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What was your favorite digital thingy of 2010?

The increase of tweetups. While not new in 2010, the opportunity to attend organized gatherings with your fellow Twitter followers in real life were more abundant. If you didn’t make it out to one in 2010, be sure to do so in 2011. And if you need to find one, catch me on Twitter.

• Thursday, January 27th, 2011 from 6:00PM – 8:00PM

Introduction to Social Media for Business

• Thursday, January 13, 2011  from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Monday, January 17, 2011 from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Social Media 101

• Thursday, January 20, 2011 from 6:00PM – 8:00PM

WordPress for Small Business and Nonprofits

• Thursday, January 6, 2011 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Monday, January 17, 2011 from 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
• Monday, January 31, 2011 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

How does the Internet affect romantic relationships?

From the stance of being married, I would say the Internet can be a bit of a distraction at times. A decade ago you’d cuddle up to your significant other on the couch while eating a bowl of popcorn and watching a movie with the only possible distraction being the telephone. Nowadays there are mobile devices everywhere you look with their blinking lights tempting you to divert your attention.

Selecting the right smart phone can feel like a life-altering decision. After all, you’re making a commitment to carry this device everywhere you go and rely on it for everything from keeping you organized, in touch and entertained (among other things, I’m sure) for two years—give or take a couple of months. You want to make sure it’s a memorable two years.

As public relations manager for Verizon Wireless, I often get asked by customers for feedback on what’s the best smart phone available. It’s a tough question to answer because something different appeals to each individual. Here’s what I tell people.

Buying a smart phone is kind of like buying a new car (except a lot cheaper). All models are going to get you to where you want to go, but each one will feel a little bit different when you try it out. So…

Try it out! Visit a store and play with different devices. Most wireless service providers feature active devices on the selling floor.

Read reviews—not just by tech bloggers and reporters but by real-life customers! Verizon Wireless features user reviews in our online Smartphone Resource Center, so you can learn what actual smart phone users experience.

Since Android is the fastest growing operating system, let’s focus on what to look for with Android devices currently in the marketplace.

Clearly, all handset manufacturers want a ticket to the Android party which is why it has become so hard for consumers to decide between a DROID X by Motorola, for example, and a Samsung Fascinate™. It’s up to the manufacturers to find a way to differentiate their Android smart phone from the next guy’s model.

I’ve used Android devices from HTC, Motorola and Samsung. I haven’t disliked any, but I’ve found bits and pieces of each that appeal to me. I love HTC Sense user interface (animated weather rocks). I love the screen size of the DROID X. Currently, I’m using the Samsung Fascinate. I love the size, the screen and really everything about it. Plus, I rely heavily on Voice Commands and Voice Search, and the Fascinate recognizes my tone every time.

How do you prefer your QWERTY? Personally, I’ve always preferred a real keypad; however, as screens have gotten more precise I’ve given up my security blanket. In fact, when texting or emailing, I usually use SWYPE. If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend it. I was the biggest skeptic of this technology. Now, I’m the biggest promoter. It’s ridiculously easy, accurate and convenient.

The Android marketplace has grown dramatically in the past year. Before Verizon Wireless announced its first Android device last fall—the original DROID by Motorola—there were about 5,000 apps available. Now, there are well over 100,000 apps, which include a more-than-generous selection of free ones.

I use apps mostly to entertain my kids while we’re waiting in line for something, but I also love Pandora, and I’ve been caught playing a game or two (I’m addicted to Unblock Me Free). Besides apps, I love all of Android’s Googleness. I’m a multi-tasker and love the fact that my smart phone is one too.

I wouldn’t feel like this post is complete if I didn’t strongly encourage you to make sure the wireless service provider you’re considering has reliable coverage where you live, work and play. Even the most sophisticated device is only as good as the network it runs on. Depending on the service provider you choose, two years can go by pleasingly fast or painfully slow.

The voice quality of the DROID X is decent but I’d personally recommend getting a Bluetooth® headset to go along with it.

Battery Life

As with most portable electronics, battery life is a major concern.  Having used the DROID X with Twitter, Gmail & Facebook constantly running in the background with the default screen brightness, the 480 minutes of continuous use is a little generous if you’re looking for active use.  To help improve battery life I highly recommend an app such as the free Advanced Task Killer.

Still Camera

The still camera is 8 MP and has a very decent auto focus feature. Compared to other phones on the market right now I really don’t know what else you can ask for.

Video Camera

The video camera is an amazing HD 720p (1280x720p resolution) camera with 3 built in microphones.  Having shot a few test videos with it I’d personally rather use this instead of toting around something like a Flip.  The only other things I could really want would be 1080p with an external mic option, but this is a phone so I really have no complaints.

Apps, apps & more apps

Packing 24 GB of storage out of the box with the possibility of expanding to 40 GB you should have plenty of room for any of the numerous apps available in the Android Market in addition to the pre-installed applications.

Of the pre-installed applications, Google Maps™ Navigation is an excellent GPS application which will get you where you need to go. You can actually speak your destination to it, using the excellent speech to text feature of the Android platform,  and be on your way. And if your destination is on Google’s Street View, it will show up on the screen when you arrive.

For social media I highly recommend choosing a Twitter app & the Facebook app.  For Twitter there are numerous app options, so give a few a whirl and see what you like.  My personal favorite is Seesmic.  And if you use WordPress I highly recommend installing the WordPress app.

For games there are also numerous options.  Everyone will want to install Angry Birds and then take a look through the other game options in the Android Market.  There are plenty of excellent free games to keep you busy.

Bottom Line

I highly recommend the DROID X.  Of the smart phones currently on the market, the DROID X does just about anything you can throw at it. But I would probably buy a second battery to go along with it.

Technical Specifications

• Network: Verizon 3G
• Platform: Android 2.1
• Battery: Up to 480 minutes continuous, up to 220 hours standby, 1540 mAh Li Ion
• Memory:  up 8 GB on board, 16 GB removable microSD pre-installed (supports up to 32 GB microSD)
• Display Size: 4.3-in.; WVGA (480 x 854)
• Weight: 155 grams
• Size (H x W x D): 65.5 x 127.5 x 9.9 mm
• Camera: 8 MP, Digital Zoom, Flash, Auto Focus, Cropping, Rotating, Geo Tagging
• Video Camera: HD 720p quality (1280x720p resolution) up to 24 fps capture; up to 30 fps playback, 3 microphone technology
• Media: Android Media Player, Video & Audio (AAC, H.263, H.264, MP3, MPEG-4, WAV, eAAC+, WMA v10, MIDI, AAC+)
• WIFI: 802.11 n
• 3G Mobile Hotspot: Be a mobile hot spot for up to 5 other devices
• Connector Type: Micro USB, HDMI® Micro Connector Cable
• Data Transmission Rate: USB 2.0 (High Speed)
• Other: Bluetooth®, SMS, MMS, Predictive Text (Swype), Speakerphone

Preinstalled Applications

• Google Apps
  • Gmail™
  • Google Calendar™
  • Google Contact Sync™
  • Google Latitude™
  • Google Maps Street View
  • Google Maps™
  • Google Maps™ Navigation
  • Google Quick Search Box™
  • Google Talk™
  • Google™ Search By Voice
  • Youtube™
• Email: Corporate Sync, Google Mail, Push Email, WebKit
• Web Browser: Android HTML Webkit, Adobe® Flash® Player
• Other: Calculator, Calendar, Clock, Wallpaper, Ringtones (AAC, AAC+, eAAC, eAAC+, MP3, OGG)

Disclosure: The DROID X by Motorola was provided for review by Verizon Wireless.

What makes a video go viral?

Other than getting the right people to find and share a video, the video needs to give people a good reason to share it. Is it entertaining? Is it funny? Is it shocking? Does it speak to viewers in some other way? If you can answer “yes” to any of those questions, then you’re part of the way there.

What do you think about Facebook e-mail?

While it sounds like a neat idea that melds existing electronic messaging technologies together, there are still many questions to be answered. For me personally the three biggies are privacy (will my information be exposed to 3rd parties), functionality (will it do what I want & need it to do) and any user interfaces (will it be easy to navigate & efficient to use on various platforms).

What Is Metromix Indianapolis’ Dot.column?

 
Via the first Dot.column:

We’re going straight to the experts to scrape their brains on everything techy, social networky, online-y and anything else you’re dying to know. Have a question for them? E-mail us at indianapolis@metromix.com. Wanna talk about it on Twitter? Follow #Dotcolumn

Since I am on the panel I thought it would be good to post my reposes here as well, so that is what I’ll do as they are published. Note that in some issues responses have to be cut due to space, and if that happens to be the case, you can still read my response here.  And feel free to chime in and/or ask any follow up questions.

• Monday, November 15, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Monday, November 29, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

WordPress for Small Business and Nonprofits

• Monday, November 8, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Monday, November 22, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

• Monday, Oct. 4, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Monday, Oct. 18, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

WordPress for Small Business and Nonprofits

• Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Monday, Oct. 25, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM