6 Technology Trends to a Digital Transformation

ALAMO ON DEMAND

Every organization in the world, no matter the industry, is shifting right now. Whether that’s jewelry store Jared hosting virtual weddings, late night hosts telling jokes to a silent cameraman, to Italy adopting AR thermal scanning helmets, we continue to see organizations rise above the current circumstances and try their best to innovate within their space.

The recent launch of “Alamo On Demand” from Austin Texas’ very own Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is a courageous gamble considering the space is arguably dominated by a few, yet highlights exactly what every business owner should be doing, innovating. Maybe spending less time trying to ban Universal movies from their theaters, other theater owners can follow suit, potentially creating a more substantial and fruitful solution, ‘together’.

Read the entire article here

HOT OFF THE PRESS

6 Technology Trends in 2020 Every Marketer Should Know About

If you’re unfamiliar with the term “omnichannel marketing” you need to fix that, yesterday. Christina Lyon, author at Martech.zone, pulls back the curtain on best omnichannel practices in today’s digital economy.

Digital Transformation to the Information Superhighway

Take a trip through digital transformation history with Paul O’Brien, CEO MediaTech Ventures. From Bell Labs’ 1947 invention of the transistor, to Zoom’s 300 million daily meeting participants, how did we get here? Who’s doing what? And why does it matter? 

Should Startups Have Employees? Perhaps Not

A “startup” is a venture in search of a business model. Meaning, you don’t yet know how to sustain-ably make money. You can’t be sure of any success. 

An “employee” is explicitly known as a person employed for wages or salary, especially at non-executive level.  So… with what are we promising a salary??

Sure, you may have some revenue (you may even have funding), but people seek “employment” for a measure of stability; for personal security, to some degree.

And startups have none to offer.

Don’t misunderstand what I’m advising, you need a team. Just don’t think of them nor treat them as employees. It’s unfair, to them.  Yes of course, we all know most startups seek “employees,” that’s the conventional word for people working for you. I’m suggesting we change the way we all think about working for startups.  It’s unfair to people to promise employment when you have none to promise. Hire contractors, hire freelance help, or allocate equity to your team so that everyone is working as part of the company.Read the entire article here.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• May 11-14 – Online First Summit (HAPPENING NOW)
• May 14-15 – Entrepreneur’s: Startup Story Live 
• May 18-22 – Gamerjibe’s Virtual Job Fair
• May 19-20 – Microsoft Build
• June 02 – The Future of Entertainment, Sports, and Socializing with Patrick Curry

Our friends at The Center For Creative Entrepreneurship have put together an incredibly comprehensive calendar for creative professionals! Check out their fantastic line up here.

Focusrite Scarlett Solo Review

Podcasts may seem to be a new medium, but they have actually been around since 2005, initially popularized by iconic media outlets such as the BBC, NPR and KCRW, the trend-setting Los Angeles community radio station. Today, there are over 850,000 active podcast programs currently available.

Another media related phenomenon is video calling/conferencing, made popular to the masses by Apple’s iChat (2002) and Skype (2003), and currently dominated by Zoom, Google Meet, Facebook Live and others such as StreamYard, Slack and BlueJeans.

During this Covid-19 pandemic, major media conferences such as Austin’s SXSW, Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress and Canadian Music Week were forced to abruptly cancel. Three major European media conferences, DLD, Midem and Wallifornia, have been able to transition to producing  substantial virtual events.

Whether you are offering your personal views on stamp collecting, or launching the next TED conference, you will need, at minimum, an excellent microphone & headphones, a video camera, some mixing software and a USB audio interface.

Right now, let’s look at the Focusrite Scarlett Solo USB audio interface:

To be direct, this is great value and quality for the investment. I was quite honestly concerned that it would be a compromise, based on its price point. I should have known my friend & colleague, John Zozzaro, would only recommend the best solution to my audio needs. Technically speaking, I’m a happy camper.

My observations –

• Most importantly, it works easily right out of the box, with minimal setup on either Mac or PC. Within five minutes, I was connected & recording.
• The controls are simple, with Mic Gain, Instrument Gain and Headphone Monitor Control.
• Both stereo line out & USB Type C output are provided
• The Focusrite Control dashboard is clean and intuitive.
• Free ‘lite’ versions of Ableton Live, ProTools, Softube and others are bundled for download

On the Plus side:

• Compact & sturdy design
• 192kh/24bit sampling
• Low noise interface
• Low latency

Negatives:

• USB 2.0 instead of 3.0
• The line outputs can’t be muted/disabled

The details:

• Price: $139
• Dimensions:  3.77×5.65×1.71 inches
• Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Power: Provided via USB input

The Center For Creative Entrepreneurship

The Center for Creative Entrepreneurship at 2112 supports entrepreneurs in the creative industries through ongoing hands-on training, mentorship, networking events, boot camps, and archived content for both artists and creative entrepreneurs.  CLICK HERE to learn more.

• Groove raises $12 million to automate sales engagement
• Dazzle Rocks raises $6.8M for new social sandbox game
• Rouge Games raises $2M toward expanding its publishing business
• Vochi, the ‘computer vision’-based video editing and effects app, raises $1.5M seed
• Endeavor Secures Additional $260 Million in Fresh Debt on top of $2.8 Billion Loan
• London-based adtech platform Scoota raises £2M in funding round
• StorySlab, Based in Syracuse, Raises $2.7 Million Led by Armory Square Ventures
• Qrvey Secures $7.5 Million in Series A Funding
• Adfone closes $7.5M seed funding round

Things That Make Us Say #HOTDAMN

MAR/AD TECH

• Why American Companies Are Researching More D2C, Less Retargeting Post-Pandemic
• 9 of This Week’s Most Telling Marketing Stats, From TV Ad Declines to Mother’s Day Spending
• Nintendo and PlayStation lead as TV ad spend dips in April even during pandemic
• Google gives marketers data on the fastest growing product searches
• YouTube brings more ad formats and measurement to TVs
• Instagram and social engagement rises in lockdown but influencers having less impact
• Pinterest Q1 Revenues Rise, U.S. Monthly Users Increase 6%
• Vista Equity Partners to invest $1.5B in India’s Reliance Jio Platforms

TV/FILM/VIDEO

• Univision Joins Nielsen’s Addressable TV Beta Program
• Univision Targets $125 Million in Cost Cuts as Pandemic Hits Advertising
• Roku Q1 Revenue Up 55%, ‘Higher Than Normal’ Ad Cancellations in March
• Cord-Cutting Explodes in Q1 as Pay-TV Sector Delvers Worst-Ever Losses
• Zoom acquires Keybase to get end-to-end encryption expertise

VIDEO GAMES

• Epic updates Unreal Engine to support next-gen development
• Activision Blizzard bookings up 21% amid pandemic
• A personal account of gaming and life in Wuhan during the COVID-19 outbreak
• Xbox 20/20: Join Us as We Look into the Future of Xbox

AR/VR/MR

• AR contact lenses are the holy grail of sci-fi tech. Mojo is making them real
• VR Exoskeleton Offers Affordable Leg Tracking & Haptic Feedback
• Italian airport leads Europe in adopting AR thermal scanning helmets
• Virtual and augmented reality investment at 2013 levels in Q1
• Unity snaps up Vancouver-based studio building AR/VR tech

MUSIC/PODCAST/RADIO

• AWS launches the $995 Elemental Link for streaming video to its cloud
• LiveXLive to Acquire PodcastOne in $18 Million Stock Deal
• Add An External Podcast Feed to Your WordPress Site’s Feeds
• Sony is building a team ‘dedicated to reimagining music through immersive media’ using Fortnite maker Epic Games’ Unreal Engine
• Acast partners with JioSaavn, one of India’s largest streaming audio services
• Nigerian Label that Found Burna Boy Partners With UMG to Mine African Talent
• Will Giants Rule the Post-COVID Music Industry?