BlogTV enables the host and viewers to communicate and therefore create a more engaging experience rather then just providing pre-recorded video content. They claim that the entire interaction experience is available on most modern phones.

It is available directly via your web browser or directly to mobile, iPhone, PSP, PS3, twitter, jaiku and Wii.

Basically popurl is a nice GUI of RSS feeds that you don’t have to set up yourself, anyone who uses RSS will understand the logic behind it buy ultimately use their own setup. If you are wishing to explain how RSS feeds work, this is a great place to take people as an example.l

To use the mobile channel you need to download a mobile application which is only available for a limited number of late model phones including the iPhone

For more information visit the youtube blog

Comprehension (Business)
As we enter 2008 I still don’t believe that the majority of the Business sector ‘gets’ what newmedia is and how important it is to the most important aspect in their business, their customers. But 2008 is the year they will finally ‘get it’ and comprehend that they have to engage this medium. The next question is after they comprehend its importance, will they include it as part of their business (internally and externally). It is yet to be determined if the ‘inclusion’ stage will be the second half of 2008 or the ‘big thing’ for 2009.

Mobile
I’m not talking about the mobile phone here, please note the heading is MOBILE. 2008 is the year where people will not have to rely on being linked through cables, and hence their desktop computer, to be connected to their media’s and digital conversations. This is a technology evolution that will free people to connect to anyone, from anywhere through the medium of their choice, text, photo, video, audio and through the platform of their choice. This is a major revolution which will change the way people connect and the ability of companies to connect with people. OldMedia (print, tv, radio, static web) will take a hit in 2008 as people choose HOW and WHEN they consume their entertainment and media.

Video
2008 is the year of video or as others like to call it, motion. Technology has advanced to the point where it has become easy to capture, deliver and consume video content. This is going to open new ways for people to connect through live broadcasting (from mobile devices), through faster networks (faster delivery) and more content being made available from many sources. 2008 will see the quality of content rise as professional start generating content for specifically for digital delivery.
Time-Shift Media
Television and radio (oldmedia) have a serious problem, they dictate the time and place where you consume their content. 2008 will see a major shift away from the constraints of ‘programming’ to allowing the user to dictate when, where and how they will consume their content. This is called time-shift media. Basically it means that the user can load the media on any device they want (Computer, iPod, Mobile, etc) and then watch it whenever and wherever they want. They can pause, rewind, stop and start again at a later time. Total user empowerment. Once users shift to time-shift content they will find id hard to transition back to a system where the broadcaster dictates everything. Is this bad? Absolutely not!!! This opens the opportunity for a new system to develop with new economies and new business models for the creation of content for the user. These models are yet to be developed, but we will see them developed and tested in 2008.

Google

So if you take all the technical mumbo jumbo away what does ‘Android‘ mean to consumers, business and markets. It simply comes down to one simple concept.

The ability to be digitally connected from any location.

This is a powerful concept for everyone to comprehend, the fact is the marketing and communications world as we know is about to change, massively! Lets look at it from three different perspectives:

Consumers:
The mobile phone has died and we now have mobile devices with the ability to handle any type of digital connection, voice, text, data, video, transaction etc. This frees people from the computer as internet connectivity is available anywhere. Traditional media’s (Print, Radio & TV) will be hit hardest as these medium will not be able to compete with the freedom of mobile connectivity.

Business:
This is a further democratisation of brands, where the consumer is gaining far more control over the information they receive and who they receive it from. The main question here is how does a business connect and transact with consumers who are totally mobile and engaged in the mobile medium. There is only one answer, to develop an ongoing dialogue strategy. Dialogue is now the most powerful advertising and marketing tool at the disposal of modern businesses. This means taking advertising away from static monologue mediums like television and directly your focus to where your customer is, the digital dialogue of newmedia.

Markets:
Markets are conversations and people are seeking dialogue for friendship, trade and knowledge. Markets will only transact if there is ‘value’ for the individual and they will be better informed about that value because they have access to the greatest resource right in their pocket, the internet and their peers.

If you are interested in learning more about the future of communications and how it effects you, please contact emersive today.

Photo Copyright © Donncha O Caoimh – go to blog / flickr

Like all great concepts it all comes down to bringing two very simple concepts together. PA’s ‘bridge the gap’ between platforms and allow you to ’subscribe’ to a information source (be it a person or company).

Lets look at both points individually.

Bridge The Gap:
Traditional PA systems only allowed a connection between the same platform, like SMSmobile to SMSmobile, newmedia PA’s allow people or companies to interact via many different platforms. This means that when someone sends a PA message from their computer that people (depending on their preferences) can read that message on their mobile, IM, Browser or Custom App.

Subscribe:
The two cornerstone’s of the newmedia phenomenon are subscription and collaboration. Anytime someone takes a traditional media and attaches subscription functionality to it, they have developed a popularity winner. And so it is with services like Twitter, Jaiku and Pownce. Subscriptions to PA’s is known as “Permission Based Stalking“, those creating the PA feeds are allowing their subscribers to ‘watch’ their personal commentary on their lives and interaction to other PA friends.

But are PA’s just a platform for personal use? No. Lets have a look how some companies and organisations are using Twitter for more efficient communications.

The LA Fire Department is using twitter (link to their twitter feed) to give an ongoing commentary on emergencies and situations they are dealing with. Anybody can plug in to learn more about a current emergency situation.

ABC (Australia) Radio National show is giving updates (link to their twitter feed) on programs for their Australia wide radio program.

1-Day is an Australian website (link to their twitter feed) that provides 3 amazing deals every day for 24 hours.

Sky News (USA) is sending the latest news via twitter (link to their twitter feed).

I am using twitter to keep my students studying Visual Communications and Multimedia degrees updated with the latest subject news.

So back to the original question of “So how is this technology changing the way we connect and interact?”

It all comes down to one simple word, ‘presence’! PA’s are allowing people to have a presence in peoples lives that matter to us. It also allows us via subscription to allow others (maybe mentors, celebrities etc) to have a presence in our lives by following their feeds. This can only be a positive thing as having a presence allows us to work on the other foundation of newmedia, it allows us to ‘collaborate’ in a more powerfully effective way, by allowing us to connect quicker and more efficiently.

There have been some detractors of PA’s saying that it is only a passing fad and the next newmedia ‘thing’ will kill it. But I don’t think so!

If you have not tried it – do it today.

Here are some links for you. Twitter – Jaiku- Pownce