On the way back up and a few not to miss items
Morning all,
Apologies for not many updates recently, I’ve had one of those weeks where my inspiration level fell somewhat. When that happens, I feel less likely to blog…… I think it was a culmination of a few things, letting friends down, having too much to do and also waiting for some more work to come in.
Anyway, I feel as if I am on the way back up to my normal self, which is good news!!! So, here we are on a Wednesday, with a few good items to interest you…
Security
It’s a biggie at the moment, with more and more people getting scammed online. There are many things you can do too help yourself, and Google have just posted an excellent post on their blog here, outlining some great tips. If you class yourself as not being the biggest techie or web user, please, please do read it – is it worth risking your money for the sake of a few minutes reading? Nope!
Next generation iPhone
With the price of the first generation iPhone dropping in the UK, there are now reports that the new version may start for as little as $199 in the US (so that would mean about £400 for us in rip off Britain). If you can do without the expected 3G (fast wireless speeds), it is a good time to get one. Only O2 and the Carphone Warehouse have the reduced price, not the actual Apple Stores.
Web 2.0 Features
In my latest newsletter, (let me know if you would like to be added to the subscriber list), I was talking about the reports that big corporate companies are going to be spending a huge amount of money on Web 2.0 in the future (article here). What interests me is what features of Web 2.0 are companies looking to invest in?
Well, econsultancy did a report a few months ago and this was the result: (click on the pic for a bigger version).
It makes interesting reading, and I especially agree with microsites, personalised store (aren’t they all like that?) and blogs. I would be interested to hear what you think, so please do leave some comments!
Lastly, a little bit of fun, a very well known urban legend, but it always makes me chuckle (especially at the expense of the Police, who have a totally misguided view that speed kills. Inappropriate speed kills, but in general it is just bad driving).
Technorati Tags: hull marketing consultant, iphone, onlinesecurity, web2
Lunch at Hotel du Vin – lovely!
So, who enjoyed the good weather today? We did! We headed to York where we celebrated Kate’s birthday at the most excellent Hotel du Vin.
Hotel du Vin is owned by the same people who own the Malmaisongroup (very similar websites). I’ve stayed at a fair few Malmaisons over the years and they have never disappointed. I’ve eaten at a few of the Hotel du Vin restaurants and today continued the trend: excellent service, great food and superb decor.
Amazon changes their design
The designers have been busy at Amazon UK and have just launched a new look. (I am pretty sure this has already been rolled out over in the US for a while). When you arrive on their site, they must know it’s your first time since the overhaul and present you with the image above and also a FAQ – nice move:
Why did you change the site?
When Amazon.co.uk went online in 1998, we sold only books. Now we have many more departments, from tools to toys, and we wanted to make it easier for you to find items in all of them.
How did you decide on this design?
We consulted the foremost experts in the field: our customers.
We travelled around the world, inviting customers like you to come and try out the new features and design. We listened to their feedback and made changes based on their opinions. Then we asked more customers for their advice, and we made more changes from their feedback. The design you see today reflects the input of many real-life customers of our UK and international websites.
I really like the way they have done this and made it very apparent they consulted us, the customer (not me though!). Having spent a few minutes looking at the site, it seems very easy to navigate around but it lacks a certain something, perhaps it was me, but it seemed to lack a well-defined homepage. I will reserve judgement until I use it again, something I am trying not to do, due to the ease of buying things.
Ah. I think it must work then.
Technorati Tags: amazon
Good email from Malmaison
Malmaison is a superb chain of hotels in the UK. Basing their brand promise on style, affordable luxury and great food, I have stayed at a good many of them and are always my first choice if looking for something cool, but not TOO pricey!
This is their latest email which just arrived in my inbox:
I really like the fact it is relevant and executed well. We all know just how tough things are at the moment in terms of rising prices for everything – electricity, petrol / diesel, food…….. the list goes on. So, good work from the Mal marketing team for getting a good message across. (Extra bonus – their website also reflects the message!).
Technorati Tags: mal, malmaison, email
iPhone unpacking
What a great / fun concept by ntr23 on flickr! I used to have quite a bit of Lego technic when I was younger.
Lego is a brand that has certainly survived the test of time. Did you know it was originally created in 1932!? That is some history.
The company name Lego was coined by Christiansen from the Danish phrase leg godt, which means “play well” – what a lovely brand name idea! I bet many children have fond memories of all the fun stuff they did with their lego.
The Webware 2008 Winners!
The Webware 2008 winners have just been announced, (I blogged about the voting earlier in February), so check out the winners here! There are many categories, but here are a few examples of the ones I tend to use the most:
Video
Vimeo and YouTube for me.
Browsing
iPhone, Firefox and Google Reader for me here.
Productivity
Basecamp is something I love, but have dabbled with Google Calendar.
Anything you use that I should be?!
Technorati Tags: hull marketing consultant, webapps, Webware2008
