Gizmodo says the Froyo is sweet. Should I buy one?

One of the best things about working in the digital space is having an excuse to go out and buy/try the newest thing on the market. It’s kind of like when you have children, which gives you the built-in excuse to watch fun kids' movies -- “Ice Age and Wall-E” anyone? -- or dress up in a silly costume  on Halloween.

That’s the way I feel after reading Gizmodo’s review of the Android 2.2 ‘Froyo.’ I don’t have a Froyo. But I’ll probably go get one soon so I can compare it with the iPhone.

Do I need two phones? No, not really, though I can make the argument I can use one for my business and one for personal use. I’ve got a good friend at ESPN who had to get a second phone for work. And she chose a second iPhone. Sigh.

So give Gizmodo’s review a good look (and sift through the comments, too). Tell me what you think. Should I get Froyo or not?

Android 2.2 'Froyo' review: It's sweet {Gizmodo}
Wall-E review {RogerEbert.com}
Ice Age review {RobertEbert.com}

Star Wars meets the World Cup: A fun idea to discuss

So much of today’s technology is created or adopted outside the U.S. that it gets overlooked by media here. Think 3D, virtual life, or of wireless and quick response codes, audio tweets, augmented reality and radio frequency identification.

Such was the case with last week’s bid by Japan to host the 2022 World Cup. Lost -- well, not exactly lost but certainly under-reported and under-tweeted --  was Japan’s plan to beam holographic broadcasts of the event around the globe. Think Princess Leia and Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi meet Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney.

For the small sum of $6 billion, Japan is suggesting that by 2022 it could project lifelike 3D images onto real pitches in real stadiums around the world and have fans watch players playing real games, holographically speaking.

That technology doesn’t yet exist. But it may within the next five or 10 years.

Of cricket, Google TV and altered playing fields

As the masses dissect Thursday's reveal of Google TV -- and Mark Cuban's blog has an interesting take on it -- the debate is on about how successful it will be. While not everything Google has touched turns to gold, it consistently has been ahead of the curve. Its recent foray into broadcasting live sports is the most recent example.

YouTube, a subsidiary of Google, just concluded broadcasting cricket around the globe to unparalleled success. YouTube carried the Indian Premier League's third season, broadcasting the league's 60 matches live. 

YouTube's IPL channel reportedly got 54 million video views. To put that into perspective, NBC got 45 million video streams for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. According to the New York Times, 40 percent of the IPL viewers came from outside of India.

It was the first time YouTube carried a major sporting event. It won't be the last. Google has already indicated it will pursue other sports to broadcast live, and other events such as concerts. India has a population of nearly 1.2 billion. Getting 54 million streams for the IPL was just a first step. Sports that attract global audiences -- think soccer, cycling and field hockey -- may be next up.

Can Smart TV change a culture of coach potatoes?

In its continuing bid for world domination, Google has set its sights on Internet TV. The company is expected to debut what it's calling Smart TV -- software for Internet-connected TVs -- at a conference on Thursday for software programmers in San Francisco.

Google is partnering with Sony, Intel and Logitech in an effort to create an interactive television experience for viewers.

"The revolution we're about to go through is the biggest single change in television since it went color," Intel Chief Executive Paul Otellini said.

There's no doubt that Internet TV seems like the next evolutionary step for mass consumption.

The question is, will it succeed?

New technology coming to social media near you

Two recent stories in Advertising Age underscore the power of Facebook, and how companies need to stay vigilant about adapting and exploiting emerging technologies via social media platforms.

The first story focused on how Facebook was nearing a launch date for its location-based functionality. The second reported how magazines would be able to sell subscriptions within Facebook’s news feed.


Location-based services (LBS) are a hot topic this year in social media, much as 3D is for the television industry. So when a behemoth like Facebook -- with its more than 450 million users -- announces adoption of LBS, companies need to take note. The same is true for the system Facebook will try to introduce offering users the ability to purchase subscriptions without leaving their site. The key phrase there being “without leaving their site.”

How companies can best leverage either technology is obviously dependent on what business they’re in, but it is important to be aware of emerging technologies and start thinking about what they could mean for your organization. Not long ago, LBS was one in a sea of new ideas, but it has grown quickly into something Facebook wants to leverage. There are others on the horizon, like QR codes and augmented reality, which could work their way toward mainstream use as well.

Magazines to sell subscriptions within Facebook’s news feed {Advertising Age}
Mags look to Facebook to hawk print subscriptions {Paid Content}
What will Facebook’s upcoming location-based service look like? {Mobile Beat}
Facebook poised to take geo-networking mainstream {Advertising Age}
How Facebook's geo-netoworking plans will change everything {Advertising Age}