Who would have thought this camera-shy cutie would turn into Onswipe’s Business Development Director — and, arguably, the most outgoing member of the team?

Certainly not us.

But, Jeremy Bass is not exactly what you’d call predictable. And, once you get to know him, you realize that Jeremy’s flare for the dramatic — and ability to remember every meal he’s ever eaten — is just part of his charm.

Since joining our merry band about a year ago, Jeremy has worked to help publishers who once feared the touch industry, which includes both smartphones and tablets, embrace the changing media landscape.

Jeremy describes his job much more simply:

” I do whatever the nerds can’t do — talk to girls, dress presentably to the outside world and use phrases like ‘circle back’, ‘next steps’, and ‘lets do lunch’.”

Lunch, by the way, may be Jeremy’s favorite part of the work day. In addition to taking us nerds to places that we’d never venture to, he loves chatting with others about the Onswipe platform over meals near their offices. And, no, it doesn’t matter where their office is, Jeremy can recommend a great place (and he always buys!).

When Jeremy isn’t dining out with the brightest minds in publishing, he’s keeping a watchful eye on the touch industry and working to anticipate  readers’, publishers’ and advertisers’ needs.

“It’s a fascinating problem to solve as we serve multiple masters and need to make everyone in the chain happy,” Jeremy says. “We need to make a reading experience that end users love, is fiscally sound for publishers and offers advertisers a branded experience that resonates with their messaging.”

If you’d like to meet with Jeremy about moving your web publication into the tablet space, feel free to email him. You can also hit him up for restaurant recommendations on Twitter.

Six years ago, Amy  Williams who writes My Name is Snickerdoodle needed to learn some computer skills so, with her husband’s encouragement, she decided to start her blog. At first, it was a great way to share her life with her family and friends. Now, the blog serves as a reminder of how far she’s come and has connected her with readers from around the globe.

We chatted with Amy, a mother of three, to discuss the yummy recipes on her site, how her life has changed with the latest edition to her family and how she juggles everything — and still finds time to blog!

Onswipe:  Where did the title “My Name is Snickerdoodle” come from?

Amy Williams: Snickerdoodle was a nickname my aunt gave me growing up. It was one of her favorite cookies and the name just stuck. When I was trying to come up with my blog name, it seemed fitting.

O: How do you find time to blog with three kids?

AW: Typically, I try to pre-blog about half of my entries. Recipes, projects or some of my quirkier posts can be done in an afternoon, and I will at least have a few posts for the coming weeks.  Luckily, my two youngest take naps and my oldest is great at entertaining himself!

O: Most people focus on family life, cooking, work or friendships. Why do you contribute to all of these categories?

AW: I am not just a cook. I am not just a mom or a crafter. Why should my blog be one or the other? I’ve thought about doing just a food blog, but I like the mix that my site offers to my readers; it’s a little of everything for everyone.

O: As a mom, how do you determine what information to post about your children? 

AW: My life is not completely an open book. When I post something that is personal I think about if it could help someone else. I tend to steer clear of too much negativity and try to be uplifting when sharing stories and pictures of my family.

Amy Williams blogs at My Name is Snickerdoodle. You can also find her on Facebook.

The rest of the world may be counting down to the beginning of the Olympic Games, but at Onswipe, we’re getting ready for our two May events. On May 18th, we’ll participate in Walkabout NYC, which gives you the opportunity to visit our office and meet with our engineers, designers and founders. On May 31st, we’ll host “Publishing and Advertising in the Post-PC Era“, an informative panel about the state of the touch industry that will give attendees a chance to meet industry leaders. That event will be held at the New Museum, 235 Bowery, New York, New York.

We’re thrilled to host you, but we haven’t forgotten that you depend on us for your weekly tablet news. Check out the stories below to catch up on the news you missed this week. We hope to see you later this month!

Moms Want iPads This Mother’s Day.

Did you think you think you were being the perfect son or daughter by having flowers delivered to your mom this weekend? Think again. A recent survey showed that 91 percent of moms in America would rather receive an iPad than roses. We hope you have siblings to chip in for a group gift! (San Francisco Chronicle)

The iPad3 Hits 30 More Countries Today.

The Apple product might be old news in the States, but those who live in Brazil, Vietnam and other countries are (finally!) going to be able to purchase an iPad3 today. (TabTimes)

The American Love Affair With Tablets Is Deepening. 

A quarter of women surveyed said that they would happily give up sex to be able to keep their tablets. Americans are also more likely to fight to gain control of the family tablet than their TV remote. A whopping 15 percent of those surveyed said they would give up their cars to keep their tablets. (InfoDocket)

Tablets are Taking Over Mobile Data Plans.

Recent reports show that tablets now account for 40 percent of mobile data plans. Considering they’ve only been in existence since 2010, that’s not too bad at all. (TabTimes)

Most Tablet Use Occurs at Home.

Although large numbers of CIOs understand that tablets can be assets in the work environment, nearly 75 percent of all tablet use occurs at home. Makes sense if you ask us. Tablets are usually used for content consumption — like movie watching and reading. (Marketing Pilgrim)

Photo Credit: iPad by yto, on Flickr

Next week Onswipe will take part in WalkaboutNYC and open our doors to curious New York City residents who want to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into life at a startup.

If you’ve never been part of the startup scene, we’ll tell you this: It’s unlike anything that you could ever imagine. And, on May 18, we’re going to let you in on all of our secrets.

You’ll get to meet and chat with our engineers and designers who are constantly working on new products that we hope will make your life as an Onswipe publisher, advertiser or reader easier.

Our business development team will also be around to help you turn your existing web publication into a gorgeous tablet publication. They can also explain the best practices for tablet publishing.

Do you have questions about advertising on tablets? Our sales team will be around to show you how tablet advertisements can help you target niche groups.

Unlike large corporations where the top leaders are nowhere to be found, startups feature company leaders who work in the trenches with their teams everyday — whether they’re helping the business teams land deals or rearranging the office.

If you’d like to stop by Onswipe, located at 39 W. 14th Street, Suite 205, please register at WalkaboutNYC. We’ll be hosting groups at 2 pm and 3 pm. During the first half hour, you’ll be able to enjoy refreshments and mingle with our staff. Presentations by CEO Jason Baptiste begin at 2:30 pm and 3:30pm, respectively.

Hey there, Internet friends.

I’m Amber, the marketing and communications manager for Onswipe. I’ve been here for a couple weeks, so I thought I’d introduce myself.

I’m a Chicago native, who moved to New York City in 2008 during the height of the recession with the lofty goal of becoming a writer. It didn’t work out.

Instead, I discovered that I love interacting with readers, publishers and advertisers while creating products that serve their needs. That’s why in the time I’ve been at Onswipe, I’ve fallen completely in love with our team. They’re some of the smartest, most talented and most insightful people that I’ve met. They’re passionate about what they do, and it shows.

So, what can you expect from me?

You’ll get timely updates about things going on at Onswipe that will change your experience as a publisher, advertiser or reader. I’ll introduce you to our staffers and the really awesome people who use Onswipe. We’ll update our blog with industry news, too.

I’ll also try to make your Onswipe experience as effortless as possible. If you have a question, you can always email me or drop me a line on Facebook or Twitter. I’m not the ruler of the Onswipe Universe – that’s Johnny – but I can help you find the right people to work with. If you have ideas about how to make Onswipe better, let me know. Or, if you’re frustrated by something Onswipe-related (hey, it happens), I’ll chat with our engineers to find a solution that works.

If you already love Onswipe and want to meet the people behind the scenes, we host happy hours, conferences and other events where you can chat us up. We also frequent neighborhood hangouts, so say “Hi!” if you see us coding on the Highline or having a picnic lunch in Union Square. And, please do stop by the office if you’re ever in the area – we’d love to meet you.

 - Amber Greviskes
 Marketing and communications manager

Jenni Jehanne spent most of her life in East Lansing, Mich. But, she was never meant to stay there. Not brave enough for the “Sex and the City” lifestyle of New York, she moved to DC where she has cemented herself as an up-and-comer in the fashion industry. Looking through Comme Coco, her website, readers can tell her eclectic style will turn her into a legend.

Onswipe: What’s the difference between how Midwesterners dress versus those in DC?


Jenni Jehanne: As surprising as it may sound, Midwesterners have much more individuality in their style. When I was younger I didn’t pay a lot of attention to fashion but I always rocked items from small boutiques or mom-and-pop shops. When I first moved to DC, I thought everyone looked the same, but as I delved deeper into the fashion scene I came across a lot of awesome men and women who really know how to work it!

Midwesterners definitely dress for comfort and not to impress, but they still have unbelievable edginess in their clothes.

O: It seems like you dabble in everything fashion. How did you get interested in fashion? 

JJ: The fashion bug bit me when I was eight-years old and got the Crayola Fashion Designer’s Kit for Christmas. It came with a stencil to make croquis’ and that’s all I wanted to do.

At 11, I became obsessed with magazines. I could name every model and supermodel and recite their stats. I cut pages from magazines and kept them in a folder for inspiration. I still have those folders.

O: How did your style come out in how you dressed?

JJ: Most of my clothes were handmade from Haiti or from my grandma or someone else in the family so it was always unique.

I had to wear a school uniform, but I found ways to make my skirt cuter, but I always anticipated every Jeans Day. I was a rocker chick in a conservative, preppy establishment!

What I love about fashion is that it’s a way for even a shy person to express herself. I was shy growing up but my clothes never were.

O: Tell us a little bit about why you’re interested in the business side of the industry?

JJ: I love the business side because I can use the left and right side of my brain. I can be the nerd crunching numbers or the stylista being creative. But, I love when my readers have “aha” moments during which they realize they can be stylish and step out of their box.

O: Where do you see your career going in the future?

JJ: My dream is to work for Kelly Cutrone and learn everything she knows about fashion public relations. She knows everything about being successful in the industry. Better yet, she recognizes hard work and tenacity. One of my biggest fashion dreams was to attend New York Fashion Week. This year, I was invited to shows, so that dream is fulfilled. Now, I’m ready for Paris Fashion Week. If I can get an invite to a show there, I can die and go to heaven.

O: What are the items that you can’t live without out?

JJ: Wide leg pants or bellbottoms. I don’t know what I would do without TopShop jersey pencil skirts. I love anything leather and studded and am totally crushing over my OASAP Studded Black Crossbody satchel.

You will rarely see me without concealer. And I am obsessed with watches – especially Invictas and Michael Kors (I own three of each and need more!). I love hoop earrings, no matter the size.  I also am goo-goo-gaga over Victoria Secret body sprays — coconut and vanilla only for this girl.

O: What summer styles are you ready to try this summer?

JJ: JUMPSUITS! I’m dying for a low back, halter style wide leg jumpsuit like the Aqua one that ASOS used to sell. I also love sunglasses so I’m geeked to try the John Lennon-type glasses. I am also going to experiment more with headpieces and different braided hairstyles.

Jenni Jehanne can be found blogging at Comme Coco. You can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.

Join us on May 31st 2:30 pm at The New Museum (235 Bowery New York,NY) for a special event on The State of Publishing and Advertising in the Post PC era.

We’ll present “The State of Touch” research on how publishers, advertisers, and readers are leveraging touch devices. Using our internal data that reaches one of the largest audiences on tablets we’ll give insight into what touch devices people are using and how people are using them. We’ve also pinged our publishing and advertising partners for insight as to how they are approaching tablets, phones, and all the associated advertising.

We’ll be showing off Onswipe’s latest creations that are the next step in our mission of being the platform that powers the way the world experiences the web on touch devices. We’ve been working on a few new major products and will show them off for the first time ever on May 31st.

We’re going to have a few sessions with leaders from the publishing, advertising, and technology industry. Touch devices have taken over the world and will soon eclipse traditional PC devices, so we thought it would be useful bring all of the stake holders into the room to weigh in on where the world is headed. We’ve already confirmed Jake Levine general manager of News.me, Robin Steinberg,  Executive Vice President, Director of Publishing Investment and Activation at Mediavest, and Darren Herman, Chief Digital Media Officer, at the Media Kitchen.

Agenda

2:30 pm – Doors open
3:00 pm – State of Touch Address
3:30 pm – “Mobile…WTF does it mean?” Panel
4:15 pm – Short break
4:30 pm – Keynote to be announced!
5:15 pm – Fireside chat
5:45 pm – Drinks courtesy of Onswipe!

We have very limited seating and won’t be able to accommodate everybody, but if you would like to get on the waiting list to attend please sign up here:

A complete non-factor two years ago, the tablet market is set to turn the world on its head in 2012.

That’s because more people are seeing a value in the not-quite-smartphone, not-quite-laptop devices. And, at the same time, new brands are being marketed with various screen sizes and price points, appealing to users with different interests.

Publishers, television stations and others are beginning to understand how to leverage the form, too. New products and tablet-optimized experiences are creating an audience of content consumers that didn’t exist before.

According to comScore’s Digital Omnivore report, it took seven years to sell 20 million smartphones. It took only 20 months to sell 20 million tablets.

The same company has predicted that in 2012, more than 100 million tablets will be sold. Gartner announced earlier this year that they’ve increased their previous prediction for tablets sold in 2012 to almost 119 million.

“The growth in this market is unprecedented,” Dmitriy Molchanov, a Yankee Group analyst, told Business Wire in 2011. “The tablet sales curve is rising faster than that of HDTVs, handheld gaming consoles or even MP3 players.”

Part of the reason for the rapid growth is that tablets provide a convenient means for users to connect and engage frequently in online activities such as social networking, online gaming and the like.

Additionally, the Kindle Fire and the NOOK tablet, which were both released in 2011, marked critical turning points in the mass adoption of tablets devices because their lower prices made them available for those who couldn’t afford Apple products. In 2012, Android devices will flood the market for consumers with lower price-points, too.

Apple, however, will still dominate the market – at least for now. Thanks to the brand’s loyal followers, the iPad3 release has been one of the most talked-about product releases of 2012. In the United States alone, three million iPads were sold during the first weekend of availability.

The tablet market’s growth won’t be limited to the United States. Instead, many of the early adapters are from overseas. The demand for tablets is higher in the international market, especially in countries like the UK, Germany, France, Japan and China.

The computer market won’t feel too sharp of a drop off immediately, but over time, there will be a noticeable effect. Young people may choose tablets over personal computers, especially those concerned about durability because tablets are seen as more portable. Experiments in form factor – like detachable keyboards, screen size and pen/stylus solutions could increase use among younger demographics, too. Older customers may hold out without replacing their personal computers until absolutely necessary.

The tablet industry’s growth has led Cisco to predict that mobile-connected tablets will generate almost as much traffic in 2016 as the entire global mobile network did in 2012. The amount of mobile data generated by tablets in 2016 will be approximately equal to the total amount of global mobile data traffic in 2012. The number of WiFi connections should increase at the same or a slightly faster rate.  In Dec. 2011, WiFi connections drove 40.3 percent of mobile internet connections and 92.3 percent of tablet Internet connections in the U.S.

To accommodate the demand, mobile broadband plans are starting to cater to heavy tablet users. However, only eight percent of tablet traffic currently comes via mobile broadband. As tablets continue on their upward climb in 2012, it’s likely that mobile broadband traffic seen over tablets will rapidly increase and may eventually reach levels consummate with mobile phones.

At Onswipe, we’re dedicated to making sure that both publishers and advertisers are ready to meet this demand. Let us help you build your tablet products.

Photo Credit: 5 Top-Rated Tablet PCs by sidduz, on Flickr