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First Impression, Hands-on: The new DJI Spark drone is small, fast and nimble

by | Jun 18, 2017 |

Last Thursday I finally got my hands on the super-portable $500 DJI Spark and, as a hobby photographer and drone enthusiast, it’s probably the most exciting iPhone accessory of the year. The Spark is such a small drone that you can take it with you anywhere and anytime, while it also has optics and stabilization features along with some impressive AI that produces impressive imagery and video.

They say that the best camera is the one you have in your pocket. Having a drone that you can easily bring along on trips opens up a whole new world of possibilities. That’s what gets me the most excited…

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Snapchat Marketing Features, Facebook Video Covers, and Twitter Changes

by | Jun 17, 2017 |

Welcome to this week’s edition of the Social Media Marketing Talk Show, a news show for marketers who want to stay on the leading edge of social media. On this week’s Social Media Marketing Talk Show with Michael Stelzner, we explore new Snapchat marketing features, Facebook page video covers, Twitter changes, and other breaking social […]

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Hands-on: 2017 10.5-inch iPad Pro – pricey, but perfect [Video]

by | Jun 16, 2017 |

The 2017 iPad that Apple launched earlier this year was inexpensive, but it was also about dealing with various compromises. The display, for instance, lacked anti-glare and lamination properties of more modern iPads, and the speakers weren’t nearly as good as the latest Apple hardware.

But price can be a compelling feature as well, and the 2017 iPad’s $329 entry point appealed to the masses.

The new iPad Pro, however, concedes nothing to price. It’s an all-in product that cuts no corners. Its starting price is basically double the standard iPad at $649, and can quickly balloon up to entry-level MacBook Pro and iMac territory.

But is the updated iPad Pro, with its newly available 10.5-inch form factor and 120Hz ProMotion display, worth it? Have a look at our hands-on video walkthrough for more details. more…

9to5Toys Lunch Break: Beats Studio Wireless Headphones $180, Mohu 50 Antenna $28, LG 55-inch 4K UHDTV $530, more

by | Jun 16, 2017 |

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Daily Deals: Beats Studio Wireless Over-Ear Headphones $180, Samson USB Studio Microphone $45, more

Mohu Leaf 50 mile HDTV Antenna for $28 shipped (Open-Box, Orig. $60)

LG 55-inch Smart 4K Ultra HDTV w/ 3 HDMI ports $530 shipped

Best Buy offers minimum $150 gift card with iPad Air/mini trade-in

Last Minute Father’s Day Gifts: smart home, tools, accessories, iPhone cases, more

Apple Watch Series 1/2 now $70 off – priced from $200 shipped

iPad mini 4 gets a $100 discount at Best Buy

Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro 512GB w/ Touch Bar (prev. gen.) $1,690 shipped

PDF Expert 2.2 for Mac Lets You Edit, Annotate and Sign Documents with Ease: $25 (Orig. $60)

E3 2017:

Nintendo E3 2017: Metroid Prime 4, Pokemon, Zelda DLC, Super Mario Odyssey, more [Video]

  • Sony E3 2017: God of War, Shadow of the Colossus, Days Gone, Spider-Man, more [Video]
  • Microsoft E3 2017: Xbox One X details, Forza 7 in full 4K, Assassin’s Creed Origins, more [Video]
  • Ubisoft E3 2017: Beyond Good and Evil 2, Mario + Rabbids, Skull & Bones, more [Video]
  • EA E3 2017: Star Wars Battlefront II, Madden 18 story mode, Battlefield I DLC, more [Video]
  • Bethesda E3 2017: Wolfenstein 2, Dishonored, Evil Within 2, Skyrim Switch, more [Video]

Review: Archeer’s Bluetooth Speaker booms with surprising quality for the price

Review: V-Moda Remix Bluetooth Speaker shines thanks to its built-in headphone amp

9to5Rewards: Apple iPhone 7 Smart Battery Case [Giveaway]

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Mac App Roundup: HDR Projects 5 $39, Drive Genius 5 $39,TextExpander 1-Yr Subscription $20, more

Samsung Gear S3 Frontier Smartwatch $214 or Classic $224 (Reg. $300), today only

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

8Bitdo details two new Switch Controllers with retro designs + a Bluetooth speaker

Amazon unveils new Dash Wand w/ built-in Alexa + free $20 credit

Philips’ 4K UHDTVs w/ HDR, built-in Chromecast & Google Assistant support, available now

MORE DEALS STILL LIVE:

HomeKit-enabled Ecobee3 Lite w/ 2 free room sensors for $159 ($230 value)

Milanese Loop Apple Watch bands from $6.50 Prime shipped, both sizes available

Status Audio Open Back Studio Headphones nearly 50% off: $49 shipped

Anker has iPad Pro/Air and Nintendo Switch Screen Protectors from $4

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Happy Hour Podcast 124 | iOS 11 tidbits, new iPad Pros launch, and Planet of the Apps impressions

by | Jun 16, 2017 |

This week Benjamin and Zac discuss the good and the bad of the first iOS 11 beta, drag and drop on iPad and how it could come to the iPhone 8, 10.5-inch iPad Pro reviews, and Planet of the Apps impressions after episode one. 9to5Mac’s Happy Hour podcast is available for download on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

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The Greatest Marketing Growth Hack of All Time (Hint: Cupcakes)

by | Jun 16, 2017 |

growth-hacking-cupcakes.png

A few years ago my team at RJMetrics was launching a short survey over the holidays. It’s a tough time of the year to get attention, especially when you’re a B2B SaaS company. At some point, someone suggested a cupcake giveaway.

So we did.

Ten participants were randomly chosen to receive a dozen cupcakes, and people LOVED it.

  • They sent email responses to the request saying they hoped they got the cupcakes.
  • They tweeted delighted responses about the campaign.
  • When we delivered them, they tweeted pictures of them and their co-workers enjoying the cupcakes.

The response to the cupcake campaign was completely out of proportion to the $50 cost to us.

So we decided to make cupcakes a bigger part of some other marketing initiatives. Prior to this first cupcake encounter, we would use iPads as an incentive to promote our webinars. You know, that post-registration page that says “Tell your friends you’re joining us for a chance to win!” We decided to scrap the iPad in lieu of cupcakes…and our conversion rate skyrocketed.

No joke.

People would rather receive a dozen cupcakes than an iPad.

And inevitably we would ship the cupcakes and see a cupcake photo plus a tweet like: “RJMetrics has the best webinars, and you might win cupcakes!”

So there it is, the greatest marketing growth hack of all time. The next time you’re trying to motivate people to do something for you, offer the chance to win some cupcakes.

The Psychology of Cupcakes

Now, let’s talk a little bit about what’s happening here. There are a few good theories. I first shared a version of this post over on ThinkGrowth.org and the responses there aligned pretty closely to what I hear whenever I share this story. 

Cupcakes seem like a more achievable prize.

In the case of the survey, the odds of winning cupcakes were actually better than the odds of winning an iPad — we were choosing 10 winners instead of 1. But for webinars, the odds were exactly the same — only 1 winner. Still, there’s something about a dozen cupcakes that just seems more possible.

One commenter summed it up perfectly:

The Lake Wobegon Effect

As in Lake Wobegon of Prairie Home Companion. This theory was presented by HubSpot’s co-founder and CTO, Dharmesh Shah and is a variation on cupcakes seeming more achievable, but with a little more detail on the psychology of why they feel more achievable:

Valuing Experiences Over Things

Another theory on why this is so effective is that people actually want the experience of winning cupcakes more than they want the experience of winning an iPad. Winning an iPad is kind of a lonely experience, tell your co-workers and they’ll probably feel bored or jealous.

But winning cupcakes? That’s a community experience. You can gather your co-workers around to share in your success, eat cupcakes together, take a picture. And maybe on some sub-conscious level we all just want that feeling of community more than we want an iPad.

My hunch is that if you ask someone outright, they will always tell you they would prefer to win an iPad, but actual behavior reveals we might want something a little more meaningful.

The Element of Surprise

This is a less popular theory, but personally, I think it carries a lot of weight. In marketing, all strategies erode over time. Andrew Chen calls this “The Law of Shitty Click-Throughs.” He uses the example of the internet’s first banner ad: 

Screen Shot 2017-06-13 at 11.14.22 AM.png

But by 2011, Facebook ads were converting at .05%.

And we see this play out again and again in marketing. As more businesses adopt a tactic, the better people become at tuning it out, and the effectiveness of that tactic wears off:

We’re just not used to seeing cupcakes show up in marketing. It surprises us, forces us to pause and pay attention. And attention, after all, is what marketers are always chasing.

If the surprise theory is true, this holds implications beyond cupcakes. It means there’s an enormous edge given to marketers who can navigate the balance of being familiar enough that people feel comfortable, but surprising enough that people actually pay attention.

I’ve recently fallen in love with CBInsights newsletter. The author of the newsletter and founder of the company, Anand Sanwal, has an amazing sense of humor and I’ve found myself hooked on his storylines. Here’s one of this latest newsletters:

How many business communications lead with “I love you”? Or talk about bromances in a way that makes you want to keep reading?

And you actually want to read the copy because Anand is constantly dropping little remarks like “a not very useful graph” that are so refreshingly honest about the things marketers are often trying to hype. I mean this graph is interesting, but he’s right, it’s not very useful 😂

And of course, this is all held together by a core of content that is top-notch commentary on the tech industry.

Why do I love this newsletter so much? Yes, it’s providing incredibly useful information, but I’m constantly surprised and delighted by what Anand is writing. I read what he’s writing because it’s different from how everyone talks about similar things.

He’s not giving away cupcakes, but there’s still power in the art of surprise.

Now it’s your turn.

After I published this post on ThinkGrowth.org I heard from two marketers who were already implementing the cupcake test. So, the time to try this strategy is now. It won’t be crazy effective for too long!

But seriously, cupcakes or no cupcakes, keep your eye out for opportunities to share a little joy with your audience. We’re all busy and distracted and overloaded with information. Ask yourself how you can add just a little more humanity to your marketing, how you can create moments for your audience to connect with other humans, how you can make them pause and maybe … just maybe … how you can even make them smile.

Editor’s Note: This post was adapted for the Marketing Blog from ThinkGrowth.org, HubSpot’s Medium publication. You can check out the original version here. 

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Slide in AAPL stock price continues into 5th day, but needs to be viewed in context, say analysts

by | Jun 16, 2017 |

Apple shares dropped a further 0.6% yesterday, making five straight days of decline. There has also been an increase in the number of investors ‘shorting’ AAPL – effectively betting that the share price will fall.

But while some are pointing to the dramatic scale of the total loss in market capitalization, others say that the numbers need to be viewed in context.

One commentary noted that the total loss in value experienced by the five largest U.S. tech companies in one week was enough to have bought Boeing …

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