For those who enjoy watching comedies – or those who are occasionally roped into watching a flick they didn’t choose – you’ve undoubtedly seen Wedding Crashers, a 2005 film starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. The two characters, friends since childhood, are skilled wedding “crashers,” meaning they attend post-nuptial parties – sans invitation – for the sole intention of meeting women. And it works. But, chances are the rest of us don’t have the same smooth-talking skills (and when I say “smooth talking” I mean “ability to lie”), or the same access to wedding schedules that the magic that Hollywood scripts can provide. Well, fret no more. Thanks to the ever-growing creativity of app writers, there is now a way to find pre-crashed weddings via technology.
Tagged: mobile
SEO for Mobile Applications
By Kelsey Jones
Although it is a fairly new platform, mobile applications are growing in the thousands every year, most with free and/or paid versions. The free versions usually have ads to cover the development costs and eventually produce a revenue.
Even though mobile applications can bring in thousands in revenue for developers and companies, the thought of using SEO for application descriptions seems very rudimentary and even “Black Hat” when compared to the traditional online SEO applications that we use for websites. Many application descriptions include keywords at the end:
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B-Sides: I’m Kind of a Mac
About two months ago, I went from slowly tipping my toes into the edges of a pool to jumping in – a full on giant-splashing cannon ball. I got an iPhone. A few B-sides posts ago I shared how I finally purchased a Mac, that after years of being cheap and angry, I wrote the big check and started closing Word tabs from the left. Now, just a few months later, I bought my second Apple product and became a card-carrying member.
It wasn’t some revelation that made me betray my former PC ways. I was never for either side – Macs and PCs just floated through my life idly and unaware. I was just too cheap to justify buying Apple products. But, once electronics became my livelihood (I spend roughly 7 hours a day on the computer), I gave Macs a second look.
Then, once it was time to give up my two-year stint with a phone that had clicking buttons and no internet access, buying a phone of the same brand just made sense. Rather than having to mix and match PC brands or products, I ordered my iPhone knowing it was not only compatible with my constant sidekick (my MacBook Pro), but that they were made for each other. They automatically sync. My iTunes (both music and work-related apps) takes care of itself. The chargers don’t have to be checked for compatibility. And in an extremely petty comparison, their cords are color-coded for easy locating.
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How to Protect Yourself on Mobile Check-In Applications
By Kelsey Jones
Mobile check-in and geo-location applications like Gowalla, Foursquare, Yelp, and Facebook Places can be great for finding out where friends are, gathering badges, and even earning specials. However, for people who aren’t careful, mobile check-in applications can pose a risk, especially if the person in danger of being followed (e.g. via an ex-boyfriend).
However, there are several things a user can do to still take advantage of mobile check-in application perks while being safe and aware of what they are posting online.
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Creating a Niche for Mobile Internet and Social Networking
With the majority of Twitter updates and interactions done on other applications besides the actual Twitter website, along with updates to other social media sites via text, mobile social networking is becoming more and more popular as more people get internet-ready phones that allow them to check their accounts on the go.
Mobile Websites
Mobile websites were the first attempt at adapting the internet for cell phones. Now they have become more and more regular and many websites can now detect if a user is accessing their website from a mobile device and can display the mobile version of their website instead of the ‘regular’ internet browser version.
Mobile websites usually are text-only versions of sites and contain easier navigation and sometimes less content. However, some websites give you the option to switch to the ‘regular’ version if desired.
Mobile Applications
Companies have recognized this trend and have attempted to adapt accordingly. Many social networking sites like LinkedIn and Yelp have created mobile applications for smart phones like the iPhone and the Palm Pre that make it easy for users to use their website without having to be at a computer.
The growing popularity of mobile communication has helped Twitter grow more than 300% percent in the last year due to the instantaneous nature of tweets. It’s not uncommon for Twitter uses to tweet messages like, “On my way to the airport. Excited to be back in New York” or “Standing in line for the new Twilight movie.” These types of updates are allowing people share snippets of their everyday activities, instantly and from their cell phone.
In addition, phone manufacturers have welcomed the trend of growing ‘mobile dependence’ and are making it as easy as possible to use your cell phone for almost every digital transaction. Besides the ability to open and even edit some documents and spreadsheets, many phones can load regular webpages and some phones come pre-loaded with mobile versions of YouTube.
Services Built for Mobile
Besides websites and major brands building mobile applications for users to access on the go, a few web services have popped up that were created solely for mobile social networking. Two of the most popular are Loopt and FourSquare. With the use of GPS, these services allow you to ‘check-in’ on where your friends are and what they’re doing, see the latest reviews of restaurants and other establishments near you, and interact with friends who may be nearby.
As the idea of instant and constant open communication becomes more accepted, it wouldn’t be surprising for mobile social networking services to grow in popularity. Connecting with friends and family no longer has to rely on a phone call or random encounter. Loopt and FourSquare allow you to find out where your friends are, invite them to where you are, and even learn who else is using these services in the business you are in.
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