Choosing Your Web Browser

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Jennifer Tsang

Just 3 years ago, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (IE) dominated 69% of the web browser market share. According to StatCounter, the 2011 web browser market share is split 37% IE, 27% Chrome, 25% Firefox and 6% Safari. It might seem like IE is still dominating the market, however, keep in mind that IE has been around since 1995. Chrome launched late 2008, just 3 years ago.

The fact of the matter is, the top browsers are all pretty damn good and choosing your web browser really depends on your browsing purpose. Chrome, Firefox, Opera and Rockmelt are all the fastest, sexiest and bestest. As for IE and Safari, well, I advise to use them for one activity only: downloading one of the browsers below.

Chrome.

Google Chrome is a must for web-aholics. Like all of Google’s other products and services, Chrome sticks to its open-source guns and is very simple yet highly customizable, not to mention, it’s disgustingly fast. Chrome and Firefox have many great features; I’ll highlight those unique to each in order to avoid redundancy. My favorite Chrome features include:

Built in Sandboxing – Top-notch security that keeps any data to individual tabs including your Flash and PDF plug-in. This might be very technical, so if it doesn’t make sense to you, just know that it’s a very good thing for your computer’s security.
Incognito Browsing – Your computer won’t log any history in this mode, great for when guest uses your computer and wants to log you out of all your auto-signed in accounts. Note: the websites you visit can still track cookies and all the other crumbs you leave.
Google Integration – Data is fully synchronized with your Google Account.

Firefox.

Evenly matched with Chrome is Mozilla’s Firefox. It used to be that Internet Explorer was the backup browser when something on Firefox wouldn’t run. But now, Firefox is compatible with almost all websites – I even use it as a backup for pages Chrome can’t run. Favorite Firefox features:

Do Not Track Mode – Complete privacy where your browser nor visited websites can track your data
Extensive Add-ons – Customize Firefox to your browsing style.
Widely Compatible – I have already mentioned this, but really it’s a big deal. Firefox does beat out Chrome in support with a number of websites.

Opera

Opera is THE choice for mobile browsing. iOS or Android, do yourself a favor and download Opera and forget about your stock browser. Opera Mini Browser is optimized for iOS while the full-blown Opera Browser is available to Androids with powerful hardware. Both Opera and Opera Mini are extremely powerful, extremely well built out and will noticeably speed up your mobile browsing and efficiency.

Rockmelt.

Here’s a wildcard browser many of you might not even know about. Rockmelt is a browser for social media lovers. This browser fully integrates with your Facebook, including chat, posting, newsfeed etc. Additionally, you can add practically any social network as well as other website apps such as Tumblr, CNN, etc. for live news updates. Imagine Facebook and a browser like Chrome or Firefox getting together and having a baby – you’d get Rockmelt (see below).

Google+ Musings

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Courtney O'Rourke

It seems this holiday weekend was not just about your typical fireworks, BBQ and beer. This year, Google+ took center stage in many conversations around grills, campfires and swimming holes. If you were one of the “lucky” beta invitees out there, chances are good you have spent some time over the last few days building your circles, trying to figure out how to connect your Instagram feed, and cheerfully observing the hoopla around Google’s quest to take out Facebook.

The initial pains of building another network, from scratch, AND having to engage were definitely enough to keep me at bay- at least for a few hours. I finally gave in and started the initial set up, which took about 15 minutes. As the weekend went by, I couldn’t help but check in on my growing circles, attempt to invite more of my friends (which I haven’t been successful with since that first hour) and after many tries, got my Instagram feed to publish. What’s the most interesting thing about Google + for me? Simply all the buzz around this shiny, new toy. I can’t wait to see how it plays out.

The world is definitely buzzing with Google+. Chris Brogan’s recent article provides an in depth look at how powerful, or weak this new toy really is, or has the potential to be. What are your musings so far? We’d love to hear from you!

Must Have Mobile Apps

Posted on May 10, 2011 by Jennifer Tsang

So I’m finally caught up with the times and own a smart phone (insert Android plug here). To the left is a quick visual of what I have gathered so far.

All jokes aside, smart phones have drastically changed anything and everything digital. They have made us more accessible, efficient and ultimately, more mobile in almost every social and personal endeavor. Here is my list of must have mobile apps:

Yelp – Yelp is my food and entertainment bible. If I’m ever in a new town or just can’t decide where to eat or what to do, Yelp is my best friend. Yelp’s and its users’ ratings have yet to do me wrong.
GasBuddy – Gas. Prices. Won’t. Stop. Climbing. Use this application to find the cheapest gas near you – where ever you are!
USA Today – All news outlets now have their own mobile app. I particularly like USA Today’s because of its easy-to-read-on-your-tiny-phone-screen format and sharing capabilities straight from the app itself.
Google Voice – You don’t need a smart phone for this app, but the Google Voice App makes managing voicemails a thousand times easier. My favorite feature – it transcribes your voicemails into text messages so you don’t have that annoying cassette symbol in the corner of your phone.
Foursquare/Facebook Places – Initially, I was annoyed when people would check in where ever they went. But I admit it, I’ve become one of those people. Restaurants and shops offer some pretty nifty giveaways and deals for people who check in – try it out. It’s also kind of satisfying to oust someone as Mayor..
Shazam – Don’t you hate it when you hear a song on the radio that you like and you want to know what song it is, but the radio hosts never says the name? Download Shazam, turn it on, hold it up to the speakers and Shazam will tell you the song name and artist in less than a minute.
Pandora – If you haven’t heard of Pandora yet, you’re missing out. They created the “Music Genome Project” that creates playlists for you based on a song or artist. Create as many playlists as you like and take this limitless music player on the go!
Drop Box – Drop Box is great not only on your computer, but now you can access your account mobile! I’ve ran into many instances where I needed to access personal as well as business files on the road. Drop box is THE cloud solution for file sharing and their mobile app is excellent for on the go business.
Evernote – Evernote enables you to “Remember Everything.” It allows you to take notes and jot down ideas, experiences, store pictures, anything. It connects your account through all the mobile devices in your life so you’ll never forget a thing – theoretically.

5 Ways to Attract A’s

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Sarah Hardwick

Even in a tough economy, you can attract your ideal “A” customers with a little planning and creative visualization. When times are tight, it can be tough to turn down opportunities that would bring immediate financial benefit, but might not be a good fit for your business in the long term. Filtering out these “B” and “C” clients will save you time and resources while producing more meaningful and profitable relationships in the future. Use your imagination and visualize the perfect client roster with the help of these five strategies.

Read the full blog post here courtesy of our friends at Bop Design.

Zenzi Salutes StandOut PR and Social Media Campaigns: 4 Killer Campaigns, Including One to Sink Your Teeth Into

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Courtney O'Rourke

At Zenzi, we are firm believers in recognizing firms and companies that are doing things right. In addition to creating great content and fresh ideas, we are also big on acknowledging practices with proven records. And just because it has been used before does not mean that other companies can’t learn from an idea, expand on an underlying theme, tweak or combine a concept with a company’s own take on it, as is done in the industry all the time. This post marks the first in a series that recognizes top campaigns and ideas in PR, marketing and social media.

We welcome your ideas and feedback on who’s got your attention. Here are a few that we think hit it spot on.

Continue reading →

Pop Quiz Time!

Posted on February 22, 2011 by Tenaya

Ready for a pop quiz?

As PR professionals, measurement is a huge part of the job. Creating a plan and even implementing that plan isn’t enough to have repeated success. It’s crucial to measure traditional media and social media success of your program from start to finish.

Put your skills to the test and take this quick PR News quiz to see how much you know about PR measurement.

Take quiz!