Landscape, Nature And Travel Photography

It’s been several months now and I’m really enjoying my time on Google+. One thing that has been making the experience all the more enjoyable is the use of the following extensions in the Chrome browser. The following extensions in some cases improve on the user interface, integrate my activity with other social media sites or just make accessing content easier.  The following extensions are definitely worth checking out and possibly reason enough to use Chrome even more than Firefox, Safari or Internet Explorer.

+Photo Zoom – Allows you to mouse over an image thumbnail and zoom in and out with the motion of your mouse. Saves a click and speeds up browsing time.

Extended Share – Expands adds a “Share on” options under each Google+ entry to quickly share the post on Twitter, Facebook, Linked In and many other sites.

Plus Minus – My favorite feature of this plugin is that it loads more posts automatically as you scroll down, but it does a lot more including designate which Circles show up in your Google+ Stream, mark individual or all posts as read, and more.

Replies and more – Adds a link under each post to “Reply to Author”. This is a huge timesaver even for a fast typist. I use this functionality all the time. The extension does a lot more so check out the extension page.

SGPlus – Is is well… awesome! This is the single best plugin of the bunch as it allows you to use Google+ as a hub to Facebook and Twitter activity. I don’t pull in my feeds from Facebook and Twitter even though I could, but I really like that I can post content in one place and have it appear on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. It’s a huge timesaver. There is tons of documentation on this plugin and they’ve made incredible improvements with it since it was first released.

If you have a favorite Chrome extension that makes your Google+ experience better share it in the comments.

Note yet on Google+ Here’s a Google+  Invite Link

Technorati Tags: Google+, Chrome, Extension, plugin

JPEGmini is a company that has a unique approach to optimizing your JPEG format images in an effort to help you save storage space. I took a quick look at their offering and shared my thoughts on it with Sarah Perez in a recent TechCrunch article New Startup JPEGmini Reduces Photos’ Size, Not Their Quality. I thought I would share a little more about my take on the service in the event it’s something you feel is worthy of trying or using.

Test1 – Web sized image (800 px x 500 px)
Test2 – Full size image (5616 px x 3744 px)

What is JPEGmini?

• JPEGmini is NOT a new file format.
• JPEGmini is a re-compression engine with a twist:
  

  JPEGmini works by analyzing the input image using a unique quality detector which imitates the human visual system, and based on this analysis applying the maximum amount of compression which will not cause visible artifacts. For further details, see the technology section

• JPEGmini is an online service… for now

Does It Work?
The quick answer is yes and no. JPEGmini excels at compressing larger images versus smaller images. Compression gains are also made most significantly on “first-generation photos created by digital cameras”. In other words if you’ve edited a photo already in photo editing software you may not see huge file size reduction namely because the file has already undergone some level of compression.

I was a skeptic when I learned about this site. I ran a quick test to compare the following:

I tested two images of different types.

• An image with not a lot of detail and similar tones. Such images have a lot of similar data that is easily compressed resulting in higher compression savings.
• An image with a lot of detail and varied tones. Such images do not have a lot of similar data to compress resulting in less compression savings.

I also tested two different files sizes for each image:

• Web sized image (800 px x 500 px)
• Full size image (5616 px x 3744 px)

The results were notable with file size saving from 67% to 87%. But I also ran each image through Photoshop’s “Save for Web & Devices” at 60% quality to attain savings from 71% to 85%. Bottom line Photoshop reduces file size for web sized images better in this simplified test by 4-7%. On the other hand larger images attained greater file size reduction with JPEGmini over Photoshop by  4-7%.
Note: Photoshop is not optimized for compressing very large images with their “Save for Web & Devices” function and JPEGmini states they perform better with larger images.

Full Test Details

Pros, Cons & Thoughts
The pros clearly are that you can reduce the size of your large image files with the JPEGmini. In scale this could help you save money by reducing your demand for new hard drives. You can compress images without buying expensive software like Photoshop. All metadata is preserved.  Image quality suffered very little when comparing the original image and the JPEGmini version of the image at 100%. In fact most people would not notice a difference. That being said I did not run print comparisons of each file before and after JPEGmini compression.

On the other hand the service is only available online requiring you to upload images, wait for the compression engine to process your files (can range from minutes to hours) and then spend the time to download them. It’s also important to note that the service only works with JPEGs. The significance of this is that you’re compressing your image files multiple times and each compression ultimately results in loss of data. Compress an image repeatedly and you can impact image quality. For more on this refer to my previous article (pre-blog) guest written by Oskar Breuning JPEG Compression: Data Loss & Image Impact. Lastly the biggest concern I have surrounds the JPEGmini Terms of Service (TOS) namely the following User Submission section:

You hereby grant ICVT and our designees a worldwide, non-exclusive, sublicenseable (through multiple tiers), assignable, royalty-free, fully paid-up, perpetual, irrevocable right to use, host, store, index, reproduce, distribute, create derivative works of, and display and perform your Content on the web and on mobile devices, solely in connection with our provision of the Service

Uploading an image places the image on their server. While files are only kept for roughly 1 week, images can be used by JPEGmini’s parent company to market their service. Personally the broad nature of this section makes me too uncomfortable to use the service beyond testing. Of specific concern is the right claimed to sublicense images that they deem irrevocable. Not very photographer friendly in my eyes. Note: Dror Gill the CTO of the company has stated that photos are not used for promotion without confirmation from the owner in a comment on the TechCrunch article.

My hope is two fold for JPEGmini…

1. Clarify Modify the ToS to be more photographer friendly and less JPEGmini-centric
2. License their technology so it can be utilized in established programs and mobile applications or launch their own desktop & mobile applications.

Technorati Tags: photography, technology, JPEGmini, Photoshop, compression, JPEG

Using a social media web site (Ex. Twitter, Facebook and now Google+) is a common place activity for many, but every time a new social media site comes online the same discussions surfaces and the same comments are made about rights grabs, privacy concerns and the need to lock your personal information & photos offline to preserve your ability to protect your work/business. This later concern is one photographers repeat every time a new site comes online and its often backed by erroneous information or a simple lack of understanding of the Terms of Service (ToS) of the new web site.

The Basics
Before I go further it’s important to note that a Terms of Service document is a legal document. To get a definitive take on what a specific Terms of Service document says consult a lawyer. I am not a lawyer and what I’m about to share is based on my personal experience as a web entrepreneur, full-time professional photographer and former corporate web manager. If you’re reading this and you’re a practicing lawyer I welcome your feedback, input and contribution to the information below.

Jockeying for Legal Protection – How Each Party Protects Themselves
Me – As a professional photographer I don’t just think in terms of producing photographs; I think in terms of intellectual property. As such all of my work is filed officially for copyright with the U.S. Library of Congress. (For more on my copyright work-flow see Copyrights: Protecting My Photography or 10 Must Read Copyright Articles for Photographers.) This is important because it helps me protect my creative work to the full letter of the law in the event my work is misappropriated. And by that I mean companies of all sizes will almost always take note of a copyright infringement claim when notified of a formal copyright filing with the U.S. Library of Congress as it can mean real impact to their bottom-line.

Copyright protection helps me gain footing to protect my business and secure future income even when up against a person or company infringing my copyright that might have greater resources or might otherwise chose to ignore a complaint it sees as a non-priority.

Them – Not surprising companies behind social media web sites also think in terms of intellectual property and take necessary steps to protect themselves.

• First and foremost they want to establish that they own the code behind the functionality that makes their site work (ex. site users don’t own how Google+, Twitter or Facebook works or any portion of code behind the sites). This is almost always under a Proprietary Rights and/or general License section of a ToS.
• Secondly they want to establish they hold the right to share submitted information (syndicate information) in such a way that the site functions as expected in regard to sharing content and can be ported to sister web properties or web partners (ex. Tweets can be ported to a blog via a Twitter widget, Tweetdeck or Hootsuite can receive/display your tweets from Twitter, etc.).  Social media is about sharing, so syndication is a central function to secure rights for. In general such terms can be found under a Content License section of a ToS.
• Thirdly they want to make sure they are not opening themselves up to lawsuits (ex. liability, privacy or copyright infringement and claims regarding security breaches). To safeguard against such claims “Liability”, “Security” and “Privacy” disclaimers are always present. Copyright & Trademarks are often covered on 3 fronts: End User content (content you own that is shared), 3rd Party Content (content you share owned by others) and Developers (programmers creating new software leveraging an API to port shared content to plugins, apps, etc.) Because of the complexity surrounding copyrighted and trademarked information terms are usually divided between several sections in a ToS document.

If you were to start a social media company these would be your top 3 concerns. Creating a social media web site takes a lot of time, planning and resources. Losing that investment would be catastrophic hence the need for legalese covering the aforementioned concerns.

My Top 4 Factors Dictating Participation on Social Media Web Sites (ex. Google+)
Note: Google+ is used as an example, but could be replaced by any company/site name.

1. Is a claim made that the copyright of my work is transferred to Google+ (or company X) upon posting/submission?
2. Is a claim made that my copyrighted work will be distributed to sites under a set umbrella of sites  and services (ex. Google+, Gmail, Buzz, Google Search, Google Image Search, Google Maps, Google Places, etc.), or far beyond such as a blanket claim to sub-license my shared work to known and unknown companies/services (ex. 3rd party advertisers or image licensing services)?
3. Do terms used in relation to any claimed license include “irrevocable”, “perpetual license”, “fully paid”, “royalty-free” or the classic phrase “by all means and in any media now known or hereafter developed”?
   Horrible example often absorbed in boiler-plate ToS:

   You agree to grant to “Company X” a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual license, with the right to sub-license, to reproduce, distribute, transmit, create derivative works of, publicly display and publicly perform any materials and other information (including, without limitation, ideas contained therein for new or improved products and services) you submit to any public areas of the Site (such as bulletin boards, forums and newsgroups) or by e-mail to “Company X” by all means and in any media now known or hereafter developed. You also grant to “Company X” the right to use your name in connection with the submitted materials and other information as well as in connection with all advertising, marketing and promotional material related thereto. You agree that you shall have no recourse against “Company X” for any alleged or actual infringement or misappropriation of any proprietary right in your communications to “Company X”.

4. Can the Terms of Service be terminated by myself and not just by Google+?

How Google+ Holds Up to my 4 Factors of Participation
As I read the Google Terms of Service document my 4 Factors of Participation break out as follows:

1. Copyright – I retain my copyright and all other rights held to submitted content. (Win!)
   

   11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. (for remainder see #3 below)

2. Content distribution & claimed rights
   

   11.2 You agree that this license includes a right for Google to make such Content available to other companies, organizations or individuals with whom Google has relationships for the provision of syndicated services, and to use such Content in connection with the provision of those services.

   This is a broad statement, but rights aren’t given to 3rd parties outside of the scope of syndicating content. As stated earlier sharing is a central pillar to social media so I’m OK with this. (OK)

   In addition Section 11.3 clarifies an often abused statement “by all means and in any media now known or hereafter developed”. Content will be changed or adapted to meet technical requirements of future networks, to fit future devices, services or media. It’s open ended but makes logical sense to me versus being an extremely vague rights claim. (OK)

   11.3 You understand that Google, in performing the required technical steps to provide the Services to our users, may (a) transmit or distribute your Content over various public networks and in various media; and (b) make such changes to your Content as are necessary to conform and adapt that Content to the technical requirements of connecting networks, devices, services or media. You agree that this license shall permit Google to take these actions.

3. Use of “Red Flag” terms
   

   11.1 (cont.) By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. This license is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services.

   • Yikes Google starts using red flag terms “perpetual”, irrevocable”, and “royalty-free” and “non-exclusive”. To their credit they use “worldwide” and not “universe” which I’ve begun seeing. At first glance I’m turned off by these terms, but I fall back to my entrepreneurial experience from the dot com days and recognize these are terms necessary to use to reproduce content online. Think of this blog post. The title and abstract of its contents can be displayed in Google+, shown on a Google Custom page, in a Google RSS Reader, be translated by Google Translate, repurposed via Google owned Feedburner, appear in Google Search, etc. Each of these services needs to modify the display and length of this posts content. On top of that there is no limit in time-frame to when someone might find a search result for example. (Reluctant OK)
   • Google clarifies why the aforementioned red flag terms are employed, but also states these terms may be revoked per the terms of other Google services. This part per my earlier explanation makes sense, but ends in a way that makes me a little nervous as its open ended. (Reluctant OK)
4. Termination of Terms of Service
   Google outlines in Section 13.1 and 13.2 that you can terminate the ToS and provides a mechanism to do so. (Win)

Keeping an Eye on the Big Picture
Social Media sites can be used in a variety of ways to support personal and business goals. While they’re fun to use I strongly believe they should be used with a goal in mind. Goals for personal use may vary drastically compared to goals for business use.  On top of that goals for business use vary as well based on the type of business you run, how you run your business and who your target audience is. My top 4 concerns in evaluating the ToS for a social media site may not be the same as your own, but I personally think they’re a good start in making an early evaluation of a particular service and whether they’re worthy of using.

In my example I’m OK in using Google+. Having read the Google+ ToS I have a better feel of how my content is being used and have identified short comings that might force me to modify my sharing behavior there. Ultimately I find no reason yet to curb my sharing behavior, but as with all new services I’m starting off conservatively to see how Google+ evolves during the closed beta.

Social media is a great tool. As always I recommend approaching it with an open mind and in an educated fashion.

Related Articles:

• TOSBack Terms-of-Use Tracker
• Terms Of (Ab)Use – Electronic Frontier Foundation
• The Clicks That Bind: Ways Users “Agree” to Online Terms of Service – Electronic Frontier Foundation

Update: Google+ ToS from an Attorney
Google user licenses: clarification would be nice, but they’re not panic-worthy

Getty Images Blesses the Google+ ToS for its Flickr Collection Contributors
Getty Images has responded to inquiries that posting images on Google+ does not violate the terms of Flickr Getty Contributor contracts.
If you’re a Getty Flickr contributor you can view this private link with specific details

Google+ Not Part of Google Display Network (Ad Network)
Google representative states “Google+ is not part of the Google Display Network” in this wired article Google+ vs. Facebook on Privacy: + Ahead On Points — For Now

Technorati Tags: Social Media, Terms of Service, Terms of Use, ToS, ToU, Google+, Photography, photo, professional, Google, copyright

Ever see an odd pixelated square graphic like this one on a web page, print magazine or as someone’s social media site avatar? If you haven’t yet I guarantee you will now. This type of graphic is called a QR Code and something you’ll want to take note of and to creatively use in the future.

What is a QR Code & Why Use It?
QR stands for Quick Response and essentially are bar codes, a different variation to what you find on grocery labels in the store. In essence QR codes are a visual representation of a web URL. They’re used in print and on web pages to help people load a web page from their camera enabled mobile phone.  This is particularly helpful to transition viewers quickly from the world of print to the web.

How Does One Use A QR Code?
The simplest use-case of utilizing a QR code is as follows:

1. Viewer sees a QR Code on a print ad or a web page
2. Viewer loads a QR Code scanning application on your mobile phone
3. Viewer photographs the QR Code with your mobile phone
4. The QR Code scanning application then provides the viewer with a URL and the option to load it on your phone’s web browser.

The aforementioned use case is the basic way to use a QR code, but there are many creative applications in using a QR Code. Case in point is the C.A.O.S Living book (see below) where QR Codes were used to create a book that never grows old. There are several interesting ways to use QR Codes as they can be included on business cards, online avatars, promotional mailers, guerrilla marketing, tattoos…. OK maybe you shouldn’t use it as a tattoo. Recently I made use of a Wordpress plug-in that auto generates QR codes for every blog post on my blog. If you look on the right side of my blog I now have a section titled “QR Code To Go”. The purpose of this is to allow people to transition reading my blog from their computer to their phone if they’re on the go and need to be mobile.

As for what QR Code app to use… there are numerous QR Code readers now available in the iTunes and Android marketplaces. Take a look to find one that will work on your phone. It’s a great app to have on hand.

How Do I Make A QR Code?
The simplest way to create a QR Code is to access one of the many online QR Code generator web sites now available. I personally use the Kaywa QR Code generator. From this site and equivalents you can enter a URL and download an image file of your QR Code in various sizes. You can then use the image as you see fit to direct people to the URL entered into the generator.

Final Thoughts
QR Codes are definitely growing in popularity and they’re worth exploring if you haven’t already begun to do so. They’re big in Japan and they’re growing in popularity across the globe. If you come up with a creative use of a QR Code or know of a great example be sure to let me know in the comments. It’d be great to share some inspirational uses with others. If QR Codes are new to you then definitely take a look at the videos and resource links below.

Demo Videos
How QR Codes Work – Scanning QR Codes Found on NY Streets

Timeless Book Video

Additional Resources & Reading on QR Codes

• More Details on the Basics of QR Codes
• How to Scan a QR Code on an iPhone
• How to Scan a QR Code on an Android Mobile Phone
• QR Code Features (For the Technically Minded)
• QR Code Best Practices
• QR Code Generator
• Tips on Advertising with QR Codes
• 33 Ways Photographers Can Use QR Codes

Who’s Scanning QR Codes (via Jumpscan & Mashable)

Technorati Tags: photography, marketing, qr code

In my previous post Thoughts on the iPad: Where Will Your Audience Be Next Year? I noted that current tablet computer trends are painting a picture of a transformed landscape where one’s audience might be interacting with online content in a radically different manner and frequency. Not only does mobile access through a device like the iPad impact navigation & content structure, it has the ability to shift expectation in how web viewers pay for content. There are some very clear signs pointing to this shifting trend and it begs the question, “Has the code to web revenue been cracked?”

Advent of the App Store
One thing is certain Apple’s iTunes App store has changed the landscape before us since its release in mid-2008. With the release of the iPhone 2.0 OS software came the App Store, supplementing the iTunes music store, and soon others were quickly trying to duplicate the wild success of this newly created platform.  Now Apps downloads are on course to  surpass music downloads from the Apple iTunes store by the end of 2010. In roughly 2 years time that is an amazing accomplishment considering the current rate of music sales on iTunes has taken 7 years to reach its current level.  The larger phenomenon of the app craze has even spawned an App convention that is taking place here in San Francisco this week.

While Apple wasn’t the first to create an App platform (Facebooks App platform was released in 2007), they’re the first to tie it to a wildly popular consumer device, the iPad. As previously noted in my first post to this series All Eyes Are On The iPad. Are Yours?, it has been predicted that Apple will ship 12.9 million units this year, with shipments rising to 36.5 million next year and 50.4 million in 2012 and by any means that should be an eye opener. An eye opener because the combination of device sales and App download forecasts might just be indicators of a perfect storm on the horizon that shifts how many people interact with content on the web.

Revenue: Has the Web Found It?
Will the web as we know it be replaced by Apps? I doubt it, but where the web failed to convert user activity into revenue Apps just might be the long sought after holy grail many web entrepreneurs have been waiting for. While Apps have proven to be a potentially lucrative revenue creator not all App stores are created equally. In February 2010 Distimo reported that 75% of Apple Apps and 43% of Android Apps were paid apps and later in August 2010 Pingdom reported similar findings that 70% of Apple Apps and 36% of Android Apps were paid apps.

Interesting findings from the May 2010 AdMob Mobile Metrics report is that on average users of the iOS (Apple) and Android platforms spend at least 79 minutes a day using apps (note: Apple iOS users spend 89 minutes a day) and download 9 apps per month. The user activity is definitely a positive as most web sites are lucky to break the double digits in user activity sessions. The phenomenon of app dowloading has spawned an interesting trend as well… a mild addiction to downloading apps. In passing I’ve talked to several iPad/iPhone users that enjoy downloading apps almost as much as using the apps themselves. Nielsen reports that iPhone users for example download on average 40 apps versus Android users at 25 apps, both of which are an increase over 2009 findings.

Pricing
App pricing best practices seems to be the big mystery at the moment and is something I’m still researching. One interesting piece of data I surfaced concludes that downloads are not linked to price. This was in relation to game apps which might very well carry a different customer expectation to the photography market. While I can’t say much in definitive terms about app pricing I can say that higher prices will only be supported by app content/services that are of high value to users. There have been no shortage of apps commanding upward of $89.99 or more that have found themselves in the iTunes top-revenue/grossing list. Ultimately pricing will have to be tailored to the nature of the app. A photographer may very well want to release a free portfolio app in an effort to draw as many eyes as possible to their work versus charging for an eBook.

Looking into the Crystal Ball?
The web certainly will not be shrinking into oblivion, but content or services being produced to generate revenue may very well be predisposed to the app world.  What apps have going for them, unlike standard web content, is that they come bundled with the expectation they cost money to acquire and use. For the truly creative who frame content of value in an app there is certainly money to be made. On the flip-side of that sentiment with hundreds of thousands of apps in the current marketplace not all apps cost money. Free is not just an attempt to standout, for the savvy developer, it’s part of a calculated strategy. It’s important to note that vast majority of apps are not likely to be profitable, falling into the category of loss-leaders (see my series starting with Assumptions of Free and Taylor Davidson’s great article Free isn’t a problem, it’s an opportunity), but they do offer a unique opportunity to engage & introduce your work and services to others.

In my eye the iPad holds great promise for photographers with the right application. As to how photographers can get the most out of the iPad and take advantage of these trends you’ll want to read my next post on the subject. Stay tuned…

Related Article:
Only 13% of Aduls Pay for Apps - Fast Company (published hours after this post)
Additional thought…

If the app market is such a huge success with so few users, and already generating billions of dollars in revenue, how big will it become when it apps are as ubiquitous among adults as texting and taking pictures?

Technorati Tags: photography, photo, Apple, iPad, app

In my previous post All Eyes Are On The iPad. Are Yours? I noted how the iPad was setting the stage for a publishing revolution with its transformational user experience. How have I come to this bold prediction? Three key signs have led me to the belief we’re on the cusp of a publishing revolution in short order.

1. Tablet computers are currently the next must have device.
2. Touchscreen interaction / navigation will be spreading to traditional computers
3. Touchscreen interaction / navigation is defining an entire new branch of user interaction & user experience

Must Have Device
If you haven’t noticed already there are iPad giveaways around every corner. Apple’s iPad has captured the imagination of millions of people by changing how they interact with content on the web. This same fervor hit consumers in the 80’s with the mouse and here in the 2010’s touchscreen technology is making online viewing less abstract and physically more interactive. Apple’s ability to hit it big with the iPad, as with their other successful product launches, inevitably results in competitors releasing cheaper takeoffs. Odds are if you know someone who wants a gadget for Christmas they’ll be asking for an iPad. If an iPad isn’t in the budget you can bet that your local retailer like BestBuy will be selling a variety of competitors to fill the void.

Expect Touchscreen Interaction on Your Computer
Mobile devices are an intuitive place to utilize touchscreen technology. Mobile devices with their small footprint must be compact for portability while walking a fine line to provide an easy to view screen with easy navigation capabilities. Ask a child to view something on a computer and their first reaction invariably will be to point to the screen. This exemplifies the simplest navigation tool available… our fingers. As mobile devices become ubiquitous amongst younger generations such navigation is not only going to become intuitive, but expected.

The difference between a 3.5 inch (9 cm) and a 9.75 inch (24.5 cm) diagonal touchscreen of an iPhone & iPad may seem less than notable, but the increase in real estate to present text, images and video is huge. Everything (navigation cues, graphics, buttons, etc.) becomes easier to identify, touch, and move. Larger screen sizes also create greater opportunity for new and innovative navigation and presentation layers.  This type of content interaction is not likely to be lost on traditional computers with even larger screens, as recently surfaced Apple patent filings of a touchscreen iMac confirm we’ll be seeing more of this style of interaction on future computers.

Evolution of Web Use & Design Standards
In a recent edition of Wired magazine it was prognosticated that the web is dead.

Over the past few years, one of the most important shifts in the digital world has been the move from the wide-open Web to semiclosed platforms that use the Internet for transport but not the browser for display. It’s driven primarily by the rise of the iPhone model of mobile computing, and it’s a world Google can’t crawl, one where HTML doesn’t rule. And it’s the world that consumers are increasingly choosing, not because they’re rejecting the idea of the Web but because these dedicated platforms often just work better or fit better into their lives (the screen comes to them, they don’t have to go to the screen). The fact that it’s easier for companies to make money on these platforms only cements the trend. - The Web Is Dead. Long Live the Internet

How the data is parsed to come to this conclusion is questionable in my book (video is not considered the web? really!? What about YouTube?), but this Wired article in general raises an interesting premise and should make you think twice about how you’re experiencing the web today and how you & your audience might be experiencing it in the future.

The iPad, being the first out of the gate, will have a disproportionate amount of influence on design standards and user experience trends for the touchscreen oriented content. Knowing these standards and understanding how users are interacting with online content is critical whether  that content resides in a web page, app, peer-to-peer site, etc.  The question then raised is how does your web site translate to a touchscreen device like an iPad? In case you were unaware iPadPeek is a great way to see (just be sure you disable Flash on your browser first).  The even bigger question is how will your audience be viewing the content you produce and publish online?

Will traditional web sites hold up? Will apps be the dominant channel of online publishing? Will mobile viewing overtake traditional computer viewing? I have a notion of how things will play out in the future and it centers on a maturing model of revenue generation, but details to this thought will have to wait for the next post in this series Thoughts on the iPad: Cracking the Code to Web Revenue? Stay tuned…

Technorati Tags: photography, Apple, iPad, publishing

It was fun ending last year making some predictions in relation to photography and social media, but now that we’re wrapping up the first week of 2010 I thought I’d share with you 5 technology products/services I’m looking forward to in 2010. On some level each of these technologies/services relate to photography.

Adobe CS5
It’s pretty well known by now that Adobe is aiming to release their next version of their CS suite around April of 2010 (some reports saying April 10th). In general the odd versions of Adobe CS products carry the greatest number of changes and enhancements not to to mention generate better sales for Adobe. With leaked technology demos through out 2009 this is one update I’m looking forward to.

• A sneak peek at the new technology in Adobe Photoshop CS5
• Content Aware Fill (Facebook video)

TinEye
Tineye reverse image search engine expanded their index of images in 2009 from roughly 700 million to 1.25 billion images. Having reviewed TinEye in the past and having become a regular user I’m quite eager to see more frequent updates and expansion of their image index.

PicScout ImageExchange
ImageExchange is currently in an invite only beta (see below on how to request an invite). PDN summarized how PicScout quite well:

PicScout has been beta testing a potential solution to the problem. It is called ImageExchange. Image owners can use the system to attach metadata–including their name, copyright information, contact information, and a link to their web site–to each image. Wherever the image travels, anyone with an ImageExchange reader on their Web browser can see a small blue information icon at the top right-hand corner of the image. (See the top left thumbnail image) By clicking on the icon, the user can access the ownership information and click through to the image owner’s web site. (The ImageExchange reader will be a free download)
- New PicScout Tool Connects Image Buyers to Owners

Sign-up for a PicScout ImageExchange beta invitiation

Google “Caffeine”
Google is poised to release “next-generation architecture for Google’s web search” any day. No really… any day. There has been a lot of anticipation around this release, with Google giving not so subtle clues that the roll out to one of their data centers will happen in January with others to follow shortly. What’s in the upgrade?

“It … will let us push the envelope on size, indexing speed, accuracy, comprehensiveness and other dimensions. The new infrastructure sits “under the hood” of Google’s search engine, which means that most users won’t notice a difference in search results.”
-  Google Caffeine via the Google Blog

While most people might not notice those who manage their web sites closely with an eye on search might see some variation or differences.

Apple iSlate
Apple with much anticipation is due to release a tablet computer on or around January 26th. Will it be an alternate to an iBook, Kindle, netbook, etc? It’s tough to say. It could be a lot of things to a lot of people. In either case it’s a new technology product that should be noted.  Apple’s products are always sexy (Ok maybe not the Newton) and bring a lot of attention to new facets of publishing. If there is a big surge in interest in this type of product it could influence how you publish your photography.

• The Exhaustive Guide to Apple Tablet Rumors – Gizmodo
• Apple rumored to announce tablet later this month – Mobile Burn

Technorati Tags: technology, Apple, iSlate, Adobe, CS5, PicScout, Google, Caffeine, TinEye, search

2009 has been an interesting year for photographers who have taken the plunge with Social Media. I’m guessing back in January of 2009 many of you would have scoffed at the notion of being active in Social Media by years end. It’s been great to see so many photographers experiment with it this year. While I knew use of Social Media would not stick for some, I have been pleasantly surprised more people have stuck with it than I’d have anticipated.

If you consider yourself a Social Media friendly photographer here are 10 predictions for the New Year to keep you thinking through 2009 and beyond.

1. Real-Time Search becomes a game changer
   Twitter’s search deal with Google & Bing is the beginning of the end for traditional search. Google will work to stay ahead of the pack in developing algorithms to query and rank results from Twitter. Google’s battle with Facebook on the Real-Time search will also pick up steam as the race begins to dominate this new and fast growing set of data. We may not see the full effect in 2010, but we’ll definitely start to see an impact from real-time search in day to day management of our sites. Sentiment, brand management, and shifting rankings will impact all who manage business web sites.
2. Reverse Image Search applications go mainstream
   TinEye, PicScout Image IRC and Google Goggles will increasingly become part of daily search for many people. The main drivers to this development will hit opposite ends of the use spectrum. Mobile phone applications will free up tired thumbs that need a break from tiny keyboard typing. Larger companies will more widely adopt reverse image search applications to manage their intellectual property in an increasingly chaotic environment online.
3. Engagement & Sentiment analytics will become the latest obsession
   Standard web metrics will look like child’s play compared to emerging engagement & sentiment analytics. With ever growing demand from larger corporations a software development race will heat up to provide meaningful analytics to tackle Return on Investment (ROI) & Return on Engagement (ROE) questions. Engagement analytics will fill a growing vacuum to measure & manage community development, brand management and personnel management
4. Facebook’s 2009 identity crisis will last through 2010
   Circa 1990’s Microsoft fashion Facebook will continue to steal feature ideas from innovators to secure and expand its foothold in the Social Media space… all while developing very little innovation of its own. Continue to see Facebook change course in 2010 and beyond, as it attempts to morph into the latest buzz.
5. iPhone apps will lose momentum
   iPhone applications have reached a saturation point and as a result developer interest will continue a sharper fade in 2010. The one exception will be the maturation of augmented reality applications and demand for games. Lack of a larger interest by developers will impact demand downstream with app users. In addition the lack of market expansion resulting from diminishing developer support will drive consolidation of game development to companies who have profited most from iPhone app development. The gold rush for individual developers is coming to an end.
6. The U.S. government will officially turn to Social Media to fight terrorism & address national emergencies
   The growing threat of non-traditional communication channel use by enemies abroad & at home and the success of the DARPA Balloon Hunt has put Social Media squarely in the sights of government security and emergency relief agencies. Larger safety concerns, terrorism and natural disaster, will spur programs to use Social Media communication in polar opposite fashions: monitor & hinder information seen as a threat vs. leverage & spread information to avert threats. And you thought you had a love hate relationship with Social Media!
7. Facebook will yet again fail to learn from past mistakes regarding Privacy
   With an eye toward company goals (IPO,  expanding ad revenue, etc.) Facebook will turn a blind eye to privacy concerns incorrectly thinking members will endure most anything rather than re-establish network relationships through another service.
8. Flickr will undergo a long over due redesign
   My Hail Mary prediction of the year is that Yahoo it will undergo a layout redesign. Personally I think this is a long shot, but I’m hopeful that Flickr will surprise me. Improvements will include an update to the image detail page layout to more clearly highlight use rights, tags, image sets and embed social media hooks to improve the sharing capability of their service. Higher level changes to display Explored images will take effect to broaden community interaction.
9. Data Portability will make little head way
   Full Data Portability will live on as an idealistic dream. Implementation of a widely adopted independent & open format for single sign-on will remain rough and barely hold on as Facebook makes a full frontal assault to dominate this space as Facebook Connect and Google Friend Connect taints the larger community effort . With few incentives for private companies to adopt true data portability it is likely to languish until the next PR nightmare to haunt Facebook, Google or Twitter.
10. Google Wave will start to live up to the hype in late 2010
    GoogleWave beta has had a tough time living up to the hype it has received.  It’s biggest strength and biggest weakness is its dependence on developers to create reliable functionality that can be appended to its use. Incredibly strong for communicating collaboratively it has a while to go before hitting a tipping point with a larger audience. GoogleWave strikes me as having its strongest use by large enterprises, but less the proper developer support will find itself stuck in niche uses. As more reliable and functional add-ons are created for GoogleWave, use will increase and a larger tipping point among individual users is likely to happen in late 2010.

Technorati Tags: Social Media, predictions, 2010