The mobile payment industry is about to find it’s pay day – it’s estimated that mobile payment will jump over 800%.  In 2009 mobile pay companies processed 68.7 billion dollars by 2014 the industry is looking at processing 633.4 billion, not a bad return on investment if you ask me.

So are you ready for the mobile payment world?  It’s coming, don’t  you think you should start to get ready now, why wait to turn away that first customer who wants to pay with their smartphone.

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Offering freshly prepared foods can not only increase the total amount spent, but increase the number of products purchased and the number of visits in a 30 day period.

So, next time your in for a quick lunch, try your local convenient store, it’s not just for lottery tickets anymore.

Take a look at NPD’s finding here

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There seems to be a big disconnect when it comes to marketers and consumers, which should come as a surprise.  Consider this consumers feel overwhelmed and inundated with irrelevant span from programs, yet marketers are planning on upping the amount of email they send.  This is one time, when content is not King!  Consumers want information that is relevant, not everything the marketing team can think to send them.

What do you think about your Loyalty Programs – do you get what you need? Would you stop shopping or switch brands over to many email from a brand?

For more on the CMO Council’s report click here

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I love reading on my kindle and the transition from one page to the next is wonderful for reading, but hardly fast enough for any type of video.  Gaming would be a drag, as there isn’t enough of a processor in a kindle for much more then tic, tac, toe and I still question that would work.  Kindle will need to provide a much larger processor to provide the type of content most internet users has come to expect.  Would a large enough processor, make the kindle larger, heavier and more expensive?

The Kindles display is clear and photos look wonderful, but they are still black & white – Maybe Amazon is looking to bring back the black and white film industry?  Until the kindle is color, content development will be limited.

But, the thing I love best about my Kindle is how long I can go between charges – I mean if I pay attention to how often I download and how I stay connected to the internet, a single charge can last well over a week!   If Amazon starts adding different types of content that require an internet connection more often or use more power, then I’ll have to charge more often. I mean really, isn’t one of the benefits of the Kindle to be to charge once and go for days having access to my books, newspapers and blogs?  I can take use my kindle places that where I can’t use my smart phone or laptop?

I love my Kindle, but I’m not sure I would use it for gaming, surfing the web chatting with friends or even updating my Twitter – I have a smart phone for that.

What are your thoughts on the Amazon opening their software to developers for new content on the Kindle?

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Verizons "There's a map for that"

AT&T case against Verizon “There’s a map for that” ad was rejected by a Federal Judge in Atlanta Wednesday.  AT&T claims the ad was misleading, but at this point does it matter? The damage is done.  Yes, the can fight it in court, win and maybe get a monitory judgment, but will that make  difference for the consumer, probably not.  While the lawyers fight it out, the marketing staff at AT&T need to get a response and quick.

Today, AT&T came out with their counter, not as strong because it talks about smartphones and app – which refer to one product  – the iPhone, but at least they are trying to answer the map add.
Might, I suggest AT&T look at the user contract and cancellation policies of Verizon.  I think AT&T should talk to customer through the pocketsbooks – offer a one year contract – lower termination fees – get clients in the doors, then you can talk about how good your coverage is and how 3G is a small part of the complete wireless network.

Here is AT&T new ad with Luke Wilson sidebyside

Just my thoughts!

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Does your staff use technology; do your volunteers use technology? do your donors use technology?  Then why are you thinking strategically about technology?

Technology has become one of the cornerstones of operating a nonprofit – we use email to communicate, cell phone to call and text information,  Websites to provide information, services and collect donations, and yet Technology is not part of your organizations strategic plan.

Now this is not to suggest that you should throw out you strategic plan already in place and start again – that would be crazy!  But what I am suggesting is that your organization take some time and make a technology plan.  Then the next time you’re in strategic planning mode you can use the plan as a junping off point.

What should going into a technology plan?  Start with where want to be and work backwards from there.

Inventory what you have and what you think you might need in the future consider everything from the phone systems to servers.  What you think you might need may very well change right along with technology.  Please don’t forget to considerany purchase cost maintenance and staff needs?

Look at how you presently use technology and how its changed – five years ago you bought a server, now with cloud computing is a server necessary? There are dollars to be saved by looking at these items.

What others areas of technology do you need to look at?

If we Work backwards from  where we want to be we can learn our next step . You can see all the places where technology can help you succeed -  Still need help figuring out the details – drop us a line at info@ishouti.com

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Why the ousted leader of one of our nations great business collapse was talking to future business leaders is beyond me, but maybe he was telling them how not to run a business.

During this speech, Mr. Thain spoke to the issue he is most remembered,, after the collapse of a leading investment institution, the redecorating of his office and conference rooms at a cost of $1.2 million.  In an comment to lighten the discussion, he suggested that if he had to do it again he furnish it in Ikea.   While the comment brought laughs and chuckles from the audience, Ikea spokes person said “John, stop by Ikea anytime”.

But what could Ikea do to leverage this gift of gab from Mr. Thain?  Here are a couple of quick thoughts I had:

1. Find successful CEO who did furnish their office with Ikea  and promote the hell out of their smart business sense and style – I mean really who needs a $25,000 chest of drawers?
2. Promote executive office designs, that is functional and stylish with out breaking the budget

3. Start a contest to find the best design and use of Ikea products in the exec. suite.

This is one of the rare moments when a company was give a public lemons and should make sweet satisfying lemonade to toast their success!

What’s your lemon, how can we help you make lemonade?   

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Are we telling people in public office that they are no longer able to trust members of the press or the people that they work with and for because their opinions are now no longer allowed to be kept private?

How does this affect the integrity of social media, if we don’t have an ethical standard by which to follow? Social Media should hold itself to the same ethical standards when dealing with off record information as the press is supposed too.

What are people supposed to do now? I think that if someone is speaking candidly and if they don’t want it to be on-record then it should be just that, private and not ever put in print or in this case sound bite. I think TMZ violated an ethical code when they allowed the sound bite of President Obama to go public, but the larger ethical issue is that Terry Moran of ABC should have never let it out in the first place. What is the world comming to when reporters are now allowed to talk about or let slip off-record information?

What direction is social media going, if it allows this information to be brodcast? I think that users of social media should have enough of their own personal integrity to know that sometimes what people say needs to be kept private and is not for public consumption.

What do you think about journalist taking off the record comments and making them public?

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This page will be a listing of deals and specials from around the Silicon Valley.

To get the page started we are offering a free 30 day listing with related deals and specials.

iSHOUT interactive will  promote your business, deals, specials and page free of charge for 30 day via Twitter, Facebook and our blog.

If you would like your business to be promoted for free for thirty day contact us at  info@ishouti.com or at 408 431 1363

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The thought of having my personal thoughts, watched, tracked, captured and limited by my government or to be used against me is frightening.

Censorship is, as we know, a way to control.  Control and manipulation is the corner stone to the survival of these Southeast Asian governments.  Public humiliation and use of force are additional tools they use.

China is one of the world largest economies and one of the largest users of censorship.  If political and security issues are highly scrutinized and social interaction watched closely how can social media work or survive? How can social media bring about social change in this part of the world? How do you get people to become activist, when their their government deems their activities unacceptable, and more often a direct threat to the status quo.  Governments are even censoring some internet tools  as being to dangerous to the existence.

However, like we saw in Iraq after the elections, these government can’t always out smart their people and their use of technology.   As these people become more savvy with new tools and the basics of grassroots activism we will see these government struggle more and more to maintain control.

The question is do we have a moral obligation to assist our brother and sisters in their struggle for freedom of speech and life?

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