Turn any Surface at Home or in your Office into a Touch Screen Computer...and more! Exciting Technology News from Intel.

A research project from Intel can turn any surface into a touchscreen. Instead of propping up a tablet or putting a touchscreen computer in your kitchen, picture yourself tapping on the counter top to pull menus, look up recipes and add items to a shopping list.

According to researchers, this new system can turn any wall into a touch screen computer. There are no major renovations needed, Intel’s system uses two cameras and a small projector and the entire device is no bigger than a large cell phone. One camera identifies colors and shapes while the other measures depth. That gives this new form of computing a distinct advantage over traditional PC’s.

Not only can it use any surface as a touch screen, it can identify objects it sees. That means it can find recipes based on the food on a counter, identify objects without a lengthy search and create a virtual interface that is more tactile and user friendly. Soon we may be accessing recipes while we cut up raw chicken, looking at gardening tips on the side of a greenhouse or searching for that perfect song to sing along with while we shower. If Intel succeeds with this new device it will completely revolutionize how people interact with computers both at work and in their homes. It will also make computes more ubiquitous.

People will be able to access information about a city on the side of one of its buildings, learn about different plants and animals in a virtual class room and interact more naturally with the machines that surround them.

Keep your eyes open for touch screens on the side of buildings, in classrooms, or even in your office! Check out this new video from Intel on their latest invention!

Blog Posting By: Tyler Griffin, Creative Director - Mindshift Media
Written By: Brad Girtz - Mindshift Media Blogger

World Cup 2010 - "Kenya Field of Dreams"

The world cup attracted viewers by the billions this year. People all over the world tuned in to cheer for their respective teams. But what about those without access to television? That was the problem facing people in many remote parts of Kenya. There, watching the world cup is often a luxury only available to the rich. That is changing thanks to the Kenya Field of Dreams project. This is a group of volunteers working with Google, UK Sports International Development and a Kenyan woman's development project called "Moving the Goal Posts" (MGP).

These organizations use inflatable television screens and projection televisions to rebroadcast world cup matches for the people who could not afford to see them. When the screening is over, the projector is packed up and the screen simply deflates and folds up. This mobile movie theater is more than just good entertainment. It is also providing an education to the women of the area. The MGP women are taught soccer as a way to help give them confidence and start them down the right path in life. Their involvement in the world cup broadcasts is building on this ideal.


While Google and UKsports provide funding and equipment, the women of Moving the Goal Posts help run the whole operation. These women set up the screens, put together a car mounted PA system, advertise the screening and learn how to use other video equipment. As the World Cup ended yesterday, these girls will still have jobs to do. The Kenya Field of dreams project is hoping to teach the girls along with others on how to produce their own videos. They have already broadcast advertisements and short films made by locals during commercial breaks throughout the World Cup games. More importantly, the field of dreams project will leave behind some film making equipment so locals can continue to produce videos. This means new opportunities for Kenyans and a brighter future for some of the poorest people in the world.

Congratulations to Spain for winning the 2010 World Cup!

Blog Posting By: Tyler Griffin, Creative Director - Mindshift Media

Written By: Brad Girtz - Mindshift Media Blogger

"Lights for Life" - A New Invention is Providing Electric Light to People without Electricity in the Poorest Countries and Victims of Disasters

  
Worldwide, over 1.6 Billion People Live without Electricity

  

Introducing the World's Only Solar Light Bulb

The  Nokero N100

"Lights for Life"

  
A new invention is providing electric light to people without electricity. The Nokero N100 solar powered LED lightbulb may not be impressive to look at but it could soon be providing free clean energy all over the world. The idea is to provide electric lights to the poor and victims of disasters. With an estimated 1.6 billion people without access to electricity the new light could soon be used in every corner of the globe. These lights will replace things like kerosene lamps and other fossil fuels. That means less indoor air pollution.


The lights will also cut 550 pounds of CO2 emissions over the course of a year. That will help improve the health and living conditions of the poorest people on earth. These solar powered lights may also have another unintended benefit. Electric lights can extend the number of hours a person can work, thereby making them more productive. Increased productivity helps both the individual and troubled economies. A single bulb costs $15 and is designed to last between 5 and 10 years. Nokero says each bulb will pay for itself in a few months when replacing kerosene. The bulb will produce light for up to four hours and is weather proof so it can simply be hung outside to charge. Nokero offers five times the lights and 1/200th the energy consumption of fuel lights.

By providing light to those without, this new bulb could potentially help more than a billion people already struggling against poverty.

For more information about Nokero and their campaign "Lights for Life", 

log onto the Nokero website:

http://www.nokero.com/

Blog Posting By: Tyler Griffin, Creative Director - Mindshift Media
Written By: Brad Girtz - Mindshift Media Blogger

Non-Profit Marketing Solutions

The basics of marketing a nonprofit organization are nearly identical to any other marketing plan. But where ordinary companies draw from a wide array of funding sources, nonprofits have to rely on donors, members or visitors. That means any nonprofit looking to market itself, needs a sound strategy based on research, analysis, careful planning, budgeting and campaign review.

The first step is insuring that a companies marketing goals match the goals of the nonprofit. That may sound fairly basic but if the two are not squarely aligned, it can cost an organization both time and money.

The second step is a SWOT analysis. This is an in depth look at a companies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This is a great way to understand where an organization fits in its field. It is also essential in order to plan for the future. Knowing strengths and weaknesses helps people understand what can be used and what must be improved. Recognizing opportunities can give companies an advantage. And identifying threats can help prevent mistakes and encourage cooperation. Once the SWOT analysis is complete, it is time for step three, identifying the target audience.

This will help you identify messages and strategies that resonate with your target audience. It also helps companies focus on the needs of specific groups in a target market. For instance, volunteers may need to be thanked and encouraged while the message for the general public focuses more on awareness. To identify a target audience, it is important to ask, who they are, why do they care about a cause, what do they look like, where do they live, etc. This helps organizations get a clearer picture of who they are working with. With the target audience identified and understood, step four is developing a marketing plan.

A well thought out and planned marketing campaign is the most important part of any nonprofits marketing strategy. Companies can not just conduct marketing blindly. Every press release, event and advertisements needs to stay on message and support the nonprofits goals. To do this companies can use advertising, direct marketing, donation promotion, fund raising, donation solicitation, public relations and the internet and new media.

After a nonprofit has chosen there marketing strategy it is time to review. Look at which type of marketing attracted the most attention or brought in the greatest number of donations. This will help refine future plans and make the marketing budget earn more and go further. More importantly it will further the goals of the organization and help establish it as a permanent part of any community.




                                      .

"Trash Ball" 

A Story of Faith and Hope, from the 

Streets to the Stadium 

(Kibuye, Rwanda)

(Video Produced for Saddleback Church, The Peace Plan and the Orphan Initiative Care nonprofit).

Video Production provided by: Mindshift Media

Blog Posting By: Tyler Griffin, Creative Director - Mindshift Media

Written By: Brad Girtz, Mindshift Media Blogger

Where to Spend Your Advertising Budget?

 

HOW MUCH WAS SPENT ON ONLINE ADVERTISING IN 2006?

Roughly $12 - $16 BILLION

HOW MUCH WILL BE SPENT ON ONLINE ADVERTISING IN 2012? 

Roughly $51 BILLION

Advertising a company or product can be tough, especially with so many new online options. Finding the perfect advertising strategy takes time and often involves some trial and error. With no “right” way of doing things, companies often worry they are wasting their advertising budgets. So the question is, how do you spend those precious advertising dollars? Well, according to the chief marketing officer for Levi Strauss, Jaime Cohen Sculz, The best place to start is online.

When it comes to online advertising, the first step is testing all the options. Because most forms of online ads are cheap and easy to make, it is cost effective to try each one out and find which produces the best results. Online advertising also allows companies to easily review the effectiveness of their campaigns using tools like google analytics.

That means businesses can see the results of an advertising campaign in real time and focus resources on what works best. Sculz says viral video has been the most effective for his company because of its ability to spark the interest and curiosity of consumers. He also recommends using updates on websites and facebook, as well as ecommerce. These are great places to start an advertising campaign because they all have a low to no initial investment. That means small companies are able to compete with their larger counterparts. It can also mean a jump on the competition because large companies are just beginning to realize the potential of online advertising. There is no guarantee that any ad campaign will be %100 effective. That being said, the best bet for any business is to skip the traditional and dated world of advertising and move into the less expensive and more effective online realm.




Blog Posting By: Tyler Griffin, Creative Director - Mindshift Media
Written By: Brad Girtz - Mindshift Media Blogger

The Future of Tablet Computers

They started out as an oddity but tablet computers may soon be outselling everything else on the market. According to Forrester Research, tablet computers will be outselling net books by 2012 and desktops by 2013. The report goes on to predict that by 2015, tablets will account for 23% of all PC sales.

This prediction is backed up by the sales figures. more than 2 million ipads sold in the first two months. The boost in sales coincided with a decline in consumers purchasing netbooks. This shift in buyer behavior is the result of portability, innovation and compatibility. Netbooks lack any new innovation. They are slower smaller versions of a laptop and they lack a disk drive. PC computers have the power but with everyone clamoring for wireless capability and mobility, PC’s are too big and cumbersome. ultraportable devices like smart phones, playstation personals and the ipod score high on innovation. They can do everything a computer can do, unfortunately they cant do any of it very well. This leaves a huge gap in the market to be filled by tablet computers. They provide the speed and ease of use web surfers crave, all wrapped up in a sleek portable package. Combine that with the desire for a touch screen and tablets are poised to take the computing world by storm.





Blog Posting By: Tyler Griffin - Mindshift Media, Creative Director
Written By: Brad Girtz - Mindshift Media Blogger