Augmented reality might be a new term for most people. A lot of you might even be asking, what is augmented reality? Well, unlike virtual reality which completely replaces all layers of the real world, augmented reality or AR is a virtual layer and a real life environment placed all in one. But what does this have to do with print?

Like QR codes, augmented reality gives print a chance to come to life. Instead of scanning like you would with your QR code and being immediately taken to the internet, AR allows you to bring paper to life. For example, you are walking by a movie poster and it has an AR code on it, it might allow you to scan the photo with your phone, iPad, etc and watch the trailer embedded in the poster. It might make something on the poster move or come to life. AR can also revolutionize the way students learn. With codes inside textbooks, students will be able to scan it and see 3-D renderings of say the Earth or inside volcanoes. The possibilities are endless.

Sometimes print is thought of as a dying source but according to the Marsid M&M group, “AR is causing print to evolve.” The main thing with this new technology is that it allows print and computers/tablets to work together instead of being forced to use one or the other. These technologies are coming together which is rare. Although AR isn’t as mainstream as QR Codes it is definitely gaining momentum. What do you think of Augmented Reality? Leave your comments below.

The last topic in this media blog series is print. Not to be biased, but print is going to obviously be our favorite form of media! Print offers so much more these days than just your average newspaper or flyer. Print has transformed over the years just as much as cell phones and computers have, but it has done so with less advertisement and hoopla than the rest of these forms of technology.

How has print transformed, you ask? Well, we have had to stay ahead of the curve just as much as any other form of media. Beyond that, we have managed to do so and be the oldest form of media out there! Print started out with handwritten copies of books and letters and has now transformed into multi-million dollar presses with abilities to do so much more than just transfer an image. There are many techniques that we use to make an image come to life. Whether it is the substrate (what is getting printed on) that makes the print unique, the coating technique, or the hundreds upon hundreds of colors that are combined to make an image stand out, print has managed to catch everyone’s eye.

Many think that print is dead, but that is not the case. Print is still the most effective when it comes to advertising. Print can target specific audiences in outlets such as magazines, newspapers, and mailings. While TV can target certain people as well, it can’t make sure it’s target is getting the message it’s trying to send. With magazines and newspapers, advertisers know who is buying these and where their advertising dollars will be the most effective. Along with target audience, print is honest. There is a credibility that people expect when something is put down on paper. Also, print has a very long life span. People save magazines and newspapers which is something you really cannot do with ads placed on the internet and TV. This makes print very unique among other forms of media.

Beyond advertisements which are an obvious use of print, we have the newest craze which is QR codes (click here to read a previous post). They are brining the use of print ads and the internet/smart phones together. Another new form of print is shelf talkers. They are small signs attached to shelves in convenience or grocery stores that pack a punch when it comes to catching consumer’s eyes. They can highlight essential information about a product in a small form. Augmented reality is another form of print that while not so popular yet, has the ability to grow into something big. (Look for an upcoming blog on AR).

Print is a great form of media that is here to stay. Like phones and tablets, print gets better and more efficient every year. Why has print lasted longer than these other three forms of media? Leave your comments below.

When cell phones came around in the 80’s people thought they were an amazing invention. How could it get any better than being able to literally call anyone, anywhere? Well, nowadays, we can definitely do more than just make a phone call. Some people would even say that they rarely use their phone to make a call anymore. Smartphone’s are primarily used for internet, email, text messaging, music, and apps. Not only are Smart phones available anywhere but now people can use their MP3 players or tablets for the same thing as they use their cell phone for to stay connected.

These three devices have changed so much about the world today. They have actually been a source of contention among groups because some say they have caused people to become disconnected. Most people would rather shoot an email or send a text before they would actually call someone on the phone. Even with all of the negatives that people bring up regarding these devices, most of us couldn’t live without them. They help us find directions, buy movie tickets, play a game anywhere, and browse the internet when we need something to do. They are a new form of entertainment that doesn’t seem to be a passing fad.

With every year these new forms of technology are changing and advancing. They can do so much more now than they could do even two years ago!  How have these devices changed how you operate daily? Leave your comments below.

Computers are one of the most diverse forms of media that we have available for use. 30 years ago, people never thought that a computer would be as useful as it is today. There is probably not a business in the world that doesn’t rely on computers for almost everything. Computers offer us something that TV cannot, which is portability and the ability to literally look up and watch virtually anything we want.

Coffee shops, restaurants, and other businesses are now offering the ease of internet wherever you might be. With the invention of WIFI (wirelessly connecting electronic devices to the internet), a new way of life came about. You can chat, Skype, work, and browse from practically anywhere. There is hardly a time when we are disconnected from the internet.

The internet is an open platform where people can be as creative as they want and post their ideas and videos from anywhere. Not only videos, but computers have started a new rage of social networking that has been running rampant. Facebook, blogs, Twitter, and LinkedIn have become staples in most people’s lives. It’s also very easy to stay connected with the news from computers as well as the new favorite internet pastime, video streaming.

There are many positives to computers and how they have enriched our daily lives and the negatives of them are hard to find. Do you think with the inventions of Smartphone’s that computers will ever become irrelevant? Laptops are obviously easy to carry around but an IPad is easier. Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Most people have more televisions in their houses than people. TVs nowadays can stream internet, movies, and pictures. It’s almost like our televisions have become just as useful as computers. According to the State of the Media Democracy report, 71% of Americans say that television is their favorite form of media.

With DVR (digital video recorder) being so prevalent through most cable outlets, you don’t even have to watch commercials anymore. At the same time though, televisions bring advertisements to life. Ads still remain the most effective on TV compared to Internet ads. Advertisements are much more effective and retained on TV compared to the internet.

What does TV offer that helps it remain the most effective form of media? Share your thoughts below in the comment section.

Everyone has their favorite method of media and how they prefer to digest information. The fact that technology is at our fingertips (literally), has changed how fast we can get information as well as how effectively and efficiently we can receive it.

The United States has four favorite means of media; the TV, computer, MP3 players/Smart Phones, and Print. All four of these forms have taken over, and it’s important to realize why these forms are so effective. The next series of blogs will cover each form and why they remain relevant in today’s fast paced world.

Check back soon and please leave your comments below about your favorite form of media.

Why would we write a blog titled “What is Twitter?”  Everyone knows what it is, right?  Well, we are pretty sure that almost everyone knows that it is a social media site, but beyond that, there may be some confusion!  What is it used for?  What is the difference between Twitter and FaceBook?  Why do people Tweet?  With this blog post, we hope to help you understand some of these questions!

Twitter is a social media site where you can post entries that are 140 characters or less!  “Why the character limit”, you ask?  Well, it keeps everything short and sweet!  Which is key in our convenience driven society!  Twitter does allow users to include links in their posts, so if you really have more than 140 characters of information to share, you can always include a link to take the readers to a more in depth webpage!  Just make sure that your post is eye catching enough to drive the readers to actually click on the link!

One major difference between Twitter and FaceBook is that you do not have to have permission to access other peoples “profiles” on Twitter.  All profiles are public and therefore user’s post are not as personal as the posts you typically see on FaceBook.  The information on Twitter is more general. 

Since the information on Twitter is about general topics, when I have something I want an opinion on, I find myself using Twitter like a search engine……this typically will bring up several real people’s opinions on my topic of choice!  Sometimes it is very useful to see what actual people think about a subject as opposed to just reading a definition on Wiki!

So, the next time you want to know what real people think about a subject, try looking it up on Twitter!

Oh yeah……and don’t forget to follow @MilesPrinting on Twitter!  www.twitter.com/milesprinting

We briefly mentioned URL shortners in a previous blog, but we have recently decided that they are such a great tool and they deserve an entire blog dedicated to them.  So here it is…

I was at a social media presentation the other day and one of the speakers was presenting his info through a Powerpoint slideshow.  In his slides he had several long links like this: http://blog.milesprintingonplastics.com/2011/07/top-3-things-to-know-about-qr-codes-if-you-are-directing-the-user-to-a-website/

I’m not sure if he expected the audience to sit and write down the 100 or so characters of the link and then type them into a browser or what, but it was basically a waste of good slide space to list these gigantic links! 

He should have used a URL shortner!!  I would be much more likely to copy down a url with only 10 characters! 

Here’s how a URL Shortner works : You basically copy your long url address and paste it into a box and hit the shorten button and viola, you have a short and sweet url to use!

Here are some of my favorite free shortners: 

• bit.ly
• ow.ly
• tinyurl.com
• goo.gl

Here are some great uses for shortners:

1. In Twitter posts where you are limited to 140 characters
2. When generating QR codes
3. To disguise the underlying URL address – can help to avoid spam and being put on blacklists

So apparently QR codes are a hot topic for us right now! If you are unfamiliar with QR’s, see our post here on “What is a QR code?”

If you go to a website, make sure the website is mobile friendly.  The last thing you want is for the user to scan the page and it crashes their phone while trying to load.  So, make sure there are not a lot of rotating graphics or images, high res photos, etc.

Use a URL shortner.  The longer the url, the more intricate the QR codes is…..and the more intricuit the QR code, the harder it is for a Smartphone to scan it!  There are several free url shortners out there:  www.bit.ly is one example.  You basically copy your long url address into a box and hit the shorten button and viola, you have a short and sweet url to use to generate your QR code!  Here is an example: anything on our website is “www.milesprintingonplastics/milesprintingonplastics/solutions/casestudies/…. “  this is over 50 characters long and will create a really pixilated QR code (see Photo #1).  If we use a url shortner we get a much cleaner and easier to scan code (see Photo #2)!

Don’t use your homepage of your website!  It is best to create a landing page specifically for the QR code.  You can keep it simple and forward the page to your website homepage or you can create unique content on this landing page.  Having the unique landing page allows you to be able to edit the content at any time.  For example, if you put a QR on your business card and create a landing page for it you can feature a discount offer for the first quarter of the year and then change the offer for the second quarter and then just forward the page to your website homepage for the remainder of the year.  If you set up the QR to go directly to your website homepage you would not have the flexiblity to change the content with out re-vamping your website.  You would have to change the content for all users not just those who scan the QR!

Well, it is a 2 dimensional barcode that when scanned with a Smartphone can perform a function.  Most commonly, QR codes are programmed to take the user to a webpage, but they can also do things like send a text message or add contact info to your phone book! 

Anyone can produce a QR, all you need is a QR Generator (there are lots of free ones on the web!)  Anyone with a Smartphone (with a camera) can scan QR codes.  If your phone does not currently have an app for scanning QR’s you can download one from http://scan.modi!

Miles Printing recently created a new business card that features 2 QR codes on the back side!  The top QR when scanned will take the user to a Miles webpage, and the bottom code when scanned will add the contact information including the reps phone number and email address directly into your Smartphone!

Here at Miles Printing, we have been learning a lot about QR’s lately.  We will be sharing some QR tips through the blog this month!