SWSX - Building New Experiences with Google Glasses
Timothy Jordan from Google presented at recent SWSX to developers information about Glass’ Mirror API, and demonstrated apps for Glass, such as Gmail, Path, and Evernote. Here’s the 1hr clip.
The Freemium Model, or “Give away the razors and sell the blades”
This popular monetization model for app developers means that they give away their products and services free to build a customer base. Afterwards, the app developers try to sell premium features to their new customer base.
Some of the more popular companies using a freemium model are, for example, Skype or Dropbox.
An old model, which was made popular by Netscape in the 90’s. Back in time, this model wasn’t called Freemium, but related to a much older role model from another industry: “Give away the razors and sell the blades”.
The freemium approach doesn’t make necessarily sense for any business that can’t eventually reach millions of users. Typically only 1% or 2% of users will upgrade to a paid product, says the CEO of Techstars.
Here the basic steps to making Freemium work (as described by WSJ here):
1. Limit free offerings to avoid cannibalizing your paid customers. Expect your free-to-paid conversion rate to be less than 5%.
2. Promote both free and paid offerings, rather than focus just on acquiring paid users.
3. Create an incentive for free users to refer their friends to your service or product.
4. Clearly distinguish between free and paid plans, so users can see value in paying for more.
5. Create a natural progression from free-to-paid features, such as the option to buy extra storage space on a cloud service once a user runs out of free space.
Dig into Chris Anderson’s Book “Free - The Future of a Radical Price” to learn more about Freemium.
Wifi d”Orange by Orange Labs
Orange Labs brief intro into their new wifi app.
The concept reminds FON’s wifi community. Share your wifi and get in turn access to the entire wifi community network. Sounds interesting, no?
The app has also another intriguing feature: to share your wifi access with others with a click of “Wifi d”Orange”, your wifi hotspot managing app. Nice idea, no?
This clip is in French. You find the same clip with English subtitles on the Orange Innovation TV here. To activate the English subtitles, click on the English flag at the bottom left of the screen.
AIR GRAFFITI by AT&T LABS
Learn about Air Graffiti location-based services from AT&T. The Air Graffiti mobile application allows users to associate content to a specific location, utilizing images, movies, text and more. Watch as Air Graffiti’s features are demonstrated, and then visit AT&T DayBreak Innovation
Telefonica Digital’s CEO Matthew Key presents TEF’s accelerator Wayra
Wayra is a Telefónica Digital initiative whose main aim is to promote innovation and identify talent in Latin America and Europe in the fields of Internet and new information and communication technologies (ICT). Its global project acceleration model helps entrepreneurs develop, providing them with technological tools, qualified mentors, a cutting edge working space of the financing required to accelerate their growth.
More here.
Trends - eMarketer’s “Key DIgital trends for 2012”
Excellent slidedeck presenting valuable data, which shapes the upcoming key digital trends. Enjoy
Platform - Renault goes Apps
Renault Group just presented at the web conference “Le Web” in Paris their in-car web platform. Renault became the first major automotive company to develop its own ‘tablet’ which it launches next year. First Renault’s equiped with the new tablet will be the upcoming new “Clio” and “Zoe”. Now it just needs developers to write apps.
Mobiity and Automotive - a nice business opportunity for developers, no?
WHAT IS - STORAGEROOM, A CLOUD-BASED CMS FOR APPS
Pretty interesting concept. Keen to follow its development:
StorageRoom is a flexible CMS for the data in your Mobile Applications. Let editors work on content and query the StorageRoom API from your applications.
Watch the clip.
APPS - HOW THE DEVELOPER MAKES MONEY WITH TUNE UP
Tune Up Founder speaks openly with Rob Woodbrige how to make money with in-apps advertising.
John developed the auto tune app, TuneMe, for Android and offered it for free. The app was downloaded 208k times. It is supported by advertising through the traditional mobile models. He’s got some great insight into generating revenue with smart product design and development (a learning curve in UI development) and marketing.
Watch it and learn.
VISIONARY - CHANGE AND INNOVATION IN MOBILE ECONOMY
Rudy de Waele has created a nice presentation I wanted to share it with you. It is about change and innovation in the mobile economy.
Rudy is a thought leader on wireless in Europe. He is running m-trends and is also organizer of the Mobile Premier Award in Barcelona, where selected start-ups present their ideas to a global crowd.
The event always takes place Mondays, during the week of the GSM World Congress. This year, the Award is on Monday, Feb.14th. Save the Date!
APP - MOBILE PHOTOGRAPHY EYE’EM
EYE’EM is THE hub for mobile photography. It brings together mobile photographers from all over the world to create a stream of mutual inspiration and creative expression.
Here you see their Berlin 2010 competition.
Mobile Photography is rising and ready to conquer the global art scene. It is time to aggregate the best shots and best artists and get them exhibited. Join the movement! Point and shoot! More information here.
