Community Shopping on the street – NET-A-PORTER.COM’s Window Shop

Augmented Reality shopping is definitely a new trend these days. NET-A-PORTER have launched their Augmented Reality Shopping Windows in different capitals around the world like Sidney, Munich, London, Paris and New York.

The following video demo comes from late last year’s Fashion Night Out celebrations in London and New York. It will be rolled out globally now for the new Karl by Karl Lagerfeld collection. Consumers need to download the NET-A-PORTER iPhone/iPad app, then visit the stores and can use the Augmented Reality like a new shopping experience.

When pointing the iPad camera at the window, this will publish 360 degree product models doing their best on a video catwalk. It also displays product information, the clothes price and obviously the ability to purchase immediately.

Isn’t this a cool idea to offer a 24/7 shopping life? These doors are always open in the future. Well, ok their online shop as well but it is a different kind of shopping experience right…? Community shopping on the street…

THX for sharing!

comScore: Smartphones and tablets boost European media consumption ‎

The digital environment is chaining very fast, based on the evolution of the modern mobile devices which are offering new opportunities and challenges, depending on whether at home or at work. Some forecasts already proclaim the death of the desktop. Today, mobile devices like tablets and smartphones change the daily lives of Europeans, and the way we use our mobile devices was explained in one of my last posts. .

A recent study by comScore, Inc. and Telefónica Germany called Connected Europe -published during DLD Conference today- shows some five developments and gives an outlook where the mobile evolution is heading to. The study was based on a survey of mobile subscribers age 13+ and their primary device. These are the key findings the study is coming up with…

Smartphones and Tablets make PC more and more redundant.
Reasons: Lower hardware costs, increased subsidies, and aggressive operator price plans. A majority of non-computer web traffic comes from smartphones (65%) and especially tablets (25%) are picking up momentum in the EU5 (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom).

Mobile Media is booming.
Reason: Ubiquitous 3G/4G networks delivering mobile ready content to multiple screens (PC, Smartphone, Tablets). 75% of the EU5 use mobile media users in October 2011 which is an increase by 62% in the past year.

Apple connected use wins in fragmented EU5 market across ecosystems.
Reason: However, there are powerful competitors (Nokia and Google), Apple’s iOS has the top spot when combining smartphones, tablets and other devices: 30% share of connected devices in use! Nokia’s Symbian and Google’s Android win in terms of the highest market share among smartphone.

iPad boost Apple’s market power.
Reason: iPad enthusiasm is not limited to Apple enthusiasts. Users of other phones such as LG (86% more likely) and Motorola (72% more likely) were overrepresented amongst iPad owners, as compared to their respective shares of the smartphone market. Obviously, iPhone owners were quite likely to have an iPad (66 times more likely).

Mobile commerce is increasing and changing expectations for the retail industry.
Reason: Smartphone users are massive mobile shoppers and push retail with double or triple digit growth rates across European countries. Just look at the use of modern mobile devices and their apps in the Prime Time and you won’t be surprised anymore.

Spot On!
According to the study, Germany had the fastest growing (increase of 112% year on year) user base and witnessed the quickest adoption of emerging technologies, such as QR codes. Interesting to me were two facts…
a) Men are still more likely to have a tablet than a smartphone compared to women, whether this is based on business issue or interest the study did not give an answer…

b) Smartphone and tablet is not an issue of income aspects. 65,4% of a household income under 40K EUR have a smartphone and 56% own a tablet.

Would you agree that calling a smartphone and a tablet your own will become as important as having a TV in the past?

The Top Christmas Gadgets for 2011

Every Christmas season, I am looking out for the latest gadgets that I think my readers might find cool as well. And, you can win one of those in a draw on 20th of December 2011. That’s cool, right…?!

The last time around Christmas, I focused on the 7 brand gadgets. This Christmas season, we will keep it more general on freaky, funny and fantastic gadgets which I think were the coolest gadgets in 2011. Yes, we are not talking about the 5 best toys for boys, women will love these gadgets as well. So, please find my 5 coolest gadgets in the second half of 2011…

Always Run! – NIKE GPS Sportwatch mit TomTom

This Nike+ Sensor enabled sports watch with GPS system from TomTom lets you find out how you can start tracking your run instantly, and how to get accurate speed and distance information, indoors or out. It tracks your time, distance, pace, heart rate and calories burned. Can you imagine it mapped route, with pace data, and changes in elevation on Nikeplus.com? And it can do so much more for your fitness…

Always Air! – Philips Fidelio SoundRing

What I like about the Philips AirPlay technology? It lets me stream my entire iTunes music collection to the Fidelio docking stations – wireless music from the iTunes program on the computer, iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch to any AirPlay-enabled speaker at home. Just make sure the speakers are connected to the Wi-Fi network. And AirPlay lets you play simultaneously on every speaker in every room. So your favorite tunes will follow you into the rooms you go.

Always on! – Innergie Adapter

One of the best conversations I have seen this year: Wikipedia “I know everything!” – Google “I have everything!” – Facebook “I know everything!” – Internet “With me you all are nothing!” – Electricity “Keep talking b*itches!” This loading unit might help us in what what we need most for our modern lives: energy. Innergie’s mCubePro got a sleek design and unique features that will surely make us and our devices reload again. Get your device charged from every device everywhere you go. Reload your batteries!

Always live! – Vivitek Qumi

If you want to get a projector with 300 lumens that is weighing more or less nothing (1.1 pounds), maybe consider the Qumi by Vivitek. It is a very innovative pocket LED pocket projector that is 3D-ready via DLP Link™. And what is so freaky about it? The Qumi connectivity can be used with a variety of devices like smartphones, laptops, netbooks and tablets, digital and video cameras. The Qumi is the perfect device for sharing digital content at work and play.

Always wake up! – Logitech Clock Radio Dock S400i

Is it something special to wake up and fall asleep to your favorite songs while charging your iPod or iPhone in 2011? No! If an audio system does it with speakers that produce rich, full, stereo sound? Well, it might be! This black systems is small, smart and stereo. Not like in old times where the systems were massive and mono. Thus, this system will recharge your personal energy. I just like it. It looks cool, geeky (big silver control knob) and it had the chance to listen to it on Heathrow airport. The right push, the right music… at the right time.

Always iStereo! – Hohrizontal 51

Can a functional shelf on the wall play music, images and videos from the iPod® or iPhone®? Honestly, I could not believe the sound of the HOHRIZONTAL 51 when I listened to it in Zurich. It has got some powerful bass and room filling sound which comes from the integrated soundsystem. And the system can even be connected to your TV or plug your computer in. Remote control gives you the right flexibility and relaxing opportunities in great Hi-Fi quality. You can even choose from different designs and colours. Like it!

How to enter the competition?
Most companies have given us one product for a draw. Just write a Retweet (RT), comment, send us an email, and tell us which product you like most and why. Then you will get a ticket for the competition to win one of the products!

End of participation and date of draw: 20.12.2011. There is no right of appeal. Good luck!

Study: Mobile and TV – Users beloved combination…

Some weeks ago, I have written about ConnectedTV as the new hype. And we have acknowledged that mobile apps and TV have got TV primt time as the main usage time. Still, we don’t really know how much people use mobile and TV at the same time. A new study sheds some light here…

According to a new survey issued by Yahoo and Razorfish, 80% of web-enabled mobile device owners say they multitask while watching television. They rely on smartphones and tablets to communicate with friends and family. They look up content which is related to the program they’re watching. They might also access information which has no relationship with the TV program.

And the combined usage of mobile and TV is not low. The study shows that 70% of mobile multitaskers use both platforms at least once per week. 49% even report multitasking daily. Over 60% use their mobiles at least once or twice during a TV program. And 15% don’t leave the mobile web for the time of the show they are „watching“.

The main categories for multitaskers are: reality, news, comedy sports, and food. The statement “Using the Internet on my mobile or tablet device while watching TV enhances my viewing experience” was agreed by 38% of the respondents. Nevertheless, another 38% „find using mobile devices while watching TV to be distracting”. Text content leads all channels, beating talking, email, social networking and IM.

“This seems to be an opportunity for content producers and advertisers alike. Some people find multitasking to be a boon, and we have only begun to scratch the surface in terms of providing an engaging dual-screen experience. It’s like the early days of smartphones where it was remarkable that people were making purchases from sites that were not mobile-optimized. If folks were willing to go through that much effort, it stands to reason that making the experience easier and more streamlined will lead to even more passionate participants.” Jeremy Lockhorn, Vice President Emerging Media, Razorfish

Some more findings from the study…
• 94% of multitaskers engage in some kind of mobile communication
• 58% of men “fact-check” information on their mobile browser while attending a live sporting event, with 47% checking out scores of other games and player updates.
• 52% use their mobile device to escape awkward social situations
• 44% seek information unrelated to the current program – 38% searching for data related to it
• Apple’s iPhone 4S leads all mobile phone searches according to Yahoo Shopping data, followed by the Samsung Galaxy S2, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, the Motorola Razr and the Nokia N9

Spot On!
Men seem to be more comfortable with mobile shopping processes. A former Performics study suggests that men are social shoppers and women the “Likers”. This study also finds that 70% of men under the age of 35 have made online purchases on their smartphones, compared to 64% of women in the same age demographic. And obviously the extention of TV to mobile starts to work: 36% say they go looking for more information related to a commercial they just viewed. Marketers need to start thinking multiscreen when planning their campaigns and ideally sync their mobile and TV campaigns immediately…

1 in 3 of 18-34s will do mobile shopping this christmas

Are you going shopping in stores to find some christmas presents? Or will you be doing your shopping tour via mobile? Well, if you use your mobile you are not alone…

According to a UK survey by marketing community site UTalkMarketing and online survey platform Toluna. 32% of 18-34-year-olds will use their mobile to buy Christmas presents this year.

However, this might sound as if only the young generation is shopping via their mobiles, the study makes clear that also older age groups are purchasing mobile with an increasing amount: 14% of 35-54 year-olds and 9% of over 55s year-olds also plan to get their presents for Christmas by using their mobile.

“The fact that a third of young adults are planning to buy their Christmas gifts via their mobile device is proof that the year of mobile-commerce is finally upon us. The fact that most mobile shoppers will do so directly via a retailer’s app is also strong proof that brands wishing to contend in the mobile-commerce arena must do more than simply provide a mobile optimised website,” says Melanie McKinney, Publisher, UTalkMarketing.

The survey questioned 1,300 UK consumers and found that iPhone users are the most likely to make a Christmas purchase via their device. 42% said they will make a Christmas purchase via their iPhone devices. 31% of those that say they will make a Christmas purchase via their mobile will use a BlackBerry and 27% will do so via an Android phone.

However, the advent of HTML 5 is near, apps are the retail channels of choice for the survey’s respondents. 88% of mobile shoppers will only make a purchase this Christmas if their retailer of choice has a transactional app. Only 12% of mobile shoppers will make a purchase directly from a retailer’s mobile-optimised website.

“The results of this survey are a clear indication that retailers cannot ignore the mobile-commerce wave. They need to adapt to and embrace the changing ways consumers now shop,” states McKinney.

Spot On!
Poor shops on the streets… The study is a good proof that mobile commerce is on it’s way towards mainstream. Also, the tablet movement, especially with the increasing use of iPads these days, will change consumer habits to go shopping in the future. Another YouGov survey released earlier this week suggests that 84% of consumers will buy at least one gift online this year with a third saying they will buy all of their gifts online. However, marketers have to be clear about the fact that more than a quarter of consumers (26%) are concerned about privacy issues when it comes to shopping via mobile according to the uTalkMarketing survey.

Prime Time in TV and Mobile Apps is similar

The prime time for TV broadcasters is 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., for radio it is all about commute time, and for the web it is completely different. While news sites have their peak in the morning and midday, the internet at 7 pm. Social Media sites have their main usage time in the evening like TV. And how about mobile web usage? Is it following TV’s prime time?

A study by Flurry shows the audience for iPhone and iOS apps increases during the day and finds it’s peak at about 9 p.m. “Mobile consumers are using apps either instead of, or along-side prime-time television and the Internet,” tells us a Flurry blog post on the study. Well, it is a US usage study but I can imagine that many people in the rest of the world also change their habits and use mobile devices while watching TV. The two-screen viewing seems to become common standard.

Nevertheless, the relative size of the TV audience during prime time was larger than that for mobile apps with over 60%. And when app usage remained higher than TV from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and higher than the Internet, it suggests that people spend quite some time accessing the Web during their working hours. Still, mobile apps already reach over 20 million U.S. consumers per hour in the time between 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The numbers come as no surprise, seeing that Flurry estimates the combined number of active iOS and Android devices in the U.S. at 110 million. If produced properly and promoted correct, apps could act like TV shows in the future. Although it will be difficult to target apps through app stores by age, gender, dayparts like TV, the future could look different and these targeting opportunities might evolve over time.

Spot On!
The question is what the future of app usage will look like (think about HTML 5 and some other reasons) and how this will affect the advertising industry. At the moment, many companies focus their main interest on apps but mainly to push their brands, and not often to create something extraordinary that really competes with TV. Although, there s a massive opportunity to reach mobile consumers overtime, everywhere, companies are not very innovative in establishing TV like series that could affect the TV world – neither in Social Media, nor in Mobile. If this remains as it is, TV will not have to fear the Prime Time power of mobile.

Study: Twitter becomes popular among business chiefs

Is this a good sign for the acceptance of social media in the business world? The use of Twitter as a business and marketing tool has increased from 31% to 61% among Europe’s top business leaders, finds a recent study by CNBC.

Even more, 61% of the business leaders see the growing impact of Social Media. They believed Social Media was changing the way their business is done today. 77% of the business executives have Facebook accounts (from 81% in 2010). LinkedIn gains tracktion from 52% to 56%.

The study polled 650 European business chiefs as part of their CNBC Europe Mobile Elite 2011 survey. The idea was to get more knowledge about the use of the latest technology features in the C-Level area of companies at work and in their free time.

Although the increase of Twitter popularity among business leaders is obvious, the busiens decision makers admit that the are unable to keep track ith the latest technological innovations. Apart from that, another study some weeks ago showed that they are also not sure how to leverage Social Media for business.

The most popular device is the iPhone which 21% of the business chiefs call their own now – up from 19% in 2010. Similar numbers gets the Blackberry in terms of popularity – an increase from 18% to 20%. The iPad is also becoming more popular among business leaders, with 15% of them now owning one.

“In a rapidly changing world, Europe’s decision makers are challenged with not just keeping up with technology change, but also ‘driving change’ within their respective sectors. Throughout 2010, Europe experienced some the most advanced innovations in mobile technology the region has ever seen.” Mike Jeanes, Director of Research, CNBC EMEA

Spot On!
The CNBC study states the importance and changing development of mobile use for the business decision maker. The message is that websites will continue to lose value against apps on mobile devices among business leaders. News apps are the most popular application segment for the respondents. 75% of respondents said they use them followed by weather (54%) and social networking (39%). The study makes clear that top management is trying to get in touch and keep up with the pace of technology innovation. However, time still seems to be their biggest enemy…

Web or App? Nielsen study knows usage time of Android smartphone users

According to the latest findings of research firm Nielsen that tracks and analyses iOS and Android data, smartphone users spend twice as much time on applications than on mobile version of these websites. The study reveals also that –although there are millions of apps in the world- only “a very small proportion of apps make up the vast majority of time spent”.

The average Android smartphone user spends 56 minutes a day using apps and browsing the internet. Two-thirds of that time is usage of apps, the rest goes to mobile websites and 39% acccount for consumer app consumption. The study illustration below shows that mobile device owners spent almost half of their usage time on their top 10 favorite apps and 51% on their favorite 20 apps.

Let’s give it a guess… Probably most of the app usage of mobile device owners accounts for the following usage time: Checking email apps, Facebook, Foursquare or Gowalla, Twitter, and some of their favorite and coolest news or geeky gaming apps (very often used by their kids). And if you look at the top (free) list of apps you find Angry Birds, Angry Birds Rio, Google Maps, YouTube, Facebook Mobile, Skype, Tiny Flashlight, Viber and Drag Racing amoungst others.

The study supports my own feeling that although we continue to download apps and spend (2010 per user: Android 1,97 USD, iPhone 21,22 USD), we only use most of them them periodically, and only a few continously if the give us permanent benefit in networking or staying up-to-date on news.

Well, the time will come when HTML5 might change the market situation and developers will have an easy time working with apps. Amazon’s Kindle Cloud Reader gives insights in what is possible with HTML5 for the mobile web.

Spot On!
The study does not really give an answer to the question yet, or can give a recommendation to management. Still, Seeing these numbers, just imagine the chances companies and brands have when launching a new app to get under the hiflyer apps in the smartphone user market. Ideally, think about the five strategic reason that could make your app successful and be aware of the fact that most brand apps fail.

The Top Summer Gadgets for 2011

Every six months, I am looking out for the latest gadgets in the world that I think my readers might like as well – and I combine them with a draw. Of all products that I present below you will be able to win one of them. Cool, right…!?

The last time around christmas, I focussed on the 7 brand gadgets. This time, I will keep it more general on holiday gadgets which have a special design or technology feature that caught my attention. And like in December, every product reminds me of one post that I have written in the last six months…

Time is the new ROI – Casio G-Shock

Our days seem to be getting shorter and shorter… Time will become the new ROI. The reason is not that our time system has changed. Our days are challenged by speed of the internet which sometimes is like on an airjet that travels on high G forces in a race to be the first to know and to spread. We want to do much more than only ten years ago. In my eyes, we need to watch out for our own personal resources as well as the environment in order not to waste more energy than necessary.

I like… It’s fresh summer colour, the tough solar power, the multi-band 6 atomic timekeeping and the centrifugal force resistance surpassing 12G. Just an eye-catching gadget…

Gamify the beach – Angry Birds (Rovio)

The success story from Angry Birds is probably comparable to the Tamagotchi hype in 1996-1998 (until 2010 over 76 Tamagotchis were sold globally). If we look at Angry Birds today, there were 300 Mio. downloads for the app, 120 Mio. active users so far according to one of the latest interviews with founder Peter Vesterbecka. And one in seven people in the world seem to be fans of the brand. So, why not win an exclusive The Strategy Web package of their coolest merchandising products?!

I like… It’s easy to play, you can jump to and fro, just the way you manage to play and you are a kid again when you are playing, immediately. Just the game of the year – and not only for kids…

Relax in 3D – Samsung HT-D7200

People think our world will become more 3D with the evolution of screen technology around us. However, although Augmented Reality and barcodes are a fantastic mobile technology as well as an extension for print and TV that connects boths world, offline and online, the technology is more 2D barcode based than 3D. Television has moved ahead in technology and companies like Samsung are heading ino a new era by transforming 2D films in stunning 3D ones.

I like… The white design and built in Wi-Fi technology that makes it easier for our “Homo Buzz” generation” to watch and share on bigger screens. Just a stylish gadget…

Colour your living room – Sitting Bull Sitzsack Candy

Lounging in a nice bean back, listening to great music and enjoying the pictures and videos you have taken throughout your holiday in… Well, how can I know where you are traveling to. ;-)

I like… The colourful Union-Jack spirit, and I think this is a fashion statement – not white and black. Just a relaxing gadget…

Capture your life – Casio Tryx EX-TR-100

Years ago, Europeans and Americans have laughed about people from Asian countries capturing every little piece of their sight-seeing trips. Today, our young generation shares their lives through cameras like the Casio Exilim Ex TR 100, upload parts of events, or even apply for jobs by using cameras like these to describe their lives. Displays will organize our future and are a great tool to describe situations at work, to illustrate products and services without perfect product orchestration. Think about how you could make use of such cameras…

I like… It’s a stylish tech product with an easy twistable 360 degree frame body. Just an innovative gadget…

Stream every song in the world – SONOS Play:3

In the past, we had black stereo systems as big as cupboards. Times are changing. Today, SONOS streams up our lives. Their latest product Play:3 gives the option to use the speaker in a horizontal and vertical position. Thus, the system will fit exactly where it needs to go. Internal motion sensors detect the speaker’s orientation, adjusting the output so that you get the ideal sound wherever you are in the room.

I like…The amazing sound and the smartphone app which allow to use the system whichout another remote control in my dining room. Just a cool sound system…

C3PO saves your data – MIMOCO

This last gadget of this series found my son. As you might imagine from the picture: He is a real Star Wars® fan. When Volkswagen produced the funny commercial video for the Super Bowl, I had to give him my iPhone every time I saw him. He just loved the video. Yesterday, some promotion flyer came into our house and guess what he found… These funny USB MIMOCO flash drives. I had to promise him to write about them. That’s what you do for your kids…

I like…USB drives in most cases are just uncool. Tese are not! Just a geek’s gadget…

How to enter the competition?
Most companies have given me one product for a draw. Just write a Retweet (RT), comment, send us an email, and tell us which product you like most and why. Then you will get a ticket for the competition to win one of the products!

End of participation and date of draw: 31.08.2011. Good luck!

Studies – How women and moms use social media and mobile today…

Are men still the drivers of trends? How do women approach the Social Web, and the new mobile technology? Is the realm of gadgets still a mens’ business? Interestingly enough, a recent study from Women at NBCU found that women are the main drivers of tech trends, particularly on social networks. But there are more studies to obey…

Some findings of a recent study from Women at NBCU show that women are more engaged in social media and the mobile trend than men. The results say that women are the main drivers of tech trends, especially on social networks.

Women in General
Making purchases, a high number of women (71%) surveyed stated that they have their recommendations from online friends rather than review websites. And even more, they are far more likely to connect with brands on their social networks. According to the survey, women are alsoo more likely to own a smartphone, a gaming app like Angry Birds or a Wii than men.

So, the question will be which social network is dominated by women and which one by men? The Pew Internet Research allows some insights. Except for LinkedIn all other social networks seemed to be ruled by women. Is business is a mens’ domain or just more men in the workforce…?

Females participate stronger and more intense overall and in every other social network. Also interesting, that male versus female usage on Twitter is just the opposite. Another study last year by BridgeRatings said that men prefer Twitter while Facebook is more appealing to women.

However if we take a look at the Google+ stats, it seems that Google+ is a male-dominated platform by a ratio of 3:1. However, Paul Allen, predicts that “Google+ is quickly turning pink”. His view is that the “percentage of women on G+ may soon outstrip the number of women on LinkedIn”. Although women are more thinking in segmented friendship circles, I have heard many women complaining about the complexity of Google+. We will watch this trend evolving…

Women in business
The Women Presidents’ Organization found in a study, based on the responses of 259 women-led companies, that 40% women-led business owners thinks that an increase in revenue was based on their social media efforts. Even more, 10% of the respondents saw a “significant” revenue jump.

However the great figures, 40% of respondents also denied having seen sales improve from social media, but 31% of them remained “hopeful”. They envision other benefits like building credibility or better recruitment opportunities. Still, there were 16% not using Social Media.

Women at home: Moms
Moms are a definiely an emerging and lucrative target group for marketers. We can see this from a NPD group research and Pandora, the streaming service. They are using social networks longer and more frequently to share their views on kids and education, and they are even more heavy mobile users. Mothers make up 20% Internet traffic and are the fastest-growing buyers of iPhones. And also a Nielsen report claims that American mothers are sharing more photos and news on Facebook than anyone else.

“We’ve known about the opportunity of online moms for a while now, but then mobile technology came along and blew everything up”. Marshal Cohen, Chief Retail Analyst, NPD Group

Spot On!
Men are no longer the forerunners of modern technology. Women adapt at least as quickly as men, and seem to be more engaged in Social Media and social networking than men. If this is because men focus and identify themselve more with business topics, or whether there are other reasons like American focus of the studies, the readers of this post might find arguments for or against some of these views.

Share your insights and views. Why are women more engaged in Social Media? Why are they positive about their usage of social networking for business? Or is this a complete wrong picture that we get here?

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