Ugh! And here I thought that spring had arrived in Toronto. I am reminded this morning that it is still early April, however still optimistic for a nice weekend and my first rounds of golf!
I know that I have been focused on the iPad lately but I simply can’t help myself. I was at a local mall last weekend and happened to walk past an Apple store – they had no iPad on display but the store was packed – as usual. Rounding the corner, I passed an HMV store – which was virtually empty. A few years ago, the HMV store would have been packed on a Saturday but times have changed. The front of the store was merchandised with books and video games, the middle with movies and TV shows on DVD and finally, at the very back, almost hidden away, music. I am guessing that the books are a short-term strategy …
Back to the iPad…I have read that opening day sales were somewhere between 500,000 and 700,000 units. The reviews have been great and if momentum continues then the technology will clearly be a game changer.
Here are links to few short articles that I found interesting (all from Harvard Business Review).
The first is about the Time announcement that it will charge a weekly subscription fee of $5 to get the iPad edition . It will be interesting to see who follows suit!
The second (and related article) focuses on how the publishing industry doesn’t understand that simply redressing content for the technology is not enough “to save the publishing industry”. It is a great article that could be related to many industries and companies attempting to integrate into the new media.
Lastly, is an article that suggested the true value of the iPad would come from the quality of the apps and innovations that come as a result of the technology. The iPod spawned the 99-cent download and iTunes while the iPhone was followed by 150,000 easily downloaded apps. The true innovation of the iPad will be seen in what follows.
With huge opening day sales, it is not a stretch to expect some major “twist” to be just around the corner.
There … I think I have said everything I need to about the iPad. Next time some actual original thoughts.
Cheers and have a great day.
George
Friday, April 9, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Lessons and Revolutions
Come gather ’round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’
I hate to start with a 46 year old song reference but I think that in many ways the Dylan lyrics that spoke of cultural change, and a generation demanding that they be heard are as relevant today as they were in 1964. I understand the intent of the song and that there are fundamental differences in attitude and society today. In no way do I discount the profound nature of change in the 60’s and early 70’s. That time was clearly revolutionary, very political and unique in breaking barriers between generations. Without doubt the context of change as it relates to 2010 is different however, there is no doubt that we are in the midst of significant cultural upheaval aided largely by technological changes and advancements. How we function daily, how much information we have available to us, how we shop, how we entertain ourselves, where and how we work and where and how we live – all changing. Is it all too much?
Not only can we now know happenings around the world, we also hear opinions on impacts locally and globally and we are able to view or hear how people feel about those developments. All this information, seen instantly from our personal 9” x 1” screen at a local coffee shop.
In a way, we have become both voyeurs and participants in the world. Our voice and opinions can be heard and the platforms easily accessible for both contributor and observer.
I can’t help but question if it’s all too much and uncontrollable. Does all this information lead to too much discourse, debate and discussion that ultimately bogs down our ability to make change? Case in point, the U.S. health care reform legislation. Is there too much input and will the level of information derail the process so much so that we will never really know if the plan was reasonable? Is anyone capable of disseminating the information and diverse opinions in any reasonable way and, how do we know which opinions to trust? Alternately, maybe we’ll simply tune out due to overload
In a recent Washington Post article the writer tells us that in a given month, there are around 320,000 comments made in response to Post articles and blogs. He further suggests a new filtering system they are developing to categorize commentaries into degrees of trustworthiness. Not exactly limiting free expression but clearly differentiating based on their predetermined criteria.
Is there a line to be drawn in terms of information? Is it possible? More importantly, is there a chance that the age of information will lead to more secrecy and ultimately back to the pre-Revolutionary 60’s age where people knew only what they “needed to know” as determined by some unknown power?
The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
In the end, I’m not suggesting, only wondering.
Cheers and have a great day.
George
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’
I hate to start with a 46 year old song reference but I think that in many ways the Dylan lyrics that spoke of cultural change, and a generation demanding that they be heard are as relevant today as they were in 1964. I understand the intent of the song and that there are fundamental differences in attitude and society today. In no way do I discount the profound nature of change in the 60’s and early 70’s. That time was clearly revolutionary, very political and unique in breaking barriers between generations. Without doubt the context of change as it relates to 2010 is different however, there is no doubt that we are in the midst of significant cultural upheaval aided largely by technological changes and advancements. How we function daily, how much information we have available to us, how we shop, how we entertain ourselves, where and how we work and where and how we live – all changing. Is it all too much?
Not only can we now know happenings around the world, we also hear opinions on impacts locally and globally and we are able to view or hear how people feel about those developments. All this information, seen instantly from our personal 9” x 1” screen at a local coffee shop.
In a way, we have become both voyeurs and participants in the world. Our voice and opinions can be heard and the platforms easily accessible for both contributor and observer.
I can’t help but question if it’s all too much and uncontrollable. Does all this information lead to too much discourse, debate and discussion that ultimately bogs down our ability to make change? Case in point, the U.S. health care reform legislation. Is there too much input and will the level of information derail the process so much so that we will never really know if the plan was reasonable? Is anyone capable of disseminating the information and diverse opinions in any reasonable way and, how do we know which opinions to trust? Alternately, maybe we’ll simply tune out due to overload
In a recent Washington Post article the writer tells us that in a given month, there are around 320,000 comments made in response to Post articles and blogs. He further suggests a new filtering system they are developing to categorize commentaries into degrees of trustworthiness. Not exactly limiting free expression but clearly differentiating based on their predetermined criteria.
Is there a line to be drawn in terms of information? Is it possible? More importantly, is there a chance that the age of information will lead to more secrecy and ultimately back to the pre-Revolutionary 60’s age where people knew only what they “needed to know” as determined by some unknown power?
The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
In the end, I’m not suggesting, only wondering.
Cheers and have a great day.
George
Thursday, April 1, 2010
The Future of Reading
I have become increasingly interested in publishing and the changing landscape as it pertains to technology. I have written about the e-book evolution, the “almost launched” iPad, the push in magazine sales, and the struggle of daily newspapers.
I don't know how this will all turn out but my guess is that daily newspapers will be the first real casualty of our “i” world. Not an earth shattering prediction and certainly not a revolutionary thought however, will magazines be the next to go. And short of simply swapping traditional print for an electronic screen what else will happen.
I admit to being a fan of novels…black print on some variation of a whitish paper with a hard cover and dust jacket or great soft cover. While I was impressed with the confidence of the woman I saw recently, who brought her Kindle to the beach, I’m not sold. It just seems like there is not enough to it. On the other hand, the iPad or some similar technology will most certainly take us further. Although I would argue that the iPad is not advancement but simply a reworking of what exists, I can see it being the new newspaper, the new reference book, and the new magazine. I found the Vook interesting and one of many applications to come. It is not difficult to see the value in having a Food Network chef walking you though a recipe at your pace but as I have mentioned before, I don’t need pictures or video to make my fiction reading more enjoyable.
I also admit to being a fan of magazines. Glossy, colourful, packed with too many ads, and home to all sorts of hidden stories waiting to be found. I leaf through a magazine, pick out a few articles that I am interested in, and start by reading those. Then I dig a bit deeper, reading the “in between” stories, the side bar stories. Then I look through page by page to make sure I haven’t missed something interesting.
OK – so I don’t do this with every magazine I buy, but I do it with a few each month. I’m afraid that scrolling through the headlines on my iPad will render the experience less of a discovery and much more like reading a newspaper. And, will a Vanity Fair or Esquire interview become more like a cross between 60 Minutes and Entertainment Tonight? If we integrate the technology, how can it not?
With all this in mind, I throw out my third admission. I am starting to feel the need for an iPad. I am not sure if it is simply the lure of a new gadget or not wanting to be the only one in Starbucks with my $6 latte using a laptop but…I can’t help it. I want one and they are not even available yet!
Cheers and have a great day!
George
I don't know how this will all turn out but my guess is that daily newspapers will be the first real casualty of our “i” world. Not an earth shattering prediction and certainly not a revolutionary thought however, will magazines be the next to go. And short of simply swapping traditional print for an electronic screen what else will happen.
I admit to being a fan of novels…black print on some variation of a whitish paper with a hard cover and dust jacket or great soft cover. While I was impressed with the confidence of the woman I saw recently, who brought her Kindle to the beach, I’m not sold. It just seems like there is not enough to it. On the other hand, the iPad or some similar technology will most certainly take us further. Although I would argue that the iPad is not advancement but simply a reworking of what exists, I can see it being the new newspaper, the new reference book, and the new magazine. I found the Vook interesting and one of many applications to come. It is not difficult to see the value in having a Food Network chef walking you though a recipe at your pace but as I have mentioned before, I don’t need pictures or video to make my fiction reading more enjoyable.
I also admit to being a fan of magazines. Glossy, colourful, packed with too many ads, and home to all sorts of hidden stories waiting to be found. I leaf through a magazine, pick out a few articles that I am interested in, and start by reading those. Then I dig a bit deeper, reading the “in between” stories, the side bar stories. Then I look through page by page to make sure I haven’t missed something interesting.
OK – so I don’t do this with every magazine I buy, but I do it with a few each month. I’m afraid that scrolling through the headlines on my iPad will render the experience less of a discovery and much more like reading a newspaper. And, will a Vanity Fair or Esquire interview become more like a cross between 60 Minutes and Entertainment Tonight? If we integrate the technology, how can it not?
With all this in mind, I throw out my third admission. I am starting to feel the need for an iPad. I am not sure if it is simply the lure of a new gadget or not wanting to be the only one in Starbucks with my $6 latte using a laptop but…I can’t help it. I want one and they are not even available yet!
Cheers and have a great day!
George
Monday, March 29, 2010
Return to the North
I would like to begin with an apology. I usually try to write and post a blog twice a week. Some weeks this is easier then others but to date I have been faithful to the schedule. This past 2 weeks I was on holiday – a much longer vacation then I have had in many years. Usually, I go “dark” for my time away, forwarding my cell phone, rerouting my emails so they don’t forward to my blackberry and never bringing a computer. For the first time however, I brought my laptop along, intent to keep up the blog schedule. Clearly, it did not quite work out that way.
While the truth is that I did think about writing… and did actually fire up the laptop once… procrastination got the better of me. So, since it has been 2 weeks since my last post, I thought I would start with some random observations from my time in the southern U.S. (Florida to be exact).
The big political topic on everyone's mind was the new health care reform bill. In reading the papers and watching the news, it is not surprising that it’s mired in controversy. The political rhetoric and the poor and often biased reporting is nothing if not confusing. I really don’t think that anyone really understands the legislation and news outlets have done little to help the matter. Having said that, it amazes me how adamant peoples opinions are based primarily on their political leanings.
Another big topic was the weather – virtually every greeting was followed by some weather related thought. Everyone insisted it was the coldest winter on record and though it was definitely cooler then expected it was still sunny and the beaches were busy.
Speaking of sand, I have to admit that I was amazed to see a woman on the beach with a Kindle exactly as I have lamented in a previous post. She read for some time, put it in a beach bag, then proceeded to toss it onto a chair while she toddled off for a swim. And here I thought sand and electronics didn't mix. I have trouble keeping my paperback sand free.
I am not sure how some of the retailers in Florida exist. I was in a store where the prices were already marked down 40 – 50%. Most of the items had signs advertising an additional 40% off the lowest marked price and when we walked in the store, we were handed an additional 20% off voucher valid for one day only. This made a $70 item $20.
I have celebrated my share of St. Patrick’s Days over the years. Toronto has some great parties. A few years ago we ended up in Savannah Georgia for the parade and I was informed that it was the largest annual St. Patty’s celebration in the U.S. (not Boston or Chicago?). Quite a party for sure. For the past 2 years, we have found ourselves in Key West Florida. Far be it from me to compare but I think you’d be hard pressed to find a better celebration (although it is tough to find a good Guinness pour in South Florida). It was ironic however, that we spent a good part of the day in an Irish pub listening to a band from Toronto.
Lastly, March Madness is everywhere. I am not a big NBA fan but I do love the NCAA Tournament. I am sad to say that as we look forward to Final Four weekend my pool results were a personal worst. I am officially out with none of my final four (Tennessee, Syracuse, Kentucky or Villanova) still playing.
Cheers and have a great day.
George
While the truth is that I did think about writing… and did actually fire up the laptop once… procrastination got the better of me. So, since it has been 2 weeks since my last post, I thought I would start with some random observations from my time in the southern U.S. (Florida to be exact).
The big political topic on everyone's mind was the new health care reform bill. In reading the papers and watching the news, it is not surprising that it’s mired in controversy. The political rhetoric and the poor and often biased reporting is nothing if not confusing. I really don’t think that anyone really understands the legislation and news outlets have done little to help the matter. Having said that, it amazes me how adamant peoples opinions are based primarily on their political leanings.
Another big topic was the weather – virtually every greeting was followed by some weather related thought. Everyone insisted it was the coldest winter on record and though it was definitely cooler then expected it was still sunny and the beaches were busy.
Speaking of sand, I have to admit that I was amazed to see a woman on the beach with a Kindle exactly as I have lamented in a previous post. She read for some time, put it in a beach bag, then proceeded to toss it onto a chair while she toddled off for a swim. And here I thought sand and electronics didn't mix. I have trouble keeping my paperback sand free.
I am not sure how some of the retailers in Florida exist. I was in a store where the prices were already marked down 40 – 50%. Most of the items had signs advertising an additional 40% off the lowest marked price and when we walked in the store, we were handed an additional 20% off voucher valid for one day only. This made a $70 item $20.
I have celebrated my share of St. Patrick’s Days over the years. Toronto has some great parties. A few years ago we ended up in Savannah Georgia for the parade and I was informed that it was the largest annual St. Patty’s celebration in the U.S. (not Boston or Chicago?). Quite a party for sure. For the past 2 years, we have found ourselves in Key West Florida. Far be it from me to compare but I think you’d be hard pressed to find a better celebration (although it is tough to find a good Guinness pour in South Florida). It was ironic however, that we spent a good part of the day in an Irish pub listening to a band from Toronto.
Lastly, March Madness is everywhere. I am not a big NBA fan but I do love the NCAA Tournament. I am sad to say that as we look forward to Final Four weekend my pool results were a personal worst. I am officially out with none of my final four (Tennessee, Syracuse, Kentucky or Villanova) still playing.
Cheers and have a great day.
George
Monday, March 8, 2010
Recap Regroup, Reload
For anyone reading this blog for the first time, I should point out that it was originally meant to be a chronicle of my experience investigating how various forms of social media could be used as a business tool (I know - it sounds really boring). I have strayed off course a bit as I have read and learned and weighed out the differences between traditional communication vehicles and the latest in electronic communications. It has also morphed into part social commentary, news of the day that I find interesting and a kind of overview of the current state of print. I hope it has been at least somewhat interesting. Personally, I have learned a great deal and continue to push forward.
To be completely honest however, I have participated in the social media arena mostly from the sidelines – mostly an observer and contributing little. This is part a result of having little experience and part concern that anyone would be interested to hear what I have to say.
As I continue, I do know that there is a lot more to learn and know. As it is still the Wild West when it comes to on line content and analytics, it is hard to measure real value. As a colleague said recently, there is a great deal of information available about who's looking at what but still no clear line between hits and sales.
I have recently opened a Facebook account - which is still odd to me as did Twitter when I first started. I think that I now understand Twitter and have found it to be a great resource tool. I have read more great articles that I never would have seen if someone I follow hadn’t retweeted the links. I am still not sold on the minute by minute type updates from people but I will keep an open mind.
Importantly for me, I have also learned that print is still alive and, while it is critical that traditional media companies change and embrace the newest technologies, there is a case to be made that print is “the new black”. Ok – so that may be an exaggeration but there is clearly a need to blend the new with the old in order to have a complete strategy.
I was forwarded this link for an ADDY Awards promo recently… I thought it was an appropriate (and funny) ending to this post.
Cheers and have a great day.
George
To be completely honest however, I have participated in the social media arena mostly from the sidelines – mostly an observer and contributing little. This is part a result of having little experience and part concern that anyone would be interested to hear what I have to say.
As I continue, I do know that there is a lot more to learn and know. As it is still the Wild West when it comes to on line content and analytics, it is hard to measure real value. As a colleague said recently, there is a great deal of information available about who's looking at what but still no clear line between hits and sales.
I have recently opened a Facebook account - which is still odd to me as did Twitter when I first started. I think that I now understand Twitter and have found it to be a great resource tool. I have read more great articles that I never would have seen if someone I follow hadn’t retweeted the links. I am still not sold on the minute by minute type updates from people but I will keep an open mind.
Importantly for me, I have also learned that print is still alive and, while it is critical that traditional media companies change and embrace the newest technologies, there is a case to be made that print is “the new black”. Ok – so that may be an exaggeration but there is clearly a need to blend the new with the old in order to have a complete strategy.
I was forwarded this link for an ADDY Awards promo recently… I thought it was an appropriate (and funny) ending to this post.
Cheers and have a great day.
George
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Facebook Newbie
Finally, after weeks and perhaps months of procrastinating, today I joined Facebook! My first 'friend post' suggested, “Hell had finally frozen over”. In fairness, I have been ignoring invitations to join for some time for no other reason then it just seemed like another thing to update, another thing to check.
Of course, my little social media experiment could never be complete without Facebook but, as mentioned in previous postings, time is the big issue. Between this blog, my twitter account and followings, hundreds of emails, texts and PINs every day I might be running out of time to do my job! I guess it is time to start exploring some of these other programs – there must be one built to consolidate the messaging. Well, we will see how this all works out but it leads me to wonder how many of the reported hundreds of millions of Facebook and Twitter users are active and how many grew bored and simply abandoned accounts without deleting them from the system.
In the meantime, some news items continue to amuse me. I read a Paid Content article recently that reported several large magazine publishers (the same ones who have been selling their online content) are launching an ad campaign aimed at getting more readers to buy the printed versions. One ad proclaims, “The Internet is fleeting. Magazines are immersive”. And so the wheel continues to turn. That I happen to love printed magazines aside, I think the line is terrific! The article suggests a potential conflict between the publishers and their digital units but there is an old saying “everything old is new again”. I believe the origin was meant for fashion but could printed magazines be the next nouveau frontier? Again I might suggest that it’s a lot easier to toss a magazine or paperback on my beach chair then risk getting sand or water in my IPad.
Cheers and have a great day.
George
P.S. I should update on the sailing blog I have been following. Our young Aussie sailor recently passed the southern tip of Africa (Cape of Good Hope or as Jessica points out actually Cape Agulhas) and is headed towards Madagascar on the last leg of her round the globe journey.
Of course, my little social media experiment could never be complete without Facebook but, as mentioned in previous postings, time is the big issue. Between this blog, my twitter account and followings, hundreds of emails, texts and PINs every day I might be running out of time to do my job! I guess it is time to start exploring some of these other programs – there must be one built to consolidate the messaging. Well, we will see how this all works out but it leads me to wonder how many of the reported hundreds of millions of Facebook and Twitter users are active and how many grew bored and simply abandoned accounts without deleting them from the system.
In the meantime, some news items continue to amuse me. I read a Paid Content article recently that reported several large magazine publishers (the same ones who have been selling their online content) are launching an ad campaign aimed at getting more readers to buy the printed versions. One ad proclaims, “The Internet is fleeting. Magazines are immersive”. And so the wheel continues to turn. That I happen to love printed magazines aside, I think the line is terrific! The article suggests a potential conflict between the publishers and their digital units but there is an old saying “everything old is new again”. I believe the origin was meant for fashion but could printed magazines be the next nouveau frontier? Again I might suggest that it’s a lot easier to toss a magazine or paperback on my beach chair then risk getting sand or water in my IPad.
Cheers and have a great day.
George
P.S. I should update on the sailing blog I have been following. Our young Aussie sailor recently passed the southern tip of Africa (Cape of Good Hope or as Jessica points out actually Cape Agulhas) and is headed towards Madagascar on the last leg of her round the globe journey.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Olympic Wrap
It is a bright, sunny morning in Toronto and the forecast is for gradual warming over the next week. I am not sure that this is the start of an early spring or simply a tease … it is certainly not unusual to get a big blast of winter towards the end of March but I am hopeful.
On another exciting note, the Olympics are over and were by all accounts a great success. From everything I have read over the past few weeks, the coverage of the winter games has captivated Canada. Record television viewers for everything from the opening ceremonies right through Sunday’s final hockey game. I have also read that the television numbers in the U.S. were great with the gold medal men’s hockey game being one of the most watched sporting events in history. At it’s peak, the game had 35 million viewers in the US – averaging more viewers then the Daytona 500, the Masters and the World Series. I heard a report that in Canada 16 million televisions were tuned in with an estimated 80% of the population seeing at least part of the game.
Clearly, our network coverage was amazing and I cannot remember more daily “water cooler” conversation on any other subject. When the dust clears and we can look at the entire experience, it will be clear that we care about sports, about achievement, about our country and about our athletes. Maybe our governments should reconsider how much money is allocated to amateur athletics – not because it’s critically important that we win more medals then anyone else but because we want to feel accomplished as a nation. It seems to me that the past 17 days have done more for the Canadian psyche then anything in my memory.
The success of these Olympics should be a reminder that we share a commonality throughout the country. We are passionate…maybe that passion could spill over into expectations for the country as a whole.
For a great wrap up check out this CTV video
I was also forwarded a great video by Tom Brokaw that aired in the U.S. just before the Olympics…kind of a crash course on Canada. I found it to be really well done.
Cheers and have a great day!
George
On another exciting note, the Olympics are over and were by all accounts a great success. From everything I have read over the past few weeks, the coverage of the winter games has captivated Canada. Record television viewers for everything from the opening ceremonies right through Sunday’s final hockey game. I have also read that the television numbers in the U.S. were great with the gold medal men’s hockey game being one of the most watched sporting events in history. At it’s peak, the game had 35 million viewers in the US – averaging more viewers then the Daytona 500, the Masters and the World Series. I heard a report that in Canada 16 million televisions were tuned in with an estimated 80% of the population seeing at least part of the game.
Clearly, our network coverage was amazing and I cannot remember more daily “water cooler” conversation on any other subject. When the dust clears and we can look at the entire experience, it will be clear that we care about sports, about achievement, about our country and about our athletes. Maybe our governments should reconsider how much money is allocated to amateur athletics – not because it’s critically important that we win more medals then anyone else but because we want to feel accomplished as a nation. It seems to me that the past 17 days have done more for the Canadian psyche then anything in my memory.
The success of these Olympics should be a reminder that we share a commonality throughout the country. We are passionate…maybe that passion could spill over into expectations for the country as a whole.
For a great wrap up check out this CTV video
I was also forwarded a great video by Tom Brokaw that aired in the U.S. just before the Olympics…kind of a crash course on Canada. I found it to be really well done.
Cheers and have a great day!
George
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