Inserting Music Into Your Orkut Profile

When it comes to adding music to your profile, there are several Orkut Apps that you can easily use to insert your favorite song for your friends to hear.

Orkut Apps for music lovers range from iLike, to Music Playlists, but one Orkut App that caught my attention was My Music (not to be confused with the other My Music, which syncs with your iTunes).

Like most of the "insert music to profile" Orkut Apps, My Music heavily depends upon YouTube in order to display (and play) your favorite song.

After installing this app, users can simply type in a song...

...and hit the search button (with the magnifying glass on it) which will bring up a list of related songs, artists and videos.

Simply click on the song that you want to hear and a new page should appear with the lyrics to the song that you have selected.

Users can then select whether or not they want to add the song/video to their profile.

If you click yes, a pop up should appear alerting you that your song has been chosen. Afterwards, click over to your profile page and listen to your favorite song.

Important: Since not everyone will enjoy your music (or will be allowed to listen to it, especially if they are at work), please be sure to turn the auto play feature off.

Two other cool things that you can do with this Orkut app is that you can insert an image within the background, or even hide the video.

The only setback to this music Orkut app (and all of the ones similar to it) is that it does not allow users to upload their own songs directly, forcing them to host them on YouTube.

If a company could find a way to allow users to legally select (and play) any song of their choice (even if their was an audio ad in the begining), they would probably find themselves dominating Orkut (not to mention other social networks as well).

Access MySpace, Facebook On Orkut?

With the social network wars heating up (especially between Google and Facebook), two new Orkut Apps have appeared on the scene allowing users to access both MySpace and Facebook.

Before one goes and rejoices how "Social Stream" is becoming a reality, these apps seem to allow users to only login through the iPhone interface of Facebook and the mobile interface of MySpace (so these are not the full blown versions).

Here is a screen shot of the MySpace Orkut App (which can be installed over here):



And here is a screen shot of the Facebook Orkut App (which can be installed over here):



Either way, these apps should make it easier to access friends who may not be as active on Orkut, without consuming too much bandwidth.

Note: As far as Facebook goes, this is the second time someone has submitted an app on Orkut (as it was previously working before mysteriously disappearing "over night" last year).

Google seems to be approving even more Apps on Orkut, although most users will not be able to see them unless they live in India, Estonia or have access to the Orkut Sandbox (note: sigh, no love for Brazil).

Google Rolling Out Adsense Upon Orkut Forums Again?

(Hat Tip: Kaushik from Ortuk)

It looks like after testing Ads on Orkut profiles, Google is slowly experimenting with AdSense within a few Orkut communities.

Here are several screen shots from the APPLE : iPhone now with 3G :) forum...



...the India Pakistan Friendship Club forum...



...the United Nations forum...



...and a personal favorite of mine the Brain Teasers forum.



I came across numerous other forums with Google Adsense being proudly displayed, although a high number of them seemed "broken" which may be more on my end since I am using the latest beta of Firefox 3 (which has yet to support GreaseMonkey and Google Gears).

Google previously included Adsense within Orkut, before mysteriously removing them (which may have been due towards users blocking them with GreaseMonkey hacks).

Although there is no word on whether or not Google will share Adsense revenue with forum owners, they have allowed users creating Orkut Apps to display adds alongside their application pages.

Hopefully Google considers sticking with the ads (or even sharing revenue with users), as they could help not only reduce the cost of running Orkut, but help pay for new features for the site as well.

Sweet! Insert YouTube Directly Into Orkut Video Favorites

It looks like Google has introduced a feature on YouTube that allows users to directly insert their favorite videos from YouTube directly into the Orkut favorite video list.

(Official Orkut Blog) Have you ever been watching a funny video on YouTube and decided halfway through that you must share it with your orkut friends? Previously, you had to go to your orkut "favorite videos" page and copy-and-paste the video URL to post these clips. Now you can share videos on orkut directly from YouTube! Click on the orkut logo under the video you are watching on YouTube, and you'll be taken directly to your "favorite videos" page on orkut. The URL of the video you're watching will already be loaded, so all you need to do is hit "add video" to post. Now that it's easier than ever, go ahead and share videos with your friends on orkut.

In order to access this feature, users have to simply log into YouTube (and Google account, if they are not already connected) and click on the share button.



Next, locate the Orkut icon and click on it.



A new pop up window should appear showing your Favorite Video List page with the YouTube url already filled in.



Last but not least, simply hit the "add video" button and your video should be imported within your Orkut video favorite list.

Note: Here is a video that I have just added to my Orkut favorites list, which may be familiar to those of you who saw Steve Job's WWDC conference.





This feature is definitely a time saver (at least for me) and Orkut users will probably love this feature since half our planet is on YouTube anyways.

My only request for the Google team would be to figure out a way to insert all of our YouTube favorites within Orkut in a single click, as some users may dozens (if not hundreds) of videos listed as their favorites within their profiles.

Orkut Forums (Recommended By Google)

(Hat Tip: Ortuk)

As if Orkut was not distracting enough for everyone, it looks as if Google has released a new feature that will suggest forums for users to join (which seems based upon the communities that you and your friends have already signed up for).



Orkut will display up to three recommended forums for users, and if one desires to see more they can click the "view all" link or simply visit orkut.com/Communities.aspx?tab=5 to view the entire list.

If the communities recommended to you are not relevant, boring, lewd or down right irritating, users can simply ignore future suggestions from that forum...



...as well as find out why Google recommended the forum to you in the first place (by clicking on the "Why was I recommended this?" link.



Users can also turn off this feature (if they want to preserve "screen real estate"), although most users may find it to be quite useful in discovering new communities.

Note: I wonder when Google is going to do something similar with friends, as well as Orkut Apps?

Google Taking A Bite Out Of Orkut Forum Spam

In the never ending war against Orkut spam (which seems to be increasing lately, at least in my Orkut inbox) Google has unveiled a new tool for community owners to help keep their forums clean and on topic.

Basically this feature allows forum owners to restrict access to communities based upon email (like @gmail.com, @yahoo.com or @ilovemyjob.com).



(Image Credit: Gaurav of Orkut Plus)

This feature may not only reduce spam from "strange email addresses," but enable businesses, charities and schools to establish public networks that are only accessible to those with the approved email address.

For details on how to set this up, please visit Orkut Plus!

Note: I am not seeing this yet in any forums that I own, but if you are seeing it within yours, let us all know how you feel about it (or even how it can be improved) in the comment section below.

Orkut Geolock? (Plus Nation Status Restrictions)

After logging into Orkut recently, I came across this message on my Orkut home screen:

(Orkut) New! Now you can select the countries from which you want to accept friend requests and profile visits. Your profile country is set as your default preference. To add countries, visit privacy settings or change your home country in edit profile.

Users can simply visit orkut.com/PrivacySettings.aspx and scroll down towards "my network."



Once there, users can simply select all countries (to accept friend requests from everyone, as well as profile views) or add select countries to their list by hitting the "add country or region" button (which will open up a drop menu).



While I am unsure whether or not this feature will enable users to "hide" their profiles from most of the public, the feature will allow users to only accept friend requests from users of certain countries.

Speaking about countries, it looks as if Google is only allowing Orkut users to change their nation status (or where they live) once a month, which seems to be an unusual move by Google.



While Google may have valid reasons for doing this (whether its to help keep the servers humming or to ensure that the Orkut Demographics are accurate), this move may not be a good idea for users, especially if they live inside a hostile area that is not friendly towards freedom of speech.

This is the first time I have actually seen a social network do this, as Google's rivals (Facebook, MySpace, etc.) allow users to edit their status whenever they want.

I wonder how users will react towards this?

New Orkut Domains For India And Brazil (And England Too?)

(Hat Tip: Rahul from Devils Workshop)

While there has been no official announcement regarding this, it looks like Google has rolled out international versions of Orkut for Brazilians and Indians on Orkut.

Users from India can visit www.orkut.co.in
while those in Brazil can login over at www.orkut.com.br.

This comes to no surprise as Brazil and India make up Orkut's largest user base--at least according to the Orkut demographics:



Google has also registered Orkut domains for the following countries (although these all redirect towards Orkut.com):

• England: www.orkut.co.uk


• Australia: www.orkut.com.au


• Canada: www.orkut.ca


• Germany: www.orkut.de


• Portugal: www.orkut.pt


• Israel: www.orkut.co.il


• New Zealand: www.orkut.co.nz


• And probably many more!

Note: Ironically, it looks as if Google was not quick enough to register the Pakistani domain (www.orkut.pk), although it looks as if one user is using it as a proxy to bypass filters and allow people to log into Orkut (not to mention several other Google products).

I wonder if Google is willing to buy that domain from them? ;-)

Google Launches Orkut Themes (But None For Me?)

(Hat Tip: Gaurav from Orkut Plus!)

It looks as if Google is rolling out Orkut themes (also called "skins" or templates) for Orkut users in order to help them spice up their profiles.



(Image: An Orkut beach theme, Credit: Demonoid via Orkut Plus)

This is a smart move by Google, as it will enable most of their users to customize their profiles without the need to switch to Firefox (as most Orkut users are fans of internet explorer) as well as speak geek.

Previously users were able to temporarily customize their profiles for Diwali (a major holiday in India).

There is no word on when Google is going to be rolling this feature out to the rest of the community on the Official Orkut Blog, but hopefully the word is "soon." :-)

Note: For those desiring to check out these Orkut themes before they go live, you can visit Orkut Plus! for more details...

Exit Question: While these themes are beautiful, I was wondering whether or not it would be better for Orkut to allow its users to design submit some more skins for the site? (with a directory provided, similar to the recent Orkut Apps)

Over 100 Orkut Apps (Which Ones Do You Enjoy?)

Despite the fact that Orkut Apps are still only open towards users residing in India and Estonia, (unless of course you change your residency to one of those countries) it looks like Google is allowing more applications to be displayed in the directory, which currently lists (as of this post) over 100.

While the Official Orkut Blog has highlighted several apps for users to check out, here are some new ones that users may be interested in.

Superscrap



Superscrap does what the title implies--it enables users to send colorful scraps (note: only within the app) to your friends.

The app is powered by Potalz.com, and while it is quite useful for sending out mass messages, its only drawback is that there is no button allowing you to select all of your friends at once (or even select groups).

That aside, this app can be quite useful for those not fluent in geek, and is probably safer than using Orkut's mail system.

Note: Users can insert this app over here.

Amazon Store



While this app is not officially from Amazon.com (its from one of its affiliates), it may make it easier for Orkut users to find the perfect gift without having to leave the realm of Orkut entirely (which is really helpful for me since Father's Day is coming up in a few weeks).

Note: Users can insert this app over here.

Blood Search



With blood shortages becoming frequent in certain parts of the world, this app (powered by Mastiff) could potentially save a life (if not your own).

Users basically fill out their blood type, when they last donated and contact info (such as email, phone).

The only drawback to this app is that it only searches the blood type through your friends. Hopefully Mastiff will update the app that will allow users to submit their blood type to a public community while keeping user info anonymous.

Note: Users can insert this app over here.

Fotoflexer



Fotoflexer is one app Orkut lovers will enjoy--especially if one has thousands of pictures in their Orkut album (which increased the maximum number to 10,000 images earlier this month).

Unfortunately there does not seem to be a way to pull images directly from ones Orkut Album (an item they will hopefully resolve in the future) although users can upload images to either Picasa Web Albums or Flickr and pull them from there (or from their computer).

Note: Users can insert this app over here.

These are only a few of the many apps that I came across while surfing the Orkut App directory. If anyone spies any other useful apps feel free to share your opinions (or links via blog reviews) in the comment section below. :-)

Google Testing Orkut Status Updates On Select Profiles

It looks as if Google is selectively testing out a new feature that allows users to post their status updates for their friends to see.



(Image Credit: Pramod of Tech Alert)

This feature looks very similar to what Facebook has, with the only exception being that you can add emoticons (i.e. smiley faces, etc.) to the status bar.



(Image Credit: Pramod)

Pramod's profile seems to be the only one that I have seen this on, so if any other users are seeing this pop up on their accounts, feel free to comment below with a link towards your blog and/or image.

Note: I wonder if the Orkut team could find a way to connect this feature with Twitter, as I would hate to have to update three different sites at once.

Update (5/3): Just received this yesterday! I wonder if Google has rolled this out to the rest of the Orkut kingdom? Also, as far as somehow connecting this with Twitter, I am going to see if HelloTxt would consider adding Orkut status to their "mini updates" page, as it would make it easier to update all of these sites at once.

Scrapboy To Help Orkut Users Access Facebook?

A new version of Scrapboy has been released, which may appeal to many Orkut users who may have fallen in love with program since its last update.

While the previous version of Scrapboy allowed users to access both Orkut and MySpace, it looks as if Assaf (the creator of Scrapboy) has now included Facebook to the mix.



This should make it easier for those who are frequent members of both networks to keep up with friends (especially if you live in different time zones around the world).

The interface is pretty much similar to what one would see on Orkut, except that it has a "facebook twist" to it.



Embracing some of the more popular social networks is probably a smart move by Scrapboy, as it seems all of the social networks (or at least Orkut, MySpace and to a lesser extent, Facebook) are discouraging users to use third party software to log into their sites (for security reasons, of course).

Note: As far as Orkut goes, I think it would be really cool if Scrapboy added a feature where users could search and post YouTube video's (not to mention slide shows from Slide, Flickr and Picasa Web Albums) as HTML scraps are becoming fairly popular on Orkut scrapbooks.

Belated (Yet New): Co-Ownership In Orkut Forums?

(Hat Tip: Orkut Plus)

Google has enabled Orkut forum owners to add additional owners to the forums, giving users more control over their communities.

Aside from having all of the powers of a moderator, co-owners can un-delete a forum in case the previous owner no longer desires it, as well as assume ownership of the forum if a community has been hacked.

Forum owners can add co-owners to their forums by clicking on the "add co-owner" link which they can find on their community profile (above the "add moderator" link)...



...then typing in the name of a member of the forum that they want to add...



...then hit the "search members" button after selecting the person. After that, Orkut should bring you to a new page in which you can then grant that individual co-owner status by hitting the "grant co-owner privileges" button below.



You can add up to two co-owners to each forum, which a lot lower than the 10 moderator limit set by Google. However, I would recommend users only adding co-owners to their communities if they are hosting a forum that has a history of being stolen via hackers (or at least many threats/attempts in the past).

I would also suggest forum owners only grant people they highly trust (or have met offline) with this status, as co-owners do have the ability to remove the original owners threads.

Orkut Apps For India, Estonia...Who's Next?

After previously launching Orkut Apps for Estonia, it looks as if Google is slowly opening the gates by allowing Indian users to test out its features.

(Orkut Developer Blog) Last month's prelaunch testing of the orkut developer platform brought a small set of third-party applications to less than 1% of orkut users. After implementing various improvements, tweaks, and fixes, we are moving into the first stage of the official rollout process by announcing the platform's availability in India, which represents about 10% of the orkut user base.

More analysis can be seen over at Devil's Workshop as well as the Official Orkut blog, who has provided this helpful video on how to add an app to your Orkut profile.





While its good to see more users being able to access Orkut (without having to visit the sandbox aka Orkut beta), Google seems to be ignoring Brazilians, over half of all Orkut users on the site (note: they may have done this for financial reasons, as having millions of Brazilians hitting Orkut Apps could put a strain on Google's servers).

Hopefully Google will decide to include them (as well as everyone else) in the next roll out--otherwise they may have a mini revolt on their hands. :-)

Google (Quietly) Launches Orkut For Mobile Phones

(Humorous Hat Tip: Rahul of Devils Workshop, see Note below)

After many months of waiting, seeking and pondering over whether or not Google would develop a mobile version for Orkut, it looks as if my wish has come true.



In order to access the mobile version of Orkut, users simply have to point their phone's browser over to m.Orkut.com and login using your Google account.

The mobile version includes most of Orkut's key features, allowing users to access their scrapbooks, check out their profiles, accept/deny friend requests and search Orkut via the Universal Search (adapted for mobile viewing of course). You can even flag profiles, a feature many spammers will probably loathe.

Unfortunately you can not view communities which is a bummer, as every attempt brings up the infamous "bad, bad, server" error pictured below.



Hopefully Google changes their mind in the future, as adding forums to the list would make Orkut much more fun place to surf (especially on the iPhone).

Launching a mobile version of Orkut is a smart move by Google, as it will help thwart users from having their passwords stolen by logging into a third party site from their cell phone.

On a side note, Google's launch of Orkut mobile probably explains why Orkut decided to launch a "low bandwidth" version of their site, an item that Jerry from Orkut Plus go into more detail about.

Humorous Note: I "accidentally" discovered Orkut mobile after reading this post by Rahul over on Devils Workshop regarding Orkut's low bandwidth version:

Orkut could have done this better by creating a dedicated mobile version like m.orkut.com or wap.mobile.com.

After pondering what would happen if I typed in m.Orkut.com, I was delighted to see a mobile version of Orkut instead of the dreaded donut error. So thanks Rahul, I owe you one! :-)

Update (4/16): It looks as if Google has finally acknowledged Orkut Mobile over on their mobile site (hat tip: Born to be Wireless).

(Google Mobile) Fret no more -- if you have a web-enabled phone and a data plan, just point your mobile web browser to m.orkut.com, and stay connected to your friends anytime, anywhere.

We understand that often your phone's data network isn't as fast as your computer's, so in designing orkut for mobile we focused on offering the features that are most useful when you're on the move, instead of replicating all the desktop features.

I am still waiting for the ability to surf forums via Orkut Mobile. But until then, it will hopefully save time reading the latest scraps via iPhone.