Posts by Ethos:
Can you keep up with the Fujitsu LIFEBOOKs?
February 18th, 2012
Do the Profile Check: See which LIFEBOOK personality is reflected in your LinkedIn profile & win Fujitsu tablet PCs and notebooks!
Via profile-pitch.com
3D iAd for BMW
February 18th, 2012Download it here
Viewers can explore the BMW i8′s distinctive glass and aluminum exterior, down to the minutest detail, including the driver’s instrumentat… To experience AdJitsu 3D ads, download Editions by AOL – http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/editions-by-aol/id447687307
Appward’s Field Guide to Web Applications
February 15th, 2012
Google Launches the 12th Edition of Bert Appward’s Field Guide to Web Applications. (2012)
A “Field Guide To Web Apps” By Google http://www.html5rocks.com/webappfieldguide/toc/index/
Via www.html5rocks.com
The demand for apps is strong, and it’s coming from everywhere! This comprehensive guide provides an introduction to many of the skills and best practices you need to build modern web apps. This field guide is designed to help you create great user experiences in your web apps. Whether you’re building your first web app, or are just looking for ways to improve existing experiences, there’s something here for you!
Best wishes and good luck in all your endeavors.
Appward, to the Future!
Your Operating System Is Now an App
February 11th, 2012Via Scoop.it – Mobile Ethos
As a guy who writes a regular column on apps, trust me when I tell you there’s no shortage of ideas. And while I appreciate fodder for the articles and for my job at one of the largest interactive agencies, sometimes I wonder if this app business has gone too far. Within the last couple of months, apps have taken a giant leap towards domination of digital platforms. Sound like hype? Read on.
Apps are a true and proven commodity on two platforms: the smartphone and the tablet. With iOS and Android leading the charge, WebOS lagging in a very distant third, and poor old RIM huffing and puffing at the starting line (with the ironically named “Super Apps”), consumers love themselves their apps. Of course it’s big business for software developers. For marketers, it’s another great moment to let consumers show affinity for a brand and to influence the Zero Moment of Truth.
Once you get past the smartphone and tablet, however, apps are more of an idea than a part of our lives. It’s true that TVs, refrigerators, home security systems, console game boxes, and many other platforms are starting to handle apps, but it’s not clear that consumers want them all. Even the web has gotten into the game with Chrome apps, and in January, Apple launched the Mac App Store (which, confusingly, runs different apps than iPhones and iPads do). But now, Apple and Microsoft have taken the world of apps directly to the operating system – and if it catches on, it will change the way consumers interact with their computers.
Apple’s entry into the fray is Lion, its new version of the big cat-themed OSes and the successor to 2009′s Snow Leopard. Available now, this operating system is particularly notable because you can only get it through the above-mentioned Mac App Store. Yep, the company that dared to get rid of floppies has taken aim at the CD as its next victim.
For Microsoft, Windows 8 (due out next year) is the next act in the checkered recent past (even a great and very solid Windows 7 has had a tough time erasing the bitter taste of Vista) for the makers of the world’s most popular operating system. While timelines often slip, Microsoft has been very public about a 2012 launch, with speculations of a beta launch at CES. Both systems draw on what the respective companies have done on their mobile platform. Microsoft has won a fair number of converts with the user experience of “Phone 7,” its current mobile operating system, which uses a simple, tile-based system to put the information you need in front of you. The system works well, and, while it has a big mountain to climb to get to Android and iPhone territory, it’s a viable option. Windows 8, not surprisingly, builds on many of the best features of Phone 7. You really have to look at full screen apps in the context of a monitor because otherwise you can’t get the sense of it. As you see above, everything else disappears – the dock, the “Apple” bar on the top, all gone – so we can focus on the task at hand. Is this a response to our societal ADD? Are we so peripatetic that we can’t work on one thing unless everything else is covered up? Probably.
One thing that is going to be universally appreciated is Auto Save, a great idea that probably doesn’t need any explanation. But here’s one anyway: it means no more Save button. Ever. Your software just saves as you go.
So: great features, but what does it all mean? Over-correction? Another episode of “if thin is good, thinner must be better” (the thinking that halted the progress of the Motorola Razr)?
From everything I’ve seen, this goes way beyond just hype. Here are the reasons that this nearly simultaneous change from the two OS heavyweights makes a big difference:
Touching is better. David Pogue recently pointed out a truism: “Touch-screen computers don’t work.” He’s right, of course – no one wants to touch a computer screen the way they do a tablet or phone. But one level of removal to a device like Apple’s Magic Trackpad or a similar device means you can do nearly everything that you can on a touch screen. This is a great step towards getting us away from the keyboard and mouse – by far the least efficient means of computer input. Touch, gesture (where Microsoft’s Kinect provides a huge advantage), and haptics are the future.
Learning new user experiences sucks. But learning one and reusing it is awesome. There’s a huge consumer benefit to learning how to do something once rather than several times, and the company that can link up their experiences will not only cement the reputation of “easiest to use” but, more importantly, will have a better chance of keeping users on their stuff. Smartly repeat tropes and devices across platforms and the world will love you for it.
It means massive simplification for agencies and developers. There are lots of rumors that Apple is going to unite iOS (the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch) and OS X (laptops and desktops), and it’s about friggin’ time. Right now, agencies have to think not only about different screen sizes and capabilities – they have to write in totally different code. Microsoft is ahead of the game (nice to see Redmond making some good moves) with .Net, Visual Studio, Silverlight, and XNA. If the code is the same, it takes the single largest headache out of deciding where you want to deploy; it’s far easier to be platform-agnostic and make sure your message hits the widest possible audience.
Apps and applications are once again the same. The whole concept of “apps” is nothing more than (effective) marketing-speak, but it’s led to the strange bifurcation of software we experience today. Microsoft Word or Photoshop are apps in the same way Angry Birds is an app, but we think of them as “applications” or “programs” and use them in a different way. Designing the desktop to imitate the behavior of what were initially small mobile pieces of code correctly puts everything on a level playing field.
It appears that this change is here to stay and should make our digital lives better. Unless, of course, the apps become sentient and rise up against us. If that happens, God help us; we’ll be doing all of these tasks for them in no time.
Via www.clickz.com
Correlating Social Media Success with Marketer Usage
February 8th, 2012Via Scoop.it – Social Media Ethos
Some successful techniques nonetheless show decreases in marketer usage The 2011 update of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research’s longitudinal study on social media marketing usage among the Inc. 500—the 500 fastest-growing private companies—indicates they are continuing to increase their usage of some social media tools, while pulling back from others. Facebook usage was up in 2011, along with usage of Twitter and foursquare. The study also examined several services and techniques for the first time, some of which already have high usage. Nearly three-quarters of the companies studied were using LinkedIn in 2011, and almost half had adopted YouTube. Compared to 2009–2010, the usage of blogs, online video in social media, message/bulletin boards, podcasting and Myspace were all down. There was also a 50% decrease from 2010 in Inc. 500 companies who said they used no social media marketing tools. But some of the tools marketers are abandoning are still reported to be highly effective—at least for those companies that continue to use them. Message and bulletin boards, along with blogging, got the highest success ratings of any tools, among companies that use them for marketing. While a strong majority of respondents indicated they were having success with Twitter (86%) and Facebook (82%), this was lower than several other, less-popular services. The research could suggest that marketers are abandoning techniques that work. However, it could also be a sign that marketers who have mastered these techniques are sticking with them, while those that have seen less success in these areas are pulling back from their efforts. Those marketers who continue to blog are likely the ones who have seen the most blogging success, for example, while those who found blogging’s return on investment too low have likely moved on. In addition, the overwhelming popularity of Facebook among marketers means that those with less social media marketing experience or sophistication are likely using it, perhaps pushing success rates down. Corporate subscribers have access to all eMarketer analyst reports, articles, data and more. Join the over 750 companies already benefiting from eMarketer’s approach. Learn more.
Via www.emarketer.com
Google Chrome Android Beta
February 8th, 2012Via Scoop.it – Mobile Ethos
The speed and simplicity of Chrome, now on Android. Chrome for Android Beta is available for phones and tablets running Android 4.0 and higher. To learn more…
Via www.youtube.com
Will You Purchase Facebook Stock?
February 4th, 2012Via Scoop.it – Social Media Ethos
Welcome to our weekly edition of what’s hot in social media news.
Via www.socialmediaexaminer.com
Facebook Or Google: Who Will Win the Customer Engagement Battle?
February 4th, 2012Via Scoop.it – Social Media Ethos
Plenty’s been written already about Facebook’s IPO filing yesterday. I won’t rehash the many excellent analyses that you’ve surely already seen. Instead, I want to take this blog post into thought-experiment territory. I want to think about a world in which Google and Facebook are primary competitors in a mano-a-mano battle—not just for our eyeballs, but for our data, too. For the right, as it were, to be our “digital identity.”
Via blogs.forrester.com
Citibank Moves Boldly Into The Tablet Banking Market
February 4th, 2012Via Scoop.it – Mobile Ethos
Hotcakes, you’ve got some competition: the phrase “selling like tablets” might soon enter the global lexicon. And it’s not all hype – though there is a fair bit of that as well. Tablet users in the US are estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 51%from 2010 to 2015. That’s a fast-growing market for firms of all stripes.
Via blogs.forrester.com
The State of Social Media and Social Media Marketing in 2012
February 4th, 2012Via Scoop.it – Social Media Ethos
Social media is a source of endless discussion. With the advent of new tools and / or platforms every day, keep up has become a challenge. But some among the many are the undisputed leaders and decide largely on what will be the future. This slide presentation may give us interesting information on the trends and what might we expect in 2012 and beyond. [note Martin Gysler] Social networking is the #1 activity online. Even though Google gets the most visitors, Facebook is where most of us are spending our time. And it’s not just about Facebook anymore. We are spending a lot of time on LinkedIn, YouTube, Tumblr and Twitter. While there are some clear major players in the social space, the social media universe continues to expand and 2011 was a banner year for the idea of an “Interest Graph.” In 2011, we saw Google launching Google+ and Pinterest grewing at an astounding rate. Facebook launched “Timeline” and “frictionless sharing” with partners like the much anticipated Spotify. Facebook also acquired design companies and the team behind Gowalla, showing the company’s intent to provide a consistent experience across devices and becoming a more prominent player in the mobile space. Read more: http://www.slideshare.net/socialnerdia/the-state-of-social-media-and-social-media-marketing-in-2012-10743590?from=ss_embed
Via www.slideshare.net
