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Facebook’s News Feed Redesign

Posted on by Brian Lee

On Thursday, Facebook announced a major redesign of its News Feed. This redesign is the first major change to the News Feed since Facebook came into existence.

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement, “News Feed is one of the most important services that we build.”

The most noticeable change is that content and pictures will be bigger. Users will also be able to choose different versions of the News Feed they are viewing, by switching between options such as photos, all friends, most recent, etc. Facebook said the idea behind the different versions of the News Feed is to give users more control over what they are seeing.

Personally, I think this change could mean the end of seeing endless updates from “that person you met once four years ago.” Of course, you could just un-friend those people, but the advantage of having several friends is it provides a way to keep connections, even if you are unsure of when you may want to use them.

Facebook representatives said that more than 70 employees have been working on the redesign for more than a year, but they understand that users may be apprehensive to change at first. This means that only a small portion of Facebook users currently have the redesigned News Feed.

One other question I have is how the changes will affect brand pages. If users are given more control over what they are seeing, does that mean they will be able to get rid of ads and brand content? That could pose a serious challenge to marketers.

Experiencing SXSW Interactive

Posted on by Brian Lee

I spent a whirlwind 36 hours at the Interactive portion of South by Southwest, and below is what I learned. But first, no one in Austin says “South by Southwest.” Instead, they say simply, “South By.”

Do I need to buy a badge?

Depends. If you’re really looking to attend the sessions/keynotes, then yes. However, I’ve come to learn that no one ever looks at the photo on your badge to see if it’s really you, so you could always borrow one. I signed up for parties that didn’t require a badge, and believe me, there were plenty. You can still do a lot of networking, hobnobbing and other business at these events.

How do I sign up for these unofficial SXSW parties?

First, you have to find them. You can simply search on eventbrite.com, and/or follow Twitter accounts such as @SXSWPartyList and @SXSWPartyGirls. Next, sign up early, as spaces fill quickly. Sometimes, you’ll be put on a waitlist. That’s okay, as spaces usually open up once the party gets going (for the non-major parties).

I didn’t get into the #openwebparty initially, but I waited in line for five minutes, and it was clear to the organizers that not many of the lottery winners were actually coming, so they let us in.

What goes on at these parties?

These parties usually have open bar, free food and giveways. You become so spoiled that when you attend a party that doesn’t have these features, you get mad. That happened to me when I went to the Crashlytics Boozy Brunch, which hyped itself up with free “Cocktails and apps” (complete with photos) but only served beer, wine and kolaches. Bastards.

Red Hands playing its famous big guitar at the JWT party Saturday night at SXSW Interactive.

What’s the point of these parties (besides having fun)?

I’m not sure. Not many parties were set up to market directly to the attendees, so a lot of the times I didn’t even know what service or product the sponsor sold. Nor did these parties seemed geared toward wining-and-dining clients.

It seemed to me that some companies were simply showing off how much money they had. They weren’t worried about ROI–they just wanted to show the world that they were cool. And you know what, that’s okay, too.

I do want to mention that Bing did a nice job of having staff interact with attendees at its party to show how its search engine was better than Google. I also liked that I had “points” to use toward free snacks from its digital vending machine.

What should I bring?

  • Cash for pedi-cabs or taxis and tipping your bartender (it’s the best way to get noticed for your next round).
  • Comfortable shoes. You will do a lot of walking, standing in line and dancing.
  • A spare cell battery or charger. I bought a portable charger, and it really saved me!
  • Business cards.
  • An itinerary. It’s nice to have some general idea of your schedule so you know which party/event/session is next. Do not download any of the SXSW apps–they are all useless.

Big hands like to text, too

Posted on by Patty Bois

Do you feel left behind when it comes to texting because you think your fingers are too chubby?

“Fat fingers” joins “bad eyesight” as reasons people can’t type a text message. The average person texts 20-30 messages per day, and not all of them have thin fingers.

Here are some alternate ways you can send text messages, instant messages and emails on your smartphone:

  • use a soft touch stylus, a writing tool that provides more precision and looks like a ballpoint pen.
  • use custom apps such as iMean for iPhones and Big Buttons Keyboard for Android phones.
  • use SwiftkeyX predictive typing app for the Android.
  • use speech-to-text systems for voice dialing and messaging.
  • get a phone with a Qwerty keyboard, as it’s roomier and you get more tactile precision.

Remember, a big phone and big screen doesn’t mean a big keyboard.  But at least you have options now for staying connected.