Disqus - Latest Comments for hypermark

Re: Roku’s second act: Amazon Video on Demand

hypermark — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:07:50 -0000

Just happy to see the consumer media center/media management space evolving so meaningfully. As an iTunes/iPhone Platform/Boxee devotee, I think that this really puts the onus on Apple to get serious about their AppleTV hobby (if they aren't already), de-compose it onto Mac Mini types of form factors or find themselves relegated to second tier.

As it's hard/impossible for me to imagine Apple not wanting to own the living room, I think that the ante has just been upped, and the real game is about to commence, something that I blogged about in:

What it Means to be a "Social" Media Center: Boxee, Apple TV and Square Connect
http://thenetworkgarden.com/weblog/2008/12/what...

Check it out if interested.

Mark

Re: Always Treat Money Like It Is Your Own

hypermark — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:39:39 -0000

I totally agree with your sensibility, Fred. Good common sense. The counter side to this is that the market crash has made many good people with historically solid track records feel like frauds, liars and cheats, something underscored in an article I read in yesterday's SF Chronicle:

Cautionary story of fund manager's suicide. http://bit.ly/H9Ex

Reading it was a bit of a bookend to the Lewis/Einhorn piece, which was great.

Re: Android netbooks on their way, likely by 2010

hypermark — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 00:08:14 -0000

2010...why is this news?

Don't get me wrong. I agree with the scenario of "open" unified approach to desktop, mobile and web with app marketplace tie in as potentially a big thing.

In fact, I think that it's the number one reason that Apple and Google are destined to become "frienemies" in the year ahead (check out The Chess Masters: Apple versus Google - http://thenetworkgarden.com/weblog/2008/03/the-... - for more on that topic).

But a lot can happen between now and 2010 to render this topic irrelevant...or a game changer. It's just not news right now, IMHO.

Re: Atari president Phil Harrison on creativity and the future of video games

hypermark — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:25:33 -0000

Personally, I think that Harrison's dead on about gaming futures leveraging a high degree of multiplayer, community and expandable options. The challenge (and opportunity) is:

1) Figuring out what community means in the context of both in-game and across game sandbox. Simple examples are how use of leaderboards and underlying usage data can profile and connect up like minded users; creation and sharing of resources for tips/how tos, bleeding of same into the in-game environment, etc. (e.g., I just stumbled upon a power-up left by my friend at the place I always crash and burn).

2) Defining primary targets for expandable options. Big difference in the types of tools/resources you provide if the target is techies versus if the target is "meta" techies. The former is more library/API based; the latter is more "mod builder/configurator" oriented.

3) Deciding whether to optimize around real-time multiplayer (more performance sensitive, requires more dedicated users, more coordination) versus asynchronous, or queued up multiplayer (challenges, tournaments), the latter of which is more suitable for mobile environments like iPhone.

p.s., what Atari has in way of community today is pretty much just Forums so long way to go there.

Cheers,

Mark
--
Read: Apple's Mobile Gaming Gold Rush
http://thenetworkgarden.com/weblog/2008/11/appl...

Re: Square Connect turns your iPhone into a remote control

hypermark — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 18:07:50 -0000

A logical application for this is out-of-band content overlay services. So, if I am watching the Lakers game on TNT, the remote control knows it and can automatically pull up scores, chat UI with others watching game, etc. It's a conduit into interactive TV.

Here's a post I wrote along these lines:

Apple, TV and the Smart Connected Living Room
http://thenetworkgarden.com/weblog/2008/08/appl...

Check it out if interested.

Mark

Re: Making Twitter Smarter

hypermark — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:38:21 -0000

For what it’s worth, here is an attempt to articulate a ’structured’ tweet service based on consumer, small biz, fred wilson and procter & gamble segmented universe.

The idea is a tiered model whereby 'basic' twitter remains free but premium structured service offered for online brand builders and commercial businesses.

Twitter-nomics: Envisioning Structured Tweets
http://thenetworkgarden.com/weblog/2008/05/twit...

Check it out if interested.

Mark

Re: Boxee

hypermark — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:32:56 -0000

Eager to see (roadmap); from their blog, it is clear that they have the right idea for rolling out a product like this: ship the idea, fix, iterate. What they need in rapid fashion is to collapse messaging that is scattered across web site, blog, forums and wiki, as while I know they are alpha (NOT beta, IMHO) and thus more ready for true techies, there are nonetheless a lot of meta-techies that would test drive if there was a clearer out of the box experience. Plus, there is a real first mover opp to start evangelizing what it means to be a social media center. CHEERS.

Re: Boxee

hypermark — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:29:36 -0000

Got it. Thanks. One of the analysts was asking about new product launches in the quarter/year ahead and asked specifically about Apple TV roadmap; Jobs said something to the effect of "expect no big surprises in 2009." That's consistent with the Apple TV is a hobby mantra.

Re: Boxee

hypermark — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:41:17 -0000

Invite appreciated, Fred. I have been eagerly waiting for "something" more expansive media center-wise in the living room. Was hoping/thinking that it would be Apple TV, but Jobs seemed to squash that in last earns call.

Mark
--
Read - Apple, TV and the Smart Connected Living Room
http://thenetworkgarden.com/weblog/2008/08/appl...

Re: Monetizing social networks: The good, bad and ugly

hypermark — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:36:58 -0000

Some further fodder for this topic in a post I wrote called:

Why Social Nets Struggle to get Advertisers to "Show Me the Money"
http://thenetworkgarden.com/weblog/2008/06/why-...

Here is an excerpt:
Bottom line: you can not PUSH ads at this audience. What you need to do is give them reasons and contextually clear paths to engage with a brand and its products/services. Whether that means giving consumers the tools to pick the types of products/services they want on their pages, incenting them to place them on their pages (or share with friends), giving them clear action paths to GRAB BROCHURE, GET COUPON or REQUEST INFO or other methods, it is more of an opt-in, or consumer PULL, type of model than a push based one. Until that model starts to take hold, lots of confusion, waste-age of eyeballs and fiscal pain lie ahead.

Check it out if interested.

Mark

Re: The VC model is broken

hypermark — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:32:10 -0000

Crisp narrative, Matt.

I been plugged into three major financial crashes during my career (S&L Crisis, Internet Bubble burst, Now), and the one consistent thread that I have seen is that whenever there is an excess supply of capital, it will inevitably be deployed in inefficient and (ultimately) destructive manners. Period.

After all, who among us has the discipline to say "ENOUGH" when the funds are available on favorable terms, our comp is tied to same, we are fundamentally optimists and we have enough proof (based on past performance) to suggest that we can hit the ball out of the park in a game designed for homerun hitters?

Hence, even if your/Kagle's conclusion is right, less clear is what the post-implosion world looks like.

Fewer mega-funds doing deals the same way as today, smaller funds designed for scaled down liquidity prospects…?

Re: AndroidTunes? Amazon launching a mobile music/movie store for Google’s platform

hypermark — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:31:36 -0000

The first blade lifts, the second blade cuts... I think that the "born-on date" has officially arrived signaling the evolution of Apple and Google's partnership status from friends to frien-emies. This is something I blogged about in:

The Chess Masters - Google versus Apple
http://thenetworkgarden.blogs.com/weblog/2008/0...

Check it out if interested.

Cheers,

Mark

Re: Twiddeo: DON'T HATE ME I'M INNOVATING!

hypermark — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:12:28 -0000

The internal twiddeo bubble doesn't point to beta.twiddeo.com. It points to the original site.

Re: IDF: Yahoo unleashes TV widgets. Expect Apple to follow.

hypermark — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 23:12:59 -0000

Ironically, I speculated on something similar (wrt Apple) in Apple, TV and the Smart Connected Living Room: http://thenetworkgarden.com/weblog/2008/08/appl...

Mark

Re: Fanboys unite: Google and Apple trounce rivals in satisfaction study

hypermark — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:20:32 -0000

Hey MG,

The negative commentary on Apple, while totally valid, is reminiscent of the comments about the US democratic system. It's the worst in the world until you compare it to all others. :-)

I have blogged a bunch about how Google and Apple are without peers, but one riddle that will be interesting to see how it plays out is whether the LCD type of approach promulgated by Google prevails or the HCD approach that Apple pursues will prevail.

By that, I mean that Apple is all about pursuing the highest common denominator (nee, divisor), which ends up meaning proprietary integration across hardware, software and service. By contrast, Google is all about simple, open and loosely coupled as a means to achieve ubiquity, what I would characterize as the lowest common denominator approach.

So who ultimately prevails? Here's a post on the topic:

Pursue the Highest Common Denominator
http://thenetworkgarden.com/weblog/2008/08/purs...

Check it out if interested.

Mark

Re: Android wants to be on any device, not just your phone

hypermark — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 03:50:22 -0000

Two quickie links relative to this topic that anticipate logical device scenarios that could make sense for Android:

Apple, TV and the Smart Connected Living Room (on Apple's mystery 'transition' product)
http://thenetworkgarden.com/weblog/2008/08/appl...

Wall Widgets: Fixed Wireless at Home (on non-mobile wireless internet device scenarios)
http://thenetworkgarden.com/weblog/2008/05/wall...

Cheers,

Mark

Re: Just a touchpad and a screen: A grand unified theory of Apple’s next big move

hypermark — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:58:08 -0000

Thanks for including the Cringely link, Dan. My thinking was somewhat of a connect the dots between your post, Cringely's posts (dating back to last year) and larger reading of tea leaves of what's a big enough bet to risk the instability that goes with mucking with margins.

Re: Just a touchpad and a screen: A grand unified theory of Apple’s next big move

hypermark — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:48:19 -0000

So the only piece missing from your post is, "What's the killer app?" My guess is to build a device targeted as the interactive TV/gaming/video services play for broadband.

This ties in with the video chipset rumors, since in this scenario, Apple will need to support media playback that runs concurrent with service overlays for things like dynamic ad units, in-line messaging and information feeds, i.e., interactivity on top of video, gaming etc.

Plus, this type of land grab would be harmonious with iPhone/iPod/AppleTV/Mac, and leverages some of their unfair advantages, while giving a lot of potential love to QuickTime as an the authoring platform for interactive TV/media.

Finally, it has the potential to avoid carriers where it makes sense, do ala carte deals where it makes sense (e.g., HBO to disrupt Comcast) and, as a fixed broadband wireless play, overcomes both battery and broadband limitations.

Thoughts?

Mark

Re: Jobs confirms iPhone application kill lever

hypermark — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:49:59 -0000

While I grok the rants on kill switches as a bad thing, for me personally, governance is something I want Apple taking a proactive stand on.

Simply put, I don't want my phone, data mine and e-wallet being easily hacked into via rogue apps. I blogged on this particular point in:

iPhone Universe: Network Borders, Kill Switches and the Core Location
http://thenetworkgarden.com/weblog/2...-univers...

Check it out if interested.

Mark

Re: Got iBugs? Get your iPhone 2.0.1 software now

hypermark — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 05:43:13 -0000

I just updated my iPod touch, and would chime in that the device is definitely 'peppier.' Things like latencies on keystrokes when typing, startup of some of the apps, etc. feels smoother and less clunky.

Worth the upgrade.

Cheers.

Mark

Re: Google unveils Knol, its accountable take on Wikipedia

hypermark — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:28:05 -0000

Personally, this feels like a potential competitor to About.com, which has proven to be a really nice business for NYT.

Re: Did a Mac Tablet just shave $15 billion off of Apple’s market cap?

hypermark — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:53:01 -0000

Personally, if they are going to take down margin, which puts some of the Apple magic/mojo on the line, they are not going to do it for something uninspired.

What about reinventing the set-top box experience in the same way they re-invented the mobile phone?

That would be a logical rev of the Apple TV, and given the mass adoption price point relative to probable cost of goods sold...well, the proverbial shoe would fit is my point.

Plus, I think that if they are going to continue to grow iPod, they need to fuel demand for the iPod touch, and it is already a remote for the Apple TV and shares media libraries with it, and one could see some worthwhile apps that are hybrids between the two built via the iPhone SDK and integrated with App Store.

Food for thought.

Cheers,

Mark

Re: iPhone Reconciliation - RussellBeattie.com

hypermark — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 01:41:32 -0000

Russell,

You post speaks to this fact, but there is a truism that most people don't get when trying to comprehend the "SO WHAT" of the iPhone. It's not simply good marketing and cult worship (although there is plenty of that). :-)

Prior to iPhone, mobile was one of those heavily caveated platform computing concepts (as in, pretty good...for mobile). Why is this? Mobile devices are not general purposes PCs. They are heavily optimized, performance-sensitive, battery dependent devices requiring integration at both the service and PC/Mac layer, and getting all of this right from a UI, usability and workflow perspective is non-trivial.

It's analogous to saying all restaurants use roughly the same ingredients, but the great ones use only the best ingredients, have the most inspired recipes and execute extraordinarily well. It's the same reason the iPod, seemingly in a commodity MP3 player category, is still without peer.

Also, most don't really grok that saying App Store means nothing if Apple didn't, in turn, provide a really solid SDK for building applications that take advantage of all of these native capabilities.

Net-net: this is the first ready for prime time mobile platform, it is pretty damn good at a lot of things, and while it won't replace my Blackberry 7130 as an email device, it's no swiss army knife either, to be sure.

If interested in more fodder on the topic, check out:

iPhone 2.0: What it Means to be Mobile
http://thenetworkgarden.com/weblog/2008/07/ipho...

Cheers,

Mark

Re: Apple's walled garden (Scripting News)

hypermark — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:44:56 -0000

I take half of what you're saying in the context of 'I have strong antibodies for cult-like tendencies, and therefore all of this cult of apple, cult of jobs stuff sets off alarm bells.' I take the other half of what you are saying as 'I am a DIY type of guy, and if it aint open it aint the solution for me.'

On the former, I could not agree with you more, although I will say I totally respect the effectiveness or Apple's marketing and appreciate the fact that they are at least willing to articulate a vision. Beyond them and Google, I can not think of many BIG companies that have a coherent vision these days.

On the latter, however, my experience is that the more specialized the platform, the more integral integration, usability and predictability is from a consumer perspective. Also, the more important predictability of APIs, toolsets and targets are from a developer ecosystem perspective.

I have blogged on this one in 'Holy Shit! Apple's Halo Effect,' which you can check out here if interested:

http://thenetworkgarden.com/weblog/2008/04/holy...

Relative to the open versus closed/integrated/proprietary topic, I get why that is not in your DNA, which is totally reasonable, and someone needs to lead that particular charge. No one can argue that you don't eat your own dog food. :-)

Cheers,

Mark

Re: The iPhone 3G reviews are in: It’s good, but the App Store will be better

hypermark — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:38:37 -0000

Chomping at the bit (as an iPod touch owner). Will be great to see over the coming days, weeks and months how the promise lines up with reality.