4 replies to this topic

[cre8pc]

From TechCrunch

If Content Is King, Multiscreen Is The Queen, Says New Google Study

New research out from Google, working with market analysts Ipsos and Sterling Brands, puts some hard numbers behind the often-noticed trend of how people in the U.S. are using a combination of phones, tablets, computer and TVs to consume digital content.

While each of these has a significant place in our consumption today, their real power lies in how they are used together — in combination, 90% of all of our media consumption, or 4.4 hours per day, is happening across all four (which doesn’t leave much room for paper-based books and publications; or for radio). This not only has implications for how content is designed, but also for how companies like Google will continue to hedge their bets across all four screens.

Given that Google will have advertising following users along the way, it also implies Google continuing to make sure that it has a role to play across all of the screens.

[RisaBB]

Interesting study which just shows how pathetic I think it is that a single source of entertainment just isn't enough at one time. I know the point of the article is to point out the multiple devices that people use, but I thought I'd go off on a slight tangent. I think it's lamo when I see my kids watching TV and they're on their ipod or iphone or computer at the same time. Like TV isn't stimulating enough. I think it's lame when I go to my local bar with great live bands and hanging to the left and right of the stage are 2 different TV stations and all around my periphery are other TV screens. There are TV's in the bathroom and TV's in the gym. People are going device crazy. Two weeks ago at that live band bar, I saw a couple slow dancing, and behind the woman's back, the guy was holding his iphone reading his messages or whatever while dancing. how lame. I think I totally went off topic.....

[DonnaFontenot]

Now, Risa, don't be so judgmental. You don't know what the guy dancing was really doing. Perhaps he was signalling his buddy to start the surprise flash mob in the adjacent building, so he could dance his girlfriend over there, surprise her with the awesome flash mob, and then propose to her.

And the kids watching tv and using the iphone or computer at the same time? I do that all the time. In fact, I often watch a show "with friends" by messaging them about what we just saw, laughing...or looking up references, etc.

It doesn't have to be lame. It can all actually serve a decent purpose. Allow your mind to expand.

[cre8pc]

People are going device crazy. Two weeks ago at that live band bar, I saw a couple slow dancing, and behind the woman's back, the guy was holding his iphone reading his messages or whatever while dancing.

It's everywhere! The new weird thing I had to help with this year was helping get my son's college books. His sister is a pro at it. Rents and returns from Chegg. My son didn't have his act together and one book was sold out everywhere on the planet. I ended up finding the Barnes and Nobel etext reader, where he could download the textbook and read on or offline with the textbook reader they developed with Adobe. It's a pretty application and cheaper than buying the book.

It didn't work on my Nook book reader though. Had to be a PC or MAC. Meaning, he needed his laptop with him instead of my easier to carry around Nook book.

As for devices, I no longer bother to keep up with all the pads, smart phones, mobile hosts...I have my Tmobile Sidekick. I learned to use it and am content with that. Don't need or want the latest gizmos.

(Posted on my laptop while watching TV. Well, Eric is. Some British comedy thing he found.)

[RisaBB]

Ha! Maybe my gripe is just with TV. I don't like TV and if there were none in my house, I wouldn't miss them. When I'm home alone, I never turn on the TV, but it seems like TV's are everywhere.

Last night, my husband had that Piers Morgan show on, which is just a talk show, and behind the people on the screen in back were swirling shapes of green and blue squares and other shapes moving around and changing gradients. As if watching an interview with 2 people just isn't stimulating enough and there has to be some graphical bells and whistles because otherwise it just won't keep the viewers attention.

And if there's a split second between segments some graphical swoosh will appear of station identification or something swooshy.

Sometimes I think maybe I belong in a time 50 years ago where there were no devices demanding immediate attention. Remember when the fax machine came along? (I'm pretty sure before that you had to mail the letter). I think that was the first time I remember the shift in communication becoming more immediate, which required a more immediate response.

I think beepers (which I think came after the fax machine and before cell phones), took it another step, and it began the degradation of the family structure, when dads and moms who used to have nights and weekends free to spend time with their kids now had to respond to 'emergencies' or things that now required immediate attention because they got a beep or an email.

not sure why I'm ranking on this. Maybe it's because my 10 year old (11 in 3 weeks) is complaining that he is the only one in Middle school without a cell phone. Like a 10 year old needs a cell phone. My husband asked me if I think it's really true - that every 6th grader has a cell phone - and all his friends have one and I'd guess that 90% of the 6th graders have one.

hmph.