If I knew all the words

A few weeks ago a friend of mine suggested that I check out the KIN (new Microsoft phone) Webisodes on Facebook. So I took 5 minutes out of my day to take a look at the adventures of a girl named Rosa, as she traveles with her new KIN to visit her social network face-to-face and find out if her “friends”, are really her Friends.

Now, for a social media geek like myself, this is an extremely intriguing idea, because I’ve made friends and built relationships with people I don’t know personally. We are able to have a relationship online, in the “fake” world, but the question is could we be friends in the “real” world. This is exactly the question Rosa is looking to find out. The KIN is Microsoft’s latest phone living only on Verizon.

Its biggest pull is that it you can tweet, talk and post in real life. According to its website, the KIN was designed to communicate as naturally as you, as Microsoft put it, “KIN is everything you love, everyone you want, all together in one place.” More than the idea of the phone being so connected with your social networks, I love these webisodes. I have an Iphone, and it connects me enough to my social networks, that I don’t feel the urge to go out and buy a new phone, but I do LOVE every time a new webisode is posted. Rosa is such a curious grounded person that she is incredibly relateable. The concept behind these webisodes is so brilliant I wish I would have thought of it first!

For example, the episode that go me hooked, Rosa asks the questions, “should we be friends with our parents on Facebook?” Now I AM friends with my parents on Facebook, and I think I’ve learned enough about posting private things on the internet that it’s doesn’t bother me to be friends with my parents. Unlike many of my friends who wouldn’t dare friend their parents on Facebook, I mean I’m even friends with my Grandma! Plus, I’m pretty close with my parentals so that’s not really the issues. But some of the things Rosa brings up is that her mother embarrasses her online, all the time. You can check out the video yourself here, it’s actually quite funny. But her mother said, “You should be comfortable enough with yourself that it doesn’t matter what I say to you online!” Which is so true.

My mother is slowly grasping the concept of Facebook, but still, nonetheless she weekly has a question trying to decipher the difference between her Wall and her Newsfeed! (Don’t worry mom, you’ll get it soon!).

Online Marketing tactics like this are great. I truly appreciate something that connects my social networks with my cell phone. Rosa asks  legitimate questions that you find yourself say, “OMG I think about that all the time.” Although I may not be running out to buy a KIN, Microsoft has done a good job of hooking me into their webisodes.

Disclaimer: I have NOT been provided compensation for this blog post. It is truly a topic of interests.

NPR.org just released an article on Microsoft offering $44.6 billion to buy out Yahoo! Some may worry that this could be a bad thing, but I believe collaboration is truly a beautiful thing. I am a big Google user. Igoogle is my homepage and it is the main browser I use. Though Google wasn’t around when I was first introduced to the wonderful world of the Internet. Yahoo! was the first browser I ever used. and I guess I’ll always hold a place in my heart for it. I still trust Yahoo!’s maps over MapQuest. Don’t ask why I just do.

Currently, google is the leading competitor in internet browsers and there has yet to be a browser that can compete with it. I think that Microsoft buying Yahoo! brings a multitude of opportunities for Yahoo! to begin to compete with google and give em’ a run for their money!

Yahoo! has been sitting in the back seat of the “brower” car while google is steering the way. It’s time for Yahoo! to strap one on and fight for the wheel and Microsoft is the company that will be giving Yahoo! the directions they need to compete in this road race.