That all changed with Google Glass.

Google officially announced the new device in 2012 at the June Google IO conference with the aid of several skydivers parachuting out of a plane, while each of them were streaming live video from above the event on a Google Hangout.

The Glass device is basically a heads up display that sits partially over your eye, giving you a one-eye-view into the digital world, showing you anything from the weather to the location of a friend. It also has a camera capable of capturing video and still pictures and, instead of a speaker, it has a Bone Conduction Transducer which transmits audio directly to the innermost part of the ear via the nose clip on the glasses.

While smartphones have managed to bring us small snippets of our everyday lives in a more portable format (sometimes a little too much), it means getting a smartphone or device out to interact with the internet and social networks. With Google Glass, however, it literally is right in front of you. Have a video Hangout with friends while walking the dog, watch TV while doing the shopping or even a physics teacher taking his classroom on a virtual field trip into CERN’s Large Hadron Collider.

While the technology was initially well received, Glass has started to roll out to a select few as part of an early adopter program with seemingly mixed results, especially around privacy. Built into the Glass software is something called “Blink Control” which allows developers to tie functionality to a blink response; that means that just by blinking you can take a picture or video without anyone even knowing.

Not only that, but the camera can be used for face recognition allowing any Glass user to potentially know anyone around them. We already have a similar technology being used in Police cars to identify car license plates and any outstanding fines or warrants for the owner.

There is also some concern around movie piracy which would allow someone to live stream a movie to a Google Hangout, or even record it on the device.

Google has already filed patents for a second version of the device which will have lasers (reportedly for gesture control “Minority Report” style) and for a dual heads up display (which will open the device up for 3D effects).

Like or loathe, it is here to stay. And I for one, as a developer, can’t wait to get my hands on a set to put it through its paces.

For those who missed the drama last week, Burger King’s Twitter account was hacked and the thumbnail image changed to a McDonald’s logo. That was then followed by hundreds of Tweets sent from the account, causing havoc for the brand.

McDonald’s even posted up a sympathetic response to @BurgerKing as the drama continued to unfold:

The following day, when Jeep (owned by Chrysler) experienced a similar attack (where Hackers made claims on Jeep’s Twitter account, that the company had been sold to Cadillac), brands around the world became incredibly nervous about their own account security.

What happens if a hacker does take control of your Twitter account? You’ll need to contact Twitter for a password reset form. But seriously, what damage has already been done to your reputation?

In the case of Burger King and Jeep it seems that the culprit may have been an infiltrated email with each respective brands Twitter password in it. Such a simple and careless act, causing such damage.

A recent article in the New York Times has highlighted that it’s “time for these platforms to use their influence to shape security standards on the Web.”

So do you think Twitter needs to step up it’s security on all accounts?

The log-in process for a Twitter account is the same for a company, as it is for an individual. All you need to log-in is a user name and a single password. Twitter’s Support Page, which provides information on how to protect your account, offers advice on how to minimise your chances of being hacked.

However, following the high profile hacking last week, it still makes us wonder if any of those measures are enough.

It’s no secret that Valentine’s Day has gone into overdrive online. While you scroll through your News Feeds containing truck loads of lovey-dovey content, you may want to ponder this interesting thought; the Facebook relationship status is becoming the digital 1 carat diamond. That’s right, ladies and gents; put away your cupcake recipes featuring a surprise ring in the middle. Hold off on the hand-made, calligraphy clad invitations. This has become a valid relationship milestone. I’ve slotted it somewhere between the first date and getting your own set of keys to your partner’s place. If you’ve placed this milestone immediately after a party pash, please – check yourself. This is serious.

With the social space giving us various platforms for self-expression, it seems we’re expressing ourselves all over each other. Some with heart-warming sentiment, some with a bucket in hand.

The social media monitoring experts at Radian6 have put together a great infographic outlining stats on V Day’s social media activity between February 1st and February 12th. Here are the standouts:

• 8,293,748 conversations about Valentine’s Day
• 27,453 conversations discussing plans for Valentine’s Day
• Top two activities being discussed: Staying in (38.5%), Going to the movies (25.8%)
• Online conversation by gender: 71% women, 29% men
• Men are more likely to express negative sentiment around Valentine’s Day
• ‘My baby’ is the top term of endearment used, with 20,020 mentions
• 5,468 people say they love this day
• 21,489 people say they hate this day

Obviously this is a red-hot topic of conversation during the month of February. But what else can we take from this information..?

Most people hate Valentine’s Day. Those that love it are a bunch of hornbags that are planning on ‘staying in’ with their ‘baby’.

Happy Valentine’s Day!
(Particularly to the one I recently committed to via Facebook’s relationship status)

Vine allows the everyday smartphone video user to take a seat in the ‘directors’ chair and although Twitter brings it to you, you don’t need a Twitter login to use it. Many have already described it as the ‘Instagram of video’ with its easy to use mechanics and satisfactory end result, it’s sure to be a quick crowd pleaser.

How does it work you ask? Vine allows you to capture 6 seconds of video in different bursts and then edit them together to create one * ahem * little video, which you can then publish on both Twitter and Facebook. No lights, camera, ACTION required here, It seems the more raw the content the more amusing and quirky the video.

Users have already taken to Twitter bragging about their creations and using trending hashtags #vine #vineapp and directly from Vine themselves #vinefavs. Within four short days they have drummed up 13,505 followers.

However it wasn’t all fireworks and streamers for the launch which saw the first 24 hours plagued with problems of adult content appearing unrestricted via the app. (#vineporn)

Much is also said for the strategic value of a social network creating a spin off social network fragmenting its already fragmented products, especially on the back of social networks like Google+ and Facebook who are bringing a suite of products under one banner.

What does this mean for brands? Vine, for now, opens up the creativity stream for brands. Enabling them to connect with consumers and potential consumers in a quirky and fun manner and in a short amount of time! If vine takes off (as we think it has the potential to do), we see vine expanding into offering the ability for users to embed these short videos into their own websites, which would definitely bring the benefits of these short videos further into the mainstream, particularly for brands.

Keen to get the creative juices flowing? Download Vine here: http://bit.ly/WgCCh4

‘Bully’ is a documentary film that lays bare the experiences of young people, and their families, who are bullied on a daily basis. It also tells of two bullying victims that took their own lives. Yes, this is actually happening.

The content of this film meant it was hit with an R rating by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). Reality ain’t so pretty; turns out teenagers use coarse language. Which, of course, meant it was inaccessible to its target audience. How to pull ‘Bully’ out from under the censorship rug and put it in front of the right sets of eyes? I think you know where this is going…

A multi-platform social media campaign ensued, with Twitter being the main stage. On March 27 2012, ‘Anti-Bullying Twitter Tuesday’ was born, generating a phenomenal amount of activity, causing a tidal wave of awareness with a simple tweet; ’13 million kids get bullied every year. Today take a stand with me and @BullyMovie http://bit.ly/wkgZxG #BullyMovie.’ Bang. One million tweets in 24 hours. Now that’s a movement.

The direct intention of the Twitter campaign was not to change the MPAA rating, it was to raise awareness. But awareness breeds action. A petition was led on Change.org, by 17 year old Katy Butler, who called for the ‘Bully’ rating to be lowered to PG-13. Katy’s petition has been supported by more that 500,000 people, including 35 members of Congress and numerous celebrities. As a result, a compromise was reached where the filmmakers removed a couple of expletives and the PG-13 rating was granted by the MPAA, making this important film viewable to those who need to see it most.

Meaningful, authentic content is so important in social media promotion. The ‘Bully’ campaign, which isn’t complex, is a stand-out example of how powerful social media can be. Whether you’re aiming for a cheeky smile or action for a significant cause, make it real and make it human. There are real people waiting at the other end of that post/tweet/blog.

‘Bully’ is released in Australia on 23^rd August 2012. Rated M (accessible to younger viewers).

View the trailer here:

http://thebullyproject.com/

Melbourne charity screening of ‘Bully’ – fundraising for Headspace, 21st August 2012.

If you’re a young person having a tough time with bullying visit the Headspace information page.

Facebook has moved on from the days when you ‘like’ a page and then forget about it. Nowadays business pages need to work for ‘likes’. Rewarding and thanking your ‘likers’ and ‘followers’ on Facebook and Twitter is becoming plain social etiquette. Think of your awaiting social audience as patrons at a concert or comedy event. We all love to be entertained. By liking your page, they’re saying ‘entertain me!’ and thou shalt be rewarded with engagement and/or sales. Cha-ching!

Celebrate milestones

This is crucial! Think of it as you sharing a special moment with friends or family. Time to celebrate! The larger your following gets the more WIN WIN it is for you and your growing business. YOU have made this happen. Be sure to not only give yourself a pat on the back, but reward your community of ‘likers’ or followers with quirky and creative ‘thank you’ content. Get creative and think outside the box. Videos work well for engagement and give your community the opportunity to see a different and more personal side of your business.

Offers & Competitions

Having exclusive offers and discounts and sharing them regularly with your Twitter or Facebook community can be a fantastic way to not only generate more fans, but also allow you to track how your offer translates into your ROI plans. Create a special code or tracking number to keep an eye on how each offer is performing. Competitions are also a great way of rewarding your fans and creating a solid fan base. The more brand advocates, the better!

Keep it simple

It may sound small, but acknowledging fans and followers can be a great reward in itself. Simply interacting with your fans regularly on Twitter, or thanking Facebook followers when they comment or engage with your content can be a form of social reward. ‘Like’ and respond to their comments. This is an opportunity for you to listen, find out what they like and use this information to provide more quality content. Then, they bring their friends to the party. And, of course, you thank them for the love.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You can learn from them and they will feed into your engagement strategy. Knowing what doesn’t work often sheds light on what does work.

Overall, try and be innovative. Your fans/followers will love you for it. Don’t be scared; try not to stay safe. Step out of your comfort zone and lap up the limelight. All these actions will assist you in achieving brand brilliance!

The guys over at Kraft are killing it in the creativity stakes. How you are recognizing and thanking? Can you compete with this?