Cristina Rigutto | Managing Director | Intuic Italia07/11/2011
MASH MY WEEK! Summary of outstanding news about the Internet, technology, and social media from October 31 to November 5
Science is a developing field of continuous advancement; technologies that seemed unthinkable years ago are now part of the products we use every day. This week, we will talk about facial recognition software, how it works, and which platforms are using it.
We also will present “UnThink,” the independent social network for users who “hate” Facebook. We will present their proposal for revolutionizing the social networks.
We will close this Mash my Week! with some advice for individuals and companies that want to venture into the field of digital marketing.
Facial recognition technologies
Last week Google announced that the Android 4.0 will use facial recognition technology to unlock the telephone, along with other improvements designed for the most recent version of the operating system of Google’s mobile device.
Having telephones with facial recognition technology seems futuristic, taken from a science fiction movie; however, many platforms and devices are implementing it. Let’s talk a little about them:
- Digital cameras: For a couple of years, cameras have been equipped with software for facial recognition that takes a picture when the subject is smiling.
- Facebook: An optional function, which can be deactivated, can identify and tag users when they upload pictures.
- Picasa and Windows photo gallery: Both allow facial recognition of the pictures stored on our PCs, to keep them organized on our devices and to tag them when they are uploaded to the web.
Facial recognition technology is a reality and is far from “magical.” The software works through algorithms that triangulate facial fractions and form a structure that is then compared to a database.
Multiple programs allow the use of facial recognition technology, and different functionalities for this software are already affecting our lives.
If you want to have more information, read here.
UnThink: the social network for users that want to quit Facebook
UnThink is an integrated social network that offers the same benefits as the other social platforms, but without imposing advertisements and profile changes on the user, while allowing more control over the content published. The company claims to be the “social network revolution” that will make social media independent and will release the collaborative power of people.
UnThink has been positioned as “the social network for those who hate Facebook.” Its users, the “unthinkers,” are those who feel uncomfortable with the economic benefit to big corporations in taking advantage of users; they do not tolerate invasions of their privacy and act to change it. On the other hand, they invite you to support organizations that are socially responsible, forward-looking, and want to share their success with their audience.
Among the benefits of this social network are the option of classifying friends as to the content to which they will have access (Google +) and importing your friends from Facebook, Yahoo!, and MSN, among others.
So far, the platform is in beta and can be accessed by requesting an invitation.
Mobile marketing for amateurs
Companies recognize mobile industry growth and the business opportunities it represents, but many of them still don’t know how to set up a campaign on mobile devices. Here we will share the basic steps of mobile marketing strategy published by Revista Mercado:
1. Learn the basics: It seems obvious, but also necessary, to inform yourself about the requirements and regulations of the industry.
2. Read about successful mobile marketing experiences: It helps to understand what other companies in the market are doing and which actions are yielding positive results.
3. Get to know the mobile platform operation: Explore, experiment with your web browser, subscribe to mobile news, test applications, etc.
4. Determine which type of service you will be offering your clients: Focus on one area and think about how you can add value to your marketing campaign with the new mobile platforms.
5. Make a list of potential customers and think about what you can offer them: What would add value in the mobile market? What do users need that nobody has given them?
6. Look for good service providers: Investigate and hire specialized agencies.
7. Train yourself: Keep exploring new possibilities, use your own mobile services.
Remember that the traditional ways in which companies relate to their clients have changed. If you want to be competitive, you must pay attention to the new trends.