This is a great video to promote Internet Explorer 7. I wish they would put it on TV since I think people would laugh so hard! It also does a great job not showing the product, which is exactly what so many companies do these days. Hype up the brand/name, and deliver something new and usable. Anyway you can watch it in WMV format, or click below to watch it via YouTube.
You have got a plethorea of services that start with “Windows Live”: Windows Live Messenger (WLM), Windows Live Mail (WLM) [wait, which one is WLM?!], Windows Live Local (WLL), Windows Live Safety Center (WLSC), Windows Live Expo (WLE), Windows Live Favorites (WLF), Windows Live Search (WLS). Then there is another set of “Live” services: Windows Office Live (WOL) and Windows OneCare Live (WOCL or WOL). But the worst came today when I found out about the new Windows Live Local Search Free Call (WLLSFC).
At a company with over 60,000 employees, and a committee could ruin much of the work they do by making a huge mistake in naming. I don’t mind getting rid of MSN, which has a slow, clunky, non-innovative history attached to it. I understand that the naming works with the new organizational structure, but it makes no sense to the consumer to add extra words or letters.
Why not make MSN into just Live? Live Messenger, Live Mail, Live Search, Live Local. You could even play off it for advertising Live (change it to live as in living). They could do something even better, and get a whole new word/letter/phrase similar to “i” in iPod and iTunes. Branding is a huge pain and I think they are digging a hole with the new naming pattern. People can hardly tell what services are without long names like “Windows Live Local Search Free Call”. That is an absurdly long name, which could have been called Live Search Connectoid. I am partial to the word “connectoid” because I think it sounds interesting and unusual. Microsoft is trying to continue domination of the desktop by keeping the word Windows as a top buzz word. I think they are excluding users of Apple or Linux platforms who can easily access the Web 2.0 software being used.
When Lucent spun the Enterprise Networks Group out in 2000 it had to come up with a name. They picked Avaya, pronounced uhv-EYE-uh, because it would set them apart and capture what they were doing. Google was a made up word that came from the word googol, the digit 1 followed by one hundred zeros. Yahoo! is an acronym for “Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle” and the founders liked the definition of “rude, unsophisticated, uncouth”. Red Hat came from a lost Cornell lacrosse team cap (with red and white stripes). Cisco is short for San Francisco, Intel came from INTegrated ELectronics and HoTMaiL as it was originally spelled was constructed with the letters HTML, which were used to create the web-based software.
What do you think of this new naming scheme from Microsoft? How would you change it?
PS: I do really like the name Microsoft, and it would have been nice to see them stick that back in. They have made great software. I know the name has had a bad reputation with games, but the Xbox has changed that around and given birth to Microsoft Game Studios.
As posted on Scoble and Engadget this morning, interesting developments. I have been hearing talk about some kind of mobile device, the question is what functionality it will contain. My guess would be a mobile media center with wireless connectivity and some link to xbox live. Maybe two flavors: one for business, one for media. Stay tuned over the next couple of weeks.
Have you ever been working away on your computer and wished there was a better way to interact with it? The mouse and keyboard are great and all but how about something more tactile or something three-dimensional? I often feel this way — I feel restrained, overwhelmed by the limited control over how my machine responds to me. Sometimes I feel like I’m watching a circus through a key hole. Think about it: all the lights, power, and excitement funnelled through these antiquated devices named after a small furry rodent and a musical instrument! How awkward!
As an example, think about the Chinese keyboard. It hurts my brain to even begin thinking about it. An article on Slate does a good job of conveying the complexity of using one of these keyboards. There’s the Pinyin method, the Wubi method, and in Taiwan there’s the Zhuwin method. But it also mentions that older people who aren’t comfortable with these input methods like using an electronic writing tablet to actually draw the characters. They are then understood by the computer just like the handwriting recognition software that PDAs use these days. Of all these options, this seems like the most natural way of interacting with a computer, but its slow input speed limits widespread adpotion.
So what is a good interface? Well as corny and far-fetched as it sounds, I have always thought that the interface that Tom Cruise uses in Minority Report would be a great way to deal with information overload. I honestly believe the human brain is capable of processing much more information than we think; it is figuring out how to organize and communicate that information that is tricky. This interface allows one to not only interact with the information actively but also be immersed in that information. Defense company Raytheon is actually developing something like this for the U.S. military.
How long will it take for a better user interface to gain widespread adoption? What will that interface be? A user interface connects a user to a machine, and combining the power of the human brain with the raw speed of these little boxes that sit on or beside our desks will unleash power that could previously only be imagined through TV and movies!
Update: Another step toward getting people immersed in user interfaces: a group of scientists involved with the AIST have created a device capable of displaying “real 3D images”. They say, “Most of the 3D displays reported until now draw pseudo-3D images on 2D planes by utilizing the human binocular disparity.” However, this is the first device that displays “dot arrays in space where there is nothing but air.” Check out the pictures in the article; the images are clearly primitive at this point, but think about the early Apple II monitors. Monitors have come a LONG way since that!
The world’s largest, most important sporting event is happening this summer. Are you ready? That’s right, coming this June from Germany is the World Cup. The best 32 nations will gather to battle over soccer supremacy in front of a television audience in the billions. To get you ready to cheer on the red white and blue check out the video below made by one of the US team’s rising star, Clint Dempsey. Thats right a rapping soccer player, and you know what I must admit the beat is kind of catchy. Alright, alright it’s a bit cheesy but I can’t get enough of it, call it a guilty pleasure. Whatever you do prepare for a great summer of soccer and click below to get on the bandwagon.
Check out this music video Nike put together for its Women’s clothing line. I am very impressed with Nike’s use of the latest technology. Def Jam artist Rihanna has launched her latest music video “SOS” on nikewomen.com. If you go to Nike.com this video begins to play automatically and if you click will play full screen high res. Also Nike has it set up so that you can download the video in multiple formats, email and blog it all from an easy drop down menu. You can also one click to buy or interact with the video. All very cool use of flash technology. Nike is a marketing, technology and design firm now more than an athletic provider and they are on the leading edge of many many trends. Check out the video below or click through for the full experience
Click Here to View the QuickTime Movie
See the video at NikeWomen.com
I started organizing my desk at the office and noticed I have a lot of junk in my cubical. Aside from all the computers, cables, blackberries, cell phones, papers, folders, boxes and packaging materials there are the fun items that help me get through the day. So let’s take a look at what I have at my desk.
- Red watergun. Found it in the office and never used, so I don’t know if it even works.
- Foam dice. Toss it with others, or use it to pick a number from 1-6.
- Air duster. More for work, but fun to play with.
- Nerf football. Toss it around for a bit to think outside the box.
- Magnet sculpture. See how tall you can make it without it falling apart. (Don’t put near electronic equipment)
- 16oz Rockstar. In case I need to a pick-me-up.
- Zipfizz. A bigger pick-me-up. (Note: I wouldn’t want to combine this with #6)
That’s all the stuff I have. Not too much, but some fun stuff. What kind of things do other people have on their desks? I want to know what I should invest in next. Maybe a USB Missile Launcher, mini Remote Controlled Car, Cubical Dwellers, or the Ambient Orb (read the FAQ)? So share what you got at your desk or cubical, and what I should get next.
Online banking isn’t new, and has been improving over the last few years. You can even check your statements from a year ago via your banking website. Then you have Microsoft Money or Intuit’s Quicken to aggregate your financial statements into an easy to read dashboard. It is extremely similar to how RSS aggregators work. I have my main accounts with Washington Mutual, and they have done a great job utilizing technology and providing me with the simple information that I need. Here is a quick list of cool things I love about WAMU.
- Online statements, and summaries
- Images of checks online! (front, back, zoom, etc.)
- Email updates and alerts
- Online bill paying
- Transfer money between accounts
- Temporary credit cards for online purchases
My improvement list:
- Three factor authentication (PIN + fingerprint + card)
- SMS verification or authorization of a transacation immediately
- Vendor (utilities) request money, and you authorize (pay) with a click.
- All ATMs fee free like WAMU (not so much technology)
- Integrate “points” from credit cards into Microsoft Money
- Account cards to give people to authorize a deposit into your account online
The two themes from my list are, 1) I think they need to make online banking a bit more secure and 2) they need to push more information to the user instead of waiting for them to initialize something. With these changes, we could start to see the paper check go away completely! Each year I send dozens of checks away in the mail, and then wait for them to hit my account. I totally prefer the instant “Visa check card” log so I can track my transactions without delay, and I think these improvements would further my love for Washington Mutual.
Super Bowl XL. It was an XL party at my apartment this year with drinks for guys and girls, XL subs, nachos, chex mix, shrimp, new Kettle chip flavors, and the normal vegi plate. We watched the game in HD on ABC (KOMO 4 in Seattle) on my 42″ Fujitsu HD plasma. The game looked great (Gizmodo reasons), but there were issues. First, all of the pre-recorded black & white clips of star players holding the trophy were choppy and ended up cutting out. They had to pull out of them and cut them short. I bet that was a lot of work that went down the tubes, but didn’t change the game.
On the other hand, the officials for this HD XL Super Bowl had a major impact on the game. Holding calls, pass interference, a goal line play, and a rediculous chop block call all caused the Seattle Seahawks to lose momentum, yards, and points. The worst thing is I lost faith in the NFL. The officials missed calls yesterday, and the league has done nothing. NFL.com has no mention of the calls, and that includes the “Analysis & Opinion” section, while it is the cover story over at ESPN.com. In the day of blogs and open exchange of information I fully expect the NFL to be frank and talk about the mistakes. They should do it now, and not wait for it simply fade away. The Seahawks organization is taking the high road and not making any claims or statements, but what I want to know is: Where is the technology to fix these bad calls?
Why can’t the judges in the booth review flags quicker? Why can’t the booth official call down to the ref who has an ear bud and tell him he is about to make a mistake? It wouldn’t take but 15 seconds to see that Locklear didn’t commit a hold, and to wave off the flag. It wouldn’t take but 5 seconds to see that Hasselbeck was unjustly punished 15 yards for a below-the-waist block when he was obviously making a tackle on Taylor. Why isn’t there a rule that a touchdown must be undisputible upon review? Why don’t we have technology to identify the football under a pile of players, or one that places the ball in a virtual 3D field? We have invisible first down lines, but no way to tell if the ball crosses a plane. If your interested in starting a technology company and love sports (i.e. football), it appears the sports technology market is really vacant.
Yup, today Phil woke up from his long winter slumber yesterday, and there’s all sorts of exciting stuff going on. Supposedly there are now multiple rodents (is a groundhog a rodent?) that people observe to determine how many more weeks of winter we are going to get. Isn’t this a strange tradition? According to one site, there are 34 other groundhogs with the same occupation, including a llama and a chicken.
How much money do you think is made off of this non-event? I mean a groundhog sticking its head out of a hole is watched by more than 12,000 people and covered all over the national news (2,020 articles written according to Google, with this one as 2,021), there has to be someone making money off this. In fact, one of the websites I linked to above is actually called Committee for the Commercialization of Groundhog Day. How do you calculate how much money is made though? How about in the media? I’d be willing to bet that hundreds of thousands of dollars of advertising revenue are made through all the advertising that accompanies news segments and articles about Phil and his fellow weather forecasting rodent competitors.
Other notable organizations that seem interested in the commercialization of this chubby-bellied, big-toothed creature include the PA Tourism Office and the Bill Murray film Groundhog Day. Know of any others?
Oh by the way, the original, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow… and you know what that means!
Twenty four hours in a day. Work eight hours, sleep eight hours, but what do you do with your ExtraEight?
