标签: media

This is a funny old world and no mistake. I was sitting in the Pleasure Dome (my office) happily beavering away when someone dropped a package on my desk. When I opened this unexpected container, I discovered an SP-5000 Solar Media Player from the folks at Secur Products .     This little rascal is actually rather interesting. First of all we have a rainproof (water-resistant), dustproof, shockproof case for a smartphone. Although you can't see it in my photo above, there's a reasonably rugged carabiner on the back that allows you to attach the case to your belt or backpack or whatever.   The case also boasts a 5.5V / 70mA solar panel and two 3-watt stereo speakers, which don’t sound half bad. When you open the case, you discover a container for your smartphone along with a wealth of cables and connectors. What you can’t see in this image is a 2000mAh power bank, which is mounted in the lid.     In the upper-right-hand corner of the above picture we see two cables coming out of the lid. One of these ends in a standard male stereo plug. If you want to use the SP-5000 as a media player, you simply plug this into your smartphone or MP3 player -- I used my trusty iPad.   The other cable terminates in a female power plug, which acts as DC-in if you are charging the power bank from a PC or a wall-mounted supply, or as DC-out if you are using the power bank to charge your smartphone or similar device.   In the lower-left of the above picture we see a USB-to-power cable, which can be used to charge the power bank from a PC or a wall-mounted supply. Alternatively, you can use the solar panel on the front of the case.   In the lower-right-hand corner of the above picture we see four connectors that plug into the DC-out connector and that can subsequently be used to charge your smartphone or whatever. From right-to-left we have a 30-way iPhone connector, a micro USB connector, an 8-pin Lightning connector, and a female USB 2.0 connector.   The cable that puzzles me is shown on the left. This is a male USB 2.0 connector (which could be plugged into the female USB connector we just discussed) feeding a 30-way iPhone connector, an 8-pin lightning connector, and a micro USB connector. The only use I can see for this is to provide a 9" extension cable for charging purposes, which seems a little over-enthusiastic. Personally, I would have omitted this cable and replaced it with a DC-to-mini USB connector, but what do I know?     One thing that always bugs me is when you purchase something like a solar media player and subsequently discover that you don’t have the right connector. In the case of the SP-5000, you are provided with a cornucopia of these little scamps.   Last, but not least, the SP-5000 offers a safe and snug haven for most MP3 players and smartphones, including an iPhone 6 and a Samsung Galaxy S5.   The reason I commenced this column by saying "This is a funny old world" is that I'm one of the few people left on the planet who doesn’t actually own a smartphone. About 12 to 18 months ago, I came to the realization that nobody ever called me with a message I wanted to hear, so I stopped carrying one and I've been happier and less stressed ever since.   Having said this, one thing I've been ruminating on is that it might be handy to have a smartphone for use in navigation and also if any unexpected problems arise.   As part of my ponderings, I've been oscillating back and forth between an iPhone 6 and an iPhone 6 Plus, but the iPhone 6 Plus wouldn’t fit in my SP-5000 case, and there's no point in being in possession of a case like this if you also have a smartphone that won’t fit in it. So, the end result is that the folks at Secur have effectively made my decision for me -- if I do ultimately decide to become a card-carrying member of the 21st century and get a smartphone, an iPhone 6 it shall be.

With less investment money available in the semiconductor industry these days, startups have abandoned some of the tried and true elements of marketing used to create widespread awareness and build visibility. Instead, they’re focused on engineering and sales. Marketing the company is viewed as a luxury and takes a back seat. The strategy is to delay any marketing while building revenue from initial customers.       It wasn’t always this way. When semiconductor startups were trendy and well-funded, marketing had a cache of programs to position the company. Many of the savvier startups took a one-two approach to launching themselves and their products.   First came the company rollout that seeded the market with the company’s positioning. The corporate news release included high-level positioning and salient facts, such as investors, board members, and key staff members. It was common to divulge the problem area that the new company was addressing. All this was staged to pique the curiosity of potential customers and competitors. It was a great recruiting tool as well.   Anywhere from two to six months later the company’s first product was rolled out. Between these two points, trade and online publications often published commentaries and technical articles contributed by the company to set the stage for the product launch. The wave of announcements continued, and the industry was conditioned to see customer-adoption news releases and, perhaps, news on the health of the company through year-end releases reporting growth.   Obviously, the world has changed, with many companies being bootstrapped, lacking the resources for this proven marketing strategy. Scarce funds are now reserved for product development and sales. Customer support, news releases, articles, whitepapers, and case studies are still valued.   The main motivation for rollout campaigns is no longer the articles they might generate in online publications, but the fresh information they bring to a company’s website and the boost they provide search engine optimization (SEO) results. Blogging and social media are now essential components of a balanced marketing strategy.   I contend, however, that the two-phase strategy still makes sense. In fact, there’s no reason not to implement it in a well-conceived, cost-effective marketing program employing a variety of elements including SEO, blogging, and social media.   Another important aspect of marketing is product marketing. In the early stages of a company’s development, this means product definition -- in other words, helping the engineering team understand and solve the customer's problem, and then succinctly articulating the company’s position.   Once again, the lack of funding has profoundly changed the dynamics of product marketing in startups. Technologists who witnessed the shortcomings of existing solutions now found most startups. They may have been on the user side or on the supply side, but they recognized the need and the opportunity to develop a better solution. Given its deep understanding of the target market, the founding team is unlikely to enlist the help of a marketing team.   Let’s not forget that the benefits of marketing still exist after a successful launch. One marketing executive repeatedly encouraged his team to remember that marketing was one-to-many communication, while sales was one-to-one communication. The practice of flying under the radar and relying on sales for broadcasting the company message and position can work for a while, but it’s not a long-term strategy, nor is it particularly effective. Nothing is worse than allowing a competitor to position the company, which can happen. Once a reputation –– good or bad –– is established, it’s hard to sway opinion.   Marketing is an important element of growth and the most significant means of building brand identity. Don’t neglect it. A startup founder may think the company cannot afford marketing, but ignoring it is worse. The semiconductor industry is full of experienced consultants. Online marketing resources are a Google search away. A phone call to a trusted advisor can quickly identify a qualified consultant.   Michel Courtoy is a former design engineer and EDA executive who sits on the board of directors at Breker Verification Systems.