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I was surprised to see that of my top 50, I only talk on a semi-regular basis with Chris Brogan, typically when I run into him at a social media conference, which is ironic as he has a great message these days telling social media folks to get out and shake the bushes meeting people from other walks of life ‘Outside’ of Social Media. 

I have also talked with Depeche Mode a couple times on Facebook, but not on Twitter.  There are also a couple people like Rob McNealy, whom I know and have had some great conversations with in the past, but despite the power of social media, haven’t talked with him lately.  But the larger number of the people with the most clout, that follow me, don’t talk to me.    I’ve met Jeff Pulver at one of his Social Media Jungle events in Las Vegas and he gave me the impression that he’s the type of guy that brings interesting people together to do interesting things.  I’ve tried to engage Guy Kawasaki a couple times but the conversations did not go well, I’m sure more my fault on that than Guy’s.

So here’s the thing, I have to wonder how ‘influential’ these people really are?  I’m not questioning Zappos, nor Chris, nor Guy or Jeff or even Rob & definitely not Depeche Mode, but the others, I have to wonder if the twitter medium is missing something. 

If only 5 out of my top 50 of the most influential people in my list aren’t talking to me, well then why are they following me?

I also have to wonder if I’m missing something myself.  I am not the type of person that chases people to develop a connection just to have a connection.  If I can help someone, I reach out and help them.  I do try to reach out and also engage in interesting conversations with people, but I don’t spout non-sense on twitter just to increase my updates or reach a stat or something.  I know some people do under the theory that it increases their twitter/web/social media footprint even if its only one tweet at a time, but that’s not me, that doesn’t seem useful nor valuable and frankly I don’t have the time to tweet non-sense. 

But if these are the most influential people in my twitter network, maybe I do need to reach out to these fine folks a bit more and find out why they thought I was interesting enough to follow in the first place and see if there is some opportunity that we as members of a social network at a first degree connection level might be able to realize, maybe even make the world a better place or something.

Sample Tweet and Statistics

1

zappos
Zappos.com CEO -Tony
Las Vegas
www.zappos.com blogs.zappos.com twitter.zappos.com
http://www.zappos.com/

They should pass a law so that the time spent ironing clothes in a hotel room gives you credit for time spent at the gym.
21 hours, 6 minutes ago from web

Joined Twitter on 2007/06/23
Following: 393,792, Followers: 1,665,349, Updates: 120

2

Starbucks
Starbucks Coffee
Seattle, WA
Freshly brewed tweets from Brad at Starbucks in Seattle, WA.
http://www.starbucks.com

This is neat – Our Sing along video passed 1,000,000 million views on @YouTube http://bit.ly/8U5wH7 #allyouneedislove
1 hour, 52 minutes ago from web

Joined Twitter on 2006/11/29
Following: 84,051, Followers: 723,839, Updates: 4,179

3

depechemode
Depeche Mode
Burbank, CA (band webmaster)
From beginnings in Basildon, Essex, to the Universe, Depeche Mode have been creating their brand of music for almost 30 years.
http://www.depechemode…

New #depechemode Tour Blog: Berlin – http://www.depechemode.com/tour/tourblog.html
3 hours, 10 minutes ago from web

Joined Twitter on 2009/03/24
Following: 6,499, Followers: 356,170, Updates: 104

4

jeffpulver
Jeff Keni Pulver
New York
Technology Anthropologist; Entrepreneur; Early-Stage Seed Investor; story teller, Living in Social Media. Producer of #140conf
http://jeffpulver.com

@drorengel I don’t have any SF meetups planned.
4 hours, 52 minutes ago from web

Joined Twitter on 2007/02/01
Following: 30,870, Followers: 328,394, Updates: 28,953

5

TweetDeck
TweetDeck
London
TweetDeck is your personal browser for staying in touch with what’s happening now, connecting you with your contacts across Twitter, Facebook and more.
http://www.tweetdeck.com

Your New Followers columns should now be working again folks. See http://bit.ly/3XFFgB for instructions. Contact @richardbarley if any probs
10 hours, 8 minutes ago from TweetDeck

Joined Twitter on 2008/05/16
Following: 155,122, Followers: 284,923, Updates: 6,468

6

GuyKawasaki
Guy Kawasaki
VirginAmerica 2A
I am a firehose that answers the question: What’s interesting? Co-founder of Alltop.
http://alltop.com/

How to engage in social media and still have a pay wall, WSJ style http://om.ly/eDKi
1 hour, 37 minutes ago from otweet

Joined Twitter on 2007/08/26
Following: 216,760, Followers: 205,932, Updates: 41,008

7

nansen
Nansen Malin
Seaview WA
Passionate about politics,technology,beach life,salmon and creating change.Former Alinsky student who does conservative politics.Mom of 4.WA GOP ExecBoard
http://www.seaviewwa.com

@triphoppa Calling me an idiot is not appreciated. Plenty of folk think differently than you do about #netneutrality.
3 hours, 51 minutes ago from TweetDeck

Joined Twitter on 2008/04/14
Following: 188,182, Followers: 179,943, Updates: 9,165

8

Radioblogger
Duane Patterson
Southern California
Producer of Hugh Hewitt Radio Show, blogger on the Hughniverse, pesterer of @ev, according to web reports, winner of track & field gold medal.
http://www.hughniverse…

@TurtledoveJB i think kennedy is attracting coakley voters. i think the tea party people figured out the landscape in the bay state. #hhrs
3 hours, 9 minutes ago from web

Joined Twitter on 2008/12/03
Following: 173,203, Followers: 165,364, Updates: 18,222

9

RobMcNealy
Rob McNealy
Aurora, Colorado
Husband, Dad, Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, Libertarian, Entrepreneur, MBA, Rapper, Blogger, Podcaster, Foodie, Home Schooler
http://www.RobMcNealy.com

Sheep Gives Birth to Human-Faced Lamb in Turkey: http://kl.am/HumanFace <-Creepy #Strange
5 hours, 10 minutes ago from web

Joined Twitter on 2007/11/24
Following: 154,830, Followers: 163,708, Updates: 20,146

10

SpaceAstro
Space & Astronautics
Space & Astronautics News
NASA, ESA, NOAA, USGS, astronomy, space, weather, oceans, Earth science, earthquakes, aerospace. Editor/Journalist.Also @oceanechoes @helpanimals @weatherplanet
http://space.gs/

Video: Tracy Reines, Director of Response Operations for the American Red Cross, discusses the latest for the… http://ff.im/egf0r
6 hours, 34 minutes ago from FriendFeed

Joined Twitter on 2008/10/02
Following: 165,178, Followers: 157,072, Updates: 5,320

11

StartupPro
Martin Zwilling
Fountain Hills, Arizona
Veteran startup mentor, executive, blogger, tech professional, and angel investor. (marty@startupprofessionals.com)
http://blog.startuppro…

Ask the Attorney; Securities Laws – http://shar.es/aR1NY
5 hours, 15 minutes ago from ShareThis.com

Joined Twitter on 2009/01/01
Following: 155,227, Followers: 155,164, Updates: 2,073

12

LarryWentz
Larry Wentz
West Fargo, ND
Owner of WeightlossProgram.com, Anti-Viruses.com, 100s of Domains, Internet & Affiliate Marketing, Cat Lover, Lake Bum, Pool Player, Happily Un-Employed
http://www.AffiliateNe…

@MikeWhitmore I’m doing better but I am now very swamped/backlogged. Hope to be on Mastermind call tomorrow nite!
1 day, 1 hour ago from web

Joined Twitter on 2009/02/24
Following: 157,781, Followers: 153,987, Updates: 2,437

13

williger
Darren Williger
Chicago
Success driven ex-DELL sales maker and new media evangelist by day. Meditating, guitar playing, wine making, crime fighting superhero at night. I like cheese!
http://williger.com/

What You Will Need to Start Brewing Your Own Beer: There are a few basic pieces of equipment needed to start brewi… http://bit.ly/7lE7VP
4 days, 17 hours ago from twitterfeed

Joined Twitter on 2008/06/18
Following: 132,755, Followers: 132,366, Updates: 22,913

14

jeanlucr
Jean-Luc Raymond
Paris, France
Consultant formateur en projets numériques citoyens. Twitter consultant. Social Media & Digital Citizenship consultant, teaching. jeanluc.raymond@gmail.com
http://blog.jeanlucray…

Internet pourrait être le grand gagnant de la crise du marché de la publicité http://j.mp/5icehD
51 minutes ago from web

Joined Twitter on 2007/05/17
Following: 136,965, Followers: 129,637, Updates: 11,092

15

AlainVanHeerden
Alain van Heerden
Cape Town
Internet Marketing Consultancy – The difference between success and failure is almost always a matter of inches – the distance between your ears.
http://alainvanheerden…

Why Did Google Build a Phone and a Browser? http://bit.ly/7VUYnC
8 hours, 42 minutes ago from web

Joined Twitter on 2008/11/29
Following: 127,827, Followers: 124,935, Updates: 1,049

16

caseywright
Casey Wright
San Diego
CEO Wright Brothers Communications
http://www.cawright.net

Guy at GNC recommended a protein powder with more "bioavailability." I recommended an in-store thesaurus.
2 days, 21 hours ago from Twittelator

Joined Twitter on 2008/06/05
Following: 121,705, Followers: 123,501, Updates: 2,238

17

chrisharrington
Chris Harrington
Charlotte, NC
Emerging Media Strategist, Advertising Agency Technology Director, Vegan, Audible Advocate, Dad, – #votewoz
http://www.google.com/…

@geekyjess I’ll try to post today. In short, we thought up a great Lego app and a grocery store app.
5 hours, 25 minutes ago from Tweetie

Joined Twitter on 2009/02/18
Following: 26,158, Followers: 121,493, Updates: 1,811

18

chrisbrogan
Chris Brogan
Boston, MA
President, New Marketing Labs. More? http://bit.ly/cbbio . email: blog at chrisbrogan dot com
http://chrisbrogan.com

Flying to New Orleans. See you in #nola? Ping @tommartin for details.
24 minutes ago from Seesmic

Joined Twitter on 2006/10/23
Following: 97,729, Followers: 116,409, Updates: 59,003

19

brooksbayne
brooks bayne
two weeks from everywhere
satirist, entrepreneur, technologist, music producer, melter of faces utilizing molten guitar riffs, slayer of myth, debunker of hogwash. american. foodie.
http://brooksbayne.com/

@catraalien they knew each other. twitter is just an asterisk in this case, imo.
13 hours, 24 minutes ago from web

Joined Twitter on 2007/04/30
Following: 108,421, Followers: 110,012, Updates: 24,373

20

DesignerDepot
Webdesigner Depot
Vancouver, Canada
Webdesigner Depot is one of the most popular blogs about web design trends, tutorials and much more. It’s run by Walter Apai, a web designer from Vancouver.
http://www.webdesigner…

Designing an Idea – How to Beautify your Inspiration: http://bit.ly/75O2pl
1 hour, 50 minutes ago from HootSuite

Joined Twitter on 2008/11/25
Following: 103,749, Followers: 108,826, Updates: 3,331

21

EverywhereTrip
Gary Arndt
Appleton, Wisconsin
Travel blogger and photographer. I’m a one man National Geographic. I’ve blogged and tweeted from over 60 countries and territories since March 2007.
http://Everything-Ever…

Two Years Ago: Daily Travel Photo – Yakushima, Japan http://su.pr/2wVeeM
3 hours, 31 minutes ago from Su.pr

Joined Twitter on 2007/02/13
Following: 99,297, Followers: 106,612, Updates: 15,119

22

Kamper
Kamper
Denmark
Easily manage multiple Twitter accounts on one single page with your own TweetCockpit. Never again switch windows and log in and log out of multiple Twitter acc
http://www.socialoomph…

RT @tweetmeme Inspiration Dose 10 – Conceptual Digital Artwork by Thomas Tibitanzl – slodive http://tinyurl.com/y9jbnep
1 hour, 33 minutes ago from TweetMeme

Joined Twitter on 2008/01/21
Following: 104,441, Followers: 104,768, Updates: 3,983

23

LiveEarth
Live Earth
Global
The Run for Water is a series of 6km run/walks taking place over the course of 24 hours in 192 countries, featuring concerts and water education activities…
http://liveearth.org/run

RT @global_water: Help the ppl of Haiti by donating to a GWC member on the ground: @CRSnews: http://bit.ly/4SzSnl @care: http://bit.ly/4 …
1 hour, 51 minutes ago from TweetDeck

Joined Twitter on 2007/05/18
Following: 94,588, Followers: 98,606, Updates: 684

24

Foodimentary
Foodimentary
World~of~Food
Twitter’s @ShortyAwards winning Food~Fact~Tweeter Guaranteed to pepper your day with fun food facts! Impress others with your food knowledge!
http://www.facebook.co…

On this day in 1957 the Frisbee was invented. Inspired by pie tins of the Frisbee Pie Company http://shortyawards.com/Foodimentary
4 hours, 28 minutes ago from web

Joined Twitter on 2008/11/07
Following: 103,306, Followers: 97,836, Updates: 2,676

25

the_gman
Gerald Weber
H-Town USA
Houston SEO/SEM Guy – Blogger – Friend – Lover – Skydiver – entrepreneur – Tweeter & President Of Search Engine Marketing Group in Houston TX.
http://sem-group.net/s…

RT @drcarolynmiller: Join me w/ @TheDIAMONDCoach Find yr Diamond no matter wht! #BlogTalkRadio at http://tobtr.com/s/852474 11am CST.
5 hours, 55 minutes ago from TweetDeck

Joined Twitter on 2008/06/14
Following: 93,931, Followers: 97,802, Updates: 13,983

26

mark33
Mark Ewing
Colorado
Professional Traveler, Explorer, Adventurer, and Internet Affiliate Marketer, Success Coach, Mentor and Networker
http://www.RealVacatio…

Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something.
5 hours, 24 minutes ago from web

Joined Twitter on 2008/02/16
Following: 105,450, Followers: 97,718, Updates: 1,167

27

zaibatsu
Reg Saddler
Denver
Just a guy who loves Social Media. Want to know what our company does: The 1st Rule of Fightclub: you don’t talk about Fightclub
http://www.linkedin.co…

RT @artfanatic411: In urgent times, avoiding online charity scams (cnet) http://bit.ly/5M7SVW #Haiti
1 hour, 11 minutes ago from TweetDeck

Joined Twitter on 2007/08/09
Following: 59,560, Followers: 97,525, Updates: 33,669

28

DominicScott
Dominic Riccitello
Los Angeles, CA
Entertainment Industry
http://www.DominicRicc…

At in n out with my favorite 90 pound model girl
1 hour, 2 minutes ago from UberTwitter

Joined Twitter on 2009/03/05
Following: 92,162, Followers: 96,915, Updates: 12,773

29

DaveMalby
Dave Malby
Sacramento
Entrepreneur Extraordinaire since 1975! also Musician, Inventor, Author, Photographer, and Sarcastic Realist!
http://theCamStand.com

Happy Wednesday @keeperofdreams @jhoggie @FairieMoonChild
1 hour, 21 minutes ago from TweetDeck

Joined Twitter on 2008/07/25
Following: 95,815, Followers: 96,910, Updates: 24,339

30

MikeKlingler
Mike Klingler
Portland, OR, USA
Teaching Marketers To STOP IT!!! Grow Your Business Being ‘YOU’ & Enjoying It… Be Proud Of What You Do.
http://RenegadeProfess…

@jerrycchen Doing a Low Budget Film ($5-10 mil) on Tesla (the scientist)… aiming 4 Product placement w/Tesla Motors – maybe u can help
14 hours, 27 minutes ago from web

Joined Twitter on 2008/08/07
Following: 93,155, Followers: 96,601, Updates: 2,168

31

BigRichB
Rich
Austin, Texas
The Twitter HULK!! Grrr. Look into my Eyes. I AM the Most Interesting Man in the World! I Like Dill Relish & Sour Cream too.

Weird Q… which foreign country are you fascinated with? For me, it’s Russia.
6 days, 11 hours ago from web

Joined Twitter on 2008/10/21
Following: 95,109, Followers: 95,897, Updates: 1,980

32

Debbas
Debbas

Just arrived to freezing Orlando to go on a marketers with 400 CEO’s to Belize, Honduras and Mexico
4 days, 3 hours ago from TwitterBerry

Joined Twitter on 2008/06/22
Following: 102,911, Followers: 93,560, Updates: 3,939

33

EcoInteractive
EcoInteractive
Costa Rica
Eco Preservation Society: Inspiring Action, Empowering People,Connecting Communities & Transforming the Planet through Conservation, Reforestation & Education
http://unhub.com/EcoIn…

McDonald’s seeks to cut cows’ methane emissions http://bit.ly/8rSIlY What are they doing for their customers w/ this problem?
3 hours, 7 minutes ago from web

Joined Twitter on 2009/01/13
Following: 94,039, Followers: 93,114, Updates: 4,382

34

Coachforyou
impulse3
Germany
Life Coach for: Social Media, Online Marketing, Networking, Web 2.0, Blogger, Mountain Biker- If you can dream it, you can do it.
http://www.facebook.co…

Wie gefällt Euch das Video http://ow.ly/W9rd zu Googles neuen Nexus One? http://ping.fm/vbtIB #News #twtpoll #viral #Marketing #Online
55 minutes ago from Ping.fm

Joined Twitter on 2009/02/24
Following: 91,334, Followers: 90,843, Updates: 2,756

35

DuncanWierman
Duncan C. Wierman
Greenville, SC
Software CEO turned Real Estate Investor / Marketer. I show you how to use creative online marketing methods to do more deals online. Virtual Investing
http://www.duncanwierm…

New blog post: Why "Done For You" Lead… http://www.duncanwierman.com/blog/duncans-opinion/why-done-for-you-lead-generation-is-a-bad-idea/
17 hours, 46 minutes ago from Twitter Tools

Joined Twitter on 2008/07/21
Following: 92,261, Followers: 89,986, Updates: 1,122

36

mikepfs
mikepfs
33.721392,-116.385280
Husband , Father,Christian, Conservative , Tech Geek #TCOT

Some AT&T iPhone Users Seeing Increased 3G Data Speeds? http://tinyurl.com/ycl2bov
1 hour, 2 minutes ago from web

Joined Twitter on 2008/05/09
Following: 88,932, Followers: 87,487, Updates: 37,161

37

0boy
JD Rucker
Orange County, CA
Social Media. It’s what I do. I love to find and share high-quality content.
http://soshable.com/jd…

Having a Purpose in Life May be Key to Happiness http://su.pr/1jcXSW #psychology #research
1 day, 13 hours ago from Su.pr

Joined Twitter on 2007/12/28
Following: 84,435, Followers: 83,317, Updates: 4,706

38

ChuckNeuschafer
Chuck Neuschafer
Wichita, KS
Dad, Husband, School Technology Integration Specialist
http://www.chuckneusch…

@LAminerals You’re welcome!!
6 days, 19 hours ago from web

Joined Twitter on 2008/12/07
Following: 89,046, Followers: 82,972, Updates: 469

39

Louis_Batides
Louis N. Batides
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Having fun buying and selling houses and helping others to do more of the same. Business System development and Social Networking.
http://www.ibuycolorad…

SEO Goes Social http://bit.ly/8ChL2j
3 hours, 13 minutes ago from twitterfeed

Joined Twitter on 2009/02/27
Following: 87,840, Followers: 81,979, Updates: 11,979

40

AlohaArleen
Arleen Boyd
Honolulu, Hawaii USA
Live Aloha! Give Mahalo! Embrace and delight in your passions!
http://www.AlohaArleen…

@Christiegarcia All is well – thanks for asking! Still wondering if the arsonist was targeting those people or the neighborhood in general.
2 days, 18 hours ago from web

Joined Twitter on 2008/10/16
Following: 81,616, Followers: 81,751, Updates: 38,217

41

tmaduri
Tom Maduri
Toronto, Ontario
Immersive Entertainment Exec, Beer League Soccer MVP, husband & father to the prettiest little girl.
http://www.thefutureis…

LifeHacks: The Definitive Guide to Making the Most of Your Netbook http://ow.ly/16kyW3
1 hour, 14 minutes ago from HootSuite

Joined Twitter on 2008/01/21
Following: 78,705, Followers: 81,316, Updates: 1,786

42

geraldromine
Gerald Romine
Phoenix, Arizona
Real Estate Investing, Adrenalin Junkie, RealEstate Investing Software Developer, Author. To KICK ASS in real estate http://kickassrealestate.com.
http://www.geraldromin…

Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go
1 day ago from web

Joined Twitter on 2008/08/19
Following: 76,330, Followers: 80,636, Updates: 630

43

TheDigitalLife
Rick Abbott
Mammoth Cave, KY
Christian Conservative home-schooling dad, Kentuckian, elder, in love with wife and kids! #TCOT – N8HMR
http://www.TheDigitalL…

Hundreds of thousands of people have died in Haiti’s earthquake, the prime minister told CNN today.
4 hours, 24 minutes ago from TwitterBerry

Joined Twitter on 2007/03/10
Following: 84,510, Followers: 79,758, Updates: 4,403

44

mauricefreedman
Maurice Freedman
New York
CEO, Zaah Technologies, Inc. Thought Leader, Social Media Expert
http://www.zaah.com

ScoutMob brings real-time local savings to your iPhone. http://zah.cc/IpT
1 hour, 49 minutes ago from zaTweet

Joined Twitter on 2008/10/29
Following: 77,489, Followers: 74,742, Updates: 1,783

45

TimJensen
Tim Jensen
Onalaska, WI
Husband, father of 5, musician, teacher, and passionate about building loyalty in relationships.
http://www.tim-jensen.com

Packers lose 51-45
2 days, 20 hours ago from web

Joined Twitter on 2008/09/26
Following: 76,328, Followers: 74,418, Updates: 1,140

46

Jonathan360
Jonathan Nafarrete
Los Angeles, CA
Social media consultant and photographer. Sometimes photographer of social media. Ford Fiesta driver.
http://jonathannafarre…

@ButtercupD tell her to buy a birkin bag and let’s call it even…
16 hours, 33 minutes ago from web

Joined Twitter on 2008/09/30
Following: 64,665, Followers: 73,662, Updates: 4,014

47

Mike_Wesely
Mike Wesely
Atlanta, Georgia
Video + Optin = Success http://VideOptin.com, Articles + Cartel = 15,000 Links http://ArticleCartel.com Internet Marketer, Twitter SEO & Positioning Expert
http://VideOptin.com

#HelpKids > Please Vote for this Charity http://bit.ly/7lgEso Help Kids Get Supplies for School > High 5 votes get 10k for charity
1 day, 17 hours ago from TweetDeck

Joined Twitter on 2008/03/17
Following: 67,271, Followers: 72,686, Updates: 32,162

48

stejules
stejules
Stuttgart, Germany
News from the Web / Net, Twitter, Facebook and Social Media | Power User, Tester, Social Media Allrounder, µ-Blogger, YOUR Timeliner | ‘A State Of Trance’ fan!
http://www.google.com/…

http://twitpic.com/xy5zm Twitter Hits Ground Running for Haiti Earthquake Relief http://bit.ly/7qsNGH #PRAYHAITI
2 hours, 37 minutes ago from Power Twitter

Joined Twitter on 2008/02/25
Following: 69,383, Followers: 72,136, Updates: 12,574

49

rockingjude
rockingjude
Jackson, Wy
One Person CAN make a difference!! Geoeconomics and advocate for less government, no FED. We are no longer America.
http://www.projectworl…

@opphoto it was …lolll..although i had a shortcut!!!..haven’t kept up….~?
21 hours, 41 minutes ago from TweetDeck

Joined Twitter on 2008/09/08
Following: 71,937, Followers: 71,937, Updates: 26,641

50

TheBusyBrain
TheBusyBrain
St. Petersburg, FL (USA)
Father, Husband, Photography, Music Production, Nature/Water/Animal Lover, Horrible Blogger, Outside-the-Box’er, Uber Geek, Marketing and Social Media Zealot
http://blog.TheBusyBra…

We just adopted a new member into our family from local SPCA! German Shepard mix. Smile Jäger! http://twitpic.com/xlnao
2 days, 20 hours ago from Tweetie

Joined Twitter on 2008/04/13
Following: 62,130, Followers: 70,818, Updates: 1,185

Palm will be pushing out and over-the-air update to all webOS devices (Pre and Pixi) that will enable video recording and editing without the need to purchase additional hardware. This is a feature that has been sorely lacking on webOS.

The recording feature works nearly identically to that of the iPhone’s on-device video editing tool. It lets users crop a video and reduce the size of the clip. Users can then upload to sites such as YouTube, Facebook, and MySpace with a single tap. Uploads will occur the background. Once uploaded, webOS will alert the user and give then the opportunity to send SMS links or MMS messages to the video to their friends.

The update will be free and will be available in February.

Informationweek

There have been several major updates for the Palm Pre since it was launched last summer.  One update made the camera function a bit overly complicated, and another one fixed it.  In general that is rather representative of the 2 steps forward, steps back results that your typical user experiences with Palm Pre’s.  Completely absent still today is any video recording capability in the Palm Pre 1 year after it was announced at CES 2009, and over 6 months after it was launched in the US.  That’s rather extraordinary considering Palm has offered video recording capabilities in Palm devices for about 5 years or more, yet the Palm Pre designed to save the company doesn’t offer this basic standard functionality, following in the Apple iPhone tradition of releasing a very advanced phone with a very noticeable flaw (the same exact flaw no less).

So today, as I went to pick up my phone and make a call, I was call blocked with the news that an update was destined to be downloaded and installed on my phone.  Its been my experience that whenever one of these bad boys is coming down the pipe, NOTHING really works until you bring it in.

So I proceeded to download the update, which I later learned was about 13 mb in size.  I brought it in while at home, where my Sprint network bars on my Pre fluctuate from 0 – 3, even though my wife’s Sprint phone consistently shows 2-4 (not a Palm).  Maybe someone is curving up the bars on her phone, or maybe my Pre gets crappy reception, I don’t know.  I tend to think its partly the update from 1.3.4 and partly the Sprint network, which does not seem to broadcast at a steady strength despite the fact that we are just a few miles from the 4g rollout in Charlotte.

It took about 25 minutes to download, then I got the opportunity to actually ‘install’ it.  That took another 30 minutes.  Ironically, I was helping my wife pull in about 35 updates and one Office Service pack at the same time.  Crazily, the updates and the service pack downloaded faster!

Even though my wifi was turned on on my Pre, it didn’t help speed things up either.

OK, so complaining about the lack of progress (or benchmark maintenance), here’s what you do get with this update.

webOS 1.3.5

Version information

Version: webOS 1.3.5

Release date: 28 December 2009

New applications

NONE

Feature changes to existing applications

App Catalog

• App Catalog significantly improves the application download experience.
• A user can now download multiple applications simultaneously.
• Downloads continue in the background if the user moves away from the download screen.
• A user can manually pause, resume, and cancel downloads.
• A user can also download all available updates for the user’s downloaded applications with a single tap.
• App Catalog automatically resumes downloads in cases where a download was paused because it was interrupted—for example, if a user moves out of network coverage and then moves back into coverage.
• Users can now take advantage of the full storage capacity of the phone for downloading applications. This gives the user more control over how to allocate the phone’s storage space across applications, music, photos, and other media. Downloaded applications are now stored on the phone’s USB drive.
• App Catalog lists search results based on an improved search algorithm.
• Locations from which users can purchase paid apps from App Catalog now include U.S. territories.

Calendar

• In Day view, switching between days happens more quickly.

Date & Time

• When the user has network time zone enabled, a city and country are no longer displayed.

Device Info

• A user can perform a full erase by pressing and holding Sym + the orange/Option key + power for 10 seconds.

Email

• A user can now edit forwarded text for all email account types.
• When the user sets up more than one Yahoo! email account, the account names displayed in Account List view include the associated email address so that the user can distinguish them.
• If an account mailbox is too full to send messages, after the user frees up space in the mailbox on the server, the user can send the messages successfully.
• The default email signature no longer includes the macron over the “e” in “Pre,” so that the product name shows correctly on a recipient’s phone.

Messaging

• If a user deletes a conversation with a contact, new conversations with that contact are now correctly displayed in Conversations view.

Screen & Lock

• When the screen is locked, the time displays in a new font.

Sprint Navigation

• A user can launch Sprint Navigation from an address in an open contact entry in Contacts.

System

• Users can now take advantage of the full storage capacity of the phone for downloading applications. This gives the user more control over how to allocate the phone’s storage space across applications, music, photos, and other media. Downloaded applications are now stored on the phone’s USB drive.
• This update improves battery life in areas of poor wireless network coverage.
• If the user is working in an application that supports landscape mode (such as Web or Videos), notifications now appear at the bottom of the landscape screen.
• After a user signs in to an existing Palm profile, applications the user installed from App Catalog are restored in the background. The user can use other features of the phone while the apps are being restored.
• Swiping to delete a list item that contains a link no longer causes the link to open in the web browser.

Updates

• After taking the 1.3.5 update, users can download future updates over a 2G (1xRTT , GPRS , EDGE ) data connection by opening Updates and tapping Download Now.

Web

• The web browser now supports the display of animated GIFs.
• Audio files with a .3g2 extension play correctly as audio files, not video files.

Security

This release includes a security fix to the dev portal. Credit to Kris Siegal for reporting the issue. Individuals interested in contacting Palm to report suspected security issues can find more information at palm.com/security.

source http://www.precentral.net/webos-135-now-available-download

Fortunately, it was not hype.  They ARE truly functional and awesome.

Now, I get lots of questions about the shoes, running, running barefoot (which I don’t do YET!) and more.

Before, I bought mine, I read a whole bunch, and now I’m finding some useful videos that might help you understand the process and more.

This one has rather quiet audio, but very illustrative.

On that last video, I’ve definitely moved away from heel running and rolling my foot on the side of my foot (in a bad way).

I find myself naturally almost reaching out with my toes in a fraction of a second, and then coming down more on the front balls of my feet using my toes, foot and calve as a shock absorber (as opposed to a thick soled running shoe or nike shock system).

That uses my muscles in a more natural way, reduces the stress on my feet and legs, and gets my foot on the ground and off again faster and with more traction.

Gathering information through your feet

This video also talks a little bit about the feedback that you get through your feet.  It helps you sense what you are running on, how fast you are going, how much traction you have or do not have and more. 

For me, it really makes running fun again, I feel like it makes the world a playground for my feet, like a blind person taking off mittens and reading brail.

Walking Barefoot

One of the things that helped me realize these were not a fad, but a very super functional product, was walking.

I went to a couple conventions in Orlando and Las Vegas, where I walked miles through theme parks, convention halls, and casinos, none of which are known for being ‘feet friendly’.  I’ve been to all of these places before, but when I wore my Vibrams, my feet did not get as tired, they were not ‘sore’ from standing on concrete slabs all day.  I was still new to Vibrams, so my muscles were sore from the work out a bit, but much less than wearing shoes.

Hiking

I have worn these hiking and again love em.  I’m wearing the KSO’s myself, and they don’t have much tread on them.  You will find that you use your toes quite a bit to grip things, like a squirrel climbing a tree.  That said, I would like a little more tread lines on the bottom, especially if you hike up wet rocks, say like jogging up the  granite face of Stone Mountain in Georgia, or for that matter jogging down a slick paved street or sidewalk in a light rain.

Mud and Slush

I haven’t tried Slush nor ice yet, but have done a little mudding.  VERY FUN.

I don’t have any of these Injinji socks yet, but they are on my christmas list, which should help keep you dry a bit more and warmer.

You can get the Preferred Version or the Standard version (if you are a blogger the Standard version is likely what you are looking for, if you happen to be a podcaster you might get more out of the Preferred version. If you are a business user, I’d recommend Standard.

Here’s How you can get 30% off Dragon Naturally Speaking with the Coupon Codes Below

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Last weekend I ventured back to BlogWorld & the New Media Expo and Las Vegas WordCamp.  The great thing is that all three conferences were consolidated in the Las Vegas Convention Center.  I closed out WordCamp with a Session on How to Design a WordPress Theme in Minutes.  The video from the event is not yet available, but the slides are below:

This was an expanded version of the ‘Intro’ level presentation that I provided a few weeks ago at WordCamp Birmingham. 

The big difference is that I demonstrated how to use multiple themes in a single WordPress configuration.  Multiple themes that anyone could design and later iterate modifications themselves.  I also highlighted a few of the techniques that I utilized to build our strategic partner’s site at Grass Shack Events & Media.

Here is the basic code that I utilized to create and call a default header as well as alternate headers based on an if then else selection:

<?php
//
// example of using header file based on pages
// note that you can either use page ID, Page Name or Page Slug
//
// this one uses page title

if (is_page()){
    include(TEMPLATEPATH.’/header-business.php’);
}
else {
    include(TEMPLATEPATH.’/header-default.php’);
}
?>

 

This month I will also create additional step by step video tutorials to share with people that were unable to attend this session.  Alternately, if you would like me to speak at a conference or event in your area, please contact me to discuss availability.

Note: Cross posted from Softduit Media.

Permalink

Screenshot, Screen Capture or Screencast Software Tools

Links: 1-a-Business Tools.mmap

Camtasia

Does offer a free trial

or use Jing for free

related: Jing Project

Cost $299

Links: http://www.techsmith.com

Jing Project

Links: jingproject.com

Free version or

Pro version costs $15 / year

owned by TechSmith makers of Camtasia

related: Camtasia

Snapz Pro X

Mac only software

free trial yes

Cost $69

!Quick Screen Capture

Cost about $25

Buy Now: http://www.regnow.com

!Quick Screenshot Maker

Cost about $39.95

Buy Now: http://www.regnow.com

AAA Screen Capture

Cost about $25

Links: http://www.regnow.com

Extra Screen Capture Pro

Download Trial Here

Links: Download_ExtraScreenCapture6.exe

Cost about $25

Amor Screen Capture

Amor Screen Capture is a tool for capturing any part of your screen. You can make professional screen shots and save them as bmp, png, pcx,tif,gif or jpg files.Amor Screen Capture can capture the entire screen, a window, program menus, scrolling windows, DirectX sources, DOS screens, digital camera images, and any on-screen activity.With this useful software, you can make screenshots, edit picture, print image and copy the snapshot of screen to clipboard. Amor Screen Capture is the must-have, all-in-one screen capture utility.Amor screen capture will help improve your message by visually communicating your thoughts and ideas.Amor Screen Capture’s easy-to-use capture options will quickly increase your productivity by allowing you to spend more time creating and less time explaining!<p>

Download Trial Here

Links: Download_screencapture.exe

Screenflow

Mac only software

free trial yes

Cost $99

Screen Capture to Animation GIF

Cost about $30

Buy Now

Amic Screen Capture

Download Free Trial Here

Links: Download_ScreenCaptureSetup.exe

Cost About $39.95

Buy Now

SnapIt Screen Capture

Cool Screen Capture

Power Screen Capture

PCHand Screen Capture

Fox Screen Capture

Download Free Trial Here

Links: Download_foxcap.exe

Palmersoft Screen Capture

Super Screen Capture

Easy Screen Capture 2

Screen Capture Pro

Versadial VScreen (Screen capture)

Paraben’s Screen Capture

CaptureXT Screen Capture

Download free trial here

Links: Download_capxt.exe

Every Wednesday, we are sharing a mindmap of useful business tools.  You can view the map from the image, or download the actual mindmap if you like.  If you notice any tools that I have missed in the map, please leave a comment with the name of the tool and a link to it.  Many of these tools are going to be free or offer free trials, but many also do cost.  The purpose is not to provide a laundry list of freebies, but offer up some useful tools in an organized way.

If you do offer an update or addition, I will also update and re-upload the new mindmap file.

Screenshot-Screen-Capture-Screencast-Software-Tools-mindmapScreenshot, Screen Capture or Scre
encast Software Tools.mmap