Snaptu - cool web mobile platform

A mobile application with widgets to facebook, twitter, news, picasa, weather and more. The cool thing about it is that you can add widgets that you are interested in and delete the ones that you are not using. However, the option of adding widgets is quit limited (mainly in London). so I would rather add my own widgets for each section, news, weather, etc. Personalization should be part of Snaptu strategy vis-a-via the wall garden approach of the mobile operators. A prompt replay from snaptu explains that it is possible to add blogs etc by using add URL feature.

The updating on facebook and twitter works fine I would rather have the option of updating my status on facebook and twitter at the same application rather than open each one separately, more like ping.fm application integrated into the staptu.

I was very exited when I managed to add the google calender widget and see my calendar on my Nokia E71 S60 since it is not possible from the google calender site (doesn't support symbian devices in Israel)

I hope the next version of Snaptu will be more stable as this one shut down a few times
Overall, I liked the solution, the real potential is developing and marketing a platform for personal applications and widgets.

Twitter users - city dwellers with middle income, bloggers, age 31 and surprisingly enough mobile and internet addicts...

A survey (http://tinyurl.com/cmlvjb) in the US revealed some facts about Twitter users:

• 11% of online adults use Twitter or update their status online 
  
• overwhelmingly young - 19% online adults ages 18 to 24 have ever used Twitter, as have 20% of online adults 25 to 34. 
• the median age of a Twitter user is 31. In comparison, the median age of a MySpace user is 27, Facebook user is 26 and LinkedIn user is 40.
  
• Twitter users are slightly more racially and ethnically diverse than is the full U.S (big time globalization) 
  
• Twitter users are also slightly more likely to live in urban areas, with 35% of Twitter users living in urban areas (compared to 29% of all Internet users) 
• Wireless Internet users are also more likely to be users of Twitter and other status updating services
• The use of Twitter is highly intertwined with the use of other social media; both blogging and social network use increase the likelihood that an individual also uses Twitter. 
• 27% of bloggers Twitter, compared with just 10% of those who do not keep a blog. Overall, 13% of Internet users have created a blog. 
  
• Twitter users are more mobile in their communication and consumption of information. Twitter users are also significant consumers of blog content; 21% read someone else’s blog “yesterday” and 57% of Twitterers have ever read a blog

Welcoming google on twitter?

Yep, congrats to google (or is it actually to twitter) for joining the popular micro-blogging Twitter. the new media industry is changing so fast, it seems like yesterday Microsoft acquired a $240 million equity stake in Facebook, valuing the company at a whopping $15 billion (http://tinyurl.com/7sasep). Now-days the new kid in the block is Twitter and roamers are that Google is actually considering...

Twitter's niche for Google is not only in the social networking segment but rather in the blogging solution. Blogger doesn't seems to be the most successful product (try to use and you'll understand why) and left behind the open source blog, Wordpress. Google actually Invited Bloggers to Improve Blogger in October 2006 (http://tinyurl.com/a9slbj). Twitter is a great micro-blogging platform but regardless blogger should be upgraded and hopefully in the near future

key success factors for using Twitter efficiently

Some of the key success factors for using Twitter efficiently:

1. Creating value - to your current and future followers, post interesting articles, innovative ideas, technologies, photos and try to think what would make them exited.
2. Link it - don't forget to link to the article, post, blog you are talking about. Link in - your web-space source: blog, website and link out to "out" of your web-space source. On Blogger there are some difficulties I know...also for me it might be time to switch to wordpress.
3. Tiny URL - is also handy and convenient for your followers and space efficient
4. Update regularly - the more the merrier of course, 4 times a week is a reasonable minimum to keep your followers curious and anticipating for your next update and still they won't forget about you
5. Be active - responsive, and initiate new topics and ask for your followers' opinion
6. Interesting updates to catch attention 
7. Don't be too pushy - for corporate twitter try to actually build relationship with your followers and not only sell your product/service
8. Promote your twitter on other platforms such as your blog, email signature, website and facebook
9.Time management is critical - twitter is such a great micro-blogging community but it's definitely a time-suck platform so you should limit the time and use it wisely. 
10. Increase your followers - will have a different post on this 
and the most important thing - ENJOY IT