Author Archives: Margo Rowder
This weekend, the world gathered around one iconic idea: 350ppm.
350 parts per million is the level of CO2 many climate scientists agree is the safe upper limit of carbon in our air (we’re at about 390, by the way). But that’s not all 350ppm is. It’s also one of the strongest examples of social media optimization the world has ever seen.
To help promote its International Day of Climate Action (last Saturday, 10/24), 350.org simply asked supporters to use a special hashtag in related tweets: #350ppm. According to search.twitter.com, it was used 1,500 times over the weekend (10/23-10/26).
The Day of Climate Action was a rousing success. 181 countries participated (meaning fewer than 15 didn’t), and there were 5,245 events across the globe.
As for SMO success, 350.org now has over 10,000 Twitter followers. They’re ranked #43 in the “Everywhere” region (via Twitterholic). 350’s most recent Influence score from Twitalyzer is a “profound” 64 of 100, after a recent increase of 31,900%. Twitalyzer bases Influence on Reach (followers), Authority (getting retweeted), Generosity (RT’ing others), and Clout (getting mentioned). 350’s Clout score is 100 of 100, unchanged in the recent past.
On Sunday, 350’s Day of Climate Action was the most talked-about news story on the planet – tops on CNN, The New York Times, Le Monde, Google News, and more. The top Google headline was “Campaign Against Emissions Picks Number,” due in no small part to thousands of participants using “350.” For Sunday and Monday, the story of 350 got more impressions than any other in the world.
Since Tom Caudell coined the phrase in the early 90s and the first augmented reality-related patent was filed in 1993 (by GeoVector), AR has been an up-and-coming killer technology. Nearly ten years later, augmenting reality required 26 pounds of equipment.
And now, after nearly 20 years of research and development – and with the advent of some serious mobile computing power – we can hold this bit of technical mastery in the palms of our hands. Yet, the highest-profile AR apps involve a hamster game (Kia’s “Go Hamster Go”) and a cardboard box simulator.
In addition, Mattel will soon launch a line of AR toys for Twentieth Century Fox’s movie Avatar. Each action figure will come with a “chip” that elaborates on its story when held up to a webcam, and they’ll even “come alive” and interact with each other onscreen.
Seriously?
I’m a creative in the marketing biz, so it’s a given that I’m a fan of fun experiences (and creating them for others). In my opinion, however, one of the best uses of augmented reality thus far lies in the first-down lines during televised NFL games. Yeah, I know – “yawn” – but let’s put it this way: it satisfies a true need.
Everyone from a casual spectator to an edge-of-the-couch diehard now has a better understanding of their favorite team’s place in their offensive drive.
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The Google team behind Maps, in an attempt to conjure a similar breath of fresh air in the way we communicate, announced last week its development of Google Wave. With an online communications tool that purports to combine e-mail, blogs, instant messaging, and wikis, they’re well on their way. (Google Wave’s launch date is as yet unannounced.)
In my mind, the most significant innovation of Google Wave is its treatment of a communication thread – instead of being sent around as a permanent entity, a thread (now a “wave”), becomes a living, nearly breathing resource.
Imagine a message you’d written to several coworkers about a project, with details that weren’t altogether fleshed out. With Google Wave, your coworkers would get your wave, add their questions (which you’d then see) and would notice edits you make to include project details as they develop. Everyone sees and refreshes the same hosted document.
Google Wave highlights include:
· Real-time typing option, which makes each wave a potential venue for instant messaging, with – allow me to repeat – real-time typing (Time to polish your keyboard prowess.)
· Private messaging, so that certain parties can only see select parts of your wave
· Live interaction with Wave extensions, like a “Yes/No” RSVP gadget, polls, and, sure – maybe a game or two (Developers, start your engines!)
· “Playback” allows a wave’s newcomers to get up-to-date on the conversation
