Siri Dictation: Email, Facebook, Twitter

I love this: Siri driving Twitter, Facebook, etc (I had written about the desire to do this when Siri first arrived). As I have been splitting my time between iOS and Android, I have been using Siri and Google Voice more and more. Siri is better baked into the platform... and therefore sometimes more useful; but Google is faster and often more accurate.

In both cases, I have used them daily / routinely to dictate emails, messages, etc. It takes getting used to: in part because it's a new way of thinking and in part because you need to learn trigger words and pauses.

The next step is for Siri / Google to become responsive and interactive: deliver messages and make commands more natural / conversational.

Install Now: Driving Installs in Addition to Likes

I have written about Facebook's AppCenter before and how it represents the focus on mobile and on Facebook's platform... and opens up a monetizable, interaction beyond "Like": "Install". (And by the way: you could easily argue that "install" is a more valuable action thank "like" or "follow"). Here's a screenshot within the mobile web promoting Fab with a sponsored unit that is visual, includes ratings, reveals friends who use the app and, most importantly, a big "install Now" button.

Google Play: 25B Downloads & $0.25 Apps.

25 billion app downloads. That's the big number & achievement that Google Play is celebrating. And to celebrate, Google is delivering popular paid apps for the very-discounted price of $0.25. Note: popular movies are $4.99, magazines are $1.99 and books $0.99. As I remarked last week (see here), it is one of the differences between Apple / iTunes and Google / Google Play. Just very different strategies and experiences. We have seen Amazon find success on the Kindle Fire and their app store with similar marketing -

and it goes well alongside Google's delivery of Play credits with new devices (like the Nexus 7) and Google Wallet

Apple's Passbook, Dunkin Donuts & Facebook Offers

An example of the potential power of Apple's new Passbook for:Brands (here Dunkin Donuts) Platforms (here Facebook / Facebook Offers) Consumers (simplicity, speed)

Dunkin Donuts running a week-long promotion for their holiday bagel using Facebook Offers:

Upon acceptance, Facebook shares socially and then emails users steps for redemption:

Users then have to print the coupon (per below). But this could pass through to Passbook or into a Facebook Offers Book / application. Thus keeping everything mobile, eliminating friction, and adding tracking throughout the entire process:

Google Play Store vs. Apple's iTunes: The Little Things

I have been splitting time between my iOS and Android (iPhone and Samsung Galaxy III; iPad and Google Nexus 7). Having built up years of habits with the iPhone, it is a really fascinating experience to: 1) force myself to learn a new platform: chalk that up to laziness + 'switching costs'

2) uncover the intricacies of the different platforms & brands: very noticable in some cases, very minor in others

3) figure out what I particularly like about each (device and platform). There are absolutely things that each does better than the other

Really small example of an intricate difference between the two platforms and strategies. Within iTunes (iOS and desktop), the focus on movie and television content is purchase. Makes sense as it's a higher price point and promotes cross device usage (phone, tablet, Apple TV, desktop). Finding rentals is much harder - and in some cases available weeks after the release.

Within the Google Play Store, it is the opposite. Everything defaults to rentals ($1.99 - $3.99 usually). Very different approach which seems to focus on lowering cost and sharing strategy with YouTube and other Google properties.

So many of these little things which are seemingly obvious and/or unimportant... but fascinating both individually and when you combine them all. More to come...

Introducing ESPN's SportsCenter Feed

I am very excited to announce a new, beta product from ESPN: The SportsCenter Feed. It is all of your sports news personalized, real-time, and presented in a feed format. On a daily basis, there are 1,000s of pieces of ESPN content - articles, scores,videos, podcasts, Facebook & Twitter posts, etc. The SC Feed is a new way to deliver and consume that. I know it's powerful because - even as someone inside of ESPN - the Feed has introduced me to great, unique content I otherwise would have missed. Please give it a spin at http://espn.com/scfeed and send your feedback. Much more is coming... but this is a great, exciting first step!

Coverage: - GigaOM: ESPN builds a Twitter-style firehose for sports news - PandoDaily: ESPN Launches Personalized SportsCenter Feed Web App, Proves It Just Gets Digital - AllThingsD: ESPN Takes a Design Page From Twitter’s Playbook

You can find a link to the feed on beneath the headlines module on the right side of the homepage:

And here is the SC Feed itself. It is designed to work responsively for mobile and tablet view as well. And don't forget to Add to Homescreen!

ESPN on Xbox

I wanted to share Xbox's Facebook post from this weekend (see here). If you have an Xbox, checkout ESPN on Xbox (more here). It's a phenomenal experience and merges our scores, alerts, ESPN3, kinect, etc. Terrific experience and excited and Xbox is equally excited & proud of it: "College football is Back! ESPN on Xbox has an all-new look, giving you the best college football has to offer. Check out Washington State at UNLV tonight at 6pm PT, and games all day Saturday, including Idaho at LSU at 5pm PT. http://po.st/CPW996"

iPhone 5

Two excellent pieces to read on yesterday's Apple event:Wired's "The iPhone 5 Is Completely Amazing and Utterly Boring" and MG Siegler's "Apple's Magic Is In The Turn, Not The Prestige" Similar themes. Different styles and routes to get the the takeaways. Both full of technical admiration.

Also, I encourage you to watch Apple's iPhone 5 video - if you haven't already. It's beautifully produced, rather simple, encapsulates the above articles / view points, and leaves you asking, "when can I preorder?"

NCAA Football is Here: Follow with WatchESPN & ESPN College Football App

With over 50 games today, NCAA Football has officially kicked off (and next week marks the beginning of the NFL season). Two great ways to stay atop of the action and to follow your favorite team(s): 1. The new ESPN College Football App (iOS + Android)

Built specifically for college football, the provides news, scores, video and more. Most importantly, it delivers instantaneous, in-game video alerts for major plays. Within seconds of a highlight play, you can watch it on your mobile device.

2. WatchESPN (universal. iOS and Android)

You can watch games in their entirety with WatchESPN - which works on the web and across mobile devices / platforms. New: Apple Airplay is now supported for ESPN3 (future updates will include AirPlay for ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU).