This is a guest post by Shelly Runyon. Follow her on Twitter @shelly_runyon.
I’ll admit it – in a fit of teenage angst, soon after I turned 18, I went to a tattoo parlor, and to the great disappointment of my parents, I got a tattoo. I have no regrets, I love it – it’s a snapshot of a moment of time, reminding me always to “do me” as they say on the Jersey Shore. It hurt. That was the end of that phase for me.
But with recent news of the patented technology by Nokia that would allow cell phone alerts to be felt through magnetic pulses resonating in tattoo ink, reported by Fox News, I’ve found myself once again pondering the idea of a tattoo. But would I feel the same way about a tattoo that connects me to my cell phone?
In the long term, when I’m 85, will I feel the need to be as connected to my smartphone (if they even exist then) as I do now? Or will I be forever branded with an out-of-touch piece of technology embedded, literally, into my skin?
Now I’m not 18 anymore, and these days I worry about what I’m putting on or in my skin. The active, or should I say, reactive material in these tattoos will likely be metal. From iron to magnetite to neodymium, which is used in computer hard drives, the range of possibilities is pretty wide. It’s also safe to say that the effects of those metals against cellular walls, muscle tissue and blood may be pretty wide.
Luckily, besides a tattoo, Nokia is also toying with a temporary solution – their patent also allows for “temporary magnetic spray, stamp, sticky decal or perhaps a wristband,” reports Fox News. I’m much more apt to put a patch on my arm than metal in my skin – but even then, vibrating uncontrollably – I can’t imagine the feeling.
Will it be like a bee-sting or self-induced electroshock therapy? And when your arm is wet, say, in the shower, will the tingling spread to other parts of your body? I’ll be waiting to find out!
This is a guest post by Mandy Miller. Follow her on Twitter @MandyMayM.
Sometimes I find out addiction to technology very repulsive. On that same note, I get uneasy when separated from most devices longer than 10 minutes. Although completely counterintuitive, many question the safety of being so connected. Some surveys have found that adults spend the most on TV at just over four hours a day – this obviously brings concerns of sedentary lifestyles and obesity. In close pursuit, we spend two and a half hours a day (beyond what we do at work) on the Internet – this also brings concerns of a sedentary lifestyle and obesity. When it comes to phones, Business Insider reported smartphone owners are using the ‘phone’ 15 percent of the time, while 56 percent of time is spent on mobile apps, followed by email and messaging at 19 percent. While the numbers aren’t a surprise, new research is suggesting we may not be at a high risk for this cell phone addiction as we once though.
Contrary to other studies evaluating the same topic, a new study in the British Medical Journal says that our excessive amount of time spent with cell phones won’t cause cancer in adults. The Danish study of more than 350,000 people showed that there was no difference in cancer rates between people who had used cell phones for more than a decade and people who hadn’t.
That’s not to say that our addiction to these pieces of electronics isn’t harmful. While not dished out in mass amounts, cell phones do emit radio waves, which are comprised of radio-frequency (RF) energy. This is a form of electromagnetic radiation. That’s somewhat unsettling for most consumers. It’s not like nuclear waste seen on The Simpsons oozing out of a barrel, but this radiation is just as phantom-like as cancer itself. What research suggests happens is this electromagnetic radiation is flowing into our brain tissue, possibly causing brain tumors.
While the study has received mixed reviews, one of the remaining questions is “How does this affect kids?” Naturally, as a child’s body is developing, his skull is naturally thinner and cannot block radiation as easily. Some suggest that children are still at a higher risk through being exposed to this radiation at a young age.
Regardless of what is reality and as much as we would like to say we could ‘quit,’ we can’t. There’s no patch for this addition. The fact is, there is radiation and there are some things you can do to limit your exposure to it. If anything, use the mass hysteria as an excuse to disconnect from your device.
1. Don’t sleep with your phone.
I think the majority of PR pros are guilty of this. I know I am. I leave my phone on my night stand. There, it jacks out plenty of radiation over night. Even if you use your phone as an alarm, you can turn your phone to ‘Airplane Mode.’ Not only will the phone not emit a signal, it will still wake you up, bright and early (yes, exciting). Plus, you’ll probably get better sleep because your phone isn’t going off every few minutes. Even if you are working with global teams, it’s a good idea to disconnect. For one, it’s call ‘eight hours of sleep’ for a reason. Sleep – don’t work!
2. Keep it from the kids.
It’s so cute they know how to work one better than you, isn’t it? Well, lay down the law and pull the plastic from their hands. As noted above, their cute craniums can’t ward off the radiation the way an adult skull can. Whether you’re a parent or have little kiddos running around, use the time to build their social skills and interact with them. They’ll have plenty of time to use cell phones in the future.
3. Text talk and email.
Very few cell phone plans come without a big texting or data package and as PR pros, we constantly have the connection to the internet. While it’s not the same as a voice conversation, texting and emailing can limit your exposure as the cell phone is further away from your body. The further the device is from your body, the better off you are. Even if you want to type quick emails, you can set your device to read something like “Sent from my phone – please excuse any typos.” The instant disclaimer helps out with that auto-correct or shorthand. This is also very beneficial if you’re breaking up with someone as you don’t have to talk to them – bonus!
4. Kick it old school or new age.
If you’re expecting a really long call (i.e. your family), try a different connection, quite literally. Although the age (and budget) of a landline is quickly closing, using a landline limits your exposure. Who knows, maybe you’ll get chosen to be in one of those annoying Vonage commercials! If that’s out of the question, try connecting up on Skype. Switch from one device to another and get the added experience of being able to see someone’s face while you talk. Many businesses use this for meetings as you can view your entire team while meeting.
5. Ditch it.
As much as it kills me for the first five minutes or so, it’s quite lovely to ditch the device all together, especially if your phone is connected to email. If you’re a gym addict like me, it’s a perfect time to turn off. Most gyms are cracking down on the use of cell phones while using machines, but take the time (and excuse) to disconnect. Obviously, a planned separation from your device also limits exposure to radiation.
In an age where it seems life and work is constantly connected to the internet, do you have any additional tips on ditching the electronics?
I love my new smartphone. Not only is it super-awesome, but the apps give me cool stuff to cover in RaceTalk – let me know if there’s a mobile app I must see.
We love not paying full price for things, and the success of group-buying daily deal sites has only fueled our penchant for not paying full-price for everything from pizza to skydiving lessons. The challenge for vendors choosing to participate is turning would-be one-time penny-pinchers into loyal returning customers even after the coupons are distant memories. Many businesses never close the deal, instead being left with the equivalent of countless, unfulfilling one-night stands from consumers who only loved them briefly for their discounts. Now that I’ve painted this sad, sad picture for you, cue LevelUp.
Rather than offering a one-time discount to deal hounds, LevelUp instead offers consumers an incentive to come back: spend $X, get $Y in credit. Spend $X again, get a little more than $Y in credit. The more you spend with LevelUp, the more credit you get back. As described on the site, it’s a “Sesame-Street-simple loyalty program.” We get our savings, and businesses aren’t finding themselves in the red. Good stuff, right? Let us know about your LevelUp experiences in the comments.
If you know me personally, you can skip to the next paragraph. If not, finish this one: Hi, I’m Brittany. I love beer and location-based social media. If I found anything that married the two, I would consider marrying it.
One of the reasons why I was most excited about finally getting a smartphone – aside from no longer having to make excuses along the lines of “Sorry, my phone rides the short bus” – was all the applications and bookmarked mobile sites that would inevitably accompany it. I of course anticipated the usual suspects – Twitter, Foursquare, Angry Birds, Words with Friends – you know, all those little megabytes that have become all but staples of our livelihood. What thrilled me even more was the thought of perhaps the most magical, albeit less mainstream, mobile site to grace the lives of social beer-drinkers the digital world over: Untappd. Haven’t heard of it? Read on.
I first heard about Untappd via the Twittersphere many months ago. Being an avid consumer of beer, the prospect of being able to check into which one I was drinking sounded nothing short of incredible – especially when you go to as many beer fests as I do, and keeping track after the eighth sample can get tricky. Untappd lets you track what you’re drinking, where you’re drinking it, and what you think of it.
After that first glorious (sometimes not-so-glorious) sip, visit m.untappd.com and search for whatever it is you have in your hand. Find it – or add it – add your two cents, and check in. Simple, but that’s the beauty of it. Like many Bostonians, while I do have a few go-tos, I really love trying different brews, and I only have so much brain space dedicated to beer. Untappd is turning into my handy little Rolodex of draughts and bottles and making some recommendations at the same time based off my check-ins (although I haven’t tested that out yet – has anyone who can share their thoughts?). Like Foursquare, it also lets me keep tabs (pun unavoidable) on my beer-inclined friends to see what they’re drinking. Possibly even more fun, I earn badges (also like Foursquare) for my drinking habits, which serve no purpose other than bragging rights (and perhaps a VIP pass for an AA meeting).
Have you tried Untappd yet? Love it? Hate it? Let us know in the comments!
It’s that time of year, again: where the SXSW Interactive 2012PanelPicker is open for public voting! For those of you who are already versed in the innovative, educational treasure trove that is SXSW, I don’t think I need to expound any further. For the rest of you, read on:
“The 19th annual SXSW® Interactive Festival challenges you to envision the future of innovative technology. Featuring five days of compelling presentations from the brightest minds in emerging media and scores of exciting networking events hosted by industry leaders, SXSW Interactive offers an unbeatable line up of special programs showcasing the best new websites, digital projects, wireless applications, video games and startup ideas the community has to offer. From hands-on training to big-picture analysis, SXSW Interactive has become the place to preview of what is unfolding in the world of creative technology.” – SXSWi’s “About” page
One of the really cool parts about SXSW (you know, aside from all that exposure to cutting edge media and tech mentioned above) is the crowd-sourced component of the event’s sessions via the site’s PanelPicker. Last week, public voting opened for over 3600 very strong speaking proposals. Public voting will factor into the selection of a privileged 500 or so for the show itself. That’s right: YOU have a say in who makes it to the agenda. What better incentive to attend is there? Voting ends 11:59 p.m. CDT on Friday, September 2, so hurry up and add your two cents.
Of note, your friends at Racepoint Group and Digital Influence Group have thrown a couple hats into the ring. Check out the sessions below and if you like them, feel free to vote (and encourage your friends to do so, too).
A recent survey from iPass collected data on business workers and travelers around the world, and discovered that people check their email constantly. How much, you ask? 35 percent of people check email first thing in the morning before doing anything else. Email comes before getting dressed, showering and eating breakfast.
Email addiction can also be disruptive. 32 percent of people admitted that their mobile technology causes friction in their personal relationships, and 90 percent of this friction comes between partners. While email addiction can be annoying for a partner at any time, I’m guessing that a significant amount of this friction comes at night, to the tune of 38 percent of people occasionally checking email while they’re sleeping. But it gets worse: 8 percent of people admit to checking email in the middle of the night every single night.
While we all can agree this would not be identified as “healthy” behavior, the Economist argues that these email must have some kind of dividing line:
Many jobs now demand constant connectedness, leaving little space for life outside of work. Indeed, while 64% of those asked said it was unacceptable to take a call in a public toilet, 29% confessed to talking on the loo. The line between work and private life has to be drawn somewhere. At the toilet door, perhaps?
Now it’s your turn to be honest with us. What’s the worst situation, place or time you’ve ever checked your work email?
Have you heard of Adzookie? Unless you’re really into small-market mobile advertising start-ups, you shouldn’t have. Well friends, prepare yourselves to be introduced to the proud owners of one of the most ineffective and polarizing advertising campaigns in recent memory; which, in turn, is also one of the most creative and brilliant public relations campaigns.
Adzookie offers a fairly standard smartphone advertising platform geared towards small businesses,and by taking a look at their website I would say “fairly standard” is just about as accurate of a description of the company you can get.
In late March Adzookie launched their “Paint My House” campaign. The deal works as such: Adzookie will come to your house and repaint every side as a large advertisement for their company (see picture above, which would have caused Grant Wood to stab himself in the eyes with his pitchfork). For as long as the house remains painted, Adzookie will pay your mortgage. Mad Men-style genius? Not quite.
First, let’s examine the rarely-used “house as a billboard” advertising strategy in order to determine its effectiveness. In conclusion, it’s horrible. As an example we’ll take the house pictured above. By its appearance it looks like it is located in suburbia, Anytown-USA; not dissimilar to the area in which I grew up. On an average weekday I would estimate that about 25 different cars drive by that house, and about 80% of them belong to other people that live in the neighborhood. Mathematically that leaves five new people driving by the billboard each day. This number becomes even less when you take into consideration repeat visitors to the road such as friends, nannies, and these guys. Dismissing the increased traffic due to locals who “always knew the Johnsons would do something like this,” what are the chances that you are going to get a person who is driving down that road, who also happens to be a marketing executive, who also happens to be looking for a new mobile advertising platform? That’s a risky ROI when the average American mortgage payment is almost $1,700/month.
Now let’s examine the public relations impact this campaign had on Adzookie. The out of left field nature of the Orange, CA-based company’s plan immediately gained national coverage in major publications such as The Wall Street Journal, CNN, NBC, TIME, and Forbes. CEO Romeo Mendoza had crafted his message perfectly: He and his company were recession-era saviors of those most in need. Oh, and they just happen to also run a mobile advertising company. “We hit a nerve,” he’s quoted as saying in The Wall Street Journal article. “I knew people needed help, but I didn’t know so many. That’s kind of sad. We can’t help everyone, but we can help some.” For most of early-April, Adzookie was the most recognized mobile advertising platform in the country. I, as many others, took the time to write about this once-unknown company. Exposure has gone through the roof (which Adzookie doesn’t really care about because they don’t paint your roof).
What will be the result of “Paint My House” on Adzookie’s bottom line? It’s too early to say. They have obviously not gained enough funds to improve their website, and behemoths Google and Apple currently dominate the mobile advertising landscape. However I doubt that you will soon forget about Adzookie, the mobile advertising company that dared to dominate your landscape.
RaceTalk was lucky enough to catch mild-mannered Tom O’Keefe (better known as the legendary @BostonTweet) in between burritos and assorted Boston goings-on and convinced him to chat with us for a spell to talk about his Twitterlebrity status, social media in Boston, and some other Tom Trivia.
Prior to our discussion, we asked the Twitter community to tweet their questions for Tom using the hashtag #AskBostonTweet. We got some great response, and have included the timestamps for each question in the video below. Enjoy!
Special thanks to Mandy Miller (@AmandaMMiller9) for her awesome, patient camera work.
1:30 Do you use other social media platforms?
2:17 How do you pitch @BostonTweet?
3:15 People can win Groupons by retweeting your tweets. If they retweet Groupon’s tweets, can they win you?
3:45 Where will @BostonTweet go from here?
5:15 Will you release a @BostonTweet-branded fragrance, a la Britney Spears and Khloe Kardashian?
5:30 What causes and nonprofits inspire @BostonTweet?
6:50 Are there @BostonTweet counterparts across the country?
7:44 How many tweets could a Boston tweet if a Boston could tweet tweets?
7:58 Aside from “I’m @Bostontweet,” what pickup line generally works best on women in Boston?
8:36 Have Twitter followers ended up crossing over to real life friends and colleagues?
9:50 After you die, will you submit your brain to the MIT Media Lab?
This morning Gizmodo reported that Cisco has “axed the Flip cam.” The Flip video camera has been a great companion to many a PR professional at trade shows, conferences, industry events and for one-on-one Q&As. A moment of silence, please.
Jenna Wortham, a tech reporter for the New York Times, reacted via her Twitter account @jennydeluxe:
She is absolutely right. The “Swiss army-like smartphones” she is describing are going to become a one-stop shop for all your content creation needs. I am going to toss tablets into that ring too – the iPad 2, the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the like. What will be next, the death of the digital camera?
In a salute to the absolute supremacy of smartphones, I dedicate this song:
What do you think, readers? What device will disappear next?
This post is written by Lauren McCarty, an account executive at Racepoint Group. You can follow Lauren on Twitter at @McLauren84.
The media depicts stereotypical East Coasters as sarcastic, impatient and culturally enlightened. I never endorse stereotypes, but I’m here to tell you one East Coast fable holds some weight: incessant, obsessive smartphone use. And according to a new report from In-Stat, the entire country will soon follow the trend. In-Stat predicts that by 2012, over half the U.S. handset market will be comprised of smartphones. Android is expected to maintain its position as the leading operating system, and somewhat surprisingly, Nokia is predicted to sell more smartphones than Apple.
An Indiana native transplanted in the Racepoint Boston office, I noticed the smartphone divide as soon as I arrived in Boston in 2008. At the time, almost no one in Indianapolis had a smartphone, and if they did, it was a clunky Treo. The deciding factors when choosing a new phone were keyboard size, sleek design and color. Qwerty texting still reigned as the primary required feature, and while some phones offered mobile browsers and primitive apps, users were terrified of the unknown potential costs. In fact, I witnessed friends accidentally open their feature phone mobile browsers and shriek as they tried to exit as quickly as possible, convinced their monthly bill would instantly triple.
I resisted the smartphone peer pressure until last year, when I bought an iPhone 4. Unsurprisingly, it’s rarely left my palm since. I just returned from a vacation in Phoenix, and I noticed a decidedly different phone culture out West. In coffee shops and restaurants people read the paper and chatted with friends, tables unencumbered by the usual pile of black smartphones found in East Coast hang outs. Within my group of Midwestern-born friends, only two of six had smartphones, and no one had an iPhone. I really stuck out like a sore thumb checking Facebook every two hours and constantly complaining about insufficient broadband.
But it appears my initial observations are aging quickly as the smartphone tide begins to crest. Experts were hesitant to confirm the smartphone’s coming domination, with so many rural regions still favoring feature phones, but the new In-Stat report confirms it’s taking over. While some people will continue to resist, the future is clear: Smartphones are unstoppable, and the way we communicate with each other and access information has been forever changed.
