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There’s an App for That…

The litany of iPhone apps continues to grow and seriously, there is an app for that. My latest iPhone app additions:

Still looking for the new Toys R Us “Big Book” app, the one that lets you create and share your list of favorite toys (as seen in the Big Book itself).

toysrus-iphone-app

Top iPhone Apps While Visiting Four Seasons Lanai

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Staying at the Four Seasons Lanai at Manele Bay or Koele is a dreamy, getaway vacation. But for the iPhone-toting fanatics, here’s my list of absolute apps you need while visiting the Four Seasons Lanai.

four-seasons-appFour Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Even before arriving at your vacation getaway, you can take a virtual tour of what you’re about to experience. With this recently released app, you can check out room availability, spa services, and even get a video tour of any Four Seasons.

pano-appPano. Taking mobile pics is conveniently cool, but the very best way to capture the gorgeous scenery of Lanai is to take panoramics. There’s so much visuals to choose from, starting with the beaches and oceanfront of Manele Bay to the gardens and Lodge of Koele.

tweetie-appTweetie. With superb AT&T coverage in the area, you’re always online. Why not make others jealous as you’re living the life on Lanai by tweeting tidbits here and there? And of course, you need to converse with the excellent tweeters of the resort! Be sure to follow @fslanai, @KatieonLanai, and @tomroelens, and who knows what surprises will come.

wordpress-appTumblr, PicPosterous, WordPress. If you also happen to be a blogger (and can’t contain your voice), be sure to have the mobile versions of Tumblr, Posterous, or WordPress handy. How else are you going to share your wonderful experiences as they happen? But then again, if you were a blogger, you’d already have these apps. 😉

postman-appPostman. With this app, you can make your own virtual postcards using the fantastic pictures you’ve taken. Jot down a short message then share your creation on Facebook, Twitter, or email.

weather-appThe Weather Channel. Huh? With Hawaii’s typical tropical weather, why would you need an app forecasting the weather? You really don’t. What you do need is the ability to share the sunny conditions of 96763 with the unlucky ones not in 96763.

And there you have it, my list of top iPhone apps you need while visiting Four Seasons Lanai.

Apple and the Big Three of Social Media Marketing

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Quick, what are your guesses of the top three social media sites used by corporations for marketing purposes? Is is MySpace? How about Facebook? Is YouTube used?

My limited, unofficial research brought me across these sites:

Here’s the gallery of screen shots from these sites:

From these various sites, the most popular that are surfacing are Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. This trio is becoming the big three of social media marketing used by companies to engage and interact with their customers.

But is there room for one more?  The inclusion of iTunes (and the App Store) in the above samples is very interesting and could hint at Apple’s next move.  No, I’m not suggesting that Apple enter the social media space to challenge the current contenders.  That’s not Apple’s way.  Historically, Apple only enters the fray when the company feels it can dominate the space or effectively change the game.

This is where Apple could make a definite impact, providing users with the preeminent means of engaging with social media.  No, Apple should not make their own version of Facebook (sorry MobileMe), but instead get people connected to Facebook.  As in mobile or desktop access to Facebook using an iPhone, iPod, or a Mac, as in publishing pictures to Facebook using iPhoto, as in sharing musical tastes with Facebook using iTunes, as in sharing movies on Facebook using iMovie, as in feeding other content to Facebook via integration with an iPhone app.  Same with YouTube, iMovie ’08 included exporting to YouTube, the recent iPhone 3GS supports mobile movie uploads to YouTube, and now Snow Leopard’s QuickTime X can export to YouTube straight from the OS.  You see a trend here?

By approaching the social media space not as a service, but as a connector to these services, Apple can change the game and really ingrain itself in the social media landscape.  That is Apple’s way.

Hostile Voicemail

Whoa! Checking my voicemail, I found this expletive-laden doozy waiting for me, um, Dave. Dave, your pal don’t seem to happy. Take a listen, but I warn you now of the excessive swearing.

[audio:https://www.pulpconnection.net/audio/hostile-voicemail.mp3]

About the Amazon Kindle and the Scare of iPods

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I don’t have an Amazon Kindle but have heard good things about it. I’m old school with books and would rather have printed material for the most part. This Fast Company article about the Kindle is pretty interesting and worth a read.

The potential showdown with Apple’s iPod line is provoking and as a non-publisher, reading how traditional publishing works and how Amazon is changing the game is fascinating. Overall, a very well written article!

A Social App for The Counter Burger?

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Some initial brainstorming for a social app for The Counter Burger just for fun.

The Pulpconnection burger
The Pulpconnection

How about matching up tastes and menu selections from other customers in other locations. See similar favorites for new possible combinations. Make suggestions on new menu combinations based upon your previous selections. Name your custom built burger which is then suggested to other patrons. See all names of similar or same custom created burgers. Customers can rate your custom created burger and recommend/share. List top rated custom creations (in general, vegetarian, by toppings, etc.). Build “ultimate” menus of sandwiches, starters, and drinks.

By geography and store, breakdown most popular burger choices, french fries, and shakes. Mobile pics of creations.

For users, list previous visits and orders/creations (along with rating of meal).

Must have iPhone version of app. Shake iPhone to randomly suggest a custom creation to try. Show specials of the month (burger and shake). Find/list locations of The Counter by geolocation. Get directions, phone number, hours.

And there goes the brainstorming as I get distracted by Twitter.

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