Posts filed under 'Internet'
By Ben Haber
Some waking from a coma this week might think the Apple Tablet is able to find the cure to cancer or create world peace due to all of the attention that it’s getting. There are articles popping up left and right telling us all about this new tablet, even though we still don’t have real confirmation that it exists. It’s overshadowing everything, including President Obama’s speech tomorrow – which seems to be a lot more important then Apple’s rumored new device. Has a gadget ever received so much attention before it was launched or confirmed?
Sure, the Apple Tablet sounds cool – I admit, it should be good for newspapers and magazines if it can provide them with a decent revenue model, but it’s not like people are going to need to purchase this product – it’s very much a luxury. First, it will likely be very expensive, just like all of Apple’s products. This means then a very small percentage of the population will actually purchase one. Second, is a tablet the right product for right now? People have been purchasing smaller mobile devices (smart phones), not larger ones. Since the Tablet won’t fit in your pocket, it simply replaces a laptop, or becomes another gadget for the living room.
I understand that people follow Apple’s every move, but this time it seems a bit overdone (how funny would it be if tomorrow’s announcement is about a completely different topic!) Can we please see the Tablet for what it really is: another device Apple wants us to purchase and add to our collection of gadgets so that we can post tweets and brag about which gadgets we have and how cool they are.
I’m not against the Tablet (although the constant talk is getting pretty old at this point), I’m just questioning how it can possible live up to the hype. If it was some other lesser known company that was developing it, there would be a lot of questions brought up instead of people drooling over the chance to see some photo-shopped picture of the device.
So let’s take a step back and see what the Tablet is all about before we credit it with changing the world.
Disclosure: Racepoint Group works with Sony’s eReader division.
January 26th, 2010
By Molly Galler
This week is the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas and each morning we’ve been inundated with updates on the newest unveilings from the electronics giants.
Today’s news seems to be focused on the internet going mobile. I am not talking about on your laptop or on your smart phone; I am talking, actually on the move. In your car.
Yes, that’s correct Ford has announced it will soon make an internet dashboard that will become a standard feature in all of its vehicles.
In today’s New York Times article titled “Despite Risks, Internet Creeps Onto Car Dashboards,” Ashlee Vance and Matt Ritchell give all the details of the new system:
“A complex new dashboard console from Ford, which it plans to unveil Thursday, brings the car firmly into the land of electronic gadgets. The 4.2-inch color screen to the left of the speedometer displays information about the car, like the fuel level, while a companion screen on the right shows things like the name of a cellphone caller or the title of the digital song file being played. An eight-inch touch screen tops the central console, displaying things like control panels and, when the car is not moving, Web pages. The system has Wi-Fi capability, two U.S.B. ports and a place to plug in a keyboard — in short, many of the features of a standard PC. The automakers’ efforts are backed by companies that make chips for PCs and that want to see their processors slotted into the 70 million cars sold worldwide each year.”
In addition to the new dashboard USA Today is reporting that Ford is also commissioning tech companies to create apps for this new system, one of which will read your tweets from Twitter out loud while you drive.
Obviously the concern here is safety. What does Ford have to say for itself? Jim Buczkowski, the director of global electrical and electronics systems engineering at Ford said, “We are trying to make that driving experience one that is very engaging.”
While in general, the concern here is that distracted drivers make for unsafe driving conditions for all, from a PR and marketing perspective, this also changes the game.
Currently, tradition media, both print and broadcast, is struggling to hold onto it’s advertisers who are opting for the higher traffic online and mobile outlets. Without advertising it is impossible from some of these traditional outlets to stay afloat. Brining mobile off of laptops and smart phones and into people’s cars give those advertisers one more reason to choose to advertise with online and mobile, as opposed to with traditional print or broadcast media which could be the final nail in the coffin for some of these struggling outlets.
Is Ford driving away with the future of traditional media?
January 7th, 2010
By Molly Galler
Yesterday RaceTalk presented you with “The Best of YouTube” as the first of three posts on the most memorable and entertaining social media moments in 2009. Today’s post brings you gems from your favorite social network and mine, Facebook.
RaceTalk’s Best of Facebook 2009:
1) You Like This: In 2009 Facebook added a new feature that allowed users to give a thumbs up beneath a new post rather than writing a comment. This way, you can show your approval or agreement without having to come up with a single, witty word to say. This addition also sparked a movement for a “dislike” button.
2) The Whopper Sacrifice: Which do you value more – your Facebook friends or a free Whopper? Burger King asked Facebook users to give up ten of their “friends” in exchange for free grub. Brutal? Yes. Delicious? Yes.
3) The Facebook Updating Groom: We knew it would only be a matter of time until people starting sharing news about major life events on social networks in real time. No, I mean major. Did we think a man would pause his wedding ceremony to change his Facebook status to “married”? That’s a little extreme, even for us.
Check back tomorrow as we close out the week with RaceTalk’s “Best of Twitter.”
December 17th, 2009
By Molly Galler
This morning while driving into work I was listening to the radio and the DJ announced in his morning news wrap up that McDonald’s will now be offering free Wi-Fi in all of its locations.
Normally when a popular destination announces a new, convenient service, I feel overjoyed. However, this announcement left me . . . puzzled.
If the typical McDonald’s customer is one who relishes in the low priced dollar menu, is this same customer likely to own and carry a laptop?
Doesn’t a significant amount of McDonald’s business come from the drive-through?
Aren’t most McDonald’s locations on the highway where people zip in and out with no desire to stop?
Would you ever consider conducting a business meeting at a McDonald’s?
This morning on Mashable.com, blogger Brenna Ehrlich explained, “So why the switch to free Wi-Fi? Well, McDonald’s is hoping to become a hang-out spot of the coffee shop variety — it also plans to start selling frappes and smoothies mid-2010. And given the fact that coffee chains like Starbucks charge customers to surf while they sip, the idea doesn’t seem all that pie-in-the-sky.”
While I applaud McDonald’s for joining the technological revolution and trying to bring further convenience to their customers, they seem to be offering a service to a demographic that is likely uninterested.
I don’t know about you, but free or not, I have zero intention of plugging in my laptop beneath the golden arches.
December 16th, 2009
By Molly Galler
If you are a frequent visitor to CNN.com you surely noticed that something looked a bit different on the website this week.
Perhaps it was the blazing, fire engine red banner across the top? Or maybe it was the multiple, color photos accompanying the lead stories? Or was it the supersized video player featured in the center of the home page?
No matter what caught your attention, you’re correct. CNN.com got a facelift. In a recent article on the site redesign, Mike Shields of ADWEEK quotes K.C. Estenson, the SVP and General Manager of CNN.com, as saying “This is a revolution for us. To date, CNN has been a “largely text-driven site” that in the eyes of consumers is “a machine that spits out breaking news. We challenged ourselves to change.”
Why change now? Well, in an interview with Mediaweek, Estenson explained, “I think the portals are coming after us. I want people to not have to go someplace else to get more.” Who are these portals Estenson feels nipping at his heels? Oh you know, just two little companies called AOL and Yahoo.
Motivated by the idea of providing their visitors with all the types of news and content they are seeking, CNN.com has formed several partnerships that launched with the new website on Monday. New members of the CNN.com family include: Entertainment Weekly, People Magazine, Anderson Cooper, Larry King, Pete Cashmore and even Oprah Winfrey!
In addition to the fresh, vibrant look and the all star line up, CNN.com has also added personalization capabilities to the site. Visitors can tailor their homepage by adding local news, sports, and weather to their CNN.com experience.
It is clear from the components of the website redesign that CNN.com is paying attention to market trends and user preferences, and adjusting their offering accordingly. This new approach will likely delight existing fans and entice new ones.
Bravo CNN! Mission accomplished.
October 29th, 2009
By Molly Galler
Last week, publishing giant Condé Nast announced it would be closing four of its magazines – Cookie, Elegant Bride, Modern Bride and the iconic food publication, Gourmet. While the foodies are still wearing all black and mourning the loss of Gourmet, Condé Nast has been hard at work on its next venture – an online dating website.
No, you did not misread that. In the wake of budget cuts, Condé Nast is seeking a new stream of revenue and is courting a new industry. Is Condé Nast off its rocker, or just paying attention?
Despite the dramatic effects of the recession across all types of businesses, online dating has continued to boom, even websites that require a paid subscription. Both eHarmony and Match.com have reported increased registration in 2009.
While publishing houses cope with the reality that consumers would rather read content online, on their mobile phones and/or their e-readers, perhaps it makes sense for Condé Nast to explore a business venture that lends itself to the new, technology savvy consumer.
With that in mind, TrulyMadlyDating.com was launched under the Condé Nast umbrella. According to Melissa Noble of YourTango.com, “TrulyMadlyDating.com is Condé Nast’s official online dating site and what separates it from, say, Match.com, eHarmony or OkCupid? Everyone is just mah-valously dressed, dahling.”
The site brands itself as recommended by GQ and Glamour, two of Condé Nast’s leading publications. Will this endorsement help keep the magazines afloat?
It’s possible, according to Media Bistro writer Amanda Ernst. In a recent interview she conducted with Caroline Little, the North American CEO of Guaridan News & Media (U.K.), Ernst reports, “We asked what we always ask very powerful media people: can digital advertising replace what we’ve lost in print ads? Little’s response was a resounding no. She said print publications were going to have to look for alternate streams of revenue, and she specifically pointed to a dating service that the Guardian operates in the U.K. called Soulmates. “You could use that in local markets,” Little said of U.S. publications. Looks like Condé Nast is well on its way to taking that advice.”
While recent struggles may have sent Condé Nast into fight or flight mode, it seems the publishing company may have latched onto a promising, new, business opportunity.
What do you think? Can Condé Nast succeed in matching the Glamour girls with the GQ boys? More importantly, can they profit from this new venture, and profit enough to keep their existing print publications on newsstands?
Disclosure: eHarmony is a client of Racepoint Group.
October 14th, 2009
By Molly Galler
Both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal are reporting today that Google Inc.’s YouTube is negotiating with several major Hollywood movie studios to begin offering users access to full-length films on the website (for a small fee, of course).
The average consumer visits YouTube to surf free video clips or upload personal videos to share with family and friends. If you could also utilize the site to stream newly released movies, why wouldn’t you?
Both YouTube and several Hollywood studio giants are banking that you will.
For YouTube itself, these kinds of partnerships represent a chance to move out of the red and head down the path toward profitability. The New York Times reports, “. . . much of YouTube’s audience visits the site to watch a random mix of clips generated by amateurs, which advertisers view with trepidation. As a result, YouTube has been on a long quest to obtain more professionally produced video that it can use to generate revenue and offset the enormous cost of streaming billions of free clips.”
For the movie studios, a deal with YouTube means a much wider, global audience for their films, which is critical as the sale of DVDs continue to plummet. The Wall Street Journal agrees, “Though many studios now sell and rent movies online through services such as iTunes and Amazon.com, that has yet to produce meaningful revenue. By cutting a deal with YouTube, which had nearly 428 million global visitors in June, according to comScore, it can potentially reach a much wider audience.”
While both YouTube and the proposed Hollywood studio partners stand to gain substantially if this deal gets the green light, other entertainments outlets such as Netflix, will need a new game plan to keep up.
Currently, Netflix has adapted to the changing media landscape by offering streaming video to its customers in addition to shipping the hard copy DVDs. As the demand for streaming video continues, will a site with only that one function be able to stand its ground?
If you are a Netflix subscriber, would you cancel your membership when videos become available for purchase on YouTube?
September 3rd, 2009
By Molly Galler
Last week, my fellow RaceTalk bloggers Ben Haber and Kyle Austin each commented on Twitter’s decision to localize its offering, adding new features that would enhance the site’s sharing capabilities amongst users in the same geographic area.
This week, another website ups the local ante, this time, by expanding its services to 140 new cities. Who is coming to a small town near you?
His name is Craig. Craigslist, that is.
According to Brad Stone in his post for the New York Times’ Bits blog, “the San Francisco company quietly added new sites for 140 cities, a 25 percent increase, bringing its global directory to 690 cities over all. The additions include 87 cities in the United States, eight in Canada and 45 outside North America.”
Not only are these numbers staggering due to the sheer growth and heightened reach of the site, but this expansion is going to yield more than just another place to find a cheap futon.
In most major U.S. cities, Craigslist is the primary resource for finding an apartment, scouring for cheap furniture and even searching for job listings. Where Craiglist lives, “want” ads do not. In an economy where print publications are scaling back on staff and content, and ramping up their list of advertisers to stay afloat, the threat of a free advertising option does not bode well for the hometown newspaper.
Brad Stone suggests, “where Craigslist goes, of course, the fortunes of local newspapers often plummet, since classified ads on the site can mostly be placed free.”
It seems where Craigslist unpacks, hometown papers pack up. Will you miss them?
August 25th, 2009
By Ben Haber
Are you having trouble figuring out which search engine is best? There is now an easy way to decide between Google, Yahoo! and Bing – a blind test. A new site called BlindSearch allows you to enter a search term and see the results from each engine, side by side. Once you go through the list and decide which result column you like the most, you can click “vote for this search engine” and it will tell you which one you selected.
I tried this for the NYC Half Marathon and ended up with these results. Only once of the three columns offered the best link at the top of the results page (www.nyrr.org/races/2009/nychalf/index.asp) which happened to be Google. I tried a few additional searches as well (the search engines change columns so it keeps you guessing) and ended up selecting Google again, and again.
TechCrunch noted that other tests in the past have showed that people often select Google as the best search engine just because it’s Google. So while that may be true for some, give it a shot and see which search engine is best for you.
Image: www.populicio.us
August 10th, 2009
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