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Talk Mobile Creativity

Talk Mobile Creativity WeekThe best things you said

Mobile devices have enabled a whole new category of creativity, allowing us to do things we've never been able to do before. They've put a camera in our pocket wherever we go, they've permitted anybody to engage in business anywhere, and they've changed the way we listen to music. Is it good, is that bad? It's time for you, the reader, to sound off.



Creativity Week Recap

We'll be honest, creativity week was one of the topics we most looked forward to for Talk Mobile. Not because it'd necessarily generate a lot of discussion (which it did), but because it's the sort of stuff that we love to talk about. Taking photos and video and writing and reading - it's all stuff that we at Mobile Nations do with our smartphones on a daily basis, and we expect you do as well.

As always, your feedback is tremendously important to us and continues to help shape and refine Talk Mobile. There are just two more weeks of Talk Mobile 2013 after this one, but we still want to hear what you think. There's a comments section at the bottom of this page for you to let us know what's great, what's not so great, and whatever else your heart conjures up.

From the beginning we conceived of Talk Mobile as a way to elevate the conversation - not just what we the bloggers write, but you in the community as well. You've not yet failed to rise to the occasion, and your comments and the ensuing discussions continue to blow us away in their quality.

We've picked out the best comments from the past week and have them presented below. If yours has been picked as a winning comment, keep an eye on your email, because we have some awesome prizes to send your way!

As in previous weeks, we've put together a quick survey to gather some quantifiable data about how you're creative and mobile. And because we like you a lot, completing the survey will enter you for a chance to win a $100 gift card to Best Buy. Incentive? Bribe? Do you care? You can take the survey right here!

Talk Mobile 2013 Week Seven: Carriers

Day 1: The Mobile Photography Revolution
Day 2: Mobile music, podcasting, and the agony of VoIP
Day 3: How smartphones killed the camcorder
Day 4: Inventory, spreadsheets, and transactions: A business in your pocket
Day 5: The future of mobile creation and productivity

The Mobile Photography Revolution

Sure there is still a place for them, some people don't want to whip out their phones. Why wave around your $600 phone in a high traffic area when you could wave around a $100 camera?breakingpoint0's thoughts on smartphones replacing point-and-shoots
As good as the cameras are in the various phones, the professional photographer will still use the professional camera, with all the lenses. If you hire a potographer to take pictures of your event, do you really want to see them using a smartphone? I do not see Canon going out of business due to high end camera phones.GlennRuss's thoughts on smartphones replacing point-and-shoots

Day One Winning Comment!

Yes, there's a place for point and shoot cameras, in a museum. The technology within our handsets has all but displaced my need for a camera due to size, convenience and bang for the buck.martinjdub's thoughts on smartphones replacing point-and-shoots

Mobile music, podcasting, and the agony of VoIP

Not nearly as often as I thought I would mostly because of low-tech family and friends. But Skype is our go-to for those rare occasions.int_architect's thoughts on VoIP calling
I have a few apps I go to for my music needs. Since the announcement of Google Music All Access I listen to that most the day for my normal listening needs but I am also a huge fan of TuneIn Radio for those times you just want to pick a station and let it stream without the need for your input. In terms of hardware I either plug headphones into my phone, plug it into some speakers (wired or wireless) or just play it...Wicket's thoughts on mobile music

Day Two Winning Comment!

I use external speakers. I haven't been happy listening to any smartphone. I use the hub and send to my bose. I don't think we have the technology for a micro speaker as it stands right now. Must remember the air around a speaker for its internal and external sound. That was why diaphragm speakers and drivers came about. freeyo's thoughts on who makes the best smartphone speakers

How smartphones killed the camcorder

Simple. I don't release copies. Not sharing to the internet isn't enough. I won't MMS or eMail them to friends/family either. Private videos have a tendency to get posted online by people other than the person who actually shot it.DenverRalphy's thoughts on keep private videos private
Smartphones haven't so much CHANGED how I record videos, but have simply ALLOWED me to when before I didn't. Which is pretty awesome.hoob15's thoughts on how smartphones have changed video recording

Day Three Winning Comment!

Simple. If I didn't have a smartphone I wouldn't be shooting any video at all.PaulDixon's thoughts on how smartphones have changed video recording

Inventory, spreadsheets, and transactions: A business in your pocket

Viewing or light editing is about the extent of it. I'd rather do creation or intensive editing on a PC.Laura Knotek's thoughts on mobile documents
Running a small tech business mostly from the field requires me to be able to use mobile devices. Apps such as Square and PayPal enable me to be able to accept payment and others like Docs To Go help with keeping customer orders and appointments in line and as well as compiling data to help build my business. Finally, I use Dropbox to bring it all together so that everything that is done out in the field relays perfectly back to the office and can...aloomis76's thoughts on mobile devices in work

Day Four Winning Comment!

No not yet. I am not yet convinced security and secure measures have caught up with the emerging technology (gies) yet. Secure transactions have a very long way to go; lots can happen along the digital highway. I think it's an exciting prospect, and no doubt, it will become the norm soon. I just hope secure measures are in place before that happens.BBNewB5's thoughts on mobile transactions

The future of mobile creation and productivity

For me, the ability to whip out my smartphone and INSTANTLY be able to snap a shot or catch a vid is the feature I want the most...things are getting better and better with dedicated camera buttons and easy access to the camera from the lock screen but there is still that bit of lag that often causes me to miss the actually moment that I am trying to capture in the first place.aloomis76's thoughts on future camera features
All of them. Productivity - or lack thereof - is entirely in the hands of the user.Peter Cohen's thoughts on which platform is best at productivity

Day Five Winning Comment!

Something that comes in and disrupts the system. iTunes was that for digital music, but the studios have mostly retained control when it comes to video. What we need is new studios to come in and come out a new model. We also need a standard format and a cross platform DRM. It'll be a while before anything really changes though.BenRoethig's thoughts on freeing up online video

Conclusion

Mobility has enabled whole new angles and expansions in our creativity. Having cameras with us all the time - and increasingly better cameras, has resulted in an explosion of photography and videography, with a corresponding explosion in services to help us share our creations.

Mobile devices are opening up music creation to a whole new segment of users, and doing so more affordably than ever before. A relatively inexpensive app can give a user a whole array of digital instruments, and some have demonstrated true talent in turning these tools into real art.

And constant connectivity coupled with ever more powerful devices and apps is enabling the mobile businessperson more than every before. Today it is indeed possible to contain your entire business on something as small as a smartphone or tablet.

And that's mobile creativity week - next week is coming up, and it's all about connected devices. We're going to talk about distributed entertainment, the quantified self, automotive integration, and home automation. It's time to talk about some of the really cool stuff our smartphones and tablets can do!

Now it's your turn. We want to know: what did you think of Talk Mobile Creativity week? Tell us what you loved, what you hated, what you want to see more of, less of, and changed. Whatever you want - we're listening, because the floor is yours.

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