Powerful Communication Podcast

How your small business can make the most of calls to action on its website

How Facebook copied Snapchat

How the history of the commercial internet can help us understand how to get started with the Metaverse.

Comsteria's Colin Kelly is your trusted guide for the Metaverse and NFTs (digital collectables). Listen to the Powerful Communication podcast for regular insight and updates into this fast moving (and heavily hyped!) immersive internet of the future. Colin has recently delivered highly engaging, jargon free introductory in person talks and remote webinars on this topic for clients including the Chartered Institute Of Public Relations and the Department Of International Trade. Subscribe to this p...

What sort of content should I post on LinkedIn?

Kanye West, Adidas and the dangers of brands working with celebrities.

Adidas has dropped Kanye West and his Yeezy line of shoes. In this episode of Comsteria's #powerfulcommunication podcast, Colin Kelly looks at the lessons for brands working with celebrities on endorsement deals, as well as smaller businesses who might be working with influencers. To find out how Comsteria can help your business or comms team, visit us online at www.comsteria.co.uk

Why is Negroni Spagliato with Prosecco taking over the internet? Simon Cowell launches stem building competition.

Simon Cowell is at the centre of what he hopes will be another revolution in the music industry. He’s teaming up with Samsung and TikTok to launch a new ‘beat making’ competition. It’s called ‘Stemdrop’ and will involve renowned producer Max Martin who’s worked with some of the biggest names in pop releasing a clip of music on TikTok but giving anyone who wants it access to the individual component parts of the track - the drums, vocals, guitar and so on, which are all known as ‘stems’. Contesta...

Living in the Metaverse, 400 rogue apps uncovered.

There’s a great article on the Telegraph website about the Metaverse - the virtual future of the internet which Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has committed billions of dollars to. Business reporter Io Dodds spent a week pretty much ‘living’ in the meta verse - or at least doing as much in it as possible and she’s put together a fascinating account of what it’s like. Get the link on the hashtag digitalminuteUK or through the Telegraph online. You can also follow @iododds on Twitter. Cyber secu...

Twitter's edit button is here, forthcoming video game releases.

Twitter’s edit button is here at last but if you want it - you’ll have to pay. You need to use Twitter’s Premium ‘twitter blue’ service. Tweets that have been edited will appear with a pencil icon in the top right corner, clicking on that will show you what the original said. Instagram is testing a new feature which would let users add multiple links in their biographies. Currently, only 1 is allowed and that makes things difficult for some celebrities, charities or businesses with more than one...

Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel Watch - Made By Google and some favourite blogs.

I thought I’d mention a few favourite blogs today. One of the most interesting in terms of communication, marketing and thought leadership is Seth Godin. Find him at seths.blog - he’s been blogging almost every single day more more than 7 thousand days. I you love music industry stories then Bob Lefsetz is an essential read. Some of his posts are incredibly long but fascinating, dealing with everything from the state of modern pop music right back to the golden years of rock and roll. He’s incre...

Is Replika safe? Twitter deal with Musk could be back on.

Replika - with a ‘K’ is an artificial intelligence tool, delivered via an app which claims to offer companionship. Marketing for the platform promises Replika is ‘always ready to chat when you need an empathetic friend’. It’s not much more than a chatbot - you see an animated image of a person and interact by talking into your phone. But what’s it doing with all the information it picks up from conversations you have with it, is your data safe and what about the conversations themselves…are they...

Spongebob Squarepants gone from Netflix, USB C standard chargers coming across the EU.

Disappointing news for children everywhere - Spongebob Squarepants and Paw Patrol are GONE from Netflix in the UK. The deal to show the shows on the streaming giant has expired, there’s no word of a new deal and the shows are no longer available - only some of the feature length Spongebob films can be watched. Netflix viewers outside the UK can still enjoy the shows and there is the possibility of a new contract which would bring them back. Meantime, Paramount Plus is showing Spongebob Squarepan...

Can Concrete go digital? Mumsnet teams up with a bank

Can concrete go digital?! Well, sort of. A platform is using artificial intelligence and machine learnings to make the use of concrete more efficient. It’s responsible for about 8 percent of all global carbon emissions - the process of making it and moving it around uses large amounts of energy. Cloud Cycle is a new start up which uses sensors in the truck to monitor fresh ready mix concrete, ensuring it’s delivered in the most efficient way and reducing waste. Some interesting news from the fin...

Tech companies pull back from Moonshot ambitions

‘Moonshot’ is the word used in the tech industry for huge, innovative projects aimed at finding the next big leap forward for society. Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook have all had experimental projects or innovation prizes in the past..but now it looks the the Big Tech Moonshot era is over with the companies pulling back, and tightening their budgets. Focussing on their core mission seems to be the buzzword - whether that’s messaging apps, advertising or, artificial intelligence. On the s...

Google kills Stadia, Liz Truss makes a fool of herself.

Google is to close down its cloud gaming service Stadia in January. The company announced the move - which was widely expected - in a blog post. It’s promised to refund all hardware and software purchases made through the Google Store and users will be able to continue playing games until the service closes. Google says the service hadn’t gained the popularity it hoped for but that the system and concept had been proven to work and would be redeployed elsewhere. Yesterday we talked about Netflix...

Netflix plans games studio, Meta shuts down rogue news sites.

Could we end up playing video games on Netflix in the future? The streaming giant is setting up its own games studio, which will be based in Finland. There are more than 220 million Netflix subscribers around the world but the company has lost users and revenue since the end of the pandemic. It’s also facing competition from movie studios launching their own streaming services and taking some of their films and TV shows OFF Netflix. Investing in its own content is part of the solution but it’s a...

Tim Cook BBC interview - no excuse for lack of women at the top of tech.

Powerful comments from Apple chief Tim Cook who’s criticised his industry and his own company over the lack of women in leadership roles in the sector. In an interview with the BBC’s Zoe Kleinman, Cook said there’s no excuse for the lack of women at the table at the world’s tech firms and says technology won’t achieve nearly what it could achieve without a more diverse workforce. He also spoke about the virtual worlds known as the Metaverse and predicts in the future people will wonder how we li...

Seamless videos on Instagram, TikTok wants to be a search engine, landline phone scam alert.

A change on Instagram and I think it’s one most users will welcome - videos under 60 seconds using the ‘Stories’ feature will no longer be split into 15 second segments. Up until now there was a split second gap between the segments - that’s going to end, making for a more seamless viewing experience. TikTok meanwhile sees Google in its sights and wants to become the starting point for users looking to discover something on the internet. In short, TikTok is becoming a search engine. As part of t...

Are you using emojis wrong? Internet minute 2022 data released.

Are you using Emojis all wrong? Research out today from language learning platform Preply claims young people have developed their own, secret Emoji language. Apparently using a crying laughing emoji is old hat now and all the kids use the ‘skull’ emoji to show something is hilarious, ‘so funny I could die’. An emoji of a goat means ‘Greatest Of All Time’, clapping hands can be used in a sarcastic way, answering back to criticism, the information desk person is often used as a shrug, like ‘who k...

First steps to a smart home.

As the nights draw in remember technology can help with the smooth running of a secure home. Smart bulbs can be set via an app to automatically come on at dusk to give the impression someone is in. Just make sure they’re compatible with any other smart devices you might have in the home - many - but not all - of the modern brands are inter compatible so you won’t need a ‘bridge’ to connect to your router - but be sure to read the small print and if you’ve any doubt, ask the retailer. Some will a...

Are Instagram Reels failing to stop the rise of TikTok?

Almost every day now we’re seeing articles about the decline of Facebook and its parent company Meta. The latest comes from the Wall Street Journal which reports Instagram Reels are failing to have the impact the company hoped for and are already in decline. The feature was launched in 2019 in response to the rise of TikTok. It appears to have done nothing to slow the rise of TikTok, the newspaper claims it’s so bad Meta has now stopped reporting how long people are spending engaging with Instag...

Introducing TikTok Now, Log in with Facebook dropped, how to get a cheap laptop.

The start of the college and university term means now is a great time to get a deal on a laptop if you’re looking for one. Many of the major retailers have discount deals on some of the big brands, including Chromebooks. High quality graphics cards, webcams and processor speeds are what pushes up the price - if you’re not going to use it for playing games then you’re likely to be able to get what you need at a much lower budget. I caught an interesting article in the Sunday Times over the weeke...

Social media reaction to the death of Queen Elizabeth II

People from all walks of life, from every corner of the world have taken to social media to share memories and express their condolences following the death of Queen Elizabeth The Second. The official Royal Family Instagram account shared a black and white photograph of The Queen as news of her death was announced, followed by a statement from King Charles The Third saying his family would be comforted and sustained by the knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so wid...

Apple Watch Ultra, new iPhone 14, Snapchat cuts staff

Apple held its ‘Far Out’ launch event last night and announced the iPhone 14. There’s also a new set of Airpods, an Apple Watch Series 8 and a new Apple Watch Ultra - a rugged sports watch made from aerospace titanium and a 36 hour batery life - this is made for triathlon and endurance athletes as well as serious explorers - the display has been configured so its easier to see in sunlight. It’s also designed to operate in extreme temperatures and can emit an 86 decibel siren in an emergency if y...

Apple launch event tonight, Meowtalk thinks it knows what your cat is saying.

There’s an Apple event tonight at 6pm UK time. We’re expecting a new iPhone and possible other products - I’m going to predict a surprise from Apple - I think they’ll announce their own dating app and I’m also expecting the numbering of the iPhone to stop with new names used to identify new product releases. A cat translator app which claims to be able to help cat owners work out what their pets are saying has taken the internet by storm over the last 24 hours. MeowTalk’s founders claims to have...

People in France with swimming pools are cursing technology, Google Docs for dating?

People in France with swimming pools in their back gardens could be cursing technology right now. The French government is using artificial intelligence to scan aerial photographs - if they find properties with swimming pools that are undeclared and aren’t paying enough tax, then the owners can expect a fine. Since the scheme launched last October, more than 20 thousand undeclared swimming pools have been discovered. Dating apps aren’t the only way to find love online. A fascinating article on w...

Pin replies on Linkedin, free games trials with Stadia, is scheduling coming to Linkedin?

A big step forward for gaming as Google’s Stadia service is now offering completely free time limited trials of some games - with nothing to download and no sign up. All you need is a Google account and visit stadia.google.com Games available for trial include Wreckfest, Cities - Skyline, PacMan, Far Cry 6, World War Z and many more. Google says it wants playing games to be as easy and seamless as watching a YouTube video. Linkedin users have a new option when managing comments on their posts. I...

Introducing Twitter Circle, Snapchat goes dual camera, DuckDuckGo launches email.

A big step forward for Twitter that might make it a more pleasant place to be - Twitter Circle is now available to everyone and lets you set up private group chats of up to 150 people. Twitter says Circles will let users have discussions without worrying about random people hijacking the discussion and making them feel bad. You’ll now see an option to ‘share with a smaller crowd’ when you start writing a Tweet on a mobile device. Here’s another option if you’re looking for more privacy around yo...

Twitter embraces podcasts, Dell quits Russia and when is the iPhone 14 coming?

It’ll soon be possible to listen to podcasts while you’re using Twitter. The app is rolling out a new ‘audio’ tab which will highlight podcasts alongside Twitter’s ‘Spaces’ material. Podcasts will be grouped according to subject matter - given Twitter’s emphasis on real-time content, I’d expect to see podcasts relating to television shows and sports events given a prominent position while those shows and events are actually taking place. 6pm on the 7th of September is an important date for Apple...

Cybercrime prevention advice - password, anti virus software, 2 step verification.

As the cost of living crisis intensifies something you’ll really want to avoid is becoming a victim of cyber crime. Here are a few quick tips to stay safe. First and most important - anytime you’re asked for a password - use a strong, secure one, don’t share it with anyone and don’t repeat it anywhere else. Password manager apps can help keep things organised for you - they encrypt the actual password. If you’re coming up with passwords yourself, 3 random objects with some numbers and a punctuat...

Acer's eco friendly Chromebook, BeReal hits 10 million active users, Google Family Link and keeping kids safe online.

There’s more evidence of computer manufacturers taking the environment seriously. Acer has introduced a new Chromebook in its eco friendly Vero line. The Chromebook Vero 514 which has been designed to be repaired and recycled - much of it has been built with recycled plastic. The Vero 514 goes on sale across Europe in November although it will be a couple of hundred pounds more than some of the cheapest Chromebook but with much of it user serviceable and upgradeable - it could end up lasting a g...