Hung Truong: The Blog!

Openbook Reveals Less Than Facebook’s Own Search

A while ago, I found “Openbook,” a frontend to Facebook’s own search APIs that expose status updates from people who have them set to be public. The site’s purpose is basically to point out how much potentially embarrassing information is available, and how easy it is to find.

I thought this was a really clever idea. Then I realized that Openbook actually shows less than what Facebook does. I went over to Openbook and clicked on the query for “getting divorced.” Then I ran the same search inside of Facebook. Openbook has the same results, but Facebook also includes replies and “likes” to the status messages. In some cases it even shows comments from users who do not make their own status messages public (but replied to a public one). I suppose that’s another thing that should be added to the list of “Things Facebook shares about you that’s not readily apparent.”

Here’s the Openbook search I did:

And here’s the Facebook one:

Way to one-up Openbook, Facebook!

Amazon Ad Targeting Fail: IE8

I just got this ad while shopping at Amazon. This is an ad targeting failure for a number of reasons.

• I am using Chrome, which is better than IE8
• I am on a MacBook Pro, which isn’t even supported by IE8
• I was not shopping for a new browser, I was shopping for video games

I went ahead and clicked on the link for the lulz. I ended up getting to this strange terms page with a bunch of links to download the software for different (Windows) operating systems. How bad of a user experience is that!?

It appears they are after a quick buck with this “partnership” and really don’t give a crap about going about it properly. Too bad for them. At least they have an ad feedback box for me to mock them with:

Anime Nano iPhone App For Sale! (Free)

My first iPhone application has been approved and is “ready for sale” in the Apple App Store! I decided to do a native version of Anime Nano, which already has a mobile site. This native one loads faster and also doesn’t have ads (yet). Get Anime Nano for iPhone!

If you install it and play around, you’ll notice it’s really simple and lacks features. This is on purpose. Instead of spending a lot of time getting it perfect and including all features of the full website, I figured that I would release the most simple functioning app first. I read a bunch of Rework before having to return it (I borrowed a digital copy from a library). Rework basically suggested that software be light and easy to use, and I think Anime Nano for iPhone fits well within that mentality.

I plan on iterating on Anime Nano to improve it. I think enabling an iPad version would be the next logical step, as well as including things like the personalized blog list and series, and search.

Anyway, if you have an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, please download Anime Nano (for free) and let me know what you think!

A Chat With Hung Truong

I use Olark (formerly Hab.la) on my portfolio site. It’s a widget thing that lets you chat with your visitors. My friend Ben invented it, so check it out.

Anyway, some guy just started chatting with me on it. He was also named Hung Truong. Here’s the strangeness that ensued:

webuser5.1128: yo

me: hi

webuser5.1128: sup man

me: not much bro

webuser5.1128: where u from?

me: uh, you’re on my portfolio

webuser5.1128: my name is hung truong 🙂

me: what

me too

webuser5.1128: like seriously though

i search my name in google

and this website came out

me: yeah, cool

do you have a website?

webuser5.1128: nope, but nice webste man

me: thanks

there’s also some hung truongs in the news

webuser5.1128: wow

me: like one who killed a police officer or something

that’s not me

that’s not you either, right?

webuser5.1128: hahaha

nooooo!!

me: ok good

webuser5.1128: lol

me: just checking to make sure

webuser5.1128: i was born in vietnam

are you by any chance vietnamese

?

me: my name’s vietnamese but i’m actually chinese

my parents lived in vietnam

but i was born in the US

webuser5.1128: cool

i g2g man nice talking to u dawg

me: yeah you too

bye

webuser5.1128: peace out

[System] (visitor closed chat)

SXSW Student Startups Podcast Up!

SXSW just posted their audio recording of the Student Startups panel that I moderated! Here it is in embedded form, or you can download it, too! [audio:StudentStartups.mp3]

Oh man, I sound super nervous (I was). Please let me know what you thought of the panel if you didn’t get a chance to attend and you’re hearing it now for the first time!

Thanks again to my panelists, Ben, Ellen and Marc! They did a terrific job!