Tretakoff Musings
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Right Place, Right Time, Right Precedent
There are certain historical moments that, in retrospect, could have only happened with the unique combination of circumstances, individuals, and timing. The saying "Only Nixon could have gone to China" exemplifies this: only a man who had been so rabidly anti-Communist could have been the one to reach out to the leader of the most populous Communist nation on Earth, at the time that war raged through proxies of each, to usher in a new détente. Only Lincoln could have ended slavery, and endured a civil war as a result. And only FDR could have led this nation back from the Great Depression with unprecedented powers we would have entrusted to no one else.
FDR's situation is particularly poignant today. He was a little-known politician, most famous for being a cousin of a former president. He was a member of a minority, being handicapped. He ran for office, promising change, in the worst economic time in the country's history. In fact, the country was so desperate for change, having endured 8 years of agony, that alone brought this unlikely leader into office on a new wave of optimism. Sound at all familiar?
FDR, like our newly elected President, faced a grave financial situation. With the nation's economy in free fall, and shrinking tax revenue to use to drive new initiatives, he was forced to look at new ways to address the problem. The question remained: how to get new tax revenue without putting an undue burden on an already suffering people? There was an easy solution: end Prohibition.
People clearly were already spending their money on this inexpensive release valve, and they were paying higher prices because of the illegality; the government was spending millions of dollars to police and enforce this, all for nothing. And alcohol had already been legal, and the world had not ended. By ending Prohibition, FDR would save the government money, reward the taxpayer with inexpensive access to a recreational mechanism that would help ease their pain, and would generate new tax income. In 1933, in his first year in office, FDR did just that. Unsurprisingly, this act succeeded in helping to lead the country out of the Depression, established Social Security, and, combined with a new spirit of contribution, arguably made the single biggest impact on the building of the true United States.
So, President Obama comes into office, faced with remarkably similar circumstances as FDR. Well, Mr. Obama, there is a simple solution for you, too, and best of all, it's already been proven successful by one of the greatest presidents ever: repeal the ban on marijuana.
Let me make my position clear. I do not smoke or use marijuana in any way. This is not out of some prurient interest; I simply am not fond of the effects, and I prefer to not inhale smoke (I stick to cigars for that reason). This is not to say that I have never done so; I certainly have, and quite extensively, though it has been more than 2 decades since I last did so. I am also absolutely not against anyone being denied their right to smoke pot: study after study has shown that it's effects are far better than our nation's drug of choice, alcohol, and it's far less addictive. It has positive medical uses, it's easier to consume, and it has far less long-term health impacts. And the hemp plant (a derivation) is incredibly robust: it can be used for clothing, building materials...it's the ultimate "green" substance, in a time we are trying to wean ourselves off of industrialism.
Repealing the ban on marijuana consumption would:
California's broke (the world's 8th largest economy); we've got massive layoffs in a sector that traditionally employs a far more educated consumer (tech) who would prefer pot over beer; and we are in a state that already is perceived by the world as wackos. We have medical marijuana laws on the books, and the north part of the state is one of the largest illegal suppliers of pot to the world today. Why not capitalize on all of that, and allow a governor who is barred by US law from serving in a higher office to take the risk as a pilot? As President, Obama would only have to agree to allow the experiment, not take the actions himself, but if it succeeds, he could take the credit. And Schwarzenegger? He's an actor; he'll play his part as the great outsider, as long as it gets him re-elected.
There are, of course, some thorny issues to resolve. How would production and distribution be set up? What happens to those in prison for marijuana offenses today? If it is California who takes the first step, how do we treat visitors from other states? But those are all issues we can resolve, and quickly. The sheer act of stopping enforcement will free up so much budget money that Californians can have their state fund for unemployment, emergency medical treatment, and eduction; the tax revenue it generates will help create jobs, repair critical infrastructure, and encourage new investment.
A few short days ago, this country celebrated a milestone, ushering in a President like no other in history to office on a wave of enthusisasm and faith not seen since JFK. Only Nixon could go to China, and only BHO could bring the THC.
FDR's situation is particularly poignant today. He was a little-known politician, most famous for being a cousin of a former president. He was a member of a minority, being handicapped. He ran for office, promising change, in the worst economic time in the country's history. In fact, the country was so desperate for change, having endured 8 years of agony, that alone brought this unlikely leader into office on a new wave of optimism. Sound at all familiar?FDR, like our newly elected President, faced a grave financial situation. With the nation's economy in free fall, and shrinking tax revenue to use to drive new initiatives, he was forced to look at new ways to address the problem. The question remained: how to get new tax revenue without putting an undue burden on an already suffering people? There was an easy solution: end Prohibition.
People clearly were already spending their money on this inexpensive release valve, and they were paying higher prices because of the illegality; the government was spending millions of dollars to police and enforce this, all for nothing. And alcohol had already been legal, and the world had not ended. By ending Prohibition, FDR would save the government money, reward the taxpayer with inexpensive access to a recreational mechanism that would help ease their pain, and would generate new tax income. In 1933, in his first year in office, FDR did just that. Unsurprisingly, this act succeeded in helping to lead the country out of the Depression, established Social Security, and, combined with a new spirit of contribution, arguably made the single biggest impact on the building of the true United States.
So, President Obama comes into office, faced with remarkably similar circumstances as FDR. Well, Mr. Obama, there is a simple solution for you, too, and best of all, it's already been proven successful by one of the greatest presidents ever: repeal the ban on marijuana.
Let me make my position clear. I do not smoke or use marijuana in any way. This is not out of some prurient interest; I simply am not fond of the effects, and I prefer to not inhale smoke (I stick to cigars for that reason). This is not to say that I have never done so; I certainly have, and quite extensively, though it has been more than 2 decades since I last did so. I am also absolutely not against anyone being denied their right to smoke pot: study after study has shown that it's effects are far better than our nation's drug of choice, alcohol, and it's far less addictive. It has positive medical uses, it's easier to consume, and it has far less long-term health impacts. And the hemp plant (a derivation) is incredibly robust: it can be used for clothing, building materials...it's the ultimate "green" substance, in a time we are trying to wean ourselves off of industrialism.Repealing the ban on marijuana consumption would:
- Generate much needed tax revenue for an administration who needs it to help our economy transition to a new skill set
- Allow people who are paying, illegally, high prices to consume an extremely inexpensive resource, generating more capital for them to spend in the economy
- Create "green" jobs, as industries race to embrace the farming mechanisms needed to produce this on a consistent quality level
- End the billions of dollars being spent to police, jail, and fruitlessly pursue the current purveyors and consumers.
- Allow the suffering American a new way to ease the pain of living in such lean economic times at an inexpensive price.
California's broke (the world's 8th largest economy); we've got massive layoffs in a sector that traditionally employs a far more educated consumer (tech) who would prefer pot over beer; and we are in a state that already is perceived by the world as wackos. We have medical marijuana laws on the books, and the north part of the state is one of the largest illegal suppliers of pot to the world today. Why not capitalize on all of that, and allow a governor who is barred by US law from serving in a higher office to take the risk as a pilot? As President, Obama would only have to agree to allow the experiment, not take the actions himself, but if it succeeds, he could take the credit. And Schwarzenegger? He's an actor; he'll play his part as the great outsider, as long as it gets him re-elected.There are, of course, some thorny issues to resolve. How would production and distribution be set up? What happens to those in prison for marijuana offenses today? If it is California who takes the first step, how do we treat visitors from other states? But those are all issues we can resolve, and quickly. The sheer act of stopping enforcement will free up so much budget money that Californians can have their state fund for unemployment, emergency medical treatment, and eduction; the tax revenue it generates will help create jobs, repair critical infrastructure, and encourage new investment.
A few short days ago, this country celebrated a milestone, ushering in a President like no other in history to office on a wave of enthusisasm and faith not seen since JFK. Only Nixon could go to China, and only BHO could bring the THC.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Twhirl: One Status Message App to Rule Them All
Mashable breaks the news of a powerful new update to the Adobe AIR-powered Twhirl client today. Among the features of the upcoming preview release are the ability to post messages to Ping.fm (allowing simultaneous status updates to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.), as well as the ability to see any tweets you are even mentioned in, regardless of where in the message you are.
Twhirl is a desktop client that allows you to both post and monitor your Twitter feeds. Among its advantages are the ability to automatically give long URLs the TinyURL treatment, automatically post photos to Twitter, and handle direct messages and replies with the deftness of an IM program. I've been using it for months as my preferred desktop client, primarily because of the range of features, as well as the nice UI, but with these improved features, it goes well beyond a nice to have to a real winner. I'd like to see an easy way to automatically exclude messages posting to Ping.fm when common Twitter conventions are used (such as "@username" or "#CES2009"), but I'm thrilled for the features I see here!
Sign up to get notified of the new release here.
Mashable breaks the news of a powerful new update to the Adobe AIR-powered Twhirl client today. Among the features of the upcoming preview release are the ability to post messages to Ping.fm (allowing simultaneous status updates to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.), as well as the ability to see any tweets you are even mentioned in, regardless of where in the message you are.Twhirl is a desktop client that allows you to both post and monitor your Twitter feeds. Among its advantages are the ability to automatically give long URLs the TinyURL treatment, automatically post photos to Twitter, and handle direct messages and replies with the deftness of an IM program. I've been using it for months as my preferred desktop client, primarily because of the range of features, as well as the nice UI, but with these improved features, it goes well beyond a nice to have to a real winner. I'd like to see an easy way to automatically exclude messages posting to Ping.fm when common Twitter conventions are used (such as "@username" or "#CES2009"), but I'm thrilled for the features I see here!
Sign up to get notified of the new release here.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
15 Seconds of Fame
Mashable has an article up about the top 40 brands that are using Twitter, and who's behind them. I'm reading along, and, with a start, I see the image to the right there, in the article. Yep, Southwest Air was retweeting my tweet, and apparently Mashable captured it for posterity. ;-)
By the way, the tweet was in response to Southwest's question if there had indeed been a Southwest Airlines jet on a recent episode of "24." I had noticed the similarity myself, so when I saw the tweet, I was able to quickly respond.
Feel free to follow me in all of my fame here. ;-)
Mashable has an article up about the top 40 brands that are using Twitter, and who's behind them. I'm reading along, and, with a start, I see the image to the right there, in the article. Yep, Southwest Air was retweeting my tweet, and apparently Mashable captured it for posterity. ;-)By the way, the tweet was in response to Southwest's question if there had indeed been a Southwest Airlines jet on a recent episode of "24." I had noticed the similarity myself, so when I saw the tweet, I was able to quickly respond.
Feel free to follow me in all of my fame here. ;-)
Labels: Twitter
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Why I Won't Miss Bush 43
Slate V sums up the very reasons I still miss Clinton as President, and am hopeful for Obama. Is it so much to want to have the leader of the Free World be an inspiring speaker? If not, at least avoid these dunderheaded statements? Tuesday can't come soon enough...
Receipts: The Latest Victory of the Digital Age
Great news from a new company, Transaction Tree, who claim they've developed a POS-based solution that allows any retailer's POS system to allow the customer to choose to receive their receipt via email instead of printed paper. While the Apple Store has been doing this for quite some time, they have the advantage of having a relatively modern POS (albeit one that runs on Windows CE, ironically). Most retailers have legacy POS systems, which are not known for their flexibility in this regard.
In this age of identity theft, these paper scraps of data are more like tempting morsels for identity thieves. Worse, standards are completely absent: some retailers print the last 4 digits of a credit card on your receipt; others print all but the last 4. A thief only has to take a gander at a mall trash can, and they have the equivalent of an all-expenses paid trip around the world. Emailing these receipts ends this risk, and focuses on what we really need: unlimited storage, indexable, at any time. Gmail offers almost just that with this approach.
The road is littered with false promises here, however, and this seems to have some suspicious earmarks of a less-than ready for primetime approach. For instance, head over to transactiontree.com, and note the lack of many specific details. Worse, there's a link for "consumers" to a promising "NoMoPaper.com," which links only to a link farm. Could be careless coding, could be poor design...or it could be worse. I'll say this: I've had occasion to work with hundreds of retailers and their POS systems. The one thing I can tell you is that almost none are standards-based, and each require massive customization. So, when I hear about a company that promises a solution that works with all POS systems, to interrupt the most basic function of receipt printing, I am hopeful...but skeptical.
I hope I am wrong...most sincerely.
Great news from a new company, Transaction Tree, who claim they've developed a POS-based solution that allows any retailer's POS system to allow the customer to choose to receive their receipt via email instead of printed paper. While the Apple Store has been doing this for quite some time, they have the advantage of having a relatively modern POS (albeit one that runs on Windows CE, ironically). Most retailers have legacy POS systems, which are not known for their flexibility in this regard.In this age of identity theft, these paper scraps of data are more like tempting morsels for identity thieves. Worse, standards are completely absent: some retailers print the last 4 digits of a credit card on your receipt; others print all but the last 4. A thief only has to take a gander at a mall trash can, and they have the equivalent of an all-expenses paid trip around the world. Emailing these receipts ends this risk, and focuses on what we really need: unlimited storage, indexable, at any time. Gmail offers almost just that with this approach.
The road is littered with false promises here, however, and this seems to have some suspicious earmarks of a less-than ready for primetime approach. For instance, head over to transactiontree.com, and note the lack of many specific details. Worse, there's a link for "consumers" to a promising "NoMoPaper.com," which links only to a link farm. Could be careless coding, could be poor design...or it could be worse. I'll say this: I've had occasion to work with hundreds of retailers and their POS systems. The one thing I can tell you is that almost none are standards-based, and each require massive customization. So, when I hear about a company that promises a solution that works with all POS systems, to interrupt the most basic function of receipt printing, I am hopeful...but skeptical.
I hope I am wrong...most sincerely.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
PETA: Now Even MORE Misguided
15 years ago, the Patagonia Toothfish was, to say the least, not much of a hot seller. Then, some ingenious marketers thought of renaming the fish with a name that would be more tempting to diners, and the Chilean Sea Bass was born, becoming so successful, the sales of it have to be now restricted to ensure we don't fish the species out of existence. A great example of marketing in the world of seafood, one that brought great prosperity and expanded palates.
Today, we have an absolutely opposite inanity, courtesy of the lunatics at the oh so benignly named People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA. They have announced a PR campaign to rebrand fish as...sea kittens. Yes, these crazy folks, who would rather let humans die of starvation, malnutrition, and agony, believe that the latest "animals" to need their protection are fish. This is misguided in so many ways, it dazzles the mind.
These zealots are masters of the language war, having executed successful campaigns on fur, supermarkets...the list goes on. Their name is the real master stroke: their agenda is not to more humanely treat animals, but to prevent them from any human contact at all. But in this latest effort, they have erred: they have clearly seen the success of rebranding in the seafood world, and are trying to capitalize on it, but they have missed the point: it was only a success because commercial enterprises embraced it for their own self-interests. Who in their right mind is going to willingly label their product as "sea kittens?"
The insanity is clearly pervasive throughout these people who have clearly been so hurt by humanity to such a degree that they would rather transfer their compassion to a more accepting group. Frankly, I'm not a huge fan of animals, but I do see the love they inspire, but stacked against the heart-rending knowledge of children in a 3rd world country who will starve without needed food, or go malnourished...or even knowing that their asinine efforts in the US cause basics foods like eggs to skyrocket in price, impacting the poorest of our nation...well, I don't think it's even close.
These people are ill. Says Ashley Byrne, PETA's sea kitten campaign co-ordinator"Knowing that the fish sticks in the school cafeteria are really made out of tortured sea kittens makes most kids want to lose their lunch." Ashley, I have to ask: what actual institution that professes to educate children would ever use your bizarre talking points? And if neither they, nor the companies that produce these nutritional necessities for children, are considering anything to do with you, why in the world do you think this makes sense?
Look, PETA: if you want to take on folks who abuse puppies, or the disaster of not spaying cats so that they are forced to die from starvation, I'm actaully right there with you. But leave the human foodstuffs alone: we are an omnivorous species, and you have the right to be a vegetarian; I have the right to eat my fish. Now excuse me, I have a special Sea Kitten Roll waiting for me at the sushi bar.
Today, we have an absolutely opposite inanity, courtesy of the lunatics at the oh so benignly named People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA. They have announced a PR campaign to rebrand fish as...sea kittens. Yes, these crazy folks, who would rather let humans die of starvation, malnutrition, and agony, believe that the latest "animals" to need their protection are fish. This is misguided in so many ways, it dazzles the mind.These zealots are masters of the language war, having executed successful campaigns on fur, supermarkets...the list goes on. Their name is the real master stroke: their agenda is not to more humanely treat animals, but to prevent them from any human contact at all. But in this latest effort, they have erred: they have clearly seen the success of rebranding in the seafood world, and are trying to capitalize on it, but they have missed the point: it was only a success because commercial enterprises embraced it for their own self-interests. Who in their right mind is going to willingly label their product as "sea kittens?"
The insanity is clearly pervasive throughout these people who have clearly been so hurt by humanity to such a degree that they would rather transfer their compassion to a more accepting group. Frankly, I'm not a huge fan of animals, but I do see the love they inspire, but stacked against the heart-rending knowledge of children in a 3rd world country who will starve without needed food, or go malnourished...or even knowing that their asinine efforts in the US cause basics foods like eggs to skyrocket in price, impacting the poorest of our nation...well, I don't think it's even close.These people are ill. Says Ashley Byrne, PETA's sea kitten campaign co-ordinator"Knowing that the fish sticks in the school cafeteria are really made out of tortured sea kittens makes most kids want to lose their lunch." Ashley, I have to ask: what actual institution that professes to educate children would ever use your bizarre talking points? And if neither they, nor the companies that produce these nutritional necessities for children, are considering anything to do with you, why in the world do you think this makes sense?
Look, PETA: if you want to take on folks who abuse puppies, or the disaster of not spaying cats so that they are forced to die from starvation, I'm actaully right there with you. But leave the human foodstuffs alone: we are an omnivorous species, and you have the right to be a vegetarian; I have the right to eat my fish. Now excuse me, I have a special Sea Kitten Roll waiting for me at the sushi bar.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Portable Bike Lane
Interesting concept for a laser projected instant bike lane for cyclists and, conceivably, motorists. However, upon closer inspection, this appears to be a false promise of safety, as it really can't be seen by motorists until it's too late.
As one commenter says,
Interesting concept for a laser projected instant bike lane for cyclists and, conceivably, motorists. However, upon closer inspection, this appears to be a false promise of safety, as it really can't be seen by motorists until it's too late.As one commenter says,
"Performance sells a 9 led light for under $20. Cateye sells a 11 led light for under $30. Planet Bike sells one with a single high intensity (1 watt) flashing light. All are visible for over a half mile. That gives you 30 seconds to react to the presence of something in the road ahead of you that has a red or amber flashing light. Count out 30 seconds. If you can’t react to something in that time, then you would have already killed yourself driving into the side of a building or a truck."Still, just so damned cool.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
What do Palm and Doug Flutie Have In Common?
I've always been a huge fan of Doug Flutie. I grew up right down the street from the very stadium he played his college ball (and made his legend). I followed him through both the CFL and the NFL. In fact, I even flew hundreds of miles, just for the chance to see him play. No matter how successful as a pro he was, everyone always remembers Doug Flutie for the play that put him on the national stage: the Hail Mary pass that won the Bowl.
I've always been a huge fan of Doug Flutie. I grew up right down the street from the very stadium he played his college ball (and made his legend). I followed him through both the CFL and the NFL. In fact, I even flew hundreds of miles, just for the chance to see him play. No matter how successful as a pro he was, everyone always remembers Doug Flutie for the play that put him on the national stage: the Hail Mary pass that won the Bowl.Years later, while he was setting record after record in Canada, his team even brought the recipient of that pass, Gerard Phelan, to the team. Was Phelan that great? Not at all. Did Flutie need a great receiver? Absolutely not. But the team wanted the public to recapture their sense of awe and wonder at this display that changed the world by evoking the connection of that Hail Mary.
This week, another former champion, known for taking the world by storm, took the stage again for one last Hail Mary pass: Palm. Similarly, it was a desperate situation: Palm had practically owned the smartphone game with the Treo, but in recent years, the brand, company, and products faltered, and desperation set in. With all of the gravitas of that last second chance, Palm staged their Hail Mary this week at the Consumer Electronics Show. The lights came down, the stage lit up, and the pass was launched high over the heads of the curious, anxious spectators...and, like Flutie, it delivered the score when it needed to.
This is the last, desperate hope of a company that introduced the world to the smartphone, a concept we take for granted now. At this year's CES, the CEO of Palm, Ed Colligan, pointed out some of the innovations Palm was once known for. For instance, when the Palm Pilot was first introduced, the competition was not a laptop or other smartphone; it was pen and paper. The near-legendary story goes that, when designing the perfect interface and form factor for the Palm Pilot, Ed and the other team members carried around a block of wood, pretending it was the perfect device. From that, the UI became intuitive, and the PDA was born. Similarly, when getting into the smartphone space, others tried to shrink the laptop; Palm tried to instead expand the range of the PDA, and it worked.
With all of that, Palm's Hail Mary is the Palm Pre: a completely new smartphone. The market has changed, so Palm's approach with the Pre has changed. Today, we have the iPhone, Blackberry, and Windows Mobile phones, as well as Google's Android platform just launching. Palm hired Jon Rubenstein away from Apple and focused on building an innovative product to take back the space that Apple had claimed, and the Pre does just that. It innovates in several excellent ways, and builds on both Palm's expertise and experience, in a way that is unique.
If you think of it, today's smartphone market is actually a selection of Frankensteins: each of the popular phones was an evolution of a solution to a specific problem. The iPhone is the mobile communication expression of the iPod: a device who's roots are in music, media, and smooth interaction with the Apple application universe. The Blackberry is the ultimate expression of an e-mail-only device, with media and web functions bolted on. Windows Mobile tries to be the familiar desktop operating system, on a smaller screen, for those who need that level of comfort. Android is..well, very raw and powerful, much like all of Google's great apps. But all of these are evolutions from a specific set of roots; the Pre is not. Here's some examples:
- In almost every popular mobile smartphone platform, the interface is modal: whatever you are doing completely takes over the screen at all times. Part of this is a result of programming for small screens, but mostly it's familiar. The Pre is not: alerts, emails, alarms, SMS...they all flow neatly into the edge of the screen, allowing you to expand their focus when you want, but not distracting you from finishing that e-mail or watching that video. In a mobile platform, that is incredibly powerful, and much more useful; only Google's Android even comes close to this.
- Apple innovated the touchscreen incredibly well with the iPhone. The Pre does better, simultaneously introducing intuitive gesture based navigation, while hearkening back to Palm's touchscreen/input area roots. No Save buttons; the Pre assumes everything is saved, always, and gives you access to all of your data or apps with a single finger flick.
- In every other platform, Search is an option. In the Pre, it's the default. Start typing, anywhere, and it immediately gives you the things that match. Application names, contacts, emails, songs, or web searches...no separate searches or even a search application; it just looks, and gives you the options. I have over 3000 contacts alone; being able to simply type whatever I am thinking, whether it be to settle a bet or make a phone call, and have the Pre do the work of finding it, is far, far better than having to bring up a phone app, scroll through the list, find the right number...
- Palm knows sync; in fact, they brought the concept to the world. As they point out in the keynote, the world's sync problems are different now. When the Palm Pilot came around, it was about digitizing your rolodex and syncing with your PC. Now, it's about keeping your social web in sync with your address book. The Pre assumes your data is "in the cloud;" it focuses on seamlessly, intuitively syncing your address book with Facebook, or Gmail, with little to no effort from you. To me, this is the most powerful feature: it's like Plaxo and Xobni in the UI of a phone. It makes the phone the central hub, not an add on, which reflects more and more the truth of smartphone users.
- The Pre does a lot of what they are calling "synergy." This means, for instance, if I get an SMS, the Pre shows me, but it also shows me if the person is on IM or e-mail. I can choose to carry on the same conversation, platform to platform, regardless; it focuses on the conversation, not the medium. This means if I get an IM, but the person signs off, I can continue the same conversation, in the same screen, over SMS or e-mail.
- The hardware is very well thought out. 3.1" screen (about .4" smaller than the iPhone) gives plenty of real estate. Slide out keyboard is a real winner and an iPhone killer, especially for those business users for e-mail. Form factor focuses on compact but not crowded: very elegant use of space, and very slim. Standards abound, from the headphone jack to Micro USB expansion slots. A removable battery, allowing the user to never be without. And, to my mind, best of all, wireless induction charging, allowing you to simply rest the phone on a small paperweight and it charges: no cables to plug in, no contacts to line up.
This device needed to be all that it is, and Palm delivered. It takes a radically different approach to the smartphone, and pays off in a revolutionary way, one that will yield dividends. As we felt when we saw the iPhone, this device changes everything. Ironically, it came the same week as the most lackluster Apple keynote since Steve returned to Apple, and the similarities of this keynote were startling. It was like the reality distortion field dissipated in Cupertino and reformed in Las Vegas: Ed Colligan did a great Steve Jobs, and Jon Rubenstein was a fantastic Jonathan Ives.
So, the $1,000,000 question: having been a true iPhone fanatic since the launch, and having completely come over to the Apple world, would I be willing to chuck the iPhone for a Palm Pre? The answer is a very surprising, but highly conditional, yes. Yep, I like what I see, and I can see this device answering a slew of problems I have. So why conditional?
- No one knows how much this device will cost. Rumors range from $99 to $399. Given that they are going after the iPhone and Android, it should cost about $199-$249. However, Palm has a shaky history on pricing: the new model Treos have routinely been at the $499 range, before they have lowered the price to something normal. To hit it out of the park, I'd say $199 is the magic number.
- Sprint is the only carrier, to start with. To be fair, I have little recent info on them, but Amy's Kindle uses Sprint's data network for it's connection, and that's been pretty poor where we live. I'm sure it's far better in the city, and, like my iPhone, I mostly use WiFi at home and the office. However, switching carriers is a big question mark for me, and I'd have to be seriously convinced of the reliability. Gotta say, I love the idea of having access to the NFL's exclusive mobile content to Sprint, though.
- In all of the cool demos, there was not a single shot I could find of the device's ability to play video. Honestly, this is one of the killer apps of the iPhone: watching movies or video podcasts is a no-brainer, and they look great. I find the lack of video demo suspicious, and makes me concerned about using the Pre as a media player.
- Likewise, the music player looks good, but the iPhone/iTunes sync is really what sets it apart. All I can think of, based on their insistence that this device is meant to be it's own stand alone, and the presence of a big internal memory, as well as expandability to other storage, means that there is no "music sync;" you just put it on the device, and manage your music there. Given their stress on "all Pre applications will have internet connectivity," I can only hope a native podcast client will also be part of it. With those, I could see freeing myself from iTunes.
- When does this thing come out? First half of 2009; um...huh? This is one area Apple excels at: they announce the device, and set the date. Between now and "then," we could have a whole new firmware revision to the iPhone (vastly increasing its capabilities); a slew of new Android phones (with a wealth of new applications), and more. This should have been ready to buy Feb. 1.
There are still lots more questions. How well will it support Exchange? I saw Chapura prominently listed as a partner up there; that makes me concerned that Exchange support will not be native. How powerful will the apps be? The iPhone has some serious hardware to take on even gaming consoles, but the Pre looks to be more lightweight, but easier to develop for. Given it's power to be the hub, how effectively does it back up? I lose or break my iPhone, and I can just plug in a new one, and it restores it perfectly. What will the PC/Mac interaction be? Or will there really need to be, given that you can mount it as a USB drive? Like I said, still lots more...
The Palm Pre looks to be a touchdown pass. It's focus on truly intuitive use, full seamless anticipatory integration of multiple social and personal sources of data, it's purported ease of development, and it's hardware all make it look like the Hail Mary we hoped for. But the lack of details I've outlined here will determine where Gerard Phelan lands with that ball cradled in his arms: the endzone, or out of bounds. I'm hoping, desperately, that this returns Palm to the forefront and adds to the legend.
For those of you that would like to see the actual CES hour long unveiling and full demo of the Pre, here you go, courtesy of Engadget. It's as enjoyable as any Apple keynote, and fascinating to see the real deal.
With all of that, Palm's Hail Mary is the Palm Pre: a completely new smartphone. The market has changed, so Palm's approach with the Pre has changed. Today, we have the iPhone, Blackberry, and Windows Mobile phones, as well as Google's Android platform just launching. Palm hired Jon Rubenstein away from Apple and focused on building an innovative product to take back the space that Apple had claimed, and the Pre does just that. It innovates in several excellent ways, and builds on both Palm's expertise and experience, in a way that is unique.If you think of it, today's smartphone market is actually a selection of Frankensteins: each of the popular phones was an evolution of a solution to a specific problem. The iPhone is the mobile communication expression of the iPod: a device who's roots are in music, media, and smooth interaction with the Apple application universe. The Blackberry is the ultimate expression of an e-mail-only device, with media and web functions bolted on. Windows Mobile tries to be the familiar desktop operating system, on a smaller screen, for those who need that level of comfort. Android is..well, very raw and powerful, much like all of Google's great apps. But all of these are evolutions from a specific set of roots; the Pre is not. Here's some examples:
- In almost every popular mobile smartphone platform, the interface is modal: whatever you are doing completely takes over the screen at all times. Part of this is a result of programming for small screens, but mostly it's familiar. The Pre is not: alerts, emails, alarms, SMS...they all flow neatly into the edge of the screen, allowing you to expand their focus when you want, but not distracting you from finishing that e-mail or watching that video. In a mobile platform, that is incredibly powerful, and much more useful; only Google's Android even comes close to this.
- Apple innovated the touchscreen incredibly well with the iPhone. The Pre does better, simultaneously introducing intuitive gesture based navigation, while hearkening back to Palm's touchscreen/input area roots. No Save buttons; the Pre assumes everything is saved, always, and gives you access to all of your data or apps with a single finger flick.
- In every other platform, Search is an option. In the Pre, it's the default. Start typing, anywhere, and it immediately gives you the things that match. Application names, contacts, emails, songs, or web searches...no separate searches or even a search application; it just looks, and gives you the options. I have over 3000 contacts alone; being able to simply type whatever I am thinking, whether it be to settle a bet or make a phone call, and have the Pre do the work of finding it, is far, far better than having to bring up a phone app, scroll through the list, find the right number...
- Palm knows sync; in fact, they brought the concept to the world. As they point out in the keynote, the world's sync problems are different now. When the Palm Pilot came around, it was about digitizing your rolodex and syncing with your PC. Now, it's about keeping your social web in sync with your address book. The Pre assumes your data is "in the cloud;" it focuses on seamlessly, intuitively syncing your address book with Facebook, or Gmail, with little to no effort from you. To me, this is the most powerful feature: it's like Plaxo and Xobni in the UI of a phone. It makes the phone the central hub, not an add on, which reflects more and more the truth of smartphone users.
- The Pre does a lot of what they are calling "synergy." This means, for instance, if I get an SMS, the Pre shows me, but it also shows me if the person is on IM or e-mail. I can choose to carry on the same conversation, platform to platform, regardless; it focuses on the conversation, not the medium. This means if I get an IM, but the person signs off, I can continue the same conversation, in the same screen, over SMS or e-mail.
- The hardware is very well thought out. 3.1" screen (about .4" smaller than the iPhone) gives plenty of real estate. Slide out keyboard is a real winner and an iPhone killer, especially for those business users for e-mail. Form factor focuses on compact but not crowded: very elegant use of space, and very slim. Standards abound, from the headphone jack to Micro USB expansion slots. A removable battery, allowing the user to never be without. And, to my mind, best of all, wireless induction charging, allowing you to simply rest the phone on a small paperweight and it charges: no cables to plug in, no contacts to line up.
This device needed to be all that it is, and Palm delivered. It takes a radically different approach to the smartphone, and pays off in a revolutionary way, one that will yield dividends. As we felt when we saw the iPhone, this device changes everything. Ironically, it came the same week as the most lackluster Apple keynote since Steve returned to Apple, and the similarities of this keynote were startling. It was like the reality distortion field dissipated in Cupertino and reformed in Las Vegas: Ed Colligan did a great Steve Jobs, and Jon Rubenstein was a fantastic Jonathan Ives.So, the $1,000,000 question: having been a true iPhone fanatic since the launch, and having completely come over to the Apple world, would I be willing to chuck the iPhone for a Palm Pre? The answer is a very surprising, but highly conditional, yes. Yep, I like what I see, and I can see this device answering a slew of problems I have. So why conditional?
- No one knows how much this device will cost. Rumors range from $99 to $399. Given that they are going after the iPhone and Android, it should cost about $199-$249. However, Palm has a shaky history on pricing: the new model Treos have routinely been at the $499 range, before they have lowered the price to something normal. To hit it out of the park, I'd say $199 is the magic number.
- Sprint is the only carrier, to start with. To be fair, I have little recent info on them, but Amy's Kindle uses Sprint's data network for it's connection, and that's been pretty poor where we live. I'm sure it's far better in the city, and, like my iPhone, I mostly use WiFi at home and the office. However, switching carriers is a big question mark for me, and I'd have to be seriously convinced of the reliability. Gotta say, I love the idea of having access to the NFL's exclusive mobile content to Sprint, though.
- In all of the cool demos, there was not a single shot I could find of the device's ability to play video. Honestly, this is one of the killer apps of the iPhone: watching movies or video podcasts is a no-brainer, and they look great. I find the lack of video demo suspicious, and makes me concerned about using the Pre as a media player.
- Likewise, the music player looks good, but the iPhone/iTunes sync is really what sets it apart. All I can think of, based on their insistence that this device is meant to be it's own stand alone, and the presence of a big internal memory, as well as expandability to other storage, means that there is no "music sync;" you just put it on the device, and manage your music there. Given their stress on "all Pre applications will have internet connectivity," I can only hope a native podcast client will also be part of it. With those, I could see freeing myself from iTunes.
- When does this thing come out? First half of 2009; um...huh? This is one area Apple excels at: they announce the device, and set the date. Between now and "then," we could have a whole new firmware revision to the iPhone (vastly increasing its capabilities); a slew of new Android phones (with a wealth of new applications), and more. This should have been ready to buy Feb. 1.
There are still lots more questions. How well will it support Exchange? I saw Chapura prominently listed as a partner up there; that makes me concerned that Exchange support will not be native. How powerful will the apps be? The iPhone has some serious hardware to take on even gaming consoles, but the Pre looks to be more lightweight, but easier to develop for. Given it's power to be the hub, how effectively does it back up? I lose or break my iPhone, and I can just plug in a new one, and it restores it perfectly. What will the PC/Mac interaction be? Or will there really need to be, given that you can mount it as a USB drive? Like I said, still lots more...
The Palm Pre looks to be a touchdown pass. It's focus on truly intuitive use, full seamless anticipatory integration of multiple social and personal sources of data, it's purported ease of development, and it's hardware all make it look like the Hail Mary we hoped for. But the lack of details I've outlined here will determine where Gerard Phelan lands with that ball cradled in his arms: the endzone, or out of bounds. I'm hoping, desperately, that this returns Palm to the forefront and adds to the legend.
For those of you that would like to see the actual CES hour long unveiling and full demo of the Pre, here you go, courtesy of Engadget. It's as enjoyable as any Apple keynote, and fascinating to see the real deal.
Labels: cell phones, Facebook, gadgets, GPS, hardware, iPhone, Palm, social networks, Treo
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Catching Up With Comics, Digital Style
I've confessed to my secret of being a comic book geek before. What I have not confessed previously is that I am a lapsed comic book geek: the last time I bought a comic was more than 5 years ago, and that was for a set of Green Arrow's, autographed by one of my idols, Kevin Smith (yes, THAT Kevin Smith: he's not just a director; he also occasionally dabbles in comic book writing...brilliantly). But other than that, the last time I seriously stepped foot in a comics store and snapped up a dozen titles was well over a decade ago.
Why? It was a combination of factors: the costs of the books were skyrocketing, the storylines were getting stale, the spinoffs on top of spinoffs were diluting the character base...the list goes on. There was a time that my month was not complete without happily dropping $20-$30 on a stack of issues, and greedily consuming them. But the biggest reason I stopped was the physical nature: I already had boxes and boxes of comics, lovingly bagged and preserved, and I was tired of the volume of space they took up. I still have the boxes of them all, and I'm sure they are quite the collection; I actually inventoried them years ago, and was impressed. But that was it.
Then came the renaissance of comic book movies. I was hooked again. I started to get that old feeling, but couldn't overcome my paper problem. I looked for a digital solution, and Marvel Comics gave me one: Marvel Digital Comics. Not just scanned, these were the original pages, put up by Marvel, and each panel encoded in such a way that the screen would not just put up a whole page, but allow you to move, panel by panel, through the whole issue, in just the manner you would read the actual book. This holiday, Lani and Pete thoughtfully gave me an annual subscription, and I dove in to the collection of over 5000 Marvel titles.
After a week of delightful immersion, here are my impressions:
The Good:
Comics are, by definition, epics. There are seminal events in comics that have ramifications throughout multiple series. Frequently, you will find references to these events, and you are lost if you haven't been keeping up. In the physical world, the comic publishers bind these key event in a trade paperback for about $20 and release them, so you can have a one stop locale to catch up, but this is non-existent in these digital comics.
Most of these events are natural contractions. It's a familiar problem in comic books to introduce dozens, if not hundreds, of characters for short runs to serve a specific storyline. To do this, they need a standard mechanism: after all, it's kinda hard to keep recycling the "alien comes to earth" or "bitten by a radioactive ," or "scientific accident gone wrong." In the DC Universe, this was always done with the old "alternate Earth" explanation; in Marvel, it's Mutants, which started with the X-Men. Over time, these characters grow so numerous, and both the audience and the readers tire of the same explanations, it becomes obvious there needs to be a major pruning done. DC did this in the early 1990's with the Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline, which wiped out dozens of superfluous and unneeded characters. In Marvel, they did the same in the last decade with a storyline called House of M, nicely encapsulated in an 8 part minseries.
Yet how did I find this out? Well, it started with my friend Charles trying to catch me up on the doings in the comic world with a short 10 minute synopsis. My head spinning, I turned to Marvel Digital Comics. Now, this being one of the premier events in the last decade, don't you think they might make an effort to guide readers to it? Or the Civil War storyline, which influenced the last scene of the recent Iron Man movie? Or the death of Captain America, which even the venerable New York Times covered? Or World War Hulk? Or the "Illuminati," which forces all comic readers to re-evaluate 30 years of comic book storylines? The list goes on, but none of that is offered by Marvel. Instead, I was forced to scour Wikipedia for the clues to what books to read, and what issues, in hopes of piecing these major storylines together. Bottom line: this is a great service, well worth the price of the subscription, but it is unnecessarily daunting for the casual comic reader or, in my case, the lapsed one. Give me a guide, folks; point me in the right direction.
As advertising revenue declines, and economic pressures rise, this medium faces an upcoming crisis. Digital comics are a great counter to that: they cost far less to produce, offer a rich experience that's akin to the traditional one, and can be counted on for subscription revenue that does not have to be shared with specialty retailers. By adding guides for the "newbies," they can easily go beyond the hardcore comics nerds, and appeal to those same people gladly shelling out hard cash for movie tickets to The Incredible Hulk, or picking up the special edition DVD of Iron Man.
I'd love to see three innovations to make this really take off:
1. DC Comics, get with the program. You already offer PDF previews; move into the digitized world and start capitalizing on Batman, Watchmen and Superman movie popularity with this new medium.
2. With the explosion of smartphones, let's see this medium expand to the handheld. The big screens and powerful graphics capabilities of today's iPhones, Blackberries, and Windows Mobile devices are ideally suited to display panel-based stories. Plus, reading them on the go is where people love to consume smaller, quicker printed media. Japan already does this regularly with manga; let's see it hit the small screen.
3. Digitize your compendia of graphic novels that are really collections of major storylines, and offer them. Want to charge an extra buck or two for them? Ok, you've got it. But the key is to realize that you put these on the shelf of Barnes & Noble to attract the casual reader; tap into that same vein online. And yes, point people to them.
The experience of digital comics is definitely a breath of fresh air for me, and has rekindled my fascination for these modern day myths. I would just like to see it flourish, and, with a few small, but important steps, it can go from an experiment to a whole new online revolution. Imagine being able to post the latest digital cover to your Facebook account, with a comment reviewing it, and letting your friends be able to discover it. Much like MP3's made the whole iPod/iPhone revolution, just think what this media could do for both online and handhelds.
Ok, back to hunting through old issues. The Avengers were disbanded? There are only 198 mutants left? Iron Fist is now Daredevil? Whew, I have a lot more to catch up on!
I've confessed to my secret of being a comic book geek before. What I have not confessed previously is that I am a lapsed comic book geek: the last time I bought a comic was more than 5 years ago, and that was for a set of Green Arrow's, autographed by one of my idols, Kevin Smith (yes, THAT Kevin Smith: he's not just a director; he also occasionally dabbles in comic book writing...brilliantly). But other than that, the last time I seriously stepped foot in a comics store and snapped up a dozen titles was well over a decade ago.Why? It was a combination of factors: the costs of the books were skyrocketing, the storylines were getting stale, the spinoffs on top of spinoffs were diluting the character base...the list goes on. There was a time that my month was not complete without happily dropping $20-$30 on a stack of issues, and greedily consuming them. But the biggest reason I stopped was the physical nature: I already had boxes and boxes of comics, lovingly bagged and preserved, and I was tired of the volume of space they took up. I still have the boxes of them all, and I'm sure they are quite the collection; I actually inventoried them years ago, and was impressed. But that was it.
Then came the renaissance of comic book movies. I was hooked again. I started to get that old feeling, but couldn't overcome my paper problem. I looked for a digital solution, and Marvel Comics gave me one: Marvel Digital Comics. Not just scanned, these were the original pages, put up by Marvel, and each panel encoded in such a way that the screen would not just put up a whole page, but allow you to move, panel by panel, through the whole issue, in just the manner you would read the actual book. This holiday, Lani and Pete thoughtfully gave me an annual subscription, and I dove in to the collection of over 5000 Marvel titles.
After a week of delightful immersion, here are my impressions:
The Good:
- Great selection of titles, with both limited and regular series available, from the last 30 years.
- The viewer is smooth, and powerful, with almost no glitches.
- Thoughtfully, you can move to the next issue in a series as you read them, rather than having to go back to the site and select the next.
- The ability to browse the catalog and create a "must-read" list is incredibly helpful. Though it would be nice if it took it off you list once you read a title from your list.
- Good search capability, and nice options for reading and zooming.
- Incredibly good quality. Forget crappy paper and over saturated colors; this is pristine.
Comics are, by definition, epics. There are seminal events in comics that have ramifications throughout multiple series. Frequently, you will find references to these events, and you are lost if you haven't been keeping up. In the physical world, the comic publishers bind these key event in a trade paperback for about $20 and release them, so you can have a one stop locale to catch up, but this is non-existent in these digital comics.
Most of these events are natural contractions. It's a familiar problem in comic books to introduce dozens, if not hundreds, of characters for short runs to serve a specific storyline. To do this, they need a standard mechanism: after all, it's kinda hard to keep recycling the "alien comes to earth" or "bitten by a radioactive Yet how did I find this out? Well, it started with my friend Charles trying to catch me up on the doings in the comic world with a short 10 minute synopsis. My head spinning, I turned to Marvel Digital Comics. Now, this being one of the premier events in the last decade, don't you think they might make an effort to guide readers to it? Or the Civil War storyline, which influenced the last scene of the recent Iron Man movie? Or the death of Captain America, which even the venerable New York Times covered? Or World War Hulk? Or the "Illuminati," which forces all comic readers to re-evaluate 30 years of comic book storylines? The list goes on, but none of that is offered by Marvel. Instead, I was forced to scour Wikipedia for the clues to what books to read, and what issues, in hopes of piecing these major storylines together. Bottom line: this is a great service, well worth the price of the subscription, but it is unnecessarily daunting for the casual comic reader or, in my case, the lapsed one. Give me a guide, folks; point me in the right direction.
As advertising revenue declines, and economic pressures rise, this medium faces an upcoming crisis. Digital comics are a great counter to that: they cost far less to produce, offer a rich experience that's akin to the traditional one, and can be counted on for subscription revenue that does not have to be shared with specialty retailers. By adding guides for the "newbies," they can easily go beyond the hardcore comics nerds, and appeal to those same people gladly shelling out hard cash for movie tickets to The Incredible Hulk, or picking up the special edition DVD of Iron Man.
I'd love to see three innovations to make this really take off:
1. DC Comics, get with the program. You already offer PDF previews; move into the digitized world and start capitalizing on Batman, Watchmen and Superman movie popularity with this new medium.
3. Digitize your compendia of graphic novels that are really collections of major storylines, and offer them. Want to charge an extra buck or two for them? Ok, you've got it. But the key is to realize that you put these on the shelf of Barnes & Noble to attract the casual reader; tap into that same vein online. And yes, point people to them.
The experience of digital comics is definitely a breath of fresh air for me, and has rekindled my fascination for these modern day myths. I would just like to see it flourish, and, with a few small, but important steps, it can go from an experiment to a whole new online revolution. Imagine being able to post the latest digital cover to your Facebook account, with a comment reviewing it, and letting your friends be able to discover it. Much like MP3's made the whole iPod/iPhone revolution, just think what this media could do for both online and handhelds.
Ok, back to hunting through old issues. The Avengers were disbanded? There are only 198 mutants left? Iron Fist is now Daredevil? Whew, I have a lot more to catch up on!
Free Yourself From Paper...For Free
It comes as no surprise to regular readers of this sporadically-published blog, but I hate paper. And my hatred is only typified by faxes. In this day and age of scanners, PDF's, and e-mail, it is simply unacceptable to me to have to be enslaved to 1970's technology to such a degree. I frequently draft contracts, turn them into PDF's (complete with my digitized signature), and e-mail them, but the recipient is forced to print the damned thing, sign their names, and fax them back to me. Argh.
I've used virtual faxing services before, such as eFax (I actually closed paperwork on buying a house with it), but they don't always meet my occasional needs for the cost they incur. Fortunately, today, I discovered one free alternative: jConnect offers a free receive-only fax account that delivers faxes sent to my virtual number right to my e-mail. Did I mention it's free? That it costs nothing? Nada? Zip?
If you have the occasional need to receive faxes, I cannot recommend this free service enough. Took seconds to sign up, and I was receiving faxes in my Gmail in minutes. In these troubled economic times (drink), any advantage you can get to save money, stop wasting paper, and receive those pesky faxes anywhere you have a computer is a nice deal.
It comes as no surprise to regular readers of this sporadically-published blog, but I hate paper. And my hatred is only typified by faxes. In this day and age of scanners, PDF's, and e-mail, it is simply unacceptable to me to have to be enslaved to 1970's technology to such a degree. I frequently draft contracts, turn them into PDF's (complete with my digitized signature), and e-mail them, but the recipient is forced to print the damned thing, sign their names, and fax them back to me. Argh.I've used virtual faxing services before, such as eFax (I actually closed paperwork on buying a house with it), but they don't always meet my occasional needs for the cost they incur. Fortunately, today, I discovered one free alternative: jConnect offers a free receive-only fax account that delivers faxes sent to my virtual number right to my e-mail. Did I mention it's free? That it costs nothing? Nada? Zip?
If you have the occasional need to receive faxes, I cannot recommend this free service enough. Took seconds to sign up, and I was receiving faxes in my Gmail in minutes. In these troubled economic times (drink), any advantage you can get to save money, stop wasting paper, and receive those pesky faxes anywhere you have a computer is a nice deal.
