At the CES show back in January, Sony gave me one of their NEX-5 cameras, which has made me think differently about my own approach to digital photography... Some of the pictures I took with the NEX-5 are above and here is an excerpt from a post about it that I wrote for Sony's blog... Please visit http://blog.discover.sonystyle.com/taking-photography-to-the-nex-level to read the whole thing...

There’s a saying that the best camera is the camera you have with you… For many people today that means the camera in your phone. While the digital photography revolution began long before the camera phone became pervasive, for many, myself included, the advent of the camera phone was the thing that sparked a renewed interest in taking pictures. Somehow, just knowing I have that capability in my pocket, all the time, makes me look at the world through a different filter. It made me start looking for the pictures in everyday moments. But the more you start imagining the world as an image waiting to be captured, the more you realize that the camera in your phone is merely the gateway drug. It gets you hooked on digital photography, and, if the addiction sets in, invariably you’ll find yourself looking for something stronger.

Read the full post here.

As evidenced by the oft re-tweeted member of New York's own member of Congress, @RepWeiner, there is no question that Twitter Addiction is on the rise (as was said member).  Try as we might, we can no longer remain flaccid whilst the Twitterverse stands aroused by this latest battle of the (Congressman's) bulge.  As Congressman's Weiner proves beyond a shadow of a doubt, Twitter Addiction is hard.

An Award From The Ward

With all the media atwitter with the sordid deets of Representative Weiner's Tweets, the size and scope of the matter was not lost on the staff at INVITATIONS.  When the highly trained doctors and therapists here gathered in the West Wing of the Scoble Ward to discuss nominations for the guest of honor keynote at this year's annual Intervention Convention, there was only one unanimous choice: Anthony Weiner.  Who better to be invited to speak to a crowd of loyal followers only to find themselves the object of a massive intervention? If that won't spank the monkey on the Congressman's back, nothing will.

Case Clothed

While we hope that Congressman Weiner will take our INVITATIONS intervention invitation to heart, understanding that he may still be in the denial stages of his disease, the staff at INVITATIONS has compiled a few steps from the "140 Steps To Cure Twitter Addiction" that may be helpful to the Congressman as he softly embarks on a road to recovery:

• Step 1 - Do NOT touch a computer or mobile phone unless fully clothed.
• Step 2 - Do NOT Tweet with one hand.... ever!
• Step 3 - Do NOT send out a Tweet that you would not happily recite to your wife and/or Nancy Pelosi.

These are just a few small steps that may help prevent any Twitter boners in the future...

What additional steps would you recommend for the Congressman?

(Editor's Note: Trying to fight my addiction, as an INVITATIONS outpatient I have resisted the urge to post here since the end of last year, but alas, it is too out of character for me to resist the appeal of 140 characters.  More importantly, on behalf of the staff here at INVITATIONS I am compelled to think of the greater good and once again promote our services as the nation's first, and leading Social Networking Addiction Recovery facility.  In other words, "I'm Baaaack!")  

Photo Credit: Kerioak - Fotolia.com

New post at www.SocialNetworkingRehab.com...

"Free" is a four letter word. However, unlike the expletives often deleted, free is an "f" word that is embraced and enjoyed by millions of mobile content consumers who regularly download free music, videos, images, apps and games on their phones. Free content, supported or sponsored by advertising, is hardly a new concept. We have all grown up in a world where the "commercial break" is commonplace on TV and radio, and the American media consumer inherently understands that those commercials, like them or not, are facilitating the availability of quality entertainment, free of charge.

With the rapid rise of the rich-media-capable smartphone -- on course to soon comprise 50% of the U.S. mobile phone market -- we are consuming more and more of our entertainment directly on our mobile devices. Faster processors, larger, sharper screens, better networks, more data storage and the convenience of having it as a constant companion have made the modern smartphone wildly popular as a wireless entertainment hub. The smartphone is a true extension of the content-rich (read "free" content rich) internet we have come to rely on for entertainment as well as information. Thus, it is only natural that ad-supported mobile content is a viable and growing market.

Relevance vs. interruption
While mobile phone users are inclined to download free content rather than paid, they still don't necessarily want to be inundated with ads. Therein lies the rub for brands and mobile marketers. How can you subsidize mobile content in ways that consumers will accept, embrace and still value and act upon the advertisements associated with mobile content delivery?

One approach that has met with success for the ad-supported delivery of mobile music downloads, including MP3 full-tracks and ringtones, as well as images and videos, is to place relevant mobile ads within the SMS messages containing an item's download link, and put mobile banner ads on the mobile web download pages. These ads can be highly targeted and contextual, but they do not interfere with the actual content the user is downloading, and they do not add any steps to the download process. Such ads can reinforce a brand through association with the content and allow for click through, click-to-call, and other calls to action that don't prevent the user from obtaining the free content they desire.

Branded mobile content can also be ad-supported in a similar fashion, benefiting by targeting those consumers who already have an affinity for the brand, as expressed by their desire to download the brand's mobile content. Brands including Geico, Hefty, Skittles, Orbit and many more have effectively used branded mobile content to engage with consumers in ways that are lasting, impactful and easily shareable. In addition to the ad-supported delivery of branded content, the downloaded content itself remains on the user's phone as a reminder of the brand, and even as a conversation starter. A survey of Myxer users indicated that 81% keep downloaded content on their phones active for at least one week, and 52% for at least two weeks.

Knowing your target audience and their mobile behavior can also be useful to best leverage free mobile content for marketing and advertising purposes. For example, in an April 2010 study conducted by Myxer and issued in the BoomBox Report women accounted for twice as many mobile content downloads as men, and each female visitor to Myxer downloaded 17% more content than the average male. In general, campaigns around free mobile content have successfully increased brand awareness, brand favorability and purchase intent, while leaving consumers with downloaded content they could enjoy on their phone long after the "campaign" was over.

Share and share alike
Not only do consumers enjoy "free" themselves, but they also enjoy sharing "free" stuff with their friends. With that in mind, campaigns around free mobile content lend themselves well to a wide range of social sharing. Content items can be easily "liked" and shared on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter directly from mobile download pages.

In addition, rich mobile ad units can easily and directly interact with a brand's mobile social pages, making "free" mobile content both interactive and potentially viral. Conversely, free mobile content can also be offered within a widget directly from a brand's Facebook page, extending mobile beyond mobile and broadening the reach of free branded or sponsored content as well as the advertising around the delivery path.

For brands looking at ways to engage with mobile consumers, "free" can be a small price to pay for a successful mobile campaign.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeffrey Sass is VP-marketing at Myxer, a mobile technology company that operates Myxer.com, one of the largest providers of free, ad-supported mobile entertainment content.

Happy to see my article on "FREE" mobile content appear in AdAge DigitalNext...

Happy Bard Day -er, Birthday, William Shakespeare!

 

Image via Wikipedia

(Today is the birthday of one William Shakespeare, and this post is in his honor.  My good friends, and wonderful people, AJ and Melissa Leon, are currently in England, working for the Shakespeare estate, and they have prepared an inspiring tribute to The Bard at www.happybirthdayshakespeare.com.  Please check it out, and my surprise appearance at the end of the video there, and embedded below.)

Around The Globe

The only time I visited the Globe Theatre it was the one in Stratford...Connecticut... not upon Avon. Even so, the class trip to the replica of the famed theatrical home to so many of Shakespeare's productions was a thrill for this young, aspiring writer and all around "theatrical" guy.  I was in the 10th grade, and already on a path that would lead me to be an "English & Theater Major" in college, fancying myself as someone who could write and perform well.  Well, at the time I had read many of the works of William Shakespeare and I had been enthralled by the powerful filmed performances of Sir Laurence Olivier, who was perhaps the physical embodiment of all things Shakespeare in my young impressionable mind.  But I had yet to see Shakespeare performed live, and for that reason I was eager and excited to hop on the chartered bus from Queens to Connecticut.

Weeding Out The Literary Types

The Connecticut version of the Globe Theatre was situated on beautiful, park-like property, with gorgeous shade trees and vast lawns of rolling greens. While I and a select few of my classmates were looking forward to the performance of the well respected American Shakespeare Theatre, an equally large bunch of my school trip mates were far more intrigued by the opportunity to wander off amongst the grass and trees to trip out on their own supply of a different grass.  My recollection is that I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Shakespeare performed live on stage at The Globe, and I sincerely hope that my enjoyment came from a love of words and the theatre, and not as a result of any contact high from my more adventurous classmates!

A Quaint Little Hamlet

Years later, I had the chance to actually perform in a semi-pro production of Hamlet at Cornell University.  It was a semi-pro production because us student performers were supplemented with a handful of professional "Equity" actors in the key roles, including the charming and talented John Hostetter, who went on to be a regular on the popular TV series Murphy Brown.  Our production was unique as we performed Hamlet in rotation with Tom Stoppard's delightful and clever "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead," using the same set and actors in their overlapping roles.  So, the actors playing Rosencrantz and Guildenstern had minor roles in our Hamlet production one night, and were the stars of Stoppard's play the next.  It was a very clever and well executed concept.  I had a small, but impactful role, playing the part of the guard, Marcellus.

Line, Please!

Present, but silent, in a few key scenes, Marcellus is not much of an acting challenge... except for one line... perhaps THE line.  You see, Marcellus delivers perhaps one of the most famous and oft repeated lines in all of Shakespeare's words, words, words.  As Marcellus, I had to step out into the lights, armor clad, broad sword in hand, and muster every ounce of aspiring actor acumen I had to bring originality and authenticity to the well-worn phrase,

"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark!" 

It was quite a daunting task, and even if my performance bordered on being rotten itself, the experience was ripe with excitement, and memories I cherish to this day.

Thank you William Shakespeare, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

 

 

As someone who attends a lot of conventions and conferences it is only natural to have some annual favorites, and two of mine are the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas each January, and South By Southwest (SXSW) held in Austin, Texas each March.  Both shows share some overlap in the high levels of attendance by an active community of geeks, bloggers, and the so-called "Twitterati" as well as an overlap of some exhibiting companies, from car manufacturers like GM to consumer electronics giants such as Samsung.  Both shows feel very crowded, pushing the limits of the capacity of their respective convention center venues, and spilling over into nearby hotels, pushing attendees to pound the pavement or line up for cabs.  Each show is also heavily influenced by the culture and flavor of the hosting cities, both adult playgrounds in their own unique ways.

Keep Sin City Sinful and Austin Weird

I am not sure if everything that happens in Vegas still stays in Vegas, but I am fairly certain that virtually everything that happens at SXSW ends up on the Internet.  Everywhere you turn during SXSWi, the Interactive portion of the three part conference (Interactive, Film, Music), you see someone using a connected device.  Smartphones, iPads, MacBook Airs, and even regular laptops and netbooks prevail as the uber connected continuously connect.  Rigorously "checking in" is de rigueur as location based services such as Foursquare, Gowalla and Whrrl experience some of their busiest days of the year as well as a plethora of new competition from big, established sites like Google's Latitude, Facebook Places, and the "original" darling of SXSWi, Twitter.  Newcomers try desperately to climb above the clutter and gain traction, from Groupon to Groupme, from Hashable to Yobongo, with everyone vying for the undivided attention of a predominantly ADD crowd.

Brands Then Bands

In the midst of Austin's very own March Madness there was also a demonstrable battle of the brands as seemingly everywhere you turned Pepsi was trying to quench your thirst and Chevy wanted to give you a ride.  Of course food and drink flowed as frequently as people unlocked the Super Duper Swarm badge on Foursquare.  There were overlapping perpetual parties all day and night long, creating a non-stop smorgasbord of schmoozing.  And then some of the brands move out and the bands move in when Interactive ends and the Music portion begins, dramatically changing the culture and vibe from geek chic to grunge, and the common bond among attendees moves from "checking in" on Foursquare to "checking out" one of hundreds of performing bands.

CES vs. SXSW: Gawking vs. Geeking out...

When I look at the conventions of my two favorite conventions it is clear that both feature lots of gadget goodness and opportunities for networking, but there are also some distinct differences.  At CES, high tech takes center stage as the prime appeal is seeing all the tech toys on dazzling display.  Walking the well lit aisles of the Las Vegas Convention Center is often akin to a traipse through New York's Times Square, with bright, flashing lights and massive electronic signage.  Some of the booth's themselves are like small cities.  While there are many great people to connect with in attendance, CES is so spread out, and so massive in size and scope, that it is often hard to find people and thus the primary activity seems to be gawking at the high tech goodies being presented.  SXSW, in contrast, is perhaps more about using devices than looking at them.  With the action highly concentrated around the Austin Convention Center and the countless hotels, bars and restaurants in the immediate vicinity, at SXSW the people clearly take precedence over the products.  You are likely to see far more gadgets in use at SXSW than on display.  In Austin, high tech clearly goes high touch, as from party to party attendees' swagger becomes more of a stagger, and no matter which party, bar or venue you enter, it is just like entering CHEERS, where everybody knows your (Twitter) name!

If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend both CES and SXSW as events to add to your trade show bucket list!  If you have attended one or both of these shows, what do you think?  Which do you prefer and why?

Jeff Sass is the proud dad of ZEO (Zach, 22, Ethan, 20 and Olivia, 19).  He is also a seasoned entertainment and technology exec and active social media enthusiast.  You can see more of Jeff’s writing at Dadomatic,  Sassholes! and Social Networking Rehab and you can listen to Jeff on the Cast of Dads podcast.

DISCLOSURE:I am part of the “Intel Advisor” program and am compensated and/or receive other value from Intel to attend events on their behalf.

This post was originally written for Intel and appears at Intel's Inside Scoop blog...

Thanks To Google +1 Is My New Emoticon!

In our fast paced world of micro messages and real time communication we are always looking for ways to save keystrokes and characters and express ourselves as efficiently and effectively as possible.  Hence the popularity of the simple Facebook "Like," the ease of a RT (retweet) on Twitter, and of course the almost ubiquitous smiley emoticon.  :-)  Thanks to Google I have a new favorite emoticon: +1

A Two Stroke Engine of Encouragement

This morning, as I am often wont to do, I sent out a "Good Morning" tweet to the world, but I added a simple, "Hope your day is a +1" paying homage to Google's newly announced "social" tag.  After all, it is a way to imply something positive in only two keystrokes - less than the word LIKE, or LOL and even shorter than the average emoticon.  ;-)  Almost immediately I received a +1 on my tweet from the iconic Twittizen, @Iconic88.

Soon the +1 meme began to spread and @carissaO chimed in as well and @Iconic88 cleverly suggested that Google should add a +1 button to the Android keyboard.  I say +1 to that suggestion, and I think I will continue to use +1 in my tweets to show positive encouragement.  Perhaps Google is listening and we will see a +1 coming soon to an Android device near you...

What do you think?  Do you give this blog post a +1?  Will +1 pivot its way into your daily vernacular?

While running this morning I realized that it is during the first few steps that invariably I want to quit. It is during the first minute or two of a run when I question my actions, when I doubt my ability, when I struggle between stopping and continuing. Then, after I push through those (mentally and physically) painful first moments, I hit my stride and know that I am okay and will meet my goal and go the distance.

What's A Meta For?

My experience with running is a metaphor for any goal we may have. The first few steps... diving in and actually STARTING... is often the hardest part. The greatest distance is between 0 and 1. Every run I have to coach and coax myself through those first steps, reminding myself that if I stay committed to the steps, I'll make it all the way to the end. This is true for any goal or objective, personal or professional. You have to take those first steps, and not let them foil you. Once you get past them, there is nothing stopping you from completing the journey.

Still huffing, puffing and schvitzing from my run, I shared some of these thoughts in a short video...

What do you think? Are the first steps the hardest?

One of my favorite events of the year is the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which is a literal smorgasbord for gadget geeks. Taking place in January, CES is in many respects a chance to peek into the future and get a taste of the cool new technologies, trends and tech toys that will start to be available during the rest of the year. Over at Dadomatic.com I wrote about some of the amazing technology I saw at CES 2011.

Late one evening, I had a chance to be interviewed by Colin Browning, IDG's Strategic Marketing Services' Program Developer, who asked a few questions about the CES experience. One of the things I mention, which struck me more at this CES than in the past, is that today's consumer is more tech savvy than ever, and as a result, we generally take the "technology" for granted. We expect technology to work, and to be fast and powerful. As a result, rather than highlighting the technology behind their products, manufactures may be better served by focusing on telling consumers more about the benefits of the technology and how their products will improve our lives. In the end, we care more about that than how many processors it has or how it works. I think we want to know how it benefits us.

What do you think? Do you care more about the specs or what your gadgets do for you?

DISCLOSURE: I am part of the “Intel Advisor” program and am compensated and/or receive other value from Intel to attend events on their behalf, including the 2011 CES show.

5 Ways Your Mobile Phone Can Make You A Better Lover

February 12, 2011 Posted By: Jeffrey Sass

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, surely love is in the air and we are all getting in touch with our inner cupid.  While we may not be wandering around equipped with a sling full of heart tipped arrows, we do have another tool in hand that can be used to spread the love – our mobile phones! You may already think your smartphone is smart, but did you know it can work wonders on your relationship with that significant other?

Here are 5 Ways Your Mobile Phone Can Make You A Better Lover:

5. Text Sweet Nothings in His/Her Ear – Text messages are a great way to let your love know you are thinking of them, anytime, and by definition, an SMS message has to be short and sweet.  There are few easier ways to bring a smile to that someone special’s face than to send them an unexpected “I <3 U!” or “U R Beautiful” or a simple “Thinking of you… right now…”

4. Send A  Wallpaper or Ringtone – We love to personalize our phones with images and sounds that mean something special to us, so why not share the love by sending your sweetheart a Romantic Ringtone or Whimsical Wallpaper that will make them think of you every time they look at their phone or get a call or message.  Myxer makes it easy to find just the right mobile content and use “Send to Friend” to share it with the one(s) you love.

3. Use “Vibrate” For A Neck Massage – We all enjoy a good neck massage from our partner.  Next time you are offering up a bit of manual stress relief, surprise them with some added good vibrations from your phone.

2. Send A Video Or Image Of Yourself – Sometimes we forget that we are almost always walking around with a camera and camcorder in our pockets.  It takes just a moment to snap a picture or record a video message and send it to the object of your affection.  Be creative.  Hold up a piece of paper with a handwritten sign saying “I Love You.”  Sing a few bars of his/her favorite song in a video.  Send a picture of flowers, or a place you pass that means something special to you both.  (FRIENDLY WARNING: Don’t abuse the ease of sending images and video by sharing something inappropriate or that you will likely one day regret…)

1. And, of course, the number one way your mobile phone can make you a better lover…. TURN IT OFF when you are with your boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse and make them, not your phone, the object of both your attention and your affection!

Do you have more tips on how you use your phone for romance?  Please share them in the comments!  And with or without your phone, have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

And you can start using your phone to be a better lover by sending this to someone special:

Myxer: Privacy Policy | Terms – More from Party 365

I wrote this for The Official Myxer Blog, but given today is Valentine's Day, I thought I would re-post it here... Has your phone made you a better lover?

(Sunday, January 30, 2011) I am writing this after a four mile run. Actually, I am working my way up with interval training, having started a month or so ago by walking two minutes and running one minute, then, a week or so later upping it to two and two, then a week or so later,  two minutes walking and three minutes running and today, feeling inspired, I raised it to alternating one minute of walking followed by three minutes of running.  Soon I hope to be able run the entire four miles…and then, hopefully, even more.

Going The Distance

This morning I drove down to Miami hours before the crack of dawn to watch, up close, the ING Miami Marathon and Half Marathon.  I had a vested interest in watching this race as my oldest son, Zach, was running in it, his first half marathon.  I am in awe of Zach these days, and find him to be an incredible source of pride and inspiration to me.  It seems for the moment our roles have been reversed.  The parent/mentor has been outdone by the child/mentee.  While, as the Dad, I am the one who is supposed to motivate and lead by example, now it is Zach leading me down the path of aspiring to run.  In less than a year, Zach has, on his own, lost nearly 150 pounds and now he has trained for, and completed, a half-marathon – 13.1 miles.

Motivation and Perspiration

I found myself overcome with emotion as I watched Zach and the other runners, many in wheelchairs or otherwise physically challenged, many younger than me, and quite a few older than me, all glowing with the sweat of determination as they passed me on the sidelines while they were enroute to the finish line.  Each was competing with over 20,000 other runners, yet each was completing their own very individual and personal triumph.  I came away from the race extremely proud of Zach, and motivated myself.  I did not share the marathoners’ perspiration, but I did share their inspiration, and I hope to one day experience walking- er, running, in their shoes.

Watching the marathon reminded me that there are no limits to our ability to achieve.  There is so much we are capable of, so much we can accomplish, when we just put our mind to it and decide to make it so.  You just have to take one step after another, again and again and again… Keep moving forward and keep the finish line foremost in your mind.  I learned that from my son.

How about you?  What are your kids teaching you?

Here is an Animoto video of some of the pictures I took of Zach and the Miami Marathon.

Jeff Sass is the proud dad of ZEO (Zach, 22, Ethan, 20 and Olivia, 19).  He is also a seasoned entertainment and technology exec and active social media enthusiast.  You can see more of Jeff’s writing at Sassholes! and Social Networking Rehab and you can listen to Jeff on the Cast of Dads podcast.

P.S. & Disclosure: The pictures in the Animoto video above were taken with a Sony NEX-5Camera (affiliate link), which I received as a sample from Sony that I am not expected to return.  It is a great camera and my fellow “Cast of Dads” cohort, Michael Sheehan, has a great and detailed review of the camera here.