This morning, Robin Meade asked the question, “Should parents friend their kids on Facebook?” My answer? ABSOLUTELY! Just do me a favor — don’t ruin the kids conversations. You’ll just send them into online hiding if you do.
Kids today can be sneaky and they have some serious workarounds at their disposal, so I recommend a few steps you can take to better manage their computer usage:
HLN digital lifestyle expert Mario Armstrong is worried about your Facebook privacy settings. He’s worried because so many of you have not bothered to set them, or even LOOK at them. It’s important to take a few simple steps to make sure people aren’t getting on your Facebook page and posting stuff you don’t want up there. For example, you can prevent someone from tagging you in that pic that makes it look like you have three chins … and you should! Continue reading this post on HLNtv.com
Episode 2 of the newly relaunched #socamshow is live! This video features some amazing ventriloquism from David and his puppet Otis who were performing in Times Square recently. As well, the show is completely derailed (what a surprise!) when Shy and I find Tristan and Tyler, twin brothers who are reporters with their own web show! I had the chance to interview them both as well which was really fun. It was great to see these #minimarios running around LOL
“I can’t believe what I’m reading!” That is the feeling I got while digesting Consumer Reports’ recent “State of the Net” survey, which essentially puts our digital habits under the microscope.
With Stuart Chaifetz in the news this week after wiring his autistic son Akian with recording equipment and capturing some truly horrible emotional abuse hurled at Akian by educators, it’s time to look at the various tech that’s out there in the spy tech world.
Bullying is an epidemic in this country, but lately it’s getting a lot of media attention. Parents looking for ways to confront it have no doubt found a lot of comfort in seeing Mr. Chaifetz’s success.
But recording audio is just one part of the picture. Worried about your daughter getting lost while on hiking in a national park or when she’s on a field trip at school? Slip a GPS tracker from Brick House Security into her backpack and keep track of her location remotely. Need to keep on eye on a nanny? Slip a covert alarm clock into a bedroom and record video and audio without suspicion.
I give a bunch of other tips, including info about keyloggers and how mobile devices like Smartphones can be used as spy devices, so be sure to check the CNN video above.
One trend among social-networking apps is the ability to combine all your posts and updates with your location. It’s a fantastic idea for some, terrifying for others.
I show off one app called banjo, which helps you find out who’s nearby and what they’re talking about.
Friends and strangers alike: If you are into the social aspect of social networking, you’ll geek out for this. But if you’re particular about your privacy, I will show you step-by-step how to lock these apps OUT so you can stay off the radar.
There’s a misnomer out there that women aren’t techies, but Pinterest is proving just the opposite! If the platform is appealing, women will use it in huge numbers.
With everything from brands like Oscar de la Renta sharing wedding dresses to moms sharing recipes, Pinterest has really exploded in recent months. In the clip above, from CNN this week, I show you how the platform works as well as diving into some of the settings and privacy options.
If you thought the 2008 election saw an explosion in social media being used by the Presidential candidates, just wait until you see what 2012 will hold. While email blasts, Facebook and Twitter made huge differences in terms of fundraising and getting the message out last election cycle, Barack Obama and his team was way ahead of the curve. Already, Mitt Romney has launched some impressive jabs over social media networks, like the “Moms for Mitt” Facebook page I discuss with CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux in the clip above.
It’s not just social media this time around—in what we’re already terming the “Data Election” we’re seeing mobile apps play a huge role in how political campaigns are getting the message out. The Obama 2012 app I showed off on CNN is just one of many apps we’re going to see this election season to help organize voters and volunteers alike. And to pull it all together, in 2012 campaigns will be using enterprise-grade data mining software to ensure they’re maximizing what they can do with mobile applications.
As far as I can tell, Mitt Romney’s campaign doesn’t have an app yet, but I’m sure we’ll see one soon. With all the new tech powering the “Data Election” this year, big changes are coming.
If you’re just tuning in, then you maybe haven’t heard me talk about Socialcam, the mobile app that let’s you quickly make and share videos with friends, family, and your social networks. Socialcam also has video filters (think Instagram!) that let you change the way your video looks, and they’ve got everything from a retro 70’s feel, to a black and white film style, and more. They also have several themes and music options you can add, so you can make your video look like an MTV music video or appear as though you’re a television reporter. Socialcam is available from the App Store for your iPhone or iPad as well as Google Play for Android devices. And if you decide to download Socialcam, make sure to follow me! You can find me at socialcam.com/Mario or do a search for “Mario Armstrong” inside the app!
The other app I talk about is called Animoto. With this app, you can combine pictures, video and music to create a video. This is a great way to capture a vacation and share it with family, or maybe making a quick video greeting card. One of my Twitter followers used it to make a birthday present for his Grandmother, check this out:
