Social Media and the Law... again!

Tween pop sensation Justin Bieber caused a riot at Roosevelt Field Mall in Long Island, NY this past week when he was scheduled to appear for an autograph signing.

While you probably don't care, the story does get interesting since the use (or lack thereof) of his Twitter account lead to the arrest of James Roppo, a representative from Bieber's record Label.

According to the Associated Press, a huge crowd had formed to catch a glimpse of the mini-star and crowding/shoving was becoming a safety issue.

Police asked Roppo to help disburse the crowd by sending out a Twitter message notifying fans that Bieber would not be allowed into the mall until things calmed down. When Roppo refused, he was arrested on several misdemeanor charges, including "failure to cooperate with police".

Despite this strange request, two Tweets were seen on Bieber's Twitter account at 4:30pm and 4:33pm first asking the crowd to calm down and leave, then stating that one of his people had been arrested.

I really don't care for Bieber or this article, but the fact that refusing to send a Tweet contributed to a man's arrest is something worth discussing. Just recently, I posted a blog about how a man's Facebook status saved him from jail. Now we're seeing the other side of the spectrum.

There is no doubt that Social Media is becoming more and more important in our lives but I really struggle with this particular incident. Even if Roppo had agreed to send out the Tweet, the police were going on the assumption that a large majority of the existing crowd would see it instantly and just pack up and go.

Twitter is a great way for an artist to keep in touch with his or her fans by letting them have some insight into their life or by notifying them of upcoming events. It is not a method of crowd control.

It will be interesting to see how this - and future cases - progress when Social Media comes into play.

Interactive Trailers... Stepping it up!

Online trailers for games and movies are nothing new. Apple has owned the movie trailer space for ages. Now YouTube is a major player. Afficionados flock to trailer sites to get whatever sneak peeks they can into upcoming titles. A well produced trailer can generate lots of hype and even go viral, giving the release a significant marketing advantage long-before the release date.

Until recently, the trailer has always been a short clip (usually 3 minutes or less) showing some of the title's best material from action shots to funny moments to scary scenes. The one thing every trailer had in common was that it was just a video.

This all changed last year, when Nintendo put out an interactive trailer for Warioland Shake It. What made this trailer awesome is how the YouTube page started to shake and crumble as Wario did damage in the actual game trailer.

I was recently refered to GameTrailers.com to check out a new trailer for the latest chapter in the Resident Evil series... Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles. The result was far more enticing than anything I could have imagined and something anyone interested in the Interactive space NEEDS to see.

This is the perfect example of what a trailer can be. I can tell you that after seeing the trailer, my excitement level for this game is way higher than it would have been with a normal trailer.

I can't wait to watch as designers battle for the next awesome trailer and look forward to watching the trailer evolve into a truly exciting and interactive marketing tool.

Check out the two trailers here:
Warioland Shake It
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles

Facebook Status Used as Alibi

On Saturday, October 17, 2009 at 11:49am, 19 year old Rodney Bradford updated his Facebook status from his father's apartment in Harlem to say: "Where's my pancakes?"

In a recent court case, those three words were accepted by the judge as an alibi and got Rodney off of alleged armed robbery charges that took place moments later.

This is a unique first and, from my perspective, a very dangerous precendent.

After being arrested for alleged participation in a mugging at gun-point that took place around the sane time, Bradford's lawyer, Robert Reuland used the Facebook status (along with testimony from Bradford's father) as an alibi proving that Bradford was, in fact, in the apartment at the time of the robbery.

Facebook provided evidence (using IP tracking) that the posting did, in fact come from the apartment at that time.

With Social Media playing an increasing role in our lives, I expect we will be seeing more of this in future legal cases. On one hand, I'm glad to see Bradford's name cleared. On the other, this creates a scary precedence.

Anyone can update your status if they have a username and password. What is stopping someone from now planning to commit a crime and having a friend login to their account from their home right before the crime is committed and type in a status update?

Social media sites have been used in court cases before. They have been used to demonstrate infidelity in divorce cases or to check in on sick employees.

Social media brings a lot of good into our lives, but the Bradford case just proved that technology can also add a whole other layer of complexity to our lives. I look forward to reading about future cases where Facebook and other social media sites play an active part in court cases.

You can read the full article on the Bradford case by clicking here.

The iPhone generation

Got a sweet tech toy but no degree? No worries! According to a study by consumer electronics e-tailer, Retrevo, 75% of iPhone users don't care!

Retrevo polled a number of iPhone users to get a feel for who these people are. The results are pretty shocking (not to mention shallow). Check this out!

Retrevo asked, "What makes a person most attractive to you?" iPhone owners prefered cool gadgets over a college degree three to one.

Really? Listen up kids... save yourself THOUSANDS of dollars on tuition, books, etc. and just grab yourself an iPhone. Now leverage those relationships to haggle your way into a job. Think of the time and money you'll save!

One in three iPhone owners has texted or emailed their significant other to break up.

I know some people are afraid of confrontation, but that's just plain cowardly! Makes me wonder if it would be appropriate to respond to a breakup text with a crying emoticon :'(

One in three iPhone owners say that, if their partner had out-of-date gadgets, it would be a turnoff.

Not getting enough action from your significant other? Better get that Windows 7 upgrade, stat! Coincidentally, I was actually mocked just this afternoon (jokingly, I hope!) for working in marketing and using a PC instead of a Mac. At least now I know I can skip the gym in favour of a new gadget.

One in five iPhone owners admits to frequently watching “adult material” on their iPhones. (Twice as many as BlackBerry owners).

I'm actually surprised only one in five admitted to this. And what's up with those snobby Blackberry users... they're too good for porn on the go?!

One in four iPhone users has broken up with their partner because that person spent too much time on their mobile device.

Sadly, I can totally understand this. Mainly because every time I get my hands on an iPhone or iPod Touch, I get drawn into the cute little apps and ignore the world around me. This is precisely why I've stuck with my outdated "click-wheel" iPod. Based on the previous stats, this also makes me a turn-off to other iPhone users!

Compared with other cell phone users, iPhone owners are more likely to see themselves as media buffs, extroverts, and intellectuals.

The key words here are that they "see themselves". I know some pretty stupid people with iPhones.

I'm not entirely sure if the "study" is serious or a joke. The scary part is, I can totally believe that their findings are accurate. Either way, I suggest you entertain yourself by reading the blog entry.

Funky Bunky

So today's blog is actually more of a plug than it is an actual entry, but there is still a lesson to be learned.

A family member has recently started a new company called Funky Bunky. They are creating custom-made playhouses, dog houses and bunk houses. Since symmetry sucks, the Funky Bunky has a pretty unique design with crooked windows, doors and roof.

My nephews think this is the greatest thing in the world and Fido will definitely get a kick out of his new home as well.

I would encourage anyone with kids, an outdoor dog or a cottage to check this out!

Check out the Funky Bunky promotional video below and please tell your friends!