Giving Your ‘Touch’ Screen Real Feelings

by Harris Cohen, the PromoGuru

You may never have heard of haptics, but you come into contact with it every day. When your phone vibrates to indicate an incoming call, that’s haptics. When you’re playing a video game and your controller rumbles along to an explosion in the game, that’s haptics. Haptics is any technology that connects with the user through the sense of touch.

The Tipping Point in Mobile Communications

by Harris Cohen, The PromoGuru

Analysts at Neilsen say we have reached that point: in May, for the first time, smartphone sales outstripped feature phone sales. Feature phones would be the pre-cursors to smartphones, which maybe could handle a game or two and would give you minimal if any Internet access, if any.

How did we ever get along without the Internet on our phones?

Apps Bring In the Money

by Harris Cohen, The PromoGuru

You’re not likely to make any money by playing Angry Birds, but if you were to develop an app of your own, you could be raking in the bucks.

High-tech analysts Canalys found that mobile apps will accrue over $7 billion in direct revenues this year, from downloads, in-app payments and subscriptions. This figure will likely double by 2012, to just over $14 billion, and is projected to reach $36 billion by 2015, which shows an annual growth rate of almost 50 percent.

From Apples to Amazon: A New Entrant In the Tablet Gambit

by Harris Cohen, the PromoGuru

Not content with just having the most popular e-reader out there, Amazon now looks poised to enter the tablet market. A launch date for the code-named “Hollywood” tablet was expected sometime in August or September. But the online retailing giant could face some setbacks, as Apple has recently placed orders for a huge quantity of parts from suppliers across the Pacific.

A Quick Boost, For You and Your Handheld

by Harris Cohen, The PromoGuru

Vitaminwater is looking to give a refreshing energy boost to more than just your body. Through ad agency Crispin Porter and Bogusky, the enhanced water drink company is integrating real, functional USB ports in their bus stop ads in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York.

The idea is to let riders charge their handheld devices while they wait for the bus. The ads are part of the Vitaminwater's 'You're Up' campaign, highlighting its message that the drink is formulated to give you a quick boost when you are on the go.

It’s an awesome idea…if we can get everyone to respect it. The line for the bus could become the line for the free charger (there do appear to be three slots). And hopefully some wisenheimer doesn’t stick their chewing gum in the slot.

Will the other energy drinks follow suit? Maybe 5-Hour Energy will set up a USB-capable subway ad, asking if your tablet needs to beat that 2:30 feeling!

The Tiny Screen Works Fine For Me

by Harris Cohen, the PromoGuru

Has your smartphone become your go-to Internet source?

A survey by the Pew Institute found that of 2,277 people polled, 28 percent used their small screen handset as their primary manner for accessing Internet content. That’s not too huge a sample of the population, so we can’t official consider the PC passé. But don’t be surprised if you see more people heading to the optometrist complaining of eye strain.

Another interesting figure from the poll found that 87 percent of smartphone owners use their device to browse the Internet, read e-mail and such. This leaves us to wonder why the other 13 percent even got a smartphone. To just play Angry Birds, perhaps?

Super-Spy Watch It May Not Be...But Pretty Darn Close!

by Harris Cohen, the PromoGuru

If you frequently leave your phone or tablet laying on your desk, but always have your wristwatch on, Fossil’s got just the thing for you!

The new Fossil “Meta Watch” will come in two models, one analog with two small digital displays, and the other fully digital. Both connect to your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth tech developed by Texas Instruments. On your Meta Watch you can receive push notifications and be able to read e-mails, tweets and Facebook updates. Since none of those apps actually exist on the device itself (they are just being transmitted from your main device), the watch has a great battery life.

Pre-orders are now being accepted, or you can wait until they go on sale officially next month at $200.

Checking your phone during a meeting can be considered rude, checking your watch carries just slightly less a taboo.

LinkedIn to Better Business

by Harris Cohen, The PromoGuru

Small business can now make the most out of their LinkedIn pages!

“Company Skills” has been around for a bit, but is one of the more straight-forward marketing approaches on LinkedIn. Businesses can showcase company info, announcements, and products photos, as well as post endorsements, similar to the personal recommendations made between connections. It’s like a graphics-rich resume for your business.

Included in the new features is “TextIn”, which gives users the ability to search and receive profile results through text messaging. You provide your mobile number to LinkedIn, authorize the app, and then via text you can search for a connection on LinkedIn. The results come back as another text message.

HP's Exclusive, Tablet-Only Magazine

by Harris Cohen, The PromoGuru

HP intends to change the way you shop for apps. With the release of their tablet, the TouchPad, they will also introduce an exclusive magazine called Pivot, available and updated only via the tablet’s wi-fi.

The magazine will be devoted to showcasing a wide array of apps, and the developers behind them. Customers will be able to explore the content based on their interests and lifestyles.

Shoot Now, Focus Later

by Harris Cohen, The PromoGuru

Thought you had the perfect shot on your vacation, but then it ended up a blurry mess? With an advanced new camera coming out later this year, you won’t have to worry. Just fix it later!

Silicon Valley start-up Lytro is set to introduce a point-and-shoot style camera which will feature technology that lets a picture’s focus be adjusted after it is taken. Once you have transferred the file to your computer, you will be able to bring any out-of-focus object in the picture into sharp relief.

Unlimited No More

by Harris Cohen, The PromoGuru

Look out, Verizon users! Before the summer ends, excessively streaming Netflix and Pandora on your smartphone is going to start costing you.

Perhaps as earlier as next month, Verizon plans to stop offering an unlimited data plan for smartphones, currently priced at $30 per month. The new tiers will put Verizon subscribers more on level with AT&T users (who lost their chance at an unlimited plan last year). Thirty dollars will now get you 2GBs per month; $50 will cover 5GBs, and $80 will get 10GBs. Similar plans already exist for tablets in the Verizon network. There will not be separate plans for 3G and 4G devices.