by|JimEJr

Hollywood needs to quiet down at times

The Problem: Extreme sound volume variances while watching a movie with others sleeping in house.

What’s So Obvious: Home theater systems, TVs, Blu-Ray & DVD players should all be able to have a setting that lasts for the duration of a movie/show, or for a set timed duration, or until cancelled/device turned off, that causes the device to automatically adjust volume to keep it at a constant level despite volume variances in the audio of a program.

This has long seemed obvious to me as a parent…either the kids are watching a show in the morning that suddenly gets loud at parts while parents are trying to sleep, or the kids go to bed and my wife and I watch a movie where all of a sudden certain parts, especially musical portions, get loud.

the ‘magic’ of the iPad is ESP

when apple’s ceo, steve jobs, introduced the iPad a few weeks ago as a magical device, many scoffed due to the lack of mind-boggling features. yet, i contend that the magic of the device is in something more important that can be summarized as easy, simplistic productivity.

as with the iPhone, the iPad will be incredibly easy to use… primarily operated with the most basic of human interactive ability… touch. it will perform at the command of our fingertips in a manner that is responsive, accurate, and forgiving of the orientation at which it is being held.

the iPad will further adopt from its smaller sibling an incredibly simple, yet still powerful and capable operating system. it will be devoid of the settings and feature-rich toolbar clutter of tablet pcs, while being just as capable to network, handle photos, play movies, edit videos, and crunch data. it’s simplicity will be a boon to enterprise mobility as both office workers and field employees relish a mobile tool that just works and gets things done without interruptive headaches plaguing competing systems.

which brings us to the productivity gains ease and simplicity naturally result in. regardless of whether ‘be more productive’ means addressing more email, creating a slide presentation, more frequent networking with friends, or relaxing with a good book, the iPad’s “just the right” size, speed, storage, power and battery life will be what really makes the device… magical. Just imagine yourself, coworkers and family members each having one of these incredibly lightweight and powerful devices… wow, what collaborative capability such a collection of these devices will have when used in concert with one another.

I truly believe the potential of the device for enterprises is hidden within and enormously attractive. with that kind of potential, how can it not be magical? well, we’ll start finding out April 3rd. are you getting one?

“Will 2010 be the ‘year of mobile?’” Oh come on, must we?!

we’re not even out of october yet, and already i’m seeing articles, primarily in marketing related pubs/blogs, wondering if 2010 will finally be the year of mobile. it’s like seeing holiday decorations in september at the local department store.

what really peeves me is that this question is even being asked. so i ask, “come on, must we?” the “year of mobile” in its proper significant sense as the question being asked suggests, has already come and gone. recall that there are just as many mobile devices in the world now as people, that globally there are billions upon billions of text messages being sent daily, that studies show total mobile data usage rapidly catching up to desktop data usage, and that ESPN often sees more traffic on its mobile assets than on their “wired” site. These along with so many other stats a book could be written of just one stat after another prove that mobile is, and has been, a predominant force in all communications, personal and professional.

the year of mobile was 2007 when the iPhone was released radically shaking up the industry and public perception as to what mobile meant. no, actually it was 2004 when Motorola released the RAZR after, like the iPhone, years of top secret development and refinement, and it made available to consumers a slim form factor and a price that resulted in an explosion of cell phone sales. no, now thinking about it further, the year of mobile was 1992 when the first text message, “Merry Christmas” in fact, was sent. Or how about 1973 when the first hand-held mobile phone call was made? No, the year of mobile was probably 1908 when U.S. patent 887,357 was issued to Nathan Stubblefield for a wireless telephone. Actually, perhaps the real year of mobile was 123 years ago, when in 1876, Bell was awarded the master patent for… the telephone, the foundation of which would lead to the voice and data communications we enjoy today.

my point is hopefully clear that it’s almost ridiculous to pose the “year of mobile” question still. writers… it’s time to find something more intellectual and fresh to report on. i realize the inspiration for the question in some marketing pubs/blogs may be intended as a question as to the use of mobile for marketing purposes. but, even so, the answer is clear already that numerous companies, large and small, have successfully utilized mobile for years to increase revenue, decrease expenses, generate leads, improve customer service, enhance operational efficiencies, and/or provide for further brand engagement. we may not be at some magical percentage of brands mark yet, but does that really matter.

if marketers for businesses that can benefit from mobile are still not taking advantage of the low cost, highly effective medium, because those marketers are trying to protect their turf, are risk adverse, don’t understand it, have experienced previous failure, or worse… don’t use SMS or mobile data themselves so of course their customers don’t either, then shame on them. that definitely doesn’t mean the year of mobile hasn’t already arrived. it’s come and gone… and if you’re not on the train yet, perhaps you are not the right person for your job, or better yet, get on board and enjoy the ride!

I’m sorry, but you can’t have 160 of those!

160 characters… that’s all there is a standard text message. If you’re a marketer trying to engage consumers in a meaningful way that adds value to the consumer’s life, then that’s not a lot of real estate to work with. But, you can’t have 160 characters!

The carriers now want all text message based mobile marketing messages to not not only reiterate to consumers over and over that they can “unsub: reply STOP” but now want all such messages to also contain this warning: “Msg&Data Rates Apply”.

Combined, these lawyer-satisfying messages consume 40 characters when you allow for terminating periods and separating spaces. So, for every message a consumer receives, one quarter of that message will contain legal jargon that has no recurring value to the consumer. The carriers, of course, require such notices so they can feel protected from the angst of consumers that receive messages that didn’t want them or forgot they signed up for them. The carriers may mean well, but sometimes the best of intentions is not the best solution.

Can you imagine flipping on a light switch in your house and having a message displayed or spoken warning you that you will consumer kilowatt hours? Or how about a confirmation message concerning the cost of gas when you attempt to start your vehicle? The warnings are overkill… plain & simple.

The carriers could solve the problem by simply making text messaging part of every cell plan. No longer an add-on that costs extra, they would not have some customers without text message plans when most of them do have one. That doesn’t mean marketers would be free to bombard consumers with messages… no, opt-ins and standard, mandatory, instantaneous opt-out processing would still be required of mobile marketing solution providers. It’s just the warning would no longer be needed, freeing up such limited space for content so that more meaningful messages can be conveyed and the value of marketing-to-consumer and vice-versa messaging improved.

iPhone developers – why u selling ur app w/less than 5k words?

a picture is worth a thousand words. no one really debates that… so many of us learn &/or retain visually.

the Apple iTunes AppStore allows for the inclusion of up to five screen shot images of an app to be posted by the developer to help interested iPhone users consider download (and possibly purchase) of the app.

photo: Christiano Betta, Flickr

yet, have you noticed how many apps have less than five screen images posted as part of the app description? it’s a lot!!!  too many, in fact. so, developers… if Apple gives you five thousand words to say in pictures, why are so many of you uploading only 4, 3, 2, sometimes even just 1 image of your app?! granted some apps have less than five screens of significance, and so only having 3 screen shots if the app only has three meaningful screens is fine. but, there are many apps with less than five images posted that have additional screens that are not portrayed.

every app posting should show the following, in order of priority (not order of display):

• the one screen shot that best gives a feel for the overall app purpose/benefit TO THE USER (not necessarily the coolest screen in a developer’s eyes)
• screen that user is going to be on most of the time
• options/settings (if more than one, select the one that shows the most options or how to set the most critical options to app functionality)
• help/instructions (importance directly proportional to complexity of app)
• title screen (note not listed first – may be a cool screen with great graphics, but if it doesn’t convey what the app is really about, who cares?!)
• multiplayer or other system interaction screen
• finally, if in-app purchasing is going to be a key component of the app, a screen shot showing the breadth of or example of one key bit of add-on content

developers — you have five fingers on each hand to code your app… try using just 2, 3 or 4 of them instead. you wouldn’t, so stop posting your app with less than five screen shots if you have more screens available to help the customer make an important decision and not move on to one of the other 85,000 plus apps.

nano-doctors — there’s an app for that!

it’s been a bit over a week of illness in the JimEJr household. all three kiddies were out of school on separate days due to, fortunately quick, bouts with a virus or flu of some sort. fortunately, all are okay now and the symptoms were not too bad. the parents have so far escaped, though hearing my wife sniffle some this evening doesn’t sound like a good sign.

also fortunate was that daddy could stay home and in the midst of waiting on the kids, i found myself thinking how great it would be to have some microscopic doctors battling the teenie-tiny terrorists reeking havoc with my kids’ physical well being.

well being the constantly imaginative thinker that i am and how technology can possibly help… i, of course, envisioned these ‘nano-docs’, for lack of a better term, teaming up with my iPhone to provide up to the minute coverage of the battle within. real-time stats on which side is winning, damage that has been done, and what reinforcements (a.k.a medicines, supplements, vitamins, etc.) are needed to strengthen the good guys.

i thought of how great it would have been to have not just deployed these micro-forces in response to the onset of concerning symptoms, but if they were ingested everyday, perhaps our family could have been warned in advance of an impending molecular attack.

dare i suggest, without too much criticism of, “what? are you freakin’ crazy!” a new daily ‘vitamin’ that contains a hundred or so versions of “Dr. Atom” each programmed to go to different parts of the body and perform different functions… powered by the electrical currents, heat or movements the body naturally produces… communicating wirelessly with your iPhone or other smart phone?

you would be able to know you were going to get sick BEFORE you felt a thing. and, if you happen to be someone in a state of health that needs to be under the watchful eye of a nurse or doctor, your iPhone can automatically and periodically update your human doc, and even alert he or she or call for help in the event of alarming indicators.

i realize that not everyone is going to be comfortable with this concept and it needs considerable refinement, constraints and governmental oversight/approval to ensure safety in implementation and effectiveness. but, all readers have got to admit… if done right, this… THIS nano-docs app that i described would be totally wicked.

there’s no app for that yet… but there should be… and i firmly believe that someday there will be.

apple iPad or iTablet OS? the best of both worlds?

much speculation has been conveyed in the blogosphere lately about the OS that will be on the long awaited and almost certain to see light of day iPad or iTablet from Apple…

Mac OS X –or– the iPhone/iPod Touch OS?

not to purposely pitch the Hannah Montana mantra, but my belief is and I say “why not the best of both worlds?”

consider the iPhone and iPod Touch actually houses a variant of the Mac OS. the Apple TV does the same. so Apple has a proven history of tailoring the OS to the specific goals of the device.

why is Apple likely developing a tablet anyway? i don’t think it’s primary to release a lower cost computing product than the MacBook lineup as Apple has proven they scoff at price wars which they have no need to fight. it’s probably not a primary response to netbooks as evidence suggests Apple was doing R&D on the tablet long before the current netbook craze, and, Apple doesn’t launch products in response to anything… they lead, not follow. the same argument goes for why Apple is not likely just releasing a tablet to compete with the Kindle or other thin e-content readers/browsers.

if the iPad is meant to lead while disrupting multiple industries… what is it exactly that Apple will try to lead at? whatever it is, it’s unlikely to cannibalize any of their existing products but is likely to benefit greatly from Apple’s current strengths… the world’s largest digital media distribution outlet, the world’s largest software store, the thinnest and lightest devices in their respective classes, battery life in all devices that trounces the competition, best-in-class laptops, best-in-class handhelds, and reason to get you to buy their stunning accessories.

if the iPad just has the iPod Touch OS and is basically a 10.2″ Touch, what benefit does that really serve Apple? is the iPod Touch’s screen not big enough for consumers? if it’s just the Mac OS, then i wonder if there’s something wrong with the Air or the 13″ MacBook sizes?

this is why i’ve come to the conclusion that Apple will make the iPad unique. it will have Mac OS X and act like an iPod Touch. consumers will benefit from the portability of an extremely sleek netbook that has no hinge making it easy to use standing up, yet can be used like a laptop by typing on the on-screen keyboard or using a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse like Apple’s own razor thin wireless keyboard. yet at the same time, consumers will also benefit from being able to install and run almost all, if not all of the 85k+ iPod Touch apps currently available as the device will contain the same sensors… accelerometer, gps, etc.

so… netbook, Kindle, iPod Touch, MacBook Air… all in one. hmmm, forget best of both worlds… how about best of ALL worlds! i’m looking forward to the surprise!

agree… disagree… wanting/expecting something else?

why the iPhone 3Gs oleophobic screen is likely best evidence of an iPad

pretend you’re steve jobs. no, you don’t have to outfit yourself in a long sleeve, black mock turtle neck and blue jeans. just try for a moment to put yourself in his shoes of working for years to bring a powerful, game-changing tablet computing device to market…one that meets your many standards in design excellence, usability, performance, durability and more. it seemed so easy… a great OS, proven miniaturization capabilities with the iPod lineup, digital software distribution ease via iTunes and more. but something’s not right… after just minutes of navigating and typing on the screen you notice something very important… something that stops the whole project dead in its tracks… way too many fingerprints and smudges. the screen sucks… it just won’t do. prototype after prototype rejected for that very reason. consumers can’t be expected to have to wipe the screen multiple times, and frequently, just to use the device.

finally, the answer may be at hand. a new oleophobic screen technology that resists fingerprints but also allows for erasing what smudges do make it with a just single wipe. but it’s got to be proven in the market… of course, let’s add it to the next iPhone and iPod Touch models.

fast forward to today… it worked! the oleophobic screen does the trick and a tablet-like product this author prefers to refer to as the iPad, can meet the standards of excellence required for any product to have the honor of shipping with a couple of white stickers shaped as Apple logos.

thus the reason why i believe there has been such a flurry of leaks and theories related to a long awaited tablet device from Apple… the new screen technology makes meeting Steve’s requirements possible.

now, about the iPad’s OS… naw, that needs its own post… maybe tomorrow… stay tuned.

marketing music, movies & comedy with the iphone

edible apple has published and extensive piece on how the iphone is being used by artists like coldplay and lady gaga, movie studios such as warner brothers and paramount pictures, and comedian dane cook to market their work.

there are both well conceived and pathetic examples of the use of a mobile application to promote a new album, a movie or a concert tour. i won’t steal edible apple’s thunder in recapping here. i simply found the article to be well researched and informative enough to share.

of most importance is a quote from the article, by paul smernicki, head of snow patrol label, that i will “retweet” here as it is important for entertainers, agents, distributors and marketers to realize the full potential of a device like the iphone and develop accordingly. put out crap…suffer the consequences. so, a word to the wise… research thoroughly, design well, validate look & feel… then develop.

there’s a lot that we can learn from non-music applications. there are some really clever things going on with stuff like gps. you could follow bands on tour, map their tour around the world, and make live video or audio from gigs available. you might have interaction from the artist too, creating video diaries and reviewing the shows. there’s potential to create something that has a real function.

click here for the rest of the story…

brains on fire says “quit thinking like a marketer”

spike at brains on fire writes in a brief but important post today…

quit thinking like a marketer. seriously. it’s runing you. well, at least sometimes it is. because when we bring marketing into a relationship, we damage it. as we’ve said before (and we’ll say again), nobody wants to be marketed to.

so i think it’s really, really important to remember to take off our marketing hats and just be a person thinking about how to relate to other people in a honest, open, transparent way.

i’m not going to comment much as spike says it so well in this quote above, and explains further in his post. i will just make the case, specifically, for relevant, conversational marketing. whether the mediums utilized are direct mail, tv, radio, print, online sem, mobile or social, the critical aspect to effective marketing today in building brand loyalty is engaging your prospects. i hate to even call them that… i don’t even like the term ‘audience’ as that’s so one-sided.

remember that what the individuals think and have to say, good or bad, on the other end of the ‘marketing conversation’ is just as important as what you have to say. if you’re going to drive more business, you need to know what people like and don’t like about your company, organization, product, service, event, etc. coincidentally, minutes after reading spike’s post, a saw a question on twitter from @unmarketer asking “which company makes u feel great/special that you’re a customer?” to which i replied in part, “…sadly, i cant think of any that do….”

anyway, i’ll stop chatting and let spike say the rest, please read his post. then, i’d love to know what you think.

the apportunities of the iphone 3Gs & 3.0 os

there…the keynote for apple’s wwdc ‘09 has finally come and gone. i think a lot of apple mac and iphone fans were about to wet their pants in pent-up anticipation for confirmation of rumored enhancements to both platforms…phew!

while the realities of what is coming for the new iphone 3g[s] fell short of some expectations (no new colors, no zoom, no camera flash, and no front-facing camera), it does have a lot of cool new features that will continue its innovative lead over most other mobile devices.

what’s really wild though are the numerous new features that every iphone and ipod touch (with some limitations on the touches) will be instantly enhanced with as their owners update to the new 3.0 operating system available next wednesday.

the apportunities are enormous! gargantuan even! am i hyping it up too much? not a chance! three of the enhancements are most disrupting to a number of markets… good for apple, developers and consumers – very bad for competitors.

1. accessory communications — through both wired and wireless means using bluetooth, the iphone and bluetooth-enabled ipod touches will be able to communicate with virtually any electronic device. sensors, vending machines, cash registers, home appliances, industrial machinery, toys and much more can be controlled by, configured with, or provide status info to apple’s family of mobile devices. if there’s over fifty thousand apps now just to control two devices, multiply that by all the tv’s, hvac systems, servers, hospital equipment, microwaves, car washes, vending machines, parking meters, toll booths, self-check-out lanes and more that exist. how does fifty million apps sound?
2. in-app purchasing — the ability to buy digital content, such as e-magazines, game expansion packs, and live video feeds of sporting events from within an app will accomplish three goals: a) give consumers access to more content that previously was unavailable as no commerce system existed to appropriately compensate content producers/owners, b) provide incentive and financial resources to content creators to…well…keep on creating, and c) fatten apple’s wallet giving them greater ability to accelerate hardware and software development to make even better products available to us consumers. but, the real golden nugget is the ability to now also buy non-digital content… you know, real world stuff. take the first point, accessory communications, and combine it with in-app purchasing… imagine the result. i’ll just leave it at this… for many years, visa, verisign and other companies have tried perfecting for widespread adoption the ability to pay for items using a cell phone and near field communications — i think apple just figured out how to do it…right.
3. peer-to-peer communications — mesh computing at its finest will be possible with os 3.0. every iphone and bluetooth-enabled ipod touch will be able to communicate with each other to allow for multiplayer games, data sharing and group collaboration never before possible and without the presence of either a cell connection or wi-fi network.

there are many more great enhancements coming next wednesday, including innovative cut/copy/paste, three types of app activity/status notifications, and google maps integration in any app. the literally hundreds of new features will greatly propel apple’s devices light years ahead of the competition.

but, there is a downside… oh it is going to be so much more difficult for developers to get their apps noticed, to differentiate from the noise. it’s also going to mean that users are going to be expecting more and with greater quality. excellent app design, testing, marketing and revising will be crucial to take advantage of the apportunities.

what is marketing? campaign or conversation?

marketing… what is it, really?

in the world of advertising, marketing is often thought of as a campaign. there’s a start date and an end date to some type of promotion. it could be a week long effort or designed for a year. if it goes much longer than that, the tendency is to then refer to the effort as branding.

yet, is a “marketing as a campaign” mentality or approach still appropriate in today’s fragmentation and diversity of media, instantaneous spread of messaging around the world, informal interactions caused by social media, consumer influence of brand through user generated content, and the linkage of the physical world and the digital world through mobile devices?

is it not more advantageous for both marketer and consumer to engage in conversation? as individuals we thrive on relationships, even in the digital realm. having implemented mobile solutions for thousands of needs, we’ve seen individuals decide to interact with the technological system with messages that are personal in nature…not something a computer is going to normally understand.

therefore, it is now essential for agencies and marketers within brands to adopt a conversational tone to marketing strategies and tactics.