When I started writing this blog in 2006, few bloggers were talking about social media, and even fewer were talking about mobile.  Today, that’s all changed.  Convergence is at hand, and it’s even more spectacular than many could have imagined.  Everything becoming more social and mobile, and the speed at which information moves is intense.

Things are moving so quickly that the focus of many tech blogs has shifted from substance to speed. These days, there’s not much point in trying to be the first blogger to publish tech news.  Information is moving so quickly that by the time tech ‘news’ hits most blogs, it’s usually already been reported to death. That’s why today, more than ever, I think the most interesting blogs do more than summarize the news, they analyze it.

(more…)

Last week at Google I/O, Google announced improvements to the Google+ experience including improved tablet apps for Android and iOS and a new “events” feature. The new “Events” feature puts Google+ in direct competition with other popular event management solutions like Facebook Events and Evite.  It allows users to create and manage public or private events, and it allows attendees of those events to post pictures to the event, which other attendees can see.  It’s awesome…except for when it makes your private event public, as I discovered when I gave Google+ Events a whirl… (more…)

The team at GoogleTV is hosting a hackathon this weekend at the Google Mountain View campus in conjunction with the Silicon Valley Android Developer Meetup. I’ll be there to help teams create their elevator pitches between 7-10pm on Friday night. And, the festivities will span throughout the weekend.  Winners of the hackathon will be selected on Sunday evening, and the grand prize includes tickets to the already sold out Google I/O 2012.

So far, it looks like it’ll be a great crowd. With a 132 attendees signed up at the time of writing, there are only 18 spots left, so sign up now!  You’ll have the opportunity to meet many of the GoogleTV team as well as the people that are shaping the landscape for the next generation of TV.  Whether you’re an experienced Android developer or a first time GTV developer, this is a must attend event.

Socialize Mobilize is proud to be a media sponsor for APPNATION NYC + APPNATION TV 3.0 SUMMIT – the place where the app and connected device ecosystem meets, combined with social TV apps.

APPNATION is the first conference to focus entirely on the business of apps and their transformative impact on consumers and enterprise technology, devices, commerce, media and social interaction. APPNATION will launch their inaugural TV 3.0 Summit as a new conference exploring TV apps and Social TV.

Join innovators on May 15-16, 2012, in New York City for two days of insightful conversation and exceptional networking with the people and companies defining the business of apps. Use the discount code “ANNYSM” to get your 25% discount on registration here. For more information about the event, click here.

UPDATED WITH NEW TIME FOR BOB ON 2/12/12

There are two hot events going on February 29th during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this year…  Depending on your interests, both are must-see events… (more…)

UPDATED: 2/23/12 at 4:53pm Pacific.  Mobile World Congress is coming up in Barcelona, Spain February 27-March 1, 2012.  Below is my annual list of public parties/networking events at Mobile World Congress… So many networking events, so little time! I’ll be updating this post regularly between now and MWC. Check out the “agenda” view on the SocializeMobilize “Events” calendar to add these events to your calendar.  If you have a party or event you’d like me to add to this list, please send me the details and RSVP requirements.

I’ll be representing my client, Telesocial, at Mobile World Congress this year. Telesocial brings mobile voice to the social web.  If you’d like to learn more about Telesocial, the only free API for making mobile calls AND safely enabling mobile to mobile voice calls via social apps and the web, and please contact me.

(more…)

I just purchased 3 (yep 3) of the new Nest Thermostats, which I’ll be taking for a test drive in the coming weeks.  I learned about Nest in this great Wired Article.  If you’re unfamiliar with Nest, it’s an amazing new thermostat that was designed by the creator of the iPod.  Nest is intelligent, learning what you like as you use it… It remembers when you wake up, when you go to sleep, and more. Best of all, you can control it remotely from your mobile phone – either iOS or Android, and it looks easy to install (more…)

The annual AT&T Developer Summit at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas kicks off next Sunday with a hackathon on Sunday and a series of keynotes and smaller speakers sessions on Monday. If you’re heading to Las Vegas for CES, it’s worth checking out the AT&T Devcon beforehand.  Register here.  If you’d like to meet me at the show, ping me.

Did you know that:

• A typical US mobile device contains 18 apps?
• 10% of adult cell phone users have downloaded an app within thepast week, 20% of those under age 30?
• 8 in 10 Americans own two or more mobile devices?
• Mobile advertising will cross the $1B mark in 2011 on its way to $2.5B in 2014s?

With staggering stats like that, it should come as no surprise that the App Economy is changing the world. Come to APPNATION III November 30-December 1, 2011 at the San Francisco Design Center in San Francisco and find out what’s next and how you can profit from this burgeoning marketplace.  Socialize Mobilize is a media sponsor of APPNATION again this year, and you’ll save 30% off registration when you use the code “SOCIALIZEMOBILIZE”
(more…)

I’m at Facebook’s headquarters in Palo Alto, CA today to hear about Facebook’s new HTML5 platform… I’ll be updating my notes from the event throughout the day, below. Refresh regularly:

First up… Mark Zuckerberg.

• 350,000,000 people monthly are touching Facebook’s mobile apps. Facebook is pushing on mobile and thinks it’s going to be a big opportunity for developers.
• On mobile apps, social infrastructure has been missing. The app store model is a good way to get distribution, but developing your apps so that they’re fundamentally social will also give you better distribution through the social graph.
• The vision for Facebook’s mobile apps. Facebook thinks that all apps will eventually become social. Mark says he wants Facebook to be on every phone and as deeply integrated into many devices as possible. (more…)