Storing Your Stuff on The Cloud

In the last couple of years, there's been a new concept floating around. "The Cloud" they call it. Great little analogy for storing your stuff somewhere in cyberspace, safe from any physical harm that might come to your PC or Mobile Device.

Now that people have started to embrace it, there are actually several options available, and to top it off, they're free. Sure, you get a limited amount of space but you can always buy more. So how does one decide between all the options available?

I just read a great article over at Gizmodo. They've got a great review of the top five services, all in pretty chart form:

I've been using Drop Box myself, because it's just so easy, and it integrates well. For those of you that would like more options for sharing and editing documents, Google Drive is probably the way to go. And, if you love your MacBook and your iPad and iPhone, you can't leave out iCloud because its built right in.

Whatever you choose, it's nice to know you can get to your stuff on the go, and you don't have to worry which device you work on, because the cloud's got you taken care of.

Online Protest Made History. Stop SOPA!

If you haven't heard of SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act), you probably weren't on the internet much in the last couple of weeks. Social Networks, Blogs, and even websites were all abuzz with the news.

Why so much attention? The passing of SOPA could mean the end of the internet as we know it today. It could mean that if a user goes on YouTube and uploads a video clip from a TV show, violating the copyright laws, that the ENTIRE site would get shut down. Seems awfully harsh doesn't it? The current methods of dealing with copyright infringement usually mean that YouTube will take the copyrighted material down themselves and replace it with a message stating why it has been removed.

But enough of the technical stuff. How about a little infographic we found on FrugalDad?

(Click to Expand)

Source: frugaldad.com

Augment YOUR Reality

Some of you may have caught wind of this new fangled thing they're calling "agumented reality." Well, probably a lot of you. In the last 6 months or so, QR code tagging has increased by an astonishing 1,200%!!! Personally, we at PULSE think it's great. We've seen some great implementations of the technology in the last few months and had to show you some of the awesome stuff you can do.

Check it out:

"Daqri" was my first introduction to Augmented Reality. Opening a magazine and seeing a 3D photo of a product was a huge awakening. 

"Yelp" has a sweet little option called Monocle. It uses your phone's camera to give u a live view of the world with markers of all kinds of places in the actual direction you're looking in. How about a screen cap?



Other fun apps for your phone include UrbanSpoon, and Wikitude (can't wait to try this one out!). They all use your phone's GPS to give you relevant information.

WorkSnug identifies Wi-Fi hotspots and potential workplaces – from coffee shops to professional rent-a-desk office spaces – with user reviews!

And just for fun, iPew seems like a must have. If you were ever a fan of the light saber app, you will LOVE this.  Choose from a range of weapons and blow the guy across the room away. The sounds effects only make it better :) (You know you wanna say it: Pew Pew!!)

Have a product or business? Need someone to implement some AR into your marketing campaign? Get a PULSE and contact us for ideas and information on how Augmented Reality can benefit your business.

Social Networking and Psychology

I stumbled upon a great Infographic in my newsfeed today. Just a snippet from the Digital Buzz Blog:

• Social Proof: 81% of customers reach out to friends and family members on social networking sites for advice before purchasing products
• Authority: 77% of online shoppers use reviews to make purchase decisions
• Scarcity: 77% of people like getting exclusive offers that they can redeem via Facebook. We assign more value to products that are less available
• Like: 50% of shoppers have made a purchase based on the recommendation of the people they follow(and like) on social networks. We follow those we like and do the things they do
• Consistency: Purchases made from the brands we trust reinforce our future shopping patterns
• Reciprocity: We have an innate desire to repay favors in order to maintain social fairness, whether those favors are invited or not.

Check out the full infographic by clicking the thumbnail.

The Power of Crowdsourcing

What is crowdsourcing? According to Merriam Webster it's "the practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people and especially from the online community rather than from traditional employees or suppliers." 

How can your business use crowdsourcing? I think the most obvious way is to help improve your products and services. Engaging with your customers, and asking them what would make your product more valuable to them couldn't be easier. Not to mention, it's practically free.


Need a new way to market your product? Ask your already established and loyal customer base what they are using your product for! How does it improve their lives? Once you've figured out how you've gotten some of your loyal and interactive customers, it's easy to see your strengths, selling points, and overall value to consumers.


Don't overlook all the free information that is right in front of you in the various social networking platforms where you maintain a presence. You can find all kinds of market intelligence on your customers that companies couldn't have dreamed of even 5 years prior.


A CBSNews.com article points out some things to take note of:
"Crowds are not employees, so executives can't expect to control them. Indeed, while they may not ask for cash or in-kind products, participants will seek compensation in the form of satisfaction, recognition, and freedom. They will also demand time, attention, patience, good listening skills, transparency, and honesty. For traditional top-down organizations, this shift in management culture may prove difficult."
All in all, crowdsourcing can do your business a world of good if you're asking the right questions and staying active in the process. Ask yourself, does your company have it's finger on your customers Social PULSE?

Pinterest - Competition for Tumblr?

Several of my girlfriends have recently joined a new website for sharing all things girly, artsy, and DIY. Pinterest is still in beta but seems to have everyone addicted!



From sharing your favorite recipes for desserts or homemade green cleaning products, all the way to Art and Fashion. This is one community that will let you share your favorite things from any site across the web and organize them all any way you want. Your friends can follow your "pins" and "pinboards", repost them, and even share them on Facebook and Twitter!

Currently by invite only but if you'd like one, let us know. All you need to start is to send us your email address :)

Heard of Foursquare? What about Poorsquare? New App for freebies!

Take Foursquare's location based deals and filter them? Yes please!

Discounts can be filtered by free only, free with purchase, or all discounts. There's another filter for group discounts, a built in ranking system, and the app can even add the deal to your Google calendar to be shared with your friends!

Gotta love the big button that says "I am the 99%. Show me some Freebies!" Can't wait until we get this in my town. I know plenty of people that LOVE Foursquare but love FREE STUFF even more :)

Currently, this web app is only working in the New York City area, but will soon be offered in 100 cities in the US.

Poorsquare

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