Digital Marketing news Update Apple iCloud, Cisco Predictions, IPv6, Cookie Update and the Death of the Pub Quiz

Marketing Theory Article
20 mins

Cisco predictions

Cisco has released its fifth annual Visual networking Index this week which predicts upcoming trends for the next 4 years.

Some of the highlights include the rise in internet connected devices to over 15 billion, the rise in internet traffic to 966 exabytes a year and a prediction that by 2015 one million minutes of video will be watched every second. That’s a lot!

But the most interesting issue highlighted in the report is the depletion of IPv4 addresses. Every device needs one to connect to the internet but the rise is mobile and device technology means there are no longer sufficient to go around.

In fact the last set of addresses was handed out in February by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority and it expects these to be used by August this year. This could leave us in a bit of a pickle.

Luckily there’s a solution; IPv6 which despite being approved in 1998 has seen little take up due to the lack of understanding and testing around compatibility. However, now we seem to be at crisis point, the big boys are standing up and taking action.

There’s even a special day planned known on the inside as “World IPv6 Day” (catchy) on the 8 June when Cisco will be joining forces with Yahoo, Verizon, Google, Facebook and numerous others to test IPv6 compatibility with websites and associated networking technologies.

You can find out more about IPv6 at the IPv6 Act Now website. Can’t say I’m a fan of the site itself but the information is pretty clear and easy to read.

You can also read more about everything else in a report on Cisco’s website.

 

Apple iCloud

The world has gone Apple crazy this week. With the launch of the iCloud imminent, speculation has been widespread and varied about what this latest offering will look like.

Obviously the iCloud will store music and it looks as though this won’t be locked down to songs purchased through iTunes, you’ll also be able to stream songs bought (ahem) elsewhere.

The big question though is whether Apple will charge users to access the service. Nothing has been said about this yet although rumour has been rife that they will. If they do, it will have to be for more than just a glorified music streaming service given I can already listen to my collection through my iPhone and Mac and the issues with 3G access make web streaming not very appealing on the go.

Apple is also planning on announcing  iOS 5 at the conference next week which it is believed will be the operating system needed to run iCloud. This could potentially exclude all iPhone 3G and 3GS users. But this is just heresay, I’m confident my beloved Apple wouldn’t do such a thing.

 

Cookie update

It’s a good thing the ICO has granted us a reprieve from the new laws given they aren’t meeting them on their own site. Upon visiting the site I was greeted with the following message:

“On 26 May 2011, the rules about cookies on websites changed. This site uses cookies. One of the cookies we use is essential for parts of the site to operate and has already been set. You may delete and block all cookies from this site, but parts of the site will not work. To find out more about cookies on this website and how to delete cookies, see our privacy notice.”

 

The privacy policy very helpfully listed the cookies and told me what they were for, however I didn’t have the option of opting in to each one, it was an all or nothing situation.

Not only that but it appears they stored a SessionId cookies before I even got to respond to the privacy question.

There’s nothing like doing half the job to highlight you’re not really doing it all. But reassuring to know that the so called experts haven’t quite figured it out yet.

 

Smartphones signal the death of the pub quiz.

The BBC released an article this week with tips on how to “Google-proof” a quiz by designing rounds that are impossible to search for answers to.

The most obvious is more of the “name that person” quiz where you’re handed the obligatory A4 sheet with a bunch of grainy random faces who you may or may not recognise.

Another option is the misquote lines from well known films and the baffled teams have to work it out for themselves.

There are a whole host of examples and some truly tough questions on the site so well worth a visit.

But I have one final suggestion. Stop your cheating ways and play the game like it’s supposed to be played. Whatever happened to fair and honest sportsmanship?!

Editor: Pah, Pub quizzes have always been about unfair advantage and cheating. It’s all about using your phone without being noticed. If you get busted, then you get points deducted. Sorted.

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