Rumors of Amazon's Tablet: A Student's Perspective

It seems as though you can't go a day without hearing about how great tablets are. There are commercials galore, not to mention all the personal testimonies from owners of tablets. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, I'm just stating a fact. Tablets deserve all the hype they get because they are just that great. We have two iPads here in the office and it is always a treat when you get a chance to use one!

As a college student these moments can be bittersweet, however, because I know it will be a very long time until an iPad fits into my budget. Tuition, books, and rent tend to take over. Not that it isn't tempting to try and swing such a big purchase, trying to validate buying an iPad with the fact that my laptop is on its last leg.

With these thoughts running through my mind, I was excited when I read rumors of Amazon releasing a tablet that directly competes with the iPad, but at half the cost! Along with the tablet, Amazon is also creating an app for students that will allow students to buy and sell books, electronics, and other helpful things. The app includes a barcode scanner, making it simple to find exactly the correct product you're looking to buy or sell.

After my initial excitement cleared I thought about such a purchase more rationally. Would I really need a tablet instead of another laptop? Is a tablet going to fill all of my computer needs? Will it be fast enough and as easy to navigate? These are just some of the questions that come to my mind. Yes, it is prettier, smaller, lighter, and easier to bring to the library. But does it fill my needs as a student? That is debatable.

I am a Communication major and Economics minor. Most of my assignments are writing papers. I can type quickly on a keyboard, but when it comes to a touchscreen keyboard typing is slow. Obviously I could find a keyboard that I could connect to the tablet, but that negates the easy portability that draws me to the product in the first place.

There is no need to come to a decision yet. Amazon's tablet release is still only rumors. For now I'll just be crossing my fingers that my laptop makes it through my senior year. As for Amazon's app, that would be incredibly useful right now as I am ordering my books for the semester. The app would take a lot of the guess work and searching out of the book-buying process. I think the rumored tablet has the potential to attract many students, but their new app is most appealing.

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Blogger Relations 101

An article came out in the Star Tribune a few days ago about a company announcing to a room full of bloggers at the EVO '11 Conference that they would no longer be paying bloggers for reviews and other writing opportunities.

As expected, the bloggers were not pleased and the room erupted into heated debate.

I don't want to turn this into a question of whether or not the company did the wrong thing with their announcement and stance on bloggers. However, I do feel this is a good opportunity to discuss some of the nuances and intricacies of working with bloggers.

The issue of paying bloggers is far from black and white. Surprisingly, even the bloggers themselves have wide range of opinions on the matter. That makes sense, given the different factors that play into the blogger-brand relationship.

Some bloggers worry that accepting payment for a review comes across as "buying off" the review and alienates them from their audience. Many brands feel the same way, and don't want the review to be rendered pointless by the negative light it gets cast in.

I myself have worked with several bloggers on product reviews for companies, and have found that as long as you treat the blogger like you would any other writer or journalist everyone ends up happy.

But companies have different policies for working with bloggers, just like bloggers have varying policies for working with companies, and at the end of the day being open about the nature of the business relationship is vital to keeping everyone happy.

BlogHer '11: 3,500 of your Closest Blogger Friends

What an experience...BlogHer '11 is a wrap! Shelly and I had an amazing time in San Diego with 3,500 social media-savvy bloggers. I tried to take it all in, but there was just too much going on for one person to conquer it all. I found most attendees fall into one of 3 attendee types; the Learner, the Networker and the Swag collector.

• The Learner: BlogHer is packed with 2 days of informational, motivational and inspirational sessions. The Learner is there to soak in as much knowledge as possible from the experts by packing in sessions from 8am to 5pm with some one-on-one time at the 'Geek Bar' squeezed in. BlogHer brings in pros to cover everything from 'Perfecting the Product Review' to 'Boomer Blogging'.

• The Networker: Networking is everywhere at BlogHer, even in the bathroom line. I was warned to have more than enough cards on hand, and I'm glad I did. I would say the business people to blogger ratio was 40/60, which actually made for some great discussions. Bloggers want to connect to other bloggers and find companies they might partner with. Businesses and professionals are there for the same thing. It was great to meet the people I've only talked to on Twitter and to be exposed to so many new bloggers.

• The Swag Collector: Oh the swag! Companies from all walks of consumer goods descended on BlogHer '11 to get their goods into bloggers' hands. It was interesting to see how different brands integrated social media and blogger relations into campaigns. Some target specific bloggers with more private events....others were going for overall brand awareness with interactive booths and suites. Surprisingly, I heard from many bloggers that the 'Tweet to Win' contests were easy to win because few people participated.

I tried my best to be a little of each of these types by learning a lot, meeting great people and taking home a few goodies. The only question left is; will I see you at BlogHer '12 in NYC?