This week’s digital roundup comes fresh off the bank holiday, and while we were all relaxing in the sunshine, the worlds of digital and social didn’t stop.
This week, all you need is… a guide to the past, present and future of digital as we look at big data, responsive design, and wearable tech, as well as breaking out the ice creams to celebrate ten years of LinkedIn. Any excuse in the hot weather.
The Financial Times has always been at the forefront of experimenting in a digital world. From pursuing a paywall strategy to investing heavily in mobile and tablet, the newspaper has continued to push its product into the digital age.
The FT’s web app was relaunched last month and FT.com’s managing director Rob Grimshaw has offered up a fascinating insight into the world of publishing online that any company who deals in content would be wise to consider.
Digital revenue currently accounts for 30% of the FT’s total revenues and digital subscriptions overtook print circulation last year. Much of this is down to a smooth user experience and design, particularly their use of HTML5, and tracking reader’s habits.
Do you think the FT has the right approach to publishing? And if you’re working in content, what are the biggest challenges for you with regard to mobile and tablet right now? Let us know in the comments.
In web terms, a social network that reaches 10 years and is continuing to grow is something of a rarity, yet LinkedIn have reached that milestone with a cool 225m users.
The social network for working professionals has left the likes of MySpace and Friendster far behind, but has also changed both in look and feel during the last decade.
To celebrate the ten-year milestone, LinkedIn have released a Slideshare showing 11 homepage design changes from this period. A little like thumbing through a flickbook, it’s a fascinating reminder of how even the biggest online networks need to keep evolving.
TweetDeck is dead. Of sorts. The app, beloved of many Twitter power users, was purchased by Twitter for £25m in 2011. However, while Twitter continues to develop the tool, the company itself has now been dissolved.
Twitter failed to file formal accounts at Companies House for TweetDeck Limited over the last eight months, which has lead to the company being struck off.
The move will have no effect on users of the app, however it’s clear Twitter have plans for how they want TweetDeck to develop. The Android, iPhone and Air versions of the app will be shut down this week as Twitter looks to turn TweetDeck into a powerful desktop tool for users.
Following an increase of sponsored stories and suggested apps in your Facebook newsfeed, this July will see video adverts on the social network for the first time.
Several major brands are rumoured to be taking part in the initial trials, which will use autoplay video, albeit with the option to keep the sound turned off.
The video ad market is growing with analysts predicting it could generate up to $1.5m of new revenue per day for Facebook. However, the autoplay adverts could prove contentious with Facebook users as the company looks to balance revenue growth with user experience.
How would you feel about autoplay adverts in your newsfeed? Would it disrupt your Facebook experience or are you willing to see more adverts on the site? Let us know in the comments below.
Big Data is a big buzzword in 2013 with many digital specialists espousing the need for companies to get to grips with the reams of data produced across all areas of their business.
Often, though, the concept of Big Data can be confusing, especially for companies who are still developing, digitally.
However, as iJento point out in their clear and concise Big Data guide for Chief Marketing Officers, ignoring Big Data at this point could hand your competitors an advantage. If your PR or marketing department aren’t familiar with analytics already, maybe now’s the time to train them.
How are you using Big Data? Are you prepared for the explosion of data predicted over the next 12 months? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
From Google Glasses to the rumoured Apple iWatch, wearable tech is set to become a major part of the digital landscape. This neat infographic highlights how we could look if we decked ourselves from head to toe in the latest digital fashion.
Remember to get your virtual shoes on and run over to Ruder Finn’s Facebook and Twitter pages and share anything cool you’ve seen online with us.
AllFacebook has published recent news announcing the formation of Facebook’s new UK advisory board which is “aimed at strengthening the relationships between brands and agencies in the U.K. and the social network.” The board consists of the great and good of some of the UK’s largest companies and media buying agencies.
The Facebook Studio blog details the rationale for setting up the board which includes being “in constant contact with our industry partners, listening to their needs, and working together to help make their marketing efforts on Facebook more effective and efficient.”
The formation of the advisory board illustrates the importance Facebook places on maintaining good relationships with some of its most valued customers. However, one can’t help but think that it has given little-to-no consideration about the rest of us who use the Facebook platform for commercial reasons. Why is there no PR representation? Why is there no small business representation? NGOs? Charity? I could go on.
While undoubtedly a smart move for those involved and indeed it may stand to benefit the rest of us 99% eventually, the formation of the advisory group doesn’t align with Facebook’s democratic and non-hierarchical principals from which it was built on.
In other words, if you aren’t a large brand or media buying agency you don’t get a say.
Unlike the British weather, Ruder Finn’s digital roundup can always be relied upon to give you the best news from across the digital world, but we definitely have plenty in common with this weekend’s first taste of the Great British Summer. Get your flip-flops and shorts on, and get ready for your dose of digital sunshine.
This week, all you need is has more on the rumors about WhatApp selling to Google, how the news of Thatcher’s death spread on social media and much more.
Digital Trends reported that Google has been in talks to buy the popular messaging app WhatsApp for about $1 billion, the same price Facebook bought Instagram for.
But WhatsApp is not discussing to sell to Google. Or at least that’s what their head of business development, Neeraj Arora, said.
WhatsApp was the subject of similar rumors in December, when, allegedly, Facebook made an offer to buy the messaging app. WhatsApp denied the happenings saying that the reports were “not factually accurate.”
Everybody wants it but it seems that no one can have it.
Rumours may just be rumours, but the digital world is starting to wonder what WhatsApp has in mind.
Will it sell when the right offer comes along or do you think it’s planning to compete directly with Facebook and the other social giants? And, more importantly, how do you use WhatsApp?
First Facebook was testing a feature that, for the price of $1, lets you message anyone you aren’t currently friends with. Now the service has expanded the test and given users the capability to pay to send messages to celebrities.
But Facebook knows that not everyone is the same and started charging up to $17 to message the likes of Olympic swimmer Tom Daley, and Snoop Dog.
The charges have been tested worldwide for months now, but the latest trial was rolled out to a full 10 percent of UK users at the end of last March.
While Facebook insists that this system is designed to prevent spam, the initiative is proving to be controversial. In fact, by giving everyday users a way to jump out of the exile of the other inbox and into a stranger’s main inbox, the new system may very well annoy those who Facebook depends upon for a revenue stream.
Facebook, which is now a public company, has to monetise its members to keep its stockholders happy and a premium-priced inbox access seems to fit that need perfectly.
However, Facebook may want to make sure it doesn’t forget to keep its users happy too, as at the end of day, they make the social network what it is.
Can a social network be public and at the same time still be true to itself and ultimately to its users? Let us know if you believe there’s a conflict of interest. And of course don’t forget to tell us what celeb you would send a message to.
Ribbon, a San Francisco payments company, saw its expectations shattered after Twitter unexpectedly shut down its new in-stream payment option just a few hours after it’s launch.
The service was supposed to enable merchants to process transactions from start to finish within a tweet, rather than directing users to make a transaction on a separate website.
The payment company immediately said that they had taken all the steps required to validate the service and that Twitter did not give them any notice before cutting it out. In other words they were just surprised as everyone else. Twitter still hasn’t commented.
Whether Twitter had the right to shut down Ribbon’s service is open to debate, but the lack of notice and commenting may not go down well to Ribbon and other companies that are taking the risk of building their business on Twitter’s API.
Just minutes after the announcement of Margaret Thatcher’s death, the news reached pretty much every news organisation around the world.
In the UK, ITV won the race on Twitter after the Press Association sent out its news flash while the BBC had the most read story.
But how did the news spread on social media?
Here is a superb infographic by @gordonmacmillan that will help you answer the question.
Although some may think it’s disrespectful trying to quantify the reach of the news of someone’s death, many will understand that this is done with no malicious intentions and with the only purpose of understanding social media users’ behaviour
No longer just check-ins. Foursquare had a total make over and its latest update (6.0) puts much greater emphasis on search and recommendations.
“Our new goal is to reveal more of the world around you the moment you open up the app, and help you find exactly what you’re craving,” said Foursquare. And this is exactly what the new app allows you to do.
Foursquare has managed to become the local search and recommendation engine that it envisioned but it certainly didn’t abandon the check-in, which remains the main metric powering the service.
Have you downloaded the latest version form the App Store and Google Play? What do you think about it?
The sun is out again today and hopefully this, together with your weekly dose of digital news by RF, will make your first day back at work a bit less traumatic. Until next week… Gabs (@gabrielegenola)
Struggling to stay up to date with what is new in the rapidly changing world of mHealth? INSIDE mHealth in the monthly round up from Ruder Finn delivering the latest news, trends, facts and stats direct to your screen.
This month, INSIDE mHealth shows you the device that tracks your doctor’s hygiene habits, the next steps required to regulate the mobile health industry, top hashtags of the month and much more.
Nearly 2 million cases of hospital-acquired infections are reported each year. These are often due to doctors, nurses and technicians spreading germs as they move from patient to patient.
One wristband, developed by startup IntelligentM, may solve the problem by keeping track of your doctor’s hygiene habits.
The device contains an accelerometer able to detect how long someone spends cleaning their hands and to send alerts to indicate adequate washing.
The wristband represents a big improvement over the common alternative ways of ensuring good hygiene, such as using secret observers to watch doctors hygiene habits when they’re on duty.
Have you come across any other gadgets that are used for monitoring hygiene? Would you trust them? Let us know your thoughts.
The latest piece of mHealth technology, developed by a Swiss team, is a blood testing mHealth device that sits under the skin.
Uniquely this device is able to simultaneously check for up to five different substances in the blood. The data is then sent to the doctor using radiowaves and Bluetooth technology.
One of the developers, Prof De Micheli, of Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, said this technology will be particularly useful for monitoring chronic conditions such as diabetes and for tracking the impact of drug treatments such as chemotherapy.
The downside is that the device won’t be available to patients anytime soon, as it still has to undergo the testing and the data reporting phase which might take up to four years.
How would you feel about having a foreign object permanently sitting under your skin? Share your ideas in the comments.
Physicians are starting to recommend mobile health applications to patients with chronic illnesses, the Columbus Dispatchreports.
Such apps range from programs that offer basic reminders to those that link with medical devices to transmit vital information, as data obtained can be shared with physicians.
This is also confirmed by an online survey conducted by eClinicalWorks, which shows that 89% of physicians are likely to recommend a mobile health app to a patient.
For this reason, ensuring the safety of mHealth apps is more important than ever, which is why the FDA plans to finalise its guidelines governing medical apps by the end of October 2013.
Continuing from the previous article, FDA’s guidelines are expected to be out by the end of this year and will establish the requirements for an app to be defined as ‘medical’.
But this is just the first of the several steps required to regulate the mHealth industry. So what should we expect next?
Drawing the line between unregulated wellness and regulated disease claims
While the legal dividing line between disease and wellness is currently based on the interpretation of marketing words, it will need to include a risk-based approach so that simple apps that relate to disease in an innocuous way don’t get over-regulated.
Changes to the accessory rule
The FDA has a rule that anything that is designed to connect to a medical device becomes a medical device itself by acting as an accessory. That will need to change, as it creates enormous problems for mHealth where pretty much everything is connected to everything else.
Quality system requirements for mobile apps
Quality system requirements are likely to be introduced soon but these could potentially slow down app development to a snail’s pace. Therefore, they’ll have to ensure quality on the one hand, but not impede what is so beautiful about app development: its creativity, speed and innovation.
O2 is the first UK mobile operator to launch an mHealth offering. This consists of two mobile health programs: Help at Hand, an emergency response system sold directly to consumers, and Health at Home, a telehealth system marketed to providers.
Help at Hand is a monthly subscription servicefor people who are self-sufficient and mobile, but have a condition that makes their loved ones apprehensive about leaving them alone.
By pressing a button, the device can call the support team at any time. It also detects falls and automatically calls the support center for help, which will then, if necessary, notify a family member.
The service will cost £20 per month, with an initial charge of £99 for the handset.
Our friends at Experian Hitwise – a Ruder Finn UK client – have produced some fascinating numbers on the UK’s online video consumption. Not only are we watching more of it, but we’re spending longer with our eyes glued to the Internet.
In a post by Digital Insights Manager James Murray on Experian Hitwise’s blog, he compares the state of the UK online viewing market today compared to the same report Experian published back in 2011. In just two years, visits to view sites are up by 70%. Even accounting for the rapid rise in growth across the Internet, that’s still a huge rise given the 2011 number was hardly small.
What’s more, Experian have shown that the average visit time for video has actually increased by just under three minutes. Again, impressive when average visit time is down in general across the web.
The key point for business in Experian’s report is the number of people heading straight to e-commerce sites after leaving video sites. That currently stands at 16% you wouldn’t bet against that growing.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that your brand should be churning out videos for the sake of having video content. Well-done videos can boost your brand, both in terms of awareness and driving traffic and transactions, but poorly down videos can do more harm than good, and cost money.
Nonetheless, it looks like video will continue to grow, especially with the advent of the next generation of Internet-connected televisions. Indeed, we’re already seeing broadcasters experiment with video content even further, with the BBC announcing earlier this week that Peter Kay’s new sitcom will make its debut on the iPlayer before being broadcasted on TV.
And, of course, there’s YouTube, the world’s most visited video website, which continues to grow at an impressive rate. When Experian produce their next online viewing habit report, expect some further eye-catching figures.
Last month Facebook’s new search engine functionality known as Facebook Graph Search was unveiled to the world and is slowly being rolled out to an assortment of countries.
According to Mark Zuckerberg, Graph Search is designed to take a precise query and give you an answer, rather than display a series of links that might provide the answer, as given by traditional search engines like Google.
Since its announcement, Graph Search has attracted a lot of attention due to its implications on search engine optimisation (SEO) and its potential to revultionise the whole search experience. But are Facebook users wiling to give up their privacy concerns in order to allow Graph Search to perform at its best?
These topics were discussed at Forward 3D’s eventFacebook Graph Search - Impact on SEO and Social, where a panel of experts gathered to consider the implications of Facebook entering the search engine market.
Graph Search lets you access the data that you could never access with normal semantic search. For this reason, one of the main fears around it is that SEO as we know it will be no longer relevant.
But Adobe’s Head of Social Jeremy Waite disagreed with this notion and argued that this new search engine will actually strengthen SEO, as keywords will link to a specific answer rather than a URL. If brands follow Facebook’s advice to keep their pages and profiles up-to-date, the chances they are going to appear in a search is even greater.
So does this mean that the time of F-commerce has arrived?
According to Katy Howell, CEO at Immediate Future, it’s still too early to say whether Facebook Graph Search will finally fill the gap between social media and sales.
Facebook has always struggled to prove its ability to generate sales and, although Graph Search sets it one step closer to that, it’s still too soon to talk about F-commerce.
Nevertheless, the importance of Graph Search is huge as for the first time it will allow marketers and brands to see connections between people and sales, according to Forward 3D’s SEO Engineering Manager James Ray.
Unsurprisingly, the main concern around Graph Search is privacy. Several other blogs have already covered this subject and the implications that Graph Search has on it, so it’s interesting to look at privacy from a different angle.
Yes, we all know that Graph Search will make you findable even though your Facebook privacy settings are on. And we know there are very detailed privacy options for Graph Search itself too.
What we don’t know is how the concept of privacy is going to change in the years to come and this is the factor that is going to determine the success of Graph Search.
The less people see privacy as a concern, the more personal information they will be willing to provide and the more accurate Graph Search will become.
According to Burst Media, people are concerned about their privacy online and don’t like being tracked and bombarded with ads. However, Graph Search has the potential to change that. The value for the individual will come from the rest of their community, and not brands, generating more and more content.
As James Whatley says, all those nodes (information) are being connected by strings and for the first time theses strings are being put in the hand of the consumers rather than the marketers. In other words Facebook Graph Search will rely on users renouncing to some of their privacy in order for them to obtain more accurate information.
Is that a price they are prepared to pay?
Well, considering that users will benefit directly from it and it’s not just giving data away to marketers (which is how search engine has been working so far) the answer could be positive - this could be the trigger that will change the concept of privacy and allow Graph Search to disrupt the search engine market.
Although it’s still not clear how Facebook Graph Search is going to develop in the long term, it’s likely that its growth will be gradual, as Facebook is facing incredible challenges in trying to structure such a huge amount of data.
Like Facebook Graph Search, my opinions and predictions are still in a beta phase, but it’d be interesting to hear your thoughts. Is it a step too far or would you be happy to put aside your privacy concerns for a more accurate search?
Struggling to stay up to date with what is new in the rapidly changing world of mHealth? INSIDE mHealth in the monthly round up from RFI delivering the latest news, trends, facts and stats direct to your screen.
This month’s INSIDE mHealth highlights include the popular ‘urine app’, stats on the trend’s growth and a wrap up Storify on mHealth at the Mobile Word Congress.
THE HEADLINES
Smartphone app tests users’ urine
Yes, that’s right. Attracting a lot of comment on blogs and on Twitter over the last few days, the latest release in the world of mHealth is a smartphone app called Ucheck that uses the phone’s camera to analyse urine and check for a range of medical conditions.
mHealth tablets are a considerable focus for Microsoft - QR Code Press
Microsoft’s Surface and Surface Pro join Kindle Fire and the iPad in the mHealth space. Tablets not only assist ER doctors right on the front line, but they also assist in monitoring postoperative patients while they recuperate at home.
To date, both Surface and Surface Pro have received decent reviews from consumers. However, Microsoft is counting on its newly reworked Windows 8 operating system to enhance the user experience and really impress consumers.
The Doctor’s Digital Day
Here is an interesting video about how the healthcare practitioner of today uses digital tools to stay in touch with patients, friends and colleagues, in order to be able to maximise face-to-face time with patients.
South Africa leads in mHealth
Africa carries more than 24% of the global burden of disease but has an average of only two doctors per 10,000 people. South Africa represents the ideal platform for the evolution of mHealth services as it has a very solid telecoms infrastructure and is home to several entrepreneurial NGOs currently investing in mobile technologies.
A mobile and web-based health communication system, FolUp, has reached South Africa. The app represents a real innovation, as it connects physicians to patients for free and creates a platform for them to collaborate more on their health, symptoms and treatments.
Medicine for the Rich Is About to Get Cheap Enough for Regular People | Wired Business | Wired.com
Wired has posted a really interesting piece on personalised genome mapping. It’s now possible to map your genes to find out your origins, track down your ancestors and discover whether you are genetically predisposed to any illness or condition. The cost? Surprisingly, it’ll soon be cheaper than your weekly grocery shopping.
mHealth: THE TREND IN FIGURES
+ 7,000 … the increase in online mentions of mHealth every month
* From ‘Sysomos Map’ social media analytics tool.
THIS MONTH’S MOST RE-TWEETED
Johnathan Reid
Some valid points re Apple’s new dedicated ‘Apps for Healthcare Professionals’ collection: http://t.co/RAsR5QOHY0 via @imedicalapps #mHealth
21 Feb 2013
BBC Media Action
How are basic #mobile handsets saving lives in #Bihar, #India? Read our #mhealth policy briefing http://t.co/mWf0YkU7 http://t.co/hSexyxmD
12 Feb 2013
3millionlives
Healthcare Innovation Expo (13-14 Mar) - working on seminar programme for @3MillLives http://t.co/V3K6qD4l #telecare #telehealth #mhealth
30 Jan 2013
Berci Meskó
Royal College of Physicians launches stroke guidelines iPhone app http://t.co/ylf0q0NQ #hcsm #mhealth
5 Feb 2013
Ruder Finn UK
RF| #mHealth round up is OUT! NO PRESCRIPTION NEEDED… http://t.co/KDxhXZvz
3 Feb 2013
mHealth AT THE MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS 2013 - STORIFY
Check out the RF’s Storify if you’d like to read the full story.
UPCOMING EVENTS
·Healthcare Innovation Expo
WHEN: 13th March
WHERE: ExCeL London
·Health 2.0 Stockholm: Your Health in Your Pocket WHEN: 6th March
WHERE: Stockholm
·MobileMonday Austria: The Smartphone Your Doctor of Tomorrow?
Have you ever had a conversation with friends about new technology where at least one person says they find tech and the future really frightening? It might seem a bit silly to the more web-savvy amongst us, but you can tell from their faces that this sort of thing really terrifies them.
If you too can identify yourself with this statement then all you need to do to get over your fear is to invest five minutes of your time in reading an easy digital round up…
Last year, Facebook introduced Custom Audiences, which enables companies to upload customer or prospect databases and target those individuals on Facebook by matching customer IDs with Facebook IDs, phone numbers or email addresses.
Facebook has recently extended the functionality of Custom Audiences by allowing selected advertisers to target market segments offered by Acxiom and the other third-party data vendors. This dramatically enhances Facebook’s own targeting capabilities and brings the benefits of direct mail and email marketing into Facebook.
Facebook states that it cares about protecting users’ privacy and gives users the choice to opt-out of third party audience targeting.
Although Facebook’s existing targeting tools mean no personal information is exchanged between Facebook and marketers, the concept of privacy is constantly mutating. It’s likely that privacy advocates will be skeptical and raise concerns about the latest Facebook functionality.
Google has launched Google+ 3.0. This new version will enable developers to include a Google+ sign-in option for their applications.
On the other hand, users will now be able to sign-in and sign-up for services with their existing Google+ account credentials, much like many apps do with Twitter and Facebook.
Apps can tap into Google+ profiles to fill out a user account with details such as name, a profile picture, and a bio.
But there is more to Google + than just signing-in. Users have the option of displaying various types of activities and actions performed within apps, and these posts can be controlled by users to make sure they’re not flooding their timeline.
If you believe that people are free to say whatever they want on social media without breaking the law, you might want to think again.
The prosecution of those posting photographs in breach of the ban on identifying James Bulger’s killers is just the latest example of courts and prosecutors catching up with social media.
A range of laws have also been enforced online in areas such as contempt, defamation, employment, communications offences and incitement.
Although the law is still blurry in terms of social media, the scope of rules applicable for social media are being debated and, by the look of it, they are set to change our behaviour online.
In the meantime there’s one main rule that everyone should follow: think before you tweet.
The Mobile Word Congress 2013 has now come to an end and, by looking at the news; it seems to have exceeded all expectations.
Have you missed anything? Here’s a Storify about mHealth at the MWC13 and wrap up video of the highlights of this year’s number one all-about-mobile event.
Remember that the only way to overcome your fears is to find out more about them. If you’ve found this useful don’t forget to share it and help other people to see the bright side of technology. Till next week… Gabs (@gabrielegenola)
It’s been six months since I began my PR career here at Ruder Finn. I’ve been a nursery attendee, a school pupil and university student, but my new incarnation is the life of a ‘communications professional’. Although I’m quite used to my daily activities, I don’t expect to get too comfortable seeing as no day is the same!
When you’re the new girl in a workplace – especially in a first job – you wonder what you can bring to the table. As a trained journalist, I thought that this might be a good place to start, for me to bring a journalistic way of thinking; an inquiring mind, a nose for a story and a penchant for juicy media law cases. My last point is proving to be a pertinent one, with the Oscar Pistorius case in South Africa and the Lord McAlpine drama making Twitter a minefield for media law catastrophes.
*Sidenote South Africa does not do trial by jury, contempt in this case would be irrelevant*
The Attorney General for the UK, Dominic Grieve continues to flex his muscles with regards to this – announcing today that contempt proceedings will begin against individuals purported to have posted pictures of Robert Thompson and Jon Venables on Twitter.
Whether it’s tweets that come scarily close to defamation, the breaking of anonymity orders or downright violations of contempt of court, the UK justice system is failing to catch up with new media, and the newspaper industry is yet to find a social media proof answer to libel. With the world becoming more connected, is it time to start taking the teaching of media law more seriously?
I think so. If you went outside this office, onto the Strand, and asked any number of people whether they knew it was illegal to name the alleged victim of a sexual assault, most of them would probably say no. Ask them if they knew the difference between libel and slander, the number would probably still be quite low.
It’s important to train people in the basics of law and that seems to be lacking – splicing it with sex education and calling it ‘citizenship’ or ‘PSHE’ just doesn’t cut it. The UK may not have a written constitution, but we do have rights and responsibilities. It’s important to instil this into our youngsters and to remind them to use social media sensibly. After all, once you tweet, it’s permanent. This does not only apply to children – it extends to adults too. I would argue that knowledge of media law is just as important as media training for PR practitioners and clients. You would not want your employer typing your name into a search engine and seeing libellous tweets next to your twitter handle now would you?
Have you have experienced that feeling of happiness you get when you’ve just discovered a new life-changing app and you can’t wait to tell your friends or colleagues? If the answer is yes, then you’ve probably also experienced that feeling of deep disappointment you get when your friend looks at you and tells you that he thinks that app are a rip off.
This week all you need is… is dedicated to all those people who have felt that way over an app.
What should we expect from this year’s Mobile World Congress? Well, from an early first-look, not as much as you would think. Undoubtedly, the Mobile World Congress is the biggest show in wireless and it’s growing bigger every year.
But that also means that it’s becoming a real challenge for many companies to be heard through the ever-growing noise and this is pushing them to choose different venues to unveil their top products.
HTC, for example, launched its new One phone earlier this week in New York.
Samsung’s new Galaxy S IV is not expected to make an appearance in Barcelona
Google is drastically reducing its presence and many companies are making announcements ahead of time.
Although expectations may not be overwhelming this year, the MWC remains a key place to see and be seen and we can certainly expect a few game-changing products being unveiled during the show.
Many readers have probably been waiting impatiently for this year’s MWC and may disagree with my view. So leave a comment below and let us know your opinion and expectations.
·Harlem Shake
Been a stressful day at work? You just need to ‘shake’ that pressure off - I guarantee you that sad face will be replaced by a big smile.
The proof? Over 40,000 thousand people a day are doing the Harlem shake and sharing their joy on You Tube with the rest of the world.
Twitter’s advertising application programme interface has finally been launched after undergoing numerous beta trials.
The month-long trial phase has involved partners such as Above, HootSuite, SHIFT and TBG Digital, which are now offering Twitter ad features to a selected number of clients.
Since there’s been a significant increase in second screening, TBG CEO Simon Mansell said that this new offer’s biggest opportunity lies in capitalising on that growing companion role that Twitter is playing to TV advertising and live events sponsorship like the Super Bowl.
The social network is still looking for partners to integrate the Twitter Ads API and will review applications via this site.
Technology improves every year, especially in mobile where people are engaging with their phones more than ever before, while software and apps now trumpet their high security levels with each update they release.
However, it seems that that big grey area called privacy is still seen as a problem in the eyes of consumers.
Either due to personal reason or business concerns, the UK privacy index shows that almost three quarter of smartphone owners are concerned about their privacy.
Are you feeling nosy? Here is an infographic containing the full story.
“Ok glass! Show me this video!” is what you’ll be saying to make the content in front of your eyes come alive once the revolutionary Google glasses hit the shelves in 2014. Till then, you’ll have to move your mouse and press play button below. L
Did I miss something? Feel free to leave a comment below and share your highlight of the week. Until next Monday… Gabs (@gabrielegenola)
