MASH MY WEEK! Summary of outstanding news about the Internet, Technology, and Social media from September 5-10

Reality is changed and reshaped by new technological developments like QR Codes, mobile devices, streaming content, and mobile advertisement, to name just a few. 

These concepts have been on the market less than 10 years. What must communicators, publicists, marketers, and creators of this new era know? 

What follows is the latest news of the Internet universe.

QR Codes increase their popularity

Several simultaneous tendencies have led to increased utilization of QR codes in marketing strategies. One factor is the availability of smartphones among consumers and the growth in their daily use.

A second factor is the very ease of creating QR codes on sites like BeQRious or Delivr. Once created, a code will spread because it can be printed in almost any format, including temporary tattoos!

Although users must download an application to read QR codes, most of these apps are free, and reading the code is simple. You take a picture with your device´s camera, and then wait a few seconds to be taken to the configured URL.

A final factor in QR adoptions is the system´s usefulness and adaptabilility for numberless marketing strategies; check out these examples.

The success behind Google´s Doodles

Recently, Google changed its logo and surprised its browser users with a video commemorating the 65th birth anniversary of Freddie Mercury, leader of the British band Queen

We will present a summary of the Doodles’ emergence, how the creation process works, and interesting sites for fans. 

The concept behind the Doodles was developed in the minds of Google’s founders, who altered their original browser logo to announce that they would attend the Burning Man Festival in Nevada. 

However, the first international Doodle was published in 2000 to celebrate the Día de la Bastilla.

From them on, Google presented new designs on relevant dates such as anniversaries and celebrations.

Those wanting to revisit old Doodles will find all of them on their official website: Google Logos

Although Google has its own creative team to create Doodles, internet users can send their own original designs to: [email protected].

Netflix launches in Latin America

Netflix is a video streaming service for movie content and television productions. The system is focused on movies and online series rental for a minimum monthly fee.

Netflix has been available in the United States since 2007 and in Canada, where it has more than 25 million subscribers, since 2010. Valued at USD 100 million, the company has more than 25 million, the company has now decided to expand farther towards the Latin America market.

The platform is already available in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Chile; from September 12, it will also be available in other Latin America countries and in the Caribbean.

With Netflix you can watch your videos on PC, Mac, PS2, PS3, and Wii. In October, it will also be adapted for iPad, iPhone, and Android devices.

For more information on Netflix in the region, you can read Reed Hastings interview, co-funder and CEO of the company.

Mobile Internet: trends among users and advertisers.

According to a study by Madvertise, a company specializing in movile device advertising, 41% of smartphones users access the Internet directly through applications.

The report highlights a preference for free applications, with 80% of surveyed users saying they don´t mind advertising content of the download is free.

Geolocalization services are the most desirable to users and advertisers, according to Madvertise, with the most popular being Foursquare and Google Latitude.

Finally, the most requested characteristics of an app download are: entertainment and usability. The applications most often mentioned are games, music, social networks, news and e-mail.