Today, they introduce their first integrations. Thanks to Waze users, you’ll now?know where?the accidents, construction jobs and road closures are?before you?bump into them the hard way. Waze maps will now have Google street views and satellite image. Don’t expect Google Maps to credit Waze users for?reporting every accident or incident, but what is expected is a larger audience of sorts. The Waze users can report these?incidents to Google Maps?in the following nations: United States, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Germany, Ecuador, and Mexico, to name a few. To hear Google Map VP Brian McClendon, this merger brings the best of each other. Waze brings out the best of communication, Google Maps bring out the best of technology.
I think this a great start. I sure could of used this Waze/Google Map combo when I was in a multi-mile car back up. It wasn’t until later I learned it was a severe crash, in which multiple injuries occurred. So I applaud that part. My hope is that they get this service in more countries. From what I hear about traffic in India, they can really use this app. You can only get it on Android and Apple devices, but they’re a lot of people in that nation that have those. And shouldn’t Israel be in here? What do you think of the Google and Waze merger and is it off to a good start?
Facebook is testing a VIP app that can only be used by celebrities. It lets them monitor what fans are saying about them and if they choose, the celebs themselves can jump in the conversation. Facebook wants to get stars to share more of their lives on their site. Let’s face it; it’s a lot easier for celebs and fans to interact on Twitter. That’s what drives so many tweets. Facebook has even put a team together dedicated?to working with?the rich and famous?on their site. Twitter already has celebrity partners, so Facebook is using this app to catch up.
Will it work or is Facebook wasting their time? In my years in the technological world, one thing I’ve learned is never say never. Here’s another reason I think Twitter is a better celebrity site: celebrities don’t have to say or share as much. On Facebook, people can, and often do, share everything. Now I can see why they would want to chime in on conversations, especially when bad things are said about them and want to clear the air. But I’m thinking privacy is an issue here. I don’t like the fact that even more people are paying attention to my FB conversations than they already are, I don’t care how rich and famous they are. Plus, many a celeb actually want their privacy and want to keep some distance between themselves and their fans. That’s one of the biggest complaints many famous people have today. Twitter allows them to do that. Can Facebook allow celebs to interact with fans as well as respect everyone’s space?
Six years ago, Blackberry’s stocks were around $236 a share. As of today, August 13, 2013, those stocks are around $11 a share. Now, it’s committee is talking of either selling the company or merging with another business and/or venture capitalists.
How did it get this way? When Blackberry started in the mid 1980s, it had high expectations. In the 20 plus years that followed, it lead the way in beepers, two way pagers and email devices. But after 2007, it all went down hill. That year, the iPhone was released, and Blackberry couldn’t compete. Then came competitors in Asia, with their low cost and exceptional service. There was the Blackberry Storm fiasco, and fiascos following that. They were either too bulky, the hardware or software didn’t work right, and, well, whatever could go wrong did go wrong. By the end of 2009, Blackberry’s stocks were under $50 a pop, a 78% decrease in two years.
So basically, when Apple released the iPhone in ’07, Blackberry was doomed. But what if this revolutionary company is bought out? What would they get? At best, it would probably get some patents, security technology, and nostalgia. So this wouldn’t even be attractive to many companies or venture capitalists, unless it can use what little they have to really turn things around. And hail maries have been thrown like that before in the technological world. Or Blackberry could throw one last 4th quarter hail mary on their own. What should the once high and mighty Blackberry’s fate be?
It’s been a few years since I last used Ebay, but I buy many things and make many reservations online these days. I even called a taxi online in the last two weeks. The future of e-commerce looks very bright. Let’s see what giants like EBay President/CEO John Donahoe says.
One thing Donahoe is excited about is EBay’s one hour delivery, which would come from an off-line store. And since it’s mobile to mobile delivery, you can be tracked when the item is coming and where it is. Newspaper trucks are expected to be the deliverers; personally, I think bikers would be a better way to go. He talked about mobile innovation. How would you like to use Pay Pal to tell a store when you’re coming, and when you’re there, you get the help you need, pay with Pay Pal and be on your way? Even when a store is closed, you can buy through your touchscreen on the storefront.
Donahoe hit on the head though. Throwing money at an idea isn’t enough. He says, “The best innovations actually come from a world of scarce resources.”?Well, that is how most businesses get started in the first place. But I still stick by my idea that using bikers would be a better way to carry this out. This would be especially better in cities with heavy traffic and with lighter items. I was also worried this would eliminate more jobs. But I’m thinking the future of e-commerce will create them. How bright is the future of e-commerce?
Don’t you love a good small business story? I have one for you. There’s a system called Whats App; it’s an instant messenger application service for smartphones. It’s 4 years old, but it has the success of a grown business!
As of today, Whats App has over 300 million monthly active users. They now send and receive over 30 million messengers a day. Their users share 325 million photos a day. Now they’re unveiling a push to voice messaging for all smartphones, from iPhones to Android. With this app, a user pushes a?button and records the message. The message is sent when the button is let go. There’s no length for the time or volume of the message. There’s a blue cartoon that tell you when the message is played. If you don’t send, just swipe it to the left and it will be deleted. Oh, it goes to speaker mode when your phone’s at arm’s length!
I love stories like these! Did I mention?Whats App has only 45 employees? And in 4 years, it’s grown to this. In an era where?tech companies are being bought?out or forced to shut down, this guys are going strong. I’m sure this messaging will make them even stronger.?Do we have a?future major technical conglomerate on our hands?
Ever wonder how Facebook gets so much revenue from advertisers and keeps it free for the rest of us? You can thank a strong marketing department for that. Now, leadership of that department is changing hands.
In September 2013, Facebook’s current marketing VP Eric Antonow will be stepping down, to pursue interest in his passions for better education. His replacement will be Gary Briggs, who will be Facebook’s first CMO, Chief Marketing Operator. Briggs has the experience. Upon Google’s purchase of Motorola Mobility in May 2012, Briggs served as the CMO during that transition. Before that, he was a marketing VP at Google, helping services like Google Chrome get out to the public. Before that, Briggs served as marketing VP for Ebay and Pepsi. Briggs said about Facebook, ?”For more than a billion people, it’s their connection to the friends and things they care about most. …I can’t wait to get started”.
It sounds like a good move. First off, I have a lot of respect for Antonow. Anyone who leaves a lucrative position to fight the crisis of education is all right with me. Plus, they went with experience. The only thing I worry about is Briggs’ age and how he’s going to work with a younger crowd, but I think because of his age and experience, people working for Facebook will listen to him. Some criticize this move because he was ‘a guy who worked for Pepsi’. But in the last few years, he’s also worked for Google. How optimistic are you about Gary Briggs coming to Facebook?
