Yet another thing that caught my eye this morning – Sony’s Flexible OLED is Thinner Than a Strand of Hair. Very cool. Below is a video that was linked on Gizmodo’s post. It shows the screen being rolled while showing video clips. What’s even more interesting about the post is the comments… some ideas that commenters are posting that seem pretty crazy, but will probably be very possible some day.
Okay, so I have mixed feeling about this one. On the one hand, WIRED is one of those magazines that I think really represents good design and I love flipping through it… not only for the articles (which are always awesome), but also because it has a beautiful layout and interesting typography that is hard to find sometimes. I also would hate to see the paper version die. BUT the iPad app IS the paper version… with much more functionality, video clips, interactive content, etc. It’s like having the magazine come alive in your hands. Now that is cool. (Video embedded below.)
I would take the printed version over the online version any day, but the iPad version versus the printed version? I have a feeling the iPad version will win me over. It’s the same layout and great design with added bonuses. This is another one of those apps that will make me get the iPad. Imagine what other magazines could do with it. Popular Science would be another good tech magazine to do this. What about National Geographic embedding short videos when you click on a photo so you could see more? Or giving a voice over if you wanted to hear fun facts? Bon Appetit could upload videos with each recipe or how-to videos in sections where they explain unique cooking techniques. Sports Illustrated also comes to mind… of course there are sections I wouldn’t want to “come alive,” but what about including clips from games? Or mini-sports games in the app. The possibilities are endless.
I hate to say it, but if print is on it’s way out in the future… jumping on the mobile bandwagon seems like it could save a lot of magazines and newspapers. Of course, that might speed up the process, but I can’t help but think we’re headed that ways anyways. This might actually be a good stimulus to get more people reading magazines. For all those people with short attention spans who can’t take the time to read, maybe interactive reading apps like this could get them to read and find out more about what they are looking at.
Who knows. All I know is, this makes me want an iPad even more. I’m waiting a bit to see what Android Froyo does with tethering (through my DROID). I’m pretty curious about Google’s plans. My only concern is – if Google creates a tablet will all these apps eventually come to Android?
I had to pass this on. Popular Science just finished posting 137 years worth of their magazines online. Not only are they online – the archives are free and can easily be viewed via browser or mobile.
The gadget geek in me is jumping up and down, but so is the designer side of me. It’s very cool to read about and look at photos of past technology, crazy inventions, and (what were) futuristic ideas. At the same time, it is amazing to compare the designs from various dates such as 1874, 1940, 1972, and 2010. Design and the technology printing those designs was constantly changing as well. People were creating new ways to share ideas and information. Layouts changed from plain, standard column text to full page ads and articles with lots of photos and flexible regions of text.
Lately, I’ve been talking to more and more small businesses that express that they aren’t getting out to enough people. They are starting to realize that more and more people are turning away from phonebooks or newspaper ads and to the internet for their business searches. Recently, I was at a local conservation commission meeting and they had expressed that they did not receive the crowd that they had wanted for a trail opening. My boyfriend asked, “Did you advertise?” They said they had posted it on various billboards, in newspapers, and in mailings. We both admitted that neither of us had seen a single ad that they had distributed. I added, “I probably would’ve noticed if I had seen it on the computer.” Slowly, more local businesses are realizing that people are turning to the internet for nearly every need: news updates, television shows, conversing, finding sales, etc. Having a website always sounds like a good idea, but some small businesses are hesitant. They think that they don’t have the funds, the time or knowledge to make updates, or doubt the importance of such a thing. But it is important. More than ever. I think, for those that are hesitant, a very good step that small businesses can take is to either set up a Facebook Fan Page, or pay a small amount to have one set up. Why? You ask. I’ll show you.
A Few Statistics For You To Consider
There are more than 200 million active users, with 100 million of them logging on at least once a day. More than 66% of Facebook users are outside of college and the fastest growing demographic of users is those 35 years old and older.
The average user has at least 120 friends. (This is especially useful when you consider the term, ‘viral marketing’. When a person becomes a fan, everyone of his/her friends sees that they are a fan. Each “John Doe became a fan of Suchandsuch” has a link, “Click to become a fan.”)
More than 1 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photos, videos, etc.) are shared each week.
Facebook is currently translated into over 50 languages with 40 more in development.
Every month, more than 70% of Facebook users engage with Platform applications.
More than 10,000 websites have implemented Facebook Connect sites since its general availability in December 2008.
More than 30 million active users currently access Facebook through their mobile devices.
There are more than 150 mobile operators in 50 countries working to deploy and promote Facebook mobile products.
Internet users do not need a Facebook account to see Facebook Fan Pages.
Facebook Pages are almost entirely customizable. The only parts that you cannot change are items that you wouldn’t want to change because users are very used to seeing the standard elements (profile photos, “the wall”, different boxes, etc.). At the start you have the standard tabs: Wall, Info, Photos, Discussions. You also have Reviews and Events. Of all of the tabs and boxes, the only ones that must remain are Wall (where interactions take place) and Info (website, hours, phone, etc.). You can add as many as you’d like and customize anything as you’d like. For example, on my Facebook Fan Page I have the Wall, Info, Extended Info (services, payments, etc.), Photos, Hello! (welcome page) and Boxes (with blog info, Zazzle store, etc.).
More and more applications are being built that can simply be added to pages. For example, do you sell your crafts through Etsy? You can display items from your store right through an Etsy app. Do you sell shirts, mugs, or bumper stickers on Zazzle? Display them with the Merch Store app. Want to accept donations right on your Facebook Page? There are apps for that as well.
There are also apps (Extended Info and FBML) that allow users to insert HTML, Markdown, or Textile code to included photos, galleries, Flash, videos, etc.
Administrators and users (if allowed) can easily post photos, videos, and comments. Administrators can also send updates which go out to all of their fans.
Have an event coming up? A sale or customer appreciation barbeque? Simply create an Event with time, place, photos, description and allow users to RSVP right through Facebook. Users can also ask questions on the Event page and comment with suggestions. Any users that are sent the Event will receive a reminder of the Event several days before it happens and will continue to see it until the day of the Event.
Several Ways To Get The Word Out
After June 28, 2009 small businesses will also be allowed to get a vanity URL. For those that don’t know what this is, it’s a custom link to their page, for example facebook.com/companyname.
Don’t like the facebook.com in there? Make a subdomain with your own hosting and send people that way. List it on your business cards, newsletters, or newspaper advertisements. For example, I use facebookpage.mepriestley.com for my Facebook Fan Page.
When you publish your FB Page you have the option to “Suggest to Friends.” They will automatically get a link to become a fan. Once they become a fan, all their friends will see that they are fans. If you have a group of people that are friends (say classmates of Oxbow Highschool) will see your company in their sidebar and it will say “5 of your friends became fans of YourCompany. Become a Fan.”
Use other social media or internet means. Link your FB Page to your Twitter account. What about your LinkedIn account? No idea what I’m talking about? You could also send out an email newsletter and include the link.
Finally, Facebook gives you the option to “Promote Your Page with an Ad.” This works much like Google Adwords. Facebook ads are Pay-Per-Click. For each click you get, you pay a small fee.
Finally – Why not? It’s free! Another good point that I’ve read in the articles below is that, your competitors are joining. Whether you like it or not, there are companies that are joining and users are listening and interacting with them. Where are you?
Great site: Epipheo. I first came across this site when the post, Epiphany Videos to Propel Viral Campaigns ended up in my inbox as a result of my subscription the the Flip the Media blog. The article itself was a brief insight to the site’s beginnings as well as where it might go from here. What most interested me was the embedded video, How Internet Has Changed Advertising. From there, I couldn’t stop watching videos. Each one really does make you think, even if just for a second. It’s definitely not brainless material.
There are videos in a variety of different categories. What I most enjoyed were the videos on advertising, marketing, and the spread of information on the internet. This is why I love the internet, social media, and digital media. There is so much information out there. I can’t get enough of how much there is to learn, how easy it is to get your hands on practically any information, and how people display it. Whether it’s videos, websites, photos, blogs, etc. The variety and depth of material is astounding. Check out the video from my last post if you don’t get where I’m coming from. Amazing.
I’m in a habit of sharing articles on Delicious, Twitter, and every now and then, on Facebook. The design specific ones I always share with the design group at LSC. From time to time I come across articles that I think friends would like, so I post them on their walls. Sometimes I come across something that I just think anyone who’s interested would love to see, but I don’t necessarily have anyone specific in mind.
The other day, I watched the trailer for the new game, Red Dead Redemption. It’s a Rockstar game that is set to be released some time this fall. From what I’ve read, it is basically Grand Theft Auto, but set in the West during the late 1800s. Usually I’m not into stuff set in the “old West,” but the graphics caught my eye right away. If the graphics are already that good in the trailer and it’s supposedly a huge, open world game from Rockstar, I couldn’t help but be excited. I posted it on Facebook and hours later I get the comment, “You spend so much time in worlds that don’t exist.” Of course it was a joke, not a jab or anything, but I started thinking about why I instantly felt like I had to defend myself.
I’m surprised that given what a digital world we live in, video games still receive such harsh stigma. I’ve loved video games since the first time I played the text game, Zork on our first computer, a tiny Apple II when I was 5. From there I went through several gaming systems including the Turbo Grafx 16, several Game Boy models, several Nintendo models, a Sega Genesis and every one of the Playstation models (PSX, PSOne, PS2, PSP, PS3).
I think the reason that I love video games so much is the challenge. I think another big part of the appeal is that it is the perfect blend of art and technology. Two things I’m very interested in. As time goes on, the challenges get harder and the graphics only get better. The art is no good if the programming isn’t smooth, but even that is making huge leaps. Last year produced some of the best video games I’ve ever seen (Little Big Planet, Bioshock, Metal Gear Solid 4, Grand Theft Auto 4, Fallout 3, SKATE, Burnout Paradise, Uncharted, etc.). This year is supposed to be even better. When you think about how much time and work goes into creating a game, I don’t see how anyone couldn’t appreciate it.
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