Categories
Mobile Apps

May the FORCE Be with You

According to Bloomberg Business, the new generation of Apple phones are in the production stages. For those who love keeping up with Apple’s new and innovative products, this is always exciting news.

So what sticks out about these new phones?

For starters, the next generation device (which is predicted to be called the iPhone 6s), will have Force Touch capabilities, just like the new Apple Watch. Force Touch allows the screen to differentiate between different levels of pressure, i.e. lightly tapping, or pressing firmly. This feature will make it so that certain actions will be made easier, and the user will have the power to adjust the pressure to match up with different types of functions.

As we have seen on the Apple Watch and the new MacBook, this feature is pretty awesome. It is also rumored that the next iPhone will have a different kind of aluminum, one that is currently being used on the Apple Watch Sport. Word has also been spreading that they may be coming out with a rose gold colored phone. Always neat to see what changes are in store in the world of Apple.

Sources: Bloomberg.com, Mashable.com

Categories
Mobile Apps

A New Age for Mobile Ads

“The long season of mobile is clearly upon us”.

A plethora of advertising technology companies are falling behind when it comes to recognizing the endless opportunities, demands, and challenges of mobile. How do these companies make the necessary changes to keep up, or as Mashable likes to say: play the “Game of Phones”.

One way to do this is to leave old methods behind. Desktops and mobile devices are completely different entities, so it makes sense to not treat mobile as if it were a desktop. The ad formats and technologies should be extensively different than one another. Since mobile phones are much more personal and we practically take them everywhere we go, using old methods like banner ads just doesn’t do the job, and it becomes more of an annoyance than anything else.

Taking advantage of new and unique mobile capabilities is the way to go. For instance, we have recently partnered with XAPPmedia to incorporate XAPP Ads into our mobile apps. XAPP Ads are the first interactive audio ads that allow users to respond by using only their voice. This lets the user interact with the advertisement hands free and eyes free. Another new and interesting marketing tool is sensory stimulation from vibrations and sounds that users feel prior to and throughout an advertisement. The point being, ads do not always have to be visual.

Thinking of your consumers and putting them first is important. In order for the users to enjoy your ads instead of finding them an inconvenience, you must add to their experience instead of interrupting it. You should understand what their goals are and when the best time is to approach them.

Leaders in the ad industry are already working on new types of metrics for engagement, and some are even starting to use neuro-marketing to understand how consumers’ minds and bodies react to mobile ads.

Overall, the best way to use advertising on mobile is to leave the old methods behind, take advantage of new technologies, put consumers first, and make real connections with those consumers.

Categories
Mobile Apps Radio

Radio Express Partners with Jacobs Media’s jacapps to Bring Branded Station Apps to Radio Stations in Africa and Latin America

Radio Express, the world’s leading supplier of entertainment programming to radio outside the U.S., announces that it has entered into an agreement with Jacobs Media to exclusively market and sell Jacobs’ radio apps in Latin America and Africa through their app company, jacapps. Radio Express will take jacapps’ all new V4 platform for radio internationally for the first time since its introduction in the U.S. earlier this year, providing stations with their own branded app on smartphones and other mobiles devices at an affordable price. The apps give stations more than a stream, with integrated social media that allows listeners to see the station’s social stream and interact without ever leaving the app. and on-demand content, and deliver a cost effective solution for stations to get their brands and products onto the mobile devices of millions of consumers and engage their audiences wherever they are. Through the station’s fully customized app, stations can present their best content front and center and also enable their listeners to send audio, video and photos upstream, bringing station events to life on mobile devices. Stations can customize the look and features of their dedicated app with jacapps’ new user-friendly content management system.

Barbara Rounds, President and Chief Executive Officer for Radio Express said: “Radio Express’ longstanding network of relationships with radio stations throughout Latin America and Africa, paired with jacapps’ customizable apps developed especially for radio stations, make an unbeatable combination. Now stations in Latin America and Africa can affordably have their own branded station apps to engage their listeners and differentiate themselves with audiences—and they don’t have to be tied to aggregated apps. jacapps’ new V4 platform puts stations in control of their app, their brand, and their content. Listeners can read and post directly from the app to stations’ Facebook, twitter and Instagram feeds, and all of the content in their app is quickly shareable by their listeners to help drive the kind of viral behavior that engages audiences and builds station brands. We think stations in these international markets will be thrilled with the results.”

Paul Jacobs, President of jacapps said: “jacapps has had extraordinary success in the United States and Canada, and we’ve been looking for a partner to help us expand into other international markets. Radio Express is the perfect partner for us. They know the radio business, and they value content, which is in our company DNA. Our combined approach brings an outstanding app package to broadcasters around the world.”

For more information about jacapps radio apps, visit: http://wwwjacapps.com or contact Bob Kernen at (248) 353-9030 or at Bob@jacapps.com.

For more information about Radio Express, visit www.radioexpress.com or contact Jessica D’Agostin at (818) 295-5800, ext. 238 or at Jessica@radioexpress.com.

About Radio Express
Radio Express, Inc. is the world's leading supplier of entertainment programming to radio outside the U.S. Since its founding in 1985, it has established relationships with thousands of radio stations in 130+ countries. Radio Express specializes in distribution of radio programming to stations around the world and in developing branded entertainment programming for major brands like Coca-Cola, Fanta, Heineken, Sprite and Cadbury. For more information, visit www.radioexpress.com.

About jacapps
With 950 mobile applications that have been downloaded over 23 million times, jacapps is the largest developer of mobile apps for radio in the United States.  Jacapps has developed award-winning applications for Entercom, Greater Media, Lincoln-Financial, Bonneville, leading public radio stations including WBUR, WGBH, KQED, and Michigan Radio, and numerous applications for Christian broadcasters.

Categories
Mobile Apps Wearables

Disney to Use Wearable Technology in Toys

As wearables such as the Apple Watch gain in popularity, Disney has been inspired to incorporate this technology into their Avengers toys. Unlike a regular video game where you remain seated, these high-tech toys allow you to use modern technology while also using movement and imagination.  Disney is calling this new product Disney Playmation, and I’m not going to lie, it is making me wish I were a kid again!

The wearable toys use Bluetooth technology, gesture recognition, and cloud connectivity. What is really neat is that you do not need to be connected to the Internet, so you have the option to go outside and play instead of it being exclusively an indoor toy. The games associated with the toys primarily use audio to give directions and narrate the story. Users receive points for killing villains and following the narrator’s directions. There is also a multi-user mode, so kids can play with friends.

Disney Playmation also gives you the option to register your toy with an accompanying app, where scores can be accessed and allow users to unlock new features. This product is great for kids whos parents want to get them up and moving without taking away the excitement of digital technology. Talk about innovative. I just might need to get one of these for myself.

Source: Mashable