The New Facebook

Yet again... Facebook has rolled out a new version of its home page. Yet again... it's gotten lots of press in the blogosphere.

Mine rolled out today... and my initial reaction is that it isn't bad.

A few things to note:

1- If someone pokes you... you have to scroll down to the bottom of the "highlights" on the right. Ok... I get it Facebook... you want me to spend more time on the page. Fine.
2- The ability to quickly edit your feed preferences.... pretty impressive. We all have that Facebook "friend" we went to junior high with... didn't like in Jr. high, nothing's changed... but they somehow manage to invite you to every event that they are throwing (nevermind that you live 1,000 miles away). Getting that person's feed off your home page is SUPER simple. I'm a fan (of course... if that person is alerted that their feed has been blocked... I would completely stop being a fan... and seeing how I don't know of anyone who's blocked me... I am guessing it isn't the case).
3- The A.D.D.-like real time feeds are VERY reminiscent of twitter... which I guess is the point.

Either way... I can't imagine too many people being up in arms over the changes... and truthfully... they aren't bad at all.

Congrats to Amazon

Maybe I missed it... but in my mind, the blogosphere hasn't been this talkative about a product launch since the last (perhaps final?) Stevenote.

Check this out:

Ars
Tech Crunch
Crunch Gear
JKonTheRun
Giz
SAI

I'm sure there are a bunch of them I'm missing too, but I have to say... congrats to Mr. Bezos, Amazon and your PR team. This is how product launches should be done.

A few random tech observations from the subway

I took the subway into Manhattan today, and had a few random thoughts that I thought might be worth sharing:

1- I adore the iPod touch. It's such an awesome device.
2- I wish Gmail and the other Google apps worked in a sort of offline mode. When I had my last blackberry, I was very fond of typing an e-mail (or 5) while underground, and then sending at my convenience.
3- I spotted a Zune out in the wild. Hadn't seen one in... well... maybe ever?
4- I spotted a Kindle out in the while. Hadn't seen one in a few months (and let me say... it really is a cool looking toy).

All around, it was a nice little tech-filled subway ride.

Google Talk is becoming REALLY cool

Google made a very nice addition today to the Google Talk platform, by adding the ability to share YouTube videos during a conversation.

As many of the commenters on TechCrunch pointed out, this isn't something entirely new, and there are companies who have been doing this for a while (Yahoo is mentioned a couple of times).

What isn't pointed out, and isn't quite available (yet?) is integration with Android. We know that Google has previously incorporated SMS into Gchat, and that Google is making a huge push into the mobile space.

So, here's my question for you:

How cool would it be to be able to have a Gchat going, with voice and video included, while watching a Youtube video... all from your Android phone?

More importantly... how far away is that?

A great day for online media- potentially

Watching the inauguration from the position of being a tech guy, this may make sense, but I think it speaks volumes to the ways that the media is changing.

In discussion through Facebook, e-mail and twitter, I can say that I know people in 4 different countries who are watching or listening live.

On Twitter, there's an explosion of tweets about the event itself, which is to be expected. What I didn't anticipate, however (even if I should have), is how many people are complaining about how their chosen service is dropping the ball in regards to live streams, bandwidth or any other problems.

Twitter Update: I may not be the only one thinking this. I just ReTweeted @mediaphyter's request for people who are watching online or through social media, and have to assume she's writing a story about this for ZDnet (can't wait to see what she comes up with)

In my mind, while today is obviously a huge historical day, I also think it will go down in history as the day that online media took a major shift into the mainstream (you know... assuming that someone can figure out how to make the technology work consistently).

Day 12 of rocking the Roku

So, I'm on day 12 of living without cable, and instead relying on net video and Netflix via the Roku set top box.

Here's my impressions so far:

1- the video quality is really, really good.
2- the ease of use is fantastic
3- the selection of movies and TV shows Netflix has available is.... well.. lacking.

Don't get me wrong, the box is great, and the move away from cable is fully worth it, but there are movies and shows I can't believe they don't have available. I'd give an example, but instead will say this:

Pick your 5 favorite movies.... now assume at least 3 of them aren't there.

Day 1 with a Roku

After a long wait (somehow, it never dawned on me that selecting 'ground' as my delivery option meant there was going to be a truck coming from California), my new Roku set top box arrived, and last night, I took it out for a test run.

Set up was unbelievably easy, and it was up and running within about 3 minutes of me getting home. Then it was on to doing exactly what I was doing prior to returning my cable box: watching random movies. Last night's selection was Groundhog Day, and I was unbelievably impressed with the picture quality.

Then I got to thinking, and realized I had some misconceptions about Netflix (or maybe that my perceptions were changing with the company).

I always thought Netflix was out to knock off Blockbuster. Well, they pretty much succeeded there. The question, I guess for me... Who's next? And I think Netflix is going after the entire DVD industry. Think about it for a second. If you could have any movie you want to see streamed to your TV, would you bother buying DVD's anymore?

Dear Chrome.. it isn't you.... it's me

First off, I am a big fan of Google Chrome. It is, actually, the best browsing experience I have had.

But.... I am no longer using it.

Three reasons why:

1- No Mac client. In my personal life, I am a Mac user and bit of a fanboy. Not being able to run it at home wasn't the worst thing, but it would be a nice option to have.

2- No Google Toolbar- The irony of this is pretty thick. I use the Google Toolbar an incredible amount. From short cuts to easily finding a story I am looking for on a site, I may actually use the toolbar more than I use Google.

3- There are some pages I view every day, whether it's the media database I use at work (which, by the way, the Firefox extension that lets me run IE through the Firefox platform is amazingly convenient) or something a little less sophisticated. If web pages I view on a daily basis won't render, there's really no use in sticking with Chrome.

What about you? What's keeping you from using (or sticking with) Chrome?

Day 1 of a cableless life...maybe a coincidence

Any idea what's fun?

I'd start with telling your cable company that they are being replaced by a better technology that's more convenient to you.

Then... they'll say something fun like:

No problem, we understand that you (my edit: accurately view us as dumb-pipe) have your own needs... we're happy to make the adjustment to your account.

An hour later, having agreed with my cable provider that I would keep their full service until next Saturday, because that's the point where I will be turning my cable box in, my "menu" option on the cable box (you know.... the same service I agreed to pay for until next week), will no longer work.

Roku.... what a weird coincidence.... On Day number 1 of me trying to become your biggest fan... you get a heck of an opportunity. Please don't screw it up like Time Warner.

Re-taking the plunge to a cable-less life

Upon moving to Brooklyn a few months ago, I decided it was time to again become a cable subscriber. After all, there's SO much on all the time, I would have a huge variety of things I wanted to watch, and the hardest choice would be selecting the "best" of what's on... right?

Wrong, it didn't work out that way, and the only "huge" thing I ended up with was the bill.

As such, today, I ordered the Roku Netflix player, and will be canceling my cable when it comes. Look for updates on the switch to a Cable-less life on occasion here.

What about you? Could you live without cable? What's your experience with the Roku?

Off Topic: One of the greatest pics I have ever seen

At heart... I'm a bit of a numbers guy.... which is why I'm such a baseball fan.

As such... this might be one of my favorite pictures of all time:




The numbers represent the likeliness of victory at any given point in last night's Redsox game.

My take on In-Game Advertising

Yesterday, my buddy Anthony, who's a heck of a social marketer and general all around good guy, posted about how he was excited that the Obama campaign has looked at non traditional advertising venues, including in-games ads.

My take is a lot different from his, and reflects what I was thinking when I wrote about mobile advertising.

To me... in the case on both Mobile Ads and In-Game ads, it's a clear case of double-dipping on behalf of the manufacturer, and it's a model that only the Cable companies have managed to succeed on (you pay for cable or satellite TV... while ALSO being advertised to).

If I'm going to shell out $70 for a game... or $100 monthly for my cell service.... I don't want it to come with ads. Pure and simple.

I think for mobile ads or in game ads to be something I'd be willing to live with, there would have to be some sort of trade-off. For example, if EA Sports wanted to send me a free copy of Madden 2009, with the expectation that I'll deal with advertisements (preferably non-intrusive advertisements at that), I'd be much more likely.

For Sprint, if they wanted to knock off 40% of my cell phone bill, in return for me putting up with a couple texts a day advertising something (think of the GPS and hyper-local targeting that could come with this... it's a market's dream come true), I'd be down with that.

But for me... I am only going to be accepting of new forms of advertising when the company hosting the ads gives me something in return.

To comment, or not to comment... that is the question

I have a question for both the Hacks and Flacks (both terms said with love) who happen to read my blog.

As part of being a flack, I've reached out to different reporters and analysts about a story they've written, whether it be to suggest a follow up piece or to (respectively) point out something that I think they may have missed. That's not to say I am the flack who would argue with a reporter or send the scathing e-mail that @bmorrissey would berate. It's most often with one of 2 aims:

1- to introduce a reporter/analyst to a company they may not have heard of
2- to find out, based on the fact that they haven't written about the subject before, if this is a new beat they'll be looking at, or if this is a one-off piece based on no one else being available to cover it, and not something they'll be looking at again. (i.e. I am not going to pester this person forever because they wrote a one-off... and I hope most reporters/analysts appreciate this).

That said, I've had quite a few Hacks respond to me with some variation of the following response:

Hey, thanks for the feedback. Please feel free to post a note along these lines in the comments.

So... here's my questions (and gut feelings on how I would answer below in italics).

-To Hacks (analysts, bloggers and reporters)- Should a PR person respond in the comments to something you've written, even if it's counter to your view or says "hey, you missed it"? Is it better said from someone at the company that the PR person represents?

-To Flacks - Do you respond in comments to Hacks? Have you recommended that your clients do the same (either in addition to your comment or in lieu of it)? If so, what has the feedback been?

I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

My take: A PR person shouldn't be the one doing the commenting. It isn't hard to trace an IP address. Also, it just plain looks tacky... even if the flack discloses the fact that they are a flack. If a company's CEO wants to respond, I think that carries a LOT more weight... but also caution the CEO's that I work with that a response could spark additional conversation, and that they should be prepared for an open, and honest dialogue... not a one-off response

Android

In the office, I've been accused of being a bit of a Google fanboy.

It's true... I am. As such, I had been planning on putting together some thoughts on Android and whether or not I think it will succeed.

At Giz, John Mahoney has done a much better job than I'd be able to. It's worth a read if you have a few minutes.

MySpace Music Launches- but Amazon is the clear winner here

The tech world's been buzzing with MySpace music officially being launched.

My personal opinion of MySpace was best summed up by John Paczkowski when he mentioned its:

deceptively flattering photos and seizure-inducing Web page design

In fact, a couple of weeks ago, I decided that I had all I could want and no longer needed my space (funny story... deleting a MySpace account takes up to 48 hours... seriously????).

That said, this week's announcement is a big win for one company... and it isn't MySpace or any of the record labels... it's Amazon.

At it's heart... MySpace Music is an affiliate marketing campaign. In case you don't know... this means Amazon will pay a referral fee to MySpace for every song sold through MySpace Music. While I have no ideas what the numbers are... let's make it simple and say that every song purchased is $1, and MySpace gets a $.05 cut. It's very much performance based marketing, and Amazon has made a killing doing this for years.

So in other words.... Amazon just got in front of 120 million people... with the agreement that for every $.05 they give MySpace... they get $.95 back (again... hypothetical numbers).

Again... if there's a winner in this announcement... it's Amazon.

My entry for the Sarah Palin Look Alike contest

Much has been made of the Tina Fey impersonation of Sarah Palin.

Yesterday, JR Raphael at the Inquisitr threw up a vote for his Palin look alike... and it got me thinking that there's a glaring omission in the blogosphere about someone who looks like Palin.

I give you my vote: Gabrielle Carteris (Andrea Zuckerman from 90210)

Check out this comparison... it's downright eerie.




Not enough for you? Fine.

Based on a recommendation, I went to YearbookYourself.com to find out what Palin would have looked like as a character on 90210, based on when the show was airing.

Here.... now tell me you don't see the resemblance:

Are you for real?

A while back, the company I work for made the decision to let a person go. I wasn't planning on mentioning this, or pointing him out, but he's done that for me.

Recently, we put out a press release, and in the PR field, when you drop an announcement, you also tend to monitor and search for places that the release was picked up, look for stories that were written, etc.

Anyway, during that process, one of our rockstar employees (you need to be a Mediapost member for that link to work... but check out the 4th paragraph) stumbled on to this little gem from our fallen hero:

At DPR I sat next to a guy who ate apples and nuts at his desk all day long. I mean, when he wasn't stuffing his face with some leftovers in a tupperware or a huge sandwich he got from Subway and insisted on bringing back to the office. I mean, this guy ate all day long. He must have eaten four or five apples daily. Plus half a bag of cashews. It was like sitting next to a horse and a squirrel. Made me sick and I had to hold myself back from telling him to knock it off. He was new, I was on my way out, what good would it have done?

Given that I now sit next to the "Squorse" in question... I thought I would provide an update:

He's recently switched over to eating Sour Grapes.

Chrome Rocks.... and Microsoft Irony

Like everyone else who's a fanboy.... I downloaded Chrome today.

Here's some fun irony from Microsoft (click on the picture and read the fine print)

Yeah, but would anybody want to live there?

Green is still the rage in the tech space right now. Telsa, Telepresence, Sustainability, Wind power, etc.

The folks over at Giz pointed out a neat idea for a city, which would be full self sustaining in terms of power.

In theory, this is a really cool idea. But somehow, it reminds me an awful lot of the spaceship from Wall-E.... a place that you'd never have to leave.

So, if given the option, would you live there?

Leave one in the comments.

What ESPN doesn't get

So, last night was a fairly large regular season baseball game between the Redsox and Yankees. Me, being the proud owner of a subscription to MLB.tv, was ready to log in, sit back, and watch on my laptop.

One problem: ESPN had the rights to the game, and it was blocked out on MLB.tv.

So look, without going into all the hack available to work around this silly little problem, I had a thought.

We know the technology is out there to stream baseball games... we know ESPN has a huge web presence, and that there is a generation like mine (and immediately following mine) that isn't really into cable. We get our content via the web, on our terms. Want to watch Family Guy? Hulu.com. Rent a movie? Netflix streaming (soon to come to an Xbox near you... they finally got that one right).

So, ESPN... on behalf of every person not willing to pay for cable, I'd ask you this: Why don't you stream the game that you already have the rights to? You've already got a ton of page-views coming to your site... imagine if you could keep your audience there for 3 hours at a time.

I mean heck... even the NFL gets it these days.