WebRev Blog

Have you been to the front page of WebRevelation.com lately?  If not, you might want to check it out!

Better yet, go grab your mobile device, and check it out there.  Very cool.

Tim and the gang at WebRev have been very busy.  They want to help you get your website mobile-ready, and upgrade your content management system (CMS) as well as your customer relationship management (CRM) and your e-commerce system, if you're selling on your site.  They can even help you develop custom web applications specific to your business and website (so you can say, "Yes, we have an app for that!").

If you're not sure what all of this means, or why you need these features, check out the updated list of services.  Even the admin screens have a fresh new look.

Also see Why you can no longer ignore mobile.  

A report by Canalis was cited in numerous technology posts over the weekend, showing that for the first time, sales of mobile devices have overtaken PC (laptop and desktop) sales.

In recent years, the computer programs most of us use have become increasingly web-based, reducing the need for large hard drives.  Also, because mobile devices are usually less expensive and sustain a lot more use and physical abuse, they tend to wear out more quickly, thus NEEDING to be replaced more often.

Does this mean that the desktop and laptop PCs are about to go the way of ticker tape?  Probably not in the near future; they still have an important place in our world. But if it is time for you to replace a worn-out device, how do you know whether you should be looking at a desktop computer, a laptop, a tablet, or a smartphone?  Here are some things to consider.

Desktops

If you work in an office, chances are you still have one of these monstrosities sitting on your desk, and believe it or not, they're still the best option for anyone who is going to be sitting at a computer for a large portion of his or her day.  They larger screens and keyboards are more ergonomically sound, and the larger hard drives are convenient for gamers and for those needing to store large amounts of data locally.  Because you're not carrying them around much (hopefully), they last forever (in technology years), and because the need for them in the marketplace has decreased, they can be very economical - especially the refurbished ones.

Laptops

The newer laptops have a huge amount of memory, and are a good compromise for some gaming and for those needing to store large amounts of data - to take with them on the go.  The screens and keyboards are acceptable for extended use for most people - although not as comfortable as the desktops.  Some are still pretty heavy to carry, but they've been getting lighter and lighter as technology improves.   Like the desktops, they now have so much competition in the marketplace that they have become much more affordable, and some great deals can be found - both new and refurbished. 

Tablets

These devices are a great option for those who need a larger screen but also want to be able to easily store the device in a backpack or purse.  These devices typically don't have a keyboard unless you buy one separately, so they're not ideal for extended use.  They're excellent for web-based activities like e-mailing, web surfing, and reading books.  Some are even good for watching movies and web-based games.  Increasingly, they're functioning as mobile phones with much larger screens.  They're too large to put in your pocket, however, and because they tend to sustain physical abuse from getting moved around and bounced around a lot, they just aren't going to last as long as a desktop or even a laptop, which is typically comes in its own case.  They are a great economical option, however, for the casual internet user.

Smartphones

These are by far the handiest devices available.  They do have their limits: even the larges screens are microscopic, and you're going to be typing with your thumbs, whether you're using an on-screen keyboard or a tiny slide-out keyboard.  Because they're so easy to carry and use, a lot of us tend to use them obsessively to check our e-mails and social networking profiles, so they tend to last about a year - important to remember when shopping for a good deal on one.  Although it is possible to download movies to these devices, actually watching a movie on one is more of a novelty than a really good movie experience.  They hard drive space is getting larger in recent months, but they really don't have enough storage to be a practical option as a primary computer.  Most likely, your smartphone is going to be a fun-sized version of your "real" computer - something else to keep in mind when deciding how much cash to drop on one of these trendy little gizmos.  

So which of these (or combination of these) have you found is your best option, economically and practically? 

Photo from Pocket-Lint

The biggest technology new of the week was ALMOST that Pope Benedict XVI used an iPad to light up the world's largest Christmas "tree".  "Tree" is in quotes there because it's actually a fabulous light display on the side of a mountain that looks like a tree.  The Pope has used an iPad in the past to tweet, and do other things.

But at the last minute, Pope Benedict shook up the technology world by using an Android Sony Tablet S to light up the tree. 

Why is this important?  Well, while I'm not Catholic and normally don't follow what is happening at the Vatican very closely, I think this little news story is wonderful.  It demonstrates that the Catholic church is striving to remain culturally relevant to everyone including the young people who ARE interested in the differences between Android and iPad technology, and tend to feel passionately about their favorite brand. Whether the Pope had chosen to stay with Apple or Google for this event, it also shows that the Vatican is incorporating the most current technology into its activities.

While it is doubtful that the Vatican is interested in actually endorsing either brand, or any of the devices, technology geeks the world over couldn't resist the urge to speculate as to why the switch was made.  The Daily Mail suggested that it might be because of the more flexible open-source nature of the application needed to light the tree.  Apple apparently applications have to be officially approved by the company before distribution.  This idea seems plausible.

 Mashable has more in this video.

Maybe you're hearing a lot about ice cream sandwiches this morning in the news, and are wondering why.  Well, unfortunately, it's not because we're all getting ice cream today.  Google updated its operating system for the Android phones again, in a new operating system which is included in the Android 4.0 phones.  In case you haven't been keeping up, the Android updates have been called Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo (frozen yogurt), Gingerbread, Honeycomb, and now Ice Cream Sandwich.  Maybe the next one will be Lemon Meringue Pie? Who knows.

Let's ignore the classless way they did this on the day there is a world-wide memorial service for it's competitor's founder, Apple's Steve Jobs.  Oh, and let's ignore the fact that this American-based company decided to pa aremier its biggest update ever in China (where most of the phones will undoubtedly be made).  Perhaps both were coincidences?  Besides they did this on Wednesday Hong-Kong time, which technically made it happen on Tuesday U.S. time, which is TOTALLY a different matter, right? Besides, this is the type of behavior expected from the "me" generation.

 All of the snarkiness aside, this is a pretty exciting update.  Basically, the operating system for the phones now is almost indistinguishable from the larger tablets, which is a huge step forward.  The next update will probably eliminate the distinction between the "mobile" devices and laptop PCs, making my post from Monday obsolete (see "Why You Can No Longer Ignore Mobile").

For the last week or so, network support personnel have been frantically been updating their systems to accommodate Apple's new iOS system, which has turned out to be such a hassle on the user end, that that no one has yet been able to enjoy the new features, which had more to do with app integration and (ironically) make the iPhones operate more like the (now) old Androids.  PC World compares the two updates HERE.  TechCrunch has a pretty concise rundown of the new Android features HERE.

Bottom line?  If you're getting a new phone in the next few months, It's likely your new phone will be a 4th generation Android.  Just remember that there are always problems with the first release of anyting has a lot of problems, so you might want to wait around for version 4.1

My only other complaint so far is that I got up this morning very excited, hoping I was finally going to get an update on my Droid, but as it turns out this update is not available for my now-antiquated original Android phone purchase circa late 2009.  Sigh. (I wonder how you say "sigh" in Chinese?)

Mashable published an infographic last week (click the image below to see the larger version on Mashable's Website), illustrating how the millennial generation uses mobile.

As you can see, for the purposes of this report, the "millennials" are ages 18-34.  If 18-34 year-olds are part of your target demographic for your online business (or your web page for your local business), then you need to realize that when they visit you online, they'll most likely be doing it on their phone or tablet.  Therefore, you absolutely must have a mobile-friendly web presence.

The quickest way to find out how mobile-friendly you are online, simply use your smart phone (or borrow one), and view your website and the linked social networking profiles (Facebook, Twitter, etc.).  If you don't like what you see, here are some quick ways to become more easily accessible by mobile.

Use QR codes.  We wrote about these cute little things back in May, and since then I've been seeing increased usage of them.  Over the weekend, I saw a plumber with a huge one on the back of his car - it was brilliant.  I'm sure if I'd been a millenial (I'm about a decade too late for that), I'd have been able to get my phone out in time to snap a photo of it for this blog, or even better, look him up on the web.  See What is a QR Code and do I need one? for more information on how to get one for free.

Either have a mobile version of your website (optional), or make sure your regular web page is "flex width" and that you've minimized the use of Adobe Flash.  You want your web page to shrink to fit a tiny screen when necessary, so readers can view the entire page from right to left before they enlarge it to read it.  It will be far less confusing for them.  Also, most mobile browsers don't really play nicely with Adobe Flash, so make sure your mobile users have an alternate way to get any important information that does not involve using the flash player.

Make sure you have a feed for your regular updates.  If you post your updates in a blog, make sure you have a feed for that blog.  If you post them some other way, make sure you have a feed for those updates, because people who like to access their favorite websites on their mobile devices often do so using their feed reader.  Check out the WebReb "Feeds" archive for more information about feeds and feed readers.

Make good use of mobile-enabled social networking profiles.  Twitter was developed as a mobile technology, as was Friendfeed, and Facebook does a great job with mobile, so if you have accounts on these sites, be sure to link to them from your website, and keep them updated.  Many of your regular readers may choose to access your update using their social network if they find that is easier. 

What are your experiences with incorporating mobile technology into your online marketing strategy?

Earlier this week, I mentioned how important it is to be aware of whether or not you're posting your location on Twitter, and how to adjust your settings.  Well, this is also important on other social networks like Facebook, and an increasingly popular one called Foursquare.

I've written about Foursquare here on WebRev before, mostly making fun of the concept.  Now that I'm seeing more and more of my (adult) friends posting their locations on their status updates, I'm beginning to have some real concerns about the security and privacy issues with this technology.  Foursquare has indicated that it has over 10M users already (and is celebrating by making it's mobile app look more like Google Search), and that's one of the smaller networks that offers location services.  The draw is the possibility of being offered a discount of some sort to whatever restaurant, theater, hotel or other business you are visiting.  Sure - everyone likes discounts and freebies, but seriously - do you think businesses are highly motivated to give you a discount after you are already in their doors?!  Of course not.  The discounts will be minimal.  What the businesses want is your data, and reviews, and the free publicity on the social networks.

That would be OK, I guess, but the businesses you are frequenting aren't the only ones who want the data you are freely providing for all the world to see.  The social networks are logging that information so they can do a more accurate job of spamming you advertising to you - as do they third party advertisers on these sites.  Criminals want the information so they know when your family is not home, and if you have children, the worst kind of predators want this type of information on families such as yours so they can keep better tabs on your kids, what they like, who their friends are and when they are most vulnerable.

For the same reason that you don't leave information about your exact plans to be away from home on your answering machine (oh, please tell me you don't do that!), you really should not be broadcasting your whereabouts over the interwebs.  If you're an adult, your friends (especially if I'm one of them) are likely to think you're silly.  If you're a young person, this habit could be dangerous.

For more information, see PleaseRobMe.com (Raising awareness about over-sharing)

Jennifer Pointer (e-mail) is in Tulsa, OK. She promotes a simple, a low-tech approach to effective online profile management, search engine optimization and social networking.