What You Need To Know About Google+ Local

Last month, Google officially launched Google+ Local, formerly known as Google Places. Google+ Local presents its user with a whole new way of searching and sharing their favorite dining places, local hot-spots and any other businesses you can think of. The launch marked Google's first step in integrating the review site Zagat with its own product, since it acquired the company in September 2011. Though the integration process is in its initial stages, there are other changes that have been implemented by the company in Google Places to make it Google+ Local and this article outlines the major and vital changes.

New and Refreshing Look:

One of the major changes that are introduced by Google is the new and refreshing look, photos are moved to the top of the page and the business dossier stands out more. Now, you can also chat with people in your circles (who also have you in their circles) and if you want to change the circle to choose other people to chat with, you can do that easily by choosing privacy settings from the chat menu.

Easy Access:

In the beginning, people had to manage both Google+ Account and a Google+ Local Account separately, but now they can manage it from the single account as both Google+ and Google+ Local account have been merged into one.

Customer Review:

Customers having a Google+ account would only be able to leave a review for your business. Therefore, you need to ask your consumers to open a Google+ account and guide them by providing instructions and information on the new scoring system and while asking them for reviews.

Zagat Ratings:

You must have seen the listings in Google Places, and the new local listings is almost similar to that only, however, apart from some common features like contact information, images and reviews with ratings, it also possess one major difference i.e., the traditional way of rating via stars has been swapped with Zagat's 30 point rating system. In organic Google searches and on Google Maps, abstracts from the local listings can be easily seen but the web users looking to go through the detailed information and reviews need to sign into Google+.

Interact with your customers:

Now as Google+ Local has been merged with Google+, you can easily utilize the feature called Google+ Hangouts to interact with your customers and that too face to face.

Google Maps:

Another advantage of using Google+ Local is that when people will search for a specific service in a particular region and you also provide the same service in that region then your business will appear in Google maps for the relevant search. And, still you can control what information you share you're your probable consumers such as address, directions, phone number, days and hours of operation.

If you feel any trouble in creating and promoting Google+ Local page, which will eventually benefit you in your social media optimization campaign, then hire a perfect SEO company having an experience in social media.

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Pinterest - 3 Important Reasons Why It's Such a Big Deal

One of the hottest destinations on the web is the social media site Pinterest. If you are not familiar with Pinterest, it is a virtual pinboard where images you discover online can be bookmarked or "pinned" to the site.

Because of its elegant visual style, Pinterest has literally exploded onto the social media space. According to the online technology news source Techcrunch, Pinterest has attained over 10 million unique visitors the fastest of any stand alone web site in history!

Still, with so many social media platforms vying for our attention, you may feel investing the time and effort to become familiar with this latest newcomer is just not worth it.

Let me assure you, Pinterest is indeed worth it! The site's unique combination of style, along with its powerful bookmarking and sharing features, make it far more than just a pleasant way to collect pretty pictures online.

The following are three important reasons why Pinterest has become such a big deal, and how it can help make your daily life more convenient:

1. Pinterest can be used to enhance collaboration.
 A little known, but very powerful, feature of Pinterest is the ability to allow other users to add content to your image boards. For example, you are working on a group research project pertaining to species of flora in the Amazon rainforest. You may enable other members of your group to add images of appropriate tropical plants to your Amazon Flora board. Now everyone has an online central resource where research findings can be pooled and organized collectively. This can be a huge benefit when arranging group meetings poses a challenge due to issues such as physical distance and scheduling conflicts. The only prerequisite to using this feature is members of your group must be following each other on Pinterest.

1. You can find sources of ideas and inspiration.
You are able to search through all of the images bookmarked on Pinterest. This function can be immensely helpful if you need ideas for projects such as planning a birthday celebration. With countless images of party favors, deserts, decorations, designs, recipes, etc., readily available, you will have plenty of sources available to help inspire you.

1. Arrange your next vacation.
 One of the most popular categories of bookmarked images on Pinterest is exotic travel destinations. If your dream vacation is to visit the Mediterranean coast, you will able to search for images of specific locales. In fact, Pinterest also allows you to add or "repin" the photos of other users to your board(s). So, you can collect images of intriguing Greek resorts or other attractions you may wish to patronize on your trip.

Did you know you can add prices to images you add to Pinterest? Discover how, and more useful information, in Terez Williamson's new book "Pinterest For Beginners: Your Essential Guide To Learning The Basics Of Pinterest." Visit Pinterest4Beginners.com to download your own digital copy now!

The bottom line is, the practical uses for Pinterest have barely been explored. However, with over 10 million users and counting, now is the time to experience for yourself what makes this site so appealing. Chances are, you will create your own unique opportunities to benefit from this new, exciting way to discover and share beauty online.

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Educational Uses of Facebook and Twitter

Bringing social networking into your classroom can add another layer of education for your students, and it can be fun, too.


Social networking seems to be absolutely everywhere. Students these days can't seem to go five minutes without checking their Facebook or Twitter streams. Harnessing this technology can be difficult for teachers, especially because they didn't grow up with it themselves, but it can be a necessary tool for success in the classroom. From simply sharing information to creating projects using these sites, social networking in the classroom is powerful and should be used.

Spreading Information

Students are signing into their Facebook and Twitter accounts more than they're checking their e-mail, and definitely more than they're checking the school website. If you can create an account that your students can follow, you can share information and important reminders with them quickly, and you can be sure they're getting the message. Facebook and Twitter allow you to upload videos, link to documents, and share other great resources with your students. They're checking it already, so why not add a bit of education to your students' streams? If they need help in doing their homework, they can go to your page and find a video tutorial you've uploaded. If they need an extra reminder to study for a big test, they'll get it by looking at your updates or checking a message from you. If they have a question that isn't answered on the site, they can easily tweet you on Twitter or message you on Facebook. With all the mobile apps available, this can be useful for students without computers or teachers who can't stay logged in to their e-mail all the time. 

Projects

Using Twitter and Facebook to create projects can be really fun, and can require more critical thinking than other projects or even writing a paper. For English teachers, a favorite project is to have the students create a Facebook or Twitter profile of a character in a book. This can be a great group project, too, if each student in the group takes a different character and creates different profiles. Then, they can friend or follow each other and comment or respond to the updates. This shows they truly understand the characters and their use of language. This project can be easily adapted for history, as well, by having the students choose an important historical figure they have studied in class and doing the same thing. For science, math or other subjects, you can use this as a research project for students to research famous scientists or mathematicians and create their profiles. 

Caution

As a teacher, you will definitely want to use caution when employing social networking. If you have a personal Facebook or Twitter account, you will want to think about creating an account just for teaching and keeping it separate. Your students definitely do not need to know about your personal life, and keeping that separate can be very important to not blur lines in the teacher-student relationship. You will also want to be cautious with students who want to friend or follow you. If you find out information about them that a school counselor should know, you may want to have a policy in place for contacting someone immediately. It's a good idea to speak with your principal or school counselor or a social worker before starting anything like this. You may also want to have your students and their guardians sign an Internet acceptable use policy. There are many of these online that teachers have used if you do an Internet search. This ensures that they know what is expected of them and what will happen if they break the rules.

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How to Migrate from Facebook to Google+

Many people who have reasons to say goodbye to Facebook, are opting to shift to Google+. Moving from one social network to another social network is not a very easy thing to do. But, with the use of certain tools, it is easier to export your profile information, photos and friends to your desired social network. With the increasing popularity of the newly launched social network, Google+, people have found one more a good option to stay connected with their friends. Google+ is considered to be more secure than Facebook, because of the dual authentication system in Google+, which is just like how we use e-banking services. Google authenticator app sends a code to your smartphone, after you enter your Google+ password. This is an additional security feature in Google+.

Exporting Information

• First, log in to your Facebook account and click on Account, which is located on the upper right corner of the home page.
• Select Account Settings from the drop down menu of Account.
• On the Account Settings window, you will find Download a copy of your data, which is located in the bottom of the page.
• Click on download a copy, and you will be directed to a window, on which, you need to click on the button, Start archive.
• Once you click on Start Archive, your personal archive containing your information, will be generated and an email will be sent to you, once the archive is ready.

This is a safe method to get your information, but it takes hours or even a day, for Facebook to send you the email containing the archive of your information.

Exporting your Contacts

Using Facebook Friend Exporter

• Download the software, Facebook Friend Exporter and install it in your computer.
• Log in to your Facebook account, where you will find the tab, Export Friends in the main menu.
• After you click on Export Friends, you will be directed to a window, where you need to select, Let's get started!
• Cache all your photos and click on, Let's start.
• You will be given two options to export your friends list to Google+. One way is through Gmail, wherein you need to log in to your Gmail account and import your friends list and the another way is, through CSV (Comma Spreaded value).
• CSV is a simpler method, wherein you copy and paste the CSV file in a notepad, and save it in .csv format.
• Now, go to Google+ home page and click on Upload Address Book, and select the .csv file from the folder, where you have stored the file. That's it!
• Select the friends list that appear on your Google+ home page, and drag it and place them in the Friends Circle, which appears on your Google+ account.

Another way is through your Yahoo account. Google has a collaboration with Yahoo, to carry out this migration process.

Exporting Videos

• Download the software, Facebook Export.
• Log in to Google+, and follow the path: Videos → Upload new videos.
• Upload the photos which you have downloaded on your system, to Google+.

Exporting your Photos

To export your album to Google+, what you need to do is, download them and re-upload on Google+.

Using Picasa

• Download Picasa.
• Add the photos, which you have downloaded, to Picasa. To do this, follow the path on Picasa: File → Add Folder to Picasa.
• After importing the photos to Picasa, find the photo album and click on Sync to web, which is on the upper right corner of the current window.
• A pop-up window will appear, on which you need to sign in with your Google+ account.
• A pop-up window asking you to verify the upload settings, will appear.
• Click on the option, change settings, and modify your settings.
• Enable the check box, Use the above settings.
• Go to Picasa, and click on sync button, and the uploading of your photos will be done automatically.

Using Pick & Zip

You can also use a free software called Pick & Zip, where you can download your photo album, by logging in to your Facebook account, from Pick & Zip website. A zip file containing your photo album will be downloaded, after you click on the tab, Download all photos. Extract the zip file, which has two folders, albums and tagged. Now follow the route on Google +, to upload your photos in Google+: view profile → photos → upload new photos.

With increased privacy and attractive features, the recent launch of Google+ has interested many social media lovers, to migrate to Google+. Google+ is undeniably an excellent competitor to Facebook. Many assert that, Google+ is an upgraded version of Facebook and they prefer migrating to it. However, there are still many people who are happy with Facebook. If you are not very obsessed with Facebook, you can try Google+ for a change.

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How to Create a New Circle in Google+

For all those who are new to the concept of Google+, allow me to explain that Google+ is Google's new social networking tool. However, currently they seem to be trying it with a small number of people to check the reviews and its working, but they are pretty confident that it won't be long before it is ready for everyone. One of the unique features of this tool is to create a group of friends via circles. Circles enable us to follow the people existing in that particular circle, just like in twitter. These are specially created to help you organize everyone, according to the real-life social connections. For example, you have a family circle for family members exclusively, and likewise for work friends, close friends, acquaintances and so on. All this just makes it easier to share relevant content with the right kind of people. For example, if you are throwing a party for your office colleagues; show it only to office friends circle. This is not it, you can also customize your personal information for every circle. So, if you do not want a certain set of friends to know about your relationship status, location, or any other details, you might as well exclude those details from that particular circle. I have listed down one of the most easiest and preferred way to create circles in Google+. Scroll down.


Creating a New Circle in Google+

Step #1

To begin with, login to your Google plus account with your user id and password. You will have your Google+ account open in front of you. Now, go to the tool bar at the top of your page and click on the circles icon like shown in the picture below. This will open the circles page in a new tab.

Step #2

By default there are 4 circles created by Google+, which include Friends, Family, Acquaintances, and Following. Apart from these default circles, if you wish to create some new ones, here is what you have to do. Select the people you want to add to the group. You can either select one person by clicking on the name title or multiple titles using your cursor. You can put the same person into as many circles as you like. For example, if you want your cousin to be in your family as well as your friends circle you are welcome to do so.

 Step #3

Once you are ready with a friend or list of friends, drag and drop them in a blank circle, which would read "drop here to create new circle" like in the picture below. You will find this icon at the bottom of your screen. When you are done with the above, the circle will display the number of people you've added in the circle. If in case you happen to add a person twice or if you have added someone to the circle already, they wouldn't be added twice. So, you don't worry.

Step #4

When you finish with adding all the friends, the text on the circle will change to "create circle." Click it. You will have an empty box pop up, asking you to name the circle. The format that empty box is given below. Type in the name of your circle and click "create circle with x people." you can always add more fiends to this actual circle, which appears in your profile now. You can also rename your circle, whenever you want. For that you need to click on "rename" next to the name of the circle, edit it and click save.

Step #5

If you have done everything properly, the newly created circle should appear near the four default circles in your profile. In case you want to get a person out of your circle; click on that particular circle to which the person belongs, select the one you would like to remove and click remove. Done! To delete an entire circle, you select that specific circle, click "delete this circle" at the end of the pop up box and you are done. Remember, once you delete a circle, you cannot recover it back in any case.

 This was all about creating a new circle in Google plus. Hope, I have made this task easier to understand. Well, for now I sign out, you keep yourself logged in and explore the other features in Google+. It is interesting indeed!

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How to Create a Fake Facebook Status

I have posted many facebook tricks before. Now I am going to post another new trick. Creating Fake Facebook Status.

This Trick Let’s You to Create Fake Facebook Status By using Facebook Application.

Simple Steps to Follow :

Step 1 – First Go to The Facebook Application Wall Machine and Click on Connect.

Step 2 – Now you can edit Name,Status,Comments,Like and Pictures as you want.

Step 3 – Click on the Name To Edit Name and Click on Status For Editing Status.

Step 4 – For Adding Picture Click on Left Side of the Name.

Step 5 – Click on Like and Rename it and For Editing Comments click on it and Edit the Comments.

Done ! Now Your Fake Status will Be Created .

Step 6 – Now Save your Status By Using Save Button .

Enjoy and don't forget to comment.

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How To Use Facebook For Your Travel Planning ?

Here is one of the coolest apps/websites accumulation facebook’s amusing blueprint to appear out contempo months. It’s alleged Gtrot. Turn your Facebook social network site into travel advisors.

When you tell GTrot that you want to go to Chennai City, GTrot coms through all your Facebook friends and looks for people with connections to Chennai. It’s quite thorough and will find people who live in Chennai, who have checked in with geo-location tools in Chennai, who used to work in Chennai, etc.

You can ask and get help from Chennai friends for travel tips and routes, shopping malls, tourist places. etc from them

Cool Isn’t it?

Checkout, Gtrot – Social Travel homepage

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7 Facebook Tricks To Avoid Yourself From Getting Hated

1. Beware! Don’t sync your Twitter account with Facebook , if you are someone who tweets every 10 minutes will end by flooding the live-stream of your friends and they will end up marking hide your updates .
2. Do not add people you do not have any kind of relationship, if you ask someone to add it is because you know him or you can have something in common that can make interesting relationship between both of you, and not because he or she has a very good profile picture
3. When you upload a picture on’t tag everyone in the picture. As each comment will give a notification to every one in your contact and this will annoy many of them.Tag only those who are present in the picture.
4. The relatives of your friends are not friends, Facebook is not a popularity race to see if you have more friends.
5. Do not invite all of your contacts to attend events, only those who may be interested and those who are geographically possible should be invited.
6. Each time you use an application on Facebook as a requirement it asks you to send an invitation to your friends do not click on the send button, somewhere must have a button to skip this step (the policy of Facebook require it .)
7. When uploading pictures make sure they have access only to people who should have access to them, your mother is not interested to see how you vomit on your best friend (and probably your boss either.)

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Facebook finally lets you edit your comments !

Till now , if you made a typo or wrote something by mistake on Facebook on a post,  you had to either delete your comment or re-post it.  Finally Facebook has enabled comment editing. But here is the catch , Facebook will show an history of the comment right from the initial state to the current state as you can see below. Sounds cool huh ? How many of you were looking forward to this feature ?

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How to Make Facebook Safe

Is Face book safe? Yes, if you use the new Facebook privacy controls. Facebook makes a perfect vehicle to network with your friends. You can share personal information with people you trust. However, without the necessary Facebook privacy controls, all private data will be accessible. Someone can simply find your Facebook account by Googling your name. Luckily, Facebook privacy controls has introduced settings to give you more control of what information is accessible.

You may think simply solely giving your information out to trusted friends will be enough to in sure that private information is safe. However, this is a mistake. Your Facebook profile is logged in search engines thus making it available to millions. Even your updates are public information. Facebook privacy controls are a grand step in the right direction. This article hope to help you keep your Facebook details private.

How to Make Facebook Safe:

Step 1: Use Control Sharing

1. Click the Account menu located in the top right.
2. Click View Settings
3. Customize access by setting access controls
4. Select level of privacy options in the drop down menus
5. Save settings

You will have levels of access from everyone, friends only, friends of friends and anyone in your network. You may opt to use a more custom setting. However, friends only is the most secure setting is the friends only option. To return to the first menu click “Back to Privacy” in the top left.

Step 2: Protect your Album

One of the most sensitive items to share is photos. To protect your photos from public viewing. Follow the instructions below

1. In the privacy settings window, click custom
2. Choose Customize settings.
3. Choose Edit album privacy
4. Select the privacy option to control who has access to your photos

Step 3: Bury Your Contact Information

Your contact information can be easily found on Facebook as well as search engines. All someone has to do is enter your name in a search engine to find you and your Facebook page. You can stop this by using the public search option.

1. Under Contact Information, select the option for drop down menus to “only me”
2. Go back to Privacy, Click Back to Privacy
3. Click Edit your settings, under Applications and website, un-check pubic search

Remember to treat your personal data as a precious commodity. Your information can be mined and sold to the high bidder or simply stolen and exploited by spammers. Using the Facebook privacy controls, should give you a whole new level of security.

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How to Place Facebook Chat on Firefox Sidebar

The coolest feature of the Facebook which permits you to send live messages, or in internet word, ping your friends is the Facebook chat. As it is the most frequently used feature of this great social networking site, therefore it deserves to be at the top. The chat can be placed at the Mozilla Firefox sidebar by following these simple steps:

1). At the top-most navigation of your page, you will find an option by the name of “Bookmarks”. Select “Organize Bookmarks” from this menu.

2). There you will find the tab by the name of “New Bookmark”.

3). On clicking “New Bookmark” it will ask for some information. Fill it according to the following:

• Fill “Facebook Chat” in the space provided in front of the “Name” section.

• Type the URL “http://www.facebook.com/presence/popout.php” in the space provided in front of “Location” section.

• Also check the check box as shown

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Find Out Who Unfriended You on Facebook

You log on Facebook in the evening and you have 165 friends. However, the next morning you wake up and your friend count has dropped to 159. Who are these three mysterious friends that disappeared?

 Unfortunately, Facebook does not send a notification when someone unfriends you on the social network site. Within a few short minutes, you can find out exactly who has deleted you as their friend. The new Timeline design on Facebook has made it much easier to find out who has unfriended you.

1. To begin, log onto Facebook and head on over to your profile page. To the right of the page, you’ll see a list of the years you’ve been on the social network.

2. Click on any previous year listed. A “Friends” menu will pop up on your profile. This will tell you which friends you added during this particular time period.

3. Scroll over the friends and it will tell you whether or not you’re still friends with the person.

4. Install a plugin to identify who has unfriended you. Another option is to use a reliable plug-in to find out who unfriends you. For instance, the Unfriend Finder works on Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, Opera and Chrome browsers. Once installed, you’ll receive notifications when someone unfriends you or deletes his or her account.

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