Flud News Roundup, June 2-4

Facebook and Apple are Flirting: After a lot of rumors and speculation, Apple has finally started dropping hints at adding Facebook integration into their next software update, iOS 6. The mutually beneficial partnership will bring new features to the software such as “App Liking”, which allows users to “like” apps within the App Store and post them to Facebook. Apple CEO, Tim Cook, stated that Facebook is “the one company that is closest to being like Apple”. However, his statement, “Stay tuned”, is keeping iOS users on the edge of their seats, anxiously waiting to find out exactly what will happen. 

Banana Boat Burn: Over the weekend, a Massachusetts man suffered second degree burns when he moved towards his charcoal grill and caught fire after applying spray on sunscreen. The man was aware of the flammable substance warning, but claims that the warning doesn’t clearly state that by wearing the product you run the risk of becoming flammable yourself. He isn’t suing Banana Boat (the product which was in use), but he is raising questions on why more research hasn’t been done to prevent such an occurrence. 

UN Wants Access: Iran is making headlines in world news today as a United Nations official has announced new talks with the country in an attempt to gain access to restricted sites. Satellite images of Iranians demolishing buildings at a site where access was previously requested has been raising concerns and the UN is becoming increasingly impatient. Iran continues to deny accusations about their nuclear testing posing a threat, but if all goes well, the talks will happen Friday in Vienna. 

image source: dawn.com

Death & Taxes, Two Wrongs Make a Right

Death and Taxes has been described as a publication that covers “the burgeoning punk rock, hardcore, emo and indie music scenes, bringing you true independent music,” but I think they’re more than that.

They also cover politics and pop-culture stories that Generation Y is genuinely interested in. From Jay-Z’s take on President Obama’s support for gay marriage, to reviews of the new ass-steering Segway, to a video of a bird doing the Dougie, you’re sure to find some interesting headlines here. 

As taste-makers in indie music, news and politics, you won’t want to miss out on this feed! You can find Death and Taxes in the Weekly Best or under the Entertainment category. Go Flud something interesting! 

Flud News Roundup, June 1

Join in the Celebration: Happy National Doughnut Day! Yes, it’s true. Americans love their doughnuts so much we have an entire day dedicated to the celebration and appreciation of this deep-fried dough. Dunkin’ Doughnuts and Krispy Kreme are celebrating by offering a complimentary doughnut with the purchase of a beverage. This holiday provides the perfect excuse to load up on carbs before summer slim diets begin. 

The beginning of June isn’t just a celebration for doughnuts, it also begins a four day celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s 60 years on the throne. The world is watching as Britain celebrates her Diamond Jubilee and reflects on her influential reign. The Queen has seen a lot over her years and has been a prominent and inspiring figure not just in her kingdom, but all over the world. For more stories on the Diamond Jubilee celebration check out these articles: 

In Other News: The latest US jobs report is making headlines. Approximately 69,000 jobs were added in May, which sounds significant, but in reality it is the lowest addition so far this year. As the unemployment rate rises to 8.2%, questions are being raised on whether or not a second recession is on it’s way. Needless to say, the latest statistics are a huge blow to Obama’s re-election campaign where the economy is a central issue. Get more details on the latest economic data: 

image source: Telegraph UK

Say Hi to Vittoria!

We searched far and wide for a new intern and we have finally found a fit!

Please join us in welcoming Vittoria to the Flud family! She will be another voice behind our blog and social media. Want to help break her in? Tweet us your ideas and feedback :) 

Flud News Roundup, May 30-31

There has been a lot going on in the news today and we’ve got you some of the top stories in tech, politics and entertainment. 

The Battle of Left and Right: Obama is changing his approach in attacks against his Republican rival Mitt Romney. As election day approaches and media scrutiny becomes more intense, Obama is trying to find new ways to rally support. He has started criticizing Romney for failing to create jobs during his time as Massachusetts governor, calling his efforts a “flawed economic approach.” Romney’s team was ready with rebuttals and the dispute has both parties wondering if their efforts will gain or lose support for their campaigns.

Zuckerberg’s Challenge: Why does Zuckerberg needs to channel the entrepreneurial mindset of Steve Jobs? With the ever-changing realm of social media, Facebook lovers can quickly turn into Facebook haters and as the company continues to make headlines with their dance in the stock market, Zuckerberg needs to stay on his A game. Recent rumors of creating a Facebook smartphone could potentially harm the company as they try to find new ways to gain control over social apps. The $1 billion purchase of Instagram was a swift move in removing immediate competition in the social app world. While business decisions to expand the Facebook network are critical, user experience should remain the company’s focus. 

Fairy Tale Frenzy: The highly anticipated release of Snow White and the Huntsman has arrived and is taking a bite out of the poison apple that is pop culture’s feast on traditional fairy tales — offering a twist on the childhood fantasies of princes and princesses and introducing fantasy to action. In the last few months we have seen multiple fairy tale remakes, particularly the sweet story of Snow White as seen in the series Once Upon A Time and the recently released film Mirror Mirror. What’s next, The Life Aquatic: Ariel’s Undersea Adventures?

What news has been catching your eye? Tweet it and hashtag #FludReads! 

image sources: reuter.com

Flud News Roundup, May 26-29

If today was your first reality check since the Memorial Day weekend festivities began, you may need help getting up-to-date on your news. Here’s a recap of what happened while you were eating hot dogs and sunning yourself.

Weird news: Flesh-eating humans are something that we normally associate with the ever-looming Zombie Apocalypse, but this past Saturday it became a real-life horror story. Rudy Eugene, a 31-year-old man, was found nude on Miami’s MacArthur Causeway mauling another nude man’s face — “eating it by the handful” witnesses say. After several attempts to stop the crazed man’s rampage, Miami police shot Eugene to death. His cannibal state is thought  to have been the result of recreational drug use.  The victim, identified as 65-year-old Ronald Poppo, is in critical condition. For more coverage on this horrific story:

Auction block: We’ve seen a lot of celebrity memorabilia go to auction lately — Babe Ruth’s first NY Yankees jersey and Bill Gates’ Porsche, to name a few — but today, you can buy a tomb previously occupied by Elvis Presley. Bidding starts at $100,000 for The King’s resting place. Also up for bidding is a spare John Lennon suit from “A Hard Day’s Night,” estimated to be worth between $4,000 and $6,000, as well as the robe that Amy Winehouse wore in the video for “Rehab,” which has an estimated worth of between $15,000 and $17,000.

On Wall Street: Facebook stock dropped again today — dipping to under $30 per share and closing at $28.84, an all-time low and a 24% drop from its initial public offering price of $38 on May 18. Forbes asks if Zuckerberg should apologize for the disappointing turnout. Do you think he’s to blame?

In other news:

  • CNN: Obama gives waivers to 8 states on No Child Left Behind 
  • Boston Globe: Egypt Islamist candidate vows break with old ways
  • Wall Street Journal: Sophisticated Virus Hits Iranian Computers
image source: sheknows.com

Welcome to 2012, the year citizen journalism mobile apps will fail

More than a few spins on citizen journalism were released as mobile apps as of late, and with good reason: it is an excellent idea. So before I discuss the limitations I see in the current iterations, here’s why the market is ripe.People are posting breaking news, photos and videos to their networks on Twitter and Facebook already. There’s an intrinsic incentive already there, for regular people to report the news, and one lucky app just needs to capitalize on it.

Next, there’s a clear need — as citizens begin reporting, whether in Egypt or at Occupy Wall Street, we’re realizing that there’s more news that needs reporting, and fewer pro journalists. Plus, the cameras on mobile phones just keep getting better.

And last — we don’t yet have a network based on location. All of our social networks are based on social connections, either through friends or work or family, and apps these days take advantage of using Facbeook or Twitter to authenticate and further push the norm that these existing networks are the only networks a person will identify with. An app that uses relationships based on location would strike an unseen chord with users. At a moment in time, you have more in common with the person sitting in traffic with you than anyone else, and this relationship thus far has been ignored.

Here’s a use case: Wanda is driving home from work and sees a car get T-boned in an intersection. The cars behind her are backed up in traffic for 20 minutes, until emergency workers come to clear the road. Within an hour, the scene is totally clear, as if nothing happened, save a bit of debris. This story is relevant to people living in the community, who might sign a petition to reduce speed limits, or people stuck in traffic behind Wanda, who can’t see what happened or know how long they’ll be held up. This relevance, based on time and location, is not currently dealt with in existing digital networks.

With this clear opportunity for a mobile citizen reporting platform, it’s not surprising that many such tools are emerging. Here are a few:

  • Rawporter: Appeals to photographers wanting to make money, off their smartphone photos. Depends on media parters to put out calls for specific photos. Plans to capitalize on “the right person being in the right place at the right time” — the first part of that is crucial, because the right person would already have to have installed Rawporter to get the right photo at the right time.
  • Meporter: Will license citizen photos to media organizations, and the content creators might get paid. Uses a Foursquare-like badge approach to encourage gamification and interaction between users and brands (which is also a revenue stream). So far Meporter is limited by critical mass, as the purpose of scanning reports in your neighborhood is not useful until many of your neighbors become Meporter users.
  • Bambuser: Already active internationally, Bambuser was used to broadcast live during news events in Egypt and Syria. Some people use it in live-but-not-breaking situations, such as a personal show, almost like a video podcast. Users get credit for their videos but not payment and in a partnership with AP, user videos might go further and AP journalists might make use of Bambuser themselves.
  • Stringfly: Blends the Rawporter model with a corporate branding use case. A news organization could ask for a photo, but so could a brand. Or, a brand could send out a survey, with rewards or monetary compensation for the user. It’s has pop-culture appeal, as you can imagine teens taking pictures of a Pepsi for the brand’s website in exchange for a free soda.
  • Signal: Mixes citizen journalism with Reddit, and is getting ready to launch its minimum viable product, which is limited to photos. Users can vote up stories submitted by other users based on what they think is newsworthy. The heavy emphasis on geolocation and world events inspired the product to take precaution with privacy.

The core value propositions of all these services is similar: geotagged media posts that can be used in C2C news reporting, but also used by media organizations. One major difference is the business model of each, and that will prove a defining factor not just in success, but in user acquisiton.

As I mentioned, there is an intrinsic incentive for regular (non-journalist) people to report news, manifested in two ways: The “I saw it first” and the “Helpful neighbor.” Offering micropayment for user-submitted content devalues the service. That’s why people aren’t submitting to content farms for fun, but they are posting LOLcats. Posting content must serve the user experience.

Also, making money off the news is the greatest challenge for media companies right now, so there’s going to be a fine line between working with them and competing with them, when it comes to revenue streams. Plus, offering a viable revenue stream might diminish interest from investors — who are better able to control valuation when there’s little science involved. Building a fantastic product for an acquisition might frankly be better worth everyone’s time than building a long-term business.

Design is said to be the biggest differentiator in Silicon Valley right now — but the aforementioned services still emphasize tech. In all fairness, their offering is heavy on tech and getting that right might seem to be the biggest challenge up until the point of launch. But that’s when the battle for users begins, and a product that wasn’t designed for users from the beginning will struggle.

When it comes to user acquisition, all these services deal with the same issue: Why download an app for reporting news when you don’t know that you’ll walk by something that is newsworthy? News is, by definition, time-sensitive. Stringfly incentivizes non-time sensitive use with brand interaction while Bambuser’s livestream offering allows for non-news use cases.

To look at some historical examples, Facebook acquired users who wanted to interact with college classmates, and Twitter acquired users who wanted to follow thought leaders and icons. Both these services mimicked an existing network and just gave it more architecture by making it digital.

The silver lining is that with a specialized network, users can start from scratch in deciding which contacts they’d like to share news with. But does news need its own network? Mobile-first Just.Me is getting ready to launch, and will be a competitor to both Path and Facebook, with privacy controls that allow for personal journal-type entries as well as more public posts.

If a non-specialized app is able to get this right — serving as an effective location-based C2C network, and also surfacing UGC news to news media organizations — all these citizen journalism apps may fall flat. Since their design and launch strategies have not acquired the mass users necessary for network dynamics to be put in play, they all still hold a weak grip on the pain point they aim to solve. Trying to monetize right away will only slow down the development of the product.

Perhaps the market is simply not ready for an idea that, in theory, seems so crucial and in demand. Time will tell if any of these services hit gold, and I can guarantee more similar platforms are underway in development. But if these companies do not arm themselves with the flexibility to fail a few times, they will not be able to discover the model that will work.

image source: vatortv.com

Flud News Roundup, May 25

There’s an app for that: Facebook launched it’s photo-sharing app, Facebook Camera, and the reviews are mixed, at best. It’s definitely not the quality, but rather the massive social network behind it, that is reaping praises. The app’s creative lens filters falter compared to Instagram’s, despite the fact that Facebook now owns their dev team, but ease of sharing seems to override the technical inefficiencies — at least for now. Have you tried Facebook Camera yet? We’d love to know your first impressions before you’re tainted by the tech snobs at TechCrunch, Mashable and AllThingsD.

Out of this world: History was made today when SpaceX, a private company controlled by billionaire Elon Musk, docked a supply capsule to the International Space Station — marking the first time a business enterprise delivered supplies to the space station. Due to lack of funds, NASA space exploration has almost come to a complete halt in the last few years, opening the possibility of routine spaceflight to interested commercial companies.

Life-changing news: Five years ago, Steven Crecelius, a man married for 25 years who had six kids, went to the hospital for kidney stones and left with an unexpected piece of information — he is actually intersexual, born with a mix of anatomical sex traits. Steven, who now goes by Stevie, is still married to her wife Debbie and is supported by their gang of children.

In other news:

The beautiful thing about Flud is that it brings you everything in a summary format and it’s still good looking… it makes it so you can quickly skim through stuff so I don’t have to read every bloody page of TechCrunch or Mashable.

— Chris Voss, social media leader and host of the Chris Voss Show, says in a talk with our CEO, Bobby Ghoshal.

Check out this video for the full interview: 

Flud News Roundup, May 23-24

With all the excitement going on at Flud HQ yesterday surrounding our all new web app, we didn’t get a chance to give you your daily news roundup. To make up for it, here are top news stories from the past two days —

Unsolved mystery: 6-year-old Etan Patz went missing 33 years ago in New York City. He seemingly disappeared without a trace on his way to school one day, creating one of the nation’s most baffling missing-children cases ever and leading Patz to be one of the first missing-children to ever be pictured on a milk carton. Although more than a quarter-century has passed, the case has recently resurfaced — Pedro Hernandez, a local man now in his 60s who worked at a store near where Patz lived, has come forward confessing involvement in the boys’ disappearance. Police are skeptical since the claim came just one day before the anniversary of his abduction. For more coverage: 

  • New York Times: Man Claims He Strangled Patz and Put Body in Box, Police Say
  • New York Daily News: Etan Patz disappearance in 1979 helped change way police treated missing children
  • [Video] CNN: Patz investigation a 33-year-long roller coaster ride

School shooting update: Remember back in February when a tragic school shooting in Chardon, Ohio took the lives of three students and left two others seriously wounded? TJ Lane, the 17-year-old boy who admitted to firing at students sitting in the high school’s cafeteria, will be tried as an adult. If convicted he could face life in prison. Although Ohio does observe the death penalty, since Lane is technically a minor, he is ineligible to be put to death under Ohio state law.

Social media strikes again: People are notorious for over-sharing personal information on Facebook, but did you ever think a Facebook message could lead to reversing a rape charge made ten years prior? Sounds like a long shot but in the case of Brian Banks, a former high school football star, it is reality. Banks has spent the last five years in prison for the rape of Wanetta Gibson, a woman who nearly a decade ago accused him of rape when they were both students in Long Beach Poly High School. For more info on how this story unfolds follow these local Southern California news outlets:

  • LA Times: Facebook message led to football player’s rape exoneration
  • Pasadena Star-News: UPDATED: Rape conviction reversed; Long Beach football star exonerated
  • NBC Los Angeles: Long Beach HS Football Star Exonerated From Rape Conviction
Danger in the skies: Yesterday, US Airways Flight 787 headed from Paris to Charlotte, NC was diverted to Bangor, ME after passenger Lucie Zeeko Merigot, a 41-year-old Frenchwoman, claimed to have a surgically implanted device insider. The plane landed safely and Merigot, who was detained at Penobscot County Jail and later turned over to US Customs and Border Patrol, is scheduled to return to France in the coming days.

image source: thehour.com

The Original: What is an Internship, Really?

We are looking for a Social Media intern to join our San Diego office so we had, Erica Berry, our current Social Content Manager write up on what an internship actually is and the kind of person we’re looking for. 

Check out what she has to say, and if you think you fit the part — and love news, tech and writing — email us at pr(at)theflud.com.

ericaberry:

Since all hell broke loose with the US economy back in 2007, internship has become the latest job market buzzword. The more this term is tossed around, the more confusion builds around what an internship actually is.

If you think an internship is a shoe-in for a sweet office job once thevsummer is over, or an ideal position for someone who loves making Starbucks runs, or a term employers use to scam free work out of unsuspecting post-grads, you are so wrong.

As someone who has held multiple internships (ahem, yes multiple), I’ll lay out for you what a real internship is and why you may want one, or two, or three…

What is an internship? It’s a chance.

  • a chance to build experience in a field you’re interested in. You wouldn’t become a stock trader if your passion is in marine science, so why would you seek out an internship in an industry you’re not personally interested in? The second you stop learning or caring, you know you’re in the wrong place. Internship should not associated with waste of time.
  • a chance to make mistakes. This doesn’t mean blow off the details, it means take big chances and try something new.
  • a chance to find your niche. You know you like baking, but you didn’t know you loved creating interesting cupcake flavors or had a passion for cannolis until you started an internship at your favorite bakery. Discover what makes you happy. 
  • a chance to validate your passion. Show your industry that you’re there to make a difference and do big things. Make a splash and people will notice. Don’t just impress your boss, impress yourself. 

Yes, you may be a little broke during your internship, you may be a little tired, you may not know exactly what you’re doing, but if everything is handed to you how are you going to grow? You only get one chance in this life, so go big and run with it.

Go find an internship somewhere you want to work, not just the next place that posts an ad, and work your butt off. Don’t get your hopes up that you’ll land your own clothing line after a week like LC on The Hillls, but if you work hard you’ll create a network of contacts, build your experience and find your passion.

Want to know more about me and my experience with internships? Email me at erica.berry@theflud.com or check out my LinkedIn, I’d love to answer your questions!

image source: realmofthesenses.tumblr.com

Source: ericaberry

Memorial Day Stands for Food, Fun & Flud

Memorial Day is the unofficial kickoff to summer and lucky for us, it’s just around the corner! For most, it means a long weekend full of eating, boozing, schmoozing, relaxing and maybe even some reading for those looking to preserve (or revive) a little of their brain.

Since we know long weekends can take a toll, here are a few fun feeds to ease you back into reality. Grab a water on the rocks, throw back a few Tylenol and enjoy!

Movies, music and the like:

  • Brain Pickings: You can pick your seat and pick your nose, but leave it up to Brain Pickings to find interesting content
  • PluggedIn: With reviews on the latest movies, videos, music, TV and games, they’ll help you waste time wisely
  • Indie Music Filter: You’re cool. You’re hip. You’re over trends before they even happen. Now, find out about new music first with reviews from Chris Budd

Food and beverage (aka hangover cures):

  • Yummly: With every recipe in the world, you’re guaranteed to discover something delicious. It’s good eye-candy, even if you’re just going to order take-out
  • Drinks: You may not be in the mood for liquor, but there’s always next weekend! Plan ahead and find recipes for delicious cocktails
  • The Wine Cask Blog: Even if you blew all your money over the holiday, The Wine Cask Blog can help you track down an affordable and delicious bottle of wine
  • Serious Eats: As a lover of all things edible, you’re in luck because this is the place to find recipes and links to the best food sharing sites on the web — you’re sure to find something to make you tummy growl

Things to make you laugh:

  • Cracked: America’s only humor site since 1958, Cracked is sure to make you snarf your Mountain Dew. Oops, did you choke?
  • The Tangential: They have a simple motto — Don’t be boring. Don’t suck.
  • Thought Catalog: Warning, this will probably make you more interesting
  • Photoshop Disasters: Here are the best of the worst creative flops that, depending on how you spend your weekend, may look better than you come Tuesday morning
  • The Onion: America’s finest source of fake news

Long weekends don’t come around very often, so spend it wisely… Fluding that is! We’ve made some major updates to the web app too, so check it out if you haven’t yet!

Happy Memorial Day :)

photo source: themarcystop.blogspot.com

We’ve got a Surprise for you…

We’re opening up the web app to all users, starting today!
Flud for the web is easy to set up, just go to our homepage and login with the same Flud username you have for mobile. And be sure to invite your friends… it makes Fluding more fun!  

Flud News Roundup, May 22

A time for remembrance: It’s the anniversary of the devastating tornado that hit Joplin, Mississippi one year ago — misplacing hundreds of residents and killing a handful of others. Today, the city held a moment of silence at 5:41 pm, marking the precise moment the deadly tornado hit and also had a visit from the President, himself. Here is more coverage on that story:

On the auction block: Would you buy a vial of blood? No? Me neither —not even if it’s Ronald Reagans’ — but apparently there are some freaks out there who can’t wait to get their hands on the ex-president’s DNA. Bid offers for the historical remains have already exceed $10,000,000.

Face your fears: Are you afraid of creepy, crawly, hairy spiders? If so, you’re in luck. Apparently scientists have found a way to cure arachnophobia in a single exposure therapy session in which doctors lock participants and tarantulas in the same room for two hours, forcing interaction. By the end of treatment, most participants reportedly lost all signs of anxiety and were able to approach and even touch the spider. They’re not sure if this works for all phobias, but it could be worth a try! Now, who’s afraid of honey badgers?

Flud News Roundup, May 19-21

Top stories you may have missed over the weekend:

Pre-nup: Unless you’ve been under a rock, you know Mark Zuckerberg tied the knot with his long-time girlfriend, Priscilla Chan, over the weekend. What you might not know is how they picked the date — the day after Facebook went public. No, it wasn’t to celebrate Chan’s graduation from med school, it was for legal reasons. Under California law, any assets and income owned prior to marriage are yours to keep. In the case of a divorce, this means Zuck doesn’t have to share anything he earns on his stocks.

And gone!: Babe Ruth hasn’t been around for a while, but he’s still setting world records. A New York Yankees jersey that is the earliest known uniform worn by Ruth, circa 1920, was sold at auction Sunday for a record breaking $4,415,658, the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever sold. The previous record was $4,338,500 for James Naismith’s founding rules of basketball. The jersey’s buyer is unknown. 

From the courtroom: Dharun Ravi, the former Rutgers student who used a webcam to spy on his gay roommate just days before he killed himself, was sentenced to 30 days in jail with three years’ probation and a $10,000 pay-out towards a program to help victims of hate crimes. Some activists are disappointed with this sentencing, but others who feared he would be made a scapegoat for his fellow freshman’s suicide are relieved. 

#Twitterban: Yesterday, Pakistani officials blocked Twitter for almost 8 hours because the social network refused to remove tweets considered offensive to Islam. 

Here’s what people are saying: