Customized Learning

Posted on April 24, 2010 by Adam

A couple things stand out to me about this article. First, is Netflix continuing to find new businesses that incorporate into their company. They realize that the DVD business is slowly becoming extinct and they are preparing themselves by diversifying. Very smart. Also, very smart is the field in which they are venturing. Pretty much text books are dead. Soon all our students will have tablets that teach their lessons. The most fascinating part is that teaching will no longer be a one size fits all scenario. These interactive games will cater to each students learning patterns and provide the ideal learning scenario for that student. If you are a more visual learner that’s how your lessons will be conveyed. If you are an aural learner then that will be your learning process. Customized learning. Love it – well done Netflix.

Porn and Innovation

Posted on April 24, 2010 by Adam

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT -

Our innovation does not always come from the morally superior. Innovation has become this buzz word for all that is good and pure about business. But let’s not kid ourselves – there are plenty of areas (porn, gambling etc) where the massive fortunes create some of the largest investors in research and innovation this side of Apple. Porn has always been a front runner when it comes to new technologies and there is no reason to think that trend won’t continue. So let us celebrate for a moment – the contributions of the porn industry to our collective pursuit of exploring new technologies. Progress tends not to care what your reasoning or cause is – it’s just a relentless push to see what is possible and what is next.

Teeball Economics

Posted on April 15, 2010 by Adam

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT -

Why do our online players mimic our TV screens? It makes no sense. It’s a totally different experience and should reflect that. Why not tap into the plethora of information conveyed on screen by supping up the video player? Oh wait, someone else thought of that!

Media/And’s Smart Bar is just another tool in helping monetize online behavior and encourage consumers to purchase items they see in shows. They key to any of these technologies is ease. If I am watching a program online and see a piece of clothing I like – I am most likely not going to go through the trouble of tracking it down and purchasing it. But if that information popped up next to my online viewer and I could buy it right there? Well, that might be an impulse buy. And maybe I will buy that wok in the kitchen scene.

The key is ‘Teeball Economics’ – where buying decisions are made based on how easy and set up the interaction is.

Judge Me By Results Not Methods

Posted on April 13, 2010 by Adam

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT -

Nine to five is an arbitrary time frame for work. Our internal clocks are all different and we all get work done in different ways. An office culture is important but there is no doubt that it has been over- valued. Just us consumers are looking for customized everything – we not apply the same patterns for work flow? If my results are solid and I am not hurting anybody then why can’t I work 4 days a week for longer hours? Also, who says being busy means you are being effective? The amount of hours you put in does not always dictate the quality of your work. Rather, it’s the focus and creativity that propels great work. I think I will take an early lunch…

Design, Behavior and IDEO

Posted on March 30, 2010 by Adam

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT -

Many times ‘change’ is just looking for the right vehicle or infrastructure to prosper. Providing a low cost, easy to use, widely available tool can create the type of macro change necessary to impact a society. This is one reason why apps have so much potential. With more people using smart phones and downloading relatively easy/inexpensive apps – we can share data and enact change with these simple tools. I love the example of the CDC’s campaign for washing hands which has been a big success. Washing hands. So simple and yet it needed that designed interference (advertising) to enact the mass changes.

Action Ratner

Posted on March 27, 2010 by Adam

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT -

While all film exec and filmmakers have their passion projects– they are also on the lookout for a great business model as a steady stream of revenue. Brett Ratner has always been at the forefront of finding lucrative business models to match with his interests. Here he is taking aim at the reasonably priced action thriller. Sam Raimi does it for horror, Peter Jackson for sci-fi and now Ratner for action. Its smart – they become producers and factory owners for burgeoning talent.

The Sound of Your Writing

Posted on March 23, 2010 by Adam

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT -

Easier than organizing a table read – this site reads your script…with readers appropriate to the role. This is just another way to hustle. A writer’s toughest task after finishing a script is to get someone to read it. And as someone who has read my share of scripts over the year – it’s an uphill climb. Might be easy to get your friend to read something but industry folks is another story. The moral of this – be creative.

If you wrote something amazing do whatever you can to get it in front of someone – including making it an audio file. That way someone might be able to consume it in the car or on a run. Tee it up when you’re asking someone to do something for you. Make it easy and make it fun. Also, not a bad idea to hear your characters come to life… I am sure there will be some lines you want to change!

Interactive Fashion Show

Posted on March 19, 2010 by Adam

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT –

Brilliant marketing by Ralph Lauren. This is a fashion show online with commentary and the ability to purchase items as they walk towards you. There is a big trend across all industries of cutting out the middle men or the ‘arbiters’ and going straight to the consumer. Online shopping first made its mark because of the convenience factor but now retailers are realizing that creating an embedded experience for online shopping is important.

Wearable Technology

Posted on March 17, 2010 by Adam

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT -

It started with the Nike shoes that linked up with IPODs and online training. This is the infancy. Of course, Apple is leading the charge.

We have been focused on increasing the power and capabilities of our technologies but now we will focus on how they integrate into our life and with our physical constitutions. Glasses will soon have Terminator capabilities and most clothing will come with new ways to dock your technology.

As the cost of basic computing goes down – more and more wearable technologies will surface.

Headsets & Highballs

Tag Archives: Innovation

Customized Learning

Porn and Innovation

Teeball Economics

Judge Me By Results Not Methods

Design, Behavior and IDEO

Action Ratner

The Sound of Your Writing

Interactive Fashion Show

Wearable Technology