UNTETHER.tv - Mobile strategy and tactics (video) | Pervasive Computing | Internet of things

I know what you are thinking, what does the heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) industry have to do with the Internet of Things? I had my trepidations heading into this episode as well. Because, really, what can a bunch of guys who balance temperature teach me about mobile and IoT. Right?

Turns out, they aren't as far back in the dark ages as I thought...In fact, they have been waiting for the technology to emerge and become affordable for quite some time.

Meet Nick Lea, Global Product Manager at Nortec Humidity, they build the equipment that helps us stay cool or warm and healthy. His is a grand vision of what was once a simple industry. As he says, they've just about done everything they can to control our environment from an efficiency standpoint, and now they are looking at what's next. That's what this conversation is about. When you think of all the plumbing and infrastructure that goes into homes and building that are equipped with a current and access to a network, the world of HVAC, mixed with a little IoT, becomes VERY interesting.

Full show notes can be found here.

NFC hoopla reached a fevered pitch right before Apple finally announced support for the tap-to-do-stuff technology. Since then it seems to have hit a silent stride in the market beyond the initial feeling it would be yet another mobile payment platform. Chuck stopped by the NFC Forum in Boston and was treated to a number of seriously cool examples of what NFC can and will be doing for us in the near future.

There is a word that keeps cropping up when it comes to mobile anything - density. It is such a great word unless there isn't any. There are 3 axis for mobile these days: Context, location and density. Context is easy to start with: Is it morning, noon or night? Is it raining, sunny or snowing? Location is getting easier (and VERY slowly getting more accurate): Standing in a stadium, restaurant or train station? New York, New Jersey or Philadelphia? Density is a little more challenging. It looks for the answer of how many people are nearby or in a shop or are using an app in a specific region. The problem is that to make key mobile marketing decisions you need accuracy on all three. Hence, the three axis of mobile.

Today's guest is Andrew Farah, founder of the aptly-named Density. They install in/out counters in the doors of small and medium-sized businesses to do one thing: Count people entering and leaving the business. Seems simple enough but the challenges and the impact of what they are doing are many and wide-ranging.

Full show notes can be found here.

If you ask every smartphone user on the planet if they've played a game on their phone, the majority (as in the GREAT majority) will say they have. Ask those same people if they've paid for a game on their phone and the number shrinks. If you ask those same people what game they've paid for there will be a handful of household names that will emerge - we'll call those guys the winners. This is the competitive world of mobile gaming where millions of dollars are poured into games with a 0.2% chance of being successful. This according to a recent study by Swrve called the Swrve Monetization Report.

Chuck brings the key mobile game monetization numbers to light in this episode. Hold on to your lunch if you are a game developer. The odds are long but the rewards - should you succeed - are beyond imagine.

Just 13 weeks ago I featured this very same duo about their company, Mahana, and their focus on bringing beacons (and their benefits) into the restaurant industry. As a sign of how quickly things - and business focus - change (and need to change), they are back on to talk about the shift in their business and why.

If there is one thing that the mobile world has taught all of us it is that it is very hard to fall in love with a business idea. I've seen many do this and not see the industry change right in front of them until it is too late. Bryan Menell and Richard Bagdonas aren't like that and this is the story of how they moved from their original focus to the much more niched hotel and casino industries.

This is the episode for startups who are in flux or aren't gaining the traction that is necessary to make an impact in their industry. This is for the hotel and casino industry to cast an amazing light on how technology - in particularly beacons - can help deepen customer relationships and thus loyalty. This is for the leader that is facing down the impossible task of change in an industry where change is the constant. This is for everyone who thinks you can't amend your thinking or change your focus because of where you started. 

Listen to Bryan and Richard's story and then be open to listening to what your customers, your advisors and your gut is telling you. Who knows if they will be right or wrong or keep amending their model but the thing that they did - and continue to do - is QUESTION where they are and if it still makes sense. They did. You should.

Full show notes can be found here: http://untether.tv/2014/ep-523-how-an-open-mind-and-a-chance-encounter-changed-this-business-forever-with-mahana-co-founders-bryan-menell-and-richard-bagdonas/