We will never have Web 3.0, because the Web’s dead

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More and more in tech, it seems that your long-term viability as a company is dependent on when you were born.

Think of the differences between generations and when we talk about how the Baby Boomers behave differently from Gen X’ers and additional differences with the Millennials. 

Each generation is perceived to see the world in a very unique way that translates into their buying decisions and countless other habits.

In the tech world, we’ve really had 3 generations:

•    Web 1.0 (companies founded from 1994 – 2001, including Netscape, Yahoo! (YHOO), AOL (AOL), Google (GOOG), Amazon (AMZN) and eBay (EBAY)),

•    Web 2.0 or Social (companies founded from 2002 – 2009, including Facebook (FB), LinkedIn (LNKD), and Groupon (GRPN)),

•    and now Mobile (from 2010 – present, including Instagram).

With each succeeding generation in tech, it seems the prior generation can’t quite wrap its head around the subtle changes that the next generation brings.  Web 1.0 companies did a great job of aggregating data and presenting it in an easy to digest portal fashion.  Google did a good job organizing the chaos of the Web better than AltaVista, Excite, Lycos and all the other search engines that preceded it.  Amazon did a great job of centralizing the chaos of e-commerce shopping and putting all you needed in one place.

When Web 2.0 companies began to emerge, they seemed to gravitate to the importance of social connections.   MySpace built a network of people with a passion for music initially.  Facebook got college students.  LinkedIn got the white collar professionals.  Digg, Reddit, and StumbleUpon showed how users could generate content themselves and make the overall community more valuable.

Yet, Web 1.0 companies never really seemed to be able to grasp the importance of building a social community and tapping into the backgrounds of those users.  Even when it seems painfully obvious to everyone, there just doesn’t seem to be the capacity of these older companies to shift to a new paradigm.  Why has Amazon done so little in social?  And Google?  Even as they pour billions at the problem, their primary business model which made them successful in the first place seems to override their expansion into some new way of thinking.

Social companies born since 2010 have a very different view of the world.  These companies – and Instagram is the most topical example at the moment – view the mobile smartphone as the primary (and oftentimes exclusive) platform for their application.  They don’t even think of launching via a web site.  They assume, over time, people will use their mobile applications almost entirely instead of websites.

For Your Success!

 

Keith Thorn, Managing Partner

KTLLC Communications

www.KTLLC.net

Graduates Find Smartphones

Graduates Find Smartphones: Keith Thorn

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ most recent 2011 “Job Outlook Spring Update Survey,” employers expect to hire 21 percent more recent college graduates this year than in 2011. Graduating to a smartphone can help new college grads and career seekers optimize their search and respond quickly to potential employers.

Whether it’s trying to snag that first job or new career opportunity U.S. Cellular has a lineup of smartphones including Android™-powered, BlackBerry® and Windows™ devices that provide the ability to research, respond and react to job leads anywhere and anytime.

“Being able to communicate quickly with prospective employers shows your interest and professionalism,” said Michelle Groves, Director of Sales for U.S. Cellular in the St. Louis area. “Graduates who switch to U.S. Cellular can get the smartphone that makes their job search and application process more effective, and join the happiest customers in wireless.”

Employers are interacting with their job candidates more frequently through e-mail. Smartphones provide on-the-go access and allow users to receive, respond to and compose messages instantly. In addition, job seekers can download employment applications and get access to large databases of job listings, giving them the advantage of finding and applying for coveted opportunities faster. Here are some tips U.S. Cellular recommends for leveraging your smartphone to land a job:

Job Finder Apps – Job seekers can take their search on the go by downloading an application that will help them find their next career opportunity sooner. Many applications help make it easy to sort, locate and filter thousands of openings based on individual preferences such as location, job title and company. Applications like Job Search™ list opportunities from popular job sites such as Monster® and CareerBuilder®, and include public and private companies. It also breaks down the search process into categories such as salary range, job type and proximity to the job hunter’s current location so he or she can easily sort through the thousands of positions that are specific to their location or preferred work area.

Set up a mobile job search – Smartphone users can go to job aggregator sites like Indeed.com™ from their device, search by keyword for the positions they are targeting, enter the location and view the results. On the results page, they can sign up to receive updates.

Google Docs™ – Google Docs is a Web-based word processing application that allows job hunters to upload their resume and cover letter templates to Google Docs from their home computer. Then, with Google Docs for Mobile, users can view and edit the same documents on-the-go from their smartphone.

Apply from your smartphone – Once a lead has been found from a mobile job search, job seekers can instantly apply for it using their smartphone by downloading their resume from their Google Docs account and to their mobile phone. They can then click on the link to apply for the position and upload their resume from their smartphone.

For Your Success!

 

Keith Thorn, Managing Partner

KTLLC Communications

www.KTLLC.net

Discover i-nigma's exciting mobile technology

Do you know what a QR code is? No? As a smartphone owner, you really should. Why's that? Because being able to access QR codes from your mobile device can provide you with access to an Aladdin's cave of free gifts, special offers and invite-only sites and services.

By scanning a special barcode-like image that can be found on promotional packaging and websites or in magazines and newspapers you are granted access to a unique link that can unlock a plethora of exciting goodies accessed via your device. Yes, this is the point where you say, "Oh THAT'S what those things are!”

This futuristic technology isn't new, however. The gadget-focused Japanese market has been taking advantage of QR codes for years now with offers ranging from access to the Disney Channel to sampling new drinks from Coca Cola via vending machines.

The tech
So how does it work? Well, that little camera in your smartphone that you might normally use for snapping pics of friends, family or that crazy guy you see on the subway is the key to QR code mastery. With the right software, a QR-code printed on any surface or screen can be spotted and analyzed by your device and then intelligently converted into a URL that triggers the offer or gift.

i-nigma is renowned as the world-leader when it comes to barcode scanning software with its reader installed on over 200 million devices worldwide. And it's not just small companies taking a chance on this exciting advertising genre either, i-nigma's clients include such heavyweights as HBO, Best Buy, the NBA, BMW and Calvin Klein to name but a few.

Applications
The "special sauce" that has lead to i-nigma's success is its software that doesn't just "translate" a code for the end user but enhances their experience. Fully compatible with Twitter, Facebook and other social networks, it's the ideal viral marketing tool and a convenient way for print editors and marketers to enrich their content.   Think of this example; a magazine runs an article on the brilliance of a new Broadway show. Obviously, the writer offers as much description as they can but even his or her editorial chops can't match actually seeing the performance for yourself. Traditionally, the writer would then include a link to a website like YouTube where readers could enjoy a video clip of the show when they have access to the web.

Sadly, however, web links are often clunky, complex affairs with all manner of special characters and odd mixes of numbers and letters that look ugly on the page and require effort and concentration to enter into a browser. Most will probably ignore that link. So what if there was a discreet QR barcode included on the page that users could quickly scan using i-nigma software on their phone or tablet? In the same time it takes to snap an image, they could be watching the video on their device without any of the hassle that comes from traditional weblinks.

New tricks
Of course, that's just one example. Publishers, promoters and advertisers are constantly coming up with new and exciting ways to make the most of i-nigma's tools and barcode scanning to open consumers to a whole new world of interactive entertainment and advertising, like Best Buy's in-store QR codes that allow a user to read a review of a product while they're standing in the store. McDonalds Japan even offers nutritional information via QR on the packaging of its hamburgers. The possibilities are, quite literally, endless.

Get involved
So how do you go about taking advantage of i-nigma's barcode scanning brilliance? It's easy, head over to the i-nigma site at www.i-nigma.mobi using your smartphone or tablet and the website will figure out the device you are using. You will then be shown how to access the i-nigma reader software be it on an App Store or available for direct download and you're done.  You shouldn't have to worry about compatibility either with software available for all major brands and handsets including Apple, Windows Phone, Android, Java and Blackberry. Once the software is installed, all you need to do is keep your eyes peeled for those unique codes that pop up all over the place online and in print.

With an explosion in QR code use in the last few years, largely down to i-nigma's platform and services -  it's unlikely that you'll have to look very far!

For Your Success!

 




Keith Thorn, Managing Partner
KTLLC Communications
www.KTLLC.net