Dean Kosage Explains Freestyle

deankosage — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 04:42:18 +0000

Dean Kosage talks about What Makes FreeStyle Unique..

Three Concepts: Happy, Healthy, and Wealthy
Power of You
Delayed Gratification
Audience Engagement
Participation | Experience | Transformation | Celebration
Concept of Leverage
End of the Guru
Don’t Be Scared of Technology
Up and Out Program

Our individuality and differences are what make us great
Follow him on Twitter: DeanKosage
Like him on Facebook: Dean Kosage Fan Page

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Google+ Sees Massive Membership Growth

deankosage — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:55:36 +0000

Keep Up With Dean Kosage…

Google+ may not have membership numbers as strong as Facebook, but it recently had its strongest-month ever and, at least according to one analyst, is on track to reach 400 million users by the end of the year.

Experian Hitwise sent out a tweet on Monday that Google’s social networking site experienced a huge traffic jump in December and more than doubled its traffic in just one month.

“Google+ total US visits reach more than 49 million in Dec-11, biggest month to date & up 55% compared to Nov-11 ow.ly/i/oT3R,” Experian Hitwise tweeted.

Meanwhile, Experian Hitwise tweeted last Friday that U.S. visits for Google+ have grown eight out of the last nine weeks.

Although Google+ has declined to comment on its membership numbers, analyst Paul Allen — who is also the founder of Ancestry.com — told the Daily Mail that the site recently surpassed the 62 million members mark. Of that, 25% of the site’s user base signed up in December alone.

This growth rate is significant since Facebook didn’t pass 60 million members until nearly four years after its debut. At this rate, Allen said he expects Google+ will reach about 400 million users by the end of 2012.

Facebook now boasts more than 800 million active members.

It’s now even easier for users to access Google+ thanks to the strong sales of Android devices, with more than 700,000 purchased each day. Google integrates its Android smartphones with Google+.

Do you think Google+ membership will pass Facebook in the future? Which site do you prefer?

Image courtesy of Experian Hitwise.

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Puppies Prepare for Christmas

deankosage — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 03:39:43 +0000

Keep Up With Dean Kosage…

Just when you thought cats had a patent on holiday cuteness, puppy power rears its adorable head. Watch out! ~ Dean Kosage

In the aptly named “Puppy Christmas” YouTube video, director Devin Graham captures four adorable puppies enjoying a picturesque Christmas tree, complete with ornaments, wrapping paper and bows.

There really isn’t much more to say: Puppies + Christmas = Heart-melting delight. Your colleagues will “aww,” we guarantee it.

Share your holiday pet stories with us in the comments.

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Star Friends: George Takei Brings Peace

deankosage — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:56:09 +0000

Keep Up With Dean Kosage…

George Takei just wants some peace. The actor, famous for his role as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek, wants to put an end to the YouTube wars between fans of his franchise and fans of Star Wars. ~ Dean Kosage

The long-standing sci-fi battle caught fire back in September, when Captain Kirk himself (William Shatner) made the argument for Trek‘s superiority in a YouTube interview. Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) responded on her own YouTube channel, arguing that Star Wars is clearly the best and that The Shat doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

Never one to back down, Shatner addressed Fisher directly via a video that amped up the insults.

In an attempt to snuff out this feud once and for all, Takei implores both sides to fight together to address the real enemy: Twilight.

What are the merits of the three franchises? Is Twilight really awful enough to unite sci-fi fans against it — and how long can the Trekkies and Star Wars geeks stay friends?Let us know in the comments.

More Wonderful Post from Dean Kosage…

Great Films Fill Rooms by Sony

deankosage — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:34:03 +0000

Keep Up With Dean Kosage…

Sony has launched a series of videos promoting the range of movies now available on the PlayStation Video Store. These extraordinary short films were shot in one take, in real time and with no post-production, and literally bring to life the store’s tagline: Great Films Fill Rooms. ~ Dean Kosage

In the videos, the main character is immersed in the film as the ordinary room quickly transforms into a movie set. The room is filled with projected images that move in real time to create a virtual worlds.

The effect was done using PlayStation devices synced with cameras scattered throughout the set. As Design boom explains, the devices “track the projection in real time to adjust the angle and deformation of its effects so that they align with the camera’s viewpoint.”

In addition, traditional film tricks such as stagehands and fishing wire were used to make objects appear or float in mid-air.

Watch the set of videos below and be blown away by the result.

Most Insane Immersive Movie Experience EVER, Part 1

Check out this guy’s room totally change into the movie he is watching! No SFX, no post production, no cuts, everything you see here is 100% for real. We were funded by the Video Store of PlayStation® Store (http://www.greatfilmsfillrooms.com) to make a series of movie related videos using ‘Immersive Imaging’ which takes 3D projection mapping as its starting point, but gives the viewer a supercharged experience with the help of the PlayStation Move controller. In the past, projection mapping worked only from a single, static view point, and thus was very limited. By attaching the PlayStation Move to the camera, we can track projections to screens in real time, enhancing the effect of spatial deformation and false perspective on the projections and allowing viewers to look round (virtual) corners, bend walls, create a hole in the wall, or remove the walls altogether to reveal vast expanses of virtual worlds.

Most Insane Immersive Movie Experience EVER, Part 2

Most Insane Immersive Movie Experience EVER, Part 3

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Artist Illustrates Finely Detailed Comic Book Magazine

deankosage — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 03:26:50 +0000

Keep Up With Dean Kosage…

In this 11-minute timelapse video, freelance designer Dei Gaztelumendi illustrates a cover for comic book magazine Xabiroi from start to finish. Watch the video. ~ Dean Kosage

In a post on his personal blog, Gaztelumendi says that he was given free reign to choose the subject of the cover, and so he decided to add to his “Post-Apocalyptic Kids” series. This kid, he says, is the toughest yet, and fittingly so — the illustration was also made as a gift to a friend who lost his leg in a motorbike accident last year. “This is for him, because he really IS the toughest kiddo yet,” he writes.

In the video, Gaztelumendi begins with a paper and ink outline, which he then imports into Adobe Photoshop to build out. Given the frame speed, it’s difficult to pick up much in the way of technique — I’d love to have a closer look at the textured brushes he used, for instance — but the video is enlightening nevertheless. What’s particularly impressive is the level of detail Gaztelumendi brings to the piece. As one Reddit commenter remarked, “There were many moments when I thought, ‘This is impressively detailed,’ but then he kept adding more details.”

The final illustration:

More Wonderful Post from Dean Kosage…

Copyright Fair Use and How it Works for Online Images

deankosage — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 12:00:45 +0000

You’ve heard the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words, but when that picture is protected by copyright, the picture is only worth three words: cease and desist.

OK, that’s kind of a lawyer joke. But it illustrates how protective people are about finding their images used online without permission.

Copyright laws were established not to give the author the right to deny their work to other people, but instead to encourage its creation.

Article I, Section 8, clause 8, of the United States Constitution states the purpose of copyright laws is “to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.”

It’s a delicate balance between the rights of the creator and the public’s interest. When in conflict, the balance tips more heavily toward the public’s interest, which is often contrary to what the creator believes to be fair or just.

This article will cover exactly what copyright is and what it covers.

And then we’ll look at the concept of fair use as it pertains to using images online. The goal here is to better understand how to use images others create in a way that is both respectful of the author’s ownership rights and allows others to use it.

What Is Copyright?

Copyright attaches at the time of creation and there is no requirement to use the “circle c”. Image source: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Copyright is a federal law of the United States that protects original works of authorship. A work of authorship includes literary, written, dramatic, artistic, musical and certain other types of works.

Copyright attaches as soon as the original work is created, and applies to both published and unpublished works. As soon as you type words, click the shutter on your camera (or, for many of you, hit the home button on your iPhone), apply paint to canvas or paper or lay down tracks for your next hit, you’ve got a copyright (with some exceptions).

Copyright is an automatic right and does not require the author to file special paperwork, as is the case for trademark and patent. Registration is required to enforce the rights, but as a matter of right, an author is not required to register anything to get the right to use the “circle c,” showing the work is copyrighted.

One of the many terrific things about copyright is that it comes with a host of exclusive rights that allow the owner to do or authorize a number of things and exercise substantial control over his or her work. The copyright owner has the right to do four things (called exclusive rights):

Reproduce the copyrighted work;
Display the copyrighted work publicly;
Prepare derivative works based on the copyrighted work; and
Distribute copies of the copyrighted work to the public by sale, rental or lending, and/or to display the image.

Source: 17 USC Section 106.

Copyright does not apply to works in the public domain; words, names, slogans or short phrases (those may have protection in trademark law); blank forms; works that are not original; and government works. This is important to know because if the work is not protected by copyright, then there is no concern whether the Fair Use Doctrine will apply to allow you to use the work.

As online content creators, curators and managers, you know the value of using images to get the reader’s attention, add a visual component to commentary, illustrate using an infographic or any of a host of benefits. Using the correct image can definitely take a post from drab to fab very quickly. It can also help tell a story that words alone can’t.

But unless you’re a photographer showcasing your own work, chances are you’ll need to use work created and owned by someone else. There are plenty of sources. While the general rule is that you can’t use a copyrighted work without express authorization from the owner, there is one significant legal construct that allows millions of people every day to see and share images online.

Please keep in mind that stock photo services, creative commons licenses and public domain repositories of images are not subject to fair use due to the rights they carry.

Stock photo services require you to pay for a license, creative commons licenses confer the right to use an image under certain circumstances and public domain images are not subject to copyright in the first place.

What About Fair Use?

Fair use is not the same as free use. Fair use is a legal exception to the exclusive rights an owner has for his or her copyrighted work.

It has little to do with what we may think is fair, and everything to do with keeping the balance tipped in favor of the public interest. It’s a delicate balance, mind you, but one that often leaves the copyright owner wanting to scream.

Fair Use is a balancing between protecting the creator and promoting the interests of the public. Image: cjansuebsri / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The purpose of the Fair Use Doctrine is to allow for limited and reasonable uses as long as the use does not interfere with owners’ rights or impede their right to do with the work as they wish.

Since this discussion will only pertain to use of images online, I will use examples specific to this.

A classic example of fair use of an image to use online is product reviews. If you want to review a book, a new piece of technology, a food product or whatever widget, you’ll likely want to include a photo. But not some washed-out, overexposed, shadowy, laundry in the background kind of photo that you’d take.

So you head to the manufacturer’s website and right-click that image and save it to upload to your site. A photo will not substitute for the actual product, so the owner’s rights should be very minimally affected. Therefore, your right to use the copyrighted image would likely be permitted under fair use.*

Fair use is in place for the greater good, to allow copyrighted works to be used without permission for the benefit of the public. Imagine not being able to use images of a dead dictator to tell the story of how he died. Or not being able to talk about fashion without showing the outfit you’re referring to.

However, there are limits and only a court has the final decision-making ability. Section 107 of the Copyright Act states:

the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.

In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include—the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;

the nature of the copyrighted work; the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

Source: 17 USC Section 107.

All four factors are used in determining fair use, with the first (the purpose and character of the use) being the most important the court will examine. When it comes to photographs, copyright law has a long-standing deference to permit a photographer control over the first time an image is made public. In this discussion, we’ll assume that you’re not hacking computer systems or digging through rubbish bins looking for non-public images.

One of the issues with photos is that using just part of it is, well, a bit ridiculous. This is the third factor courts will look at (how much of the work is used); however, it is often a very significant element of whether fair use exists.

Unlike the written or spoken word, where excerpting a portion to illustrate is possible, with images it is usually the whole that is necessary. A partial photo, unless you’re doing some kind of guessing game, does not portray the level of professionalism you’re likely going for.

Same with using a very low-resolution option. Not only does a low-res image look bad on your site, the image creator (whether photographer or designer) probably doesn’t want a bad-quality image circulated, as it could impact his or her reputation.

5 Things to Think About Before Using Copyrighted Images

5 questions to consider when using copyrighted images online. Image source: Rawich / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So you’re likely thinking this is insane and who has that much time on their hands to figure out all of this just for an image on a blog? In reality, though, answer question 1 of the 4-part fair use test and you’re likely to get a very good sense of whether you’ll have a leg to stand on if challenged.

#1: Do you understand the term fair use? Just because you provide attribution and/or a link back to the original doesn’t mean you’re free and clear. Fair use has nothing to do with attribution. That’s an issue related to plagiarism, which is different from copyright.

Fair use basically means you’re allowed to infringe on someone’s copyright and they can’t do anything about it. If your use is covered by fair use, you don’t have to provide attribution anyway (although it would be nice).

#2: Why are you using the image? If it is “…for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research…” you’re on the right track.

If you’re just using the image to pretty up a post, then think twice; or better yet, get permission or buy a stock image.

#3: Have you transformed the image? If the new work which incorporates the copyrighted image is a “transformative work”—what you created no longer resembles the original—there is a greater likelihood of finding an exception to copyright infringement.

Are you taking an image and incorporating it into an infographic? Is the image now part of a video used for one of the reasons set forth in the Copyright Act?

#4: How much of the image are you using? If you’re using a thumbnail and linking to the original location, there is greater likelihood of finding fair use than if you just post the original image. If you’re doing a post about facial features and are just using a portion of the face from an image, you stand a better chance of arguing fair use than if you used the entire image.

#5: Are you willing to risk your site being taken down, getting a cease and desist/bill/DMCA or being sued? The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) provides very powerful options for a copyright owner to protect his or her works in the digital space. By hitting “publish,” you may be opening a can of worms.

In Summary

When it comes to photos, when in doubt, assume it’s subject to copyright and don’t use it without the appropriate permission. What it comes down to is that if you need to use another person’s image, make sure it fits clearly into one of the protected purposes or seek legal counsel if there is a significant investment of money or time in your project.

Fair use may be an exception allowing you to use copyrighted images, but chances are you’ll be in for a discussion or possibly find your site taken down by your host if the copyright holder disagrees. Unfortunately, there are no significant cases that establish hard-and-fast rules when it comes to fair use and images used on the Internet.

However, photographers and graphic artists often make a living from selling or licensing their work and if we all just poached what we wanted, we’d be circumventing not only the law but also interfering with their right to control how they distribute their images.

Copyright fair use has been fought over when it comes to using words and images in print publications. The Internet, though, is still very much in its infancy when it comes to fair use guidance.

Without bright line rules, we’re each left to interpret laws that were written long before digital communication was ever imagined and did not contemplate the ease of sharing that exists today. While it may be a remote possibility that the average blogger will be sued for copyright infringement relating to an image, bear in mind that you may be the proverbial “straw that broke the camel’s back.”

If you’re considering taking images from large agencies, they have legal teams that do nothing but look for infringing uses. There are inexpensive ways to search for images online, even if you change the file name. And if you’re thinking you’ll just crop the image so you can’t see the copyright notice or other identifying information, think twice about that because the penalty for doing so is very stiff— up to $25,000, plus attorney fees and damages.

There are many resources for free images, whether public domain, licensed creative commons or inexpensive stock images, so you really shouldn’t need to use copyright-protected works for beautifying your site, creating that cool presentation or making a video. But if you really have to have that image, ask first. You’d be surprised at how many people would gladly grant permission for use of their images.

Fair use doesn’t mean fair game, but it’s there to allow for uses that will benefit society and the public good. Don’t be afraid to use images. Use this information to make good decisions and you’re likely to be just fine. Always, though, if in doubt leave it out (or get permission or ask a lawyer).

What do you think? Leave your questions and comments in the box below.

Disclosure: While Sara Hawkins is an attorney, this article is for informational purposes only and is not to be considered legal advice.
*Not intended to be legal advice.

Image source FreeDigitalPhotos.net: renjith krishnan, cjansuebsri & Rawich

How to Find and Add Facebook Apps to Your Facebook Page

deankosage — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:00:43 +0000

Are you wondering how to add all those cool links below the avatar of your Facebook page? Those links appear when you install an application (or app) on your Facebook page.

If you want to spruce up your page, there’s an app for that.

For example, Facebook apps can automatically showcase your YouTube channel, but they can also do much more.

You may have seen the post Top 10 Facebook Apps for Building Custom Pages and Tabs, but let’s take a step back and talk about what apps are, where you find them and how you install them on your page.

Defining Applications

When you first start your Facebook page, there will be some basic Facebook apps in the left sidebar. These Facebook apps include Photos, Videos, Links, Events and Notes. Any other app you install will be a third-party app, which means that someone other than Facebook made it.

Click Edit Page from your Facebook wall and then Apps to see your installed apps.

So how do you get more apps than just the basic ones provided by Facebook?

First you find them and then you install them. Even though that might sound simple, both of those steps are not very straightforward. Finding apps on Facebook can be particularly challenging because the Facebook search feature is notoriously bad. Then steps used to install the app can vary.

Some apps can be installed from within Facebook, others are easier to install by starting on the app website first.

Sometimes it’s even difficult to tell an Application page from a regular Facebook fan page.

An Application page will still have a Like button, a wall and sometimes its own apps installed.

There are a few key ways to determine that it is actually an application. The page may have a Go to App button right next to the App button. Underneath the name of the app at the top, you will see the App classification. And then on the left sidebar you will see the Add to My Page link as you see in the figure below.

Note the different ways to distinguish a Facebook app from a regular Facebook page.

An indication of how well the app is established is the monthly active users. In the figure above, you see NetworkedBlogs has 990,000 monthly active users, which can indicate that it is a useful and well-established app.

Facebook applications also include games such as CityVille and Mafia Wars and some of the other apps you may have seen such as Give a Hug or the Birthday Calendar.

Since applications are developed by third parties, not all of them work very well and not all of them are reputable. You may have had an issue on Facebook where you click on some post and all of a sudden you start posting strange things on other people’s walls without your permission, maybe telling them to “check out a new diet” or “see who is viewing your profile.”

If your Facebook profile starts posting strange things, you probably have clicked on a bad application.

Finding Facebook Apps

If you know the name of the application you are looking for, finding the app can be easier. You can use the Facebook search bar or go to www.facebook.com/search. Using the search tool is better because you can filter by People, Pages, Groups, Apps and more as shown in the figure below.

Filter by Apps in the left sidebar to search for apps only.

You can also find a Facebook app by taking a look at how something is posted within your news feed. Some apps will post into the news feed and you can find out more about the app by looking at the link underneath the post as shown by the HootSuite link in the following figure. If you click on the HootSuite link, you will be taken to the HootSuite app.

Apps can be found by looking at the way they are posted.

If it’s an app that only resides on a page, you can sometimes find out what the app is by looking at the bottom of the page. Many apps have either a link to their external website or a direct link to the app within Facebook as shown in the next figure. Not all apps have this feature and some are custom apps created for a specific page only.

Check at the bottom of the app on the Facebook page to find out how the custom tab was created. Not all apps have this attribution.

Another tool you can use to find Facebook apps is www.Appbistro.com. They don’t have every app listed but they do list a good cross-section of business apps.

Installing Facebook Apps

Once you have found a Facebook app, installing it can be challenging. Some apps install easier from their external website, and some are very easy to install from within Facebook. Many apps’ external websites will tell you exactly how to install it and make the installation process quite easy.

Once you click Go to App, you will need to give the app permission to access your information.

If you are installing the app from the Facebook App page, the steps will often be different if you click on the Add to My Page link on the left sidebar versus clicking on the blue Go to App button at the top of the page as shown in the NetworkedBlogs figure earlier. Usually you will eventually end up in the same place, but that Facebook “feature” makes writing directions on Facebook apps a challenge.

I usually prefer to click the Add to My Page link on the left sidebar. When you do, you will see a pop-up box where you can select the page where you want the app added.

First click the Add to My Page link on the left sidebar, and then click the Add to Page button to add the app to your page.

Now you will navigate to the page where you added the app and find the app listed on your left sidebar.

Find the app on your left sidebar after you have installed it.

After you click on the app, there may or may not be added steps to configure the app. Follow the steps as listed and you are all set with your fancy new app to dress up your page!

If you would like to move the app position on your left sidebar, click on the Edit link under your complete list of apps on your left sidebar and then you will be able to drag the app to the position you want. When you have the list organized the way you want, click Done and the new position will be saved.

Edit the position of the app with the Edit link.

So now you have the big picture on what Facebook apps are and how to find and install them.

What about you? What are your favorite Facebook apps? Leave your questions and comments in the box below.

The Future Desk Looks Like

deankosage — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 01:37:05 +0000

Keep Up With Dean Kosage…

This is what the desk of the future looks like.. EXOpc has posted a video of its EXOdesk — an interactive desk environment that lets you do all sorts of tasks on a virtual space on your desk — in action and it looks amazing. ~ Dean Kosage

The actual device is a tabletop computer, somewhat similar to Microsoft Surface, offering 40 inches of high definition space, where you can manipulate virtual objects by touching them and dragging them around.

The video offers a taste of what you can do with EXOdesk: add a virtual keyboard, an RSS feed stream and apps to your tabletop surface. A piano simulation app is shown, and though we don’t see much of its functionality, it looks stunning when expanded to the entire surface of EXOdesk.

Although the release date is vaguely set for 2012, we already know EXOdesk will cost $1,299. If that sounds like a lot, compare it to the recently announced price of Microsoft Surface 2.0, which is $8,900, and it will suddenly seem like a bargain.

More Wonderful Post from Dean Kosage…

How to Hold a Google+ Hangout and Why You Should

deankosage — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:00:09 +0000

As Google’s latest foray into social media, Google+ has brought some new tools to the digital table. My personal favorite is Hangouts.

Google describes Hangouts as a “front porch.”

Anyone can drop in and say “hi” just like anyone could drop by when you’re on your porch.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN38vHZjWXw

3 Reasons to Consider a Google Hangout

Your prospects are already here! Video conferencing has been available for a while, but Google+ Hangouts takes it to where people are.

Here are some ways you can use Hangouts:

#1: Part of the sales process: You could invite people who are already in your sales pipeline to hang out. Not to put a high-pressure sales speech on them. Just to further the relationship.

To make it more intriguing for people to join, try naming the Hangout “Overcoming _________,” where the blank is filled in with a key problem you know your prospects tend to have.

#2: Office hours: College professors have standing office hours—times students can be sure to see them at their desk. Why don’t you? You could set up a standing weekly or monthly Hangout as a way to increase customer service or to keep in touch with your staff.

#3: Fireside chats: Everyone seems to want time with the CEO, so why not give it? “Town hall”–style conference calls have been popular in recent years, but they are conducted over the phone. What if you were to set up a standing quarterly time for people to actually hear from your CEO? And more than hear, they’ll be able to see and interact.

Hangouts could be used by colleges to communicate with incoming students, or alumni, or even current students or their parents. Or you could use this as a way for your board and investors to interact with the CEO between meetings. If you have a circle of “investors” and only invite them, they should be the only ones who see the invitation.

This is an incredibly efficient use of your CEO’s time: she doesn’t have to leave her desk. No travel time means she can be doing work right up to the Hangout time and start back up when it’s done.

3 Steps to Start a Hangout

#1: Push the “Start a Hangout” button: Starting a Hangout is as easy as clicking on the “Start a Hangout” button on the right side of your Google+ profile!

Click on the button.

#2: Check your hair: The kind folks at Google even give you a virtual green room so you can check your hair before you go live!

That's me looking into my web camera.

#3: Invite cool people: Hangouts are only as good as the people who join you on them! So even if you make your Hangout public (open to anyone), be sure to invite individual people too.

And then you’re ready to go live with your Hangout! The Hangout shows up on your timeline, and the timeline of those who have you in their Circles.

Google+ posts your Hangout on your live feed to everyone in the Circles you've invited.

In the Hangout

Here’s a video showing you exactly how to start a Hangout and what to do when you’re in there.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSsO6hiozlY

Once you’ve started the Hangout, you still have lots of controls. Along the bottom you have a series of buttons.

You have lots of control in the Hangout: inviting new people, chatting, choosing videos on YouTube and controlling your sound and video.

#1: Invite: While in a Hangout, you always have the option to invite new people. Just click on the “Invite” button on the far left to include individual people or entire Circles.

#2: Chat: Have you ever tried to share a web URL over the phone? It can be pretty challenging. The Chat feature is a great way to share web links and other information during a Hangout. Once you click on the “Chat” button, you’ll see the chat window for the rest of your time in the Hangout.

#3: YouTube: Google has already integrated YouTube videos into Hangouts. So now you can use the “YouTube” button to share a promotional video from your company or a video that illustrates a point. Find a cool video before you’re in a Hangout? Google now lets you start a Hangout right from YouTube.

#4: Volume and Video Controls: If you work at home or in a busy work space, the buttons on the right are very helpful! You can use “mute video” to turn your camera on and off whenever you want. Most people never use this but it is a nice feature.

The “Mute Mic” button allows you to turn off your mic. So if you get a call or someone pops into your office, you can still listen to the Hangout without him having to hear you.

And the “Settings” button allows you even more control. If you have more than one mic or camera, you can choose which one you want to use in the Hangout. And you can choose the “Echo Cancellation” option. That will allow you to use your computer’s built-in mic and speakers without bugging the rest of the Hangout participants!

There is a lot going on in a Hangout!

3 Things to Fine-Tune

#1: Your costume: If you’re using Google+ for business, you’ll need to decide how you’ll dress for a Hangout. When I speak, I wear bowties. Bowties are all over my social media avatars. But I don’t wear bowties 24/7.

I often work from a home office, so I have to consciously choose whether to don a bowtie or simply hang out in a t-shirt.

I chose to hangout in a t-shirt.

#2: Your background: What people see behind you is as important as the face they see. Do you want your business logo to show behind you? Or do you like the clean look of a blank wall?

Some people have found my office to be ideal: the books and degrees in the background speak of my commitment to lifelong learning. (I honestly hadn’t even picked up on that!)

In the picture someone took of a Hangout I was on, you’ll see that I have a trade show banner with my company name on it. Since I wasn’t in a bowtie, I wanted people to remember what I did.

#3: Your purpose: Are you just experimenting with a Hangout? Or are you holding a team meeting? Different purposes have different outcomes.

Google+ is still new enough that I’ve found it more effective to let people know I’ll be holding a Hangout so they can be on Google+ when I share the invitation. Starting a Hangout and having no-one show up is like having your tray of food in the high school cafeteria and wondering if anyone will let you sit next to them. It can feel a bit lonely.

Fortunately, Google has added a wonderful feature. Now, if no-one shows up for your Hangout, they remove the Hangout from your timeline. So you don’t have an embarrassing post saying you hung out with “0 people.”

Some Closing Thoughts on Google+ Hangouts

We all know that people only purchase from us when they know, like and trust us. That used to mean we needed to go to a lot of conferences to meet people. But a tool like Google+ Hangouts can help you do the interacting right from your desk. And as Google rolls out the ability to broadcast Hangouts, you’ll be able to extend your reach beyond the 10 people in the Hangout.

And as you do more Hangouts, and capture more images from those Hangouts, your company will stand out. People will know you’re approachable.

As I was writing this article, I popped in to a Hangout. A Google employee joined us as we were chatting, so we got to ask him lots of questions.

Why wouldn’t you take up this opportunity? The only thing it costs is time.

What do you think? How are you using Hangouts? Leave your questions and comments in the box below.