Google and Dish Network testing TV search on Android-based set-top boxes originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Google and Dish Network testing TV search on Android-based set-top boxes originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Making the most of 4G networks fiercewireless.com
Rogers Boosts Internet Speeds for Select Markets cable360.net
Verizon LTE Blazing Trails for Wireless Broadband pcworld.com
Consumers In The Dark Over Their Broadband Speeds npr.org
Verizon LTE test speed: 50 Mbps max fiercewireless.com
Don't Blame Your Community: Ad Blocking Is Not Killing Any Sites techdirt.com
Four Companies Join for Blu-ray Patent Licensing cable360.net
Touchsreen Sales to Soar 97% in 2010 internetnews.com
Stanford survey contemplates iPhone addiction networkworld.com
The WSJ and TechCrunch cover Forrester’s relatively bullish e-commerce survey. This is from the WSJ:
In 2009, e-commerce in the U.S. managed to buck the recession that dragged down the rest of retail, growing 11% to reach $155.2 billion, according to Forrester Research. The research firm is predicting in a report out Monday that e-commerce in America will grow another 11% this year.
The Forrester e-commerce number from 2009 — a purported 6% of total retail sales — is inflated. Forrester uses a smaller sample than US government data, which shows e-commerce at 3.8% of total US retail sales (in Q4).
Here’s the more interesting part of the Forrester data, as reported in the WSJ:
And a new area of focus for retailers isn’t online buying at all. Rather, it us using the Internet and mobile technology to influence sales that happen in stores. Already Forrester’s study found that 42% of all retail purchases in 2009 – worth some $917 billion – were influenced by the Web in some way. By 2014 that figure is likely to jump to 53%.
These figures are probably off as well. The online –>offline number should be larger. Recall that Compete/TNS conducted a survey in which it found that 94% did research online prior to (online) purchase. Prior studies by comScore, BIGResearch, Yahoo! and others have found 80% to more than 90% of consumers buying in-store have consulted the Internet for information prior to purchase.
The challenge, in gaining a true picture of consumer behavior, is measuring this online–>offline impact on a campaign basis. There are various methodologies to try and get at this: call tracking, coupons, surveys, sales lift, attribution modeling.
Ironically, as I’ve said in the past, mobile will likely boost e-commerce as people visit stores to check out products and then buy online if they find a better price.
If you want a good deal on a high-end bottle of wine, a new study suggests you should look for wines that clearly indicate they're made from organic grapes. An economics professor and an environmental science Ph.D. candidate compared wines made with certified organically grown grapes to conventional wines, looking at both price and taste rankings, and found that the organic ones scored on average one point higher on Wine Spectator's rankings. For some reason, telling that to consumers seems to devalue the wine: high-scoring bottles that advertised their organic nature sold for less at retail, while bottles that withheld this info scored just as high on taste but also were priced higher than average.
The authors say they suspect organic wine still carries a bad reputation due to lower quality stuff from the 70s and 80s, and due to the fact that really hardcore organic wine doesn't use preservatives and tends to turn to vinegar much faster that regular wine. This doesn't hold true for wines made with certified organically grown grapes because they can and do contain the normal preservatives--they're just made with higher quality grapes.
Don't expect the same pricing behavior at the lower end of the market, though. The study says both certification and eco-labels had no impact on price or taste for cheaper bottles.
"For California Vintners, It's Not Easy Being Green" [Science Daily via Vinography] (Thanks to Vivek!)
Taking the exact opposite approach from Apple, HP is working directly with Adobe. Apple refuses to support for Flash on its mobile devices. HP and its forthcoming Slate tablet has been in bed with Adobe since day one of the project.
You recall the Slate, Ballmer waved it around at CES, leaving us all drooling for another look. The device run Windows 7, meaning that if you have become familiar with the new Microsoft operating system, the Slate is going to be very familiar to use.
How well the full Windows experience translates to the smaller screen remains to be seen. HP is losing no time pointing out in a loud voice that its tablet does what many wish the iPad could: run Flash.
According to a promotional video from HP and Adobe “85% of the Alexa top 100 use Flash on their websites,” and “75% of all video on the web is Flash.” The Slate can access “the full web, not just part of it.” Those are fighting words.
There are two excellent videos on the Slate that explain the device better than I could hope to. To begin, here is a 30 second teaser promotion for the Slate, which is quite Apple-inspired:
And here is the full 5 minute video from HP and Adobe on Flash and the Slate:
Will the Slate sell as well as the iPad? Of course not. It does not have even 5% of the iPad’s buzz. Even more so, it lacks a launch date. The iPad is going to come first, and steal nearly all the tablet marketshare to be had.
However, later this year, consumers are going to have a full-Flash enabled tablet to choose from along with the iPad. I know which I want more.
Like it or not, the next big rage in LCD TVs is going to be 3D--if we judge by the behavior of television manufacturers. For example, Panasonic, in partnership with Best Buy, is making a serious commitment to bring this new technology to us.
Panasonic’s campaign will start in 300 Best Buy stores in major U.S. cities (with 1,000 stores by the end of the year), where special 3D video sections will be constructed to show off Panasonic’s wares. Panasonic will also sweeten its deal with consumers by undercutting Japanese MSRP by 30% or so. A 50-inch 3D TV is expected to go for about $2,500. Unfortunately, these Panasonic models will lack the web access functions commonplace on their Japanese versions.
Panasonic reports a goal of selling one million 3D TVs globally during this fiscal year, with half of those being sold in the United States. Panasonic figures this will give it a 50% share of the global market for this new product niche.
Roll-out starts this Wednesday.
Image Credit: EllenJo/Flickr
"Your identity is counting on you." So say SmithGifford's memorable spots for IdentityGuard.com, which show consumers having conversations with themselves about how to safeguard their identities in our oh-so-complex, high-tech age. One ad is posted below; see the other one after the jump. The ads portray the "identities" as obsessive, paranoid duplicates with lord-knows-what to hide. Sort of like our evil twins. Which leads us, in a natural and unforced manner, to ... William Shatner. Man, he would've killed in these ads, getting all weepy and verklempt on the right side of the screen, while cackling and hyper-expressively twirling his mustache on the left. At least, that's my take. The other Dave here agrees!
—Posted by David Gianatasio
By Mary Pilon, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal
When times get tough, complain. If the newest numbers from the Better Business Bureau for company complaints are any indication, that’s exactly what consumers are doing. Overall, complaints at the Better Business Bureau were up 10% in 2009 with nearly one million complaints filed. Banks have seen a whopping 42% increase in complaints in 2009, further helping to explain the ire toward Wall Street, with complaints spanning from credit cards to checking accounts to mortgages. But even with the surge in financial complaints, the cellphone industry was the most complained industry of last year, with 37,477 total complaints.
Foreclosures by consumers heavily weighed on the economy, but what triggered the credit crunch was the failure (or near- failure) of the banks that issued (or acquired) the mortgages. In short, the root cause of the meltdown wasn't that customers borrowed too much; it's that banks lent too much.
This isn't to deny that many subprime loans were exploitative, and that customers often didn't understand repayment terms. Nor is it a bad idea to police banks, preventing them, for instance, from charging unreasonable fees.
Only 41 percent of Americans know what their home Internet download speeds are. But it's good to know: Speeds typically register 10 percent to 20 percent below the limit consumers pay for. There are easy ways to tell if the connection is slow — and Web sites that can help analyze Internet connections.
Only 41 percent of Americans know what their home Internet download speeds are. But it's good to know: Speeds typically register 10 percent to 20 percent below the limit consumers pay for. There are easy ways to tell if the connection is slow — and Web sites that can help analyze Internet connections.
Only 41 percent of Americans know what their home Internet download speeds are. But it's good to know: Speeds typically register 10 percent to 20 percent below the limit consumers pay for. There are easy ways to tell if the connection is slow — and Web sites that can help analyze Internet connections.
As part of a regulatory requirement imposed by the European Union, Microsoft has implemented a browser ballot for European Windows users, and as expected, the ballot has given rise to alternative browsers.
According to Mozilla, more than 50,000 people had downloaded Firefox as a direct result of the choice screen Microsoft is forced to show.
"It's definitely being taken up, so consumers are paying attention and taking advantage of the choice being offered to them," said Thomas Vinje, legal counsel to the European Committee for Interoperable Systems, a lobbying group based in Brussels whose members include Opera.
While the initial results look promising for Firefox and other competitors, Microsoft said it's too early to draw a conclusion on whether the choice screen could lead to significant users ditching Internet Explorer.
With Apple’s iPad slated for pre-orders next week and availability on April 3, we’re entering a new phase of iPad poker –are you in or are you folding? This round is different from the time immediately after the iPad’s introduction. Back then, folks were making snap decision commentary — betting blind without knowing what the hole cards were. But now it’s later in the game. People have spent more time thinking about what the iPad can or can’t do for them. And come Thursday Friday, when pre-orders start, they’re either all-in or walking away. Actually, there’s a third option and that’s to wait this hand out. I’m hearing more and more comments from people planning to wait for an iPad price decrease, but there are three reasons I think those folks will be waiting for nothing.
We’ve been here before
Much of this “wait for the price drop” sentiment stems from the original iPhone 4 GB and 8GB models, which debuted in late June of 2007 for $499 and $599, respectively. By September of that same year, the 4 GB model was scrapped and the 8 GB unit dropped $200 to $399. The situation generated an early adapter uproar by many — myself included — and Apple tried to make good with $100 Apple Store credits for those who paid the higher prices.
The entire event tarnished Apple’s luster in the eyes of consumers and this isn’t a company that repeats mistakes often. Apple learned a hard lesson in 2007 — you can correctly justify that technology pricing changes fast, but consumers don’t care. A 33% price drop on a hotly anticipated phone within two to three months of availability doesn’t sit well with people. We can argue supply and demand or say that people paid $599 because they felt it was worth it, but that has little to do with the public’s perception of the situation. Apple won’t tread this path again with the iPad.
Apple’s going it alone
Going back to 2007 again — there was another player involved with the iPhone. AT&T was, and still is, the exclusive U.S. carrier partner. For all intents and purposes, you can’t officially buy a new iPhone without AT&T involvement sans jailbreaking. The vast majority of iPhones use AT&T’s voice and data network, and AT&T earns much more from iPhone users than its other customers. Last year, Om noted AT&T’s iPhone addiction and the revenues it produces from each customer: “[t]he average iPhone user gave AT&T about $94.74 a month vs. an average postpaid AT&T customer, who spends about $59.21 a month with the company.”
The iPad is a different beast though. Yes, the iPad 3G model will work only on AT&T’s data network, but there’s no voice component, nor any 2-year AT&T contract like that of the iPhone. So there’s likely no subsidy paid to Apple from AT&T. You won’t be able to grab an iPad in AT&T’s retail locations, either. Simply put: this is an all Apple product so there’s no price or subsidy negotiation with a carrier about the device. I’m sure Apple and AT&T talked about the 3G service features since it’s a new approach — instead of a long-term commitment like the iPhone has, iPad users can simply enable 3G for a month at a time. Without subsidies or heavy carrier involvement, there are fewer pricing factors involved.
Product lines and pricing tiers
Apple going it alone doesn’t really prove that the iPad pricing might change. But since the company has control over the price, it’s worth looking at where that price fits in with other products across the Apple line. After the iPad introduction, the Boy Genius Report put this chart together showing Apple’s product line and base prices.
See the problem? There’s really not much room — if any — for the iPad prices to drop. Any price cuts and the iPad starts to contend with iPhone 3GS. On the surface, it’s easy to make the argument that the two devices are different because the iPhone offers cellular voice capability while the iPad doesn’t. However, if they’re priced the same, consumers will look deeper and see more similarities than differences — and that could influence purchase decisions on one or the other. And while I’m not the best representative of a mainstream customer, I did just drop my iPhone 3GS – why pay a monthly contract when I can have a similar or even better experience with a less expensive phone plan and an iPad, or an iPod Touch, for that matter? In either case, I”ll just use my MiFi device for a 3G signal over Wi-Fi — I’m already paying for MiFi 3G data plan, so why pay for a second one when I can share my mobile broadband connection with Wi-Fi devices?
The river card is new features
So maybe you’re still in this hand and not sure what to do. You’re on the fence and waiting to see that last card. I anticipate that it won’t reveal price cuts but will instead offer new features. The second generation of nearly any technology is better than the first. iPad prices are likely to stay put, but in as little as six months, a new model could hit with more features. An integrated camera is highly likely. More internal memory or a higher resolution display wouldn’t surprise me either. A price cut within a few months would, so I’m not betting on it. Are you?
Related research on GigaOM Pro (sub req’d):
Well, except for that money thing. They want the pretty much want what we all want from social networks: to connect with people they know and trust, spend some time unwinding, and share content.
The key difference is this: affluents don't want to friend a brand on Facebook - they prefer to check out fan pages. [Then again, I feel the same way. Hmm. Maybe I qualify to be rich? I can haz affluence, plze?]
What they do prefer is a user experience on the company's website that addresses their needs. Easy navigation, helpful information, perhaps even the availability of a live chat to answer any questions that might not be apparent solely through the navigation. Ultimately, I think they value their time and don't want to waste it with updates that aren't central to what they need. They want content that is relevant to them at the right point in time.
For marketers, this means a solid user experience coupled with a true customer relationship management tool. We should be at the point where we can customize content based on the visitor. Or is that a little too invasive? What do you think?
From Unity Marketing's "How Affluent Luxury Consumers Use the Internet and Social Media"
Image courtesy of eMarketer.
Act now! Get it while supplies last! As we (and others) noted in our review of the Dell Adamo XPS ($1,905.02), the world’s thinnest notebook is no longer available for sale on Dell’s Web site; consumers with deep pockets can only purchase this ultra-thin system on Best Buy and Amazon’s Web sites.
This thin and stylish notebook, which debuted this past fall, was only going to be made in limited numbers, according to a press representative for Dell, which is why the Adamo XPS is slowly fading from the scene.
If you’re still interested in picking up this system, its price has dropped about $100, to $1,905. For that, you get an Intel U9400 processor, a 128GB SSD, 3 hours and 46 minutes of battery life, and a design that’ll make others drool. If you’re more interested in spending your two grand wisely, the Sony Vaio Z ($2,099) offers two SSDs, about three times the performance, and scads more endurance. But, it’s not as thin, and that’s what you’re getting the Adamo XPS for, anyway.
Online retail sales aren’t growing at the torrid pace they once were, but they continue to grow steadily. Forrester Research put out a new five-year forecast today predicting that e-commerce sales in the U.S. will keep growing at a 10 percent compound annual growth rate through 2014. It forecasts online retail sales in the U.S. will be nearly $250 billion, up from $155 billion in 2009. Last year, online retail sales were up 11 percent, compared to 2.5 percent for all retail sales.
In Western Europe, Forrester expects a slightly faster 11 percent growth rate for online retail sales, going from $93 million (68 million Euros) in 2009 to $156 million (114.5 million Euros) in 2014. Forrester’s estimates exclude online sales of autos, travel, and prescription drugs.
Some other stats from the U.S. forecast:
While $155 billion worth of consumer goods were bought online last year, a far larger portion of offline sales were influenced by online research. Forrester estimates that $917 billion worth of retail sales last year were “Web-influenced.” It also estimates that online and Web-influenced offline sales combined accounted for 42 percent of total retail sales and that percentage will grow to 53 percent by 2014, when the Web will be influencing $1.4 billion worth of in-store sales.
Yet there is a lot of room for improvement in helping consumers go from doing online research to in-store purchases. Only 61 percent of consumers who cross over from one to the other are satisfied with their buying experience, compared to 82 percent for those who end up buying online. Forrester draws the lesson that retailers need to do a better job appealing to online consumers in their physical stores. I come to a different conclusion: avoid going to real stores and buy online whenever you can. You will be happier.
I don’t remember what Microsoft’s search engine share was, when I left the UK in the summer of 2000, but I’m pretty sure it was a lot better than the current anemic 3%.
According to the Guardian, Microsoft would love for Bing to recapture those glory days and is willing to spend the rest of its natural life next 3 months trying to claw it back.
The three-month campaign, which includes three TV ads created by the agency JWT, starts on Wednesday and uses the strapline "Bing and decide". The ads aim to show that Bing simplifies the "information overload" that accompanies the results of many searches.
The TV campaign will run solidly for a month and then in two-week bursts until mid-June. It will be backed by a digital campaign across Microsoft’s network and on media including social networking websites.
Three whole months, huh? Way to lay it all on the line Microsoft. You lose market share over a 10-15 year period and expect to win it all back by reaching consumers while they’re watching Coronation Street?
Of course, I know that Bing’s ad campaign won’t run for just 3 months–just this particular push–but consider this: Google achieved 90% share in the UK via word-of-mouth. Bing has been available to UK users–albeit in beta–since June. If they felt that Bing was truly revolutionizing search, they would have pushed the needle already. Right?
Indirect Collaboration is a website exploring the role of crowd-sourced input in the creative process, in anticipation of the upcoming South by Southwest Interactive in Austin, TX. MAKE contributor Tim Lillis, who does the "Tricks of the Trade: comics in MAKE, is one of the contributors to the site. Here, he talks with Cecilia Weckstrom of The Lego Group about their use of incorporating customer input into their product design process.
Lillis: So, you're in charge of the Consumer Insight & Experience Innovation function at the LEGO Group. What does that mean?
Weckstrom: I oversee all the work on gathering insights from our 1:1 connections with consumers all over the world and based on this insight and on co-creation with consumers we improve existing LEGO experiences and define new ones of what LEGO could be in the future. We want to be driven by those who love LEGO for what LEGO is and thus, knowing what is important to all these people is important and the only way we can remain sustainably successful as a company.Lillis: What are some of the successful and unsuccessful ideas generated by this group?
Weckstrom: Mostly in my experience it is not a matter of unsuccessful or not - more about timing. We have a few examples where we were far ahead of the market (LEGO Studios for instance) where the idea was great, but ahead of its time so wasn't as successful as it could have been had we launched it a little later. Timing is not just in terms of timing in the market-place, it is also about the rest of the company. The successful ideas are ones that become platforms for value creation, and ultimately not just within the company but including the community too.
Q&A with Cecilia Weckstrom of The Lego Group
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