The shootaround has evolved into an essential part of preparing for games.
What Do NBA Teams Do During Shootarounds?
Saturday, March 15, 2014
What Do NBA Teams Do During Shootarounds?
Inside The Incredibly Complex Recording Of Car Noises For 'Need For Speed'
"We mic the cars like a drum set... we have three, maybe four mics on the muffler. "
Inside The Incredibly Complex Recording Of Car Noises For 'Need For Speed'
LG G3 confirmed to have QHD display, adaptive software
The LG G3 has not been shy of any leaks and today is no different. According to a source at LG who spoke with Phone Arena, LG’s upcoming flagship smartphone is confirmed to feature a Quad HD display with a 2560×1440 resolution (falling into the 2K category). Also, the source confirmed that the device would have a 5.5-inch display. This means that the pixels per inch measurement would come in at a whopping 538. Many of the current 1080p flagships have a PPI in the 400 range.
The bigger piece of information from this source comes on the software side. The exact description for it was “advanced personalization.” What this means is that the LG G3 will deliver information like reminders (location or calendar-based), alerts, and news in a way similar to Google Now. But that is not all LG is setting out to do. Apparently the software will adapt to your trends in order to create a custom interface. The source told Phone Arena that the device would give “helpful ideas” to improve a user’s productivity.
Source: Phone Arena
Come comment on this article: LG G3 confirmed to have QHD display, adaptive software
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LG G3 confirmed to have QHD display, adaptive software
5 Can't-Miss Apps: Stop Motion Animation and More
Between Apple's iOS 7.1 update and the ongoing SXSW activities, you may have missed some of the week's best new apps.
Luckily, Mashable creates a roundup each weekend of our favorite new and updated apps, so you won't miss out.
From a mobile stop-motion animation studio, to a news app from Al Jazeera America, our latest list includes a range of apps iOS and Android users won't want to miss.
Check out the gallery, above, to see which apps made our list of top picks. And if you're looking for more, you can also take a look at last week's can't-miss apps. Read more...
More about Android, Ios, Tech, Apps Software, and Weekly App Roundup
5 Can't-Miss Apps: Stop Motion Animation and More
Live Webcast: Distributed Denial of Service — war stories from the cloud front
Join us for this LIVE event on:
Friday, March 28, 2014
11 a.m. Pacific/2 p.m. Eastern/ 18 GMT
Join Akamai’s security expert Matthew Mosher and GamesBeat lead reporter Dean Takahashi to hear about the latest online attacks and the toolkits companies are using to take worldwide gaming platforms offline.
DDoS attacks and web application hacking are among the biggest Internet-based threats facing companies, and this includes gaming companies. In today’s online gaming environment, it is important that the risks are truly understood and measures are put in place before attacks happen and the damage is done.
Register Now!
Live Webcast: Distributed Denial of Service — war stories from the cloud front
Which Marketing Superhero Are You?
Today we have a fun little quiz that determines what kind of marketing superhero you are. Take the quiz below and when you’re finished, share your results with your followers!
This quiz was created for the KISSmetrics Marketing Blog by Fit Marketing .
Which Marketing Superhero Are You?
Torrent Site Popcorn Time Died, Is Being Resurected
YTS developer Jduncanator has confirmed that Popcorn Time will not die with the withdrawal of its founding team. Instead, YTS will pick up the baton and run.
Torrent Site Popcorn Time Died, Is Being Resurected
50,000 People Gather In Moscow To Protest Russian Intervention In Ukraine
Marchers carried placards reading "Putin, get out of Ukraine" and others compared Russia's move on Crimea with the Nazi annexation of the Sudetenland as Europe rushed headlong into World War II.
50,000 People Gather In Moscow To Protest Russian Intervention In Ukraine
Which Marketing Superhero Are You?
Today we have a fun little quiz that determines what kind of marketing superhero you are. Take the quiz below and when you’re finished, share your results with your followers!
This quiz was created for the KISSmetrics Marketing Blog by Fit Marketing .
Which Marketing Superhero Are You?
Mozilla kills ‘Metro’ Windows 8 Firefox plans, claims interest has been ‘pretty flat’
Image Credit: Mozilla
Don’t hold your breath for a tablet-ready Windows 8 Firefox app.
Firefox-maker Mozilla announced yesterday that it’s ending work on the “Metro” version of its browser (the former name Microsoft used for its Windows 8 tablet interface) — mainly, because nobody seems to be interested.
“In the months since, as the team built and tested and refined the product, we’ve been watching Metro’s adoption,” wrote Firefox VP Johnathan Nightingale in a blog post yesterday. “From what we can see, it’s pretty flat. On any given day we have, for instance, millions of people testing pre-release versions of Firefox desktop, but we’ve never seen more than 1000 active daily users in the Metro environment.”
To be clear, you can still run Firefox in the traditional desktop environment in Windows 8. Mozilla is simply killing the touchscreen version of its browser for the Windows 8 app store.
The announcement is a major blow to Microsoft’s vision for Windows 8, which desperately needs killer software in its app store — or at the very least, apps that take advantage of Windows 8′s touchscreen focus. Google, for example, has a Windows 8 mode in its Chrome browser, which makes it function like a full-screen Windows 8 app.
While Mozilla could have released an untested version of its Firefox Metro app, Nightingale points out that’s not how the company rolls. “If we release a product, we maintain it through end of life,” he wrote. “When I talk about the need to pick our battles, this feels like a bad one to pick: significant investment and low impact.”
For now, Mozilla will keep the Metro code on ice, just in case there’s a massive demand for a purely Windows 8 version of Firefox. Judging from what I’m seeing so far, though, that will take a while.
VentureBeat and marketing technology analyst David Raab are working on a new Marketing Automation usage and ROI study. If you currently use a marketing automation system, help us out by answering the survey.
If you do, we'll share the resulting data with you.
Mozilla kills ‘Metro’ Windows 8 Firefox plans, claims interest has been ‘pretty flat’
Towards a more global web: U.S. aims to reduce oversight of domain firm ICANN
Now that the web has established itself as essential across the globe, the need for international oversight is stronger than ever.
In yet another move that will reduce the U.S. government’s influence on the internet, the Commerce Department announced yesterday that it plans to give up oversight of the organization that manages internet names and address, ICANN (Internet Corporation for Asssigned Names and Numbers).
In the early days of the web, the U.S. government directly managed domain names on the internet. ICANN was formed in 1998 as a private non-profit to take over those duties. Though it has an advisory committee made up of international representatives, ICANN’s board ultimately wields all of the power — something that has helped to keep web addresses around that could offend certain countries.
With this most recent news, the U.S. is continuing its initial plan to give up control over the web. It’s also a well-timed announcement, as revelations of the NSA’s surveillance exploits has tarnished America’s reputation when it comes to managing critical web components.
ICANN will open up discussions later this month for a new oversight structure, with the hopes of having a new plan in place by September 2015, when the U.S. government’s contract ends.
“From the inception of ICANN, the U.S. Government and Internet stakeholders envisioned that the U.S. role in the IANA [the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, a part of ICANN] functions would be temporary,” the Department of Commerce wrote in a press release. “The Commerce Department’s June 10, 1998 Statement of Policy stated that the U.S. Government ‘is committed to a transition that will allow the private sector to take leadership for DNS management.’ ICANN as an organization has matured and taken steps in recent years to improve its accountability and transparency and its technical competence.
VentureBeat and marketing technology analyst David Raab are working on a new Marketing Automation usage and ROI study. If you currently use a marketing automation system, help us out by answering the survey.
If you do, we'll share the resulting data with you.
Towards a more global web: U.S. aims to reduce oversight of domain firm ICANN
8-core smartphones not expected to be big sellers in 2014
Even though smartphones equipped with 8-core processors like the Samsung Galaxy S 5 will be available in 2014, analysts and industry sources don’t think they will be big sellers this year. Two factors seem to be weighing on the prognosticators.
First, manufacturers are still focused on quad-core models and supplying these for entry-level and mid-level devices. This will be especially true for white-box handset vendors in China. In many cases, although handset manufacturers have indicated they will support 8-core processors, the design process is not completed to have these deployed. While that work is still in progress, chip manufacturers like MediaTek are maintaining a significant price gap between 8-core and quad-core chips, which eases the pressure to accelerate adoption.
Second, there is a concern that mature markets have become saturated at the high-end and growth is moving down the spectrum. Sources point to concerns that the Galaxy S 5 will not sell as briskly as Samsung is hoping.
The combination of manufacturing limitations and expected softening demand for 8-core smartphones points to 2015 being the year when growth really starts to accelerate.
source: DigiTimes
Come comment on this article: 8-core smartphones not expected to be big sellers in 2014
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8-core smartphones not expected to be big sellers in 2014
15 Animals That Know How to Rock
These animals really know how to kick up the jam. From tiny birds to gargantuan whales, the animal kingdom is full of noble beasts who love to rock out.
According to recent studies, animals actually love to listen to music in the same way that humans do, so it's no surprise that there are so many musical critters out there
See also: 25 Animals That Spoon Better Than You
Crank up some tunes and spend a little quality time with your pet. Hopefully they'll love playing air guitar as much as you do. Read more...
More about Music, Videos, Lists, Pets, and Animals
15 Animals That Know How to Rock
Scientists Might Be Getting Front Row Seats To A Black Hole
Right now, telescopes all over the world are turning to our galaxy’s center, where for the first time ever they may have a front-row look at a supermassive black hole consuming a gas cloud.
Scientists Might Be Getting Front Row Seats To A Black Hole
Review: DJI Phantom 2 Vision, a high-end iPhone-compatible flying camera drone
With the iPhone-connected drone craze in full effect, AppleInsider decided to put to the test one of the most advanced, Apple-friendly prosumer aerial cameras available today: the DJI Phantom 2 Vision.
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Review: DJI Phantom 2 Vision, a high-end iPhone-compatible flying camera drone
Reasons For Disappeared Malaysia Plane Points Toward Sabotage
As details continue to become available about this tragedy, things only keep looking worse.
Reasons For Disappeared Malaysia Plane Points Toward Sabotage
How To Pass A Drug Test
We thought this would be much more difficult, or at least involve buying a bunch of pee from an unscrupulous back-alley pee merchant.
How To Pass A Drug Test
Making Water Flow Uphill
Take science, add magic and then build a maze for water droplets to skitter around in.
Making Water Flow Uphill
16 Podcast Hosting Tips I Learned From Marketing Smarts
These are the podcasting lessons I've learned after hosting 40 episodes of the Marketing Smarts podcast. Read the full article at MarketingProfs
16 Podcast Hosting Tips I Learned From Marketing Smarts
This Week, Facebook Made Pages Better and Twitter Got Behind Photos
Here are some of the top stories from this week in social media that you might have missed while you were hard at work.
Facebook is in the headlines again with the introduction of redesigned Pages. While fans will see a more streamlined layout, admins will have easier access to the tools you use most. Twitter had equally important news, confirming that tweets with photos garner a 35 percent boost in retweets.
In other news, we took a look at some of the things that brands are doing with the improved Google+ Communities, as well as inspiring examples of travel brands rocking Facebook. For more details on these stories and more, see our recaps below.
These 3 Brands Do Great Things With the Improved Google+ Communities
The responsibilities of a community manager don’t stop the minute you walk away from your desk. How many times have you responded to a tweet from your smartphone or scheduled a Google+ post from your tablet? Mobile devices are more than just a back-up tool for community managers, which is why social apps need to provide similar functionality and experience as offered by their browser-based counterparts.
The latest social network to deliver important upgrades to its mobile experience is Google+. To help make its iOS app much more valuable to community managers on the go, the company rolled out new abilities for Community Moderators. Other improvements include performance upgrades, a revamped Explore experience and more precise location-sharing controls. [Read More...]
Your Facebook Page Looks Different Now, Here’s Why It’s Better
Following the announcement of its revamped News Feed, Facebook this week introduced a more streamlined look for Pages. Announced Monday, redesigned Pages will change the appearance for both Page visitors and admins. The new look is rolling out on desktop initially and will make it easier for people to find the information they want, while helping admins find the tools they use most.
Managing your Facebook Page wasn’t all that difficult to begin with, but accessing the features you use the most probably seemed a little inconvenient. For example, at-a-glance details about your performance on the social network are currently tucked away underneath menus. While navigating there only takes a few seconds, that’s a time spent waiting when you could be replying to a customer’s comment instead. [Read More...]
Want More Retweets? Here’s How Twitter Says You Can Boost Your Chances
While messaging is critical, selling a product or service on Twitter requires much more than a carefully crafted tweet. Words alone aren’t enough to capture the attention of today’s overly-stimulated consumers. Adding a hashtag, photo, or video to a tweet undoubtedly makes it richer, and as Twitter proved in its latest study, can have a significant impact on reach.
Twitter has confirmed that overall, tweets with photos see a 35 percent boost in retweets, while tweets with videos receive a 28 percent increase. Additionally, tweets with quotes, numbers, and hashtags generate a 19 percent, 17 percent, and 16 percent increase in retweets, respectively. [Read More...]
Check Out These Inspiring Examples of Travel Brands Rocking Facebook
Did you know that 72 percent of consumers post vacation photos to a social network while still on vacation? Last November, Facebook revealed that more people share travel and vacations on the social network than anything else. That might seem hard to believe at first, but statistics from past studies support the trend.
Of course, photos aren’t the only things that draw travelers to Facebook. Many people use it to arrange or book travel plans, ask for recommendations while visiting new cities, or check in to local venues while traveling. Obviously this is great news for the travel industry, so why aren’t more brands taking advantage? [Read More...]
Pinterest Pins Help Drive Sales, These 3 Brands Show You How
There’s no doubt that Pinterest’s visual nature makes it the perfect platform to showcase products. And with the introduction of features like Product Pins and price alerts, the site has become a popular destination for consumers and brands alike. This week Pinterest added yet another feature that will help to turn pins into purchases.
People love to use Pinterest for shopping ideas, which is why the company has created a new Gifts feed of all the different things that consumers can buy. While this feed is housed with the regular categories, it stands out because it only shows Product Pins, which display extra details like pricing, availability, and where to buy right on the pin. [Read More...]
The post This Week, Facebook Made Pages Better and Twitter Got Behind Photos appeared first on Sprout Social.
This Week, Facebook Made Pages Better and Twitter Got Behind Photos
Concerned About Less Traffic From Google Search?
Savvy marketers may have noticed a significant decline of website traffic from Google keyword searches. What has caused that decline? Read the full article at MarketingProfs
Concerned About Less Traffic From Google Search?
6 Branding Lessons from Duluth Trading
Because branding controls how your prospective customers see and judge your business.
Think of it like a first impression. If they like what they see, they’ll stick around. If they don’t, they’ll leave (and likely visit one of your competitors).
As an example, let’s take a look at Duluth Trading today.
My husband has quickly fallen in love with this company. Whether he needs socks, underwear, blue jeans, or shirts, the first thing he does is go to DuluthTrading.com.
Of course, there are many companies making the type and style of clothing he likes. Off the top of my head, there’s Dickies, Bass Pro Shops’ RedHead, and Carhartt.
But, something (I think it’s their branding) keeps him coming back to Duluth Trading.
Let’s take a look at Duluth Trading’s branding and explore how you can use some of their techniques in your own business to increase conversion rates and gain happy, loyal customers who buy again and again.
1. Talk to one person
Duluth Trading knows who their ideal client is, and they aren’t afraid to focus on them. They definitely aren’t using generic branding aimed at catching just any shoppers’ attention.
Their branding makes it obvious that they make clothing for the manly man: the man who enjoys hard-won accomplishments and isn’t a stranger to chopping wood with an axe.
They know their target customer works hard and is driven by accomplishment.
They go a little bit deeper though.
They also realize how important comfort and flexibility are in their clothing. The better, longer, and more comfortable your work clothing, the more you can accomplish!
This slide from their site is a prime example: Men conquering manly tasks using Duluth Trading products.
Make it yours: Use this in your own business by creating and sticking to one buyer persona. If you need help, I recommend this article.
2. Innovative solutions to real problems
You may think everything men need from their clothing has already been created and supplied, but Duluth Trading goes an extra mile when developing their clothes.
For instance, they’ve started adding expansion gussets in strategic locations on their clothes. Most notably, the underarm area, so your arms can reach easier, and the crotch area, so you can stretch your legs out for a firm hold without unwanted pinching and pain.
The first Duluth Trading ad I saw was for their “long tail” t-shirts. These t-shirts are made longer in the back to prevent the condition known as “plumber’s butt.” The ad was entertaining AND clearly promised to solve an embarrassing issue.
Make it yours: To use this in your own business, ask yourself, “What problem do I solve for my customers?” Then create an ad or graphic that demonstrates the problem being solved with your product.
For example, in my own company (ComfyEarrings.com), we solve the problem and pain of traditional earrings. A basic graphic comparing ComfyEarrings to traditional earrings quickly gets the problem (and our solution) across to causal web browsers.
3. Tell a compelling story
For many of their best-selling products, Duluth Trading features an ad that also tells a story. Just check out this ad for their fire hose work pants:
Being attacked by a giant, angry beaver isn’t a reality for most people. But, the story is compelling and leads you to think the fire hose work pants could protect you from just about anything.
Make it yours: You can use this in your own business by telling a simple story:
- Ideal customer has a problem…
- They find the solution offered by your company…
- Customer tries your solution…
- Their problem is solved!
Keep in mind; you don’t have to use a lot of words or a complicated idea to tell a story. Here’s an example:
This simple ad for mocs tells a story all by itself. Where I live in Texas—and for a lot of the U.S.—the wild boar is a big nuisance. They have a reputation for aggression, toughness, and inhabiting the nastiest, muddiest areas they can find.
The ad above tells a simple story of rugged durability that can’t be stopped.
But, Duluth Trading’s storytelling doesn’t stop with their words…
4. Add fun, entertaining, and visually appealing graphics
Duluth Trading understands how important the visual experience is to their storytelling.
As an example, this screenshot is from their new women’s line:
The ad showed a gopher trying to sneak a peak while a woman is working. But, the long-tail t-shirt comes to the rescue! This solves her problem, beaming the gopher’s view back at him, causing him to evaporate.
Dramatic? A bit. But, powerful—no doubt!
Make it yours: Use this in your own business by comparing your ideal client’s situation before and after discovering your product. What pain points can you highlight?
5. Add a “no bull” guarantee
This analysis wouldn’t be complete without considering their guarantee. In fact, this guarantee is so strong, I’ve mentioned it before.
The above is Duluth Trading’s guarantee, taken directly from their website. I looked all over for the fine print and didn’t find any.
What can we learn from this? A good guarantee builds trust and takes away the risk factor when purchasing from a company. This is especially important for first-time buyers.
A solid guarantee shows you stand behind your product and are willing to shoulder the risk. Duluth Trading is definitely using the strongest type of guarantee possible.
Make it yours: To use this in your own business, make sure you have a solid guarantee. If you need help, check out this article, “Writing a Guarantee That Converts.”
6. High quality at a reasonable price
As you may have guessed, Duluth Trading’s prices aren’t cheap. But, they’re in line with what other companies in the industry charge. However, they don’t use their prices as a selling point because they choose to focus on the quality of their products.
For instance, this customer submitted photo (below) shows how their fire hose work pants saved his leg from a potentially nasty chainsaw accident. That’s quality if I’ve ever seen it!
Make it yours: To use this in your own business, first, make sure you’re providing a quality product. Then, brainstorm how you can demonstrate it. For instance, Duluth Trading has their customers do it for them in customer-submitted photos. Blendtec did it with their “Will it blend?” videos.
Duluth Trading has clearly built a solid brand that appeals to their target market.
You can do the same by understanding your customers and what they’re looking for. If you need help with that step, be sure to read this article: “Guaranteed Success: How to Find Your Target Market So Content Sticks.”
Truly understanding your target market—and speaking directly to them—will result in better conversion rates, more repeat orders, and plenty of referrals from happy customers.
Did I leave anything out? Please join the conversation by commenting below.
Also, we’d love to hear about your branding strategies… What are you doing to make your brand more compelling?
Read other Crazy Egg articles by Christina Gillick.
The post 6 Branding Lessons from Duluth Trading appeared first on The Daily Egg.
6 Branding Lessons from Duluth Trading
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