Description: Can a new wave of chatbots from Facebook and Microsoft upend apps as we know them, or is that just wishful thinking? Source: Fast Company Date: April 22, 2016 The rise of conversational “chatbots” begins with a claim you might initially dismiss as preposterous. “Bots are the new apps,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella declared during… Read more »
Posts Categorized: user habits
Hey Millennials, Your Mom Is About to Follow You on Snapchat
Description: Though Snapchat has mostly been known as a disappearing message app teens love, the show isn’t for them. Gary Vaynerchuk, an early investor in the service, has been watching it for a while, and his bet is that Snapchat is finally aging up. Source: Wired Date: January 14, 2016 It’s part of a mounting body… Read more »
If Your Smartwatch is Distracting You Behind the Wheel You Could be Charged: Police
Description: Smartwatches may not fall under Ontario’s distracted driving laws, but the wearable devices can still get you in trouble on the road, according to police. Source: Global News Date: June 8, 2015 More and more people are investing in smartwatches, thanks to high profile releases like the Apple Watch; but consumer adoption of the devices is raising questions… Read more »
Airbnb Hosted Nearly 17 Million Guests This Summer
Description: Airbnb seems to now be the millennial’s go-to accommodations website. Source: TechCrunch Date: Sept 7th, 2015 Growth is up and to the right for Airbnb. Nearly 17 million people worldwide booked their guest stays with the peer-to-peer lodging platform this summer, according to a new travel report. That’s a whopping 353x’s surge in the last five years… Read more »
Hi-Tech Paint Gives Urinating Revellers a Soaking
Description: Residents of Hamburg’s St. Pauli’s nightclub district are getting their own back on late-night revellers who urinate on public and private buildings, with a new hi-tech paint that sends the spray bouncing right back at them. Source: Reuters Date: March 11, 2015 Questions for discussion: 1. Do you think it is realistic to paint all the… Read more »
To Become a Grown-up Business, YOUTUBE Needs to Attract Grown-up Viewers
Description: Claiming to only “break-even” last year, YouTube must find a way to increase profits. Source: Fast Company Date: February 26, 2015 The online video platform remains unprofitable, despite an audience of billions. Read More Questions for discussion: 1. Do you regularly watch YouTube videos? 2. What do you think YouTube could do to boost adult viewership?
Next Big Thing: TV Airwaves: Moving TV Out, Mobile In
Description: The way we watch TV is changing and the FCC is offering cash incentives to broadcast stations to give up their airwaves in order to allow for the switch to mobile. Source: CNET Date: February 20, 2015 Brian Cooley discusses why wireless carriers are chomping at the bit to buy available TV broadcast spectrum in… Read more »
The Psychology Of Notifications
Description: In order to entice users, apps need to build notification triggers that are thoughtful, interesting and engaging or they risk being uninstalled. Source: TechCrunch Date: February 5, 2015 In his famed experiments, Ivan Pavlov trained his dogs to associate mealtime with the ring of a bell. Pavlov found he could elicit an involuntary physical response… Read more »
Snapchat Outgrows The Friend Zone
Description: Snapchat’s new update eliminates the “Best Friends” feature while introducing a new “Discover” feature. Source: Tech Crunch Date: January 29, 2015 Discover is Snapchat’s big new play in the world of media. It’s a special tab in the app powered by content publishers like ESPN, Yahoo, etc., offering daily long-form content with videos, articles and,… Read more »
Facebook Needs a ‘Sympathy’ Button
Description: When you want to acknowledge a post on Facebook but a “like” seems inappropriate, and a “dislike” button would be too negative. Source: Mashable Date: January 25, 2015 A school friend’s mom passed away last week. He posted the news on Facebook with a short, dignified note, giving brief details of how his mother had… Read more »