A few thoughts, musings, ramblings and other things from MediaCom people...

Foursqure Recommendations launch - one to watch

Do you ever find yourself wondering what's next for the web? In our line of work we're often asked about The Next Big Thing.

I think the next big stage in the development of the web isn't going to be about building entirely *new stuff* in the same way Facebook was new. It's going to be about taking stuff that already exists - all the disparate data points we've been quietly aggregating over the last decade through billions of uploads, status updates, profiles and, latterly, checkins - and doing something profoundly human with it.

For example Foursquare today revealed details of it's new Recommendations product. This is one to watch for a couple of reasons.

What is it?

Essentially, in the same way as Google answers this question:

"What web page should I look at for information about my interest?"

..and Facebook answers the question:

"What is going on in the lives of my friends?"

..this is Foursquare's bid to be our solution for questions like this:

"Where should I go today?"
"What should I eat?"
"Where should I meet my friends?"
"What should I buy?"

..so is potentially huge in commercial terms.

How does it work?

With ~7.5m users and ~500m checkins amassed over the last 24 months Foursquare is estimated to have data on 10m bars, restaurants, stores and other venues worldwide. All this feverish data gathering means Foursquare know who's been where, when, with who and what they thought of it. This is a lot of data.

Taking the behaviour and recommedations of other users, Foursquare will recommend results - an organic coffee on the North Shore? A bar with harbour views in Manly? It's all there.

So what's at stake?

Right now we live in a world where the majority of us wouldn't dream of starting our web journeys without the Google search box. We've quietly reached a point where we'd be lost without it. In the last decade this behaviour has become second nature, and Google has become BrandZs most powerful brand in the world. From scratch.

 

So, web journeys start with Google - up for grabs is the same opportunity in the real world; what piece of technology becomes indespensible when we step out the front door?

Make no mistake, this is Foursquare's bid to make sure it becomes Recommendations. 

 

For marketers this is another in a series of moves toward a world of where everyone who steps over the threshold is a potential mystery shopper. It also dovetails with another trend - new technology is increasingly being plugged back into real life. Anyone interested should some reading around "the internet of things" and related discussion - this is the realisation that, sooner or later, everything is going to exist in cyberspace. But that's another post.

For now, more than anything, projects like this represent the first few tentative steps down a very interesting road indeed. Every year we're chronicling more and more of what happens to us, in greater fidelity; the technical barriers that keep the interesting bits of data apart are crumbling.

Mat

Online test driving taken to new level

Courtesy of Ad Age, I just wanted to share that Mitsubishi have created Live Drive to enable people to use an interactive remote control to literally drive the new 2011 Outlander Sport in a closed course in Southern California.Takes digital integration to a new level.

AXA Insurance App

AXA Insurance in Belgium recently released an iPhone app designed to help people in the event of an accident. To get their customers attention, they decided to launch it in an innovative kind of way.

They bought traditional full page print ads, but combined with with a digital twist.

 

Alex

  

Dentsu: Stop Motion 3D Light Painting iPads

Very cool - Ipad&Stop motion

A QR code finally put to good use!

 
In July 2010, Calvin Klein posted a large QR code across two billboard locations in New York City to mark the launch of the Calvin Klein Jeans Fall 2010 collection. The billboards featured the QR code alongside the call to action: 'Get it Uncensored'. Passersby who used their mobile smart phones to capture the QR code were then shown a 40-second ad featuring model Lara Stone.

And for those of you who are now desperate to see the ad, click on the following link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvWaw3YFY70

Happy viewing

James

Nissan Leaf I-ad

Check out the full demo vid of the first release I-ad. For those who don't know, I-ad is Apples new advertising platform that allows users a new level of interactivity without having to leave the app. Nissan was the first to jump on board wit Nissan Leaf. Ch ch ch check it out!

Alex

 

The Tyrrany of Apple

I am impressed with the way that Apple manage to portray their brand as a corporate outsider with a plucky under-dog image.

They manage to do this in the face of all the evidence that their products provide. Through the iPod, iPhone and iPad they are creating some of the most closed and controlled devices on the market.

When the master of controlled media Rupert Mudoch says

 “I got a glimpse of the future last weekend with the Apple iPad.  It is a wonderful thing,” he said. 

“If you have less newspapers and more of these … it may well be the saving of the newspaper industry.”

this isn't because he believes it's enhanced the user experience. It's because it gives control of the content and the access back to the media owners where the internet gave it to the people.

The App Store is totally controlled by Apple so anyone wishing to produce software for their products requires their blessing.

HTML, Linux and even Android are platform neutral languages and operating systems. Allowing people to innovate with software and devices and produce low cost solutions for people.

Apple is big, controlling, old business disguised in a hip, cool wrapping.

SQUARE - Credit card payments with IPAD/IPHONE

Awesome new app called square! Turns any iphone/ipad into an eftpos machine allowing card payments to be made person to person. It comes with a card reader that plugs into the headphone jack to swipe credit cards, debit cards and even gift cards where applicable. check it out!

Alex

The Future of TV?

Since the B grade movies of the 50’s people have talked about 3D being the future of cinema and television.   Over the last couple of years interest has grown as technology has moved past the archaic red and blue to polarised and shutter based glasses.

The technology sat at the periphery until the release of Avatar last December where studios and other content creators started to see the financial benefit of compelling 3D content.  So now that everybody is seeing dollar signs the next stage of the evolution will be 3D at home.  In fact Samsung, Panasonic, LG and Sony are spending over £15M over the English summer to promote their new range.

Which gets me to my point, there have been a couple of articles recently outlining why 3D TV is dead before it has started, one from a health and one from a usage perspective.

Mark Pesce worked at Sega in the 90’s developing VR Headgear and says that there are long term health implications to 3D.  Depth perception is based on the brain interpreting 10 different cues (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_perception) to figure out how far away anything is.  3D whether  through a headset, cinema or TV is based around delivering a different image to each eye which is only one cue (parallax) ,meaning your brain has to ignore the other nine. 

The problem is your brain is still ignoring those nine other cues after you have taken your glasses off, some people will snap right back others will take a few hours they may have a few issues driving home.  So that’s fine you say, see an awesome movie have a small prang in the carpark and then you’re back to normal. 

But what happens when you are watch 2, 3, 4 hours a day everyday and your brain starts ignoring those nine cues permanently?  You get the a whole generation walking around and bumping into things followed by the largest class action lawsuit as millions vent their rage against the entertainment and consumer electronics industries. This is why Sega abandoned the VR headsets.

So you’ve decided that you like padded clothing and don’t bruise easily and pay a $800-$1500 premium to buy a 3D capable TV plus at least $150 per pair for glasses, which will mean putting your 12 month old HDTV out for council cleanup.

Now you’re really excited as you’re going to watch Masterchef in 3D while you cook dinner/read/knit, while you are wearing your 3D glasses, while talking to your partner/flatmate or alternatively having your mates over to watch the footy you have a BYOG condition (assuming that they have the same brand as you) of entry because nobody wants to give play by play commentary to the poor SOB without a pair.  So you decide to do those things anyway but just in 2D as it’s easier.

Because of how we consume TV (i.e. while we do other stuff) 3D will be relegated to the occasional movie on Saturday night via either a blu-ray player or a dedicated pay TV channel.  Otherwise it’s just too hard.

 So what is the future of TV?  My vote is for ‘smell-o-vision’, it will certainly add an extra dimension to CSI.

 

By Pistol Pete Stewart

Google Voice Try and Understand It!

Google Voice has launched and I am really keen to see if this takes off! I am sure there will be alot more chat about this to come but check this out to get the run down on how it will work. Basically it will allow you to have one phone number for all your phones for your whole life regardless of your job, house or state changes. Google Voice will give you a single number that rings or texts any phone you own with a single voicemail box. Google is providing the service for free!

How would they make money?? If it takes off, Google will now control millions of phone numbers which with the right strategy i am sure they will be able to monetize!

alex