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Friday, April 30, 2010

ROFLcon II 2010

Steve Interviews Mahir


VIDEO INTERVIEW:
Breaking: Mahir Cagri (The I Kiss You Guy) Comes to America to Sue Borat
stevegarfield.blogs.com/videoblog/2010/04/breaking-mahir-...

photo by Scott Beale / Laughing Squid

This photo is licensed under a Creative Commons license. If you use this photo within the terms of the license or make special arrangements to use the photo, please list the photo credit as "Scott Beale / Laughing Squid" and link the credit to laughingsquid.com.
CC BY-NC-ND

Original:
www.flickr.com/photos/laughingsquid/4565605021/

Read more at Wikipedia.

Verizon: Changing my Rate Plan. Confusing.

Phone

I just changed my Verizon home phone plan to the cheapest that I could find online:

Local: Measured Rate $12.70 + Long Distance: e-Values $5.50 + Regional: Sensible Minute $2.99.

I had a live chat with the Verizon rep and asked why I needed to choose long distance.

They said I had to order it online, but I could cancel it later.
Once you place the order online now, you will receive an email confirmation of your order within 24 hours with all the details of your order. In the email, you will receive a Dedicated Customer Service number, on which you can call to cancel your long distance feature.
Curious.

Then I tweeted out what I ordered and @LHRodriguez: told me this:
@stevegarfield Watch out for that measured rate plan. They charge an additional fee if you do not use enough minutes.
I don't see THAT in the plan details:
Measured Rate
Make calls within your local calling area for a low monthly rate. In addition, each call is billed at the rate of $.01 per call and $.016 per minute. The per-minute rate in western Massachusetts is $.016 for peak periods and $.008 for off-peak periods.
My questions:

1. Why does Verizon require me to order a long distance plan online, and they make me cancel it some other way?

Answer: OPEN

2. Are there hidden costs in not using enough minutes on the Measured Rate plan? I heard that some people are charge a "shortfall" charge. Approx: $6. That won't apply to me?

Answer: There won't be any hidden charges. Be rest assured. You will get complete information of your charges in your order confirmation email which you will receive within next 24 hours.

3. Are 800 number calls totally free? Or do they use up minutes on any plan?

Answer: 800 calls will be free.

Know Your Meme: How To Challenge a Wrongful YouTube Takedown Through Fair Use

Know Your Meme: How To Challenge a Wrongful YouTube Takedown Through Fair Use.



The Rocketboom Institute for Internet Studies explains how YouTube makes it easy to dispute a wrongful copyright claim.

EFF: A Guide to YouTube Removals:
...every DMCA takedown notice that is sent regarding one of your videos counts as a "strike" on your account. If your account accumlates three strikes, YouTube will cancel all of your accounts and remove all of your videos. The only way to remove a strike is to send a formal counter-notice.
Read this earlier post about a parody video of mine that was taken down:

Youtube (via Cass County Music) deleted my PARODY Hillary Clinton: Desperado - Come to your senses

Video Webinars, Interviews and Podcasts for May

Here's my schedule so far for webinars, interviews and podcasts about my book Get Seen and how you can utilise online video:




5/6 Carreer Joy Podcast - Live Interview (Canada)
Interview with:
Alan Kearns
Canada's Career Coach
Workopolis career expert




5/12 Author's Globe - Webinar
Topic: ONLINE VIDEO is everywhere! It is a great tool in the social media arsenal to speed up massive exposure and grow sales. Is it happening for YOU?

Find out how YOUR videos can GET SEEN VIRALLY and BOOST YOUR PROFITS to NEW HEIGHTS.

Learn in an interactive Virtual MasterClass:

- 5 strategies to become an online video powerhouse that brands you as a leader.

- Tips to building a community around your video content and go viral.

- Simple, effective & painless shortcuts to create powerful messages/stories that “GET SEEN”.

Featured Visionary Leader: STEVE GARFIELD, Godfather of Video Blogging & Author




5/16 The DV Show - Live Interview
Interview with:
Brian Alves
Executive Producer
The DV Show Podcast





5/20 Brightcove - Webinar- How to Be a Video Blogging Powerhouse
Join Steve Garfield and Brightcove on May 20, 2010 for a Free Webinar
Video blogging has become a top activity on the web, as online video has taken off as an effective way to communicate with an audience. Steve Garfield, author the recently released book, Get Seen: Online Video Secrets to Building Business, is one of the web's first video bloggers, having launched his own regular video blog in 2004. Since then, he's become a leading expert and innovator with online video. Join Steve and Gary Lombardo of Brightcove, as they provide you with insight on what you need to do to be successful in building your business with video blogging.

Topics include:

What equipment you will need to get started
Tips on creating great videos and thinking like an editor
Best practices in producing & publishing video on your blog
Optimizing your video blogging efforts
Examples of video bloggers that have become online powerhouses

The New PayPal iPhone App - Bump To Send Money



I'm a judge in this PayPal video competiton.

Here's the info from the site:
Last month, PayPal launched the new version of their iPhone app that lets you send money with just a bump of your phone.

Now we want to know how you bump with PayPal and we're running a video competition so you can show us! We want to see you get creative, use your imagination and have some fun so grab your camera or phone and start filming. A few people at PayPal have come up with this:
Check the video:


Prizes include:
Grand Prize: £5000

1st prize: 1 iPhone 3GS (16GB) from Vodafone, 1 pair HS-930i earphones & 1 pair ZiiSound D5 wireless speakers from Creative (value £860)

2nd prize: 1 Vado HD (3rd Gen) pocket video cam & 1 pair HS-930i earphones from Creative (value £220)

3 runner up prizes: 1 Kodak Zi1 (PlaySport) pocket video camera from Kodak & 1 copy of “Get Seen: Online Video Secrets” by Steve Garfield (value £150)

All 25 shortlisted entrants get the Vzaar Bronze package.
Here are the judges:

Jeff Hazlett (Head of Marketing, Kodak)
Ilicco Elia (Head of Mobile, Reuters Consumer Media)
Elliot Grove (founder of Raindance Film Festival)
David Richmond-Peck (Actor, Georgie in V: the Series on ABC/ Sci-Fi Channel)
Mikkel Juel Iverson (Producer, NBC Universal)
Steve Garfield (Author of “Get Seen, Online Video Secrets”)
James Whatley (Director of Engagement Strategy, 1000 Heads)

Enter the PayPal Bump Competition.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Lady Gaga Beyonce Telephone Parody



On YouTube: Lady Gaga Telephone Parody (ft Beyonce): Key of Awesome #17

Season 1 Ep. 17 — Lady Gaga Telephone parody! GET THE SONG FREE! Beyonce is going to do this video whether she likes it or not: It's Lady Gaga's way or the highway.



Lady Gaga - Telephone (Official Explicit Version) ft. Beyoncé. 27 Million Views.

Music video by Lady Gaga performing Telephone. (C) 2010 Interscope Records

The real video seems like a parody. :-)

Entertainment Weekly wrote a great article about the parody, 'A Truly 'Awesome' Laday Gaga Parody,' in the April 16th issue, but I can't find it online. Curious.

Here's a behind the scenes video, Lady Gaga Telephone: Behind the Awesome!, showing how they made the parody.

Update:

Here's the web version, which is actually an extended piece.

And here's a scan of the print article.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Brilliant: Marriott East Side New York City

Jeff Cutler just made a blog post about his bad experience at the Las Vegas Hilton.

It reminded me that I wanted to blog about my recent experience at the Marriott East Side in New York City.

It was amazing.



Everything that went wrong for Jeff Cutler at the Hilton, went right for me at the Marriott.

I'm a member of their frequent traveler program and was just upgraded for a short period to Gold status.

When I arrived at 11:00 AM I inquired if any upgrades were available. The desk clerk got right on the phone and found out that yes, a complimentary upgrade was available to a larger room.

I figured why not, so I agreed and went up to the room.

When I opened the door I found myself entering what looked like a living room with a couch, side chair and desk. French Doors were at the far end.



Openeing them I found myself in a very large room with a flat screen TV.



Around the corner was a sink and down the hall was a bathroom.

Sweet.

There was also an in room safe, large enough for anything I could think of putting in there. Also, I had a refrigerator that wasn't full of things I wasn't going to pay for any way.

So the room was sweet.

Also included in the upgrade was access to the Concierge floor which meant a free light breakfast that included eggs and oatmeal. There was an afternoon dinnertime that included tortelini and ham sandwiches. Free water too.



Sweet.

Everything was perfect. It was an inside room, with room darkening shades.

Upon checking out, any staff member that I passed hoped that I had a nice time and hoped to see me again.

Brilliant.

Oh and BTW, there were computer terminals to print out my bording pass at no charge.

Like Facebook

Like Button is a site that shows what people 'you know' like on the internet right now.



You can even customise it at the bottom of the page with other sites.

I added Netflix and my blog.



You'll notice that it displays both Facebook likes and shares.

Sweet.

How to add a Facebook LIKE button to an OLD Blogger page

If you're like me and have hung on the the original Blogger instead of upgrading to the new template system, you'll need to get into the HTML code to add a new facebook LIKE Button to your blog.

Here's how.

5 Steps to adding a Facebook LIKE button to an OLD Blogger page

1. Go to the the facebook DEVELOPERS Like Button page.

2. Fill in the fields:


For URL to Like enter REPLACETHIS for now. You replace that with this <$BlogItemPermalinkURL$> in the next step.

3. Click Get Code.

You'll get this code to copy:



4. Copy that and paste it into your Blogger HTML template.

Then replace REPLACETHIS with <$BlogItemPermalinkURL$>

5. Click SAVE TEMPLATE CHANGES

You're done!

LIKE this post to try it. :-)

Update:
Further testing seems to indicate that something is wrong with this implementation. It's inconsistent. Sometimes 'like' works and sometimes it works on the second try.

I can't get like to stick on this post, can you?

Any help would be appreciated.

Update II:
Seems to be working now. Must have been something on the facebook hosting side. Let me know if you implement this on your site and I'll come try it out.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Regan Youth League Opening Day 2010



Here's the set on flickr.

Netflix is a lot more than watching movies



Netflix is a lot more than watching movies, it's a whole user experience that's fun and gives you control.

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN


Anne Horak as Inga in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. The Mel Brooks Musical.

Now playing at The Opera House in Boston.

Despite some of the lowest common denominator Mel Brooks humor, I enjoyed it. We're not talking John Stewart here.

Roger Bart was great as Dr. Frankenstein and what's not to like about Anne Horak as Inga, Hello?

Directed by Susan Stroman.

Credit Photo: ©Paul Kolnik. paul@paulkolnik.com

Friday, April 23, 2010

How To Share a Flickr Photo On Facebook

3 Steps to Share a Flickr Photo On Facebook

1. From your Flickr photo page, Copy the URL.


Flickr Page

In this example, the URL is http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevegarfield/4545228891/

2. Go to facebook, and Paste the URL into the box that says "What's on your mind?"


Facebook Page

When you do that, facebook will grab the photo form flickr and add it, a link to it, it's title and description, in a box, just below where you pasted in the URL.

Note:
Sometimes this doesn't work. You need to give Facebook a few moments to go grab the photo. Even after waiting, it might not work. For me, this works 90% of the time.


Facebook Page

3. Now you can Click SHARE to post this photo and it's details to facebook.

Optionally, you can now delete the URL in the box and type in some explanatory text in there. You can slso leave it in there too. Either way.

Here's the resulting page on Facebook.

Lilacs in Bloom at Arnold Arboretum


Thursday, April 22, 2010

Sharing from Pandora internet radio to Facebook and Twitter

I'm testing out sharing from Pandora internet radio to Facebook and twitter.



Right at the top of the Pandora player you can click to share to twitter, facebook, email and gift. The first time you click on twitter or facebook, you'll get a screen that asks you to allow hte connection.

Here's that the resulting posts look like.

Twitter


Facebook

I like how the facebook post includes a music player that lets you listen to the music right there.

You can customise the message too prior to sending it out.

Email just sends out and email and Gift sends a link to a station that you can create like a mixtape. ;-)

If you are interested in listening to Pandora internet radio here are two of my stations:

- Imogen Heap Radio
- Royksopp Radio

More here:
How do I use my Facebook account to personalize Pandora?


How do I share a song, an artist, or a Pandora station with my friends?

The New $100 Note


The New $100 Note, originally uploaded by stevegarfield. CC BY-NC-SA

I'm happy to see that the Treasury Department has added gold nunbers on the New $100 note.

www.newmoney.gov/currency/100.htm

Now if they'd only be smart enough to add numbers to the coinage. Take a look, US coins don't have numerals on them.

See Change for Change:
stevegarfield.blogs.com/changeforchange/

Put your shuttlecock in my hotpocket! and other funny words



Just using this YouTube video to test the SHARE a video to BLOGGER feature on YouTube.

Pick it up and hand it to the bartender

Boston Media Makers 1/3/10

Daring Fireball, Gizmodo and the Prototype iPhone:
Speaking from personal experience as one who has spent a fair number of hours in bars, there is a universal protocol for dealing with misplaced or forgotten personal items left behind by fellow patrons. Wallets, keys, phones, purses. Whatever. If you see something like that on the floor, or forgotten on a table, you pick it up and hand it to the bartender. If you realize you’ve lost something, you ask the bartender. Everyone knows this.
Gizmodo, How Apple Lost the Next iPhone.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

How To Create Your Own Google Search Story Video on YouTube

How To Create Your Own Google Search Story Video on YouTube

Three Steps:

1. Key in seven search terms
2. Add music
3. Preview and upload to YouTube

Wow.

This is easy.

Here's mine:



Topics:

Jeff Pulver's 140 Conference - NYC April 20/21
Delta Shuttle
Pastrami Sandwich - Image Search
Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
CBS Backstage Live at The Early Show
Get Seen by Steve Garfield

Make one yourself:

Search Stories Video Creator on YouTube

via [ dmscott ]

Boston.com Fails to Link to People Mentioned in a Twitter Article

It's not unusual for Boston.com to leave out links in thier articles.

In today's article about twitter, Ten tips for attracting a following on Twitter, written by my friend Scott Kirsner, links are not included in the article.

Here's an example paragraph:
Set up your profile. Before people decide whether to follow you, they want to know who you are, says Jim Storer, a Lynnfield social media consultant. Click “Settings’’ and then “Profile’’ on the Twitter site, and enter your real name, a link to your website, and, in the “bio’’ field, a few words of description about you, your company, or what you plan to tweet about. Upload a photo or your company logo, too. “Having your own avatar on the service means a lot to people,’’ Storer says.


Jim's twitter handle should be linked. (The handle for Jim Storer is @jimstorer.)

In the next paragraph we see this:
Put your Twitter “handle’’ everywhere. Though they start with an “@’’ sign, Twitter handles are different from e-mail addresses or website addresses. (The handle for Globe business news, for instance, is @GlobeBiz.)
Interesting.

Boston.com onine editors took the time to link to their own twitter username, but fail to link out to Jim's.

That's not right.

Beyond that, I added a comment on the Globe site that addresses the twitter @username convention:
Hi Scott,
Nice article.

Jim Storer's tips are perfect for people starting to use twitter.

Glad to see you included everyone's twitter name, those mentioned, in this tweet:

http://twitter.com/ScottKirsner/status/12401701195

Too bad boston.com can't include them in the article, and furthermore, too bad the Boston Globe can't include them in the print edition.

To clarify one thing in the article, although many people are getting familar with the @username designation for twitter usernames, putting @username at the bottom of an email might not be the best practice.

As you can see in the coments above, people who have used that convention, are not getting active links.

You really need to use hte full twitter URL to make a username clickable.

So my twitter username @stevegarfield is better added to the bottom of an email, or in a comment thread like here as:

http://twitter.com/stevegarfield

That gives people a clickable link to my twitter page.

On a business card, I use @stevegarfeld.

Hope this helps.
--Steve
http://stevegarfield.com
I'd link to my comment over on Boston.com, but comments don't have permalinks to link to.

So there you go. ;-)

Update 4/19, David Beard, Boston.com editor, writes on twitter:

"Re Twitter links. @jimstorer, @dmscott now added; @scottkirsner already had many others there. @digiphile@stevegarfield @eric_andersen"

Thanks. You're right, some links were there, but some weren't.

I suggest that when an article includes words like website, internet, or twitter, someone should check to make sure that appropriate links are added.

Brett Domino: Justin Timberlake Medley



I love this!

See also:

The Brett Domino Trio (playing Beat it) - Britain's Got Talent 2009 - I love Amanda Holden!

Brett Domino Trio - I Kissed a Girl

Brett Domino Website

via [ Vu Bui ]

Saturday, April 17, 2010

TurboTax: Why ask if you already know?


TurboTax 2009.

Why ask me if I had a Prior Year Carryover Loss, if you already know?

Salt: Movie Preview in EW featuring Microsoft Tag


Reading about the new movie Salt, featuring Angelina Joie in the Summer Movie Preview issue of Enterainment Weekly.

The Microsoft Tag technology is cool. You load hte Microsoct Tag app onto your phone and then point your phone's camera at the tag located on the magazine. In this case, a YouTube movie opens up and plays the trainer. The Microsoct Tag is very accurate and a lot faster than other tagging technologies out there. I first saw this in use at SXSW.

Here's the Salt movie trailer:



See also:
Entertainment Weekly Deploys Microsoft Tag for Summer Movie Preview Issue

The Johnny Cash Project


This is very cool. I've just touched the surface, but after visiting the www.thejohnnycashproject.com site, within minutes I'd made a drawing based on a photograph of Johnny Cash, registered for the site and submitted my drawing.

Then I tweeted, blogged and flickered about it.

First seen here.

Whoa! Everyone's images are assembled into an everchanging music video.

You can also watch a playback of people's drawing sessions.

CBS The Early Show Saturday | BackStage Live

Here's a video screeen capture of the LIVE UStream page for CBS The Early Show Saturday | BackStage Live.



BackStage Live's producer Rick Borutta is going to join me in NYC on Tuesday at Jeff Pulver's 140 Characters Conference to talk about real time interaction with TV.

Also joining me on the panel will be Late Night With Jimmy Fallon producer Gavin Purcell.

I'm looking forward to my panel and the whole conference.


NYC!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Mac20Q Podcast with Steve Garfield


David Allen has a great interview with me at Mac20Q Podcast 91 with Steve Garfield.

David says:
In the book Steve talks about what cameras to get depending on what you plan to do. He agrees with me that audio is very important for video but at the same time believes that you should use what ever you have to hand. he loves the iPhone for that where he can take some video and have it online via QIK straightaway.
Thanks for a great interview.

Harpoon Brewery - Review of Beers on Tap at the Brewery

Archived LIVE videos from The Streamy Awards Red Carpet and Post PArty

Streamy's Red Carpet


Streamy Awards Stage - Pre Show


Streamy Awards Post Party - DJ with a LIVE Drummer

This Is It: John Herman does Michael Jackson



My favorite moments :07 - :11 Not Dancing. :15 - :21 Thrusting. 1:15 Hat Throw. :-)

"Co-host John Herman does Michael Jackson's Spotlight Dance at the 16th Annual Spotlight on the Arts Award night at the Music Hall in Portsmouth NH Thursday night. For more see www.seacoastonline.com"

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Sarah Palin Boston Tea Party 4/14/10

Here are some of my live tweets from today's Sarah Palin Tea Party event in Boston, in reverse chronologocal order:

  1. Cue country music. #TeaParty #SarahPalin

  2. "We stand one America under God. God Bless the United States of America." #TeaParty #SarahPalin #ThereIsNoGod

  3. "We believe that God did shed his grace on thee." #TeaParty#SarahPalin #ThereIsNoGod

  4. "Freedom is a God given right and worth fighting for."#TeaParty #SarahPalin #ThereIsNoGod

  5. "America's best days are yet to come." "The dream of Reagan lives on in you!" #TeaParty #SarahPalin

  6. Sarah Palin, "God created resources for us to use here in America!" #TeaParty #fail

  7. .@keramurphy I'm watching the CNN Live stream. "Drill Baby Drill." "You Betcha!" This is ridiculous. Wonder if Tina Fey is on SNL this week.

  8. RT @fdgwhite: @stevegarfield j-way, now people will drive 1000 miles an hour without worrying about potholes.

  9. Sarah Palin: "That midnight run." Ha Ha. #TeaParty #stupid

  10. Watch #TeaParty Boston live: http://on.cnn.com/cnndcl1

  11. #TeaParty Anthem: "We don't want health care." #Boston#ironic

  12. The 2010 Streaming Media All-Stars http://bit.ly/b5NwuF

  13. I feel like I've gone back to the future. It's 1940! #TeaParty#Boston Yay America! We are Awesome! Let's Pray!

  14. Blah, Blah, Blah. We support the troops. #TeaParty

  15. I'm glad I didn't go to the Tea Party in Boston. This type of talk makes me sick. Barack Hussein Obama!

  16. OMG! RT @spooney35 Sarah Palin highlights the Tea Party event in Boston. Watch live: http://on.cnn.com/cnndcl1#StopTheTeaParty