RSS Reader Trends among Tech-Savvy Users Read/WriteWeb recently conducted a poll among their readers about RSS-Reader usage reflecting the trend among tech-savvy users (extract):

	July 2007	January 2007	Change
Web-based (e.g. Bloglines, Google Reader, Rojo)	59%	52%	+ 7%
Desktop (e.g. FeedDemon, NetNewsWire)	13%	19%	- 6%
Start Page (Pageflakes, Netvibes, etc)	16%	14% (+ 2%)*	no change

The big winners are browser-based RSS-readers and even start-pages became more coveted than desktop-readers.

Since I'm on Google (3 years ago) I'm moving more and more applications online making extensively use of Google services such as Gmail and Google Reader. The fact is that Firefox has become my most coveted application and since the introduction of Google Gears it's even possible to download RSS-Feeds via the Google Reader making them available offline and synchronizing them the while going online again. Cool!

Experience showed that a centralization on behalf of a user simplifies the personal information management process, thus browser-based RSS-readers and start-pages can really improve one's digital lifestyle.

Browser-based RSS-readers centralize and store information and information history across several website feeds for users and extend reach for distributers.

Personalized start-pages are frequently used as an information resource and a preferred place to personalize trust worth and up-to-date news and services.

Web-based applications make collaboration easy for users and reduce maintenance costs for suppliers.

Labels: markets, rss, trend, web2.0

  ¶ 'RSS Reader Trends among Tech-Savvy Users' posted by eA : 1:05 PM  0 comments links to this post

  Increasing Demand for Online Video and Rich Media Advertising The latest report from PointTopic shows that the world broadband closes in on 300 million subscribers in Q1/2007 with the top 10 broadband nations holding three quarters of the world broadband subscriptions (USA 60,362,830; China 56,258,499; Japan 26,533,000; Germany 16,142,750; France 15,304,900; South Korea 14,102,888; UK 13,953,000; Italy 9,348,250; Canada 8,010,139; Spain 7,185,932) and with the number of broadband subscribers within the OECD increasing by 26% during 2006 further growth is for sure.

Accessing the Internet at high speeds has several positive effects on Internet usage resulting in higher connectivity and new sorts of services. Clickz News reports that 'advertising online will nearly double by 2011 and broadband adoption will increase demand for video and rich media advertising':

"The major source of growth in the Internet area is from advertising budgets being moved from traditional to online media," said Karsten Weide, program director, Digital Marketplace: New Media and Entertainment at IDC. "At the biggest risk are newspapers and broadcast television; every single traditional media will lose revenue to online advertising."

I think the more we zap TV ads, the more important it becomes for brands to integrate products and services into the video programming and deliver an emotional outstanding experience for the audiences.

Video has become one of the strongest growing fields on the Web - Google Video Search recently gave its strategy a new direction towards a more comprehensive video search engine differentiating itself from YouTube incorporating more popular Web video sites.


Searchable sites include Yahoo! Video, MySpace, Vimeo, Veoh, AOL Video, Revver, Guba, YouTube, Google Video and more, which make it the most comprehensive video search engine providing best coverage far beyond 50% of the current free online video market making even fancy videos findable without swapping the search engine. Further expansions could include this list of video sites.

A frame on top of the page displaying the video search field including related items and the search result item page below represent the new item page.

With a current Web video market share of 45% YouTube dominates the Online Video market with an attractive user audience loving Internet-based clips and videos they can view, listen, interact with and participate when, what and how they want.

YouTube experiments with its embeddable player version displaying related videos. It might have the potential to increase the number of delivered web videos with several viral options at the end of the video.


As the market dynamics and content delivery systems change a user doesn't have to care about video standards any more, just upload a film and the website does the rest for one - Blogger in Draft recently got a new video upload feature. More:

• Current Business Models for Free Online Video
• Google Reader Supports Video Now
• Trendy: More Online Video Entertainment in 2007
• Web Widgets as a Distribution Channel for Advertising

Labels: advertising, branding, markets, trend

  ¶ 'Increasing Demand for Online Video and Rich Media Advertising' posted by eA : 4:05 PM  0 comments links to this post

  Quick Look at the Q4 2006 American CSI, eCommerce Sector The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) is a highly respected economic indicator developed to show how satisfied consumers are with products and services. For the sector eCommerce, that contains the following industries: auctions, brokerage, retail, travel it's released once a year in February. Here some excerpts from Q4 2006:

'The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) continues its upward climb. For the fourth quarter of 2006, the Index reaches a new record high of 74.9 - an improvement of 0.7% over the previous quarter.'

'American consumers continue to spend money as if there is no tomorrow.'

'Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com continue to be among the highest scoring companies in the ACSI, regardless of industry, at 87 and 88 respectively.'

'eBay continues to lead among auction websites, although the company drops (insignificantly) this quarter, down 1% to 80.'

'Brokerage is up 3% from a year ago to 78.'

'Travel websites lose ground this quarter, dropping 1% to 76.'

Q4 2004:

• Dramatical Fall of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI)

Labels: ecommerce, markets, trend

  ¶ 'Quick Look at the Q4 2006 American CSI, eCommerce Sector' posted by eA : 10:19 PM  0 comments links to this post

  Polishing Screenshots in a Modern 2.0 Style with Gimp I just discovered a great plugin for Gimp on EverDusk and with my French intuition I managed to follow the installation and execution instructions. It takes a minute to render the screenshot, but the result is worth it: Screenshot with style.

Installation and execution in English under Windows:

1. Download the script and save it in Gimp's scripts folder: Programs/GIMP-2.0/share/gimp/2.0/scripts
2. Restart Gimp and acquire a screenshot
   
3. Find the plugin under Xtns/Script-Fu/Screenshot with style
4. Modify the parameters according to your taste and render the screenshot, voila!
   

Labels: gimp, presentation, trend, web2.0

  ¶ 'Polishing Screenshots in a Modern 2.0 Style with Gimp' posted by eA : 5:05 PM  0 comments links to this post

  YouTube's Rewarding Creativity soon The new Me-, My-, You-sites give control to the user and benefit from a word-of-mouth spreading through blogs and social networking resulting in an explosive growth. Competition has now generated new models to capitalize on knowledge and popularity: Sharing (ad)revenue.

As the BBC reports:

'YouTube founder Chad Hurley confirmed to the BBC that his team was working on a revenue-sharing mechanism that would "reward creativity".'

Shaping a business model based on the idea of a community means to balance the divergent interests of users, artists, the entertainment industry and technology.

• Current Business Models for Free Online Video
• Trendspotting Media Transformation

I think that sharing (ad)revenue is a good way to keep communities going. Producing a good video as well as a good site means a lot of work and should be honored.

To take advantage of the business opportunities in media and entertainment industries a transformation of the traditional creative and business processes enabled by digital technology has to take place to create solid online communications, to serve the community with outstanding services, to ensure further developments and last but not least to hook in some of the best social turntables are some reasons.

Labels: lifestyle, markets, trend, youtube

  ¶ 'YouTube's Rewarding Creativity soon' posted by eA : 9:30 AM  0 comments links to this post

  Design and YoUser-centric Innovation The ability to anticipate YoUser needs and to think outside the box are key factors to focus on YoUser-centric innovation with a core competence in creativity and new forms of innovation driving it forward based on an intimate understanding of YoUser culture.

Design and innovation can actually reshape an entire brand or the marketplace in which it exists and create an experience that YoUsers remember. During the early stage of a product or service I'm often creating designs and mockups to visualize and communicate in an effective way, to define the use-case, to deliver functional specifications or to code with the purpose to

• create new opportunities for self-expression and collaboration
• complement and compete in products and services
• leverage network effects and monetization

Labels: collaboration, lifestyle, product, trend

  ¶ 'Design and YoUser-centric Innovation' posted by eA : 4:20 PM  0 comments links to this post

  Social YoUser Models in 2007 User's most coveted sites have one in common: YoUser-generated content. The new Me-, My-, You-sites give control to the user and benefit from a word-of-mouth spreading through blogs and social networking resulting in an explosive growth.

Today, a YoUser's personal IT infrastructures and services often are equal to or better than even sophisticated enterprises. The emergence of Internet platforms, new technologies and a nearly ubiquitous Internet access furthered this evolution exploiting the limits of traditional media.

The modern YoUser will become increasingly dissatisfied in doing business with low-tech enterprises.

Shaping a business model based on the idea of a community means to balance the divergent interests of YoUsers, artists, the entertainment industry and technology.

Besides selling one's own products and services current business models for the YoUser involve

• Contextual, displayed, targeted and linked advertising
• RSS advertising
• Sponsoring and donations
• Affiliate programs and merchandising
• Social Commerce
  

I think that over the next few years many people will spend a lot more time on the Internet using it as a platform to meet, communicate and shop, to participate in virtual 3D events and to conduct business on a level of interaction we have never experienced before. Blurring the virtual and physical worlds just makes me think of how many business opportunities and of course challenges will occur in 2007.

• Web 2.0 Aftermath
• Creating Customized Applications via Mash Ups
• Trendy: Mobility and Cross-Platform Capabilities in 2007

Labels: bizdev, collaboration, strategy, trend

  ¶ 'Social YoUser Models in 2007' posted by eA : 2:29 PM  0 comments links to this post

  Trendy: Mobility and Cross-Platform Capabilities in 2007 Anytime, anywhere access to any multimedia services is in progress and addresses current trends in the telecommunications sector. Today's cellphones converge more and more into hybrids combining voice-centric and data-centric services.

• Upward Mobility (Business Week)

IP and IP-based products and services with a focus on new user-centric broadband services transform already and will continue to transform information and communications products and services within the fastest moving market in the world today.

An intense competition, exploding multimedia content, new devices and IP based networks make it neccessary to create seamless services that meet the needs of targeted customer segments.

Superior and clever presentation layers in terms of quality, cross-platform capabilities, video, audio, probably also offline storage(AMASS) will be a requirement to leverage these trends.

• The Web's Brightest AJAX Libraries and Toolkits
• Top AJAX Libraries and Toolkits (Specialized Search Engine)
• Creating Customized Applications via Mash Ups
• Back in Black: CSS Rounded Corners
• Sketching Early Stage Designs with AJAX
• AJAX Toolkits of course OpenSource
• AJAX Will Transform Web-based Applications Forever
• Winning OpenSource Frameworks in Web 2.0

Labels: ajax, bizdev, flash, trend

  ¶ 'Trendy: Mobility and Cross-Platform Capabilities in 2007' posted by eA : 5:55 PM  0 comments links to this post

  Trendy: More Online Video Entertainment in 2007 Since I expressed my thoughts last summer about the hottest topics on the Web Blogging, Video Sharing, Social Networking and Socializing on Tech-Based Interaction the gravity has further shifted to sites featuring online video and entertainment especially among very young target groups. BBC brought an excellent special about online video and the future of TV:

• Online video 'eroding TV viewing'

The technology behind the recent success of digital video distribution, the use of Flash which allows users to easily embed videos onto their own web pages complements that of blogging, forums, or web-pages.

I did a bit of research on the Internet for streaming video content over the Web that will enhance the online media experience for video enthusiasts. Brightcove, Bittorrent, You Tube, Veoh, Video Egg... and created a list of more than 40 sites. For the case of a very specialized scene like 'Skiing Le Face du Charvet in Val d'Isere, France' I set up a customized search engine that allows to search and find across those networks:

• Comprehensive Video Search Engine
  

Here a list of more than 40 online video distribution networks:

• Angry Alien, ArtistDirect,
• Blastro, Blennus, Blip.tv, Bofunk, Bolt, Break.com,
• Castpost, Current TV,
• Dailymotion, DevilDucky,
• FindVideos, Free Video Blog,
• Google Video, Grinvi, Grouper,
• iFilm,
• LuluTV,
• Metacafe, Midis.biz, Music.com, MusicVideoCodes.info, MySpace, MySpace Video Code,
• Newgrounds,
• PcPlanets, Pixparty, Putfile,
• REVVER,
• Sharkle, StreetFire,
• That Video Site, The One Network,
• VideoCodes4U, VideoCodesWorld, VideoCodeZone, vidiLife, VIDNET.com, Vimeo, vSocial,
• Web62.com,
• YouTube,
• ZippyVideos, ...

More posts about online video:

• Current Business Models for Free Online Video
• Most Coveted: YoUser-Generated Videos
• Creating an Atmosphere Sharing Video over the Web

Labels: bbc, bizdev, entertainment, flash, mashup, movies, trend, TV, web2.0

  ¶ 'Trendy: More Online Video Entertainment in 2007' posted by eA : 2:55 PM  3 comments links to this post