If you’re gearing up for Google’s big annual developer event this year, you might be wondering what the company will be doing with its full two-day event, which kicks off Wednesday. Google’s focus this year is expanding to include more information and value for the gamut of app and software makers. That means speaking not just to developers but also to designers and marketers. But for the average user, there’s still plenty to look for here in terms of news and excitement, too. Android Wear A key focus this year, according to people familiar with the matter, will be Android Wear.Google announced the project earlier this year, and released it to developers in beta form. It’s an extension of its mobile OS that is designed specifically for use on smartwatches and other wearable form factor devices, and we’ll almost certainly hear a lot more about it at I/O this year. Two manufacturers are set to debut the first shipping smartwatches running Android wear this year, including Motorola and LG. Both had promised a summer launch window for these devices, which are the Moto 360 and LG G Watch, and we’ve just entered into summer technically, so we’re almost guaranteed to hear more about these at I/O, if we don’t get a full-fledged launch of both. We’ll almost certainly get a good long look at Android Wear in a consumer-ready form, with more details and specifics on how it’ll work in terms of both basic built-in functionality and third-party support, and there will probably […]

Google Inc. (GOOG) said it’s acquiring satellite company Skybox Imaging Inc. for $500 million as it works to bolster its mapping services and improve Internet access. The all-cash deal is subject to adjustments, the Mountain View, California-based company said on its website yesterday. Skybox has designed satellites to capture images and deliver them to customers with details down to less than a meter. “Skybox’s satellites will help keep Google Maps accurate with up-to-date imagery,” Google said on its site. “Over time, we also hope that Skybox’s team and technology will be able to help improve Internet access and disaster relief — areas Google has long been interested in.” Google is scouring the technology universe for deals that push into new markets and bolster its traditional services, including mapping and search. The company is also looking for new ways to offer online services to users through Project Loon, which it unveiled last year to help connect people in rural or remote areas to the Web using balloons and other machinery. In April, Google said it bought Titan Aerospace, a maker of high-altitude, solar-powered drones that provide access to data services around the world. “They’re just growing the number of eyeballs and clicks potentially by billions,” said Scott Hubbard, a consulting professor at Stanford University in aeronautics and astronautics. “That has to be good for them.” Facebook Counters The acquisitions follows moves by rival Facebook Inc. (FB) to get more people on the Internet through an effort called Connectivity Lab. In March, the company acquired Ascenta, a U.K.-based aerospace company, which will transmit data using infrared […]

For many, smartphones and tablets have become so integral to everyday life that “mobile” is no longer considered a separate entity from the rest of one’s marketing strategy. In this vein, mobile and marketing have become nearly synonymous, with it being impossible to think strategically about marketing while ignoring mobile altogether. To help businesses gain a firmer grasp on the mobile landscape, we’ll go over 10 mobile-related statistics that every marketer should be aware of, along with some key takeaways to consider as you fine tune your mobile strategy. Monetizing on Mobile 82% of mobile shoppers use search to influence their purchasing decisions. (Google) 52% of mobile shoppers realize that they buy more with cross-channel personalization. (MyBuys) 79% of smartphone owners also use their devices to shop. (Google) Key Takeaways: Today’s mobile users are also mobile shoppers, turning to their devices to inform purchase decisions and complete purchases. Aside from having a mobile presence, e-commerce companies should also leverage first party data to personalize shopping experiences and encourage future purchases. Mobile Usage Nearly half of American smartphone owners used shopping apps in June 2012. (MarketingPilgrim) Smartphone use most often occurs during travel (72%), in restaurants (64%) and in stores (63%). (Vocus) 62% of emails are opened on mobile. (Econsultancy) Tablet users access search 73.9 percent of the time, more than any other activity. (eMarketer) Key Takeaways: Mobile users are shopping, reading emails, and searching for information on their devices, among other activities. By understanding how consumers are interacting with their devices, businesses […]

From an office near New York’s Times Square, workers at World Business Lenders call truckers, contractors, and florists across the country, pitching loans with annual interest rates as high as 125 percent. When borrowers can’t pay, the company seizes their vehicles and assets, sometimes sending them into bankruptcy, according to more than two dozen former employees and clients. World Business specializes in subprime business lending—or “alternative” lending, as its practitioners prefer to call it—making high interest loans to small companies that have trouble borrowing elsewhere. The industry has swelled to more than $3 billion in loans a year, estimates Marc Glazer, chief executive officer of Business Financial Services, a subprime lender in Coral Springs, Fla. That’s twice the volume of small loans guaranteed annually by the Small Business Administration. Loans to businesses are largely unregulated and not subject to the federal rules that protect individual borrowers. “This is the new predatory lending,” says Mark Pinsky, president of Opportunity Finance Network, a group of lenders that help the poor. “And the predators, just as they did in the mortgage market, have gotten increasingly aggressive.” Maher and Tamer Kasem, a father and son who sell cigarettes and cosmetics to corner stores in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Philadelphia, are typical customers. They borrowed from World Business in December to keep their business afloat after being rejected by a bank and turned down for a hurricane recovery loan to cover damage from Hurricane Sandy. A saleswoman initially talked about an unsecured $45,000 loan, they say. […]

Recently, I gave a talk on digital product design at Google’s Mountain View headquarters to a group of aspiring entrepreneurs and product veterans. While the audience asked a ton of great questions, I was surprised by how many of both audience types approached me afterward to thank me for sharing (what I thought were) fairly basic mistakes that stand in the way of great product design. Perhaps those points weren’t so basic after all. Here are five common mistakes that I believe stand in the way of successful product design. Follow these tips and you’ll start building better products in no time. 1. YOU are not the audience The good news is, you are not going to be the only person who uses your product. The (sort of) bad news is that what you are making needs to extend way beyond your individual comfort zone. Realizing that you are not the audience helps in two ways: First, it helps you see that not everyone uses a browser or an app the same way you do. Taking the time to understand the use-cases for your intended audience can do wonders to focus your initial feature set. You would be surprised how often the phrase “well, I do things this way” or “I like this” comes up. Just because you don’t like the color blue, doesn’t mean it’s wrong for your product. Second, you don’t have to be your target audience to design a great product. If that weren’t the case, I never could have worked on experiences like Rent The Runway (I will never rent a dress) […]