The nature of the internet is filled with a lot of information and seeing it animated and simplified visual is certainly a blessing, since it opens our mind to new ways to see our world. Whether it’s through maps, info-graphs or psychedelic illustrations videos on the web surely added a much needed freshness to information and data on the web.
Hopefully with more bandwidth we will see more innovation in this field but for now we can enjoy some recent videos that have been noticed on the web by the Thoughtpick bloggers:
Skinput
Think of the possibilities for this one! This is actually a working prototype for the ultimate in mobile computing. Add a Wi-Fi capability to it, and make it as sexy and small as an iPod and you got yourself a decade long hit. Now I might find it difficult not to mention that I would find it uncomfortable to hold my arms in a fixed position for too long. Although it is slightly different it and definitely reminds me of Sixthsense technology.
I never saw this day coming, but now that it did, I am very impressed.
The European Union, believing that “not knowing you have a choice is no choice at all“, has made Microsoft integrate a Browser Choice window in their operating system for both new users and existing Windows PC users. This screen will provide users with a chance “to make an active choice in the source of the software that acts on your behalf to broker your online experiences, and meet your own unique needs and interests.”
This decision ends a long-running dispute over the US software giant’s dominant market position. This “browser choice screen” will present users with a list of leading browsers — including Mozilla’s Firefox, Apple’s Safari and Google’s Chrome — presented in a random order. The screen will be offered as an automatic download for XP, Vista, and Windows 7.
These days, everything feels like it’s being drip-fed social media. Don’t get me wrong, I love social media, but companies are over-doing it, with the latest addition to the list of extensive-stitching-together being Outlook Social Connector.
I love the name! “Social Connector”: just as unimaginative as everything else that the horn-rimmed guys at Microsoft do.
My own anti-Microsoft sentiments aside…
What the hell is it exactly?
Look, they even use MS Word created clouds!
The Outlook Social Connector is an add-on for Outlook. When a user clicks to read an e-mail message, a new pane on the main e-mail reading screen fills with the sender’s most recent Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn activities.
I blank out when it comes to writing intros, so I’m diving into my thoughts straight ahead. Everyone talks about Google’s “far into the future” vision and how it’s one of the most brilliantly run companies ever. Reading the latest news about Google Goggles, Favorite Places, image search advancements and so on, got me thinking: I am imaging that a few Google employees sat down one afternoon, just before Christmas 2004 and one of them said:
“We’re Google. Let’s create a new market that no one can follow us into!”
And that’s what they’ve been doing for the past 5 years; creating a new market share that no one can compete with them at. Think about the timeline:
If you have any of the following Microsoft operating systems: Windows 7, Vista and XP, be scared, be VERY scared, the black screen of death might be heading your way to deem your computer useless!
It never seizes to amaze me how a technology giant, such as Microsoft, can repeatedly fall into the trap of trying to create a solution which ends up being, in fact, a bigger problem!
When will the bad reputation finally pay back?
Apple vs Microsoft
I am sitting now at the edge of my seat wondering: When will all this bad reputation and negative PR finally smite Microsoft down? How long can it keep standing its shaky grounds with all the competition out there? My answer is, if all other variables remain constant: never!
Almost every other day, there is a new story, post, article or press release about Microsoft’s failure in one department or another! One day, it’s a Hotmail problem; group e-mails you send out are only sent out to a few recipients! Another day, it’s a problem within its Microsoft Office suit. How about the problems within its operating system as a whole, such as Windows XP’s many errors and Vista’s bad traits?
Ever since Microsoft introduced the idea of CardSpace, the holy grail of single login has been sought after by many. OpenID has been a player in the field of single login but the idea never really picked up the level of mainstream adoption needed.
With the recent growth of social media, and to leverage their reach and power, social networking sites started offering their authentication services to third party applications. Authentication systems, such as Facebook connect and Google Friend’s connect, offered users the ability to sign up using their already established ID’s and simplify the sign up process to new applications and sites.
Single-Sign-On (SSO) Woes
While that has been a great example of how social media sites are expanding into other areas of influence on the internet, it already raised quite of few alarms. Besides the single-sign-on tech wars amongst internet giants, the SSO system has facilitated phishing attacks on users. You are no longer supposed to only enter your account information on the sites that you registered on.
“Healthy competition is the fuel for growth and development”.
Big names in the technology arena are bumping each other’s heads in a war dedicated to grab customer attention and further create loyalty! One of those names must be Apple!
Not only does Apple lead a variety of creative, well-studied and effective small battles against Microsoft, it also has a front built for Verizon as well!
In a recent article, it is made clear to us that Apple is cooking something to undermine Verizon’s network. A series of ads is to be launched by Apple “set to obliquely attack Verizon, made in the same mold as its ongoing “there’s an app for that” campaign.”
Apple take a swipe at Verizon – Apple iPhone Ad – What Time’s The Movie?
Apple backs up AT&T with the new ad “multi-people”
But will this campaign really undermine Verizon’s red-blue coverage maps campaign? I mean, if you don’t have signal, you can’t make a call or surf!
Enough beating around the bush and let’s just face it: Some brands know how to use social media to their advantage while others don’t! It’s a rather simple statement that doesn’t need too much explanations or justifications. I mean with all the noise out there, getting your message through needs certain elements and variables which, when ignored, could turn against you.
Whether it is the fight between the iPhone and the Blackberry or the long lived battle between Apple and Microsoft, when a brand is able to use social media to capture attention, create awareness and build trust and loyalty, it has a higher percentage at succeeding and sustaining profits.
“There’s a thin line between the measures a corporation would go to over power its competitors and its social corporate responsibility efforts; the former might be pure evil yet the latter will always engulf some sort of humanitarian sense.”
Numerous talks have been circling the social media arena claiming that Google is evil and even saying that it is trying to take over the world! Well, as a corporation, a successful one, it is quite “normal” to engage in healthy competition and try to beat your opponents by hook or by crook!
Google's Swine Flu Locator
But, is Google really evil? I think not for one main reason: Google gives back! Of course Google does marketing and competitive schemes and conspiracies ( like when they announced Google Wave just in time to ruin Bing’s introduction for Microsoft ), however, with their flu monitoring system and now flu shot locator, it seems that they are working hard to pay their dues and live up to their corporate social responsibility!
Apparently, iPhone is also trying to be socially responsible by featuring applications that help fight the N1H1 virus!
From here on, I think the right questions to ask would be: What is the thin line that separates competition from evil? And how much can we disregard the conspiracies of brands and companies for the causes they “claim” to serve?
Twitter has been used in many ways as an excellent platform for marketing and promotion. Twitter contests emerged to be one of the simplest and most efficient means for companies and brands to promote their products. They are usually entered with a simple tweet, one that gives the participants a chance to win a prize. Tweets serve as a viral element for the contest holder to promote his/her services; the better the prize offered, the better chance for the promoter’s message to reach more people.
Last month we compiled a list of 15 running Twitter contests which caught the attention of many people, it motivated us to repeat the list and schedule it as a monthly post. Below are the most recent Twitter contests running for November:
