Author: Aulia Masna

Former tech journo, used to write for Macworld, DailySocial, e27. Ex , ran a national startup initiative program in Indonesia. Very much into the news.

Dear PR People

I know Cision has however many hundreds of thousands of phone numbers of reporters, but don’t call any of them. Don’t call them ever. Don’t call them unless they say “call me” and then give you a number. No, I know you sent them an email. No, I know you didn’t get a response to it. No, I know they didn’t respond to your follow-up. Don’t call them. No, I know your boss said to call them, don’t do it. Don’t.

Don’t call or even send me a text message. One way to seriously piss me off is for you to somehow get a hold of my number and contact me through there. Don’t listen to Nike. Don’t do it. I don’t store your phone number, you don’t store mine. If I somehow give you my phone number out of my own insanity, don’t even think of saving it. It’s useless. I will never pick up your phone calls and I will never reply to your text messages. There will be no communication through a phone number. My phone number is not for work.

We’ve seen time and time again that culturally relevant content achieves engagement at much greater scale than that which is forced. So, all the brands suggesting hashtags and slapping platform logos on the end of their commercials are better off tuning into CNN or ESPN for inspiration to create something people will actually care about.

Mike Mikho for AdAge
Source: adage.com

Sony’s Playstation 4 announcement in 3.5 minutes

Got the Lumia updated last night. It was the much talked about and long awaited Portico update. Rather disappointed at how it went. See, when it said Step 1 of 4 I was expecting for there to be steps 2-4 so I planned for a photo collage of the steps and caption it “step by step”. I figured, if step one was data migration, I’d document the process to note what the steps would involve.

Instead, as soon as it hit 100% it got super excited, saying Update complete four times!! I’ve never seen a gadget get so excited about completing an update. But it had lied to me. There were no steps 2-4. It lied. And it was happy. But I was not. – View on Path.

CNN picks up one of those bash Apple stories

Steve Kovach for Business Insider:

Apple also isn’t nearly as versatile at adding new software features to its devices. Apple usually makes users wait a year or more for a new version of iOS, and even then some older devices can’t access all the latest and greatest features.

As opposed to Google which releases major updates to Android on roughly a yearly basis with more than half of the devices currently still running versions from three years ago and cannot be upgraded even to the version of Android released back in 2011.

Kovach really should look at Android’s pattern of updates before saying such things and by saying that “Apple makes users wait a year or more” implies that Apple’s updates take multiple years to arrive when in fact major iOS versions are released once per calendar year.

Sure, Apple’s not exactly a saint in this matter, because yes, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 can’t use all of iOS 6’s abilities, and yes, the original iPad cannot be upgraded to iOS 6 despite being newer and more powerful than the 3GS, but Apple makes it clear which devices will get the update and which will not even before the update’s release. When an Apple update arrives, it arrives simultaneously to all eligible devices. 

Android owners have to wait for months following the release of the latest update from Google before they know whether the manufacturers of their devices will bless them with an upgrade. The solution to most Android OS upgrades is buying a new device or doing it manually if you’re technically adept or willing to get someone to update it for you through unofficial sources once an update is out.

[update] Here’s a more detailed response to this rubbish 

There’s something about these phones…

Just in time advertising during Super Bowl XLVII blackout

This year’s Super Bowl, held in New Orleans, had probably the best half time show in years featuring Beyonce and Destiny’s Child, but it will also be memorable for another thing, which is the fact that there was a power blackout right after half time which delayed the third quarter for several minutes. A number of quick thinking social media agents used Twitter to pounce on the opportunity for their brands and these were brilliant.

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Walgreens supermarket had a couple of tips for the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans

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Light map from tweetping shows the most active regions on Twitter throughout the day

Pinot’s Vine art

Making stop motion animation is one thing but @pinot has taken it to the next level with his Vine-imation. He drew every single frame. It’s like going back to the early years of animation.

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I don’t understand why Google+ has to shout at me all the time.

I think it’s upset that I haven’t been there as often as I used to but this attitude isn’t going to win me back you know.