Tretakoff Musings

In 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 Bluejay, the worlds' "first" smart mount. 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. What does it do? Well, in addition to offering mounting options on the windshield, da...

Apple'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. 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. ...

The Minnesota Star Tribune has a clever article on " Time To Ditch These 10 Tech Devices ." On the surface, it seems another one of those "Oh, let's marvel at the way we used to do things" article that media loves to use as a nostalgia point. Point of fact, I usually am the first person to argue that dedicated purpose devices are obsolete when you buy them: I have always consolidated around my handheld device as much as possible. However, this article irked me, as many of the conclusions it drew were wrong, and may of the reasons it cited were flat out bizarre. Allow me to walk through it with you. The Flip Cam.  Agreed, this device is indeed obsolete, as smartphones have subsumed this. However, the simplicity and ease of use is ideal for kids, and given that you no longer need to be concerned with preserving the delicacy of the electronics, it's perfect for budding filmmakers. Extreme sports participants, with their obsession of filming their tri...

Wow. Been a while! Guess that's what happens when you join one of the fastest growing companies in the hottest spaces. :-) Ok, time for a few updates and minor rants: The company I started with two great folks, Loyalty Lab, has been acquired by Tibco . I'm delighted for them, as it's a great partnership to ensure the ongoing growth of Retail CRM. It was seven years of long hard work, but I could not be more pleased for everyone there. Well done, guys! My company, TownHog , has taken off. We are now reaching 6 million people daily , and are at just under 50 people, while being present in about 20 cities. It's been an absolute rocket ride, and it keeps going up. So much fun, and two new partner launches upcoming! My travels have slowed down a bit, but I expect to be back in NYC quite often now, with so many partners there. United continues to lavish affection on me... I've learned the incredible value of StreamTransport , some software that allows you to pull dow...

I've been dipping a toe with trepidation into the world of location-aware social networking. I say "with trepidation" because I have had many primal concerns about broadcasting my location to the world...and I am questioning that trepidation. The immediate fear is about a loss of privacy, yet I am a staunch proponent that privacy is an illusion: with the advance of Google, the growth of social networking, and the ubiquitous presence of smartphones, the reality is that privacy has long been gone. Think those text messages you send are private? Wrong . How about those pictures and videos you publish to Flickr and YouTube? Please. Watching cable or renting a Netflix disc? Yup, those companies know just what you like and can be compelled to share that info. Your GPS and cell phone can't be tracked, surely? Are you kidding me? Every single device we use to make our lives easier with increased communication has a dark side: those same communication paths can be followed bac...

I've always been a huge fan of Doug Flutie. I grew up right down the street from the very stadium he played his college ball (and made his legend). I followed him through both the CFL and the NFL. In fact, I even flew hundreds of miles, just for the chance to see him play. No matter how successful as a pro he was, everyone always remembers Doug Flutie for the play that put him on the national stage: the Hail Mary pass that won the Bowl. Years later, while he was setting record after record in Canada, his team even brought the recipient of that pass, Gerard Phelan, to the team. Was Phelan that great? Not at all. Did Flutie need a great receiver? Absolutely not. But the team wanted the public to recapture their sense of awe and wonder at this display that changed the world by evoking the connection of that Hail Mary. This week, another former champion, known for taking the world by storm, took the stage again for one last Hail Mary pass: Palm . Similarly, it was a desperate situation...

The economy, she is a fickle beast. My favorite GPS company, Dash , has taken the hit, as well: they've laid off 1/3 of the staff , and decided to exit the hardware business. However, there are some fascinating points about their move, as GigaOM points out: It’s changing its business model from consumer-focused to business-to-business. As part of this change, it will stop making and selling its hardware. Instead it will license its platform to makers of automobile on-board navigation systems, smartphones, netbook-style mobile Internet devices and other consumer electronics. COO Rob Currie will replace current CEO and founder, Paul Lego. It will cut 50 jobs, or roughly two-thirds of its workforce. After the cuts, Dash will employ 30, mostly in engineering and support. Current Dash owners will continue to get their software updates and the Dash Driver Network will stay up. What I find fascinating is that the CEO essentially fired himself: he realized there was no need for a CEO and a...

Let me start by saying that I love my Dash GPS . Billed as the world's first 2-way connected GPS, it offers me all I hoped for and more: real-time traffic, including crowdsourced data from other Dash users; the ability to send an address to the GPS from the web, so it's waiting for me...list goes on. Got an e-mail update from them yesterday. Hidden in it was this tidbit: GET READY: New maps & software coming soon We're putting the finishing touches on our Winter08 software release featuring updated maps of the United States and Canada plus a number of enhancements. Since this one is chock full of data, it will be sent to you on DVD. To request your free upgrade DVD, please enter your shipping address in the MyAccount area at MyDash . Um, let me make sure I understand. You make a GPS who's primary selling point is that it's always connected online, via WiFi or GPRS. It's called the "connected GPS." And the method you are using to send the Wint...

On a recent trip, I managed to misplace the GPS unit that connects to my former (and now Amy's current) Treo. The easy thing to do is to simply buy a new GPS receiver for about $100, and voila. However, I decided to have a look at what the standalone GPS world has evolved to, and, much to my delight, I found the Dash GPS. Dash is, for want of a better expression, GPS evolved. Let's face it, among GPS units, the differences are negligible: all tune into the same satellites, all have the voice prompts, all have the cool maps...etc. Dash takes it a step further: it offers 2-way connectivity, with WiFi, GPRS. Why is this interesting? - It allows the sharing of data from other Dash users. For instance, if several Dash users are stuck in traffic, implied by their speed, the network updates all Dash users, and allows the rerouting for anyone coming in to that vicinity. - It allows you to send destinations from your computer to your GPS as "favorites." No more looking up addr...

Random thoughts from a recent whirlwind business trip to Cincinnati (24 hours; 12 of it on a plane): United's 777's are huge . With a 2-5-2 seating configuration and three separate sections in Economy, each the size of a normal 737, this thing packs them in. However, it is easily one of the most poorly designed planes I have ever been on: - The seats in Economy are so tightly packed, it's insulting. Especially when you compare to JetBlue or even Southwest. - Why don't people ever learn that design and compromise almost never go well together ( Ayn Rand taught us this, folks.) For instance, who's the brain surgeon who said "we want a multimedia system at every seat in Economy" and then followed it up with putting a metal case the size of a desktop PC under every seat? This lovely setup gives you a choice: a place to put your bag, or a place to put your feet. Nope, you can't do both. Outstanding. - Those first class "pods" are truly something...

Thanks to contributors to this blog, as well as my wife, I recently became the proud owner of a Palm GPS for my Palm TX. Consisting of a small (3"x2") Bluetooth GPS unit, a cradle that attaches to your windshield, and a handy cable that charges both the Palm and the GPS, this is TomTom on your Palm. Literally. It uses the TomTom software that you see in all the commercials, and your Palm. And, I'm thrilled to say, works like a charm. You load the software on your Palm, throw the maps on your SD card, and you are in business. The GPS grabs a signal within seconds, and you are good to go. Setup is done through a simple wizard on your Palm, one time, and, as Southwest says, you are now free to move about the country. To test it, I took it on my recent trip to Arizona. I programmed in my favorites: city, street address, and a custom name. Then, when I got in my rental car, I fired it up. In moments, I had a built in navigator, complete with a wonderful British woman's voi...