We are living in a world when social media has become an integral part of our lives. There is a new report that says that the web is shrinking and more and more people are spending more time on FaceBook.

Looks like the web is disappearing. We are now entering the world of social media where being competent in optimizing Facebook is going to play a big role.

This morning while pondering over some work, I wondered if Gandhi would have joined FaceBook. It might be a bizzare thought but HE is my HERO. And I would have definitely followed him on Twitter and connected with him on LinkedIn (if he accepted ofcourse!)

Just by leveraging social media:

Is it possible he would have accomplished his goals for Independent India faster?

Maybe, he would have the biggest Fan Page on FB?

Would his Tweets would be most re-tweeted like his quotes?

One of his quotes is :“Nearly everything you do is of no importance, but it is important that you do it” Mahatma Gandhi

And I believe, this debate can go either way – it is pure speculation. And I believe, his belief in being accessible to people and being in action was enough to become part of the social media momentum.

As he said, We must become the change we want to see in the world. So, if the change possible with Facebook is a connected world – then it is possibility worth creating.

From early days on gaming on Facebook, we are now looking at Mobile gaming and how it is changing the gaming landscape. Many monetization models have been tried in the mobile gaming. I believe freemium with virtual goods sales is the way to go, although there’s much potential for advertising too.

Many players who have been successful in Asia are now trying to penetrate the US market. Also, there is an increased emphasis on the Platform strategy – outside developers are necessary for the plan to work. The idea is to release a software development kit and tools to make development easier. This allows developers to code their games just once and have it work across the range of Android and iOS devices.

But we all know that To have a killer Platform you need a Killer App – content is KING.

The presentation below speaks to 3 growth factors in Gaming:

1. Globalization
2. Product innovation
3. Branded mobile

I recently attended Adtech in San Francisco, a digital marketing conference in US. And some of the insights I got from speaking to industry experts and thought leaders validated my initial perception that mobile marketing and M-commerce is at the onset of taking off here in the US and in Asia with Japan being the only leader in this space. It reminded me of my days when I was getting out of Engineering school back in 1996.

As an Electronics and Communication Engineering graduate, I landed in the emerging wireless industry at the time. I was probably the only one who even had a wireless phone based on GSM technology (thanks to the wireless service provider company I was working for at that time). It was clear to me that I was at the intersection of the biggest mobile revolution that would change the world. And it did.

From feature phones to iPhones to Andriod Phones, the world of mobile communication has come a long way. And just like we were at the helm of wireless communication over fifteen years ago, I believe that we are now at the intersection of the biggest revolution at the intersection of M-commerce and Mobile marketing.

Here are some of my observations:

The New Media renaissance: When SMS marketing was experimented with, it took a lot of heat from the mobile users.But with guidelines that were put in place by the mobile operators; mobile marketing via SMS has expanded rapidly in Europe and Asia as a new channel to reach the consumer. Now the industry is looking at mobile as not only a way of “Targeting” users but to become “Business solutions”. I love that I can use location based services by some cell phone networks as a way to send custom advertising and other information to cell-phone subscribers based on their current location.

Continue Reading my post on my column on ActiveGarage: Social Media and Tribes: Mobile Marketing + M Commerce = Mobile Social Network

Telecom has been a passion of mine. And as a Electronics and Communication engineer, I have been part of many ground breaking events in the industry. I was part of the advent of wireless in India and worked on the roll out of the GSM technology. And then worked with the giants in Telecom, like Alcatel, AT&T North America and Bell Labs on early adoption of features like Call waiting, call forwarding (Value Added Services) etc in United States which are now very common.

And later, I was at the helm of social gaming and now mobile gaming and apps…and we know how it disrupted the traditional gaming business.

iPhone was the major disruption for a feature phone. For all those who love cellular phones, I know you remember dial phones when phone was only to make and take calls. iPhone made it a mini personal computer and tapped into the biggest need for humans “touch devices”. Psychologists have long understood that the sensation of “touch” helps people to relate better. Taking this to a device – “Brilliant”. “Outstanding”.

But the juice on which a smart phone runs is the network since large amounts of data need to be transferred and speed is vital. So, 3G networks are high-speed data networks. Pair them with 3G devices, bandwidth and location information available to 3G devices gives rise to applications not previously available to mobile phone users, mobile TV, video on demand, location based services and video conferencing.

In US, some carriers have already deployed 4G. And needless to say, some people call it MAGIC. But India has delayed the launch of 3G but the wait is over. It is here now….

Why this is a paradigm shift?

1. Penetration of smartphones in Asia. EE times reports, In 2009 Asia was responsible for 60.2 million smartphone shipments, 33 percent of the global figure of 182.4 million. In 2015 IMS expects Asia to see 277.2 million smartphone shipments or 39 percent of a global market size of 710.8 million shipments. I believe this is potentially conservative….

2. Gaming and Apps: “In India, usage of Apps seem focused on games, music and social networking,” says Hemant Joshi, partner at Deloitte Haskins and Sells. Add to it, Education apps for kids, finance apps and some other utility apps and this community is ready to adapt. I can only imagine a “cricketing app” that will make the experience of this game very profound to the user…my mind is full of ideas. Potentially, a $2B marketplace, I believe true or not – it has the potential. The apps and content will be the NEXT GOLD RUSH.

The excitement is brewing….

From Morse codes to cellular phones, from x86 processors to Intel’s i7 processors and from email to social media, mankind has come a long way. All these methods have one thing in common – need to connect. And the most important thing we forget is that though these devices and technologies are designed to improve productivity, they are serving the basic human need to communicate. And the litmus test for all these advancements is when you can use them during crisis situations.

The recent crisis in Japan is a reminder to us to that Technology can be a boom and a curse.

When a nuclear reactor has radiation leak, it makes it impossible to justify benefits of nuclear power even if it is designed for making the world Green or Safe. After all, what is the point if families inhabiting that place will virtually never be able to go there for decades due to the radiations. And then technology renders the only way to either give your location in a crisis or communicate with your loved ones.

Continue Reading my article on Active Garage: Social Media and Tribes: Social Media comes through during Japan crisis

A few months ago, I shared my first article for women entrepreneurs in an Indian magazine . For my next article, I decided to share some Leadership Lessons. There are so many books, blogs and experts who have given us useful insights on leadership. I am sharing what I observed and what has worked for me…Enjoy!

My motto has been “Be the change you want to see in this world”. I have to thank Mahatma Gandhi for it and share my thoughts in an article What Gandhi gave me. His words resonate with me as it invites an individual to take responsibility of what matters to her. And to leave a legacy behind where the world is better a tiny bit because of you…

In today’s world, we are no more rooted to our computer for staying connected. This is largely because of the advent of smart phone and mobile apps. If you have an iPhone and a friend of yours complains about your delay in responding to his/her email…you better NOT say, “I was away from my computer”. Since you are on your iPhone, the other person is 100% positive that you have received the email and read it too…whether you replied to it OR not is a different story. Similarly, if you are a smart phone user and you say to someone “I don’t have time to Tweet or FB”; most likely they are wondering if you are using any smarts of the smart phone!

The point is that a cell phone is now more than an instrument to make or receive calls. It is now your desktop on the GO and has enabled social media on the GO.

Find out My Favorite Mobile Apps: Continue Reading my series on ActiveGarage: Social Media on the GO

There has been a lot of speculation about the what will be the impact of social media when Gen Y grows up into more mature digital natives. This generation already proved those wrong who thought they will grow up to be TV watching couch potatoes. This generation has the unparalleled skill to use their fingers on their smartphones and use social media to stay connected and consume entertainment. While generations older than them still watch TV on a flat HD screen in a living room, there is a revolution happening where your TV, computer and smartphone connected through internet are all equipped to provide entertainment on the GO – taking living room to the airport lounges, malls, libraries and even schools and other cool cafes.

Sure, Gen Y watches over 3 hours of TV a day, but it’s not a couch potato experience. I would argue that they’ve turned TV viewing itself into social media.

If you see them watching TV, do not assume that that is ALL they are doing. Check how they are texting, commenting and tweeting. They don’t just watch a movie, they are sharing, collaborating, distributing and connecting. This thumb-savvy generation has no issues with the overload of new technologies – they are excited about to learn about the launch of innovative technologies – eg. Google TV, ustream.tv.

Continue Reading my post on ActiveGarage: Social Media and Tribes: Gen Y changes TV viewing experience

Are you a creative person? Well, before you answer that question, it stands to reason we first define what being a “creative person” means. In Mark McGuinness own words:

“By creative people, I mean people who take creative approach to work and life. People who work hard, but because they love what they do, it doesn’t feel like work.”

They may be artists, writers, musicians, actors, filmmakers, coaches, scientists, cooks, entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals – or tackling complex, meaningful, inspiring challenges in other fields.“

If this sounds like you, read on.

Why do creative people need Freedom, Money and time?

Creative people need three things to be happy.

1. Freedom – to do what you want, when you want and how you want it. Not just in holidays and spare time – but also doing meaningful work, in your own way.

2. Money – to maintain your independence and fund your creative projects. Of course you want a nice place to live, but you’re not so worried about a bigger car than the guy next door. You’d rather spend money on experiences than status symbols.

3. Time – to spend as you please, exploring the world and allowing your mind to wander in search of new ideas.

Usually, you’re lucky if you get two out of the three. But if one of them is missing, it compromises the other two.

Without money, you don’t have much freedom, because you have to spend your time chasing cash.

Without time off, money doesn’t buy you a lot of freedom.

And if you’re doing something you hate for a living, it doesn’t matter how big your salary is, or how much holiday you get. You still feel trapped.

Surely there must be a more creative solution?

If this still sounds like you and you’d like a little more freedom, money and time in your life, read on.

What I got from this book?

Here’s what I got out of this book:

1. Keep Learning: To get freedom, time and money can just turn into a fantasy if you don’t put effort in making this happen. For this, you will have to keep learning from your experiences and keep moving till you find an opportunity that offers what you desire – freedom, time and money

2. Failure ROCKS: Our popular culture considers failure as BAD luck. This could be true if you are not learning from them. But if you are a student of life, then these are blessings in disguise – the only natural progression to freedom, time and money.

3. Skills matter: Till you understand that no one was born an entrepreneur, writer or public speaker. They developed these skills to become competent in their art. So, if you keep developing skills nothing can stop you from becoming excellent in what you do…which will eventually provide you freedom, time and money.

About the e-Book

A few quick points about the e-book:

* It’s FREE!
* It’s a light read – 34 pages in all.
* Describes Mark’s unconventional career journey, as a poet and creative coach, and the lessons he’s learned the hard way about finding the right combination of freedom, money and time.

Get your copy of Freedom, Money, Time and the Key to Creative Success either by going directly to the download page or by going to the Active Garage Download page.

Also, please feel free to share the e-book with anyone who you think would find it helpful.

Last week, I went through a surgery and was sentenced to BED REST. Yes. Right, I was “sentenced to bed rest“. I believe God dialed the wrong number for picking someone for Bed Rest. I normally have Bed Rest knock my door every year on multiple occasions and I tell this pathogen that I am not going to surrender and to go find someone else. So, most of the time I am able to escape. This time the buster got me.

So, here I am on two weeks of Bed Rest. First week, the pain killers kept me from staying awake. Second week, I could not make up my mind as to what to do while on bed. I am not much of a TV watcher. Friends kept me a lot of company BUT still a week is a long time (at least I think so). So, it left me with options like reading a book, spending time on internet and writing. The usual ones…and of course! working. Still it is isolating and I needed some external stimulation…

But the more time I spent online, I realized how much I had to catch up on my online activity and discovered some cool things.

Here is how social media was a boon in this time.

1. A Facebook message informed me that a company where a friend of mine was working got acquired so I wrote to her congratulating her. And we caught up.

2. A Tweet about my eBook prompted a friend to call. We had so much to catch up on since she lives in the East Coast and is going to launch a magazine early next year. Bear in mind, I have never met her, We are cyber friends. Met on Twitter, did a radio show together and now are friends.

3. Caught up on some Youtube videos of Eckhart Tolle while reading his new book “A New Earth“. Boy! it was really profound to get his interpretation about the book.

Continue reading my article and list on Active Garage:

Social Media and Tribes #24: Getting better with Social Media – Christmas Wishlist