TuneUp Heats Up Competition With Shazaam/SoundHound – How Can “Shazam” Declare Winner?
Techmeme reports that TuneUp is set to provide an unlimited song identification service for FREE (and with no ads). TuneUp is already known for its ability to correct song titles and add album work and it looks like they’re trying to venture off into another vertical. Perhaps providing the song identification service is their attempt to lure customers in and use they other services. It’s a good idea (free advertisement for their total package of services). Shazaam/SoundHound should get ready for some stiff competition.
In very similar news, Shazam (not to be confused with Shazaam) is setting the stage for a possible integration into one of these song identification apps. IDB reports that it will now offer iPad support PLUS lyrics on your TV (via Airplay). This sounds like a potential lead into the karaoke market. The ability to stream lyrics to my TV or even iPad is a great luxury. Shazaam, SoundHound and TuneUp should take note and think about an integration.
It makes sense…let me identify a song that I’ve never heard of or favorite, save it and allow me to display the lyrics later on my TV for friends and family.
First song identification app to integrate with Shazam (or something similar) will take significant market share. The race is on!
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Fake “Instagram” App on Android – Malware Alert
Definitely was not aware that this could happen, but it looks like we may see more and more of this soon. There is a fake Instagram app (as reported by USA Today) that installs malware on your device instead of delivering the service. It seems that attackers are looking at ways to get into your device and as more and more apps become popular, we will see this.
Advice: Stay within Google Play or iTunes/App store and do not venture out. Apps downloaded through google.com or any other file sharing service may result in a fake app.
With Instagram’s huge success over the past month, its no wonder this is happening. Don’t fall for it…you now know what NOT to do.
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Hulu’s Answer to the Comcast Controversy – Hope Netflix is Listening
Yesterday, the Netflix CEO calls out Comcast and today the FCC gets involved, but tonight…Hulu may have discovered their own way to fight back against Comcast. Hulu is looking to enter into the original programming market and act more like a traditional network. This may be the way to gain a competitive edge and it could possibly change the market for streaming content.
Now a bit of a disclaimer, I’m a not-so-happy Comcast customer, but have not made the jump to Hulu and I recently cancelled my Netflix subscription. Comcast is expensive, but offers everything I need for my TV entertainment. On the other hand, there’s not enough attraction or difference that makes Netflix/Hulu worth my money.
However, what I do enjoy is watching new series programming like Modern Family, New Girl, How I Met Your Mother and Two and a Half Men. Hulu is hoping that this same market of customer will feel the attraction to their own original series–which of course will only be available through Hulu. I sure hope Netflix is paying attention and is listening.
Here are some key areas that Hulu/Netflix can explore to fight against Comcast and other networks:
- Music – Providing users with special, only-available-through-hulu music content could spark some interest. Imagine special backstage access to your favorite artists? Unreleased music not available anywhere else? Special performances only available on Hulu/Netflix? There’s some incentive right there to subscribe
- Movies – Networks (ABC, NBC, CBS) have original movies for quite some time and why not Hulu/Netflix join in? Reach out to some high-profile actors and/or actors trying to make a comeback and they could put together some great movies. Again, these movies could provide incentives to subscribe
- Sports/Other Interests – Work with professional sports (Golf, Basketball, Football or even MMA/UFC) to host a few tournaments that will attract a decent amount of viewership. If a sport that I like to watch has an event that is only available through Hulu/Netflix, I may think about making a jump. Boxing is a sport that needs some attention, maybe work out a deal with them?
These are 3 key areas that Hulu/Netflix could investigate and may change the competitive landscape. The key is providing exclusive content that is only available through these apps. Competing with the traditional cable networks is tough especially if price is the main incentive. Original content of all kinds is an interesting market and with enough advertising/marketing, it could become a hit.
Imagine if Modern Family was only available through Hulu? Yes, there is a chance the show wouldn’t be a hit b/c of the limited audience, but what if it did become popular? Things would be different!
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Netflix CEO calls out Comcast – Here’s His Issue
Update: TechCrunch is weighing in on this too.
Netflix CEO, Reed Hastings, has a big issue with how Comcast registers internet usage on Netflix, HBO Go and Hulu VS using the Comcast Xfinity app. In essence, here’s what is his issue: (here’s CNET’s report)
When I watch video on my Xbox from three of these four apps [Netflix, HBO Go, Hulu], it counts against my Comcast internet cap. When I watch through Comcast’s Xfinity app, however, it does not count against my Comcast internet cap. (source: Hasting’s Facebook Post)
What is Comcast’s argument? Comcast notes that using the Xfinity Xbox app won’t use up the 250 GB monthly cap (WHICH IS A LOT) because the content is not streamed over the internet, but instead is stored within Comcast’s hardware (much like OnDemand services). This seems to justify why data usage isn’t used with Xfinity, but is it fair that other apps use up the monthly data usage?
To be frank, the 250 GB limit is A LOT. Netflix CEO said he used up 1 GB of cap by watching an episode of Saturday Night Live (which was probably an hour’s worth of data). Essentially, a person can watch 250 episodes of Saturday Night Live and barely reach the cap. Yes, many people use their internet for email, internet browsing and YouTube, but still 250 GB is a lot.
Now…aside form that, is it fair what Comcast is doing? I say YES! This gives Comcast the competitive edge and incentive to use their apps. Makes complete sense and is 100% fair. Comcast’s prices are high enough, customers would freak if this were not the case. It’s all about incentives to use Comcast’s app and to stick with their service.
Perhaps other companies like Netflix/Hulu/HBO Go should focus their time and effort on figuring out how to use less internet data usage…that will be time well spent and make their existing customers happy. In fact here’s what the other apps should focus on:
- How can they deliver content faster and easier to customers?
- How can they use less data with their services?
- How can they offer more competitive pricing?
- Perhaps the apps can join forces and provide “group” prescriptions and fight against the Comcast giant
Am I missing something?
Here’s some more information about the legalities of this subject.
Facebook’s Stab at Coupon-ing with “Facebook Offers”
Facebook has took a stab at the social shopping market, but there hasn’t been much traction. When they first rolled out “Facebook Deals” in April 2011, I was a bit skeptical and even rated the experience a 6 out of 10.
A year later and the news has broke out…Facebook Offers will be the next valid try at competing with Groupon. CNET has a good point that with the upcoming IPO, this may be their shot at gaining some traction with their Groupon killer. Could be…the future is in Facebook’s hands.
The idea of Facebook offers is good…the offers appear in your News Feed and give you quick call to actions to like, comment, share AND “Get Offer.” Easy enough and the offer will be sent to you via email or to your mobile phone.
Now, I do have to admit that my recent experiences with Groupon have not been pleasant. The buying experience with Groupon is great, but its when I present the Groupon at an actual restaurant or store. I seem to get unpleasant service as a result…almost like they treat me bad because of the coupon. I sure hope this does not continue with Facebook Offers.
Facebook Offers also gives people more incentive to “like” a particular company/store b/c with likes come offers…and with offers comes opportunities to SAVE money. Who doesn’t like that? Facebook can use their BILLION dollar user base to really become a challenger and if done right they can become THE leader.
Here’s a video showcasing the new “Offer” on Facebook:
PlaceMe App – Cool or Scary? Your Privacy is Key
There’s a new iOS/Android app, PlaceMe, that will soon need to win the “privacy debate” in order for it to succeed – will it stand the test of time? Robert Scoble says that this app will freak you out, but its the future. Although, Scoble and Kevin Tofel are right, I’d argue that this app is the PRESENT.
The app uses all of the data that is captured ALREADY by iPhones and Androids and you better believe Apple/Google are already storing this data about us. So really its nothing new, except for now “there’s an app for that.”
The premise of this app is pretty cool (not scary) since it uses anything innate within a phone to capture every place you drive to, order from or visit (home, work, school, stores and extra-curricular activities -> wink wink) without the need to check in–the cool factor = its automatic!
[By the way, this app is FREE and available now in the iTunes app store]
There are a few key features that this app needs to either introduce or continue to build on:
- Reviews - Enhanced integration with Yelp! This will help me favorite places that I’ve been to based on Yelp reviews OR write quick reviews for places I’ve visited (without a need to remember the name of the location…What was that place called again?) + AUTOMATED ALERTS that pop up if I drive by a location that fits my defined Yelp criteria (example: restaurants with 4 star rating and two $$ symbols)
- Deals - Integration with deal sites like Living Social and Groupon. Again, based on my location that is already gathered, being able to provide me with deals that are relevant to my tastes and preferences. What better way to increase my likelihood of buying a Groupon + NOTE TO GROUPON, reach out and integrate with this app…I’d use you more
- Favorites - Give me the ability to favorite AND group a location I visited. Imagine having a list of favorite destinations by: Top Places to Grub… Favorite Romantic Hot Spots… Unforgettable Wine Tastings
- Suggestions - Based on my favorites and defined criteria suggest new places for me to visit. This can range anywhere from restaurants, bars or shops + ESPECIALLY VALUABLE WHEN TRAVELING, so many times I’m traveling to different cities and have no idea where to go…this app can solve that problem for me
technorati token: 2PR5P5T73KQP
iPhone Rumor: 4.6 inch display? So what, here’s what we REALLY need…
Several reports suggesting that the new iPhone will have a cool 4.6 inch display, while some have shot down this rumor. It’s safe to say that a lot will be riding on the iPhone event that could happen in June or even July. Whereas the the new iPad announcement was nearly a refresh, the iPhone event could be the first new REAL product announcement without Mr. Steve Jobs.
Rather than a bigger display that may look nice (although not needed, I’m perfectly fine with the current 4.5 height of the iPhone 4), I’m looking for other revolutionary features. Apple is known for their innovation and we need to see it with the next iPhone.
Here are some of my must-haves for the new iPhone of 2012:
- Newest quad-core processor (industry standard)
- 3D camera at least 10MP (industry standard)
- OLED + Glare resistant screen (for those summer days)
- 40% increase in battery life compared to iPhone 4 (4G soaks up a lot more battery life than 3G)
- 4G LTE (seems like the standard even though its not available everywhere)
- Social Media widget for Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Yelp (make social everywhere)
- New, slick design (A MUST)
Aesthetically, when the iPhone 4 came out it was the prettiest new gadget in the tech world at the time. Since then, several other devices have been introduced that look equally or even nicer than the iPhone. Apple…you remember that having an iPhone has become an accessory–for some its a fashion statement just like a belt or a watch. Make us proud Apple!
Obviously, we can’t help but hope for a new design. Here are some concept designs that I deem worthy for the iPhone 5. What do you think?
Biggest Opportunity for Facebook is MUSIC TO MY EARS
Facebook is everywhere…movies, online, B2C, B2B, commercial stores and in almost every household in the nation. Yet, where is Facebook’s presence lacking? It’s an obvious one and its a billion dollar industry: MUSIC.
Yes, Facebook has band pages where you can like an artist, learn about updates, etc. But its just another website for a band. Facebook is the Social King b/c of its transparency into people’s lives and ability to make connections with people around the world. This same formula can be used for the music industry. Facebook needs to tap into this billion dollar industry and is arguably the one “like” that links every person in the world.
Facebook’s reach is golden for starving artists AND hall of famers. BUT, how can the King make it easier for artists to establish a brand, promote their music and keep existing fans happy? The idea is simple and is already out there. Pandora has a good start along with Spotify; YouTube is ahead of everyone when it comes to music; MySpace had something going for a while but somehow managed to disappear.
Here are the areas that Facebook can improve and ultimately make them unbeatable:
Discover
- Recommend: Facebook is capturing “likes” from friends and acquaintances already, but now this needs to be used. When I’ve found a song or an artist I like, let me recommend them to my close friends. After all, won’t I know better than Facebook what my friends like?
- Integration: I’d like to see better integration with YouTube and Pandora. Create a seamless user interface that allows me to watch/browse music on these sites without having to open a new browser or download their desktop apps. Facebook does a good job with integrating their presence in others, but let loose and let others integrate inside of Facebook.
Promote
- Flexibility: As an artist, give me the flexibility to customize my Fan page (of course within limits). One thing MySpace allowed was the ability to add branding…Facebook is so limited that everything looks the same. Someone who spent 1 minute on their profile looks no different than someone who spent 1 week. I’m not asking for another version of Facebook, just meet somewhere in the middle.
- What Makes an Artist: Let me integrate my YouTube, Pandora, Spotify channels within my Fan page. I’ll show a little of my music and I will give you insight on my inspirations. I want to know who inspires Maroon 5. I want to know what they listen to on the road, who they idolize and what they REALLY enjoy.
As an artist, I want to focus on tools that give me the biggest reach, allow me to spread my brand and give a personal look into my music life. What better way than to use a billion dollar social network to promote a billion dollar business! Let me showcase who I really am and have people see everything that I have to offer.
As a music lover, I want to know more about my favorite artists. Make it easy for me to discover new artists based off who I already like. Keep me locked on Facebook by making it easier to listen to my favorites and suggest new artists to my friends. Sure, I can do this now, but make it more seamless and exciting. For the music interest, Facebook is a bit boring..let’s put some “jazz” into it!
Facebook is a social giant and can use music as an opportunity to stick around for good. Despite its popularity, Facebook needs to stay innovative and keep up with markets that already have a big following. Challenging themselves in markets that aren’t familiar will keep them on top and away from becoming just another fad we had in the early 2000′s.
Mark! Let’s make this happen buddy!
Future of QR Codes – What’s at stake?
QR codes have been in business for a few years now, but left relatively unknown until recently. With smartphones expanding its consumer reach to about 35% of the adult population, QR codes may generate more and more interest. Or they could fail and be a wasted effort.
QR Code Basics
What is it? A QR code is a matrix barcode that can be used to track inventory, hold content and promote marketing campaigns, etc.
How do you access? A QR code can be accessed via a smartphone using a code reader. Some phones, such as Google Androids, come equipped with a reader. Although smartphones are the primary devices, touch pads can also be used
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Currently 5% of adults scan QR codes, which is not prime time usage but it still equates to around 14 million people. Keep in mind, only 35% of adults own a smartphone–there’s a real chance here for QR codes to emerge. The goal is to keep the growth of QR codes in line with the growth of smartphone usage. If this occurs, there’s a real chance for success.
QR codes are used to keep inventory, send users to a specific website or store data about a specific product/promotion. They’re easy to use and quick to set up, but my question is what’s the future of these?
Here are my predictions for 2012:
- Catalyst for Managing Subscriptions: QR codes will be used in compliment of “subscribing” to a service or newsletter–imagine scanning a code, then receiving an automated text to “opt-in” to future updates, etc
- Primary Location for Dynamic Content: QR codes will take over “micro-sites” and become the new way for storing dynamic content–the content can be changed on the go and is much easier to control compared to a webpage
- Bonus Features: Most consumer products will be equipped with QR codes to deliver access to “behind the scenes footage,” “special discounts” and “future offerings”
- New Business Cards: Business cards are becoming less and less important with the influx of Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn and other social media tools. Nowadays, its almost easier to follow a new content in one of these tools than to save a business card and remember to add them later–QR codes can automatically store your own contact info, interests and social media outlets with the ability to scan, send and add the new contact info directly with a click of a button
- Complete Identity: One day, QR codes will be able to store every bit of information about a person that it will become an identity. We will be able to find out so much information about a person/place/thing with a two second scan. Everything available on web (mainly Google) will be accessible through one bar code scan
The future is bright, but only if QR codes can stay relevant in a dynamic environment where smartphones today may be the trend but tomorrow its something else. Integration is key in order for QR codes to stay alive. Provide the ability to integrate and communicate with every aspect of our lives…and you’ve got a case to stick around.
So, what’s at stake? The complete livelihood of QR codes. QR codes can benefit from the smartphone growth, BUT the reverse can also be argued. What if QR codes becomes the next phenomena and people become obsessed with discovering the “hidden” content behind a person/place/thing? Then, smartphones become a need instead of a luxury. Definitely, QR codes can take the world by storm and frankly anything less is a failure in my mind.
Apple Is Expanding Its Reach With The Help Of Target
It’s a good move for both Apple and Target, but it may help Apple a bit more. As if Apple is not saturated enough, they’re moving in with Target (just like they have with Best Buy). Apple prides itself on being “easy” …devices are easy to use, devices are easy to purchase and devices are easily integrated.
Apple has saturated the tech-savy generations and is moving in on the late bloomers. Older generations have adopted an Apple lifestyle and now see themselves becoming tech savy. Why? Apple has made it easy…and fun to be a techy. While other devices (Droids and HTCs) are taking up some of the market share, Apple still leads with their innovations. Don’t agree? Just listen to the hype around Apple’s latest products.
The new collaboration will help Target expand its inventory and continue to attract new customers. If I can purchase an Apple device easily at Target, I’m intrigued. I can skip the long lines and hoards of people at the Apple Store and have a more pleasant purchase at Target. Even better…if I can get tech help at Target stores for my Apple devices, I may never walk in an Apple Store again.
Time will tell, but its a good move. It will be interesting to see what competitors do. Microsoft already started opening up retail stores in malls too…what about the “others”?
Chris A. Salazar
Email: Chris@Chris-Salazar.com
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