tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25832555697671188062024-03-05T18:07:00.103-08:00Tretakoff Musings<i>A Tretakoff view of the world.</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00033922698372040099noreply@blogger.comBlogger858125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-64842933580280308062020-08-17T08:30:00.011-07:002020-08-17T10:52:07.120-07:00Loyalty Review: Kohl's Yes2You<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> As some of you know, I've spent over 15 years in the customer loyalty space. So, when I come across a new retail loyalty program, I can't help but see the pluses and minuses. After this many years, it's kind of ingrained. Periodically, I'll share my thoughts with you.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Today, it's Kohl's turn under the scope. Let's have a look, shall we? I've divided the review up into three sections: what's good about the program, what's bad about the program, and what I'd change about it. That last one has some actual value: I charged hundreds of dollars per hour for loyalty program consulting, and had over a dozen clients, before I moved to JustAnswer FT. But, being a pandemic and all, I'm giving it away for free here. Kohl's, you're welcome. Here we go!</span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Good</span></b></h2><h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sign up is opt in</span></li></ul></h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><ul><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-style: inherit;">Seems odd to praise Kohl's for this, but in department store loyalty, this is a rarity, and a smart one. It means the customers who are opted in are already primed to be activated for offers,etc, because they </span><i>chose</i> to enroll.</span></li><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Can't tell you how many retailers make the enrollment automatic, then boast of the numbers of loyalty members they have. </span></li><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They sometimes make the claim that "over 90% of our sales come from loyalty members." What a meaningless statement for a program with automatic opt-in. You can bet that 95% of your members don't even know they are in your program.</span></li></ul></ul><h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Very digital first</span></li></ul></h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><ul><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">No physical loyalty card</span></li><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Enrollment is entirely digital; no paper</span></li><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Very strong connection to the app</span></li><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rewards are all digital</span></li></ul></ul><h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Decent reward structure</span></li></ul></h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 point per dollar spent</span></li><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">$5 for every 100 points</span></li><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Good value proposition (not great)</span></li><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Easy to understand by the customer</span></li><ul><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If the program is successful, I guarantee they change to a "10 points for every dollar" and "$5 for every 1000 points" to allow for greater multiplier opportunities (see the recent change to Starbucks Rewards)</span></li></ul></ul><h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Real-time e-mail to have me "activate" my enrollment:</span></li></ul></h3><div class="ql-images" data-height="262" data-urls="["https://s3.amazonaws.com/notejoy/note_images/692352.1.Image 2020-08-14 at 4.42.46 PM.png"]" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; height: 262px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="ql-images-cursor" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div class="ql-images-core" contenteditable="false" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-flow: row; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 262px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1px; user-select: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img class="ql-images-item" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/notejoy/note_images/692352.1.Image%202020-08-14%20at%204.42.46%20PM.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; cursor: zoom-in; flex: 0 0 auto; font: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 661px;" /></div></div><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Email address on activation page is prepopulated from the e-mail.</span></li><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That's a simple step that alleviates customer annoyance and is often overlooked</span></li><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Clear, understandable guidelines on password creation as automatic pop-up tool tip when you click in the password field:</span></li></ul><div class="ql-images" data-height="300" data-urls="["https://s3.amazonaws.com/notejoy/note_images/692352.1.Image 2020-08-14 at 4.48.23 PM.png"]" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; height: 300px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="ql-images-cursor" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div class="ql-images-core" contenteditable="false" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-flow: row; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 300px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1px; user-select: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img class="ql-images-item" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/notejoy/note_images/692352.1.Image%202020-08-14%20at%204.48.23%20PM.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; cursor: zoom-in; flex: 0 0 auto; font: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 627.103px;" /></div></div><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: inherit;">This is </span><b>wonderful </b><span style="font-weight: inherit;">UX, and any site that requires a password could learn this trick. </span></span></li><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Password frustration is one of the leading reasons customers abandon sign ups</span></li><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Offered a checkbox during activation for e-mail opt in, with the promise of a 15% one-time discount</span></li><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Offers a clear value proposition to the customer</span></li><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Great idea to offer the value proposition during activation, rather than hoping the customer doesn't want to uncheck a box</span></li><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Offered me 100 points for activating</span></li><ul><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Great! A reason to activate. Nice job, Kohl's.</span></li></ul><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Activation e-mail was "signed" by the manager of the specific store I enrolled at:</span></li></ul><div class="ql-images" data-height="142" data-urls="["https://s3.amazonaws.com/notejoy/note_images/692352.1.Image 2020-08-14 at 5.14.26 PM.png"]" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; height: 142px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="ql-images-cursor" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div class="ql-images-core" contenteditable="false" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-flow: row; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 142px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1px; user-select: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img class="ql-images-item" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/notejoy/note_images/692352.1.Image%202020-08-14%20at%205.14.26%20PM.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; cursor: zoom-in; flex: 0 0 auto; font: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 387px;" /></div></div><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Those personal touches are often some of the strongest longevity factors</span></li></ul><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ok, so far, so good, right? Great. Now it's time to get some hard criticism. Sorry if it hurts, but it's better to be honest than flattering. Let's get started.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Bad</span></span></h2><h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was offered no immediate gratification reward for signing up.</span></li></ul></h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I asked, and the cashier said no, but I'd earn on all purchases.</span></li><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I asked if the cashier would be bonused if I did sign up; she said no, but she hoped that management would see how effective she was at it, implying some sort of reward.</span></li></ul><h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In-Store signup is at the PIN pad, with multiple screens and multiple data elements requested.</span></li></ul></h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: inherit;">That delays lane speed, a </span><b>big </b><span style="font-weight: inherit;">no no.</span></span></li><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ironically, the cashier said that it was a vast improvement: they used to give the customer a paper application, where the customer would then have to fill it out <strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">while still checking out,</strong> hand it back to the cashier, who would then have to scan the application in. WOW.</span></li></ul><h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Activation</span></li></ul></h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Activation link brings me to a standard Kohls.com login page.</span></li><li class="ql-indent-3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 75px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Should be dedicated to loyalty enrollment; it's confusing what I am signing up for?</span></li><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">During activation, I am asked to enter my 9 digit loyalty ID.</span></li><li class="ql-indent-3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 75px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Doesn't tell me where to get it.</span></li><li class="ql-indent-3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 75px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I wasn't given a card in the store, so I have nothing.</span></li><li class="ql-indent-3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 75px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Checking the activation e-mail, I couldn't find it...until I looked in the upper right corner:</span></li></ul><div class="ql-images" data-height="245" data-urls="["https://s3.amazonaws.com/notejoy/note_images/692352.1.Image 2020-08-14 at 4.52.44 PM.png"]" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; height: 245px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="ql-images-cursor" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div class="ql-images-core" contenteditable="false" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-flow: row; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 245px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1px; user-select: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img class="ql-images-item" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/notejoy/note_images/692352.1.Image%202020-08-14%20at%204.52.44%20PM.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; cursor: zoom-in; flex: 0 0 auto; font: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 824px;" /></div></div><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 75px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: inherit;">That's right; the ID I need is in </span><b>6 point text</b><span style="font-weight: inherit;">, squished between my name and point balance.</span></span></li><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Where's my 15% discount?</span></li><li class="ql-indent-3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 75px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You offered during activation, but you never specified how I'd get it.</span></li><li class="ql-indent-3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 75px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Worse, after activation is completed, you provide me a "wallet," which is specifically called out to contain my rewards and discounts. It ain't there. It ain't in my e-mail. So where is it?</span></li></ul><div class="ql-images" data-height="281" data-urls="["https://s3.amazonaws.com/notejoy/note_images/692352.1.Image 2020-08-14 at 5.10.41 PM.png"]" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; height: 281px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="ql-images-cursor" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div class="ql-images-core" contenteditable="false" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-flow: row; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 281px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1px; user-select: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img class="ql-images-item" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/notejoy/note_images/692352.1.Image%202020-08-14%20at%205.10.41%20PM.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; cursor: zoom-in; flex: 0 0 auto; font: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 855px;" /></div></div><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 75px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You've just done the worst thing you can do to a new loyalty member: you enticed, and then not followed through. To the customer, <strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">you lied. </strong>Can you get them back if you fulfill later? Sure, but you won't get them all.</span></li><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Where's my 100 points?</span></li></ul><div class="ql-images" data-height="244" data-urls="["https://s3.amazonaws.com/notejoy/note_images/692352.1.Image 2020-08-14 at 5.19.53 PM.png"]" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; height: 244px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="ql-images-cursor" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div class="ql-images-core" contenteditable="false" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-flow: row; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 244px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1px; user-select: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img class="ql-images-item" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/notejoy/note_images/692352.1.Image%202020-08-14%20at%205.19.53%20PM.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; cursor: zoom-in; flex: 0 0 auto; font: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 492px;" /></div></div><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You promised me them during activation, yet they are not on my dashboard. Where are they? How soon will they appear? Talk to me....</span></li></ul><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Reward Expiration</span></li></ul></h3><h3></h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Those 100 points automatically convert to a $5 reward at the first day of the month, but the subsequent $5 reward expires 30 days from issuance</span></li><ul><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While this is actually a smart tactic to keep points liability costs down, it cheapens the value of the program and makes the customer feel like they got conned.</span></li></ul></ul><h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Website</span></li></ul></h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><h3 style="color: black; white-space: normal;"></h3><ul style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; vertical-align: baseline;"><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You are determining "my store" based on geo information harvested from the browser, rather than the store I signed up for your loyalty program from.</span></li></ul><div class="ql-images" data-height="146" data-urls="["https://s3.amazonaws.com/notejoy/note_images/692352.1.kohlscampbell.png"]" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; height: 146px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="ql-images-cursor" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div class="ql-images-core" contenteditable="false" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-flow: row; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 146px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1px; user-select: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img class="ql-images-item" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/notejoy/note_images/692352.1.kohlscampbell.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; cursor: zoom-in; flex: 0 0 auto; font: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 246px;" /></div></div><ul style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; vertical-align: baseline;"><li class="ql-indent-3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 75px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You were clearly able to access that information in real-time to generate the activation e-mail, which specified the store manager, but you couldn't access that for a newly signed in and activated loyalty member? C'mon...</span></li></ul></ul><div><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><!--more--><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ok, exam time is over. I know, it was harsh, but all programs have to modify to effectively motivate customers, and that means questioning your most sacred concepts. Now, time to give you what normally costs thousands of dollars: what I'd suggest Kohl's do. Open your checkbooks....</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How I'd fix it/Improve it</span></span></h2><h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Offer a 1 time bonus for signing up</span></li></ul></h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You currently give 25% off to every Amazon customer who comes in to return an item (a really fascinating strategy), so you clearly value customer acquisition.</span></li><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Give the same to a new loyalty signup.</span></li></ul><h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In Store Signup</span></li></ul></h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Capture simple opt-in and phone number at PIN pad.</span></li><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Send an SMS with link to complete enrollment online, or respond with e-mail address to get a link sent to your e-mail.</span></li><li class="ql-indent-3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 75px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There is a slight problem with that approach: SMS marketing is not 100%. There are some customers who don't have SMS turned on, or don't have that capability. So what to do?</span></li><li class="ql-indent-3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 75px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Solution: Design for the exceptions:</span></li><li class="ql-indent-4" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 100px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let the cashier add a notation through POS software that passes a unique ID to the customer.</span></li><li class="ql-indent-4" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 100px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If the customer signs up within 30 days and inputs the unique ID, they get credit for the purchase they made that day.</span></li><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Reduces lane speed delays</span></li></ul><h2></h2><h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Activation</span></li></ul></h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Clone or mask the standard sign up page</span></li><ul><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Make it all about the loyalty program</span></li><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Add a notation that by activating your account, you will also be given a Kohls.com account for your convenience</span></li><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Give clear instructions on where to find the Rewards ID</span></li></ul><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Give the Rewards ID prominence in the activation e-mail</span></li><li class="ql-indent-3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 75px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Make it clear that you will need it to complete activation</span></li><li class="ql-indent-3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 75px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-style: inherit;">CNN: </span><i>"<u>Kohl's average shopper is 45</u>, according to customer surveys from Cowen. That's a year older than Macy's (M) and JCPenney's (JCP) average shopper, two years older than Target's (TGT) and four years older than the average shopper at discount chains TJMaxx (TJX) and Marshalls."</i></span></li><li class="ql-indent-3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 75px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Older demographic = make it easier to find the information needed.</span></li><li class="ql-indent-4" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 100px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Use larger fonts.</span></li><li class="ql-indent-4" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 100px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Reduce information in email.</span></li><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Set clear expectations where and how the customer will get the 15% one time coupon they opted in for as part of activation.</span></li><li class="ql-indent-3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 75px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you can't do it on the page that asks for the opt in (and you really should), trigger a real time e-mail that informs them how they will get it.</span></li><li class="ql-indent-3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 75px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you insist on giving the customer a "wallet" for discounts and coupons, <strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">put the damned 15% coupon in there.</strong> Have it prepopulated for all new signups that opt in.\</span></li><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Give me my 100 points you promised me!</span></li><li class="ql-indent-3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 75px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Don't make me wait; have them automatically deposited in real time for every completed activation.</span></li><li class="ql-indent-3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 75px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If there's some reason you can't (and there's really no good reason to immediately disappoint a new loyalty member, now is there?), Then at the very lease, tell me on the dashboard when I can expect them.</span></li><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In recent comments by Kohl's CEO Michelle Gass, she commented how they were focused on purchase frequency </span></li></ul><h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Capitalize on the personal touch</span></li></ul></h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Imagine if "Daniel" was alerted when a newly activated loyal customer made their purchase in real-time, and could come over to introduce himself, say thanks in person, and offer assistance if needed.</span></li><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That would change the customer's relationship to a faceless store to one of being a VIP and being treated as such.</span></li></ul><h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="ql-indent-1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Change Reward Expiration</span></li></ul></h3><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><ul style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; vertical-align: baseline;"><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In recent comments by Kohl's CEO Michelle Gass, she commented how they were focused on purchase frequency improvements .</span></li><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you have an issue with how frequently your customer purchases, yes, making rapidly expiring rewards is an incentive to making that happen.</span></li><li class="ql-indent-2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: inherit;">However, it's usually a temporary lift: customers quickly tire of losing their rewards because they don't need a purchase, and it creates a negative feedback effect. Customers' purchase frequency </span><b>declines </b><span style="font-weight: inherit;">due to the perceived devaluation of the rewards.</span></span></li></ul></ul><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well, there you have it. Kohl's has an interesting, easy to understand program that is being undermined by it's convoluted activation implementation, poor expectation setting, and baffling rewards delivery. The PIN pad sign up is one of the most fascinating aspects: it goes against every higher volume store program I've ever work on or seen, yet the employees seem to feel it's an improvement. But the best news? It's a program that can be made 100% better with simple fixes; that's something so many programs can't say.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kohl's: you're welcome. Let me know if you want to chat. ;-)</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-91729075730905496272020-06-16T16:52:00.002-07:002020-06-17T15:44:02.686-07:00Revisiting Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEg3EL9QSaeJRO0gsFjPHMNhBP0ugLiobjJEqRflQxfKEqDV2u0QF6-5CzX1CaTAwXIUoo3vq4lIqLFkMADzIW6NZipRqlXKC__YwfeWkXC8GF-it19iAzecVyvbSe5hU1k8_R0XHzs8h5_V1GyoguHkab6ksfJgy3c4-THrDGln_LOBUuRtifjmU98A49v-StNleqFkBIlu0A=s777" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="777" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEg3EL9QSaeJRO0gsFjPHMNhBP0ugLiobjJEqRflQxfKEqDV2u0QF6-5CzX1CaTAwXIUoo3vq4lIqLFkMADzIW6NZipRqlXKC__YwfeWkXC8GF-it19iAzecVyvbSe5hU1k8_R0XHzs8h5_V1GyoguHkab6ksfJgy3c4-THrDGln_LOBUuRtifjmU98A49v-StNleqFkBIlu0A=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I recently started rewatching <i>Star Trek: The Next Generation</i> from the beginning. I have nothing but fond memories of the original run in the 1980s, given how excited I was for a new Trek series in my lifetime (I had only reruns and the movies to stoke my Trek interest), and it recently occurred to me that, while I diligently consumed every TNG episode, I had not experienced the series since it's original run. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Why did I do this? Well, a few reasons:</div></span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>With the triumphant return of Sir Patrick Stewart to the smaller screen as the venerable Jean Luc <a href="https://www.cbs.com/shows/star-trek-picard/" target="_blank">Picard</a>, I thought it would be interesting to contrast this version with the previous, and see how far he has come. It would add color to the character, as well as Sir Patrick.<br /><br /></li><li>Frankly, with the COVID19 lockdown, the series I have binged upon have been intense, dark, and disturbing. Combined with the activity of the world, including insane politics, homicidal police who seem to view people of color as "prey," rather than their charges to protect, and a global pandemic, I kind of wanted something lighter, more optimistic in tone. I remember some of that in a vague way from TNG.<br /><br /></li><li>I wanted something that would continue to stoke my science fiction fires, while being the equivalent of a good Pandora station: easy, nice, and inspirational.</li></ul><div>So, armed as such, I decided nowhere to start than the beginning: Season 1, Episode 1: <i>Encounter At Farpoint</i>. From there, I marched through those 24 episodes, taking notes as I went. And guess what? You get to share in those notes with me! Ready, Number One? Engage.</div><div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><b>General impressions</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 16px;">Various plots were recycled from TOS in that first season. Man, yet another mysterious microbe that gets on the ship and takes over? Looks a lot scarier in a post COVID, post cruise ship/disease barge time.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 16px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjw5TlAdP5liJNSsaGWBJSjqHZxvIKrmt3p8DA8xbpoGJK7EiIDf-zFGfcvvwze9tzAPJAAwppVyvdSp7f1W4FMdGz5-dz-VIZleaYGaUIhNCO2HSqGiQ8mWx2tJzTCRrqRN4wxGnOtxVZRsKh0Qi4lfUZZVvofsuEKPQ4zh3w2_oP5P7zawKKKsxFjThs3ASEHKWnUK1npc-YBNg8=s480" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjw5TlAdP5liJNSsaGWBJSjqHZxvIKrmt3p8DA8xbpoGJK7EiIDf-zFGfcvvwze9tzAPJAAwppVyvdSp7f1W4FMdGz5-dz-VIZleaYGaUIhNCO2HSqGiQ8mWx2tJzTCRrqRN4wxGnOtxVZRsKh0Qi4lfUZZVvofsuEKPQ4zh3w2_oP5P7zawKKKsxFjThs3ASEHKWnUK1npc-YBNg8=s320" width="320" /></a></div>The Ferengi were clearly a Gene Roddenberry trademark. Create a character/race that represents an aspect of modern day human society, amplify the ugly traits, and set them against the crew. In the Original Series (TOS), it was the half black/half white aliens in </span><i style="font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Let_That_Be_Your_Last_Battlefield_(episode)" target="_blank">Let That Be Your Last Battlefield</a></i><span style="font-size: 16px;">, amplifying the ridicule of racial tensions. Here, in the go-go, "greed is good" 1980's, the bargaining and scheming Ferengi were a clear metaphor for the consumerism that runs rampant. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 16px;">Odd and disturbing undercurrent here: there was more than a little questionable racism at play. The Ferengi were perceived as obsessed with "profit" and "bargains," and has prominent noses (and ears), were smaller than those around them, and seemed very...alien. Perhaps it's with the time that has passed, but I can't help but see more than a little reference to the Jewish people here, all with similar characteristics that racists have used for years. Unsettling to see it crop up in Trek, which always felt like it went beyond this.</span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;"><b>Not surprising</b></span></div><div><b><br /></b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">The music was waaaay over the top, almost cheesy and very heavy handed to REALLY DRIVE THE POINT HOME of what ever emotion the scene wanted you to feel. If that wasn't enough, don't worry: they had lots</span> of dramatic zoom-in shots that would hold, right as they went to commercial.</div><div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">The set designs were very cheap, far flimsier and cheaper than I remembered. My memory of TNG was that it had a surprisingly rich production value, with lush sets, and very cool technology. Not in Season 1; the quality was almost the level of TOS, with plenty of cardboard, fake boulders, and comical animation.</span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjX8Oe29yHoZ9a_XB5Tl3f9sKIzDtK_nUW_C46IunRXfCT1hlL6foho5-kGqG33cGy2m8kQqjRWNXUmeUf-IW7T9a7MTB6j4zWUXmbrm1eypyhutP6x3hzEKeUKlcf2CIFNYt1F-S7XbsoffJrr1YCoALMrsecDnMK6LfdhK0o7DV_DLvfBx85y6uoCtDzUg-kkK95fwKBMaI8=s400" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjX8Oe29yHoZ9a_XB5Tl3f9sKIzDtK_nUW_C46IunRXfCT1hlL6foho5-kGqG33cGy2m8kQqjRWNXUmeUf-IW7T9a7MTB6j4zWUXmbrm1eypyhutP6x3hzEKeUKlcf2CIFNYt1F-S7XbsoffJrr1YCoALMrsecDnMK6LfdhK0o7DV_DLvfBx85y6uoCtDzUg-kkK95fwKBMaI8=s320" width="320" /></a></div>OK, we start the series with Picard deliberately making it clear how much he hates children. Let's put the underlying question of why you take a command that is replete with families and children all over the place. No, I want to ask the serious question: what the actual FUCK is a man who hates children making the son of his dead best friend (Wesley Crusher) an "acting ensign"? How do the writers make that one make any sense? And does any other ship in the entire Federation have a kid as an "acting ensign?" Which ones? I want names, dammit!</span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Another interesting set of choices that seem to become Trek hallmarks: the reuse of actors who appear in other Trek properties, but as different characters. In this first season, we even got a two-fer in the same episode! <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0125190/" target="_blank">Merritt Buttrick</a>, who played David Marcus (Kirk's son) in </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><i>The Wrath of Khan</i></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">, showed up. But wait, in the same episode, directly opposed to Buttrick, is <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0779401/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1" target="_blank">Judson Scott</a>, Khan's right hand man, from the same film! Fascinating, as Spock would say. Incidentally, in researching this, I found this little nugget amazing for the man who brought Joachim to life:</span><br /><blockquote>In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Joachim was played by Judson Scott. However, Scott's name does not appear in the credits. According to TV Guide, Scott's agent was in negotiations with Paramount Pictures to get Scott high billing, but the tactic backfired and Scott wound up with no credit at all.</blockquote></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Surprises</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiKUeROo-3tSg3iuyNg6DooRcqB9FEwnn5Po1iIDjcUfOSLOkACrIqGFQ7Sn8HU0Mn5aWvlQeWsPMzUy7o5Xz-Rvpllh9_sLEF2BIlodjp-KKourFFBKqxKEn6XkSiZda9yLpJw72Kk_I6UVfOCE0eD-L3p_vFc6mBXq6ac_SdQz2g1OKqfjo1BP5m74q_atYM_2uNuw_ZD=s550" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiKUeROo-3tSg3iuyNg6DooRcqB9FEwnn5Po1iIDjcUfOSLOkACrIqGFQ7Sn8HU0Mn5aWvlQeWsPMzUy7o5Xz-Rvpllh9_sLEF2BIlodjp-KKourFFBKqxKEn6XkSiZda9yLpJw72Kk_I6UVfOCE0eD-L3p_vFc6mBXq6ac_SdQz2g1OKqfjo1BP5m74q_atYM_2uNuw_ZD=s320" width="320" /></a></div>I remembered that the series started off with Q, who would become a recurring foil for the crew throughout the series (and into the spin-offs of </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><i>Deep Space 9</i> and <i>Voyager</i>). He puts the "deus" in the Trek signature deus ex machina. But what I had not remembered is that we got not just 1 appearance by Q in season 1, but a full second episode. And since <i>Farpoint </i>was a 2 parter, we actually had more than 10% of season 1 be about Q!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjAwumOc3xP_2Z9KQm78bambfDG3u0CO_-FYR50uj_Ahx3qnniorAxFDjX53ZF3bAjNkQqbybQV9OYqppdu3JEtPv04Ss-FVU7K8SkHg7v6z8HDxBkUWGRvXQL1nG8-E88ZH2YHLC1SEfD4aQU_-VyZdpAozOuPfgZNhozvKM5cB_nDl48jTjY1w1cBlHMm3_snUoagREMzb7KgX8hAshMORg=s689" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="689" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjAwumOc3xP_2Z9KQm78bambfDG3u0CO_-FYR50uj_Ahx3qnniorAxFDjX53ZF3bAjNkQqbybQV9OYqppdu3JEtPv04Ss-FVU7K8SkHg7v6z8HDxBkUWGRvXQL1nG8-E88ZH2YHLC1SEfD4aQU_-VyZdpAozOuPfgZNhozvKM5cB_nDl48jTjY1w1cBlHMm3_snUoagREMzb7KgX8hAshMORg=s320" width="320" /></a></div>Let's talk about Klingons. We'd had 4 TOS movies by the time this show hit the airwaves, so our only</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> exposure to this new breed of Klingons came from the fantastic talents of Christopher Lloyd and John Larroquette (yes, really). So we had no rich storyline, no cultural history of these seemingly transformed warriors who looked and behaved very differently than TOS. So, armed with only a ridged head, Michael Dorn had to bring this race to full dimensionality. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">At first, the writers had him almost cartoonish, more of a half man, half beast, which I would have expected with Roddenberry at the helm for this reboot. Look, the man was visionary, but not, shall we say, nuanced. But I had to kick my preconceptions to the curb with the evolution of the Klingons in season 1. For instance, the writers did a great job of setting up what we now consider the modern Klingon mythos with the death ritual and embracing of the idea of dying well. That was the foundation of decades of rich cultural exploration, and magnificently executed.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjx4JmWDWTptiMEqPkck2YXqVh6Z-djMW8sjd3qGjUOdQqLmtpWTKhGMp4aLWvut-RKR62ZTJM9LmxP2hAdzsXi6nXjRm8bZGb-GHv8t7LK658ovHx9P9bzjM5AKLEcOd-fe4bHGddZ3DegV5qVjSYxLz7KWgYgkHrHg8AHj5SJch8mNFX6QOny1on8C-3wVgdxqcPXVjA0mfpKQ0plXjeHDooav79_R284K-zKWmbcnuEHtvMHbbMRszp4AZSBaD3zvtDTKbJdVw=s1440" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjx4JmWDWTptiMEqPkck2YXqVh6Z-djMW8sjd3qGjUOdQqLmtpWTKhGMp4aLWvut-RKR62ZTJM9LmxP2hAdzsXi6nXjRm8bZGb-GHv8t7LK658ovHx9P9bzjM5AKLEcOd-fe4bHGddZ3DegV5qVjSYxLz7KWgYgkHrHg8AHj5SJch8mNFX6QOny1on8C-3wVgdxqcPXVjA0mfpKQ0plXjeHDooav79_R284K-zKWmbcnuEHtvMHbbMRszp4AZSBaD3zvtDTKbJdVw=w205-h154" width="205" /></a></div>Another Roddenberry surprise for season 1 was the introduction of Lore. Data was clearly originally written to be both a representation of and a conflict against the Spock character, but I did not remember his evil brother Lore making an appearance so early in the series. This also set up the legacy of Dr. Noonian Soong, the creator of both Data and Lore, a subplot that would show up multiple times thought the new Trek series. I honestly had not expected that level of creativity in this first season.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">More surprising creativity: in this first season, there was one episode that sent them 300 light years away, where it would take them decades to get back. Of course, not to worry, always a handy omnipotent alien around to come to the rescue (and a setup for Wesley Crusher's fate, years from now). But this idea of being marooned decades away in this first season was almost exactly the underlying premise of </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><i>Star Trek Voyager, </i>a show that would not air for 8 more years!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Of course, not all was so visionary in Season 1. There were lots of inconsistencies in Data and Worf between episodes in these early ones. Worf would often be filmed savagely growling and glowering; Data's loony turn as Sherlock Holmes, etc. Towards the end of the season, they started to tone down the extreme behavior, thankfully.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">One of my favorite episodes was in season 1! I hadn't expected it. While it's official title is "Home Soil, I remember it mostly for the end scenes, with the newly evolved and conscious life forms communicating with the crew. Why is that not just standard Trek? The new life forms addressed the crew as "ugly giant mostly bags of water," which Picard appeared completely flummoxed by, until Data pointed out that is an accurate description of a humanoid to a silicon based life form. It was one of the moments Trek managed to introduce the concept of "alien" and turn it on it's head. I am proud to be a member of the UGMBOW, and I thank these characters for pointing it out.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgbsUek5ss5Nh17KLIv4o1DZQSAIH3VkJ9vNxBKY2R-AzQ3wi85gUiMX12DUUbVT-Ilt3T3NUL_RUdOR3311hXpkHg9InL9n7d9pMdZqLVB504QQNOkAUloL3wthw9W8P2cLcnA0qIxZ6Cq7qICu7q1GptExcMGvP8Rsut6bnaxLxcS16AKT0Ch4n8kG22VNX2QzFvwHD-tgEJE27a1QHppDYIBG2B75Qqyr9W0I9-_7pMITR92vEDZSjSU=s1440" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgbsUek5ss5Nh17KLIv4o1DZQSAIH3VkJ9vNxBKY2R-AzQ3wi85gUiMX12DUUbVT-Ilt3T3NUL_RUdOR3311hXpkHg9InL9n7d9pMdZqLVB504QQNOkAUloL3wthw9W8P2cLcnA0qIxZ6Cq7qICu7q1GptExcMGvP8Rsut6bnaxLxcS16AKT0Ch4n8kG22VNX2QzFvwHD-tgEJE27a1QHppDYIBG2B75Qqyr9W0I9-_7pMITR92vEDZSjSU=s320" width="320" /></a></div>If Q is the deus in deus ex machina, then the holodeck fills out the yang to his yin. Always able to mine that infinite landscape for a diversion, it proves a stalwart Trek companion that stretches through countless series and movies. And we get a sense of it with the Dixon Hill story line: a 1941 Bogart-like detective made his first case in season 1. If you had told me the Picard from </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><i>Farpoint </i>liked to spend his downtime as a hard-boiled San Francisco gumshoe, I'd have said the show went off the rails. But, the show evolved, Picard evolved, and Dixon Hill, who'd make multiple appearances (including in the best TNG movie, <i>First Contact</i>),</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> started right here! Extremely creative.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Finally, let's discuss that last mini episode arc, with a mysterious threat that faced the very core of Starfleet. Ok, quite the build up to a race of insect body snatchers that apparently like to be eaten by their ruler. Um. Yeah, that happened. But we were treated to some old-school, Ray </span>Harryhausen style s<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">top-motion animation, as those critters skittered through the facility. Shades of </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><i>Jason and the Argonauts</i></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">! And if that wasn't enough, we get the vision of Picard and Riker, the very twins of James T. Kirk's own qualities made separate, deciding that this newly discovered life form could only be dealt with one way: </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Phasers set on kill! And the payoff? We get to see Remick's head exploding. Yeah, this is a Trek episode that really never should have been made.</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i>On to Season 2....</i></b></div>Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-866161092765747222020-05-05T17:09:00.000-07:002020-05-05T17:09:05.015-07:00I Shed A Tear For Movie Theaters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d13ezvd6yrslxm.cloudfront.net/wp/wp-content/images/movietheater-screen-seats-700x396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="700" height="226" src="https://d13ezvd6yrslxm.cloudfront.net/wp/wp-content/images/movietheater-screen-seats-700x396.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Atom Films <a href="https://atomtickets.com/movie-news/avengers-endgame-captain-america-mjolnir-best-movie-scene-in-decades/" target="_blank">had an article</a> that really hit me hard. It seems that <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottGustin" target="_blank">Scott Gustin</a>, who covers entertainment, went to the opening of <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154796/" target="_blank">Avengers: Endgame</a></i> a year ago, in Los Angeles. Like all of us, he had been waiting for this film for seemingly forever, but Scott did something I bet none of us did: <b>he recorded the sound of the crowd reacting to the film.</b> Cool, right?<br />
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Now, take a moment to visualize a year ago. No people trapped in their homes, worried about illness or financial uncertainty the likes we've never seen. Responding to Trump's latest with a roll of the eyes, rather than a frustrated scream. No overwhelming frustration leading to <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/04/15/lansing-capitol-protest-michigan-stay-home-order/5136842002/" target="_blank">riots at state capitals</a>. And no horrific illness, robbing us of friends and family, in a wave not seen in a century.</div>
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No, in this time, early April of 2019, we were watching Trump still bitch about his border wall. Over in Ukraine, a country most of us hadn't really thought about, they were electing a comedian as president, and we were marveling at it. Brexit was falling apart, Nipsey Hussle was shot and killed,, and NYC was banning single-use plastic bags. Y'know, Normal, sad as that was.</div>
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But, we had a beacon of hope: a collective escape, in the form of a movie we'd been waiting for: the conclusion to the Marvel superhero extravaganza, <i>Avengers: Endgame</i>. We'd been waiting for it for about a year, since <i>Avengers: Infinity War</i> left us on that bleak, horrific cliffhanger. But truthfully, we'd been waiting for it for over a decade, ever since we were first introduced to big-screen Iron Man and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.</div>
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I grew up with three major influences: videogames, comics, and movies. Along with my "brothers" Charles and Andrew Barletta, I made my weekly treks to the comic store and gorged on the impossibly great stories, convoluted timelines, and occasionally <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thealexrossart/" target="_blank">transformative art therein</a>. Charles and Andrew shook their heads ruefully at me for picking up DC books, pointing out (accurately, I must say) that DC heroes were pretty unstoppable, so where was the fun? Marvel, now that was where it was at. It was the time of the X-Men, with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolverine_(character)" target="_blank">Wolverine</a> becoming this incredibly popular antihero, and the <a href="https://www.marvel.com/comics/discover/361/the-punisher" target="_blank">Punisher</a>, bringing vigilantes to a whole new level.</div>
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<a href="https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article1259862.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/L-R%20Jean-Claude%20Van%20Damme,%20Sylvester%20Stallone%20and%20Arnold%20Schwarzenegger%20attend%20the%20UK%20premiere%20for%20The%20Expendables%202" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="615" height="212" src="https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article1259862.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/L-R%20Jean-Claude%20Van%20Damme,%20Sylvester%20Stallone%20and%20Arnold%20Schwarzenegger%20attend%20the%20UK%20premiere%20for%20The%20Expendables%202" width="320" /></a></div>
It was the heyday of action heroes: Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and Van Damme ruled the screens. Reimaginings of the loss in Vietnam through films like <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rambo:_First_Blood_Part_II" target="_blank">Rambo</a></i>, <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087727/" target="_blank">Missing in Action</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086508/" target="_blank">Uncommon Valor</a></i> played out. The Star Wars trilogy was the sun of the cinematic world; every other movie orbited around the Holy Trinity. In short, it was the stuff that teenage boys thrive on.</div>
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In 1993, Marvel decided to get into the movie business. Sadly, most of it's ventures were what comic fans like myself feared: those flawed heroes didn't translate well to the screen, while those old stalwarts at DC did fine with <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096895/" target="_blank">Batman</a> and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078346/" target="_blank">Superman</a>. Even as there started to be signs of life with movies like <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120903/" target="_blank">X-Men</a> and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0145487/" target="_blank">Spider Man</a>, those were done by "real" movie studios who licensed the characters. But then something interesting happened: Marvel <a href="https://twitter.com/kevfeige" target="_blank">hired a guy</a> who grew up in the same environment (literally; we lived a couple of miles apart and he was a few years younger) we had, and gave him the reigns.</div>
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In 2008, Robert Downey Jr., an Oscar-nominated ne'er do well actor, mostly known to the public as a potentially amazingly talented performer who was usually in <a href="https://drugabuse.com/robert-downey-jr-s-incredible-comeback-from-addiction/" target="_blank">rehab</a>, <a href="https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/what-did-robert-downey-jr-go-to-prison-for.html/" target="_blank">jail</a>, or <a href="https://www.thethings.com/20-photos-of-robert-downey-jr-s-past-he-wishes-we-could-unsee/" target="_blank">behaving badly</a>, came to the screen in Marvel's <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0371746/" target="_blank">Iron Man</a></i>. It was as close to a perfect translation of those Marvel comics as has ever been. The movie was action packed, funny, and thrilling, and RDJ was masterful. But what really knocked out the world was the ending, after the credits, after most of the audience had left, leaving only the happy die-hards like me in our seats. The credits finished...and <b>something happened</b>.</div>
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What. The. HELL?</div>
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Did I just see the hint of a shared universe? <b>Is that Nick Goddam Fury?</b> Not just Nick Fury, but the Ultimates version of Nick Fury (<i>it's a comics thing; trust me</i>)? Is that Samuel L. Jackson, the coolest man to grace the screen, playing Fury? WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?!?!?</div>
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And it began. 20 movies later, with sequels, team-ups, and crossovers, we had arrived at the culmination with the last of the Avengers films with these actors and characters. We knew RDJ and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Evans_(actor)" target="_blank">Chris Evans</a> were done with their deals, we weren't sure what <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Hemsworth" target="_blank">Hemsworth</a> was up to, but we suspected we'd seen his last as well. No, this was the emotional goodbye to these characters, these actors, these manifestations, with a storyline we were dying to see.</div>
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The premiere was scheduled. The crowds were gathered. The excitement was tangible, like an invisible energy you only felt when a Star Wars film came out (ok, maybe more than that, but it was the closest). The doors open, you take your seat, you gather your popcorn, you figure out what the hell you want to do with your coat (<i>hold it? wear it?</i>), and you realize everyone else in that theater is feeling exactly the same way, at the same moment, and you are connected to all of them. And as the house lights come down, Scott Gustin takes out his phone and starts to record.</div>
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And for nearly 3 hours, you see the culmination of not just Marvel's vision, not just Disney's greed, not just the director's storytelling, but the promises of those teenage years spent immersed in flimsy paper with garish colors, or in cramped theaters with shitty sound, watching men with poor speaking ability obliterate waves of bad guys. It was all here. <u>This was it</u>; the pinnacle. And every damned person in the theater was feeling the same. So when scenes like this happened:</div>
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Just stop what you’re doing and enjoy listening to the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AvengersEndgame?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AvengersEndgame</a> opening night crowd react to Captain America wielding Thor's hammer. <br />
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CHILLS. <a href="https://t.co/RM8fimepxe">pic.twitter.com/RM8fimepxe</a></div>
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottGustin/status/1247364405597220865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Your skin tingled. Your every sense of joy leapt to celebrate. It was <b>THE MOMENT</b>. Nothing like it in the world. Scott <u>just</u> got the full audio from that day, a year later: listen to that crowd; that was every fan, every one who loved the spectacle of the movies, all over the world. I listened to it, and was transported, and it made me openly weep with joy at being able to relive that moment. I've rewatched the movie several times since then, but never felt that same emotional rush as the first, and I now realize it was the sharing with my fellow moviegoers that made it so.<br />
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And then, I cried again.Not for joy, or release, but because that world, that unique experience that so shaped me and so may, may be lost forever.<br />
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It was already under attack before CV19: we all have huge TV's with ultra HD screens and Super Dolby surround sound. We have streaming bandwidth that lets us binge entire seasons of shows in a single sitting. We can pause to go to the bathroom, or grab a snack. And movie companies are eager to feed us that content directly, <a href="https://www.indiewire.com/2020/04/amc-universal-movies-ban-1202228026/" target="_blank">cutting out the middleman</a> of the theaters. The windows of time that a movie can be in the theaters exclusively before coming to smaller screens has been rapidly shrinking, leaving many to say "Eh, I'll wait until it's on demand."<br />
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The theaters themselves have tried to fight back, either with bizarre "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmSAZq9PMmw" target="_blank">4DX</a>" experiences with shaking seats and water being sprayed at your face, like you were in some Disney theme park, not a temple of worship to the entertainment gods. They introduced <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/10/smarter-living/moviepass-amc-sinemia-movie-subscription.html" target="_blank">subscription pricing</a>, and were actually successful, but it was a war against global warming: losing wasn't a possibility; it was an inevitability.<br />
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And then a plague hit. Not just a plague, but one that actively is made worse when people gather together in tightly packed arrangements. One that causes a cough or a sneeze to be mass-panic inducing. One that forced every damned theater in this country (and most of the world) to close. It's a crippling blow, like an Avenger lining up that massive blast against Thanos. And theaters may well now be on the verge of the receiving end of this:<br />
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We've all discovered <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0858ZPY17/?ref=dvm_us_dl_sl_go_ast_20UPL|c_434292677252_m_JMFfQhop-dc_s__&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIutK48fad6QIVa_fjBx0a6QB1EAAYASAAEgJ0BfD_BwE" target="_blank">amazing streaming content</a> in this lockdown, and <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81115994" target="_blank">some bad ones</a> that we seem to not be able to resist. Movie studios took full advantage, releasing movies at premium prices that were either in the theaters pre-CV19, or were about to be. We've done the math, and realized paying $20 to stream a flick is cheaper than $15/ticket to the theater, and we don't have to pay for dinner out (remember those?) or child care. We can even have a drink or smoke if we want.<br />
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That sound you're hearing? Those are coffin nails being hammered. Yes, our post-pandemic world will change, dramatically. With change comes both opportunity and regret. The theater business is hardly the only industry facing extinction (retail, restaurants, nail salons...). But the movie theater experience is powerful, uplifting, and sometimes frustrating (<i>shhh...trying to watch the movie</i>), but it connects us to our fellow human on a visceral level that is rarely matched.<br />
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We can laugh.<br />
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We can cry.<br />
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We can surge with excitement and experience the thrill of an impending victory.<br />
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And of course the theater reaction to PORTALS was bonkers. <a href="https://t.co/tllxg9aqMG">pic.twitter.com/tllxg9aqMG</a></div>
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— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottGustin/status/1247371234880499712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
But in a theater, combined with those movies that speak to our primal emotions, we can do it together. Of course, theaters will not disappear; we'll always have a few as charming relics, like we preserved the drive in's (could have use those right about now), but I fear that they will join the nostalgic age, and I wonder what we will lose as a people. Maybe I'm wrong: we still have books, after all. I hope I am, honestly. Because my friend Charles Barletta still goes to every blockbuster movie opening the day it opens, but know he takes his son and daughters, and keeps that flame of wonder and joy alive. I know he's dying to get back to that theater seat, and I ache to be there with him, with you, with all.<br />
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Let's just hope we all get there. And soon. We all need and deserve it.</div>
Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-51034598486988022742020-04-23T08:00:00.000-07:002020-04-24T07:49:27.403-07:002020 CV19 Lockdown: Winners and LosersIt is said that in any time in history, the winners and losers are determined when a unique set of circumstances arises the requires an unprecedented response. How a company responds to those conditions can often propel them to new heights, or sentence them to an ignominious end. This post is meant to be an ongoing and often updated list of those that may come out of the Great 2020 Covid19 Lockdown as champs...or chumps.<br />
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Winners</h2>
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Zoom</h3>
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How is it that, with all of the video conferencing choices in the market, a relatively obscure one (and a freemium one, to boot!) ran away with the title? Think of it: you had entrenched competitors like <a href="https://www.skype.com/en/" target="_blank">Skype </a>and Facebook, as well as work-focused like Microsoft <a href="https://products.office.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/group-chat-software" target="_blank">Teams</a>, Google <a href="https://hangouts.google.com/" target="_blank">Hangouts</a>, and Amazon <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/chime/" target="_blank">Chime</a>, any one of which had far greater reach than <a href="https://zoom.us/" target="_blank">Zoom</a>. Yet Zoom won, to the point that they achieved the exalted state of having their product/platform become a verb ("I'll Zoom you later"). More amazingly, they even continued their growth when <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-02/zoom-grapples-with-security-flaws-that-sour-some-users-on-app" target="_blank">trolls started to disrupt meetings</a>, forcing Zoom to revamp the product security. How did this happen? A few reasons:<br />
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<ul><a href="https://www.kapwing.com/resources/content/images/2020/04/Zoom-Settings-Annotated-Screenshot.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="800" height="262" src="https://www.kapwing.com/resources/content/images/2020/04/Zoom-Settings-Annotated-Screenshot.png" width="320" /></a>
<li><b>It was one of the few platforms that handled large crowds' video well.</b> The "Zoom matrix" is now a familiar sight for students and large companies, and the Grid view allows you to see <b>all </b>of the participants at once. Sounds simple, but compare that to the limited views platforms like Hangouts or <a href="https://cnet2.cbsistatic.com/img/VPc4OB7uhlbuTlHbA1ZPfHPlrm8=/470x264/2020/03/25/c64d0d0f-e93b-4174-9a9f-821921554aef/teams.jpg" target="_blank">Teams</a> give you, and it was easy to see why they were the obvious choice for educators. And once the kids get into it, well, the rest is history.</li>
<li><b>Zoom didn't buckle under the increased load.</b> When the country got told to work from home, that increasingly meant get on Zoom. You know the rest of that story, right? Promising platform becomes unusable under the strain of such an unforeseen surge in usage...but that never happened. Zoom kept zooming along, with nary a bump.</li>
<li><b>It's all about the backgrounds</b>. Zoom was one of the first to address the problem with many of our home working areas: they are messy. Zoom's solution? <a href="https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/210707503-Virtual-Background" target="_blank">Virtual backgrounds</a>. Was it the best implementation? Definitely not: you needed to have a greens screen or neutral background to make it work well, and Teams does it <b>far </b>better with blurs, better detection, and backgrounds, but Zoom had first mover advantage. Plus, Zoom made it easy to add backgrounds, so you could be working in <a href="https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a32145012/best-zoom-backgrounds/" target="_blank">popular TV shows, movies</a>, or more.</li>
<li><b>Let AI handle your makeup</b>. Zoom has a feature to <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3534504/7-zoom-tips-for-working-from-home.html" target="_blank">let the software "touch up" your appearance</a> on screen; that encouraged a ton of folks to turn on the camera without fear of seeing flaws.</li>
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Postmates, UberEats</h3>
Food delivery is, mostly, a city thing: you have dense populations, so you can efficiently and cost effectively deliver<br />
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Cruise Ship Lines (Norwegian, etc.)</h3>
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Long a source of misery for many gullible travelers, the cruise ships found themselves dead center in the coronavirus crisis. Take this recipe: travelers from many nations, who tend to skew older, packing themselves into tight quarters for weeks, mingling with the other guests, being served food from underpaid and overworked staff...what do you get? Well, normally, a lot of diarrhea and vomiting, but now, add severe respiratory illness and rapid contagion to the menu! </div>
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It got worse: many of the healthy passengers could't escape the ships, as countries increasingly turned these floating infection barges away from their ports. Ships were forced to quarantine the passengers in their rooms, delivering meals to the door, and entertainment through the closed circuit TVs. Not sure if you are familiar with the rooms with "no view," but that is a more nicely furnished prison cell. So congrats: your 2 weeks in paradise just became solitary confinement in the 'shoe on Death Row. Enjoy!</div>
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And for the staff on these ships, it was already a dicey proposition. Work hours far longer than any law would allow, since you are in international waters. Get to see the world through a porthole. Oh, and your reward? Fairly low pay with the chance to contract norovirus, and as a bonus, coronoavirus. Worse, with all the passengers stuck on board instead of visiting local sights, that means there's no let up in your work, and you have to work 3x as hard. See the world, sail the seas, work to death.</div>
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But wait: there's more! These bloated hotels on water have <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/most-cruise-lines-don-t-pay-taxes-u-s-just-n1172496" target="_blank">repeatedly dodged paying taxes</a> in the countries they mostly do business in for decades. But who were among the <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-transportation/2020/03/31/florida-lawmakers-pushing-for-cruise-bailout-786490" target="_blank">first to beg for aid</a> from those countries they've been jumping the turnstiles of? Oh, yeah, you know it. And what about those countries they claim to be "flagged" under? Yeah, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/cruise-transatlantic-coronavirus-gbr-intl/index.html" target="_blank">they don't want you anywhere near them</a>.</div>
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Chipotle</h3>
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Restaurants have been among the many that have been hit hard by this. But Chipotle was spreading disease and viruses to it's valued customers for years, and this week they got double whammied. Not only is their business down 80% or more, but they agreed to <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/chipotle-mexican-grill-agrees-pay-25-million-fine-resolve-charges-stemming-more-1100" target="_blank">pay a record $25 million in California</a> to settle the latest incident. Seems that, starting in 2015, they served norovirus-infected food, sickening almost 1,000 people. Nothing says "fresh ingredients" more than projectile vomiting!</div>
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Decades ago, Jack In The Box was a national chain, but then they served some pretty badly infected food in Fall River, MA (I believe; can't recall), and 4 kids died. It was a nightmare, a tragedy. They looked at the fact that their company name would be associated with killing children, and said "What do we do?" They didn't pull out of Fall River. They didn't pull out of MA. They didn't pull out of New England. No, they <b>closed every location they had, east of the Mississippi River.</b> It was that bad.</div>
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Chipotle is one infected burrito away from killing someone's elderly aunt, uncle, or grandpa. It's time to close up shop, pseudo-Mexicanos, and go infect some other country. I hear Kim Jong Un loves him some guac and beans.</div>
Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-60090809324963141932020-04-22T09:00:00.000-07:002020-04-22T09:49:35.213-07:00NFL Uniform Changes: 2020 Offseason<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78tpgTwylEO5VLzMmty1Nwfq_1u-IoFgmbfHZjSXYIozNzc_7QzkdZlshX_KBddPZdAwK0PdOgpTT6tIJwcFatMHOKcf7AFjvuxBQJqyXUQCFF2sc-1mudnyYoGG5UMiHECqV3niwIvI/s1600/49725962186_620e703388_o.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="924" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78tpgTwylEO5VLzMmty1Nwfq_1u-IoFgmbfHZjSXYIozNzc_7QzkdZlshX_KBddPZdAwK0PdOgpTT6tIJwcFatMHOKcf7AFjvuxBQJqyXUQCFF2sc-1mudnyYoGG5UMiHECqV3niwIvI/s200/49725962186_620e703388_o.png" width="200" /></a></div>
It's been one heck of an offseason for the nation's most popular sport. The greatest quarterback of all time up and left the team he's been with for 2 decades <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/buccaneers/2020/03/24/tom-brady-tampa-bay-buccaneers-new-england-patriots-free-agency/2907712001/" target="_blank">for sunny Tampa</a> (oh, and he inspired his Hall of Fame <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/21/us/rob-gronkowski-trade-nfl-spt-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">tight end to come out of retirement</a> to join him). The NFL Draft will be in two days and, for the first time, entirely <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2020/story/_/id/29026049/the-2020-nfl-draft-going-virtual-how-work-should-know" target="_blank">virtual and socially distant</a>, thanks to the ravages of the 2019-2020 pandemic (I'm tired of typing "covid-19." "CV19," or "novel coronavirus;" looking for a substitute). We have two state of the art stadiums opening this year (in <a href="https://www.therams.com/stadium/sofi-stadium" target="_blank">LA</a> and <a href="https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/allegiant-stadium-to-test-lights-for-signage-and-ribbon-work/" target="_blank">Las Vegas</a>), as well as a team moving to a new city (say hello to the Las Vegas Raiders; I'm still not used to seeing those words together).<br />
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But none of that matters. We need to talk about the important stuff here. The things that make football fans be <b>fans.</b> The things that light up the hearts of those of us that follow the game, as well as those retailers that desperately need our 2020 Depression dollars.<br />
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The new uniforms and logos.<br />
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Yep, that's right. I think this offseason marks an all time high (seven!) for uniform and logo changes for the normally staid NFL. And, if you know that I'm a <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/ADi4JMCqpKHFRqtV7" target="_blank">card-carrying</a> member of <a href="http://uni-watch.com/" target="_blank">Uni-Watch</a>, you know I have some opinions on these things. Let's get it started.<br />
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The Good</h2>
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<h3>
Los Angeles Chargers</h3>
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Ok, I'm going to put this out right now: the Chargers may have lost their All-Pro QB to the Indianapolis Colts this offseason, but they outright <b>won </b>the uniform contest.</div>
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<a href="https://i.insider.com/5e9efeed69852566e345cbec?width=700&format=jpeg&auto=webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="700" height="352" src="https://i.insider.com/5e9efeed69852566e345cbec?width=700&format=jpeg&auto=webp" width="640" /></a></div>
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Oh, myyyyyy, as <a href="https://images.app.goo.gl/iQjsQNdXx7g7BMit8" target="_blank">George Takei</a> would say. Check out those colors...those bolts on the pants and shoulders. And the numbers <u><i>are back on the helmets</i></u>, always the most Chargers thing ever. These uniforms scream "southern California," and do it with style. I even like the Color Rash (sp. intentional) version, hearkening back to earlier iterations with that rich blue hue. The alternate navy version is not so much to my liking, but can't deny it looks a little <a href="https://images.app.goo.gl/ZqRzjX5RFZFU17258" target="_blank">XFL-ish</a>, but hey, it's an alternate! The yellow masks with those yellow pants....wow. Nailed it. <b>Grade: A+</b></div>
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Los Angeles Rams</h3>
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<a href="https://i.insider.com/5e7b9c0314f18f13f628be85?width=700&format=jpeg&auto=webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="700" height="213" src="https://i.insider.com/5e7b9c0314f18f13f628be85?width=700&format=jpeg&auto=webp" width="320" /></a>I'm going to catch some crap for this. In case you missed it, the Rams, who have been having an identity crisis since the Kurt Warner days, unveiled a new logo. To say the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/sports/football/rams-logo-angelo-state.html" target="_blank">internets were unkind</a> to it would be a little like saying CV19 was like allergies. </div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">I started like everyone else: what a crapfest. Look at how they try to jam that circle unnaturally into the "A". What's with the multiple shades of yellow? Hey, wait a minute: this year, they will share a stadium with the aforementioned Chargers, and yet they are trying to look like them? But something changed my mind; it was seeing the logo in motion:</span></div>
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<a href="https://ramsnewlook.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/LA_Primary_Reveal_1080x500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="800" height="185" src="https://ramsnewlook.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/LA_Primary_Reveal_1080x500.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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That changed <u>everything</u> I thought about this logo. It's the first time I have seen a logo designed for digital <b>first. </b>No longer having to be restricted to the static page, it's still state should evoke that motion in the mind's eye (and, perhaps, augmented reality? You hearing me, Rams folks?). That made the logo come to life, evoking Pacific sunsets, the perfect SoCal wave to surf, and more. Add in an actual attempt to design this to the <a href="https://uni-watch.com/2020/03/24/a-close-look-at-the-rams-new-logos-and-colors/" target="_blank">Fibonacci Sequence</a>...are you kidding me? Combined with the royal blue and yellow that are iconic to Los Angeles, and I was sold. </div>
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Does it look good on hats and shirts? No, not really. The Ram's head does, though, and reminds me of when the New England Patriots moved from <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0b/New_England_Patriots_logo_old.svg/1200px-New_England_Patriots_logo_old.svg.png" target="_blank">Pat The Patriot</a> to <a href="https://sportslogohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/new_england_patriots_2000-pres.png" target="_blank">Flying Elvis</a>: it streamlines and makes it much easier to reproduce for merchandise sales. Honestly, I think the Rams may end up like the Bucs did (more on that later) and try to get people to see where they were going, but they may be a bit ahead of their time. <b>Grade: B+</b></div>
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Oh, one more thing...the uniforms have yet to be revealed, so we may be in for a whole new evaluation. </div>
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers</h3>
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There was, quite literally, no where to go but up. This is the abomination they graced the field with for the last 5 years:</div>
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<a href="https://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/002/782/312/f403b89e3443c747765a7c9e1f897ad2_crop_north.png?1393866359&w=3072&h=2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="713" height="212" src="https://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/002/782/312/f403b89e3443c747765a7c9e1f897ad2_crop_north.png?1393866359&w=3072&h=2048" width="320" /></a></div>
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So many things to say about this awful costume. The "alarm clock" numbers "they were supposed to be "<a href="https://blog.stahls.com/chrome-number-outlines-part-of-bucs-new-look/" target="_blank">slashed with a pirate sword</a>"), the cartoonishly large logo on the helmet....it cannot be stated how awful these were. Conveniently, the team performed just as horribly in them, and just as conveniently, they enter the offseason by jettisoning the quarterback they had who set a record for 30 interceptions thrown last season for Tom Brady, coming down from the land of championships and agelessness. And how will they welcome this new era of Tampa Bay Football? </div>
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If those uniforms look a little familiar, yep, they pretty much went back to the ones they wore prior to the change. You know, the ones <a href="https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/XUgAAOSwf31bYH4Z/s-l1600.jpg" target="_blank">they won a Super Bowl with</a>? I debated what category to put this in, as these are not so much "good" uniforms, but the stain of those debacles they wore for the last 5 years makes this such a good correction, it merits to be here. I do wish they had not retreated, but instead learned and evolved, but the fans were not going to take another 5 year misstep. <b>Grade: B</b></div>
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The Bad</h2>
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Cleveland Browns</h3>
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<a href="https://i.insider.com/5e9763b215ea4b716f40ed64?width=700&format=jpeg&auto=webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="700" height="336" src="https://i.insider.com/5e9763b215ea4b716f40ed64?width=700&format=jpeg&auto=webp" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ok, it's another case of "addition by subtraction." The Browns, like the Bucs, admitted defeat in their <a href="https://i.insider.com/5e7bad53487c22165759fd43?width=700&format=jpeg&auto=webp" target="_blank">current 5 year getup</a> and went back to that classic Browns look. Yay, let's give the win to the purists!</div>
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Except the old uniforms sucked, too.</div>
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So now, we've traded what at least was an attempt to bring some personality and recognition to a team that has perpetually struggled with a relatable identity for the generic (or, I suppose, "iconic") look of the team that won championships back in the pre-NFL/AFL merger days...and hasn't sniffed a Super Bowl since. </div>
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Did you know the team actually isn't named after some beloved pet, colorful local legend, or the like? Nope, they were actually <a href="https://www.profootballhof.com/news/franchise-nicknames/" target="_blank">named after the team's original coach and GM</a>, Paul Brown. Now, to be fair, in 1945, Paul Brown was a popular Ohio sporting figure, but he got into a pissing match with the team's owners, and defected to the AFL to <a href="https://www.bengals.com/news/paul-brown-father-of-ohio-qbs-casts-shadow-over-draft" target="_blank">found the Cincinnati Bengals</a>...a team with the same colors, but the intelligence to recognize you'd have better luck making your team more marketable by naming it after an animal (any other pro sports team try that? Oh, yeah, <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-animal-sports-teams/ranker-sports" target="_blank">I think a few</a>).</div>
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It's time to bring out the revolution: re-name your football team, Cleveland. Yes, you accomplished the rarest of the rare feats: you were able to keep your team's identity and name after the actual team defected to another city (and won a Super Bowl after doing so). It will be in the history books, and, in some ways, magnified the importance of a team's brand from that day forward. But your team's uniform and colors are in desperate need of a restart. Imagine the excitement as the country tries to help you rebrand, the way you will dominate the news cycle with every little cryptic hint, the multiple ways your <a href="https://www.cleveland19.com/2019/08/28/baker-mayfield-lives-inside-firstenergy-stadium-new-progressive-ads/" target="_blank">quarterback can pretend to live in your stadium</a>.</div>
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It's time, Cleveland. You cleaned up the river. You made the Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame a Thing. Let's redo the Browns. <b>Grade: C</b></div>
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<h3>
Atlanta Falcons</h3>
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<a href="https://lwosports.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/gettyimages-1074127476-594x594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="594" height="145" src="https://lwosports.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/gettyimages-1074127476-594x594.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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The Falcons unveiled an amazing new stadium last year (hello, <a href="https://mercedesbenzstadium.com/mercedes-benz-stadium-roof-close-time-lapse/" target="_blank">Oculus</a>!), but their Nike redesigned uniforms tended to make them look...well, clownish. They've always struggled with the balance of red, white, and black in a way that few teams have (<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Chicago-Bulls_-all-time-starting-lineup.jpg" target="_blank">Chicago Bulls</a>, anyone?) The reality is that their most iconic look is and has been their "throwback" look to the days of <a href="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Ryt2VzJ4vCdj3A7afVNXTJjtBls=/0x0:1000x740/1200x800/filters:focal(591x191:751x351)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63872821/deion.0.jpg" target="_blank">Neon Deion</a> and <a href="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/36muKd4zt7s/maxresdefault.jpg" target="_blank">Mike Vick</a>: that dominant black jersey, with white pants and white numbers, all accented with red. So the look they've been sporting a while, while not as horrific as the Bucs, nor as polarizing as the Browns, hasn't lit up the imagination. </div>
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Enter 2020.</div>
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<a href="https://i.insider.com/5e8e0eff15ea4b486a4e3cd9?width=700&format=jpeg&auto=webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://i.insider.com/5e8e0eff15ea4b486a4e3cd9?width=700&format=jpeg&auto=webp" width="400" /></a></div>
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You want your throwback? Got it. How about a Color Rush outfit that goes all black? Well, yes, even if it has a damned red side panel. Like that leotard effect for the away togs? Yep, hello all white. Some more "falcon-esque" fonts for the numbers? Point your beaks this-a-way.</div>
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But...we have to talk about the two elephants in the nest. The first: the gradient home uniform, starting red, then generally fading to black as you go down the body. Um, have we not learned from the Jacksonville Jaguars' 5 year experiment with <a href="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/p7obOIhDwHEANoSEjIDqHnuknxE=/1400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10117499/901327256.jpg.jpg" target="_blank">gradient helmets</a>? This effect simply does not work. I'd be interested in seeing if, unlike the Jags' domes, this gradient grows on me. Right now? Nope, but I'm open to it changing.</div>
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Not so much with the "ATL" on the front of all but the throwbacks. Yes, the intertubies have lit up with the "congratulations, you're the first team to have an <a href="https://twitter.com/walkerdl/status/1247917860455878659" target="_blank">airport code on your shirts</a>," but it's definitely a polarizing element. Personally, I think it evokes more of what the Browns did with the big honking "CLEVELAND" in the same placement for the last 5 years, but makes it even "edgier" with the not-so-cool abbreviation. Look, ATL is no <a href="https://www.nola.com/" target="_blank">NOLA</a>, folks, and the Saints keep it so classy, they don't even need their city's cool abbreviation on them...unlike their <a href="https://slimages.macysassets.com/is/image/MCY/products/6/optimized/16313486_fpx.tif?op_sharpen=1&wid=500&hei=613&fit=fit,1&$filtersm$" target="_blank">basketball team</a>.</div>
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Overall, I'd say this much-needed revamp takes a few too many cues from the Jaguars' worst elements, but combines them with the very cool and sometimes innovative designs the NBA has been using (see the <a href="https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwiwiJHimPvoAhX5-uMHHRmNCqUYABAAGgJ5bQ&sig=AOD64_28OJFBdt_yZKqDRP158jmb7BtRUg&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjBmoTimPvoAhVFXK0KHdPDDUQQ0Qx6BAgPEAE&adurl=" target="_blank">City editions</a> they released). However, while an upgrade from what they had, it's a little too muddled to make an iconic look, and kind of feels little like MLB's "<a href="https://news.sportslogos.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/tatc-feat.jpg" target="_blank">Turn Ahead The Clock</a>" attempts: you reached, but fell short. <b>Grade: C+</b></div>
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Los Angeles Chargers</h3>
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The Chargers also released a new logo in advance of the new uniforms (hey, why not get two news cycle bumps instead of one?):<br />
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<a href="https://i.insider.com/5e7b9ea0487c22102b4b9399?width=700&format=jpeg&auto=webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="700" height="185" src="https://i.insider.com/5e7b9ea0487c22102b4b9399?width=700&format=jpeg&auto=webp" width="320" /></a></div>
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This one...mmm..not so much, compared to those stunning uniforms. It's fine, a little flat, but feels remarkably generic. <b>Grade: C-</b></div>
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<h2>
The Ugly</h2>
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<h3>
Indianapolis Colts</h3>
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Remember when the old Cleveland Browns packed up and headed to Baltimore? You know, the city that lost a team called the Colts to Indianapolis a while back? Well, turns out when the newly rechristened Baltimore Ravens took the field, they shed their old Browns identity and chose a new logo:</div>
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<a href="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b1d98152487fdd23cf4d335/1534141655844-QRXSLXCHN5Z5GF0QII1D/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kLXCf88_9uNTKXkq27cF4sB7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QHyNOqBUUEtDDsRWrJLTmzUsryC7riGV7bTeYhg5Sep4Y8p3OCJVqs3FfNTLch3O2M0DsfUdwheg190rC2-Re/Baltimore+Ravens+original+sheild.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b1d98152487fdd23cf4d335/1534141655844-QRXSLXCHN5Z5GF0QII1D/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kLXCf88_9uNTKXkq27cF4sB7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QHyNOqBUUEtDDsRWrJLTmzUsryC7riGV7bTeYhg5Sep4Y8p3OCJVqs3FfNTLch3O2M0DsfUdwheg190rC2-Re/Baltimore+Ravens+original+sheild.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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That logo, it turns out, was <a href="http://logoshistory.blogspot.com/2010/09/baltimore-ravens-logo-history.html" target="_blank">stolen from a security guard who had submitted the logo</a> when he heard the newly renamed Ravens were headed to Baltimore. A few years later, the team was forced to stop using it and they have never spoke of it since. </div>
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<a href="https://fox59.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2020/04/NewColtsLook.png?w=1920&h=1080&crop=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="224" src="https://fox59.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2020/04/NewColtsLook.png?w=1920&h=1080&crop=1" width="400" /></a></div>
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Why do I bring this up? Because, in an odd twist of the "Baltimore Curse," it seems that the Colts have done the same. The Colts only made slight tweaks to their uniforms (they rounded the horseshoe on the helmet a bit), but they did unveil a new secondary logo, as you can see here, with the negative space of the "C" being manipulated to show the state of Indiana. Secondary logos are used for on-field accents (like end zones), caps, and occasional other things. No big deal, right? Well, no...<a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/colts-new-logo-design-high-school/49z1lfd4vwpi1w6aurffyzyr3" target="_blank">unless your name is Jere Kubuske</a>. And you coach football. And you coached for a high school in Indiana. And you created a logo for that Indiana high school. And you used it in various places for about half a year. And it looked like this (Jere's on the left, Colts on the right):</div>
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<a href="https://hyperdrive.uni-watch.com/app/uploads/2020/04/Screen-Shot-2020-04-14-at-3.22.55-PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="800" height="368" src="https://hyperdrive.uni-watch.com/app/uploads/2020/04/Screen-Shot-2020-04-14-at-3.22.55-PM.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Oh, did I mention that there are some personnel on the Colts who played on Jere's team when he coached in Indiana (he since has moved on to coaching high school football in Green Bay, WI; let's hope the Packers don't get a hold of his sketchbook!)? </div>
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Yeah, this is thievery, plain and simple. Like the Ravens, there may be a multitude of factors at play that make it less evil and more unintentional, but it deserves to be called out as the ignominious act it is. Indy, make it right: either credit Jere, pay the man, or drop the new logo. Oh, and since when do horseshoes have "<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2020/04/13/colts-new-uniforms-indianapolis-unveils-new-look-2020-season/2983536001/" target="_blank">grommets</a>?" <b>Grade: D</b>, but only because of the sleaze factor...and the grommets.</div>
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<h3>
The New England Patriots</h3>
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How can a team and organization, who suffered every bumbling embarrassment for most of their existence, followed by 20 years of success, six Super Bowl Championships, and the greatest coach and quarterback of all time have done so in some of the most generic uniforms ever made? The one thing those Pat Patriot duds had was an iconic look; the ones they have worn for the last 20 years reflect the sense of personal style of their coach: <a href="data:image/jpeg;base64,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" target="_blank">whatever</a>.</div>
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So now, you can finally right the wrongs, make the moves, give the team a much needed uniform improvement. You have a rich history to draw from, both in the Revolutionary War team name, as well as the unmatched 2 decades of success. You can boast a little swagger, put on some class, not have to shop at Kmart. Let's see what you came up with!</div>
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<a href="https://i.insider.com/5e9de6d70fc639029827d8a4?width=700&format=jpeg&auto=webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="700" height="424" src="https://i.insider.com/5e9de6d70fc639029827d8a4?width=700&format=jpeg&auto=webp" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Are you kidding me?</i> Back when I lived in New England and was growing up, we had our own versions of Kmart and Walmart: they were called Bradlees and Ames. You know, the department stores that couldn't afford to pay licensing fees to popular sports leagues, so they offered merchandise that was in the team colors, but a very basic look? One that screamed out "I don't have enough money to even buy the right knockoffs and I'm too young to know how embarrassing it is"?</div>
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Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the 2020 New England Patriots. Outfitted by Bradlees. Yep, they took bland and generic and said "we can make it even less interesting." <b>Grade: F.</b> No, <b>F-</b>. No, not bad enough: <b>X.</b></div>
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Oh well, at least the fans will have their favorite player and world class TE looking better this year. <a href="https://www.totalprosports.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/tom-brady-bucs-1024x576.jpg" target="_blank">Pity it will be in Tampa</a>, though.</div>
Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-85252177461176387092020-02-20T17:00:00.000-08:002020-02-20T17:00:02.977-08:00Best Bond Theme<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/U9FzgsF2T-s/hqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/U9FzgsF2T-s/hqdefault.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I recently got into a kick of listening to the James Bond themes, triggered by Billie Eilish <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=billie+eilish+james+bond&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS750US750&oq=billie+eilish+james+bond&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l7.7136j1j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8" target="_blank">releasing her latest version</a> in advance of "No Time To Die". It got me to do some reassessment of my own previous rankings: some came down, some went up. In no particular order:<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GB_S2qFh5lU" target="_blank">No Time To Die</a>, Billie Eilish.</b> I don't particularly see the appeal of this young wunderkind, but that's cool. I was particularly amused when I saw the description of the song as "James Bond ASMR." Perfect. However, her breathless, quiet voice is undeniably amazing pared with James Horner's orchestral score. I should hate this, but I find myself grudgingly admiring it, and wondering if, in the future, this becomes an all timer. I'll confidently put it in the lower end of the second tier of themes.<br />
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<b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1PWnAEQcbwQwK759otUbta" target="_blank">Writing's On The Wall</a>, Sam Smith</b>. I originally panned the hell out of this, thinking it sounded l<a href="https://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/sam-smiths-new-james-bond-theme-a-deadly-serious-review/" target="_blank">ike a mashup of a musical number</a> with a Bond theme. However, time has been kind to this tune; I find it much more resonant and true. I still think the movie it was designed for, <i>Spectre,</i> was a weak Bond entry, but I do like me some Daniel Craig-Bond. The song fit some of the film's moments well, and it adapted to an all-orchestral version in the movie quite well. I'd put it in the second tier of Bond theme songs.<br />
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<b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1gL3uxdq2NRLNLHtvai0kQ" target="_blank">Skyfall</a>, Adele.</b> A modern classic. Adele's rich, soaring voice, paired with the deliberate pace of this piece are a perfect match. Reminds me of Shirley Bassey's earlier iconic Bond themes, with a much more polished arc. Paired particularly well with the 2nd best Daniel Craig Bond outing. I have come to appreciate it more with time. Definitely top tier here, and, if pushed, I'd say moving up to the upper echelons.<br />
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<b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/74Qio2ajLFnRgNTXS0J0q4" target="_blank">Live And Let Die</a>, Paul McCartney.</b> Ok, let's just get this out of the way right now: this is the number one, the top of the heap, the one that all others are measured by. Perfect for it's time, ideal to introduce us to Roger Moore's first outing as Bond in the Bayou. Sir Paul is no stranger to working with rich symphonic accompaniment, and it shows. Unchanged ranking: the very top of Tier 1.<br />
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<b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0nyVD16l62PwecjiiQcfpB" target="_blank">You Know My Name</a>, Chris Cornell.</b> I have a confession here: you know how there are some movies that if they are on and you come into a room, you have to watch them, no matter how many times you've seen them? I'm looking at you, <i>Shawshank Redemption </i>and <i>GoodFellas</i>. That's what I feel like with Chris Cornell's entry. I don't just love it; I find I go through periods where I find myself obsessed with it. The Soundgarden rawness, paired with the tight orchestral theme, just make this perfect to me. The fact that it sets the tone for Daniel Craig's first and best Bond film doesn't hurt either. Ranking unchanged, I'd put it squarely just behind Sir Paul's masterpiece, but I recognize that's a personal quirk, unlikely to be shared by most.<br />
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<b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2Dfe2FIfmB0y0M99aZyexu" target="_blank">Die Another Day</a>, Madonna.</b> Surprisingly well produced, and light on the orchestra, for a Bond Theme. My original thought was it was utterly forgettable, but it's aged well, and surprisingly modern for the current pop scene, from the Queen of Pop. One of those forgettable Pierce Brosnan entries, that bordered on camp, at least it yielded a cameo from Madonna in the film that...almost worked. The song was in the bottom tier before, but it should come up a bit higher now.<br />
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<b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1CfmUSOJBrZwq5iOlTX548" target="_blank">Nobody Does It Better</a>, Carly Simon</b>. Originally, was up in tier 1 for it's iconic 70's vibe; perfect for one of the better Roger Moore films, <i>The Spy Who Loved Me</i> (where's my Lotus submarine???). But as time has moved on, I find myself being a little too syruply affected by this. Feels entirely too intimate, too pedestrian for a Bond song, compared to it's peers. I'd slip it to the bottom of tier 2 now.<br />
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<b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4jRJWlkCn3pAwezfqFODU3" target="_blank">For Your Eyes Only</a>, Sheena Easton</b>. Now <b>this </b>is what a Bond song aspires for: soaring vocals, mixed with beautiful symphony. Sheena Easton was a relative newcomer, and she never really became a superstar, but she had the looks of a Bond Woman(TM), which shouldn't have mattered but it did. You knew this was a Bond theme the first time you heard it. If anything, I appreciate it more, as it elevated an underwhelming Roger Moore entry. Bottom of Tier 1/Top of tier 2.<br />
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<i>More to come...stay tuned.</i>Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-52398972358434149202020-02-10T17:30:00.000-08:002020-02-10T17:30:08.463-08:00XFL 2.0<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/xfl-production/image/upload/b_transparent,c_pad,dpr_3.0,f_auto,g_center,q_auto,w_480/v1/xfl-prod/XFL_Logo_RGB" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="800" height="87" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/xfl-production/image/upload/b_transparent,c_pad,dpr_3.0,f_auto,g_center,q_auto,w_480/v1/xfl-prod/XFL_Logo_RGB" width="200" /></a></div>
In case you missed it, professional football is back. Ok, at least <i>semi-professional </i>football. The XFL, having burst on the scene years ago as a half baked cocaine-induced, steroid fueled reimagining of football and professional wrestling. It went about as well as you can imagine, lasting a single season with nothing to show for it than "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Smart" target="_blank">He Hate Me</a>" jerseys and Tommy Maddox's improbable redemption. It's biggest curse was not the insanity of it's additions, but the poor quality of football play: it was all style and no substance.<br />
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This weekend, XFL 2.0 kicked off, and they have learned from the past iterations. I took in all 4 of the inaugural games, and tweeted my observations. I've collected them here, and augmented, so enjoy!<br />
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Thoughts on the #XFL2020 so far:<br />
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- Love the kickoff change. Much safer.<br />
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- Post TD choices are silly.<br />
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<a href="https://www.click2houston.com/resizer/sQXFNbwDwJGojPeViAru_AiLz1A=/1600x900/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-gmg.s3.amazonaws.com/public/MME3FQDUEZECBHJBPBV43IDN2Q.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://www.click2houston.com/resizer/sQXFNbwDwJGojPeViAru_AiLz1A=/1600x900/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-gmg.s3.amazonaws.com/public/MME3FQDUEZECBHJBPBV43IDN2Q.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
- <a href="https://www.xfl.com/en-US/teams/houston" target="_blank">Houston's</a> uniforms look fantastic. <a href="https://www.xfl.com/en-US/teams/los-angeles" target="_blank">LA's</a> & <a href="https://www.xfl.com/en-US/teams/washington-dc" target="_blank">DC's</a> look completely generic. <a href="https://www.xfl.com/en-US/teams/seattle" target="_blank">Seattle's</a> look surprisingly comical.<br />
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- Quality of play is good<br />
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- Fox's onfield down and distance graphics work better here than in the SuperBowl<br />
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- ABC needs to figure out how to balance the crowd noise with the commentary. It's ridiculous now.<br />
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<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/RPHF3BCKYQI6VCQ73YKZPPTMXQ.jpg&w=1440" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="800" height="217" src="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/RPHF3BCKYQI6VCQ73YKZPPTMXQ.jpg&w=1440" width="320" /></a></div>
- Shocked to see how much DC Defenders merch was being worn by fans. Did they give away?<br />
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- The replay drama has got to go. I appreciate the XFL's commitment to greater viewer access, but the level of detail is equivalent to watching CSPAN.<br />
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- The midfield smear of the ad banner between the 20 and 30 yard markers is distracting as hell<br />
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- Why is Fox obsessed with showing the LA offensive coordinator instead of the head coach? Norm Chow is on every play.<br />
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- Not sure about the shtick of having the team colors on the 👃 of the 🏈 for each team. Doesn't seem to be visible in the telecast, so what's the point?<br />
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- <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Glanville" target="_blank">Jerry Glanville</a> is a coordinator, not a head coach, in this league? How is this possible?<br />
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<a href="https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/aaron-murray-of-the-tampa-bay-vipers-makes-a-pass-over-garret-dooley-picture-id1205160946" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/aaron-murray-of-the-tampa-bay-vipers-makes-a-pass-over-garret-dooley-picture-id1205160946" width="320" /></a></div>
- <a href="https://www.xfl.com/en-US/teams/new-york" target="_blank">NY's</a> nameplates are ridiculously small.<br />
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- Surprised that the NY team plays in MetLife 🏟 & there's still plenty of crowd noise with 1/10 the fans.<br />
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- Is it possible for an XFL head coach to be fired after week 1? Marc Trestman might find out.<br />
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- <a href="https://www.xfl.com/en-US/teams/st-louis" target="_blank">St. Louis Battlehawks</a> uniform & helmet are exceptional on field.<br />
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<a href="https://sportsdaydfw.imgix.net/1566430378-RenegadesDark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="750" height="200" src="https://sportsdaydfw.imgix.net/1566430378-RenegadesDark.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
- <a href="https://www.xfl.com/en-US/teams/dallas" target="_blank">Dallas</a> nailed the Renegades logo, but they clearly stole the Titans' uniforms.<br />
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- ESPN seems to be emphasizing the QB & head coach's audio. Oddly intimate, & takes the crowd (what little crowd there is) out of the game. Jarringly silent sometimes.<br />
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- Dallas' field has the crowd much further away from the action. Results in a strange noise wave effect.<br />
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- So, it's the 1st week of a brand new sportsball league. You're the director of the 📺 broadcast. You know there won't be huge crowds. What's the one thing you focus on not doing? Showing the empty 💺. ESPN, lose the ground level shots looking up.<br />
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- Why does Dallas have advertising on the back of the helmet? Barely visible, thankfully.<br />
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- Quality of play was surprisingly good, though the <a href="https://www.xfl.com/en-US/teams/tampa-bay" target="_blank">Tampa Bay Vipers</a> looked like they were from XFL 1.0.<br />
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- Overall, promising, and a few rough edges to be worked out.Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-60352772420672280772020-01-29T17:30:00.000-08:002020-01-29T17:30:21.515-08:00Amazon: All Your Brands Belong To Us<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/31/skillsstore/gateway/billboard/ASM0430-INLP-Head-._CB515428675_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="800" height="100" src="https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/31/skillsstore/gateway/billboard/ASM0430-INLP-Head-._CB515428675_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>The evolving world of home automation. </b>Amazon's Alexa has firmly captured my world: she controls lights, heat, power, entertainment, even our refrigerator! What I find fascinating about this is another example of Amazon using it's leadership position to undermine brands. For example, I have 7 or 8 kinds of devices from different manufacturers, but the only way I interact with them is through Alexa. That means the brands of the devices themselves are immaterial, which makes the only thing that they can compete on is price.<br />
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But wait, it gets worse. Amazon sees what devices people are buying. Let's say something gets really popular in the Echo ecosystem, like a Phillips Hue light. Amazon can now manufacture a similar device under their Amazon Basics line, brand it as "Designed by Amazon for Echo," and put it up for sale at half the price. So long, Hue.<br />
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I recently had a Twitter discussion with Rakesh Agarwal (@rakeshlobster on Twitter) about an <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2019/12/20/why-restaurants-must-insist-on-marketplace-noncompetes/#4f14763121cd" target="_blank">article a colleague of his (Noah Glass) had written</a>. In it, he postulated that the rise of the "ghost kitchens" (those places that food trucks and catering companies use), combined with the rise of food delivery services would yield a very destructive trend, unless the restaurants on the delivery services insisted on noncompete SEO clauses. Put more simply, these trends could all combine to have the food delivery services do precisely what Amazon is doing with Alexa and it's affect on brands.<br />
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Here's how @rakeshlobster put it:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Uber eats/Grubhub/etc can use their mass of data to take the top requested dishes and knock them off. ... then use their top of funnel distribution to promote them, and at lower prices.</blockquote>
Imagine a future where you log on to Postmates to order dinner. You browse a restaurant, find a dish you like. Postmates tells you that it will be 90 minutes to get that, but you can get the same dish from a chef who once cooked at that restaurant in 30 minutes, at half the price. Whoa. Hello, disruption.<br />
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2 years ago, Amazon was begging every home device retailer to let them help make their devices compatible with Alexa. A year ago, Google did the same with Google Home. Now, the home is flooded with "Works with Google Home/Amazon Alexa," and it's a win-win-win. But a year or two from now, what stops Amazon from offering their own Alexa refrigerator, if that's a hit?<br />
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Dangerous times.Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-25992526024656424472020-01-29T17:00:00.000-08:002020-01-29T17:00:34.244-08:00Samsung DexYes, I realize it's been four years or so since I last updated this. I will be happy to regale you with all the tales of boring day to day details since then. Ready?<br />
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<i>Waits to see if everyone has left...</i><br />
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Ok, that got rid of most of you. For the true diehards, here are just some assorted thoughts that 140 characters have not been able to capture:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcj4AVdecSpGGGP1dQ69IOoRQQMXZ64ej4dWVWapGi-tLZHEYN-7bFoM0ip4xMO7Dx1ihRuu2sCxJhyyN-E014EAe1prXD8DNkyDcPoarkhjFYKF9VV0FjrfRbNRSI3DnxKfosSDGduIo/s1600/dex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcj4AVdecSpGGGP1dQ69IOoRQQMXZ64ej4dWVWapGi-tLZHEYN-7bFoM0ip4xMO7Dx1ihRuu2sCxJhyyN-E014EAe1prXD8DNkyDcPoarkhjFYKF9VV0FjrfRbNRSI3DnxKfosSDGduIo/s320/dex.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Samsung Dex. </b>I'm a big fan of the Samsung Galaxy line of phones. The form factor is just right, and the features are bleeding edge. One thing they added a year ago or so was Dex: the ability to see and work with your phone on a desktop. Intriguing, but there were some drawbacks: you needed a special dock, you needed to have a dedicated monitor and keyboard. Wasn't worth it.<br />
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Fast forward to a few months ago: Dex is now an App! You can throw it on your PC, connect your phone through USB, and voila: your phone as a desktop. It's surprisingly useful, and really well thought out. For instance, you can pin whatever apps on your phone you want to the desktop, and run them full screen. What I find interesting is that, when I am at a computer, I'm mostly running the same apps as I do on my phone, but I just want larger real estate. Dex kind of takes all of that and negates the need for dedicated Windows apps.<br />
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There are some limitations, of course. Can't keep more than 5 apps open at once. Some apps correctly interpret hitting the Return key as "send this message;" some don't. If you keep a Twitter sidebar open so you get a free flow of tweets all day (<i>um....am I the only one that does that. Yikes.</i>), you can't replicate that in Dex. And, annoyingly, every time you click away from Dex to another Windows App, the Dex icon in the Windows taskbar flashes, as if it's trying to get your attention...even though nothing is happening. But these are minor, compared with the vision of really having a universal desktop wherever you go.<br />
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So, if you have a Samsung Galaxy or Note 8 or higher, try Dex. You won't be disappointed. Oh, did I mention it's free? 😀Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-39721153623879427312016-05-10T13:24:00.000-07:002016-05-10T13:25:14.102-07:00Restaurant Wars...or are they?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhlJcaA327QEQgJpCiVSVieUHD78aRLbFV5DqdgVvX1BCvXlIP54mtPiquGIv4OW3i-47V3xACd4WUc3TcrlI-ue5Mj4nqKNjDoGO1Qm-wkTOVAXeaTTgnc5zuKQPe7TNQpplWrzjYwcM/s1600/rwars-900x900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhlJcaA327QEQgJpCiVSVieUHD78aRLbFV5DqdgVvX1BCvXlIP54mtPiquGIv4OW3i-47V3xACd4WUc3TcrlI-ue5Mj4nqKNjDoGO1Qm-wkTOVAXeaTTgnc5zuKQPe7TNQpplWrzjYwcM/s320/rwars-900x900.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Disclosure: I consulted for OpenTable for some time.</i></div>
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Every now and then, restaurant reservations juggernaut <a href="http://www.opentable.com/" target="_blank">OpenTable </a>sees an article about how their stranglehold on online reservations is under attack. The latest is <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Reserve-other-startups-fight-OpenTable-for-a-seat-7423769.php" target="_blank">this article in SFGate</a>, and follows the usual narrative: OpenTable is too expensive, plucky startups are trying to show there's a better, more restaurant-friendly way to do business, and maybe one of them will be a success. There were a raft of "pay for play" reservations services that would allow the diner to prepurchase vouchers that would get them a seat; most of them have gone away (although <a href="http://www.reserve.com/" target="_blank">Reserve</a>, in this piece, has clearly pivoted from that). There was <a href="https://www.seatme.yelp.com/" target="_blank">SeatMe</a>, a really innovative product, which was gobbled up by Yelp years ago. There were even efforts by credit card companies to provide a concierge to do this. And this is the latest.<br />
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But most of these articles miss the point altogether.<br />
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Put yourself in the shoes of a restaurant owner: you have built a unique business on your creativity, your vision, and your hard work. Now comes the hard part: getting people to come to experience it. Marketing is a critical part of that, but many restaurateurs struggle with this: they are great chefs, after all, and they are frequently preyed upon by vendors offering them cheap and easy solutions to help drive traffic. Sites like Groupon descend, promising thousands of recurring customers, in return for a discounted, first-time voucher, but the reality is that most of the customers are "one and done." <i>(Note: I worked in the "daily deals" business for 2 years, and heard my share of these complaints).</i> Services like Yelp promise elevated visibility and lowered negative reviews in return for sponsorships; the tactics they are purported to use are, to put it mildly, high pressure. Point of Sale (POS) system vendors promise cutting edge analytics and tech, and deliver a solution that is almost out of the 1970's. What's a business owner to do?<br />
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OpenTable is probably not liked by a lot of restaurants; it costs money, and they have to keep that tight. So why do so many restaurants continue to use it? <b>Because it has critical mass, and drives traffic, period.</b> When you decide where to go out to eat, you want to get a great selection of choices: OpenTable gives you that robust, diverse selection. If you are not listed on OpenTable, that customer is rarely going to open another app to see what else is available. Instead, they'll choose another that is listed there. So OpenTable is not providing tech per se, but the all important marketing to the types of diners they want the most: affluent, immediate need, and not having to compete for eyeballs. And that's what so many of these articles miss: it's not about the solution, it's about the one-stop shop for customers.<br />
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And then there's the curious "facts." For instance, in this article, they cite two competitors: Reserve and <a href="http://www.resy.com/" target="_blank">Resy</a>. Both are app based (unlike OpenTable's multiplatform ubiquity). And they both boast of their growing restaurant list. Except, there's something funny going on here. Take the restaurant Michael Mina, for instance. Resy has them:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21cc5O_UWwYKkwIA7O4CsPTC1UvXDEatF6goycwU5CZmegcQNJVP4VlcyyFsGeJuDjoZ6QZajlPElj7xx3pB1gtjZ2xwxYXj_psGIyic37t7G1tQc3wZY96teXHzsk1YyZiRMtzKlKRs/s1600/resy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21cc5O_UWwYKkwIA7O4CsPTC1UvXDEatF6goycwU5CZmegcQNJVP4VlcyyFsGeJuDjoZ6QZajlPElj7xx3pB1gtjZ2xwxYXj_psGIyic37t7G1tQc3wZY96teXHzsk1YyZiRMtzKlKRs/s320/resy.png" width="238" /></a></div>
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Ah! So they've embraced the "new paradigm" and moved onto this new platform; great! But then I checked out Reserve:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_qb7Au3vt85TR8jc-UXou19jcqlVBDdOzlLSw4DItwWq26JiIqS9otK2Hi6evsaEf9IZz7iOq69Lo9f0lyEnu-mDZiuR0BexSG010_cqUkmuZ4jEXt683h8fZglhUfkZ13h74Sx2hDI/s1600/reserve.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_qb7Au3vt85TR8jc-UXou19jcqlVBDdOzlLSw4DItwWq26JiIqS9otK2Hi6evsaEf9IZz7iOq69Lo9f0lyEnu-mDZiuR0BexSG010_cqUkmuZ4jEXt683h8fZglhUfkZ13h74Sx2hDI/s320/reserve.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hmm. So, Michael Mina is doubling the work for their front of house staff by handling two different online upstarts reservations services? Interesting. But wait, there's more:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Q9Dg7l8bUJsEEgcVpSmQ4WRjknWC7-rifxGL4Kd0lzZbEV0hbVeVHwX-M_WahjnwVWHNEtSrbj1KbbBavLzLBnUBFePFHxF2qAfpPn_FkiTLU4P_-5s2Igzt_8i_MkbzJ-xpql6OSLI/s1600/OT.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Q9Dg7l8bUJsEEgcVpSmQ4WRjknWC7-rifxGL4Kd0lzZbEV0hbVeVHwX-M_WahjnwVWHNEtSrbj1KbbBavLzLBnUBFePFHxF2qAfpPn_FkiTLU4P_-5s2Igzt_8i_MkbzJ-xpql6OSLI/s320/OT.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yes, that's the same Michael Mina on, you guessed it, OpenTable. And this is not the only example: in my comparison there are several that are on these new "disrupters" that remain on OpenTable. Now, think about what that means to the restaurant: their front of house staff has to process reservations from 3 separate online services, walk ins, and phone (the latter is still the mainstay). That's a lot of juggling and effort. Why would they do they? Simple: they are covering their marketing bets. So these new services are not taking business away from OpenTable; they are just leveraging their front of house staff in hopes of finding another OpenTable for marketing their restaurant.</div>
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Can you get away without using OpenTable? Sure you can, <b>if</b> you run a well known destination dining experience. In foodie cities like LA, SF, and NYC, you can do this for some places, but even then, you run into problems. Take State Bird Provisions, in SF, for instance. Lauded by <i>Bon Appetit</i> as the <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/restaurants-travel/best-new-restaurants/article/state-bird-provisions-best-new-restaurant-in-america-2012" target="_blank">best new restaurant in 2012</a>, they chose to use UrbanSpoon, another smaller competitor to OpenTable. Within months, their resulting popularity made their reservation system subject to hackers and unavailability. Their solution? Even thought they did not need the marketing lift, <a href="http://sfist.com/2014/03/27/state_bird_provisions_combats_reser.php" target="_blank">they switched to OpenTable</a>, And order was restored.</div>
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I know this may sound like a defense for OpenTable; it's not. The reality is that all of these competitors are missing the point: they will become as ubiquitous as OpenTable if they can replicate their (and many other successful startups) formula for success: identify a market pain point, create a solution that either solves that pain and/or incentivizes the massive customer growth needed. For instance, there will still be some restaurants that resist OpenTable, and go with another solution. Why not create a super-reservations system that books your table on whatever system is used? That's the approach e-commerce upstart Jet.com used in their launch to beat Amazon: they promised the lowest price, they showed every product, and if they didn't have it, they purchased it from another site for you, and ate the price difference. Result? <a href="http://www.investors.com/news/technology/how-e-tail-startup-jet-com-plans-to-take-on-amazon/" target="_blank">They are on track for $1B in sales</a> this year, with 3.5M customers, in less than 3 years of existence. </div>
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Still not convinced? Ok, how about this: pay the customer. That's right, pay them for every reservation they make through your system. Crazy, you say? That's what venture capital is for: to spend on rapid customer growth. Of course, OpenTable has a counter to that, with their loyalty program, but imagine if Amazon decided to get into this game, and offered you $5 Amazon credit for every reservation? Bizarre? Maybe not: <a href="https://primenow.amazon.com/onboard?sourceUrl=%2F" target="_blank">they've just added restaurant delivery to Amazon Prime</a>, so it's not too far off. How about Uber? They offer <a href="https://ubereats.com/" target="_blank">UberEats </a>for food delivery; how hard would it be to add reservations that earn you Uber credit? Oh, and yes, you can book an Uber to get there, of course.</div>
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My point is that there are lots of great opportunities in this space, and it's just a matter of focusing on the bigger picture. OpenTable has done a great job of staying focused on the critical mass: you won't beat them by trying to build a better version of what they have. You need to focus on the marketing, the value proposition to the restaurant and the customer, and the real critical way to build the mass you need. It's not for the faint of heart, and the folks there are smart. Competition breeds innovation, so keep going, folks. We all win.</div>
Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-28705285600461263802016-04-22T17:10:00.000-07:002016-04-22T17:11:36.967-07:00Kickstarter WTF's: TrapTap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/005/420/075/73cf31842cbb44ecf701cbc2c25cdb51_original.gif?w=680&fit=max&v=1456353959&q=92&s=a069a5279578e6202a7b6761e85f853b" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/005/420/075/73cf31842cbb44ecf701cbc2c25cdb51_original.gif?w=680&fit=max&v=1456353959&q=92&s=a069a5279578e6202a7b6761e85f853b" width="320" /></a></div>
So, it's now been years since smartphones have become ubiquitous in the US. We've also seen the growth of <a href="https://www.waze.com/" target="_blank">Waze</a> as a nav app, specifically because of it's combination of crowdsourced traffic, speedtraps, and road conditions; so much so, <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2013/06/09/google-to-spite-facebook-buy-waze-for-1-3-billion/#b014706e841d" target="_blank">Google and Facebook fought each other for the right to buy them</a> (Google won). So, we have a perfect blend of market, community, and technology to be able to report and share vital driving info. Right?<br />
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Um, <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/traptap/traptap-a-wireless-speed-trap-indicator" target="_blank">TrapTap </a>doesn't think so. Nope, these folks are introducing a small physical device that uses visual and audio indicators to tell you that there's <i>something</i> to watch out for. Could be a speed trap, could be a school zone. Oh, but you see that cop you just passed at 20 miles faster than you should be? Well, just before he pulls you over, just tap twice on this gadget and everyone else will get hooked up with the info on <i>their</i> TrapTap.</div>
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So why my gripe? Well, first you're creating a boil the ocean problem: in order for the purchaser to benefit, the community needs to be there. Except it's got to be built up by lots of people using this gadget. Which means all these folks have to pony up <b>the $100</b> to get into the ecosystem. No, that's not a mistype: not free like Waze, or $10 for the small hardware; add another zero there. And don't forget, this is Kickstarter: you may never see this disc of magic, and instead find yourself funding some Canadian booze-fueled binge vacation. Sigh.</div>
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The truth is that I loved these folks' video, albeit being very bro-hipster-centric:</div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="270" scrolling="no" src="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/traptap/traptap-a-wireless-speed-trap-indicator/widget/video.html" width="480"> </iframe><br /></div>
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I like the fact that the user experience is more driver friendly than apps like Waze for reporting hazards. I just think it requires so much more, or a head start by licensing existing community data to supercharge the network effect. But this smacks of being a feature that's trying to be a product: imagine if this was built in to your radar detector, or an accessory for your Waze/Apple Maps/Google Maps? Think of how <a href="https://squareup.com/reader" target="_blank">Square gives away their credit card reader</a> to get new customers, or how <a href="http://www.amazon.com/b/?node=10667898011&tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=83415591542&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10260569153115725438&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_46k0vxh3a3_e" target="_blank">Amazon charges $5 for a Dash button</a>, but gives you $5 credit for your purchases. Now <b>that</b> is how to get this type of product to market.</div>
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But thanks, guys, for the entertainment. And if you get an acquisition offer...you're welcome. :-)</div>
Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-85068539280480663172016-04-02T15:00:00.000-07:002016-04-02T15:00:30.512-07:00Another Kickstarter FacepalmIn my ongoing newfound desire to share my unrequested opinions on various crowdfunding projects, I bring to you today another entry in the supposed "smart" products. Now, unlike my last screed, this device actually fits the more accepted definition of "smart;" it has sensors, adds functionality to address a problem, and enhances the use of existing solutions. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1509130378/bluejay-the-worlds-first-smart-mount-for-your-car" target="_blank">Bluejay, the worlds' "first" smart mount.</a><br />
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<a href="https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/005/624/388/e1d881421a38cc99f1ce83c46c0f3bbf_original.png?w=700&fit=max&v=1459394370&auto=format&q=92&s=196bbb3e97e1c36940a5f072864b762a" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/005/624/388/e1d881421a38cc99f1ce83c46c0f3bbf_original.png?w=700&fit=max&v=1459394370&auto=format&q=92&s=196bbb3e97e1c36940a5f072864b762a" width="320" /></a></div>
Now, upon first glance, this gadget seems to be a winner. Beautifully engineered out of aluminum and carbon fiber, clearly designed with an attention to upgrade the ungainly other solutions, and a plethora of functionality, the Bluejay offers to make the mount for your smartphone in your car far more advanced. There's a clear focus on balancing impressive design with technological wizardry, no wonder it made it's funding goals.<br />
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What does it do? Well, in addition to offering mounting options on the windshield, dashboard, or vent, it works with it's dedicated app to offer you the ability to locate your car in a crowded parking lot, an optimized user interface to make it easier/safer to use your phone when driving, a turn by turn GPS, driving stats, integration with IFTT, and more. Pretty cool, right?<br />
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Wrong. Let me count the ways.<br />
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First, the price. This lovingly crafted piece of tech costs just under a Benjamin. Ok, you can argue that's pretty good for all that, but wait.<br />
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The ability to find your car in a crowded parking lot sounds like a great idea, right? Up until you realize that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Now" target="_blank">Google Now</a> (built in every Android phone, and available for iPhones) <a href="https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/6015842?hl=en" target="_blank"><i>automatically</i> stores where you parked</a>, and can guide you back to your car. <b>Cost? $0.</b><br />
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How about that optimized interface? Well, despite the fact that the promotional video for the Bluejay shows how much easier it is to send a text message while driving (illegal, by the way), it also is a problem that is easily solved in a far better fashion by better apps, like <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bitspice.automate" target="_blank">AutoMate </a>for Android. And since Bluejay accomplishes this task with an app rather than something specific to the mount, it's inferior to the other options. Not to mention that Siri, Cortana, and Google Now all offer the ability to send messages hands free or place calls with voice, a far safer option. <b>Oh, yes, cost? $0.</b><br />
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How about turn by turn GPS? Again, Bluejay does this with an app, and there are far, far, <b>far</b> better options. Waze is my personal favorite, with crowdsourced RT traffic and police detection, but Google Maps, or even Apple Maps, can do this far better, and have far more resources to make improvements. <b>Cost: Zip.</b><br />
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Diving stats: take a look at the alternatives. <a href="https://www.metromile.com/technology/" target="_blank">Metromile </a>offers you a "Fitbit for your car" that does all of this, as well as notifying of fuel, maintenance and errors; they give it to you free with their per-mile car insurance. There are DIY versions that plug into your ODB port with free apps to give you the stats, or you can be a big spender and spring for <a href="https://www.automatic.com/home/" target="_blank">Automatic</a>, which is stats overload and real needed car functionality. Granted, no aluminum/carbon fiber mount for your phone, but the same price.<br />
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And lastly, the mount itself. While undeniably beautiful, it is a steep premium to pay for minimal design, yet strongly functional, car mounts on the market today. Got an old CD player in your car? For $11, <a href="http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-smartphone-car-mount/" target="_blank">you can turn it into a magnetic mount</a> to suspend your phone in midair at the perfect angle. At the other extreme is <a href="https://www.proclipusa.com/" target="_blank">ProClip</a>, who will gladly sell you the highest quality, American made, mounting solution for your specific phone, complete with power. I've owned two of them, and amazed at the quality; I'm now tempted by their <a href="http://www.proclipusa.com/targetsections/ioauto-universal-phone-holders.aspx" target="_blank">iOAuto Pro</a> magnetic mount, and for half the price of the BlueJay.<br />
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Sadly, while Bluejay is clearly beautiful, it's value is greatly inflated, and yet it achieved it's funding goal. Another case of Kickstarter-fueled hype, alas. Backers beware!Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-38915396638400225482016-04-01T14:16:00.000-07:002016-04-01T14:16:01.818-07:00The Downside of CrowdfundingSo, while I recently pointed out a potentially good product to come out of Kickstarter, there are certainly examples of ones that, really, never should be funded on principle. Case in point: I bring you <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1053204230/woollip-travel-pillow-smart-pillow-for-smart-trave" target="_blank">Woollip</a>, the supposed "Smart Pillow,"<br />
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Now, take a moment to digest that. These days, you hear "Smart...." And you think of a device loaded with sensors, designed to give feedback, and improve a problem. Think of the <a href="http://www.fitbit.com/" target="_blank">Fitbit</a>, a smart pedometer that uses social reinforcement, gamification, and real-time feedback to help you get more exercise. Or the exploding <a href="http://www.wareable.com/smartwatches" target="_blank">smartwatch </a>market, with dozens of models (Android, iOS, and more), focused on moving notifications out of your pocket and onto your wrist, as well as anticipating what you need to be told about before you need it. Smart devices indeed.<br />
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Woollip...not so much.<br />
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<a href="https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/005/507/814/b100ff59c98be002643022ed126123b8_original.gif?w=680&fit=max&v=1457605527&q=92&s=d652f07cfaca0bb979badbb102650288" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/005/507/814/b100ff59c98be002643022ed126123b8_original.gif?w=680&fit=max&v=1457605527&q=92&s=d652f07cfaca0bb979badbb102650288" width="320" /></a>This is anything but. Instead, you get an inflatable travel pillow, supposedly to help you sleep better on a plane, car, etc. It's design is meant to accommodate different types of sleeping positions. And deflates for easy transport. That's it. Sensors that detect your quality of sleep (a la sleep trackers)? Nope. Ok, perhaps a white sound generator to help you sleep. Nope. How about syncing to your phone to wake you gently in the ideal phase of sleep to ensure you awake refreshed before your trip ends? Um, no.</div>
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Instead, you get a cheeky video, and a pillow the size of a kitchen appliance that I am <b>sure</b> will not bother any of your fellow travelers. Not to mention the folly of the inflatable aspect: how many times have you seen travelers frustratingly try to mess with those? Imagine being next to a middle seat dweller who whips out this baby.</div>
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Sadly, it has already exceeded the funding level it was looking for. The true irony for me is that it's "designed" to be used on a plane, and with the tray table down, as well. You know that pocket behind the tray table? It used to contain a relic of the past: <a href="http://www.skymall.com/" target="_blank">Skymall</a>, a "catalog" of items that you flipped through before the days of using tablets or Kindles. Smack in the middle of that ancient tome was an ad for what might look to be a familiar product, albeit with a decidedly worse marketing photo:</div>
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<a href="http://cdnl.skymall.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/600x/17f82f742ffe127f42dca9de82fb58b1/9/6/96981577dwg1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdnl.skymall.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/600x/17f82f742ffe127f42dca9de82fb58b1/9/6/96981577dwg1.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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There truly is nothing new under the sun. And just because something is marketed as "smart," or appears on Kickstarter, doesn't make it new, useful, or, in this case, even a good idea. </div>
Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-34300732388954088282016-03-30T19:00:00.000-07:002016-03-30T19:00:04.014-07:00Kickstarter & the LikeI recently have been amazed at the plethora of products being offered on <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/" target="_blank">Kickstarter </a>and similar crowdfunding websites. I have had both good experiences on crowdfunding sites (my <a href="https://www.pebble.com/pebble-smartwatch-features" target="_blank">Pebble </a>is still going strong, and getting smarter), and poor experiences (the <a href="https://onlycoin.com/" target="_blank">Coin </a>card...2 years, no shipment, and reduced functionality), but I thought I'd revive my blog to start showcasing some of the good, bad, and plain stupid ones I come across for your entertainment.
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<a href="https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/005/491/688/5f92ea59771daa643141395cb28a23be_original.gif?w=680&fit=max&v=1457393227&q=92&s=1083b784780b9038b2b2f65f83709675" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/005/491/688/5f92ea59771daa643141395cb28a23be_original.gif?w=680&fit=max&v=1457393227&q=92&s=1083b784780b9038b2b2f65f83709675" width="320" /></a></div>
First up today: a good one (I think). The <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jalousier/flipflic" target="_blank">FlipFlic </a>offers a small device that clips on to your existing window blinds. It's solar powered, and a has a plethora of light and temperature settings. When the room's getting too cold, it allows the light to come in, rotating your blinds open. Too warm, and it closes them. Not only is this a good energy saver, but it's a clever use of "smart technology" to accomplish a task without having to invest in a whole platform of smart devices. And yes, it claims to be app based, as well, for scheduling and manual overrides. Nice touch to have it solar powered, so no wiring or batteries.
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My only criticism is $150 for a pair is a bit steep for the functionality, but I'd be interested to see if they could provide a good case study on the energy savings (something a company I advise, <a href="http://enerallies.com/" target="_blank">EnerAllies</a>, does really well for retailers) to offset the cost. And, of course, it being Kickstarter, you never know if the final product is going to match the statements or if it will even ship, but this is version 2 for them, so I'd say there's a good chance.<br />
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I look forward to showcasing some less than exciting Kickstarter finds.Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-25012608873444672212014-08-25T13:52:00.000-07:002014-08-25T13:52:11.562-07:00Textbook way to re-establish trust<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.damngeeky.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Coin-payment-card_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.damngeeky.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Coin-payment-card_1.jpg" height="193" width="320" /></a></div>
Like many people, I was very excited by the prospect of <a href="https://onlycoin.com/?referral=1WfmUsrs" target="_blank">Coin</a>, a credit card replacement that offered the ability to combine multiple cards into a single one, selectable with an encoded switch, working with any credit card reader today. Like others, I got in on the ability last year to preorder it at a 50% discount for $49, with a proposed shipping date of the "summer." All was good.<br />
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Throughout the wait, Coin has been very cool, providing "VIP only" password protected updates, truly making you feel like a special customer. The updates, though a little light on details, were honest, insightful, and good. Then, as summer began and there was no word on dates, it started to feel a little uncertain, but hey, we'll see, right?<br />
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A little over a week ago, a news update! Great news: iOS users would get access to the app by the end of August; Android, by end of September. As an Android user, this is pretty depressing, as this was the first hint that there was some sort of advantage for iOS users; not the way you want to find out. They told us to stay tuned for details about when our Coin would ship, somehow vaguely associating it with the app release dates.<br />
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Then came last week's update, and oooh, boy, was it a doozy. The Coin...well, not quite finished. But hey, if you want to get in on the beta, you can! It works "85%" of the time and does not have the Bluetooth feature they featured so prominently in their site that alerts you if the card is too far away from your phone. Want in on that? They'll apply your $99 to it, and you'll have the ability to get a finished Coin for a small discount. Oh, and only 10,000 can get in on the beta. Oh, and the order of who gets "allowed" in the beta? Based on when you download the app. Not into the Beta, and rather wait of the finished Coin? Sure, no problem; sometime next "Spring."<br />
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The reaction, as you can guess, was universally "those bastards." Images of horrible crowdfunding scams leapt to mind, with sleazy founders <a href="http://gizmodo.com/the-1-5-million-indiegogo-smartwatch-horror-story-1625043836" target="_blank">spending their customer's money on exotic cars and shopping trips</a>. It was a stunning turnaround for a product and company that had, mere weeks before, been a darling of the Internet. Except the narrative here was not the same:<br />
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<li>This was not a crowdfunding campaign. You placed your order on Coin's website, not Kickstarter, Indiegogo, or anywhere else.</li>
<li>Customers' didn't "back" the Coin, they were asked to preorder it. You weren't joining a cause and taking a risk; you were conducting an e-commerce transaction, like you do every day online. </li>
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In response, Coin did the best thing they could do, and every other company should do in this situation: they came clean, took their whacks, and made it right. Two days after the "Black Update," they sent this out:<div>
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<strong><i>An apology and an update</i></strong></h1>
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<i>Dear Coin Backers,</i></div>
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<i>First and foremost, we want to apologize to each and every one of you. We are building Coin for you and are extremely disappointed with ourselves that we made some of you unhappy with us. We want to earn your trust again.</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>We apologize for our lack of transparency and clarity in our communications to you. You, as our valuable backers, should have been the first to know about all product updates. We honestly thought we could make our timeline. We were overly optimistic. The San Francisco Bay Area Coin Beta made it evident that we should conduct a larger nationwide Coin Beta. We need your help with testing nationwide, but realize that this is not a cost for you to bear. <strong>Therefore, we will run a nationwide Coin Beta for no cost to Coin Beta Backers ($0) and increase the number of Coin Beta devices by 50% to 15,000.</strong>We’ll do our best to grow this number over time. To clarify, your spot in the Coin Beta program is determined by your pre-order date, regardless of whether you opt-in with the iOS or Android app. We feel responsible to the commitment each of you has given to us by backing Coin and so we haven’t spent even one dollar of the crowd funding campaign. All our efforts and production has been supported by equity dollars. </i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>Coin Beta was a hard decision but important step as we want to deliver the device we all expect and nothing less. Getting Coin to work with thousands of different card readers of different makes, models and regions is not easy and that’s why we need the help of an extended beta team.</i><br />
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<i>We are truly sorry that the first generation Coin is not ready when we said it would. Our team has been working hard day/night and weekends since May 2012 in an attempt to deliver Coin to you on time and while we are close, we are not at the finish line. We have achieved ~0.84 mm form factor with e-ink screen and bluetooth low energy. We even found a button that has a tactile touch so you can feel feedback every time you press the button on Coin. Coin swipes successfully in 85% of the locations we visit. Our hardware team is focused on the remaining 15%.</i><br />
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<i>With Coin Beta, we will validate compatibility nationwide and improve usability. Meanwhile, we’ll keep a focus on growing our manufacturing capabilities and are confident that we will deliver high-quality first generation Coins to you all.</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>We promise to do better with our transparency and updates to backers. We promise to keep working hard to deliver you a great product. We value your honest feedback, good or bad; and we are always listening.</i><br />
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<i>Sincerely,</i></div>
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<i>Kanishk and the whole Coin team</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>PS - We appreciate your patience and support, but if you would like to cancel, we will promptly issue a refund to you. Please email<a href="mailto:help@onlycoin.com" style="color: #00b7ff;" target="_blank">help@onlycoin.com</a> with your order number. We hope to earn your trust again in the future.</i></div>
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This is the way to address issues, and re-establish trust. Look at what they did here:</div>
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<ul>
<li>They addressed this, fast, before it got too far out of control.</li>
<li>They apologized, a tone that was missing from their previous two updates. That matters to people who feel they have been wronged. No Ferguson-like excuses; just copping to it.</li>
<li>They acknowledged that they had not been transparent.</li>
<li>They acknowledged that the clarity of their updates was inexcusable (making it seem, for instance, that beta participation would be determined by when you installed the app, rather than when you placed the order).</li>
<li>They didn't try to put the onus on the customer: you want to be in the beta, great! That should not cost you a final working product. And after this, it won't.</li>
<li>They increased the number available.</li>
<li>They made it clear that those unhappy could cancel, an option that was not there before.</li>
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In short, a textbook way to handle such. That's not to say that this was all perfect:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e6-hrV3u-14/U_ubbNdTOYI/AAAAAAAAKPs/eQ6-Dv55GYM/s1600/Coin%2B%C2%BB%2BUse%2BOne%2BCoin%2Bfor%2BAll%2Bof%2BYour%2BCards.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e6-hrV3u-14/U_ubbNdTOYI/AAAAAAAAKPs/eQ6-Dv55GYM/s1600/Coin%2B%C2%BB%2BUse%2BOne%2BCoin%2Bfor%2BAll%2Bof%2BYour%2BCards.png" height="320" width="216" /></a>- They addressed the customer as a "Backer." That's just wrong. Coin opted to go direct to sell this, not crowdfund; by calling customers "backers," they are either conveniently forgetting that, or trying to plant that idea in the customers' heads so that they will be more tolerant of issues in the future, as they would be if it were a crowdfunded campaign. <b>It's not. </b>They'd be advised to remember that: every credit card company will helpfully allow you dispute a charge for a preorder, if you try to cancel and the merchant refuses.</div>
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<br />- They indicate that orders are considered part of a crowdfunding campaign; <b>they aren't. </b>Look, you chose this route, and you were damn successful at it; trying to rewrite history. Even today, they still are doing it: <div>
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The Coin team should be commended for the way they are recovering from a series of missteps. And truthfully, they are on a race against the clock: the card industry is pushing for a switch to the more secure "chip and pin" method that Europe uses, instead of the magnetic stripe method Coin is aiming to streamline. Already, the #2 retailer, <a href="http://stripe%20method%20coin%20is%20aiming%20to%20streamline./" target="_blank">Target, has announced it will make the switch</a>, after their large card breach. With such economies of scale, the costs will come down, and expect to see it in a growing number of retailers quickly. With that pressure, Coin cannot afford too many errors like this. </div>
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There's still a lot Coin should be doing. What's the details of the "secure" method they have for selecting the right card on your Coin? How long will the battery last, and what's the method to replace it? What are the list, so far, of retailers it can be used with? How about the specific ones it can't? What cards are not replaceable by the Coin? The list goes on, but we should not lose sight of the fact that they have successfully turned from hype to hurt, and back to trust with good listening, savvy communication, and humility. Think of <a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20140825/BUSINESS0101/308250200/GM-ignition-switch-recall-Ken-Feinberg" target="_blank">GM and their attempts to cover up the ignition switch disaster</a> (which I am also a consumer of), and imagine they took a page from Coin and addressed it fast with humility: we'd be praising them as the "reinvented" GM, and a model of an old-school company learning from the new school.</div>
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Coin, keep it up. Remember the importance of radical transparency, and you will be rewarded by customers, as well as investors. </div>
Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-22514792151499090152013-07-20T16:01:00.000-07:002013-07-20T16:01:58.937-07:00Flightcar: Concept Meets Reality<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On a recent trip, I was able to fully try the new service from <a href="http://flightcar.com/" target="_blank">Flightcar</a>. If you are a regular reader of Tretakoff.com, <a href="http://tretakoff.blogspot.com/2013/06/airbnb-meets-rental-cars-hello-flightcar.html" target="_blank">you heard my excitement about the concept</a>. For a refresher, Flightcar allows you to rent out your own car when traveling, in return for free airport parking, and a cut of the $ if your car is rented. Since I was traveling from San Francisco to Boston, I was able to test out the full range of Flightcar's operations, as those are the only two cities they currently operate in: in San Francisco, we made our car available, and in Boston we rented a car. So, how did it go?<br />
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Some prelude first. When we made the reservation for the car rental in Boston, Flightcar's site allows you to choose your car and rate, a very appealing feature. You can see photos of the exact car, get a description, and more. As I mentioned in my previous post, we chose a 2009 Lexus GS sedan, at roughly half the price of a Nissan Versa economy car from the traditional rental agencies. Very cool. When listing our car, an older Lexus SUV, I did not have any photos, and I would be surprised if anyone rented it, given it's age and lack of photo (despite the fact that it looks almost brand new and has held up better than any car I have ever owned), but Flightcar welcomed the listing, nonetheless. Hey, even if it didn't get rented, free airport parking for 6 days is a heck of a deal.</div>
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<b>San Francisco, day of departure:</b></div>
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On the day of our departure, I consulted the e-mail I received from Flightcar: they indicated they wanted me to call an hour out to let them know we were on our way. Odd, given the online nature of the company. Why not an app, or direct message tweet? A little old-school, but convenient if you are driving. Note to Flightcar: I think you can chuck the "Press 1 to..." prompts when you call: 99% of the calls are going to the same folks, so why not make it easier for someone who is most likely in the car? Minor quibble. After the prompt, I was immediately routed to a knowledgeable operator who thanked me for calling, and assured me he would let the staff know I was on the way.</div>
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At the drop off point (slightly south of the airport), we were greeted by not one, not two, but three eager staff members, who practically sprung from their little green shed that serves as their office. All were dressed in Flightcar brown jackets, making it very clear this was an operation that knows it needs to assuage the concerns of dealing with a new operation. We pulled in, and immediately a black Town Car slid in behind us; the driver, without prompting, smoothly started to transfer our luggage to the car, while we dealt with the Flightcar staff. Professional.<br />
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The staff were very patient, explaining they were inspecting the car for any noted damage, noting the VIN, and asking about our GPS, and more. Very friendly, very assuring. In moments, I signed an iPad, and we were escorted to our Town Car. Bottles of water were waiting for us in the car, and were whisked away. We chatted with the driver, a professional limo driver, asking him how he liked Flightcar and what he thought of other services like Uber. He pointed out that Uber started out well, but was now more aggravation than it was worth, as they have focused more on their ride sharing service, Uber X. He liked Flightcar, as it allowed him to pick up some extra rides when he was not otherwise engaged. He was informative, professional, and a great conversation, while having us feel the true premium nature of being driven to our terminal like true VIP's. He unloaded our luggage for us, thanked us for the tip most profusely, and we headed to our 3-hour delayed flight to Boston.<br />
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<b>Boston, Arrival Day:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
We arrived in Boston, delayed by nearly 4 hours. I had called Flightcar in San Francisco to let them know we were delayed; they assured us there would be no issue. When we disembarked, I called to let them know we arrived. This time, ominously, I got voicemail after the prompts; <b>Problem #1.</b>. I left a message, and headed to the luggage carousel. While waiting for our bags, I called again. This time, I got a harried woman who picked up, who said "Oh, OK...it's just been crazy today. Can you call back as soon as you get your bags?" Bemused, I did, and called 5 minutes later; the same woman assured me that she was dispatching a Cadillac black car, and we should meet them in the Departures area. She took descriptions of what were wearing, and assured us it would be at most "10 minutes."<br />
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10 minutes later, no black car.<br />
20 minutes later, no black car.<br />
30 minutes later, no black car.<br />
<b>Problem #2.</b><br />
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Finally, the car arrived. The driver was young, clearly a bit harried, tie askew and shirt rumpled. Ok, it's a cheaper service, and I keep comparing it to the cattle cars of rental car agencies; I won't hold it against him. Still, we were clearly spoiled by San Francisco. Again, bottles of water awaited us, but his trunk was not empty: this meant he had to jam the bags in to fit them; more on that later. We drove to East Boston (right next to the airport, and turned down an unmarked service road; unnerving. He jokingly pointed to a white station wagon, and said "There's your car" with a smile. Eased the tension, as he drove past to the hemmed in Flightcar paddock.<br />
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Same green shed, but two rather tired young men unfolded lazily to greet us. The driver started loading the bags into...<b>not </b>our previously selected Lexus, but a GMC Terrain SUV. Not a word was said, until my wife asked what was going on. The young Flightcar rep indicated he was sorry, but the Lexus was never dropped off. She had to ask to get this information: <b>Problem #3</b>. She indicated that we had selected a luxury car; a GMC SUV was not that; he responded that it was the best he had. She pointed to a Porsche Cayenne in the lot, and said, "We'll take that, then." He looked frantically, and then said it had been already rented. She countered that we had rented a car we had selected, so they'd have to inconvenience someone else. He apologized, but said that couldn't be done. Now, perhaps it was because the car was not available for the full duration of our visit, but he offered no explanation as such, just an apology: <b>Problem #4. </b><br />
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She fumed for a bit, then asked for a discount. He agreed to provide a 25% discount; I asked him to write that on the rental receipt, but he demurred and assured me "they'd note it." <b>Problem #5. </b>I started the car, and the gas tank was bone dry; empty, complete with gas light on. I pointed this out, and the other Flightcar young man unfolded from the chair he barely left, indicating there was a gas station "down the road" and I could return it empty. <b>Problem #6. </b>Finally, we got into the GMC (which was very new, clean, and fine), and drove off; the gas station was within a mile, and we fueled up, and headed out.<br />
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When we got to our destination, I unpacked the luggage from the car, only to find that the entire wheel from one of my wife's nearly brand new bags had been ripped off the luggage. It had been there when we claimed the luggage from the carousel, but now, no more. It seems that the young limo driver, in his urgency to fit the bag in his non-empty trunk, jammed it so hard, he broke the wheel housing clean off. So, I had to drag the 50 lb bag. <b>Problem #7.</b><br />
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<b>In Boston:</b><br />
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My wife called Flightcar to report our experience. Of course, there was no record of any of this, including the promised 25% discount. The representative was helpful, sympathetic, and promised to help solve this. He indicated he would get in touch with the owners, and took her number to call her back. No call came to her, but I did see I had a voicemail later that day.<br />
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And here, dear readers, is where Flightcar did what every service company should note: they took a step back, and realized that the 7 problems we reported could either be addressed, and we could be mollified, probably never to rent from them again. Or, they could go above and beyond, and have us not only use them forever, but tell people like you why you should. And guess what? They took the high road of <b>above and beyond.</b><br />
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First, they apologized for having mis-transcribed my wife's phone number, and calling me instead. Next, they indicated the rental would not be discounted: <b>it would be free. </b>Gratis. Nada. They had credited my card back, and apologized for the experience. Amazing, right? But it doesn't stop there. They indicated they had <b>mailed a check for the amount of my wife's luggage</b> to my home address.WOW. Now <b>that's </b>what I call thinking long-term, and something that would never happen with Hertz, Avis or any other. Flightcar, you've won me for life, and it cost very little, overall.<br />
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The next day, I received an e-mail from Flightcar, indicating our car had been rented in San Francisco. Quite a surprise, but my experience in Boston seems to prove that they have more demand than supply, so it makes sense. I remembered from my quick listing that if it was rented, I would receive a gas card, so I knew that was waiting upon our return.<br />
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<b>Boston, day of departure:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Ah, the joys of travel. On the way to the airport, I was notified our flight was now nearly 4 hours delayed. Ugh. I called Flightcar, asked if I could keep the GMC for a few more hours; they indicated it was no issue. I asked them to let San Francisco know; they agreed to do so. A few hours later, we dropped the car back at Flightcar, and noted that there seemed to be an entirely different staff there, much more like San Francisco. The staff was a bit puzzled; it seems the staff on our arrival had noted the mileage of the car wrong. I looked at it, and sighed: the previous young man had written down the trip mileage, not the car mileage. Luckily, I had not reset the trip mileage, so I showed them how to note the correct mileage, but the staff assured me it was their error, and not to worry. Much different. Into a Town Car we went, with an empty trunk, and a professional driver. No issues. Someone clearly had kicked some butts.<br />
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<b>San Francisco, day of arrival:</b><br />
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We got in very late, 2AM. I called to let them know we landed, and they immediately dispatched a car that would be waiting for us. We retrieved our luggage (this time with a cart, since we had a broken wheel to contend with), and headed up. Our Town Car was waiting for us, with a younger, but professional, driver, who transferred our bags. Luxury transportation and water bottles to greet us; very nice.<br />
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Back at the lot, we were greeted by one rep this early AM. He was energetic and professional, welcoming us home, and handing us a check for $100; it seems I had happily misunderstood the compensation for renting the car! We approached the car with trepidation, and were shocked: they had not only cleaned the car, but had professionally detailed the interior. It has not looked this good since we bought it! We noted our GPS was missing; he fumbled around looking for it, and found it in the rear, apologizing that they had not replaced it. He also provided us a card with details on what to do if we found any damage to the car within 72 hours; not sure if that's comforting, or disturbing. A few more details ironed out, a finger-signing on the iPad, and we were good to go. At home the next day, we checked the car, and it looked absolutely great. Also waiting for us was the check for my wife's luggage.<br />
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<b>Epilogue</b><br />
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All in all, this was an absolutely great experience: if it had gone seamlessly, I would have been pleased, but the fact that, when it went wrong, Flightcar not only stepped up, but went well beyond, shows me that this is the type of company I want to do business with for some time. They are focused on the customer experience, and realize that they can't just "stand pat." It's clear they have some challenges ahead, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/30/flightcar-lawsuit_n_3526133.html" target="_blank">including legal ones</a>, but this is the type of company that is not just trying to be innovative: they are trying to change the standards. That's the type of company I will always choose to do business with.<br />
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Looking forward to my next opportunity to use Flightcar!</div>
Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-24987923706477711462013-07-20T13:21:00.000-07:002013-07-20T13:21:08.731-07:00Living With The Chromebook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I recently picked up a <a href="http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+-+11.6%26%2334%3B+Chromebook+-+2GB+Memory+-+16GB+Flash+(eMMc)+Memory+-+Silver/6869096.p;jsessionid=8D3198D86036DAD49D33B62BFB8F6F6D.bbolsp-app02-173?id=1218810049489&skuId=6869096" target="_blank">Samsung Chromebook from Best Buy</a>. A couple of interesting seeming contradictions from that statement:<br />
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- Why Best Buy? I had not visited BB in a while, and was contemplating buying a new desktop or laptop. Instead of my constant loyalty to Amazon, I wanted to get a sense of size and weight of the computers, with the complete intent of making my actual purchase on Amazon. In other words, I was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Showrooming" target="_blank">showrooming</a>. In my examinations, I had not even considered the Chromebook, as previous cursory evaluations had left me underwhelmed. But this Samsung model was intriguing: incredibly light and thin, good price point, and intriguing. What really surprised me was the under-informed salesperson (more on that later) mentioning that Best Buy now offered a 15 day return policy with no restocking fee, encouraging me to try it out. This convinced me, and I pulled the trigger.<br />
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- Why the Chromebook? The size, the full keyboard, and the long battery life addressed all I wanted from a possible tablet, without the frustrating drawbacks I find in most tablets. I wanted a computer, not a "lean back" device to bring to work at my clients. Nearly everything I do is in the cloud these days, and I am an avid user of Google's services, so it looked good. I considered a Surface Pro, especially with the keyboard cover, but I was shocked at the weight. I had my reservations, but with a 5+ hour battery life and seemingly better offline integration, I gave it a shot.<br />
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So, it's been a couple of weeks. What do I think? I'll sum it up simply: I'm keeping it. On to why...<br />
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- <b>Ultrafast boot up time</b>. Open the cover, and you are logged on in under 5 seconds. Oh, yeah, that's what I'm talking about.<br />
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- <b>Multiple user profiles.</b> I use multiple Google services, so having offline access to my files is critical. With multiple profiles, I can keep multple Google account files offline.<br />
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- <b>Surprisingly good video player support.</b> When I travel, I tend to watch a lot of movies on the plane. The last time I had tried a Chromebook (thanks to the good people at <a href="http://www.webpronews.com/google-virgin-america-gives-fliers-free-chromebooks-2011-12" target="_blank">Virgin America</a>), the video player was a Chrome extension that could not even read MP4 files from a USB drive. They have definitely improved it, with a built in offline file browser that natively reads most digital media files, and pops an elegant player that remembers where you left off, multiple resolutions, and more.<br />
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- <b>Fast</b>. The Chromebook is essentially a big version of Google's Chrome web browser. Without the cruft of Windows or overly refined visual effects of Apple, it's lean, quick, and nimble.<br />
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- <b>Surprisingly strong expansion</b>. It comes with ports that happily handle your headphones from your smartphone with no annoying volume drop (as many PC's suffer), as well as USB 2.0 & 3.0 ports, plus an HDMI port. It also has an integrated SD card slot that instantly shows you the files on the card.<br />
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- <b>Works perfectly with the Personal Hotspot</b> option on my iPhone 5. So, even though it does well with offline files (and it does, as long as everything is in Google Drive), I always have a backup option. Haven't needed it too often, but nice to know.<br />
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- <b>Handles file downloads.</b> Yep, a pseudo file structure that's indistinguishable from a traditional computer. Download a photo, upload to the web...whatever. It just works.<br />
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- <b>The support is sensational</b>. I was not aware from the salesperson, but each Chromebook comes with support from a "Chrome Ninja." I had an issue playing a video file, dropped them a note, and literally in minutes my phone rang with a helpful Ninja to troubleshoot with me. Unlike many support teams, he actually listened to me, knew I was not a novice user, and quickly guided me to several ways to address the issue. Followed up with an email after to make sure all was well. For a company like Google which is largely faceless, this was an impressive bit of personal attention.<br />
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- Another surprise: purchasing a Chromebook gives you an<b> instant upgrade on Google Drive to 100 GB. </b>Wow. I suspect had I returned the Chromebook, I would have been able to keep it, but a damned good value. I have shifted much of my online storage to Drive from Dropbox, as a result, though Dropbox is easy to use with the web interface, as well.<br />
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- Yet another surprise that the folks at Best Buy failed to mention: Chromebook users get<b> 12 free in-flight passses with GoGo Wifi</b>. This came in handy on a recent trip, and was something I would have avoided religiously otherwise.<br />
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- I've been impressed with the <b>HDMI support,</b> as well. Plug in an external monitor, and bam, it's there. No muss, no fuss.<br />
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I've shifted to the Chromebook as my primary device, and I don't think I'm looking back!<br />
<br />Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-20052153223000208202013-06-23T17:04:00.000-07:002013-06-23T17:07:33.284-07:00iOS7 Beta Impressions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As expected, at the recent Apple WWDC event, Apple announced a major revamp of iOS, with iOS7. Claiming to modernize the user interface, add updated multitasking, and overall a much more modern and elegant experience, iOS7 was released to developers in a beta at the conclusion of the event, with us unwashed masses promised the final version in the fall (most likely with a new addition to the iPhone/iPad family). But this intrepid iOS user was not to be deterred: I wanted iOS7 <b>now.</b> So, armed with little more than a vague desire, I launched my quest to get. that. damned. beta. This is my story.<br />
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So, my first challenge: how to get in the rarified air of Apple considering me a developer worthy of the beta. I expected to have to embark on a crash CodeAcademy course, or a torchlit ceremony of Steve Jobs worshipping. Anything Cupertino could throw at me, I was ready. I'd fool these high priests of code, and escape with the beta prize, with none the wiser. So steeled, I launched my quest with a Google search and a silent prayer to the Holy Steves (Jobs and Wozniak), and began.<br />
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And found that anyone can be registered as a developer for $99/year. Seriously. That's it. An early-early-<b>early </b>adopter tax.<br />
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I decided that was simply too easy; after all, I had been ready for a challenge...and I'm notoriously cheap. After a few more Googles, I found there is a slightly sneakier (and cheaper) way. In order to use the beta, you need to have the unique identifier for your iOS device registered with Apple; this is a process that's included with the standard $99/year service. In fact, it gives you several slots you can use for testing on multiple devices. Some enterprising folks realized there were s<strike>uckers</strike>people like me who may not be developers, but would want in on the beta, and so they started selling some of their excess slots. The High Priests of Cupertino heard about such indulgences and immediately issued a fatwah on such practices, but in the dark alleys of Twitter, several purveyors still plied their UDID slots in whispered 140 character come-hithers.<br />
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After searching Twitter for those that seemed likely candidates (as well as carefully monitoring the tweeted complaints and compliments on such), I chose a seemingly good service, <a href="http://www.iosreg.com/" target="_blank">iOSReg</a>. Their tweets were routinely helpful, their mentions almost all positive, and they were transparent about their inventory (i.e. if they actually had any slots, and when you could expect, if ever, to be registered if you used them). So, in the wee hours of the Pacific US morning, the helpful Brits behind iOSReg tweeted they had slots, and 7 pounds and roughly 60 seconds later, I was now hooked up with a registered UDID.<br />
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Next step: getting the beta itself. Luckily, the folks at iOSReg were onto my idea, and included a PDF with specific directions on how to hit up a shady notorious Kiwi with the infamous monicker of Kim Dotcom (he of the military raid on his compound, defended by inflatable decoy drones), and his new service, Mega. Minutes later, the coveted prize was mine: My Precious iOS7 beta was downloaded. A few hidden clicks in iTunes later, and my iPhone 5 was sporting Sir Jony Ive's latest flatness. My quest was complete.<br />
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So, how have I enjoyed the fruits of my labors? I'll give you my promised impressions, but a word to those who choose to follow my footsteps: it's not a path for the faint of heart. In fact, there is nothing like installing a beta or jailbreaking your phone (mine is not) to make you appreciate what you take for granted with iOS: it just works, without any instability or worry. Go beta or jailbreak, and you are suddenly very conscious of how elegant iOS really is, in that everything. just. works. On the beta, not so much. Which brings me to my last missive: if you use an iOS as a secondary device, this is a reasonable idea, but if you use your iPhone as your primary device every day, you may want to reconsider this approach, unless you are fond of frequent app crashes, reboots, and mysterious app features disappearing.<br />
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Also, like all restores of the iPhone, it has the maddening experience of finding some data is backed up to iTunes, some to iCloud, and still some more that just isn't. Before you embark, make sure you know all the apps you had on the phone, and any that use non-cloud based data stores, make sure you have backed up to your computer, or you'll spend the hours I did in reloading them.<br />
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On to the impressions:<br />
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- The UI is very much the star of this beta. Yes, much has been made of the "flattened" iconography of this version, but it's truly the multilayering as the predominant feel. From the perspective shifting of the wallpaper, to the "bleed through" of the color palette on translucent menus, it's all about emphasizing the layers. Very cool, very slick, and ultimately eye candy. There's a conscious effort to make as many of the apps stretch to the edges of the screen as possible, giving the illusion of more screen real estate in an effective way. There's even three dimensionality to the pulldown menus that adds a satisfying effect. Animations on app laucnching and home screen are satisfying. Overall, very slick.<br />
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- There's a lot of white, gray and translucency here. That looks cool and modern, but it almost requires a dark background for many of the apps and photos to actually see the options. Lots of new modern icons for sharing, saving, and reading that are typically inscrutable in Apple's tradition. It will take some adaption, but hopefully Apple will keep the helpful captions on the icons in the final version to help users tell us what the heck some of these mean. See the snapshot of Safari to the right here? Look at those icons on the bottom: you could maybe guess 1 or 2 of them, but overall it's a head scratcher.<br />
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- The beta is <b>very </b>unstable, even within the stock iOS apps. Add a reminder? App crash. Try to take a photo of a check to deposit with your favorite modern banking app? Oh, you wanted to see the picture <i style="font-weight: bold;">as you were taking it? </i>Nope. Skype works once...and then crashes on every launch, requiring you to delete the app and reinstall it. You get the idea.<br />
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- AirDrop is <b>everywhere. </b>For those non-Apple computer users (like me), it's a new approach: you can transfer just about anything to another Apple or iOS device. Photos, links, you name it: AirDrop is pervasively baked in to be the most prominent sharing option. As it's not available in pre iOS7 devices, it seems clear that Apple is quietly telling those Samsung ads that show effortless data sharing to shut the hell up with AirDrop front and center.<br />
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- There's a lot of bugginess on dialog boxes. Most text beyond 100 characters is simply truncated, with no way to see the rest. Multiple menu options are messy, pushing outside the boundary of the dialog box. A good beta, but clearly not ready for prime time.<br />
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- The best new feature of iOS7 for me is one I have longed for since my jailbreaking days: Control Center. A swipe from the bottom brings up a set of invaluable utilities. Toggle Airplane mode, wifi, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb, and orientation lock. Adjust the screen brightness. The familiar media player controls. Trigger AirPlay (Apple TV users, rejoice). And a set of commonly used utilities: Flashlight (App developers with their hundreds of versions of this are weeping), Clock, Calculator, and the Camera. Yep, this is a clear winner, and to have it pervasively in every screen of iOS is most welcomed.<br />
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- New Smart Mailboxes. iOS 6 gave us the VIP mailbox, so we could be alerted to emails from the most important folks with push notifications, allowing us to ignore the rest. iOS7 takes it to the next level with a variety of Smart Mailboxes, including one for just Unread emails. Now that's helpful.<br />
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- Camera is definitely beefed up. Better UI for choosing flash and HDR. A new Square mode for all you Instagrammers. And speaking of that, a selection of several camera filters that you can see the filtered photo before you take the picture. Ability to zoom when taking video, as well as a much more subtle but helpful indicator that you are actually filming.<br />
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- For Pebble watch owners (and yes, <a href="http://tretakoff.blogspot.com/2013/06/pebble-impressions-and-update.html" target="_blank">thanks to the wisdom of the crowds</a>, I am now one of them), some unexpected benefits: all push notifications come to the Pebble now. Yay second screen experiences!<br />
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- Being able to swipe to unlock on any part of the screen, instead of the designated slot on the bottom is a very nice touch, and helpful.<br />
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- The Notification Center (when you swipe from the top) is enhanced, though I am not sure for the better. It now has a helpful Today mode to show you what appointments are on your calendar today, with a very Jarvis-like summary of the current weather, instead of the graphical representation in iOS6. But there are now three modes: Today, All, and Missed. Those push notifications? Relegated to the latter two categories, which requires an additional click to see. And, sadly, Apple has not improved the UI for dismissing notifications: it's still just as frustratingly easy to miss the miniscule delete button, and instead open the app that triggered the notification. Worse, going back now takes multiple clicks.<br />
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- Much has been made of the new Find My iPhone functionality that requires you to enter your Apple ID to use the phone, instead of just popping in a new SIM card. I can't find any controls for this, so I assume that I'd need to go to the iCloud to trigger this. No rush, thanks.<br />
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- Multitasking is definitely more robust: a double click of the home button shows you all the running apps, complete with screenshots of the last state of the app. Interestingly, there is an icon for each app under the screenshot, to helpfully remind you of what app each is, but the UI is crowded, and seems to imply there is something different you could do by clicking the screenshot instead of the icon; not the case. Dismissing a running app is a direct steal from WebOS: flick the "card" up, and the app quits. There is also much about the intelligent monitoring of the apps that can be refreshed in the background, but, frustratingly, there is no way to explicitly tell iOS7 which apps you want that to be the case with. In true Apple tradition, you need to trust them that they know best. My limited experience is not showing it to be any different than iOS6, which further emphasizes a setting that allows you to see the status of such.<br />
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- Passbook is now on the Lock Screen. Why is this interesting? Well, if you use the Starbucks app, for instance, and have designated your favorite Starbucks within, your Starbucks card is ready to pay without unlocking your phone. Same with boarding a plane: your boarding pass is one click away without unlock. Nice touch.<br />
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- One enhancement to iOS6 I was happy about was Apple's poaching of the jailbreak developer who introduced the banner notifications along the top of your screen, instead of taking over the entire screen for every notification. It was slick, elegant, and controllable. iOS7 take a step back in this, making the banner notifications take up nearly twice the horizontal real estate. This is especially annoying, as many apps have important navigation controls that are completely covered by these notifications. Also odd: unlike the rest of iOS7's eschewing of black backgrounds in favor of translucency, the notifications are black backgrounds which makes it doubly annoying.<br />
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- Battery use has been dinged hard in the forums, but I've found the opposite.<br />
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- Remember that chip Apple added to Lightning chargers? Well, much to my delight those innovative Chinese manufacturers worked it out and I've stocked up on sub $10 charging cords. However, iOS7 now detects non-Apple certified devices, and pops a warning every time one gets plugged in. Nothing like paying the Apple tax, in either $ or annoyance. Thanks, Cupertino.<br />
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- iTunes Radio, aka the Pandora-killer, suffers from some serious UI issues. In Pandora, you can "train" Pandora as to the songs you like, the ones you don't, and still ones that you may or may not like but want to skip. In iTunes Radio, it was impossible to figure out how you told Apple this, and trust me, you really want this. I know some have been pleased with the seeming intelligence of iTunes Radio in choosing songs you will like, but that was definitely the opposite for me. In scouring the blogs, I found that the controls were mysteriously hidden under the "star" button; that brings up a contextual menu to allow you to do the things that Pandora does. This is annoying, and needs to be fixed, especially if I am to use in the car. On the plus side, there are definitely less ads and less intrusive than Pandora, but it's a non-starter if I'm shutting it off out of annoyance.<br />
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- Messages is...messy. The flattened UI is definitely an improvement, as is the contextual menus for calling the messenger, or seeing the details of the contact. However, new messages are pushed below the last message, requiring a scroll to see them. The cute three dimensional animation on sending messages is just that: cute, but unnecessary. Personally, I would have preferred a choice of views, but hey, I bought in to the Apple walled garden: I can't bitch too much at the feel of the walls on me.<br />
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Still lots to experience, but right now, I'd say this iOS beta is not ready for the casual user, something Apple has been quite diligent in stating, and I have been diligent in ignoring. Time will tell if I am to keep this on, as I rely on my iPhone heavily. If all follows past betas, a new updated beta should be due in a couple of weeks; I may try to hold on for that. However, intrepid readers, learn from my experience and decide for yourselves. I'm back to translucent, flat-land...see you there in the fall.Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-18439946031307392232013-06-12T16:44:00.000-07:002013-06-12T16:44:50.305-07:00iOS: Rethinking The CalendarApple's iOS has routinely been beat up for the user interface in the stock apps that come with the iPhone/iPad. Lately, the criticism has been on the use of "skeumorphic" design (i.e. design elements meant to resemble a real-world analog, like the use of simulated wood and green felt on Game Center or the simulated brass casing on the compass), but lost in the noise is the real challenge: making the apps much more useful. Today, let's look at the iOS Calendar app and some of the alternative versions that may make you rethink using it.<br />
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First, the standard app. Like most calendar apps, derives it's look from the classic paper DayTimer from the analog age. Decent information delivery, with the option to switch between List, Day, Week and Month views. Good separation and use of the screen real estate to display all day events vs. timed ones. A separate drawer to manage received calendar invitations. Prominent controls to go to Today, vs. whatever day you are on. Excellent accommodation for multiple calendars (i.e. Facebook events, multiple Gmail accounts, etc.). Easy, linear entry for new events, complete with the ability to invite attendees. And, of course, Siri integration for hands-free calendar entry.<br />
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So, on the surface, just fine. What's wrong with it? To answer, let's look at some of the alternatives:<br />
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<a href="http://www.apple.com/ios/ios7/design/" target="_blank">Apple iOS7 Calendar</a>. Like most of the iOS 7 UI, it takes on the "flattened" look, maximizing the screen real estate, and slimming down fonts. A clean, modern look, with some additional UI nods, deliberately lifted from some of the best competitors. For instance, the split screen showing you a calendar and day view pictured here is a direct knockoff of Sunrise, which we'll get to later. Functionality? Not much change in the features, however, from what little has leaked out from the beta (the full version comes this fall). Just a facelift, but, to be fair, a darn pretty one.<br />
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<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sunrise-calendar-google-calendar/id599114150?mt=8" target="_blank">Sunrise</a>. A new look for the calendar, making it much more usable, with more information on each event, such as attendees, type, and more. Intelligently presented, laid out as a endless scrolling day view, with easy navigation to go to specific days. But where Sunrise really (ahem) shines is its integration with multiple calendar services, and it's intelligent parsing thereof. For instance, you can see Facebook, LinkedIn and Google calendars fully integrated in the same view. It also adds in current weather, sunrise and sunset information, and pulls contact photos to show who's attending your meetings from your social media accounts. Directions are integrated with your choice of Apple's beleaguered Maps app, or the Google Maps app, if you have it installed: appointments with address entries let you get directions right from the calendar.<br />
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Some minor drawbacks exist, however. The app takes a little too long to load at launch. It also then needs to do an update of all of your calendar events, which can be embarrassingly long. No week or month view; just a hybrid of a day and agenda view.<br />
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<a href="http://mobileday.com/" target="_blank">MobileDay</a>. Have a lot of conference calls on your calendar? Then this is the app for you. It intelligently reads your calendar info, finds conference call and access code information, then allows you to connect to the call with a single touch, automating the tedious step of dialing, waiting for prompts, and entering in codes. This is exceptional for those of us in the car a lot: one touch initiates all you need, without need of pulling over to enter in those long sequences. It works with most every conference call service, knowing just how long to delay between dialing and entering access codes. And it pulls in the non-conference call events, as well. Easy prompts to quickly send an email to those attending a meeting if you are running late. It also uses color coded earmarks to distinguish what calendar the meeting is from.<br />
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On the drawback side, some may indeed be put off by the slate-and-green color scheme. The only view is an agenda scroll, with sometimes too much information on the screen to get a good sense of your day. Another side effect of the display is that it does not visually represent overlapping meetings, so it's not helpful to detect conflicts. It is extremely call-centric, so meetings with calls are artificially larger than ones without.<br />
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<a href="http://www.alminder.com/" target="_blank">NeverLate</a>. From a UI standpoint, it does not differ too far from the stock iOS Calendar, but NeverLate's expertise is under the hood. If your appointment has a physical address, it calculates when you need to leave by to make the meeting, based on current traffic conditions. It updates in the background, and alerts you 15 minutes before you need to leave with a reminder, as well as updating you on changed traffic conditions. It provides direct links to your favorite GPS app, prefilled with your from and to directions, including Apple Maps, Google Maps, and the newest Google $1 billion acquisition, Waze. It connects with Evernote to allow you to log notes from the meeting. It gives you (albeit with a couple of clicks) details on the meeting attendees, complete with thumbnail photos pulled from your contacts or LinkedIn, and allows you to text or email attendees. It allows you to call in for conference calls with a click, and uses good use of color and flags to indicate what calendar the event is from. You can also see your calendar in a map view, to see how geographically your day looks.<br />
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On the downsides, navigating to Today while viewing another day does not have a dedicated control: you need to click on the date to get back. It also does not provide a week view. It's core strength of traffic forecasting is a little limited: it only pulls the traffic info at the time you are looking at the entry, rather than historic traffic info. Why does this matter? If you are trying to determine what time you need to get up for an early morning meeting, you only see the traffic info at the time you are looking at it. For traveling in the Bay Area, that can be a difference of up to an hour: if you are looking at it at 10PM, it will show you travel time as if you left at 10PM, rather than the 8AM time of the meeting. Many meetings come with information on the specific conference room in the address field, which it cannot parse, of course; if you update it with the address, and the meeting's conference room is changed, updates wipe out your additional address info. It would be better to allow you to tag a calendar event with a location, or choose from frequently used locations. Oh, and Facebook integration is non-existent, but if you have set up Facebook as one of your stock calendars, that's probably OK.<br />
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So who's the winner? Actually, none. The closest winner for mobile professionals would be NeverLate, with it's intelligence and layering on of excellent, useful information. But the real winner would be to see a hybrid of iOS 7 Calendar's UI, with NeverLate's incredible intelligent assistance, MobileDay's one-touch conference call handling, and a touch of Sunrise's informational overlays and social integration. Now that iOS 7 is in beta, perhaps they will add such features before it's public release, but if not, let's hope one or more of these folks continue the innovation they have been bringing to the iFamily.<br />
<br />Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-66183216248516025302013-06-02T19:46:00.000-07:002013-06-02T19:46:01.468-07:00Airbnb meets rental cars: Hello, Flightcar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Would you rent your personal car out to a traveler? That's what <a href="http://flightcar.com/" target="_blank">Flightcar</a>, a new company operating out of San Francisco and Boston, want to help you say "yes" to. What if I told you your car would be covered by a $1 million insurance policy? And that you'd get free parking at the airport? And that you'd get free valet curbside service to your flight and when you arrive? And that your car would be professionally cleaned before your arrival...for free? Not convinced? Ok, tell you what: what if I throw in a $10 gas card?<div>
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OK, that answers the question of why you'd want to list your car. But what about renting a car? Would you choose Flightcar? Why? For an upcoming trip to Boston, I priced rental cars out: the least expensive for about $500 for a compact for the time I will be there. Flightcar? How about a swanky 2009 Lexus GS for less than half that? You even get to see a picture of the car, learn about its owner, its description, mileage, and they throw in GPS. And yes, it comes with the same valet service for you as a renter as it does for an owner.</div>
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Sure, there are limitations: you can only drive 90 miles/day for that rate; they are limited to SFO and BOS right now; the car selection is limited. But, factor in that they give you free long term airport parking, <b>regardless if your own car is rented,</b> or you don't even need to rent your own car out, as well as their low prices, and it's a heck of a deal.</div>
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Convinced? Well, the only way to prove it is to do it, so I'll update after my trip! Stay tuned...</div>
Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-84724974388332710402013-06-02T19:30:00.000-07:002013-06-02T19:30:48.586-07:00Pebble Impressions and Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thanks to the <a href="http://tretakoff.blogspot.com/2013/04/pebble-color-wisdom-of-crowds.html" target="_blank">folks here who voted</a>, I opted to expedite my Pebble experience, eschewing the Grey color I originally chose, and going for the Black. A couple of weeks later, and my wrist was wrapped with a Pebble. Voila! Thank you all for your encouragement; the results were overwhelming in favor of the going for it now. Good job, Internet!<br />
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So, now that I finally have the smartwatch I have been waiting for, for a year, what do I think?</div>
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I haven't worn a watch for nearly 15 years. I stopped wearing one because I have an innate sense of time (or have carried an electronic device at least that long that has a clock in it), and wearing a watch made me tense. So, I was a bit concerned that the old familiar tension would come back, but I'm happy to report it's not the case. Part of it seems to be that, since it is truly redundant as a timepiece for me, and 15 years of conditioning to look elsewhere for the time, I simply don't consider it as a tireless taskmaster (as I did watches). Another seems to be the whimsical watchfaces seem to distract me. For instance, the use of words to tell time, as you can see on the left, appeals to me on many levels, and usually elicits a smile. </div>
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I was also concerned the watchface would be too large, as is the fashion these days, but it's just right. Screen size is a good balance of length and width, and the buttons are decent sized, though a bit hard to press. I worried the strap would be bothersome, but, despite being completely unremarkable, seems to be just fine. The subtle curve of the body is delightful, and the responsiveness of the backlight when I shake it is a very good balance of sensitivity and alertness.</div>
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Ok, enough about the superficial qualities. Being able to receive texts on your wrist with a slight vibration is superb: <b>this </b>is the way they were meant to be interacted with. It means I can see a text while I am stopped at a traffic light without fumbling for buttons, or asking Siri to read me a text message. And with the latest firmware updates, it handles multiple texts elegantly, and easily. Same goes for emails: I actually have turned off notifications in the iOS Notification Center for emails <a href="http://email.about.com/od/iphonemailtips/qt/How-To-Get-Vip-Email-Alerts-In-Ios-Mail.htm" target="_blank">except for the VIP emails</a>; the Pebble picks up just those elegantly.<br />
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The display is great. I was a little nonplussed about the e-paper choice when I ordered it, but it's exactly the right interface. Great contrast, power sipping (a week on a charge!). The pairing with the iOS app is absolutely inherent, and even that is designed well, especially when notifying you of firmware updates, as well as installing them.<br />
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And then we get to the best part: <a href="http://mypebblefaces.com/">mypebblefaces.com</a>. Yep, the API is starting to bear fruit, providing almost 500 new watchfaces and apps for your Pebble. Going out for a night on the town? Change your Pebble to a swanky analog watch. Want to impress the Geek Squad? Fire up a binary watch face. Heading to that Star Trek: The Next Generation marathon? Engage the LCARS watch face. Installation is literally a click from your iPhone's web browser: it communicates with the Pebble app, and loads on your Pebble in seconds. Of course, the Android versions get more options (weather, etc.), due to the openness of the Android ecosystem, but that rarely feels like a constraint with so many to choose from. Beware, however: the more animated the display, the more it will suck the Pebble's vaunted battery life. So while that watchface that looks like a sweeping radar screen looks pretty cool, be prepared to charge your Pebble more frequently.<br />
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So what don't I like? Well, the buttons, as mentioned, are pretty hard to press. Minor quibble, but still. The UI of the watch itself is pretty bare bones, and makes no use of the iOS app. For instance, setting an alarm on the Pebble requires quite a few button pushes, and the UI makes it nearly impossible to know if it's set (it is, but there's no indicator), if it's repeating (it does; the only way to stop it is delete the set alarm), or even if it's am or pm (apparently, only 24 hour time works). Why not just let me set all of that in the app, and communicate to the Pebble?<br />
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Then there's the battery indicator. It only shows up when it's low, and that's only if you go to the inner workings of the Pebble menu on the watch. No battery meter on the main watch face, or ability to query the battery level from the iOS app. Bizarre.<br />
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Finally, the Pebble and iPhone sometimes seem to get out of sync, like many Bluetooth devices. The iOS app takes over your whole screen, demanding you enable it again when this happens. It could be more elegant.<br />
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Overall, I really am pleased with the Pebble. It does exactly what I wanted: a subtle, professional way to know if a text, call or e-mail is here. I really look forward to the ongoing extensibility of the app, and it's ability to talk to multiple apps (How's about Kinetic, folks?), but I am very pleased with the ongoing awareness it brings me, without any increased tension.</div>
Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-74005673238292890592013-05-19T18:47:00.000-07:002013-05-19T19:06:57.594-07:00Silicon Valley: Billion Is The New Million<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On the heels of today's leaked info that <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDMQqQIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2013%2F05%2F20%2Ftechnology%2Fyahoo-to-buy-tumblr-for-1-1-billion.html&ei=v3-ZUeK0NcupqwH1zYHoBg&usg=AFQjCNEgKSy8tq57JkxD4oAkrj-mCqn8fA&bvm=bv.46751780,d.aWM" target="_blank">Yahoo is buying Tumblr for $1.1 billion</a> comes the news that <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2013/05/17/tumblr-is-not-impressed/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29" target="_blank">some folks think that's too little</a>. Tumblr earned a whopping $13 million in revenue in 2012; that's right; not $30 million, not $300 million: $13 million. Essentially, they are being bought for an almost <b>85x </b>of their earnings. And someone is complaining?<br />
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Tumblr offers a lively photo-based blogging service...for free. It is quite active, and has a lot of users, which explains Yahoo's interest. And yes, Tumblr has burned through the cash, all $125 million of it. With 18 whole employees, and millions of users, it still couldn't generate enough revenue to hold on for more than a few more months...and Yahoo gives it a massive exit...and someone is complaining?<br />
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On the heels of <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CC4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmashable.com%2F2012%2F04%2F09%2Ffacebook-instagram-buy%2F&ei=7X-ZUaq_LIbA9gTJpoCoDw&usg=AFQjCNGqca16GgBESDEp34H4WC_3bciPvQ&bvm=bv.46751780,d.eWU" target="_blank">Facebook's completed $1 billion acquisition of Instagram</a> (12 employees), and it's imminent <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&ved=0CEAQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.autoblog.com%2F2013%2F05%2F13%2Ffacebook-buying-nav-traffic-app-waze-for-1b%2F&ei=CICZUbO8BsmmrAHK3YDwAw&usg=AFQjCNHa4DmLjdp7YTSQwigmh3kOgsJbCw&bvm=bv.46751780,d.eWU" target="_blank">$1 billion acquisition of GPS app Waze</a> (80 employees), it's pretty clear that $1 billion is rapidly becoming the $100 million of the dotcom bubble era. The fact that we are already moving to people complaining about being bought for <b>a freaking billion dollars </b>is absolutely the clearest indicator that we have not learned anything from the previous bubbles in Silicon Valley.<br />
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After the crash that took down Web 1.0, we said we'd look at companies providing real value, real revenues, real need. Mobile makes Web 1.0 and 2.0 look like chicken feed: absolutely everyone has a mobile phone, and is on it, constantly, so the hype is escalated. Yet, the reality remains for advertisers (real advertisers): traditional media = dollars; digital = dimes; mobile = pennies. Yes, those pennies add up to real money, but we're just not sure when. Instead, we get billion dollar photo sharing and crowdsourced traffic info.<br />
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As long as the eyeballs are there, smart folks with tons of cash will throw it around like drunken sailors; it just doesn't matter to their bottom line. Facebook, Google, Apple...all have lots of billions to throw away on bets. Yahoo, a brand that many had pronounced dead until Melissa Meyer injected it with life, had $3 billion in cash on hand. That's right, a "dead brand" with $3 billion in the bank. Topsy turvy already, but add in the fact that they just pushed 1/3 of their chips all in on a site that produced $13 million in revenue last year, but has great growth and stickiness, and you have to wonder if we're all looking at a poker game that fewer and fewer can play at, especially those companies that actually produce revenue and real value.<br />
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$1 billion is the new $1 million in the Valley. Ante up or go home, it would seem.Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-27009882574196124532013-05-19T18:21:00.000-07:002013-05-19T18:21:36.679-07:00Iron Man 3: Quick ThoughtsAs a long-time comics aficionado, I have delightfully enjoyed the renaissance of the superhero movie. Arguably, you could say that it started with Bryan Singer's <i>X-Men</i>, Christopher Nolan's <i>Batman Begins</i>, or even Sam Raimi's <i>Spider-Man</i>. But the one that I feel has really started the absolute frenzy was Jon Favreau's <i>Iron Man</i>: Not only did it do a great job of making a fun movie, with a somewhat believable premise, but it was a perfect blend of characters, action, and, most importantly, comic book story arcs that culminated in the blockbuster, The Avengers.<br />
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The third Iron Man movie came out a couple of weeks ago, and I finally got to see it. I was pretty excited, as, unlike the previous two, it was written and directed by Shane Black. Who the heck is Shane Black? Glad you asked: virtually every great buddy cop action adventure movie in the 1990's was a Shane Black creation: the <i>Lethal Weapon </i>films, the vastly underrated <i>The Last Boy Scout, </i>the truly magnificent <i>The Long Kiss Goodnight...</i>the list goes on. Hell, he even starred in one of the all-time classics: Arnold Schwarzengger's <i>Predator.</i> But two of his films were both underappreciated, and yet so very good for his mastery of not only the buddy/action/comedy genre, but the clear understanding of when its ok to laugh at yourself: <i>The Last Action Hero </i>and <i>Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, </i>the latter of which he also directed. Don't believe me? Go watch <i>Iron Man 3, </i>then watch either or both of those. Tell me it's not a direct progression.<br />
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In any case, the film was fun, enjoyable, and utterly watchable. Just some short thoughts below. Beware; some spoilers may be included. Warned? Ok, let's go:<br />
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<li>This was very much a Shane Black movie, not just or maybe even, an Iron Man movie. The disjointed narration of Robert Downey Jr.? Straight outta <i>Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. </i>And, of course, it's not a Shane Black film unless it's Christmas, especially in Los Angeles. </li>
<li>The characters were a little more believable and developed, compared to the two dimensionality of <i>Iron Man 2. </i>Tony never seemed all that emotionally affected by what seemed to be a more imminent mortality in the previous film, other than the over the top stuff; this one had a real resonance from <i>The Avengers. </i>And Pepper was finally able to seriously kick butt; nice touch. </li>
<li>This was more of a Tony Stark film than an Iron Man film, and that actually worked out ok. Loved the scenes with him and Don Cheadle doing their best Shane Black storming the fortress while cracking wise and showing each other up. </li>
<li>My major disappointment was with the culmination of the Extremis storyline. Comic geeks know this one well (you should definitely<a href="http://www.comixology.com/Iron-Man-Extremis/digital-comic/NOV062366" target="_blank"> read the short series that led to this</a>), and I thought they adapted it well for the movie. I was only disappointed with the very end, where Tony goes under the knife, his electromagnet is removed, and he wakes up fine. In the comics, Tony "hacks" the Extremis virus to essentially incorporate the Iron Man armor to be generated right out of his skin, as well as other improvements. The fact that they showed Tony opening his eyes after surgery, with his monologue about how he successfully engineered Extremis to heal Pepper "as well as other things," set it up perfectly. All they needed to do was show the Jarvis display on that close up of his eye at the end, and you have the perfect set up for <i>Iron Man 4, The Avengers 2, </i>and more. It was <b>right there. </b>I feel like it's what the Marvel folks wanted and, for some reason, backed off. </li>
<li>Much was made of the fact that this was the first major studio film with <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-16/walt-disney-to-co-produce-iron-man-3-in-china-with-dmg.html" target="_blank">a significant investment from China</a>, to the tune of $158 million. There was also significance to the fact that some of the film was filmed in China. Did we see that? Outside of a blurry background of Shanghai in the last fleeting sections of the film, I feel like it wasn't even there. Of course, there was an <a href="http://twitchfilm.com/2013/05/china-beat-what-did-china-see-in-iron-man-3.html" target="_blank">additional 30 minutes of the movie made specifically for Chinese markets</a>, featuring a storyline that was practically reduced to a minute in this movie, and Chinese-favorite actors. Remember the Chinese doctor introduced to Tony in the Switzerland flashback? And notice the folks doing surgery on him at the end were all Chinese? Yep, connected...and nothing else. Guess we'll have to wait for the BluRay to see it all. </li>
<li>Some nice continuity of the comics universe, as well as the Marvel movie universe. "Subtlety kinda went out the window when the big guy with the hammer showed up." I was disappointed that Tony's unarmored combat scenes didn't get a callback to Captain America showing him a few tricks; would have been believable and consistent with the comics. </li>
<li>We have to talk about the two villain thing. <i>Iron Man 2</i> tried it; failed. Pretty much every superhero sequel has tried it and failed; outside of <i>The Dark Knight, </i>I've never seen it work. Shane Black got it perfectly: we know one of the villains will come up short, so why not make that a central premise? Sir Ben Kingsley pulled it off magnificently.</li>
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Overall, a really enjoyable film, and I hope it does for Shane Black what <i>The Avengers </i>did for Joss Whedon: make Hollywood realize that these guys can be given free reign, and they will both honor the material, and make it even better.</div>
Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-91931575439579870982013-04-29T19:59:00.000-07:002013-04-29T19:59:58.982-07:00Google Now on iOS: Not Yet?<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3phvcV6X6Pw/UX8nyVvqHTI/AAAAAAAAE0c/0cZCfXvA_wU/s640/blogger-image-1789729724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3phvcV6X6Pw/UX8nyVvqHTI/AAAAAAAAE0c/0cZCfXvA_wU/s320/blogger-image-1789729724.jpg" width="180" /></a>For those who have not heard, Google has updated their Google search app for iOS with one of the most sought after features of Mountain View's highest end Android phones, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDYQqQIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.cnet.com%2F8301-1023_3-57581815-93%2Fgoogle-now-talks-its-way-onto-ios%2F&ei=WDJ_UeDhBoiF2gWV6YHYCA&usg=AFQjCNG9R341SahNbvgfMYJlHHIk42BsgQ&bvm=bv.45645796,d.b2I" target="_blank">Google Now</a>. Yep, you can update or get your Apple loving hands on it, right now, in the App Store. <br />
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If you are not familiar with Google Now, it is the next step of mobile and information: learning what you do and like by a combination of your searches, your Gmail account, and your location. For instance, you show up for 8-10 hours a day in one location, typically during the day. Google Now asks if that's where you work, then proactively pops up traffic info for you for your commute home, roughly around the time you usually head out. Neat, right? I'm a big proponent of the fact that our smartphones are actually still a little dumb: they wait for us to ask for help, instead of learning. With Google Now, you take some good steps there. <br />
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-y4nVB--VfVE/UX8nuF1KWzI/AAAAAAAAEz8/0X_dnD6GpW4/s640/blogger-image--938700222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-y4nVB--VfVE/UX8nuF1KWzI/AAAAAAAAEz8/0X_dnD6GpW4/s200/blogger-image--938700222.jpg" width="112" /></a>Unfortunately, the iOS experience leaves me a bit bemused, specifically in how to set up Google Now to learn all of this wonderful information. Signing in to your Gmail account is straightforward, and getting to Google Now settings is easy, as you see here.<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NERFxgm8g9w/UX8nvZv6szI/AAAAAAAAE0E/pqiSzuMupug/s640/blogger-image-1093891962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NERFxgm8g9w/UX8nvZv6szI/AAAAAAAAE0E/pqiSzuMupug/s200/blogger-image-1093891962.jpg" width="112" /></a>From there, things get interesting. Lets start with the Next Appointment function. In theory, it reads your Google Calendar and should show your next appointment. In practice, it doesn't seem to, or only shows appointments within a certain window, but the window is undefined, and cryptically hidden. In fact, that's a theme of Google Now: a combination of explicit data selection (which makes sense) and mysteriously missing options (which baffle, as they do not indicate how that information will be found). And then there's the confusing user interface. Have a look at the Next Appointment settings. Notice the slightly dimmer last two options? They are set to "On," but yet they can't be switched off. Why? That's just sloppy.<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sPvmMWaJR3E/UX8ntSWK_3I/AAAAAAAAEz0/-NOjFk7a0wE/s640/blogger-image-1718603879.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sPvmMWaJR3E/UX8ntSWK_3I/AAAAAAAAEz0/-NOjFk7a0wE/s200/blogger-image-1718603879.jpg" width="112" /></a>Let's have a look at Movies. As you can see, you can let Google pop a "card" (the term for the proactive notification displays) for your favorite movies. Great! How do you specify those movies? From your search history? Psychic Friends Network? Or are you required to make Google+ your social network of choice and +1 every movie? This is bizarre, as is the corresponding "when near theater." What theater? Every theater? Strange, if so, but potentially useful...if that's explained.<br />
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-AfrzUhX36h0/UX8nwXQVSzI/AAAAAAAAE0M/PfneP4rGDC0/s640/blogger-image-856457660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-AfrzUhX36h0/UX8nwXQVSzI/AAAAAAAAE0M/PfneP4rGDC0/s200/blogger-image-856457660.jpg" width="112" /></a>How about News Updates? I'm kind of a news junkie. I rely on the Breaking News app to push hot headlines in real time to my phone; works great. In Google Now, you can set your "sensitivity;" what does this mean? If I set it to High, does that mean I want more news, or that Google Now should exert a higher level of sensitivity when presenting to me? Or should it only show me news that it wants to protect me from upsetting information? Like many of these functions, I can imagine there's a manual or FAQ somewhere (I hope?), but why is it not part of the app? Frustrating design, reminiscent of ancient enterprise applications. <br />
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-dX2-s9jYuSc/UX8nxToLGgI/AAAAAAAAE0U/AtlSuaCiTSA/s640/blogger-image--654508177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-dX2-s9jYuSc/UX8nxToLGgI/AAAAAAAAE0U/AtlSuaCiTSA/s200/blogger-image--654508177.jpg" width="112" /></a>Finally, we have Birthdays. Google Calendar does a good job of reading the birthdays associated with a contact in Gmail, and automatically creating calendar entries for each. See how it appears on my iOS Calendar? So why do the same birthdays not appear in Google Now? Where are they drawn from? How do I populate them, if the Goog doesn't seem to understand?<br />
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Google Now has great promise, and, while I am delighted to have the ability on Apple's latest shiny toy, it seems we're in a very early stage. Perhaps a bit more polish is still required.Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2583255569767118806.post-584632576790145062013-04-09T15:08:00.000-07:002013-04-09T15:08:32.869-07:00Pebble Color & The Wisdom Of the Crowds<br />
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After successfully backing one of my dream projects, <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/597507018/pebble-e-paper-watch-for-iphone-and-android" target="_blank">the Pebble Watch</a>, I am still waiting months later. Why? Because they produced Black first, and I ordered Grey. Today, <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/597507018/pebble-e-paper-watch-for-iphone-and-android/posts/449791?ref=email&amp;show_token=14ad0027002e12a7" target="_blank">Pebble sent an update that says the Grey (as well as other colors), are further delayed</a> and are "problematic." No ETA on when they will ship.<br />
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Towards that end, they are offering folks like me the ability to swap out my color choice for a black version, and ship ASAP. So, help me decide: do I go for the Black Pebble in my hand, or wait for the Grey Pebble in the bush? I will abide by the wisdom of the crowd: voting will end by 4/12. Whatever you folks decide, that's what I will agree to.<br />
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So, put your color on my wrist!<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="500" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1tRDpFMH0TZIz01P_dRjlrPaLGzvJmFBiRGGazWEokTE/viewform?embedded=true" width="500">Loading...</iframe>Joshua Tretakoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02170523338633269776noreply@blogger.com0