Currently the option to send voice messages is only available through the separate Messenger app for Facebook though we expect that to expand eventually.

How To Send Facebook Voice Messages

[list style=”square” color=”cobult”]

• First, head over to your device’s app store, search for and install Facebook Messenger. [info]Facebook Messenger for iOS
  Facebook Messenger for Android[/info]
• Open the app and press the + sign to start a new message.
• Enter in a friend’s name in the ‘To:’ field.
• Press the + sign next to the ‘Write a message’ field.
• You’ll notice several options. Tap ‘Record Voice’.
• Press and hold the record button (circle with a red dot in the center) and speak your message.
• Release the record button when you are finished.
• Messages are automatically sent once the button is released.

Once the recorded message is sent, users can listen to it at anytime by pressing play inside their message center.

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The post How To Send Voice Messages To Friends [Facebook] first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.

Many of the changes are designed to simplify the control process for users with more direct labeling of privacy settings and additional control over what apps can see and do. However, with all the positive that may come from these changes, Facebook can’t mask that they have stripped away possibly the one feature that is most important for privacy.

Here’s a rundown of the changes and briefly what they mean for your privacy.

Facebook Privacy Changes

Request and Removal Tool for Photos

In a nutshell, users will have the ability to mass request other users remove photos of them or untag themselves from photos.

Of course untagged photos don’t remove photos from other areas of Facebook, just removes them from your own timeline.

Privacy Quick Links

A new Privacy Shortcuts button will be added to all Facebook pages in the upper right hand corner with the Home button.

The Privacy Shortcuts button will list 3 primary links to more directly view who has access to your data and who can contact you. A fourth option is available to “See All Settings”, but one can only wonder what “all” means this time around.

Activity Log Improvement

Facebook has implemented a way to view your entire history in one fell swoop through the Activity Log. Users can view their most recent post as well as posts from years ago from the Activity Log screen.

This feature is already in place and can be seen by appending “allactivity” to the end of your Facebook page URL. [info]Example: https://www.facebook.com/YOURUSERNAMEHERE/allactivity.[/info]

The improvements come by way of filtering whether it be by year, month, post type or app interaction so users can quickly see those items which appeared in their timeline.

App Permissions

For a long time it’s been, when an app is in, it’s in. Now users will have another option to prevent blanket allowing of permissions to apps.

Users will still need to allow an app access to their profile in order to utilize its benefits, but only basic approval with an option for advanced permission. [info]Example: You want to use an app so you allow the app access to your profile. Done. Now the app wants permission to post to your friends. You can allow or skip that permission.[/info]

This change doesn’t really mean a whole lot since apps could essentially ignore the process unless Facebook starts demanding they adhere to their new permission policy.

Search Inclusion

Finally, the most significant change isn’t a positive one. Facebook has decided that users cannot opt out of having their name included in search.

That means, users cannot keep their profile hidden from the search feature. [warning]Think of Facebook as a worldwide phonebook, but you can’t be unlisted.[/warning]

The opt out of search feature is one of the most important of all privacy settings and frankly the foundation for privacy on Facebook. We’ll let you draw your own conclusions about this change, but we find this to be unacceptable.

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It seems every few months or so there is a new sequel in the long running series of Facebook privacy fiascoes. This time around Facebook is targeting anyone in a current or past relationship.

Couples Pages

The new, loosely labeled, feature is a new page created for anyone tagged in a relationship on Facebook. It combines users profiles to portray a single unified couples page. In a nutshell it means John Doe and Jane Doe now have a JohnDoeandJaneDoe page along with their own personal Facebook pages.

The new couples page displays numerous details about those in the relationship. As an example, couples pages might include anniversary date, photos they’re both tagged in, mutual friends, mutual likes and all posts involving each other.

As of now, there is no way to delete the pages or control the content displayed on couples pages.

Privacy Concerns

As usual, this new ‘feature‘ raises a lot of privacy concerns for users. First and foremost, there is absolutely no way to control couples pages. Neither partner in the relationship has ownership (which if they did would raise another problem) and there are no controls in personal account settings to manage couples pages and information.

Now to be fair, married couples in a long stable relationship may not have a problem with this feature. We can also see the benefit in having a couples page for newly engaged users who want to have a unified page to share the news with the world. However, in most cases we’re talking about young adults or even teenagers who flip the relationship tag off and on like a light switch. That kind sharing isn’t what anyone wants.

Additionally, anyone can view relationship information by navigating to a couples page. If you’re familiar with friendship pages, then you won’t be surprised by the setup and information available on couples pages.

What Can You Do

In short, not a whole lot. As we mentioned, control settings don’t exist and there is no way to opt out of couples pages. However, there are a few long, uncomfortable things you can do to limit the information on those pages.

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• Eliminate Mutual Friendship Listing: Nothing short of un-friending common friends will fix this.
• Eliminate Posts: Don’t post on each other’s walls or about each other to keep posts to a minimum on your couples page. Delete old posts if you want to remove existing information.
• Eliminate Common Likes: Don’t both like the same things.
• Eliminate Relationship Status and Location: You’ll have to hide those bits of information from everyone in your privacy settings. That will keep the ‘complicated’ and other statuses as well as where you live hidden from viewers.

Aside from those rather drastic steps, you can complain to Facebook and ask them to get rid of couples pages. Although, we have zero belief that Facebook will remove them no matter how much outrage there is.

Something To Consider

Facebook is still the giant among giants in terms of social gathering and interaction. There’s no denying that Facebook still brings us together like never before and even with the backhanded slaps to privacy, people continue to use it because there is no other source quite like it.

For those who are serious about moving on from Facebook there is an option. Create your own page where you, your friends and family can stay in contact. There are so many website creation services available now, that anyone can get started quickly. Many are free and offer plenty of detail for making a space of your own.

If games are your primary Facebook activity, then that option may be difficult to swallow but games come and go and you may find the idea of your own personal space – managed by you – a worthwhile project.

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The post Facebook Strikes Again With Couples Pages first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.

Recently, a snippet of disabled code was discovered by Tom Waddington, a web developer from Cut Out & Keep. The code suggests that a ‘Want’ button may be on the way from Facebook. The small bit is an XFBML tag, <fb:wants>. Which in plain terms means there is a real chance that a ‘Want’ button could be built-in to Facebook similar to the like button, without the need for users to authorize apps.

A ‘Want’ button would mean a world of opportunity for retailers and merchants to determine what users actually desire in products. Facebook has been actively improving their ad targeting by focusing on users interests, interactions, etc. A ‘Want’ button would open up a new door to advertising revenue and could make Facebook appear more stable in the eyes of Wall Street.

The question of why or why now should be asked. Although we don’t know for sure Facebook will be introducing the ‘Want’ button or just how long its been in the works, we can say that increased social network competition is part of it. Facebook has no real competition, but with the rise of other social networks their grasp weakens on small bits of the social experience. Pinterest for example has turned social sharing through images on its head. Pinterest users share colossal amounts of images and spend a high percentage of time on the site. Google+, while not the competitor it was billed to be, does have a steady following. Those numbers combine to equal less interaction on Facebook.

Facebook’s would be willingness to grow can only be beneficial. Users may gain more enticing deals from brands that know what they want and are willing to give it to them. Merchants could get their products in front of users, creating more exposure and potential profit. For now, the ‘Want’ button is just a snippet of code that is disabled, but the social, consumer potential is enormous.

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Users who look at their settings will see the change under Email where they’ll see something like this, <your_facebook_name_here>@facebook.com. The change is touted by Facebook as a way to have everyone on the same level, whereby they can make the change to their liking afterwards.

Now, some may wonder why this is such a big deal. It’s not an overwhelmingly troublesome change, but it is an annoyance and a notification would have been nice rather than relying on media to convey the details. If you’re someone who relies on email as a way for Facebook friends to contact you because you’re too busy for regular Facebooking, then this change means you’ll need to adjust the email address broadcast to friends so that it reflects the email address you’re always plugged in to instead of the @facebook address.

The upside of such a change is that users who’ve embraced Facebook as their complete internet portal will likely find the change welcome since Facebook essentially becomes their email provider as well.

For those who want to make the change to a traditional email address or change their profile back to how it was, follow these steps:

How To Change Facebook Contact Info

• Login to Facebook
• Click your name in the top right corner to reach your profile page.
• Under your Profile photo, click About.
• Look for Contact Info and click Edit.
  
• The box expands to a large window. Find the @facebook email address and click the Friends icon to the right of it.
• Select Only Me to hide the visibility of the email address.
  
• Click the Circle icon to the right of the Friends icon and click Hide from Timeline.
  
• At the bottom of the Edit window, click Save.

Repeat those steps for the email address that you want people to use. For example, if you want friends to contact you through your Gmail account, you would follow the steps through #5, but click Friends, Public or Custom.

If you have any trouble, feel free to contact us through our Facebook page.

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The post Facebook Email Forced As Default On All Accounts first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.

The answer is Pinstagram. Pinstagram is an app for your Instagram account. Users associate their Instagram account with Pinstragram and can immediately start browsing in the Pinterest style.

Notes and Features

Pinstagram access does require permission so upon signup Instagram will ask you to authorize Pinstagram. Do so and you’re good to go.

Connecting with Facebook and Twitter are part of the package. To take advantage, just access settings (upper right-hand corner) and click connect to link the accounts. To the left of Settings are buttons which lead to your likes, your photo collections and Popular photos.

Of course, regular functions are present such as following others and liking photos. Users can comment on Instagram photos and Pin to Pinterest directly from each photo.

All in all, there isn’t much difference between using Pinstagram and Instagram itself except that it’s all done in a browser. If you prefer viewing your Instagram favorites on a larger screen and want Pinterest style presentation, then Pinstagram is the go to spot.

The post How To Browse Instagram the Pinterest Way first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.

In the same fashion as Klout or PeerIndex, Pinpuff is designed to rate Pinterest users’ influence and value based on their Pinterest use. Factors include reach, activity and virality of pins. Pinpuff calculates three individual scores and then averages them for a final overall Pinterest influence score (Pinfluence if you will).

• Reach score is based on how well your pins and profile are shared across other social platforms.
• Activity score is determined by how often you pin, re-pin, etc. Note: It doesn’t appear as though pin likes help this score.
• Virality score shows how well your pins are doing with others. How often they are liked and re-pinned.
• Pinfluence score is the average of the three although the individual scores are not weighted equally. While the exact formula isn’t provided, we surmise the Activity score likely has less weight than the others to prevent any system gaming.

Beyond the Scores

Beyond the scores, Pinpuff calculates monetary value for pins. They too are broken down into 3 categories, Ecommerce pin, generic pin, referral (outward click) from pins. Monetary values indicate earning potential from pins in those categories. Currently there is limited use for these numbers on Pinpuff, though their newly created PinPerks program may turn value into rewards.

Technical Details

On a technical level, Pinpuff still has a lot of room for growth. The interface is clean and solid but there is a bit of sluggishness. Each profile lists values, scores and stats. Stats include the most highly populated Pinboards, follow stats, number of pins, likes and repins. Pinpuff has continued to update since their launch in February, 2012. Some latest updates include Interests, a way to find other Pinterest users with similar interests.

The service is free and requirements are an email address and Pinterest username. Of course we’d be remiss to not mention our GeekITDown Pinterest page, so please come check out and follow our boards so we can share great pins with each other!

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The post Find Your Pinterest Value first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.

A typical user who considers themselves socially connected online will login to three or more social networking sites per day, likely multiple times. Each website has its own login credentials with usernames, passwords, email addresses and whatever else is needed. MySocialCloud is a way to manage all those account credentials in one place.

MySocialCloud eliminates multiple logins scattered across the web by organizing and storing websites along with their associated login information. Think of MySocialCloud as your skeleton key to the web. While all your favorite websites have their own login credentials, the only information you ever need for access to those websites is the MySocialCloud login.

The usual daily destinations such as Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Gmail and Amazon are great ways to use MySocialCloud, though MySocialCloud can be used for much more. Think travel sites, auction and retailer outlets, eMagazine websites and others. Functionality is controlled through a dashboard which is also where new websites can be added. Additionally, MySocialCloud supplies a random password generator to aid in selecting new, more secure passwords for other website logins.

Saving all your passwords is the main draw of MySocialCloud, but not the only feature. Public profiles allow users to showcase their lists and favorites. Users can engage socially by sharing and interacting with contacts on all the things they like. MySocialCloud doesn’t provide detailed information as to their security features, but iterates that even staff cannot see user’s personal information. MySocialCloud itself is secured with 256-bit encryption using TLS connection.

Visit MySocialCloud

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Make Your Website Part Of The Nifty Collection

The post MySocialCloud For Managing Your Social Spaces first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.

Easypinner for Pinterest is a Firefox extension that makes pinning quicker. Easypinner scans each webpage you visit for pinnable images. If an image can be pinned, Easypinner adds a small Pinterest icon to the image which users can see by hovering the mouse pointer over an image.

The process is simple:

• Navigate to any webpage.
• Hover your mouse pointer over an image.
• If the Pinterest icon appears, click it.
• Click the Pin It button to assign your pin to one of your Pinboards.

A nice little feature of Easypinner is that it displays the number of times an image has been pinned. When a user clicks the Pinterest icon on an image, a Pin It button is displayed with pin count. Easypinner is easy to use and makes selecting specific images from a webpage full of them much more precise when pinning.

Download Easypinner for Pinterest for Firefox

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The post Easypinner: Quick Pin Buttons For Every Image [Firefox] first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.

In an April 2, 2012 blog post, Sciarra reflects on the past couple of years and how a simple idea evolved into what Pinterest is today. Sciarra goes on to say,

“After lots of reflection and plenty of discussion with Ben and others, I’ve decided that now is a good time for me to step down formally from day-to-day involvement.”

Sciarra will be moving on to a role at Andreessen Horowitz, a venture capital firm.

The big surprise in all of this is not that Sciarra is leaving, but the timing of it all. It’s rare to see a co-founder of a company leave at what is, at this point, it’s most successful point. Typically, this is where the hard work pays off and glory from a product is achieved. Imagine Mark Zuckerberg walking away from Facebook just as it overtook MySpace.

Some image content owners and creators seem to think the departure is due to infringement on digital rights and copyright issues. Though the idea seems a bit far fetched. Digital media is a debate that will likely rage on regardless of Pinterest or anyone else.

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