In this episode of PRobecast, Renatta Siewert and Justin Martell join me in talking about the man who live-tweeted the Bin Laden operation, Google adding video chat to the Android phone and Assange calling Facebook a spy for the government.

Man live-tweets Bin Laden operation – A Pakistani man live-tweeted the raid that killed Bin Laden – the most wanted terrorist in the world. As he strangely heard the noise of a helicopter above him he started tweeting about what he heard. Quickly, he gained 14,000 followers. He continued to blog about the noises that he was hearing and became the first to document the operation. This goes to show the power of 140 characters.

Android phones will have video chat capabilities – Google recently revealed that it is adding video chat capabilities to the Android phone. This will allow users to chat from their phones, computers or tablets – however these capabilities are only available if you have an Android 2.3 version – it also requires 3G, 4G or a WiFi connection. Is this about time or right on time?

Julian Assange says Facebook is a way for the government to spy on you – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange recently was interviewed by Russia Today. During the interview he called Facebook “the most appalling spy machine that has ever been invented.” Harsh words, but he does have some reasoning behind it. While the government doesn’t run Facebook, they do have access to the database of information that people willingly make public. What do you think – is he just talking crazy?

Now it’s time for the PRobecast PR Power Ranking – which is when we go around the room and pick the story that we think ranks the highest PR-wise – meaning any aspects of PR could be the reasoning behind the pick. Is it the story itself, good data that was used, what’s getting the most pickup, was it a good PR move the company made, etc.

This week’s winner is the live-tweeting of the Bin Laden operation story. This just shows how social media has become such a significant factor into our every day lives. Social media allows people to become self-publishers, and while most people will never get recognition from their tweets – in this instance, it let a regular guy be the first to document one of the biggest events in history.

What story do you think should have won?

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Technorati Tags: Android, Bin Laden, Facebook, Google, Julian Assange, Twitter, video chat

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Sony recently unveiled its two new tablet PCs which will go on sale later this year (let the drooling commence…) and I must say that I think we may finally have the iPad killer Android users have been waiting for. The timing couldn’t be better either, after the failure of the Samsung Galaxy, Motorola Xoom and Blackberry RIM Playbook to prove a worthy competitor to the iPad.

The first tablet, dubbed the S1, is a 9.4” tablet that is thicker on one end and tapers down toward the other end, making it easier to grip. The other tablet, cleverly called the S2, is a smaller, clam-shell style device that folds open to reveal two 5.5” touchscreeens and can easily fit inside a jacket pocket.

Sony tablets S1 & S2

I have a feeling I will end up purchasing at least one of these devices, perhaps both. Although Sony products tend to be a little more expensive than their competitors, their quality, reliability and design more than make up for it. I’ve been using the same Sony Vaio laptop for the past 4 years with no problems (knock on plastic) patiently waiting for the right time to upgrade, which is hopefully coming in a few months.

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Technorati Tags: Galaxy, iPad, PC, Playbook, S1, S2, Sony, Tablet, Xoom

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We had a special guest joining us during this week’s PRobecast – Sam Whitmore, founder and editor of Sam Whitmore’s Media Survey, which provides tech media analysis and consulting to tech PR Pros and media buyers. Along with Sam, Topazers Tony Sapienza and Liz O’Donnell join me for a round table discussion about how PR has changed – from pitching to different social media tactics.

Add to our discussion – how else has PR changed?

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Technorati Tags: Infographics, Pitching Media, Sam Whitmore, Scare Tactics

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