The 2013 WWDC has come to pass, and the tech world is buzzing with a wide range of reactions to Apple’s major announcements. At Velocity Agency, we were glued to our computer screens yesterday as we waited anxiously to see what would be unveiled, yet we remained acutely aware that the news would most likely make all of our current smartphones and laptops immediately obsolete. But that’s fine by us, because nothing is more exciting for a marketing agency than the prospect of a new line of cutting-edge gadgets to power our day to day operations.
The office consensus is that Apple’s new mobile operating system, iOS 7, is what we are looking forward to most. Apple CEO Tim Cook is calling the new iOS the biggest thing to happen to the iPhone since its initial launch, so clearly some big changes are on the horizon. What we know so far is that the new operating system is going to feature a completely rethought and redesigned look built from the ground up. The biggest change will be a shift away from Apple’s previously skeuomorphic based design. For those of you who don’t know, skeuomorphic designs are based off of physical objects and real-world textures, such as the green felt and wood theme to the current Apple Game Center app. For iOS 7, Apple will be moving to cleaner, flat looking designs, which we think will provide a generally more aesthetically pleasing mobile experience.
Now, let’s talk about iTunes Radio, Apple’s long awaited Spotify competitor, which was also unveiled at the WWDC. The biggest news is that it will be free for all users, and ad free for subscribers to iTunes Match, the cloud-based storage system for cross-device listening. This means that for about $25 a year, users will be able to store all their downloaded music in the cloud and stream all the music they don’t own for free. Pretty sweet deal. But, Spotify has a big head start on Apple, so it remains to be seen whether or not they will be able to convert users who are already signed up for other streaming services. More often than not, Apple is on the cutting edge, but in terms of streaming services they are basically the last on the bandwagon following Google’s big announcement just a few weeks ago.
The only major letdown from yesterday’s event: no new iPhone. But, we’re not worried. We all know the iPhone 5 S can’t be far off, and at the very least we will see it by the time iOS 7 launches in the fall. Until then, we will be keeping a close watch on all things Apple. Be sure to keep with us as we track the release of all the new products announced at this year’s WWDC. We will be posting our up to date commentary on Facebook and Twitter, so join in on the conversation and let us know what you think!
#TBT Holiday Spirit circa ’94 – Andrea Hernandez , Social Media Director
Do you #TBT? It’s Wednesday afternoon and there are already more than 44 million photos that include #tbt hashtags, not to mention the 24 million from the original #throwbackthursday. Since the unveiling of Instagram, we can confidently say that Throwback Thursday is the most popular installment yet. For those who have tried to make #FlasbackFriday and #TransformationTuesday happen you’re setting yourself up for failure.
Powered by our nostalgic narcissism, TBT is here to stay. We are all guilty of endlessly scrolling down our Instagram feeds every Thursday to soak up the flood of our friend’s diaper-laden days or nonsensical, and sometimes funny photos. However, as in anything in this over-exploited age, Instagram users have become convinced that anything goes on Throwback Thursday.
At Velocity Agency, we are all about proper digital and social media etiquette. For this reason we find it our obligation to come up with a list of do’s and don’ts for the infamous hashtag.
1. TBT is all about comedic nostalgia. We know you looked cute as a baby, but posting angelical pictures of yourself is not nearly as amusing. Throwback Thursday was founded on principles of comedic relief. Embrace it.
2. Timing is essential. So refrain from tagging #TBT pictures when it is in fact not Thursday. This should be a no-brainer.
3. Throwback Thursdays are all about commemorating vintage moments. Try and aim for non-digital photos that were probably taken from your Polaroid iZone. If you are #TBT-ing to last week’s Thursday, you’re doing it wrong. Try to have a gap of a couple years.
4. You can’t be hashtagging pictures that are not even throwbacks but just a clear abuse to the popular hashtags. This also includes “Celebrity Throwbacks.” Unless you were childhood friends with Ryan Gosling, this is a major DON’T.
5. #SelfieThrowback: Unless you were rolling around as a baby taking pictures of yourself, there is no such thing.
And so, remember the next time you #TBT you need to do it right. The internet will call you out. Respect Throwback Thursday
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