What the i-pad brings us is what I have been dreaming about for years. An environmentally friendly unit that delivers rich engaging content. The video shows the potential for advertisers. NB The reality will be if more opportunities are given to many creative providers, not just traditional agencies. Why? Because everyone deserves a chance to bring in new ways of communicating messages within a commercial context.

Today, Advertising is too ‘In your face’!
Many feel that advertising needs to be more innovative and less, ‘in your face’, i.e: surveys have suggested that text message based adverts / spam, windows pop-ups or what I call web-page over-takers (adverts that simply confuse and hijack your reading space) are irritating. Even advertisements before watching a video can really turn-off the viewer!

So, what kind of advertisement is acceptable?
It is a known fact that entertainment orientated, subtle and relevant advertising is popular. There is also no point is placing advertising on the back of rich content, as by that time the viewer or listener is ready to move on. Maybe sponsored space is the best way to go, for example, a classified section that is sponsored? Or, how about shorter commercials, e.g: less than 10seconds.

In summary, it is great to see new tools like the i-book store coming our way, what we don’t want is commercial dominance by some players else they will be ‘talking to the hand’!!

The immediate answer is yes, absolutely. However, as we have always stated, one has to think about the meaning behind the message,
The videos at the end of this article show you the potential that augmented reality could deliver.
We’re still checking out how it all works but it looks promising for:

• Timestamped advertising
• Behind the scenes at events
• New reality TV insights – incase you can’t get enough of the regular fix!
• Product placement
• Restaurant reviews
• New Avatars based on what you wear – In the example, you could change your outfit if you ‘stuck on’ the enabling interface/ stitched in device.
• Greater interactive gaming
• Interactive business cards.
• Internal views of products, for example a car – All you do is rotate your magazine!
• Making magazines even more interactive.
• An extended City Tour guide – linked in with your mobile phone’s GPS.
• Interactive museum – With characters from history springing to life!
• Story telling coming to life (i-magic book) – The images just jump off the page!
• A new future for presenting prototype’s and eventually future versions to the final product to a client or construction project.
• Multi-views (3D), inc: medical overlays – for surgeons, before your operation!
• Fantastic journalist opportunities, both for creative views and incorporating Podcasts, both audio and video
• More interactive Podcasts, e.g: Corporate podcasts linked through internal newsletters.
• New forms of e-Learning classrooms but through a virtual gateway.

Just imagine if a tablet PC could include an element of augmented reality.
It is almost another spin on the Semantic Web that Tim Berners-Lee once spoke about. In this case the real-world merges with the virtual world to present new dimensions!

One of the most exciting applications could be something like a series of resturant reviews or even special offer menus. All one would have to do is just aiming your mobile device from your street bound location.

What we need next is a virtual shopping cart and a virtual bank with some virtual currency!!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The good thing about the U1 product is its potential to both adapt and provide flexible applications.

Another interesting concept is the 2 screen e-Book. I always wondered how writing an e-Book with links would work. Cynics suggest that it could limit the writing capability as the tapestry or mental images provided by great text will be compromised by a simple link. My view is that there is room for those that want an ascetic feel of a book and / or creative writing.

Take a look at the following. I wonder how many actual e-Books with interactivity are actually available yet?

Click here to view the embedded video.

With Google’s recent encounters with news outlets and Microsoft attempting to ‘cut’ exclusive content deals with traditional media giants what is the future of media.

Is mixing advertising with content a good way to fund journalism?
What is certainly interesting is the repulsion of the public against text (sms) based advertising. Survey’s reveal this to be irrirating. Personally, it is frustrating to watch a 15 second advertisement before watching a video on Youtube or even the scrolling adverts underneath, albeit that you can compromise on how much you can see as there is a shortening/summary button.

Will the tablets usher in a new way of advertising or fueling news content?

The Video showing a mock-up of what a Sports Illustrated magazine could look like is fascinating. It shows a whole new world of possibilities. For example: Sponsored articles, product placement and also affiliation with brands. Surely, that should be enought to fuel any journalist’s salary or media moguls financial outlook. Maybe the idea for charging for content has been considered due to the success of the i-phone. Clearly with 90,000 applications for the latter device, demand is strong for developers to use this technology as an outreach for their content services et al.

Other opportunities include:

• Mobile services
• Gaming
• Interactive Video
• Interactive Music
• Subscription services for specialist content rather than exclusive content.
• Mash-up of content to derive selling opportunities and hardware sales!
• Aggregation around multiple sources is another possibility

With regard to the latter, just look at BizBuzzz, it focuses  on bringing you the best Blogs, News and Entertainment news all from one channel.
On a related note, there has been a lot of debate this year about the future of video streaming. Again, this offers new possibilities for established media outlets. If networks can establish both niche and relevant everyday content in an accessible and high quality format, then we have the start of new convergence strategies – news like you have never experienced news before.

In terms of implications for users, yes, it is different but is it different enough for accessibility and connectivity from an integration perspective, i.e:

1. Future phones probably should be more semantic in nature, making it easier to interface with daily tasks.
2. In terms of applications, will it demand proprietary development paths or standardised adaptation of existing ‘Apps’?
3. Will it work with some the emerging exciting touch, tablet and surface computing devices?
4. Could different versions be made available with even more innovation demonstrated for different ability and functional requirements?

The advert is correct at suggesting that there is a need to rethink what technologies are suitable or fit for purpose.

NB I still have friends who prefer some of the rugged Nokia’s with their traditional large displays, keyboards and menus.

The following video takes you through a mini-tour:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Online Web content is changing!

Incidentally, it is also worth watching: The Machine is (Changing) Us: YouTube and the Politics of Authenticity – This is effectively an update of the initial featured presentation (pls see the video above). It explores an  interesting aspect of New media, i.e: The way that people are currently focused on promoting themselves.

Click here to view the embedded video.

It is important to ask is Youtube really a community or simply a platform for the projection of self expression?
Could outlets such as Youtube be considered as potentially artificial, especially as there is a delay to a possible interactive response?
Will microblogging and Video Bloggimh have a limited life once we all get over the age of reality TV, i.e The compulsion to be entertained by Idol and X-Factor type programmes?

I remember when companies hardly used Youtube. Now major organisations are using it  as an outlet, especially with the addition of on-screen tagging.

With over 20,000 daily video updates, more research is required to understand if there is a rise or drop in personal content.
In addition, more insight is required into the behaviour of the online watching community.

What has really changed for viewers? Or, are we still too passive to absorb what we are given?
Anthropology can be defined as the study of cultures/communities – currently the Internet is still moving to fast to track!

At yesterday’s ‘Future of Online media conference‘, Spotify’s Daniel Ek, CEO suggested that,

The key for us is getting music in to people’s existing billing habits

It is interesting how it all relates to numbers at the end of the day.
For example, Trillions of listeners with a low % conversion rate to paid subscribers will work.
In addition, establishing an easy to access ‘subscribe now’ function can also help.

The stats for Spotify are show a rapid climb, proving that people do want access to such content and its associated delivery flexibility:

Spotify User Growth

NB It doesn’t stop at just being a paid subscriber as consumers can be influenced to buy an artists/bands merchandise, concert tickets or track/album downloads.

If you have a personal website and Google Analytics installed or access to stats from your ISP, you can review the average time that a user spends on your site. Spotify users stayed logged on for an average of 72 minutes per day. With out looking at the detail it is difficult to tell if these is all in one sitting!?

The video provides a fascinating insight into what could follow – i.e: Going for mass appeal with a number of models rather than just backing one.

Another dimension to throw into the mix is the potential of technology convergence. For example, more TV’s are arriving with Internet links built-in. This offers more channels to expose and tempt potential consumers to choose from a variety of models presented, even easier if packaged as part of a TV subscription. For example, Sky offer TV, Broadband and Telephone packages. Why not add a service like Spotify for a few Dollars/Pounds more!

It will certainly bring about the potential for

1. A more comprehensive eBook
2. New field based applications
3. Collaborative working (inc: content sharing)
4. Greener apps – reducing paper
5. Colour for a A new type of interactive experience for content / articles/ ebooks.

If the latter is true, have publishers already started to develop books with on-line links to reliable references?

But what about basic issues such as:

• Accessibility
• Battery life
• Standards
• Interoperability both in terms of applications and different hardware (will there be a return to IBM VS APPLE)
• Secure information &
• Ensuring you don’t get mugged!

Could it become an interface for a surface computer? Now that would be something!

The CEO of Orange Tom Alexander states

the watch phone is the must-have gadget of 2009. It’s handcrafted, exclusively limited, and will turn heads on the high street”, and will supposedly bring “a 21st-century experience to our 21st century customers.

Set up like a normal phone this device has all the normalities of a regular phone, from the sensitive touch screen number and text pad, to the user friendly red and green call and end buttons.

It also has the capability to take pictures however the down side here is that it does not have an accelerometer to tell the camera if it is upside down or not so this would require a twist of the wrist to take right-side up pictures.It also has music player which can be connected to a blue-tooth device, that can also be used for voice calls as well as video calls.

The major downside to this phone is the price, though available on both pay-as-you-go and monthly payment, this phone would range between £500 and £1000!

Being compared to a James Bond gadget the watch phone is simply taking on-screen gadget technology and bringing it to reality, enhancing its features by adding more usability tools.

With the introduction of a social media-friendly remote control, Television is now being introduced to the Social Networking atmosphere, where now you are able to tweet, updated your Facebook status and blog all without accessing a mobile device or computer.

There have always been previous speculation about the mashup of Web and TV, however with social networking on the rise this seemed like a bold move to make, making television web interactive.

Yahoo TV WIigets have embraced this new Web/TV mashup, and  offers a well-designed, fully featured client that lets you post tweets from your TV. This widget displays the most recent tweets or updates, whether it is from you or someone else. The updates are real-time, so there is no need to refresh or re-boot to get recent updates. While watching television you can be interacting through your social mediums about juicy bits of a favourite program.