The explosion of Flash content like widgets has created several complex problems, like how to index it in search engines, how to make it work on mobile, and how to track it. The latter is being addressed today at Adobe Max, where Google is announcing Analytics Tracking for Flash, which will let publishers track metrics for their flash applications from within Google’s popular stats package.

Aside from the unique file format, one of the major differences between tracking Flash and tracking webpages is that Flash can be embedded anywhere – meaning that analytics software needs to be able to measure interactions from not just a single location, but from within an application, regardless of where it’s placed.

To demonstrate how Google Analytics now does this, the company has teamed up with web-based Flash creation tool Sprout. Now, users who publish widgets and other Flash apps using Sprout can track metrics such as time spent, what links and objects users click within an app, and goal tracking – all from within the same Google Analytics account as their website.

Google and Sprout demonstrate how this works in the video below:

While Analytics for Flash is an interesting breakthrough in its own right, it also could be the dawn of a new era in marketing and how companies pay for advertising. As opposed to paying simply for clicks and for views, advertisers can now (in theory) pay for actual engagement, because it can be accurately measured.

Sprout is currently charging clients based on a “pay per publish model,” meaning the client pays each time someone actually does something with an app – like customize it (with Sprout’s “remix” feature) or republish it to a social networking profile. Sprout is marketing this new approach through a product they are calling SproutMixer.

Although most of the widget platforms like Clearspring and Gigya offer their own tracking solutions, Google Analytics adding its own support for Flash tracking is a big deal – it’s a solution that any Flash developer can implement into their applications – without the need for a middleman. As such, it could have significant implications on how online advertising is paid for, and how the widget companies evolve their business models.

—Related Articles at Mashable | All That’s New on the Web:New Google Analytics Plagued with ProblemsGoogle Analytics Announces New Features, Urchin UpgradeGoogle Voluntarily Taking Your Analytics DataGoogle Analytics Now Compares Different Data PointsThis Post is Being Tracked by Google Analytics!Google Analytics Gets a Beautiful New InterfaceIt’s Official…Google Buys MeasureMap

Source:Mashable!

Sarah Evans is the director of communications at Elgin Community College (ECC) in Elgin, Illinois. She also authors a PR and social media blog.

In my previous post I discussed how to build your Twitter community, offering 10 tips as a guide. Here are a few tips on what not to do:

(Make sure you know a few of the basic Twitter commands to understand the content of this post.)

Don’t get caught up in the COUNT; get caught up in the CONTENT!

My biggest pet peeve on Twitter is when people ask for more followers. I don’t think anyone has malicious intents, but it doesn’t make any sense to me. You get more followers because you provide great content, are entertaining or someone likes you.

It’s much worse to have someone follow you, not like what you tweet and then unfollow you. Chances are, you’ve lost them for good. Practice good Twitter etiquette and don’t solicit followers for yourself or your friends.

Don’t install the Twitter application on Facebook if you send more than 10 tweets per day

You will seriously start to confuse your network…or worse, annoy them. If you’re like me, my networks are separate. Not all of my Facebook friends are on Twitter, or plan to be. When I use “Twitter lingo” it confuses them.

I learned this lesson from a personal mistake. I did have a Twitter feed updating my Facebook account until a few very nice friends “encouraged” me to stop it (one was my sister!).

Don’t publicly thank each of your followers

The quickest way to get people to stop following you is to provide a lack of good content or engaging dialogue. Thanking each of your new followers is a nice concept, but not practical. Keep in mind that tweeting the names of those following you is not valuable content to anyone. If you set the precedence you’re going to thank each and every person, you better be prepared to keep it up.

If you really must thank each follower:

1. Use the direct message feature and send it privately.

2. Retweet good content they have posted and give them credit for it (the ultimate thank you!)

Don’t underestimate the power of tracking a trend

Be part of breaking the hottest Twitter topic or find out what’s going on and join the conversation. If you have information or news you’d like to track, use the hashtag. Use Twitter search to get your results.

Keep it short and sweet. The more you cut into the 140 characters, the less content you provide AND the less likely people will use it.

When to use a hashtag (#)?

• Taking notes at a conference (Ask everyone around you to do the same thing and then you’ll all have access to ALL notes)

• Promoting major events (i.e. conference, meeting, etc…)

• Tracking a message (see how far a reach you’re getting)

• Communicating during national and natural disasters (which is how the hashtag function began)

• Promoting a favorite (i.e. Web site, musician, writer, etc…)

• Launching a new product or idea

NOTE: You create a hashtag simply by prefixing a word with a hash symbol: #hashtag.

Don’t use up your entire 140 characters with a lengthy URL

Use applications like TinyURL or Snipurl. They automatically shorten your URL and can offer link customization. Once you submit a tweet with a long URL, Twitter automatically converts it for you. It doesn’t help your cause “pre-tweet.” Make the most of your content and space by shortening the URL in advance.

Don’t worry about those who “unfollow” you

It’s like Pandora’s Box, if you REALLY want to know when someone unfollows you, applications like Qwitter are available. I warn you, if you decide to use this function—do not hold a grudge. Those who unfollow you on Twitter may want to connect with you on a different network, or search your info at their leisure. And, yes, sometimes it’s just not a “match.” It’s not personal.

I do use the application, and I only look for trends of people who unfollow after a certain tweet or trend (i.e. if I’ve sent too many tweets in a short amount of time).

Worry more about building the community you envision…it’s energy well spent.

Don’t be afraid of being a “polyconversationalist”

(You caught me. I made up this word. For the purpose of social networking, it means one who converses with multiple people simultaneously.)

You are now part of an asynchronous microblogging world, multiple conversations are a reality. The beauty of it is the expectation that you’ll reply as you have time. When you “find the time” you may find yourself replying to multiple responses at one time. Get used to it…it’s what Twitter is all about.

Don’t miss out on the face-to-face

Social networking is just the beginning. Many Twitter users host events to get out from behind the computer and get in front of one another. Find a local event or host your first Tweetup.

Score major cool points at your Tweetup:

• Supply name badges for people to wear. Have people write their Twitter IDs on them (@yourname). For a few extra bucks check out Tweetup Badges.

• Live tweet the event (don’t forget to use a hashtag to track tweets).

• Keep a sign in of all participants, including their Twitter IDs and a valid email address, then share the attendance list with everyone.

• Take lots of pictures and upload to Flickr.

Don’t forget about your safety if you are going to meet up

If you plan on meeting up with someone you’ve never met face-to-face, here are a few tips:

• Google them. Take a look at their online presence. Are they well connected across many networks? Have they been around for at least six months to a year?

• Shared connections. (There’s nothing wrong with asking about someone prior to a meet up. Check to see if you share any mutual connections.)

• Publicly tweet/message the name of the person(s) and location of your meeting across your social networks.

• Exchange phone numbers. Call the number to verify it belongs to that person. Then give the phone number and any other contact information you have about that person to your partner or a trusted friend.

• Meet in a group setting in a public location. (Don’t meet at your home!)

• If you’re meeting up with several people you’ve never met, verify that the others are coming.

• Drive yourself or get your own transportation to the meet up. (I know…I broke my own rule in my example.)

Most importantly, trust your gut. If a request to meet “doesn’t feel right,” don’t do it. There are several Internet safety resources out there. It can’t hurt to take a peek.

Sarah writes her own blog PRsarahevans.com and is the director of communications at Elgin Community College (ECC) in Elgin, Illinois. She also worked for Advocate Health Care, the largest health care system in Illinois, as the manager of communications and government relations at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital. She brings a comprehensive background in the knowledge of non-for-profit and health care management. Her personal mission to engage and employ the use of emerging technologies in all communication makes her effective in reaching a dynamic audience.

Imagery courtesy of iStockPhoto, SchulteProductions,spxChrome

—Related Articles at Mashable | All That’s New on the Web:Mosio Uses Twitter For Mobile Q&AMenuism’s “GutCheck” Imports Twitter FeedsTwitter Closes $15 Million Funding RoundTwitter Mobile InterfaceQuick Fix For Twitter TroublesTwitterholic: Mashable Is World’s 45th Biggest TwitIntegrated Twitter Search Might Be Coming Soon

Source:Mashable!

What’s the easiest and cheapest way to launch a web-based VoIP solution? It might just be Ribbit and British Telecom’s new VoIP platform, which enables developers to create and deploy a web based VoIP application.

The platform, which has been undergoing beta testing for a year (BT acquired Ribbit four months ago), will be presented at Adobe MAX, together with a range of applications in areas such as social networking, marketing and business productivity. We’ve discussed the benefits of a web-based VoIP platform before; now developers will be further encouraged to build for the platform through Ribbit’s $100k “Killer App” contest that will award prizes for the most innovative Ribbit applications across five categories.

BT claims that this “has never been done before;” an important part of their solution is openness to everyone, even other carriers. Under the motto “Bring Your Own Network,” Ribbit’s platform enables other carriers to use the platform, design new apps, or generate revenue from the applications that currently exist for the platform. Whether or not other carriers be willing to take this opportunity remains to be seen.

Check out Ribbit’s presentation of the platform below:

—Related Articles at Mashable | All That’s New on the Web:Ribbit to Launch Flex Developer Tools for Voice & Contact ManagementWhere Does Ribbit Fit in the Web-Based VoIP Universe?Jajah Telephony Lands Yahoo as First ClientRibbit in Salesforce: Taking Telephony to the Next Level?Jaxtr Raises $10M in Series A Round: Reaches 1 Million UsersWhy BT Acquired Internet Telephony Platform RibbitJajah Babel Offers English to Mandarin Translations Just in Time for Olympics

No, Facebook isn’t building its own phone. But UK mobile service provider 3 is launching a mobile phone whose primary function, besides making phone calls, is social networking.

The phone is called INQ1. Its specifications? Fairly standard: a 2.2 inch QVGA screen, 3.2 megapixel camera, HSDPA, accelerometer, 50MB + 4 GB of memory. The platform that powers it was created by INQ Mobile, a company that’s specialized in mobile social networking solutions.

The phone is not available yet, and the details are sketchy; I was unable to find out what platform it’s really based on (I assume that INQ’s software will work on top of an existing platform such as Symbian of Windows Mobile), or which company built the hardware. What’s known is that INQ1 will provide quick access to Skype, Facebook, Windows Live Messenger and Last.fm, with eBay support coming soon.

This is all UK only, where INQ1 will be available for as low as £15 per month offering unlimited free Facebook, Skype, Windows Live Messenger and web access, as well as 75 minutes of calls to other networks, unlimited texts, unlimited email and unlimited free 3-to-3 calls.

Is this a revolutionary device? No. It’s pure marketing: the iPhone can probably do everything INQ1 can and possibly more. But it shows that social networking has become the buzzword in marketing circles and that we can expect practically every device connected to the net from now on to be touted as “social networking enabled.” Good news for Facebook, MySpace, and the rest; bad news for everyone who didn’t anticipate how big social networking will one day become.

—Related Articles at Mashable | All That’s New on the Web:Jangl Adds Voicemail to FacebookSend Facebook Photos to Cell Phones with MobimiiSend Facebook Albums to Your Mobile with 3GuppiesIotum Offers Free Conference Calls through FacebookFacebook Settles Lawsuit for Text Messaging HellFacebook Sued for Mobile Messaging. Seriously?LG To Release YouTube Phone with Direct Upload

Teach The People, a Facebook application and fbFund finalist that allows users to create learning communities, has launched to the public. Alongside the public launch, the startup has also annouced its partnerships with The Learning Annex (which offers lessons from celebrities), Destiny Image, and Quinnipiac University’s Professional Athlete Transition Institute which will help initially populate the site with content.

At first glance Teach The People strongly resembles Facebook Groups, but offers a number of enhancements that make the platform more suitable for teaching. Each community instructor can upload documents, media, and online webcasts. The platform also will support premium content, offering an integrated payment system that allows instructors to charge for their online lessons.
Source:TechCrunch
Eric Schmidt was one of the many Silicon Valley leaders to add his name to the NoOnProp8 advertisement that ran in the San Jose Mercury News a couple of days ago.

But that doesn’t mean the proponents of the embarrassingly discriminatory measure can’t buy a little air time on Google Adsense. California residents who view sites that include Google Adsense ads today are seeing an advertisement that says “Support Marriage Rights - Vote Yes on Prop 8 To Protect Traditional Marriage.”

The ad links to protectmarriage.com (the good domain - yesonprop8.com - redirects to noonprop8.com, which must frustrate the gay-haters to no end).

As far as I’m concerned, we’ll look back on measures like Prop 8 as little different than attempts to stop Women’s Suffrage or the Civil Rights movement of the 50’s and 60’s. Denying a fundamental right to a person - such as marriage - is hateful and backwards. Google doesn’t have any obligation to run ads like these, and I believe they would be correct in banning it. Source:TechCrunch

It’s hard out there for a VOIP solution. Skype rules the desktop and Vonage rules the den so where does an upstart like VoxOx belong?

The product, founded by a group of voice networking ninjas who wanted to create a desktop-based VOIP and chat solution with full IM and social network integration. Think of it, then as a cross between Adium/Digsby and Skype with a little Grand Central thrown in.

VoxOx is a new service launched by San Diego based startup TelCentris. It’s a Skype competitor that does more than just VoIP, unifying voice, video, instant messaging, texting, e-mail, fax and social media communication inside one desktop application.

The easiest way to check out all the services that VoxOx supports would be to look at the image below, which offers a great overview of what VoxOx is about.

Other key features of VoxOx include a unified meta address book which contains contacts from all the various services and networks; VoIP telephony with two initial hours of free talk time (Mashable readers get 1200 minutes, more on that below), inbound/outbound calls, voicemail, call forwarding, inbound faxing, two-way texting, and even a landline replacement (if you’re so inclined). It supports Windows and Mac based machines, and support for Ubuntu, Debian and mobile is coming soon.

It’s hard to find what’s missing here; it’s like Trillian and Skype in one with some sugar on top. Of course, the application itself needs to prove that it’s reliable, stable and at least as simple to use as Skype, or it’ll be hard to create converts from that immensely popular desktop VoIP solution.

Note to Mashable readers: the first 500 folks who sign up for VoxOx using this link: signup.voxox.com/mashable will get 1200 minutes of free phone calls to U.S. and Canadian phone numbers with no expiration date.

—Related Articles at Mashable | All That’s New on the Web:Garmin Teams Up with Google and MapQuest for Simple Data TransfersSkype Launches More Mobile Tools: Cell Phone Killer?Ccube Offers 4 New Tools for Free Calls30+ Skins For Opera

This is the next stage in their ongoing effort to make the site more usable for people who aren’t comfortable with a no-rules, add-your-own-html interface. In June they launched MySpace 2.0, which reduced clutter on the site significantly.Source:TechCrunch

Since most of you don’t have an Android G1 phone, we are featuring some video reviews from the AppVee crew to show you what you are missing (or not, depending on your point of view). You can watch the first ten video reviews in an earlier post. Below are five more, two of which are on my top ten (ShopSavvy and iSkoot for Skype).

One of the most potentially useful set of apps on Android turn the phone into a barcode scanner and let you compare prices on the go. In fact, there are two apps that do this, ShopSavvy and CompareEverywhere. They are currently the No. 2 and No. 4 apps on the Android Market, respectively. Both look through the phone’s camera lens to scan a product’s barcode and look it up in a database to retrieve price comparisons from both the Web and local stores.

Although eBay beat its downwardly-revised earnings numbers today, its earnings call was filled with glum news for investors. (Full earnings slides embedded below). After three flat quarters, revenues declined 3.6 percent from the second quarter to $2.2 billion. Free cash flow has been going down each of the last four quarters, and so has the total value of goods traded over the auction and e-commerce site. eBay is leaning much more heavily these days on merchant-dominated categories like autos than on auctions between ordinary people.

Even PayPal’s revenues were flat in the quarter at $597 million. Maybe the $945 million acquisition of Bill Me Later will help reignite growth. Its classifieds business (Kijiji) brought in a respectable $250 million in revenues.

Another eBay business that is holding its own, surprisingly, is Skype. Revenues for the third quarter were $143 million. Although its growth rate is slowing, at least it is still growing, both on an annual (46 percent) and sequential quarterly (5 percent) basis. Its total registered users grew 51 percent to 370 million, and those people used up 16 billion minutes of talk time.

After 6 months of not-quite-official availability for those of us with jailbroken iPhones, Fring, a free mobile Voice-over-IP service, has made its way to the App Store. With that, a day that some said would never come has arrived: Skype calls can now be made on the iPhone, no hacks required.

Beyond the Skype functionality (which I imagine would be its most popular use), Fring also lets you chat with (and call, where appropriate) friends over MSN, GoogleTalk, AIM, Yahoo, Twitter, ICQ, and of course, Fring’s own service.

The “green” incarnation of travel, called ecotourism, mandates that travelers minimize cultural, economic, and environmental impacts as much as possible to promote sustainability. But while there are thousands of hotels worldwide that promote themselves as “green”, many of them are only partially fulfilling these requirements - they might not be wasting energy, but are paying locals at near-slave wages, or funneling money out of the local economy.

Whole Travel, a new site that launches tonight, is looking to keep these hotels honest while promoting the concept of sustainable travel. The site assigns each hotel with a score based on its environmental, cultural, and economic impacts, as well as its “customer interaction”, or how well it teaches visitors about the issues that affect their destination.Source:TechCrunch

eBay launched a new browser extension tool today that lets you highlight different products in Firefox or Internet Explorer and compare the pricing of those products on eBay. The tool also includes Skype functionality, which will let you click on a number in your browser and call it directly via Skype.

Dubbed Browser Highlighter, eBay’s latest tool will run only on Windows machines for now, but will eventually be rolled out for Macs and Apple’s Safari browser in the coming weeks.

After installing Browser Highlighter, a small icon is placed to the right of the address bar in Firefox or Internet Explorer. When you click the icon, you have the option of turning the “Compare on eBay” function, as well as the “Skype Phone Number Recognition” tool on or off. When either one or both are turned on, the information you search for in the browser becomes an interactive space to compare the price of products on eBay or make phone calls with Skype.