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Controlling a PC from an iPad Turns Tablets Into Genuine Work Devices

I have a problem with the whole “Post-PC Era” thing. The problem is that trying to do any real work on a tablet is a miserable experience. Typing and keyboard issues aside, there is so much that you can’t do on a tablet that we take for granted on PCs. Much of that has to do with the limited tablet interface and the fact that desktop applications are so much more full-featured than apps. Also, file management doesn’t exist at all on tablets, which can be absolutely maddening. In my opinion, the only serious “work” that users can do on a tablet is email, web browsing, note-taking, and perhaps writing (if you can live with the touch interface or a flimsy add-on keyboard). I call my iPad my “couch computer.” It’s a handy little device to have around, but it’s good for little else.

What would be nice is a way to access and control a desktop computer and all its applications and files from a tablet. The only remaining obstacle to doing real work would be the tablet interface. But full functionality and access to files could be re-established if the tablet simply served as a portal to a full computing experience.

Such solutions have existed for a while, such as GoToMyPC and LogMeIn. But these run into interface problems as well since PCs rely on precise control of a mouse, which is difficult to emulate with finger-controlled tablets. However, a new product, called Parallels Access, may have solved these problems. Reviewed by Walt Mossberg, Parallels Access claims to turn the desktop experience of a computer into a full-screen tablet experience that makes controlling a PC remotely quite easy.

Unlike many others, [Access] doesn’t force you to constantly try and emulate the precise mouse pointer for which most of these computer programs were designed. It runs them like iPad apps, in full screen and at the iPad’s resolution, yet preserving full functionality and the ability to switch among open apps and windows on the computer. It works over both Wi-Fi and cellular connections.

File sharing is still a bear, but Parallels is said to be working on a solution. Also, the program is quite pricey — $80 PER YEAR, PER COMPUTER accessed. Ouch! But it may be worth it for the ability to do real work on the road. Read the article, check out the accompanying video, and be sure to read the comments, where a less expensive program with similar capabilities called Splashtop is discussed (with Splashtop’s CEO providing some interesting notes).

The “Post-PC Era” may be a clever marketing take, but at this point it requires better “Post-PC” apps and a remote PC, too.

Read full article: http://on.wsj.com/17kK3Xf

TV’s Changing Landscape

Kevin Spacey recently gave a clear explanation of TV’s changing landscape. The future is user-driven, and the established order doesn’t like it. What Spacey notes is that time, place, and length don’t matter anymore. Users want to control when and how they consume media.

If you are watching a film on your television, is it no longer a film because you’re not watching it in the theater?’ Spacey asked his audience. ‘If you watch a TV show on your iPad is it no longer a TV show? The device and length are irrelevant.’ Labels are useless, the actor told the suits, ‘except perhaps to agents and managers and lawyers who use these labels to conduct business deals. ‘For the kids watching the shows, however, ‘there’s no difference watching Avatar on an iPad or watching YouTube on a TV and watching Game of Thrones on their computer. It’s all content. It’s all story.’

This, of course, runs completely counter to big media’s business model, which is still anchored in the 20th century. As we’ve seen before, tactics always lag technology, and those who adapt the fastest win. That’s the result we’re seeing with Netflix, which is purchasing new seasons of TV shows and releasing them in bulk at a very nice profit. The moral of the story? If people are buying digital devices, they’re going to want, and find, digital content to enjoy on them. The media industry may be digging in its heels, guarding a dated business model, but change happens. Better find a way to make money digitally because that’s where customers are going.

Complete article: http://bit.ly/16Iodur

WordPress: Now Is the Time

WordPress is mainstream, with almost 19.9% of the web using it, and its development is in high gear. We can expect three new releases by the end of this year alone. That’s the news from WordCamp, the annual WordPress developers conference.

WordPress’ features for the modern web just continue to grow, which makes it very attractive for bringing the company website up to current standards in one fell swoop. We’ve been onboard for the last few years and now recommend it regularly for clients. Consider everything that comes with it:

  • Content management for in-house publishing
  • Media management
  • SEO management
  • Social media integration
  • Accessibility ready
  • Mobile ready with responsive design for tablets and mobile screens
  • HTML5/CSS3
  • Fully extensible
  • Readily adaptable for custom layout and design
  • Open source software with regular security and feature updates
  • Easy-to-learn interface and growing population of skilled users
  • Large development community for custom applications

And by the way, Automattic, the company behind WordPress, just received $50MM of new financing that will push the platform even further.

If you’re looking to level-up your company’s web efforts, consider WordPress. It’s mainstream now and will take you to the front in terms of capabilities faster than anything else available today.

Read full article: http://bit.ly/16njsbl

Google’s Latest Products Enhance Video Collaboration

Video is at the forefront of technologies that enable enhanced communication and serves as a viable business tool on the web.  With Google’s latest product announcements, it’s evident that businesses will soon conduct collaboration online using video. It’s now possible to transmit high-quality sound and images to remote locations so that disparate parties can work together. No longer is video communication hampered by limited bandwidth and machine capability. The resulting efficiencies allow the best people to work together regardless of location. Add to this web-based collaboration tools and cloud storage, and traveling is almost unnecessary.

The following article points out how Google’s new products, specifically Chromecast, Hangouts, and the Nexus 7, make video the tool of choice for these kinds of collaborations. Think of the possibilities of consulting with ad hoc teams globally, assembling on short notice, reviewing work in progress, or bringing in unique expertise. The time is right for businesses to look into video collaboration tools.

Read full article: http://www.eweek.com/mobile/nexus-7-chromecast-google-hangouts-mean-big-business/

Reports of Apple’s Death, Exaggerated

When a skyrocket starts to falter while in flight, that’s news, I suppose. Apple’s seemingly unstoppable run got snagged last Fall when its stock price dropped over 40%. Theories flew about wildly. But what company could keep up the rate of success that Apple has had in recent years?

The following article, a recap of Apple’s recent developers conference, presents some rock-solid numbers:

[Apple] continues to dominate mobile and personal computing, capturing 57 percent of global profits in the smartphone industry—to the tune of $7.1 billion—in the first quarter, according to research firm Strategy Analytics. It commands nearly 40 percent of all tablet profits, more than the next four competitors combined, according to IDC. Mobile-browser company Opera Software (OPERA) says iOS users are responsible for nearly 45 percent of Web traffic on mobile devices, while the Android devices that outnumber them account for 31 percent.

Apple is still churning out profits, and its cash reserve is the stuff of legend. But are they vulnerable? Over 70% of their revenue comes from just two product lines, iPhones and iPads. Could an able competitor with a breakthrough product send Apple into a tailspin? Probably not, if Apple has something up its sleeve that becomes the next industry-changing hit. Come to think of it, that’s probably Wall Street’s beef — Apple hasn’t “changed the world” in over two years now. Something must be wrong in Cupertino, right?

Read full article: http://buswk.co/16O0pM0

Internet Trends Report

Knowing how and where people get information tells us how and where to deliver our messages and services. With that in mind, Kleiner Perkins analyst Mary Meeker’s annual Internet Trends report is a valuable compilation of research and observation. It sheds light on these areas to help us keep up with the ever-changing business/tech landscape. This year’s report, delivered at the recent “All Things Digital” conference, highlights several notable trends.

The move to mobile is in full throttle. Laptop and desktop sales will continue to decline as smartphones and tablets become the devices of choice in the “Post PC” era. Apple and Samsung claimed a combined 51% market share of global smartphone unit sales in Q4 2012, making them the dominant players in the field.

  • Tablets are being adopted even more quickly than smartphones. For the first 12 quarters after launch, iPads have sold 3-times faster than iPhones. Tablet sales also eclipsed sales of desktops and laptops for Q4 2012, and projections are that annual tablet shipments will surpass laptops in 2013 and total PCs in 2015.
  • Mobile Internet traffic is now 15% of total global internet traffic.
  • Time spent with print and radio continues to trend downward while TV and Internet remain steady. Mobile, on the other hand, continues to trend upward. Interestingly, the money that advertisers spend on print is 4-times greater than the time users spend there, while money spent on mobile advertising is one-fourth of the time spent, pointing to a $20B opportunity as advertisers catch up.

The entire presentation is 117 slides and provides information on media, global browsing, and wearable tech.

View full report: [no longer available]

The Mobile Challenge and Opportunity

Everyone is talking about the shift to mobile. We can expect changes in how we do business and get information as smartphones and tablets proliferate. This article points to three strategic problems businesses must solve as workforces become more mobile.

Just as the internet fundamentally changed consumer behaviour and the way we do business in the 1990s, the continued rise of mobile is set to be a major disruptive force over the next decade … That is backed up by a recent Gartner survey of 2,000 chief information officers (CIOs) worldwide, with 70% putting mobile top of the list ahead of other trends such as big data, social media and cloud computing as the technology that will disrupt established business models most for the next 10 years.

Many economic benefits will drive the spread of mobile technology. For our businesses, it’s an excellent time to develop strategies to connect with customers and partners when they’re on the go.

Read full article: http://linkd.in/130cV6a

Some Trends to Watch in Digital Media

The twin forces of mobile and social are creating changes across the board for online businesses.  While it can appear overwhelming, there are opportunities if we grasp the trends and develop plans to position us “on the wave.” Here are five interesting trends that will continue to grow and, as a result, change things in ways that require us to adapt as the digital world speeds on further.

We are all simultaneously creating, being disrupted by and exploiting an incredible array of changes in the way our digital world works. While these shifts can sometimes seem overwhelming because they are proliferating and accelerating so fast, their broad themes can be simplified to help us understand their underlying meaning.

  1. Multi-Screen Proliferation
  2. Advertising Precision
  3. Accelerating Automation
  4. Interruptive to Native
  5. Static to Real-Time

Read full article: http://linkd.in/18e9HAo

Apps vs Browsers? No Contest. It’s Apps!

When apps, those little applications that run on smartphones and tablets, first came out a few years ago, a debate arose over which were better, apps or mobile websites, and which would consumers prefer. Developers thought that offering tailored services through a browser was much more desirable, from both cost and usability standpoints, rather than apps, which users would have to update continually, and developers would have to maintain for several platforms. But consumers, hands down, have chosen apps. There’s something about these little one-trick ponies that people have come to love.

In this recent report from Flurry, a mobile analytics and advertising platform, it’s clear that apps command the most time spent on mobile devices by a whopping 4-to-1 ratio. Apps are obviously something consumers want.

Today, the U.S. consumer spends an average of 2 hours and 38 minutes per day on smartphones and tablets. 80% of that time (2 hours and 7 minutes) is spent inside apps and 20% (31 minutes) is spent on the mobile web. Apps (and Facebook) are commanding a meaningful amount of consumers’ time. All mobile browsers combined … control 20% of consumers’ time. Gaming apps remain the largest category of all apps with 32% of time spent. Facebook is second with 18%, and Safari is 3rd with 12%. Worth noting is that a lot of people are consuming web content from inside the Facebook app. For example, when a Facebook user clicks on a friend’s link or article, that content is shown inside its web view without launching a native web browser, which keeps the user in the app. So if we consider the proportion of Facebook app usage that is within their web view,  we can assert that Facebook has become the most adopted browser in terms of consumer time spent.

The article covers several additional points of interest regarding apps, but the takeaway is that it’s time to think about how to use apps to best serve customers. There’s also an opportunity to explore what other economies apps can provide. People are using them, so offering them will become a differentiator in the burgeoning mobile world.

Read full article: [no longer available]

Hispanics Making Their Mark On the Internet

As our society becomes more multicultural, reaching diverse groups becomes more important. Some recent research sheds light on a vital community — Hispanics — and reveals that their numbers online are growing. They are active in social media, and over 70% speak English or are bi-lingual.

Online Hispanics are digital mavens and leaders on a variety of social networks. The Hispanic demographic itself, though, has many distinctive characteristics, including preferred language and country of origin, and these differences create varied digital participation levels. An October 2012 survey of US Hispanics by the Pew Hispanic Center found that between 2009 and 2012, the percentage of foreign-born and native-born Hispanics who used the web rose by 18 percentage points and 27 percentage points, respectively. This helped drive up overall Hispanic internet use to 78%, from 64% three years ago … Latino social networking penetration among internet users reached 68% last year. Of these social media users, English was the dominant language for 34% of users, while Spanish was the dominant language for a quarter of users. Another 40% considered themselves bilingual.

Read full article: http://bit.ly/15JJcxi