Digital Intervention

Simplifying the Digital World

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The Google Home Hub – This I’m excited for

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For all the hype, the Google hardware launch this Tuesday is on the light side as far as I’m concerned. Unless there are some surprises, we are talking about a phone that looks the same, a tablet/pixel book, a Google Home Hub, a charging stand, and maybe some earphones – maybe. I think it’s a big miss not having an Android Watch this year. Google wanted to be in the hardware business and they are missing the opportunities. They have great platforms set up and could be running their own streamlined hardware.

The event kicks off October 9 in New York City and the thing I’m most excited to see is the Google Hub. Connecting all the digital toys we are collecting is a smart move. And if done right will give them the ecosystem that rivals Apple and Amazon doesn’t have.

Google Home Hub

The Google Home Hub is the latest addition to the Google Home lineup, and the first Smart Display from Google. Google announced the Smart Displays platform at CES 2018, and now they’re entering the fray themselves with an affordable option that looks a lot like the Google Homes that are already on the market — but with a display. It’s expected to cost $149.

Google Home Hub — Colors

Available in “Chalk” and “Charcoal,” the Google Home Hub will fit right into the Home speaker lineup. Matching the Home Max exactly, these colors are applied to the fabric and the plastic backing of the screen portion.

Google Home Hub — Specs

The touchscreen, it is 7-inches with Google not citing the exact resolution. The top bezel houses an ambient light and color sensor, but no front-facing camera.

On the audio front, Google only notes “full-range speakers for crystal clear sound” for the Home Hub and the standard Far-field microphones. Connectivity, as confirmed by the FCC, includes 802.11b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi in both 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands for “high-performance streaming” and Bluetooth support.

The Home Hub is powered by a 15W power adapter that connects via a DC power jack. It weighs 16.9 oz (480g), while dimensions are 7.02-inch (178.5 mm) x 4.55-inch (118 mm) with a 2.65-inch (67.3 mm) depth.

 

OH – and Other stuff

Pixel Smartphones

The Pixel 3 will reportedly boast a 5.5-inch display, a Snapdragon 845 processor, a 12.2-megapixel camera on the rear, dual front-facing cameras (purportedly for better selfies), 4GB of memory, and will reportedly be available in 64GB and 128GB configurations. Naturally, the device will run Android 9 Pie and feature the same fingerprint sensor on the back.

The Pixel 3 XL will reportedly sport a 6.7-inch display with a 1440×2960 resolution, a glass back with a matte finish, and support for wireless charging. Of particular interest is that Pixel 3 XL leaks have shown a device with a notch design, a’la the iPhone X. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given that Google has precise guidelines for how Android P should support notch design. Incidentally, the design will still have a “chin” and will not be as edgeless as the iPhone X. Camera wise, the Pixel 3 XL will reportedly be no different than the Pixel 3.

Google Pixel Slate

Word is that the Pixel Slate is a  Chrome OS tablet hybrid–. The device will reportedly include a fingerprint sensor and a leaked marketing image (allegedly) can be seen below. Additionally, rumor has it that the device will boast the same resolution as the Google Pixelbook, will include one USB-C port, and will have memory configurations of 8GB and 16GB. Details regarding the Pixel Slate’s release date and pricing have yet to leak, so we’ll likely have to wait until the official Google event to learn more.

Digital Strategies to put in your 2019 Marketing Plan

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While there are many digital strategies for marketers, the ones that stand out, are rare the ones remembered. Your clients want to use the tried and true, but they always ask for the “innovative” tactic every year. However, innovative needs to provide ROI. Here are a few strategies (that don’t have the word blockchain in the title) that will be influencing your audiences, and stealing eyeballs. These strategies have been effective for several years, and will be for several more. I recommend you provide your clients with some of the solutions below:

  • Voice activated strategies

  • Influencer marketing

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • Live Video marketing

voice

Voice Search

When you talk about change in digital marketing, search has got to be the most chaotic aspect of it all. The “Google algorithm updates” alone have kept marketers awake at night. Now with the entrance of Alexa and Google Home, search has taken on a whole new perspective. Voice search is rapidly gaining acceptance among consumers. Although still in its infancy, voice search is making a huge impact in how we get information, how we purchase products, and how we interact with our environment (home control). See how Merck is Alexa to interact with their patients.

60% of people have started using voice search within the last year.

Planning Ahead

According to ComScore, at least half of all searches will be made via voice query by 2020. That’s not so far away. And it doesn’t mean that we should ignore traditional SEO, either.

The rise in instant answers without search results will continue

You’re going to see a continual rise in instant answers. What is happening is that when a lot of these voice and conversational search queries are coming through, they tend to be longer, and they tend to be seeking out an answer that a device can quickly give you a direct answer to. Things like, what I placed here, and this requires some logic and some understanding from the machines, some contextual understanding, but it’s not that challenging, and the machines are doing a good job of this.

influencer

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing as a strategy has been growing in popularity for the past few years, but new and different types of brands are now starting to take notice. By using social media listening tools a marketer can identify individuals that will help a brand get the word out. There is a defined process to identifying these influencers, and understanding the online conversation around your brand is vital to choosing the right online influencer.

85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations – BrightLocal Survey

influencer

84% of marketers planned on executing at least one influencer marketing campaign during 2017 – Inc.com

ai

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI is not new – in fact, you probably already interact with marketing AI when you see ads in search results and on social media. And, 57% of marketers already use AI. However, the use of AI for marketing is only going to grow as the technology improves. 

ai

Examples of AI in Marketing

  • Chatbots
    Chatbots designed to serve one or more purposes to the customers. For example, a chatbot operating in a chat screen of a website, or a bot operating in any social networking website’s chatbox. National Geographic lets you chat with Albert Einstein on Facebook messenger to raise awareness of the launch of its new original series Genius that dissects the psyche of the physicist Albert Einstein.
  • Data analysis
    One of the most useful examples of AI in marketing is data analysis. These days you don’t have to guess what will work for what audience. There are thousands of data points attached to the target audience that can be accurately analysed by bots to understand which message is going to appeal to whom.

AI closes the gap by moving far past human limitations to consume and analyze data on a scale no human can. The “intelligence” in artificial intelligence is the ability to think independently, to grow more knowledgeable from being exposed to more information and to adapt and adjust when things change.

  • Recommendations/content curation
    Predictive analytics allows Netflix to surface and finesse recommendations. This kind of clustering algorithm is continually improving suggestions, allowing users to make the most of their subscription.Uniting information from diverse datasets is a common use of AI.Under Armour is one of the many companies to have worked with IBM’s Watson. The sports apparel company combines user data from its Record app with third-party data and research on fitness, nutrition etc.The result is the ability for the brand to offer up relevant (personalized) training and lifecycle advice based on aggregated wisdom.
  • Content Generation
    A significant portion of sports and finance related articles are already written by machines, not humans. With AI marketing, this trend is poised to spread throughout various other industries. Finance and sports are traditionally numbers-heavy industries, which makes it easy for AI programs to understand the data and translate it into human-readable articles.
    A creative solution would be providing thoughtful answers in real time to customers. Check out Google Duplex coming soon.

google ai

In 2017, marketing platforms collected and stored information such as site usage, browsing patterns, search history and content preferences to create customer profiles and behavior marketing strategies that help marketers create custom messages to address these prospects. But the next step is even more exciting.

Consider These Stats and Facts

live video

Live Video, because it’s Live – Instant Gratification

Like AI, live video is nothing new, but it’s growing exponentially. Everyone wants a piece of Facebook Live.

And, it isn’t just popular with marketers. People love watching live video too. In fact, 80% of users said they’d rather watch a live video than read a blog post, while according to Facebook, live video gets 3x more views.

Here are a few tips for getting started with live video:

  1. Use live video at events to give followers a behind-the-scenes look at the event.
  2. Show off holiday displays and sales in live video.
  3. Use live video to introduce your followers to your employees.
  4. Advertise an exclusive sale or promotion to anyone who watches your live video.

Consider These Stats and Facts

  • The $127 billion autonomous vehicle market is being driven by AI. That’s how much the self-driving car market is expected to be worth worldwide by 2027
  • 76% of smart home speaker users conduct local searches at least once a week—with 53% performing daily searches
  • Live video is more appealing to brand audiences: 80% would rather watch live video from a brand than read a blog, and 82% prefer live video from a brand to social posts.

How AI is changing Business: A look at the limitless potential of AI 

3 Reasons why SXSW 2018 is Magical

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SXSW 2018 is in full swing in Austin, and from what I can tell the “experiential” factor tops the interactive cake. I mean they have built sets, taken over houses, and created mind-blowing events before, but these three interactive promotions below are incredible. They have taken the 5 senses and added a sixth – “mind melt”. The event truly looks informative and magical.

If you’re a fan of HBO’s Westworld, than this SXSW event will make you wish you were in Austin. It might be one of the best publicity stunts of the 21st century.

The new movie Ready Player One, directed by Steven Spielberg, is coming out this month. But in Austin it has already arrived. This movie and SXSW stunt elevates VR to the next level. Not just with special effects but weaving it into life.

The tech giant is showing off about a dozen interactive demos at an air-conditioned warehouse here in Austin, and the event sounded like it would be really chill.

Sony wanted to make its visitors feel connected to its technology, and what better way to engage than through physical exertion.

They focused less on explaining the tech or convincing people why you’re here — just wow your audience with magical experiences.

sxsw

sxsw magical

Healthy Gadgets, VR and Connected Toilets at CES 2018

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The number of innovations displayed at CES is never in shortage. So I’m highlighting only a few in this article with some links to the top winners. The bottom line is if you can imagine adding the internet to any type of gadget, it’s happening. Some very cool healthcare gadgets, enhanced VR and of course toilets are all in the consumers eye. And when you’re done laughing at the toilet IoT idea, let me tell you, it makes good sense. It cleans itself, it’s heated and it is voice activated. Definitely a dream come true.

May I introduce – the “Toto 750”.

Hey Google – Flush The Toilet

I hear angels when I see this toilet.

numi

  • Numi intelligent toilet with KOHLER Konnect is Kohler’s most advanced toilet.  The Numi offers personalized experiences that let users fine-tune every aspect of their experience to their exact preference, from ambient colored lighting to wireless Bluetooth® music sync capability to the heated seat and foot warmer.  Numi delivers hands-free control, personalized cleansing functionality, and exceptional water efficiency.
  • Features of Numi with KOHLER Konnect can be controlled through voice-command, the KOHLER Konnect app, or the remote.

hey google cesAs you’ve probably heard, Google has dominated CES 2018 and will be the driving force behind many gadgets. Google announced on their blog that Google assistant will be everywhere, on every device.

“The Google Assistant is your personal Google. It lets you have a conversation and ask about everything under the sun and, best of all, it’s available wherever you need help—at home or on the go. Over the past year, we’ve been working to bring the Assistant to more devices in more places and now it’s available on more than 400 million devices.”

The Google Assistant gives you an easy, hands-free way to control your home, whether it’s helping you dim the lights from the comfort of your couch or play your dinner party playlist. It’s already lending a helping hand in speakers like Google Home, Mini and Max. In fact, we’ve sold more than one Google Home every second since Google Home Mini started shipping in October. And with so much excitement around speakers, we’re making the Assistant even more available—this week we’re announcing that the Assistant is coming to new voice-activated speakers from Altec Lansing, Anker Innovations, Bang & Olufsen, Braven, iHome, JBL, Jensen, LG, Klipsch, Knit Audio, Memorex, RIVA Audio and SōLIS.

But there are also moments when a screen would make the Assistant even more helpful, like when you need to learn how to cut a pineapple, and the best way is to watch a video. Today, we’re announcing that the Assistant is coming to smart displays. These new devices have the Google Assistant built in, and with the added benefit of a touch screen, they can help you get even more done. You can watch videos from YouTube, video call with Google Duo, find photos from Google Photos and more. You can also get recommendations for your favorite content, right on the home screen.

Starting later this year, the Assistant is coming to new smart displays from four companies, including JBL, Lenovo, LG and Sony. To learn more about how smart displays were built, visit the Android Developers blog.

health cesCool Health Gadgets

Gadgets that focus on improving users’ health and well-being were in ample supply this year at CES. Philips launched a wearable headband to enhance sleep. Prevent Biometrics released a mouthguard that could detect concussions. Swim.com and Spire Health Tag collaborated to design a “smart swimsuit” that could help swimmers track their water workouts. Neutrogena unveiled its SkinScanner, which attaches to an iPhone and syncs with the Skin360 app to help users assess their skin health from home.

neutogena
Neutrogena’s SkinScanner

The SkinScanner product was made in partnership with a New York-based company called Fitskin. It’s a tool that slides onto the top of your iPhone and uses 12 LED lights and a 30x magnification lens to capture an up-close image of your skin. It also has a moisture sensor, around the rim of the lens. You open the app, press the device right onto your face, and take a series of images. Glamour shots these are not: these are close-up readings of your skin’s moisture levels, wrinkles, and pore size.

The L’Oreal UV Sense may help prevent Skin Cancer 

The smaller a device is, the more wearable it becomes, and that’s one of the reasons that L’Oreal’s UV Sense is so intriguing. It’s a UV sensor no bigger than a thumbnail that tells you, via your smartphone, how much sun exposure you’ve received each day. The benefits are twofold: Not only could this help prevent skin cancer, it’s also a key step on a micro-wearable computing journey that could revolutionize the world.

Best of CES

See the list of CES winners

Photo by John Locher People walk through a display of television screens during CES International, in Las Vegas
Gadget Show LG, Las Vegas, USA – 09 Jan 2018

When it rains, it pours. And on the first day of CES 2018, the monstrous gadget expo that drew an astounding 184,000 people to Las Vegas this year, it rained. Hard. Traffic snarled, Google’s parking lot tent at the Las Vegas Convention Center flooded, drones were grounded, autonomous cars sat parked.

Best of CES 2018 Award

The next day, a power outage plunged the entire show floor into darkness.

It would be fair to say that CES 2018 gave us plenty of ominous reasons to remember it, but fortunately for us, there also were plenty of fun things to see when the lights were on. From the usual spate of wall-sized TVs to servile robots, crazy-fast PCs, and new VR headsets, all the usual culprits were in attendance. But we set out to find the best of the best for our annual Top Tech of CES awards.

 

Nice overview of CES 2018

Women in Tech – A Digital Intervention

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Today is International Women’s Day, which is shining a spotlight on the achievements of women around the world and a chance for organizations across the globe to show support for women’s advancement. We’re taking a look at women in tech. The organizers of the Women’s March on Washington have created “The Day Without a Woman,” a general strike. It’s the latest in a series of strikes aimed at protesting the policies and sympathies of the Trump administration, preceded by last month’s “Day Without an Immigrant” and the massive New York City bodega strike. But how do women rate in the tech and digital world? Do they have any prominence in the industry and is there hope for women to succeed?

According to the Department of Labor, only 26 percent of people employed in computer and mathematics jobs are women. And a big chunk of that 26 percent comes from outside Silicon Valley. 

While men still dominate these fields, it’s not because women can’t be in this space. As an incentive, I’d like to look at some of the positive women influences in the digital world right now. And discuss how women can take action.

12 badass women running the tech world – see full story here.

women in tech
Whitney Wolfe left her job as a co-founder at Tinder

 

7 most powerful Arab women in digital media- See full story here.

women in tech
Kim Ghattas, BBC

 

twitter womenVisit Women in Technology on Twitter @WITWomen

Not-for-profit organization aimed at providing women in the technology field with networking and professional development opportunities

GirlsWhoCode on Twitter and their website.

We’re a national non-profit organization dedicated to closing the gender gap in technology.

A writer from the publisher “The Drum” interviewed a few women in digital and these are their suggestions to move the needle.

Sarah Jordan, a digital transformation consultant who has spearheaded digital change within Oxfam and the MS Society, said: “Explaining all the different careers that ‘digital’ covers would be a great starting point, as many people don’t realize the full range and how creative and ‘people-focused’ the jobs can be; not just involving coding or technical skills.

“More buddying and mentoring schemes would be really helpful, particularly for women in the middle of their careers to help them progress to more senior and leadership positions. We need more female role models at every level in digital to help show the benefits to those thinking about coming into the industry.

“Greater flexibility from employers to help women get into new roles and gain experience, as well as move around within them, would also help.

Sally Anderson, a lead digital consultant at Code, suggests: “Highlighting and celebrating women who are already in the industry, especially in the more technical roles, is a positive move the industry can make as it’s not always obvious from an outsider looking in at how many women may be behind a company, discipline or movement.”

So what can I do?

A first step to tackling the issue is by creating inclusive environments. Some simple ways to achieve this will be by:

  • Ensure diversity is on the business agenda with leadership commitment.
  • Collating business data to develop a true understanding of the workforce.
  • Celebrate success stories that represent diversity and share them.
  • Support and promote networking events that advocate diversity in our industry.
  • Provide real-world knowledge and experiences in schools, colleges and universities, raising the profile of STEM industries and careers.
  • Join a movement – WomeninTechCampaign.com See here.

 

Women in tech — the missing force: Karen Catlin at TEDx College of William & Mary

Apple Unveils Eight New TV Watch Ads

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Apple invested a lot of time and money into their new TV ads. All the ads are in support of the Apple Watch and have some big star power to promote the Watch and new Apple TV ad “look”. Apple always has a unique “look and feel” to their ads and this time is no different. Take a look at 8 new ads featuring fitness, fashion and find.

New Apple Watch Ads
The “Climb” steps up the game.

The “Swap” ad has musician Leon Bridges demonstrating two of the Watch’s band options. And finally, the “Surprise” ad shows off the combination of HomeKit and Siri, and “Rain” promotes Jackadam’s “hyperlocal” weather app Dark Sky.


I had to Google these folks, but the “Find” ads has actress Chloë Sevigny who is trying to locate a missing iPhone.

The new ad “Chase” features musician and actor Nick Jonas, who tries to outdo a friend on a steps leaderboard. Golf stars rocker Alice Cooper, frustrated by his golf swing.



All eight spots are shot on a colorful background and are extremely short, lasting 15-16 seconds. These are quick TV ads but great for sharing online.

Apple is working on a new Apple Watch coming later this year, but the features are still unknown. The word is the overall design is not changing but will be much faster. We’ll see.

watch ad

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