Google Android was released Thursday Oct. 23, 2008. What is Google Android? It's a smartphone! The first one of its kind that interfaces Google applications with standard phone applications! Well, its actually a LOT more than that. Android is actually a "software stack for mobile phones, including an operating system, middleware, and key operations. OK, that's all gibberish to me - laments terms please! From what I can gather, it is basically a phone that also functions as a mini, handheld computer.
Not only is this new product a phone with computer capabilities, the software behind the product does not stray from Google software standards, as it is open source. "A mobile open source programming platform? How is that possible," I thought when I first read about it. Well, as it stands, anyone can add features and programs to Android. There is even a developers challange worth $10 million between first, second, and third prize to set the bar high for Googles latest attempt at taking over the Web. However, to safeguard against nasty programmers, Google has established the OHA, or Open Handset Alliance, that will work to create increased openness among mobile environments.
So what can we expect to see in the way of cool applications and features on the phone that is, as of now, only supported by T-Mobile? Well for one things, applications on the phone will be more personalized to the owner. It seems like the sky is the limit, though, when it comes to determining what kind of apps will be put into the phone. One example came from silicon.com by Natasha Lomas. She writes, "a developer could write an app that grabs a GPS-positioning feed from public transport, mash that up with Google Maps and then get a user's phone to send an alert when the bus/train etc is a few minutes away." How amazing and altogether fascinating would that be?! I am very interested to find out where Google will bring the world of mobile technology over the next five years with this new innovation, and I can't wait to watch!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Cisco Launches Pay-per-Use TelePresence System
In an article from meetingsnet.com, I discovered that Cisco Systems was launching a pay-per-use version of their TelePresence program. TelePresence is a videoconferencing software program that provides its users with "fluid motion video, high-quality accoustics (apparently every sound; even the tiniest of them, can be transmitted), and real life-size images of participants." The article also explains that until now, TelePresence was only available to a couple hundred companies. Now, however, Cisco is partnering with Taj Hotels around the world and Tata Communications Company to set up videoconferencing rooms.
On their site, Cisco tells customers that by renting a TelePresence room one can enjoy reduced travel times as well as expenses, an increase in productivity, and a reduction of the impact on the environment that occurs when traveling to and from meetings. The technology even has phone conferencing features such as hold and mute in addition to offering standard meeting amenities like internet, faxing, and catering. The cost to ret a TelePresence videoconferencing room is $299 per hour for one to two people and $899 per hour for up to and including 18 people. I guess you can be the judge of how steep or fair this price is.
So, is Cisco's TelePresence program only for public and private companies? No way! The company is marketing their product to other parties as well. They say it can be used for weddings, birthday parties, graduations and other family gatherings. It can also be used for employee and volunteer training sessions, as well as planning sessions for events. Is this something that event planners will now have to include in their budgets for weddings and other celebratory events? I guess we will have to wait and see.
On their site, Cisco tells customers that by renting a TelePresence room one can enjoy reduced travel times as well as expenses, an increase in productivity, and a reduction of the impact on the environment that occurs when traveling to and from meetings. The technology even has phone conferencing features such as hold and mute in addition to offering standard meeting amenities like internet, faxing, and catering. The cost to ret a TelePresence videoconferencing room is $299 per hour for one to two people and $899 per hour for up to and including 18 people. I guess you can be the judge of how steep or fair this price is.
So, is Cisco's TelePresence program only for public and private companies? No way! The company is marketing their product to other parties as well. They say it can be used for weddings, birthday parties, graduations and other family gatherings. It can also be used for employee and volunteer training sessions, as well as planning sessions for events. Is this something that event planners will now have to include in their budgets for weddings and other celebratory events? I guess we will have to wait and see.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Searching through some of the event technology and meeting industry related sites this week in desperate need for something to write about, I came across a system known as Eventbee. Eventbee is an event registration software that allows event planners to sell event tickets online. All an event planner needs to do in order to sell tickets through the software is to create a registration system and then customize an event page. Then, the fun can begin! The event planner sends out invitations and the tickets start to sell.
Eventbee uses payment systems PayPal and Google for credit card processing, and also requires planners to pay a fee of only $1 per ticket for their service. The software also allows for users to sell tickets from multiple sites through Eventbee's networking system. Planners can even sell tickets through Facebook! Selling through Facebook can help planners advertise their event as the vent can be seen through features such as mini feeds, and the events can also be seen on a planners user profile page. This product definitley helps to facilitate and ease the process of selling event tickets by allowing users to customize their event pages, sell tickets on various sites, and even work through Facebook. It allows for maximum exposure of the event so that planners are given ample opportunity to sell as many tickets as possible.
Eventbee uses payment systems PayPal and Google for credit card processing, and also requires planners to pay a fee of only $1 per ticket for their service. The software also allows for users to sell tickets from multiple sites through Eventbee's networking system. Planners can even sell tickets through Facebook! Selling through Facebook can help planners advertise their event as the vent can be seen through features such as mini feeds, and the events can also be seen on a planners user profile page. This product definitley helps to facilitate and ease the process of selling event tickets by allowing users to customize their event pages, sell tickets on various sites, and even work through Facebook. It allows for maximum exposure of the event so that planners are given ample opportunity to sell as many tickets as possible.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Greenapple Maps for Event Planners
During my Tourism class on Monday night, we had a guest speaker by the name of Wendy Brawer. Wendy is the founder of a non-profit organization called Green Map System, creator of the first Green Apple Map, started in 1992. Originally designed to help tourists and new comers to New York City to develop an interest in sustainable living, the organization has grown into so much more. New and different Green Maps are continuously being worked on around the world; from the UK to China. Today there are over 440 towns and villages in more than 50 countries participating in the Green Maps program.
Before the end of this year, Green Maps will take another big step for its company by creating an online Open Green Map site, designed to bridge the "gap between awareness and action." Open Green Maps is using the help of Google Maps to create an interactice experience for people who use the site. Once open to the home page, one is presented with a map of the world with several different icons placed speratically across the continents. The icons belong to the universally used Green Maps Iconography index and represent different categories of all things green; i.e. parks, compost sites, buildings, etc). The user has the ability to turn off any of the icons that they do not want to focus on. Once clicking on an icon, a dialogue box appears with the name and address of the mapped green site. The title of the site is a link that brings up a larger dialogue box that allows the user to view details of the site, gives her an overview of the site, allows the user to leave comments if they have ever visited, and to view any connection occuring with the site, such as events, related links or related green maps. One can also add pictures or videos, and leave comments as to how the site has had an impact on their life since visiting. It is designed to be completely interactive and allow mulitple people, not just the publishers of a map, to collaborate and share their experiences.
Though the focus was not on event planners, or ways to enhance the events industry, in her presentation, Wendy did inform us that a number of event coordinators had created maps in the past. I think Open Green Maps could prove to be a great tool for an event planner. Though I am unsure of what type of maps event coordinators have developed in the past, how great would it be to have a published map of all the green locations to hold a meeting or an event, or even of companies and organizations that planners work with (various vendors) that use green processes. As LEED hotels and meeting centers are becoming more common, I'm sure a map like this would eventually become quite extensive and have a heavy impact on the industry. The fact that Open Green Maps is accessible to anyone in the world with a computer means that information such as what I just described, with green hotels and vendors, would be available to meeting planners all around the world.
Before the end of this year, Green Maps will take another big step for its company by creating an online Open Green Map site, designed to bridge the "gap between awareness and action." Open Green Maps is using the help of Google Maps to create an interactice experience for people who use the site. Once open to the home page, one is presented with a map of the world with several different icons placed speratically across the continents. The icons belong to the universally used Green Maps Iconography index and represent different categories of all things green; i.e. parks, compost sites, buildings, etc). The user has the ability to turn off any of the icons that they do not want to focus on. Once clicking on an icon, a dialogue box appears with the name and address of the mapped green site. The title of the site is a link that brings up a larger dialogue box that allows the user to view details of the site, gives her an overview of the site, allows the user to leave comments if they have ever visited, and to view any connection occuring with the site, such as events, related links or related green maps. One can also add pictures or videos, and leave comments as to how the site has had an impact on their life since visiting. It is designed to be completely interactive and allow mulitple people, not just the publishers of a map, to collaborate and share their experiences.
Though the focus was not on event planners, or ways to enhance the events industry, in her presentation, Wendy did inform us that a number of event coordinators had created maps in the past. I think Open Green Maps could prove to be a great tool for an event planner. Though I am unsure of what type of maps event coordinators have developed in the past, how great would it be to have a published map of all the green locations to hold a meeting or an event, or even of companies and organizations that planners work with (various vendors) that use green processes. As LEED hotels and meeting centers are becoming more common, I'm sure a map like this would eventually become quite extensive and have a heavy impact on the industry. The fact that Open Green Maps is accessible to anyone in the world with a computer means that information such as what I just described, with green hotels and vendors, would be available to meeting planners all around the world.
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