My Top 10 List for 2012 - The Good and the Bad!

As the end of the year draws near, it's the perfect time to look back at the high and low points of the year.

Top 10 List for 2012

1) The Year of the Sub-$99 Tablet - or Not!
     -I expected Amazon/Google and Apple (less-likely) to give us a sub-$99 tablet. Maybe next year.
    - But I did purchase two Kindle Fires for $129 each and an iPad Mini for Christmas.
Read: http://mediamixmaster.blogspot.com/2012/09/youll-probably-get-tablet-for-christmas.html

2) Facebook IPO - I thought that this was a sure thing and I wasn't alone. The ripples from FB's poor showing hurt investors and partners alike.
  - Peter Thiel , Li Ka-Shing , Mark Pincus , Marc Andreessen
 Mark Pincus is no longer a billionaire, according to Forbes, and his gaming company Zynga, where investors lost 73% of their investment. 
Read: http://mediamixmaster.blogspot.com/2012/08/zynga-gives-out-stock-to-retain.html
& http://mediamixmaster.blogspot.com/2012/05/facebook-drops-below-30-zuckerberg.html
& http://mediamixmaster.blogspot.com/2012/08/facebooks-ventures-into-gambling.html
& http://mediamixmaster.blogspot.com/2012/06/social-media-bubble.html


3) Apple gives away a 10k iTunes gift card to a lucky winner - Was it really a win?
   - http://mediamixmaster.blogspot.com/2012/03/apple-gives-away-10k-itunes-gift-card.html
   - http://mediamixmaster.blogspot.com/2012/03/25-billionth-app-download-was-in-china.html

4) Samsung Galaxy S III - Just when you thought that no one could compete with Apple's iPhone, but the Galaxy did just that - my staff all opted for Galaxy's and so did my wife. And their Ad campaign had to be one of the most memorable of 2012.
- Just in case you missed it! http://mediamixmaster.blogspot.com/2012/09/samsung-commercial-takes-aim-at-iphone-5.html

5) The Tesla Model S - Motor Trend's Car of the Year (2013)- And I want one. It's sexy, fast and has the right amount of technology to make this geek say oh yeah! Sure, wall street is bullish on Tesla, but this company can turn out to be the Apple of the auto industry. Let's face it - the EV market is evolving and Tesla is the reason.

6) Google Project Glass - I can't wait to try these on. While it was just "hype" I got word that a friend's dad was invited to Google to test "Glass" -  a well-respected doctor, he said they were awesome. So sign me up. Take a look a this video just in case you don't know what they are supposed to do. http://youtu.be/JSnB06um5r4
& http://mediamixmaster.blogspot.com/2012/02/google-smart-goggles-to-be-launched-by.html

7) Bad Headphones - They were everywhere this year - Dr. Dre Beats - set the mark for over-priced, mediocre tech accessories. Targeted marketing made every teenager NEED them. These headphones are more about 1970's retro-fashion and status, than performance and quality. Soon other rappers had their names appearing on "Street" by 50 Cent and "Soul" by Ludacris.

8) iMac - This thing is beautiful and represents what a computer should look like.

 
 9) The Daily Shuts Down - Rupert Murdoch attempted to redefine the traditional newspaper as we know it. He spent $30 Million to launch The Daily - a true digital publishing experiment that unfortunately failed. The Daily shut down on December 15th.
Read :http://mediamixmaster.blogspot.com/2011/04/news-corp-daily-winner.html
&  http://mediamixmaster.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-daily-makes-big-changes.html

10) From the Zeitgeist - Here are the terms that shaped our lives in 2012
- Hurricane Sandy, Whitney Houston, Olympics, Donna Summer, iPad, Homeland, Gangnam Style, Jeremy Lin, Trayvon Martin, Lance Armstrong, Junior Seau, Joe Paterno, Kindle Fire, Kate Middleton, Barack Obama, Michael Clarke Duncan, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Nexus 7, Newtown CT. Shootings, & Big Bird.

NORAD to Track Santa on Dec. 24th

Well Santa is coming to town and you may want to track his progress. NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, has launched its annual NORAD TRACKS SANTA project. Parents can use the NORAD website or download a mobile app for Android, Windows or iOS.
The Tracks Santa app has been downloaded nearly 922,000 times through Apple’s iTunes; almost 558,000 times for Android users and approximately 2,500 times for Windows Phone 8 users.

Which Tablets are Best for Kids?

This holiday season Santa is getting millions of requests for tablets. In my house, Santa got a request for an iPad from my 10yr old. Wow! $499 - Sure, I have purchased several tablets for my use, but $499 for a tablet for my kid - and if I buy one, do I need to get a second for my 7 yr old. That's over $1,000 for two gifts - This Santa isn't feeling so good - what ever happened to Tickle Me Elmo?
So, what is a parent to do? I created a list of pros and cons. My 10 yr old, is mature for his age and enjoys reading and playing games. I decide to get him an iPad Mini for $329 - both the iPad and the mini allow parents to set restrictions on which apps can be used and what type of content can be interacted with.  One down and one to go - should I spend $329 for another mini or is my 7 yr old too young. The thought of that disappointed look on Christmas day flashed in my head - Santa couldn't disappoint. I went back to my list of pros and cons -- My geek colleagues told me the Nexus 7 was the way to go --- and I must admit that the specs and price are great. But my concern was less about screen quality and processor speed --- I wanted to be able to protect my little one.
I narrowed my product choices down to the Nook and Kindle Fire. Since I purchase everything on Amazon - the Kindle Fire was the frontrunner ,  their Parental controls and Freetime Unlimited sealed the deal. Plus the $159 price was very good, and better yet I received special offers, which reduced the price by $29.99.  This deal was so good - I purchased a second Kindle Fire for my mother-in-law.
All told, I have purchased 3 tablets and I wonder if this is the national average.

Other links:
http://mediamixmaster.blogspot.com/2012/01/where-are-99-tablets.html
http://mediamixmaster.blogspot.com/2012/10/kupa-ultranote-windows-8-tablet.html
http://mediamixmaster.blogspot.com/2012/10/ipad-mini-oct-23rd.html
http://mediamixmaster.blogspot.com/2012/09/youll-probably-get-tablet-for-christmas.html

Are Mobile Apps Stalking to Your Child?

Like many parents, I worry about my iPad being dropped by my child - more than I consider the danger of someone tracking the online behaviorial of my child via an invisible stethoscope. According to the FTC, mobile app developers (iOS and Android) are collecting information via mobile apps about your child and developing profiles about their mobile habits. Most apps did not provide any information about what data was being collected through the app and forget let alone what data is being collected, why its being collected, and by whom.
 The FTC is fighting to get software developers to provide parents with accurate information about the apps they are downloading for their kids, so that they can make informed decisions about the products they interact with. 

 

From the report:

The results of the survey are disappointing. Industry appears to have made little or noprogress in improving its disclosures since the first kids’ app survey was conducted, and the new survey confirms that undisclosed sharing is occurring on a frequent basis.

Facebook's New Messenger App Android

Facebook's Free messenger app will allow both Facebook members and non-members to send/receive messages with their phone contacts. Facebook messenger users will get messages via the app - facebook members who are not logged in will receive message once they log-in to Facebook. Sure it doesn't sound revolutionary, but it signifies a growing trend by mobile users to utilize free messaging options. Companies like Facebook and Apple are providing the app alternatives. Another popular app is Kik, which is billed as "simplest, fastest, most life-like chat experience you can get on a smartphone".