Tretakoff Musings

Very impressive early release version of a new cloud-based application from Google, called Google Wave . What is it? For lack of a better term, it completely reinvents the way we use the Internet to communicate. Today, we have all of these different silos: e-mail, IM, social networks, SMS, and more. The two brothers who gave us Google Maps have their sights set on changing that: Wave aims to pull those all together into a central interface, but that's just the start. In the video walkthrough of this early version, here were some of the powerful features I saw: The ability to have multiple recipients commenting inline as part of a communication. Picture being able to respond to paragraphs 2 and 3 of a 5 paragraph e-mail, and have everyone else on the thread see those replies inline, without having to keep seeing the original message requoted over and over. Let's say you add a new participant to the conversation later on (think a new cc: on a third reply of an email). Instead of ...

Gizmodo points out that, in all of the other high profile CA state issues that went down to defeat, one victory was lost in the shuffle: Proposition 1A, which lays the groundwork for a bullet train between Southern and Northern California. I am a huge fan of any rail transit, but this one simply makes sense. Kudos to the supporters for making this excellent video which dramatically demonstrates the allure, the benefits, and the real expectations for what could be a monumental day of change for rail travel in this country.

We may, as a society, disagree with many things, but there has been one truth we all seem to instinctively agree on: drinking lots of water is good for your health. However, as with all good maxims, it's occasionally important to test them for reality. And, according to the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, this wives' tale is all wet. Turns out, drinking more water not only does not improve skin tone or reduce appetite, but actually can even be harmful, possibly causing kidney damage. The irony of this to me is not that yet another accepted truism has fallen by the wayside, but more that this was forecast by the most unlikely of prognosticators, Lewis Black . He of the waggling finger, and apoplectic screaming fits, the man predicted this very thing years ago in his HBO Broadway special, Black on Broadway , as well as a hilarious and wry look at the history of this admonition, as well as it's possible origin. Take 10 minutes, sit back and prepare to laugh.

A great article from Internet Retailer on the effect of a single YouTube video on the fortunes of a niche DVD seller. The "12 Days Of Christmas" video, sung by the amazing a capella group, Indiana University's Straight No Chaser, has been such a YouTube hit that the sole distributor of the DVD went from selling 100 copies a year of a single title, to an amazing 5,300. Best of all, the popularity has convinced the 1998 graduates featured in the video to reunite for a follow up performance! Here's to the power of the Internet! The original performance, in all it's glory:

In case you had not heard, the folks who camped out for days to get their hands on the new iPhone sort of wasted their time: unlike the Nintendo Wii, Apple was prepared for the demand. So much so, that today, I wandered over to the Apple store, where I was easily able to get my hands on an actual iPhone to play with (along with dozens of other people). The good: This thing is the ultimate of small and large. The body is incredibly slim and the size is extremely small, smaller than my Treo, or even my old Palm TX. The screen is startlingly large, especially for movies. There is no obvious bezel, so this baby is all screen. The UI is amazing. The perfect Apple UI, it's sexy, responsive, and unbelievably cool. Transitions, scrolling, fonts: this device just screams craftsmanship. The phone is extremely great. Call quality is excellent, UI is superb, and address book integration is stunning. And that's not even mentioning the elegant touch of blanking the screen when you hold it...

I'm sitting in a crappy Long Island hotel, nearly 2am, with the dual effects of steamy summer fog clinging to me as only the East Coast has to offer, trying to catch up on work. Yes, this is the joy of business travel. But, although nearly every factor should leave me aggravated, tired, and cranky, I'm suspiciously happy. Why? Two words: Dunkin' Donuts. Yep, I'm back among the land of the worst coffee and exceptional pastries. The world where a lahge regulah means something, and a chocolate donut is not a dry cakey pastry, but a wonder to be slowly, orgasmically consumed. I'm not alone; seems there is an entire sub-culture of DD fans out there, and most, like me, were raised in Boston. Having been a San Francisco resident for over a decade, I do not miss much about the other Bay State, but Dunkin' Donuts is still a major loss (there's not a single one in Northern CA). By the way, two Boston area icons helped me realize this tonight. First, the link above co...

Do you know who David Mamet is? If you said no, stop reading this, and head straight for your Netflix account. Add Glengarry Glen Ross , State & Main , and The Spanish Prisoner to the top of your queue, right now. Watch. Come back here, after, and we'll resume. For those of you who are already enlightened to the miracle that is Mamet, you may not be aware that he has a series on television: The Unit . Crackling with a blend of Mamet dialogue, and a "Delta Force meets Desperate Housewives" feel, it's a must watch for the true aficionado. His episodes of The Shield were intense, and he keeps the energy going here (along with employment of his wife, Rebecca Pidgeon ). One thing about Mamet: he never shirks from language. American Bison set the tone, and it reached it's zenith with Glengarry Glen Ross . In fact, one clever director recut a new trailer for GGR, with this in mind. Note: this is NOT safe for work (language) and should probably only be played wit...

While this year's Superbowl is not a major attraction for me (Colts vs. Bears? Yawn.), I am looking forward to the commercials. The buzz is that Apple has a special commercial planned this year, possibly Beatles-related, so that's will be the Easter egg I'm hunting for. These commercials have become amazing, in their technical detail, their story, and their originality. For instance, I give you Michael Jordan, king of the commercial/sports pitchmen. Already a legend in basketball, sports, clothes, and commercials ("Gotta be the shoes" "Nothing but net"), Gatorade produced this stunning Superbowl commercial for his last major appearance, entitled simply 23 vs. 29: Some commercials have used famous directors, of course, but never made it to the screen, even for the Superbowl. Take this absolutely brilliant Spike Jonze-directed Gap masterpiece: However, this year's hype king is also the master of the Superbowl commercial. Let's not forget: it was A...

It was 1981. That's Incredible ruled the TV landscape. On came a man who could move the pages of a phone book with his mind, complete with yoga suit. "That's incredible!" Fran Tarkenton cried out. Then, from backstage, out walked a man who looked like a cross between Santa Claus and a professor. He was introduced as James Randi, a professional debunker. He went by his stage name of "The Amazing Randi," and claimed he could duplicate any so-called psychic tricks with standard cons used by magicians. Even more, he said he could smoke out these people as charlatans, and proceeded to do so, live, to the "psychic". I would never take things at face value again. Over 20 years later, and I am still a skeptic, thanks to James Randi. And so is he: he is offering $1 Million to the high profile Psychics to just agree to be tested for their feats scientifically. He's spent years offering the prize to anyone, but the kooks come out. Now, let's see ...

Kodak, the venerable institution of Americana, clearly is in a state of transition. With both savvy acquisitions and organic growth in the digital space, they have carefully moved into a position where they are on the cusp of being the fastest growing digital imaging company in the world...again. But, despite that, that's not what I am posting about tonight. As a company, as a culture, they have definitely understood the world is changing, and want all of their employees to understand they GET IT. This video, originally produced for internal use, is absolutely the best example of how a large company, steeped in tradition, can inspire the energy, the passion, and the fun of the changing world they live in: Now, tell me THAT is not a company you would love to work for! A company that can poke fun at itself while paying homage to their legacy, and showing a whole new side...MAN. Remember, this was for internal use: they used this to show the vast, longtime employees of Kodak that not ...

I've only recently started to discover some music and artists that are not from before 1990. :-) One of them is Pink , an evolution of Joan Jett, one of my all time favorites. She's got a tough, rough approach that just exudes energy. As NBC launched their inaugural season of Sunday Night Football, they tapped Pink to do a cover of Jett's "I Hate Myself For Loving You" for the opening of the show, called "Waiting All Day For Sunday Night." Check out the clip from the season opener: Catchy, right? She's the modern approach to Hank Williams Jr.'s Monday Night Football montage. In fact, it's a hell of a lot better. Now, here's where it went wrong. It's 2006 (almost 2007): music and ringtones are ubiquitous. Can I buy a clip of this for my MP3 player? No. Ringtone? Uh-uh. How about as a single? Nope. In fact, the ONLY place I can even hear the song is on this YouTube clip. What kind of marketers are these? Put it up on iTunes! Hell, i...

I mentioned about the new Transformers movie that will be Michael Bay's latest summer blockbuster attempt. Well, the new trailer has hit the web, and I have to say, what started as a laughable idea is looking pretty cool. Judge for yourself: Of course, it has the signature Michael Bay I-can't-keep-the-camera-still-for-one-moment style, but the effects look terrific. I'm actually looking forward to this!

From the "I can't believe these concepts ever get put together" files, I present to you an excellent example of the First Amendment in action...courtesy of Danny Bonaduce. Yes, you read that right: the child star of the 1970's turned shock jock of the 80's and all around reality star of the 90's shows how you can absolutely have a cogent argument. I'll say this: I disagree with what he is saying, but he handles the intrusion into his private time with class, politeness, and directness. He makes his case, and when he can stomach no more, he lets loose. Watch for the part where, before he decides to tell this conspiracy theorist what he really thinks, he first turns to a fellow diner to apologize in advance for his language. Danny Bonaduce, 9/11, Free Speech, and YouTube. Man, the internet is a wonderful thing.

'Tis the holiday season, and the video game console wars are in full swing. Last year, Microsoft made a savvy move and released the XBox 360, the next-generation platform. There were no other new consoles out, so the Market was theirs. And, as it takes about a year for software to start taking advantage of the new hardware, this holiday their game Gears Of War is set to be a smash. And in this corner...weighing in a 600 lbs., the Champion, the Monster, the Overpriced Sensation...Sony's PlayStation 3. Yes, inspiring fanboys to riot at the short supply and spend thousands on eBay (of over $700, if you wait for it to actually be in stock next year), the new PS3 is the sound of Sony going All In for their claim to the #1 console. Packed to the gills with every gadget and technology possible, it is clearly the most advanced console...and possibly too advanced. At $600 to start, only the elite will want it. The surprise? The Nintendo Wii. Under $300, it does not blaze new graphics p...

The holidays are coming, and you know what that means? Endless repetition of Christmas songs in the stores and on the streets. One of the "classics" is Band-Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" Right out of the "it could only be the 1980's," this was a seminal moment that, 20 years later, is still trying to be imitated. Thanks to YouTube, you can relive the horror/amazement all over again. Bill Simmons says it best: "For some reason, I hadn't seen the video in ages and forgot the lineup of singers other than Bono (who has the headscratching, "Well, tonight thank God it's them, instead of you!" line that I've never been able to figure out). In the video, that line works even better because it follows the duet with Simon LeBon and Sting, and suddenly there's a young Bono standing behind them and wearing Uncle Jessie's haircut from "Full House" ... and the three of them share one mike as Bono belts his ...