Monetizing Tweet search

Different business models are being contemplated as of now to monetize microblogging.

Bill Gross, a veteran technology entrepreneur is announcing a startup, TweetUp today that is aimed at providing a search engine for tweets that will filter and rank results based on the bids submitted by tweeters to increase the visbility of their tweets.

Looks like a strong step forward in thinking of ways to build relevance around and monetize microblogging.

Apple Fights Rival Google on New Turf

Check out this WSJ article on Apple's iAd advertising system.

Apple is making a bet that mobile devices will continue to be app centric. The revenue split between developers and Apple for advertising done through iAd mirrors Apple's App Store and may harness some of the same innovation and explosive growth. Google's model of search driven ads doesn't really translate as well to mobile devices, due to users spending less time searching and less overall searches. Mobile ad revenue is currently fairly small but perhaps this new revenue model and the growth of mobile devices will create new opportunities for advertisers.

Twitter's latest acquisition

A company that hasn't figured out its business model and is not sure about the next quarter's revenues, is buying up companies. Twitter has acquired Tweetie, a popular tweeting application developer for the iPhone. Through this acquisition, Twitter is trying to strengthen its presence in the mobile world. This application which used to sell for $3 will be free now. Hopefully Twitter will figure out a way to monetize and recover the cost of this acquisition.

The "Internet of Things" Leads to Personal Accountability

Jesse Schell is an Asst. Professor of Entertainment Technology at Carnegie Mellon (now that's a job!). Below is video of a presentation I was linked to through TED Talks that expands on what happens when there is an "Internet of Things". If you don't want to watch the whole 10-minute video (though I encourage it), just watch from 8:50 to the end...it encapsulates where I think the ability to track and measure everything will really impact society.

Schell hypothesizes that once everything is connected and trackable, everything will seem like a game and be presented as such. This will increase consumers' desire to interact with products, which will be beneficial to corporations tracking one's habits for marketing purposes. Points for brushing your teeth. Points for piano practice. Points for eating a healthy cereal...where you can play a game against your friend who is also eating that cereal because your cereal boxes are Wi-Fi enabled and you're chatting with them on facebook.

The part that I find fascinating is the last 1:45 (or so) where Schell talks about the greater impact this will have. He asks, once your grandchildren are able to see what you have read throughout your life on your Kindle (or, if you're Scott Lowe, your iPad), do you think you'll read better books? As your entire life is tracked, won't you lead a better, more impactful life?

I believe that as your car insurance company is able to track your actual driving habits, which impact your insurance rates, you'll be a safer driver. I believe that as your health insurance company is able to track your eating and exercise habits, you'll live a healthier life. I believe that as a television is able to track who is watching what and for how long, my son will not sit in front of the TV watching bad MTV shows like I did as a teenager (except MTV Sports...that was awesome!).

The "Internet of Things" will improve efficiencies in industry, but it can also enable people to lead better lives. Accountability forces people to take a greater responsibility for their actions. Also, it can inspire us to greater things.

The Console is Dying

It is interesting to read predictions like these at a time when so many companies are attempting to establish their devices/OS/software as THE platform, in the hope that all functionality will rely upon their systems. It would be inaccurate to state that platforms are dying away, but there is clearly a shift in which layer the platform actually lies. In this case, a complete statement from Mr. Kojima may have said something about the movement of the platform from the hardware console to a game operating system that runs on any piece of hardware. The real question then is: Can anyone capture and control this new opportunity? Or will the likes of Microsoft and Apple naturally benefit from this shift, given that their operating systems are already the most widely used computer operating systems?

Apple iPhone Ad Hints at Embedded Advertising

Here's an ad that hints at what embedded advertisements may look like in iPhone (and iPad).

Internet of Buses

Here's an example from today's Globe of how the MBTA is using the "Internet of Things" to create value for bus riders. Since it lacks the capability to develop great software, it makes sense for this public agency to simply open its GPS data on bus locations to external developers and see what applications they come up with.