Thank goodness there was a camera around...
Somewhere in Coventry:
Somewhere in Mason, OH: And somewhere on the streets of Taipei:
Thoughts on e-reading
Since college, pretty much all of my reading has been done via web browser: either directly on a site or through a RSS reader. Somehow, I picked up a book and finished it from cover to cover over the last few days.
First of all, it wasn't even a real book - it was the ebook edition of Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh. I'll review the book itself in a separate post and just give a few highlights on e-reading:
1. On the purchase decision
Choosing to read a book is trusting the author to deliver enough value in x number of words and pages to be worth your while. Since books require a larger investment of your time, samples are an amazing way to get a feel for how much value is in the content. I trust my own gut after reading a sample more so than any I would any review.
2. On information retention
Even though studies show that e-reading is actually slower than reading on the printed page, I believe the ability to highlight/bookmark parts of the book (and delete them if you wish) outweighs the slight loss in speed. Looking up word definitions on the fly is also very convenient. These features go a long way in helping me retain the juiciest parts of what I'm reading.
3. On going green
Cutting down on the cutting down of trees is good. So is losing some physical weight, as well as not having to choose what to bring on a trip (even if it's just to the couch!). Unfortunately though, ebooks aren't much cheaper than printed copies at all.
Those are my first impressions after finishing my first ebook. Diving into some good long-form content also made me realize how rapid-fire and fleeting reading on the web can be. No to mention, to be able to escape from both the desk and the daily grind for a good number of pages here and there is quite the simple luxury. That said...onto the next one!
Hello Kitty & global warming
I suppose this is better than not believing global warming exists at all...
A quick example of brand power
Location-based services are all the rage these days, so this is a pretty interesting comparison:
Personally, I don't use either of these services (after seeing the PleaseRobMe.com project). I also have no idea who has the better product, but it sure looks like Foursquare wins on brand power.
Interestingly, the number of results for "gowalla" alone are pretty close to the number of results for "foursquare and gowalla". Being defined by a competitor is a scary thing, especially if you consider how that's 5 times more than the results for "gowalla and foursquare".
There's nothing saying that there can only be one site to rule them all, but it seems pretty clear what the benchmark is.
iPhone 4 launch numbers
According to the mothership: 1.7 million iPhone 4s sold through Saturday, 6/26 - the most successful product launch in Apple history, antenna issues and all.
That's at least $338.3 million in revenues in 3 days *if* each customer was eligible for the subsidized pricing *and* bought a 16GB model. If half of those were 32GB models (unscientific speculation), we're looking at $423.3 million. If we factor in early and no-contract upgrades, that number would likely pass $500 million.
Not to mention:
1. They're absolutely making a killing on sales of accessories.
2. This also means more digital content sales via iTunes.
3. The amount of ad impressions/inventory available for Apple's iAds is growing that much faster.
And the kicker: they've only launched in 5 out of the planned 88 countries.
Efficient call handling
Just wanted to share a recent call I had, which went like this:
Them: "Thanks for calling Apple Store Simi Valley, where we're all sold out of iPhone 4s and accessories - how can I help you?"Me: "Well I guess you can't...! Thanks anyway!"
Efficient without being offensive, and nicely executed.
The Apple divide
Apple has the most hype and anticipation around its product launches than anyone else. It doesn't matter whether their "leaks" are precisely engineered to build anticipation or if their secrecy makes them a prime target for spreading just about any rumor we can conjure up, but they always leave a massively divisive (if not flatout upset) mob in the aftermath of their product announcements. After pondering the iPad and iProducts in general, here's my take on why:
A tech company for the masses
As a tech company, Apple makes products that enable us do all sorts of productive, enjoyable, and sometimes magical things. Unsurprisingly, these products sell well and establish a geek following (then followed by investors and their money). Yet, when they make technology that enables more people to do these things - we become dissatisfied because we know they could have done more for us. Yes, it's your wallet and purchase decision at the end of the day - but let's not get carried away into thinking the world revolves around ourselves.
But it doesn't even have _____!
Sometimes I wonder how we survived waiting in line to pay $599 for a first-generation iPhones with no App Store and no 3G...then how we survived not having cut & paste until several software updates later (sarcasm!). If another company sells a product that better fits your needs, ragging on the iProduct of the day is just a waste of time. If you'd rather go with the HP slate over the iPad so you can watch Hulu, that's fine. It's disingenuous, however, to omit the tradeoffs and suggest either device as strictly better than the other in every way. There's also no need to act offended or insulted that Apple is offering you something you can (decline to) buy; the melodramatics are really not that impressive or fashionable at all.
Admittedly, it's beyond easy to get sucked in by the hype and all the rumored features and specs. Apple's history of innovation and Steve Jobs's reality distortion field makes us want to believe the next iProduct will be the ultimate gadget and save us all. Unfortunately, no number of buildups and disappointments will ever defeat the human capacity to dream and desire.
Spoiler alert: As long as companies need to make money, the ultimate gadget cannot and will not exist.
"Pin the market on the iProduct"
As geeks, we're often puzzled by why Apple releases these so-called "gimped" products. Is it that they're following carefully planned product cycles, that their product people are plain lazy, or that they love denying you of your tech nirvana? Does it matter which? We play this game of trying to identify who Apple's target market is every time, and end up with those who proudly proclaim they've figured it out and those who think the iProduct will be a flop. Not that Apple hasn't had its share of flops ($99 leather case and iPod HiFi, to name a couple), but it's appalling how seriously we manage to take ourselves. As a topic of discussion, Apple always stirs up a heap of contrasting opinions and arguments that show how badly we need to get our word in (guilty) and our inability to let things be. That said, the controversy is both tiresome and overrated.
As geeks, we're often puzzled by why Apple releases these so-called "gimped" products. Is it that they're following carefully planned product cycles, that their product people are plain lazy, or that they love denying you of your tech nirvana? Does it matter which? We play this game of trying to identify who Apple's target market is every time, and end up with those who proudly proclaim they've figured it out and those who think the iProduct will be a flop. Not that Apple hasn't had its share of flops ($99 leather case and iPod HiFi, to name a couple), but it's appalling how seriously we manage to take ourselves. As a topic of discussion, Apple always stirs up a heap of contrasting opinions and arguments that show how badly we need to get our word in (guilty) and our inability to let things be. That said, the controversy is both tiresome and overrated.
How much do we really know?
Companies sell user experiences, and Apple is no exception. Hardware and the code that runs on it are meaningless beyond what experiences they can deliver to the user. To that end, I think all conclusions about the iPad are premature until actual availability (we're still about 60 days out at this point).
From the announcement, it seems the general consensus is that the iPad is "just" a bigger iPhone or iPod touch. I wouldn't dismiss the iPad as a nonstarter based on that observation. Specifically, I don't agree with the "just" part of it, and I think a larger iPhone has many positive implications when it comes to user experience. I think it's actually a good thing that we can comprehend what using an iPad would be like (familiarity), though I'm not sure we can fully appreciate the device before getting our hands on it. I am most looking forward to the web browsing experience, which I agree will be "orders of magnitude" better than on the iPhone.
...until March!
The not so boxy Boxee box
Just read that D-Link will be the manufacturing partner for Boxee in their first foray into hardware. If you haven't seen yesterday's announcement on Boxee's completely redone beta, read this.
The potential impact Boxee has on media consumption has always been huge - the on demand model is simply better. Gary Vaynerchuck hates paying for Lifetime with his cable TV subscription, and chances are you don't watch every single channel you have access to, either. Which brings us to the Boxee Box - not having to hack an Apple TV or rig a computer setup in your living room for the Boxee experience is a beautiful thing and will undoubtedly help adoption. The $200 price tag also seems quite reasonable, though my one problem is...
...its godawful shape.
Sure, there are some good reasons for a nonstandard shape. It's definitely a conversation starter, for one. It also makes it impossible for you to stack anything else on top of it, making sure that it'll always be prominently displayed. Video game console manufacturers are devotees to this "I stand alone" design philosophy...think Wii/PS3/Xbox 360. The many models of Slingboxes are also guilty, but the box you see above looks like it's been sawed off haphazardly and thrown in some kind of warped dimension. I'm pretty sure this is my OCD talking, but it just doesn't feel right.
It remains to be seen if the shape is a dealbreaker, though I'm wondering if I'll be able to find the device in any retail stores. Apple probably won't touch this considering their iTunes Store, and other big box chains like Best Buy/Target/Walmart all have their disc sales to consider. If the product launch stays on schedule, we'll find out in Q2 of 2010.
My post-Thanksgiving shopping reflection
How was this past Thanksgiving weekend for everyone? Did you spend more dollars or consume more calories?
Here are a few of my personal observations on shopping during Thanksgiving/Black Friday 2009:
1. Good deals were available throughout the week.
As big of an event Black Friday is, it's definitely spilling over to the other days of the week. Deals were happening as early as Monday, which makes getting up pre-5am even more silly year after year.
2. In addition to all-day sales, I noticed more merchants offered deals that were available only during specific hours.
Most of the deals weren't earth-shattering, but urgency does have a way of moving product. Still, missing out on even a decent/modest/good deal may encourage quicker trigger-pulls in the future. With deals still happening left and right, however, it's also good to have some patience as the next one is likely just around the corner.
3. Cyber Monday is becoming a much more tangible phenomenon.
Though the term was coined a few years ago, it was little more than a joke or gimmick back then. I definitely saw (read: got spammed by) more merchants hopping on the bandwagon this year. This was also the first year that Apple gave Cyber Monday its blessing, offering discounts that managed to surpass even their traditionally meager Black Friday price shavings in a crushing display of mediocrity. Despite the increased participation from merchants, however, it seems like the best deals have either passed or are yet to come.
The best news is...nobody got trampled to death this year!
No BS branding (this is genius)
How do you cut through the clutter, call out others' BS, and save money on your branding at the same time?
Based on the work they did for Brooklyn Fare, the folks over at Mucca Design sure know how. Check out the following video:
My personal favorites have to be the coffee cups...take that, Starbucks! And the morals of this story, since I couldn't choose just one:
- It's true you often get what you pay for, but saving money doesn't always have to mean making sacrifices.
- Cost has very little to do with sincerity, humor, and ingenuity.
- Though we may think we understand the concept of "less is more," implementing it is a whole other story.
via Holy Kaw!
Allen Hong
Hi, my name is Allen and I'm a casual blogger.
Some time ago I hung up my media planner hat and became an entrepreneur. I recently launched Sliqr, a new web app that tracks the engagement and growth of your web presences and personal brand.
You can go straight to sliqr.com to check it out, or read more over at the Sliqr official blog. We're currently in private alpha, but I'm happy to hook you up with an invite!
You can connect with me at connect.sliqr.com/allen or by the links below.
Thanks for stopping by!
