Need to Know - Small Business Technology: January 11, 2012

Obama Administration Reportedly Plans to Create Internet ID for All Americans - Just because the President says a federal agency's developing a national Internet ID is not a national ID nor government-controlled system, doesn't make it so. I don't expect this to get any traction outside the current administration's small span of control. You do need to read this and watch for future announcements.

How to Make Great Connections on LinkedIn - Inc magazine posted some good tips on building really useful connections on LinkedIn. Three tips plus an introduction on engagement.

Social sharing buttons improve email click-through rates by 115% - Blog post with a colorful easy-to-read infographic. Bottom line - include social media sharing buttons in your email newsletters 'cause your readers will click on them.

5 Social Media Tricks You Need to Use - Really like these five tips as I've never read them before. "Tweet the Tweeter" is my favorite and I'll start using that tip this evening.

What Your Eyes Say About Who You Are - Fascinating Time article on research done on eye movements while reading web pages. The article includes information on which types of ads and where disrupt reading. The final paragraphs describing applying heat maps to a surgical training video was mind blowing. This research has the potential to radically change how training videos are edited for almost all occupations and tasks.

12 Predictions for the Mobile Landscape in 2012 - Don't know about the prediction of companies having their own app stores (maybe Walmart or McDonalds), but I can see mobile phones as research tools and gamification of learning. Bad news if you're invested in stand alone cameras, GPS, Flash and unlimited data plans.

Socializing Mobile Learning in the Enterprise - Five strategic tips on getting mobile learning started. Summary: partner with someone to create a small project that does something useful, even if it may result in negative feedback.