HootSuite - The Google Analytics of Twitter

I just found this service called HootSuite. I am very familiar with Google Analytics since I track many of the sites that I have designed over the years. Twitter lacked a service like this and with the increasing use of Twitter as a means to market a business and build a brand, it needed one.

Enter HootSuite. With HootSuite, an individual or company now has the ability to track "buzz" about their brand or products. One great feature is the RSS/ATOM feed connector. If you currently have a blog and tweet about every blog post you make, then this feature will be very handy. Set the RSS/ATOM feed url and select the Twitter account that you want to use to tweet from. Every time a blog post is made, HootSuite will send a tweet from your Twitter account announcing it.

A great time saver. This feature can also be paused if you do not want to send tweets.

Countdown to Beatles: Rock Band

Rock Band 2 Drums

Well, I finally broke out of being solely a PC Gamer. What did it? A little game called Rock Band. Being a music lover and having enjoyed the few rhythm based games on PC, I had taken notice of Rock Band when it first came out. I hoped that by some miracle they would decide to come to PC like Guitar Hero did. I waited.

I had never actually gotten my hands on the game. I passed by it at Best Buy never wanting to sit down and try it out out of fear of the audience around me. Finally, I was given the opportunity to play it at my brother-in-law's house. I sat at the drum set and waited anxiously for the song to start.

I immediately got it. The drums just seemed to come naturally, unlike the guitar that took some getting used to. I did well and really had fun.

Rock Band 2 had me hooked. I finally broke down and got an Xbox360 and a Special Edition Rock Band 2 kit. I played it a few hours a day for a week. Friends and family both jumped in and played a little bit of drums, a little bit of guitar and some were brave enough to do vocals. It was a good time.

Well, that is where the good time ended. Just a week after dropping all of this money to get a system and the kit, the drums suddenly went AWOL. A notice popped on screen stating to reconnect the device. So, I reconnected and attempted to re-sync the drums to the Xbox. It worked for a few seconds then switched off again. "Okay, it just needs new batteries", I said "after all, I have been playing for a week straight." After changing the batteries, the issue persisted. A lump grew in my throat.

After establishing that this was indeed a hardware failure I contacted EA Rock Band support. They were extremely helpful and quick to set up an RMA for a hardware switch. They asked that I scan in my receipt and email it to support with the RMA number attached and they would verify and send out a new drum pad set.

It took merely minutes to receive back confirmation that they were sending the kit and I had a tracking number. I was impressed.

I hate that the drums have these issues, I've found after searching the web, but I am glad that EA is so quick to resolve it. I'm sure there are kits out there that have never and will never have this issue.

At least this gives me the push I needed to take a break from the drums and brush up on my guitar skills.

Its been a long time coming...

Here it is April and as you can see by the previous post, it has been a while since I've posted. A lot has been going on since that last post.

In November I was laid off due to lack of work coming in as well as everyone else in the company. I was lucky enough to find a job quickly at another agency and was back to work . Unfortunately, that agency could only afford to keep two designers and had no room for a third.

I was out of work. Again.

With our first baby on the way, I was scrambling to find anything I could to keep everything together. I took freelance work left and right. To be honest, I was busier being out of work than I was in the last three years of being employed.

During this period I listened to my favorite podcasts as they too were going through some changes and restructuring. I saw 1UP's layoffs and felt the heartache. The ability that the cast had to pick themselves up and keep going inspired me.

Suddenly, the ex-staff members were building new podcasts that have now become my favorites. I saw the beginnings of Geekbox, RebelFM and A Life Well Wasted. I still missed the 1UP Show. That is when CO-OP showed up. My iTunes subscription list had quickly changed from a few favorite podcasts to now a handful of really great shows.

1UP's restructuring also spawned a few new shows that I've added to my list. At1UP, Good Grief and Listen UP (formerly 1UP Yours).

Through my freelance work, I showed my dedication and hard work and have been picked up by a company that is a very caring and family oriented company. I'm very excited about the work I am doing now and enjoy going to work more than I have in the past.I know that in order for me to find this job I had to lose my old one. I know things are looking up and I've got a lot to look forward to in the next month.

If anyone else is feeling down in the dumps about the state of the economy, try to pick yourself up and remember...

everything happens for a reason.


Tips for the unemployed:
1. Stay Positive.
2. Don't watch the news. This is to ensure that you follow tip 1.
3. Keep busy. Stay on a normal, work schedule. Get up and get in the shower.
4. Find inspiration. Read, listen to your favorite podcast, draw, etc.
5. Take this time to learn new skills and polish old ones. You wouldn't normally get this time if you were working, so appreciate the education time. It will pay off.