Five for Friday: Ditch the Phone, Google Your Cells, and Reconnect to Real Life
March 20th, 2015 by
In the past few decades, we’ve seen a major shift in communication venues. We used to meet in the town square or pick up the phone, but now we belly up to a screen to share stories. In a world full of devices, it’s easy to feel disconnected, so this week’s Five for Friday highlights some of the ways companies have begun using digital assets to connect users with the world around them.
1. Getting the Party to You Gets You to the Party! – Tech Crunch
Event and ticketing site Splash just received $6 million in funding to further develop its invitation and ticketing platform. This engaging events management platform entices (no doubt hungover) party attendees back to the site the morning after. Splash allows party hosts to capture and share video footage and photos for days after the event. Both the opportunity for engagement as well as Splash’s advanced event page analytics make it intriguing for the host of any party, from a backyard kegger to a multi-million dollar event.
2. Don’t We All Just Want to Feel Special? – Marketing Land
2. British apparel brand Ted Baker may have cracked the code on how to engage loyal followers on Instagram. The company recently began posting coded images that require diehard fans to regram them using a new filter in order to crack the secret message. Is this a cool new way to leverage those Insta-followers, or will fans of the brand be reduced to advertisements on autocorrect?
3. Google: It’s in Your Blood – SEO by the Sea
Google’s latest patent is getting so up close and personal that it may even gain access to your cells. The company recently filed a patent for a device that can zap cancer cells as they’re forming in the bloodstream. Google has changed so much more than the way we search, but this patent provides further evidence for our theory that Google’s on a path to take over the world.
4. Absence (of Your Phone) Makes the Heart Grow Fonder – Mashable
What if keeping your phone private could enhance your real-life relationships? Recent studies show that limiting phone use with colleagues and friends can make you seem more trustworthy and empathetic. After a week without public phone use, one writer reported more in-depth conversations and connections with his colleagues. It just goes to show you that losing your phone can actually be beneficial for your social networks.
5. Think Twice Before You Swipe – CNN Money
Tinder claims that in an effort to get users to be more willing to connect with each other, they have set limits on the number of rejections a user can make within a twelve-hour period. This limit directly corresponds to the release of Tinder’s paid version, Tinder Plus, which allows users unlimited left swipes on subpar suggestions. To add insult to injury, the app’s Plus version is more costly if you’re over the age of 27. Tinder, can’t you see your users are lonely and desperate enough?
