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In this week’s RI:Lab podcast, our expert panel takes on iPad 2, Facebook “Like” button updates, Gmail problems, video coupons, Oscar apps, revolutions, the royal family and, of course, Charlie Sheen.

Is it Interesting?

This week’s podcast offered the second installment of our “Is it Interesting?” segment. In this portion of the podcast, the panel reviews a slate of headlines and quick stories before offering their take on the noteworthiness of each item. Here are this week’s headlines and a summary of responses:

• Chipotle Video Coupon: Everyone agreed that the idea and deal were interesting, but the panel questioned whether the implementation was successful at getting the video’s message across to consumers.

• The Oscars’ All-Star Access App: The panel was split on this one because it could have been so much more. However, everyone seemed to agree that it offered a glimpse into the potential of behind-the-scenes features for live television.

• Charlie Sheen: The near consensus was that Sheen’s Guinness World record rise in Twitter followers was interesting because it, and, more importantly, a number of revolutions around the world, were further demonstrations of social media’s speed and power.

• Loopt at SXSW: Proximity-based deals are growing in popularity. So, the panel thought Loopt’s combination of rewards and deals, as well as AT&T’s recent foray into the arena with SMS-delivered deals were both very interesting.

• The Royal Wedding Gets High Tech: While the team didn’t find Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding plans all that interesting, they did think their website and social media channels demonstrated a fascinating effort by the Royal Family to stay in touch with a younger generation.

iPad 2 Cements Apple as Dominant Tablet Player

The iPad 2 may be more evolutionary than revolutionary, but what an evolution. The updated tablet is not only lighter, thinner and faster, it also ships before many of Apple’s competitor’s ship their first gen tablets and is backed by a full complement of 65,000 apps.

While the podcast panel liked the new iPad’s front and back facing cameras, simple, feature-rich cover, and HDMI out function, they also identified several questions. The fact that iTunes is not yet in the cloud left the group a bit disappointed. And they wondered if the near future would see a convergence of the Macbook Air and iPad into a highly-portable, powerful hybrid device.

“Like” and “Share” Join Forces on Facebook

Facebook’s days of offering separate “Like” and “Share” buttons are coming to an end. The “Like” button is taking on all the features of the share function and, in doing so, eliminating confusion about their difference and helping brands keep consumer interactions front and center.

The RI:Lab experts discussed how this updated function gives pages and products that a user “Likes” increased newsfeed prominence. In addition, it may help remind brands that they have the ability to target users based on the things they “Like”. What’s more, the panel said, is that the integration of “Likes” with comment sections across the Internet will help to create more useful discussions.

Gmail and the Future of Cloud Computing

Sure, Gmail had a few issues recently that affected what’s been alternately reported as somewhere between 38,000 and 150,000 people. But the panel was adamant that this disruption in service was nothing more than a trifling hiccup on an inevitable path to a data-filled cloud.

The world we’ll soon inhabit will include the ability to use the cloud to build once and port to many. And while some compare the cloud to a stock market where “you have a very good chance of losing something”, the benefits will outweigh the potential hazards.

Picks of the Week

Matthew: Intuit’s GoPayment device connects to mobile phones and allows nearly anyone to sign up and accept credit card payments. Girl Scout troops across the country are adopting this device so they can accept credit card payments for Thin Mints and all your other favorites.

Dan: Sometimes simple ideas and executions are the best ones. Jose Cuervo’s “Cue the Cab” iPhone app will help revelers find a safe ride home this St. Patrick’s Day and beyond. Users click a single gold button and the app will find their location, figure out the local cab company and dial the number.

Barce: More and more cars are getting connected, but that’s just the beginning. In-car connectivity and mobile devices are combining to offer all manner of services, diagnostic options, productivity tools, safety features, entertainment and more. In fact, this is such a rich area for discussion that the team plans to come back to it in a later podcast. Stay tuned for that ‘interesting’ conversation.

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