Mediaboss Marketing

Current Caller ID, a new, free app that launched Wednesday for Android phones, applies social media and analytics to traditional phone calls.

For example, if a person or business calls you and they aren't in your address book, Current will check the Web for a matching phone number and display the name on your phone's screen. Sometimes the data didn't display before I picked up the call, but the app updated it afterward -- the search for a match must have taken longer than it did for me to pick up the phone.

When you link your Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn accounts to the app, it will display callers' latest status updatse or Twitter messages when they ring you. I found that feature worked pretty consistently.

If you're interested in analyzing your calling and texting habits with friends, click on the "stats" tab in the app and it will tell you how you communicate, displaying a pie chart of incoming and outgoing calls and texts. You can access the statistics for any of your recent calls.

The stats will also tell you when it's best to text or call your contact based on your interaction. I found it interesting to see which friends I text and call more and vice versa, but this information won't be essential for most users.

I did run into one problem that I found distracting. When I returned back to my smartphone after being away, Current Caller ID would alert me that I missed 26 -- or some other large number -- of calls. It wasn't an error, because I had missed a number of calls over a period of time, but not that many since I had last checked my phone. The app should only have told me how many calls I missed since I last used my phone, rather than all of the calls I had missed in a few weeks time.

Current Caller ID won't replace your smartphone's default telephone application or address book. You still need to use your phone's default app to dial out, but Current will override it for incoming calls. Tighter integration into the smartphone's default telephone application would make Current Caller ID more valuable, but overall it was a welcome addition to my phone and one that I won't delete.

Nick Barber covers general technology news in both text and video for IDG News Service. E-mail him at Nick_Barber@idg.com and follow him on Twitter at @nickjb.

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Android App Combines Social Networking, Phone Calls, Analytics

Manila is still at risk for more flooding, but recovery efforts are underway, and many are turning to social networking sites to update and get updates on the situation.

The sprawling Philippines capital of Manila is edging into recovery mode after monsoon rains killed at least 19 people and left much of the city of 15 million under waist and chest high water.

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The Philippine government today said people should return to work as soon as possible, as rains eased off early Wednesday. But more rain later hit the city, 60 percent of which is under water, according to national disaster agency head Benito Ramos.

Many are turning to social networking sites to update and get updates on the situation. But even as recovery work kicks into gear, the capital remains vulnerable.

If we have more rains we will really be in serious trouble, says Mon Casiple, director of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reform (IPER).

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim declared a state of calamity in the capital earlier Wednesday. Aurela Calica, journalist with the Philippine Star, says that she is stuck inside the Malacaang Palace Compound in Manila this evening local time. When I came here the roads were still passable but when I was about to leave before 7 p.m. the streets were already flooded, she says.

Ms. Calica was corresponding with fellow journalists via Twitter and Twitter's direct message system, highlighting how social networking and cellphones have become a vital link in the rescue and relief chain. People stranded on rooftops have been SMSing for help, while many Filipinos have taken to Facebook and Twitter to post updates and supplement government and media coverage of the floods and rescue work.

According to a July World Bank report titled Information and Communications for Development: Maximizing Mobile, there were 101 mobile cellular subscriptions for every 100 people in the Philippines in 2011, up from 41 subscriptions for every 100 people 6 years previously.

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Social networks help Filipinos deal with Manila floods

We have a surprisingly full Morning Word today. We lead off with the Senate race, but also have discussion of the NMFA scandal and the State Auditor's Office, the two candidates for the soon-to-be-vacant Supreme Court position and looks at the 3rd Congressional District race and the race for the seat held by the Senate Majority Leader.

I'd be remiss if I didn't know a short look at a short ad -- an NRDC ad going after Heather Wilson on (what else?) MTBE.

I've been watching a lot of Olympics lately, and there is a definite whiplash between seeing the fluffy, positive games that NBC shows (and all full of 'USA! USA!' cheering) to the attack ads. The Wilson ad on the Medical Device Tax seems to be in the heaviest rotation, at least during the Games. It would be interesting to see if negative ads airing very patriotic programming like the Olympics are any less effective than during, say, the evening news.

On to the Word:

An interesting side note, Heinrich spoke to the New Mexican himself, while Wilson's campaign used their spokesman, Chris Sanchez.

Under the proposed system, 342 positions will see their pay range increase, 35 positions will experience no change and 49 positions will see a lowered pay range. A lowered pay range, however, will not necessarily translate into an actual decrease in wages.

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Morning Word, 08-08-12

Red Ventures, the rapidly growing Internet marketing firm based in Fort Mill, is planning a major expansion, it said Tuesday.

The company has acquired 16 acres of land next to its headquarters in 521 Corporate Center Park, just south of Ballantyne. That expansion is expected to create 1,000 new jobs over the next five years, Red Ventures said.

The tech firm currently owns 17 acres for its 150,000-square-foot campus, where amenities include an indoor basketball court, putting green and cafe with subsidized meals.

"The next few years will be full of challenges and opportunities, and we are hoping to double the size of our current workforce," Red Ventures chief executive Ric Elias said. "This additional land will allow us to grow, while also maintaining the unique, employee-friendly environment we've created."

The company, which expects to grow by 30 percent in 2012, plans to begin the expansion with the development of a third building by the end of the year. The firm employs about 1,500 workers in its four offices in Miami, San Antonio, Wilmington and Fort Mill, including nearly 1,000 at its headquarters. That's up from 300 workers when the company moved to South Carolina in 2009.

Red Ventures works with brand partners in the areas of entertainment, data and Internet, small-business solutions, security, energy and software services. To learn more or apply for jobs, visit http://www.redventures.com/careers.

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Internet Marketing Firm Red Ventures Expanding, Hiring 1,000

Summary: Chinese Web giant makes internal certification program available to public to grow local talent pool and support rapid growth of Internet marketing sector.

Baidu will open its Internet marketing certification course to the public and aims to increase the talent pool, which is currently unable to support industry growth.

Chinese tech news site ChinaTechNews.com reported on Tuesday that the company's search engine marketing professional certification has been in operation for the past two years, but it was only open to its clients and agents. It reportedly trained over 3,000 such Internet marketers during that time, the article added.

The certification program is divided into four classes targeting existing Internet marketing practitioners and those looking to join the industry, it noted. Students will pick up skills on marketing concepts, data analysis, account implementation and management, SEO, and search engine marketing, it stated.

Baidu will also cooperate with Chinese universities, professional education institutions, industrial associations, and well-known enterprises to jointly launch a talent training alliance project, ChinaTechNews.com reported.

These initiatives will help plug the local talent gap in the industry. Citing a joint report by Baidu and 51job.com released this year, the article noted that Internet marketing jobs in China will reach 1.16 million but some 550,000 to 650,000 of these positions will not be filled.

Kevin made the move from custom publishing focusing on travel and lifestyle to the ever-changing, jargon-filled world of IT and biz tech reporting, and considered this somewhat a leap of faith. Good news is, he has landed on his feet. Since then, he has covered a myriad of beats from security and hardware to mobile communications, software and cloud computing, and is looking to write more on apps, analytics, Apple and Android.

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Baidu opens Web marketing course to public