2012 March | SportsCortex

The Droid Razr Maxx – Talk, Snap, Screenshot, Blog

by Andrew Mealiff

I’m talking to my phone right now. After months of knowing it was time to move on from blackberry, I finally got around to replacing it, and will attempt to blog about it by talking to it, making edits exclusively from the phone**. The phone being reviewed is a Droid Razr Maxx, which I’ve had just over a week, and was chosen last minute over the IPhone 4S.

*(For those who searched how to take a screenshot, the app I mention has worked fine but thanks to people leaving comments I have learned you only need to press and hold the volume down and power buttons at the same time, works great! Also just updated to Ice Cream Sandwich, and it is awesome, very clean UI along with some subtle yet much needed overall polishing.)

My first impressions were that the screen and the photos look amazing, and everything seemed very customizable. I installed the basic social media apps such as Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Foursquare, HootSuite, and Twitter. Google Play has a huge variety of apps, and it is very easy to navigate around, searching for apps, or just seeing what is the most popular in certain categories.

My next focus was checking out the camera and video features, and a quick search of the new Google Play Store led to to my current favorites, Paper Camera, a special effects generator, and Pano, a panographic application. Below are a couple of shots I took with the Pano, one vertical and one landscape, first of Angel Stadium and second of Next Level Sports Complex. Paper Camera is what I would assume an Instagram for Android of sorts, but I will be sure to check out the official Instagram application when they release their Android version. ^(UPDATE: Still use Paper Camera now and then, but the Android version of Instagram reigns supreme and dominates my photos now: username 3pitchinning)

Pano shot of Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA

Pano shot of Next Level Sports Complex in Garden Grove, CA

I am also experimenting with the photo application Fast Burst, designed for action shots, snapping a series of pictures in a very short time period, both of which are customizable. Without a doubt, this phone camera combined with the available applications is light years ahead of the digital camera I purchased less than two years ago.

The rear/front facing camera combination is fantastic as well, being able to switch views eliminates the struggle of trying to take a picture towards yourself, having to reach out as far as you can with your arm while guessing how to line up the shot. The large screen is ideal for video chats as well whether via Skype, Google+ hangouts, or the Tango app, etc., all of which have similar quality depending on your wi-fi or network connection, and did I mention it is 4G LTE?

As a long-time blackberry user, I am still exploring and discovering applications and am continually surprised at the creativity and variety of apps available. I am going to highlight a few of my favorites, starting with No Root Screenshot It, which allows me to take the following screenshots of my home screen and the WordPress application I am using right now. I have had no issues taking screenshots after quickly finding out that not being able to do so was a key feature initially missing from the Razr Maxx.

Homescreen Screenshot

My personal favorites, excluding camera applications, in no particular order include Google Analytics, Transparent Screen, WordPress, Business Calendar, Google Sky Map, HootSuite and the clock widget app next to Twitter, titled Audio Recorder Machine, allowing surprise, instant audio recording!

Transparent Screen turns the rear camera into a live wallpaper for your phone, allowing you to literally watch your feet or see ahead of you if walking down the sidewalk while on your phone or texting, etc. The Analytics app is great, if you have or use Google Analytics, and Google Sky Map is great when out during the evenings.While I am talking to WordPress now, the talk to text function is also available anytime the keyboard pops up, including text messages, emails, and tweets, etc., and is accurate as long as you clearly enunciate the words.

A benefit, as a sports fan, is having access to team exclusive mobile applications, which are becoming increasingly popular, including the Los Angeles Kings. And after hearing constantly how blackberry had the best email service and features, I have only noticed a slight delay in certain emails which usually contain files or photos.

SportsCortex WordPress Screenshot

Another huge concern with smart phones, and tablets or any gadget really, is battery life, and the Droid Razr Maxx does not disappoint, with excellent battery performance even while running multiple applications. I would also recommend taking the time to set up battery conserving settings, rules and techniques via the Smart Actions or Juice Defender applications.

Well, great talking with you today, thank you for checking out my first mobile spoken blog post, I hope you are as excited about the future of mobile technology as I am.

**I did end up having to make some photo related edits from a computer regarding size and layout.

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Category : Google, Reviews, Technology

Tags : Droid, mobile, Razr Maxx, review, screenshots, technology, voice recognition, WordPress

18 Comm

HootSuite and the Los Angeles Kings

by Andrew Mealiff

I have been on HootSuite for close to a year now and am a big fan of what it offers, including scheduling tweets and managing multiple accounts, so I was very excited to see first hand how an NHL team uses the platform. Wednesday evening a Meetup, or Hootup, was held here in Los Angeles and a small group including myself listened to and discussed presentations from Cheryl Booker, Senior Account Executive at Hall & Partners and Dewayne Hankins, Director of Digital Media for the Los Angeles Kings. Huge thanks to Keith Korneluk, of KingsCast, for organizing the Meetup, and Cheryl and Dewayne for their insights.

“How we use HootSuite to leverage our social media platforms” was full of great information for HootSuite users of all skill levels as Dewayne walked us through how the Los Angeles Kings manage their many accounts. The Kings currently are on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, LinkedIn, Foursquare, and Wayin, but also have a Twitter and Facebook for their Ice Crew and mascot, Bailey, as well as a Kings Vision Twitter and YouTube channel. Combined with their player accounts, they currently have 511,220 social media touchpoints, not including downloads of their mobile application.

LA Kings Digital Properties

When asked about Pinterest, Dewayne said it “isn’t a great fit for us right now, we don’t want to get caught up in trying to be on every single social network and wear too thin.” He then referenced how their Google+ “hasn’t really turned anything around for us” while their Instagram, which is only an Iphone app, was “blowing up, we will continue taking plenty of pictures.” Will fans have the chance to ‘hangout’ with their favorite Kings players on Google+ in 2012? “Maybe”, said Dewayne “it all depends on player access, taking into account events, community appearances, and their schedules, but I’d love too.”

The LA Kings also have content creators outside of their organization which “help us craft our story”, said Dewayne, including KingsCast and LetsGoKings, and when Dewayne noticed that a lot of their traffic was being referred from LetsGoKings he reached out to them, helping create a better server for their site in case of trades or other breaking news. The Kings want to “create a digital space that can hold our consumers attention span”, said Dewayne, more so than newsfeeds and timelines, meaning the employ a key philosophy of building meaningful digital relationships before building scale. Dewayne says the Kings try to respond to as many fans as possible, often with multiple employees responding to questions, but will avoid topics such as injuries, trade rumors, or contracts. He mentioned the fan response to the recent raise in ticket prices and how the Kings responded to fans on Twitter and Facebook, using personal names to let the fans know they were listening.

Another one of Dewayne’s main goals is to “add personality, because you can’t take yourself to seriously”, because that is what the fans relate too, whether through @LAKings, the Ice Crew, or Bailey, and especially during the freeway face-off vs. the Ducks. The Kings often get positive feedback from fans of rival teams who appreciate their usage of social media. While customer service and humanizing the brand two keys to their success, the Kings do also collect some sponsorship money with @CarlsJr mentions tied to pre and post-game stats tweeted by the @LAKings, and Delta sponsoring the hashtag battle between the Kings and Rangers earlier this season to promote their New York to Los Angeles flights. The hashtag battle raised money for Children’s Hospital LA and caused #GoLAKings to trend #3 worldwide, which Dewayne pointed out was really #2 because of the $150,000 dollars spent to promote the #1 trending topic.

LA Kings HootSuite Dashboard

Then the Kings HootSuite dashboard was revealed, as Dewayne walked us through the multiple accounts, tabs, streams, and schedules he uses to manage the Kings digital media properties. And manage they have, growing their Twitter and Facebook followings over 500% since 2010. On HootSuite the Kings have tabs for their separate Twitter accounts, their Facebook account, sent messages, contests and hashtags, scheduled posts, and their replies/mentions. A variety of LA Kings related searches and hashtags were covered and a brief glance at their schedule showed tweets and posts through the month of March from multiple accounts.

Whether it is a Kings Vision Ice Crew video, a Bailey tweet, or a Kings Facebook post, the Los Angeles Kings are a prime example of the power of using HootSuite to leverage different social media platforms. Huge thanks to @dhankins for the behind the scenes look at how the Kings use HootSuite, and again to Keith for setting up the event!

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Category : Hockey, HootSuite, Social Media, Sportsbiz, Technology

Tags : facebook, hockey, HootSuite, hootup, LA Kings, meetup, NHL, sportsbiz, technology, twitter

3 Comm

Google+, Is It Worth Taking the Time to ‘Hangout’?

by Andrew Mealiff

There are quite a variety of opinions regarding Google+, the growth it can achieve, the value it can deliver, and the future direction of the platform. Google claims G+ is their fastest growing product ever, now with 50 Million daily users, while the Wall Street Journal reports it as a ‘virtual ghost town‘ occupied by google employees. Either way, some brands, teams, and individuals are already gaining large followings and racking up +1′s while experimenting with how best to use G+, hangouts, and circles. I took the time to set up my profile but still spend the majority of my social time on Twitter, where my stream has been filled with news and updates about the new Facebook timeline, but G+ has been slowly growing on me and I think it is time to start hanging out.

Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a social media panel at Biola University, and a question was asked about Google+. If someone is already spending their time building networks with already established profiles on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, is the time investment worth it on Google+? We agreed that creating a profile was a good idea, if only because you could put your mom in her own circle and it was very easy to set-up if already a Google user of Gmail or YouTube. After mentioning how the Dallas Cowboys, NY Giants, and even local TV stations were using the hangout feature, I admitted I had not yet participated in a hangout yet, mumbled something about how I couldn’t do it on my blackberry and decided this needed to change asap.

The following evening I jumped into a G+ chat hosted by Chris Yates and Charles Hogge which runs alongside the weekly #smsports chat on Twitter. Recognizing a few names from the weekly chat, I was within seconds listening to a live acoustic guitar performance as I started to check out the layout, which includes a chat, shared screen, and sharing YouTube videos. Less organized than the Q&A hangouts done by President Obama, David Beckham, or the New York Giants, it was very laid back, with a few participants also watching TV and any topic was fair game. It was a very unique experience, putting faces to names I had only seem on my twitter stream before and is a great way to build your personal network.

After experiencing the hangout on my computer, I wanted to see how it worked and looked from a phone, so I checked it out with the help of my buddy Eric Fleming. The mobile hangout was very cool, and I started imagining hanging out from a plane, a train, my couch, or even a ballpark depending on wi-fi availability. You can invite specific circles or friends, or start a public hangout anyone can join. (I have not been able to join larger hangouts from the Android Razr Maxx, as this type of hangout is ‘not yet supported on this device’)

The networking possibilities are fantastic, combining the hangout and the unique G+ circles feature, allowing exclusive content sharing, and hanging out, with specific groups of people. Getting the most out of this feature would take more of a time investment, but you can invite specific circles to hangout building upon relationships you have built via other social networks by adding a face to face chat. I know I will be spending more time on Google+ in 2012, especially utilizing the hangout feature since sports teams are slowly joining the party as well. I predict many opportunities for fans to hangout with their favorite athletes this year, and would you rather talk to an athlete on the phone or live video chat? Tweeting a phone number is a great idea, but look for more hangouts coming soon.