I’m not a road warrior when it comes to traveling for business. I am though, an in-too-deep flex developer/ActionScript programmer. Recently, while traveling for a vacation, I uncovered what seems to be a sneak peak at the future when it comes to business travel and the applications we will build to support them. I was on a Delta flight from Atlanta to Vegas, when the flight attendant let us know (to my surprise) that they were offering in-flight wi-fi for $9.95; I had to give it a whirl.

Some back-story, a few months ago, I attended a presentation by Chuck Freedman, (Director of Developer Platform for Ribbit) at the Harvard University Flash Users Group (HUFUG). Chuck discussed the Ribbit API and how he was using Ribbit and C# to bring the flash player microphone to new levels (ex. stereo detection). This framework intrigued me, so when I went home I began to play around with the API and the available sample apps. I built an app that allowed me to make a phone call using VOIP and my speakers/microphone; the whole thing took about 45 minutes.

While on the plane, I decided to give my sample app a try.  I logged in and, to my surprise, was able to make calls to my mom, my friends and colleagues with little error! All this for a few cents a call, and a $9.95 Internet connection! Even though I was using headphones and the built in mic, I was able to make calls that were not only clear but also cheap!

(All using 4 Ribbit Classes)

(Not pretty, but working!)

Ribbit is sure to play a big role in corporate VOIP applications in the future. They have great documentation and are compared to Skype they are very responsive via their forum and twitter. They also have the advantage of being web based, which means no application download like Skype. Companies can add this feature directly into extranet/intranet applications. This could also tie the billing/reporting of application usage into one main account.

(Ribbit working hard for me on the back end)

I’m sure as the technology advances, and in-air Internet becomes more available, you’ll begin to see applications like the one I built available to business travelers. These applications, and huge advancement that has resulted in in-air wi-fi in the first place, will dramatically improve the traveling experience and give business travelers the connectivity they have never had. Emails, IM’s, conference calls, maybe even podcasting all while at a cruising altitude of 30,000 feet! All that and free pretzels! Isn’t technology great?

I got a Kindle for Father’s Day.  It was an unrequested and unexpected gift.  Friends, most notably Nicco Mele, had long raved about the Kindle but I kept my distance.  I’m sort of a paper person.  I like turning a page, the tactile sense of reading.

But you know what?  I love my Kindle.

The Kindle is an interesting device in many ways.  First, it is easy to use.  Terrifyingly so.  I think I spent several hundred dollars on books in my first several hours.  (You can download from the device or from your laptop).  Second, it helps focus the modern-day easily distracted mind.  One page at a time.  One story at a time.  No ads, stray marks.

The latter comes at a cost.  No odd stories.  Much less “randomness” in going through the New York Times.  Much less stumbling upon an interesting story.

Much has been made recently about the success that Dan Brown’s book has had on Amazon’s Kindle.  According to some reports more sales on the Kindle than in stores.

Score one for saving paper.

Some libraries have even gone to the extent of emptying the shelves and having nothing but cubbies with flat screens and keyboards.  Libraries without books.  Interesting thought.

Sell your stock in Weyerhauser.

Then comes the revenge of Google.  The announcement that they will print books on demand. Classic books.  Personal books.  Gazillions of searchers printing books.  FedEx is also investing in “print on demand” technology through Kinkos.

Hold that trade.  Paper might be around longer than we think.

Many clients and personal friends just don’t “get” twitter. Are you one of them? Well, it’s important to know that it’s not all “what I’m having for breakfast” or “song of the day” posts. In short, you might be missing valuable opportunities.

The key when it comes to using twitter is that you should visit the homepage very rarely. Use it to sign up, and clean up your followers list from time to time, but other than that, you should use one of the myriad twitter services out there to offer you the full range of twitter interactions necessary for a successful feed.

Why? Because twitter conversations move at an astounding rate, and unless you’re a quickdraw on the refresh button, you may soon realize that you’re barely keeping up, let alone contributing to a conversation. Sarah Silverman star @SteveAgee promoted his new twitter feed through a stunt: He promised to read the names of his first 5,000 followers live on webcam once he reached 5,000… in his underwear. It took minutes to accomplish.

In order to have a successful twitter feed, this kind of speed is essential. Anything from media opportunities to breaking stories is happening right now. If you’re not paying attention, you can easily lose out. The best remedy for this is to find a twitter service that works for your needs. We all have our own personal preferences for our daily dose of technology consumption – BlackBerry vs. Apple or browser vs. desktop applications. Don’t try to fit a square peg through a round hole, but rather find what fits into your daily routine, and use that to tweet.

I’ve included a short list of twitter services people here at Brodeur Partners use – and why they use them. We’d love to hear what you’re using and why, so please let us know what works for you in the comments section below!

BlackBerry

Twitterberry is a simple twitter interface for your BlackBerry device. Use your BlackBerry’s browser to go to twitterberry.com, and download the application from there. What Twitterberry may lack in multimedia capabilities, it definitely makes up for in its simplicity and reliability. I have yet to lose a tweet in the ether, and there are not multiple screens to shuffle through. You literally click on the icon and start typing. Couldn’t be simpler.

iPhone

Tweetie is a multimedia powerhouse for twitter users. They’re upgrading the application all the time, but as of right now, you can *very* easily take and send pictures, watch for trending topics, and even track people close to you. And yes… it is available at the app store.

iGoogle

For some of us, iGoogle is the panacea to our daily communications challenges. While we need to track blogs, monitor offline stories, have our calendars handy AND have easy access to email… iGoogle also has a set of varied twitter tools you can integrate into your iGoogle page. TwitterGadget is our favorite due to its simplicity and well-thought-out interface. Once you spend a few minutes looking at what buttons do what in their help section, you will be amazed at how much functionality can fit into such a small space. To begin using twittergadget, click on “add stuff” in the upper right-hand area of your page, and then search for “twittergadget”.

Web Browser

HootSuite is a great option for people who have a web browser always open on their desktop. Plus, for those of us with multiple accounts to manage, hootsuite does a brilliant job of divvying up the screen space and clearly displaying which account you’re posting to. Tweeting to one’s professional account about last night’s beer pong match is – shall we say – generally considered bad form. Use hootsuite to avoid any confusion on that front, though it may require a little more of a time investment to understand than the ones above.

Desktop Application

Tweetdeck is for those people who prefer to have twitter off in its own little home, instead of taking up valuable browser memory. You launch it from your desktop, and … well … it is amazing. A little complicated, but amazing nonetheless. Tweetdeck allows you to group your contacts so that you do not have to read the less-than-interesting posters that can clutter your twitter feed. Know someone who constantly tweets about what they’re having for breakfast, but whom you’re forced to follow for some reason or another? Put them in your “fail” group. Tweetdeck is the one application that offers you so many options on how to structure your twitter experience – it has earned its reputation as the go-to twitter application for many twitter veterans… in as much as you can be a veteran of a service with such a short history.

Text Message

This is how twitter started… as a text messaging platform for RSS Feeds (for the tech-savvy folks out there). If you go here, twitter provides an easy step-by-step guide on how to tweet using a non-smartphone. So, for those folks who are not going to upgrade anytime soon, but still want to contribute to twitter, this is the option for you.

More on twitter to come soon…

The Effie judging for 2009 has been completed and the winners will be announced next week at the big gala event in New York. As a board member and chairman of the Global Effie committee, I got a little peak under the tent. This year’s winners shared something in common with last year’s. Social media and public relations in general were very important parts of the communications mix. In fact, advertising and a number of “traditional” media vehicles were conspicuously absent in the campaigns that produced the most effective sales results. Grassroots, “experiential,” event, and unpaid media will take center stage again this year along with programs that are in support of the last three feet of the purchase decision ( the in-store experience.)

This all bodes well for public relations and for social media in particular. Mobility is the next media that will join center stage and we’ll see a lot more of that outlet in 2010 and beyond. The Effie’s winners are very reliable indicators of what the most savvy marketers are doing. Good news for this side of the marketing mix!

So, by now you’ve undoubtedly heard that Nintendo has launched the latest incarnation of its wildly successful Wii platform: Wii Fit. NPR’s usually unflappable Steve Inskeep sounded profoundly embarrassed on the radio this morning, as he stood on Wii Fit’s Balance Board and protested to his interviewee: “but you have to understand. I come from a part of the country where people don’t swivel their hips.” Forbes.com reports: “It’s a deceptive piece of technology that turns the monotony of exercise into a charming game.”

I’m all for a mass audience achieving BMI nirvana with a videogame. But what really got my attention is a recent conversation with an “e-patient” I’ve come to know as I’ve nurtured our emerging Patient Wisdom™ platform over the past year or so. E-patients are a growing, Internet-savvy cohort (over 50 million in the U.S., according to Jupiter Research), who are sharing valuable information and experience as they navigate the healthcare system and manage chronic or serious conditions.

It turns out my e-patient friend, who has multiple sclerosis, discovered the fitness benefits of the Wii months and months ago. Even if you have very limited mobility, she tells me, the motion you engage in in almost any Wii game is great for balance, upper body strength, hand-eye coordination – all important to MS patients. Some innovative rehab hospitals have actually integrated the Wii into their therapy programs, more often as a result of word-of-mouth or other viral buzz than an article in any peer-reviewed journal.

Will Nintendo ever build a marketing campaign around wheelchair-bound gamers? I’m not betting on it, at least not yet. But I never cease to be impressed by the wisdom and creativity of patients seeking to improve their quality of life, and the power of the Web to spread the word.