Red Karaoke upgrades iPhone, iPad and Android devices into a portable karaoke machine!

Singers of the world unite! Today, our client, Red Karaoke, launched their awesome new mobile application for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices, further cementing them as the international, online, karaoke kings that they are. The app turns your device into a karaoke machine with a library of over 45,000 songs. Queued music and scrolling lyrics show you what’s next while the camera allows you to easily record and share your karaoke performances. It’s pretty sweet!

Last week, we had some special guests over to the (still) new office for a sneak preview of the app with Red Karaoke’s CEO and founder, Miguel A. Diez Ferreira.

Fact- The word “karaoke” or “empty orchestra” comes from the Japanese word for “empty” (kara) plus the first part of the word “orchestra.” But, hooked up to the stereo via HDMI or even mirrored via AppleTV, the Red Karaoke app makes it seem like the orchestra is anything but empty.

Most everyone took a turn at singing their favorite karaoke classics including “Hotel California”, “Piano Man,” and more… Of course, the whole gang chimed in on “Piano Man.” La-di-da-di-di-da…

So if you like karaoke, go try out Red Karaoke for yourself. You won’t regret it!

The announcement was made via PR Web and the Red Karaoke Blog.

Hot off the presses-
The Next Web
Gizmodo

Waze Helps Drivers Band Together To Fight Carmageddon

If you have ever lived in or even visited smoggy Los Angeles, you know how terrible the unpredictable 405 freeway can be.  The intersection of the 405 and the 10 has been called the worst traffic jam in North America – and with good reason. Driving there is awful. And as if this six lane parking lot couldn’t get any worse, they are actually shutting down the entire freaking freeway. For a whole weekend. Welcome to Carmageddon.

Never fear, though. Stage Two client Waze has a solution, and a website – beatcarmageddon.com Waze is a community of drivers banding together with a single purpose: eliminating traffic. The traffic and navigation application uses real time data from drivers on the road to help people fight, avoid and extinguish traffic. The company recently announced a partnership with ABC News in Los Angeles to help local drivers fight the impending Auto-pocalypse. That is the kind of innovation we can all applaud.

When the 405 shuts down later this month, traffic in Los Angeles will be a nightmare. With Waze, Angelinos can have a fighting chance of getting through it together.

Waze recently doubled the number of drivers using the app and has been written up in a number of media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times. Other press picking up the Waze news include:

Media Bistro

Fast Company

Digital Journal

VentureBeat

GigaOM

intomobile

Reuters

Evoz Baby Monitoring Service Covered in TechCrunch

TechCrunch posted a great article on new Stage Two client Evoz today. Robin Wauters, an expecting father himself, got a live demo of the Evoz baby monitoring service from Avishai Shoham, the founder of the firm. Robin’s thoughts?

“The verdict? It’s freaking amazing.”

Quoting from TechCrunch:

Imagine if you had an iPhone or iPod touch to spare, and that you’d simply install it in a charger in your young child’s room like you would any baby monitor.

Now imagine that an always-on application installed on the device would let you call in from anywhere in the world to hear how your baby is sleeping (or exactly how hard he or she is crying, or if you’re lucky, laughing or playing). Imagine that you could also opt to receive ‘quiet’ alerts by SMS or email whenever your kid cries for longer than, say, 5 minutes, so you can give the babysitter a quick call to see what’s up after e.g. a meeting or dinner . . . Evoz lets you do all that, and more.

As both Stage Two founders are recent parents themselves, they know the value of a state of the art baby monitoring service. “I have wanted digital baby monitoring since I had my first kid,” said Jeremy Toeman. “RF baby monitors have been outdated since the 70’s. I’m already using this in my house with my newborn.”

We are proud to work with Avishai and the entire Evoz team.

Parents with children under 18 months old and 2 iOS devices are encouraged to sign up for the Beta here.

Stop Enabling Mediocre Technology

Enabling personality types tend to minimize obvious problems, “protect people from negative consequences” and suffer from intense denial, among other psychological traits. While the urge to enable is “born out of love,” the results of this behavior are ultimately destructive. A loved one makes excuses for an addict in the family because they feel that this will help them. In reality, though, it only encourages and prolongs the negative actions.

In my mind, many tech reviews – both professional editorial content and amateur user comments – enable mediocre products by overlooking their obvious flaws. These articles give glowing impressions of consumer technologies that are clearly “not ready for prime time.” The reviewers and commenters are acting from a place of love. They think they are helping by engaging in this behavior. They may feel strongly that a certain company makes great devices and they really want other people to feel the same way. But what winds up happening is that these individuals make excuses for devices that are lacking in quality and the entire tech industry suffers as a consequence.

The quotes below are from positive product reviews. The names and quotes have been altered to protect sub-par devices:

“I’m sure it will improve over time.”
- Top Tier Blogger

“This device has a lot of potential.”
- Well Known Gadget Site

“There is a ton of potential here.”
- Tech Review

Again, these quotations are from three and four star reviews. This kind of cognitive dissonance happens all the time. Never mind that the device breaks sometimes, or that it’s missing some core functions at launch. It’s still a good purchase, say the enablers. And because we refuse to call out bad consumer tech, the manufacturers feel they can get away with shipping so-so products. As long as there is sufficient “hype,” “buzz” and “social interest,” who cares if the gadget doesn’t work that well?

This enabling happens in every sector of the lifestyle electronics industry. Take almost any product in the smart TV space, for example. Not that great. But you wouldn’t know that from all the noise. These devices have been written up – for the most part – as a good first try and well worth investing in. Android mobile up until 2.1? Same apologetic story (I can’t remember if that version is called Hot Chocolate or Snow Cone).

Every member of the CE industry needs to deliver on the promises of amazing tech. We all need to work together on this and raise our standards, not lower them. When a product doesn’t work – we should say so. If a device ships with a lot of “anticipation” but doesn’t deliver on its promises, we need to say that, too. If most products are written up as “pretty good,” it makes it harder for consumers to distinguish the truly exceptional devices in the field.

16% of Galaxy tablets are returned. Why? The enablers are partly to blame (although with those numbers there is plenty of blame to go around). The bottom line is that we all need to approach tech from the perspective of a consumer. We need to hold companies accountable for shipping bad products. Not in a nasty way, but in an honest way. When that starts to happen, I believe that the overall quality of consumer tech will improve. By encouraging people to purchase products that do not perform as they should, we tacitly encourage bad behavior from the industry as a whole. And that is the definition of enabling.

The 10 Commandments of Tech PR

It seems like only yesterday that Moses came down from the mountain with 15 10 Commandments for righteous living.

Like Moses, we have received 10 unbreakable laws. Unlike Moses, our list only covers Tech PR and Social Media Best Practices. These rules will give you moral clarity whether you are working with enterprise level technologies or lifestyle electronics; cloud computing or home networking; gadgets or accessories.

Without further preamble, we present the 10 Commandments of Tech PR.

1. Thou Shalt Not Spam

If your “pitches” are mass emails to outdated and/or irrelevant media lists then they are not outreach. They are spam. Be sure to keep your media lists current and tailor them to best meet the needs of your client. Unless you are pitching a maritime gadget, you probably shouldn’t contact Sport Fishing Magazine.

2. Thou Shall Only Pitch News

Don’t pitch a story because your client said to. Don’t pitch a story in order to tell the client you pitched a story. Don’t pitch a story you know is forgettable. Don’t pitch a story that looks like an ad. Don’t pitch a story that looks like the intern wrote it. It sounds simple, but many tech PR professionals forget this Commandment. Only Pitch News.

3. Thou Shalt Be Aware of Current Trends

Read everything you can get your hands on. Understand how your client relates to current media and technology trends and pitch accordingly.

4. Thou Shalt Not Pitch Products You Don’t Believe In.

It is best to work for companies whose work you believe in. When you represent amazing products, you can speak with integrity and authority.

Great products make great PR.

When Tech PR people are passionate about the products and services they pitch, the result is usually better outreach, more coverage and increased buzz.

If you are pitching a bad product that you don’t care about, it will probably show in your work. Even if you create “professional” releases for sub-par products, word will get out that you and your firm work with second tier clients. That is a reputation no PR professional wants to have.

5. Honor the Exclusive and Embargoed Release

Never leak your own rumors anonymously to the internet just to drum up interest in your client. If you ensure your pitches are newsworthy, relevant, interesting and aligned with current trends, the buzz will take care of itself.

6. Thou Shalt Not Pitch Products You Don’t Understand

If you don’t know how the gadget works or what the device does you should not be pitching it. If you look at the specs and can’t grok what they mean, then you should not be pitching that product. If you don’t have a deep understanding of the technology you are pitching, you need to stop pitching that technology.

7. Thou Shalt Not Guarantee Coverage

It’s impossible to guarantee coverage. Don’t do it.

8. Thou Shall Speak English

You would think that speaking in technical jargon would only occur in the enterprise space. You would be wrong. Speak English. Avoid Specs and Jargon at all costs. No one cares that the processing power of your pocket popcorn popper increased 20%. People care about benefits, not features. Do not blog like a calculator. Be sure to use spell check and make sure your work has perfect punctuation.

9. Thou Shall Not Bear False Witness Against Your Client

Never lie to the press. Ever. Not even a little bit. It is immoral. It is also bad for your clients and your own reputation. When people know that your word is your bond, they will grow to trust and respect your  pitches. Ethical business is good business.

10. Thou Shall Be Creative

Most tech press releases go unread. Don’t be afraid to get creative when reaching out to the media. Instead of a press release, how about hosting an event? The secret to coverage isn’t free booze – it’s positioning great technology in creative and relevant ways.

If you have any more Tech PR Commandments, be sure to inscribe them in the comments section below.

CES By The Numbers

The following numbers were compiled during Stage Two’s journey to CES this year.

Number of Clients Named Finalists for iLounge’s Best of Show CES 2011: 1

Broadcast Interviews Held: 7

Number of Clubs We Talked Our Way In: 6

Number of S2 Clients Named Mashable Awards Finalists: 1

Number of Articles Published Mentioning S2 Clients: 199 (and counting)

Number of Stage Two Clients Featured in this Wall Street Journal Article: 2

Alcoholic Beverages Consumed: 94

Times Clients Appeared Live on G4 TV: 1

Press Briefings Conducted: 343

International Articles Posted: 7

USA Today Video Interviews Delivered: 2

Number of Cigars Smoked: 4

Number of Tweets Sent: 296

Total Hours of Media Training Provided To Clients: 53

Client Mentions in Rolling Stone: 1

Impressions Delivered: Millions

Number of Miles Walked: 129

Times We Ate Reese’s instead of Dinner: 3

Number of Colds Caught: 1.5

Ars Technica Articles Published: 1

Number of Business Cards Collected: 384

Number of Filets ordered: 1

Wall Street Journal Covers Orbotix, Pogoplug at CES

Special shout outs to two Stage Two clients – Orbotix and Pogoplug – who feature prominently in a new Wall Street Journal article from CES.  Lizette Chapman writes a strong piece that focuses on tech start ups showcasing their products at the Las Vegas trade show. Quoting at length from the article:

[Orbotix] like so many of the 3,000 others exhibiting here, is launching – at no small expense to his company or his investors.

“This is the show. Everyone’s here,” said Paul Berberian, CEO of Orbotix Inc., a Boulder, Colo.-based company that makes a robotic orb that you control with your iPhone.

[SNIP]

Not too far away, Cloud Engines Inc. CEO Daniel Putterman also had chosen CES to launch his company’s new product. Founded in 2007 and employing 40, the San Francisco-based company is exhibiting its personal cloud device, Pogoplug, at Sony’s booth and at ShowStoppers, a press and analyst schmoozefest.

“We could have spent millions of dollars to have a booth here, depending on size and location,” he said, barely audible amid the noise emanating from the blogger’s lounge in the Las Vegas Convention Center’s South Hall. Putterman said his company, which raised a $15 million Series B round from the Foundry Group, Softbank Capital and Morgan Stanley Alternative Investment Partners in December, will ultimately spend in the tens of thousands.

“We’re a small company, so when we spend money on marketing and education, we want to make sure it’s worth it.”

Congrats to Orbotix and Pogoplug for rising above the noise at CES this year!

Internet Television Security Risk, Says Security Firm

The Register has a smart piece of reporting that looks at a recent report from a security company that points to the potential security flaws of internet televisions.

Mocana said its researchers were able to use hacking techniques familiar to the world of PC skullduggery (such as “rogue DNS”, “rogue DHCP server”, or TCP session hijacking techniques) to inject JavaScript onto a vulnerable device “allowing attackers script integrity before running code”.

However, much like the cable sports network that released a study showing “cord cutting” is near 0%, the motives of Mocana likely color their research. Again quoting from the article:

Overall, however, we can’t help but conclude that Mocana is talking up a threat in the hope of later selling into it, thereby helping it to establish a new line of business. The supposed threat of hackers turning off internet-connected fridges, thereby causing your milk to go sour, has been around for more than 10 years (example here). Hacking TVs is a new spin on a similar theme and for that, at least, Mocana is to be congratulated.

While the study may be biased, fear of hackers and spammers will likely keep people from adopting internet connected TVs. The industry as a whole needs to educate consumers to ease their security fears.

Stage Two Announces Aaron Duran, Managing Director, Advisor Channel Sales and Strategy

Stage Two is pleased to announce Aaron Duran as our new Managing Director for Channel Sales and Strategy.
Aaron has a deep understanding of channel strategies, having worked in sales, marketing and business development for over 20 years. He has developed campaigns for such firms as Apple, Claris, Hewlett-Packard, ChannelForce (MarketSource), Sling Media and Ooma and joins our company in an advisory capacity.

Aaron will help Stage Two clients move from a direct to a channel sales strategy and to capture the last three feet of retail space through channel marketing, channel promotions and other activities.

He lives, as all tech geniuses do, amongst the redwoods with a tractor, dogs and horses. We look forward to working with Aaron and welcome him to the team.

Stage Two’s Marie Domingo Attends Spuler Media Ethics Symposium

Recently, Stage Two’s Vice President of Public Relations Marie Domingo spoke on a panel at the 3rd Annual Spuler Media Ethics Symposium. The event, held at San Jose State University, covered Social Media and PR Ethics and also included Q and A from audience members. Other panel speakers included Jonathan Hirshon, Shel Holtz and Ellen Leanse.

PR and Journalism students mainly attended the function where industry veterans discussed honesty, transparency and social media ethics. The panel spoke candidly about their careers in PR and brought up some of the more difficult decisions they have had to make in the past.

Marie Domingo Knows Media Ethics

Marie Domingo stressed the need for honesty and transparency in all interactions for PR professionals.

“Sometimes clients will ask you to do things that you may not agree with,” she said after the panel discussion. “Trust your instincts. Ask for guidance if you feel conflicted. As you work your way up the ladder there will be critical decisions at times.”

Domingo also highlighted personal integrity: “Ethics is a personal thing. When it comes to PR, it is what separates you from the others in the pack. Having integrity is good for business and your own career. It is how you build your reputation. Be honest about who your clients are and who you are. Online and off.”

One of the thornier questions that came up was if the ends ever justified the means. Domingo mentioned Greenpeace and PETA as examples of companies who wanted to do good but sometimes engaged in questionable acts to achieve noble goals.

She also spoke to building a personal and corporate reputation through a solid work ethic and top tier client list.

“There will always be bad apples in this industry,” Domingo said. “There will be bad companies and unethical PR firms. The key to building a reputation for excellence in tech PR is to only work with the best and the brightest. It’s a cliche, but good companies shouldn’t work with shady Media Relations Outfits and good PR agencies should strive to work with reputable clients. It makes a difference. Word will get out if you lay down with spammy folks.”

When Social Media came up, she was quick to point out the need for honesty online. “There is sometimes a tendency to game the system. Especially on the internet when people can comment and post links anonymously. Stating what your interests are when posting is key. The internet is smart. You can’t trick it. Keeping your conduct above reproach is more effective in the long run, anyway.”

Stage Two is committed to ethical Public Relations and Social Media Outreach. We are pleased to have Marie leading all of our PR efforts in an honest and transparent manner.