Graeme Thickins on Tech

Reflections & analysis about innovation, technology, startups, investing, healthcare, and more .... with a focus on Minnesota, Land of 10,000 Lakes. Blogging continuously since 2005.

Category: Mobile (Page 2 of 18)

Wait, Was That My iPhone That Just Flew Over Your Head?

November 4, 2015 / / 3 Comments

It could have been if I had a “PhoneDrone Ethos” prototype — I could be buzzing you! But, sigh, I don’t have one … and none of us mere mortals will until they ship in September 2016. That’s as soon as the Kickstarter page promises. Nonetheless, as I write this, the product boasts some $238,000 pledged (well exceeding the $100,000 goal), and more than 900 backers — who apparently have no problem waiting for 11 months.

xCraft, the designer and manufacturer, is a drone company that scored a record-breaking $1.5 million investment on Shark Tank recently.  Continue reading

Retailers Are Lagging, Says Omnichannel Leader

May 1, 2015 / / 0 Comments

[Note: This post first appeared on April 30th at Minnov8.com, where I’m a regular contributor.]

SPScommerce-Influence-logoRetailers still don’t appear to be facing the profound changes their industry is undergoing, according to Peter Zaballos, VP of marketing and product at Minneapolis-based SPS Commerce, in a keynote he gave yesterday at the company’s annual “omnichannel” conference, called In:fluence15.

“It’s not just about ‘the Amazon effect’,” he said. “It’s about digital engagement.”

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SaaS is so yesterday. The new hotness? Software WITH a Service: #SwaS

April 24, 2015 / / 0 Comments

So, we know you’ve been sitting around wondering… what’s the next big wave in B2B software? Well, so have a bunch of Silicon Valley VCs, according to the author of a recent TechCrunch guest post, “Why ‘Do It For Me’ Is The Next Big Thing.”

Service-keyboard-450wThe author is Anthony P. Lee, a general partner at Altos Ventures, and he makes an excellent argument about how SaaS is no longer enough — specifically, for companies in the ginormous space we call Small Business.

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Minnesota ‘Mompreneur’ Leaves Corporate Job, Launches Parent App

April 23, 2015 / / 0 Comments

[NOTE: This post first appeared yesterday on Minnov8.com, where I am a contributor.]

karla-lemmonKarla Lemmon has done it. She’s left a successful corporate career as a product manager to pursue her dream of becoming a tech entrepreneur and marketing her own app — an app for which she’s convinced there’s a big need.

Little Peanut on the Go is a personal-assistant mobile app for parents to help them stay organized and connected when they or their children are away from home. It lets parents create packing lists and to-do lists, build care schedules to share with caregivers, and little-peanut
connect with their children while they’re away with updates and photos. Little Peanut on the Go just became available this month, first in the Google Play App Store for Android devices. It’s expected to be available very soon in the iOS App Store. (UPDATE: it’s there!)

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Mobile App Discovery Not Getting Easier; ‘Zombies’ Gaining

February 2, 2015 / / 0 Comments

[Note: This post first appeared earlier today at Minnov8.com, where I am a contributor. Image credit: Telegraph UK.]

appsBasically, app discovery is a bitch, and the App Store is no longer the answer. That is the gist of a report on “2015 App Store Competition” published a couple days ago by an analytics firm in Berlin called Adjust. (PDF of the full report here.)

Minnesota developers are of course not strangers to this problem.  It’s especially painful for startups looking to get traction in today’s “mobile first” startup environment — and moreso if they don’t have Silicon Valley sized funding rounds.  I asked a couple of experienced mobile industry players here in Minnesota for their reaction to this news.  But first, more on the report.

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