The 2012 Summer Olympics will be a bit different than in past years. Since the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, the number of people that have access to the internet has increased by over 50%, from 1.5 to 2.3 billion according to the International Telecommunication Union. That’s a third of the global population.

Fittingly, the 2012 games in London have been dubbed the World’s First “Social Games.” Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube will be some of the biggest players in this social media trend, but also be on the lookout for content flooding Pinterest, Google+, Instagram, and Foursquare. With all the hype of the digitally focused games, here are we listed 7 places you can use to keep up with the chatter.

1. The Olympic Athlete’s Hub
This site will let you search for any athlete’s name, team, sport, discipline or event and find where to “follow” or “like” that result and has a news feed that compiles both Twitter and Facebook posts into one stream.

2. SportRightNow
You can find all the best Olympics news from the internet in one place organized by website sources, sports, and teams whether the news is from teams, journalists, media, fans or athletes. Also has the top hashtags being used on Twitter which is a bonus.

3. London 2012 Youtube Account
Not only will it be posting behind the scene footage from the games, exclusive interviews with athletes, and amazing replays, it also has links to the Official Website, Twitter and Facebook account of the 2012 Olympic Games.

4. Sociagility: The London 2012 Social Scoreboard
For the marketing buffs on the internet this site will be tracking the social media performance of the Olympics sponsors. The score is based on some highly complicated algorithms that look at brands popularity, engagement, receptiveness, reach, and trust.

5. London Join In App
This App for Apple and Android will help Olympic enthusiasts follow the travels of the torch and the location of events happening in London. It is made to help people in London, but also anyone who cannot make it to feel as close as possible to the games.

6. London 2012: Official Results App
Use this App to keep up to date with live news, schedules, and results from London which will also be available for Apple and Android products.

7. NBC Olympics Apps and Website
NBC will have full live screening of every Olympic event online but will also include two different Apps for people to enjoy. The first App is the NBC Olympics App where users will be able to do many of the same things as the London App’s but within a NBC-made App. The second App is the NBC Olympics “Live Extra” App where you can watch live video streams and full replays of every event.

The Olympics are always exciting, but with the recent growth of the internet and social media the competing nations will be closer together than ever before.

I’ve heard a lot of people talking about the massive impact Steve Jobs has had on the computing world since the news spread over Twitter and Facebook about his passing. I haven’t heard many talk about the quantum impact he’s had on our world as a whole. I’ll explain.

Steve Jobs is a rare individual — rare on a Jeffersonian scale. His push to make computers simpler, cleaner and more efficient began with a design that included a monitor and CPU all-in-one. The stout little original Macintosh Classic, with it’s unique graphical user interface (GUI), was a completely different way of looking at how we interacted with computers and how they fit into our lives. I learned design on a Mac Classic before there was anyone who could teach me about it.

Of course Jobs has had an impact on how computers function. I believe his impact extends beyond that into how we function. He’s impacted how we interact with each other. How we access information. How we learn. And that’s where his impact begins to compound on itself and grow exponentially — in a word, his impact becomes quantum.

Jobs heads up Apple, a company which creates tools that creative people use to create other things. Most creatives design, build, educate and inspire others from the the drawing table that is our Apple computers. From writers to designers to architects to chemists — so many of us start on a common platform which for so long seemed a little rogue — like an outsider’s alternative choice and even a physical identity (are you a Mac or a PC?).

It may sounds obvious, but to me it’s quite profound. For a creative, a computer is like a violin. It can be an object of beauty by itself, but in the right hands becomes a tool to create something amazing. A feeling. A desire. Something that can last a moment (like a website) or something that can last forever (a concept that takes hold of our collective imagination).

Many of us are remembering Steve Jobs today. For me, the best way I can remember Steve Jobs is to keep creating and inspiring others. That’s quantum.

Apple has announced that its content-syncing service iCloud is now live. iCloud is designed like a mobile hard drive on your web browser that automatically syncs data on mobile devices and tablets with data on your home or office computer. The service is especially useful for those preparing presentations and projects while on the go.

The new beta is available to anyone with an Apple ID, and includes Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Find My iPhone, and iWork applications. Apple’s cloud music services are not presently available. While the iCloud is similar to MobileMe in concept, the addition of iWork (the Apple equivalent to Microsoft Office) should prove to be extremely useful.

The interface is fairly homogeneous to MobileMe and retains the simplistic Apple template. iCloud will be competing with Amazon’s much cheaper Cloud Drive which allows 20 GB for $20 and is more musically focused.

iCloud is free for the first 5 GB of storage. Most will opt for the free service considering that they will not be storing music on iCloud. The free beta should prove to be popular among iPhone, iPad, and Apple computer enthusiasts looking to become more organized.

Time will tell, but I think cloud computing is going to be the eventual replacement for flash drives. It’s an exciting concept that whatever you are working on can be easily accessed again for reference on another device. The bad news is, the excuse of “I left my paper on marketing research analysis at home” will no longer be acceptable when my professor tells me to pull it up on my iPhone’s cloud connection.  E-mailing documents to myself is starting to get a little old, too.  As with any beta, though, the best improvements are yet to come for Apple’s iCloud.

The information in this post came from an external article on Mashable.

This morning the British tabloid The Sun reported that Apple is developing technology that will allow for an external transmitter to deactivate your iPhone camera at concert venues. Obviously, it could be a terrible marketing move — but not just for Apple.

First, let’s learn about the technology, which isn’t entirely evil. Apple filed a patent on June 2, 2011 to include infrared technology in their cameras. Infrared sensors, like the inexpensive ones included in your TV remote, transmit data via invisible light within line-of-sight. Infrared sensors are inexpensive, tiny and the idea to combine them with cameras is brilliantly simple. There could be thousands of uses for this.

As an example of this technology being used for good, Apple envisions museums could use this to lead tours or provide extra information. When a visitor points a camera at an object or display, a small transmitter hidden next to the object will send a data signal to the iPhone to play videos, display text or other information. It doesn’t take too much effort for me to envision the wonderful things this technology could bring. I could come up with about a dozen robust advertising and marketing uses right now.

Now for the evil part. Apple is also including the ability for an external transmitter to disable the iPhone’s camera. The example they use is theaters and concert venues. Some venues already employ wireless phone signal jammers to prohibit texting and phone calls. Now they could place small transmitters around the stage to render iPhone cameras useless. As well, virtual and invisible “watermarks” could also be applied to objects, printed images — or anything — rendering them un-photographable. Again, it doesn’t take too much effort for me to envision the worrisome things this technology could bring — like police officers and TSA agents buttoning the tiny watch-battery-powered transmitters to their uniforms to prohibit recording (something Rodney King would probably take issue with).

Civil rights issues aside, we’re both here to talk about marketing. You and I know that record labels and movie executives will be the two most enthusiastic supporters of this cell phone camera-disabling technology. But in my opinion, they’re some of the people who should dread it the most.

I recently saw the innovative cellist Zoe Keating in concert at the Evanston SPACE, a small urban venue, north of Chicago. Recording was officially prohibited, but around me sat several individuals holding up their iPhones and Android phones, quietly recording bits of the performance. The Evanston SPACE ignored them, as did Zoe Keating. [Please see the update below from Zoe Keating] Where did those videos and images wind up? YouTube. Facebook. Twitter. Their personal blogs. They will be seen by others and hopefully new people will become introduced to Zoe Keating, and the beautiful and intimate Evanston SPACE. Will those people feel satisfied that they no longer need to see Zoe Keating live, or see another live performance at Evanston SPACE because they saw a shaky video with poor audio? Of course not.

As an advertising and marketing agency, we’re constantly looking for opportunities to promote things. Social media is one of several powerful mediums to share information, and fresh content is always needed. Record labels, movie executives, theaters, concert halls, venues and the artists themselves should be embracing amateur photography and recordings (as long as they’re not distracting to others watching the performance) instead of fighting them and creating enemies out of those that support them the most. They should empower everyone in the audience to be what they already really want to be: motivated and happy advocates and ambassadors who want to share their experience with others — and help promote you for free.

Apple files patents all the time for things that they never make it into production, and there’s no word on whether or not this new technology will ever see the light (or infrared light) of day. Hopefully this camera-disabling feature will remain on paper in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and not in your pocket.

For now, look for ways you can empower your clients and customers to help spread the word about you. It’s the best kind of marketing move you can make.

UPDATE Zoe Keating isn’t just savvy about combining music and technology, she’s also pretty adept at social media. She actively engages with her fans on her Facebook page and Twitter. She wanted to clarify her stand on this and emailed the following note:

“In your story last week about Apple potentially blocking video recording, you mentioned a concert of mine where video was not allowed. The implication is that I didn’t allow the video. I want to set the record straight so that no one is confused: I allow and actively encourage video and photos at my shows. The only thing I ask is that mediatakers be aware of other members of the audience and not impede their experience of the concert (i.e. by holding a camera over your head and blocking other’s view.). At my concerts where video is not allowed, it is because it is venue’s policy that I cannot change.”
Thanks very much, Zoe

It’s often said that those who peak during junior high are in for a sad existence. Luckily for me, I most certainly did not peak in middle school. While all the cool kids were wearing Tommy Hilfiger apparel and trying to smoke cigarettes (and failing), I was living a naive, sweatpants-clad existence.

I was able to accrue a few solid friendships thanks to my ability to play sports, but I was never part of the junior high in crowd, which started and ended with the clothes you wore.

After watching that iPhone ad at the top of the page for the first time, memories of junior high flooded my brain. I was not then, nor am I now a part of the cool kids club, and I won’t be until I open my wallet for the Apple-developed cover charge.

I’m due for a phone upgrade, and I’ve been mulling over my next purchase for a little while. After watching that ad, I just may veer away from Apple.

If you feel compelled to type SOUR GRAPES!!! in all caps, feel free to do so in the comments. And if you’re pitying me because I’ll never know the thrill of paying for coffee with an iPhone, you needn’t worry. I’m sure Android will suit me just fine.

I’ve been hearing a lot about incredible technology advancements recently. From visors and contact lenses that can be connected to the Internet as displays, nano particles that attack cancer cells and more. Now, 3D and augmented reality has taken a gigantic leap forward with head-tracking technology.

The French Grenoble Informatics Laboratory just uploaded a preview video demonstration of their new iPad and iPhone app that uses the front camera to track your head position. Based on the calculations taken by the camera the images on the display can change creating what they call “a glasses-free monocular 3-D display.”

It works on principles similar to Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect, but instead of tracking your entire body the camera senses your head’s movement on a more finite scale. Nintendo is working on a similar feature, though this development is certainly going to steal their thunder. The HoloToy app also produces similar effects, though it uses the accelerometer and not the camera.

The craze over iPhones started with its original carrier AT&T. Then Verizon introduced the mobile sensation. Is T-Mobile next?

You may already be aware of AT&T’s $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile. Pending approval, this acquisition would make AT&T the largest wireless provider in the U.S. AT&T claims that this will allow them to expand their 4G LTE network to 95% of the population. This acquisition not only expands the reach of AT&T but should theoretically improve their sub par reliability and prepare them for the 4G era.

Why is this acquisition such a big deal? If this transaction is approved, AT&T and Verizon will combine for 3 out of every 4 U.S. wireless subscriptions. That creates the potential for a lot of iPhones.

However, a recent statement made by T-Mobile contradicts the notion that their lineup will include the iPhone:

“T-Mobile USA remains an independent company. The acquisition is expected to be completed in approximately 12 months. We do not offer the iPhone. We offer cutting edge devices like the Samsung Galaxy S 4G and coming soon our new Sidekick 4G”

While the statement doesn’t directly denounce the addition of an iPhone, it definitely doesn’t announce a release date.

So will the iPhone ever make its way to the T-Mobile lineup? Probably not in the near future. The acquisition has to clear before they can even think about adding the phone (approximately 1 year). Will Sprint ever carry the iPhone? There haven’t been any rumors to indicate either way but it’s also not likely in the near future, especially since they are out of the running for the acquisition of T-Mobile.

(Full disclosure: I’ve been an Apple geek since the IIe.) Apple’s had a lot of bad press lately. From the bullying way they handled their stolen iPhone to last week’s iPad security breach. It looks like they’re problems are continuing. Yesterday afternoon Apple released their new iPhone operating system, called iOS. So last night I tried to download and install the update — but with no success. From the comments on Twitter it looks like I’m not the only one.

But, that being said, those who have seen the new Apple iOS are impressed. Like the folks at Mashable, who posted this pretty comprehensive tour of the new system. I’ll wait for Apple to release iOS 4.1 before I’ll be able to upgrade — or for my iPhone 4 — whichever comes first.

So it’s beginning to look more and more like the iPhone isn’t coming to Verizon.

(I’ll give you a moment to mumble some expletives under your breath. Are you all okay now? Good. Lets continue.)

Of course, anyone who really knows if Verizon — or Sprint — will be getting the iPhone is sworn to secrecy. That hasn’t stopped rumors that Verizon is planning to release an iPhone version in September — or later. But for now I’m only concerned with what will happen in two weeks at Apple’s WWDC. I’ve put together my favorite 10 reasons why a Verizon iPhone isn’t likely.

10. Verizon forces companies to meet their needs, not the other way around
When the iPhone was being shopped around by Apple, they wanted to maintain a high degree of control over features, pricing and plans. AT&T was willing to work with Apple, but Verizon wasn’t.

9. The new global LTE 4G standard in 2011-2012
Verizon and AT&T are both moving to the new, upgradeable global standard wireless phone platform called LTE, or Long Term Evolution. If Apple waited to move networks it might be more cost-effective to wait until they can offer one single phone in Chicago, Tokyo, Moscow, Paris and Santiago.

8. Verizon has plenty of smartphone options
Verizon already has a wide range of smartphone options and adding an iPhone into the mix may upset their other manufacturers.

7. Apple just released the iPad on AT&T’s network
Apple’s 3G iPad is being offered on AT&T’s network at a pretty sweet monthly price starting at $14.99. An argument could be made that if Apple was planning to move to a different network they would not have released the iPad with AT&T.

6. “There’s a map for that” Campaign
Verizon isn’t winning any fans at Apple with this campaign that takes a pretty significant jab at them. Granted, it’s just an ad campaign and they could easily switch gears. Take this one with a grain of salt.

5. Verizon is in bed with Google
Verizon and Google have been spotted in a tree… and while Google and Apple aren’t exactly jilted lovers they’re sure not going to be exchanging love notes in a Wave anytime soon.

4. Apple signed an exclusive 5 year contract with AT&T
Much has been made of this contract, but honestly, there’s lots of ways out of things like this. Apple can certainly say that AT&T hasn’t upgraded their network sufficiently to keep up with the massive data traffic their phone requires.

3. Verizon runs on CMDA, AT&T runs on GSM
Now we get into some serious issues. Verizon’s network runs on CMDA, a wireless standard which is incompatible with AT&T’s GSM network. While Research in Motion (RIMM) sells BlackBerrys on all major U.S. networks, it may not make sense for Apple. Besides, go back and re-read #9.

2. Verizon’s CMDA network won’t allow surfing and calling at the same time
Apple has made a huge deal about this — and it would be dearly missed on the Verizon network. I surf and chat all the time, I’m not sure I’d be willing to do without that.

1. Verizon’s logo is hideous (See Exhibit A)
Verizon likes to put their logo on every device they offer. And I just can’t see Steve Jobs allowing them to put that fugly logo on his pretty phone. That’s a dealbreaker, ladies.

Okay, please forgive the title but it’s Jon Stewart’s word not mine. Last night Stewart made some very serious points about how Apple, the underdog, with throngs of loyalist techie fanboys, is committing a terrible public relations/social media blunder by the way they’re treating Gawker/Gizmodo and it’s editor Jason Chen.

“It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Microsoft was supposed to be the evil one, but now you guys are busting down doors in Palo Alto while Commandant Gates is ridding the world of mosquitoes,” says Stewart. He lays out the case better than I can. I’ll just let him tell it.