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]]>I want to get this out of the way before I go any further. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t own every Apple product ever made. I don’t have the Apple logo tattoo. I don’t have a shrine to Steve Jobs in my basement. I do like the occasional shot of apple-flavored Kool-Aid, but only because I find it refreshing and delicious. While it may seem to some that I’m an Apple fanboy, I’m not. I’ve come to that realization over the past year, noting many areas that I’d like to see Apple improve not only their products, but some of their practices. That being said, the idea of an Apple tablet computer didn’t interest me at all. Until yesterday.
I have yet to watch the full video from the presentation. Wednesday night was the earliest opportunity I had to dig into the details a bit more and talk to a few people to get their impressions of the new device.
After a spirited Twitter conversation, and reading reviews and thoughts of the iPad, I had written the device off for my own use. Apps are limited to those found in Apple’s App Store (as opposed to being able to freely install anything I’d feel like installing on a typical computer), no Web-cam, no multitasking, no replacement value for any device I already own. I didn’t need it. It was too restrictive. I didn’t have this and it doesn’t do that.
I quickly found my feelings for the device changing. Between some more conversation in the hallway at work and listening to other thoughts on the device, my interest is turning around. I also stopped focusing on what the iPad couldn’t do and turned to what it can do. While it still doesn’t replace anything that I have or fit into any area of my life that isn’t already covered by an iPhone or laptop, I can think of many people who’s lives it does fit into.
All that being said, I’m excited to see where this device goes, and who takes it to new heights, whether it be developers or consumers. Regardless of the vehicle, I can see many paths that the iPad can take, and most of them point upward.
]]>Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend a presentation by Chris Brogan, social media guru, entertaining speaker, and co-author of Trust Agents If you ever have the chance to hear Chris speak or meet him in person, I highly suggest making the most of that opportunity. You won’t be disappointed. Many of the “vibes” I’ve been feeling & seeing with regards where social media is heading were echoed, and I picked up many new ideas as well. What mattered the most to me was that he didn’t talk about Twitter and Facebook and how to maneuver through those services. He talked about people.
Coincidentally, that’s what social networking is all about too. People and the connections that we make with one another. Don’t focus on the number of fans or followers you have, focus on the connections that you make and the people that you meet along the way. Take the time to listen and acknowledge others and they’ll do the same for you. This is true whether you’re a one-man shop or a giant corporation. It’s all about people. Simple as that.
]]>Gowalla, Foursquare, and BrightKite are some of the frontrunners in this area and all of them offer the ability to share your location and post about it on Twitter and Facebook. While this seems like a great idea, and I believe it is, it has stirred up some interesting conversation regarding the usefulness of notifying people that follow or friend you of your every move. Some might also argue, “who cares if you’re at Applebees?”. I have mixed feelings on the topic of location announcing, both in how I personally use these networks and how I see these networks benefiting not only individuals but businesses and organizations.
Will you be checking in? 
As a parent, I’ve found I can take my children’s youth for granted from time-to-time. It’s easy to think of them as “babies”, however they grow up and remind me that I need to adapt to their changes. It’s a great “ride” to be on, watching them grow and learn and come into their own, but it’s also an possibility where memories can get lost, at least the fear of them being lost and replaced. You might be asking yourself, “where is he going with this?”.
The same applies to technology.
When I was first introduced to the Internet (at least AOL’s walled-garden version) back in 1995 I was in awe of a chat about Star Trek that I was having with someone in California. The topic wasn’t what had me so amazed, it was the reality of what was taking place. From my parents house in Wisconsin, I was exchanging thoughts and views with someone thousands of miles away. That was one of my first realizations of how powerful this new network of people and ideas could be.
Now here we sit, almost 15 years later, and this network of people and ideas has grown and intensified. Earlier this week I was having a great conversation on Twitter with Stuart Manning, a Web developer from Ireland. It wasn’t until after the conversation ended that I became amazed at what just took place. From my home in Wisconsin, I was exchanging opinions, and with someone in a country. This was combined with the other experiences I’ve had with people from my own state and throughout the nation. The awe from 14 years ago set in again.
The more things change…
With new ways to connect with one another emerging, seemingly each day, let’s not forget that original spark of “wow”. It is that moment that made me interested in the Internet and what could be done with it. As information flies at us and past us at break-neck speeds, take a little time off to step back from it all and remember where it all started. Let that moment of awe seep back into your mind and inspire more innovation.
I’ve been asking myself this very question multiple times over the past year. As project opportunities increase I’ve found the need to get a crystal-clear picture of what needs to be done and when. After many Web service and software trials, I’ve found what works for me, and hopefully it can benefit you as well.
When I start a project, I first turn to my sketchbook. I can rapid-fire thoughts and plans onto it as well as establish what the client wants, all in a nice tidy package. Great, i’ve got my initial thoughts and some rough sketches down, now what? I’ve got to get those ideas over to my computers (yes, plural) for expanding and finalizing. Thankfully, there are a variety of tools that I use both individually and combined to get things done.
After I signed up for the Evernote service, I scratched my head and wondered how I would work it into my routine. It wasn’t until recently that I started to understand the power of this service, and I find myself wondering how I ever got things done, or at the very least remembered things, before it.
What’s the key to Evernote’s power? Syncing. With applications for Windows, Mac, Mobile and iPhone platforms, not to mention an uber-handy Web interface, you can create notebooks, add, edit, and delete notes wherever you may be and then access them on the device of your choosing. More importantly, you can write down a note when you want and not risk losing it to the rush of information that we deal with on a minute-by-minute basis. Don’t feel like you need to whip out the laptop or smartphone every time you want to jot something down either. Evernote does a great job of handwriting recognition that is searchable, so that note that was written in a sketchbook or on a bar napkin can be archived and found for later use.
With multiple computers comes great responsibility (apologies to Stan Lee). What is that responsibility? Keeping track and remembering where you placed your latest layout files and project notes. I use two (sometimes more) computers on a daily basis and when I need to continue or start on a project, I’d better be sure I have what I need, especially when deadlines are looming. Enter, Dropbox.
With Dropbox, my work life becomes much clearer. Once set up and running on the machines I want, I have not only a local copy of my files, but as soon as I change those files, they are uploaded to “the cloud” and pulled down to any other synchronized machines. Sounds great, right? Picture it this way; you can be at your local Starbucks (or coffee shop of choice) making changes on your laptop, save what you’re working on, and by the time you walk out the door, those files can be waiting for you at home or at the office.
As mentioned earlier, it took me a while, not to mention much trial and error, but I’ve settled into a system that works for me. Hopefully this can help clear some clutter for you too.
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On a trip to the grocery store this past weekend, I needed to pick up a few breakfast items for my family. One of the items on my list was orange juice. Being the design geek that I am, I first looked at the packaging, then the price. If you haven’t already heard, Pepsi recently refreshed the branding on almost, if not all of their product families, including their Tropicana brand. There’s no doubt that a large sum of money was invested in this rebrand As I surveyed the landscape of juice before me, the Tropicana cartons stood out. All of the other brands had imagery plastered over every square inch of real estate and the gratuitous use of whitespace made the PepsiCo product stand out, to me.
That’s when the individuality got lost. As I examined each Tropicana carton it became clear that the option I was looking for (No Pulp) was as hard to see as the tiny bits of orange themselves. It was only after I took a closer look at each carton that I was able to locate the type of juice I wanted to purchase. Slight usability issue, but I got what I was looking for (not to mention the price was too good to pass up, regardless of the brief hassle I encountered).
Now just a few days later, I’ve read that due to an enoumous amount of loyal customer backlash, Tropicana will be reverting back to it’s previous look (from the logo to the carton graphics). When this happens, I hold out hopethat some of the new look design considerations will live on, aside from the proposed cap design.
]]>To quote George “All we have are words, really”. Our lives are filled with words coming in from so many directions that it’s easy to lose track of who said what. The words that stick with us the most, the ones that we pass along in the forms of advice and guidance, those are the ones that can be traced back to their original sources. Parents, grandparents, friends, spouses, children and the occasional celebrity. All of these sources define and shape us with their words, for they are all we have. As a parent, I’ve realized the power that words have, and I work to wield them with caution and skill.
As life moves on, as it tends to do, I will use these words, learned from various sources, to help me along the way. Thanks to those who’ve made their words worth remembering.
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With the ability to move home screen icons around as you wish, there is one missing component (in my opinion). What if there are standard iPhone icons that you don’t use or need? Sure, you could move them to another screen, creating an island of misfits, but is that the best use of your nine precious Home screen iterations? That’s when it hit me. The attic.
Boxes seem to be the main object that fill peoples attics and more often than note, they’re filled with things that we don’t use often. After looking at the home screen of the iPhone, some people may see just that; tiny boxes filled with things they don’t use or need. You could throw them away, but who would want toss out such treasured memories as stocks, SMS, or that whiz-bang calculator? Why not put them in a location that doesn’t cause them to get in the way.
When you make your home screen icons dance, you’ll notice that you can drag them from side-to-side, creating a new screen, or down into the “dock” area. As they say, the only direction to go is up. Why not create an attic for icons? If they are needed in the future, let the user pull them back down and if not, leave them to collect dust. Now where did I put those photos…?
]]>In years past, the pattern among most of the cars in the field seemed to be flash and flames, and I’m not being figurative either. This year brings a new era to the sport. The “Car of Tomorrow”, a NASCAR designed machine that increases driver safety and hopefully improves competition on race day, will be run full-time in 2008. Gone are the bullet-sharp speedsters that used to tear up the track. This year’s car is…well…a box (with a wing). Taking that into concideration, the liveries for the 2008 Sprint Cup competitors have taken a more toned-down and dare-I-say “old school” approach.
The objective for a “successful” paint scheme has many avenues. First, it must appeal to the sponsor, and reflect their branding and marketing feel. It also has to be quickly identifiable by the cameras covering the action. Secondly, it must be attractive to the fans. These cars are not only seen on the racetrack, but also are also reproduced in the form of die-cast replicas, t-shirts, and anything else that the average NASCAR fan would want. I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how the designs on this year’s cars compliment the shape of the new racer.
]]>Twitter ~ This is at the bottom of my communication food chain (and it shows).
Tumblr~ After forgetting that I’d signed up for an account, I plan on using this as my intermediate forum. One step below thoughtful and one inch above mindless drivel.
This blog ~ For the publishing of well-formed thought and inquiries that deserve the limelight.
]]>After a good laugh, I turned to page 10 to find out what the hell they were trying to preview in the TOC. When I reached the page I gazed, in total astonishment, at the image of a cow riding on the back of a flower. At first glance, it looked like the cow was doing something completely different, but after my eyes were able to absorb the entire image, I understood (kind of) the overall idea.
After showing the images to our marketing department (and enjoying a good laugh again) the following question came up. “Doesn’t anyone with a slightly warped sense of humor proofread/review images?” If not, they should. This has been the second item in a week that has triggered my “that’s just not right” sensor.
So here’s a little tip for all image editors. Look before you crop.
]]>This is nothing more than thinking out loud, but will any of these
site’s have any true staying power? Myspace gave way to Facebook
(which is still hanging on) which then shared the spotlight with
Virb. Did I mention this all occurred this year?
If a site does have staying power, will it thrive and grow or will it
become complacent? Will the site’s community allow it to grow stale, or will they push for changes? Then again, who’s not to say that we all won’t flock to something new when it comes up.
