Add the new Facebook Like button to your Blogger blog

At Facebook's F8 conference yesterday, they made many announcements regarding their future and how it will effect the social web moving forward.  One of these announcements was the addition of the Like button on external websites.  Any web user will now be able to "Like" any website that has implemented the widget into their template.  If that user is a registered Facebook user, it will share that activity on their profile, making it public to their friends and affiliates.  This is huge for bloggers and anyone else who uses Facebook for marketing and outreach, as it will make Facebook marketing much more streamlined across the web.

Facebook will let you generate a basic code to use here, but the code does not work for individual pages or blog posts.  To get the most out of your Like button, it takes a few tweaks to the code.

To add the new Like button to your Blogger blog, follow these few easy steps.  You will be set up in 10 minutes time.  Also, for Wordpress users, try this guide.

1. Go to your blogger dashboard and find the blog that you want to add the button to, and click "Settings".
2. Click the "Layout" tab at the top left.
3. Click "Edit HTML" in the sub menu there under the tabs.
4. Check the box that is labeled "Expand Widget Templates".
5. Left click anywhere inside of the text box (where your template code is) and press Ctrl+F to search for the following line of code:  <data:post.body/>
6. On the line directly above it, paste in the following code: 

<iframe allowTransparency='true' frameborder='0' scrolling='no' expr:src='"http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=" + data:post.url + "&layout=button_count&show-faces=False&" + "width=530&height=25&action=like&" + "colorscheme=light"' style='border:none; overflow:hidden; width:530px; height:25px'/>

Preview your template to make sure it's good, and click the "Save Template" button.  And there it is, you've been officially setup.  Thanks to devfuel for the quick guide.  If you have any problems with it, post a comment and I'll be glad to help.  If you found this post helpful, click my Like button below!

Extensions to enrich your Google Chrome experience

I will be the first to say, I love Google.  I love the fact that they offer many of the great products that other companies, but do it for free.  I love the fact that their company seems to have a respectable moral and ethical stance in an industry that is severely lacking in that area today.  I also love their internet browser, Chrome.  For me, it just seems a bit cleaner and more polished than it's competitors.

One of the best features of Chrome is the Extensions.  What is an Extension?  Basically, it is an app designed for your browser that offers additional  functionality.  I thought I would take a minute and list out some of my favorite extensions for Chrome.  If you are looking to try out the extensions feature in Chrome, maybe start with a few of these.

• Chromed Bird - This is an extension for managing your Twitter account.  You can compose tweets, view timelines, send direct messages, manage lists, and do basically anything you would want to do from your twitter account.  This is by far the best Twitter extension I have found for Chrome.
• Google Reader Notifier - Adds a button to your browser that will notify you when a new unread item appears in your Google Reader.  Clicking the button will show a drop box with links to all of the unread items.  Very useful for bloggers and RSS whores, if you use Google Reader that is.
• Delicious Tools - Bookmark manager for Delicious.com.  Allows you to add a bookmark from any page or jump directly to your inbox and bookmarks pages.  Simple and effective.
• goo.gl URL Shortener - Google's URL shortener.  When you click the button, it shortens the url.  Its fast and easy, in complete Google fashion.
• Digg for Chrome - Digg's official Chrome extension.  Allows you to submit the current site to digg or share the story with multiple other social platforms.
• SmoothScroll - Makes mouse and keyboard scrolling smoother.
• Aviary Screen Capture - Allows you to take a screenshot of your current window and edit the screenshot without having to ever leave your browser.  Very handy extension.
• Google Dictionary - Allows you to see the definition of a word by either doubleclicking the word directly or clicking the dictionary extension button and typing the word in. 

I do use a few others, but they are mostly for personal preference.  If there is interest, I'll post those as well.  If you decide to try one of these out based on my recommendation, let me know in a comment below!  Tell me if you find the extensions you tried useful, or if you thought they were a complete waste of time.

Introducing the 4th generation iphone

Holy nerdgasm, batman!  The "iphone 4g" has made a surprise appearance on all of the tech websites on the internets today.  Who would've thought?  If this is in fact a leak (I have my doubts), I know Apple and Steve must be absolutely livid right now.  Some of the new and bold features this phone includes:

• Sleeker look.  The back is no longer beveled, and the former plastic trim is now metallic.  The back of the phone appears to have a glass or ceramic look to it, which gives the phone huge sex appeal, in my opinion.
• It is a tad heavier, yet thinner than the 3gs
• Front facing camera (make way for video-calling apps)
• A better camera on the backside with an LED flash.  I would imagine this will be at least a 5mpx camera, possibly an 8mpx.  
• Dual microphones (presumably for noise cancellation)
• MicroSIM slot

The guys at gizmodo seem pretty confident that this is in fact the iphone of 2010.  I don't doubt the legitimacy of that claim, because they are the pro's, but I'm a bit skeptical that this thing was lost in a random bar, and somehow landed in the hands of one of the largest tech websites around today.  Also, I don't think this iphone will be known as the "iphone 4g."  While this will be the iphone 4g, as in the 4th generation of the device, I think that would cause confusion with the coming of the 4g network on Sprint's network.

Will I be getting this phone?  I'm not sure.  At the present moment, I doubt it.  I have grown quite cynical of Apple, Steve Jobs, and the way that they do business.  Apple has a lot of power in the mobile market at the present, but I think that their close-minded CEO and their restrictive nature as an employer will have a negative effect on their company and their products in the long run.  But hey, if I buy an Android device and am not happy with it, I will definitely be carrying around one of these puppies (given the iphone on Verizon rumors are legit) in the future.  No matter who runs the company, or how they run it...as a consumer, if you put out the best product on the market, I will buy it.  I will admit that the manliness and clean edges of this phone is very appealing to me.  If you want to know more about this iphone on steroids, head on over to gizmodo and check out the exclusive article, chock full of pics and video.


Update:  The rumor is now that the new iphone will be tagged the iphone HD.  

Verizon Fail: Nexus One and HTC Incredible

So in review of this years CTIA event in Las Vegas, there are two factors that really stood out among the crowd of wireless carriers, cutting edge devices, and tech-savvy hipsters.  One being the aforementioned HTC EVO 4G, and the other being the nearly complete lack of a presence from Verizon.

It was rumored and widely expected that Verizon would announce their highly anticipated HTC Incredible, as well as Google's Nexus One.  Neither of these gadgets were mentioned by Verizon which is really an incredible (no pun intended) failure on Verizon's part.  They had the chance to follow up their hugely successful DROID smartphone with two devices that are superior to the DROID in almost every way, and quite frankly, they blew it.  Verizon, it is 2010!  Keeping your customers in the dark is no way to compete in today's extremely competitive wireless market.

Verizon's failure to shed any light on the N1 or the Incredible basically GAVE the entire show to Sprint and their 4G compatible HTC EVO.  I can't imagine any scenario where this would be a marketing opportunity for Verizon, but if I am missing something, I would love for you to fill me in.  What did you like about this year's CTIA?  Which wireless gadgets and features are you most anxious about for 2010?  Do you think that Verizon dropped the ball at CTIA '10?  Let me know what you think!

HTC EVO 4G - aka HTC Supersonic

In today's CTIA conference, Sprint unveiled their HTC EVO 4G handset.  Sales are expected to begin this summer, however, a price has yet to be mentioned.  This phone is pretty remarkable.  So remarkable, in fact, that I figured I would dedicate a blog entry to it.  Specs for the EVO 4G are quite nice.

• First device to run on Sprint's 4G WiMax Ev-DO Rev. A network
• 4.3in WVGA display, 800x554 res
• 1GHz Snapdragon QSD8650 processor
• 1GB flash ROM, 512 MB RAM
• 8 megapixel camera, 720p HD video capture
• 1.3 megapixel front facing camera
• HDMI output (allows for outsourcing media in HD quality)
• 802.11b/g WiFi
• 1500 mAh battery
• 8GB MicroSD
• Android 2.1
• Mobile hotspot connectivity (supports up to 8 devices)
• Built-in rear kickstand for hands-free viewing
• Media player, 3.5mm headset jack
• FM radio (Amazon mp3 store)
• Weight of 6oz

Judging by the specs alone, this device will become the new standard in wireless.  It has a powerful camera, as well as a front facing camera, a beautiful display, HD output, 1GB of built in memory and 512MB of RAM, which will run apps at blazing fast speeds.  Not to mention it will be running on a 4G connection.  Although I'm not a user of Sprint's network, and never have been, this phone is very tempting.  I'm sure there will be more information to come on the development of this device in the near future, but for now, this thing is the definition of envy.

CTIA Conference 2010

So tomorrow (today) is the CTIA Wireless event of 2010, where all major wireless providers, manufacturers, and third-party product companies will meet to reveal and discuss upcoming wireless devices and trends.  I'm stoked about this for a handful of reasons:

• Nexus One - Verizon is supposed to officially announce the Nexus One release on their CDMA network.  It is rumored that the device will begin to sell almost as soon as it is announced.  At the moment, this is the phone that is at the top of my list, and I am due for an upgrade in April.
• HTC Incredible - This is another phone being announced by Verizon.  While there have been a few leaks in regards to this device, multiple sources have reported conflicting hardware specs, so no one is quite sure what to expect.  Rumors have it that this device will launch within the next two weeks.
• HTC Supersonic - Easily the gadget with the most hype this year.  The HTC Supersonic will be Sprint's first phone to run on their 4G network.  It features a rather large (4.3 inch) screen and a 1GHZ Snapdragon processor.
• Dell Mini 5 - This beastly looking device has been spotted in the wild on multiple occasions, and has even made its way into the hands of the good folks over at engadget.  With a 5 inch display, a front facing 5mpx camera, and an Android OS, this gadget has the potential to be a game changer in the mobile industry.

While there will most definitely be other exciting updates that will surface tomorrow, these are the few that I am most excited about personally.  As if coverage of the event were hard to find, I will post an update tomorrow with a recap of the devices that peak my interest.  So stay tuned.