With Apple's big announcement last month, there are now at least a billion reasons to be excited about the iPhone!

In late April, Apple celebrated their 1 billionth download — just nine months after the opening of their app store. What does this mean for marketers? 

Lots! The iPhone app market is incredibly valuable if you're looking
for a mobile presence for your brand because it allows you to
participate in the richest mobile marketing platform ever. From the fun
and funky Target app to shop for goodies, to streaming radio for your favorite NPR station or of live whales in the Pacific, the pool of options is bottomless.

The beauty of Apple's app store is that it's easy to use for app creators and users. And in a truly democratic spirit, every new app starts on a level playing field:

• A newly uploaded app begins in the "new release" category where it enjoys its moment in the sun.

• Based on user feedback, blogs and reviews, the app can stay in the iTunes spotlight by generating more and more buzz. And more buzz in this ever-growing market base leads to more app sales! 

With the official release of the iPhone 3.0 operating system right around the corner, be ready for an eruption of new iPhone apps. Maybe the next billion downloads won’t take quite so long...

Do you grab your phone to find out the latest news? If so, you're not alone. According to a new study by comScore, Inc., in January 2009, 22.3 million people accessed news and information via their mobile devices, up from 10.8 million people a year ago.

With a whopping  107% increase in only one year, it's clear that there's been a significant shift in the way we fill our heads with content. Not only do we want quick and easy information, but we also want it the quickest and easiest way we can find it; this "one touch for information" movement is growing like wildfire.

For many of us, our phone is no longer just a telecommunications device. Instead, it's a multipurpose tool that we use for news and information... as well as social networking and blogging. Considering the recent launches of the next generation of smartphones and feature phones like the Blackberry Curve and Apple iPhone, we treat our phones like an extension of our home computers.

Today's phones can also bring you music, bowling games and househunting tools, and much of this entertainment comes from the 30,000+ applications currently available in the iTunes store (for use with iPod Touches and iPhones). 

As of today, the iTunes store isn't the only game in town. At long last, Blackberry App World is here! (No, this isn't an April Fool's joke.)

And interestingly, the BAW's pre-release buzz included attempts to "court Apple developers" with incentives like higher profit margins... which are possible because the minimum price for a paid app in Blackberry App World will be $2.99. A gutsy move considering that most apps in the iTunes store sell for less than $1. 

With Blackberry-friendly apps coming into the mix, development teams around the world are ramping up to satisfy the demand for this brave new world... so make sure you don't get left behind!

Google is taking the message of conservation to a new level - below zero elevation. Earlier this week, Google launched the new Google Earth 5.0 with more options than ever before. Google Earth has always been impressive, letting me virtually visit a sunny beach in Southern California while I'm sitting in chilly Rhode Island.  However, the features in 5.0 blow the previous versions out of the water, literally.

With a surprisingly clear picture, you can now virtually travel to the depths of the ocean floor to observe ocean topography and mysterious deep-sea life. Most notable is the vast amount of information available with a single click... including a visual representation of how climate change is affecting the earth.  

Throughout your travels, you can click to learn more information about a particular topic, like giant squid, volcanic activity or Hurricane Ike's effect on Galveston, Texas. If you are touring along the central California coast, the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch is a hot spot where you can learn about sustainable seafood.  You can also tour the migratory path of a whale shark to learn more about the species.  Google partnered with top marine experts to provide accurate and realistic data, and their due diligence shows.

And if that weren't enough, you can "view historical imagery" and record a tour.  The historical imagery option allows you to go back in time and view old satellite images of the earth.  With the recording tours option, Google Earth will remember the exact route you choose so you can return to interesting places time and time again.

Although only 5% of the ocean floor has been mapped so far, it is definitely worth checking out!  And check back often to see where else Google is going...

Obviously, no one will go on a sub-trip to the ocean floor, but with Google Earth 5.0, the Google team may inspire a passion for marine education and conservation.  As the web evolves, we expect more and more educational solutions to be solved through innovative technology. And the best part of this service is, it's free!

2008 has been a pivotal year in our world. Just think about it: in the course of 12 months, we've experienced the most incredible Olympics ever in China... the rebirth of Saturday Night Live with Tina Fey as Sarah Palin... a wave of Obama-mania which resulted in the first African-American president-elect in our history... and a huge economic upheaval that is [even now] redefining our entire economic structure.

Not only do these events impact our everyday world, but they also have huge ramifications for the digital world where we all spend so much of our time...

• Barack Obama's New Media Department uses online marketing in politics... and it works! By using digital media to keep in touch with his supporters [using an e-blast to announce his vice-presidential choice, and advertising heavily online - even posting ads on video games], Obama created a team dedicated to new media and social networking... and completely redefined what it means to campaign for political office. Thanks, Team Obama!
• Google releases updated Analytics code. Just when we thought Google couldn't get any more impressive, they released an updated version of Analytics in October. With more reporting options and more flexible ways to view data, Google has made their easy-to-use tools even easier to use!
• Touchscreens and iPhone SDK info proliferates. Okay, you have to admit it: touchscreen phones are just cool, and we're happy to see that all cell carriers are now offering them. What's better than that? How about the fact that Apple released SDK information in March? What that means is that mobile content creation is now in the hands of creative types [like us] to develop applications for the iPhone.
• Hulu appears on the horizon. Watch out, YouTube; a new player is in town - literally.  The video sharing site, Hulu, has already seen huge growth in 2008. Jumping from 88 million videos viewed in May to 235 million videos viewed in October, this trend is just the tip of the iceberg.  The videos are quality, the site is easy to navigate, and as online-video soars in popularity, we think this trend will keep its momentum well into 2009.
• Social Networking is for everyone. In 2008, we've seen a significant rise in social networking among the middle age demographic. Between October of 2007 and June of 2008, Facebook experienced substantial growth with 35-54 year olds: in just nine months, this segment grew 172.9%... proving that social networking isn't just for teens.

Do you know how private your email really is?

Most of us assume that our work email accounts are fair game…that our employers have the right and the responsibility to monitor the email sent from their employees’ accounts. After all, if the person down the hall starts sending threatening emails to Bill Gates, wouldn’t you want to know?

What many of us don’t realize is that any emails sent from your employer’s equipment or facility can be read and tracked. In fact, your employer is entitled to review any communication trafficked through their server.

That means that if you use your work laptop to read your personal email from a Yahoo, Google or Hotmail account, they have the right to read it.

In recent years, employees have fought (unsuccessfully) to assert their rights to privacy, so the trend seems to indicate that the justice system may be erring toward a more conservative interpretation of this issue.

In 2006, the advocacy organization Privacy Rights Clearinghouse declared, “Currently, there are very few laws regulating employee monitoring.” And the group cautions that even an employer’s published policies regarding workplace privacy may “not necessarily” be legally binding.

We don’t believe there’s cause to be paranoid about who’s reading your email, but there certainly is reason to be responsible. Much of it comes down to common sense:

• Practice basic email etiquette in terms of what you send.
• Be aware of how much time you spend on personal email accounts.
• Recognize that—outside the confessional—no communication is truly private.

And remember that although Big Brother isn’t always watching, he may be reading.

You’ll notice that we’ve deliberately refrained from posting a “best of” list for 2007. And for good reason.

We believe in using the past as a learning tool, but it doesn’t pay to get too overwhelmed or to drift into morbid reflection. Because today—as every day—we’re moving forward…ever forward.

What do we look forward to in 2008?

• More online video. It’s impossible to escape the pervasiveness of online video as a marketing tool. Whether it’s a flash presentation on your website, a training module broadcast around the globe or the latest “Will It Blend” segment on Youtube, we are all hooked on video content. And with the prevalence of mobile video streaming, it’s likely that this trend will continue growing.
• Green is in…for good. It’s no longer only the granola hippies who recycle and compost. Going green is now mainstream, embraced by Nokia, Toyota and Frito Lay …and this movement shows no sign of slowing down. (Can you hear the planet’s collective sigh?)
• Video games: no longer just for those with thumb dexterity. Thanks to galactic leaps forward in technology, games that create an interface between onscreen action and live motion are all the rage. Think wii, Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Even the “regular” at-home console games are well beyond their Atari beginnings. (Have you seen PS3?)

Long story short: 2007 is over. 2008 is just beginning. And from here, it looks like it’ll be one to remember. (At least until next year…)

It’s inevitable. No matter how much you plan in this holiday season, there’s always one last gift you forgot to buy…one last-minute add-on to a loved one’s wish list…one last person for whom you feel a sudden rush of generosity.

What is there to do? Where do you start? Where can you go for a great, fun, absolutely perfect gift?

Seek no more in vain! We’ve polled our staff for the best sites and have come up with a list of their favorites. Some of these sites also have brick-n-mortar stores (if you’re really in a rush), but all are well worth a visit.

And to simplify your life, Ann (a self-described Christmas enthusiast) has organized them into easy-to-use categories.

Enjoy!

For the bargain hunter

• overstock.com
• woot.com
• bluefly.com

For the confection connoisseur

• chriscoffee.com
• garrisonconfections.com

For the outdoorsy type

• rei.com
• ems.com
• cabelas.com

For the tech-savvy

• audiocubes.com
• smarthome.com
• bhphotovideo.com

For the artsy folk

• etsy.com
• momastore.com
• risdworks.com
• paperworks.com

For the holiday hostess

• crateandbarrel.com
• patinaStores.com
• anthropologie.com
• freywine.stores.yahoo.net

For those with impeccable taste

• forgottenjudaica.com
• downunderjewelry.com
• adagio.com

For the man in your life

• Fdnyfirezone.org
• Getyourswingback.com
• eshave.com

For your main squeeze

• greenriversilver.com
• fieldandrose.com
• tiffany.com

For the trendy teen

• urbn.com
• shanalogic.com
• threadless.com

For the kids (or the kid at heart!)

• creatoyvity.com
• backtobasicstoys.com
• bellanimaternity.com

Remember the good old days of using a favorite catalog to write your Christmas list? My companion was a classic behemoth that became my toy-shopping bible, happily lugged from place to place while I daydreamed about the Barbie Dream House and EasyBake Oven that Santa had, no doubt, set aside for me.

It was a sad day when, due to changing lifestyles and so-called “advances” in technology, these Christmas catalogs became just a fond memory. Since the Sears Wish Book—one of the last to succumb to the advent of the web—was discontinued in 1993, a whole generation of children has missed out on this cherished holiday pastime.

But no longer must the nation’s youth bookmark toy websites in the world-wide web’s virtual catalog! At long last, the Sears Wish Book is being resuscitated. The updated version will be trimmed from 700 to only 188 pages, but the nostalgia of dog-earing your favorite pages remains the same.

The catalog’s return also reconnects us to (oh, happy day!) human operators who can answer questions and offer advice relating to size, color and shipment—a dynamic that is often lost on the internet.

Sears is not alone in its marketing venture. “Our catalog is itself an advertising vehicle, and it is an effective way to drive traffic to our website," said Mary Rose MacKinnon, an L.L. Bean spokesperson. According to Advertising Age, retailers report that 13% of their new online customers last year came because of catalog mailings; conversely, about 43% of catalog customers also buy online. According to Bette Kahn, spokesperson for Crate & Barrel, "There's no question, when people receive the catalog, it's a call to action. It brings them into the stores as well as online."

How long can the real world and the virtual world continue to peacefully co-exist in the wonderland of holiday shopping? The jury’s still out, but let’s hope it’s at least long enough to return all those wrong-sized clothes…

In recognition that yesterday was America Recycles Day, it’s worth noting that we everyday consumers create a shocking amount of e-waste. According to the EPA’s stats for 2005, “between 1.5 million and 1.9 million tons of used or unwanted electronics were discarded in US landfills, including as many as 130 million cell phones [our italics]. Only a little more than 350,000 tons were recycled.”

The good news is that this trend is changing, albeit slowly. Industry giants like Dell and Nokia are pioneering recycling efforts aimed at minimizing our footprint on the planet…

• For just $25, Dell will pickup your old Dell equipment and dispose of it safely, recovering all reusable materials and destroying all your personal files. (Dell's recyling program)
• Nokia allows you to send your phone back to them—for free—where they’ll recycle it on their dime. (Nokia's recyling program)

In fact, Nokia has launched the “I’m an unplugger” campaign to encourage users to save energy by unplugging their cell phone chargers when not in use. Nokia estimates that if just 10% of their 1 billion customers did that, we could save enough energy to power 85,000 homes. For a year.

Who says we can’t make a difference?

According to Mediapost Publications one in five households enjoys “bloop blooping” through television commercials, cackling with the power magically granted to them by Tivo and other DVRs. Consequently, ad spending on broadcast TV is experiencing significant half-year declines-- decreases from 3.6% to $11.84 billion worth of expenditures on the networks even more on syndicated TV.

Meet the Tivo of the Internet: Adblock Plus. Its site persuades users to install the software by asking, “Ever been annoyed by all those ads and banners on the internet that often take longer to download than everything else on the page?” This software is a pop up blocker on steroids, allowing users to disable banners, eradicate advertisements sponsored by search engines, and virtually eliminate all commercial communication.

This may sound great to the everyday impatient web browser, but The New York Times called it “potential for extreme menace to the online-advertising business model.” Adblock Plus removes the exchange of free websites for advertisement revenues, which proves especially detrimental for small website owners who rely on ad revenues to stay afloat. In response, site owners have blocked users with Adblock Plus. When Adblock made their software undetectable some sites decided to block all Firefox users. This site owner accuses the software developer of "direct intent to defraud web site owners of their rights."

Meanwhile, larger websites, such as Google, are currently avoiding the phenomenon trying to avoid drawing any extra attention to the software which is currently flying under the radar at 2.5 million registered users. Will the technology eventually disable the online advertising model? Or will marketers develop a new method for monetizing online eyeballs? Pop-up blockers led to banner ads, and TiVo's bringing about a rebirth of the paid product placement, so we'll just have to wait and see!