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My second theory is that because of automation and the rise of massive data we will see the demise of the Stock Market and wall street all together. Many factors will play into this demise, to me one of the first falling dominoes is Dwolla. The American Banking system is nothing but an organized Ponzi, to game, what we as children are taught to be the correct way to manage and protect our money. Ever since the rise of the credit card and interchange it has become more and more apparent what a sham this theory is.

Credit Unions and Cooperatives are the way of the future, even though they still thrive on a fee based business, at least they have the logic to get the government to pay for their taxes.

The freelancer nation is exploding right now. I first started using AdWords back in May of 2009, and I will remember that for ever. The bill the first month for having our website listed on the front page of google for the word “yacht.” Yikes. After this became mainstream I seriously got into smartphones, especially Android.

The unemployment rate the way that it is it only makes sense that we are in a period of the freelancer. Corporate America is being crumbled every day also as traditional business models are starting to fail. Examples are these companies, are ones selling closed source software. You mark my words, these types of companies days are numbered. Today if you do not have at least an API, take the money and run.

So what have I learned in the last year as a free lancer, well first off SEO is DEAD, Any person who states to me that they sell SEO or pitches me oon a product based on its SEO capabilities instantly falls to Neanderthal status. A year ago, SEO was awesome, because of certain programs and practices, it made it a mathematical game. My how the tables have changed. Year ago I advised people who step two of my process was to take into consideration if the entity even needed a website, if not just setup a Facebook business page. Now look at Facebook exploding with these business pages. Just a sign of exactly how fast the game changes with technology.

In closing, freelancing is the only way to generate income, and its a matter of time before the monkey suits come off, and the hoodies are put on by the majority. I forecast three years that if you do not understand Internet Protocol (IP) start working out, cause those building aren’t going to build themselves:) Strengthen your mind with all knowledge right now possible, there’s a lot of resources out there, and it is the new World Gold Rush. Big Data!!

From Cover Photos, posted by Jaron Ray Hinds on 9/28/2011 (13 items)

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Cloud based computing has enabled us to do essentially anything from anywhere via internet connect ability. Smartphones and tablets are changing everybody’s daily lives, and how we go about our day both personally and financially. The most valuable commodity is Time, and internet connectivity creates shortcuts or information that can putt this commodity into your pocket.

So how does this play into the merging of rural America to urban? Growing up in a small time, and going to college in the Midwest, I came from rural roots. When i first arrived in California, and visited Silicon Valley in 2007, I was  expecting flying cars and this flux of next level lifeforms, but was left disappointed as Silicon Valley is just that, A Valley that has a bunch of trees, jam packed traffic, and yes, even a ghetto. I found that it wasn’t much different from most other cities I’ve had been to, just more focus on tech companies.
There is a perception of Rural America, and then there is a perception of Urban America, both based on hype.Now, because of the internet protocol and cloud based computing I think the technology gap is being shortened. At the end of the day, both entities are trying to maximize efficiency and maximize revenues.

While both stubborn in their ways, technology will prevail. The clip provided below shows how even rural America cannot avoid digital Darwinism. This clip certainly renders the technology sector in the prospective of Rural America?

How does cloud computing play into all of this? Well everything is moving to the cloud. There is a couple downfalls with the cloud, first what happens when there is no internet connectivity based on let’s say the power going out. Second what happens when you can not afford to pay for a System as a Service (SaaS).

First let’s quantify the first issue, let’s say a cell tower goes out, or the electric line gets split. Are we so dependent on the cloud, that we can no longer operate. This is where traditional industries where antiquated methodologies will have the upper hand. The filing cabinet just became valuable again or the mathematics that you can perform on paper.

Secondly, financially you just can not afford the SaaS that you have put so much information and time in to. I call the cloud, the Spider Web, the more that you put in, the more you are wrapping yourself up like a fly in a spider web. While the cloud creates an impressive advantage to accessing data, eventually the spider has to eat.

Cloud computing is starting to make it way into Rural America, but extremely slowly, and the vehicle is via smartphone. Two year agreements are coming up, and it is appealing to get a phone, that can tell you the weather and driving directions. Eventually, the technology gap will be shortened, and rural America will be just as connected an Urban America.

In closing, my advice, do not invest everything into the cloud just yet, keep those old records, but be willing to adapt and open-minded as the internet is here to help us all. First we must connect as a nation, then as a notion connect as a world. Internet connectivity and cloud computing will make this venture possible.

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We’ve all heard of RingCentral, I’ve been with them for five years, and I see even their business model starting to adapt to a new breed of low cost tows via SIP dialing. My first experience with SIP was with an App call Sip Droid, which goes in sync with PBXes. With Twilio and Plivo boasting rates as low as $.004 per minute and local telephone companies charging $.14 per minute, their days are numbered.

This has been ongoing for a while, but Twilio has been a real game changer in the last year as more and more application are being released. I’ll give you an example, GravityForms a WordPress Plugin now has implemented Twilio into their Form fill Plugin to notify the website owner when a form has been filled out. Not a terrible idea, as it cost them a whole penny to send the SMS. Plivo, a new Silicon Valley startup, has also recently stepped into this fast growing industry.

Plivo and Twilio both provide easy program scripting to generate a call or text message. Another significant advantage is the scalability and detailed analytics of these services. Twilio and Plivo are staying competitive with each other, with the release of SMS to one hundred fifty international countries last week by Twilio and the same to fifty by Plivo this week.

So what the hell does this have to do with the home phone expiring? Let’s provide a couple of examples of these new SAAS in place. An example is, you are shopping online and find something you like, instead of asking questions via chat, you can talk directly with a live representative. This utilizes the camera and mic on your Tablet or Laptop, for whatever you are searching with.Second now people are starting to realize that they can dial for free via Skype or Google Voice on the smart devices, Tablets, smartphones, Laptops, etc.

So whats next, the true nail in the coffin will be Airplay or IPTV integrating a Camera. This allows you to talk and see through the TV. This is technology is already available through Apple Airplay, with the camera of course being on top of your tablet. Skype also with the camera being on your Laptop or Tablet. No more dialing on the old 2.4 Ghz cordless phone, infamous for poor voice quality and limited functionality.

All in all it is better for the end user, as the price of communication is getting cheaper and cheaper and more streamlined daily. The only hurdle IO for see is the adoption of Smart Devices, which can be extremely intimidating for some. For these people, I recommend getting an Apple iPad and coming back to the connected world at a fraction of what your currently paying for the communication. +jrh

The post Death of the Home Phone appeared first on jaron ray hinds's BLOG.

Apple TV—bfishadow (Flickr.com)

Out of all the OTT Boxes I have used Apple TV by far has the most friendly User Interface. AppleTV syncs with your iTunes enabling you to have all you movies, music and podcast loaded natively. The best feature by far is the airplay.

Airplay opens a lot of avenues for the future of IPTV in three fields. The first is gaming; The Game Metal Storm turns the tablet into the controller which has a neat picture yourself, The Pilot of the plane, knees and the controls just like your are sitting in a real F-16 fighter jet. The future of gaming is certainly around Airplay, as we see many developers starting to write Apps with the integration, such as Ducati and Nova.

The next real advantage of Airplay is the ability to mirror the display of the iPad. Before the release of Hulu Plus into the Apple TV Software a couple of weeks ago, I was utilizing Plex to render my Hulu Plus on the screen. Pretty neat little hack to be able to able to mirror Plex, which ahs a vast amount of channels.

For the less tech savvy users, Hulu plus is in the software with what I am going to say is the most user friendly interface I have seen for Hulu yet. Easily navigate through the new releases, your Que list, and what’s popular with ease and speed.

Other native Apps in the firmware are Netflix, YouTube, Vimeo, Flickr, WSJ Live and MlbTV, all of which have that smooth feel for navigation selection. Photostream has a neat feature that allows you to view photos on the big screen and set them as the screen saver. The screen saver option has many options that are cool, such as multiple transition effects and time targeting.

On a professional level, Airplay is the only way to fly, no more projectors or F8 on your Windows PC to communicate via VGA.  Airplay should be incorporated into every business. A couple of Apps that I am using is join.me and PDF Expert. These allow you to present to a boardroom with a high resolution screen instead of a clunky projector. I especially like PDF expert by Reddle as you can highlight text and incorporate other media, such as audio and video, all together building a better presentation for the room.

I would have to give AppleTV two thumbs up!. I am not an apple fan at all, and never have been, but the user experience via the iPad and AppleTV has swayed me a little. My prognosis is that AppleTV, even though it may be cost prohibitive is an easier and more user friendly experience overall. Having an iPad alongside the AppleTV is a must and makes this experience an even greater one! +jrh

The post Internet TV Apple TV Break Down appeared first on jaron ray hinds's BLOG.

Signs of the modern retail store Facebook Twitter …—Robert Scoble (Flickr.com)

Modern Retail is evolving daily during the digital revolution that we are currently in. What was once a day spent going to the mall with the family has become more of a day of recreation via sports, the outdoors, or wine. Shopping is not what we knew it as five years ago, certainly not ten years ago.

Shopping malls are closing down everywhere, and we are starting to see more and more Costco and other warehouse super stores emerge. What can all of this be correlated to, the internet?! In my opinion, there are three types of retail exposure that a consumer must see, hear or touch; Clothing, Automotive, and Furniture. These three verticals must give the customer a personal touch. Pictures and Video simply cannot convey the exact experience or feel that the product gives the consumer.

Landrover released a report a few months back that had the statistics of how many times a customer visited a lot before they bought an actual car. The results where astonishing, they showed that folks, who once would take a Saturday afternoon and go to ten or more different lots and look for the car that they preferred, now only visit around five before making a final decision. The points of contact also decreased significantly. The average amount of times a person would contact a dealer before signing a title went from seven to three points of contact.

What does this tell you, with that low of a point of contact exposure, your sales team better be on point and concise on closing the deal? It reminds me of the days of selling yachts, when I started I did not know a Duffy from a Sportsfisher. I learned real quick to get my facts straight as prospects would come in for a viewing and be more knowledgeable than I. Variables included weight, engine horse power, length overall, length in water etc… Let’s just say I was put in my place more than once.

Going back to retail, with clothes people will go to the local Nordstrom and try on the jeans that they saw online just to make sure they fit and then go home or even better the food court and order them online via their IPad for a fraction of the price. Shopping is all around us on the internet now, so sometimes it is hard to focus on current projects. Lastly i will make the point of price matching via the smartphone.

Seldom when shopping do I not look up the item online and price match. Let’s say I find a pair of Jeans that are appealing, I’m sure as hell going to ping the barcode and make sure they are not on sale somewhere else like Wal-Mart or Target. Secondly, usually that same app will end up showing me different options and I am even more enticed to buy online then.

Here is my point, in today’s retail environments make no room margin for error, the customer experience must be a pleasant yet impacting one. Many people will always prefer dealing with other people face to face, but it goes back to the principle of the bottom line. Price is always having high density when making a purchasing decision. +jrh

What Stores Have Recently Impacted You In Your Out of the Home Shopping Experiences, and Why?

The post The Death of Retail As We Know It appeared first on jaron ray hinds's BLOG.

Digital Darwinism—iamjohntmeyer (Flickr.com)

Let’s start by talking about three main industries that we see be affected, telecom, media, banking.  No longer are the days when people have a home phone that they rely on to communicate with their peers and colleagues.  Via Voice Over Internet Protocol(VOIP), we are now able to dial through the internet for not only cheaper rates but has better clarity.  People are dumping their land lines daily and utilizing their cellphones for long distance and for their primary means of communication.  Now we are seeing a new shift where people are utilizing this same phone that they use for their home phone, to also get on the internet.

For the first time as of the writing of this article, over 50% of all cellphones are now smartphones, over 50% of all internet searches are done from a smart phone, and just last week it was announced that over 50% of Facebook queries are done from a mobile device.

Media is changing everyday, the biggest one we are seeing is the over the top boxes (OTT) that are replacing cable and satellite TV services.  Roku, Google and Apple TV are being put in place everyday.  The idea behind these boxes is that you are no longer watching television via a channel at a certain time.  Your display is now working for you, on your schedule, on your command and with cloud based queuing.

Banking is also making  a major shift to digital currency companies like Dwolla and Bitcoin.  The first sign of Digital Darwinism came about when people started to use debit cards instead of writing checks.  Not only does this streamline  the transaction time, but also provides for an accurate sake keeping record at the bank.  Now we are seeing yet another shift in this industry as many people are taking payments via digital currency through Payment gateways on the internet.  While still in its infancy digital currency must still end up in ones bank account or Prepaid card in order to be able to trade for goods or services.

So how does one go about surviving this time that will be marked in history as the Digital Revolution?  It is my theory that if you don’t understand Internet Protocol and aren’t comfortable using the world-wide web, plan on receiving less wages and experiencing a poorer quality of life.  It’s a harsh statement, but it is real, there is a major gap between the baby boomers and generation Y when it comes to technology.  This gap, can only be filled with education and communication about current emerging technologies.

How do you or your business plan on Surviving Digital Darwinism?

The post Surviving Digital Darwinism appeared first on jaron ray hinds's BLOG.

Evernote — Productivity App

First and Foremost I am the most forgetful person in the world, and have many things that I must catch on the fly. My first foremost my recommendation is Evernote.  Evernote is an App available in both App stores that allow its users to take notes to organize your day via tasks. The user can separate notes based on date, tags, and importance levels. The new Android Widget features Voice To Text which is particularly nice when taking notes on the fly. I try an organize a task list every day and go through and check each one-off one by one.

The second real life saver for me is RingCentral. I operate a couple of different business entities and take calls throughout the day for all of them. I have a Virtual Receptionist setup to channel the different call types to my Smartphone and designate the different business types with different tail ending like, 911 or 411. Another feature that is extremely handy with Ringcentral is the ability to send a fax from the cloud. I can be out in the field selling and get a call that requires documentation, and fax an agreement from Google Docs, Dropbox or now Google Drive.

Docusign is a particularly helpful tool when dealing with multiple business agreements and staying organized is. Docusign allows users to have documents that may require authorization electronically signed and returned, instead of have to send and wait for a wet ink copy via fax or mail. This tool adds to your overall time savings, and multitasking can back up and save documents for the future reference. Adobe EchoSign is trying to get into this vertical now, but I’ve been using DocuSign for a couple of years now, with no problems at all.

I utilize IFTTT to aid not only in reputation management, but also to manage multiple engagements on the multitude of social media platforms. There are many ingenious recipes on IFTTT that can assist users in having a highly efficient and productive day. Recipes I have written include, thanking people when mentioned on Twitter, Backing Up pictures on Dropbox when added to Facebook, and Add new Twitter Followers To a Designated List when they follow me.

When multitasking I come across many different articles throughout the day or websites that I want to check out when I have more time, so I utilize Pocket, which use to be ReadItLater. This is a powerful tool to build up an arsenal of articles that users may use in your business or for future reference. I organize my articles and content with tags so I have a general idea of what the article is about and for future reference.

This is five services to help users organize that array of hats you wear every day in that busy workday of yours. There are many Apps out there to make your every moment that much more productive and efficient, but these are just a few that worked for me. +

What Apps or Programs Do You Find To Boost Your Productivity The Most??

The post Five Apps To Boost Your Workday Productivity appeared first on jaron ray hinds's BLOG.

Website and Social Media Guru

Rule #1 of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), there is no such thing as a SEO guru. If someone tells they are a SEO Master or Guru, hang the phone up immediately. Google changes their algorithm daily, what appears on the first page today, maybe not tomorrow. So the question to ask is simply, “Can You Give Me Five Examples of Clients You Have Already Worked With?”

If they are able to provide this list, go to the pages and see what you think. Is it the image that you would like your company to project. Do the examples give you a positive feeling and make you want to do business? If you still have interest, ask, “Give me an example of five keywords that you currently place on the front page of Google with?”

Take these five keywords they provide you, and type them into not only Google, but also Bing, Yahoo, and Ask.com.. See where there examples rank and how the listings looks to you. Remember Google is not the only search engine, and there are more and more coming. A factor to weight in is the keyword itself. Long tail keywords, such as, “Dynamic Modern Marketing,” or “Hair Salon in South Compton Los Angeles,” have search volume too.

Social Media Marketing works the same way, ask to see five examples of work they have done before. Based on your viewing, you will be able to tell if it makes sense to you. Check the follower amount, ease of navigation and overall experience. How many clicks does it take to get to the Goal or Call To Action?

At this point if everything seems to make sense, go back to the old ”What Makes You better Than Your Competition?” Do not wear your nicest shoes on this day, because the sales representative is going to puke for 20 minutes why they are better than the next guy.

Last question, just like the interview process, “Where do you see your company and services in five years?” What new products and services are your company developing to set you off from the competition. In this age of Digital Darwinism, every day brings a new product or service that is better than those that were available before. Ease of Use, Rapid Return On Investment (ROI) and creativity is key.

All in all, there is an excellent opportunity when you have your ducks in a row with regards to Internet and Social Media Marketing. These five questions will give you a measure of successful representative and the schmoozers. I hope this article is helpful in picking the right service provider for your business. +Jrh

How much contact is your business currently getting in reference to having someone else manage your website or social media marketing? Answer in the comments section! +jrh 

The post Five Questions To Ask When Choosing A Website & Social Media Manager appeared first on jaron ray hinds's BLOG.

Twitter Tools & Apps

So rule #1 decide if you are going to use twitter as a business tool or for personal use, the mixture does not work. The strategy of twitter is to gain followers, the advantage of the follower is the fact you can direct message them. In early 2009 I built a personal account and used it to target Credit Unions. Credit Unions, usually forward thinking and early adopters in technology, started following me right and left as I retweeted many articles relevant to their industry.  The person usually in charge of the Twitter account was the marketing director, and this was an ideal channel of communication for me.

One of the tools that changed my perception of Twitter was Tweetdeck, it truly defined the description of Twitter being a firehouse of information.  Tweetdeck enables you to type in a search query and yields all the tweets that involve a keyword or phrase, so now I could build a list of like-minded tweeters and follow them to gain and share information.

The first tool that I would recommend is WeFollow, what it does is asks you five categories that you are involved in and pushes a tweet out with your vanity wefollow name to let people know what your interests. We follow is a great way for building lists of like-minded people based on interests, geographic and top tags.

Many articles and retweets go over the allocated 140 characters, you must have a good catchy url shortner.  I choose Bitly because it provides track backs and also analytics for a couple other tools I will mention later. Why analytics, if your retweets aren’t getting read, then you’re not retweeting or posting the right type content.  Analytics allow you to narrow down what people are and are not interested in.

A recent app that is growing rapidly is Buffer.  What it does is allows you to build a que of articles or content that you want to share, and disperse it over set thresholds of time. I try to only retweet or share supporting articles or content that is supportive of my blog and this app allows me to push that content over set thresholds instead of sharing clumps of data.

This app introduced me to SocialBro which is an app that allows you to determine the best times to tweet and reduce bloat and spam followers. The program also generates a tag cloud which features keywords that are based on the interests and tweets of your followers and friends. It allows you to delete non follow backs and inactive users rapidly. This app really has improved my overall twitter experience by letting allowing me to fine tune who I am following and eliminate spammers.

The last tool that I have been using as of recently is mirror.me  This app generates a reflection in the form of a tag cloud based off of your tweets and the tweets of your followers.  This tag cloud is massive, with around 50 words and gives you the option of clicking on any word to see like-minded people or businesses and fine tune your followings.  A great tool that once again fine tunes your Twitter experience.

All in all Twitter is one of the best online communication channels.  When used the correct way it is one of the most powerful tools to learn something about anything in a matter of minutes.  All businesses in my opinion should have twitter as their primary way to communicate with their clients.  The tools and apps shared in this article will help you to optimize both your personal and business experience..  +jrh

What Twitter Tools & Apps Have You Used Over The Years??  What Has Been Successful and What Hasn’t Worked??  Please Answer In The Comments Section, thx!!

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