Here’s a handy list of community and communications iPhone apps to help you network:

• Sprouter. Sprouter — the global collaboration and networking community for entrepreneurs — has a new iPhone app. Although my Sprouter account is woefully neglected, I do like how it feels similar to Twitter, but with a clear focus on work. From your mobile device, you can manage posts, filters and communications.
• Gist. This service connects your inbox to the web and feeds you important business-related information about the people and companies with whom you’re interacting. It’s like having a personal assistant at your ear ready to feed you critical bits of info about the person you’re about to meet.
• Foursquare, GoWalla, BrightKite, Loopt, Whrrl. Are you ready to check in? Are you willing to announce your location to your friends? Your activity on these sites is predominantly mobile-based as you use your device’s GPS to provide location-related status updates. Want to check into multiple services from the same place? There’s an app for that: Check.in. There are even hyper-regional location-based social networks cropping up, such as TriOut for the Triangle in North Carolina.
• LinkedIn. Of course, the top social networks have their very own mobile apps, including MySpace, but LinkedIn’s is particularly robust. I can check updates, update my own status, view connection profile updates, monitor discussions, access my connections list, check my inbox and respond to correspondence, manage invitations, and connect instantly with other LinkedIn users (both parties need Bluetooth enabled on their mobile devices). Kind of like Bu.mp but integrated into your LinkedIn account.
• Facebook.The Facebook app lets you review your news feed where you can “like” or comment to your heart’s delight; access your profile page, manage friends and friend requests; read or send messages; view photos, events and notes; and even chat live with other FB friends. What I really like about the app is the ability to add Facebook Pages so I can monitor and manage them. (Note: When using the iPhone app, any posts to a Facebook page will be made via your personal Facebook account.)
• Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, Seesmic. Some of the most popular cross-channel social media management tools have iPhone apps. You can post to multiple places such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn from a single dashboard and create multiple views or columns to monitor different aspects of your account such as @ messages and DMs on Twitter, along with your Twitterstream. Cotweet still does not have a native mobile app but does provide mobile access at http://m.cotweet.com/m01.
• Skype. Skype takes care of a lot of my conference call needs, long-distance calling and IMing. The iPhone app does the same for me on the go, plus you can connect by voice to another Skype contact, although you need to make sure you have a good and steady connection.
• Tumblr, TypePad, BlogPress, WordPress (please see disclosure at the end), Posterous. Avid blogger? You can feed a blog post straight from your mobile device to your specific blog. The Posterous app, PicPosterous, makes it easy to manage sets of photos or videos.

So many iPhone apps, so little time — yet I actually find I save time thanks to these useful ones. And in case you’re curious, Sparkle (shown in my iPhone home screen image above) gives me access to my Second Life account for my avatar, Cybergrrl Oh.

What apps are you using on your mobile device for communications and community?

stock.xchng image by lusi

Disclosure: Automattic, maker of WordPress.com, is backed by True Ventures, a venture capital firm that is an investor in the parent company of this blog, Giga Omni Media. Om Malik, founder of Giga Omni Media, is also a venture partner at True.

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While I don’t have a crystal ball, here are some developments that I think are worthy of our attention and will affect how we do things in the social mediasphere over the next few years. Many of the things on this list will not be news to the very well-informed social media consultant types who live and breathe this stuff. But for the rest of us, there are seeds of opportunity here that should not be missed.

1. MySpace: CEO Leaves; MySpace will die. Last year, I was telling my clients “We are cautiously optimistic that MySpace (GigaOM Pro company profile) will make a comeback because their new CEO is a Facebook co-founder.” Scratch that. I think MySpace is about to go the way of Friendster, although it is still a player in the entertainment space. Because Facebook doesn’t allow flexbility and customization, I’m going to miss MySpace. But now I wonder: Who is going to be the next MySpace? Virb? Bebo? (And don’t underestimate LinkedIn.)
2. Virtual Goods: Insane, but insanely popular. The creation and selling of virtual goods and gifts makes absolutely no sense to people who just use the Internet as a basic communications tool. Try telling someone who isn’t really into Facebook that they could buy a virtual bouquet of flowers for 99 cents and send them to a friend — they’d look at you like you were mad. But with virtual goods as an industry already raking in the billions of dollars worldwide and over a billion in the U.S. alone (source: “Inside Virtual Goods: The US Virtual Goods Market, 2009 – 2010″), how can anyone ignore them? I’m not saying everyone needs to make and use virtual goods, but there is opportunity here for both marketing and revenue. Have you even thought about how you might be able to leverage virtual goods? Related GigaOM Pro content (sub. req.): How the Next Zynga Could Reinvent Social Gaming
3. Gaming: Not just for kids anymore. I think the very fact that the largest player base of passive online games is women flies in the face of the typical view that games are for kids. According to Nielsen Entertainment in August 2009, of the 117 million active gamers in the U.S., 56 percent play games online and 64 percent of those online gamers are female. And the revenues generated from online games is enormous and growing. Do not underestimate the power of games and gaming — and not just the marketing and revenue opportunities, but also the learning opportunities as well in the form of fun quizzes and polls. Have you used gaming yet in a social media marketing campaign?
4. Twitter: Still transforming communications. Back in 2008, I wrote about Twitter’s impact on the fundamental ways we communicate and the way new tools and applications are being developed, but it continues to grow and evolve. How has Twitter helped you lately?
5. Niche networks: A marketer’s secret weapon. Whether you choose Ning.com or KickApps or any of the other “white label” customizable social network-building platforms, the concept of creating a “gated”online community that is narrow in focus is smart and potentially powerful. The concept isn’t really that far removed from hosting an online messaging board in the early days of the web. If you held the keys to the gate of a more private, closed or niche community, you had everything from an instant focus group to a band of passionate buzz agents on your hands — if you knew how to properly leverage the community participation. Fast forward to today and the tools ca now give your members integrated communications, networking, publishing and social tools — brilliant. What niche networks are you participating in or do you run?
6. Augmented reality. Sounds sci-fi, but it’s really here. I’m having a hard time describing Augmented Reality to people who haven’t seen it (if you haven’t seen it in action, these infographics from GigaOM might help). The reaction isn’t just “what in the world?” but “who cares about that stuff?” AR uses simply boggle the mind, and I plan to explore more of that in this column soon. I do wish we had a better term for it, though (like “data overlay” or “overscreen view”) so it didn’t have such a sci-fi feel to it. What potential uses for AR are getting you fired up? Related GigaOM Pro content (sub. req.): Augmented Reality: Lots of Promise, Lots of Hurdles.
7. Google Buzz: Pay attention, even if you don’t care. I am one of the gazillion people who currently do not care about Google Buzz, apart from the fact that just because Google did this it means something in terms of the tools we’ll be using in the coming years. Right now, I feel like Google has the means to just throw tech spaghetti on the virtual walls of our work and lives to see what sticks. Anything it does has major significance and impact, even if it fails. So pay attention as you scratch your head. How is Google Buzz changing the way you communicate, or is it? Related GigaOM Pro content (sub. req.): Google Buzz’s True Home Is in the Enterprise
8. Mobile: Be there. I don’t know about you, but I consider my iPhone to be a mini computer and Wi-Fi device first and phone a distant second. I’m never normally an early early adopter because I’m too busy to keep up most of the time, but I will be one of the first to buy the iPad, because it looks to me like a bigger iPhone, and I rely on my iPhone in ways I have never relied on my computer or my regular cell phone. My entire concept of connectivity and my access to everything has changed so dramatically since I got a smartphone that I know I can never go back to the old ways. What forays into mobile marketing are on your radar for 2010? Related GigaOM Pro content (sub. req.): Web Tablet Survey: Apple’s iPad Hits Right Notes

I could also add the concept of location to this list, but I’ll leave that for another column.

What developments in social media are knocking your socks off?

Photo by stock.xchng user bigevil600

For example, Google Buzz allows you to connect many of your other social networks, which means whenever you send a tweet on Twitter or share a photo on Flickr, the same things appear in your Buzz stream. While this sounds productive and gives maximum exposure with the least effort, it risks annoying large numbers of people who are following you because they’re seeing the same information multiple times.

The problem stems from the fact that the majority of people in our social circles don’t exist in just one stream, so if we try to aggregate our messages to cross-post to multiple networks then that means exposing these folks to repetitive posts ad nauseam. To those we annoy, our posts increasingly look like “noise.”

The Noise Makers

The most popular ways that people share their posts across many platforms at one time automatically are with social aggregation services such as FriendFeed and Ping.fm. There are many others in this space, but those are two of the most popular and powerful apps available today. Detractors call these tools “noise makers” because of the digital pollution they dump into the social streams, contaminating the social ecosystem.

Personally, I like automation and the way these two apps work because of all the options they provide. For example, FriendFeed allows you to add just about all of the social networks and the RSS feeds of your blogs. Whenever someone subscribes to your FriendFeed stream they will see everything you share.

The nice thing about FriendFeed, though, is that it allows you to hide or mute any streams you don’t care to see from a particular person, without blocking them entirely. So, people can see your company’s Twitter updates but they could hide/mute your personal Flickr and Youtube updates and so on. Unfortunately, Google Buzz doesn’t yet offer that level of complexity so it’s either feast or famine at this point — people must subscribe to all of your updates, or none. That’s not to say that Google won’t implement this vital feature somewhere down the road.

Divide and Conquer

So, how can you avoid being so “noisy?” Well, some will insist on separation of social streams. However, this goal is very difficult to implement and maintain, at least on a consistent basis. Let’s say you’ve decided to stop repeating yourself across the social landscape. Obviously, you will have to stop using social aggregators such as FriendFeed and Ping.fm. You must also ensure that you’ve not connected feeds from any of your networks to any of the others, such as with Google Buzz. The goal will be to keep your streams as clean and pure as possible. This also means not using desktop clients such as TweetDeck, Seesmic Desktop or whatever to cross-post simultaneous updates to Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.

The Downside of Solo Streams

Let’s say that you’ve been able to isolate all of your social networks and now none of the things you share are regurgitated on other networks. The good news is that you can never be labeled a litterbug or perceived as noisy by the minimalists. The bad news is that this means most people will never see/read/hear most of your content any more, because most people don’t belong to all the same networks that you do. Thus, the people who never use anything other than Facebook will never see your special announcement on Twitter for a new sale that your company has going on. Conversely, the same is true for those who only use Twitter and never go to Facebook; they will never see your messages on your firm’s Facebook page.

Moderation is the Key

I think the best answer is moderation. As in all things in life, over-indulgence of anything is a bad thing. I think it makes sense, especially for businesses and organizations, to connect some of their social platforms in order to ensure that their message (and their brand) gets distributed to the most people with the minimum amount of effort. Will they then be duplicating themselves and crossing streams from time to time? Yes, they will, and I say, “so what?” Mainstream media has been doing this for a long time now,  using many different platforms such as TV, billboards, magazine ads, etc.. The secret is in not abusing the powerful tools that we have today. The goal isn’t to saturate, but to satisfy. Spread the word and engage your community.

Rolling Your Own Social Stream Aggregator

If you still like the idea of having all of your content in one place and don’t want to risk being too noisy with apps like Friendfeed, then perhaps hosting your own social stream can be the answer. This means streaming all of your links and messages on your own web site or blog, which could be the perfect solution for businesses and organizations. There are many ways to do this. For example, LifeStream is a plugin that I’ve covered before in “3 Ways to Create a LifeStream for Your Brand.” In short, it lets you add all of your social network streams to your blog. You can create a widget or a page that will display everything you share on places like Twitter, Flickr, Youtube and many other places in chronological order. I think it might be one way to have your cake and eat it too.

What do you think about “crossing streams” and digital noise pollution? Please share your opinions in the comments. We’d love to hear your take on this.

Related GigaOM Pro Research: Social Media in the Enterprise

Photo by MartWork

But why not buy an iPhone, or a Palm Pre, which I’d had my eye on for several months? The Pre seems to be a good phone, but it doesn’t yet have the apps that the iPhone does. And the monthly fees for Pre service are considerably higher than what I’m paying now. The iPhone’s monthly fees are even higher, and many folks I’ve talked to don’t find it to be a very good phone.

So, keeping my current phone and buying an iPod touch seemed like a good compromise. I can get good Wi-Fi coverage in most areas where I live, so I’ll be able to go online, even without the phone function.

Many of my WWD colleagues already have iPhones. Aliza has recently written about good apps for web workers. Dawn’s shared her favorites, too. But with the holidays coming up, here are some of my ideas for apps to put on that brand-new iPhone or iPod touch:

Communication

• eBuddy. A multi-service instant message client for MSN/Windows Live, AIM, Yahoo, Gtalk, ICQ, Facebook Chat and MySpace Chat. Supports multiple accounts on the same service. Versions for web, Android and other platforms also available. Free.
• Facebook. A well-designed way for Facebook users to keep up with their friends while on the road. The app has had its issues, but they are apparently fixed now. Free.
• Gist. Scott and I have both found Gist useful, and the Gist iPhone app does a pretty good job of presenting a lot of information in a small space. Free.
• LinkedIn. This app keeps LinkedIn users, er, “linked in” from their iPhones and iPod touches. The latest upgrade adds some nice features, including an inbox for LinkedIn messages. Free.
• Nimbuzz. You can use this app to make inexpensive international calls over Wi-Fi. The app also includes a chat function, but it’s pretty rudimentary compared to eBuddy. Free app; rates for calls vary.
• RingCentral. If you’re a RingCentral user, you can use this app to manage your phone messages and more. Free for RingCentral users.
• Tweetie. There are lots of Twitter apps, but so far, I like Tweetie the best. It has a clean interface, and supports multiple Twitter accounts. Thanks for the tip, Darrell! $2.99.
• Waveboard. Mobile access to Google Wave. Will hopes for better access soon; I imagine that this app will become more sophisticated as Wave does. $0.99.

File and Idea Management

• Dropbox. This app is another reason to love Dropbox, which many of us at WWD do. As one would expect from Dropbox, it just works. Free.
• Evernote. My colleagues at WWD like Evernote, too, and I’ve finally seen the light. It’s a great replacement for PhatNotes, which I used to use with various Palm products. (The Palm versions are apparently no longer available.) Free.

News

• Reeder. A very nice and elegant RSS reader that syncs with Google Reader. $0.99.

Just about every news source also has its own iPhone/iPod touch app these days. So far, I’ve been impressed with the ones from NPR and from some news outlets that have used the PodCurry platform.

Password Management

• 1Password. Manage and sync passwords. I’ve been playing with the brand-new version 3, and it’s good enough that I’ve moved from SplashID after many years. Use Dropbox with 1Password to make your password data available on multiple machines. $7.99.
• LastPass. Manage and sync passwords across multiple machines. The Firefox add-on for this service was included in WWD’s Add-Ons Collection. Apps for iPhones and other mobile devices available with premium membership, $12/year.

I’ve barely begun finding fun stuff, but I think I’m off to a good start with the Google Earth app, and TriPeaks Lite. I’m sure that I’ll find more, but I really need to get back to work now. Happy holidays!

What iPhone or iPod touch apps would you recommend for new users?

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I don’t generally like living on the bleeding edge, but some betas are very usable, and I’ve already incorporated them into my daily workflow. Others look promising, but are not stable or are lacking too many features right now. But all of the following are worth trying, and watching as they develop. We’ll review them more thoroughly as they mature.

Adium is my favorite IM client for the Mac OS. Its latest beta supports all of the instant messaging protocols, and also has rudimentary support for Twitter and Facebook Chat. Unfortunately, the latter is not working as I write this, although a fix is expected shortly.

VoxOx is an ambitious program combining IM; social networks (Facebook, MySpace and Twitter); SMS texting; faxing; private email; file sharing; video conversations; and voice connections. As I wrote a few days ago, it is very rough around the edges now, and desperately needs improved tools for managing contacts.

Imo.im is a web-based multi-system instant messaging client with some intriguing features, like shared whiteboards. This service is listed as being in alpha, so we can assume that it has considerable development ahead of it.

Brizzly is a web-based service that looks a lot like Twitter’s own web interface, but with improvements. It supports multiple Twitter accounts and has recently added Facebook support. The multiple accounts aren’t as well integrated as I would like, but I assume that will come.

Tweetminer is another web-based service that includes support for multiple Twitter accounts, tweet scheduling, and RSS feeds. Its interface is attractive, but features are minimal at the moment. There are also Adobe AIR or Fluid-based desktop versions, for those who prefer standalone apps.

Socialite (formerly EventBox, which Imran wrote about here) has just released beta 2, which seemingly broke support for Facebook updates. When this issue is fixed, Socialite could become my favorite, as it combines support for Facebook, Facebook Pages, multiple Twitter accounts, RSS feeds and Google Reader in one attractive interface.

Seesmic Desktop is another Twitter and Facebook program which has worked well for me, but it shares with many Adobe AIR programs some ugly screen fonts and a propensity for using large amounts of memory. Seesmic also has a promising web version, but so far, it lacks support for multiple Twitter accounts, and for Facebook.

Nambu only does Twitter, but does it very well, in what I think is the most attractive interface of any program of its type. I can choose three different layouts, and switch between them easily. Nambu’s development is very rapid, with a new beta released every couple of days.

I find the popular Tweetdeck to be totally unreadable and unusable, due to its AIR interface. I wish Adobe would make AIR on the Mac look as good as the native OS X fonts and windows.

There are lots more betas out there, of course. What beta software and services do you use?

Image credit: Stock.xchng user OmirOnia

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VoxOx wants to take multi-system communication several steps further. In addition to the various IM protocols, it supports social networks (Facebook, MySpace and Twitter); SMS texting; faxing; private email; file sharing; video conversations; and voice connections. VoxOx also supports Skype messaging, although you have to have the Skype software running, which sort of defeats its purpose.

When you sign up for the service, you are assigned a telephone number in southern California (other locations are apparently on the way). Incoming calls to that number, and voice conversations between you and other VoxOx users, are free; other calls are charged at rates similar to other VoIP services. VoxOx has just begun offering flat-fee voice and texting plans, at prices it claims are significantly cheaper than Skype’s. VoxOx’s other services are free.

In recent days, VoxOx has released beta 2.0.5. The software has improved since I first tried it a year or so ago, but it is very definitely still a work in progress. Its dark background with white text theme is hard on the eyes and isn’t editable, and its contact manager has no provision for importing from or syncing with other address books.

VoxOx seems to be trying to collect the useful features from Skype, conferencing services, virtual PBX services, instant messaging and file sharing services, and putting them all in one place. It’s a pretty cool idea, and VoxOx is definitely worth trying, but I’m not quite ready to make it part of my daily workflow yet.

Have you used VoxOx? What did you think of it?

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So how can a lesser-known app like Diigo compete? The latest version of Diigo has just gone live, and from what I can tell, it’s growing beyond social bookmarking and going for the “kitchen-sink” approach: Add as many features as possible, so that no matter what a user wants, it’ll be there. Among the list of new features are a few that caught my eye:

• Similar to Iterasi, users can now archive web pages from a particular point in time — even ones that are dynamically generated or password-protected. Multiple versions of the same page can be saved, either as HTML or images. Toolbars to control this function are available for Firefox and Internet Explorer.
• There are now several options for commenting on web pages — highlighting in multiple colors, and different sizes of sticky notes, all of which can be private or shared.
• Links to the archived and annotated web pages can be shared via email, Twitter or Facebook, and recipients don’t need any special software to see your comments.
• Groups can be set up to comment, tag and collaborate on projects.

The site is still in beta, but its redesigned interface is intuitive. Searching and tagging have also been improved, and an iPhone app is on the way. The site is free and advertising-supported; educational accounts are available.

Oh, and by the way, Diigo is one of the few sites I’ve seen that offers an explanation of its name:

Diigo is pronounced as “Dee’go.” The name “Diigo” is an abbreviation for “Digest of Internet Information, Groups and Other stuff.”

If Diigo’s impressive feature list hasn’t convinced you to try it, I’m sure that will!

Have you tried Diigo?

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Setting up the service is simple. NutshellMail connects directly to Facebook, Twitter and MySpace using their authorization schemes; you’ll need to provide usernames and passwords for LinkedIn and for email accounts.

You can specify when you want to receive messages — both by time of day and day of the week. You can also specify the order in which sources are presented within the emails NutshellMail send to you. You can even select a particular email message, and have it forward to you separately.

NutshellMail doesn’t operate like webmail: there doesn’t appear to be any way to view messages through its web site. You can, however, ask it to send you a digest at any time, showing activity covering one to five days.

Nutshell is in beta, but seems to work well. The service is offered at no charge; NutshellMail’s materials indicate that it will continue to be a free service. Privacy concerns are covered in detail on the NutshellMail web site; the service also makes it easy to suspend or delete an account.

NutshellMail will be appealing to those who cannot get web access to social networks because such sites are blocked at their workplace. It might also be useful for those using mobile devices, although the emails it sends are pretty heavily formatted and include such elements as Facebook photos. NutshellMail could also be another useful way of focusing on work during business hours; a daily digest could be less distracting that visiting various social sites during the day.

Would a daily digest of social network activity be less distracting than visiting sites for you?

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As 2009 is shaping up, the most popular and relevant social networks and social media platforms for web workers are Twitter, FriendFeed, Facebook and LinkedIn. Granted, there’s a vast galaxy of other valuable and interesting social web sites to select from, but it’s important to get a sense of how to get the most out of this particular foursome.

Twitter
Twitter was a phenomenon in 2007, a rising social media star in 2008, and has largely attained mainstream status in 2009 (cable news stations are falling all over themselves these days in attempt to send you to their Twitter profile, for example). It’s simply one of the most important places to be online. It’s also an amazingly simple and flexible product, which befuddles some and delights many.

While Twitter’s flexibility makes it very useful for all kinds of things — from live event reporting to simply staying in  touch with friends and colleagues — I’m coming to believe its most important use for web workers is as a “social media marketing tool.” That, of course, can have many meanings, but think of it like this: it’s a tool to engage the now-mainstream Twitter community in a friendly way, putting a human face on your product or service (or the brand called you!). The counterintuitive fact is that the more you use Twitter as a place to help people and talk about your life and the world at large, the more you’re likely to draw people to trust you — and the brand that you represent — more.

FriendFeed
While FriendFeed doesn’t have the numbers that Twitter does (see Michael Arrington’s TechCrunch piece, “FriendFeed Is In Danger Of Becoming The Coolest App No One Uses“), it’s the best place online to consume information and interact with smart people. FriendFeed is a merry mix of content aggregator, microblogging platform and social network that has become official residence for early adopters and social media influencers such as Robert Scoble, Louis Gray and Rob Diana. As a web worker, you owe it yourself to at least check in with FriendFeed to see what’s going on with the “Coolest App.” And you just might find yourself hooked in the process.

Facebook
Facebook hit mainstream status some time back, and its astounding growth has continued into 2009. I’m a little bit of a contrarian when it comes to Facebook, but I fully recognize that it’s one of the premiere online hubs for web workers to connect with friends and colleagues, share information and media, and to play with all manner of Facebook apps, games and social networking gizmos. Whether or not Facebook is your thing, and much like with MySpace during the middle years of this decade, having some kind of Facebook presence falls somewhere between expected and a given for web workers.

LinkedIn
LinkedIn sits in the coveted position of dominating the professional networking space online. One of the reasons that it stands apart from other more “social” social networks is because there’s a higher barrier to connecting with people on LinkedIn than with other social networking websites. In many cases, you have to know someone’s personal email in order to send them a friend request, though paid accounts allow you to send “InMails” to a wider range of people on the site. LinkedIn also offers many professional discussion groups, so it’s a web site that web workers need to be linked up with for professional networking and professional development purposes.

What social networks do you use?

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In addition to the usual suspects, there are some surprises on the list.

Twitter shot up from number 22 on Compete’s list last year to number three this year, with nearly 6 million unique visitors and over 54 million monthly visits. Orkut dropped from number 15 to number 21, but I’m surprised to even see it still on this list. LinkedIn jumped up from number nine to number five, and that jibes with increasing buzz about it that I’ve heard about it recently. Microsoft is even advertising for employees on LinkedIn. 

Ning, which allows users to set up their own social networks on far-ranging topics shot up from number 23 on the list to number 12 this year. I still don’t find Ning to have enough content related to my work to attract me there often, but the channels do keep growing. Here is Compete’s complete list of the top 25 social networks, ranked by monthly visits in January:

(Image courtesy of Compete.com)

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