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Fri Jul 9
Facebook, Your Business and the Teenager Next Door. Share Lately we have been asked to write a lot of proposals for social media management. I’m not talking about doing some occasional tweeting for people. I’m talking about setting them up from ground zero. I am also talking Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and sometimes setting up blogs. After everything is setup we start the management portion which involves researching for content and using the voice that the company wants to put out to the public. It also involves training company personal with the thought that they might someday take over the management. This is obviously an oversimplified statement of what we do, but I’m hearing a very interesting (read: disturbing) statement being made that reminds me of a time 10 years ago, when we where doing mostly website proposals. So let me ask you web developers how many times you heard the statement “I don’t need to pay for a website, I have a 14 son/nephew/neighbor (by the way, it was always a boy) that can build it for my company.” What kind of ridiculous thought is this for a business owner. Your are going to hire a teenager to design and build one of your most powerful marketing and promotion pieces? Most people wouldn’t consider doing that now that websites have proven to be such a powerful tool. But guess what I am hearing about social media????? So what you are saying is that you want a teenager to be the voice of your company to your clients or potential clients? Of course a teenager can set up a Facebook page and might even be able to skin your Twitter & blog (skin means to customize the look and feel to match your company rather than using a template) but will they do it in a professional way that will show your company in a serious light? I understand that social media is a new and strange creature to a lot of business owners, but think of it as you did websites 10 years ago? There are more uses for it than what is immediately visible and you can learn to manage it just as you have learned to manage your email. Social media is a powerful business tool and if you hire then right people to get you rolling you will see an investment on your return. However, if you hire the teenager next door you are going to find yourself a step behind your competitors and in a couple of years you’ll find yourself looking to hire someone to “fix” your social media plan, just as you hired someone to “fix” your old website.
Facebook, Your Business and the Teenager Next Door. Share

Lately we have been asked to write a lot of proposals for social media management. I’m not talking about doing some occasional tweeting for people. I’m talking about setting them up from ground zero. I am also talking Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and sometimes setting up blogs. After everything is setup we start the management portion which involves researching for content and using the voice that the company wants to put out to the public. It also involves training company personal with the thought that they might someday take over the management.

This is obviously an oversimplified statement of what we do, but I’m hearing a very interesting (read: disturbing) statement being made that reminds me of a time 10 years ago, when we where doing mostly website proposals. So let me ask you web developers how many times you heard the statement “I don’t need to pay for a website, I have a 14 son/nephew/neighbor (by the way, it was always a boy) that can build it for my company.” What kind of ridiculous thought is this for a business owner. Your are going to hire a teenager to design and build one of your most powerful marketing and promotion pieces?

Most people wouldn’t consider doing that now that websites have proven to be such a powerful tool. But guess what I am hearing about social media?????

So what you are saying is that you want a teenager to be the voice of your company to your clients or potential clients? Of course a teenager can set up a Facebook page and might even be able to skin your Twitter & blog (skin means to customize the look and feel to match your company rather than using a template) but will they do it in a professional way that will show your company in a serious light?

I understand that social media is a new and strange creature to a lot of business owners, but think of it as you did websites 10 years ago? There are more uses for it than what is immediately visible and you can learn to manage it just as you have learned to manage your email.

Social media is a powerful business tool and if you hire then right people to get you rolling you will see an investment on your return. However, if you hire the teenager next door you are going to find yourself a step behind your competitors and in a couple of years you’ll find yourself looking to hire someone to “fix” your social media plan, just as you hired someone to “fix” your old website.

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Introducing the Kindle DX! Yippie #sarcasm Amazon dropped the price of the Kindle to $189 from $249. Ok, really? While I understand that some people have a previously purchased Kindle, why would anyone buy just a Kindle for themselves at this point when we now have the iPad? Yes, the iPad is a lot more money but for most people it can replace their laptop completely. I think the only way the kindle survives is if it adds Internet browsing and email. What I do see as a smart move on Amazon’s part is that they are creating the Kindle apps for phones other than the iPhone. So they are still getting people buying the books. Now, I have to assume that their profits come from books sales as opposed to the hardware sale of the Kindle so this is a good move on their part. Strange timing though because as I am writing this blog, a commercial comes on for the new Kindle DX. Their selling points: You can read in bright sun. Really. Really? This is what they are selling? You can see the screen in the sun. Guess what Amazon, you can see the iPad screen in the sun too. They have one point that gives them a slight edge: free 3G anywhere in the world. This is valid, but isn’t going to sell me on spending the $379 for the DX when the wifi low end iPad is only about $100 more. That being said, it would be nice to have an option for a lower end reader that allows internet and email. These seem like simple additions to make to the Kindle so that they can truly compete. Hey, I know, kindle and Flash should team up and make a product that supports flash and has all of the books with a cheaper monthly internet browsing plan than AT&T offers. Now we have a winner!!

Introducing the Kindle DX! Yippie #sarcasm

Amazon dropped the price of the Kindle to $189 from $249. Ok, really? While I understand that some people have a previously purchased Kindle, why would anyone buy just a Kindle for themselves at this point when we now have the iPad? Yes, the iPad is a lot more money but for most people it can replace their laptop completely.

I think the only way the kindle survives is if it adds Internet browsing and email. What I do see as a smart move on Amazon’s part is that they are creating the Kindle apps for phones other than the iPhone. So they are still getting people buying the books. Now, I have to assume that their profits come from books sales as opposed to the hardware sale of the Kindle so this is a good move on their part.

Strange timing though because as I am writing this blog, a commercial comes on for the new Kindle DX. Their selling points: You can read in bright sun. Really. Really? This is what they are selling? You can see the screen in the sun. Guess what Amazon, you can see the iPad screen in the sun too. They have one point that gives them a slight edge: free 3G anywhere in the world. This is valid, but isn’t going to sell me on spending the $379 for the DX when the wifi low end iPad is only about $100 more.

That being said, it would be nice to have an option for a lower end reader that allows internet and email. These seem like simple additions to make to the Kindle so that they can truly compete. Hey, I know, kindle and Flash should team up and make a product that supports flash and has all of the books with a cheaper monthly internet browsing plan than AT&T offers. Now we have a winner!!

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Fri Apr 16
Happy Foursquare Day – and in the words of one of my clients that is new to Twitter… what the f#@k is Foursquare? Since he is still trying to wrap his head around Twitter I left the explanation at this “ Foursquare is a location based social media platform that is great for service based industries” and told him I would explain it next time we were face to face. To find out more about Foursquare you can check my posting “Can I Add My Couch as a Location on Foursquare” -  but for those of you who already understand and use the service I’d like to offer up my opinion.  I’d like to see the point system taken off completely. I know that Foursquare started as  a game for the users to get points and badges and mayorships but it has evolved into so much more. I think the false check ins and fake locations have diminished the current value.  Users are doing fake check ins and fake locations to accumulate points which gives you nothing more than bragging rights.  I make this statement as a guilty party. Although I only once did a drive by check in because I thought I was actually helping in doing so, I have added places to Foursqaure that aren’t really beneficial to Foursquare users (they are however, real locations). In my opinion, Foursquare’s value is the fact that I can locate my friends when I check into a venue or find out what is around me. Better yet, when I check in at a restaurant I can get discounts on my food and get tips on what is good. I see so many future uses for Foursquare but the point system has to go so that it isn’t a competition for bragging rights, but an actual useful tool for businesses and their customers.

Happy Foursquare Day – and in the words of one of my clients that is new to Twitter… what the f#@k is Foursquare? Since he is still trying to wrap his head around Twitter I left the explanation at this “ Foursquare is a location based social media platform that is great for service based industries” and told him I would explain it next time we were face to face.

To find out more about Foursquare you can check my posting “Can I Add My Couch as a Location on Foursquare” -  but for those of you who already understand and use the service I’d like to offer up my opinion.  I’d like to see the point system taken off completely. I know that Foursquare started as  a game for the users to get points and badges and mayorships but it has evolved into so much more. I think the false check ins and fake locations have diminished the current value.  Users are doing fake check ins and fake locations to accumulate points which gives you nothing more than bragging rights.  I make this statement as a guilty party. Although I only once did a drive by check in because I thought I was actually helping in doing so, I have added places to Foursqaure that aren’t really beneficial to Foursquare users (they are however, real locations).

In my opinion, Foursquare’s value is the fact that I can locate my friends when I check into a venue or find out what is around me. Better yet, when I check in at a restaurant I can get discounts on my food and get tips on what is good. I see so many future uses for Foursquare but the point system has to go so that it isn’t a competition for bragging rights, but an actual useful tool for businesses and their customers.

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Tue Apr 13
My Ultimate iPad Battery Test It’s is 6:15AM I’m in the limo riding to O’Hare to catch a flight to Mexico.  Today will be the ultimate test of the battery of my new iPad.  Can we actually get ten hours off life out of this thing?  We will see. Between wifi on the airplane, the kids watching movies, and me playing around and exploring I’m going to put this thing to the test. Actual time used in the limo = 55 minutes  8:30AM We are at the airport and through security.  The battery still says 99%.  The kids watched two half hour shows on the way down.  I haven’t logged on to the wifi here; I am waiting until we are on the plane. 12:00PM The flight was delayed, so the kids watch one more 30 minute video. Weare now onboard the flight. I have wifi and have started playing around: I’ve downloaded a book from the book store and downloaded the flight tracker software. I’ve also checked my email, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. My next move is to try to download some good trashy magazines. Battery power is at 83%. Actual total time used = 1 hour 35 minutes 1:30PM I checked out the magazines but have yet to download. I’ve done some Twitter work and played on Facebook.  Then a child needed to be entertained…thank you SpongeBob!  Luckily, we had it downloaded on iTunes, because the streaming video from Netflix wasn’t streaming so well on the airplane’s wifi. We also spent a lot of time on Flight Tracker, which I have to say has calmed the “are we there yet” monster.  It’s calm, but not completely gone. Battery power just dropped to 69%. Actual total time on = 3 hours 10 minutes 2:30PM We are going to be landing soon.  The kids played on Google Maps for a while and then I read some of the book I downloaded on iBooks. I also have books on the Kindle (I’ll compare those apps in a different blog).  The power so far is impressive. I am still at 55%.  For the record, the iTouch lost power about an hour ago and the laptop just shut down. On a side note, I’ve had about 5 people coming up to talk to me about the iPad, they want to touch it and feel how light it is.  They want to see the screen and the apps.  I’ve mentioned that I am blogging about battery life and they ask me where so they can read it (note: Travis, we need business cards). Total time = 4 hours 10 minutes  5:55PM We are at our condo. I’ve logged into wifi and checked email, Facebook and Twitter, told the parents that we made it here safely, and I’m about to head to the pool but first, the battery power’s at 48% – Awesome! Total time = 5 hours 10 minutes Here we are at 8:30PM. I haven’t been on the iPad much since we arrived but the kids did play with Google Maps.  I did a little work; just checked some emails and texts. The battery is at 44%. Total usage time = 6 hour 10 minutes Basically, I’ve used the iPad as much as I would want to during my travels and still have half my battery life. That is amazing! So, just as an added test, I gave my iPad to a friend in the group told him to see what he could do. He spent about 45 minutes with it playing around checking out videos and all sorts of fun things, and here we are at 10:30PM with 32% battery life. Total time = 7 hours 15 minutes, with 31% battery life. Given that they claim 10 hours, I’d say they are right on the mark!

My Ultimate iPad Battery Test

It’s is 6:15AM I’m in the limo riding to O’Hare to catch a flight to Mexico.  Today will be the ultimate test of the battery of my new iPad.  Can we actually get ten hours off life out of this thing?  We will see.

Between wifi on the airplane, the kids watching movies, and me playing around and exploring I’m going to put this thing to the test.

Actual time used in the limo = 55 minutes 

8:30AM We are at the airport and through security.  The battery still says 99%.  The kids watched two half hour shows on the way down.  I haven’t logged on to the wifi here; I am waiting until we are on the plane.

12:00PM The flight was delayed, so the kids watch one more 30 minute video. Weare now onboard the flight. I have wifi and have started playing around: I’ve downloaded a book from the book store and downloaded the flight tracker software. I’ve also checked my email, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. My next move is to try to download some good trashy magazines. Battery power is at 83%.

Actual total time used = 1 hour 35 minutes

1:30PM I checked out the magazines but have yet to download. I’ve done some Twitter work and played on Facebook.  Then a child needed to be entertained…thank you SpongeBob!  Luckily, we had it downloaded on iTunes, because the streaming video from Netflix wasn’t streaming so well on the airplane’s wifi.

We also spent a lot of time on Flight Tracker, which I have to say has calmed the “are we there yet” monster.  It’s calm, but not completely gone. Battery power just dropped to 69%.

Actual total time on = 3 hours 10 minutes

2:30PM We are going to be landing soon.  The kids played on Google Maps for a while and then I read some of the book I downloaded on iBooks. I also have books on the Kindle (I’ll compare those apps in a different blog).  The power so far is impressive. I am still at 55%.  For the record, the iTouch lost power about an hour ago and the laptop just shut down.

On a side note, I’ve had about 5 people coming up to talk to me about the

iPad, they want to touch it and feel how light it is.  They want to see the screen and the apps.  I’ve mentioned that I am blogging about battery life and they ask me where so they can read it (note: Travis, we need business cards).

Total time = 4 hours 10 minutes 

5:55PM We are at our condo. I’ve logged into wifi and checked email, Facebook and Twitter, told the parents that we made it here safely, and I’m about to head to the pool but first, the battery power’s at 48% – Awesome!

Total time = 5 hours 10 minutes

Here we are at 8:30PM. I haven’t been on the iPad much since we arrived but the kids did play with Google Maps.  I did a little work; just checked some emails and texts. The battery is at 44%.

Total usage time = 6 hour 10 minutes

Basically, I’ve used the iPad as much as I would want to during my travels and still have half my battery life. That is amazing!

So, just as an added test, I gave my iPad to a friend in the group told him to see what he could do. He spent about 45 minutes with it playing around checking out videos and all sorts of fun things, and here we are at 10:30PM with 32% battery life.

Total time = 7 hours 15 minutes, with 31% battery life.
Given that they claim 10 hours, I’d say they are right on the mark!

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Wed Mar 31
Mobile Apps are The New Website - Or At Least They Will Be. When email first became widely available, businesses people were skeptical. Why would anyone need email when you can pick up the phone or send a fax? Around that same time, websites started popping up and we met with a similar resistance.  Many could understand how large companies might want a website but what good is it to the small business especially when they had their yellow pages ad. Flash forward to 2009 and the break out of social media tools for business like Twitter and Facebook.  There are still a great deal of companies who aren’t quite sure how to fit these into their plan but at least at this point they are starting to understand that they need to figure out how to manage their social media and online presence. Now, I want to take you one step further. I’m going to make a little prediction here and I think you may see it come true in the next 5 years.  With the impeding delivery date on the iPad being April 3 and considering all of the companies that are working on their own version of a tablet like computer, not to mention the fact that non business users are flocking to stores to upgrade their cells phones to smart phones……I think we are going to be in a situation where the app fills in the gaps that the website has left behind. I have some ideas on this but am not going to give away the farm here. What I will say is this, take mobile phones/devices combine them with mobile apps and throw in some virtual perimeters and geo location services and you’ve got yourself some serious cross marketing going on.  The beauty of this is that businesses will be marketing to people who want to be marketed to. My prediction is that in less than 5 years time businesses will view mobile applications in the same light that they view their website.  Developers, get on board now!

Mobile Apps are The New Website - Or At Least They Will Be.

When email first became widely available, businesses people were skeptical. Why would anyone need email when you can pick up the phone or send a fax? Around that same time, websites started popping up and we met with a similar resistance.  Many could understand how large companies might want a website but what good is it to the small business especially when they had their yellow pages ad.

Flash forward to 2009 and the break out of social media tools for business like Twitter and Facebook.  There are still a great deal of companies who aren’t quite sure how to fit these into their plan but at least at this point they are starting to understand that they need to figure out how to manage their social media and online presence.

Now, I want to take you one step further. I’m going to make a little prediction here and I think you may see it come true in the next 5 years.  With the impeding delivery date on the iPad being April 3 and considering all of the companies that are working on their own version of a tablet like computer, not to mention the fact that non business users are flocking to stores to upgrade their cells phones to smart phones……I think we are going to be in a situation where the app fills in the gaps that the website has left behind.

I have some ideas on this but am not going to give away the farm here. What I will say is this, take mobile phones/devices combine them with mobile apps and throw in some virtual perimeters and geo location services and you’ve got yourself some serious cross marketing going on.  The beauty of this is that businesses will be marketing to people who want to be marketed to.

My prediction is that in less than 5 years time businesses will view mobile applications in the same light that they view their website.  Developers, get on board now!

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Fri Mar 26
As the release date for the iPad nears I find myself talking myself out of buying one. I really want one, I can afford one, but I can’t quite justify the price. That leaves me wondering how others feel about the iPad? Do we think we are going to see the lines outside of the AT&T stores like we did for the iPhone? If there are lines, will they be to purchase or to just try the iPad?  I checked with my local Apple store and they do not have any demos to play with and I was told that they might not have any demos for a while. Which means the only way to actually get your hands on one of those things is to buy it or know someone who is buying it. With the recent New York Times article on how advertisers are giving special attention to the iPad I am even more tempted. I want to see how it’s all going to come together and find out if there is room for us small potatoes to get in on some iPad advertising action.  Is there some way for my company to capitalize on the release of the iPad? I can’t know unless I have one.  I believe I’ve just found my justification….it’s a business expense.

As the release date for the iPad nears I find myself talking myself out of buying one. I really want one, I can afford one, but I can’t quite justify the price. That leaves me wondering how others feel about the iPad? Do we think we are going to see the lines outside of the AT&T stores like we did for the iPhone? If there are lines, will they be to purchase or to just try the iPad?  I checked with my local Apple store and they do not have any demos to play with and I was told that they might not have any demos for a while. Which means the only way to actually get your hands on one of those things is to buy it or know someone who is buying it.

With the recent New York Times article on how advertisers are giving special attention to the iPad I am even more tempted. I want to see how it’s all going to come together and find out if there is room for us small potatoes to get in on some iPad advertising action.  Is there some way for my company to capitalize on the release of the iPad? I can’t know unless I have one.  I believe I’ve just found my justification….it’s a business expense.

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Thu Mar 11

My Perfect Tablet

With Mashable reporting that we could see upwards of 50 different Tablets being released this year I thought it might be good to tell these companies what the “perfect” Tablet would be, in my eyes. I think that Apple missed the target a bit, which could be blamed on too much hype or just high expectations based on their past products. Either way I think we all agree that the iPad is already ready for an upgrade and it isn’t officially on sale yet.

Let me start by saying that while I don’t think the point of the Tablet is to completely replace the laptop, I do think that it should come very close. If I am traveling and especially if I am traveling for work, I don’t want to carry on my laptop, my Tablet, and my phone. One can often get by with today’s smart phones, we can email, text, call, surf the web, read our books, and so much more.

I want a Tablet that does everything the iPhone does but I also want it to have input jacks. Maybe that is a simple as creating and adapter that allows us to input in the same way that you would charge the Tablet. I want to be able to transfer files from my camera, is it too much to ask for an SD/MMC slot?

My Tablet also needs to have camera/video camera functionality. The camera should be on the front of the screen like a laptop camera not the backside like an iPhone. That way if I want to create a video blog while I am on the road, I can.

My Tablet also needs to be able to connect directly to an Ethernet for times when wi-fi isn’t available or I need to transfer large files.

Last thing, my Tablet needs to be able to run some low end graphic program. Something better that Photoshop for iPhone but along those lines.

I don’t want to have to carry around my laptop, if just a few of these issues could be addressed I’d be the first person in line to buy my Tablet!

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Tue Mar 2

Use Twitter To Find a Job- Or Anything Else For That Matter

As I mentioned in an earlier post, when I was at JobCamp there were all sorts of questions on how to use Twitter for a job search. Unfortunately, I had lost my voice and it was difficult for me to talk but this gave my business partner, Jeanette and opportunity to perfect her “Twitter Advanced Search Spiel”. It was so good that I thought it was blog worthy. Since she had it perfected I thought that she would be the best person to blog about it. So, without further ado I give you ……. Jeanette

_____________________

My favorite blogger asked me to write my now “famous” Twitter Advanced Search spiel which I must have repeated a hundred times to attendees at the recent Milwaukee Job Camp. The vast majority of attendees I spoke with were not on Twitter at all. A much smaller percentage had unused accounts, or they just didn’t see how Twitter could possibly help in job searching. But when I talked to them about Twitter Advanced Search, I could see the wheels starting to turn…

If you’ve been on Twitter at all, you’ve probably seen the general Twitter Search, which is the box you’ll see sprinkled throughout Twitter.com – on the site’s welcome page, in the sidebar of your Home page, and on the ‘Find on Twitter’ tab. And yes, this works fine for cursory searches. But if you want to find gold, you have to dig a little deeper… or, I suppose, sift carefully, and happily that analogy works, too! And for a local job seeker, Twitter Advanced Search is pure gold.

You can find Twitter Advanced Search at http://search.twitter.com/advanced. You’ll immediately see that this search supports detailed queries based on Words, People, Places, Dates, even Attitudes. As a job seeker, the Words + Places can help you find the businesses in your target geographic area who may have need of your skills and talents. Fill in any and all words relating to your job aspirations in the “Any of these words” field. Then, choose the city where you’re hoping to find employment, and add your acceptable travel distance with a radius (e.g., within 30 miles of Milwaukee). Hit Search and away you go. You’ll get back an up-to-the-minute listing of Twitter users (and their tweets) who meet your criteria. Go through the list and see which users look like good potential leads for your job hunt – and remember, some leads may be individuals, not company accounts – then follow them. Remember to subscribe to the feed for your query (which can be done right from the results page) to stay informed going forward and continue to grow to your list.

Add your new job leads to a Twitter Group for easy monitoring, then pay attention to their tweet streams to find out what they’re talking about – their initiatives, challenges, expansions, projects, hiring announcements. This puts you in a great position to intelligently contribute to the conversation and get noticed with a well-timed @reply. Remember, they don’t have to be following you in order to send them an @reply. Add Attitudes to the Word + Places mix as a secondary search and you can specifically monitor those businesses asking questions, another possible opportunity. There’s nothing like an knowledgeable answer, just when it’s needed the most, to grab someone’s attention and get you on their radar. Don’t be shy about letting others know you’re in the market – just balance it appropriately: Answer a business question and include a link to your online resume or to your LinkedIn profile in the reply, for example.

And that’s my spiel on Twitter Advanced Search! I hope it will help you make your searching – for a job or otherwise – more focused!

____________________

Thanks Jeanette….Isn’t she good???

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Milwaukee JobCamp- A Very Cool Concept

Last week I had the opportunity to work with the fine people over at Milwaukee JobCamp, if you don’t know who they are you should check them out at www.milwaukeejobcamp.org and follow them on Twitter @JobCamp. Basically, what they do is host free daylong events that focus on helping people with their job search and/or career. The first JobCamp was held in March of 2009 and had about 500 attendees. The most recent camp had close to 2000 attendees. You may look at those numbers and assume that unemployment is a factor and view them as negative. I look at those numbers as 2000 people who are ready to better themselves.

JobCamp is very different from a typical Job Fair because it allows people to practice the skills they will need to obtain a job in a real life setting. From impromptu interviews to using social media, JobCamp really gets individuals prepared for the real life job hunt. They offer free professional headshots, resume doctors, elevator pitch practice, and many other resources to help in the job search.

All of the presenters and organizers of JobCamp are there on a volunteer basis and it really is a community building event. Jeanette and I were there to discuss how to use Twitter in your job search which is apparently something that many people were not doing. (I’ll be writing on article on this subject next).

To me the most amazing thing about JobCamp is that it is about a community working together to better themselves, this includes all the volunteers, sponsors, and attendees. We are not content to sit here and do nothing. We are working together to make sure that we all succeed. I think that is very cool.

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Wed Feb 24

Internet Stalking Made Even Easier with Xobni

Internet stalking is so easy to do these days. I have to admit, I truly enjoy researching people and finding out pieces of information before I meet them face to face. I feel that I get to understand them a little better ahead of time and then I can use that information while we meet.

To that end, one vital piece of software for me is called Xobni (inbox backwards). Basically, you download the software and it works with your Outlook to tell you more about the person who just sent you an email.  It will show you their picture (usually pulled from their Facebook account), tell you their company name, address, and telephone number. It also pulls information from their LinkedIn account and gives you links to their other social media accounts like Twitter, Facebook, and Skype.

There is also important statistical information included as well as a search that shows you emails to and from the person and the files that have been exchanged.  This is all in the free version of the software. There is also a version that costs $29.95 for business use with more advance searches and filters.

For me, the most important piece is the actual profile picture that shows up. I like knowing what the person that I am emailing with looks like. This is also very helpful for first time meetings. One could argue that you could find this out just by doing some Google searched but it is really nice to have it show up in my Inbox with the email.  It saves me time and makes me more efficient. I can’t ask for much more than that from a free piece of software.

You can find out more at http://www.xobni.com/

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