Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Kinect Hacked to Play World of Warcraft: Welcome to the Future of Gaming
Kinect hacks are coming thick and fast, but here is one that will set millions of PC gamers' hearts a-flutter: A hack that lets you gesture control a game of World of Warcraft.
The tech is coming from the University of Southern California's Institute for Creative Technologies, where a team has built a toolkit, dubbed the Flexible Action and Articulated Skeleton Toolkit, which lets them quickly harness Kinect's various image processing and motion-sensing powers to whatever bits of code they desire. This middleware, with some tweaks, lets FAAST quickly facilitate "integration of full-body control with games and VR applications," via a clever processing server that streams the user's skeleton pattern, including body position and gestures which can be mapped onto keyboard controls.
The code is free for non-commercial use, because the Institute has big plans for it--including simple, medically inspired games for rehabilitation of motor-skills after a stroke, and even for reducing childhood obesity through "healthy gaming" (though, given the wild flailing Kinect-playing requires, the health of coffee tables and trinkets around the world might be in danger).
But one demonstration hack made with FAAST is particularly intriguing: It's been tweaked to run World of Warcraft. Check it out:
This enhanced use of Kinect on one of the world's most popular online computer games demonstrates exactly how powerful the future of gaming is going to be. WoW is already a highly complex game to play, requiring mastery of multiple input systems at the same time--turning it into a simpler body-gesture controlled game will improve how immersive an experience it is, way beyond what Kinect can do in games on the Xbox platform right now. Will Blizzard, WoW's maker, embrace this idea when Kinect gets its "official" PC drivers, as Microsoft has hinted it will? Hard to say, but there's one big take-away from this hack: With, or without WoW, or even Kinect (as motion-gesture systems may soon come to tablets and smartphones) gaming is going to get even more innovative and exciting next year and beyond.http://www.fastcompany.com/1712771/kinect-hacked-to-play-world-of-warcraft-the-future-of-gaming-is-here
SKYPE FOR IPHONE
1. Skype video calling for the iPhone is here. It's a big deal, with Skype challenging Apple's FaceTime system with one that many millions more people can use (unless they live in China), and it runs over 3G--a reinvention of the 3G video calling that Europe's had for some time. Skype celebrated with a promo video, a crazy, odd, possibly inspirational reinvention of Budweiser's wasssuuuup classic. Check it out below.
2. Leaked video has surfaced of a make-over for the Android Music App--a key element in the battle with Apple for the hearts and minds of smartphone buyers (who'll likely give up using their iPod when they get an Android or iPhone). It's slicker, more colorful, with neat animations that may make iPhone users envious. It could even hint at designs Google has in mind for its upcoming music selling service.
3. The smart grid is imminent, and as well as boosting service it'll make electricity consumption much more eco-friendly. There's just one problem: smarts. The electricity industry hasn't innovated for so long it desperately needs smart young minds employed to make the smart grid work. Hence news of a "big push" to "make utilities [as a career] cool again," with education grants, a PR effort and academic research.
4. David Pogue, the New York Times' influential tech writer, has summarized his fave tech treats of 2010--great PR for many companies. Amazing live-text translator Word Lens is in there, along with Apple's iMovie 11 comedy "movie trailer" themes, a wall power socket that also incorporates USB charging, and "cable company Wi-Fi alliances."
5. Meanwhile Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal summarizes his tech expectations for 2011--a key article for consumers as Mossberg is steeped in tech culture. He's made predictions for Apple, Google, Microsoft, RIM, HP, Facebook, and Twitter--it's generally positive future-looking, highlighting things like HP's webOS plans, MS's Windows for tablets, and the business-person friendly BlackBerry PlayBook.
To read more news on this, and similar stuff, keep up with my updates by following me, Kit Eaton, on Twitter.
The Year in CSR: The Four Trends of 2010 by FC Expert Blogger Alice Korngold
The year started off with a bang with accountability questions related to Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti Foundation. From April on, people berated BP and cringed as the CEO told us one thing about the environmental and economic damage caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, while images flooding the media showed quite another story.
At conferences throughout the year--from The Economist, to the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP), Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) and others--the more visionary company CEOs took to the microphones to proudly share their plans for corporate social responsibility (CSR). In interviews throughout the media, including blogs by Matthew Bishop and Michael Green: Philanthrocapitalism, Fast Company (mine and others), and Vault's CSR blog: In Good Company, corporate leaders talked about how their companies are committed to advancing social, economic, and environmental progress because that's just good business.
The CSR trends of 2010 were loud and clear:
At conferences throughout the year--from The Economist, to the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP), Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) and others--the more visionary company CEOs took to the microphones to proudly share their plans for corporate social responsibility (CSR). In interviews throughout the media, including blogs by Matthew Bishop and Michael Green: Philanthrocapitalism, Fast Company (mine and others), and Vault's CSR blog: In Good Company, corporate leaders talked about how their companies are committed to advancing social, economic, and environmental progress because that's just good business.
The CSR trends of 2010 were loud and clear:
- Leadership matters. For select companies in 2010, CSR shot right up the corporate ladder and landed directly in the board room, with leadership and accountability at the top. Participants at September's annual CGI meeting included scores of CEOs from global corporations returning to report on the completion of previous years' multimillion dollar commitments and make new commitments to address global social, economic, and environmental challenges. Corporate leaders with vision are recognizing that by advancing global solutions, they can create valuable renewable resources to their advantage, establish new markets for their companies, and otherwise unleash tremendous opportunities. PepsiCo and Walmart have been very visible examples.
- Consumers care. Cone's 2010 Shared Responsibility Study bears this out, showing that "Americans have high expectations for a company's approach to solving social and environmental issues," and "Americans hold companies accountable for a range of global issues that may impact their businesses."
- Measurement matters. The public does respond to nice images, and many companies are showing off their good deeds in advertisements. But companies that are greenwashing and otherwise "faking CSR" will ultimately get busted ("named and shamed") on the Internet, so measuring and documenting the company's true impact are necessary. Some companies, like Timberland, are establishing their own metrics, and challenging their competitors to jump in. Other companies are participating in the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Social Accountability International (SAI), and other networks with accountability standards. Measurement is also important to corporate boards and shareholders who expect to understand the value of CSR in advancing the interests of their companies.
- Accountability and integrity matter. CEOs and boards must ensure that their communications are honest and candid; they should assume that in today's media environment, the truth will out. So it's best to follow the media relations adage: "Tell the truth, and tell it first." You don't want to be the next Yele Haiti or BP.
Follow @FastCoLeaders for all of our leadership news, expert bloggers, and book excerpts.Why the Fashion Industry Is Betting Big on Branded Online Content BY
Macala Wright Lee is the publisher of FashionablyMarketing.Me. Wright Lee is a retail consultant who’s firm, Fashionably Digital, specializes marketing consulting for fashion, luxury and beauty brands. You can follower her on twitter at @FashMarketing.The fashion industry’s use of branded content gained momentum in 2010. In 2011, retailers will have three big shifts to consider as part of their branded content strategy. While many brands approach branded content in different ways, Susan Etlinger of The Altimeter Group feels that all retailers and fashion brands must:
- Talk to their customers; consumers expect dialogue with the brands they care about.
- Need to be able to shift between channels — web, mobile, print, broadcast — with a moment’s notice in order to keep a constant stream of communication with customers.
- Maintain a consistent brand experience, no matter where the customers are or what they’re doing. To reach this new empowered consumer, retailers now need to think in three dimensions: social, cross-channel and local.
Indie Fashion and Big Brand Collaborations
“Kaboodle’s platform has always provided a perfect way for brands to collaborate with a community of shopping enthusiasts who are ready and willing to buy products,” says Shari Gunn, Kaboodle’s chief marketing officer. “A vertically targeted environment like this provides natural and authentic ways for brands to establish conversations with their customers and also provides a number of unique and engaging touch points. Kaboodle has collaborated with partners such as Etsy in order to surface their products for a new group of consumers. This kind of direct communication between retailers and consumers has only just begun, and consumers will continue to have more influence over retailers in the future.”
One of the most notable indie fashion/big brand collaborations this year was when American Apparel partnered with lookbook.NU to create American Apparel’s first printed mailorder catalog (still available online). The site’s user-generated photo campaign asked lookbook.NU community members to send in photos of themselves wearing American Apparel products. The winners were flown to LA and used as models for the book.
Ryan Holiday, American Apparel’s online marketing strategist, reports that the campaign was one of the brand’s most successful collaborations of 2010, generating more than 10,000 photo submissions and 3,000 orders in more than 30 countries.
When asked about the continuing trend of big brands partnering with indie fashion, Holiday said he believes that more brands will implement strategic partnerships that extend the brand’s lifestyle to targeted fashion communities, like the American Apparel and lookbook.NU collaboration.
Holiday adds that success is a “matter of whether brands have the ability to meaningfully interact with a community or partner without crushing it, sucking the life out of it, or corrupting it. It’s also a matter of the fashion communities staying true to their mission (real people who love fashion) and not becoming too obsessed with fame, ad dollars, or modeling deals.”
Veronica Cavallo, social media manager at Attention, says the American Apparel campaign was especially successful because of its community-driven focus.
“Strategic partnerships allow association and exposure to new audiences, as well as great opportunities to leverage participants’ social networks and online presences.,” Cavallo says. “A more communal and collaborative approach to branded content conceptualization makes campaigns such as American Apparel’s successful.”
The Rise of Fashion Films
A great starting point for exploring fashion films is Christian Louboutin’s film Dancer in a Daydream created by FASHIONAIR (no longer online). The film began with Christian Louboutin at work in his Paris atelier. While he worked, he slipped into a daydream that takes him to New York City. The dream had him tap dancing on Broadway like Fred Astaire alongside two showgirls wearing his signature red-soled shoes. As Business Of Fashion reported, “What’s most compelling from a business point of view was the way FASHIONAIR had displayed the video alongside shopable and sharable products featured in the film — an elegant and highly effective way to integrate content and commerce and turn engagement into sales.”
I spoke with Martin Zagorsek, partner of New York-based fashion consultancy Launch Collective, about the fashion film trend. Emerging designers such as Amy Claire, and established, internationally famous designers such as Christian Louboutin are using videos to tell their stories. Zagorsek says, “I see more and more fashion designers turning to film, or rather video, in order to help communicate their vision. The cost of creating video has dropped to the point where it’s not that different from the cost of a quality photo shoot, and video often allows designers to convey ideas and emotions in ways that are more compelling that photography.”
The Great American Boyfriend – “Genuine Ken”
So what does Mattel’s content have to do with the fashion industry, aside from the fact that Barbie has always been fashionable? Genuine Ken is an example of the type of television-quality online content that brands such as H&M, Zara or Forever 21 could potentially produce to engage their customers through video.
Hamilton South, founding partner of HL Group, a strategic media consultancy in New York, discussed the Mattel web series in the context of fashion. “Genuine Ken, is the perfect example of engagement through content. It’s differentiated from other efforts in branded content creation by the fact that it is intentionally produced as TV-worthy entertainment. I anticipate we’ll see more execution like this in 2011 because the more engaging the content, the more likely people are to share it. Mattel was smart to make the investment in this level of production to create a compelling series that authentically reaches and engages an older audience in a relevant, modern way.”
Tumblr as a Brand Content Platform
Through my research and industry interviews, I found that consultants, brand managers and agencies were fascinated with Tumblr as an engagement platform. “Over the past year, fashion has emerged as one of the fastest growing segments of the Tumblr community, with 20% of our top 1,000 blogs related to fashion,” reports Tumblr’s new fashion director Rich Tong. Live.Milkmade.com is an example of how Tumblr as a fashion community fascinates industry professionals. The crowdsourced photo site was created by Milk Studios New York digital media agency ALLDAYEVERYDAY.
I spoke with ALLDAYEVERYDAY’s Kevin Kearney and Philip Leif on how the fashion industry could use Tumblr. “Tumblr is best used as a platform to find the community that surrounds a brand and then activate those communities, focusing on the influencers within those groups,” said Leif and Kearney. They offered three points of advice for fashion brands and retailers to consider in regards to Tumblr development:
1. Brands and retailers must establish a content plan before concepting and designing a Tumblr blog or micro site. Editorial concepts don’t need to be complicated, but they should be achievable and consistent to ensure success.
2. Brands and retailers must decide what their methods of engagement with users are going to be. Incorporating and smartly leveraging Tumblr as an engagement tool through following, reblogging and the built-in Q&A and submission tools are crucial for campaign success.
3. Brands and retailers must determine key goals and metrics for success. Is the site a brand play? Or an e-commerce marketing channel? Brands sometimes find it challenging to set and track goals, as well as benchmark the ROI of their Tumblr audience versus other online audiences.
The Future Of Tumblr and Fashion
As a marketing tool for online community and influence engagement, every brand and agency should be considering the use of Tumblr when developing long-term marketing programs; it’s going to become as commonly used as Twitter () or Facebook (). As Kearney and Leif pointed out in our interview, brands must consider the limitations of any platform, including scheduled maintenance and unexpected downtime. “While Tumblr is an easy engagement tool, allowing users to push and pull content from others, the use of Tumblr as platform has to be integrated into a brand’s overall initiatives to reach the right audience,” says Kearney.
For fashion brands and bloggers alike, I’ve wondered if Tumblr is the be-all-end-all blogging platform. The answer is no. I do think that many independent fashion writers and style bloggers who use their blogs for expression of their personal brands will migrate to Tumblr, because it’s easier to post and reblog content from friends and followers. But professional bloggers, equipped with content syndication and SEO knowledge will always stick to self-hosted, custom-designed sites that allow them to maximize their traffic in order to develop their careers.
What’s more, I believe we will see more Tumblr/Shopify-powered e-commerce sites launch due to the low cost of development. This offers fledgling startups like Of A Kind a quick and cost efficient way to get started as e-tailers. Once they’ve received VC funding or manage to generate enough revenue, they can develop more robust sites with additional features to build online revenue.
Considerations for Branded Content
Branded content creation serves several purposes at once: customer entertainment, brand advertising, social engagement and customer communication. Here’s a caveat: When it comes to branded content, brand managers and agency executives have to think of context and relevancy.
In a recent speech, Hamilton South of the HL Group shared what fashion brands and retailers need to keep in mind as branded content becomes a bigger part of the marketing mix.
1. Good content relies on good storytelling. Turning press releases and overt marketing messages into shareable content is a recipe for failure. Hire specialists who know what they are doing on both the content development side and the distribution side.As fashion designers continually innovate in the fashion lines, I’d hope brands and their agencies would be as innovative with their content. Don’t copy another brand’s campaign; focus on being unique and original, even if you have to build a Tumblr site to put your brand into context and find inspiration.http://mashable.com/2010/12/29/branded-online-content-fashion/
2. Think beyond the immediate transaction. The real value in using branded content is its ability to create a relationship with the consumer that lasts. There’s a lot of talk at the moment about measurement, and an increase in purchasing isn’t the only mark of success. Time spent on engagement with the brand, new user registrations, sharing within communities — all of this data needs to be part of the measurement mix.
3. Many fashion brands make the mistake of thinking that because they know how to shoot great ad campaigns, they understand all aspects of content creation. And that’s a fundamental mistake. The fashion industry has often over-relied on photography as its primary illustration vehicle. In order to be successful, brands need to partner with people who understand video, language, sound and graphic design as they work online, and the difference is enormous.
Kindle 3 Is the Best-Selling Product in Amazon History
The third-generation Kindle is the best-selling product in Amazon’s history, the company has announced. To grab the top spot, Kindle 3 has surpassed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos made a couple of statements about the new Kindle, emphasizing the product’s low price point as the key to its success and downplaying tablets as competition.
“We’re seeing that many of the people who are buying Kindles also own an LCD tablet. Customers report using their LCD tablets for games, movies, and web browsing and their Kindles for reading sessions,” Bezos said.
In August, Amazon also said the Kindle 3 is the fastest-selling Kindle ever, and this latest milestone shows that the iPad and other tablets haven’t hurt Kindle’s sales. Next year, however, we can expect to see more tablets at different price points; it’ll be interesting to see whether Kindle sales will remain as strong as they are now.
2010: The Year Facebook Dethroned Google as King of the Web [STATS]
Facebook was not only the most searched item of the year, but it passed Google as America’s most-visited website in 2010, according to a new report from Experian Hitwise.For the second year in a row, “facebook” was the top search term among U.S. Internet (
) users. The search term accounted for 2.11% of all searches, according to Hitwise. Even more impressive is the fact that three other variations of Facebook () made it into the top ten: “facebook login” at #2, “facebook.com” at #6 and “www.facebook.com” at #9. Combined, they accounted for 3.48% of all searches, a 207% increase from Facebook’s position last year.Rounding out the list of top search terms were YouTube (), Craigslist (), MySpace (), eBay, Yahoo () and Mapquest. Other companies that made big moves in terms of searches include Hulu (), Netflix, Verizon, and ESPN. The search term “games” also made its first appearance in the list of Hitwise’s top 50 search terms.
More interesting though is Facebook’s ascension to #1 on Hitwise’s list of most-visited websites. The social network accounted for 8.93% of all U.S. visits in 2010 (January-November), beating Google () (7.19%), Yahoo Mail (3.52%), Yahoo (3.30%) and YouTube (2.65%). However, Facebook didn’t beat the traffic garnered by all of Google’s properties combined (9.85%).
It’s only a matter of time until Facebook topples the entire Google empire, though. We’ve seen the trend develop for month: Facebook is getting bigger than Google. According to comScore, Facebook’s U.S. traffic grew by 55% in the last year and has shown no sign of slowing down.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)