After looking at this video about what Pranav Mistry is doing with SixthSense, computing and mobile … as well as the entire media industry … will never be the same again. I don’t believe I’m understating it that this video is truly a glimpse into the future of our world and how our children will be interacting with it. Everything … literally everything … is now a computing and information device. Imagine the possibilities...

I’ve had several clients over the years ask what the average CPM should be for a B2B banner ad. Here is my standard reply … The answer is truly “it depends.” Here are the factors that influence CPM: How big is the ad? A really large 300×600 super rectangle ad is going to command a much higher CPM than a little 125×125 badge ad. Where is it placed on the site? An ad that is high up on the page, prominent, “above the fold” and next to content will command a much higher CPM than an ad that is at the bottom of the page in the footer. How many other ads does it compete with?...

I’m very honored to be moderating a panel that includes Canon Communications and Atlantic Media (and one other that I can’t quite mention yet) at the Publishing Business Virtual Conference & Expo on September 16. This is turning out to be quite a gathering of media executives from across the publishing spectrum: B2B, consumer, enthusiast, magazine, book, and pure digital. Here’s the description of the panel discussion … get yourself registered and I hope to see you there! Turning Digital Dimes into Dollars Most media companies now have digital publishing initiatives, but...

I have a new favorite web tool: Ghostery. This web browser plug-in tells you all of the tracking systems running behind the scenes on web sites. I’ve seen it identify web analytics, ad serving systems, ad networks, behavioral targeting networks, rich media targeting technologies, and content syndication services. Some of the technologies I’ve noticed are Doubleclick, AddToAny, NetRatings SiteCensus, Google Analytics, MSN Ads, Fox Audience Network, Quantcast, OpenAds, Omniture, ComScore Beacon and Crowd Science … over 200 in all. The tool was developed to help individuals see web...

OK, so I’m technically doing a “mini-keynote” to help kick off the Niche Digital Conference this Fall in Chicago, but it’s still a keynote! I’m thrilled to be working once again with the Niche Media team. If you’ve never been to a Niche Media event, I highly recommend them. Excellent, practical content, good people, and an entrepreneurial environment for niche consumer, business-to-business and regional media companies. This is the 2nd annual Niche Digital Conference and is entirely focused on building out digital revenue streams. The most surprising statistic...

I love mobile devices. I bought my first PDA, a Cassiopeia, back in the late ’90s. It was a Windows CE device, had a large, color touch screen, and ran scaled-down versions of Microsoft Office applications. I worked for Windows IT Pro at the time, and believe it or not, we actually launched a mobile version of our website specifically designed for mobile devices using a platform called AvantGo. That was 12 years ago, and we were able to aggregate enough of an audience to actually sell sponsorships. Obviously mobile devices and mobile publishing have evolved significantly since then. I now own a...