DIGITAL LIST 0513

Every month, Webbmedia Group makes a Digital Trends Kit available to our clients along with analysis, background information, key stakeholder connections and...the following trends list. Once our trends kit is distributed to our clients, we make the list available to the public.

This list includes our obsessions for May 2013. These are the innovations, ideas and startups that, for many reasons, are captivating us right now. Using our internal tools and assessments, we’ve spotted patterns and trends. The list is grouped into those sections.

This isn’t a pretty document. We know that. We don’t want slick graphics or mini-case studies detracting from what’s really important: substance.

Topics are listed in no particular order, and we’re not providing much context for you in this public version. If you’d like to know more, our contact information is on the last page.

SECTION 1: FACEBOOK HOME AND GOOGLE NOWWe’re seeing a first real launch of always-on personal information networks. Best practices and examples of innovative initial uses of Facebook Home and Google Now. Includes analysis of Android and (for Home) iOS launches: emphasis on photos, branded statuses, nonlinear animation, physics engine, personalized content.

SECTION 2: APP-BASED SYSTEMS AND MOBILE CROSS PLATFORM CONTENTWith a decline in Facebook popularity among teenagers, we’re seeing some compelling alternatives launch as well as new developments within existing networks. The most interesting is the advent of “cards,” or nuggets of information that are personalized for or personalized by the user at that moment.

• Facebook Home• Google Now Cards• Kik Cards

SECTION 3: SUMMARIZATION TECHNOLOGYThe $30m Summly acquisition by Yahoo! made headlines everywhere, but it was just another example of technology companies vying for audience via automatically-generated summaries of aggregated content. There’s a great desire to create personalized news feeds and to distribute that content at the right times of day for the maximum engagement potential.

• Gui.de• Summly• Flipboard developments• Pocket developments• Google developments• LinkedIn’s content network/ acquisition of Pulse

SECTION 4: TEXT MININGUsing AI, probability and structured data, an organization can successfully mine data for a whole host of purposes: predictive analytics, predicting the news, understanding the exact viewpoints of influencers in a social network, learning which content is most likely to succeed at what time of day and the like. We’re always looking at mining, but these are what’s on our radar now:

• Luminoso• Recorded Future• Clarabridge• Crimson Hexagon• Lexalytics• Funf, was at MIT, has been acquired by Google• Sky Phrase, a new natural language startup

SECTION 5: BIG DATA IN REAL TIMEOne of the biggest challenges in big data is processing power and speed. Denormalizing queries can speed things up and offer more affordable options than maintaining large relational databases.

• LinkedIn’s White Elephant: https://github.com/linkedin/white-elephant• LinkedIn’s Databus project• Kafka

SECTION 6: GIFSWith the popularity of GIFs, we’re now seeing new technologies that mimic the experience as well as search directories and more.

• Reactiongifsarchive.imgur.com• Cinemegram updates• VineTune• Vine uses: comedy, product launches• Gifs used by news orgs

We’re also tracking news and other content-driven organizations using GIFs for clicks, though perhaps not storytelling.

SECTION 7: VIRTUAL PERSONAL ASSISTANTSSiri was only the beginning of a burgeoning concierge digital ecosystem. On our radar:

• Donna• Sherpa (Spanish language version, now coming to US/ Android)• Siri• Google Now• Mailbox• Tempo• Sunrise • Poncho for weather

Automated Assistants• IFTTT - changes, now that the Twitter TOS has been modified• Atooma - for Android• Twilio

Music• Sonos• Jinni• Twitter Music• Songza• Apple’s Pandora competitor

Medical*Note: There is a lot of activity in this space, from listing services to personal medical assistants to apps, such as DoctorMole.

SECTION 8: VIRTUAL CURRENCIESBitcoin has gained widespread notoriety, and it’s inspiring new competitors. These new economies may ultimately collapse, but there’s now widespread interest in digital investing and spending.

• Bitcoin• Opencoin• New virtual currencies in Asia: digital stickers, toys

SECTION 9: NATIVE ADVERTISING/ CONTENT MARKETINGOur point of view has not changed on this topic: native advertising isn’t a new concept. The execution of output – namely, that in-house editorial teams are creating content packages rather than traditional ad agencies – is the major change in this space. The biggest trend is in how competitors are paying attention to BuzzFeed and how its success is driving significant growth in this area. We’re seeing lots of failed/ poor attempts for every few excellent packages.

We’re especially paying attention to brands like Pepsi, Virgin, Red Bull, Lowes and American Express.

SECTION 10: MOBILE BROWSER WARSSamsung and Mozilla will collaborate on a next generation Android browser. Meantime, WebKit will be updated to improve Chrome and iOS experiences. This may ultimately impact the mobile web and search experience and interfaces, which could affect content-driven websites.

SECTION 11: STREAMING LIVE TVFour years ago, we tested phones in Japan that offered over the air broadcast signal pickup to mobile phones. In fact, we observed subway riders in Tokyo watching broadcast television on their mobile phones with total fidelity and no interruption. We waited for similar technology to emerge in the U.S.. Aereo, a startup offering live television broadcast for streaming to a personal device is now here and dealing with impending legal battles. This hasn’t deterred investors. Some we’ve spoken to are more excited about streaming TV than the long-term prospects of Hulu and Netflix.

SECTION 12: VIDEODigital video is part of the overall 2013 and 2014 digital strategies of nearly all of Webbmedia Group’s clients. We continue to urge varied approaches beyond creating original programming.

Direct Streaming• YouTube Capture• Vine• Twitter and local television• New competitors• Netflix, Hulu

Live Streaming• HuffPost• Cable companies to iOS• Breaking news events: Vine, social media• TED

Simultaneous Episode Streaming• House of Cards• Arrested Development• Netflix - data mining and original programming• HBO GO

Transmedia/ Multiplatform Deployment• Tribeca Film plans• HBO GO• NBCU

Social Discovery• IntoNow• Sports discovery• Get Glue changes

Social Video - Metrics and Data• Peel captures reactions in real time• Bluefin acquired by Twitter• Interpreting the firehose: ideas from big data

Real-time Interpretation• Babelverse

Visualizations For Brodcast• Mass Relevance

Immersive Video• Condition One’s platform• Other platforms

Connected TV and Gear• Kinect, AI and observation• Kids programming and Kinect• PocketTV smart stick running Android

Video Content• New creators = everyone• Brands releasing content outside of media orgs

SECTION 13: RESPONSIVE/ ADAPTIVE DESIGNSnowfall’s Impact

• Scaling the package• Multimedia across platforms and devices

“Everywhere” Strategies• Quartz and Atlantic• FT• NYT• NBCU• Sunacor• Social IDs for login

SECTION 14: MAPPINGHyper-personal Geolocation

• DarkSky• Foursquare’s new features

Temporal Data/ Mapping• Torque

Indoor Mapping• Google• Microsoft/ Bing

Traffic• Autonomous vehicle law passes in CA• Velo Bike• Zim Ride• SideCar• Google’s lobbying• Google car

News Mapping• Mashups with community data• WNYC projects• Use maps to discover economic issues: Observatory of Economic Complexity• MapBox - Development Seed • Google Fusion - Can write to a fusion table• Google vs Apple maps

SECTION 15: TABLETS/ DISPLAYSWe are currently updating our tablet guide for June 2013.

SECTION 16: NEAR-FUTURE SECOND SCREENSOur point of view is that near-future second screens aren’t mobile phones or tablets, but lenses and heads-up displays. We’re part of the Google Glass Explorer program and have been meeting with various industry players, including lens manufacturers, about how various personal displays will serve content and utility information/apps.

SECTION 17: SOCIAL (GENERAL)Sentiment Mining

• Peel app• IBM’s algorithm• Social Flow

Image Recognition• Google’s Motorola Mobility acquires Viewdle, integrates with Glass

Browser, App and Search-Based Social Discovery

• Bing’s Social Search and magazine content• Google+ and editorial content• Rockmelt• Contactly• Brewster

Ambient Social Discovery (updates)• Rapportive• Sonar changes• Banjo’s pivot• Highlight• Glancee• SceneTap• Badoo• Aka-Aki (Germany)

Pinterest - Uses and Clones• Updates, new case studies• Pinterest for Most Wanted using mugshots• Tapiture, Pinterest for men

SECTION 18: EDITORIAL/ CONTENTRecommended Content Verticals

• Women in Business• Women in Tech• Localized Women in Tech (individual communities)• Character or Personality-driven Vertical

Content Verification, Vetting• SuperPAC App• TruthGoggles• LazyTruth• PageOneX• MediaMeter

Algorithm-Created Content• Narrative Science• Raven• Wolfram Alpha

AR/ Alive Print• New AR innovations and examples• Thinglink• Hyperlinked text in print

SECTION 19: BUSINESS/ ADVERTISING/ MARKETINGIn-App/ On-Site Purchases

• Connected POS devices (hangers, price tags, mirrors) • Instapaper-style product listings• Augmented reality shopping from IBM

Distributed Advertising• LocalON

Twitter• Targeted keyword and contextual advertising rollout

Crowdfunding• GoFundMe• Quirky• SmallKnot - small, local investiments• WeFunder• PetriDish• uBeam• Kickstarter• IndiaGogo• Fundable• EarlyShares• RelayFund• Believers Fund• CoFolio

Retail Apps and Catalogues• Retailers creating their own apps/ digital catalogues• Better Homes & Gardens paint anything app• Lowes

Digital/Mobile Payments (updates)• Passbook and iOS7• ISIS• Kiip• Square• PayPal Home• Home Depot and PayPal• NFC• Google Wallet• AmEx partnerships

Rewards Sites• Swagbucks• Foursquare partners and plans• Klout

Funding Models• TPM vs POLITICO vs Texas Tribune• Memberships• Geo-payments/ restrictions: Pianomedia

One Touch Purchases• Seamless• Red Tomato in Dubai - refrigerator bluetooth-powered magnet for ordering

C2A and A2C Direct(Consumers to Advertisers and Advertisers to Consumers)

• Twitter popup store in London, partnership with Kellogs• WiOffer - Shazam competitor• eBay’s Secret Guru

Dynamic Pricing• Square/ Mobile wallet• Loopt + Green Dot

SECTION 20: SYSTEMS/ CODE/ ANALYTICSGesture-Based Tablet Computing

• Gilt Groupe’s recipe app• MIT projects

Taxonomies and Commenting Systems• MIT has built a tool that is used for AI applications. But it can also be used to develop

taxonomies and to understand related content. • Asynchronous content consumption. Over The Line (MTV) matches stories to other users

stories so viewers don’t feel alone. Comments matching systems.• Justify is an interesting spreadsheet system to construct arguments and workflows.

Negotiate meaning in natural language. 

SECTION 21: BEAUTY/ FASHIONWe’re currently investigating the role of text and data mining on fashion/ culture websites for the purpose of monetizing communities. In addition:

Wearable Batteries• Everpurse • Power Felt• Vodaphone partnered with Richard Nicoll for a purse

In-Store Social Experiences• Hangers that display Facebook likes for individual pieces• Socially-connected mirrors

In-Store Personalized Shopping• 3D Scanning with Bodymetrics. Me-Ality, other competitors. Results include barcode, are

social.

At-Home Virtual Dressing Rooms• New tools• Warby Parker, other glasses makers

Wearable Sensors• Catalytic Clothing senses pollution level in immediate environment, scrubs the air• ICEdots helmet sensor to alert family of emergency

SECTION 22: TRAVELCompanies to watch:

• AirBnB• Xola• Hipmunk• Vayable• Skift• Wanderfly acquired by TripAdvisor

SECTION 23: LAWCompanies to watch:

• LexSpot• LawGives

SECTION 24: DIY/ MAKER3D Printing

• New MakerBot pen• Form 1 printer

SECTION 25: CONSUMER GOODS (INCL. CAMERAS)Cameras

• Cameras that organize themselves, take images and stitch together what's happening. • Collaborative video platforms• Immersive camera experiences.• CORNAR camera lets you see through buildings, around corners.

SECTION 26: GOVERNMENT/ DEFENSE• NLP can be used to determine context of conversations in translation• Gaming tools used to simulate cultural interactions

SECTION 27: MUSIC/ ENTERTAINMENT(See SECTION 18 above; also Twitter Music.)

SECTION 28: RETAIL (NON-FOOD)• None tracking as of April 12

SECTION 29: GAMINGGamificationOur POV is against “gamifying” things, but instead creating game mechanics as part of a new initiative. We created a list of strategies and guidelines for using game mechanics.

SECTION 30: PRIVACY/ SECURITYWe’re tracking numerous initiatives in this space, from Chinese hackers to augmented reality to obscure personal identity. One interesting new startup that could be useful to some of our clients is JScrambler 3, which obfuscates javascript and HTML5 so that it can’t be seen or scraped by others.

SECTION 31: NEAR-FUTUREFluid Technologies

• EyeRing: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/25/mit-media-lab-eyering-camera-hands-on/• LuminAR: Next gen lightbulb that turns the surface below into an interactive screen. AR

and gestural capabilities.• Teletouch: Looks like an AR app. Instead of getting info, you can control the world around

you. Like a universal remote. • Sparsh: Your finger becomes the memory stick. Touch something, save to cloud, paste to

wherever• Telekinect: Hacked Skype so people can remote in to the screen and share virtual video

space together

Robotics• Drone-based journalism; Drones in general• Domestic robots• Self-driven vehicles

Natural User Interfaces• Skeuomorphic user interfaces• Machine vision• Skinput -- Microsoft• Touchscreens• SPIME -- objects tracked through space and time• Haptics• Multi-touch• Gestures, oblong industries• Object recognition• Primesense 3D• Augmented Reality

About Webbmedia Group

Webbmedia Group solves complex strategic and operational problems related to disruptive technologies and emerging digital trends that are catalyzing great change across many industries.

We are innovation agents, leading our clients through digital transformations, advising them on tough decisions and offering hyper-creative, action-oriented solutions.

Headquartered in Baltimore, Webbmedia Group has team members in more than a dozen cities, including Miami, NYC and Kyiv (Ukraine). Our virtualized office and distributed platform allows Webbmedia Group to draw on a wide variety of disciplines to serve our worldwide client base. Members of our staff are fluent in Spanish, Russian, Japanese, French and English.

Key Company Info• Webbmedia Group launched January 2006.• We track emerging digital trends and advise our

clients on how to take best advantage of what's next.

• Webbmedia Group clients include with Fortune 500 and Global 1000 companies, foundations, media organizations, governments, universities and tech startups worldwide.

• We offer digital strategy, ideation and trend analysis services.

• Webbmedia Group staff are fluent in Japanese, Russian, Ukrainian, Spanish, French and English.

• We use a research-driven, pragmatic approach while developing innovative, cutting-edge ideas.

Contact Us

Site:http://www.webbmediagroup.com

Capabilities: http://goo.gl/hWHrM

Tel: (267) 342.4300

Email:hello@webbmediagroup.com

Twitter:@webbmediagroup