Concept car I could see myself driving…

topgear:

Don’t call it a comeback! Meet the Smart For-Us Concept

Yes, Smart has a new line of commercials out and yes, they never went away, but without a new vehicle to show outside of the fortwo, they had pretty much fallen off of our radar. And then there was this:

People of the Web, meet the Smart For-Us. It is a zero-emission, roofless pick-up headed for next year’s Detroit motor show, which kicks off on 14 Jan, 2012.

According to Smart’s logic, it marries the practicality of a pick-up truck to the 21st century reality of urban traffic. Which means it’s a miniaturised carry-all for the city.

At 3547mm long and 1506 wide, it’s the same dimensions as a Fiat 500 (but a lot taller), with a cargo area measuring 900mm.

It’s a strict two-seater - mimicking a ‘hammock-like’ feel - and the drivetrain mirrors the ForTwo ED, on sale next year. A magneto-electric motor with 73bhp and 74lb ft powers the For-Us concept, allowing a top speed of 75mph, and an estimated 0-37mph time of around 6.5 seconds.

Not bad, eh? Click through for more info.

ZMOT

The way we shop is changing and marketing strategies are simply not keeping pace. Whether we’re shopping for corn flakes, concert tickets or a honeymoon in Paris, the Internet has changed how we decide what to buy. Today we’re all digital explorers, seeking out online ratings, social media-based peer reviews, videos, and in-depth product details as we move down the path to purchase. Marketing has evolved and modern marketing strategies have to evolve with the changing shape of shopping.

At Google, we call this online decision-making moment the Zero Moment of Truth — or simply ZMOT.

Winning the Zero Moment of Truth is a powerful new eBook by Jim Lecinski, Google’s Managing Director of US Sales & Service and Chief ZMOT Evangelist. Jim shares how to get ahead at this critical new marketing moment, supported by exclusive market research, personal stories, and insights from C-level executives at global leaders like General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, and VivaKi.

If you’re a marketer, a CEO, a sales rep, or an aspiring entrepreneur, this eBook on marketing strategies and the ZMOT will help you understand this shift in the marketing landscape and show you the strategies it takes to win.

INFOGRAPHIC from media bistro…not written by micah birkholz Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn & Google – Why It’s Awesome To Work In Silicon Valley [INFOGRAPHIC] By Shea Bennett on October 18, 2011 6:00 AM Why would anyone want to work for Twitter? Or Facebook? Or Google? Well, how about an onsite gym, with yoga and fitness classes? A laundry service? Subsidized massages? Dry cleaning and free laundry machines? Weekly lectures from industry heavyweights? A Zen room? Catered breakfast and lunch? Paternity leave? Medical and retirement benefits? Reimbursements and stipends? Games rooms and activities? 20% personal project time per month? A rock climbing wall? This, and more, could be yours if you work for one of the major players in Silicon Valley.
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INFOGRAPHIC from media bistro…not written by micah birkholz

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn & Google – Why It’s Awesome To Work In Silicon Valley [INFOGRAPHIC]

By Shea Bennett on October 18, 2011 6:00 AM

Why would anyone want to work for Twitter? Or Facebook? Or Google?

Well, how about an onsite gym, with yoga and fitness classes? A laundry service? Subsidized massages? Dry cleaning and free laundry machines? Weekly lectures from industry heavyweights? A Zen room? Catered breakfast and lunch? Paternity leave? Medical and retirement benefits? Reimbursements and stipends? Games rooms and activities? 20% personal project time per month?

A rock climbing wall?

This, and more, could be yours if you work for one of the major players in Silicon Valley.

Source: mediabistro.com

AB Social Media Solutions: 5 steps to foolproof your social media efforts

absocialmediasolutions:

Earlier this year, we talked about the 9 parts to a social media plan. That post provided, in detail, the framework behind all successful social media campaigns.

In this post, we’d like to complement that post with 5 ‘must-do’ steps to foolproof your social media efforts. Once you…

Mashable Article Regarding FB App for IPad

Mashable Article Regarding FB App for IPad

I found this article on Mashable.com and was so excited I had to share it in its entirety:) I have been waiting for this for too long! 

by Ben Parr

Facebook will launch its long-awaited iPad app at Apple’siPhone 5 launch event on Oct. 4, Mashable has learned. In addition to the iPad app, Facebook is also expected to release a revamped version of its iPhone app and may unveil an HTML5-based mobile app marketplace.

The Facebook iPad app, which leaked earlier this year, has been in limbo at Facebook for the past few months. That much was made clear in a blog post Monday by former Facebook engineer Jeff Verkoeyen. In that post, he revealed that he left the company (for Google) partially because Facebook has been sitting on the completed app since May.

The problem, according to two sources familiar with the situation, has been a combination of timing and a strained relationship with Apple. It’s no secret that the two companies have been at odds over various issues during the past two years. For example, the social network pulled the plug on Facebook Connect in Pingbecause Apple didn’t give Facebook any warning about the feature, which would have eaten a great deal of bandwidth on Facebook’s side.

We’ve also heard rumors that Facebook was supposed to be integrated into iOS. This was meant to happen years ago, but disagreements on both sides eventually led to Apple integrating Twitter into iOS 5.

The relationship between the two technology giants is warming up, however, thanks to the shared goal of beating Google — and the simple fact that Facebook and Apple may need each other. The former doesn’t have a mobile platform while Apple doesn’t have a social platform. The culmination of this renewed friendship: the launch of Facebook for iPad at Apple’s iPhone 5 media event.

At this event, our sources also expect Facebook to unveil a new version of Facebook for the iPhone, with design and speed improvements that mimic the iPad app.

Facebook has also been working on a project to bring the Facebook Platform to mobile devices. The project, labeled “Project Spartan” by some (a name not used internally at Facebook, according to one of our sources), is designed to be a platform where developers can bring their Facebook apps to mobile devices via an HTML5 platform.

What we’re hearing is that Apple is actually working with Facebook on perfecting the HTML5 platform. This could also launch at Apple’s upcoming iPhone event, though our sources wouldn’t commit to a specific launch date for the platform. Facebook decided not to launch it at f8, as it didn’t want to water down the announcement of the new Facebook Open Graph and Timeline.

When we said last week that Facebook would be profoundly changed, we weren’t just referring to the new Facebook Open Graph and the “frictionless sharing” touted by Mark Zuckerberg. We were also talking about its secretive effort to become a mobile platform for the social web. And thanks to Apple, it looks like that effort is about to come to fruition.

We’ve reached out to Apple and Facebook for comment.

Do You Really Want to Know What is on Bryan Armstrong’s Mind?

I recently saw this post by Bryan Armstrong, a friend of mine in the automotive industry and avid Social user. He put into words what so many of us in this industry think but are not willing to say because of our fear of either the OEM’s or the Vendors we do business with. Please feel free to share and let me know your thoughts…and yes I really want to know! 

I’ve written 3 different blogs this week and every time I’ve come to post, something has happened that has made me stop and think that this is the topic I should write on, not just once, but on 3 successive days! So whatever the fates want, they apparently know manipulation.

  1. Recently I purchased a new VW Golf T.D.I. I love it. It is a great vehicle and gets far better mileage than the Prius I traded in. This is especially true when you factor in that my wife will actually drive it as opposed to her absolute refusal to even ride in the “grandpa car” (Hey! Gold is a good color!). The point of this is I opened up a letter from the factory that thanked me for my purchase and …you ready?… found included a $5 Starbucks card in appreciation for my taking the time to fill out the survey regarding New Car quality I would soon receive. I got it the next day.
  2. I received an e-mail from Cobalt proclaiming all the advancements they’ve made since becoming part of the ADP family and that I may soon receive a commissioned phone survey that would grade them and the results weighed when considering what direction to go next. Sure enough, I received a call and after ascertaining it was indeed the announced survey elected to participate in the 10-15 minute survey. My main reason for doing so was to express overall, if not satisfaction, at least appreciation for what Cobalt has done. (I still don’t believe in OEM mandated providers) I answered satisfied or somewhat satisfied to most questions with only the occasional negative. At the end of the survey I was asked which of Cobalt’s other services I would be interested in if they were to available to me at a special reduced cost for completing their survey.
  3. I called Chase bank telephone banking to reset my pin. 58 minutes and 3 operators later I was still unsuccessful and very frustrated. The only reason I stayed on the line that long is I had elected to participate in their customer feedback survey and I was ready to voice my displeasure. The rep insisted she would not hang up unless I did first. Through a glitch caused by one of the two reps I was on the line with hanging up, the survey was triggered. The rep was still on the phone when I pressed 1 as “highly unsatisfied” with the results of my call. She actually screamed “No sir, don’t you know what that will do to my rating?”

In all 3 instances any feeling of gratitude that may have been fostered by the attempt of reaching out for my opinion or solve an issue on my behalf was dashed by the emphasis put on “the survey” and “the upsell.”

The car industry, Dealers, Vendors and OEM’s, are rife with examples of those seeking to look good rather than be good.(my favorite quote) I know of several Dealers that try to attach all categories of the Manufacturers survey to the salesman’s relationship with the customer and make it part of their pay. Worse yet we all know of instances were there are still a lot of survey’s being diverted or “launched”. I’ve heard of one salesperson that literally has a notebook full of created e-mails he, with the full knowledge and endorsement of the Dealers upper management, sent customers survey’s to. He no longer works for the same Dealer so I have no doubt that those same e-mails will be deployed again.

            The system is broken from both sides: Unrealistic expectations and metrics that a client base, no matter the industry or position, can and will begin to leverage to hold hostage providers. When ”supercalifragilsitic” is the only acceptable response, no opportunity for real improvement will occur.

Oh and please don’t use the “I just want to make sure your satisfied, now what else can I sell you or who can you refer?” line. It just demeans us both.

Bryan Armstrong

Original source:

http://www.drivingsales.com/blogs/paradigm-shift/2011/09/21/do-you-really-want-to-know

Used by permission of Bryan Armstrong…If you like i will share with you the DM’s from twitter proving it…Stop Plagiarism! 

Source: drivingsales.com