Last week I was at a friend’s house  and chatted to their five-year-old daughter about what she likes doing. She liked books, films not so much, but she had no difficulty rattling off her four favourite websites and then, with the skill of an IT Support specialist, cut through the internet like butter in her pint sized laptop.

Death of Analogue TV

Her generation does not know a world without internet and by next year when Saorview turn all Irish broadcasting digital, she will not remember a time without digital television.  From a TV watchers point of view, this switch will not affect most who have signed up to some form of digital package already but there are consequences that have mobile communications companies squirming with excitement. The television airwaves can be used to send and upgrade mobile information and mobile marketing is an area many businesses are paying more and more attention.

Smart Phones and Mobile Marketing

Advertisers are working in a fast changing world. The traditional method of getting the ad out there and hoping for the best simply does not work anymore. Now the ads almost have to be as interactive as the web pages to gain attention and go viral. Mobile marketing (m-commerce) is paving the way ahead of any other delivery method for advertisers. 02 have spent a considerable amount in developing their mobile marketing department and have launched their targeted advertising for their customers. Where the soon to be cleared television airwaves are concerned, the mobile companies will be offered a generous slice of the soon to be unused television airwaves so there are two consequences;

1) We can expect more targeted advertising.

2) The good news for smart phone users is that internet services will become considerably faster.

So when my friend’s daughter grows up (unless we have some sort of communications apocalypse) information sharing will hopefully be as easy as breathing.

Between then and now television manufacturers will have to come up with ways to keep their audiences in their favourite chair. They acknowledge that the internet is eating into their customers enjoyment of television so they are beginning to adapt their products to reflect these changing consumer habits.

Smart Televisions

So television is entering a new phase where it is integrating the internet as part of the screen. You can now buy these televisions which have the capability to stream the internet. But people are slow to pick up on the idea. It is possible that in 2012 when Apple produce their iTV that it may encourage the sales of the current smart televisions on the market. The best trick will be to integrate social media, television and the internet, then the manufacturers would hold the attention of their customers who will be able to watch, comment and interact with live television and the rest of the world without leaving their favourite chair.

If you enjoyed this you may like some of our other blogs.

M-Commerce

The Augmented Reality of Christmas Shopping.

Xtravision Vs Netflix

Finding Irish Internet Connections

What does the Turner Prize have to do with Christmas shopping?

Shaw captures Tile Hill Estate of his youth.

The Turner Prize

The Turner Prize for contemporary art will be announced on Monday, one of the artists short listed is George Shaw whose incredible paintings capturing his childhood realities are worth a browse.

This led me to think about augmented reality. Have you heard of it?

Augmented Reality (AR)

This is the blending of real world video and photos with the aid of computer graphics. For example on a sports programme when the pundits are talking about a particular play from the game, some stations use small computer generated rotating discs under the players to enhance the viewers understanding of their analysis.

Christmas Shopping

In a bold move Tescos are piloting Augmented Reality to their Christmas Shoppers in-store and at home. In four outlets they have installed screens beside their dvd sections so that you can preview movies you have not seen. While at home, by pointing your webcam at a particular area, you will be able to see how a product looks through this site.

Is this the future of shopping or just another fly-by-night sales strategy?

Let us know what you think?

BBC article on Augmented Reality

They say that the Irish people do not ‘hug’ to a large degree because our national psyche does not allow for the invasion of personal space, I disagree, there must be another reason. Who are THEY? Have they taken a Luas to work?

A Luas yesterday

Commuter Frenzy

Packed inside the jiggling carriages I have been forced to share the intimate details of stranger’s lives, their loud personal phone calls; I can tell what they have in their bags as the sharp corners of their laptops do irreparable damage to my kidneys; another rests her chin anywhere between my shoulder to my forearm to chat with their friend (whose breath holds evidence of what he was eating last night); all this and more as I hang on to the inside of the tram for dear life.

Dali

Years ago we used to joke about the Japanese in Tokyo having to employ people to push passengers on board their trains; now our Luas carriages are nearly at peak capacity when rush hour kicks in. Sometimes I have managed to get a prime position at the sliding doors allowing for some air each stop. Even then as the tram trundles into the station and our faces that are squashed up against the windows in a Daliesque-like nightmare, the doors slide open and EVEN more people try to get on.

Would Dali have approved?

The Crush

Lunatics who say in loud voices, “Can you move along there, people are trying to get on”. Bags straps break and shatter innocent feet below while arms, legs, and sockets are forced into unnatural contortions as people attempt to crush each other further to ‘make room’.

If I lose my grip on the pole that girl, whose chin has now found a home in the crook of my elbow, is going to find herself resting on her friend’s bag which is cosying up to my crotch. To avoid any potential harassment court appearances I close my eyes and focus on keeping my (and her) balance.

Only a contortionist would be comfortable on a packed Luas

Dublin

The Dart made allowances some years ago by extending the stations and adding carriages. This may not be as easy as Luas lines and stops have been slotted neatly into the map of Dublin’s city streets. I can only see one solution; the mixture of colds, coughs, sneezes sand sniffles that circulate in these confined spaces will one day produce a Superbug that will kill us all.

Rant over and out.

It is running until 5th December.

Ted and his paintings (inspired by his personal reflections of visits to the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum) enjoyed an engaging audience who bought some of his pieces.

Guests included Eamon Morrissey, John Keogh, Trish Barry and Pat Wallace.

Candidates should be:

• Friendly, outgoing & talkative
• Easily able to engage with members of the public
• Motivated, hard working and have great communication skills
• Fluent English is a MUST

Positions available for immediate start and to cover the Christmas period mainly in Dublin. Open interviews will be held week commencing Monday 5^th December in our Dublin 4 office.

If interested, please send your CV’s and a short cover letter to Aoife@pivotal.ie.