Yes, you read that right. It’s called Xbox One, not Xbox 720 or Xbox 3. Since the release of the name and some images of the device, people have been commenting on how stupid the name is. Well, yes, I agree that the initial shock of the name is negative. But remember a few years ago people were talking about the new iPad and how its name was reminiscent of a female hygiene device. The name is important from a marketing standpoint, but in the end, its more about what it does. Trust me, the name controversy will be all but forgotten soon enough.

See some of the tech coverage here:

TechCrunch: http://techcrunch.com/2013/05/21/heres-your-new-xbox-one-microsofts-all-in-one-home-entertainment-system/

Engadget: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/21/microsoft-unveils-its-next-game-console-the-tktk/

For those of you who’ve been following RIM news over the last few months, you’ll know that launch day for RIM’s new BlackBerry 10 devices is January 30 (tomorrow!). I’m excited. I currently use an Android device but I owned a BlackBerry before that and enjoyed it. Why am I excited? Well, I think its the hype they’ve been generating. Over the last month, they’ve been (strategically) leaking (intentionally?) news and photos about the new devices. It almost planned because it seems to be one piece of information every day. In this respect, its very clever. It’s just enough to keep them in mind and enough for news agencies to write something about. What have they been releasing?

• photos
• physical devices (which bloggers and reporters have reviewed and created articles and videos)
• device specifications
• pricing
• features

Are you ready for the January 30 launch?

I just read an article in Fortune about how Burberrry has turned around its business over the last few years to gear more of its marketing towards the younger crowd. Because of this, they’ve focused on digital properties like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The decision was challenging because Burberry already had an image to maintain. One of being exclusive. To be able to find them, shop and buy from them online would change that. The aricle says: “The approach makes Burberry a standout in the luxury business, which has historically shied away from technology for fear of eroding its aura of exclusivity.”

It was a big gamble but it paid off. Burberry’s real tech credit comes from its organically digital approach to virtually everything it now does, from fashion shows to employee communications.

Here some examples of their success:

• Sales teams in the stores, for example, were among the first to notice that larger male customers were unhappy with the fit of one style of suit. Headquarters heard about it via “Burberry Chat,” and the design team made some alterations.
• It goes beyond social media. They also implemented a global ERP system which “[allows] them to look up a customer’s name to see a profile that includes global transaction history and social media activity as it relates to Burberry.”
• Burberry’s Runway to Reality lets viewers watch a live stream of its shows, then order what they just saw and receive their purchase in weeks.

And because of all this and more, they’ve doubled their annual sales from 2007 to $3 billion.

Read the full article: Burberry’s Angela Ahrendts: High tech’s fashion model

Microsoft has recently announced their next piece of hardware. Its two tablets called Surface and Surface Pro. they are direct competitors to the hugely popular iPad from Apple. But they are not only aimed at that category. They are to replace the desktop and laptop for the majority of consumers.

Apple positioned the iPad as a new category which slowly ate away at the mini-laptop category. The Surface includes a detachable touch-keyboard and touchpad which means that Microsoft is positioning this to compete with mini-laptops as well as laptop. Without the detachable accessory, it competes with the iPad. But it may also entice desktop users who use Microsoft Office applications or other x86 applications. The Surface OS will have the next generation of Windows called Windows 8, which is compatible with most older applications.

So there you have it, the new Surface tablets may just eat away at multiple categories of computers. Will it succeed?

A recent article on Ragan.com points out 18 stats to sell your boss on Pinterest.

Below are the ones I think are most interesting.

• Pinterest retains and engages users two to three times more efficiently as Twitter did at the same age.
• Etsy is Pinterest’s top source of photos. Google is second, followed by FlickR, Tumblr and WeHeartIt.com.
• Pinterest accounts for 3.6 percent of referral traffic, while Twitter is just barely ahead, accounting for 3.61 percent of referral traffic. In July 2011, Pinterest accounted for only 0.17 percent of referral traffic.
• According to AppData and Facebook, 97 percent of Pinterest users are women.
• American Pinterest users spend an average of 1 hour and 17 minutes on the site. This is more time than users spend on Twitter (36 minutes), LinkedIn (17 minutes), and Google+ (6 minutes).
• Estimated unique visitors to Pinterest.com increased by 429 percent between September and December of 2011.
• According to comScore, the average Pinterest user spends 98 minutes per month on the site, compared to 2.5 hours on Tumblr and 7 hours on Facebook.
• Daily Pinterest users increased by more than 145 percent since the start of 2012.
• More than one-fifth of Facebook-connected users are on Pinterest daily. This represents more than 2,000,000 members.
• In May 2011, an average Pinterest visitor spent 13.7 minutes per month on the site. In January 2012, each Pinterest visitor spent an average of 97.8 minutes per month on the site.
• The biggest demographic of Pinterest users is women aged 25-34.
• Only 25 percent of Pinterest users have a bachelors degree or higher. The majority have a household income of $25,000-$75,000.

I found this infograph that shows compelling info about why the content you put on your website really matters when it comes to SEO. Click on it to view a larger size (via brafton.com).