Inside the connected car
Very interesting assessment of in-car technology with some quotable predictions from Intel, eg: By next year the car will be the third most-connected place in which people spend time. By 2016, how connected a car is will be a critical buying decision. In the future, if car ownership declines but increased use is still needed,...
Bright minds worth a conversation
Huge fun this morning engaging in conversation via a Skype video call with students in David Phillips‘ PR class at the University of Gloucester in Cheltenham. I had been due to physically be there but a little transport difficulty presented an opportunity to try a virtual alternative instead. The original plan was to do a...
A little imagination is key to success with QR codes
“QR codes are a waste of time” is a phrase I hear often. While they are becoming more of a feature in brand marketing campaigns, I would agree with critics that how they’re included too often adds little to a campaign. I think it’s not so much that the codes themselves are a waste of...
Virgin Media blocks access to Pirate Bay
Reading the Guardian’s report that Virgin Media started blocking access to Pirate Bay from yesterday in accordance with a court order in the UK requiring that action, I checked access (I’m a Virgin Media customer): it is indeed blocked. More info from Virgin on why they sometimes do block access to certain websites: http://www.virginmedia.com/siteblocking Is...
Re-imagining the mobile value proposition
GigaOm reports on trends in data use on mobile devices, citing research from Akamai and from Chetan Sharma that shows that demand for mobile broadband is continuing to grow unabated. We are using more mobile data in more places, says GigaOm, and this is going to keep changing how we live, work, create and consume....
Google Cube game brings fun to learning
A very neat idea from Google – a game to raise awareness of, and educate you about, Google Maps. Cube runs in your browser (ideally Google Chrome). You play it by completing levels that set you navigational challenges in various cities around the world. I just completed the first level, navigating to a bowling venue...
Google Cube game brings fun to learning
A very neat idea from Google – a game to raise awareness of, and educate you about, Google Maps. Cube runs in your browser (ideally Google Chrome). You play it by completing levels that set you navigational challenges in various cities around the world. I just completed the first level, navigating to a bowling venue...
Free hotel wifi: Light at the end of the tunnel?
The subject of internet connectivity in hotels has received quite a bit of attention during the past few weeks. I posted about my experiences with hotel internet connectivity while in Las Vegas and in Amsterdam recently, highlighting a nice way to balance the negative side of this – in my recounted experiences, one offering free...
Disruptive Technology and How to Compete for the Future
Disruptive technology is the bearer of tremendous opportunity and equally a harbinger of obsolescence. Technology’s impact on society and business is substantial, if not underestimated. As technology continues to become part of everyday life, it becomes disruptive in how people communicate, work, and connect. The evolution of society and technology happens with or without adaptation...
A cure for hotel wifi frustrations with Connectify
One of the biggest frustrations when you’re travelling is the less than compelling experiences that are typical with internet connectivity in hotels and conference venues – high cost, difficulty and/or extra costs to connect more than one device (laptop plus mobile phone, for instance), restrictive connection type (such as cable only: no use if you...
The value of free internet
One of the feaures of travel these days is the (usually-met) expectation of high internet charges in your hotel. It’s common in Europe, for instance, for hotels to charge eye-watering rates to let you get online: charges of £20 or equivalent per day aren’t unusual. Some hotels include internet costs in their room rates, treating...
