Tag Archives: product testing

A Soapy Situation

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Soap Operas are a topic close to many people’s hearts.  Once soaps were on at least 3 hours a day on all 3 networks. But they’ve hit hard times, including the recent cancellations of long-time faves All My Children and One Life to Live. Now comes word of a reprieve of sorts – but in a format you might not be used to.

Here is where I would usually provide a link to some article online, but I read this in ten different places yesterday. Specifically, AMC (leaving the tube in September) and OLTL (exiting in January) will now continue…online.

In our house, if we miss one of our faves like Community or Parks and Rec, we will download it on Hulu, drag the laptop into the living room, cram together real tight on the couch and watch. That’s the occasional half hour, but 5 hours a week, every week – or 10 if you like both shows? I don’t know. The articles say that the shows will eventually be available in other formats like “additional emerging platforms including Internet enabled television sets.” But for most of us, for the foreseeable future, this means the PC.

So what do you think? Obviously, MindField folks are pretty computer-savvy, but will you be able to make the switch? Or is it the end of an era? Give us a shout, soap fans!

10,000 Facebook Fans!

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Well, you did it guys. We launched the MindField Online Facebook page – and this blog – in September of 2010. Now, 10 months later we hit a new milestone: 10,000 Facebook fans!!

Back in the first part of June, we noticed we had about 8,500 fans, and decided to give that number a nudge with our 10,000 Facebook Fan Giveaway. The deal is, when we hit 10K, ten lucky MindField Online panelists would we chosen to win $100 each!

Well, we hit the goal, and the drawings will be held this week! If you’re one of the lucky ones, you will receive a specific email notification.  And please be patient… no matter how awesome the prize, it can sometimes take a while for everyone to get back with us to verify everything. When we have our ten winners verified, then we will announce.

So, thanks again for your membership, your loyalty, and for telling your friends. Keep it up!!!

Consumed with Apps!

This was the year that smartphones and tablets like the iPad and Galaxy outsold desktop and laptop PCs. So, has this development changed the way we spend our time with mobile apps? Well, if you consider DOUBLING it a change, then yes!

There’s a group called Flurry that monitors the mobile app industry – something like 85,000 apps – and they have conducted a study of how our behavior has changed over the last year. Here’s a chart:

That’s a 91% increase! And how are we dividing up that time?

  • 47% Games
  • 32% Social Networking
  • 09% News
  • 07% Entertainment
  • 05% Other

How about you? Did you get a smartphone or tablet this year? Has your behavior changed? Let us know!

AND EVERYBODY HAVE A FUN, SAFE INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!!

MindField/Facebook Integration: The Future is Now!

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In the past few years, email has managed to kill the notion of writing letters, licking stamps and walking to the mailbox. Today, the Postal Service is primarily bank statements and junk mail. And experts say that’s the future of email too, to be replaced by social media like Facebook.

So, MindField is getting a jump on things – and making life more convenient for you – by allowing you to integrate your account with your Facebook profile page!

When you link your MindField account with your Facebook page:

  • You can access Live Studies directly from your log-in page as well as your email, so you get more survey opportunities!
  • You can access your account without the need to log in
  • You get up-to-the-minute notification of new credits posted to your account
  • You get “Cashout Threshold Reached” notifications with one-click access for processing
  • Refer a Friend goes social, so your friends can join MindField from the link on your Facebook profile page – and you get credit!
  • You get access to Facebook-only surveys, product tests and ongoing forums
  • And, coming soon: Facebook credits from Cashout

This is NOT required. You can keep things the way they are, but we really think you’ll want to integrate your accounts to enjoy all the cool conveniences!

So here’s what you do: go to your normal login page at the MindField website. You will see a Facebook login button. Click it, and then log into Facebook. Allow the permissions, then login to your MindField account. That’s it – your accounts are integrated and you can immediately begin taking advantage of the Facebook only benefits!

The future is here today, and ONLY from MindField Online Internet Panels! For more info, check out our MF/FB Integration FAQ Page !

Digital Word of Mouth

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They always say that word of mouth is the purest form of advertisement. That hasn’t changed. What has changed is that, 20 years ago, your word of mouth testimonial might be heard by 5 or 10 of your friends. Today, thanks to your mobile phone, your word of mouth goes out to hundreds via Facebook, Twitter and text message.

And, according to a recent article at Mobile Commerce Daily, retailers are starting to pay attention – enough to commission a survey that said:

  • 46% of consumers told their friends about a positive retail experience
  • 40% told their friends about a negative experience
  • 18% commented via Facebook
  • 8% commented via Twitter, and
  • 32% commented via SMS (text message)

What do you think? Have you taken your word of mouth and Gone Digital? Are you more likely to praise or complain? Let us know!

Android Surging

Last time we were talking about how iPad is running away with the personal tablet computer market. Today, we look at the flip side, that is, the fact that Android-enabled smartphones seem to be gaining more and more attention from app developers.

An article in Mobile Marketer says:

The number of U.S. consumers who owned a smartphone during the three-month period (Feb-Apr 2011) grew 13 percent for a total of 74.6 million…Android’s market share (has grown to) 36.4%, while Apple’s iOS platform has a total of 26%

Marketers and app developers looking to reach out to smartphone users (soon to be up to half of phones purchased) are paying more attention to Android. So, while iPhone and iPad users have gotten a lot of attention for their nice selection of apps, Android users are starting to catch up!

So, what do you say Android users? What do you like about your phone? What are your favorite apps?

MindField’s 10,000 Facebook Fan Giveaway!

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Have you noticed the number of our Facebook fans lately? Something like 8,700. That’s getting pretty darn close to 10,000. So close, we’re getting IMPATIENT! So, check it out…we decided to give it a little push with MindField’s 10,000 Facebook Fan Giveaway!

On that magical day that we reach 10,000 Facebook fans, everyone who has joined MindField Online Internet Panels, AND then becomes a fan of our Facebook page will be entered into a drawing. The prize? TEN CHANCES TO WIN $100.00!!

If you are already a panel member and a Friend, all you have to enter is to recommend that all of your friends do the same. So, come on gang, let’s push that number to 10K!

iPad Pulling Away?

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This is not an endorsement of any particular personal tablet computer. But chances are, if you or someone you know has one, it’s an iPad. Lately, you are seeing lots of ads for competitive tablets. But, a recent article in the New York Times, entitled “IPad Rivals Fail to Gain Traction”… says that, um, iPad rivals are failing to gain traction.

According to an analyst’s report issued by JPMorgan Chase:

…companies building products to compete with the iPad have slowed production by as much as 10 percent since this time last March. At that time, the report said, competing tablet companies created 81 million tablets; this year the number has fallen to 73 million.

You don’t have to ask an iPad user if he’s happy – and you might not want to, because he won’t shut up about it 😉 …But are there any non-iPad tablet users out there, like Motorola Xoom and the Samsung Galaxy? What do you think? Are you happy with your device?

e-Book Upset!

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Remember the shock of learning last year that men’s colored briefs outsold tightie-whities for the first time in history? I mean, who could forget? Well, this is just like that – only digital!

According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, Amazon.com is now selling more electronic books than actual printed books.

 Since April 1, Amazon has sold 105 Kindle books for every 100 print books sold. The company has sold more than three times as many Kindle books so far this year as it did at the same time a year ago.

Imagine that. It took colored underwear 75 years to overtake white. E-books have done it in four years! It’s a $1 billion business, and they think it will triple in the next 5 years.

How about you? Do you use an e-reader (like Kindle or Nook) or are you old school? Why or why not?

More Happy Facebook Fans!

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Time again to update our “Panelist Reviews” page on the blog site. Lots of new comments, including this recent gem from Tammy:

I have been a member of MindField since September 2004. I have done in home product tests as well as take some very interesting surveys. This is by far one of the better survey panels there are out there. I have tried other survey companies but no others have come close to being as good as MindField.

So, check it out! And thanks Tammy…and all our enthusiastic fans!