Facebook Likes = Instant Rewards?

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We've discussed on this blog before whether or not rewards could improve Facebook engagement. It seems that one company believes this possibility to be true.

According to insidefacebook.com, Momentous Media has released a new app called Insto.re is allowing retail locations to rewards likes. It's almost like they read our post way back when (okay, maybe not but...). The whole idea is to improve the amount of Facebook likes a business can get by providing something to their "Likers" in return.

The app allows store owners to pick which page they want to drive Likes for and set up a promotion accordingly. For example, if you run a coffee shop, you could offer a free cup of coffee in exchange for a Facebook Like. Once the promo is set up, Insto.re sets up a mobile-friendly custom web page for the coupon and even provides a free tent card to display at your store explaining the promotion. The tent card is a crucial part of the process with no loyalty program being complete without a clear explanation of what actions require a reward.

Could we see more things like this? This is one method of using noncash rewards to drive behaviors, even if that behavior is something as simple as liking a Facebook page. The one thing that businesses will face won't be attracting fans as much as doing what they can to keep their fans.

Could a rewards system work to maintain fan relationships as well? What do you all think?

Canon Taps Into Wi-Fi Printing: Merch Monday

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Hooking up computers with cables to print is so 2005.

Wireless printing has become a popular (and necessary) trend for home printers for the past year. Many devices now are including less and less port hookups and require more dependence on Wi-Fi networks to do almost any task, including printing. Right now, Canon is ahead of the curve in regards to printing.

Canon's PIXMA MX870 printer is a prime example of what can be done with wireless printer technology. This new device allows users to print from anywhere in there home at any time. What makes this printer even cooler? It even allows you to print straight from your iPad, iPhone or even iPod Touch with the Easy-PhotoPrint  App. Not shabby.

Regarding printing specs Canon doesn't disappoint. The PIXMA prints double-sided jobs without having to manaully flip the paper yourself, has 9600x2400 maximum resolution and has a 35-sheet Auto Document Feeder to make scanning that much faster. Newer Canon printers will include Intelligent Touch technology that allows users to only see buttons associated with the function they need.

There's a lot of fun technology coming down the road with printers. What other type  of printers are coming down the pike?

Bose Enters the Bluetooth Headset Space

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They have surround sound, mini stereos and headphones. It only makes sense that the next step is a bluetooth headset.

Bose, the master craftsmen of sound, have unveiled their new Bose Bluetooth Headset. Famous for their noise-cancellation technology, Bose brings this feature to the bluetooth table. One of the disadvantages of many bluetooth devices is the ability to hear each other in a crowded or slightly noisier area than others. Bose's new product tackles that issue.

According to a personal test done by this ComputerWorld writer, she uses the device in an overcrowded party room with high ceilings and still has relatively little trouble being able to maintain her phone coversation. Bose added noise-rejecting microphone filters to cancel out any unecessary background noise and focuses in on your voice alone, helping the person on the other end. Also, as the previously noted author mentioned, you can hear your calls better as the Bose technology is constantly adjusting the voice levels in your ear to rise above any background noise around you.

The device itself is sleek, attractive and more comfortable to wear than most other bluetooth devices. In addition, its rechargable battery allows for over 4.5 hours of talk time and 175 hours of standby time. Not shabby at all.

So what do you all think? Will Bose's new headset outperform the rest?

3D Takes A Turn at CES 2011

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We've talked about TVs and tablet PCs at CES 2011. A common bond (internet aside) that they shared at CES was a revived push for 3D. More particularly, glasses-free 3D technology.

One of the barriers to entry for 3D technology to begin with were the glasses. A compnent to most any 3D device on the market now, glasses are bulky, awkward and fairly expensive. In order for 3D to really see a significant increase in the rate of adoption, a glasses-free approach needed to be taken. The market has spoken and manufacturers are definitely heeding the call.

How does glasses-free 3D actually work though?

The key to creating a 3D image is to show a slightly different perspective to each eye so that the brain processes those images as having depth (hence why those 3D glasses in your comic books had different colored lenses). Active shutter glasses, what's found with most devices now, blocks out one side then the other at a remarkably rapid rate as to achieve the same effect.

With glasses-free, your television actually displays multiple images at the same time except in alternating bands. Using a convex lens is placed over the screen so that the image will appear differently at different angles. It's similar technology as what is used for holographic images. Pretty cool stuff.

As of right now, the technology is in what we would call beta. According to this article, if one was to get out of a viewing "sweet spot," the image only appears blurry with no 3D effect at all. On the larger screens, the imagery was reported to not be near as rich as the technology that used glasses.Toshiba's 3D Laptop

What's this mean for 2011?

Most likely, 3D will be found on devices with smaller screens. Nintendo DS made the announcement of utilizing this technology eons ago, while Sony's 3D cameras will have this capability too. Smaller screens are easier to format for glasses-free and make it harder to detect the imperfections that are easily noticeable for a larger area like a TV. One device of note included Toshiba's 3D laptop, which (according to many sources) was one of the stand out products in the glasses-free category.

What do you think? Will see more 3D products as 2011 progresses?

Merch Monday...All Week Thanks to CES

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Typically every Monday we feature a new piece of merchandise that has the promise of being popular within the realm of incentive reward redemption. However, this is a unique week. Why? Thanks to CES last week, we have more to talk about than what we normally fit into the once-a-week format that has become a staple of our blog.

For every day this next week, we will feature a new concept or product seen at the show in Las Vegas last week. CES is the event that sets the standard for what the consumer electronics industry will look like for the next calendar year. It only makes sense to take a step back and examine what new innovations we could expect in the coming months.

CES wasn't the only game in Las Vegas this month for those in our industry. This week holds the annual PPAI show. Our partner Helping Hand Rewards will be there in booth #8032 showcasing their socially responsible rewards and promotional products. If you're there, check out their new partner Chicago Lighthouse. The only clock maker in the US, Chicago Lighthouse gives employment opportunities to visually impaired individuals. They should prove to be a great addition to the Helping Hand Rewards family.

Stay tuned to the blog the remainder of the week to see what came out of CES.

2010: What Didn't Live Up to the Hype

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The 2011 CES kicks off soon and will help turn everyone's eyes to what new tech products will be huge in the coming year. Are all the hyped products at CES always hits?

Not necessarily.

Last year on this blog, we talked about the three biggest takeaways from the 2010 show: tablet PCs, e-readers and 3D television. Two of these product ideas really took off this year. Just taking a look at a struggling Borders bookstore or the guy sitting next to you on a flight, it's obvious that e-readers have caught on as a mechandising trend. Then look at the iPad. Sure it wasn't out at CES last year but it definitely sparked the demand for tablet computing along with other strong competitors in Samsung's Android-based Galaxy tablet and RIM's Blackberry PlayBook.

The product idea that fell short this year was 3D television. According to this article in Reuter's, the sales of 3D TVs "fell short of industry expectations." Why is that?

Much of the blame is shifted toward a lack of content. Best Buy's Chief Executive Brian Dunn is quoted saying that "there was confusion about 3D early (on). It was a little short on content." An abundance of content is what helped drive the sales of devices like e-readers, yet there wasn't enough 3D TV content out there to justify the cost of investment. Content wasn't the only barrier to purchase for many people according to Jim Valenti, the Merchandise Operations Manager here at Hinda. He says that the high cost of 3D viewing glasses hindered sales of 3D television. "Most people don't want to spend an extra $100-$200 per pair of viewing glasses," Valenti said.

So is 3D dead?

Not necessarily. Jay Vandenbree, head of home entertainment at LG Electronics USA, said in an interview:

"Just like how high-definition TV started in sports and movies, as 3D evolves, it will go with sports and movies and then become more of an everyday thing."

The release of 3D camcorders in the marketplace will allow consumers to create their own content, which in turn should raise demand for more 3D technology. Once price points lower and 3D technology improves to the point that the need for glasses is erroneous, sales will most likely see an increase.

What other products from 2010 failed to live up to the hype?

Fruitcake You Don't Re-Gift: Merch Monday

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There are certain types of gifts and goodies that reflect the Christmas season. Sometimes it's building a gingerbread house, making milk and cookies for Santa, or some old fashioned egg nog. One baked good has become a running joke for the holidays is fruitcake. A supposedly popular holiday gift that keeps on giving (thanks to re-gifting).

There is some fruitcake out there that is no joke. Fruitcake from WHOWomen

An organization called Women Helping Other Women has taken fruitcake up a whole new level. These new cakes remove any negative stereotype of fruitcake by creating several varieties that...wait for it....taste amazing. They offer three popular flavors of cake including "Berries, Cherries and Nuts," "Cranberry Orange Walnut," and "Chocolate Berries." Each of these cakes makes you re-think the whole stigma of re-gifting fruitcake.

Seriously. It legitimately tastes good...but that's not what makes these cakes special.

The organization that produces these cakes, Women Helping Other Women (WHOWomen), had a social mission behind their fruitcake business. Located in rural North Carolina, WHOWomen offers employment opportunities to women who are escaping domestic violence or homelessness situations. Many women in this scenario are unable to gain employment because of their backgrounds and lack of resources. However, through their work with WHOWomen, they are taught job skills training and even life skills training to help them break out of their poverty cycle. A Helping Hand Rewards partner, one success story of a WHOWomen participant is found here on their website.

Despite the fact that this socially responsible fruitcake isn't something that will see re-gifting, it remains a gift that will always give back.