Showing posts with label Apple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Apple. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Design and WINNING!

I’m a strong believer that a company’s website design tells a story that can make or break a business. Research backs me up. Colors, typography, logo -- these seemingly small things are actually major factors in your success. When people visit your website for the first time, the colors and design give them a subconscious feeling for your company and whether they want to deal with you.

Research backs it up

Sports companies study jersey colour and pattern to find out how these correlate with winning. Some have determined that winners wear red. This relates back to all businesses. Paul Haft is a Toronto color guru who has been helping his clients find winning color strategies for decades. He designed the immensely successful Pink ribbon logo for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Recruiter by day, design buff by night

I’m by no means an expert but I do have a passion for design and these are things I notice. I’m not saying a failing company can resurrect its self by changing its branding, but it’s definitely possible. A fresh new design has the potential to carry a company to a new level of success.

Colour matters

Technology companies often use blue with white and yellow/orange/grey accent colours. This is a great colour palette as blue has a feeling of crisp/clean and business. Depending on the tones it can be regal or soft and inviting. Whenever I walk into a white and blue Apple store, I feel compelled to buy something. Banks often have green carpet runners. We all relax when we see the sand tones at spas.

Black and white

Look at websites like RIM. Their user experience is fantastic. They have excellent design and functionality. This isn’t just because they’re a huge conglomerate company. It’s because RIM puts innovation and passion behind everything they do. The black differentiates them from the white favoured by their arch rival Apple. Black gives a feeling power and authority that's good for business.

What story does your company tell?

This leads me to BMW’s new campaign slogan, “JOY”. What does that word mean to you? Is it freedom of sitting at the cottage on a lazy Saturday afternoon? Is it the walk on a crisp autumn morning with your Golden Retriever? Is it the feeling of flying down a black diamond ski hill? Joy is the perfect word to describe the feeling of owning and driving a BMW. The point is that they’re selling a car on a feeling! And that's what design and color does for your company too. 


Written By:

Ryan Ayres
Technology Recruiter
Website:    http://www.stafflink.ca/
Email:        ryan@stafflink.ca
LinkedIN:  http://ca.linkedin.com/in/ryandayres
Twitter:     http://twitter.com/ryandavidayres

Thursday, March 31, 2011

iPad vs. Playbook Debate Revisited

Back in October, you may recall a rather avid Blackberry fan writing an article called “Comparing Apples to Berries: 4 Reasons Why I Pick the PlayBook”. Still a self-proclaimed “crackberry”, I am just as thrilled now as I was then about the arrival of Blackberry’s PlayBook.

I believe the debate needs to be revisited with the arrival of the next generation of the iPad, the infamous iPad2. I will give credit to the iPad2’s sleek new package (it is 117g lighter than the first generation model) and exclusive “limited availability” marketing (the iPad2 could not be pre-ordered before its release date, making the average consumer want it that much more). However, when it comes down to the new generation’s specs, not much has changed.

Flash

My argument for Flash still stands. The iPad2 does not support it and Playbook does. Not supporting flash will weaken video experience for iPad users and provides a space for other tablets such as the PlayBook and Android tablets to capitalize on.

Video Conferencing

In terms of video-conferencing, the iPad added an additional camera so iPad users can now use FaceTime calling software just like PlayBook users (I knew that was coming!). However, according to many online reviews the rear-facing camera on the iPad2 is of low quality and the images are rather grainy, jerky and distorted.

Battery Performance

An area where the iPad2 has improved is in the battery life and internet performance. Apparently the iPad2 has an average battery life of 10 hours, with many online reviews claiming that the battery life lasts in excess of 15 hours. The iPad2 ships with iOS 4.3, which allows users to stream music and video flawlessy using AirPlay and remotely locate devices using MobileMe.

Apps

The iPad2 doesn’t offer any particular upgrades that will not work on the original iPad – unless you are looking for video conferencing capabilities. However, I will say the growth potential of the iPad2 is tremendous if application developers jump on the bandwagon – an area where the PlayBook has been having trouble.

The Verdict

Overall, the PlayBook is enterprise focused – and the iPad2 still appears to more be consumer focused; leaving both to target different markets. My verdict? I’ll still be lining up with all the other “crackberries” to purchase my PlayBook – but I know it’s not for everyone. Evaluate your own needs and purchase what device will suit your lifestyle best.

Related Articles

Comparing Apples to Berries: 4 Reasons Why I Pick the PlayBook
Steve, Mark and Jim: Who's Made 2010's Nice List?
Who Do You Love? BlackBerry Torch or iPhone?
Love What You Do

Written By

Michelle De Rubeis ,Technical Recruiter, StaffLink Solutions Ltd.
Website: http://www.stafflink.ca/
Email: michelle@stafflink.ca
Twitter: Twitter.com/stafflink1
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/mmderubeis

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

7 Segment Changers and Predictions for Tech in 2011

Hold onto your hats (or should I say wallets) because we’re in for some big changes in 2011. Here are seven up and coming technologies that recently caught my eye:

Mobile Wallets

Smartphones are going to begin a whole new market segment called Mobile Wallets. Will our cellphone become our new credit card? Recently Google bought mobile payment startup Zetawire. The NFC chip, which will allow for mobile payments, will start to be put into all mobile phones during 2011. The newest Nexus phones come with the NFC chip. According to TechCrunch, Apple was recently looking at purchasing BOKU, another mobile payments startup. But I believe the real revenues will come in 2012 in the Mobile Wallet world.

Square

http://www.squareup.com/ – The NFC chip is big, but I think that the most exciting development on the horizon for smartphone commerce is Square.
 
This product was created by Twitter co- founder Jack Dorsey. I believe that Square will revolutionize the way credit card payments are made. Square is a plastic attachment for cell phones (only iPhone and Android so far) that creates a sophisticated POS (point of sale) for all businesses. 
 
Square will allow anyone to accept credit card payments without contracts or monthly fees. According to Square, this small device is free with a 15 cent/transaction fee. Here’s a video on how Square works - http://techcrunch.com/2009/12/01/jack-dorsey-square/.

Paypal Bump

Money will be transferred between phones by bumping two phones together. Here’s an entertaining video (good British humour behind a great app) that shows this Paypal Bump and the iPhone application in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9RNJ2yywuk 

Quora

Quora – http://www.quora.com/ - is hot in Silicon Valley and I believe that 2011 will be the year it will make it big outside the “Valley.” The executive team that heads things up on the technology side all come from Facebook. They know more than a thing or two about social networking. Quora gives you the ability to follow topics and questions as well as people. It defines your profile by interests, not just by people you know. While Twitter and Facebook are also trying to create this interest graph, Quora is designed from the ground up for interest graphs. Check it out to be ahead of the social curve. Here’s a 60 second social media profile on Quora - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Fa0klZu68U

IPO Comeback

During the last two years we haven’t seen many successful IPO’s. This will begin to change in 2011. Recently Telsa stock has been skyrocketing. Kayak and Skype have announced that they are going public. Companies such as LinkedIn, Zygna and Groupon have intentions to go public. Everybody is speculating whether Facebook will go public. They raised 500M on a 50B valuation so Facebook may be able to wait a while before they go public. Recently there has been a lot of money on the sidelines in the technology realm. Many technology companies are profitable before going public unlike the more reckless investment model that characterized the “dotcom bubble.”

Battle for TV

The way we watch TV will continue to change in 2011. Apple has launched AppleTV that streams movies amongst other things. But competitors such as Google and start-ups Boxee, Hulu and Roku are going to throw a few punches in the battle for your TV viewing. This battle will create a giant market for apps that could rival the billion dollar smartphone app market.

Tablet Market

In 2010 we saw the arrival of the iPad that has created a new technology segment called the tablet market. The iPad is awesome. I'm sure Apple has an even more awesome iPad 2 in store for us. Can Apple's competitors come up with a credible product to compete with the iPad in 2011? Will the new version of the iPad leave the competitors in the dust? One thing is for sure, we will see many new competitors in the tablet market from Google, Dell, Samsung, and RIM to name a few.

It is going to be a very exciting year! By the end of 2011, I believe that Square, Mobile Wallets, Quora, IPO’s and the battle for TV are going to change the way we think about our technology and business.

What are your predictions for 2011? Which technologies and companies are you watching?

Related Articles:
Steve, Mark and Jim: Who Made 2010's Nice List?
Welcome to Toronto Silicon Valley North
Top 10 IT Skills in Demand 2010


Tim Collins

Friday, December 17, 2010

Steve, Mark and Jim: Who Made 2010’s Nice List

The holiday season is upon us and 2010 is wrapping up. As we look back on the year, it is evident that 2010 was a big year for technology. So who were the top contenders this year? Who managed to make techies “Nice List?”
  • Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, took the tablet market by storm, introducing the ever so powerful iPad in January 2010 and landing it on everyone’s 2010 wish list. In just four months, the iPad achieved $ 1 billion in sales. Couple that with the iPhone 4 release, generating $ 3.25 billion in sales between April and June and I think it’s safe to say Jobs belongs on the list.
  • Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, reached 500 million active users on Facebook at the same time “The Social Network”, a story based on Zuckerberg’s success, took the box office by storm. In one month, users collectively spend over 700 billion minutes on Facebook, making the 2010 social networking market at the tips of Zuckerberg’s fingers.
  • Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of RIM, introduced the ever so powerful Playbook in the later half 2010, setting its release for early 2011. Consumers are oozing with anticipation for an iPad rival and developers are working hard to create competing applications, kicking 2011 off with Playbook fever.
  • Andrew Mason, CEO of Groupon, an increasingly popular coupon/discount site, has generated immense success in a very limited amount of time. Groupon has added approximately 30 cities a month in 35 countries, accumulating over 40 million subscribers. In addition, Mason just turned down a $6 billion dollar offer from Google making him one of the most courageous business men of 2010.
  • Kunal Gupta, CEO of Polar Mobile, has become one of Toronto’s newest hometown heroes. His company has created a partnership with Microsoft to launch 500 applications for the Windows Phone 7 operating system through to 2011. Over 7 million people in more than 100 countries are using applications powered by Polar Mobile’s SMART platform, making Polar a leader in the industry.
  • Dennis Crowley, co-founder of Foursquare, a mobile service that encourages people to explore the cities in which they live, is somebody to watch out for in 2011. In 2005, Crowley had his first mobile social service acquired by Google. His new venture, Foursquare, has a team of 16 employees but has over 760,000 users checking in – making them a small but mighty force.
How can 2011 compete with a year where the iPad and Playbook became common words in our everyday conversations and Mark Zuckerberg became a global icon? Where do we go from here? Who else do you think belongs on 2010’s “Nice List?”? Better yet, who will make 2011’s “Nice List”? Let us know your thoughts! We here at Stafflink, hope you made the “nice list” this year and wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

Related Articles:
Welcome to Toronto, Silicon Valley North
Top 10 IT Skills in Demand in 2010
The Job Market Longtail

Written by: Michelle De Rubeis, Technical Recruiter, StaffLink Solutions Ltd.
Website: http://www.stafflink.ca/
Email: michelle@stafflink.ca
Twitter: Twitter.com/stafflink1
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/mmderubeis

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Top 10 IT Skills in Demand 2010

The technology job market is indeed recovering. I'm happy to report that many of the companies that reduced their staff over the past 18 months are now hiring. In the last quarter we've seen a significant increase in job orders. Why? I see two major factors: the stability of Canadian banks and the rise of the mobile industry. The trend during the recession was to cut new development  and merely maintain systems. But we're seeing a turn around. Opportunities with mCommerce and the mobile industry are driving new product development. This drives the demand for people with the skills to push the new technologies forward. Here are the top 10 skills we're recruiting for today:
  1. J2ME - Mobile Developers with Java API's - Many Blackberry apps are written with J2ME. Demand for this skill set is stronger than supply. Schools are only beginning to offer it in their curriculum.
  2. Android Developers - The Google muscle along with the rapid rise of the Adroid phone market share is creating a strong demand for Android developers.
  3. C# programmer analysts - Many companies are adopting complete Microsoft solutions with the Visual Studio of products. This is due to the strength of Microsoft's sales team and a lower price point than most competitors.
  4. Objective C programming language used for iPhones and iPads. Many people are developing iPhone apps in their basement but our clients want people who've developed large scale apps for major corporations.
  5. Data Warehouse Specialists - Demand for this skill is increasing as companies learn that they can cross correlate data about customers. That's why all the stores want to put you in their database.
  6. COBIT - security specialists
  7. QA Testers with QTP and LoadRunner
  8. Mobile Business Analysts
  9. J2EE/Weblogic specialists
  10. Project Manager/Project Coordinators

Tim Collins, President and Founder,
Stafflink Solutions Ltd

Friday, April 2, 2010

The Future's So Bright You Gotta Wear Shades

Daniel Pink predicted it in a A Whole New Mind. Chris Anderson named it in The Long Tail.

A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the FuturePink predicted that demand for "left-brain dominant knowledge workers" - lawyers, accountants, software engineers, MBAs - would decline. Why? Abundance, outsourcing, automation. He argues that the future belongs to "a different kind of person with a different kind of mind - designers, inventors, storytellers, teachers." And he was right. Look no further than the Apple Store for proof. Apple is about design. People will camp overnight to get a piece of that.

Long Tail, The, Revised and Updated Edition: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More
Chris Anderson noticed the abundance too. Any song is available for free to anyone with a computer and an Internet connection. He observed that niche products were gaining popularity while blockbusters lost marketshare. Amazon, iTunes and Ebay proved that niche products were profitable. Anderson named it The Long Tail.

What do you get when you take right brain values and add long tail availability? A world where Pink's six senses - design, story, symphony, emphathy, play and meaning - rule. You get the kind of world I want to live in.

A world where the tools of production are available to everyone, not just the elite: Wordpress, Google Docs, Squidoo, Lulu. A world where spam is ineffective. A world where people are tolerant because diversity is good for business. A world where everything is Free...or at least moving in that direction.

Phineas and Ferb: The Fast and the PhineasPhineas and Ferb get it. Phineas begins every adventure with, "Ferb, I know what we're going to do today." With the emphasis on "we". It's like we're all suddenly getting it. It's more fun to cooperate than compete.

Daniel Pink called it. Chris Anderson named it. Google, Amazon, Ebay, iTunes and opensource enable it. Seth Godin evangelizes it. Twitter, Facebook and Sprouter spread it.

Is there a new phrase we aan coin for it? Maybe "cloud consciousness"? or "opensourcity"? or "The Power of Now".

Together we can solve any problem. Maybe that's the whole point of it.