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What are your thoughts on Net Neutrality? With our consumption of videos and VoIP increasing, should the government step in to set standards? Or is it a slippery slope?



euro –
What are your thoughts on Net Neutrality?  With our consumption of videos and VoIP increasing, should the government step in to set standards?  Or is it a slippery slope?

David Fincher, Director of Fight Club and Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Aaron Sorkin, creator of the West Wing recently collaborated on a film due out this Fall.  Appropriately titled, The Social Network, the film has not received any support or backing from Facebook.

Seriously, am I the only one still baffled by the fact there’s a Facebook movie now?

What’s even more startling is that two incredibly talented guys collaborated on a project that I’m not quite sure will stir up the controversy they want it to.  Personally, I’m tired of hearing about Facebook privacy issues and I don’t particularly care about Zuckerberg’s bio since we’ve heard it all a million times.  The trailer is lackluster and doesn’t compel me to take action and see the movie.  I’ll wait til it’s on Red Box by Christmas.

I’m am quite curious about the demographics of attendees on the first weekend this movie opens, which I predict will be just a bunch of fan boys & fan girls.  I think Cupidtino should be there to witness the matches being made.

I fear for the future of my unborn children – if Facebook movies are what our film industry is creating.  Then again, someone did make Glitter.

via Mashable

From zero apps in 2007 when iPhones first launched to more than 200,000 in 2010, is  an accomplishment in the world of technology and innovation; not to mention has made some developers formerly living in their parents basement quite rich.

Not only does this infographic point out the increase in Apple’s shares (minus the dip during the recession), this graphic also made me think about an overall increase in my personal productivity over the last few years.  I’m not lazy by any means but I thought about the relic phones I owned just 4 years ago and chuckled to myself.

Although, I do not own an iPhone (I much prefer my Android) with the evolution of the iPhone has brought our society to a place where we cannot live without our smart-phones and we absorb so much of our content from them.  Many companies are taking their efforts mobile now which is even better for users but can cause the problem of a lot of noise to filter through when trying to retrieve the best apps.

So, if the era of iPhones has overall made consume more content and constantly engaged, how do you prevent over-consumption?

After months of back-and-forth debate about whether Adobe’s Flash technology is a good fit for smartphones, Adobe is launching a full version of Flash for mobile devices, starting with Google’s Android operating system.

Adobe released a test version of Flash to the public about a month ago, but this is the real launch of the finished product. Flash 10.1 should now be available for download on phones using the latest version of Android, 2.2, which is known as FroYo. And the company says it has shipped Flash to its other device partners, so that Flash should soon be available on BlackBerry, Palm webOS, Windows Phone 7, LiMo, MeeGo, and Symbian phones — basically, all the major smartphones except for Apple’s.

The desktop version of Flash 10.1 should also be available today.

Developers and designers use Flash to build a wide range of online content, but its biggest presence is in powering Web games and videos. Flash came under attack recently from Apple chief executive Steve Jobs, who blocked Flash from iPhones and iPads, calling it an outdated technology. Adobe has fired back, saying Flash works just fine on the iPhone and that Apple is playing “legal games,” but until Flash 10.1 it was really a battle of words, not products — the full version of Flash (as opposed to a stripped down version, called Flash Lite, that Adobe hardly mentions anymore) didn’t actually work on mobile phones.

via mobile.venturebeat.com

I look forward to seeing how this influences purchases of the Android over the brand new iPhone 4G that is launching.  Very calculated timing on behalf of the Android marketers.  Nicely done.

Livecage on demand streaming is available on smartphones including both the iPhone and Android IOS.

This is a fantastic post by Mashable and although it was meant for YouTube, it’s applicable to our Livecage community too.

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1. Create Meaningful Content

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Online viewers are fickle — they are always one click away from skipping over to the next thing. So while content is king, the key to having your video discovered is to create the kind of content that will add value to your defined community.

Ask yourself key questions: Why would people want to watch your video? What relevance does it have to your target audience? Whatever creative format you chose to take, whether it be a vlog, how-tos, interviews, topical viral concepts, news-focused, or a scripted web series, you need to give people a reason to watch and share your videos.

One brand that has done a great job of this is The Home Depot. The company’s videos are not just repurposed commercials. Instead, they offer DIY expertise and insight on products and projects around the home. By creating engaging content that is valuable to the specific DIY community, Home Depot is able stay on brand and increase their chance of satisfied viewers seeing and sharing their content.

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2. Package and Brand Consistently

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More than ever, the challenge everyone faces in building audiences online is getting viewers to come back after they’ve watched that initial video. A viral hit is a short-term success, but how do people know to come back? Did you give them a reason to?

To this end, branding and packaging is crucial. Your brand will serve as a navigation marker in a sea of online content. Having a strong point of view within your content helps define your brand and position yourself as an expert and leader in your field — it’s a voice that they will know to trust and return to for specific content.

Machinima, one of the leading channels for video game content on YouTube, has been the most consistent in this, and no doubt their branding and packaging has lead them to garner over one million subscribers.

The packaging of your video refers to the branding expressed around your content. Here you can include graphic intros or end cards that reinforce the brand so that viewers don’t have to guess what they are watching. It also establishes how people can find more of your content by giving them a name to search for. Additional branding and packaging within your video can include displaying your URL or YouTube channel name as well as using consistent channel and episode description and title conventions that reinforce your brand. These are all proven practices that can help viewers find their way back to your channel in the future.

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3. Utilize the Platform — This Is Not TV

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YouTube is many things to many people, but above all it is a social medium. It’s where conversations happen, content is shared, and people engage in a very personal and direct way. By looking at some of the most successful YouTube channels, you’ll quickly learn that being authentic in your videos is rewarded while brand marketing that is disingenuous or without value gets few results. Big companies like Zappos and Southwest Airlines understand this, and are excelling via engagement.

To get the most visibility from YouTube, use all the tools at hand. People are not just watching content; they are “Liking” it, commenting on it, and sharing it through e-mail, Twitter () and Facebook (). By encouraging such activity through either specific calls to action within your videos or using advanced features like YouTube Annotations, you increase the chances of your videos being shared and discovered by a wider audience.

Another main YouTube tool is the subscription feature. By asking your viewers to subscribe, you can convert many of them into repeat viewers and guaranteed audiences for future videos. Above all, by directly engaging with your viewers — through comments, responses, and replies to messages — you can effectively convert fans into a mobilized marketing team. Reward them by letting their voice be heard and including them in your content, and in turn you will find they will advocate on your behalf. To that end, no marketing dollar spent can match the value of personal endorsements and word of mouth from your biggest fans. At our company, we’ve seen the “pass-along” value and engagement metrics drive upwards of 40% of our traffic on top videos.

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4. Optimize Your Video for Search

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Today it’s all about SEO. In online video, the same rules that apply to making your blog or website discoverable apply to how people will find your videos. YouTube is the second largest search platform after Google (), so when people visit YouTube they often search for something specific. Optimize your content by creating smart titles and descriptions and by tagging with relevant keywords. These steps will help viewers find your content in searches.

A word of caution: Avoid spam-like tagging. This means you must avoid tagging everything under the sun or the latest pop culture icon or trend if that tag is not relevant to your content. Such practices will only create distrust among your viewers and keep them away for good. Remember, online video has a “long tail,” so your videos will continue to surface over time. Investing time in good metadata and paying attention to your archive will serve you well in the long run.

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5. Partner with the Experts

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We talk a lot about creating good content, but that’s no easy task. A lot goes into creating compelling and genuine videos that people want to watch. On top of that, building an audience takes time, and that’s a challenge for businesses that may not have skills in that area.

This is when you should look to the experts. There are many successful YouTube channels that you could partner with that have already built large audiences. A quick browse on YouTube’s “Most Viewed” channels reveals dozens of creators that are amassing millions of views per month with quality, original programming. Find a channel where the content is consistent, the community is engaged, and the subject matter (and therefore, audience) has relevance to your brand. These independent media studios and creators have dedicated untold hours to fostering a community that is loyal. Use this as an opportunity to work with those established leaders and tap into that audience to give your brand visibility.

A couple of successful recent campaigns include GE’s partnership with Howcast where they recruited key YouTube personalities such as iJustine, Smosh, Alphacat, and Rhett & Link to take a physical challenge and make original videos about getting healthy. So far, these videos combined have been viewed more than 9.5 million times, rated more than 250,000 times, and attracted more than 110,000 comments.

Through such partnerships, brands can have instant access to a loyal following, and as long as they respect the guidelines above and trust the expertise of those who manage their own audiences, the results will provide great exposure to a targeted community.

via Mashable

Basically, be consistent in your delivery and above all, be genuine.  You will lose your loyal following if you engage in any spam like behavior so make sure if you’re pitching a product, it’s relevant to the content you’re producing and your audience.

Any other tips you’d like to share with the Livecage community on how to create a successful following?

Vuvuzelas have been said to be based on kudu horn instruments and thus rooted in African history…This type of plastic horn or trumpet has been used in Mexican stadiums since the 1970s. Originally made out of tin, the vuvuzela became popular in South Africa in the 1990s.

via Wikipedia

Even though World Cup fans are all the way in South Africa, I’m certain the world can hear them with those damn Vuvuzela’s but I supposed that’s the point.

The discussion of banning the Vuvuzela was a heated one at the beginning of 2010 but nothing came of it.  Many coaches called for these fan favorites to be banned from the World Cup stadium because they cannot communicate with their players effectively while on field.  Broadcasters say the noise from the Vuvuzela effects their sound quality and ability to report the game.   Supporters of the fan schwag argue that the Vuvuzela is synonymous with South African Soccer and should be accepted.

I say, I should’ve gone to the World Cup and opened a tent to sell nothing but ear plugs.  I’m confident I would be rich beyond belief.

Check out this video below done by Discovery Channel as they interview players and sound professionals to get their opinions of the Vuvuzela.

What are you thoughts?  Am I the only one that mutes my TV while watching the World Cup?

When it comes to mobile devices, I always considered the Droid to be superior to iPhone but that’s just my preference since I’m an avid Google Apps user. I guess it all depends on what works for you but I’m happy to report that the Droid market is slowly creeping up on iPhone’s market share….take that Steve Jobs!

When it Comes to Growth, the Winner is Android

As the Quantcast blog post explains, “the biggest winner is clearly Google’s Android.” How can this be?

The fact is that Google’s mobile OS has climbed rapidly over the prior months, having gone from around 5% in January 2009 to 20% in May 2010, stealing away market share from other mobile OS’s, most notably Apple’s, whose iOS dropped from 75% share to 59% during that same time frame.

Also of note, these numbers were calculated prior to the EVO’s launch, the highly anticipated “4G” Android smartphone which sold out within days of its launch. Adding that into the fold, the next Quantcast report will likely offer even more gains for Android at iOS’s expense.

Image credits on original post: FoneHome, Quantcast.

Want to watch the World Cup but can’t be in front of a TV all day?  Sneak away from work and catch the games on your smartphone.  There are some apps available for free and others are paid, so beware of what you’re getting into.

AT&T The carrier has exclusive English-language mobile rights to stream every World Cup match, which will be carried by ESPN Mobile. This means that users of other networks might miss eight early-round matches.

For iPhone owners, the process is easy. Buy the $8 upgrade to the ESPN 2010 FIFA World Cup app, and you’re set, with live audio and commentary and almost-live video highlights. If your cell signal is weak and you’re in a hot spot, by all means, connect and enjoy the clear video. (That’s not the case with other devices and networks, but more on that later.)

For live video, iPhone users can download the free MobiTV app and, for $10 monthly, watch all the games from ESPN Mobile. MobiTV also offers live channels like Fox News, Disney Channel, NBC Sports and others, and the shows and games are accessible over Wi-Fi.

For others, things get messier. The matches are available on both MobiTV and AT&T Mobile TV (also $10 monthly). AT&T Mobile TV uses a special signal separate from the cellular network, so the service is available in far fewer regions. Unless you live in a big city, MobiTV is a better option.

AT&T Mobile TV is available on one of four LG phones, including the Arena, or one of three Samsung phones, including the Mythic. MobiTV is available on about 250 phones across the four major carriers, including many BlackBerry devices and Android phones.

MobiTV is available on a phone’s AT&T AppCenter store, and the subscription charge shows up on the monthly bill. The AT&T Mobile TV app is already on compatible devices.

As one might expect, the picture quality depends on the device and the connection strength. When I tested AT&T Mobile TV last week on a Samsung Mythic, ESPN’s live feed appeared immediately, with a sharp picture and decent sound.

When I moved to my living room to compare it to the ESPN broadcast, the signal dropped, and I never regained it for more than a few seconds. The phone does not have Wi-Fi, but AT&T’s Mobile TV uses a separate over-the-air signal, anyway.

With MobiTV, on the other hand, users can switch to Wi-Fi for better reception.

VERIZON Users of some handsets will fare much better than others. Motorola Krave and HTC Imagio owners can see 56 live World Cup games through Verizon’s V Cast Mobile TV service, which costs $13 or $15 a month, depending on the number of channels chosen.

Users of roughly 80 other Verizon phones can pay $10 for a month’s subscription to V Cast Video and watch a limited number of games on ESPN, or all 64 games, in Spanish, on Univision. The broadcast schedule of those games is not yet set, and will mirror the games that appear on the TV channels of those media companies. A MobiTV subscription is available for $10 on certain phones, like the Storm 2 and the LG Dare.

People who sign up for a V Cast Video subscription before midnight Thursday receive the first month of service free. V Cast content cannot be streamed over Wi-Fi.

SPRINT It is a similar situation for users of the Sprint TV service, which will carry 56 World Cup games live through ESPN Mobile, and is available on most of the carrier’s devices.

Because Sprint’s cellular signal is weaker than that of Verizon’s in some markets, that can be a problem.

I tried to view a few minutes of the French Open on ESPN Mobile on a new BlackBerry Bold last week, but because my signal was weak, the video quality was terrible and the service dropped after about 30 seconds.

The upshot: if you are a soccer fanatic, it may well be worth the $15 to subscribe to the extra data package needed for the service. (For subscribers of the “Simply Everything” data plan, it is included.) It may be handy if you are far from a television, but somewhere with a decent cellular signal. More casual viewers should consider it only if their Sprint signal is strong.

T-MOBILE Of the four major carriers, T-Mobile is the only one without its own brand of mobile TV. Users with a new HTC HD2 can get MobiTV and see the Cup games in the big-screen glory of that particular phone.

Other T-Mobile users, though, will have to find their way into a bar, where they can happily rub elbows with all the other mobile users with bad signals, orphan devices or no desire to watch on a tiny screen. Sounds like a fairly happy fate to me.

via NYTimes.com

Do you plan on following the World Cup games on your phone?  If so, which teams are you rooting for?

The magnitude of the task ahead is mitigated by benefits that will touch every aspect of the Smithsonian and each of our diverse audiences.

Broadening Access

Most people can’t journey to the Smithsonian. Even when they can, space constraints let us display only minuscule percentages of our collections. Making more resources available digitally greatly increases public access, expedites the work of scholars and researchers worldwide, and opens new possibilities to educators in every setting. Objects relating to a given subject — Thomas Edison, Native American cultures, or the solar system, to name three — reside in multiple places. Digitizing entire collections will allow us to integrate our resources, making it possible for scholars working externally to see at a glance our depth and breadth of holdings in a given area.

Preserving Collections

To preserve our collections, the Smithsonian constantly battles the destructive forces of time and environment. Despite our best efforts, plastics discolor, wax cylinder recordings distort, and botanical specimens become brittle. Digitization offers a way to make objects — and the valuable information they contain — available without jeopardizing their integrity by handling or by exposure to the elements.

via Smithsonian Institute Digitization Plan

Can’t travel to the exclusive Museum which houses one of a kind pieces of History and Art?  The Smithsonian has unveiled plans to digitize the Museum’s content to allow for more accessibility and engagement.

Equal access to knowledge is an incalculable gift.
It prompts moments of discovery and acts of creativity.
It inspires quests and evokes wonder. And it satisfies
humanity’s insatiable curiosity and ceaseless inquiry about
the “what,” “how,” and “why” of our world.

via Smithsonian Institute Digitization Plan

There are few people that have the opportunity to travel to the Smithsonian so we should all appreciate the overall goal of this huge undertaking.  I’m curious how they’re going to execute the interactive portion of this project but I’m really excited to see what the finished product is, as I remember playing CD-ROM History games when I was little.  Yes, I’m that old.