MobileBeyond
By Brian Prows
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Podcast Description
Enter a podcast focused on the future of mobile and media. Discover how new communication technologies are changing how we work, our leisure time and relationships, as mobile morphs into new forms of media not yet invented
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| 1 | VideoSelling Technology Products and Services: The PBFA Model | Selling Technology Products is Challenging Over ten years ago, when I was managing call centers and sales departments, I developed a solution sales and marketing strategy called PBFA. The strategy was universal in that it could be used to better understand people's needs and help them find solutions. While I implemented the strategy primarily for selling technology products and services, I believe it's also an excellent guide for persuading people in general. (See my ProCareerSearch blog and article: Professional Career Search in 16 Steps.) Identifying Latent Pains Leads to Success Briefly, the PBFA model is similar to other selling models with a greater emphasis on discovering prospect pain. I use the word pain, rather than need, want or desire, because you're more likely to engage a potential employer if you dig deeply to reveal gut-wrenching, underlying latent pains. People rarely reveal latent pains. In fact, most people don't even about the latent pains secretly lurking beneath the revealed pains. Many sales persons think they're only problems, needs, issues, wants and desires. Latent pains, on the other hand, are frequently intermixed with underlying distress. Bringing latent pains to a customer's mind therefore enhances selling as it makes it easier for buyers to see how products and services solve needs. For a greater understanding of pain in sales, see: The New Solution Selling: The Revolutionary Sales Process That is Changing the Way People Sell Selling is not a Dirty Word In the 18 minute screen video, I share the basics of the PBFA model. If you consider selling as persuading or negotiating or interviewing, you'll better understand our new age of selling. It's intertwined with psychology, social media and networking. Although I mention mobile a lot, understand that the PBFA model is very powerful. You can effectively use it to sell anything. Best yet, it's great for creating call guides, presentations, white papers, ads and commercials. Please make sure you download Quicktime Player for Windows or Mac . To view the video, click above. When you're through watching, I'd appreciate your comments below. Enjoy. | 5/15/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Mobile Commons Sponsors Text Fest at Lake Mobile, Iowa | By Brian Prows Mobile Commons sponsors Text Fest in Lake Mobile, Iowa It's 2012, the "year of mobile." In ancient times--say 2006-2010--major brands, agencies, marketers and advertisers resisted adding mobile to campaigns. But then they heard ab... | 4/12/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Farmville Customer Service Gives TLC to Zynga’s Game Players | Farmville Customer Service Like Farmville customer service? Having avoided Farmville for two months, I must tell you how delighted I feel this week. Zynga and its caring public service team reached out to me. Here's the first email from the company's VP of Player Advocacy and Service: "Hello Brian, We noticed that your Farmville game has been quiet for some time. Just a short time ago, your game was thriving from your TLC and creativity. We wanted you to know that your game misses the sweet sound of your mouse clicks. As a part of the Player Advocacy Team, I wanted to check with you to see if you had any game-related issues that made you move on to other pastures. And because you were so dedicated with with game, I'd love to get your feedback on what would we could have done better. We value all of our players and want you to know we're on your side. Let us know how we can get your game going again and we will do our best. If you would like to submit your feedback, please reply to this message." Warm regards, VP Player Advocacy and Service Zynga Inc. Now, how often do you hear from technology companies that truly appreciate your business? Especially one that cut its cord with Facebook to better serve its customers. As I re-read the email, I almost cried, partly in guilt because I used the MouseTractor to quickly harvest my crops. Farmville Customer Service - My Reply And so I replied to the VP explaining why I avoided Farmville: "Hi... Great title for a job, I must say. Two reasons for cutting back on Farmville and CityVille. First, I don't have as much time to play due to my schedule. And second, I got tired of Zynga's constant barrage of digital commercials. Sometimes it took me five minutes of saying no to your offers before getting to my farm. I'm sure during that time the strawberries were withering. I also think you should get rid of the restrictions on player levels and what I can get with my points, not just my farm cash. I've heard that only 3% of Zynga's players send you money. But I bet you you'd earn a lot more from a larger percentage of your millions of players if you charged less and offered more. The energy thing is another irritant. After buying Brian's Donut Store or whatever, I'm forced to use lots of energy before I can open the front door. Sometimes construction takes weeks. I'm a blogger and podcaster (see MobileBeyond ) and I've written about Farmville. If you're interested in some humor, try googling "Brian Prows Farmville." I wrote a scathing piece on Zynga and Farmville last year." Keep those games coming! Best, Brian P.S. If you or anyone else would like to appear on MobileBeyond, let me know. Giving TLC to Farmville Game Players What an opportunity! I shared with a Zynga VP my candid comments about Farmville customer service. In fact, I'm certain Zynga's Farmville Team did cartwheels when they read my response. After all, I believe that Zynga's customer care team is just as responsive as Facebook's. Here's to ya! Customer Service Contact by Zynga Rep Boy was I surprised when a Zynga Player Advocate sent me an email the same day! I've rarely seen such responsiveness and dedication by the Farmville customer service team. Here's what she said: "Dear Brian. Thanks so much for your feedback. We truly appreciate you taking time to voice your opinion. I am gathering feedback from several dedicated players such as yourself to make a strong case to the Farmville studio for game updates. For your inconvenience, I’ve credited your account with 25 Farm Cash, so that you can still have some fun in the meantime. About your interview query I appreciate your information and I'm forwarding your inquiry to the correct team. Thanks again and I sincerely hope that you will consider visiting our games in the future." Have a great day! Regards, Zynga Player Advocate Follow Us on Twitter @zynga Well, Zynga's Farmville customer service team has truly proven to me they CARE. | 3/31/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Mobile Ads + Tablets + Ice Cream Sandwich + Carriers Vie for Money | Some people think mobile ads are intrusive, apps for laggards, tablets are toys and Android Ice Cream Sandwich a silly name tied to Android OS. (That's assuming they know Android refers to a smartphone operating system and not Data on Star Trek.) These... | 2/29/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Amobee Mobile Advertising Adapts to Roller Coaster Industry | Amobee Mobile Advertising Changing Roles in a Dynamic Industry Speaking with Mark Strecker and Gabi Schlinder about Amobee mobile advertising is both exciting and worrisome. On one hand, new forms of media fill our digital and mobile devices as demand rises in developed and emerging markets. Quality of content varies, but consumers indeed have substantial news, sports and entertainment programs available. In fact, people seem to have an insatiable thirst for multimedia, causing telecommunications companies to transition from hardware to software, from dumb phones to smartphones. Consumers' demand for mobile smartphone apps increases. Content producers--like mobiTV--deliver streaming video on a monthly fee basis through the carriers.. Consumers willingly pay for some digital content--movies, sports, special events--but still shy away from most Internet services. That's changing as customers mentally readjust from buckets of minutes to buckets of data. The carriers drool, content producers jump for joy and the mobile advertising folks happily wait for the next Gartner report.. But mobile hardware, like tablets, has mesmerized consumers. Amobee's Gabi Schlinder constantly sees flyers' using iPads and other touchscreen devices. She comments in the podcast about her vision of wireless-enabled glasses, watches and mobile augmented reality, powered by mobile devices with faster processors, higher screen resolution and mobile broadband. How about a pad computer with a detachable phone built-in for an evening out? These technologies and applications offer mobile advertisers profitable opportunities for sophisticated advertising campaigns. Dynamic Mobile Advertising Ecosystem In the podcast, Mark and Gabi share their insights about the changing roles of mobile advertising . Like other firms, Amobee helps brands, agencies, publishers, ad networks and operators facilitate campaign creation, placement and measurement. In a complicated ecosystem like mobile, filled with multiple players like real estate, having experts at the helm is the only way to pull it off. But with trust and greater ad spend come commitments. Key brands and large agencies, for the most part, have blessed mobile as an effective advertising channel. After the blessing, though, comes performance expectations. Mobile advertising firms must show results. If brands and agencies are going to increase mobile ad spend, they expect to reach goals.. Mobile Advertisers Becoming Mobile Consultants When Mark and Gabi speak about their business, they almost sound like consultants or adult counselors. They talk about "providing advice" to publishers and operators. "Building relationships" is now the mantra in the mobile ad biz. So Amobee is targeting developed Asian countries, Latin America and, naturally, the U.S., a country that's mobile hungry. The predicted 50% smartphone penetration in 2012 is only the beginning. Listen to two forward-looking executives as they paint a picture of a mobilized, advertised world. Amobee - Mobile Advertising - Further Information Amobee Blog MWC - Mobile Advertising - Emerging Markets Amobee Introduces User Generated Ad Unit (Thanks to Hans Roxas-Chua - @HansRC) Amobee Focuses on the Rest of Asia (Thanks Kurt Bilafer - @Bilafer) Bloomberg Amobee Statistics Mark Strecker Chief Operating Officer Mark Strecker has 20 years of mobile phone and high-tech experience. Prior to Amobee, Mark was VP of Solutions at Cellmania (acquired by RIM), a leading mobile content platform provider, where he focused on market development and account management relationships with mobile operators and strategic partners worldwide. Mark has been instrumental in building successful start up companies, serving as the VP of Business Development and founding team member of MSX (acquired by Cellmania in January 2008), and co-founder of Convade, a rich media content management solution provider. | 2/28/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Mobile World Congress Virtual Reality Coverage on MobileBeyond | Mobile World Congress Virtual Reality Coverage Welcome to Mobile World Congress Virtual Reality coverage on MobileBeyond. Rather than flying to Barcelona, Spain from California, I've set up interviews with mobile execs at MWC. So we're nine hours apart but the distance closes to 15-30 minutes delayed coverage. Unlike a newspaper, magazine, digital media can change "static" reality into "dynamic" reality. Well, if you use your imagination a bit! Along with MWC "live" interviews, I'm sharing previous MobileBeyond and IM-Mobile podcasts with you during the week. This "static" content comes from 65 mobile and wireless experts, who shared their knowledge with MobileBeyond listeners in the past three years. You'll hear intelligent discussion about mobile marketing and advertising, mobile technology, Mobile communities including social networks and much more. If you can't wait, hear any podcast interview on your mobile phone, MobileBeyond or iTunes. So, as Jackie Gleason used to say (for readers who remember him on TV), "...And away we go! | 2/27/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Tablet Computer Screen Sizes Befuddle Consumers | When Steve Jobs said the best size for a tablet computer screen (i.e. iPad) was 9.7", all the bright manufacturers, especially Samsung, turned their noses up. Secretly, Amazon did the same with the Kindle Fire. Gotcha, Apple, we'll make smaller screens for consumers who want them. Heard through the mobile grapevine today....Verizon Wireless and Apple will release a 4G smaller iPad. Movies, graphics and text will stream in front of your tired eyes, until you hit the LTE button to slow down. And what happend to the ideal tablet computer screen size of 9.7"? Well, we change our minds, don't we, especially in a hot market like tablets. Consumer electronics gadgets are funny gizmos. On the one hand, consumers gaze in amazement at 55" OLED TV panels. Then they can't wait to get their hands on thin smartphones with larger displays and light tablets with smaller displays, despite fast battery drain and fickle touch screens. Years ago, mobile buyers liked tiny flip phone screens for talking and texting. Then, Cingular (now AT&T) released the first Motorola RAZR at a whopping $500 + two year contract. Faster processors and improved components came to market, encouraging manufacturers to emulate Apple's iPhone design. So today it's nearly impossible to find a mobile phone without a touch screen, camera, mp3 player, GPS and lots of apps. We call them smartphones not because they're "smart." They just have more bells and whistles. Tablet Computer Screen Schizophrenia Yes, folks, manufacturers and carriers are spreading a new disease called tablet computer screen Schizophrenia. Symptoms include wanting the largest screen size on a smartphone, blurry vision and finger calluses. Then tablet fever hits. Apple's loyal customers were first to get the symptoms when the iPad hit the streets. Older folks--that's over 40--next bought them, skipping the smartphone craze while jumping quickly to an iPad. To the dismay of Apple lovers, the evil folks behind Android (Google, Samsung and others) had the gall to produce a smaller tablet computer screen. And Amazon took the prize with its 7" Kindle Fire. Confused consumers stared at their choice of screen sizes, decided to try Android, causing Apple's tablet market share at the end of 2011 to drop to 68%. Any consumer electronics company would do cartwheels over 68%. But Apple likes to win in its markets. So...good luck Verizon, 4G and smaller iPad. Mobile Device Market Unlike Any Other For years, auto manufacturers changed their branded car designs around every 4-5 years. This avoided unhappy buyers complain a year later they bought the "old" model. A new model would make their neighbors sneer at their poverty. The same is true of most durable consumer goods from washers to vacuum cleaners. I mean, would you feel embarrassed if your best friend found you using last year's Kenmore washer? But mobile and wireless companies change models several times a year. Poor Apple must release new iPad models to compete against newer technology. So whether you want a 7", 8", 9" tablet computer screen, wait a month. Your local Walmart will probably have it. | 2/14/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Mobile Website Design & Hosting Boost Local Commerce in 2012 | Mobile Websites - Effective Communication Tools for Business As an overstressed business person--perhaps a 16 hour a day entrepreneur--Mobile website design and hosting are probably low on your totem pole. But your business depends greatly on adopting mobile best practices, including launching a mobile site in 2012. Everyone's talking about the mobile Web. Everywhere you go, people pop out smartphones and tablets. Mobile users view their handsets as indispensable.. They keep their mobiles close to them 24/7. Mobile phones have changed human communication more than any other medium of this century. Business owners who believe they can wait to mobilize are greatly mistaken. The world has already turned to mobile devices as the primary communications device. Due to the desktop Internet and smartphones, users' quality expectations have also risen. Your competitors realize the power of mobile, especially its effectiveness in local search advertising. Can you avoid taking the plunge? Mobile Website Design & Hosting Podcast with Annette Tonti of Mofuse You needn't convince Annette Tonti of Mofuse, my podcast interview guest. She talks excitedly about the six billion mobile users, 6,000 types of mobile phones, hundreds of browsers and exploding smartphone growth worldwide. Mofuse and its competitors have positioned themselves for rapid growth in the next two years. Firms marketing a one-stop solution for design, optimization and hosting, like Mofuse, present a compelling case. Podcast Interview Topics: Why consumers now consider mobile phones a necessity, not a luxury. Likewise, companies want a mobile presence and believe it's essential their growth. Users want mobile websites. Each month 366 million people search Google for "How to Build a Mobile Website" Building mobile websites that aren't "crunched-down" versions of the desktop Internet is critical Importance of considering feature phones, as well as smartphones, is key when designing and creating content and layout. Compatibility with 6,000 mobile phone and tablet types, as well as hundreds of browsers, is necessary. Android and BlackBerry smartphones are especially challenging Page load time, especially with the growth of rich media advertising and 4G networks, has raised expectations of the mobile experience. (Mobile handsets are now as powerful as desktop computers.) Concurrently, Google, Yahoo and others are pushing for a fast desktop Internet and standards that improve mobile broadband performance Why user easy of use when navigating a website is critical. Mobile website design and hosting companies need to offer full mobile management services: design, optimization and hosting Mobile websites will reach 25 million in 2012, while it took until 2001 for non-mobile websites to reach that number. 88% of the Japanese now access the Web each day; 66% in the U.S. Video marketing's influence in growing as rich media firms like Crisp Wireless Benefits of outsourcing mobile website design to experienced programmers, improving user engagement Delivering fast auto-detect and switching to mobile sites Correction in podcast: Local search referred to is 50% of mobile search Further Resources: Brian Casel, a web designer, wrote a concise article on mobile website design called "10 key considerations for your mobile Web design strategy. His article covers why you need a mobile website to examples of companies who have successfully built them. Highly recommended. As mobile websites proliferate, measuring their effectiveness is crucial. Google added mobile measuring analytics to its site. Marketers can review in-depth information about mobile site visits, demographics, device type and more. See "Can Google Mobile Analytics Save Your Business." Mofuse and Annette Tonti Annete Tonti Annette Tonti, a seasoned executive with over 20 years of business and entrepreneurial experience, runs Mofuse, Inc. | 1/30/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Vegas CES Heating City – Retrevo’s Andrew Eisner Podcast | 125,000 Vegas CES attendees invading desert town for sizzling electronics show. Each person, emitting 100 watts, like light globes, crushing Vegas's AC system, 1.3 BILLION watts raising heat. TV's, computers, smartphones, other gadgets draining juice. AC maxing out at Las Vegas Convention Center. CES heat won't melt cell towers and mobile gear. Root Metrics and PC Mag say plenty of voice and data pipes for everyone's smartphones, laptops, netbooks, ultra's, pads--20 pounds of gear. Verizon, leading pack like wolves. AT&T madly deploying LTE broadband. Sprint, T-Mobile equally confident. TM staff cartwheeling on hot pavement; AT&T, like the Borg, no longer assimilating them. They will comply. Prepping for Vegas CES Andrew Eisner of Retrievo fame cools feet with good pair of shoes. Enjoying walking exhibit floors, eyes searching for hidden companies sporting little-known products. Attendees fixated on 55" OLED TV's, $8,000 + tax. Rich folks planning to take some home. Gadgets lying on floor never making it to market. Manufacturers testing exotic products, like rare parrots, 50% dying a quick death. CES,, largest testing zone for consumer acceptance. Coke, Mercedes, Colgate-Palmolive, e-Trade, Timex big-wigs meet behind closed doors. Consumer electronics firms making media deals. Marshall McLuhan rolling in grave pondering "medium is the message." Interviewing Andrew Eisner Andrew and I talk. Mind-stimulating questions. Future consumer electronics. New gizmos no longer called "devices." Problem: products released without differentiation, say Android tablets against Apple, Amazon. No media, accessory aftermarket compared to two big "A's." No iTunes, App Store, Android Marketplace. No Kindle Fire Shop streaming videos, eBooks. Prices dropping on commoditized Androided, BlackBerried "devices." RIM considering buying Angry Birds'maker until BB OS ports to Android. Home entertainment systems wirelessly mating with $295 RIM tablets, Samsung OLED phones. iPhoners gobble bandwidth playing with Siri. Retrevo's AI technology scanning Web for pricing, products, specs. "User sentiments" later added telling customers what to buy. Back at CES Vegas Show-and-Tell Room Andrew, feverishly, describing 4K passive 3D TV's. First ones not cool. Newer ones way cooler, connected devices filling homes with media. Apple's Airplay, like DNLA technology, cohabiting with M's Xbox and S's PlayStation. Bringing all gadgets together....the "cloud," Windows 8 saving Microsoft, Intel's new processors, ultrabooks, DSLR digital cameras. Vegas CES sizzling under January sun. 3D Content: Devices - Media Content Retrevo - Consumer Electronics Amazon vs. Apple Tablets Retrevo 2012 CES Predictions Facebook Page Twitter Other YouTube Videos with Andrew | 1/6/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Fast Mobile Browser SkyFire Improves Web Surfing Experience | A fast mobile browser increases Internet speed quickly on the Internet for Skyfire users. Today's mobile websites demand lean-and-mean mobile Web browsers to render fast and accurate displays on mobile handsets. Mobile users expect super-quick web page loading on their phones, whether the content is text, photos, videos or graphics. This challenges carriers with 3G and 4G network. Data-hungry phones, running multitasking operating systems like Android,and Apple's iOS, require fast connection speeds. SkyFire's Fast Mobile Browser SkyFire located in Mountain View, CA company has developed the industry’s first fast mobile browser. Its technology includes Flash, Quicktime, Silverlight and other rich-media codecs for smartphones and other mobile devices. SkyFire makes your phone's mobile browser quickly delivers desktop and mobile web pages. The Opera browser works in a similar way. Web pages typically load in less than five second with SkyFire. Behind the scnes SkyFire’s proxy server compresses data 75% or more before delivering it to your handset. It's a cloud computing application that off-loads your mobile's processor. Online publishers' websites also benefit as content is delivered to your phone more quickly. SkyFire supports Windows and Symbian mobile phones at present. But the company will expand its support of other operating systems and handset in the near future. The company has raised $23 million from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Trinity Venture and Matrix Partners to develop and market its products.. Fast Mobile Browser from SkyFire Raj Singh and SkyFire In this podcast interview with Raj Singh, formerly SkyFire’s VP of Business Development, Raj discusses how the SkyFire mobile browser service works and its benefits to both mobile users and carriers, who are also investigating server-based solutions to improve network performance. He discusses what he calls the “fragmented web," predicting that network performance problems will continue due to multi-tasking operating systems and integrated social media features on smart phones. For example, having your mobile phone constantly connected to networks for social media that updates Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other services. Having a cloud in the sky, according to Raj, is a potential solution. Google’s latest search and mapping service, for example, off-loads mobile phone processing to large servers. This improves mobile Web browser performance and functionality when using data-intensive applications. High-end gaming is another example of an application that could benefit by off-loading processing, via the Internet cloud, to data servers. To cope with data demands on their networks, carriers and handset manufacturers are installing a fast mobile browser on their feature phones that delivers better handset and network performance. Podcast Interview with Raj During the podcast, Raj discusses his career and strong interest in developing new companies and technologies. He cites Veeker, a citizen journalism project, that helped individuals produce videos for TV stations. Raj also helped launch MobiTV that delivers streaming video to phones. Raj discusses how natural speech recognition improves user experiences. Yahoo, for example, drove search volume 30% higher by installing voice recognition technology. A mobile industry veteran, he assisted Dell Mobile develop its global SMS and WAP strategy. Raj is a strategy consultant to many other developing technical companies. He also regularly writes, speaks and blogs about mobile tech. | 12/17/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Free Facebook Phone from the Media? | How would you like a free Facebook phone? Did you know Truphone built an app for one in 2007? How about a mobile phone signed by Mark Zuckerberg? Would you pay $1 a year for a Facebook phone? Perhaps free Groupon coupons would get your credit card out of your wallet? Facebook Phone Idea Killed by Media Every day I scan media coverage of the mobile industry. And I'm struck by the hysteria, banter, hogwash, know-it-all attitude of people covering mobile--especially digital media. Pete Casmere in his CNN article, quotes an "informal survey" saying that no one wants a Facebook phone. His survey? No. It comes from the Wall Street Journal, which is quickly becoming the authority in the phone industry. Liz Gannes, writing for All Things Digital, part of the growing Murdoch WSJ empire, asks: "The Facebook Phone. Who Would Want One?" Casmere with CNN titles his piece: "Why is Facebook making a phone that no one wants?" (They probably got together to avoid the same article title.) Google, after indexing all this tripe, headlines the gushy words of "journalists," with: "Informal Poll. 80% of respondents don't want a Facebook Phone." In case you're wondering how many want a Facebook phone, Google says 7.8 percent. "See all 28 sources." I haven't the nerve, nor the desire, to read all 28 stories. But I think it's safe to say most of the quotes come from the WSJ. After all, what writer gets fired by quoting the Wall Street Journal? Android is Dead. Long Live the iPhone Sound familiar? Well, your editor would have praised you gloriously two years ago if you'd written about Android's demise. What happened? Well, a few small manufacturers, like Motorola, HTC and Samsung, decided to build them. Neither lawsuits nor Santa Claus, who slipped on the snow at the North Pole, will stop the jolly fellow from delivering the new Rudolph Android Smartphone this year. (That's the one with the red light on top.) No Facebook Phone stockings this year, folks. But if it passes media muster next year, Santa's already making Mark Zuckerberg stocking photos.You see, Santa uses Google to see what's hot. And if you type "Facebook Phone" in quotes on Google, you'll get 2.4 million hits. So much for informal surveys. Facebook Can Do Anything it Wants If Facebook lawyers can construct such elaboriate privacy policies that confuse even PhD's, surely Facebook for a few billion dollars can make a phone with its name on it. Perhaps even make a deal with one of the carriers for free texting and simpler cell phone bills. And what about those two-year contracts for smartphones costing you $350 when you stop paying? Surely, the Facebook phone wouldn't have those. So, unlike other bloggers, would-be mobile publications (you know, like Cosmo), I say "Who Wouldn't Want a Facebook Phone?" Even if it doesn't work, you can always put it on your mantle or turn it into a table lamp. | 11/29/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Paper Books vs. e-Books In Our Universe | Paper books or e-Books? Which are better? Several months ago, I visited Santa Cruz, a small coastal community south of the San Francisco Bay Area. As I sauntered past a Catholic Church having a rummage sale, I stopped to take a look at the hard cover paper books. I found a copy of Dale Carnegie's "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living," only a dollar, a steal. I bought it, brought it home and recently started reading it. As I held the book in my hands, turned the pages, felt the remarkable texture of paper and read, a strange feeling of wonder and fond memories of childhood came over me--something I hadn't felt for years. Paper books had reappeared in my life. Richard MacManus writes about this in his "Five Ways that Paper Books are Better than ebooks." He compares his experiences reading paper vs. digital books in five areas: Feel, packaging, sharing, keeping and second-hand book stores. His piece reminds me about my visits to used book stores years ago. Paper Books in our Lives Light from my floor lamp dances across the pages. Dark ink on bright white paper delights my eyes. Turning each page produces an unmistakable sound. Something about paper books--not digital e-books--causes deju vu. Days of my childhood reading books in a library floats through my brain. It's remarkable. Reading paper books causes primal memories to emerge in my mind. Despite the coffee stains, page tears and notes left by readers, paper books make me feel nostalgic for relics of my past. Dale Carnegie published "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living" in 1944. My copy was re-printed in 1984 (George Orwell would have loved the year). Whoever previously owned my book didn't make a single notation, mark or leave a curled page. The binding was tight like a new book. The book's flaws, if any, compared to an e-book's perfections, didn't bother me, except for the lack of underlining and notes that outline great content in books. Digital Book Imperfections and Reflected Light But digital e-books have imperfections too. Software mimics turning pages. Electronic bookmarks on an iPad pale by comparison to a paper bookmark, full of memories that enhance reading enjoyment. Antoher difference is lack of reflected light when reading. Electronic readers--except the black and white Kindle and Nook--are back-lit like computer screens, even television. Without going into the physics of reflected light, understand that as light reaches an object--like a paper book--it's reflected back in multiple directions. Your eyes use the reflected light to see printed type. Do you remember ever reading a book in a dark room with a flashlight? Not very easy, right? That's because, unlike a table lamp, light is reflected only from the area covered by the flashlight as you move it across the page. Now compare back-lit tablet computers, mobile phones and other digital devices. In bright sunshine, paper books are easy to read since they rely on reflected light. But reading type on an iPad, or other back-lit device makes it difficult outdoors. The type is not reflected back to your eyes. A Universe of Reflected Light Stare at the full moon. Take a hike through a forest. Walk into your kitchen. You're experiencing a universe of reflected light. Everything your eye sees in the natural world is due to reflected light. The Universe is not backlit. And because of that fact, paper books are easier to read than e-books. Does this mean the end of digital books and other publications? Just the opposite. e-Books are capturing the market as paper book sales drop. Computer and mobile device screens strain the eyes by causing us to blink less as we stare at back-lit screens. However, desktop and mobile devices aren't going away soon. Despite technology's constant forward movement, though, we can--and should--escape our digital world regularly. Read a good paper book lately? | 11/20/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Media Content Explodes says 5G Wireless Blogger | The year is 2036 and media content has exploded in a 5G wireless world. I insert a memory chip into your right index finger that connects along the median nerve to my brain's neocortex. I peruse the ancient writings of a blogger, writing about media content in 2010. I become fascinated with the story as it unfolds in the three dimensions of my brain... A Blogger's Thoughts on Media Content in 2010 Here's what the blogger wrote: "There's a price war underway among Apple, Amazon, Hulu, Netflix, Comcast, Directv and other media content providers. And it's growing fierce. "I wrote a piece on consumers' insatiable demand for streaming video and audio and why media content providers are battling each other for a bigger slice of an ever-growing pie (or pizza, if you like). But whether you're into pies or pizzas, the analogy is valid: both mobile and non-mobile folks are hungry, even ravenous for multimedia, especially video. Flashback to Color Television Media Content "Did you know the first patent for color television was issued to a German in 1904 and another in 1925? Then it took another 28 years until RCA in 1953 received permission from the FCC to broadcast in color. "CBS also started color broadcasts. But, unlike today's mobile carriers, whose 3G networks gasp for bandwidth, color television broadcasting in the 50's caused black and white TV reception problems. As a result, RCA sued CBS, refined the receiving sets and, in 1954, began selling color TV's that worked. Media Content Channels Grow "Flash forward 53 years to Internet broadband, fast microprocessors, 27" computer displays, 72' HD TV panels and smartphones. Not only has video quality vastly improved, but the media content pie gets sliced into smaller pieces as cable TV, broadcasting, the Internet, wireless and other communication channels compete. Premium Media Content Explodes "Premium content, a buzz phrase created by media content producers, distributors and marketers persuade you to pay more to view multimedia on your Samsung Amoled smartphone. After all, it's "premium content"--not regular content. It's worth more, yes? And it's only 99 cents...or $1.99...or perhaps more to watch special events. Surely, you have no problem with paying more because you're getting more. The content is not a five-minute YouTube movie trailer. Come on, this is PREMIUM content, like something you'd view at a theater for $12." Back to my 5G Wireless World I remove the memory chip from my forefinger, think about the blogger's world 26 years earlier, laugh and toss the chip aside. So much has changed. Media content is no longer a singular activity but a co-creation with many minds across the globe. I share my thoughts about the blogger with 100 friends--simultaneously-- around the planet. They chuckle too. "People really thought that way," they ask? "They watched things on screens," another queries? "Yes," I reply," but then they didn't live in a 5G wireless world." Wearing my artificial reality contacts, I strut out the door into a world created by my own mind. | 11/9/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Feeling Right with Your Smartphone After the Honeymoon | Smartphone Owners - Right...or Wrong? O.K., honey, I bought you. Even paid $300 because I wanted you to have more memory. You glow, move quickly and smoothly, side-by-side with me 24/7. Yeah...I got rid of the other one in my life. You're mine baby. No, this isn't a quote from an erotic novel for reading on long flights or before bed (time). I'm describing our infatuation with smartphones. New mobile owners will fight to the death feeling right after shelling out $200-$400 to the carriers, then sometimes wrong. It's super-duper buyer's remorse after the honeymoon. Then the honeymoon ends, like it did for many Android and other smartphone users this week when the iPhone 4S hit the market. Almost happened to me in a Sprint store, as I held my Samsung Nexus S next to the store's demo, secured with metal and crazy glue. I started to feel wrong about buying the Nexus. James Kendrick wrote an article this week in ZDNet called: "After the iPhone 4S, Android Just Feels Wrong," If you read Kendrick regularly or hear his podcasts on "MobileTechRoundup," he's the right-brained guy who tries being left-brained. In the article Kendrick writes about the Nexus S 4G ("...a phone I absolutely love..."). Then, comparing the iPhone 4S to his beloved Nexus S Android phone, he says "...The user experience [the Nexus] was jangling my nerves." His sudden change of lovers came after only three days with the iPhone chained to him: "It didn’t take me long to realize that after using the smooth, polished iPhone 4S that Android just feels wrong." Most likely, the RIM BlackBerry execs, after losing market share to Apple and others, must have said something similar: "Well, guys, I love my BlackBerry, but I tried the iPhone and my BlackBerry just feels wrong." Feeling Right about Smartphones Remember those TV commercials and billboards for Verizon Wireless? "Can You Hear Me Now?" Those were the days when people judged cell phones on the basics. Phone users acclaimed their mobiles based on hard reality. If you could hear someone who called you, that made your day. If your text message arrived before the next ice age, you were a happy camper. Got 4 bars on your flip phone in the mountains? That required giving thanks to the cell god before bed (time). And you had a nice dream about being right by choosing Verizon. Fast forward...Smartphones arrive...enticing...glistening...big screens... A lot of folks at first ignored smartphones except mobile geeks. Now everyone, including the family dog, needs a phone making them feel cool and contemporary. For James Kendrick, comparing his Nexus S to the iPhone 4S must have raised his blood pressure: "The inconsistencies in the user interface between apps and the occasional lag doing simple things like scrolling in windows just screamed at me." (I think he was talking about his phone, not his wife.) Feeling Wrong about Smartphones Starting in 2012, you'll have to Google "right smartphones," then "wrong smartphones." And out of the 200 million Google hits, guess what you'll discover? Right. The same phones are both right and wrong--for you. Kendrick and other reviewers will add "right and wrong" to their list of features and benefits. Take phone weight . "Well, Brian, that Motorola Droid 15 must weigh at least an ounce more than the Samsung SZ." That's wrong. Take the "browsing experience. Most smartphone buyers look for the best browser, which becomes extremely important as 4G wireless comes to your town. Kendrick says: "...seems like a jarring interruption to what I now know can be a fluid experience. And don’t get me started on pinching to zoom in or out on web pages and how terrible that is on Android compared to iOS." O.K., James, we won't talk about pinching. That's wrong. Choosing a Smartphone Without Feeling Wrong Henry Ford's closing sales pitch for the Model-T ("You can have any car you want as long as it's black") was easy. Today's smartphone buyer, however, | 10/18/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Future Mobile Media Publishing | As digital newspapers and magazines switch to the Web--especially using mobile apps--publishers must change mobile media copywriting strategies. This includes New York Times digital and mobile publications. I was an early adopter of the New York Times iPad version. But I found its iOS app inferior to the Wall Street Journal's which has successfully merged written content and multimedia into a dynamic mobile application. The Times sent me an email yesterday, poorly written by a copywriter, who demonstrates he doesn't understand mobile media marketing strategies. Here's the email's original copy in blue with my suggestions in red. ----- Dear NYTimes.com Reader (Brian) Our records indicate (We're very sorry you recently cancelled your subscription and wonder if you would share your views on the paper ) that you recently cancelled your Times Digital Subscription. When your subscription ends, please be advised (unfortunately you won't have access to...) that you’ll no longer have unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps. (Gap: Give me reasons to re-subscribe.) As a valued Times reader (since you've been a long-time subscriber...) we invite you to resubscribe and enjoy unlimited access once again at an exclusive rate of 50% off for 12 weeks. (This offer is available only to Times readers like you, who were among the first Digital Subscribers. (KILL) Reactivate your subscription and get (additional new, useful features to the iPad edition and improved the formatting for easy reading.). Unlimited access to all the award-winning articles, breaking news, videos and more. Keep up with the most honored news organization in the world (accurate, timely, insightful news from a top news organization) with two additional Pulitzer Prizes this year, The Times now has an unsurpassed total of 106. Three ways to enjoy The Times, at home and on the go. All options include unlimited access to NYTimes.com from your computer — and from there, you can select options that give you access to all sections of our smartphone and tablet apps. [Jumping the gun, plus they need to explain the pricing differences; for example, the iPad $20 per month plan doesn't include accessing the paper with an iPhone.]0 Click here to restart your subscription and save 50%. (We want to make sure you benefit the most from the New York Times, whether you read it on your iPhone, iPad or online.) In fact, we'll give you a substantial discount on the Times for three months at 50% off if you complete a short survey. Once again, we appreciate your business. Click here to take the survey and, if you wish, re-subscribe at 50% off. Thanks for your interest in the Times. We look forward to providing excellent new, information, sports, entertainment and more again. ----- Mobile Media Copywriter for Hire Notice that the NY Times email makes it seem that I made a mistake canceling. The email copy focuses on the Times--not me. Like print newspapers and magazines in the past, the publisher thinks that I foolishly cancelled my subscription due to price alone. And that by badgering me with lots direct mail in the past--email now, I'll give in. Not true. Although price was a reason, I mainly cancelled due to a poorly designed digital product that is inferior to the Wall Street Journal's app. The copy also sounds stilted, giving the impression that the Times hasn't changed at all. "Dear New York Times Reader" conflicts with the paper's new emphasis on smartphone, iPad and computer delivery of its content. Call me Brian and ditch "our records show." Talk to me as a person. "Please be advised" reminds me of a bank letter, usually with bad news (ex. "Pleased be advised that we've lowered your credit line"). "As a valued Times subscriber" is a trite customer service phrase that has yet to leave the English language. TELL ME how much you like me and why we should consider doing business together. | 8/24/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Take a Vacation with Social Media Mobile Devices | Have lots of social media mobile devices? You're ready to take a vacation. (Don't miss the dramatized podcast.) Picture this. You're relaxing under a beach umbrella with a gorgeous view of the ocean, your kids happily playing in the water, your spouse... | 7/29/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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News and Information in a Mobile World. What would Cronkite say? | In his parting television interview on CBS, Walter Cronkite bemoaned the 30 minute newscast and how only another ten minutes would provide greater context to television news and information. (Actually, his 30 minute evening program, watched by millions, was only 23 minutes with commercials.) Like small islands in a sea of information, he encouraged journalists to present more contextual, in depth and less flashy newscasts. His famous slogan "that's the way it is" (1M Google hits) may have been a bit pompous, but we believed him. We trusted what he said. And like other great journalists, he did his best within allotted time to explain the important news and information of the day. Cronkite died in 2009, labeled "the most trusted man in America." In a 2010 MobileBeyond post--"New Media Joins Journalists for 2010 Elections,"--I wrote: "Throughout most of the 20th century, large media conglomerates, funded through advertising, brought citizens the 'news.' If Walter Cronkite said 'that’s the way it is,' millions of viewers agreed. Yet even Cronkite, lamenting the networks’ 23 minutes of evening news, said: 'We are not educated well enough to perform the necessary act of intelligently selecting our leaders.' Even some voters in the Tea Party this year might agree with him.'" In his farewell to television, he expressed his concern about the status of television news: I wonder if Cronkite, handed a smartphone enabled with national and worldwide news and information, would praise Bob Schieffer on CBSNews.com for his 2:46 second video coverage of the U.S. Postal Service's layoffs? Or the Congressional budget fighting lasting 3:21? How about CNN.com and other sites, such as National Public Radio, that offer longer and more comprehensive content? Are lengthier news reports--text, audio or video--necessarily better than shorter ones? Do they heighten our understanding of issues, problems and solutions? If Cronkite could choose his venues to present more comprehensive coverage, using today's new media, which mobile or digital channels would he choose? Mobile News Sources Mobile streaming video, provided by MobiTV and other media companies, is growing faster on the Internet than any other medium. Cisco estimates video will consume 90% of all Internet traffic in the next five-seven years. Netflix dominates the consumer video streaming space, while 18 million people per hour visit YouTube. Increasing millions of smartphone and tablet computer users get their news primarily from digital sources, while most newspapers are dying a slow death. News and information channels fill the Internet and mobile Web with hundreds of choices, while mobile apps deliver multimedia experiences. If Cronkite crawled out of his grave today , which media and news sources would he choose? Would he keep his status as the most trusted person in the media or criticize digital media? If Cronkite leapt from the grave, used his personal computer, smartphone, iPad, television or radio, here are news and information channels he'd find: Slate. This is a very slick news and information website and mobile app. Viewers choose from home, politics, arts, life, biz & tech, science and blogs. The articles can be lengthy and the app offers podcasts and videos. When I chose the science category, up popped stories about whether coffee is good for you, why dogs rub against things that smell bad, the government's ban on airport naked body scanners, one about NASA's new "pumpkin" suit astronauts use to carry all their gadgets and another piece debating if yogurt is good for you. I won't mention the last one called "Would your dog eat your dead body?" In all fairness, despite the Tea Party probably disliking Slate, its stories are quite often intriguing. Wall Street Journal. The digital pad edition has professionally integrated full-length WSJ stories from the print version with videos containing newscasts resembling network news programs. | 7/27/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Mobile “App Store” Making Apple Delusional | Apple's threatened lawsuit against GetJar, calling itself a mobile "app store," demonstrates Apple's delusional grandeur to dominate mobile, media, entertainment and other industries it fancies. The notion that a company called "Apple" can latch on to a commonly used phrase within the mobile industry is ludicrous, pompous and just plain dumb. That Apple's lawyers in the suit would suggest alternative slogans to GetJar's management is beyond belief, except for the $18 billion at stake, per Gardner, for mobile app stores in 2011. GetJar, a successful firm in San Mateo, CA, has provided quality mobile software downloads to millions of customers before Apple crawled out of its baby crib in 2007. In my podcast interview and blog post with Patrick Mork last year, "app store" is mentioned three times and "app" five times. If Apple had its way, my post would sound as if written in 2004 (i.e. "the GetJar mobile software download service"). Anyone who cares about the fast-growing mobile industry should be concerned about the constant flurry of lawsuits among Apple, Nokia, Samsung, HTC and other handset manufacturers. Not content to win legitimate patent infringment cases, Apple now raised swords with GetJar and any firm selling software calling itself an "app store." Apple Lawsuits and Suggested Alternative Names Since Apple is not happy with its 32 million "Apple App Store" Google hits, maybe the company should go after the following businesses as well. (Oh, make sure its lawyers include suggested name changes to management in the first threat letter.) To help quell Apple's lawyers neurons, I've suggested a few juicy alternatives: The Amazon Mobile App Store (Android only, but that's probably next on Apple's list.) I suggest "The Amazon Zap Store," featuring the "CatZap," a wireless device to better control feline behavior. The Facebook App Store (in the making): I suggest "FaceApp Farm Store." The Shopify App Store. I've never liked the company's name. Take the first letter and change everything to "The Sap Store." Baidu's App Store. Perhaps "Bada Bada Online." While Apple, like Julius Caesar, continues seeking world domination, perhaps it should go after the U.S. Government which also provides online mobile apps. USA.gov also includes the word "easy," an word found on virtually every Apple webpage if not in the legal department. "EasyUSA.gov" sounds good to stop the wrangling in Washington about the national deficit. Restraint of Trade. Not only does Apple want the name, it seeks to dominate worldwide pricing and profits in Korea and elsewhere. Don't like its terms? Then sell Windows phones. For this friendly country, how about KoreaSoft. The BlackBerry App World comes close to not meeting the right words. Should BlackBerry own "world" and forbid any other mobile software company from using it? That means no "Apple App World." Shucks. But never mind there's always The CrackBerry AppStore with no space between "App" and "Store." Are they safe? Other Apple Litigants Apple's lawyers have focused so much on mobile "app store," it's missing bigger game to shoot like its company name. Just a few letters to the right and others with the word "Apple" would fall like fruit flies in Winter. Apple, the fruit, and all derivative products such as apple juice, pie, sauce, butter, crisp, cider and dumpling. Surely Mott's and other manufacturers of these products can come up with sexier names than juice, crisp and cider. All companies with the forbidden name: The Apple Automobile Company that made a car with the same name in 1915. But who in their right mind today would buy a car named after a fruit? Publishers like "Apple Comics," printed by Apple Press. They're plenty of funny apps. Who needs printed comics? All kidding aside, I worry a lot about our Cupertino folks. If things don't subside soon, the town hospital will have to dispense Prozac to company management, especially the legal team. | 7/12/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Mobile AntiVirus Software from AVG Keeps You Safe | Now that you've protected your personal computer with antivirus software, it's time to zap those mobile electronic bugs before they invade your smartphone. Here's a list of the top ten 2012 mobile antivirus software products. Tony Anscombe, who has the auspicious title of "Ambassador of Free Products" at AVG, says Android phones, in particular need attention. Mobile phone buyers continue changing from PC's to mobile devices, according to Tony. Meanwhile, sophisticated hackers, who create malicious bots that invade phones, are making $11,000 per day. They go where the fishing is better, like Windows PC's and Android phones. Over ten years ago, AVG opened its doors and now has over 110M customers worldwide. Two years ago, management, observing the growth in Android, purchased Droid Security (now AVG Mobiliation), a mobile antivirus software firm in Israel. The purchase turned out prophetic as Android smartphones and tablets are growing faster than Apple's iPhone or iPad, increasing the need for antivirus software. AVG's Free Mobile Antivirus Software AVG's free mobile product is more than an antivirus tool, however. There's an App Killer letting you easily free up memory, an App Locker allowing you to password protect apps you want kept under control, Data Backup (contacts, messages, call logs and system settings) a trial App Backup, possibly useful if you've purchased apps and want a quick restore, Wipe Personal Data (remotely), as well as a File Scanner. Many of the programs are in beta and one called Spam and Scam is only available on the premium software version. One useful feature is entering your name which periodically appears on the front screen when unlocked. Registration for all the services is easily done by entering your Gmail or other email account. Many mobile anti-virus software features are available from Lookout in San Francisco. (See the John Hering post and podcast on MobileBeyond.) Tony Anscombe - Mobile Anti-Virus King Tony Anscombe joined AVG in August 2009, bringing over 20 years of IT experience. In the past 12 years, Tony has worked in the security industry. Before joining AVG Tony handled the consumer product division of German based Avira, an Antivirus company, responsible for paid and free antivirus products. He helps bring mobile users products and service to market that protect your phone from malware and data loss. He also coordinates AV product testers who improve AVG’s product quality and security. AVG Technology and Mobile Anti-Virus Software AVG is a global security software maker with 110 million consumers and small businesses in 170 countries, eliminating the increasing incidence of Web threats, such as viruses, spam, cyber-scams and hackers. With two decades of experience combating cybercrime and one of the most advanced laboratories for detecting, stopping and combating Web-borne threats, its free, downloadable software protects mobile users from viruses and malware. Now with its mobile antivirus software, AVG extends its mobile phone protection worldwide. In the podcast interview, Tony openly talks about the future of mobile security and AVG's philosophy that everyone should have anti-virus software (thus, the free AVG version). | 7/7/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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How Much Does Technology Cost? | Technology Costs and Benefits How has technology delighted or failed you? Are you doing cartwheels about your personal computer, mobile smartphone, TV, audio system or central air conditioning? Or, like me, despite the greatest inventions, do you occasionally question technology’s cost, counting a gadget's price, upkeep, warranties, downtime and loss of use? Derived from the early 17th century Greek (tekhnologia, meaning “systematic treatment” and tekhe, referring to “art and craft” plus logia, “logic”), we usually think that technology is the application of science resulting in tools, systems and services bringing us pleasure, reduced physical and mental labor, along with its negative consequences. For example, the railroad system replaced butt pain riding a stagecoach and reduced travel time. Autos brought increased control over leisure and mobility. We could choose to live in one city and travel elsewhere for work. Vacations became more varied and pleasurable as we visited new and wondrous places. Along with these and other benefits, of course, came smog, the high cost of a national highway system and thousands of deaths on the road each year. Costs reduced the benefits of auto technology. Despite the added burdens of car payments, gas, upkeep and insurance, most Americans believe that benefits exceed the costs of transportation freedom, the prosperity of the auto industry and the personal pleasure of driving a vehicle. Consumer Electronics Technologies But what about computers, mobile phones, TV’s and the accumulating gadgets in our lives? What do they cost and do benefits justify them? Like autos, many people would argue these devices deliver benefits that far exceed their “costs,” although most people tend to think of initial “price” rather than “cost”—the lifetime pay-out for something. Microsoft, Windows 7 and Cost of Technology Installing Windows 7, Microsoft’s latest computer operating system, on my Dell Vista laptop, is a good example. Most often, I use my two Macs for business and personal use. But I purchased the Dell laptop two years ago to run business programs not available for the Mac. A few days ago, I decided to upgrade the Vista machine to Windows 7. I had heard positive comments about Windows 7 and the laptop needed the updated operating system to run my business programs. Since purchasing and installing W7 on my Dell four days ago, I’ve spent at least 8 hours on the phone with techs in India, the Philippines and Redmond, Washington, correcting loss of wireless, corrupt files and other problems. After paying for the upgrade (around $125), Microsoft techs have failed to fix the problems. That means Microsoft lost profit from the sale, costing them more in tech support than what I paid for the software. The 8 hours of my time also cost me plenty. What’s amazing about the Microsoft story and technology costs today vs. years ago, is the ability of the tech, over the Internet in New Delhi, to take control of my computer hopefully to fix problems more quickly. As I watched the techs struggle with the Dell's problem, I could tell they were following standard fixes for a problem that required thinking outside the box. In other words, their technology training hindered their ability to think through a problem. Only one tech in the Philippines considered reinstalling the system by booting from the DVD. In other words, technology is used to fix technology, comparable to a robot servicing your car or a humanoid driving a train. Technology chasing technology. There’s also increasing concern for the human factors, as Apple discovered at one of their Chinese suppliers that manufactures iPads. Moreover, the effects on humans of video games, tablet computers and mobile phones aren’t well understood. Consuming excessive electronics products may have negative consequences on humans. In the end, society will decide how much technology is worth. | 7/1/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Perfect Mobile Device at a Mall with the Mobolites | Walked around the mall today, stopped by the Sprint store to check out the crowd, expertly playing with smartphones. Sauntered over to the Verizon booth, two guys, talking, laughing, no customers in sight. The T-Mobile store was quiet like a funeral home. No perfect mobile device there. Most mobolites--that's what I call "mobile users"--a term as exciting as moth balls in closets-- talked, texted, surfed, photoed, mp3'd, geo-located'ed. Unknown to them, I, watching each finger on touch screens, my ears zooming in on phone conversations. Continued my journey, like a wolf stalking a nice, juicy lamb. My beady eyes rolling around 180 degrees, leering at all the mobolites playing with their mobiles. As I canvassed the crowd, I kept asking myself: "Is there a perfect mobile device, a phone, pad, PDA, walking radio, anything that people would die for? If I pulled out a $500 bill, sprinted to the nearest mobolite, would it sell me the perfect mobile device?" I know what you're thinking. I'm a mobile voyeur on a Sunday afternoon ogling mobile phones and their owners. And you're right. I'm a mobile blogger lusting, lurking at the food court, RF-tuned to sleek new wireless gadgets, the mobolites unaware of my presence, as they slurp slurpees, dangle french fries without ketchup, little children's eyes wide like Christmas morn. Walking past an appliance store, I stop, sniff the air, focus on fridge through window, imagining a wireless refrigerator, equipped with Dolby quad sound, an LCD panel for home messaging, alarm in place when bacon rots. Maybe the perfect mobile device. But my journey isn't over, stopping by the water cooler, lapping up aqua, licking my lips when... A bookstore, across the way, catches my eyes at 20 degrees. A book called "iSteve: The Book of Jobs," nestled in a basket of apples, shiny like an iPhone's metallic antenna. Looking 90 degrees left, then right, I slither to the window, eyes on the book with a 1970's pic of the guy who made the perfect mobile device. Or maybe not. Maybe he's a fake, someone impersonated him at product roll-out events, a guy programmed to thunder "astounding," "incredible," "awesome." Skip the book. I move on. Bright lights from the ceiling blind me, the Mobolites moving, pushing against me, taking me to somewhere, don't know. Crowd thronging through new store, doors wide open, Mobolites 12 across. Into store, no control, heading for perfect mobile device.. Not sure where... but soon. Thrusting forward to store corner, my eyes no longer blinded. Standing with the Mobolites, gazing at the ultimate new device. Can't believe. but like a monolith, it's there....a......ah....a Japanese talking, Internet-connected talking toilet. It is...Surely must be....undeniably true...the perfect mobile device. | 6/19/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Updated Pandora Internet Radio Talk with Tom Conrad | Tom Conrad Discusses Pandora Internet Radio In May, 2009, Tom Conrad, CTO of Pandora Internet Radio appeared on MobileBeyond in a "behind the scenes" audio interview. Recently, Pandora went public on the New York Stock Exchange and now has an valuation of $4 billion dollars. Over the years--first with personal computers, later mobile phones, Pandora delivered a superb music streaming service now streaming over most mobile phones and devices. What you're about to hear is the original audio interview with Tom. During the 43 minute podcast interview, he gives greater insights about how Pandora Internet Radio started, the Music Genome Project, growing up as a child and his incredible love of music. If Pandora didn't exist, Tom Conrad would have have invented it. Struggling Over the Advertising Issue For years, the company struggled without advertising income. Only recently, it began inserting ads in its service. But, like other Internet and social media firms in the Bay Area, the company hesitated, fearing they'd lose their loyal listeners. That was the least likely scenario for Pandora Internet Radio, having gained great respect from millions of Internet radio listeners who take Pandora with them everywhere. Future of Pandora and Music Streaming Services Watching Pandora change in the last few years since going public will be fascinating. Listeners and stockholders have great hope that the delivering superb music quality and customer care will let the company compete effectively with Apple's iTunes, Amazon's new Kindle Fire and other devices and services. With Tom heading up the company, I have no doubt it will. I thoroughly enjoyed talking with Tom (we're both musicians). He's humorous, yet very serious about "giving people the music they love." Enjoy the interview and feel free to leave personal comments your experiences using Pandora Internet Radio. For Additional Reading about Tom and Pandora Internet Radio, see these online sites: Music Genome Project Wikipedia Article Tom on Twitter Pandora Blog | 6/15/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Media Multitasking Changing People’s Ability to Cope? | Nicolie Pangis, a Senior Vice President at 24/7 Real Media, wrote a provocative article in Click Z called "What Multitasking Consumers Mean for Marketers." She argues, unlike popular belief, that new media don't necessarily destroy the old. People simply adapt to media multitasking. A good example is a teenager listening to music on an iPod, while tweeting on Twitter and texting on a mobile phone. Watching young people engage in media multitasking reminds you of a juggler at a circus. If he starts thinking about how to juggle, he'll drop everything on the floor. You wonder then how a teenager derives meaning when focusing her brain on three different activities at the same time. Pangis suggests marketers concentrate less on advertising channels and more on consumer behavior--how people's brains handle mobile phone calls, Facebook chat and school homework without blinking an eye. Twenty years ago, like The Brady Bunch, families watched TV and ate together. No longer. Today, family members are scattered around the home and elsewhere, consuming content on smartphones and other electronic gadgets. According to Pangis, advertisers need to create "multi-platform marketing campaigns," aiming at "multitasking touch points." Behavioral Research in Media Multitasking Researchers at Stanford found that media multitasking led to diminished performance when subjects tried doing 2-3 things together. Researchers at Boston College believe multi-tasking with computers and TV's is really "media multi-distraction," while others at UC San Francisco, think "social media multitasking"-- handling email, while on Twitter and Facebook impacts memory. So where do consumers find the time to consume news, information and entertainment on multiple devices? Nielsen, the television ratings company, found in their "Three Screen Report" (mobile, television and Internet) that watching TV while using the Internet rose to 3.5 hours per month in the last quarter of 2009, an increase of 35% from 2008. During the same time period, online video consumption rose 16% as 44% admitted watching videos at work! Media Multitasking Without Going Looney? I believe human beings will adapt to new media channels. History has demonstrated the infinite capacity of people to handle extraneous assaults on their senses. When radio emerged in the 40's and 50's as a major competitor of newspapers and magazines, those who claimed the death of print media and illiteracy among citizens turned out wrong. The same scenario played out in the late 50's on with television. But consumers managed to multitask pretty well. Readers, listeners and viewers admirably proved their ability to control media distractions. Mobile, the most pervasive communications channel in this century, commands our attention the most. But despite increasingly complex smartphones, people adjust to mobile tech fairly well. So when researchers and futurists speak about the horrors of "multitasking," know that humans can only pay attention to one thing at a time. It's an illusion that the human brain thinks about 3-4 things at the same time. What appears as media overkill is just noise in the minds of humans who are fully capable of controlling it. | 6/10/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Mobile Website Design at Trilibis with Ted Verani | We take a lot of things for granted? Like mobile website design. If you awakened one morning, turned on your smartphone and none of your apps worked, what would you do? Would you stare at a blank dark screen and only make phone calls... | 6/4/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Samsung Nexus S Signal Issues Irk Customers | The Sprint Samsung Nexus S Story Like many of you, I upgraded to a Samsung Nexus S a few days ago. Then I spent time today with the Sprint Community and Google Samsung Nexus S forum folks online. Lots of chat about weak RF signals. So I Googled around the Web and found mostly praise for the Google Voice integration, Gingerbread OS and fast 1ghz Hummingbird processor. Twitter chatter about the phone was basically positive Finally, it struck me... The weak RF signal, fast battery drain and customer support complaints are similar to the first HTC-manufactured Nexus One released over a year ago. Remember? Google and T-Mobile tried to sell the phone direct to consumers, resulting in a customer scream about poor customer service heard in Taipei. In fact, I wrote a blog post at that time called "Nexus One Needs Customer Support from Google." In that post, I criticized Google for launching its own sophisticated smartphone without preparing for the required support, leaving T-Mobile like a dead rat hung out to dry. Similar to Sprint and Samsung with the Samsung Nexus S, Google doesn't like getting its hands dirty when releasing its own branded Android devices. So manufacturers and carriers, this time Sprint, have to handle customer support. The iPhone Mystery - Deja Vu? But is there more behind the intrigue? The Apple/AT&T spat with iPhone customers about poor reception and fast battery drain sounds awfully familiar, doesn't it? And since Apple is suing Samsung about their Android smartphones, is this situation more than a coincidence? Perhaps Samsung is guilty of patent infringement and lifted Apple's RF and battery circuitry, then colluded with Google to foist the Samsung Nexus S on unsuspecting consumers? Remember the infamous case of the lost iPhone 4 left in a bar by an Apple employee and retrieved by Gizmodo. Jason Chen, its editor, had to fight like Nixon protecting the Watergate tapes. And don't forget the more recent Thomas Edison estate lawsuit against Apple for stealing Mr. Edison's telephone patents to make the iPhone. Yes, I firmly believe there's a plot in the smartphone business--and only the Sprint 4G cats really know what happened in this strange story of the Samsung Nexus S. | 5/31/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Get Tagged with Steve Sarner at Tagged.Com | What do you do when you're part of a social network company with 100 million members in 200 countries who love to get tagged? Steve Sarner, VP of Marketing at Tagged.com, is working on that challenge right now. Oh, by the way, he'd loved the firm to generate $100 million in revenue. Not bad for a growing group of some 30 to 40 people with high hopes and big plans. The company bills itself as the leading social network for meeting new people. While others--like Facebook--are meeting places for friends and relatives, this online haven likes the term "social discovery." And the team is very patient about producing their first movie, which Steve says won't be called "The Tagged." That should cut an enormous amount of litigation for which Facebook is well-known. Drawing from a diverse group of people worldwide, Tagged attracts a wide diversity of people who want to connect, whether through online chatting, social gaming, flirting, virtual gifts or advanced browsing. And over 10,000 of them are even willing to shell out $20 a month for VIP membership, unheard of at most social network sites. Hispanics, Afro Americans and women in their 30's and 40's come to the site in droves. Globally, Tagged's tentacles reach out to the U.K., Egypt, the Netherlands and all points in any direction, with 20% hitting the site from the U.S. Since Facebook emerged, social networking entrepreneurs have waved white flags and conceded to the 700 pound gorilla. Curiously, Tagged has an 80% overlap with the behemoth, and Sarner proudly claims that his social network comes first among members. In the Beginning... After God created the Earth, water, animals and people, next came social networks. While my order of historical events may be wrong, it's hard for anyone to live their life without tweeting, posting online and playing games, preferably on souped-up androgynous or iPhonish smartphones. God created those next, followed by the Pope's "Confession," a Roman Catholic app helping the wayward prepare to reveal their sins. He might have referred them to Tagged as well. That's good for Steve and his business. Since launching iPhone and Android apps, members have wirelessly connected in droves on the company's servers for mobile flirt chat. That's raised the bar on Android sites (Tagged.com is now #3 ) with 10% of total traffic coming from mobile phones. (Tagged announced a BlackBerry version in June, 2011.) What Do We Do Now? After a few years of email spam and other legal actions against the company, Greg Tseng, the company's CEO and founder, like Paul in the Bible hit by lightning and falling off his horse, saw the light. Per Steve, he's leading and growing his team into a real business, bringing aboard some heavyweights from area tech firms. In my audio interview with Sarner, we talk about the foibles of Facebook, which somehow keeps discovering flaws protecting member' privacy, helped no doubt by marketers and advertisers who love behavioral profiling of social networkers. Steve says the company is developing policies and capabilities to keep "aggregator" marketing firms away from Tagged, reducing the chance that a mortuary will tag you as a likely candidate needing its immediate services. Mobile and the Social Networking Phenomenon Few doubt that access to Web-enabled mobile phones worldwide is driving social networking. Facebook has seen its mobile users grow to 50-60% of total membership (650 million and growing faster than a guy on steroids). The unbelievably huge smartphone adoption rate is making Tagged.com and other organizations rise into the stratosphere. People of all ages are jumping aboard this fast-moving train, powered by smartphone apps. Mobile's multi-channel capacity--voice, photos, video, Web--has changed an entire generation of people into walking wireless beings. We now keep our phones within nine fee. As many people say, you might leave your home without your wallet but not your phone. | 5/13/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Are Mobile Geeks and Technophobes Apathetic About Technology? | Have you ever been to a party or other social event where you're talking excitedly with someone who has no interest in mobile technology? You're bubbling over like warm champagne shooting out of a bottle on New Year's Eve, while you start feeling "hey, this nerd couldn't care less about technology. "I'm a mobile geek; he's a technophobe". It happens a lot to me. As a blogger and podcaster, I talk with lots of people in the "tech business" --you know, pro-mobile people who love three hour conversations about Samsung OLED screens vs. iPhone 4 pixel counts. Or why mobile cloud computing will save the human race. Inevitably, while in a car or at a social event, I get stuck having a conversation with someone whose appreciation of technology is limited to Cuisinart coffee makers. Pure apathy. Glazed-over eyes staring out windows. Expression-less faces. Definitely an anti-technology person, not a mobile geek. Then I tell myself: "Brian, you're boring this nerd to death. It feels like attending a funeral." Of course, if I was at a funeral, I could at least meander off to the deceased in the coffin and have a one-way conversation about mobile streaming video. But no, I'm talking with a live person who couldn't care less about mobile technology, someone who's not wishing for a $400 smartphone at Christmas. Mobile Tech Apathy Growing So, what do you do when you have a burning question that's causing gastric distress? Right, Google it. And so I did. I searched for "mobile technology apathy," resulting in over 500,000 Google hits in 1.7 seconds. Let me share a few of the juicier stories. "The Truth Behind Facebook's Android Apathy" (BNET) - Chris Dannen complained about the lack of superior Facebook Android apps due to apathy at Facebook. He's probably praying that Matt Zuckerberg will commission an Android app 10 times better than the iPhone's. After all, over 60% of Facebook members access the site with their phones increasingly with Android devices. From the great continent of Africa, I read about "KuweniSerious Fighting the Evil Forces of Apathy." Started by three Kenyans, the group's slogan is "get serious...be real," hoping young Africans will become more concerned about African poverty, the lowly status of women and other social issues, and then use technology to improve things. The mobile geeks want apathetic Kenyans to embrace technology and even created a short YouTube video about discrimination against women in Kenya. Digital marketing agency White Horse released a new survey about consumer interest in location-based services. 437 smartphone users, whom the firm interviewed, didn't care about geolocation services offered by Gowalia, Foursquare, Google Latitude and Facebook Places. In fact, 60% of active users don't use LBS and 70% of non-smartphone owners don't understand how it works. So even the pro-mobiles are apathetic about finding their friends' locations. But don't worry. A Canadian group , called "Apathy is Boring," is engaging young people to become responsible citizens by using technology to improve society. From apathy to the world of mobile geeks. I wonder, then, about apathy and the future of mobile technology. Besides the "haves" and "have-nots," is a schism developing between mobile enthusiasts and mobile apathetics? Once personal computers are replaced by tablets, phones and other gizmos, will society break up into two groups, the pro-tech minority and the anti-tech majority? Will mobile geeks split in the world of geekdom? Like the Tea Party in the last election, as mobile technology becomes more complex, will politics split along technological lines: the Pro-Mob party vs. the larger, apathetic Anti-Mobs? Only time will tell. | 5/9/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Media Marketing Challenges Dallas News | New Media Marketing Challenged by Digital New media marketing is making newspaper marketers scratch their head. But why is it so difficult to understand how Internet surfers use the Web for news and information? While searching through my Google N... | 4/24/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 28 Episodes |
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