Google Wallet: The Next Big Thing?

There once was a time when people scoffed at the idea of purchasing things with the swipe of a tiny, rectangular plastic card. People didn’t have to actually carry any money, there was never any change back, and the process seemed too cryptic to really take hold. It would never work.

Well, we all know that isn’t the case anymore. Visa, Mastercard, American Express, the list goes on and on for that tiny, plastic magic-money-swiping card. And now we have another fight for the next best payment system, lead by none other than Google (Surprised?).

This week Google announced a new mobile payment service, Google Wallet. It is an Android app that “makes your phone your wallet.” It stores virtual versions of your existing plastic cards on your phone. Using Near Field Communication, Google Wallet is able to transfer your card information to the register, when tapped to the appropriate register or payment terminal.

So much critical information stored on your phone sounds a little un-nerving to me, especially when I think of all the “I lost my phone, need your number” events I get on Facebook. However, Google reassures us that it is safer than a traditional wallet because you set up a Google Wallet PIN that must be entered before making a purchase. Osama Bedier, Google's vice president of payments, assures that the mobile payments system is more secure than credit and debit cards with magnetic stripes, and that Google Wallet is designed to enable safe, secure payments.

Google said Thursday that it's launching a trial of its payment system in San Francisco and New York in cooperation with MasterCard and Citibank. It is opening it up to consumers in the summer. It then plans to expand across the country.

Google Wallet isn’t the first to dream up a new payment system that combines phones, retailers and banks, and it won’t be long until other cellphone companies and Visa launch their own competition. But the question remains: will Google Wallet be able to tap out on top?

Video Post: E-Books Besting Bestsellers

Not long after my post last week about Barnes & Noble's new e-reader, Amazon announced that e-books have outsold all other forms of print books on Amazon.com. It's an impressive achievement, and Steve explores what this means for both the e-reader market and the print book industry in this week's Daily Axioms video post.

Axiom Soars With Girls With Wings, Inc.

by Dave Sniadak

Everyday, we're fortunate to help our clients' needs bloom into successful promotional opportunities. However, this week we're excited to help an aviation-based organization raise awareness for it's noble cause. Girls With Wings, Inc. is a non-profit from Cleveland, Ohio that aims to help the dreams of young girls take flight.

The organization is hosting the Twin Cities' first Aviation Inspiration Day at historic Fleming Field in South St. Paul on Saturday, May 28th. Axiom Marketing Communications took on this pro bono project and is honored to be serving as media liaisons for this special event.

Girls With Wings Founder Lynda Meeks will be hosting the event, along with several inspirational women in aviation, talking to young girls from across the Twin Cities from 1st grade through 8th grade. Families are encouraged to attend the event. There are morning and afternoon sessions and admission is $5 per person. Tickets can booked here.

"At the end of the day, girls need flight plans, not fairy tales," Meeks said. At Axiom, we're happy and proud to help this program get cleared for take off.

Greetings from Axiom's Summer Intern!

Hi, all!

My name is Natalie and I am the new intern at Axiom Communications! I want to introduce myself to our wonderful followers. I am a senior at the College of St. Benedict/St. John's University. While there is no specific marketing/advertising degree, I am creating my own with a major in Communication and minor in Economics.

Being involved on campus is extremely important to me. Despite my lack of sportiness I am on softball and sand volleyball intramural teams in the spring. While my teams might not win every game, we sure have fun -- which is what is most important anyways, right? I am also involved with Marketing Club and Joint Events Council, both of which I will be on the executive board of next year.

Last summer I interned for United Cerebral Palsy of Central MN in St. Cloud, MN. My main responsibilities there were creating a social media marketing plan, updating social networks, creating an event website, and getting last-minute projects done for June's golf fundraiser. Of course we had to have a little fun each day -- most of which consisted of discussions of Monday's episodes of The Bachelorette!

One of the best decisions I have made so far is to study in Australia. I spent five months as a student at the University of Notre Dame in Fremantle, WA. Even though I have been back in the US for six months, I still like to think I have the Australian culture in me. Living abroad opened my eyes to a whole new world (literally) of customs and ideas that I hope stick with me! I know what I learned can only help me in the future.

I am so excited to work here at Axiom and learn the in's and out's of a successful agency. We have so much ahead and it'll be busy, but that is when I thrive. This is such a great opportunity and I'll be learning from smart, creative, and friendly people. It is only the first day and already I can just tell it is going to be wonderful!

Cat Food Company Feeds Your Cat's App Envy

Cats have been a staple of cheesy Internet fame for years and years. Cat food on the other hand flies much lower on the radar.

Obviously people want to talk more about their furry felines than what they're feeding them. This poses quite the dilemma for the cat food companies looking to get noticed in a social media space that isn't too interested in them so much as the animals they cater to.

Friskies has carved (or clawed in this case) a niche with their out-of-the-box thinking. It started back in 2009 when they launched the Scratchington Post, a mock site that featured a collection of cat-related articles and pictures.

This time around, the cat food company has released a new app...for your cat.

That's right. Friskies released an app featuring three games that are meant to played by your fuzzy friends. To be honest, all three games are essentially the same and feature something floating around the screen that react to the touch of a hand (or paw). You can check out a video of the app here.

While the app isn't for everyone, it's good to see companies that are usually forced to keep a low profile branch out and try to snag their share of the attention.

Breaking Down the New Nook Predictions

On the heels of a very well-reviewed software update to their popular Nook Color e-reader/tablet late last month, Barnes and Noble raised some eyebrows with an announcement that they will be holding a special event on May 24th.

There haven't been many details released about what exactly will be unveiled at this event, but the blogosphere has been buzzing about the possibilities. Some of the predictions make sense, others just make me shake my head. Here are the 5 predominate opinions out there with my take on each, and I've also rated each scenario's chance of happening on a scale of 0 (absolutely no chance) to 10 (guaranteed to happen):

• Nook Color 2: The gut reaction by many was the idea of a new device to capitalize on the recent Nook Color popularity. Is it an exciting possibility? Sure, but it is not going to happen any time soon. Yes the Nook Color has its hardware flaws, but not nearly enough to warrant abandoning the current Nook Color model.
• Possibility of happening? 1 out of 10

• Honeycomb update: Some speculated that the Nook Color might benefit the growing trend of Honeycomb tablets with an upgrade to Android 3.0 of its own. Sorry, I just don't see this happening either. Piggybacking off of the previous prediction, Barnes & Noble just spent a lot of time and money upgrading their current model to Android Froyo making another update this soon both unlikely and unwise. The tablet-optimized Honeycomb is still getting its sea legs and would be far too buggy for the Nook Color this early.
• Possibility of happening? 2 out of 10

• From Wi-Fi to 3G: Others have thrown out the idea that the May 24th announcement will be a 3G model of the Nook Color. I really don't like the idea because 3G means carrier charges, and one of my favorite parts about the Nook Color has been the lack of carrier involvement. However, given the prevalence of Internet-needy apps on the Nook Color (and the need for an Internet connection to download new apps), this move wouldn't surprise me too much.
• Possibility of happening? 6 out of 10

• Upgrading the Nook: More and more people are leaning towards next Tuesday's announcement centering on the original Nook e-reader, speculating that the device will get a competitive boost to compete with the Kindle. Considering the general consensus is that the Kindle the better pure e-reader, I agree that this has the strongest chance of happening.
• Possibility of happening? 8 out of 10

• Downgrading the Nook: Another interesting prediction is a new lower-end model of the original Nook that could compete with Amazon's dirt cheap ad-supported Kindle. I don't hate the idea, but I'd rather see Barnes & Noble focus more on putting the Nook on par with the Kindle instead of purely going after sales and market share.
• Possibility of happening? 7 out of 10

Obviously this is all speculation, but it's the only thing the tech world has at this point as we all wait anxiously for May 24th to roll around.

The State of Local TV News

We seem to have one of the local news shows on during or just before dinner at our house; mostly just to catch the weather...even though as we all know there are about 10,000 other ways to get your local forecast.

Anyway, while I was waiting for the weather to come on, I caught a segment about 'push mowers.' The nut of the story was that with the rise in gas prices, homeowners are looking for an environmentally friendly alternative. Now that premise is a bit hard to swallow. I mean, how much do you think you're going to save by not putting gas in a lawn mower?

But what really got me going was the term 'push mower.' To this reporter, that simply meant a push reel mower like the ones our grandfathers might have used. The reporter completely forgot or simply didn't know that there are push gas mowers, and more importantly, corded and cordless electric push mowers that are green and are a lot more practical on any lawn larger than a postage stamp, especially if you have some weeds instead of fine fescue.

The inherent laziness of just going to a local hardware store and being led around by the owner is not what I'd call good journalism. Now, we're not talking about hard news here, but all I ask for is a bit of research before you turn the camera on.

Full disclosure: Axiom represents The Toro Company, makers of both gas and cordless mowers.

Video Post: Is Beta Better for Google?

Yesterday I briefly mentioned Google announcing their Google Music Beta streaming music player at the Google I/O developer conference. And although I wasn't able to give it much attention, Ashley dives into more of the details and speculates on its impact in today's Daily Axioms video post.

Google's I/O Announcements Dominate Headlines

Google held their annual Google I/O developer conference on Tuesday, opening the floodgates for a wave of Google and Android news and announcements.

Considering I could easily fill at least a week if I did a full post on each announcement, here's a quick rundown of what all went down on Tuesday for Google:

• Google made a point out that 100 million Android devices around the world have been activated, with that number increasing by 400,000 devices each day. Obviously, the Android platform is still going strong.
• While Honeycomb is getting upgraded to version 3.1, the major O/S news was the unveiling of the next version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich. Expected to be released towards the end of this year, Ice Cream Sandwich will be a combination of Froyo's smartphone and Honeycomb's tablet capabilities.
• The Google TV haven't faired extremely well since their launch, but Google's hoping to give the device a boost with Android Market access and app support. Google TV's have already supported onboard apps like Pandora and Netflix, but more apps should provide a different experience that might give Google TV a leg up on competing devices like the Roku and Boxee Box.
• Speaking of Netflix, Google updated Monday's story of YouTube offering move rentals by announcing partnerships with Sony Pictures, NBC Universal and Warner Brothers. They also elaborated that the movie rentals will be start at $1.99 each and will be supported on Android devices.
• Keeping with the multimedia theme, Google also gave everyone a first look at the new Google Music Beta for storing and streaming your music. It's nothing groundbreaking, and runs through your browser as opposed to a desktop client.
• Since this was a developer conference, Google of course had a special announcement for the tech-minded crowd, and an interesting one at that. Basically, it's an "ADK" developer tool allowing people to modify custom accessories to work with Android devices.

So there you have it. Google offered a slew of possible stories, so hopefully this will be a good starting point to catch up on a big day at the Google I/O conference.

Not Everyone Thinks the Sky(pe)'s the Limit for Microsoft

Microsoft made waves this morning with the announcement of their acquisition of video chat service Skype.

But the buzz wasn't just about the acquisition itself, and more about the $8.5 billion price tag will be worth it for Microsoft. Considering Google's second-place offer was $4.5 billion less, financially it's easy to say that Microsoft overpaid quite a bit.

Another knock against this deal is that Microsoft already has a pretty strong video chat service in Windows Live Messenger. In fact, Windows Live Messenger has more monthly users and a higher number of simultaneous users than Skype.

However, Skype's 124 million montly users is still a large chunk of the market, and no one is arguing that Micorsoft bettered themselves by acquiring them. The criticism revolves around how much they paid for Skype, and what the future holds for existing Skype users.

On the other hand, some people are hopeful that Microsoft's vast resources will mean big things for the popular video chat service. One example is potential integration of Skype and Kinect, Microsoft's innovative gesture recognition system that has sold over 10 million units in 6 months.

So the initial reactions to this move are mixed, and now it's up to Microsoft to prove to the tech world that they didn't break the bank to get Skype.

Facebook Friday: New Ad Incentive Program Misses the Point

Facebook introduced an interesting incentive program yesterday to get users to watch more of the site's ads.

Basically, Facebook is giving Facebook Credits to people to watch certain ads, most of which will be through some of the games on the site. Current partners with the incentive program include Zynga, CrowdStar and Digital Chocolate.

While having the Facebook gaming powerhouses backing the program is good, there are two glaring issues Facebook is overlooking.

First off, the incentive for users isn't all that much. Granted, Facebook Credits can be used for real-world purchases through the Facebook Deals platform. However, most ads reportedly only yield one credit, which is equivalent to about 10 cents. I just don't believe that will be enough reason for most users to try this program out.

Secondly, and more importantly, is how advertisers will (or should) feel about paying users to watch their ads. While I'm sure this will boost ad views, there will be little to no effect on the sales of the products in the ad. Users aren't going to care about what the ad is saying, they will only care about amassing Facebook Credits.

The bottom line is I don't think this is good for advertisers, and I don't think it's worth it for users. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised one bit if users just click play on the ads and go back to playing Farmville while they reap the benefits of this ill-conceived program.

Pandora Finds Its Funny Bone

Last August I wrote about Pandora adding genres to its service, praising its attempt to innovate despite being the leader in its market. Luckily for its music-loving users, Pandora has continued adding to its site in 2011.

Earlier this week Pandora added comedy genres to their list of stations, letting users add stand-up routines and sketches from different decades and styles. There's a pretty good mix of stations, including a Working Class Comedy genre if you like the Blue Collar Comedy Tour style, or Golden Oldies if you fancy yourself more of a Bob Newhart person.

As with the music stations, users can like or dislike a comedy sketch with a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" voting system. Pandora's thumb-voting has been popular, and the site reported on Monday that they surpassed 10 billion thumbs.

Most people seem to like the new comedy stations, and its good to see Pandora thinking outside of the box.

Water, water everywhere at the Kitchen and Bath Show

Andrea and I have just returned from Las Vegas, this year's site for the annual Kitchen and Bath Show. The poor housing market continues to take its toll on manufacturers, many of whom were absent from the show, particularly U.S.-based appliance makers. However, of the companies at the show, water and water conservation was a recurring theme.  Here are my picks for Best of Show:

• No touch bathroom faucet from Delta (first one to market) http://www.deltafaucet.com/videogallery/index.html#vid-Addison
• High-style water-saving Kohler lav faucet with color inserts (and cool joystick control) http://kohler.dirxion.com/bold
• Have a spa experience with a digital showerhead (and a remote control, of course): http://levaqua.com/
• Get instant hot water without a big, energy-saving hot water tank in the basement or closet: http://rheem.com/products/tankless_water_heaters/residential
• And to wipe the water up, here's a touch-less paper towel dispenser: http://www.cleancutdispenser.com/

Andrea and I are planning on trying out some of these products to see how they work in real life situations. I'm particularly keen to try out the no touch faucet and the digital showerhead!

Apple Reminds Us That They Still Make Desktops Too

Although practically all of the spotlight the past year has been on iPads and iPhones, Apple apparently wanted to remind us that they aren't just about smartphones and tablets.

Apple did just that with this morning's announcement of the latest upgrade to their iMac line.

The tech blogs were buzzing this morning after many were noticing that Apple stores were closed. The immediate reaction was that Apple was getting ready to unveil the new iMacs, and within hours were proven right.

Granted, the rumors of the upgraded iMacs had been flying for weeks so this was expected, but now that they've finally hit the stores it's time to take a closer look:

• Ditches miniDisplay ports in favor of the new Thunderbolt connection, which is 20 times faster than USB. The technology was developed by Intel and could become the new standard for connecting peripherals to your computer, and these iMacs are the first device to implement it.
• The new Sandy Bridge chips will provide a big boost in speed and performance.  
• Includes a built-in HD camera with Apple's FaceTime software.
• Despite a noticeable upgrade to the line, Apple kept the price comparable to previous iMacs. Prices range from $1,199 to $1,999, and here's a basic breakdown of the available options:
• $1,199: The "budget" model gets you the 21.5-inch iMac with a 2.5GHz quad-core i5, AMD Radeon HD 6750M and 500GB hard drive.
• $1,499: This price keeps the 21.5-inch screen but upgrades the hardware to 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, AMD Radeon HD 6770M and 1TB hard drive.
• $1,699: For an extra $200 you get the same internal specs I just mentioned, but with the larger 27-inch screen.
• $1,999: The high-end of the new iMac line takes the larger 27-inch screen and bumps the internal specs to a 3.1 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, AMD Radeon HD 6970M and 1TB hard drive.

All in all this, looks to be a solid upgrade to the iMac line, but the big question will be whether this can slow the steady decline of the desktop computer as more and more focus goes to tablets and laptops.

A Week With The "New" Nook Color

Having owned a Barnes & Noble Nook Color since December, you can be sure I wasted no time in downloading last week's major update.

The update promised an OS update to Android Froyo with flash support and a curated app store, which had many wondering if the update would turn the Nook Color from a e-reader/tablet hybrid to more of a full-fledged tablet.

And now that I've had the update for a week, here are my thoughts:

• As someone who used the Nook Color mostly as a mobile web browser, the flash support is fantastic.
• The app store is actually much stronger than I thought it would be at launch. While most of the apps cost money (and some of them are downright pricey), there are a couple of free apps that are definitely worth checking out. My biggest recommendation is Pulse, a great news feed that is perfectly-suited for the Nook Color.
• However, there are still some kinks to work out with the apps, because I've had trouble getting Angry Birds to install. I'm still looking into it, but at this time there is still a noticeable lack in my ability to launch virtual birds into pigs and various structures.
• The OS jump to Froyo seems effective, but it's a little harder to notice to casual users because there are so many other updates. On the other hand, the fact that there isn't a noticeable increase in lag despite the addition of more apps and other features is a sign that the OS update is doing its job.
• The e-mail feature is nice because you can now sync your account to get notifications and actually send emails. Before the update, I could view messages through the web browser but I couldn't compose new messages.

Overall, I'm happy with the Nook Color update. However, I hope Barnes & Noble doesn't rest on its laurels and continues to develop what could be the best value-based Android tablet on the market right now.