Tag: mobile app

Mobile app from Facebook pales next to Paper

The social network has launched a new application that is providing a far better experience.

The most recent mobile app that has been launched by Facebook, called Paper, is being applauded when compared to the previous application from the social network, which many people find to be far less engaging and far more frustrating.

The purely functional experience from the Facebook Home app has been replaced by visual appeal and ease of use.

With the release of Paper, Facebook has effectively exposed how unappealing its old application actually was and that it is capable of doing a great deal more with its mobile app. Paper is a kind of combination of the existing news feed on a user’s account with news stories and status updates from friends. It has eliminated menus and buttons in favor of more basic screen swipes. Instead of the standard form of the news feed, large images are available (which can be better seen with device tilts), status updates, and videos that auto-play.

This new mobile app also encourages more off-Facebook content consumption.

The reason that it can do this is that users can leave Facebook’s content to view other forms online without having to leave Paper. This can be accomplished by simply selecting the online media category that is preferred on top of the usual items on the news feed. Each of those elements can be seen in the same way as one would flip through a magazine. They include sports. Food, photography, and science, among others.

These new features in addition to a range of stylistic enhancements have made it obvious that Facebook is understanding how vital it is to break away from its older structure. It is trying to avoid the impression that it is aging – as Tuesday represents its tenth birthday. In internet time, the social network is virtually seen as ancient, so it is becoming critical that it remains cutting edge and keeps up its relevance to its users, no matter what device they prefer.

The Paper mobile app is also providing an additional opportunity for Facebook to display ads. It is believed that it won’t be long before users start to see lots of advertising working its way into the rest of the content that is being consumed.

Image Recognition Technology Powers Buzz for the Doodle Revolution

NEW YORK, NY, JANUARY 23, 2014 – For the first time ever, fans will have the power to unlock exclusive content and rewards from authors by using image recognition technology to turn regular book covers into interactive media experiences. Author and TED speaker Sunni Brown has partnered with mobile tech company, BestBuzz, to leverage their proprietary technology and mobile app for her latest book release, The Doodle Revolution: Unlock the Power to Think Differently , published January 9 by Portfolio, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

Brown is ranked one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business and one of the 10 Most Creative People on Twitter by Fast Company, and her TED Talk on doodling has drawn more than a million views. Her book was recently named an Amazon Best Business Book of the Month and CBS Sunday Morning aired her story.

“This is an exciting and connective breakthrough for readers and authors. It gives me the ability to have direct touchpoints with my revolutionary doodlers. The BestBuzz platform is innovative, and provides exciting, visually rich tools to deliver relevant and valuable content to my readers, like infodoodles, webinars, exclusive sneak-peek chapters, how-to videos, special offers, and rewards you can’t get anywhere else,” says Sunni Brown, author of The Doodle Revolution. “It’s empowering.”

BestBuzz Location MapTo trigger the image recognition experience, smartphone users can download the free BestBuzz mobile app or text the word DOODLE to the number 63566. Upon opening the BestBuzz app, users align the target shown on their screen with the book cover of The Doodle Revolution, which will buzz when the experience is triggered. Doodle fans will unlock exclusive content and advocates are prompted to support the author by sharing with friends on social media to help spark the Doodle Revolution movement.

Image Recognition technology has received steady buzz from top media outlets and tech blogs and is one of the hottest trends for 2014. Founder and CEO of BestBuzz, Carrie Layne, says, “Image Recognition technology is the latest addition to the BestBuzz platform, which gives our partners the ability to select the mobile activation triggers that best align with their marketing strategies and overall campaign goals. Another function of the platform is that our partners can connect real-time marketing content to social media rewards, making it simple for them to deliver an exciting and valuable experience to customers through print media, in-store displays and even product packaging.”

Sunni Brown says, “My team and I are leading a global campaign for visual literacy, what we refer to as a Doodle Revolution, and BestBuzz has built a revolutionary tool that helps me communicate and amplify my movement to reach new audiences and engage more deeply with established audiences. I love watching the buzz spread around the world from my dashboard in real-time, and it’s been an extraordinary experience discovering the BestBuzz team’s impressive capabilities.”

Doodle Revolution BestBuzz Mobile Image Recognition

About The Doodle Revolution: Unlock the Power to Think Differently (published by Portfolio/Penguin Books January 9, 2014)

What did Einstein, JFK, Edison, Marie Curie, and Henry Ford have in common? They were all inveterate doodlers. These powerhouse minds knew instinctively that doodling is deep thinking in disguise–a simple, accessible, and dynamite tool for innovating and solving even the stickiest problems. Sunni Brown’s mission is to bring the power of the Doodle to the rest of us. She leads the Revolution defying all those parents, teachers, and bosses who say “Stop doodling! Get serious! Grow up! “She overturns misinformation about doodling, demystifies visual thinking, and shows us the power of applying our innate visual literacy. The Doodle Revolution was named an Amazon Best Business Book for January, 2014, and was recently featured in a CBS Sunday Morning story on Sunday, January 19.

About BestBuzz

Ranked as one of the Top 10 Hottest Startup companies by Startup America and Tech Cocktail, BestBuzz is a social amplification platform that helps businesses create, manage and deliver real-time content to fans that scans mobile activation codes from product packaging, in-store displays and print media. Users can download the free BestBuzz mobile app to discover and unlock rewards from their favorite local businesses, brands, media publications, and consumer products. Start scanning QR codes, UPC barcodes, images and logos marked with the BestBuzz icon to instantly earn points and unlock exclusive offers from partners.

To learn more visit: http://sunnibrown.com/ and http://bestbuzz.bz/or follow @sunnibrown and @best_buzz.

BestBuzz DoodleRevolution Activation