, especially internationally, where Skype has a strong presence.
(Via Lifehacker.)
How to Avoid Friend Spam on Facebook
With Facebook’s ever-growing popularity, it’s not surprising that fake accounts are after your online friendship. Here are some tips for detecting and avoiding friend spam.
Check Recent Activity
When you receive a friend request and you’re not sure if it’s real, check the person’s profile to see their recent activity. If they’ve added an inordinate amount of friends very recently, there’s a good chance they’re spam.
Do You Have Friends in Common?
One good thing Facebook does to help you out is let you know who else is friends with anybody else. If you don’t know who someone is but your friend approved the request, send them a message to find out before you add this person to your list. Perhaps your friends know them and can give you some background information, or maybe they just added him or her arbitrarily. Either way, it’s a quick means of finding out who might be at the other end of the request.
Be Wary of Suggested Friends
People You May Know is Facebook’s way of identifying some possibly worthwhile friends. While it’s been pretty accurate for me about half the time, the other half is filled with people that seem to have sprouted out of nowhere. Inevitably you’re going to have a friend who has a friend who’s really just spam. As a result, you’re going to get friend spam suggestions here and there. Be sure to check out people you don’t know before you add them.
Be Wary of Actual Friends
While a lot less common, spammers have actually taken data from real people and repurposed it in a fake account. When you receive a friend request from somebody you know, it takes about ten seconds to visit their page and see if anything looks a little off. If it does, send them a message first and make sure it’s really them. Chances are this isn’t going to be an issue you run into very often, if ever, but it’s always a good idea to check out friend requests before you approve them.
Validate Your Identity
A more extreme measure, mysafeFriend is a Facebook app that lets you validate your identity so friends know it’s you. Of course, they can’t truly know for sure, but it’s a more secure way of proving your identity. You just add the app to Facebook, click the big red “Validate Your Identity Now” button, and go through the first three levels. To validate further will cost some money, which seems to be their business model, but the first three levels are free and should be sufficient to prove that you are who you are. If your friends do this as well, you can be more confident that you’re dealing with real people. Of course, this is quite a bit of work on everyone’s part and is a pretty extreme measure for avoiding friend spam.
(Via Lifehacker.)
So will you be using Facebook Places?
Facebook has launched their own location-based check-in service called Places, and updated their iPhone app to support it, but will you be using it?
Some people maintain sharing your life, and your location, allows for ‘serendipitous’ discovery — people who you may never otherwise know or meet see you’re nearby and take the opportunity to say hello. Others think it’s pretty much a gateway to everything from embarrassment to stalking.
What makes Facebook a little different is that even your friends can check you into Places, unless you turn them down or turn it off.
Who are you comfortable sharing your Places/location with? No one? Just friends? Friends of friends? Everyone?
So will you be using Facebook Places? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb – The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
(Via The iPhone Blog.)
Facebook Location In Action
We’re sitting here in the waiting room at Facebook waiting for the supposed location event to start. Facebook won’t say officially what the event is about, but it seems like everyone knows. And now we know for sure. Earlier, we found code evidence of the new Facebook Places area. Now we’ve found the feature itself. Welcome to Facebook Places.
The following screenshots are from the touch version of Facebook’s website. The same place we originally found the location code months ago. As you can see, there’s a new Places tab. When clicked on, it shows friends who have geotagged themselves at various locations (both of the people in the shots below are Facebook employees — no surprise there). When you tap ‘Share where you are with friends’ from here, it brings up a list of nearby places. Yes, it’s Facebook check-in.
Update: And like that — it’s gone. But we’re here live at the event. Expect a lot more to come.
Update 2: It came back for a second. We got a glimpse that you can ‘like’ individual places — no surprise there.
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