Mixed Reality, Super Bowl, Ad blockers and more in the Programmable Edition #44
In a previous Programmable Edition, right after the launch of Twitter Moments, we’ve argued Twitter should go a step further both on the user experience side with more personalization, and on the business side with their own AdWords model.
And in terms of user experience, Twitter is making an interesting move by ranking your timeline’s tweets. Ultimately, you will never miss important tweets from the people you follow.
As of today, Facebook has its very own EdgeRank and Google its very own PageRank. Twitter obviously needs one filter of its own in the information overload era. At MFG Labs, we designed, more than 5 years ago the SpreadRank, a visualized algorithm. Here’s an old presentation about it. Sorry you don’t have the voice-over, just shiny slides ;).
I don’t know if Twitter will succeed, but this is definitely a necessary step towards a more sustainable and AdWords-like model for them. Google PageRank is surely not a good approach to information propagation, and some kind of fatigue may gain Facebook users — or others.
Have a nice day,
Benoit
‘This is the biggest thing since the Apple II’
Technical evangelist Robert Scoble shares his thoughts and excitement about the compelling idea of living in a mixed reality world where virtual reality and augmented reality come together to disrupt our lives. From Magic Leap to Meta AR, he discusses the real world applications of such technologies during a live Q&A session on Facebook.
Blocking ad blockers
Bypassing ad blockers is a major concern for publishers and Server-Side Ad Insertion might be the solution. Offering a more TV-like experience by literally ‘stitching’ an ad into the player’s content not only makes it harder for ad-blockers to distinguish an ad from content, but also removes the friction and (arguably) improves the user’s experience.
Big Data doesn’t always mean big money
A recent study conducted by the American Institute of CPAs and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants emphasizes the common roadblocks of data-centric projects. Being in a too big of a hurry, these companies often lack the right organization and the right skills to ‘turn data into dollars’.
Google is getting one step closer to personal AI
AI-enhanced tools are slowly changing the way we interact with computers and boosting our productivity. In this very young, yet competitive market, Google is the closest to success. With access to your emails and thus every transaction and interaction you had, Inbox, Google’s new mail client, is rapidly evolving towards being your new personal assistant.
Echo could become the most used appliance in your home
Unveiled in late 2014, Amazon’s Echo, an always-on virtual assistant with a female voice named Alexa, is slowly gaining traction as a consumer product. From turning the lights on, to requesting your next Uber ride, Amazon’s Echo has a growing number of ‘skills’, letting you do amazing things with the sole use of your voice thanks to third party integrations.
The value of Super Bowl ads in the digital era
With an average audience of 115+ million viewers, the Super Bowl is the most-watched American TV program. At $5 million for 30-seconds of airtime, it is worth questioning the rentability of such an investment knowing that the same amount in digital media can get you a billion Facebook impressions or even make you reach every Twitter user… 10 times!
Condé Nast’s renewal?
Cultural and organizational change is of primary importance when it comes to the survival of traditional publishers in the digital age. Condé Nast is no exception. Anna Wintour, artistic director of Condé Nast and Bob Sauerberg, its chief executive, have focused on increasing digital revenues while maintaining print share: a contested decision amongst the company’s employees who point out the ‘relentless pursuit of web traffic’.
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