650,000,000 Downloads via Playstation Store; Facebook Connect Goes Live

Facebook and Zynga in particular have become the center pieces for micro-transactions, social gaming and in-game purchasing habits... so much so that the activity on Microsoft's Xbox Live and Playstation's Playstation Store are often overlooked.

Tied to the recent price break on the Playstation 3 system (which moved nearly 500,000 units in September - 2x their August number), they announced that 650 million pieces of content have been downloaded to date via the Playstation Store.

That is a very big number considering that: - there are 31 million registered Playstation Network accounts ... an average of 20+ downloads per user - the time online for the Playstation is significantly different than a Facebook user (and more costly) This was also announced before Playstation's Facebook Connect integration went live (November 16th).

Whether you believe that Farmville is the future of gaming, it is tough to argue that it doesn't represent key elements of what traditional gaming has and will become:

- Inherently social both during and between game play (Facebook Connect is an example) - Featuring in-game micro-payments (a greater percentage of those 650m downloads will shift to small, paid orders) - Cross platform (and I do not mean Xbox vs. PS3 vs. Wii: game play to some degree will exist between the game itself, site's like Facebook and the community - via the online stores and Facebook Connect enabled micro-sites)

Apple's Latest iPhone Advertisement: All About Big Brands

In March, I wrote about Apple's full page advertisement in the New York Times touting the iPhone as a weekend tool: "Getting the most out of your weekend, one app at a time."

In yesterday's New York Times, they ran a continuation of the ongoing campaign - but with a slight twist: promote the branded apps (I wrote a post this week about seven of the best branded iPhone apps):

"It's pretty amazing who's on the iPhone these days. From CNN to Nike, Starbucks to FedEx, there are over 100,000 apps for just about anything. Only on the iPhone and the nation's fastest 3G network." It is a poor photo, but you can see that each of the applications comes from a very recognizable name: Nike, Starbucks, eBay, CNN, Gap, ESPN, Facebook, Target, Bank of America, Whole Foods, CNN, USA Today, Avis, eTrade, Pizza Hut and Barnes & Nobles.

Also of note, other than CNN's $1.99 app, all of these applications are free. In many of Apple's advertisements - and certainly in their app recommendations - they tend to promote paid applications... but here, the brand names are intended to sell hardware and reputation rather than micro-purchases.

2010: The Year of Android?

Just a couple weeks ago, I wrote that an article named "Android is About to Explode" - citing recent growth rates (up 17% from 13% in a single month, according to AdMob) and the forthcoming line of Droid devices.

This continues to be a hot topic and I participate in related conversations almost daily: - Will Android match iPhone's marketshare by end of 2010? - If you were starting today, would you begin developing on Android or iPhone first? - Is there a greater advantage to being one of the first developers on Android or being within Apple's massive distribution store?

Today, TechCrunch has run a similar article written by Kevin Nakao, the VP of Mobile for Whitepages: "2010: The Year Android Will Shake Its Money Maker".

It lists a variety of reasons that Android can (and will) succeed this year... Most importantly is that Android itself is a carrier and hardware agnostic platform - whereas the iPhone, as great as it is, is a single device on a single network. Big difference. And one that enables Android to compete - and even win - without having the best device.

T-Mobile Got It Started Right, Verizon Will Unleash the Beast

T-Mobile launched the first Android phone in the U.S., and embraced the open platform. Any other U.S. carrier might have been tempted to meddle, but T-Mobile proved that an open platform would not be riddled with malware and abuse. With Verizon now going big on Android, we will start to see significant uptake. Verizon has 89 million customers with an average Data Revenue Per User of $15.69 to T-Mobile’s 33.5 million customers and $10 in Data Revenue Per User. Sprint has the highest data revenue per user of $19 and 48.3 million customers. In short, Verizon and Sprint will attract many more customers willing to spend more money on Android applications.

... After a week in New York City, I can say that, were I NY resident, I would turn my iPhone in for a Droid device on Verizon instantly. I would easily sacrifice some hardware and software quality for network quality (which was unbearable). That said, things work perfectly fine in San Francisco!

Facebook Launches Fan Badges / Widgets

Two months ago, Facebook rolled out a series of widgets that showcase activity from from your Facebook account or fan page. Today, it appears that Facebook has rolled out a new kind of widget billed as the "Fan Badge". It is effectively a small badge that showcases a fan page you are associated with:

You can create a badge from a drop down lists of pages that you are a fan of. Badges are currently only available for single pages - I assume that you will eventually be able to share multiple fan pages and customize the widget's size, layout, etc.

As you can tell by the below graphic, Facebook is heavily promoting the badges on Facebook fan pages... dedicating significant real estate:

You can find all Facebook widgets here.

Modelinia Live Streams the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show via Facebook

Just a few weeks ago, Modelinia live streamed the Heidi Klum Halloween Party through Facebook and Facebook Connect. Tonight is the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and Modelinia is doing a live stream on Facebook for the "Pink Carpet". You can view everything live on Facebook or on Modelinia starting at 6:30pm est. The live stream will be shown here as well:

Watch live streaming video from victoriassecret at livestream.com

Here are the Victoria's Secret models themselves asking you to tune in to Modelinia's life stream:

See more videos on modelinia.com

7 Great iPhone Apps from Big Brands: From Paint to Coffee to Sneakers

I spend a lot of time using mobile applications - in part to experience what is going on and in part to experience how brands and top players are thinking about mobile. There are plenty of unexciting and uninspired examples, but here are a few great ones. I am highlighting each for a different reason:

Sherwin Williams: Color Snap

A paint company going mobile... and making it fun and useful? I wouldn't have guessed - but this application is simple and provides clear, immediate utility. Whereas most applications struggle to be more than their .com experience on a mobile screen - Sherwin Williams allows you to snap a photo, select the interior / exterior to be painted, and receive a matching color palette. Like other commercial applications, it also includes a store locator which is location-aware.

Gucci

Gucci is brand that oozes exclusivity and style... and the application embodies that terrificly. From the photos to the user interface - everything is beautifully done, highly visual and quite innovative: rather than the standard three or four button footer, navigation is controlled through horizontal swipes.

The application also features exclusive products, deals and content - in effect, this is how Gucci attempts to provide utility to the end-user. For instance, the below pair of shoes are an iPhone exclusive style. Additionally, Gucci provides an interactive store locator.

Showtime: TV at its Best

More digital media than e-commerce, but Showtime's application is good looking, useful (has scheduling and reminders) and unique (exclusive content about their top shows and episodes):

Walmart

Another innovation from a big brand. The application lets you take a photo of your wall or available space and Walmart determines how large of a television you can accommodate. Walmart of course then suggests the best televisions to fit in that space. Clever, useful and unique:

Starbucks

Easily the brand application that I use most frequently: Starbucks "Mobile Card" app allows you to pay via your iPhone, manage your account balance, find the nearest store, etc. Starbucks also has a more social and informational application called "Starbucks" which allows users to find stores, create custom concoctions, access nutritional information and – most importantly – share the experience with friends (your favorite drinks, location, Starbucks meeting times, etc). The UI is terrific and consistent with the Starbucks brand and environment.

Starbucks Mobile Card

Starbucks App

Nike ID

I love Nike ID and have ordered a couple custom sneakers in the past... my major critique when it first launched, however, was that it was not social. You could share your creations by email - but when creating unique shoes, collecting feedback is as fun / important as sharing the finished product.

Nike solves that with the Nike ID app - sharing is inherently easier and you can view public creations (which can be starting points for your own shoe style).

Furthermore, there is something more natural and enjoyable about being able to design through finger swipes, color palettes, etc:

Amazon

Any surprise that Amazon's application is simple to use, innovative (take photos of products and they email matching suggestions) and highly useful (I have bought food, books and music directly through the app). Furthermore, it is the ultimate price checker - before checking out at Best Buy, run a product search on Amazon and you'll realize that you're probably overpaying (by a lot!).

Flip Video Offers "Flip Facebook $15.00 Coupon" to Encourage Becoming a Fan

Last week, I described an emerging trend of brands incenting Facebook users to become fans through unique coupons, offers, etc. Flip Video, who is approaching 100,000 Facebook fans, has started a Facebook Ad campaign that offers fans a savings of $15.00 (officially called the "Flip Facebook $15 Coupon"). The offer runs through November 30th and is promoted aggressively in the Facebook ad unit:

If you arrive on the Flip fan page and are not a fan, you see a unit promoting a "secret link" to the right which is only revealed to Facebook fans:

Become a fan, and the secret offer appears:

It's not the most elegant implementation, but it seems to work. And we know that:

- users love coupons and expect special offers

- Flip can market aggressively to the connections of their 100,000 fans

- New offers and promotions can be pushed to the fans beyond November 30th and across new products... in other words, the $15.00 is as much a user acquisition cost as it is a direct sales generator

Great Perspective on Hiring: Seek "Tiggers", Avoid "Eeyores"

As much as I rely on Facebook, Twitter and (to a lesser extent) RSS for my daily reading list - email still is my best source for high quality content and ensuing discussions. Email of course is limited in functionality and difficult to manage.

Anyhow, via email, I was pointed to The New York Times' article Are You a Tigger, or an Eeyore? It is part of the NYT's Corner Office section (always good reading) and is an interview with Mindy Grossman, the chief executive of HSN Inc. Lots of good nuggets on management, building culture, etc - but the Q&A about hiring is great... dead-on perspective that is as valuable to job seekers and hirers:

Q. Let’s talk about hiring. A. There are a number of things that are really important to me. One — and people laugh that I have this philosophy — is that you only hire Tiggers. You don’t hire Eeyores. It doesn’t mean they have to be loud, but I need energy-givers and I have to get a feeling that this person is going to be able to inspire people. Are they going to be optimistic about where they’re going? Are they going to attract people who are like that?

No. 2 is, will they be able to stand up to me when they believe in something? I’m very passionate. I need people who are going to be able to make me look at things in a different way. So, I have to ask those questions, like, “Give me an instance where you really believed in something and you were able to change the course and it was successful, whatever that was.” That’s really important, because you don’t want people telling you what you already know, or not telling you what you need to know.

Netflix Streaming Arrives on Playstation 3

I have been a Netflix subscriber for a few years - sometimes very active and other times 'pausing' my account. I was excited to have Netflix (finally) arrive on Playstation 3 because it is a potential solution to what many Netflix subscribers suffer from (including me): laziness and hassle. All things being equal, on-demand streaming certainly provides a better experience than mail rentals (which is why Comcast On-Demand is so great). So I was interested in three things about the Netflix / PS3 integration:

1. Activation and Netflix.com integration 2. User experience on the PS3 system 3. Picture quality

#1 and #3 were terrific - Netflix walked subscribers through the activation process clearly and easily. And the picture quality and movie controls are excellent. For starters, a disc arrives that has thorough instructions on the envelope, sleeve and disc:

Once you insert the disc into the system, you are asked to activate the unique code on Netflix.com. When you visit the site, you are immediately prompted to do the same:

A couple seconds later, the system activates and you arrive at a slick UI with movies from your online queue (which seems to be the best way to manage content):

The picture quality is crisp and the streaming was quick, uninterrupted and only required a slight delay before the movie started. A few hours after the movie's competition, Netflix follows up via email to ask about the picture quality and experience - a surprising but welcome email (excellent customer communication):

So what needs improvement? The finding experience (recognize a theme in usability issues across the web? iTunes, eBay, Facebook, etc all suffer these issues) is nearly unusable. The best way to find (search isn't even an option) and manage content is through Netflix.com - which historically is a leader in UI.

With full online support clearly available on the PS3, there is an opportunity to merge the two experiences with a Netflix-lite module that users can opt to browse through.

Very promising start that certainly makes my subscription more valuable / productive.