My new company, Zaang, launched a new site today that allows users to request a beta membership as well as suggest topics for our initial "worlds". A world is like a group, but so much more! It allows users to upload videos, photos, articles, links, audio, and comments on a central topic.

I was able to get Real Estate on the initial suggestion list so head on over to www.Zaang.com and let us know you want the World of Real Estate on Zaang!

Hope to see you on there!

It's a bitter sweet moment for me on this 3rd birthday of Zipvo, as today I am announcing my resignation as Lead Developer here. It has been a wild ride, and in the three years here some awesome things have been created. I met some great people at some great events, and I will miss it all dearly. To all my readers out there of my various blogs, those will also be coming to an end, and I thank you for reading!

This decision was a tough one. I love video and I love real estate, and I know Zipvo will continue to revolutionize the way video is used in real estate. However, I felt it was time for me to move onto the next thing. I have no doubt that Zipvo will continue to do great without me.

As for what I will do next, that brings up some exciting news! I have joined Zaang.com,  a startup based in Cambridge, MA, as Lead Developer. Zaang is a micro collaboration site with a great team and a great idea. Check out Zaang.com to learn more about it.

As for me and Zipvo, I will remain on the team in an advisory role, and may make an appearance at a conference here and there to say hello to everyone. I will most definitely be at the next RE BarCamp Boston and look forward to it!

Best of luck to everyone, I hope to see you around!

James

Hello everyone! Have you missed me? I've been neglecting my blogs lately, and for that I apologize.

I have been crazy busy lately preparing for RE BarCamp Boston, launching my new technology blog On Top Of Tech, and working on the all new Zipvo that's launching at the Zipvo party after RE BarCamp Boston.

My crazyness is scheduled to end on June 12 so I will be back then! In the meantime catch up with me at RE BarCamp Philly, check out On Top Of Tech or come on out to RE BarCamp Boston to come see everything I've been working on!

I like to surround myself with the most talented, knowledgable and energetic people that I can find. The same goes for the talent we bring to Zipvo. We're always looking for the best of the best to join our team.

So without further ado, I'd like you to help me welcome Jason Craig to both the Zipvo team and ActiveRain!

Jason is a very talented graphic designer, marketer, and website developer. He has joined Zipvo as Marketing Director / Lead Desiger and is going to help make your experience on Zipvo the best that it can be. When you see us at tradeshows, conferences, RE BarCamps, or anywhere else, the marketing collateral, shirts, etc that we're toting around are all thanks to Jason!

Jason's Official Bio:

Jason has more than 15 years experience in marketing, advertising, and communications making him the excellent choice for our Marketing Director. Jason is responsible for determining the group marketing agenda, setting the strategic marketing priorities, and continuing to enhance the marketing capability of the business at ZIPVO Corporation.

Earning his degree in Graphic Arts, Jason is an accomplished/award winning designer, with a unique balance of creative and technical expertise, coupled with a strong background in print, and web design. Throughout his career he has gained an understanding in the importance of knowing the long-term vision of a company and how to accurately and consistently reflect and strengthen that message in all visual and written communications.

Jason also has a great website with samples of his work. Jason Craig Boston is an awesome portfolio showcasing some of Jason's best work. Check out some of his website work, marketing collateral, vehicle wraps, and anything in-between.

Not only will Jason be joining Zipvo, he will also be sharing his marketing knowledge with you here on ActiveRain! You can read Jason's Blog to learn all about marketing, website tips and tricks, and much more!

So shoot Jason a message on ActiveRain, check out his website, and be sure to follow him on Twitter!

We all used to have them, and they used to be the standard. Vertical photos like the one of me on the right were what used to rule the Internet. However, with social networks switching over to square photos, it's important that you optimize your photo for social networking sites such as Twitter, ActiveRain, Facebook, etc.

Some sites like Facebook allow you to crop your profile image to pick a square section of it to show up as your avatar. (Your avatar is that square photo of you that you see on sites like Twitter.) But having to select a section sometimes cuts out other parts that you would have rather left in there. Sites like Twitter just take a square section of your photo and makes that your avatar, as does ActiveRain. This is not the sites fault. Having the same shape photo, in this case square, makes the site look much cleaner and does not break designs.

The fix to this, and way to ensure your photo looks great on all sites, is uploading a square photo to all of these sites instead of your outdated vertical photo. By doing this you don't leave the cropping up to the site. You control exactly how you want your photo to look.

With a site like Picnik this is very easy to do:

• Simply go to www.Picnik.com and upload your photo.
  
• Make sure it's the largest one you can find, as this will allow for better quality of your photo. Some sites scale it down, but others store it in various sizes for use around the site.
• Once uploaded go to "Crop"
• You'll see a drop down at the top that says "No Constraints" - Select this and choose "Square"
• Drag and scale that square to whatever portion of the photo you would like to use.
• Then on the top right click "Ok"
• Then click the tap up top that says "Create"
• If you'd like you can now add effects to the photo such as black and white.
• When done click "Save & Share" in the top right corner.
• This will allow you to enter a file name. Keep the dimensions and format the same. Change the quality to 10.
• When done click "Save Photo"
• Select somewhere on your computer to save it. Remember where it is so you can upload this on every site1

That's it! You now have a square photo that will optimize the appearance of your profile, posts, comments, etc on social networking sites.

Some believe a virus called the "Conficker Worm" may wreak havoc tomorrow on April Fools Day. Conficker runs on stealth mode and spies on everything you do to obtain your financial information and your passwords.

On April 1st it's going back to it's servers to get new instructions and may launch a new attack on PC's.

Here are some signs you might be infected:

• Cannot access Microsoft.com (Check now)
• Cannot access security websites like Symantec, McAfee, etc.
• Cannot power down computer.

If you're experiencing any of the above symptoms unplug your computer or turn of your wireless connection now! Also change all of your online passwords from a computer that is not infected. Then call in the experts to help you rid your computer of this virus.

This may also be a good time to update all of your virus software.

Here's some information from Microsoft.com - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/962007

Hi, I'm a Mac, and I'm sure this isn't the first Mac vs. PC debate you've read, and I'm sure it wont be the last. However, unlike other debates, I'm not going to sit here and tell you how awesome Mac's are. Well, maybe I will a little. But, I'm going to go beyond that and tell you why making the switch shouldn't be a concern. Why cost shouldn't be a concern. Why and how your life will become easier and more productive because of a Mac.

Mac's do everything better.
Whether it's video editing, music, word processing, presentations, checking your mail, or just browsing the web, Mac's do it faster, safer, and more reliably. With Mac Mail organizing your emails is a breeze. Never lose an email again with their powerful search feature. Organize all your listing photos with iPhoto. Video chat with clients, associates, friends and family.

Ok, so Mac's are great. We know this. But I know you're thinking to your self I can't switch because... (fill in the blank). Well here are some common concerns and the reasons why they shouldn't be.

Common concerns (and why they shouldn't be)

I need all my files transferred.
When you buy your new Mac a Mac Genius will transfer all of your files from your old PC to your new Mac free of charge! Simply bring the old computer with you when you buy the new one. All of your old files will work on the new Mac. Word documents, excel files, photos, emails, etc. You won't lose a thing!

I can't use a Mac, it will take too long to learn.
Apple offers great training on their products. They have "One to One" training where you can go in once a week for an hour and sit down with an expert and learn anything you want about your Mac. It's only $99 for a years worth or One to One training!

From the Apple website:

"As a One to One member, enjoy a year’s worth of personal training sessions for just $99. Sit down for in-depth, face-to-face sessions with your very own personal trainer. Experts in all things Apple, our Trainers help you get the most out of your Apple products. Just tell them what you want to be able to do, and they’ll teach you how."

I can't afford a Mac.
A common misconception is that all Mac's are $3,000. Sure, there are some Mac Pro's that are $3,000+, but for the average user your can get into a MacBook laptop for only $999! This isn't a stripped down system either. It has all the tools you need to run your life. Whether it's video, music, word processing, email, this has it all! If you're more of the desktop type you can get into a Mac Mini for only $599!

I need Windows for...
I know many of you need Windows, and in some cases even Internet Explorer, for your MLS, and until they upgrade and get with the times this will be a common problem. But a little known fact is you can run Windows on a Mac!

Parallels is a program that allows Windows to run while the Mac operating system is running. It can be downloaded at the Parallels website.

My wireless Internet will need to be re-configured.
Mac's hook up with ease to your wireless network and in most cases easier than your PC would. They also remember your location so if different settings are needed for the office and the house it will remember those settings when you switch from place to place. Like everything else on a Mac, connecting to the internet is just easier.

My computer is fine, I don't need a new one.
This may be true, but why wouldn't you want the most powerful technology out there to help you? It's all about the tools you have, and adding a Mac to your arsenal will help tremendously. Also, your computer may be fine today, but why wait for a catastrophic fail to realize you need a new one?

Are you convinced yet?

I hope this post can help you make the decision to switch to a Mac. They really are the perfect computer for a real estate agent and will make your life so much easier, productive, and fun.

If you're ready to enter the Mac world check out the Apple Store, pick out your new system, and enjoy!

I missed any of your concerns please let me know and I will tell you why they shouldn't be one!

If you're been on Twitter.com lately checking out a users profile you may have noticed the new title tags. They used to be "Twitter / ZipvoJames" but in a change that went live yesterday they are now "James Shiner (ZipvoJames) on Twitter"

Anyone who knows about search engine optimization knows that this is huge! This move will help get your Twitter profile to the top of the search results when someone searches your name.

If my past posts, the recent press, or your friends haven't convinced you to get on Twitter yet, hopefully this does. Not only will Twitter help you connect with friends, family, associates and customers, it will also add to your Google Juice!

Join the Conversation!

Join hosts Jason Crouch and Ken Cook for an hour as we explore various social media topics in a fun, laidback, freeform, sound-effect-laden format. It's pretty much a "morning zoo" atmosphere, but cleaner.

Topics include blogging, Twitter, Facebook, and pretty much whatever we are in the mood to talk about that day.

This week, we are very excited to welcome James Shiner, founder and CEO of Zipvo.com and the new Twitter resource site TweeplePages.com. Zipvo is the video driven media site for real estate related content. They just announced their 13,000th user! TweeplePages is a directory of Twitter users organized by their interests.

Simply log in here: http://blogtalkradio.com/jckc

(Make sure you also get into the chat room, which is generally very active)

IMPORTANT: The time on the invitation (11am) is Central time. The show is broadcast live at noon Eastern, 10am Mountain time, and 9am Pacific.

If you aren't in front of your computer at that time, you can also listen via our call-in number, which is (347) 215-7478. Just press "1" if you have a question or want to talk to us - it raises your virtual hand on the switchboard.

Hope you can make it this time around. We averaged 262 listeners per show in February!

Be sure to also check out the event page on Facebook!

So we've all heard the expression "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!" and try to do that as much as we can. But sometimes it's hard when you get lemon after lemon and get sick of lemonade! Well I am a big believer of all sayings like this. There's also "turn negatives into positives" and "everything happens for a reason" and one of my favorites "when one door closes, another door opens".

Comforting someone with one of the above sayings is easy. But living your life by them is much more difficult. Sometimes you wonder "why me!?" or simply just give up. I am the type of person who lives my life by these. I really started understanding them in high school. I remember one day my mom said to me "when one door closes, another door opens" and from that moment on it made complete sense to me. From then on I never let negatives get to me and I was always looking to the positives.

I have most recently learned to take these negatives, which in my life usually end up being interesting to others, and using them to engage with people through social media. When you talk about your negative situation, chances are others can relate. We all have bad things happen to us, and hearing that story from someone else creates engagement. It also helps to get rid of that "why me" feeling since you know someone else is going through that exact same thing.

Here's a few examples of how I turned my negatives into positives:

My hand is cut wide open... I can see my bone! (12:00 AM - 45 Minutes From Nearest Hospital)

My first experiment with this was when I sliced my hand open working on my snowmobile (I have a picture but I'm almost positive you don't want to see it!) and immedietely tweeted it out. I was with my friend in New Hampshire so he was driving me to the emergency room, and I decided to let my tweeps know about my experience. I mean Twitter does ask "What are you doing?" - well, I was on my way to the emergency room, with a sliced hand, could see my bone and tendon, but I had a left hand so I figured I'd use it! (Check out the actual tweet!)

Well, this little tweet was quite popular. I engaged with a number of my followers I talk to often, ones I don't talk to that much, and even some new one's I've never really engaged with before. Some had their own stories of bones sticking out, some said I was crazy to be tweeting, and all said they hope I'm ok!

This little experiement worked out pretty well. My hand is almost fully healed, and I have a great story to tell. But this story can't hold a candle to my next one.

Ok sir, sorry you missed your flight. The next flight to Boston is at 5:18 PM. (9:45 AM - Atlanta Airport)

I was on my way to the airport from REtechSouth in Atlanta, GA. Our flight was at 9:45 AM and we left the hotel on the shuttle at 7:30 AM. I was with my business partner Greg and we can usually get through the airport in less than an hour (we travel a lot) so we figured this would be plenty of time.

Well, the shuttle didn't end up getting to the airport until 9:20 AM. Driver got a bit lost trying to follow the confusing airport signs. So there we were, at curbside check-in being told it was too late to check our bags - not a good sign! So off we went, sprinting through the airport, running down escalators with our bags, trying to get through security as fast as we could (had to carry my belt the rest of the way - almost lost my pants) only to be told we were too late.

We got to the gate, saw the plane sitting there, figured we had made it. Oh how wrong we were. We got the counter (along with 14 others) and were told it was too late to board the plane. This makes no sense to me. Plane is right there, we're right there, what's keeping that 15 ft walk from happening? These 12 others were from a connecting flight, so they got prefferential treatment, sort of. They got a 10:17 flight to Orlando then from there a flight back to Boston. Greg and I were not so lucky. When I heard the words "Ok sir, sorry you missed your flight. The next flight to Boston is at 5:18 PM" I almost fainted.

So we walked over to the seats, sat down, and tried to figure out what to do for the next 7 hours at the airport. Of course I immedietely tweeted out my unfortunate situation for the world to laugh at. I then started going through the positives of this situation.

First thing that came to mind was live streaming our adventure. Greg is a big Qik user so we decided to update people with live video of our adventures. My next realization was that everyone from the conference would eventually be coming through the airport. So I tweeted out requests for lunch, drinks, quick hellos, etc. By the time we finally left we had talked to over 10 people from the conference! It was great. Our entire day was basically filled with great conversations and great people. Of course the twitter conversations were flowing as well.

When we finally did board we realized we had gotten nice exit row seats with ample leg room. Apparently the airline felt bad for us because we missed our flight. Perfect ending!

This day at the airport created a number of conversations both in real life, on Twitter and on Facebook. It made the 7 hours at the airport fly by! In all honesty now, looking back, I am glad we missed our flight. If I could do it all over again I wouldn't change a thing.

Check out the videos from our adventure!

Stay positive - always!

So what's the moral of these stories? It's the code I live by - STAY POSITIVE - ALWAYS! I never let things get to me. I don't worry. I don't stress. I just stay positive and positive things happen to me. So next time something unfortunate happens to you, turn that into a positive! Tweet it out, blog about it, tell your friends. The conversations it creates will make you feel much better.

Do you have any stories?

If you have any stories about turning your negatives into a positive please leave them in the comments! I'd love to see what you're doing to make your life a more positive one!