Posted on
February 26th, 2012 by
David
More than ever before, consumers are bombarded by advertisers and institutions that demand your attention. Network television studios try to keep you thinking about your favorite show for the entire week between episodes, just as news channels tease upcoming stories constantly and advertisers desperately try to get your attention so you can buy their merchandise. As consumers adapt to one form of advertising or programming reinforcement, experts in the industry work to develop new methods, products and services. Arguably the coolest new service that connects your television viewing experience to other aspects of your life is Flingo.
Flingo is a relatively new company that combines the television watching experience with the social resources that enhance the experience. The CEO of Flingo, Ashwin Navin, is not attempting to change the way network television viewing happens. Instead, with Flingo, Navin hopes to enhance the viewing experience in ways that others have not tried before now. In addition to innovating for television viewers, Flingo works with high definition television manufacturers and producers to try to elevate the television-viewing experience as much as possible, while still keeping it the passive activity most viewers want.
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Posted on
February 25th, 2012 by
David
Every company in the technology sector has a strategy and few companies have been as open about their outlook for the market as Nokia. Nokia, the mobile phone manufacturer, is widely attributed with connecting one billion people to cellular networks through their innovative and popular devices. Recently, Nokia unveiled its “Next Billion” Strategy. While their stated goal is clear – Nokia wants to be the supplier for another billion mobile phone customers – their exact strategy to reach the goal is not as evident. However, it is Mary T. McDowell who will be responsible for achieving the Next Billion goal!
Mary T. McDowell is the Executive Vice President of Mobile Phones at Nokia. This means that the ultimate decisions and responsibilities for all things having to do with mobile phones at Nokia fall upon her. While Nokia’s CEO plays an important role in achieving the Next Billion Strategy, McDowell’s marketing prowess with mobile phones will go a long way toward determining the success or failure of the plan. Given that McDowell was the executive that shepherded the popular and wildly successful E-Series mobile phone from Nokia to the global marketplace (well in advance of the current CEO taking that position), it looks like McDowell is more than up to the task.
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Posted on
February 25th, 2012 by
David
Today, more and more is being expected of headphones. Back in the day, you plugged headphones into your stereo or portable tape player (or portable CD player) and the headphones brought you music at a level that didn’t annoy those around you. But now, consumers are plugging their headphones into more sophisticated electronic devices and they are demanding more from their headphones. Koss proves that they are up to the new expectations of music enthusiasts with their Porta Pro KTC headphones!
Koss Porta Pro headphones have long been an industry standard for audiophiles who have enjoyed the high-quality sound and fashionable, not bulky, appearance of the Porta Pro. The addition of KTC, Koss Touch Control, upgrades the popular Porta Pro headphones for the current generation of music enthusiasts. The big breakthrough with the Porta Pro KTC headphones is that the cord that connects the headphones to your Apple music player – iPod, iPad or iPhone – now includes a discrete control panel and a microphone!
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Posted on
February 24th, 2012 by
David
As companies rise and fall in Silicon Valley, it is no surprise that the big tech companies frequently see employees migrate from one popular company to the next big thing. While some of the big tech companies actively poach employees from their competitors, other tech companies seem to just attract a lot of employees from the companies with greater name recognition. In the case of StumbleUpon, the comparatively small Internet company has a surprisingly high number of employees formerly employed at Google. One of the most significant ex-Google workers who is now vital to StumbleUpon is Japjit Tulsi.
Japjit Tulsi made a lateral move in 2011 when he became StumbleUpon’s Vice President of Engineering from being Google’s Director of Engineering. While at Google, Tulsi was responsible for creating Google Analytics, which is one of the standard-bearers of online traffic analysis. That level of programming genius made him very attractive to StumbleUpon. Prior to Google, Japjit Tulsi was a part of Microsoft’s executive development program. At Microsoft, Tulsi served as a group manager in the engineering department. Prior to Microsoft, Tulsi studied at Punjab University where he abandoned a law career in favor of the tech sector.
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Posted on
February 24th, 2012 by
David
Like so many industries, the consumer electronics sector has a vibrant secondary market. Thanks in no small part to Alpha Consumers frequently upgrading and the consumer culture that fosters the mindset that this year’s new products will be obsolete or uncool by next year, the used electronics market has grown in recent years. Buyers who are more interested in substance than style or who are simply thriftier than their peers can enjoy significant benefits from buying their electronics in gently used condition. One of the biggest sectors in the electronics secondary market is in cell phones and smartphones.
However, just like when you are considering purchasing a used car, there are some good rules to live by when purchasing a used cell phone or used smartphone. Both as a buyer and a seller, you should consider the following:
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Posted on
February 24th, 2012 by
David
Even during the current worldwide economic instability, most everyone would like to be able to donate to charity and help out others. But just as educated consumers consider the corporate philosophies of big businesses, it is also wise to educate yourself about charities to which you donate. While a charity will always try to put the most positive spin on themselves in order to solicit donations, objective criteria should be used to determine whether a charity is worthy of your donation or not. For that, there is Charity Navigator.
Charity Navigator is an Internet site that provides information on charities, much the same way Open Secrets provides information on political donations. Evaluating objectively using records supplied to the government for tax/accounting purposes, Charity Navigator uses a series of consistent criteria to evaluate the health of a charity. This allows you to both compare charities and view charities that come close to an ideal using Charity Navigator.
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Posted on
February 23rd, 2012 by
David
In big technology companies like Microsoft, it is a rare thing for an executive in the Customer Service branch to make the mainstream news. In fact, it is hard to make a splash in customer service such that you get noticed within the industry at all. Customer service defines the old adage of “no news is good news;” if a customer service department is doing their job efficiently then you seldom hear about them. But in 2010, one corporate officer in the technology sector’s customer service division stood out. That person was Barbara Gordon and she boldly challenged Google to rise to the level of customer service Microsoft delivers!
Barbara Gordon serves as the Corporate Vice President for Customer Service and Support for the Microsoft Corporation. In 2010, she wrote a blog that became famous in the technology industry. The article, Microsoft’s Support Sets Us Apart, garnered mainstream media attention by boldly calling out Google for its lack of customer service options. While some in the industry characterized the gambit as brazen, Gordon used the media attention to constructively criticize Google while touting the strong customer service department at Microsoft. When Google floundered in its response – even now it offers easy access only to Internet customer service support – Gordon’s risky public statement paid off for Microsoft.
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Posted on
February 23rd, 2012 by
David
Cords are so passé. Come to think of it, so is risking your high-priced electronic devices with damage and theft. Despite what companies like Apple might want you to think, spending a couple hundred dollars on an iPhone 4S is a hefty investment for most Americans! So, when the screen gets scratched or the whole smartphone is stolen, it is a significant financial setback. From an unlikely place, though, comes a sensible solution. That place is Tenqa and the solution is their new REMXD Wireless Bluetooth Headphones.
Tenqa’s REMXD Wireless Bluetooth Headphones are, as the name suggests, headphones that connect to any Bluetooth-enabled device. If your Smartphone, tablet computer, or MP3 player is Bluetooth-enabled, you may connect it to the REMXD Headphones and enjoy all of your music when not in contact with your device. With a range of thirty three feet, Tenqa’s REMXD Wireless Bluetooth Headphones allows you to listen to your music while working out, gardening or doing other activities while the device that holds all your music remains safe!
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Posted on
February 22nd, 2012 by
David
Demand Media had a pretty rough 2011, though its Fourth Quarter earnings were actually better than expected. A provider of videos, blogs, and other media over the Internet, Demand Media has been working to transform the way people use the Internet for education and entertainment. While the company has been growing, Demand Media’s Board has been buying back its stock and the company is not quite where the executives and analysts thought it would be. Dave Panos is the man who will change the direction of Demand Media!
Dave Panos is the Chief Strategy Officer of Demand Media and his plans for the company are ambitious. Because Demand Media is known for delivering original Internet video content the company is in competition with many distribution channels, like YouTube. Panos organized a strategic partnership with competitor CoverItLive. By pairing Demand Media and CoverItLive, Panos helped increase the video base of Demand Media dramatically, which allows Demand Media to reach a much wider audience. Having the vision to partner with potentially vulnerable competitors is part of what makes Panos a truly great Chief Strategy Officer.
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Posted on
February 22nd, 2012 by
David
The Internet has given rise to many phenomena in American culture. Arguably the most significant lasting social change of the Internet comes in the form of people making statements. In the inorganic medium of the Internet, anyone can rant about anything anytime they want to. Between Tweets on Twitter, Facebook status updates and any number of message boards on any of a million websites, for the first time in the history of humanity, anyone with a computer and an Internet connection can feel like they have a voice that is being heard.
Not everything said on the Internet is a gem of human wisdom.
Just as in real life, where once you say something you cannot take it back, Internet users – thanks to things like the Facebook Timeline – are discovering that what they say lingers online, even for years. But with all of the people posting very publicly about everything in the world, the Internet is now giving users the equivalent of leaving the room where you can hang out with a bunch of friends you actually like! These new, limited, social networks, have the potential to restore actual family and friend interactions amid all of the noise of more popular Internet social networks.
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