Major brands signing up to CoTweet

Coca-Cola, McDonald's and Microsoft are amongst a host of major brands signing up to 'CoTweet', a new company offering services to manage brands on Twitter.

(image via revolutionmagazine.com)

CoTweet has announced mega brands like Ford, Whole Foods and others has signed up to its CoTweet Enterprise Innovators Programme.

Customers pay $1,500 a month for the programme's service which includes providing analytics of how far Twitter messages are reaching, click-through rates on links and can report on different message types, such as direct messages, replies and mentions, as well as the most active users.

Companies get access to a number of tools as well as an account manager to provide feedback and analysis, product support and training. CoTweet has a partnership with bit.ly, the URL shortening site, to provide analytics to the brands.

Jesse Engle, chief executive of CoTweet, said:

"Companies must monitor their brands, provide customer service and measure the impact of outbound marketing".

CoTweet earlier in the year managed to raise $1.1 million in funding from a number of key investors.

Mobile social networking comes of age

Touchscreen mobile devices like the Apple iPhone will replace PC's as the main way consumers engage with social media, according to new research.

A study by Forrester claims that the latest generation of smartphones will transform the mobile internet experience, giving users access to a range of new social media devices.

The research shows mobile social media consumption is being driven by the youth consumers with up to 40% of UK 16-24 year olds accessing social networks via their mobile phones, compared to 7% of the same age group across the rest of Europe.
The same research also suggests that these consumers are doing much more than just visiting their social networks - they are also reading and updating their own blogs, contributing to forums and joining in with discussing groups.

Mobile social media consumption is still in its infancy. But with handset manufacturers and mobile networks investing so much in developing heavily in product services it is only a matter of time before mobile social networking becomes common place, eventually taking over from PC's.

Forrester senior analyst Thomas Husson says,

"The always-on mobile connected handset frees the social web from the chains of the PC and thrusts it into the real world... Online players, handset makers and mobile operators are jumping on the bandwagon"

Facebook and Sony Playstation to team up?

The Times reported yesterday that the Facebook logo was shown on the new Sony Playstation 3 menu interface sparking rumors that these two giants were to team up to offer a new online experience. It is believed that players can update statuses and may be able to 'poke' friends whilst playing games, encouraging challengers to battle on the console.

This news comes after Microsoft declared Facebook would be available to use through their XBox 360 games console. Whilst Sony have so far declined to comment, a spokesman is expected to make an announcement about Facebook integration "shortly".

Devin Coldewey wrote on technology website TechCrunch

"A Facebook app would be handy, though a constant stream of status updates from heavy players might lead to mutings by less gaming-orientated friends... But it would be ridiculous to think that a all-in-one entertainment device like the PS3 wouldn't have Facebook on it eventually."

Sony is expected to roll-out its film and TV rental service, the PlayStation Network Delivery Service, in the next few weeks. The service will enable PS3 users to stream movies to their console or buy films to watch on their television or transfer to their PSP hand-held gaming device.

Fight to find Madeleine goes viral

The Madeleine McCann story is one that has affected many people in Britain and around the world. Madeleine went missing on May 3, 2007 from her family hotel room in the Portuguese holiday resort of Praia da Luz. She is believed to have been abducted. Her parents launched a global appeal for information, but so far no one has been found guilty of abduction and she, Madeleine is still missing.

The McCann family are now backing a video message released on the internet by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) centre in London.
It was viewed and downloaded by more than 15,000 internet users in one hour, and there has been a huge response on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Celebrities such as Jonathan Ross, Chris Evans, day time presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield have all posted a link to the video on their Twitter pages.

The message is the first time detectives have used the viral message technique to try to solve an investigation.

The CEOP message has been accompanied by two digitally enhanced pictures showing Madeleine as forensic imaging experts believe she would look at 6 years old (top of story).

Lets hope she is found soon alive and well.