The Lava Row FlipCam came out from the depths of our office to make an appearance at last week’s Des Moines Tweetup at el Bait Shop. Apple held an iPhone 4 press conference earlier that day, offering up an apology for the functional issues many users had encountered in getting (and keeping) reception. Naturally, we wondered if our Des Moines tweeps would consider buying an iPhone again. Here’s what they said.

Would you consider buying an iPhone? Did Apple do enough to solve the problems with the iPhone 4? How should they win back the loyalty of their customers? Share your thoughts below.

On Wednesday night I gave my State of social media in 2010 presentation to Omaha’s Social Media Club and posted three of my predictions about the SM space that morning.

Below are the remaining seven, plus the full presentation. (I used the Prezi platform and loved it. Are you using it yet?)

Prediction #4: Newspapers are changing shape, fast. Publications, over the next couple of years, will shift more and more resources into digital and social platforms. Printing on paper just isn’t a sustainable business model. Journalists themselves are changing shape, too – becoming content curators in addition to creators. Institutional news brands will start licensing content from other (more upstart) sources, similar to what is already happening with Silicon Prairie News and the Omaha World Herald. The “paywall” problem will likely be solved by those who impact search – Google and Facebook.

Prediction #5: TV will spread across many platforms and devices. Television content is breaking away fast from cable companies and the box that sits on top of a dresser. iTunes, Netflix, YouTube and Hulu are already emerging as the new “channels” for delivering content – and you’ll receive it a number of ways: tablet devices, mobile phones, laptops, gaming consoles and that large screen television in the basement.

Prediction #6: Cars and planes will become mobile devices with amazing social apps. As soon as we have Wi-fi in of our modes of transportation, all sorts of new opportunities open up. Imagine if cars and planes were synced to our social networking IDs – we’d have Foursquare overlays (where your friends like to eat) on GPS navigation systems. And seat-back touchscreens in planes that synced with LinkedIn and told you who else is on board in your industry.

Prediction #7: All websites will be social. Technology like Google SideWiki is forcing all websites, everywhere, to be social – whether their creators like it or not. Facebook will probably create a similar (and more mainstream) social overlay / annotation system. The days of websites as static “destinations” are over.

Prediction #8: Twitter will evolve away from a social network into a mainstream publishing platform for media and business. I believe this will mirror what happened with blogging platforms – originally adopted by individuals wanting to express their thoughts and connect with others, but over time became more useful as business tools.

Prediction #9: Social CRM is about to become a big industry. CRM databases with email addresses, phone numbers and snail mail addresses aren’t enough anymore – social networking IDs will be added to this mix. Look for LinkedIn and Salesforce.com to become major players in this game.

Prediction #10: Location-based networks will ad layers of metadata to IRL situations. Sitting down at a restaurant, checking in on Foursquare and seeing that there are five other people there and getting curious about who they are is just the beginning. The word “serendipity” gets thrown around a lot to describe this – I’d like to call it very efficient serendipity. We’ll leave behind lots of context (digital graffiti) at real-world locations using these tools.

Okay, that’s it! What do you agree with? Disagree with? Share your thoughts below.

UPDATE, 7/7: Silicon Prairie News posted a great recap here, plus some video.

Tonight I’m speaking to Social Media Club Omaha at Nomad Lounge in conjunction with Mashable’s Social Media Day.

For this talk I’ve been asked to focus on what’s trending and what’s next in the SM space, which is a great opportunity for me to step back, wipe the PowerPoint deck clean and start new.

(Speaking of PowerPoint, I’ve ditched it to experiment with Prezi – a non-linear, slide-less presentation platform. Is anyone else using this? I love it so far.)

I’ll be focusing on 10 predictions – three of which I’ve outlined below. The remaining seven (and the Prezi) will get posted after the talk is done! If you’re in the Omaha area, I hope to see you tonight. Don’t forget to RSVP on Facebook.

Prediction #1: The word social media will soon go away. I’m not saying it isn’t vital, but there’s a lot of unicorn baggage that goes along with the word. The Web has been inherently social since day one, when the first email was sent decades ago. Social applications are being integrated into every layer of business, from human resources to customer service (and, oh yeah, that marketing stuff). Let’s go back to calling it the Internet.

Prediction #2: Facebook as an identity company. That’s how the social network is describing itself these days. In the next decade, your Facebook ID will become just as important as your driver’s license, social security number, email address and phone number. (At least, that’s Facebook’s vision – they want to be your car keys to the entire Web and all of its applications.) Open Graph, Project Titan and Facebook Credits will all play in to this, long-term.

Prediction #3: Finance will be the next industry disrupted by the Internet. There is a tremendous amount of innovation happening in the finance space right now, with smart tools like Mint.com, and (here come some local shout-outs) SmartyPig and Dwolla. These companies are helping consumers get smarter with their money and laying new infrastructure for Whuffie-ish peer-to-peer payment systems. We all joke about Farmville, but I truly believe it is a microcosm of social commerce – and it’s just getting started.

Gotta run. I’ll post the remaining predictions soon. See you tonight, Omaha!

For the next Lava Row Camp we are teaming up with LinkedIn for a casual conversation about the social network’s history, why it is important to have a presence there, how it allows you to strengthen and extend your existing network of trusted contacts, applications for HR professionals, and a peek at future functionality not yet available to the public.

In traditional Lava Row Camp style, tickets are free and the beers are on us! The discussion starts at 5:30pm but don’t hesitate to show up early and hang out after for a little networking. The hashtag for the evening will be #lavacamp.

Sam Mandolfo from LinkedIn will be co-presenting with me. Please join us at the Des Moines Social Club on Wednesday, April 7th in the Sideshow Lounge and bring your questions! We look forward to seeing you there. You may RSVP via the form below, or just jump directly over to Eventbrite.

Back to reality.

After six nights and seven days of soaking up the South by Southwest Interactive and Film festivals in Austin, Texas, I’ve returned to Des Moines missing a pair of sunglasses, a large amount of cash, and my voice.

Those of you who know me well know that I’m very enthusiastic about the event, so there’s no need to write further about how much I love it. Let’s get straight to the highlights. (Hillary will be posting her notes soon, once she’s back from the music portion.)

It’s great to be home, but a part of me always wishes I could stay one more week. Seven days just isn’t enough. Okay, highlights!

Meeting Peeps
The sheer volume of new people you meet is incredible. Over the last week I honed my answer to “What do you do?” from “social media strategy and consulting” to just “Internet.” What really excites me is meeting the people I’ve followed on Twitter or blogs for some time and finally get the chance to say hello to. For instance: Scott Raymond, co-founder and CTO at Gowalla. (They threw an amazing party at The Belmont.) Baratunde Thurston, Web Editor at The Onion and founder of the #whiskeyfriday movement on Twitter. Natalie Villalobos from a small start-up called Google – we talked about many things and tech wasn’t one of them (love that). And getting a warm hug from Gary Vaynerchuk never, ever gets old.

Getting to Speak
This is my fifth year attending SXSW but my first year speaking. From year one (back in 2006) this has been a personal goal for me. I was humbled to moderate the panel “The State of Music Blogs in 2010″ with smarties Tessa Horehled, Greg Swan, Nicole Poulos and Jesse Ervin. I was excited and nervous, but everything went smooth. The panel’s Twitter back-channel conversation can be found here: #stateofmusicblogs. Can’t wait to do it again!

The Silicon Prairie Party
This party (which Lava Row was honored to sponsor) went from packed to insane in a matter of seconds when Gary Vaynerchuk showed up for his unannounced #secretwineparty. I thought the Lanai Lounge venue was going to collapse at one point, taking the entire Internet and a lot of wine down with it. Gives a new meaning to #CrushIt, right? But the building’s structural integrity held up, and everyone had a blast. Big thanks to the Silicon Prairie crew for putting this together!

Flickr: mager

The Weather
We’ve had a brutal winter in Iowa. You can’t beat sunny skies and 74 degrees, eating chips and salsa on a patio with a cold Shiner.

Panels / Sessions
Admittedly, I attended fewer sessions this year partly due to the prep for our panel and run-ins with people who are important to me, but I also stumbled across many “fringe” events (ones not officially associated with SXSW). As the festival gets bigger and bigger, some of the more interesting talks spill out into the edges. Jay Baer has a great post about what he likes about the periphery.

I really enjoyed the presentations “Dude, This Is My Car!”, a discussion of future automobiles as software platforms, and danah boyd‘s keynote about social networks and evolving privacy norms.

Jeffrey Tambor’s Acting Workshop
Loved, loved, loved this. The acting workshop is an annual tradition at SXSW and I was stoked to finally get to see it – hooray for having a film badge! Jeffrey brought in two actors he hadn’t met before, had them read a scene, shattered it, made them repeat, and so on. He had both actors in tears within minutes, but this was done in a nurturing, almost parental, method. Probably the most heart-warming SXSW moment since Frank Warren’s PostSecret keynote in 2008.

Location-Based Social Networks
2010 was definitely the year of location-based social networks at SXSW. In years previous, people kept track of where their friends were at using the #SXSW hashtag on Twitter, but that became unmanageable with approximately 15,000 registered attendees. Foursquare seemed to have the critical mass, but Gowalla was winning on speed and usability. I unlocked a few SXSW-specific Foursquare badges, such as:

I can’t wait for next year.

What were your South by Southwest 2010 highlights? Chime in below!

Hillary drinking a shiner at last year's SXSW

We love it when March rolls around – it means warmer weather is on the way and we get to make our annual pilgrimage to Austin, Texas, for the South by Southwest Interactive festival!

Be sure to drop us a note if you’re attending, as we’d love to meet up. Below are a few SXSW events that we’ll be actively involved with – check them out if you get a chance.

The State of Music Blogs in 2010 – Tuesday, March 16, 5:00pm
Austin Convention Center
I’ll be moderating a panel of prominent music bloggers, PR and record label executives to discuss the impact of music blogs on the industry today. More info: http://my.sxsw.com/e/692

Silicon Prairie Party – Sunday, March 14, 9:00pm
Lanai Rooftop Lounge
Lava Row has signed on as a sponsor of the Silicon Prairie Party and we couldn’t be more excited! This event will be an excellent opportunity to connect with innovators and entrepreneurs from the Silicon Prairie. Stop by and say hello, and don’t forget to RSVP on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=356824300398

See you in Austin!

It’s that time of year again – South by Southwest Interactive is right around the corner! In our latest podcast I spoke with Bryan Person about the festival, what keeps the city of Austin weird, and the Social Media Breakfast SXSW event being organized there.

You can listen to the podcast below, or subscribe in iTunes. As always, thanks for listening! If you’re going to be attending SXSW, please leave a shout in the comments section – we’d love to meet you!

 

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