Category Archives: News

fishbat Reports: Apple WWDC Keynote, 6/10/13

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Today was the much-anticipated Apple WWDC keynote. Thousands of technology buffs from around the world sat in on the event while millions watched online to see the new products and services that Apple has to offer.

For those that weren’t there, we’ve compiled all the essential facts below. (To read highlights from this report, click here.)

Read on, or jump to specific updates:

OS X Mavericks – MacBook Air – Mac Pro – AnkiDrive – iCloud – iOS 7

os x mavericks

OS X Mavericks

Over the next 10 years, the names for Apple’s future operating systems will be named after places in California, where the company was built. The first release will be the forthcoming OS X Mavericks. Mavericks is focused on “extending battery life and enhancing responsiveness,” as well as introducing many new applications.

Finder tabs will make sorting your files easier. Tags will also be available on Mavericks, so that you can tag files to find them easier in the Finder sidebar. When saving a document, users can assign it tags to make finding and organizing easier. Finder will place files from different programs together based on their tags. True multiple display support is another new feature: users will be able to use the dock and menu bar independently on each display, operate with multiple full-screen applications simultaneously, and drag applications from screen to screen.

Battery life is a major concern for Mac users. New technologies such as App Nap, which channels power only into actively open applications, as well as other power optimization programs, will potentially increase battery life by up to 72%. Compressed memory allows us to compress inactive memory, resulting in high responsiveness from the computer when executing simple actions like opening a new window or waking up your Mac from sleep mode.

Safari has also been enhanced. The Safari sidebar provides new features like a reading list, which allows you to maneuver from article to article without actually going to the page – and it includes your social media feeds for easy, constant access. Safari uses much less memory and energy than other browsers, such as Chrome and Firefox – great for your battery life. Accelerated scrolling makes scrolling through long web pages or feeds a breeze, providing 60 frames a second for a smooth transition between different parts of a large web page.

better sidebar pic

The new Safari top sites page features your personalized sidebar, bookmarks and shared links from your social media accounts. One-click bookmarking is another plus that makes saving a webpage quick and easy.

icloud keychain

iCloud Keychain remembers your website logins, credit card numbers, and wi-fi networks, but encrypts them to prevent hacking. Safari will autosuggest your login information, including passwords, making logging into websites easier, especially for those who often forget their passwords. When shopping online, Safari will suggest a credit card, leaving only the security code open for the user to put in.

Notifications have also been upgraded – you can view them and respond in the same window without opening a new window in your browser. In addition, any application that sends you push notifications on your phone will also appear on your Mac – such as a fantasy football or news update. Notifications will also appear on your Mac’s lock screen, so you can easily see what you missed while you were away. Application updates will also run automatically while your Mac is asleep, so users do not have to do so manually.

maverickmap BETTER

Apple has revamped Maps, too – now Mac users can send directions from their Mac directly to their phone, which will appear as a notification on the user’s lock screen. The user only has to swipe open the notification, and the directions will open up immediately.

calendar

Calendars now has unlimited scrolling – i.e., you now get one giant calendar that goes on forever. The new version of Calendars also features weather and travel time, so you can keep tardiness to a minimum and dress accordingly.

iBooks is finally coming to the Mac, giving users access to 1.8 million books. The iBooks textbooks are interactive, allowing students to do their work right on their screen. Users can adjust font and type size, as well as use night mode for late night reading in dark places.

MacBook Air

Airport Extreme Base Stations are now available to provide users with wi-fi anywhere. These small, 4.5 by 2 inch devices also have room for a Time Capsule and have several new features, including Beamforming, a feature that sends the signal directly to an antenna array, increasing wi-fi performance. The new MacBook Air is available in two sizes, 11 or 13 inches. Both are available with either 128GB or 256GB of storage and are at least $100 cheaper than previous models – and both models are available as of today. The new MacBook Air is faster, more efficient and more responsive than previous models, providing users with a new, easy MacBook experience.

macbook pro new

Mac Pro

“The future of a pro desktop,” says Apple, features something “truly revolutionary, truly radical.” The processor is built around a new unified thermal Intel Xeon core, providing more than double the performance output of the older Mac Pro and the fastest ECC memory to date, at 1866MHz, on a four-channel controller and 60GBps bandwidth. New generation flash now runs 1.25GBps read and 1.0GBps writes, up to 2.5 times faster than any flash ever built and 10 times faster than any Mac Pro before. Thunderbolt 2 allows for 20GBps throughput, 6 devices per port and is backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 1. Thunderbolt 2 is twice as fast as Thunderbolt 1, which was already the fastest of its kind. Dual workstation GPUs provide 4096 stream processors with 384 bit memory buses and 528 GBps of total bandwidth, all equating to a 2.5 times faster experience. All of these features are packed into an iO one eighth of the size of previous models, allowing easy transportation. This is the “future of the pro desktop” and will beavailable later this year.

race track

AnkiDrive

AnkiDrive is a video-game-like application that allows users to control small cars that “think just like we do.” From your iOS device, you can control a car that “thinks” 500 times per second. The cars adjust their speed and scan the track to decide their next move. They steer themselves and detect their surroundings to maneuver around other obstacles. Every second, the car can perform thousands of different capabilities based on its surroundings. Cars can be given instructions such as blocking other cars, as well as enabling weapons to destroy what is in their path. The creator of AnkiDrive says “this is a video game in the real world.” He then went on to say “we are bringing video games to life on the floor of your living room.”

iCloud

iwork logo

New to iCloud is iWork, a new application that allows users to create “beautiful documents right in your browser.” Users can change fonts, formatting and even drag-and-drop images from their desktop right into the document. The text reformats itself around the image, saving the user both time and effort. iWork also works on Windows, so it is not limited to just Mac users. A preview of iWork is available today, but will expand to all users later this year.

ios7 face lift

iOS 7

Apple has now “sold over 600 million iOS devices.” Experian studies show that iPhone users use their phones 50% more than Android users. Also, 73% of iOS users said they were “very satisfied” with their phones, while only 49% of Android users said the same.

Today, Apple announced iOS 7: “iOS 7 is the biggest change to iOS since the introduction of the iPhone. It’s packed with new features, and an amazing new interface.”

The new lock screen is a slide-up one; iOS 7 also features a slide-up drawer that brings the user to volume controls and setting toggles. Another new feature is the translucent keyboard, which allows users to see content behind the keyboard. In fact every UI element that previously blocked background content is now translucent. The background now features animated wallpapers instead of a simple photo, making for a more advanced look. The UI responds to gyroscopic movement, so as you turn your phone, the angle and lighting of the entire UI adjusts. A new app switch allows users to preview apps on their screen and slide smoothly from one app to another.

weather app

Every application has been redesigned to look more modern and sleek. The new weather application is similar to Yahoo’s weather. Gamecenter is no longer just green felt. The new Calendar is based around pinching to zoom from screen to screen, pinching out to go from a day view to a week view, and from a week view to a month view, and pinching in to do the opposite. The new notification center has a “Today” view, which shows your calendars, stocks, the weather and a small preview of tomorrow.

The swipe-up drawer features one-click access to airplane mode, wi-fi and Bluetooth toggles, volume, music playback and, to the dismay of the thousands of flashlight application designers, a built-in flashlight. iOS 7 also responds to your app usage by giving more background cycles to the applications that you use more frequently. The new operating system also takes advantage of “Opportunistic Updates,” which provides your phone with updates when you have a particularly strong signal.

The new Safari features a fullscreen look. Rather than have a URL input and a search bar, both have been combined into one easy-to-use input bar at the top of the screen. A new tab interface allows users to sweep down from the top and scroll through a 3D display where they can drag and rearrange tabs. AirDrop is a new program that makes wirelessly sharing pictures from device to device very simple

The new camera now has built in filters and allows the user to swipe the screen to transition between modes (stills, photos, panoramics, etc). Photos are now automatically organized into “Moments,” which break down your photos into moments determined by when the picture was taken or location. You can pinch in or out to create a smaller or larger moment and see your photos from a day or a year on one screen. Photo streams can be shared and managed by multiple users, allowing for families and friends to create and easily share albums of photos with one another.

iOS 7 introduces a new Siri with a more human sounding voice. The new Siri allows you to play voicemails, toggle settings and access Wikipedia without launching the browser. The new operating system also features connectivity with your car. Honda, Mercedes, Chevy, Nissan and many others are in the process of integrating iOS 7 capabilities into their cars. iOS can now push a unique, completely new interface to your car’s touchscreen. This equips drivers with easy navigation tools as well as alerts and notifications without the danger of handling your phone while driving. iOS 7 also features iTunes Radio, which will definitely be competing with Pandora. Like Pandora, users can create their own stations, ‘like’ the songs they think are good and skip over the ones they don’t. iTunes Radio also displays featured stations and displays songs and artists that are trending on Twitter at the time. From iTunes Radio, users can buy songs they like from iTunes in one click.

One great feature that is exclusive to iOS 7 is phone, Facetime and message blocking, so that users can block people who bother or annoy them, making it impossible for them to contact you again.

crying theif

Another new feature is Activation Lock. Activation Lock allows users to deactivate their iPhone if it is stolen, rendering the phone useless to thieves. This will hopefully deter theft.

iOS 7 is available for beta today and will be available for full release later this year. iOS 7 is supported by iPhone 4 and later, iPad 2 and later, iPad Mini and iPod Touch 5th generation or later.

In summary: whoa. Apple has truly gone above and beyond with what they’ve announced today. They have enhanced every one of their products, from the MacBook to the Mac Pro and the iPhone. These new and upgraded devices provide users with a new experience that only Apple can provide. Many of the products shared today are still in their testing stages, but are sure to be a huge hit once they hit the market.

#YahooWantsSome: Marissa Mayer’s continuing forays into social media

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Yahoo is finally tossing its hat into the social media ring. Recently, Yahoo announced that it would be incorporating tweets into its newsfeed on Yahoo.com. This signals a serious shift, since Yahoo is giving equal weight to tweets and ‘bona fide news.’

Anyone who’s paying attention will have noticed that Twitter is one of the largest growing companies in the world. With over half a billion users and over $250 million in advertising revenue just last year, Twitter is also one of the most valuable brand strategy tools available to a company. However, Yahoo is now using Twitter as a news outlet, providing users instant access to any tweets deemed newsworthy.

Marissa Mayer

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer shared this news in a company blog post, stating that Yahoo sees tweets “as [an] important information source for many of our users.” But just what makes a tweet ‘newsworthy’? According to Mayer, the tweets that would be displayed would come directly from celebrities, politicians and major news outlets.

What makes this partnership especially intriguing is that it came shortly after a falling-out between Twitter and Google – Mayer’s former employer. The move comes hot on the heels of Yahoo’s recent acquisition of Tumblr. Now that Yahoo has Twitter under its wing, too (or perhaps that little blue bird has Yahoo under its wing), the company is showing that it intends to offer serious competition to Google and Facebook.

And Yahoo is showing no signs of slowing down. Mayer said the “integration will roll out to all U.S. desktop and mobile web users over the next few days.” Mayer has showed nothing but ambition since becoming Yahoo’s new CEO, having already snatched up 10 startups in just a year – that’s 9 more acquisitions than the company had last year. Expect to see more acquisitions by Yahoo in the near future, as Mayer is trying to mold Yahoo into part of our everyday lives.

We’ll see if Yahoo is able to amp up their presence enough to compete seriously with Big Brothers Google and Facebook. But by making Yahoo more mobile- and social media-friendly, Mayer has put the company well on its way to greater digital domination.

Who Has the Right to Be Anonymous?

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Hackivist group Anonymous took to Twitter on Monday with the trend #CISPABlackout to encourage websites to shut down in protest of a bill called CISPA (Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act), which seeks to increase cyber security.

What is CISPA? According to PC Mag, “CISPA would allow for voluntary information sharing between private companies and the government in the event of a cyber attack. If the government detects a cyber attack that might take down Facebook or Google, for example, they could notify those companies. At the same time, Facebook or Google could inform the feds if they notice unusual activity on their networks that might suggest a cyber attack.” The bill passed in the Senate and is moving on to the House, but the White House has already said that it would be vetoed.

We want our companies to be protected from foreign threats, so sounds good, right? Not quite.  Private companies would also be able to give information about users over to the government and vice-versa, even overriding privacy laws. This can include your text messages, emails and anything stored in cloud storage.  Amendments have been added to the bill to ease concerns, but Anonymous isn’t having it.

This bill is the latest in a line of similar, but unsuccessful initiatives that the government has recently taken. Last year, the bills called SOPA and PIPA were proposed to stop websites with counterfeit goods by shutting them down, including sites that linked to them. So if Google linked to an illegally uploaded video, Google was down too.

Anonymous staged an Internet blackout last year against SOPA that had the support of big tech companies. This year, Anonymous’ blackout does not have the same impact, as the list of companies that support CISPA is far longer and more impressive than those against it.

Why the difference? CISPA doesn’t make companies responsible for their actions – and as an article inThe Atlantic Wire points out, “often organizations keep quiet when hacks happen, not only fearful that they will look unsafe and spook users, but because sharing certain data could get them in legal trouble.” Now, they don’t have to. Some have noted that the immediate effect of CISPA will be to protect “companies that provide the data from being sued for doing so.”

So it’s okay for Google to take illegal actions on the Internet and not get in trouble, but not the rest of us? Yes, there is always an uneasy legislative tension between security and privacy, and it’s no surprise that this tug-of-war has carried over to the digital frontier. But there seem to be too many loopholes that are prompting fear that this power could be abused, and the bill’s definition of what kind of data is acceptable to couch under the category of “cyber threat information” are unacceptably vague.

Everyone wants to be anonymous, but who should be? Comment below.

#SocialMedia: Joining Us Together Even in the Face of Fear

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You’ve probably heard it all by now, but on Monday afternoon, two explosions went off at the Boston Marathon, killing two and leaving twelve injured. As of the time of this blog posting, the culprit remains unknown, but one thing is certain: social media played a role in this tragedy like never before. Amid all the chaos and confusion, people across the country reached out through social media grasping for answers. They were looking for some modicum of understanding, and most importantly, to find their loved ones, hoping they were not counted among the dead.

It stands as a testament to the unifying human spirit that the #PrayForBoston hashtag became the top Twitter trend since the fatal attack. Even in this age of iPhones and Facebook, you can still rely on humanity to come together in any way that they can to express a common sorrow. And what better way to do this than through social media? I recall yesterday, sitting in class and finding out about the explosions. I immediately stopped what I was doing and messaged my friends who I knew were close to the explosions in order to make sure that they were safe. Thankfully, they were not hurt. But I can imagine the worry that would have plagued me had I not had a way to communicate with them instantaneously.

And even so, Bostonians frantically signed into their Facebook accounts to update their statuses declaring that they were not hurt – or messaging loved ones to let them know just that – or even just commenting on the situation before news stations even announced what happened. In this way, the American public was able to become aware of this tragedy before it was officially confirmed to have happened.

This tragedy has certainly proven to be a game-changer in solidifying our understanding of the way news is spread these days. Active social media users and social media agencies could potentially become amateur news reporters as events happen day-to-day, updating Facebook or Twitter for the benefit of the public. Even the Boston Police Department has now been periodically updating its Twitter account to announce the latest developments in the investigation. They have urged witnesses to provide any pictures or videos taken at the scene of the crime to assist in the investigation. This raises questions as to how investigations might be conducted in future, with any citizen becoming the eyes and ears for your local police department.

What was even more remarkable was people’s use of Google Person Finder. Launched in the wake of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, on Monday the application helped Americans across the country to find out if their loved ones were safe when it was used by various Bostonians to let people know their situation. Give this device a few years, and we might be able to locate anyone we would like to with just a few clicks on the keyboard. And during a crisis such as yesterday’s tragedy, this device will prove invaluable. Even Google Drive provided help with a cloud-based file storage system that generated a list of thousands of names and addresses and phone numbers of those offering aid for those that were affected by the bombings.

Social media is all about bringing people together in ways that you never thought possible without it. If anything, this crisis has shown just how strong humanity and compassion are in these troubling times. The culprits responsible for this disaster weren’t counting on America’s sheer ability to endure and weather any storm that they are confronted with.

And in what better city to prove this than in Boston, one of our nation’s oldest and most historic cities? With nearly four hundred years of history behind it, Boston, along with the entire country, has utilized new social media technology to overcome and join together in the face of fear, just as we will continue to do for years to come.

5 Reasons You Should Be Swimming In Bitcoins

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Let’s get this out of the way early: Scrooge McDuck was my childhood hero, the undisputed best-dressed cartoon on television, and chief inspiration for this blog. I have dedicated a sizable portion of my life to living out my dream of treading in colossal mounds of money like it’s a green tea bubble bath – and I’m notalone.

Rather than defend my grandiose fantasy or uppity-feathered idol, I’m proposing a way for us all to be swimming in monetary mountains very soon (at least digital ones): Bitcoins.

Bitcoins are a kind of online, open-source currency whose value is not backed by any precious metal, tradable commodity, or national economy – making it essentially decentralized with respect to the international market.

The “coins” are produced by powerful computers deciphering dizzying algorithms and “mining” for returns.  As more coins are uncovered and introduced to the market, the more complex the mathematic equations become, regulating the supply and maintaining the currency’s value. This money is then traded online through its own quasi-exchange and distributed to individual accounts. Funds can ultimately be accessed through personal computers and smartphone apps.

This advanced technological cash, however, should not be reserved for computer science majors or Wall Street wizards. Here are five reasons why anyone with a smartphone and a dollar should be investing in Bitcoins:

1. The rest of your life is digital; why not your money?

Our social interactions, entertainment (I can and do watch episodes of DuckTales on YouTube) and primary channels of information are online, so it makes perfect sense for our finances to follow. Sure it may put street muggers and remaining toll collectors out of business, but I’m all for ditching my bulky wallet in favor of a 5 MB app.  (Bonus benefit: skinny jeans would soon become a staple of my wardrobe.)

2. Its value is rising as traditional forms of currency are diminishing.

I’d like to get Paul Krugman, Ben Bernanke, the ghost of Alexander Hamilton and Donald Trump together in a room and propose the following question: Isn’t it time we stop blaming our economic deficiencies on politicians and banks and indict the mostly arbitrary and outdated varieties of currency we continue to use? The international economy should modernize with the rest of developed societies.  It’s time to ditch gold for every use except creating jewelry and sculpting sink faucets for hip-hop artists.

3. Become rich!

A quick history: in January 2012, a single Bitcoin was valued at $7.20, then climbed to $140 by the first week of April 2013, until peaking at $266 just a few days later. That equates to a 3,600% value increase in 15 months. Does anyone else see the potential?

We can’t all be Gordon Geckos, but there’s money to be made here, folks – and it’s the computer generation that’s spearheading the revolution. Plus, I really like the idea of college kids tapping into their inner 19th century prospectors and digitally mining for gold.

4. Get drunk with Bitcoins.

An April 10th Yahoo article reported that Manhattan bar EVR recently began accepting Bitcoins from customers to pay tabs and tip their waitresses. In fact, the owner even prefers Bitcoin payments to credit cards due to their significantly lower fees (1%-2% for the former, 3%-5% for the latter). As the digital currency spreads in popularity – possibly aided by a capable Internet marketing company – so too will the volume of merchants who accept Bitcoins right alongside cash, checks and plastic.

5. Don’t be repelled by the volatility.

In fact, embrace it. Bitcoins have gotten a pretty nasty rap recently after experiencing a sudden 45% drop in just a few days, causing the market to temporarily halt trading. A striking decline in value such as this does warrant further examination, but not the litany of alarmed scrutiny it has received. As I previously mentioned, the high water mark of $266 was a result of a nearly 100% spike from the previous week. It’s my guess that a significant portion of those who just lost a lot were playing with house money from the astronomical gains they enjoyed just a few days earlier.

Volatility is part of the game, and in a way it mirrors the hyper-changing world of technology itself. Bitcoin prices become obsolete quicker than each of my Apple devices. It’s a developing currency in an independent market with seemingly no regulations or administrative oversight. It was introduced just four years ago by ambitious tech-savvy financiers who simply envisioned a wallet-less world. Its value is fueled by a growing mass of people who share a similar desire and believe in money’s natural progression to the digital world.

Regarding Bitcoins as an inflated bubble or fleeting fad is, in effect, betting against the digitization of yet another aspect of our lives. An examination of Western culture over the past twenty years has the odds stacked sky high against such a bet. And though I’m not draining my bank accounts and reinvesting all my money in digital dollars just yet, I am buying into the idea of online currency and keeping a close eye on the development of this burgeoning market. Above all else, it’s simply more sanitary than bathing in actual gold, and I’ll contend that ol’ Scrooge would approve.

What Happens When Social Media Meets Lord of the Flies?

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William Golding’s novel the Lord of the Flies depicts a scenario in which children are left to survive and govern themselves on an uninhabited island without any adults.  As the story unfolds the themes such as the loss of innocence and civilization vs. savagery become apparent.  A recent incident provides a sobering reminder that real life incidents can mirror Golding’s novel.

A series of articles published by the Daily Dot report the suicide of Rehtaeh Parsons.  According to the article, 17 year old Rehtaeh attempted suicide by hanging herself; on April 7th her family made the call to take her off life support.  Parsons’ motive was driven by what the article calls an alleged rape by four boys when she was at a friend’s house two years prior.  As if the rape itself wasn’t bad enough, a photograph of the incident spread virally throughout social media channels.  As a result of the abuse of social media, Rehtaeh Parsons was subject to a continuous reminder of the traumatizing incident.

In light of this story, loss of innocence is plainly obvious.  At some point, the four boys involved in victimizing Parsons realized that they had an opportunity to exert control over someone.  Subsequently, a conscience decision was jointly made to commit a travesty.  Like a hunting party bringing back a trophy of their kill, the boys decided to seal their victory over Parsons by displaying their deed for all to see.

Rehtaeh’s mother describes her daughter as being the subject of much unwanted attention and harassment.  Rehtaeh eventually changed schools as a result of the incident’s backlash and was even hospitalized in effort to help her cope with the difficulty.

One of the articles shines the spot light on the authorities and the school that Parson’s attended.  With the authorities failing to press charges and the school claiming ignorance, we see the theme of civilization vs. savagery take form.

Social media is not unlike Golding’s uninhabited island.  Whether claims of ignorance are authentic is anybody’s guess.  However, many social media circles and networks are comprised of a cohort of teens and grade school goers.  It is not hard to imagine that this sets the stage for a scene where teens are free to set up a social hierarchy and bully without reprisal.  Like the children in Lord of the Flies, a sense of accountability for one’s actions is lacking.  Without the presence of adults, Golding’s children went so far as to kill.  The failure of school administrators or authorities to bring the rapists to justice does little to deter future atrocities.

Parson’s case is not an isolated incident.  The Steubenville rape and the suicide of Amanda Todd support the idea that social media has been abused and thus lent itself to pockets of savagery.  While freedom speech is important for the growth civilization, perhaps it is time that elements of savagery are taken more seriously.

Tech-shy #BillClinton isn’t “friendless” – but he’s nearly tweetless

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“I think I’m sort of insecure. What if you tweet and nobody tweets back? There’s nothing worse than a friendless tweeter, right?”

It’s every microblogger’s worst fear: to be publicly hung out to dry in the social media world. It seems like a rational concern if you’re one of the millions of Tweeters twittering ferociously in order to garner attention – but it’s patently ridiculous if you’re, say, former president Bill Clinton.

The ex-president recently made his social media debut, thanks to Steven Colbert’s tweet on Clinton’s behalf.

Colbert took it upon himself to create a personal Twitter account for Clinton after asking about his social media presence in a recent interview.

It’s hard to believe that the president that sat in office at the forefront of the online boom (didn’t his vice president like, invent the Internet?) would feel sheepish about having a social media presence. This is someone who spent nearly all of his political life crisscrossing America trying to win over voters, and happened to be one of the most charismatic campaigners to hit the trail. If Clinton has reservations about hislikeability or popularity on social media, then what chance does John Q. Public have?

But, thanks in part to Colbert’s own massive presence, the @PrezBillyJeff accountwill not be friendless anytime soon. Followers flocked to the feed after the Colbert episode aired, and the account is currently approaching 150,000 followers. It already has more followers than @ClintonGlobal (the Twitter page for the Clinton Global Initiative), and it is quickly gaining ground on @ClintonTweet, the page for the Clinton Foundation. Colbert’s lone tweet is still the only post, but many social media users would be delighted if Billy Jeff himself took the reins.

It’s funny that a public figure as significant as Clinton would fear being rendered a “friendless tweeter.” As a well-loved figure in modern American politics, Clinton still yields enormous influence and should have no trouble transferring his social capital to social media. In his post-presidential years, Clinton has become a go-to guy for political strategy and public policy initiatives alike – an increasingly apolitical celebrity who dances around the periphery of politics by doing good for others (and well for himself).

At this point, Clinton has no other higher ambitions for public office, which leaves him free to use a personal Twitter page as a means for followers to get a glimpse of what the ex-prez is up to. He’s gone this long without hiring a social media agency to manage his online personality – unlike our current president. Given that his followers are growing by the minute, it’d be pretty sad if Bill doesn’t cave in to the curious demands of his Twitter fans. Whether he decides to verify the authenticity of the account remains to be seen (pssh), but we can only hope Colbert planted the seeds of an increasing social media presence.

His biggest challenge may be sticking to 140 characters. But as Clinton stated in the interview, “there’s no difference between being selfish and selfless; if you understand how the world works, we’re all tied together.” He was referring to why he pursues his post-presidential philanthropic endeavors – but he may as well have been talking about the world of social media.

#SeeYouAtTheMovies: Roger Ebert Signs Off, But He’s “Not Going Away”

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Roger Ebert has taken “a leave of presence.”

The Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic lost the ability to speak, eat and drink after undergoing treatment for thyroid and salivary cancers in 2006 – but was back reviewing films the next year. Having lost his voice, Ebert ramped up his online presence, turning to social media and other digital venues. What began as a way to communicate with others blossomed into a social phenomenon:

“… Ebert actually grew more prolific in his final years. He averaged 200 movie reviews per year (last year he hit a career record of 306), kept a blog, obsessively entered the New Yorkercaption contest, and wrote the occasional Op-Ed. But he unexpectedly thrived on Twitter.

Ebert proved a master of the 140-character missive, delighting his legion of over 800,000 followers. Ebert’s penchant for controversy and quirky factoids on Twitter helped bring about a larger conversation about society and public affairs: “I am in conversation. When you think about it, Twitter is something like a casual conversation among friends over dinner: Jokes, gossip, idle chatter, despair, philosophy, snark, outrage, news bulletins, mourning the dead, passing the time, remembering favorite lines, revealing yourself.”

While his grasp of social media is impressive, he was no stranger to writing for an audience. Ebert even expressed his appreciation for his followers on his blog: “[You] inspire me to think in a different way about the site and the blog. You are there, you are intelligent, among the group of you I believe you have seen just about every film worth seeing, and some of you remember them in minute detail.”

What Ebert appreciated about social media was not necessarily the opportunity to be put on a bigger pedestal, but the chance to become a part of an interactive community of commentators. Ebert used blogging not as a platform to elevate himself but as a soundboard to hear ideas, opinions, and objections from readers.

Film criticism, like social media, is not a one-way street; it’s more like a four-way intersection bustling with the to and fro of the free exchange of ideas, and occasionally clogged with the deadlock of conflicting opinions. What Ebert wanted was to provoke a passionate and democratic discussion of good and bad films. Just as Ebert sought to inspire thought and debate through his film reviews, social media provided an outlet for interactive discussions surrounding film, politics and social issues.

By the end, Ebert had transformed himself into a kind of one-man social media agency, writing over 30,000 tweets before his death. Not bad for someone who swore he would “never become a Twit.” In addition to his Twitter, Facebook, website, and Ebertfest, an annual film festival, he created a digital entity of own: Ebert Digital, which serves as a culmination of his life’s work.

Social media has allowed Ebert to build a digital media empire of his own that will stand the test of time, which includes over 10,000 movie reviews written over the course of forty-six years. That doesn’t include his tweets, or blog posts on rogerebert.com or his twenty books.

Ebert’s legacy continues because of social media. Ebert stated in his final post that he was taking a “leave of presence.” Thanks to his online presence, to use his own succinct words, he’s “not going away.”

Gun Control: Can Filibusting Senators Make the Sandy Hook Promise?

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In addition to President Obama’s visit to Connecticut yesterday on behalf of the Sandy Hook victims, family members came to Capitol Hill to rally behind pending gun control legislation in an effort to urge Washington lawmakers to reduce gun violence. Their urging comes at a time when 13 Republican senators are threatening to block and stall the proposed gun-control legislation package with a filibuster. The bill, which has been called “a wish list for gun-control advocates,” includes proposals such as background checks and record-keeping of gun sales.

The family members’ timely visit to Capitol Hill comes after many states, including Connecticut, have passed their own gun control legislation in the wake of the Sandy Hook Massacre. Victims’ family members are set to meet with a dozen Democratic and Republican senators. The parents of the Sandy Hook victims, as well as the non-profit group Sandy Hook Promise, have also signed with lobbying firm Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti in order to gain more influence on arms-control legislation in Washington.

It looks like the Sandy Hook Promise Twitter page is doing a fine job of generating support for greater gun control laws without any help from a lobbying group. With over 436 tweets and 5,235 followers, users are signing up on Twitter to sign the Sandy Hook Promise, a detailed letter to senators asking them to act swiftly in passing legislation to strengthen national gun laws.

I stand w/ @SandyHook. I’m making the ?#SandyHookPromise to keep my community & country safer from violence: ?http://www.sandyhookpromise.org/promise?recruiter_id=118745

If this pattern keeps up, it could become a Twitter trend and garner the support of senators both for and against the filibuster, and potentially encourage them to pass the legislation currently on the table.

Can social media channels like Twitter be more influential than an old-school political maneuver like the filibuster? Sure, you need 60 Senators to overturn a potential filibuster – but there’s nothing like thousands of Twitter followers or retweets to make a political impact. While their retweets or pledge on Twitter to sign the Sandy Hook Promise might not be count as votes in a congressional chamber, it’s hard not to give weight to the growing public support to pass and enact stricter gun control laws.

As more people “stand w/ @SandyHook” it’ll be interesting to see if senators are aware of the increasing power of social media and its effect on the political process. For elected officials, keeping track of social media trends is tantamount to keeping a pulse on public opinion. It can be a daunting task – even the @BarackObama account has been farmed out to a non-profit social media agency. But those senators looking to get reelected in next year’s midterms should heed to the growing influence of social media if they want to get a vote from the public’s chamber.

Starbucks Equality: Looking Through the Rose Colored Lens of Marriage Equality

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Is it good business sense to side with a controversial topic such as gay marriage?

Alright. Breath. Take in the question and then continue.

At an annual shareholder’s meeting, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz took a bold step in stating Starbuck’s endorsement of same sex marriage, when shareholder Tom Strobhar, founder of the anti-gay marriage Corporate Morality Action Center, questioned Starbucks’ lackluster first full quarter profits. Strohbar believed Starbucks support of same sex marriage legislation in Washington State prompted the National Organization for Marriage to boycott Starbucks.

According to Business Insider, Schultz swiftly states, “It is not an economic decision. The lens in which we are making that decision is through the lens of our people. We employ over 200,000 people in this company, and we want to embrace diversity.”

After Strobhar commented on his disapproval of a 38% return on shareholder investment, (which I would take in a heartbeat) Schultz’s bluntly replied, “If you feel, respectfully, that you can get a higher return than the 38% you got last year, it’s a free country. You can sell your shares in Starbucks and buy shares in another company. Thank you very much.”

Even if taking a stance may affect the bottom line, it may be worth the loss in profit in order to meet one’s civic duty or meet an obligation as a global citizen. Schultz disabuses the long held public belief that a corporation has to choose between doing well and doing good.

Schultz unequivocally prioritizes people over profits – a step forward for gay marriage advocacy – but is it sensible to ‘stick to your guns’ when it ultimately impacts ROI?

Schultz’ primary motive in aligning Starbucks’ lens in accordance with their respective political views questions how a corporation can influence public opinion. At Starbucks, it is not just a matter of buying a cup of coffee; it’s a matter of building a coalition that accurately represents diversity of their consumers and employees.

This stance also raises the idea that corporations can become agents for social change.  At a certain point there becomes a point of diminishing return on profits and the need to take a position on an important issue, such as same sex marriage, overrides potential monetary gains or losses.

Should every company take a side or remain neutral so as not to offend or lose customers? Does the CEO of a company have the final word on political or controversial views?

Answer: Depends.

Schultz’s declaration is timely considering the social and public momentum mounting behind same sex marriage. It may not foreshadow the Supreme Court’s final decision on Proposition 8 and DOMA, but it is too important of an issue for him to not to take a position.

Schultz’s decision to put the culture of his company above potential profits is good for business that much is true. You have to respect how he sees the company through the lens of the employees and not solely himself.

Schultz went beyond the Starbucks brand identity and defined the company as a cohesive workforce. This is an important step in identifying what Starbucks is as a company and putting a face behind a product. Schultz could have easily swayed uncomfortably from Strobhar’s comment but he didn’t – a good sign of a strong CEO.

So which is more important? Maintaining brand identity or swaying whenever a shareholder has a gripe? Sometimes doing the right thing for investors might mean crossing the line a little bit.