Ellopositions itself as the anti-Facebook. No advertising. No user-tracking. And, no data re-selling to advertisers. Clean, minimalist, zero-clutter, user-interface. Invitation-only.
Martin highlights important, missing features in the launch release (e.g., like/favorite/+1 type button, search ability to locate friends, etc.).
I'm working on securing an invite so I can test-drive Ello. Will keep you posted.
I'm a visual person. Post-It(R) Notes are my storyboarding savior (colleagues say I have an illness and should seek professional help).
The app allows users to digitize their Post-It(R) Notes from brainstorming and storyboarding sessions. There's a 50 note limit for the image capture.
You can share, rearrange, categorize, and build additional storyboards with the app. Users can export the digital session into other tools (e.g., Evernote, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.).
This first version doesn't allow changing the names on the Post-its(R) once they're digitized (but future iterations will probably include this improvement).
The app requires updating to iOS 8. Yes, I endured a 2+ hour update session for my iPhone 5c so I could use Post-it(R) Plus tomorrow at work (which is why I require professional help).
3) TechCrunch: Closing The Gaps In Mobile Health.Dan Pelino's piece describes the IBM-Apple value proposition and long term implications of the Apple econsystem in a real-world example. Look out healthcare this strategic alliance wants to disrupt your industry. Their solutions will focus on physicians and patients.
(direct article quote) Many doctors already have smartphones with 68 percent using iPhones and 59 percent using iPads.
"Topsy is an interesting acquisition for Apple because unlike its past purchases of startups, such as HopStop and Locationary, there isn't a clear product application."
"With Topsy, the purpose is less clear. The Journal posits that it could be useful for iTunes Radio — a product that already has direct integration with Twitter Music — or its flailing iAd product. Still, the purpose of acquiring an analytics firm that is so focused on one specific social network is, in a word, odd."
"Given that Apple is a Twitter partner already, and hosts login and posting features for the social network on its iOS and OS X platforms, this seems like a confusing deal if all that it's after is the Twitter data firehose. It seems more likely that Topsy has technology or engineers (read: acqui-hire) that can parse trends in a way that Apple wants to incorporate into one of its products."
"If I had to hazard a guess, this might be related to Apple building out the relevancy engine of its App and iTunes Stores.Adding social signals to the search algorithms of its stores could help to improve the relevance of search results and help Apple surface apps that are hotter and more interesting to users. Tracking app trends across social networks would allow them to fine tune categories and collections of apps, and surface apps that are gaining steam more quickly."
My Take: Apple Wants to Know WHAT We're Thinking WHEN We're Thinking AND WHERE We're Thinking
Apple Literally Wants to Get Inside Our Heads. Their strategy doesn't just apply to selling more Apple stuff (e.g., apps, music, books, movies off of iTunes). In my opinion, they literally want to get in our heads about EVERYTHING.
"Today the Holy Grail is to deliver the right message at the right time in the right place. Of course, that's easier said than done–and breaking through the glut and getting a message to a consumer who is receptive is nothing less than daunting. Nevertheless, the tools and techniques exist to migrate to a real-time framework. "In the past, marketers had to conduct a massive amount of research to understand consumers and behavior," Vivaldi's Joachimsthaler said. 'It's now more about developing methods that allow consumers to draw a map to their doors. It's critical to capture their footprint.' "
But, Why Does Apple Want Twitter Consumer Information?
The entire chapter describes how consumers operate in a one-screen world environment. The only screen consumers care about is "the one currently staring them in the face."
Mitch further makes a compelling argument: The most important consumer screen resides on their smartphones.
Here are Mitch's thoughts on Twitter and the one-screen world (from page 99 of CTRL ALT Delete):
"Twitter's metoric rise and continued success have less to do with how many followers Lady Gaga has and much more to do with the fact that it was the first-ever online social network that worked better on mobile than it does on the Web. The sheer simplicity of those 140 characters of tweets makes it that much more workable and easy for consumers. Twitter's focus (from day one) was on connecting people as they were on the go. To this day, everything that Twitter does — from acquisitions to business strategy — is driven by a one-screen-world philosophy."
Your Turn
You May Not Agree With Me. What do you think about Apple acquiring Topsy? Does the deal make sense? Maybe, it still seems odd?
Either way, please comment with your thoughts. I'd love to hear from you.
Will the iPad save the publishing industry? How can the iPad help traditional publishers reinvent themselves?
At the 2010 SXSW Conference, Bloomberg interviewed Pete Cashmore, the CEO and founder of Mashable. The interviewer asked Cashmore about his opinions on the iPad's potential impact on social media (the question is posed with around 1:37 left in the video). Although he wasn't directly asked if the iPad would save the publishing industry, I found Cashmore's response very telling:
* Besides consumers, the greatest beneficiaries are current publishers of books and magazines * He mentions how the magazine, Wired, is creating a special edition for the iPad * The iPad introduces an opportunity to charge consumers for content particularly because iPhone owners are used to paying for apps
Who's Developing Applications and Content for the iPad Major publishers and magazines reportedly developing applications and content for the iPad include:1,2
* Penguin * HarperCollins * Simon & Schuster * Macmillan * Hachette Book Group * GQ * Vanity Fair * Wired * Glamour * The New Yorker * The Associated Press
These organizations are literally banking on the opportunity to charge consumers for online content. But, what I find most interesting is Cashmore never mentions:
1. If Mashable is creating content specifically for the iPad or 2. If Mashable will ever charge consumers for its online content
Who Isn't Developing Applications and Content for the iPad Why didn't he? In my opinion, it's because new media players like Mashable don't need the iPad or a paywall to succeed. Mashable doesn't carry the high cost structure of traditional media firms. Unlike these larger companies, Mashable can sustain it's business through online advertising. Cashmore thinks Mashable has the opportunity to become a media powerhouse. They've competitively positioned themselves and have already gained considerable traction and critical mass with their audience.
1. The "new media" companies aren't investing a lot of time and resources to create iPad-specific content 2. It's the "old media" companies who are focusing on the iPad opportunity 3. Technology companies deal with and adapt to constant disruption (and he provides examples the succesful ones confronting it head-on)