The Who, What, and When of iPhone and iPad Usage

All advertisers seek to deliver the right message to the right person at the right moment. If content is king, then context is queen – particularly when it comes to mobile devices that are typically close at hand if not in our hands.

Smartphones and tablets are often lumped together as “smart”, “mobile”, or “connected” devices, but their use varies by person and by context. In this post, we explore context as it relates to iOS devices. We discuss who uses each device, which devices are used to enact what aspects of users’ lives and personalities, and when usage tends to take place.

Because Android and iOS devices have different audiences, we focus only on iPhone and iPad in this post. Flurry currently measures activity on 397 million active iOS devices, and this analysis is based on usage during May of a random sample of 44,295 of those (iPhone and iPad only; iPod Touch was not included). A future post will discuss usage patterns on Android tablets and smartphones.

iPhone Goes Out; iPad Stays In

Flurry has developed a set of Personas in which device users are assigned to psychographic segments based on their app usage. An individual person may be in more than one Persona because they over-index on a variety of types of apps. Those who own more than one device may not be assigned to the same Personas on all of their devices because their app usage patterns may not be the same across devices.

We started this analysis by considering what share of iOS devices used by members of each persona were iPhone and iPad. As shown in the “everyone” benchmark in the chart below, overall iPhone had a 72% share and iPad had 28%. The Personas shown above the “Everyone” bar skew more toward iPhone than the general population of iOS device owners, while the Personas shown below the “Everyone” bar skew more toward iPad.

Beginning at the top, the numbers illustrate that Personas “on the move” skew most heavily toward iPhone: Value Shoppers use iPhone to scan barcodes and find bargains, and Singles and Hip Urban Lifestylers use them to socialize. iPhone represents more than 90% of iOS devices (excluding iPod) owned by members of those Personas.

Somewhat surprisingly, that is also true of New Moms. In that case they may still be on the move, but in pursuit of the goods, services, and support they need for their new babies. New Moms may also have less free time to participate in leisure activities like reading and gaming which, as we will show soon, are more heavily associated with iPad.

It appears that moms’ device usage changes as their children get older. Moms (as opposed to New Moms) are one of the Personas that skew most toward iPad. Evidence from other sources and anecdotal observation suggests this is likely to be at least partially attributable to Moms using their tablets to entertain and educate older children. The fact that the Parenting and Education Persona skews toward iPad also supports this.

Moving to the bottom of the chart, the Personas that heavily favor iPad are associated with home-oriented activities. Those include Pet Owners and Home Design Enthusiasts, but also Small Business Owners, who may work from home. Gamers also skew more heavily toward iPad.

iPad Is For Learning and Playing -- Not Navigating

The time iPhone and iPad owners spend in different categories of apps also support the overall pattern of iPhone going out and iPad staying in. Overall, iPad owners in our sample spent 42% more time in apps on their devices than iPhone owners during May, but that time varied significantly by category. As shown in the chart below, compared to iPad owners, iPhone owners spent more than 13 times us much time using Navigation apps. They spent more than five times as much time using Health and Fitness apps to do things such as tracking walks, runs, and bike rides.

The app categories for which average time spent on iPad exceeds that for iPhone are Education, Newsstand, Games, and Reference. Again, more home-oriented activities. 

iPad Is For Evening; iPhone Is For Late Night

The chart below shows how time spent using iPhone and iPad apps is distributed throughout the day. As might be expected based on the previous discussion and conventional wisdom about iPad, its heaviest period of use comes between 6 pm and 11 pm – times when most people have downtime for activities such as games and reading. iPhone app usage also peaks during that time, but the absolute amount of time on iPad and the percentage of app use that occurs during those hours is greater. Both of those differences are statistically significant. 

The situation reverses as the night wears on, and between 2 am and 4 am usage is greater in iPhone apps than in iPad apps. This may be insomniacs reaching for phones at their bedside or those Singles and Hip Urban Lifestylers finding their way home from a late night.

What is perhaps most surprising about the distribution of time on each device throughout the day is how consistent the patterns are – especially between about 6 am and 4 pm. Given what we’ve described so far about iPhone being more of an out-and-about device and iPad being more of a stay-at-at home device, we believe that this is a function of varied lifestyles, with owners of different devices being at home and out-and-about at different times.

Multiple Devices, Multiple Personalities?

Our discussion up until now has focused on differences between iPad and iPhone owners, but obviously an increasing number of people own both devices. While our data does not enable us to link the same user across his or her different devices, we believe that individuals may express different parts of their personalities and lifestyles through their use of different devices. For example, by night a person in the Single and Hip Urban Lifestyle Personas may use her iPhone to organize her social life. By day that same person may use her iPad to run her interior design business, putting her in our Small Business and Home Design Enthusiast Personas.

That combination of person, usage situation and device is important for app developers and advertisers. For example, in this situation, our single small business owner may be more receptive to work-oriented apps and ads on her iPad and play-oriented apps and ads on her iPhone. Savvy app developers and advertisers will increasingly factor contextual differences such as those into their development and targeting plans. 

[Source]

Introducing Android 4.3, a sweeter Jelly Bean

Today we’re releasing Android 4.3 — an upgrade to Jelly Bean that introduces a number of new features, including restricted profiles. Android 4.3 also adds Bluetooth Smart support (a.k.a Bluetooth Low-Energy); the latest in 3D graphics through OpenGL ES 3.0; and more.

Restricted profiles for tablets
Lightweight and portable, tablets are perfect for sharing with others. Last October we added support for multiple users. Each person has a separate space and can freely customize the tablet experience, from lockscreen to wallpaper, apps and folders.

In Android 4.3, we're introducing restricted profiles, which let you manage per-user access to apps and content. Restricted profiles can be used in any number of situations. For example, restricted profiles enable parental controls, so certain family members are prevented from accessing mature content. Alternately, retail stores can use tablets as kiosks that show product information, or shops can use tablets as point of sale systems, all while limiting access to apps.

To set up restricted profiles on your tablet, go to the Users section under Settings.Learn more.

Bluetooth Smart support (a.k.a. Bluetooth Low-Energy)
Fitness sensors and other devices that use Bluetooth Smart technology open the door for a whole new class of mobile applications. Bluetooth Smart minimizes power usage while measuring and transmitting data, making both sensors and the phones or tablets connected to them more battery-efficient.

With Android 4.3, Nexus 4 can now connect to Bluetooth Smart sensors. Runtastic and many other developers are making Android apps compatible with these sensors.

Accelerated 3D graphics with OpenGL ES 3.0
Devices like the new Nexus 7 support OpenGL ES 3.0, the latest industry standard for accelerated 3D graphics. This brings photorealism to a whole new level in the games you're playing: blades of grass on the soccer field come alive, asphalt on the street looks real as you screech by, stubble on a villains' face almost pokes out of the screen. And with sophisticated effects like self-shadows, that villain looks even more menacing, casting a shadow on himself.

Dial pad autocomplete
With Android 4.3 we’ve introduced a new autocomplete feature in the dial pad. Just start touching numbers or letters and the dial pad will suggest phone numbers or names. To turn on this feature, open your phone app settings and enable “Dial pad autocomplete”.

Improved support for Hebrew, Arabic, Hindi, and more

We’ve made major progress on enabling right-to-left layouts across the platform user interface: dialer, home and lock screens, settings, and more. This work builds on the support that we introduced for right-to-left layouts for Hebrew and Arabic speakers in Android 4.2. We’ve also added support for Hindi, Afrikaans, Amharic, Swahili, and Zulu.

There’s more to Android 4.3 than we can fit in this post, so for a detailed list of changes, click here.

Android 4.3 is now rolling out now to Nexus devices, and will be available on the new Nexus 7 and Google Play edition devices soon.

Original Source

15 Ways to Screw up an IT Project

By Jennifer Lonoff Schiff

CIO - Paul Simon famously sang that there must be 50 ways to leave your lover. Similar could be said (if not sung) regarding projects: There must be 50 ways to screw up your IT projects. Indeed, ask IT executives and project management experts, as CIO.com did, and they will rattle off dozens of reasons why projects go astray. For the sake of brevity, however, we are starting with the top 15 ways to derail a project--and how to avoid these project management pitfalls.

1. Having a poor or no statement of work."I've seen many projects encounter troubles due to the lack of a well-defined project scope," says Bryan Fangman, senior project manager at Borland, a Micro Focus Company.

"Despite the best planning efforts, change is inevitable, so having a clear statement of work up front is essential in getting agreement with the customer on what will actually be accomplished," Fangman says. "A poorly constructed statement of work (or absence of one) will lead to ambiguities that are hard to resolve and you will never truly know when the project is finished," he adds.

2. Not setting expectations up front. One of the key ways to screw up a project is to not create a roadmap and define project requirements and expectations for all stakeholders at the beginning of the project.

That's why "before we start any projects, I make sure that everyone on both the customer team and project team have a clear, documented understanding of two primary things: What we are going to do, and how we know when we are done," says Tim Garcia, CEO, Apptricity, which provides service-oriented architecture (SOA) for asset management enterprise resource planning (ERP). "Without documented agreement on the answers to these two questions, the project is in danger from the start."

3. Not securing management buy-in. "Executing a project without securing sponsor support is not only counter-productive but also a recipe for disaster," says Brad Clark, COO at Daptiv, a provider of on-demand Project Portfolio Management (PPM) solutions. "It's imperative to be on the same page with the sponsor for a project to move in the desired direction and get organizational buy-in."

4. Using the same methodology for all size projects. "Most project management methodologies have a standard set of key tasks and deliverables for enterprise IT projects," says Robert Longley, a consultant at Intuaction, a coaching and consulting company.

"Most methodologies are designed around projects of a certain size (i.e., $1 million plus)." Longley says. "If you have a project that is $100,000 and you try to use the standard approach, you may find that it costs more to do the deliverables than it does to do the actual project."

5. Overloading team members. "Your team members are not machines," says Dan Schoenbaum, the CEO of Teambox, a cloud-based collaboration and project management company. "Pay attention to how much work each individual member is assigned," he says. "If one member is overloaded, the end product will suffer. Utilize the strengths of your team and spread out the workload as much as possible. This will avoid overwhelming your team."

6. Waiting or not wanting to share information."Waterfall approaches to project delivery--where results are not presented to users and stakeholders until late in the project--introduce risk and often lead to disappointing results," says Garcia.

That's because "users often don't know what they want until they can actually see, touch and work with it," Garcia says. That's why he recommends using an agile, iterative approach to project management. "Iterative projects delivers results in short, quick phases, with the most critical and complex components delivered first."

7. Not having a clearly defined decision-making process. "While user involvement and feedback are critical, successful projects also need a clear and defined decision-making process," says Garcia. "Project teams should embrace change, but change decisions need authoritative approval, agreement and documentation. Understanding the process and chain of command keeps everyone reading from the same playbook."

8. Not using a project management software system."Excel spreadsheets relegate project managers to manual intervention and worst of all, 'walk the floor' status updating," says Brian Ahearn, CEO, evolphin Software, the developer of digital asset management software.

"Project managers need a solution that automatically updates project status each time a task is completed, alerts you when a task is past it's due date and will provide a complete and up to date project status report," he says. "The best tools free the project manager from the tyranny of manual reporting and allow them more time to drive critical tasks."

9. Allowing scope creep (or excessive scope creep). "Loosely defined and unclear project scope, halfway surprises and frequent change requests can lead to increased timelines, increased cost, escalations, a demotivated team and, most importantly, an unsatisfied customer," says Sandeep Anand, vice president of Project Governance at Nagarro, a high-end software development firm.

To combat scope creep, "ensure project objectives are understood, deliverables are defined and the project is monitored daily," Anand says. That said, change requests are a fact of life in projects. So it is a good idea to "budget for scope creep and have a defined process for accommodating change requests."

10. Being afraid to say "no." Part of being a good project manager is being "an educated advisor," says Markus Remark, vice president, Customer Operations, TOA Technologies, a provider of field service management software and solutions.

"This means knowing when to say 'no' to a request, whether because it's not in the best interest of the company, the project, the end-users or the customers," Remark says. "Knowing how to say no and offering a constructive alternative solution" can prevent a project from becoming derailed or delayed.

11. Not being a team player. "Every project has a team that is expected to work together to successfully complete the work," says Hilary Atkinson, director of Project Management at Force 3, a business solutions provider.

"The project manager is the hub of the team, the process and the solution. Yet many young or new project managers make decisions without consulting with the team and without gaining approval," Atkinson says. "Without that communication and approvals, the project is headed for disaster. The project manager cannot manage a project schedule, budget or scope without the team."

A related danger is that "the project becomes 'our project' rather than a 'company project,'" warns Gordon Veniard, a veteran management consultant and the owner of thevenworks.com. And "instead of focusing on achieving the goal or getting it right, [team members or whole teams] then spend time looking for others to blame, defending their own position or refusing to co-operate with other teams," he says.

"It's like a non-performing sports team where the defense blames the offense; the offense then blames the defense; and the coach berates the referee. They've temporarily forgotten about winning," Veniard says,

12. Poor communication. "One of the primary responsibilities of the project manager is to communicate," says Atkinson. "Communication keeps everyone on the team up to date with the current status, next steps and any issues."

However, "too many times projects managers feel they are too busy managing day-to-day tasks to take the time to communicate," Atkinson says. "This is a critical mistake and often the demise of a project. If the PM does not send out the meeting minutes, status reports and follow-up emails, he is increasing the risk for delays, risk for conflict and project failure."

13. Too many, too long status meetings."Nothing sucks the life out of a team more than a status meeting," says Liz Pearce, the CEO ofLiquidPlanner, an online project management provider. "Sure, there's some important information in there, but all too often the same information could have easily been shared through a collaborative system," she says.

Her advice: "Reserve team meetings for decision-making. For instance, Agile teams have daily 'stand-ups' which are useful in quickly identifying and removing obstacles," she says. At Liquid Planner, they've developed a happy medium: twice weekly triage meetings, "where we review any new work that's come in, assign owners and refocus the team on high priority tasks. It's a way to processing our collective 'inbox' and stay on track with deliverables."

14. Not caring about quality--the "good enough" syndrome. "Due to different factors, such as schedule or budget pressure, it might be tempting to reduce the effort on quality assurance (QA)," says Sergio Loewenberg, senior manager, Business Consulting, Neoris, a global business and IT consulting company. However, a "lack of proper QA will result in a weak end product," he says.

"If the quality standards drop, the project will experience negative consequences such as re-work, liability and reduced margins," Loewenberg says. So the project management team needs to understand "that the cost of preventing errors is lower than the cost of fixing them."

15. Not learning from past project management mistakes. "In every completed project plan there is a wealth of intelligence that rarely gets mined," notes Pearce. "Why did our project ship date slip by a month? How comprehensive were our initial specifications? How accurate was our team at estimating their tasks? A key benefit of using a project management tool is the ability to access the data that can provide answers to these questions," she says. "If a team is committed to self-improvement, they'll reap significant rewards by spending a few hours conducting post-project analysis."

Source: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9240852/15_Ways_to_Screw_up_an_IT_Project?taxonomyId=73

The Project Management Tree Swing

Apps for Google Glass: Tweet by eye blinking

Hardly the first prototypes of Google Glass are shipped out but behind the curtain some already develop feverish on some suitable apps for it. At the forefront are the Facebook and Twitter, probably hoping for a new momentum for their networks from the mobile device.

Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr are finding their way to Google Glass. On his developer conference I/O Google announced that these apps already run on Google Glass. Their support sharing photos to these networks and getting in contact with your friends. Sharing photos via the twitter app will be automatically send out with the tweet “just shared a photo #throughglass”. In addition you can see replies, direct messages and tweets of persons marked before. Of course you can also reply, retweet and favor other tweets. The Tumblr app also allows to publish blog posts with text, photos and videos and gives you access to the messages over the blog dashboard.

But also other competitors want their spot on Google Glass. So the News agency CNN and the women-magazine Elle bring their own applications to read their content on Google Glass.

Hangouts on Google Glass

Last but not least Google showed some features of their Google+ app. Especially hangouts via Google Glass are very impressive and you can already read some crazy stories on twitter – like the guy who had a hangout with some friends and suddenly a pilot joined while flying an airplane. How epic is that?

Let the games begin. The battle for the most used social media app is hereby officially opened.

HTC One Review

BY: BLAKE STIMAC, INTOMOBILE

It’s only mid March of 2013 and so far we’ve seen some compelling smartphone offerings from the likes of  Sony, LG, and more recently, Samsung. But on February 19th, HTC unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the One, and it’s one hell of a device.

Oozing with style and power from every port, the HTC One is simply one of the most beautiful devices we’ve ever seen, which is something that we said about the One X. The spec list runs long on the One, giving it a deadly combination of beauty and brawn, but is that enough? In this review, we’ll try to see if what HTC has been working on all this time has finally paid off.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Announced: Feb 19, 2013
• Network Technology: GSM
• Network Technology: CDMA
• Network Technology: LTE
• OS: Android
• Display: 4.7 inch Super LCD
• Camera: 4.0 megapixels
• Battery: 2300 mAh

See full specifications

THE GOOD

• The design and in-hand feel is unrivaled on the HTC One
• The Ultrapixel camera provides some great photos and Zoe is awesome!
• The new BoomSound speakers are the best I've ever heard on a phone

THE BAD

• Some new software tweaks are unnecessary
• You dont have to use Blinkfeed if you don't want to, but you're still stuck with it on the home panels.

HARDWARE

While the design that we'll get into later is a feast for the eyes, the hardware on the HTC One is a feast for the geek's heart.

Rocking a 4.7 inch 1080p HD Super LCD 3 display that's ultra crisp and clear, the screen on the HTC One is one of the best we've ever come across in a smartphone. You'll find a slightly higher PPI on the device as well, as most of the competition's devices have 5+ inch displays. The screen is taller than many 4.7 inch handset we've come across, which helps the device fit in the hand better. This was a smart decision on HTC's part.

Above the display, you'll be treated to the expected assortment of sensors and other features you'd expect here. This includes the proximity and ambient light sensors, 2.1 megapixel front-facing camera, notification LED (that I really wish wasn't limited to green/red/amber) and the ear piece that's baked right into one of the two speakers found on the front of the device.

Coming in at 137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3mm, the One is a bit taller than the Nexus 4, and you wouldn't know it's a bit thicker by holding it next to the latest Nexus handset. The Nexus 4 is also a hair wider than the One (68.2mm vs 68.7). I for one love how tall the One is. Not only does the width of the device feel great in the hand, but the height makes it feel like you have more to hold onto.

Below the screen is where you'll find two capacitive buttons for back and home, with HTC's logo sitting in between them. The decision to remove the multitasking button wasn't a good idea in my opinion. The decision to include capacitive buttons at all wasn't a good idea in my opinion. Some may find on-screen buttons an unnecessary waste of screen space, but we're not dealing with 3.2 inch displays anymore. Never once have I thought my Nexus 4's display was too small because of the on-screen buttons.

Only recently have we begun to see bigger names move to using on-screen navigation on its smartphones, like Motorola and Sony, and it's a trend I'd like to see continue. Accessing Google Now should be as easy as when the dedicated search button was a part of the standard Android navigation buttons. To go to your recent apps on the One, you double tap the home button, where you hold down on the home button to access Google Now. No, it's not hard to get to Google Now or recent applications, but I've never been a fan of doubling up on buttons. Still, it's obviously not going to be that big of an issue to most people.

The speakers on the top and bottom of the face provide some beautiful contrast to the solid black screen on the HTC One. Similarities to other devices be damned, HTC's implementation has a reason to exist, which provides a stellar sound experience. The speakers are crisp, clear, and much louder than what you'd find on many other handsets today. I've been taken aback a couple of times when I watch a video or listen to music on the One. The BoomSound speakers on this handset are damn good. I'm hardly an audiophile of any kind, but HTC might have just spoiled me with this handset.

HTC kept the sides of the One as minimal as possible. The bottom houses only the Micro US port/MHL and HDR microphone for calls, the right side is where you'll find the volume rocker, and the left side gives you an area to access the micro SIM card. The top of the device is where you'll find the 3.5mm head phone jack and power/lock button. This button is also where the IR blaster is, allowing you to use the phone to control your TV.

The back of the HTC One is clean and simple. Comprised of aluminum, only broken by small white lines accenting the top and bottom, the back of the One is very easy on the eyes. Of course, this is also where you'll find the new UltraPixel Camera and LED Flash. You'll find HTC's logo right in the middle, along with a Beasts Audio logo at the bottom.

Inside, the HTC One is just as nice as everything on the outside. You won't be in short supply of processing power thanks to the quad-core Snapdragon 600 CPU and 2GB of RAM. You'll also be treated to the now-expected Bluetooth, GPS, NFC, etc. If you're a geek like me, then you'll also be happy to see that the HTC One also supportsWiFi 802.11 AC, which will allow you to achieve some insane speeds if your wireless router supports it.

DESIGN

HTC has long been known for making some of the most drool-worthy phone designs in the industry, and the One shows that the company can continue to out-design itself. The HTC One is freaking beautiful, and feels as sturdy as any handset could possibly be.

As I mentioned before, the decision to make the screen taller rather than wider was a great decision on HTC's part. It fits snugly into your hand, and gives a wonderfully weighty in-hand feel. It doesn't feel like it's going to break if you drop it, even if it would produce some scuffs on the metal case. The edges of the device are cut in a way that light will catch easily, which is a nice aesthetic touch, and also helps the pleasing in-hand feel.

There's a lot to like about the HTC One on the design front. It's very eye-catching and is sure to turn heads. And that's all without the phone being turned on at all. This is a beautiful design that is in the top of its class.

SOFTWARE

HTC has been working on many enhancements within its custom user interface, and there's quite a bit different in Sense 5.

BLINKFEED

When you first unlock the HTC One, you'll be greeted by Blinkfeed, which is unlike any homescreen experience you've probably ever seen on the Android OS. Blinkfeed is a social media and news aggregator that will keep you up to date with your Twitter and Facebook feeds, and gives you thousands of publications to choose from. Luckily, you can refine Blinkfeed down to either one publication or one social network, allowing you to have a dedicated Facebook stream only, etc.

While it isn't without some Flipboard similarities, Blinkfeed is very nice. I was a bit apprehensive to use it, but I enjoy it very much now. It's a great way to catch up with the day when you first wake up, or just when you have some time to kill. For those who aren't in love with Blinkfeed, or just don't want to be greeted with news upon unlocking the device, you can choose a standard Android panel as your homescreen. Once you do that, you can choose when you want to catch up on the news you'd like to, without it being forced on you.

I use Blinkfeed similarly to how I user my Twitter widget on other handsets I've owned, so a quick swipe to the left is what I naturally tend to do to keep up with news. Blinkfeed may not be for everyone, but you don't need to use it if it's not your cup of tea. However, it's grown on me a lot and I'm a big fan of Blinkfeed.

Blinkfeed aside, the rest of Sense 5 has also undergone a dramatic change, and for the better. You'll now find a more stock Android look and feel to the homescreen layout, with the expected HTC flare. HTC has chosen to limit the amount of home panels to just four now, not including the Blinkfeed panel.

The app drawer has also seen quite a few tweaks. The default grid size for your apps is now 3x4, which not only will make it take longer for you to swipe through your apps, but the layout also has a lot of dead space around it. It doesn't look all that great. Luckily, you can change the grid size to a 4x5 layout, which will likely be more satisfying for the user.

HTC TV

When dealing with smartphones nearing 5 inches in screen size, it's been customary of manufacturers to place the power/lock button on the side of the device. While the HTC One X also had its lock button on the top of the handset, the One's power button has a real reason to be there. The IR blaster is built into the power button, so you can use the One to control your TV via HTC TV.

HTC TV is a Peel-based app that will show you what's currently airing and what's upcoming on TV and more. The setup is rather simple if the remote code works. In my case, my Dish Network box wasn't recognized by HTC TV. If that happens, you'll need to get your regular remote, and point the IR blasters in front of each other to assign the remote keys manually -- a 30 step process. It's a bit of a pain, but it works, so I'm certainly not complaining too much.

From there, you change channels, volume, set DVR recordings, and much more right from your One. It's pretty great.

Overall, the software tweaks in Sense 5 are more than welcomed. Another cool tweak in Sense 5 is the Gallery application. You can sift through your Zoes, or just look through your photos via a standard gallery, but that's not all. HTC took it a step further and added a section for your friend's photos from Facebook. If you've logged into Facebook via Blinkfeed, you can see photos from your friend's feeds, which makes the Gallery ever-changing. It's a nice touch.

While HTC has been attempting to tone Sense down to look closer to the stock Android experience, it had always been hard for me to want to retire my Nexus completely. This time around, HTC struck a fine balance of customization that doesn't completely take away from the overall Android experience, all while being wholly HTC.

WEB BROWSER, MULTIMEDIA AND CAMERA

CAMERA

Outside of the beautiful, powerful hardware and nifty software tweaks, the camera on the HTC One is a showstopper. HTC's UltraPixel camera utilizes larger pixels, which allow up to 300% more light in comparison to what you'd find on existing smartphones today. The camera itself and dedicated ImageSense 2 chip aren't the only things to love about the camera experience on the HTC One. HTC also introduced Zoe with the One, which is a new way to view your photos. More on that later.

Simply put, the photos come out great with the HTC One. Given that the actual camera on the One is 4 megapixels, photos can become slightly noisy when zoomed in all the way. Still, this likely won't be an issue to most, unless you're looking to print out the photos. The UltraPixel camera's photos are perfect for sharing online via email, social networks, etc., which is more than likely what you'll be doing anyway.

As far as the guts of the camera go, you'll find an impressive sheet of specs. The HTC One's UltraPixel camera rocks a F2.0 aperture and 28 mm lens, Optical Image Stabilization, and a Smart LED Flash with five levels of brightness. Of course, you'll also be treated to a wealth of tweaks within the camera software with filters, ISO settings, HDR, panorama, night mode, scenes, and much more. Best of all, most of the settings and features also extend to the 2.1 megapixel front-facing camera.

ZOE

When you activate Zoe, the camera will take a few seconds of video before and after the picture is taken. When you have taken a few Zoes and photos, a Zoe Highlights video will be created for you, without any work on your part. You take the photos and Zoe can do it thing. And what a thing it is.

The Highlights video is an auto-edited and mixed 30 second video of your photos and Zoes, complete with music and filters to go with it. At the moment, you can't add your own music, but you can choose from 7 different tracks, which vary from elegant to loud and energetic.

From there, you can pass your Zoe along with Zoe Share, YouTube, Facebook, etc. It's simple to do and definitely something we have't seen on a phone before. Unfortunately, I personally wouldn't be surprised to see a Zoe ripoff become available in the Google Play Store shortly after the One is released (if something similar isn't available yet). In any case, Zoe is something to be admired and will only get better over time.

Marketing Research Chart: Top Mobile Marketing Objectives

Whenever marketers begin to investigate the implementation of a new tactic, it’s likely that the first questions asked are, “Why should I do this?” and “What are our goals in doing so?” Mobile is no exception.

When asked about their top objectives, 63% of respondents indicated they hoped to increase sales conversion, followed by increasing lead generation (55%) and lead nurturing (50%). As we learn — somewhat unsurprisingly — in subsequent charts in the Benchmark Report, sales conversion was the top choice for B2C companies, while their B2B counterparts focused on lead generation.

If you’re a B2B marketer, do you see mobile as a viable lead nurturing channel? What types of lead nurturing tactics have you employed in your mobile marketing? What restrictions, if any, have you faced in nurturing leads through mobile efforts?

Despite the fact that increasing sales conversion was a top mobile objective for 63% of marketers, improvement of the customer service experience was a low-ranking category, at just 19%.

Has your company used mobile to improve the customer shopping experience? How have these efforts paid off for your company? Does your company’s approach reflect these findings, or do you feel focusing on the lowest-ranked categories might benefit mobile efforts?

[Source]