Power of Convergence

Digital convergence sounds like a mouth full of confusing technological jargon but its concept is simple. First, take any tool that holds information and make that information digital. Second, take all the tools that hold digital information and put them into one place, one product. More formally digital convergence refers to the convergence of four industries into one conglomerate, ITTCE (Information Technologies, Telecommunication, Consumer Electronics, and Entertainment). It makes itself known today in products like the iPhone.

Apple has gone to the next level with their product capabilities and in their efforts to save journalism, they have created a new product, the iPad. After remaking the business of the music industry and re-inventing the mobile phone, Steve Jobs is up for something new, and journalism has got his attention. The New York Times quoted an internal source: "Steve believes in old media companies and wants them to do well. He believes democracy is hinged on a free press and that depends on there being a professional press."



The hands-on and portable tablet is moving digital products in the right direction. It creates that intimate experience that is often times lacking in today's digital world. The iPad has more features besides being able to view newspaper articles. The list of features is at least 15 deep: photo, iBook, notes, calender, contacts, iPod and much more! It capitalizes on the idea of taking all the little daily necessities of work and personal life and storing them in one place.

Harry Strasser, former CTO of Siemens, had it right when he said, "digital convergence will substantially impact people's lifestyle and work style”. And that it should. These technologies have existed for many years, companies are just now beginning to utilize them in a way that is desirable and marketable. It is the world we live in today and instead of putting up resistance, people need to embrace the change and benefit from it! It will take time to learn the new systems but it will be well worth it in the end.

The tools that are used to create and promote digital convergence products relate to many of the topics we have discussed during this class. The unlimited amount of options that are available on new technologies like the iPad provide an opportunity and host for the unlimited amount of options in music, art, writing, acting and producing. It is a partnership that promotes the individual and their creativity. The interactions that are possible through new media also yields to the law of the long tail. For example, it is possible to post an unlimited amount of facebook updates, without running out of room, money, or memory. These interactions can take a vast amount of time but they do have financial pay-offs. The “Rock of Ages” facebook page has 300 to 600 interactions every week — but facebook is one of the show’s top sources of new ticket sales.

Digital convergence also provides space for creative commons to flourish. With new technology that can accommodate the variety of features that the iPad can, there are more outlets of creative expression. It is becoming easier and more common place to access music, videos, all at one time with the touch of a button or the tap of a finger. The opportunity to access and share the creative work with others can happen 24-7 instead of just a couple hours at work or at home.

Using the internet as a tool for democracy has proved itself to be a successful. The more access a person has to the internet, the more powerful the message will be for them. Digital convergence technology provides that opportunity of being constantly updated and reminded on the issues of democracy.


I found an article that explained the reasons and future of digital convergence better than I ever could. It claimed there were three reasons for the certainly and success of digital convergence
First, bits—the 1s and 0s that computers understand—are incredibly cheap. The cost that is saved on materials, manufacturing, and shipping takes the sale of a book, CD or movie and makes the cost almost non existent
The second major reason why digital convergence is not simply a possibility for the future but a certainty is the quality of digital materials. The difference in sound and image quality is improved with the bandwidth on certain technology.
The third major reason why digital convergence will happen is that technology is rapidly approaching the stage where high-bandwidth transmission of digital information between any two places is possible. Two companies—Teledesic and Motorola—are planning, for the first decade of the twenty-first century, a system of low-orbit satellites that will make wireless global networking available to the entire globe.

In the future, almost every device will be a network device. Some of these devices will be large and immobile, like movie or television screens. Others will be small and portable, like wallets, watches, or cellular phones. All will be hooked up to the global network. Within a few years, breakthroughs in display technology will make extremely high-resolution monitors commonplace. People will be able to carry their computers or even to wear them as clothing and will be able to use these computers, in any place and at any time, to send telephone, mail, video, or fax messages; to do their shopping or banking; or to receive news and entertainment. At home, the telephone, the personal computer, the mail box, newspapers, newsletters, magazines, the tape deck, and the CD player will be replaced by one or more all-purpose devices, and one will be able to interact with these devices using ordinary speech commands.


One place that I see this convergence taking place is in automobiles. Some cars do have GPS devices and wireless communication connections for cell phones. These technologies will continue to be improved upon by providing a pinpoint location of each car on the road. Going beyond capabilities in the car itself, the car would be able to tap into the larger network to turn the sprinklers on, turn the heat off, and turn hallway lights on. A computer in the car would allow you to shop online while you are in traffic or do any form of online baking. With all of these networks converging, it would make it possible for you to run many of your home duties from you car, making traveling less stressful and easier adaptable to everyday life. Who doesn't want that?

Videos and Pictures made possible by Google Image search and Blip.tv under the creative commons licence.

Other sites that I used in the creation of this blog:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_convergence
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2010/jan/28/can-apple-ipad-save-newspapers
http://dcc.syr.edu/index.php

Social Media..Social Revolution

If one thing is changing the world as we know it today it’s either President Obama or social media. For the purpose of the assignment I will leave my political beliefs aside on focus on this viral, world-changing phenomenon we have come to know as social media. Communication will never be the same. Facebook found a way to incorporate all areas communication into one site, and one page. All of the applications on facebook could be done the traditional way but it would take more time, more money, and more energy – things that nobody has room to spare these days. I could put together a photo album, bring it to your house, and show it to you. I could mail you an invitation to my party. I could write you a letter, call you on the phone, grow a farm, be part of the mafia, give you a thumbs up, send a gift, wear flare, and make new friends in person, but that has become too time consuming, too expensive and way too much work in today’s culture. Although I see the esteemed value in facebook, I can’t fully support it without addressing that it does have some negative side effects. People are too comfortable with these informal methods of communication that they are losing important interpersonal communication skills. Ok there I said it now we can move on! First, check out the video below...if you know anything about facebook the song will make a lot sense.



I find facebook to be my preferred social media site. I am truly astounded at the options and capabilities that facebook has both for the user and the advertiser. The basic idea, though, is that once you're in Facebook, you'll stay there -- to communicate with people, get information, post photos and videos, play games, maybe even consume music and videos, or shop. With a newly powerful search engine and other tools, users may not want or need to open a new browser to search in Google or Yahoo or go to a Web site for whatever news and information they seek.

Facebook provides advertisers to have an unprecedented amount of control over their targets and their ads. The profiles that all facebook users fill out help advertisers deliver messages to specific demographic slices. As you create an ad, you can add demographic criteria and keywords and see how many Facebook users fall into your target audience and modify it accordingly to get the most bang for your buck. Advertisers can elect to pay per impression or per click, set maximum budgets and schedule the ad to run on specific dates. Two examples I found of this really blew me away!

Chris Meyer a wedding photographer targeted women 22-28 who listed their marital status as engaged. The $300 he spent on his facebook ad has yielded a profit of over $60,000 and three quarters of his clients come to him through facebook. A San Francisco coffee shop can display ads only to local people whose profiles or group affiliations suggest they like coffee. Ads can also be aimed at people based on social exchange, such as a message or status update. “We can help you find customers before they even think about searching for you, “Tim Kendall said. “We’re very, very well positioned to generate demand, based on the fact that we know a tremendous amount about the user.” The reason that facebook and all social media are effective is because it is less about selling and more about interacting. The more the customer or supporter feels connected with the company or organization the more likely they will be to buy or donate. But it doesn’t stop there, social media allows content to be passed on by the audience, and that has real credibility.

Switching gears to another social media that I am beginning to embrace – twitter. The thing that makes twitter unique is that it can reach an unknown audience. Twitter pages are simple and direct with their message; you get a list of all the updates in one location. According to twitip and many other sources there are 5 main benefits to twittering:
1. Research Tool
2. Branding
3. Collaboration and Networking
4. Socialization
5. Direct Traffic

I have a friend, Jared, that had an internship at Henry Ford and he changed my previous negative perspective on twitter to a positive one. At The Henry Ford (Museum, Greenfield Village etc) the Media and Film Relations staff used Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and Twitter to inform people of events and exhibits and to engage fans and followers about topics they were interested in. The multimedia content that can be posted on those pages, coupled with the traditional forms of communication provide a well-rounded outreach to audiences of all ages. Sometimes museums have a hard time attracting college-aged visitors, but an intriguing YouTube video or blog post just might be the right thing to help them see the value of history.
So how do I get more followers? Provide engaging content and be interactive. It is not rocket science, it just takes work and thought. One helpful tip Jared gave me to help created interesting posts is to,” follow people who are smarter than you are so you can learn something.” Although there is much value in twitter for businesses and organizations, there is not always a value in twitter. Think before you tweet. Tweeting too many pointles and useless tweets will discredit your profile.




Relating social media to the topics discussed previously adds even more value to its industry. Facebook does not require all users to have a certain amount of friends, or post a certain amount of updates. They do not discriminate against anyone based on income, skill level, education, or popularity. Sure, many celebrities and sports stars have facebook and twitter accounts but the percentage of them are small compared to the rest of the accounts. Social media provides an opportunity for everyone to share their voice and an opportunity for everyone's voice to be heard. These themes correlate strongly with the idea of “The Long Tail” and the power that exists in the “non-hit” world. The freedom that is available for all people to search and find what they truly want, not just what they are given.
Social media also works as a force of democracy. Through group invitations, fan pages, and re-tweets, a message can be shared with millions of people though the click of a button. The internet has created advocacy messages that have become more interactive and engaging, which prompts more people to take action. The action that is taken can be monitored and shared throughout the entire world.
Creative work can be posted and shared with other individuals using social media. A virtual portfolio can be created in your profile. You can post music, art, photography, poetry and any other type of creative work. Through the use of creative commons, that work can be spread across state lines, oceans, languages, and cultures and used in ways you never thought possible!


Links I used in the creation of my blog. Check them out for more info..
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/twitter-could-become-a-recruiters-best-friend/?scp=6&sq=twitter&st=cse
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/08/28/facebook-to-nonprofits-more-pages-fewer-apps/tab/article/
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/12/business/smallbusiness/12guide.html?_r=1
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2010/feb/10/peter-horrocks-social-media
http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=31&aid=168485
http://www.twitip.com/

Pictures and video:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3103/3141182898_47f209477e.jpg
http://geekandpoke.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/01/02/stoptwittering.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSnXE2791yg&feature=fvst