Tretakoff Musings
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Desperadoes: iPhone App-Style
ever since the launch of the Apple iTunes App Store for the iPhone, Apple has straddled the line between being an agnostic content aggregator and a fascistic controller of content that makes the Chinese government look like the Wild West. Case in point is that I now have not one, not two, but three separate applications on my iPhone that have since been removed from the Apple store for further downloads, with no explanation. Let's have a look at these insidious apps, shall we, and see what evil they have wrought.
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First up, Tapulous' Friend Book. Tapulous are the makers of the Twitter iPhone client, Twinkle, that was easily one of the most popular Jailbroken applications before they went all legit. In addition, they make Tap Tap Revenge, an iPhone enabled version of Dance Dance Revolution. Friend Book delivers photo dialing, powerful contact search, but best of all, Handshake: select a contact record, hold two iPhones running Friend Book together, and shake. Voila, the contact is sent to the other iPhone. Cool, huh? It's gone. In all fairness, Apple is innocent on this one; Tapulous pulled it down, as it was not up to their expected quality. But I'm still photo dialing away...
Next, Box Office. A simple app that pulls down the movies playing near you, allows you to browse buy title or theater, shows the current showtimes and Rotten Tomatoes score, and even links to let you buy tickets. Free, powerful, helpful, and leverages the geolocation ability of the iPhone. And removed from the store with no explanation.
Finally, PhoneSaber. This app was a lark to me: it leveraged the motion sensing of the iPhone to let you swing a virtual light saber back and forth, complete with correct sound effects for the movement. Free, it was fun, but to watch the transformative effects on non tech folks, you would think it was Apple's best ad. But, alas, you can't have it. Why? Because the license holder for Star Wars content on mobiles objects. As Obi Wan said, "I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened."
Look, I'm all in favor of Apple trying to maintain quality, but you can't do it both ways. My iPhone continues to work perfectly with these apps on it; yours would, too. So this either needs to be an open marketplace, or a closed one with clear rules. But this halfway stuff is what makes people crazy and drives them to strip the DRM and set up Jailbreaking all over again. Even worse, now comes word that Apple may have the ability to remotely remove apps from your phone, even if you've installed them.
Apple, it's time to lead, follow, or get out of the way.
ever since the launch of the Apple iTunes App Store for the iPhone, Apple has straddled the line between being an agnostic content aggregator and a fascistic controller of content that makes the Chinese government look like the Wild West. Case in point is that I now have not one, not two, but three separate applications on my iPhone that have since been removed from the Apple store for further downloads, with no explanation. Let's have a look at these insidious apps, shall we, and see what evil they have wrought.-708062.jpg)
First up, Tapulous' Friend Book. Tapulous are the makers of the Twitter iPhone client, Twinkle, that was easily one of the most popular Jailbroken applications before they went all legit. In addition, they make Tap Tap Revenge, an iPhone enabled version of Dance Dance Revolution. Friend Book delivers photo dialing, powerful contact search, but best of all, Handshake: select a contact record, hold two iPhones running Friend Book together, and shake. Voila, the contact is sent to the other iPhone. Cool, huh? It's gone. In all fairness, Apple is innocent on this one; Tapulous pulled it down, as it was not up to their expected quality. But I'm still photo dialing away...
Next, Box Office. A simple app that pulls down the movies playing near you, allows you to browse buy title or theater, shows the current showtimes and Rotten Tomatoes score, and even links to let you buy tickets. Free, powerful, helpful, and leverages the geolocation ability of the iPhone. And removed from the store with no explanation. Finally, PhoneSaber. This app was a lark to me: it leveraged the motion sensing of the iPhone to let you swing a virtual light saber back and forth, complete with correct sound effects for the movement. Free, it was fun, but to watch the transformative effects on non tech folks, you would think it was Apple's best ad. But, alas, you can't have it. Why? Because the license holder for Star Wars content on mobiles objects. As Obi Wan said, "I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened."Look, I'm all in favor of Apple trying to maintain quality, but you can't do it both ways. My iPhone continues to work perfectly with these apps on it; yours would, too. So this either needs to be an open marketplace, or a closed one with clear rules. But this halfway stuff is what makes people crazy and drives them to strip the DRM and set up Jailbreaking all over again. Even worse, now comes word that Apple may have the ability to remotely remove apps from your phone, even if you've installed them.
Apple, it's time to lead, follow, or get out of the way.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
BD -Live Movies: Overcoming Time And Space
We're not native Californians, but we sure do love living here. However, Amy still misses her sister back in Boston: she talks on the phone with her constantly, visits her (here or there) at least once a year, and more. When the movie Sex and the City came out this year, there was no one she wanted to see it more with than her sister, and she was determined to, even though they were 3000 miles apart.
She thought about what were the essentials that she wanted to capture:
- The ability to see the movie, at the same time
- The ability to share their expectations before the movie
- The ability to share their impressions after the movie
So, armed with this, she hopped online and found a theater that was running a showing out here, and a theater in her sister's area that was showing it exactly three hours later. She bought the tickets for both, called her sister, and said, "We're going to the movies." At the appointed times, both drove to their respective theaters, chatting on the phone with bubbling anticipation. They chatted all the way into the actual theater, then said goodbye as the previews started. After the film, one immediately called the other so they could gushingly relive those shared wonderful moments. They giggled all the way home, and said goodbye.
Yes, they had just seen a movie together, thanks to the Internet and cell phones. Now, imagine one of them could have rented a Blu-Ray DVD, and scheduled a time to watch it...on both of their TV screens? Even better, imagine they could have invited a friend in South Carolina to watch, too, or even a relative in Hong Kong. And, during the movie, they could have had a little chat window up on the screen, for the comments to share? A little known feature of Blu-Ray, called BD Live, does exactly this. And, it seems that BD Live will finally get it's big debut with the release of The Dark Knight this fall.
Like many advanced DVD features (multiple angles, zoom, etc.), this BD Live feature seemed doomed to esoterica. However, according to the article, as The Dark Knight is expected to be one of the biggest DVD releases ever, "the studio has hinted that a group of people will be able to start the movie simultaneously allowing for chat under and after the movie." BluRay manufacturers need to push this idea, as you would need a BluRay device in each home to participate. Sony needs to push it hard, as they make the cheapest BluRay player out there, in the form of the Playstation 3.
But, as much as The Dark Knight is going to be a great success for this, I think the marketing is all wrong here. First, forget Batman; focus on Carrie: do this with the release of Sex and the City. Second, put an ad campaign together, sponsored by Absolut or Grey Goose, for a night of "Sex and Cosmos," promoting multiple simultaneous viewings for fans of the show and movie, along with instructions for drinks, and how to arrange a "Sex and the City" party for you and your friends at home with your BluRay player, so you can all join in the fun. And finally, promote the simultaneous Chat feature with a special viewing on BD Live with some of the stars of the film...sponsored by whomever. I mean, if you want to see this technology take off, let the women be inspired to buy Playstation's!
We're not native Californians, but we sure do love living here. However, Amy still misses her sister back in Boston: she talks on the phone with her constantly, visits her (here or there) at least once a year, and more. When the movie Sex and the City came out this year, there was no one she wanted to see it more with than her sister, and she was determined to, even though they were 3000 miles apart.She thought about what were the essentials that she wanted to capture:
- The ability to see the movie, at the same time
- The ability to share their expectations before the movie
- The ability to share their impressions after the movie
So, armed with this, she hopped online and found a theater that was running a showing out here, and a theater in her sister's area that was showing it exactly three hours later. She bought the tickets for both, called her sister, and said, "We're going to the movies." At the appointed times, both drove to their respective theaters, chatting on the phone with bubbling anticipation. They chatted all the way into the actual theater, then said goodbye as the previews started. After the film, one immediately called the other so they could gushingly relive those shared wonderful moments. They giggled all the way home, and said goodbye.
Yes, they had just seen a movie together, thanks to the Internet and cell phones. Now, imagine one of them could have rented a Blu-Ray DVD, and scheduled a time to watch it...on both of their TV screens? Even better, imagine they could have invited a friend in South Carolina to watch, too, or even a relative in Hong Kong. And, during the movie, they could have had a little chat window up on the screen, for the comments to share? A little known feature of Blu-Ray, called BD Live, does exactly this. And, it seems that BD Live will finally get it's big debut with the release of The Dark Knight this fall.Like many advanced DVD features (multiple angles, zoom, etc.), this BD Live feature seemed doomed to esoterica. However, according to the article, as The Dark Knight is expected to be one of the biggest DVD releases ever, "the studio has hinted that a group of people will be able to start the movie simultaneously allowing for chat under and after the movie." BluRay manufacturers need to push this idea, as you would need a BluRay device in each home to participate. Sony needs to push it hard, as they make the cheapest BluRay player out there, in the form of the Playstation 3.
But, as much as The Dark Knight is going to be a great success for this, I think the marketing is all wrong here. First, forget Batman; focus on Carrie: do this with the release of Sex and the City. Second, put an ad campaign together, sponsored by Absolut or Grey Goose, for a night of "Sex and Cosmos," promoting multiple simultaneous viewings for fans of the show and movie, along with instructions for drinks, and how to arrange a "Sex and the City" party for you and your friends at home with your BluRay player, so you can all join in the fun. And finally, promote the simultaneous Chat feature with a special viewing on BD Live with some of the stars of the film...sponsored by whomever. I mean, if you want to see this technology take off, let the women be inspired to buy Playstation's!Labels: movies
Is this REALLY where you want flames?
I'm rather left speechless at The Sportsman's Guide's latest home decor addition. This is like having a hot tub emblazoned with images of ice cubes.
I'm rather left speechless at The Sportsman's Guide's latest home decor addition. This is like having a hot tub emblazoned with images of ice cubes.Labels: fun
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Universal Wishlist, Amazon Style
How the heck did I not hear about this? Amazon has expanded the functionality of their wishlists to any other site online. Yep, that's right: you can now add any item, from any site, to Amazon's wishlist, with one click. I was using TheThingsIWant.com for this, but Amazon integration? Count me in, folks.
How the heck did I not hear about this? Amazon has expanded the functionality of their wishlists to any other site online. Yep, that's right: you can now add any item, from any site, to Amazon's wishlist, with one click. I was using TheThingsIWant.com for this, but Amazon integration? Count me in, folks.
Clearly Insecure
When I wrote my blog post on the Clear program for airport security, I had no inkling of just how it could transform from a scam to an outright security threat. However, it seems it has come to pass, as a laptop with over 30K members' information has vanished.
Clearly, a bad decision.
When I wrote my blog post on the Clear program for airport security, I had no inkling of just how it could transform from a scam to an outright security threat. However, it seems it has come to pass, as a laptop with over 30K members' information has vanished. Clearly, a bad decision.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Whale Watching
Twinkle continues its evolution of the application, along with it's cetacean manifestation. Note the classic language use, to boot: plural "internets," a well-known meme; the ubiquitous misspelling of "teh". These guys just plain get it.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Back To You meets Bad Influence
This can't be real life. In Philadelphia, we have a tale of two news anchors. You know, those folks that laugh and smile on newscasts, yet probably hate each other off camera? Never truer words were said, as the antics of these two simply defy imagination.
Some examples?
And you thought local TV news was boring!
This can't be real life. In Philadelphia, we have a tale of two news anchors. You know, those folks that laugh and smile on newscasts, yet probably hate each other off camera? Never truer words were said, as the antics of these two simply defy imagination.Some examples?
- One, Larry Mendte, was recently fired, then hacked into his co-anchor Alycia Lane's e-mail account over 500 times.
- Lane had an off-air scuffle with an NYPD officer.
- Mendte shared some of Lane's personal emails with a print reporter.
- Lane sends cheesecake photos of herself to NFL Network's Rich Eisen, only to have them opened by Eisen's wife.
And you thought local TV news was boring!
Labels: news
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Watch. Like. BUY.
About a decade ago, I was running the new media ventures of a large specialty electronics and gifts company. While the web was my primary focus, I still experimented with a few offbeat ideas. One was from the country's largest cable company: they wanted to introduce one-click buying of items that were featured in certain television shows.
It worked like this: the cable company would get advance viewings of upcoming episodes of popular shows. They would then look for products in the shows, and find retailers who sold them. Then, after making deals with people like me, when the show actually ran, there would be a little pop-up on screen, inviting you to buy the item for $X, and it would be billed to your cable bill, and sent to the house where your cable service was. Thus, you'd be watching an episode of Friends, and see a cool stereo; the pop-up would come up, and with one click of the remote, you could have Ross and Rachel's very own jukebox. Slick, huh? Of course, it never happened or worked; don't ask me why.
Well, Tivo's looking for more revenue, so, like a bad rerun of an old mummy movie, or DIVX, this idea has returned from the dead. Leveraging their Amazon partnership for Unbox (now Amazon On Demand), Tivo has announced a way to allow people to use their remote to buy the items they see featured in a program, even a live one. Helpfully, the New York Times points out "...if a viewer chooses to buy an advertised item during a broadcast, TiVo records the rest of the program so the viewer can easily return to it after the purchase. TiVo users will also be able to save their intended purchases in their Amazon account and return to the site later to complete the transaction."
For Tivo's sake, I hope this works. They need a silver bullet, as being slaves to DirecTV or Comcast clearly ain't doing it. Here's to hoping good old fashioned capitalism saves them and makes them ubiquitous.
It worked like this: the cable company would get advance viewings of upcoming episodes of popular shows. They would then look for products in the shows, and find retailers who sold them. Then, after making deals with people like me, when the show actually ran, there would be a little pop-up on screen, inviting you to buy the item for $X, and it would be billed to your cable bill, and sent to the house where your cable service was. Thus, you'd be watching an episode of Friends, and see a cool stereo; the pop-up would come up, and with one click of the remote, you could have Ross and Rachel's very own jukebox. Slick, huh? Of course, it never happened or worked; don't ask me why.
Well, Tivo's looking for more revenue, so, like a bad rerun of an old mummy movie, or DIVX, this idea has returned from the dead. Leveraging their Amazon partnership for Unbox (now Amazon On Demand), Tivo has announced a way to allow people to use their remote to buy the items they see featured in a program, even a live one. Helpfully, the New York Times points out "...if a viewer chooses to buy an advertised item during a broadcast, TiVo records the rest of the program so the viewer can easily return to it after the purchase. TiVo users will also be able to save their intended purchases in their Amazon account and return to the site later to complete the transaction."For Tivo's sake, I hope this works. They need a silver bullet, as being slaves to DirecTV or Comcast clearly ain't doing it. Here's to hoping good old fashioned capitalism saves them and makes them ubiquitous.
A Tale of Exchange, Gmail and the iPhone
With iPhone 2.0, you now have Exchange support. For folks like me, this is great, but has some side effects.
First, I use Outlook to pull down mail from my personal email accounts during the day. With Exchange, those emails show up in my Exchange box with no issues. However, on my iPhone, I also have my personal email set up: I use Google's Apps For Domains, and it's set up as an IMAP account. The side effect is that, even though I am reading my personal email through Exchange, I am also constantly notified that I have 25 emails through my personal account. Annoying. Sure, I could just delete my personal account from the iPhone, but I want photos and notes sent from the phone to come from my personal email, not a work one. What to do?
It's complicated, but here's how I solved it:
1. Go into your Gmail. Create a new Filter, in your Settings.
2. In your filter, look for the words "is:unread" (without the quotes), and choose to mark any with those words as Read.
3. Apply the filter to all unread emails already there.
Now, all of your current emails in Gmail will be marked read, as well as new emails. However, the mails will continue to be retrieved by Outlook just like before, and the emails will show up as new in your Exchange mailbox. Best of all, your iPhone will now truly show the number of unread emails.
Note this only works if you are using Google Apps for Domains for your email or Gmail; IMAP setup on the iPhone for your Gmail/personal mail; and you don't want new mail to be unread on the web version of Gmail. My tests were, after this setup:
A) Does personal mail show in Outlook as Unread?
B) Does personal mail show in Gmail as Read?
C) Does personal mail show up in both places?
D) Does the iPhone now not show # of unread for personal mail? In other words, only showing the number of unread emails for my Exchange mailbox?
E) Can I send photos from the iPhone on my personal mail account, by default?
Maybe pretty specialized, but hope it helps!
Special thanks to this post for the filter tip.
With iPhone 2.0, you now have Exchange support. For folks like me, this is great, but has some side effects.First, I use Outlook to pull down mail from my personal email accounts during the day. With Exchange, those emails show up in my Exchange box with no issues. However, on my iPhone, I also have my personal email set up: I use Google's Apps For Domains, and it's set up as an IMAP account. The side effect is that, even though I am reading my personal email through Exchange, I am also constantly notified that I have 25 emails through my personal account. Annoying. Sure, I could just delete my personal account from the iPhone, but I want photos and notes sent from the phone to come from my personal email, not a work one. What to do?
It's complicated, but here's how I solved it:
1. Go into your Gmail. Create a new Filter, in your Settings.
2. In your filter, look for the words "is:unread" (without the quotes), and choose to mark any with those words as Read.
3. Apply the filter to all unread emails already there.
Now, all of your current emails in Gmail will be marked read, as well as new emails. However, the mails will continue to be retrieved by Outlook just like before, and the emails will show up as new in your Exchange mailbox. Best of all, your iPhone will now truly show the number of unread emails.
Note this only works if you are using Google Apps for Domains for your email or Gmail; IMAP setup on the iPhone for your Gmail/personal mail; and you don't want new mail to be unread on the web version of Gmail. My tests were, after this setup:
A) Does personal mail show in Outlook as Unread?
B) Does personal mail show in Gmail as Read?
C) Does personal mail show up in both places?
D) Does the iPhone now not show # of unread for personal mail? In other words, only showing the number of unread emails for my Exchange mailbox?
E) Can I send photos from the iPhone on my personal mail account, by default?
Maybe pretty specialized, but hope it helps!
Special thanks to this post for the filter tip.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Evolution Of An Icon
Just installed Tapulous' Twinkle, which is an amazing location-aware Twitter client, on my iPhone. Of course, as expected, Twitter was having access issues. If you have ever encountered these issues on Twitter itself, they usually put up a cartoony picture of a whale, which has inevitably lead to the name "fail whale." So imagine my amusement at seeing this clever icon in Twinkle:
Yep, the fail whale is now a slick looking icon. Bravo, Tapulous. Bravo.
Thanks to Pete for pointing out the new way to take an iPhone screenshot!
Yep, the fail whale is now a slick looking icon. Bravo, Tapulous. Bravo.
Thanks to Pete for pointing out the new way to take an iPhone screenshot!
Labels: iPhone, social networks, Software
Friday, July 18, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Schmap Redux
Just a quick note that Schmap, the travel guide site I mentioned in February, has released an iPhone version. Even better, in a burst of savvy viral marketing, they emailed the folks who contributed photos...or were harvested from Flickr. And, completing the viral circle, I have now fulfilled my blogging duty by letting you know. Congrats, my loyal minions. :-)
Just a quick note that Schmap, the travel guide site I mentioned in February, has released an iPhone version. Even better, in a burst of savvy viral marketing, they emailed the folks who contributed photos...or were harvested from Flickr. And, completing the viral circle, I have now fulfilled my blogging duty by letting you know. Congrats, my loyal minions. :-) Saturday, July 12, 2008
Reservations Required
This summer, the movie business has seen its ups and downs. Iron Man was a huge hit; Speed Racer was a crash and burn. Sex and The City was a sleeper surprise; The Love Guru just needed to be put to sleep. Always reliable Pixar served up another hit with Wall-E, and The Dark Knight is on the horizon; hopefully, those will make up for the duds that look to be in the form of Step Brothers and Tropic Thunder. In short, the movies maintain their boom or bust approach, even as they scream about the increased piracy and pressure, and the ticket prices keep skyrocketing.
So, imagine my surprise when I found a theater that was actually innovating. No, not bigger screens or louder sounds, or 3D gimmicks. Instead, Robert Redford's Sundance company bought two theaters: one in Madison, WI, and one here in San Francisco. They decided to make movie going an adult experience: comfortable seats, including loveseats, balconies for 21 and over to allow access to a bar for adult beverages, and more. But best of all? Reserved seats! Yes, you can now choose the very seats you want, and have them reserved for you, in advance. No scramble to get into the theater to secure your ideal viewing angle. Instead, a civilized reservation, ensuring you the very one you want, allowing you to meander to your seats in a relaxed fashion.
Well done, Kid. I thank you from the bottom of my wallet.
UPDATE: Just saw my first movie at this theater, and the experience is even better than I expected. First, we reserved Balcony seats, right at the front of the balcony: all that was between us and the screen was a low wall to rest your feet on and some safety railings that did not obscure your view at all. The lobby is equally civilized: three story high ceilings with soaring skylights, and bamboo trees reaching to the light. The back walls of the lobby are reclaimed wood, with cutouts at the second floor for their swanky café/lounge. The screens at the box office lines alert you to the status of each theater: In Progress, Now Seating, or being Cleaned. Forgot to buy tix online? Head to the kiosks tucked away in an alcove to the side of the lines. How civilized.
Escalators to the first floor bring you to a Peet's Coffee, for your refreshment pleasure. But we headed to the third floor, for the balcony seats. How to ensure they are for 21 and over? The entrance to the balcony can only be reached by entering the bar at the top floor, where a bouncer is ready to card you. The bar is long and relaxed, candles on each table, where you can sit and order a drink or from the extensive menu of gourmet appetizers, sandwiches, or personal pizzas. Oh, those drinks? No plastic cups or tacky paper plates here: tasteful glassware and china. And surprisingly affordably priced, for top shelf drinks. Worried about finishing your meal or drink before showtime? Uh uh: you are encouraged to take it in with you. Yep, you read that right; the waitstaff will even take your order and deliver to your seat for you when its ready, if you prefer. Ah, the joys of assigned seating.
Head to the balcony and get ready for more surprises. Big, overstuffed reclining seats, with lots of legroom, segmented into duos, with a single armrest between them. What to do with those heavy glasses and plates? On either side of the duos are tasteful tables, offering you a full foot of space between duos. Plenty of room for the plates, napkins, and more. Those drinks fit nicely into elegant recessed cup holders in the tables, easily able to handle wine glasses, highballs, or bottles. And the coup de grace: padded, fabric elbow rests along the edge of each table side, ensuring your comfort during the show.
My friends, this is how to see a movie. Add in validated parking in the underground garage, and the plethora of Japanese dining options in the surrounding Japantown, only a few steps away, and you have the absolute ultimate movie house. My only comments on how they could improve slightly on the experience is to have a tasteful screen in the large balcony bar that informed patrons when their theater had been cleaned and was ready for seating, and perhaps a bit more attention from the bar/wait/cleaning staff. Beyond those minor issues, the Sundance Kabuki has easily become my first choice to see a non-IMAX film.
So, imagine my surprise when I found a theater that was actually innovating. No, not bigger screens or louder sounds, or 3D gimmicks. Instead, Robert Redford's Sundance company bought two theaters: one in Madison, WI, and one here in San Francisco. They decided to make movie going an adult experience: comfortable seats, including loveseats, balconies for 21 and over to allow access to a bar for adult beverages, and more. But best of all? Reserved seats! Yes, you can now choose the very seats you want, and have them reserved for you, in advance. No scramble to get into the theater to secure your ideal viewing angle. Instead, a civilized reservation, ensuring you the very one you want, allowing you to meander to your seats in a relaxed fashion.Well done, Kid. I thank you from the bottom of my wallet.
UPDATE: Just saw my first movie at this theater, and the experience is even better than I expected. First, we reserved Balcony seats, right at the front of the balcony: all that was between us and the screen was a low wall to rest your feet on and some safety railings that did not obscure your view at all. The lobby is equally civilized: three story high ceilings with soaring skylights, and bamboo trees reaching to the light. The back walls of the lobby are reclaimed wood, with cutouts at the second floor for their swanky café/lounge. The screens at the box office lines alert you to the status of each theater: In Progress, Now Seating, or being Cleaned. Forgot to buy tix online? Head to the kiosks tucked away in an alcove to the side of the lines. How civilized.Escalators to the first floor bring you to a Peet's Coffee, for your refreshment pleasure. But we headed to the third floor, for the balcony seats. How to ensure they are for 21 and over? The entrance to the balcony can only be reached by entering the bar at the top floor, where a bouncer is ready to card you. The bar is long and relaxed, candles on each table, where you can sit and order a drink or from the extensive menu of gourmet appetizers, sandwiches, or personal pizzas. Oh, those drinks? No plastic cups or tacky paper plates here: tasteful glassware and china. And surprisingly affordably priced, for top shelf drinks. Worried about finishing your meal or drink before showtime? Uh uh: you are encouraged to take it in with you. Yep, you read that right; the waitstaff will even take your order and deliver to your seat for you when its ready, if you prefer. Ah, the joys of assigned seating.
Head to the balcony and get ready for more surprises. Big, overstuffed reclining seats, with lots of legroom, segmented into duos, with a single armrest between them. What to do with those heavy glasses and plates? On either side of the duos are tasteful tables, offering you a full foot of space between duos. Plenty of room for the plates, napkins, and more. Those drinks fit nicely into elegant recessed cup holders in the tables, easily able to handle wine glasses, highballs, or bottles. And the coup de grace: padded, fabric elbow rests along the edge of each table side, ensuring your comfort during the show. My friends, this is how to see a movie. Add in validated parking in the underground garage, and the plethora of Japanese dining options in the surrounding Japantown, only a few steps away, and you have the absolute ultimate movie house. My only comments on how they could improve slightly on the experience is to have a tasteful screen in the large balcony bar that informed patrons when their theater had been cleaned and was ready for seating, and perhaps a bit more attention from the bar/wait/cleaning staff. Beyond those minor issues, the Sundance Kabuki has easily become my first choice to see a non-IMAX film.
Labels: movies, reviews, San Francisco
Friday, July 11, 2008
iPhone App Review Orgy
Since the new iPhone apps don't have a "try before you buy" option, reviews become critical. Unfortunately, the reviews in the App Store seem to be more focused on declarations of how proud the reviewer is that he/she got their review done first, or complaining about the iPhone 3G, rather than extensive reviews of the applications, so it becomes even more frustrating.
Luckily, Gizmodo has a "marathon liveblog" going, where they are reviewing all the apps they can get their hands on and updating constantly. True, it still has the typical Gizmodo smart-ass attitude mixed with childish humor, but the reviews are actually quite helpful, and already made me pull the trigger on a game I was considering. Nice job, guys.
Since the new iPhone apps don't have a "try before you buy" option, reviews become critical. Unfortunately, the reviews in the App Store seem to be more focused on declarations of how proud the reviewer is that he/she got their review done first, or complaining about the iPhone 3G, rather than extensive reviews of the applications, so it becomes even more frustrating.Luckily, Gizmodo has a "marathon liveblog" going, where they are reviewing all the apps they can get their hands on and updating constantly. True, it still has the typical Gizmodo smart-ass attitude mixed with childish humor, but the reviews are actually quite helpful, and already made me pull the trigger on a game I was considering. Nice job, guys.
iPhone eWallet: Not Complete Until August
Sigh. Even though the iPhone app for eWallet is due in the iTunes app store today, Ilium has disclosed that sync will not be part of it until August. Given that they have had sync between eWallets on multiple computers for some time, as well as the iPhone web beta client, this is a real shock and letdown.
Having said that, I would very much like to call attention to the post where they explain why. It addresses the feelings they know this causes in their users, and attempts to explain why. It also acknowledges that this is a letdown, for both them and us. It's an excellent case study of how to communicate with your customers an unexpected delay. Folks like Apple could take notes.
Sigh. Even though the iPhone app for eWallet is due in the iTunes app store today, Ilium has disclosed that sync will not be part of it until August. Given that they have had sync between eWallets on multiple computers for some time, as well as the iPhone web beta client, this is a real shock and letdown.Having said that, I would very much like to call attention to the post where they explain why. It addresses the feelings they know this causes in their users, and attempts to explain why. It also acknowledges that this is a letdown, for both them and us. It's an excellent case study of how to communicate with your customers an unexpected delay. Folks like Apple could take notes.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Happy 2.0 Day
Yep, it's finally here. As of 9AM PDT today, I was happily installing the new iTunes and, most importantly, iPhone 2.0 software. I wish I could say it was smooth and painless, but being an early adopter is not usually a well paved path.
However, I've now had all day to play with 2.0, and I must say, it lives up to most of the hype. I commented today that it was actually sad that Apple has technologically savvy fans who have all willingly paid over $300 for their product squealing in delight...at the ability to delete multiple emails at once. Sigh. That aside, there are some revolutionary improvements and evolutionary ones. The irony for me is that it took Apple and an Apple device to make me appreciate a Microsoft service, Exchange: we shifted to an Exchange system recently at work, and I was blown away at the elegant and powerful connection with the new iPhone. Push email, push calendar updates and meeting requests, and so much more...wow.
I know, you want to know about the apps. Well, eWallet didn't make the launch today, but should be there tomorrow, so I am waiting with bated breath; it looks great. I purchased my first app, Shopping List ($0.99), which looks like a good implementation. I've downloaded Twitterific and eBay, and AIM, of course. What really bothers me so far is the lack of ability to try apps before you buy; this was one of the most compelling sales tools of the Palm platform. This is really bothersome for games: I don't want to spend $5 or $10 if it sucks, guys.
In any case, tomorrow the 3G hits the streets, and the Apps store will, most likely, start to swell. I'm hoping for a Ping.fm app, myself, as well as the actual "real" launch of Twinkle on a non-Jailbroken platform. Oh, Google, how about a Blogger app? Let's see what the next 24 hours brings!
Yep, it's finally here. As of 9AM PDT today, I was happily installing the new iTunes and, most importantly, iPhone 2.0 software. I wish I could say it was smooth and painless, but being an early adopter is not usually a well paved path.However, I've now had all day to play with 2.0, and I must say, it lives up to most of the hype. I commented today that it was actually sad that Apple has technologically savvy fans who have all willingly paid over $300 for their product squealing in delight...at the ability to delete multiple emails at once. Sigh. That aside, there are some revolutionary improvements and evolutionary ones. The irony for me is that it took Apple and an Apple device to make me appreciate a Microsoft service, Exchange: we shifted to an Exchange system recently at work, and I was blown away at the elegant and powerful connection with the new iPhone. Push email, push calendar updates and meeting requests, and so much more...wow.
I know, you want to know about the apps. Well, eWallet didn't make the launch today, but should be there tomorrow, so I am waiting with bated breath; it looks great. I purchased my first app, Shopping List ($0.99), which looks like a good implementation. I've downloaded Twitterific and eBay, and AIM, of course. What really bothers me so far is the lack of ability to try apps before you buy; this was one of the most compelling sales tools of the Palm platform. This is really bothersome for games: I don't want to spend $5 or $10 if it sucks, guys.
In any case, tomorrow the 3G hits the streets, and the Apps store will, most likely, start to swell. I'm hoping for a Ping.fm app, myself, as well as the actual "real" launch of Twinkle on a non-Jailbroken platform. Oh, Google, how about a Blogger app? Let's see what the next 24 hours brings!
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
So Long Costas; Hello JB!
Good news today on the new cast of Inside The NFL, now on Showtime. Replacing Bob Costas, Dan Marino, and Cris Carter are Phil Simms and James Brown; Chris Collinsworth will be the lone holdover. I'm so happy to see JB in a non-CBS environment. He was the glue of the Fox pregame show for many years; it ain't the same without him. I'll miss Costas' no holds barred approach, but JB, you had me at hello.
Good news today on the new cast of Inside The NFL, now on Showtime. Replacing Bob Costas, Dan Marino, and Cris Carter are Phil Simms and James Brown; Chris Collinsworth will be the lone holdover. I'm so happy to see JB in a non-CBS environment. He was the glue of the Fox pregame show for many years; it ain't the same without him. I'll miss Costas' no holds barred approach, but JB, you had me at hello.Monday, July 07, 2008
David Burke dessert
Saturday, June 28, 2008
What Makes A 4 Star Hotel?
My recent trip took me to a 4 star hotel, the Westin, in Chicago. Thanks to Priceline and William Shatner, I was able to stay here for about the price of a 2 star hotel. I am often amused at the little touches that the hotel uses to distinguish themselves, catering to their expected clientele.
For instance, the shower. I have seen hotels tout the quality of their showers, and, specifically, their showerheads. Some actually offer them for sale. The water pressure, the rainfall, the "oxygenation"...the list goes on and on. Imagine my amusement at what greeted me at the Westin:
Yup, if one is good, two must be better, right? Truth to be told, it was a good shower, but the sheer audacity of it practically brought me to hilarity.
But the coup de grace was the in-room coffeemaker. Yes, you know this one. You wake up, want a cup, and stumble over to the scaled-down, no frills Mr. Coffee lookalike to pop in a pod of Maxwell House that is inevitably too cold or too bitter. But a 4 star like the Westin? Oh, no...
Note the details here. First, the coffeemaker is shaped and chromed like an expensive espresso dispenser. Second, no piddly Folgers here: we're talking top-shelf Starbucks. Finally, the cups: no poor porcelain cousins to be found, only a perfect facsimile of the classic white Starbucks cup...complete with paper sleeve to insulate your hands from the normally hot temperatures. Ideal for the business traveler who heads to the elevator without the embarrassment of actually showing they are drinking from that in-room poor excuse of a caffeine dispenser.
The Westin knows their clientele, and clearly went for broke. Of course, the following morning in my La Quinta cinderblock cell, as I sipped from the Maxwell House pot of lukewarm joe, I was yearning for my Starbucks....but wasn't that the point? ;-)
For instance, the shower. I have seen hotels tout the quality of their showers, and, specifically, their showerheads. Some actually offer them for sale. The water pressure, the rainfall, the "oxygenation"...the list goes on and on. Imagine my amusement at what greeted me at the Westin:
Yup, if one is good, two must be better, right? Truth to be told, it was a good shower, but the sheer audacity of it practically brought me to hilarity.But the coup de grace was the in-room coffeemaker. Yes, you know this one. You wake up, want a cup, and stumble over to the scaled-down, no frills Mr. Coffee lookalike to pop in a pod of Maxwell House that is inevitably too cold or too bitter. But a 4 star like the Westin? Oh, no...
Note the details here. First, the coffeemaker is shaped and chromed like an expensive espresso dispenser. Second, no piddly Folgers here: we're talking top-shelf Starbucks. Finally, the cups: no poor porcelain cousins to be found, only a perfect facsimile of the classic white Starbucks cup...complete with paper sleeve to insulate your hands from the normally hot temperatures. Ideal for the business traveler who heads to the elevator without the embarrassment of actually showing they are drinking from that in-room poor excuse of a caffeine dispenser.The Westin knows their clientele, and clearly went for broke. Of course, the following morning in my La Quinta cinderblock cell, as I sipped from the Maxwell House pot of lukewarm joe, I was yearning for my Starbucks....but wasn't that the point? ;-)
