Bye Bye for now!
Hello everyone…
since the outside world is moving fast, I won’t be able to update this blog for quite a whil, but Do folllow me on Twitter @alelorenze
and do keep an eye at deconstruct.eu this is my new adventure, my new consultancy, my new …new!!!
Ciao
IBM innovation: 5 ways to change the World
Here we are again, more predictions.. still, it is worthwhile having a look, particularly interesting the bit about batteries and “energy scavenging”, meaning (guess) draggin’ out energy from other sources that are producing and wasting some energy.. like you moving around (watches anyone?!)
Have a go!!
What to watch in 2011
Happy New Year everyone!!!!!!!!!
As usual, a massive upload of predictions, ideas, forward-looking statements, but this one I rather say is quite cool!!
I like a lot nr 93 on transmedia, and more.. apps beyond mobile, storytelling applied to products, home energy monitors and, and.. and you go and enjoy!!!
The Business is Social.. so, happy 2011!!!
I know.. I have been “away” for a while, but trust me I have been busy!! Had to launch another blog for the Italian sub of Computerworld (here it is, just in case.. ), met some chaps for new initiatives, tried out my new snowboard (pretty cool, admittingly!!!), and few more things that kept me from posting here..
Have to buy a smarter smartphone to be able to work whilst on the move.. no somethingPad, far too large for my taste..
So.. end of the year, lots of expectations for the coming 2011, a quieter environment, some luck, bit of money.. business is going to be social..
Bit of a mess, actually, there will be massive changes, some evolution, and yet .. something is missing.. I read on Wired Italy about the Pop-Economy, that thing made by people sharing, exchanging, swapping resources and goods.. I don’t know, maybe I should really start thinking that whilst the World is witnessing a tech evolution, underneath there is a social innovation movement that could really give us all a boost?!
It is nice to think so.
Happy New Year!
Some facts about Social Media
The question, once, was about whether social media were a real (ahahah, LOL!!) stuff or something doomed, as some little examples within the social media ecosystem was suggesting…
Personally, apart from the FatBoy Slim soundtrack, I like the following statement: “the ROI of social media is your business will still exist in five years time”. More to come. Enjoy!!!
Daily Twitter roll @ paper.li
Big changes along the road, big decision time, big events… but I have to give out the Twitter roll before it is too late and Facebook conquers all.. Once were Googlers…
Socialise your company: a Web user groups segmentation (prompt!)
As soon as the organisation exposes itself to the social, Web environment, it will be necessary to allow users to move and experience a given company in a personalised fashion. Web 2.0 is all about users being individually relevant. The ability to create/collaborate in creating the Web contents (e.g. via social networking interactions), using the contents or uploading information, and above all users/clients being able to create their own “Company” experience will dramatically increase the Web site appeal, and will customise the experience according to each user (or user group) needed experience level.
To clarify the segmentation (thanks also to Trendwatching.com):
- Peekers. Some users are very critical in approaching the Web, overwhelmed by information, trends and unable to follow up and close the “generational” gap from 1.0 to 2.0. The experience is scarce, driven by pure necessity and lack of alternatives. Preferred tools: profile, myHome.
- No Frillers. Some users may be overwhelmed with information or not interested or willing to adopt a new phenomenon unless some of the parts fit a purpose (theirs). The Web and its social aspects are simply a channel amongst others to be used for a given “problem solving” exercise. Preferred tools: feed, profiles, myHome, forum.
- Twinsumers. The power of referral is fundamental in this grouping. Twinsumers are looking for the “best available” and would not accept any other comment or indication but from a known and respected peer group. Less social than others, are very active nonetheless. Preferred tools: social bookmarking, blog, profile, wikis, myHome and feed.
- Crowd Clout. Crowd Clout are users that have manifested their “intention”, active, they are quite likely to clout and determine the fate of a given product/service/social tendency. They are action-ready and like-minded. They are able to generate an important social movement within the “peers”. Preferred tools: profile, myHome, social bookmarking, feed, blog, upload, wikis, forum.
- Trysumers. Experienced Web surfers, Trysumers are very active, and have full access to different information sources, reviews, and are able to compare efficiently. This allows them to try and adopt new “services” and brand new “products” with enjoyment and drive. They move fast to other items should the discovery being not up to the standard that stirred the initial interest. Preferred tools: blog, feed, content upload, social bookmarking, mashups and forums.
- Master of Youniverse. This is one of the fundamental pillars of the new “Web”. Users within this grouping are in (perceived) total control of their Web and social experience. They determine their own space, playground, interests and network. Very active and restless, able to customise, deeply connected and strong, almost compulsive communicators. Free, mobile and independent, they share their worlds. Preferred tools: myHome, profile, widgets, social bookmarking, content upload, feed, blog, mashups.
- Generation C. Users in this tribe are most interested in handling, managing, creating and sharing contents. Currently, the Content based markeplace and users “are” the Web. Participative, creative, willing to gather and share, these users are the engine of an evolutionary web experience. Preferred tools: blog, content upload, social bookmarking, feed, widgets, myHome, profile, wiki, mashups.
Each of this user group, plus all the others that a deep analysis of a company potential Web ecosystem may suggest, are able to deliver the best of their value, this being their transformation from “surfers” to interested prospects and clients, solely if enabled by the relevant Web tool sets.
To fill the gaps it is mandatory to understand which user groups are more likely to fit best with the market strategic scenario an organisation would like to develop, and develop accordingly with the appropriate tool sets.
Blog and social communities are generally speaking the easiest way to start implementing a “digital nervous system” for the company, as they allow for immediate interaction and response to any given corporate activity and communication (that goes viral). Social networks may sustain the overall corporate “brand equity”, not only when considering the external environment but also “internally”, within its own human resource base.
To complete the Web transformation it is thus necessary to include those features that will allow users to deeply collaborate in “creating” the new organisation identity, and thus being conceptual shareholders of the success of the company. Consolidation of all activities, from offline to online, and the launch of participative tools, such as wikis, will hit the most radical part of the Web audience.
The controlled escalation, from a discussion-enabled environment to a creative ecosystem should ensure:
- a strong user satisfaction of the overall experience;
- an experiential lock in;
- a constant flow of market, users and client information directly from the source, with or without ad-hoc prompting.
However, to achieve all of the above, a company has to demonstrate a total organisation commitment, a desire to evolve and a clear end-game scenario to target.
Daily Twitter roll @ paper.li
Busy day, rainy day (fourth in a row here in Milan), lots of stuff happening and the Daily Twitter roll has it all sorted out!! Including:
- And Here’s An Android 2.2 iPad Clone For Your Approval
- Apple iPad unboxing | BGR
- 5 Take-Aways on Social Media and Politics
- Being Geek – O’Reilly Media
Enjoy!!!
May not be very business..
but sometimes you have to unwind a bit!!
Try.. once.. it will be more than enough to hook you up for life!!
The Future of mobile applications.. or at least a glimpse..
This is rather interesting.. the future of mobile applications..
A range of “concepts” and approaches, technology and philosopy that will drive the next app revolution, including HTML5 and “blended approach”.
But most importantly, as said, it is not an either/or approach, developers do see the entire spectrum of mobile ecosystem and thus, again, technology is not a factor anymore, apps won’t be a factor in the coming future, so, what will eventually drive the customer choices? See this..
Developers can deploy one app across multiple platforms, for example. There’s no need to write different code for iOS, Android, BlackBerry and webOS when much the same code can be used in the browsers of each platform.
I strongly believe the extension of the transmedia concept will be the keystone. And it will not take much time before discovering the truth!!
Ah, BTW, the Web is becoming an application portfolio per se, but you surely know this by now…
Daily Twitter roll @ paper.li
It has been quite an hectic day, so the best thing to do is reading the news altogether, there it is, the Daily Twitter roll, including:
Businesses Waste 4.8 Hours Per Week Scheduling Meetings
Revise the LITO: a Living Information Tech Organism
The ecosystem outside is everchanging. And this is a fact. The social structure, its nodes and hubs is changing, mutating, constantly. And this is also a fact.
Our life and its components are increasingly interconnected by computers, software, wires and this is another fact. And we love to cache and share part of ourselves with the World. Fact, again.
So, to say the least, what we have here is a complex, evolving system. Alive. Half human and half machine? Not quite, or maybe yes.
Companies such as Microsoft have tagged their “software” as Live Software, others are creating “living” sites such as these.
We could actually mention that we have a LITO – Living Information Technology Organism.
If we try to create “something” that is reacting to mutations, we are also talking about a sensing structure that feels, reacts, reorganises, sends instructions to its terminations, it learns and evolve, constantly.
It is alive, then. Constantly upgrading, morphing, merging with the external reality to create another self.
And possibily in a Transmedia format..
So, it could be the case, for argument’s sake, that there is us in real life, in a physically known dimension and a combined entity with a human mind and an electronic permutation of a body (avatar or not is pointless here) that gives birth and life to dreams, expectations, ideas, contacts, relationships and whatever else.
Ready to be moved into the known physical space or not. But nevertheless alive.
This is the main differentiator of Social Web environment and the past: “Social” in a thesaurus could have “alive” in the option list.
UPDATE: by the way, there are no two LITOs alike.. THINK!!
Daily Twitter roll @ paper.li
Busy busy busy, and furthermore rain is pouring down, here in Milan..
So, just to start the week in a decent way, have a go @ my daily newsfeed!!
Catch up later!!
Nokia facing stiff competition.. again!! Part 3: whoooops!!!
More data are coming out from darkness..
Nokia has certainly posted a nice profit, or considering last year results, that was a nice profit, and yet some hiccups are peppering the scenario:
- sales in the core, high growth countries are not performing as expected, Middle East-Africa andAsiaPac are slowing down Q0Q and YoY (-10% / -6% and -12% /- 9% respectively)
- Nokia high end market is improving, 3Q10 smartphone shippings are on the rise (26, 5m units), growing by 61% YoY, but the competition from Apple and Android is eroding opportunities in high growth areas, those traditionally favourable to the Finnish giant (low-priced handset running on Android are a rather interesting option in low-income countries..)
- 1.800 jobs will thus be cut to revamp the company’s software strategy.
Which, ultimately, it is the problem. Software. And more than this the overall customer experience value net.
iPhone is a brand per se, iTunes same story, AppStore not worth mentioning, iPad, Apps, all brands. Android is a brand. Those are all user experiences.
Symbian is not. MeeGo not even close. OviStore is for the already-a-Nokia-client, won’t move people’s heart and conquer attention share..
Software makes the difference between an average experience and a XXI century one (which is an obvious statement, but if it is so obvious, why on earth we are here discussing those results!?)
Nokia still is a brand.
Experience value net is high in Apple, fairly high in Android, averge (?) with Nokia.
What to do is there, see whether Nokia is able to stand the challenge and take back the lead. Numbers may say the opposite, but Nokia is no longer a leader, is a rather fatigued chaser.
Daily Twitter roll @ Paper.li
It is time for a new release of the Alessandro Daily!
Enjoy the reading!
Nokia facing stiff competition.. again!! Part 2: the hero..
In Finland someone is beating the drums of war, heavily!
The (much) awaited results came in, and Nokia posted a significant +4,7% growth in sales revenue in 3Q10, this without the contribution of the new smartphone(s) that
the company hopes will reshape its fortunes
Nokia went back to profit, after a full year of rollercoaster, hitting the €529m net profit, back from a valley of tears in 2009 (- €559m same timeframe). It may well be this was done because of the dominant position in broad but yet (slightly) under-developed markets such as the ones we just commented about here.
All in all, this is a nice comeback, furthermore if considering there could be some better news ahead, provided the company does not “match race” the smartphone competition, but rather try and hit hard leveraging what is still a massive asset: the brand.
Ah, btw
Nokia shares soared after the earnings announcement, climbing 7.3% to €8.28.
Cheers anyone, this morning?!
Nokia facing stiff competition.. again!!
Nokia new CEO Stephen Elop has got a massive challenge ahead: Nokia leading position into the mobile handset market has been challenged and almost eroded by a strange bunch of competitors.
Gone are the days in which you had to face a faster, or more creative manufacturer, today the duel is about creating hype and communities, experience and personalistion, create a new brand equity your customers will buy.
To state the truth, Nokia has still got a strong foothold into those growing econonmies, namely India, China and Indonesia (around what, 3bn people, say 70% potential phone users?), where actually the current disposable income does not allow the market to move away from “normal phones” and embrace the smartphone race..eventually not yet.
Overall Nokia seems to have dropped its stock price by a significant 32%, and yet it seems that stock analysts from reputed firms such as Jefferies are slightly overlooking the impact Microsoft may have with its Windows Phone 7 newly launched OS, coupled with top-notch handset manufacturers to create a nicely knitted value net. It may be an endless slide..but..
All in all, we will see how the market will respond to the upcoming business results Nokia is going to post in a few hours, and still, market should not forget Nokia has got some US$10bn cash in the pocket to support a “deadly weapon” development, a new product able to push competitors out of the market!! New N8 won’t do that at all…. is ti because of the phone or the Symbian OS, a lessser (seemingly) choice if compared to Apple OS experience or Android (and, again, Win Phone 7..)
It would be nice, it is always nice to see an older hero taking back its place!! Kind of romantic, isn’t it?!?
AOL and Yahoo, Google does it all.. is it time for Net Butlers?
Is is real, are those just rumors?? AOL is really taking over to Yahoo? Is it happening??
This morning, whilst brewing my coffee, I heard about Google posting some massive growth (again):
“Google had an excellent quarter,” said Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google. “Our core business grew very well, and our newer businesses — particularly display and mobile — continued to show significant momentum. Going forward, we remain committed to aggressive investment in both our people and our products as we pursue an innovation agenda.”
More interestingly, the BBC reporter was stressing the fact that Google keeps on scanning and investing in a range of sectors, including green energies and other “amenities”..
What strikes me is the fact that a number of market super-powers are extending their reach to serve “the net” (as a whole planet of beings, rather than else, with peculiar needs and behaviours) as if they were perfect butlers, able to serve and satisfy any need, desire, wish..
We will increasingly have “working tables” upon which express ourselves, or ask for something to be delivered and arranged exactly the way we want. And you, out there, better be good at this!!
So, no more concentration on core businesses (for those who can extend beyond boundaries), no more ramping up towards excellence or evolution (you may simply put together some innovations and there you have, evolution..), but serve, serve, serve as to drag out as much as possible in attention share..
And, ultimately, this is what is (again, yep, again..) the main currency, attention. A few days ago, I went mad at someone trying to argument about “the client being at the center..” Poor little thing, the problem is not whether your small little business is putting the client as pivot of all its activity (as if you were able to do it..), but rather if YOU ARE AT THE CENTER OF ANY CUSTOMER ATTENTION…
Having an ego sometimes is like a curse..
PS Thanks to Trendwatching..
Executives are surprised when things change. So much for innovation!
Sometimes, some words are inspirational, some others make you wonder… (tks to Harvard Business Review and The Daily Stat)
Many executives are surprised when previously successful leadership approaches fail in new situations, but different contexts call for different kinds of responses. Before addressing a situation, leaders need to recognize which context governs it — and tailor their actions accordingly.
I know someone that should rush to get out the credit card and buy the article/book/whatever..
If you then consider that the link above was “related products” to the following:
The average organization has the potential to more than double its ability to make and execute key decisions. On a decision-effectiveness scale of 0 to 100, the best companies score an average of 71, while most companies score only a 28, according to Marcia W. Blenko, Michael C. Mankins, and Paul Rogers, authors of Decide & Deliver: 5 Steps to Breakthrough Performance in Your Organization.
have a nice eve!!
Digital Inwardness and Digital Intimacy (@BigThink)
Thanks to Big Think, this is a nice and interesting way of looking at connectivity, interconnectivity and intimacy, or actually what is left of it!!!
Consider that and the Transmedia Digital Lifestyle..
Video and interview HERE!!
More on Windows Phone 7
A huge turmoil, and pretty much along the lines of my latest post, after the launch of WP7!
Manufactures are already building up the Microsoft new mobile value net, there is the feeling Microsoft “did it” this time, and…
I think MS hasn’t done it yet, but it is pretty much on the right track. Now the others have a higher bar to jump. My “blink” feeling…
Windows Phone 7 Blink Review: “me-too” or MS really believes it can win the battle?
I have attended the online launch of the latest Windows Phone 7, just yesterday afternoon (for those of you still hanging around Europe..), and I dare say I was impressed!
Allow me to give you a little background: my first “smartphone” was an HTC running on Windows Mobile platform. I truly hated it, it was a small PC trasformed into a phone, with the logic of a PC running behind phone usage and needs. A mess. To me, mind you.
So, from that stage onward, I tried a fair few phones, better mobile OSs, and I did not make my mind around anything at all. First and foremost, since “you” are claiming the phone is a “do-all”, I actually want it all. Properly. Every combination of OS/device/network provider did not satisfy me completely. Ah, yep, pricing!!
All in all, I did not even consider Microsoft a viable option for my likings. Not a chance.
Until yesterday.
Why is that? Provided I was an Ocean away from “the real thing”, my first impression was: I am seeing something I have never seen before! I am quite into the look of things, since it gives me the overall feeling for the mental process, market aims, “how-to-hit-in-a-blink” attitude of the team(s) behind any development, and in this case I definitely liked what I saw.
All other mobile experiences are pretty much the same form a visual stand point, some homepages to turn, brighter colours, some fiddling about, but you definitely feel “at ease”, it is a phone, it is a “normal” phone, you are in your comfort zone. This “thing” is different, beginning with the font layout, the organisation of the words, the different font size. Know what? It reminded me of a glossyfashion magazine, or a trendy website. I would be interested to “look at it”, it drags me out from my “lazy user” shell and call me to “action”.
It is fast. Again, I have to try first, but it looks like being real fast. Application swap, and the actual use within applications seems real quick, rewarding and in line with XXI century media experience expectations. Another good shot.
It is positioned as a Hub, indeed it has the hub concept built within the WP7 conceptual framework itself. And this is real cool, I like the idea of having my “transmedia digital lifestyle” remote in my hand, ready to play and distribute pieces of my “digital-me” to the application/device/recipient I believe it is best suited. It is almost a nonsense to assume any mobile device will absorb the rest of the digital ecosystem into a massive, Device Almighty. Portability, screen size, processing power, price, are all factors of endless permutations manufacturers cannot fulfil. Unless the Hub concept comes into play. Something that allow the user to check, experience, engage and use the elapsed time between “other devices” in the best possible and efficient/rewarding way. This is the keyword: rewarding.
Whether rewarding is “money”, “fun”, “friendship building” or “else”, the device has to be multipurpose but not Almighty. And, almost forgotten, the OS comes massively into play. WP7 seems to me to have embedded this approach, this philosophy, “I am your digital hub, keep track of it all, then complete the experience or task whenever, wherever you want. If you need to”.
Now the War. True, WP7 comes out with some delay, compared to Apple and Android. DELAY???? Do come along…
There is no delay here! The Mobile Value Net, that includes OS/Device/Network/Applications is a moveable feast, every day different from the day before, as a user you cannot keep up with the race, and every single combination of the above (e.g. when a new device is launched…) re-shape the tribes and the market clusters. What instead Microsoft should be worried about is the uptake ramp, whether the early adopters have got a natural “consecutio” with a larger market tribe the company already own or control, and furthermore whether the user experience can be enhanced simply by the application layer or there is a need for a fast v.2 of the OS.
This without considering the impact that handset manufacturs will have on the faith of the entire operation. I won’t (and lots of others like me) buy anything in the mobile arena simply because I like ONE single factor of the above value chain. I have to trade off, most certainly, but I have to like the value combination I have been offered. So, I love the way WP7 looks like, I know I will need a few applications but not an endless row of silly things to show and forget about, but I also know that, the user I am, I do need some hardware specs, device size et alia…
In a few word, I am haunting for my Personal Mobile Experience. Me and a few hundred millions of others are not dedicated to Apple, to Android, to Nokia or Samsung, or any other brand. We are dedicated to ourselves and our lives, and we want to hold something that makes our digital lifestyle more comfortable and convenient, enjoyable and fun, effective and rewarding.
Yesterday I have liked what I saw, now it is up to Microsoft and Partners to have me as client!!
Easy, huh?!
Daily Twitter roll @ Paper.li
A nice bunch of news directly from my Twitter kingdom!!
Enjoy the Alessandro Daily!
CrossPlatform.. Adobe AIR for Android
Same code, same source, one app, multiple devices..
You all know what this is all about! TDL.
And, since it is Friday eve, blog radio on AIR!!
Have a great WE!
eReaders, iPad and Transmedia, again!! Evolution or Innovation?
Jingle bells, jingle bells!! xMas is coming our way and everyone gets excited, despite the glooming news on employment and consumer spending, for another hi-tech spending frenzy!
This time is all about eReader and slate PC.
How to boast the lust for a fancy little piece of tech? Quite likely telling the rest of us that the coolest of human beings have already their own device to play with, and to have a decent lifestyle we cannot miss the opportunity to join the club of the Hippest.. so, research aplenty are showing a bunch of “interesting” (seemingly) data, such as this piece:
A separate survey of 1,816 U.S. adults conducted Sept. 17-23 by the Harrison Group on behalf of Zinio, the digital magazine publisher, found that consumers who own tablet computers (including the iPad) or e-readers spend 50% more time reading magazines, on average, than people who don’t own such a device.
Now, the question may be: reading magazines over digital media or what? Nicely, here came the answer:
It’s not clear whether the extra time spent reading magazines occurred on the e-readers or tablet computers. But 73% of respondents who own a device said they believe content downloaded on one digital platform should be available to them on other platforms — for example, both online via a desktop and mobile via smartphone.
I assume Zinio won’t broadcast some findings such as “if you buy an eReader, then you increase reading paper magazines”, it would be suicidal, since Zinio’s core business, so we assume all those chaps are talking about digital magazines. Fine, all very nice. But has nothing to do with the brand new hardware experience curve? What remains of the experience equity once the “xMas morning frezy” has passed? Are the Digital Value Network(s), including hardware manufacturers, content developers, distributors and network providers, able to glut experiential value into a sustainable proposition?
Interestingly enough, though, a large chunk begins to highlight the idea that users are multi-device, multi-faceted, multi-located and thus need to have their “digital patrimony” always at hand, anywhere they want or are, and over the full range of currently available (and used) hardware platforms. Transmedia Digital Lifestyle again.
Some of the major consumer research institutes will begin to analyse cross-platform reading habits, I will be much more concern about the social mutation, the level of granularity and deepening into social canvass of those changes, to really trasmit whether we are at the edge of an evolution (sustainable) or simply an innovation that is going to be bypassed soon.
Evolution: a process of gradual, peaceful, progressive change or development, as in social or economic structure or institutions.
Innovation: something new or different introduced
So, we are we now? Guess work may suggest all hardware gizmos are opening and closing innovation cycles, the combination of Aggregated Value Networks and Sustainable Experiential Value are shaping the Evolution Curve, what is the trigger to the Disruptive Evolutionary Leap, looking forward?
What is really putting us all on a different scenario altogether? There is where the utmost value is..
Would it possibly be the dogma and liturgy of the Transmedia Digital Lifestyle?
enjoy the ride!
Transmedia and “Transmedia Digital Lifestyle”
Just to have something to think about..
Now, try extend the concept to your entire (digital?) lifestyle.. you, after all, are your very story to tell the World!!
Enjoy!
Personalised experience, news aggregation, a slatePC. It makes sense
It is, we said it, the dawn of a new era.. of what?!??
May not be the only concept, but experience personalisation is something we may get interested, aggregation of information, items, stuff, contacts, anything the way we want, where and how we want.. will we pay for it? It fits our own lifestyle (Digital Transmedia!), it fits our pace, it fits us, extraordinarily us, exclusively us, us at the centre of our universe.. massexclusivity, youniverse.. tribes and trends will have a possibility to emerge, digital butlers have a possibility to serve, on little trays now called slatePCs … everyone’s happy..
What a wonderful world!!
Google TV. Everyone does everything. Some of us do not exist anymore. Digital Transmedia Lifestyle or apartheid
Yesterday Google opened officially its Google TV presentation website.
Some very quick considerations:
- everybody, meaning the largest high-tech companies on the planet, does everything. It is a digital World after all, and it is possible to operate in trasmedia modality
Transmedia is a way of following stories between platforms and between media. It’s that simple. It could be learning more about your favorite soap opera heroine through a twitter feed set up in her name. Or it could involve taking part in a massive online game that fills in every detail of an expansive science fiction universe. Transmedia facilitates the move from passive viewing to participation. It’s about connection and collaboration.
- Better still, your own life is a digital story that HAS to be transmedia to make sense to the overall society as we will know
- High Tech companies are no longer “companies” in the old meaning of the word, but rather digital butlers of us all, serving multiple purposes, helping us sorting out our new “digital transmedia lifestyle”
- A simple thing such as TV has become the realm of something radically different from the couch-potatoes primary entertainment source. It is vast, it is maybe complex, it is rewarding, it is all-inclusive, it is us, it is a lot..
- For the above reasons and more to come, a large chunk of the “civilised” population today, is like already dead, surpassed, forgotten. Those uttering “that thing, you know, that internet stuff” are walking deads, those of us refusing to understand that we are moving from paper to something digital are blind and deaf, those without a digital ego are speechless, those who are not digital are the silent majority in a new apartheid.
Is this so? Is it so radical? What are REALLY the drivers of such revolution, no, hang on, EVOLUTION? Industrial profits? Maybe, but it is a complicated bet to play. Incremental innovation? Possibly, but it is a rather steep curve we are undertaking.. Human attitude towards communication? I rather believe the latter, with all its permutations and branching, with all its facets and complexities, it is the real, fundamental engine of it all. The end of last century and the beginning of XXI has slowly disintegrated all certainties, links, previous ecosystems, and in an unchartered territory, what is best to exchange ideas and feelings with your peers, as to regain confidence that what you are facing is no more, no less than what all the others are challenging as well?
From this onward, it is an easy game to play..
SlatePC on the rise, smartphone on the rise.. and salaries?!?
As it seems, we are heading towards a massive technology upgrade, at society level. Slate PC are making more than simply the press, and most hardware producers are beefing up their portfolio with at least one model, ready for the Christmas rally , as mentioned before and at IFA Berlin. On tablet (slate) PC there is such a huge hype that are considered something like a media to deliver ad hoc value: Next, the UK high-street clothing company is going to sell own’s tablet PC.
Despite the fact that, when travelling this summer, in across Italy and Europe, I have seen a huge amount of netbooks and not one single iPad or the like (OK, iPad, so far..), it seems we are heading towards a massive deployment of tiny, intensive data usage devices (what about the User Generated Content once we deemed as the next big thing..) (won’t be able to do much on those “things”, or touch displays will be all capacitive and thus give the average user a good grasp on how to, say, modify a picture, give some comments on it, post it anywhere and respond to the comments into any given social site..).
On top of that, smartphones are posting growth as never before, the boost from Apple, then Android, then the new Windows Mobile OS, not to mention the steep move of RIM to release a new OS based on QNX, good for all devices (including, obviously, the new PlayBook):
Over a breakfast event today at the BlackBerry Developer Conference, a RIM VP confirmed that the QNX operating system announced in their new PlayBook tablet would in fact be finding its way to smartphones in the long run, and ultimately replace the existing BlackBerry OS. Of course that kind of major transition would take time, and he said BlackBerry 7 would likely be a stepping stone to a full switch.
So massive the rise, content providers are actually rushing to deliver for the smartphone market.
This is all so nice, ever so interesting. Still.. it is quite likely to grow in importance the “transmedia” concept (go browse!!), as it is actually interesting to notice that, in such a marry-go-round of good news, the overall consumer spending is rising, but a mere 0,4% in August (Forbes stated), whilst a Gallup research stresses the opposite. In EU, consumer confidence is on the rise (Northern?), but this does not immediately translate into “opening the purse” as nicely stated.
The point here is about levelling a tech hype, some due social advances, a dare need for innovation with a current historical and economic climate that does not cater for immediate commercial success. Better still, when analysing market opportunities in high tech sectors, particularly in the consumer arena, quite rarely I have seen anyone take in consideration the variables such as disposable income, purchasing attitudes, replacement cycles, product substitute et alia.. far too easy to say, leveraging the top-notch sales performance into early adopters, big spenders clusters, that some “newConcept” will surge to stardom.
Markets are people. People are not made to buy technology. People are made to be happy, or dream about it.
What is an affordable, shared, valued dream? Is it really “my” dream?
It is just the start of the week, weather in Milan is grotty, thoughts may clutter a bit, but have a go at the above!
