I use Facebook to support my personal and business networks.  Those lines seem to be blurring.  My business ‘friends’ are commenting on updates that are a bit more personal in nature, and my ‘friends’ that I spend time with outside of Facebook, will comment on work related posts.  I’m inclined to blur the lines anyway… I like people and tend to do business with friends or become friends with many of my customers.  Recently I reconnected with a man I attended church with years ago.  After viewing some of our websites that I displayed on Facebook, he called me from his home in Florida and we ended up putting a website together for him.  If it wasn’t for Facebook, I’m not sure if we would have connected otherwise, and I’m confident that he would have found a local resource.

Take a look at just how popular Facebook has become (stats all from Facebook itself):

• More than 350 million active users
• 50% of our active users log on to Facebook in any given day
• More than 35 million users update their status each day
• More than 55 million status updates posted each day
• More than 2.5 billion photos uploaded to the site each month
• More than 3.5 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photo albums, etc.) shared each week
• More than 3.5 million events created each month
• More than 1.6 million active Pages on Facebook
• More than 700,000 local businesses have active Pages on Facebook
• Pages have created more than 5.3 billion fans

With this explosion of Facebook, I see more opportunities to share our lives, our work and our personality with the world.  This has positive and negative implications.

I recently met with a company that I had connected with online.  We used a chat application to answer questions about their website project, and through that exchange we ‘got to know each other’.  In addition to sharing work related information, she talked to me about her family and showed me pictures from her wedding.  When we got together in person, it was a bit awkward at first.    I felt comfortable online, and yet, it took a little time when we finally met face to face to have that same level of comfort.   This reminded me of a story my friend told me about one of his Facebook contacts.  He said that he approached a woman in a company lunch room and innocently asked how she was adjusting to her new puppy.  He could tell right away that she was creeped out by his question… They were really only ‘friends’ in the digital world.  Some of my friends have gone so far as to set up two Facebook accounts, one for personal, and one for business.

How have your Facebook relationships affected your business?  Do you think the time you spend in your Facebook account has a positive impact on your business?  Can you track any sales or business opportunities directly related to your Facebook activity?

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It seems the television will be experiencing some major modifications in the near future. I just wrote about the next generation of TVs being connected to the Internet, which is exciting enough, but today Discovery, Imax, and Sony announced a plan to create a 3D television channel.

With a predicted start date in 2011, the channel will feature all sorts of shows like sports, entertainment, and nature scenes that Discovery is known for. This isn’t the first talk of a 3D station on TVs. Earlier today, ESPN announced their plan to launch “ESPN 3D” in June 2010. That’s only 6 months away! And they have already committed to at least one year of sporting events. The Discovery/Imax/Sony channel will be a 24-hours-a-day channel whereas the ESPN 3D will only show select sporting events that are predetermined.

These companies believe 3D TVs will be the next HDTVs. Consumers are constantly looking for a closer to real picture in high definition and LCD TVs, so 3D televisions make sense. However, the next obstacle will be 3D glasses. Many people believe that with the CES conference starting Thursday, there will be a large focus on the development of 3D glasses. These can’t just be the paper, red and blue glasses that you are given at the beginning of a 3D movie. No, these are going to be the high-end, brand name 3D glasses.

The television has been changing so rapidly, just don’t let it get to be a Fahrenheit 451 thing…

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Throw out your ancient phone because the rumors were true! Google’s phone- The Nexus One- was revealed earlier today at the Android Press Event (like we predicted). A great review from TechCrunch gives specifics on how the phone works and why it is already living up to its anticipated reputation. Michael Arlington says this phone is “the fastest and most elegant smartphone on the market today.”

The Nexus One will carry a new version of Android that features 3D capabilities as well as Google Voice. Google Voice allows you to compose a text or email and find a contact just by speaking into the phone. This has to be the most unique feature of the Nexus One, setting it apart from all competitors. Another unique feature is the Live Wallpaper, which is just a moving background for your home screen. Separately, Google also gave a preview of a new 3D Google Earth application for the Android platform.

To buy the phone directly from Google and HTC it will cost you $529 and you can insert your own SIM card. If that option is too pricey, you can buy the phone with a two year T-Mobile contract for only $179. The phone will be available through Verizon and Vodafone this spring.

So far, the phone has received great reviews. For a quick overview of its main features, watch this video. If you have the opportunity to try out the Nexus One, let us know what you think!

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If you’re thinking about buying a new TV for the living room, don’t do it yet! Hold off for a little while. The New York Times says that 2010 will be the year that Internet connected TVs will take off.

Even though sales of televisions were higher in 2009 than 2008, profit fell due to cut prices. To make up for lost profit, television makers are aiming to incorporate Internet into the next generation of TVs. Imagine Wi-Fi on your TV! Well that’s what the newer, and even slimmer, televisions will be offering.

Internet connected TVs have not yet been a hit with customers probably because a TV with an Internet connection is currently $300 more than the same TV without the connection. However, if competitive brands start to offer these TVs, prices will be driven downward.

As if this were not enough development to completely change the way anyone watches TV, Skype also wants to have an influence. Since Internet connected TVs have not yet been in high demand, applications are very limited. But Skype wants to open the door to video chat via your TV. All it will take is a television connected to the Internet, a special web-cam, and a microphone to create a live chat from the couch. I wonder if the Jetsons even had that luxury…

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World of Warcraft is one of the largest online games, and for Alfred Hightower, it was the only flaw in the escape plan.

In 2007, a warrant was put out for the arrest of Alfred Hightower for dealing drugs in Indiana. After Hightower disappeared, police suspected he may have fled to Canada, but did not have a specific location. Further into the investigation police discovered Hightower had been a committed player of World of Warcraft.

The police then subpoenaed Blizzard Entertainment (owner of World of Warcraft) for Hightower’s IP address, billing address, preferred game server, and other information about his account. With this information, the police were able to locate Hightower and have him apprehended by Canadian authorities in Ottowa, Ontario.

This isn’t the first time online gaming has been used to locate a criminal. Just before Christmas, a thief guilty of over 200 car larcenies was caught when he used a stolen Xbox360 to play online games.

Maybe police will learn to utilize this information more often, because now we know it isn’t completely crazy to suggest tracking a criminal through World of Warcraft.

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With today’s economy, it is amazing to find out that online shopping was at its highest this holiday season. Maybe the convenience of e-commerce has finally made an impression on holiday shoppers.

According to ComScore, online spending rose to $27 billion as compared to the $25 billion spent last year. That’s a 5% increase between November 1^st and December 24^th. Not only did online spending rise, but customer satisfaction rose as well. A survey conducted by ForeSeeindicated that overall satisfaction of customers rose to 79%, which is the highest it has been since 2001. The most satisfying e-commerce site in the survey was Amazon (for the second year in a row) with a score of 87 out of 100. Other top runners included Netflix, Apple, and Newegg.com. ForeSee also reported the most improved online shopping sites, which included Macy’s, Gap, and HSN.

The New York Times gives a few pointers on how to improve an e-commerce site. They say the most important quality in a shopping website is guaranteeing a smooth and speedy checkout for the customer. Anyone who has shopped online will agree that if a certain website is not loading properly or being very slow during the checkout process, it makes you a little nervous. You are trusting this site with your credit card number and you definitely don’t want to have to hit the refresh button and end up with two of the same order. Simply lowering prices won’t increase sales if your site needs to be refreshed every two minutes.

Personally, this online shopping increase doesn’t surprise me. Even though the economy has struggled this year, e-commerce sites provide convenience and allow a shopper to avoid the crowds at the mall. The Internet is being integrated into more and more aspects of our lives, shopping is only one of these aspects.

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We all know that iPhone users can be a little crazy, but is it their fault or should AT&T take the blame?

On Monday, the network experienced a glitch in its web sales. If you tried ordering an iPhone on AT&T’s website with a New York City zip code, you were rejected. As much as this goes against everything my economics teacher taught me, the seller actually turned down the customer. If you were turned down, the website recommended that you go to an actual store in your area where they would gladly sell you a new phone. The only comments that AT&T made were by Fletcher Cook, a spokesman for AT&T, when he told The Consumerist, “We periodically modify our promotions and distribution channels.”

What does that mean? Next, will you shut down every AT&T store to “modify” those channels too? The truth is that New York has a very large and concentrated population and AT&T’s network can’t handle all the data from so many iPhones. The New York Times says, “The average iPhone owner can use 10 times the network capacity used by the average smartphone user.”

By using iPhones so intensely, customers are only making it harder on themselves. Browsing the Web, streaming music and videos, all the things that the iPhone is so good at doing, only make the network slower. This, in turn, frustrates the customers who were promised amazing cell phones. It’s the new circle of life for iPhone users.

The website started allowing people with New York City zip codes to purchase iPhones later the same day.

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Anticipation of the Google cell phone is almost as bad as the anticipation of the Apple tablet. But at least a few photos and reviews about the Nexus One have leaked into the press, whereas Apple is on lock-down about the tablet.

Google has (probably against its will) given some clues to keep the interest of the public on the Nexus One. What’s the newest piece of information? The New York Times reported today that the Nexus One is likely to be revealed in a press conference on January 5. Yep, one week from today. We predicted that the phone would be available as early as January 2010, so this date is pretty believable.

The phone, built by HTC, will be sold directly to customers through the Internet. However, more recent news reveals that T-Mobile will be the only service to provide contracts and deals on the phone. Basically that means if you buy it from T-Mobile, it will be much more inexpensive than if you bought it directly from Google.

The press conference may not even be intended for the release of the phone, but we sure hope so. I guess all of our questions will be answered next Tuesday.

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The music industry is definitely one of the hardest industries to break into. That’s why Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee is creating a CD with anyone on it! The record, called Public Mayhem, is inviting anyone and everyone to create the best album possible.

Seriously. You can go to the CD’s website, listen to the tracks he has recorded and put your own ideas over his music. Not only would this be a great time waster, you actually have the chance to be included on the final album! The “contest” started back in November and runs until January 3^rd. So hurry up and record some music!

Right now, there are only three songs left to be completed and the tracks for each will be released over the next three weeks (one song per week). Eight tracks are already closed to submissions, but he still needs help with those last three. Also, if you make the cut and are on the album, you will get to perform at the record release show.

If you are interested, a complete overview of the project and how to participate are here. Good luck making music!

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Apple had a lightbulb moment about a week ago when they heard the estimated profit for online television shows and movies for 2010. Predicted to earn $1.2 billion by 2013, online movies and shows are an exponentially growing market.  Realizing the potential it has to break into this market, Apple has decided to tackle cable TV.

Alongside CBS and Disney productions, Apple wants to create a subscription based Internet TV service to compete with the cable companies. Said to be available on iPods and even Apple’s new tablet, this service will make television portable and easily accessible. The service could cost up to $30 a month for a subscription, according to Yahoo. But because of all the advantages it will provide, $30 a month isn’t all that bad, especially if the new service promises no advertisements. That’s right, no commercials!

Television is an entirely different field than what Apple is used to. And honestly, Apple isn’t used to not getting their way when it comes to new projects. They pushed the music industry into selling songs online through iTunes even though they didn’t initially want to. Network providers aren’t necessarily going to react the same way. And cable providers definitely won’t let Apple do this without putting up a fight first. The Apple Blog talks about the conflict that will ensue between Apple and cable companies if this idea becomes a reality.

Apple is just living up to all the other cross-over companies hitting up new markets, like Google when they created their own browser. No one is ever satisfied with one thing; they have to keep evolving and expanding.

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