oprah posts
Oprah's Favorite Tech Things
Oprah Loves Skype, Her Viewers Don't
Computers, Windows Software, Mobile Software, Mac Software
Oprah to Devote Entire Show to Skype
Skype software enables its users to instant message, talk, and conduct video conversations anywhere in the world, completely for free. Fans of Oprah were introduced to the computer program on her show a year ago, and the media mogul uses the service to converse face-to-face with guests, fans, and even bears.
On Thursday, May 21st, Skype president Josh Silverman will visit 'Oprah' to discuss the features the technology offers to its subscribers. In true over-the-top Oprah fashion, the show will have a bunch of people calling in from exotic locales around the world. Judging by the video teaser for the episode -- titled "Where the Skype Are You," for the record -- you can expect to see video chats on an airplane, a submarine, Antarctica, and London's Harrods department store.
Oprah's BlackBerry Eats Her Homework
Cell Phones, Web, Social Networking
Most Twitter Users (Oprah Included) Quit After First Month
Do you cringe every time you hear the word 'Twitter?' Maybe gag a little bit whenever someone mentions 'Oprah' and 'tweeting' in the same sentence? Patience, Twitter haters; the cacophony of tweets may be dying down. Despite the media's infatuation with the social networking site, Nielsen Online is reporting that 60-percent of Twitter's first-time visitors give up on tweeting after a single month.
While the attrition rate is an improvement over the previous month's, which was 70-percent, Twitter still holds on to far fewer of its members than do rival sites Facebook and MySpace, which both boast 70-percent retention rates. Nielsen predicts that this may damage Twitter's long-term success, as the future might not find "enough new users to make up for defecting ones."
Don't fret too much, Twitter lovers. The numbers may not be fully indicative of the true number of twitterers, as Nielsen only tracked traffic to the Twitter.com URL. Mobile viewers -- who exist in large numbers because the site's 140-character-or-less messages predispose it for easy viewing on phones and iPods -- were not taken into account.
We're not going to put too much stock in this survey, as Twitter is still a relatively new site and many people visit just to see what the talking heads' hubbub is all about. And, even though Oprah hasn't been twittering at the same frequency as Ashton, we all know that, if Oprah tweets it, they will come.
One thing we do know is, Twitter has been hard for lots of people to figure out, so, if you count yourself as one of those people, then be sure to check out our Twitter 101: Tips and Tricks tutorial. [From: Nielsen and Media Memo]
Celebrities, Web, Social Networking
Oprah Tweets, and Twitter Grows...a Lot
At long last, devout Oprah fans can keep up with her fascinating daily life, reading enthralling updates such as "going to read the Sunday papers and have a skinny cow or 2!" Woohoo! While some may lament the loss of Twitter's "coolness" with the arrival of Oprah and her hordes of followers, we'll say that we'd read her tweets all day long before ever going back to Martha Stewart's page. Oprah, by the way, already has close to 500,000 Twitter followers. That's about 40,000 more fans than Martha, in case you daytime media maven fans are keeping score. [From: Hitwise, Via: USA Today]
Celebrities, TV, Web, Social Networking
Oprah Tweets on TV (Thanks, Ashton!)
Earlier today, we wrote about a monumental turning point in Twitter's history. No, the site hasn't been purged of its chronic downtime (fail whale), and obnoxious "social networking media marketing mavens" haven't been banished; instead, the All-Powerful Oprah began tweeting (@oprah).
The day-time hostess announced yesterday via Facebook that she would begin using the microblogging site today. On schedule, Oprah made her Twitter-debut with:
HI TWITTERS . THANK YOU FOR A WARM WELCOME. FEELING REALLY 21st CENTURY .
Great. Fortunately, the all caps were toned down in the afternoon's later tweets, and Oprah -- we hope she doesn't have a ghost-writer -- even showed off the knowledge of a Twitter regular by sending an @reply to Demi Moore. Not too shabby for a beginner. We're not seeing too much of interest from the great daytime oracle, despite drawing in 163,412 followers (as of writing). While her follower count may be significantly lower than that of today's guest, Twitter King Ashton Kutcher, we're sure Oprah and her followers would thrash Ashton and CNN in a Twitter war. [From: CNET]
Celebrities, TV, Web, Social Networking
Oprah to Tweet on TV Today (Say That 10 Times Fast)
Yesterday, at approximately 2:10 p.m. EST, Oprah Winfrey announced her entry into Twitter society via a post on her Facebook page. Less than two hours later, she already had upwards of 33,000 Twitter followers.
According to TechCrunch, Oprah will welcome Ashton "King of Twitter" Kutcher to today's show, from whence she will emit her very first tweet. Apparently, Kutcher has pledged to donate $100,000 to fight malaria in Africa, but only if he can amass one million Twitter followers before CNN does (which he did around 2 a.m. this morning, becoming the first user ever to reach one million followers). For our part, we can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want to hear the former sitcom star talk about his "wifey," as opposed to reading a respected news source's discussion of world-changing events, but the whole malaria-fighting thing can't hurt.
Regardless, TechCrunch predicts a mammoth boom in Twitter users as a result of Oprah's show tomorrow, and we won't argue. If Oprah can convince the world that some dude's a genius, and months later convince it that the same guy is a total douche, she can certainly get a few thousand people to join an already fashionable social network. We're just glad that she is still using her superhuman powers of persuasion for good, and not evil. [From: TechCrunch]
Facebook Founder Zuckerberg Stimulates the 'Oprah' Crowd
Last week, Oprah hosted Facebook wunderkind Mark Zuckerberg to discuss his constantly expanding social networking site. The site, originally created by Zuckerberg and a few Harvard classmates five years ago, now numbers over 175-million members with 500,000 more joining everyday.Prior to the sitdown, we said it would either be the most bizarre or the most boring interview since Tom Cruise, and it certainly wasn't boring, even when the conversation turned to matchmaking. We're not sure what they put in the coffee in the Oprah greenroom, but it has to be something more stimulating than Diet Coke. Appearing almost jittery, Zuckerberg seemed over-anxious to dispel the '60 Minutes' inspired notion that he's boring and reserved. Perhaps he's just so taken with Twitter that he was trying to answer in rapid fire bursts of 140 characters or less. Either way, you can decide for yourself after watching the riveting discussion above. [From: Valleywag]
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Facebook Founder Going on 'Oprah' Today
Unfortunately, Zuckerberg isn't the most riveting interviewee on any subject, much less Facebook, as evidenced by this '60 Minutes' snore-fest from January 2008. Let's hope Oprah can get the guy to loosen up a little.
So check your local listings and tune in this afternoon for what will most likely be the most bizarre (or boring) interview on 'Oprah' since Tom Cruise's couch hopping, anti-anti-depressant drug rant. [From: ValleyWag]
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Oprah-Approved Content Oddly Lacking on the Oprah-Approved Kindle
After the TV talk show queen threw her hefty cultural weight behind her "new favorite gadget" last year, legions of fans ran out and bought the hideous-looking (but admittedly useful) Kindle, only to find that less than half of the books in the Oprah Book Club were available for download on the device. Oddly enough, neither of Oprah's magazines ('O' and 'O at Home') were available for the eReader. It turns out that this is still the case.
We're a little surprised at such a lack of planning from someone clearly trying to take over the world. On the plus side, it may mean we'll be able to find a lot of low-priced, slightly used Kindles on eBay from disgruntled Oprah fans. [From: The Register]
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Oprah Shows Off Her First Cell Phone, Complete With Matching Outfit!
How long have you owned a cell phone? We're sure there are some of you out there who still go without, but for most, a celly of some sort has been a constant companion for at least a few years now. Not for Oprah Winfrey, though, the world's richest woman in entertainment. She may have her own YouTube channel, but she's actually never owned a phone until very recently, and took Tuesday night's post-election festivities as an opportunity to show it off to the world.
As seen in the above pic from geeksugar, Oprah was seen carrying a handset in a leather case that perfectly matched her outfit for the evening. Unfortunately, the case obscures just what model of phone it is, but we're guessing some sort of BlackBerry, and that RIM is thrilled to have added Oprah to its long list of celebrity addicts. [From: geeksugar]
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Oprah Calls Kindle Her "New Favorite Thing," Gives Everyone $50 Off
Been waiting patiently for the next-generation Kindle(s) to hit the market? Growing increasingly frustrated with the wait? Thanks to the Amazon e-reader becoming Oprah Winfrey's "new favorite, favorite thing in the world (can't you see the jubilation on her face?)," you might just have to finally pull the trigger on the existing iteration. As a special offer for 'Oprah Show' viewers (and by extension, everyone who reads this post), Amazon.com is now offering $50 off of the Kindle's $359 price tag by simply entering the code OPRAHWINFREY at checkout and envisioning Tom Cruise leaping on your computer desk. Better act fast, though -- the offer's only good through November 1st, and yes, that Tom Cruise bit is required.
[Thanks, Chad]
Is Oprah Ditching Books for the Amazon Kindle?
A trailer on Amazon features clips of Oprah talking about her "new favorite gadget," which she called "life changing." The video doesn't actually say what the gadget is, but the Financial Times's Chris Nuttall says it could be the Kindle, which makes sense since Oprah is an avid reader and whatever she recommends on her show or puts in Oprah's Book Club usually sells through the roof.
Tune in at 4pm today for confirmation that Oprah has bestowed her grace upon the device. Hey, maybe she'll give out a free Kindle to everyone in the audience. Oh, and Amazon, please don't ever use the phrase "what it is" ever again. Thanks. [From: Financial Times, via Silicon Alley Insider]
