EXTERNAL EFFECT
Social Warfare: Facebook and Google Go Tit for Tat Ready for a green Cadillac? By Robert Hephner
CADILLAC GOING GREEN
What’s Going On: GM announced they will be building the Cadillac ELR, a luxury version of the Volt. The vehicle, which is currently in development, will be powered by a lithium-ion battery, an electric drive unit, and a 4-cylinder engine-generator similar to the Chevy Volt. The Cadillac ELR will run pri- marily on electricity — saving consumers the cost of gasoline and reducing emissions. How It Could Affect You: Remember the EV-1? Maybe not. Well, the long awaited push toward electric vehicle is begin- ning to yield real, usable products. The introduction of a Cadillac model signals a real move
toward mainstream acceptance and the need for more efficient electronics. It will rest in the hands of manufacturers and retailers to create and sell upgrades to those who feel they already own the most technologically advanced item already. Making sure these consumers get quality and performance will be key to maintaining and growing the mobile electronics industry.
FACEBOOK’S LATEST — AND GREATEST? What’s Going On: The ever-changing Facebook is changing yet again. The social media network unveiled newest features that include partnerships with music service Spotify and Netflix, among others. According to the New York Times, Facebook is “teaming up with companies that distribute music, movies, in-
formation and games in positioning itself to become the conduit where news and entertainment is found and consumed. Its new partners include Netflix and Hulu for video, Spotify for music, The Washington Post and Yahoo for news, Ticketmaster for concert tickets and a host of food, travel and consumer brands.” How It Could Affect You: Facebook claims to have more than 800 million (and growing) users worldwide and these users spend more and more time us- ing the Facebook’s many features. If the new offerings are adapted by the masses — which they probably will, despite some ramblings — the next logical step is that these same consumers will have an appetite to have these same technologies in their cars. Some manufacturers, such as Pioneer, are already rolling out products that respond to this demand, such as the AppRadio. Other products are sure to follow.
GOOGLE’S PLUSSES
What’s Going On: Before Faceook stole its thunder back, Google launched its own social network called Google+. Among the features that come with it are Hangouts and Music Parties, where users can chat about what they are listening to at the same time. How It Could Affect You:
It doesn’t matter if you have Google+, if you care about it or if you even know what it is. The real positive thing here is that people are now enjoying music together, even if not in the same room. The real exciting part about Google+ Music Parties is that inevi- tably comparisons about how the music sounds will come up and then systems will be discussed. Forward thinking retailers will arrange their own listening parties and then invite attendees to hear the very same music on a high-end quality system.
UNEMPLOYMENT WOES What’s Going On: The unemployment rate remains high as partisan politics stand in the way of Congress actually doing any- thing about it despite President Obama’s introduction of a multibillion-dollar jobs bill. How It Could Affect You: When people spend money nowadays, they generally have worked hard for that money and expect that oth- ers will as well. Anyone not providing real service and real products will be perceived as not appreciative
and not worthy of the money. Now more than ever, the experience is worth more than product — although the product must deliver as well.
66 Mobile Electronics September | October 2011
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