Male Student hacks TIS Project Tablet as Distribution Expands - Tablets Problems require Creative Jamaican solutions to deliver Lessons to the Learners We Teach

“From last September, you were told that we were getting Tablets, and this September has come and gone.... they are here ...... We know everybody will leave here with their Tablets today.....that is a promise from the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining and the Ministry of Education. As a pilot school, we welcome it”

Principal at Irwin High School, Aldin Bellinfantie on receiving Tablets under the TIS (Tablets in Schools) Pilot Project from Telecom Provider Digicel on Wednesday October 22^nd 2014

Since the launch of the TIS (Tablets in Schools) Pilot Project in September 2014 as chronicled in my blog article entitled “Tablet In Schools Project launched for September 2014 – How Teachers Benefit as Female interest in ICT Industry Blossoms”, the rollout has been slow and steady.

The latest recipient recorded in the media thus far has been Irwin High School in St James, who receded JA$59 million worth of Tablet computers from representatives from Telecom Provider Digicel on Wednesday October 22^nd 2014 as stated in “Irwin High Gets Promised Tablets”, published Thursday October 23, 2014, by Christopher Thomas, Gleaner Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner.

TIS (Tablets in Schools) Pilot Project Expands - Tablet Rollout Roll-Call across the island

Clan Carthy Primary got thirty (30) Tablets under the TIS Project in late July 2014, much to the delight of Principal of Clan Carthy Primary Sheldon Richards as stated in “Clan Carthy Primary gets Tablet computers”, published Wednesday, July 30, 2014, The Jamaica Observer.

Haile Selassie High School in Kingston had also gotten their Tablets as well as part of the TIS Project as stated in “Tablets To Boost Learning At Haile Selassie High”, Published Wednesday October 1, 2014, by Jodi-Ann Gilpin, Gleaner Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Principal of the school, Lorenzo Ellis, had the Tablets distributed to students on Wednesday October 1^st 2014. This even as the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Portia Simpson-miller, warned the students against posting on Social Media Websites, particularly YouTube, as the Tablets are purely for learning as noted in the article “Tablets Not For Posting on Youtube – PM”, published September 29, 2014 By Alecia Smith-Edwards, The Jamaica Information Service.

They join Cavaliers All-age School in West Rural St Andrew who received their Tablets on Wednesday September 17^th 2014 as stated in the article “Cavaliers All-Age students get Tablet computers”, published Friday, September 19, 2014, The Jamaica Observer.

Steer Town and Parry Town Primary in Ocho Rios, St. Ann, got their Tablets bright and early on Monday September 1st 2014 as reported in the article “Steer Town Academy, Parry Town Primary To Get Tablets”, published Monday September 1, 2014 by Carl Gilchrist, Gleaner Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Salt Savannah Primary and Infant School in Clarendon, who also got their Tablet in September, are already reporting very enthusiastic learning among the children as noted in “Tablets arouse students' interest at Salt Savannah Primary”, published Friday, October 10, 2014, The Jamaica Observer. In fact, the teachers claim that the children are so enthused by the Tablets that they engage in playing educational Games even during Break and lunch periods.

The Teacher Colleges also have been getting the Tablets for Training and use in the Classrooms, specifically Sam Sharpe Teachers' College as reported in the article “Sam Sharpe Teachers' College Gets 250 Digital Tablets”, Published Saturday October 18, 2014, The Jamaica Gleaner.

No mention anywhere about the MICO University College, but I’m still hopeful!

Most likely they’ll eventually be a part of the initial 25,000 to 30,000 Tablets to be distributed in the first phased of the TIS Project as mentioned by Minister of Science, Technology, energy and mining, Phillip Paulwell during an Awards Ceremony on Wednesday August 27^th 2014 as stated in the article “Tablets issued to 1200 Secondary school teachers -- Paulwell”, published Wednesday, August 27, 2014 7:26 PM, The Jamaica Observer.

Tablets in the Hands of Kids - Security concerns about as some students not using them for education

Many will now be rightly concerned about the future of the TIS Project, now that an unnamed male student at a High School has officially cracked the software on the Tablets that block their access to non-educational material i.e. Pornographic material as stated in the article “Schoolboy Beats Software To Access Inappropriate Website On Gov't-Issued Tablet”, Published Wednesday October 29, 2014, The Jamaica Gleaner

Not sure if the male student managed to override the GPS Tracking System installed on the Tablets by GeoTechVision Enterprises Limited as stated in the article “TEENAGE Tracking the TABLETS”, published Tuesday, September 30, 2014 By Kesi Asher, The Jamaica Observer.

My blog article entitled “State Minister Julian Robinson hopes Tablets boost Innovation in ICT - How TIS Project Tablets are secured using GPS and IMEI Labeling”, explains in greater details how their GPS Tracking system works.

That would have serious implications.

Especially if that knowledge leaked to the Tablet and smartphone Thieves in the New Kingston area as explained in my blog article entitled “How smartphones are stolen and IMEI changed – Uninformed Jamaican Police Tracking Jamaicans even as GOJ ID Registration by Telecom Providers needed”.

TIS Project on the Move - Digicel at the forefront of Tablet in Schools long before TIS Project

Telecom Provider Digicel is one of the four (4) contractors that have been contracted to supply Tablets as well as the CMS (Content Management System) and DMS (Device Management Solutions) under this JA$1.4 billion initiative to get computers into the hands of students who can't afford them as noted in my blog article entitled “Ministry of Science and Technology signs four Contractors in March 2014 to procure Tablets - Test Pilot Project in September 2014 means Teachers can monetize e-books”.

Telecom Provider Digicel is scoring a lot of PR (Public Relations) mileage out of this, as they're basically endearing themselves to the Jamaican public via this very public donation to education.

This was indeed the sentiment expressed by Digicel Deployment officer, Rohan Williams as Irwin High School in St James got their kickstart into the 21^st Century with these Tablets, quote: “We have always strived to be part of new innovations and we have always tried at all times to be part of the upward growth of our nation in whatever way we can assist.... and as such, we are very happy to be a part of this e-learning project, as we see it as another opportunity to offer aid to our nation as we strive toward Vision 2030”.

Telecom Provider Digicel  was already giving Tablets to Schools, mainly Primary Schools in East Kingston and Port Royal as far back as April 2013, long before they got officially drafted into the TIS Project  as noted in my blog article entitled “LIME and Digicel both make Donations of Tablets to Preparatory and Primary Schools - How Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark started a Love for Computer Programming Languages in Jamaica”.

Telecom Provider Digicel  followed up with partnerships with CSTS (Cyber School Technology Solutions) in a program to package eight hundred (800) Tablets with CSEC (Common Secondary Education Curriculum) Tutorial Material for schools our West such as Hampton High in Malvern, St. Elizabeth as recorded in my blog article entitled “Digicel partners with Cyber School Technology Solutions to provide 800 Tablets with CSEC Tutorial - Corporate Spirit spreading to help Schools get Tablets”.

So for them, this is just a continuation of the same process, to again quote Digicel deployment officer, Rohan Williams: Williams continued: “As we distribute these Tablets to the Irwin High School, it is our desire that the students will use these Tablets in the best way they can and to aid in the teaching-learning process”.

Tablets Problems require Creative Jamaican solutions - delivering the Lessons to the Learners we Teach

The Tablets are part of a yearlong Test Pilot to introduce Interactive Learning in the classroom by empowering students with Tablet Computers in order to their work and reduce the need for books as predicted in my blog article entitled “Ministry of Education Select Content for Jamaican TIS Project - How Tablets will Empower Interactive Learning and make Students Aim High”. 

Hopefully too, it'll boost innovation among females as I’ve predicted in my blog article entitled “Tablet In Schools Project launched for September 2014 – How Teachers Benefit as Female interest in ICT Industry Blossoms”.

This is a learning opportunity for Jamaica as we dance our education system into the 21^st Century. As the Tablets are deployed and these problems arise, creative Jamaican solutions will be found to the problems that these Technological products present in delivering the Lessons to the Learners we Teach.

Inbox by Gmail for your Smartphone - Why Miconians will love Bundles of emails with Snooze Button that Assists with Email Coursework Hell

My Gmail Inbox is cluttered with files from Lecturers and fellow students in my groups from the MICO University College, making organizing this mess a chore that I have to regularly engage in. Folders help and Gmail automate which emails go to what folders help even more.

But what about your smartphone?

No, I don’t have one, but the comely females at the MICO University College must be trifle annoyed with checking their emails on their smartphone and Tablets. Especially on such tiny screens, making work productivity flow difficult to achieve even when perched with friend underneath the Tree at the  MICO University College courtyard or under the Gazebo

Well the Gmail Team has got you covered with their latest App launched Wednesday October 22^nd 2014 called Inbox by Gmail that promises to sort the Gmail clutter on your smartphone and make it more manageable as reported in the article “Google unveils Gmail alternative: 'Inbox'”, published October 22, 2014 12:10 PM PDT by Richard Nieva and Seth Rosenblatt, CNET News.

Inbox by Gmail – Email automatically sorted by algorithm into Bundles

Inbox by Gmail is designed to complement Gmail on your smartphone, not replace it. I still this might do the trick for the smartphone-toting crowd as it appears well put together as noted in the article “Inbox is Google's new killer email app”, published October 23, 2014 10:18 AM PDT, CNET Reviews.

Basically it sorts all email into three (3) categories as shown below:

1.      Inbox

2.      Snoozed

3.      Done

The Bundles option sounds like a version of what the Folders in Gmail should have been; creating custom folders i.e. Bundles, then having the emails automatically sort themselves into those folders, maintaining a clean inbox at all time or kill them all at once.

I personally want to have improved email search as that would make finding all those emails in all those folder a trifle easier. Inbox by Gmail seems to partially have scratched that itch with phone numbers, flight status, images and attachments available on the fly without you even having to take peek inside of that email.

Makes spotting enemies easier albeit not so sure I like Google using its automated algorithm to tell what's hot and what's not as opined in “With Inbox, Google dares to be different”, published October 23, 2014 6:59 AM PDT by Stephen Shankland, CNET News.

I like this a lot as the video above clearly shows. So what other neat tricks does Inbox by Gmail have up its sleeve?

Inbox by Gmail - Snooze Button finally added an Assist never misses an Appointment

Google Now reminders are now customizable with the option to create your own reminders. Are you a big fan of your Alarm Clock's Snooze Button? Especially if it has an option like “someday”? Wouldn’t that be dandy, fellow Miconians, doing it with thy might?

Inbox by Google has a big one set just right with messages pre-programmable to snooze and then pop-up and scare you when you’re more sedated and able to handle the distressing news as noted in “Hands On With Google Inbox: Useful Email Triage Tools For A Mobile Workflow”, published Oct 22, 2014 by Darrell Etherington, Techcrunch.

Assists is the main feature of Inbox by Gmail. It reminds me of Google Alerts but for truly real time tracking of important events e.g. weather, flight information, as it happens. Perfect for the jet-set crowd! Never miss another appointment or plane out of town with this handy Assist-ant!

So how to get this email-sorting wonder of an App?

If you have an Apple iPhone or Google Android smartphone, you can get the App from the Apple iTunes App Store or the Google Play Store. Google Chrome users are in luck; it’s available as a Web App in the Chrome App Store as well. Have fun finally clearing that deep well of emails that's probably spanning pages in your inbox with a little help from Inbox by Gmail.

Inbox by Gmail on Google Play Store

Inbox by Gmail on Apple iTunes

US$5.99 CBS All Access Live in US of A - How HBO Streaming by 2015 will beat Netflix as Jamaican Local TV and Radio Stations unprepared for Digicel and LIME TV

Looks like the Cable TV Content Providers are also coming under pressure from Streaming Services like Netflix. Slowly, one by one, they’re announcing the rollout of Streaming versions of their Content without the need to be a subscriber to their bloated Cable TV packaged beforehand.

CBS was the first to launch a Streaming Cable Service without a Cable subscription called CBS All Access costing only US$5.99 per month as announced on  Thursday October 16^th 2014 the article “CBS becomes first major network to launch internet TV Service”, published October 16, 2014 10:09 am by Jacob Kastrenakes, The Verge and “Watch out, HBO: CBS launches standalone Web TV Service”, published 16, 2014 6:00 AM PDT by Joan E. Solsman, CNET News.

Coincidentally, HBO CEO Richard Plepler, one day before on Wednesday October 15^th 2014, had also announced plans for HBO to do the very same thing come January 2015 as stated in “It’s Not TV. And It’s Not Cable. It’s HBO, Online”, published Oct. 15, 2014 by James Poniewozik, Time and “Look out, cable TV, Netflix! Here comes HBO to the Internet”, published October 15, 2014 -- 18:55 GMT (11:55 PDT) By Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols, ZDNet.

So apparently this idea of Streaming to smartphone, Tablet, Laptop or Desktop computer is now a “thing”, as Streaming begins to pick up for BOTH Digital Music and Videos as noted originally in my blog article entitled “Nielsen Stats record continued decline in Music Downloads - Developed World Streaming will catch on in Developed World once we get 4G LTE”. 

Especially as many of these Cable Content Providers are losing customers to a la carte Streaming Services provided by Netflix and Amazon.

Many families with Teenagers (ages 13 to 17) and Millennials (ages 18 to 28) are now opting to stream content from online video providers like YouTube over 4G LTE and Fiber Optic Services as explained in my blog article entitled “RIAA Stats on Music Streaming – Why 4G LTE and Cheaper Cloud Storage means downloads extinct”.

CBS All Access goes live in the US of A - HBO to Stream by 2015 in a bid to beat Netflix

Americans, your prayers for access to Streaming content as shown on Cable TV sans a subscription to a Cable TV package as a pre-qualifier has finally been answered.

Over six thousand, five hundred (6,500) past and current show titles with the exception of the Big Bang Theory and NFL Games will be available in the following cities initially via the CBS All Access Platform:

1.      Baltimore

2.      Boston

3.      Chicago

4.      Dallas

5.      Denver

6.      Detroit

7.      Los Angeles

8.      Miami

9.      Minneapolis

10.  New York

11.  Philadelphia

12.  Pittsburgh

13.  Sacramento

14.  San Francisco

This is basically Streaming on any device be it a smartphone, Tablet, Laptop or Desktop computer and most likely Roku TV when they become available to the public by Black Friday which is Friday November 28^th 2014 as explained in my blog article entitled “US$229 Roku TV from Hisense and TCL – Control your TV with your smartphone as Smartphone Apps Control Streaming Television Glimpse of the Future”.

And yes it’s an App, available on the Google Play Store and the Apple iTunes App Store, but apparently only for Americans and only in the select locations, most likely via using your smartphone’s GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) or ISP (Internet Service Provider) IP Address. 

Jamaica and Streaming – Local TV and Radio Stations not there yet as Digicel and LIME TV beckon

Here in Jamaica we’re still twiddling our thumbs as neither of our local TV Stations, Television Jamaica or  CVM TV, have opted to go the Streaming route but are taking a long time to rollout their Services.

Despite RJR Communications Group promising to launch such a Service in October 2014 for a UNIV VOD (Video on Demand) Streaming Platform for all of their Radio and Television Content called TVJ Everywhere as described in my blog article entitled “RJR Communications Group Launching TVJ Everywhere - How Streaming TVJ Everywhere will boost Advertising Revenue as Digicel and LIME TV coming”.

Ironically a Telecom Provider may beat them to it as Telecom Provider Digicel here in Jamaica has fleshed out plans for their own Caribbean wide Streaming TV Platform as I’d originally predicted in my blog article entitled “Digicel completes Caribbean-wide Submarine Fiber Optic Acquisitions - 4G LTE launch of Caribbean Streaming TV”.

Already, they’d acquired  Telstar Cable here in Jamaica as a part of that Caribbean-wide push as reported in my blog article entitled “Digicel officially acquires Telstar Cable – Why Digicel is launching IPTV Streaming over 4G LTE using 20 Years of Cable TV History”.

Digicel’s as-yet named Service will initially be carrying Sports Programming from SportsMax that’ll be streamed over their as-yet-to-be-launched 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) Network as explained in my blog article entitled “Digicel purchases SportsMax – Why No Games, Just Sports on Digicel's Streaming Cable TV over Bigger, Better Network 4G LTE and FTTH”.

More reason to get a proxy or a VPN (Virtual Private Network) account and stream Cable TV as described in my blog article entitled “Surfing the Internet Anonymously using VPN - How to use Streaming Set Top Boxes over VPN”.

As for me, personally, my list of YouTube Channels has grown considerably!  Happy Streaming Americans on CBS All Access as Christmas came early for you!   

CBS All Access

CBS All Access for Apple iTunes

CBS All Access for Google Play

JA$272.5 million Super Lotto Prize as SVL introduces Money Time - JA$2380 to win JA$61,880 daily in Russian Roulette Cash Pot makes Christmas brighter

“SVL has always made it our duty to constantly be on the cutting edge of the Jamaican gaming experience, by adding exciting new additions to our portfolio offered. Money Time is our latest creation, where players will have the option to play and go or stay in the locations”

SVL's Vice President of Group Corporate Communications, Sonia Davidson, commenting on the new Game Money Time

While Jamaica rides out Chikungunya and awaits Ebola Virus, the Lotto Game from SVL (Supreme Ventures Limited) just seems to be getting bigger and more elusive.

Ironically, the most popular game among most Jamaica is Cash Pot, which is sustenance to many Jamaican, albeit you lose more often as noted by those interviewed in the article “Cash Pot survival”, published Tuesday, October 21, 2014 BY TANESHA MUNDLE Observer staff reporter, The Jamaica Observer.

SVL has now launched a new roulette style game called Money Time structured like Cash Pot that practically has a draw every 5 minutes, guaranteeing faster winnings as described in “SVL launches game which draws every five minutes”, published Sunday, October 26, 2014, The Jamaica Observer.

Super Lotto now at JA$272.5 million dollars – Jamaican finding JA$150 and JA$250 to spend

No one has yet won the Super Lotto Jackpot since I did my blog article about it back on Wednesday September 24^th 2014 as stated in my blog article entitled “JA$261.5 million Super Lotto is Supreme Ventures Limited's Largest Prize - How to Win Super Lotto as Internet Gambling and Mobile Money payouts coming”.

Since Monday September 22^nd 2014, when the article originally came out announcing that no winner was found, it’s been a total of eleven (11) consecutive non-winning draws since then. The prize table hasn’t been reset to JA$190 million, otherwise it wouldn’t have reached JA$272.5 million dollars. This according to the Supreme Ventures Searchable Results Database as show in the screenshot below!

Spending JA$250 on a full prize ticket or a JA$150 split prize ticket to have a chance of winning is clearly becoming problem for many Jamaicans as I’d predicted, given worries and subsequent spending due to the Chikungunya Virus epidemic sweeping Jamaica as pointed out in my blog article entitled “31 infected during Jamaican Chikungunya Virus Epidemic - 113 Deaths in the Caribbean as Jamaica grapples with Chikungunya Virus Outbreak”.

This is why the prize has ballooned to a whopping JA$272.5 million dollars as on Monday October 27^th 2014! You can also see a list of past winning numbers by going the Super Lotto Website and selecting the Results Tab.

So how does this new Game work?

SVL introduces Money Time - Russian Roulette meets Cash Pot Style in a Game every Five minutes

According to the Supreme Ventures Website entry on Money Time, the game is quite straightforward.

It may also be the first almost round the clock game, with draws being offered from 6:05am each morning until 1:45am the following day i.e. Monday October 10^th 2014 at 6:05 am to Tuesday October 11^th 2014 at 6:05am, by way of example. Bets can be made for any number between 1 to 36 or a blank draw of “0” or “00”.

The draws aren't televised but you can get instantaneous results if you have the Supreme Ventures App on your Google Android smartphone or your Apple iPhone.

With smartphones being relatively cheap, selling for JA$5000 for the Huawei Y330 at any LIME Store or JA$13,688 for the Digicel DL750 as described in my blog article entitled “JA$13,688 Digicel DL750 Launched – Alcatel One Touch Pop C3 with Free TV App, DL600 issues in X-Men Origins First Class Days of Future Past”, once you download the Supreme Ventures Mobile App, you can keep track of the game results wherever you are.

Money Time by the numbers - JA$2380 to win a share of JA$61,880 each day is pretty intense

The high frequency of the game means faster winnings too if you can predict which number between 1 to 36 or a blank draw of “0” or “00”will be played in though next five (5) minutes.

This is evident from the prizetable, which on average rewards the winner JA$260 for every wining JA$10 bet:

Money time isn’t a televised or lives game broadcast over radio as I’ve pointed out before. Multi-draw is the name of the game as the draws come on so rapidly, the lines would be too long for you to joint to buy another draw.

So players are encouraged to buy multiple draws at a time, which if you were to tally a JA$10 bet on a single number between the playing hours of 6:05am each morning until 1:45am is 19 hours and 50 minutes or 1190 minutes of Game time.

You’d effectively have 238 draws per day and if you were to play all draws that works out to be JA$2380 spent for the day playing Money Time. But it's the winnings that may attract people as show in the table above multiplied by the 238 potential draws each day, assuming that the Supreme Ventures Outlet even opens at 6:05am when the game clock starts!

Due to the frequency of the draws each day players are encouraged to use the multi-draw feature on their bet-slips, which will allow them to purchase multiple Money Time draws simultaneously, so that they will not miss their number if drawn.

Money Time is the New Cash Pot – How Christmas 2014 may be Money Time for Jamaicans

So spending JA$2380 to potentially win a share of JA$61,880, assuming that all of those JA$10 plays in your JA$2380 spend on all 238 draws were to all win and no “0”or “00” were to pop up along the way. If however, you were to play the “0”or “00” all day, with a JA$2380 you’d have the chance to win JA$64,260 for the “0” and JA$66,640 for the “00” play, assuming that all of those JA$10 plays in your JA$2380 spend on all 238 draws were to all win.

Cash Pot lines may be long now. But I prophesy that by Christmas 2014, Money Time Lines and Multi-draw slips will be selling like hot bread as Jamaicans try to cash in on winning a share of JA$61,880 for wager of JA$2380 during the Game time periods of 6:05am each morning until 1:45am!

While you at it try your luck at the Super Lotto game. JA$272.5 million dollars as the potential payout after spending JA$250 on a full prize ticket or a JA$150 split prize ticket is a lot of money, whichever way you spin it. Armed with their Supreme Ventures Searchable Results Database of numbers and Super Lotto Website, getting your friends together into a Lotto Pool may no longer be such a difficult thing!

Super Lotto Website

SVL (Supreme Ventures Limited)

Supreme Ventures Searchable Results Database

Supreme Ventures Limited App on Apple iTunes Store

Supreme Ventures Limited App on Google Play Store

@Snapchat does Advertising with Snapchat Discovery and 100 Million Strong Advertising

“We won’t put advertisements in your personal communication – things like Snaps or Chats. That would be totally rude. We want to see if we can deliver an experience that’s fun and informative, the way ads used to be, before they got creepy and targeted. It’s nice when all of the brilliant creative minds out there get our attention with terrific content”

Snapchat's Press Release announcing to users that they're placing advertising in the Recent Updates section of the Snapchat Apps

Well, that’s rather quick of them, as I knew they couldn’t hold out for very long!

Snapchat, after the hack-that-wasn’t spectacle involving some 200,000 teenie bopper nudes “leaked” by  Third-party websites Snapsave and Snapsaved aka the Snappening as explained my blog article entitled “200,000 Naked Teenagers in Snapchat’s Snappening – How Teenagers Private Parts got swiped by Child Pornography Admins in the Thomas Crowne Affair”, is again in the news!

This time it is for the fact that they plan to launch an Advertising Service to send random advertisement in the Recent Updates section of Snapchat as reported in the article “Snapchat's advertising push begins”, published by Ian Sherr by October 17, 2014 3:50 PM PDT, CNET News.

This announcement was made in a Press Release dated Friday October 17^th 2014 on their Snapchat Blog entitled “Advertising on Snapchat”, published October 17, 2014 viewed by Lindsworth Deer, Snapchat Blog.

Snapchat by the Numbers – Huge potential for reaching Teenagers with Products

However, it didn’t make mention of the name of the advertising platform being Snapchat Discovery; that’s the WSJ’s source as per their article “News and Ads to Debut on Snapchat”, published Aug. 19, 2014 6:25 p.m. ET By GILLIAN TAN, DOUGLAS MACMILLAN and JACK MARSHALL, The Wall Street Journal.

Apparently Snapchat's Chief Executive Evan Spiegel had been meeting Advertising Executives in a bid to wrangle lucrative advertising contracts for their Snapchat Discovery Advertising Platform according to the Wall Street Journal's source.

Snapchat does have a very strong arguement, as according to ComScore estimates, the monthly usage of their ephemeral App has reached some 27 million per month with some 100 million active users, mainly Teenagers (ages 13 to 18), who may see him as a younger, more trustworthy face compared to the Wall-Street Controlled and Privacy-snafu prone Facebook.

During his presentations to those executives, the source to the Wall Street Journal pointed out that Snapchat's Chief Executive Evan Spiegel used a slide presentation to drive home his point for them investing their advertising dollars in their new Snapchat Discovery platform that would target the Teenage demographic i.e. 13 to 17 years old. According to marketing news site Digiday:

1.      700 million self-destructing snaps per day, some nude and some fully clothed

2.      50% of their user base is Teenagers (aged 13 to 17)

3.      14 times a day is the average time a user check their Snapchat account on their smartphone

So what form will these advertisements take? I’ll explain this while I undress myself to get naked and in the frame of mind to type what comes next, dear reader!

Snapchat does Advertising – Snapchat Discovery is really Snapchat stories but for Advertising

Most likely the advertisements will be single image or video ads that will Appear in the Recent updates section as the Press Release reports based on the first set of ads thus far on Monday October 20^th 2014 as reported in the article “Snapchat messaging App gets its first ad... and it's very creepy”, published Monday 20 October 2014 11.03 BST by Stuart Dredge, The UK Guardian.

This will be a lot like Snapchat Stories, a feature Snapchat launched in October 2013 to make your snaps into a kind of collage that lasts for 24 hours as explained in “Snapchat lets photos live for a day with 'Stories'”, published October 3, 2013 8:32 AM PDT by Lance Whitney, CNET News.

According to the Snapchat Press Release, these ads are designed to be non-invasive and there is no plan in the future to filter them into the Chat or nudies ….er….I mean Snaps section.

This means Snapchat is avoiding the popular form of Native Ads, where ads are interwoven into the content so that they’re always in your face as per the promise of newly minted COO (Chief Operation Officer) Emily White as suggested by the article “Snapchat COO Emily White Wants To Make Ads Incredibly Obvious To Users”, published OCT. 23, 2014, 2:39 PM by ALYSON SHONTELL, Business Insider.

Instead, like Snapchat Stories, the ads will appear in the Recent Updates Section also last as long if not viewed or disappear once acknowledged by the Snapchatter. Advertising but not in your face and the freedom to ignore them; sounds almost too good to be true, but so far, that’s been the case!

Snapchat’s Self-Efficacy – The proof of the Snapchat Pudding is in the Tasting

This is another ballsy move by the company that reportedly turned down US$3 billion from Facebook back in November 2013 to buy them out as reported in the article “Snapchat said to rebuff $3 billion offer from Facebook”, published November 13, 2013 11:03 AM PST by Jennifer Van Grove, CNET News.

Their self-efficacy is now being rewarded, as many aren’t fond of Facebook’s lack of privacy, which would explain why Poke got the cold shoulder and their latest effort Slingshot as described in my blog article entitled “Facebook's Creative Labs Division debuts Slingshot – The Paper Man need Friends Nearby + Firechat + Group Mini-Games = Original Design”, has morphed into a mere Snapchat Clone.

 
Even Microsoft Xim, basically a practical spinoff of Microsoft Fuse Labs experimentation with Conscious Shared Slideshow Experience, is better than Facebook Slingshot as described in my blog article entitled “Facebook's Creative Labs Division debuts Slingshot – The Paper Man need Friends Nearby + Firechat + Group Mini-Games = Original Design”.

So now I’ve cleared that up, how good are these ads anyway?

Whatever form they take, be they videos of images with build in hyperlinks, they better be cooler than the drab ones on Facebook as opined in the article “Snapchat Ads Are Probably Cooler Than Facebook’s, But Still Not Cool”, published October 18, 2014 by Jordan Crook, TechCrunch.

Time will tell if we start hearing Stories about Snapchat Discovery peeps buying products because of ads they saw on a Nudie App called Snapchat.

Oh snap, I just remembered….! Dear reader, tell me what you think of the Ads in the comments below! Cool or is Snapchat a tool?

Cheerio Snapchatters!