Rainman Blog Has Moved!

The Rainman blog has officially moved to Wordpress. If you have not already been redirected, please follow the link below:

http://creative.rainman.com/blog/

Have you ever heard of a QR Code?

A QRCode for the BBC

I seem to be asking this question alot lately, mostly due to the awesome things we are experimenting on with them and how excited I am about it. And the answer I most often Get...? No, and Yes.

You see, a QR Code is that little Square Bar Code You See floating around on TV, in Magaizines and The Internet. But most people I have talked to didn't know that was called a QR code. They also didn't know how many amazing Social Media related things you can do with them.

Right now, I have been toying around with a Page for which people scanning a QR Code can go to, that acts as a simple and fresh-looking navigation page to all the Social Media and Web aspects of our Clients Portfolio, as well as one for Rainman.com. This will allow anyone, anywhere on a mobile device with a QR code reader app, to scan the QR code and be instantly taken to this Landing page, where they can be directed to a client's Website, Facebook or Twitter page, their Blog, Youtube, or Linked In address as well as watch Videos, view maps, or even Contact them directly. All from a page that is easy to read from a Smart Phone or Tablet, with no need to type or even know the address! How is this done do you ask?

A QR code can be easily programmed to go to any URL on the web, all with a simple scan. Most Smart Phones and tablets have a downloadable QR code Reader App, and New Blackberries even come with them Standard. When scanning, the mobile device uses the Camera to take an image and scan it. The QR code can be on anything, like printed on a business card, a poster or a T-shirt, or even just displayed on another phone! The Scanner reads the QR code, and automatically opens a web browser and navigates to the site encoded on it. This allows a user to just hand out QR coded branding, rather than forcing everyone to remember their Websites Address. Anyone can then see your simplified, Phone-Friendly site, right on their Smartphone or Other Devices. But the possibilities don't end there...

More Experimentation is to come, and more excitingly cool tasks QR codes can be set to do...

Look Forward to them.

James Karthauser

Developer

I like Twitter, finally.

As a social media manager for Rainman, and embracer of all things social media related, I was surprisingly hesitant to adopt Twitter. Initially I was more than annoyed by the #, RT, FF, @, and 140 character limit on Twitter. I love Facebook, love blogging, but Twitter really lacked the two things I love most- photos and in depth information, or so I thought.

After looking into Twitter and creating a personal account I began to follow a few of my friends, a few of my favorite TV shows, local organizations I like, and a few of my favorite bloggers. For the first few months I simply watched everyone on Twitter, read tweets, and unintentionally figured out how everything worked, simply by watching others.

Not long ago I caught myself wanting to chime in on a few hot topics, and gave it a try. I was surprised to see how instantaneous Twitter responses can be. In mere minutes I had answers to questions, more information on topics, and could find an entire web of conversation developed around my desired topic. At this point I found myself hesitantly in love with the hashtag. 

I have also found that Twitter is one of the quickest ways to get news, weather, or really any information. For example, when the news of the death of Bin Laden broke, I actually saw the topic trending on Twitter before they started giving reports on CNN. That is pretty amazing.

I have also started to use Twitter in a few ways that I would have never imagined, such as finding recipes. Despite my initial thoughts that twitter was a limited text message type forum, Twitter is actually full of tweets with tiny urls to everything you would find on Facebook or a blog. For example, I just read my timeline and found recipes for 3 different dishes in less than a minute,  found out it was finally raining at my parents house back home, that it might rain again here today, a new recipe for canned tomatoes, an organic solution to the aphids eating my garden, and what Hollywood is up to.

 I like to think of Twitter as my source for headline news, with options to find out more information via tiny urls, or view photos attached to tweets. Twitter is also really nice because you can control the amount of time you spend on it- you don’t have to log in daily to make an update that’s grammatically correct, perfect, or even all that detailed; you can simply use it as an information source and take a backseat to conversations going on around you.

Amanda Kuban

Social Media Manager 

I Don't Watch TV Anymore

…That is at least in the traditional way. The technology industry is shifting to smartphones, tablets, and smart tvs all thanks to Web 2.0. With the rising costs of digital television, I decided to look for an alternative when I moved into my new apartment. If this had been just a few years ago there wouldn’t have been anything available. But with the 2007 Writers Guild Strike and Web 2.0 came new standards for the internet. Bandwidth was increased all-around by internet providers to support HD streaming. The strike helped spawn new creations such as Hulu, a tv website backed by the major companies such as NBC, Fox, and ABC. Hulu partners with television stations to display their programming, similar to DVR without having to pay. The pricing model is based around 1-2 ads per commercial break that are based on your profile. Instead of me watching a commercial for ladies’ perfume, Hulu remembers my preferences and is able to target more specific ads to my taste. I might not be interested in them but there is at least a better hit rate than before.

Instant Netflix was also born from the same event. For a small monthly fee that starts as low as $9, you can have access to current and past shows run by the big networks along with a library of movies that you’ll be sure to enjoy. I have been with  Netflix and haven’t paid for cable in about 9 months now, saving me a good amount of money. This new medium might not make much sense at first, but if you break it down, you’ll never go back to the traditional ways of viewing television again. Everything is now set up to be on demand versus airing once. Miss an episode of Bones on Fox? Watch it on Hulu for free with shorter commercial breaks than its counterpart. Want to watch the “classic” movie Over The Top? Subscribe to Netflix and be amazed at the HD video quality.

These new forms of how to watch television are just the start to a whole slew of ideas. People now follow certain celebrities on Twitter and actually tweet while watching live broadcasts of shows like the Oscars. Podcasts are now picking up so much steam that people are starting to replace talk shows with them. Be sure to be on board early on so you don’t miss anything interesting.

-Austin Stewart
Rainman Production Manager

Why Technology Inspires Me

      Technology, what is it? Technology has come to be our building blocks of this world we live in. Many countries strive to better themselves over others by advancing the technology they have. Albert Einstein once said, “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” This is true in which we can keep someone from dying 30 years past their expiration date or build a rocket in just a few years’ time or even being capable of destroying another nation with so much as a pinch of nuclear material. Yet even though all this negative feed is working its way into our media today there is still so much technology can accomplish. 
      The ultimate goal of technology is to advance in the way we can treat the sick, delve into the mind, to be creative, to find new and innovative ways to achieve goals and much more. This is the reason I as a person can find myself inspired by Technology. It is the one defining point in which humanity will never over achieve in. John Tudor stated that “technology makes it possible for people to gain control over everything” which is true in my eyes. Granted we don’t need to be in control of everything, but the things that are most important to our cultures like keeping our loved ones healthy or developing new ways to keep us safe from harm. I know it’s a hot topic but video games are coming a long way as well. Entertainment in general has come far from what it once was. 
      Many things are starting to take a dominate role in determining our future and technology is a highly ranked contender. I can definitely stand by it and I am intrigued by what possibly could come next, but I know for a fact that something will and it will be a great feat whether it be for military advancements or for entertainment the story behind the making is always fascinating even if the results are not what everyone wants. Ultimately, the achievements we’ve made in life are linked to what we’ve been able to achieve with technology by our sides; not all mind you, but most.


~Andrew Shepherd

May Social Media Newsletter

Rainman Web Development's Social Media Department welcomes in May with the latest edition of the Rainman Social Media Newsletter. 


This month we feature a wide variety of insurance related topics, summertime safety tips, and an extensive content calendar. 


To access the May Social Media Newsletter, click here. 

National Pet Owners' Day

In honor of National Pet Owners' Day we have decided to feature a few of our staffers, along with their pets. We have a great collection of furry friends here at Rainman.

Kim

I have many pets. Some are typical like our dog and some aren’t so typical like goats and a donkey. I love them all, but I’ve chosen to feature our donkey Jasper. When we originally bought our farm retreat, he conveyed with the property. While he can have his softer moments, he is also ornery. I can tolerate his moodiness though because he is an amazing guard animal. If a dog or someone he does not know comes too close for comfort, he snorts in warning. When Jasper snorts, everyone listens. When our goats are nearing kidding time, I can tell. He becomes especially watchful over them. I am not making this up. His intelligence is both shocking and amusing at times. When someone crowds his food bowl, he turns and gingerly raises a hind leg in warning. The other animals get the point and move on. I never thought we would “inherit” a donkey, but we did and am happy with this fateful event. I’m sold on the merits of this animal even if I do have to wake up to the donkey alarm some days.  

Austin

I have two pets, a dog and a guinea pig. My guinea pig’s name is Mudhouse, and is about 2 years old. I also have a dog, Skittles. He’s a Jack Russell that likes to read to me, play ball, and climb ladders. He is still very energetic even for being about 16 years old.

Amanda

I have 4 “fur-babies”. I have a 5 year old Shih Tzu, Toby, who is not aware he weighs a mere 13 pounds. I also have a rescue dog Molly who ‘found us’ about a year ago, and an Old English Mastiff, Giada. Although Giada is only a puppy she already weighs about 75 pounds! Molly and Giada are inseparable, always playing in the backyard, snuggling with our 2 year old, or trying to crawl on the couch and watch TV. Toby is our trusty dog, while Molly & Giada prefer to lounge around in their bed all day. The latest addition to our crew is a dwarf bunny, Luna. Luna loves eating fresh treats out of our garden, and to taunt the dogs from the safety of her oversized cage.

Andrew

I have beautiful little dog named Buttercup. She is a half husky, half corgi mix who has a very playful spirit. She's six years old and a little grumpy at times but she still loves to be around people. She is one of the sweetest dogs I've ever known.