My morning kicked off with a conversation about Twilert and in particular why the site was launched in BETA and what BETA actually means. It got me thinking about my reasoning behind it and I ended at the question of "Why would I ever take the site out of BETA?" For me, BETA means the final version of a service or site before small tweaks are made and a final, clean version is rolled out to the masses. However, that implies that the service is perfect as doesn't require constant TLC, tweaks and improvements and I'm yet to find a single online service that fits in the "perfect" bracket. The point is that, as I am finding with Twilert, user interaction online now means that feedback and advice for online tools and services comes thick and fast and webmasters (for want of a better word) need to react to this feedback by incorporating it into their sites. The feedback will never stop and therefore neither should the tweaking. BETA works for real-world things, things that can't be upgraded or changed en-mass easily. But online, there is no such thing as BETA. Every CEO, CFO and webmaster should treat their site like it is ...

This week I watched an interesting video stream from Hot Dog Media where we discussed, amongst other things publishing content. Along the course of the debate we touched on whether making content available online means it should free and that artists/authors/developers should look to monetise their creations through additional services. I argued that we shouldn't assume that because something is online it is free however I do believe the way content is published should change. For the music industry, I still find it amazing that the record companies continue to rip off fans with albums costing £15 plus. Their decision not to embrace the digital movement is leading to their own downfall as consumers look for more convenient and cost-effective means of getting their music such as Last.fm, Napster and of course illegal downloads. I have no doubt in my mind that the level of music piracy would plummet if labels offered consumers a fairer price for their purchase. But, this issue isn't confined to the music industry. We hear little from the publishing industry on the impact that e-books are having on hard-copy sales. Probably because e-books haven't hit the mainstream in the same way MP3s have. However, with more cost effective ...

A couple of weeks ago I posted an article discussing how traditional PR is dead and today's Google Chrome announcement only furthers my belief that PRs must continue to looks at new and interesting ways of communicating to the media and consumers. Google has pulled off, in my opinion, a mini masterstroke by announcing its new browser through a cartoon. Why? Well for a start it's much more interesting than a press release. But, more importantly look at how the story is being reported, there are just as many blog posts and news articles discussing the cartoon as the product itself. The cartoon does nothing more than communicate the key messages and features of Google Chrome but by packaging it in an interesting and unique way, (all of) those messages are reaching the end-user. By discussing or even posting scans of the cartoon the media are doing the equivalent of reprinting a press release. I don't think we can all go start sending out cartoons to journalists, we can't lose sight that the Google brand and this particular announcement carries a fair amount of weight with the media. However, we shouldn't be afraid of exploring new ways of engaging journalists and consumers, especially ...

I get a little bit of stick in the office for being a self-confessed techy but more and more I am finding an array of software, websites, gadgets and tools that allow me to stay one step ahead in the fast-paced world of PR I thought I would compile a selection of things I kit myself out with to make me a little more PR 2.0: 1. Firefox & add-ons: I took the plunge with Firefox earlier this year and have never looked back. Aside from the speed, stability and usability it provides it also allows you to install add-ons and plug-ins to tailor the software. Pertinent to this post include: LinkedIn Companion: Allows me to keep access and my business network at the click of a button (Disclaimer: LinkedIn is an H&K client) Foxmarks: Invaluable for working between the office and home. Synchronises your bookmarks across computers so you never have to find that obscure news article you saved during some late night surfing Googlepedia: Displays a Wikipedia article next to your Google searches. Excellent resource and time-saver when doing desk research Cooliris: Fantastic tool for some one-man creative thinking. Turn your PC into a mood-board in seconds TwitterFox: I can’t remember the last time I ...

These seem to be popping up all over the place but I feel it'd be unfair to write about one and not the other.

Following my post on the demise of the Airline industry, the Guardian has reported on the new "Live" advertising campaign launched by British Airways. The tagline is "Terminal 5 is working" - you know there are problems when your key message to your customers is our product/service ain't broke. But, I'll admit they have been quite clever by using the advertising as a customer information channel to communicate general statistics about the terminal in real-time such as flight punctuality, baggage arrival times etc. A nice idea and should go some way to heal the damage caused by the disastrous opening. The only potential issue however is it's all very well saying things are 100% but it only takes on delayed flight to put a sour taste in the mouth of your customers. And, the very last thing you need after spending the night on the cold floor at arrivals is an advert saying all's well in the world and we have the stats to prove it.

Another day, another badging exercise. This time the FA has announced it is teaming up hi Hi-Grade to produce a range of England-branded laptops which will hit the shelves before the end of the year, just in time for Christmas. Cue the adverts of David Bentley and Michael Owen hunched over the notebook pretending they know what PowerPoint is. Aside from making a fast buck from the fans (the FA wouldn't do that would they?), what exactly is the point of this? It’s simply another merchandising operation and unless the notebook comes with some kind of exclusive content for fans my guess is the FA laptop will be coming to a bargain bin near you. Fear not though, I have some suggestions… - Michael Owen's betting tips - Ashley Cole's get rich scheme - Frank Lampard's pie recipes - Your Feminine Side and You by John Terry I could go on…

BT, Virgin, Orange, Tiscali, BSkyB and Carphone Warehouse have all signed up to a new deal with the music industry in a bid to tackle piracy online. For now this means that thousands of ISP customers suspected of sharing music will receive letters asking them to stop. A small step in the right direction but in reality telling people to stop sharing music does nothing. People don't do it because they don't know it's wrong - they do it because the music industry has seen fit to charge consumers extortionate amount of money for music over the past 25 years! I refuse to pay for albums and singles but get around it by using the very good Napster (flat fee for unlimited listening). And with the likes of Pandora and Last.fm becoming more mainstream the music industry is fighting a losing battle. The solution is not to wag the finger at consumers or switch their internet connection off, which is what the music industry is pushing for. The crux of the issue is that the music industry has not adapted to changing consumer needs. Why pay £15 for an album when that same amount will give me to listen to unlimited music and ...

PR Week's Best of the tech blogs... This week: the transformation of Prices Harry and William from fist-wielding drunks to charity-giving officers. And we're all freetards apparently...nice!

I love this idea from Stan Shroeder at Mashable! Location-aware iPhone applications that show up on your device for download when you're in a certain place. Would provide a fantastic new channels for marketers! Imagine as you walk past the latest Audi advert and get an alert to download the Audi Game application. Or how about an app from Scoot available in bars which let you order a pick-up after one too many pints. Take note Apple!