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Tech Tuesday: Manpacks

Posted by Hal Thomas on March 26, 2013

WSAV: News, Weather, and Sports for Savannah, GA

Manpacks is like Netflix for men's underwear, except that you don't have to return anything once you've used it. Because that would be awkward.​

The logic behind Manpacks is simple. Take items that men need to replace regularly—personal care, razors, socks, underwear—and create a service that results in one less thing guys have to remember. It also helps that guys tend to be somewhat brand loyal to most of the items that Manpacks offers, things the average guy doesn't want to spend a lot of time thinking about.

Manpacks also has the best return policy of all time.

​Manpacks, because you're too old for your mom to still be buying your underwear.

 
 
 
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Why the Facebook Newsfeed Changes Will Not Mean Less Visibility for Brands

Posted by Hal Thomas on March 21, 2013

Relax, Chicken Little, the social media sky is not falling. Despite opinions to the contrary from a number of leading social media professionals, I'm here to tell you that the upcoming changes to Facebook Newsfeed will not mean less organic visibliity for brands in the Newsfeeds of people who like their pages. Here's why.

The changes to Facebook Newsfeed are all about improving both the user experience (i.e. less clutter, larger Newsfeed stories) and the user interface (i.e. navigation moving from the left side of the page to the top right). Beyond that, the only other change being made is that Facebook is giving its users new ways to isolate and view very specific items in their Newsfeeds: photos, music, and games. In fact, the only item absent from the new list is Top Stories, which (powered by the Facebook EdgeRank algorithm) is currently the default view for all Facebook users. My guess is that the Top Stories feed (and EdgeRank) is not going away; it's most likely been absorbed into the Newsfeed view (see image above), the top item in the new list of feeds and the one that will automatically reset every twenty-four hours as users' default Newsfeed view (as it does now).

Facebook users have had long options for isolating and viewing only certain items in their Newsfeed; the new design just makes those options a little easier to find, so most of this isn't really anything that new. And if past performance is any indicator of future behavior, all of the data points to...

 
 
 
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Planning and Managing Your Finances with LearnVest

Posted by Hal Thomas on March 12, 2013

WSAV: News, Weather, and Sports for Savannah, GA

Tax time is right around the corner. It can often be a jarring time of year as we're forced to examine how we've used our money over the past year. Most of us wouldn't mind a few pointers managing our money, but for some of us the thought of consulting a financial advisor is about as appealing as a trip to the doctor or dentist. Enter LearnVest.

What is LearnVest?

LearnVest is a financial tool that can help you with everything from basic monthly budgeting to debt reduction to financial planning. It helps you analyze both where you are now and where you need to be. In short, it can help you develop and achieve both short-term and long-term financial goals.

How does LearnVest work?

LearnVest.com is where you get started by inputing your financial information and syncing your financial accounts: checking, savings, home equity, school loans, credit cards, etc. LearnVest provides you with a real-time snapshot of your finances.

How does LearnVest differ from Mint and similar financial services?

There are a number of great personal finance apps out there but most of them require you to know what your financial goals are. LearnVest goes beyond just showing you where you are; it helps you figure out what your financial goals should be and what you need to to do achieve them.

How much does LearnVest cost?

LearnVest has several plans to choose from starting at free and ranging up to about $400.

 
 
 
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Geeks Telling Jokes

Posted by Hal Thomas on March 12, 2013

"Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny, and a social media expert walk into a bar…"

Sometimes we just need permission to laugh at ourselves. Permission granted.

 
 
 
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Viewing The Oscars Through Facebook Colored Lenses

Posted by Hal Thomas on February 26, 2013

What's the only thing that cinephiles and fashionistas like more than talking about The Oscars the day after at work? Talking about The Oscars on Facebook while watching The Oscars.

What were the most talked about films, fashions, faces and faux pas from the 2013 Oscars according to the Facebook maelstrom? Luckily, there's an infographic for that.

It's a finger on the cultural pulse of Facebook users, and it would be even more interesting to see this information compared and contrasted with similar information from other social networks such as Twitter, Google+, and Get Glue. Good stuff, although I'm rather disappointed that there was no mention of Jack Nicholson hitting on Jennifer Lawrence.

 
 
 
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