Apple | Social Media Consultants

Archive for the ‘Apple’ Category

iPhone 4s – Upgrade or NOT Upgrade? – That is the Question

Thursday, October 6th, 2011

So I’ve had several people text, tweet, email and FB me about my thoughts on the iPhone 4s and if I’m disappointed or not. Here’s my response -

Considering I still have a 3Gs, I’m more than ready for the upgrade and happy to get the 4s. So, YES, I’ll be getting the iPhone 4s. I wasn’t eligible for the discounted upgrade when the iPhone 4 came out. I can understand people’s disappointment who already have a iPhone 4, but being in the technology industry and working with developers…if people only knew how long it takes to create, develop, test and deploy new features and technology, they wouldn’t be so disappointed. Plus, there’s always lots of red tape and paperwork that holds things up. I would prefer to celebrate the innovation that is apparent in the new device vs. complain about what’s not there. If you have an iPhone 4, you may be considering waiting for the 5…but who knows exactly when that will be available.

I have a feeling Apple has tons up their sleeve that will blow our minds when it’s good and ready. I bet the 5 will blow away the 4, but they just aren’t there yet and you know Apple…they aren’t going to put it out unless it’s READY.

Below is list of the new features that I’m excited about…in case you missed it =)

New model is called iPhone 4s.
It’ll be available for Pre-order on October 7, 2011 and then to general public on October 14, 2011.
Siri is the new smart assistant (only on 4s) that will interact with you verbally to search, schedule, remind and follow up with your network.
It has a dual-core chip called the A5 that is faster for processing
Improved camera with improved optics – 8 MP camera and 1080p HD recording (hard to believe that’s built into a phone)
Loaded with iOS 5 that includes over 200 new software features
iCloud “Your content on all your devices”

There’s plenty more that’s not included in this list and you can view the features here – http://www.apple.com/iphone/features/

Tags: Apple, IPhone, technology, Tools
Posted in Apple, Mobile | No Comments »

Some Social Media Nuggets…and It’s Only Tuesday

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

So it’s only Tuesday, November 16, 2010 and there have been TWO great things announced in the last 48 hours with regards to social media.

The Facebook Messaging System

While I reserve my total review until I’m actually able to play with it…there’s been lots of hype and interest in the new messaging system. Facebook is referring to it as a “Social Inbox” as they call it in their video below. The idea is that you can email, text and chat all in the same thread…instead of current systems where conversations get broken up between the different mediums. Click the PLAY button below view the video here –> Facebook Messaging System Video

Facebook Video

The Controversial and Long Awaited Google Voice App for iPhone Now Available…and it’s FREE

A little over a year ago, Apple and Google duked it out over the internet as Google claimed that Apple denied their Google Voice Mobile Application for the iPhone. Since that controversy, many apps similar to the Google Voice one were approved and moved seamlessly into the App Store. It has been frustrating for those of us using Google Voice because, until now, the “work around” apps could not tap into all of the native features of the iPhone. We use Google Voice as a tool in our business for transcribing voice mail messages, sending texts from a computer and even recording voice conversations for podcasts. Now…it’ll be much easier to do on the go. Oh, and did I mention it’s all FREE?!? Check out the official Google Voice App in the iTunes store here.

Tags: App Store, Apple, Business, Facebook, Fresh Ideas, Google, GoogleVoice, IPhone, ITunes Store, Social Media, Tools, Web 2.0
Posted in Apple, Facebook | No Comments »

Screen shots: New iOS 4 on Apple 3Gs iPhone

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

So overall I’m excited about the updates that Apple has made with the iOS 4 software updates. I’m providing a few screen shots of the features that are my favorite, but I’m also providing links to a few other articles where you can read about the additional updates. To view Apple’s official page on the new updates click here Apple iOS 4 Software Updates

First is the ability to organize your apps into folders. The folders are easy to create and easy to undo. Simply hold your finger on the app you want to place into a folder…wait till it starts to shake a little…then drag and drop it on to another app that you want to put it in a folder with. 2 apps together = new folder “That was easy” Once the folder is created you can name it whatever you want…business tools, entertainment, travel, food, fun…you get the idea. The folders only hold 12 apps, but you can always do a News 1 and News 2 if you really have that many apps.

The other subtle update here is the ability to add a picture to your home screen background. I just put one of the default ones in the background for now, but you can choose from anything in your camera roll.

View of folders collapsed (bottom right-hand corner). Notice the notifications for everything in the folder comes through to the top right corner of the folder.

View of the folder expanded.

aj-homescreen-new-folders

There’s also the new feature for an all-inclusive mailbox where you can see new messages from ALL of your mail accounts. Below is a screen shot of how that looks. You will still have the ability to look at only one inbox if you choose, but having the choice to view them all at once is nice.

aj-all-in-one-inbox

OK, so now moving on to spell checking! This has been a much needed feature in my world…I’m a horrible speller. The software will now let you know you’ve spelled something wrong with a squiggly red line under the word. If you tap on the word, it will give you suggestions…if it has any. See below for a spell check FAIL and one that worked.

There are lots of other updates in the iOS 4 software including multitasking, improved zoom on the camera, albums for your photos, iBooks and more. You can read about all the updates here –> Apple iOS 4 Software Updates

You can also read a few reviews about the updates:

Mashable! –> iOS 4: The Complete Walkthrough and Guide [VIDEO]

CNET –> Apple iOS 4 review

Tags: Apple Inc., IPhone, Mobile phone, Spell checker
Posted in Apple | No Comments »

Sales presentaitons iPad style!

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

What if an iPad could help you close more sales? We work closely with other marketing companies to make sure that we have any resource our clients may need outside of what we can do. One of them being blëzoo. . .a Orlando based company providing marketing advice on promotional products and strategies.

If your company or organization has ever shopped for promotional products you’ve probably met with a sale rep that showed up with a suitcase full of pens and a stack of catalogs. We like the way blëzoo has always handled our clients and are thankful they don’t do business that way. They recently kicked it up a notch by bringing iPads in house to take their sales presentations to a new level. We were impressed by how they are using the device and wanted to share! Below is the posting from their blog explaining some of the steps they took to get the device presentation ready! You can view the original post here —-> blezoo: iThink We Are Onto Something

iThink We Are Onto Something

This week Blezoo has begun using the iPad at our presentations & meetings. At first we thought it’d be a simple process but with all of the options available it actually has become a complicated process of narrowing down the most effective presentation techniques. There are way too many apps and ways (e-mail, pictures, web-based) that you could use to review products. Here is why we decided to make the leap:

It’s greener, and today is Earth Day!

Would you rather lug 30 catalogs to a meeting or have all of the info & pics into an iPad?

You can lay it flat on a table and both view items on the vivid screen.

GoodReader app allows you to drag and drop folders onto the iPad through WiFi. No more extra work to get presentations ready.

There is a VGA converter, so you can use it to run presentations on big screen or projectors.

You can render mock-ups and use KeyNote to present them with notes.

Swiping across a touchscreen is just a lot cooler than clicking keys.

We can access our Web-based back-end, and 1-click email clients new products they like.

You can use an app to turn it into a second screen (think of the possibilities).

In an industry with very little differentiation we can’t afford NOT to be a step ahead.

Tags: Advertising, Apple, Business, Earth Day, Email client, Fresh Ideas, iPad, Orlando, Touchscreen, Wi-Fi
Posted in Apple, Tips, Tools | No Comments »