Generation Computer Savvy

Over the past couple of decades, there has been a marked transition between the benefit of computer usage in work and the absolute necessity of it. In fact, computer usage is today, quite simply, a necessity not just for work or play but, for life.

And It is a given that the future generations will, of course, be more technically advanced. But, just as we used to checkout the local playgrounds, youth clubs and social networks, parental responsibilities should now also include an awareness of life within a laptop. Your child should be given the tools to type accurately (just as we were taught to write neatly), source information, organize photos, meet inspiring people and even create podcasts or websites. But there is a need for boundaries which pushes parents to grow alongside their child.

I know that it was my actions as a youth that pushed own parents (who had no general need for I.T. usage in everyday life) to get “online” when I went travelling. Having no intention of spending money on costly telephone calls, they would have to logon to the internet to find out where in the world I might be. Today, more than 10 years later I still live in a different country and now it is a need to hear about their grandchild that urges them to boot up most evenings. 

It is said that 90% of children between the ages of 5-17 years access a computer. And 60% of those children are surfing the internet. But what exactly are they doing? Well, if they are doing things correctly they could be aiding their visual and gross motor skills, cognitive development, reaction times and generally increasing their IQ levels. Many studies have even found that preschoolers benefit hugely from an awareness and interactivity with computers.

Source
 

Wii gets children and parents off of the sofa and active

The new generation children has been born in technological world and both schooling and employment opportunities revolve around a savvy computer knowledge. "Learning how to use a computer has become as important as writing and reading in the classroom," says Alison Lane, an assistant professor of occupational therapy at Ohio State University.

And the hardware and software companies out there are keen to support our younger generations. The Nintendo Wii has proven results in assisting autistic children to develop hand-eye co-ordination – computer manufacturers had a clear understanding that gaming should no longer be sedentary and instead should be sociable and energetic.

Apple Mac has always styled its operating systems to aid teaching and it pays attention to special needs with voiceover and screen magnification functions – it even offers discounts for educational purchases. Their iPod touch has helped to improve literacy. And Greene County USA has even reported higher attendance rates since introducing a more Mac-based curriculum.

"I'm a Mac" and "I'm a PC" ad for kids

Computer usage for our generation and the generations to come is no longer a matter for debate. It’s here and it does affect our personal and professional relationships. But what’s more, with the opportunities for sharing holiday snaps, instant messaging and even making websites, it can be fun!

Apple Macs offer the most conclusive in-built software packages that motivate and encourage students of all ages. For more information on how to make the most of your Apple Mac contact Justin Menchen at Marbella Mac Solutions.

www.marbellamacsolutions.com

Operation Google Chrome

If you listen closely, you'll be able to hear the buzz of something new coming together from Google HQ,  along with the A-Team style  moment where the barn doors fly open and they cry  "CHECK THIS OUT"...

Google has taken the realm of search engines into a new league - it is the police force of the online community and as latest statistics show that 60% of the UK access the internet every day (with Google usage reportedly reaching 90%), that is an awful lot of power.

In general, we have accepted that people no longer "search the internet". Instead we simply "GOOGLE" it.

This isn't to say that Google has reached the topspot without a lot of effort. Google has stayed on the top thanks to the tireless updating and optimisation its own algorithms that produce consistently better search results. Now, in response to all of this hard work, Google has put itself in the indisputable position of RULEMAKER. Any website that does not follow its lead will be punished.

Google Chrome was launched in September 2008 and became instantly popular. It has now been independently verified as the swiftest of all of the internet browsers and has one of the most user-friendly interfaces.

And now, we have the Google Chromebook. Not only does Google provide the software, but they are quite keen to make sure that your hardware is up to scratch too!
But why do Google feel that it is necessary to have their own notebook? Well, if ALL of life revolves around the internet, why do you need anything else? Let's just make it quicker, easier and much more beautiful. This simplification of "e-life" means that internet access and searching is quicker than ever (8 second start-up) and virus risk is greatly reduced. It also includes apps for contacts, calendars, music, photos and text editing. And should you ever lose your Chromebook, all of your information will still be stored and can immediately be accessed from a different notebook.

So, what do the reviews say? Is this a step too far for Google? Well, no, the power of an established brand can never be underestimated. And this is a good example of a brand flexing its ample muscles at the  growing number of people who 90% of the time,  do little outside of their email, facebook, twitter or apps. But we Puddingers couldn't function without our other supporting programs as presumably all design based companies will say, so we will be applauding this ballsy launch from afar, and wait to see how it develops.

For more information about the power of the brand, please contact Pudding Creative.
Tel: 667714346 Email. hello@puddingcreative.com Web. http://www.puddingcreative.com/

The Apprentice addresses evolving media trend

As we have grown to expect , this week's task on 'The Apprentice' addressed one of Britain's evolving media trends and the programme did not disappoint as an overview of the changing marketplace ( in between Jim making a few strained excuses for the failing of their task and Tom steadily coming out of his shell and heading for the finish line - Go Tom!)  . 

As described in  last night's show,  consumers are moving away from purchasing traditional printed news formats, such as the broadsheets or even the 'lad-mags' which hit their peak almost a decade ago. Today's consumer is favouring instead, the mass-distribution,  fast turnover,  free (advertising funded) publications which can be browsed rather than read,  and then discarded almost as quickly as they were received. A typical 3-stop tube journey in Central London being more than sufficient time to scan from cover to cover.  Surprisingly though were the figures discussed for the task's advertising space,  given that the teams were presenting unknown publications. At the high page rates discussed, this can only reinforce how massive the distribution must be to provide a return on those advertising costs and in equal measure, how appealing a brand new publication has now become,  with content in issue #1  taking a backseat to the 'novelty factor'  which is very attractive to the speed-eager consumers. (But I really hope that those companies that did agree to take advertising space made their offers conditional and insisted on 'Hip Replacement' being renamed prior toits fictious launch -  ha ha - what were they thinking when they came up with that one?!)


During the past 2 years on an international scale,  we are seeing a move away from not only printed journalism, but also televised news articles,  with audience figures remaining either static or decreasing and in some cases falling at a converse rate to the increasing popularity of online newpapers and real time news feeds.


Consumer News Sources, 2001-2010 (USA)
Percent (%) of adults
Original Source:  Pew Research 

stats source : The Data Media Box,  sponsored by Hubspot.com 

As an example, this audience in the USA, indicated that online news grew by over 17% whilst every other type of media channel  showed a decline,   with newspapers falling by a massive 19% between 2003 and 2010.

This swing in demand and production, obviously begs the question of the resulting content quality.  With trends expecting news reporting to be delivered at faster and faster paces, often as no more than a series of bullet-point  headlines, we need to ask whether or not we are slowly losing the art and/or love of traditional journalism,  and the appreciation of research and non-fictional story telling. BUT...One reassuring statistic is here to save the day, is the steady increase in popularity of the traditional 'Sunday Supplement' (demonstrated by the 4.6% growth in advertising space uptake during the last year).

Ad Spend for Magazine Media

2009 v. 2010, % change

Original Source: Kantar Media

stats source : The Data Media Box,  sponsored by Hubspot.com

This increase reveals an extremely interesting contrast in media demand.  The Sunday supplement sits at the complete other extreme and is traditionally the most creatively composed of all news publications comprising the broadest content and an equally distinctive supporting imagery.  So whilst our lives  become set on fast-forward,  people do still crave the depth that a timely and well thought-out news article or illustrated narrative can provide them,  but reserved as part of their dedicated leisure time. 

And finally to blogging?... a media trend growing exponentially. It is clear that this style of reporting has evolved as the much needed 'middle ground',  as a product of the swift divergence of its predecessors as described and has since evolved organically online. Blogs provide an easily accessible balance of current affairs, technical information and entertainment all within one neat package;  available for anyone to read,  for anyone to contribute towards and distributed on a worldwide scale. And so for the blogging stats?  There are millions to choose from but I think if you're reading this,  then it speaks for itself and I hope that blogging continues to inspire readers and writers alike for many more years to come.  :) 

For more information and detailed profiles of this year's contestants, plus a commentary by the former young hopeful Stuart 'The Brand' Baggs,  you can visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/apprentice/ 


And, if you missed last night's episode of The Apprentice,  it is repeated tonight (Thurs) at 7pm GMT on BBC3.

Article written by Pudding Creative - interested in evolving media trends and of course, Lord Sugar's Apprentice!     www.puddingcreative.com

PUDD FILE: Capturing the everyday- featuring extracts from The Catcher in the Rye

An animated narrative : Capturing the everyday........  literary extracts of ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye (1945),  with contemporary IMAGERY (2000-present) via http://www.paulclemence.com

"People never notice anything."   (Ch.2)

"Take most people, they're crazy about cars.  They worry if they get a little scratch on them, and they're always talking about how many miles they get to a gallon, and if they get a brand-new car already they start thinking about trading it in for one that's even newer.  I don't even like old cars.  I mean they don't even interest me.  I'd rather have a goddam horse.  A horse is at least human, for God's sake." (Ch.17)

"

"People always think something's all true" (Ch.2.)

"I was half in love with her by the time we sat down.  That's the thing about girls.  Every time they do something pretty, even if they're not much to look at, or even if they're sort of stupid, you fall half in love with them, and then you never know where the hell you are" (Ch.10)

"... if you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you.  It's a beautiful reciprocal arrangement.  And it isn't education.  It's history.  It's poetry." (Ch.24)

PUDDING CREATIVE - Lovers of design in the everyday.  http://www.puddingcreative.com/partnership.html

TEXT : extracts from ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, 

IMAGES via http://www.paulclemence.com

Pudding's Sunday Design Supplement: ARCHITECTURE OR BATMAN?

The 'safe house', designed by Polish architects ‘KWK Promes’ epitomises an architects' chicken & egg scenario - does Form follow Function?
Built in Warsaw, this house has the ability to transform from a contemporary villa into a robust concrete bunker at the touch of a button. Question is, is this architecture or just super-hero culture gone mad?

The ‘open’ villa has clean lines, an abundance of open space, clear sight lines for cohesion between one living space and another, ambient leisure facilities and maintains a consistent relation with the surrounding landscaped grounds. It demonstrates areas of both peace and dynamism.

And the ‘closed’ villa demonstrates the ultimate in property security measures and would rival  even the Batcave in the secrecy department and could certainly give the Transformers a run for their money.  But this is not a fictious project,  it is a living, breathing home and that's what makes it quite remarkable.

So, in answer to the question: It is both.  The architects of this design have successfully proven that Form and Function are by no means mutually exclusive and their ability to translate the requirements of their client into this unforgettable property should be applauded. Ingenius......What an inspiring way to start a Sunday!

Pudding Creative    "Interested in all things that make design truly special!"

Contemporary design, presentation and marketing partnership with specialised services available for the property and development industry.  We love what we do and that shapes the way we do it. www.puddingcreative.com

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original article info and images sourced from : http://www.beautifullife.info/urban-design/smart-house-with-amazing-ability-to-transform/

and also International Style ® - Live Your Life With Style

What do Domino’s, The Body Shop and Amazon have in common?

A recession busting spirit

            … and a good dose of marketing innovation

An economic recession is obviously a difficult time for all. Most of us will simply be trying to hang on in there until times are less turbulent. However, there are some broad shouldered companies with a spark of entrepreneurial excellence that show the rest of us that it is actually possible to not only survive but thrive during the downturn.

When funds are tight, cuts across the board are clearly essential. We all need to be A) sensible and B) realistic but O2’s recent survey of long-established, recession surviving companies, tells us that we should be careful where the snips are made. The feedback was unanimous that a careful attention to cashflow is key. An appreciation of customer loyalty and a determined attitude are also important. But perhaps the most surprising advice was to dedicate time and resources to good marketing campaigns. “In an increasingly competitive arena, customers need to hear about your product so maintaining marketing spend is a must.” Source; telegraph

Domino’s Pizza provides a good example of how to make a market u-turn. In 2009, the world’s largest pizza chain launched an international campaign to overhaul their recipes, inviting consumer feedback via their website and through social media. It was a brave mood when the $33.5 billion industry was badly suffering in response to the recession, hampered further by some especially bad YouTube publicity – but it paid off! Domino's Pizza is now widely acknowledged as the global pizza delivery giant with a revenue of over $389.2 million.

Dame Anita Roddick has become an icon of entrepreneurial strength having developed the The Body Shop brand throughout the years of the 1980’s recession and even managing to take it public in 1984 (when so many other companies were still licking their wounds from drastic economics). And she achieved it with a good dose of cunning (the green brand colour being a strategic choice as it acted as a good camouflage to the mouldy walls of the aging premises) combined with innovative marketing choices. Anita “self-financed” new shops with her identifiable logo in a time when everyone else was shutting down. And she actively promoted an idea that was not only fresh, but fitting for the newly environmentally-aware times. "A two-for-one sale no other cosmetic company could ever hope to match: buy a bottle of 'natural' lotion and get social justice for free," says Anita.

And, hark still those remaining cynics because it is possible to achieve these marketing heights in today’s competitive world. Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in 1994, and has grown from an online bookstore to become the largest online shop in the world. They have survived the .com bubble bursting and now prosper where others are falling foul. In part their recent success can be attributed to the Amazon kindle which has also been supported by an array of press activity and creative adverts (just google it and you’ll be overwhelmed with YouTube options). The result of all this hard work? Amazon remains number 1 of the eBook market with 41.5% (1.14m).

"There are two ways to extend a business. Take inventory of what you're good at and extend out from your skills. Or determine what your customers need and work backward, even if it requires learning new skills. Kindle is an example of working backward." says Jeff, also adding "What's dangerous is not to evolve".

Pudding Creative knows that to succeed in any market you must possess a fine share of energy, creativity and individuality. Please contact us to learn more about how our branded designs and presentations can help you to climb the market ladder.
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