This is shit.

Posted on November 23, 2011 by Roger

Recently I received the advice from a dear friend to be more of an asshole again. Well, here goes.

Apple, what are you doing? iCloud, iTunes Match, iOS 5.0.1, all shit.

iCloud; I don’t understand it.  How does it work, why do I need to know how it works?  Why isn’t it immediately clear what iCloud does?

iTunes Match; why can’t I just stream all my songs?  Why do I have to upload my songs, while you already have most of the songs in your library anyway? Why can’t I share my songs, discover new music through what others share? Why can’t I have a subscription and do I still have to pay per song?

iOS 5.0.1; why is my battery not going all the way to 100% anymore after the upgrade?

Are all these annoyances indicators that Apple is loosing its touch? I don’t know. What I do know is that Apple doesn’t have it in its DNA to create real solutions to most of these problems. Apple’s DNA is all about the closed software/hardware/experience system. What they need to do is combine that system with strategic partnerships or more strategic acquisitions and refocus themselves on their core business, the platform. The advice Jobs gave Page (Google) should be taken at heart within Apple. I think Apple should focus on creating the basic platform (software/hardware/experience) for others to build upon. Right now they want to do it all, while most of those (open) initiatives are not in their (closed) DNA.

iCloud: get rid of your iWorks software and partner with Google Apps and/or Facebook
iTunes: go back to the core (the platform), buy Spotify, partner with Facebook and Netflix
iOS 5.0.1: get your act together, focus on the platform

On top of that, use your platform to create real change. Make your partners think different again. The movie and record industry are slipping back into their old tricks and habbits. Use your refocused energy to pull them in line again, so they can get back on track, a track that will give us world wide rights management, subscription services, streaming anywhere anytime.

You’re good at knowing what the customer doesn’t know he/she wants. Now you just have to become good again at knowing what the customer does know he/she wants.

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Steve Jobs

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Roger

The following article sums up my thoughts on what Steve Jobs was able accomplish during his lifetime. A lifetime cut way too short…

Yves Béhar: Steve Jobs Changed My Life

It is Steve Jobs’ products that allow us to create and share every day. It is Steve Jobs’ unwavering commitment to ease of use that has made technology approachable, and usable by most.

And for this, we can all say that Steve Jobs changed our lives.

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Google+, more thoughts

Posted on July 28, 2011 by Roger

I was hoping Google+ would be rolling out more features by now, but they haven’t.  If they really want to become a viable social platform they need to add some essential functionality, and add it sooner, rather than later. Here are a couple of things I hope they add:

  1. Integration with Google Apps
    If my company or organization is going to use Google+ as their Social Platform of choice, we’d like to have full integration with Calendar and Docs. Share files and events, as well as tasks would be essential to coordinate and plan on a Social Platform
  2. Groups
    Right now it’s only followers and following.  You can’t really organize a group of people (department, suppliers, clients, hobby group, etc.) and have real two way communication between members of those groups.  Circles is only good for broadcasting and commenting on those broadcasts, not for real group communication, let alone set up events or meetings. Messages will get lost in the stream, people I’m following don’t know what circle of mine they’re in and I’m not even sure they’re following me and if so, have me in the same circle. Sure you can filter your stream to that particular circle, but I have no way of knowing if the rest of the people in my group do the same thing and see my posts.
  3. Events
    If I’d like to plan an event and invite people I’d like those people to know about it and be able to RSVP. Right now, that’s impossible on Google+.  This should go hand in hand with the Google Apps integration.
  4. Google+ Business and Organization Profiles
    I thought this would have been the first new feature to be implemented fairly quickly, I guess I was wrong. It would be nice if this too would become a feature integrated with Apps.  If you have your domain running under Google Apps (gMail, Calendar and Docs) it would be nice to control your Plus Profile from there as well.

Google has everything in house to make Google+ the best and most fully featured Social Platform for organizations and businesses, but it seems they don’t see what’s right under their noses.  Or maybe I’m just too impatient.

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Google+ first impressions

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Roger

Was invited for Google+ this morning and decided to check it out right away.  First impression?  Seems like Google finally got their act together in the UI and graphic design department.  Wow, does everything look clean.

Second impression?  Wishing Google+ was working with Google Apps already.  In my opinion it would be the killer social enterprise app when combined with Calendar, Documents and various other apps.  Through circles you can keep track of and share info with different departments, clients and suppliers (and friends and family of course).  For now only through streams (which is essentially Twitter on steroids, because it’s private and public microblogging allowing real interaction/conversations) but when Google Apps is integrated, also by using your Calendar and Document apps, sharing tasks, appointments and docs with your circles. Plus all the other apps in the app marketplace. + indeed!

Same goes of course for video and photos sharing, which is already implemented and in a very nice way.  For photos you can use Picasa and videos can be youtube links, uploads from your laptop/desktop or your phone.  Too bad there isn’t an iPhone app yet, only Android at the moment.

So I don’t see Google+ as a direct Facebook competitor (i.e. Facebook killer), but more of a Social Enterprise solution.  We do need Google Apps integration for that though, but Google’s working on that.  Once that’s implemented, watch out Microsoft Sharepoint, Podio, SocialText, Cubetree, et al…

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Social Integration

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Roger

Today we, my company Web24Business run together with Marcel van Brugge, launched our latest online communication project.  It’s a new website for a local art and cultural organization, called Temporary Art Centre.  It’s located in an old Philips building near the city center of Eindhoven.  It’s run mostly by volunteers and provides a platform and stage for artists and creatives.  Apart from providing stages and spaces for concerts, performances and exhibitions, they also rent out studios for aspiring creatives.

TAC came to us requesting a refresh of their website.  Instead of just re-designing a run of the mill site we handled this project like any we accept. We analyzed their organization and held a workshop with the volunteers that run the show, as well as some of the renters that rent the studios.  From that workshop we got a better understanding what the people involved though about TAC, what they’d like TAC to be and how we could incorporate that into a new site.  We decided to create an online communication platform based on the social hub called Facebook (you might have heard about it).  On Facebook we (TAC and us) created several groups for the renters and volunteers where they could share, ask, answer and organize.  Aside from that, there was already a popular Facebook page for TAC, where new events were posted as well as media (photos and video’s) from past events.  Twitter was used as a promotion tool so we incorporated that into the new online communication platform for TAC as well.

Since every organization wants to have it’s own face and branding, the social streams from the above mentioned groups were brought together on their own website, under a nice design by OddOne.  The backend CMS was built using Drupal with Facebook Connect for user registration.  This way TAC still has its own unique face, feel and branding, while using the best social media and online communication tools available.  It’s a true two way communication platform, not just mentioning twitter and Facebook feeds, but letting volunteers, renters, organization and visitors interact with each other and find the information they’re looking for.

Visit TAC.nu for a look-see…

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Motorola gadget consolidation

Posted on January 6, 2011 by Roger

Never tought I’d see this coming from Motorola, but Engadget has a nice little hands-on piece, showing the Motorola Atrix 4G, HD multimedia dock, and laptop dock.  This is coming close to what I refer to as gadget consolidation (they, Engadget refer to it as Continues Client).  They have several options, both hradware and software based.  I see it as a hardware based solution, where one device will act as PC / TV / Phone / Media Center / PA etc.  And Motorola is heading in the right direction.  I think Apple is heading in that direction as well, but they are taking their time, ironing out the kinks to make it perfect, both on the front end (hardware and software) as the back end (infrastructure, media).  And that last part is I think where Motorola is lacking (no real app or media  distribution platform), while the front-end isn’t really a given yet either… Wonder what Google thinks of their implementation…

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Great CG work is the kind you don’t notice

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Roger

I love the HBO show “Boardwalk Empire” and before the first episode aired, I saw a small documentary on the official site about the sound stage and the fact that they actually built a large part of the boardwalk.  I didn’t know what else was thrown into the mix to make it look so authentic.  And that’s good CG, the kind of computer generated scenery and effects that you don’t notice but add so much.  Below is a reel from Brainstorm Digital, the company responsible for the CG work on Boardwalk Empire, that shows how much was actually bits and bytes.

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Walking along the sea

Posted on January 4, 2011 by Roger

Saw a picture floating by tonight which reminded me I still had some editing to do of some pictures I took that same day.

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Working on some icons

Posted on December 20, 2010 by Roger

I’m trying to come up with an icon language for our new website / branding.  Posting some sketches here to see how it looks on the screen and maybe get some feedback from the interwebs.  They represent analysis, building / execute, plan.  This is just a first sketch to see what works.  Hope to use these as an inspiration for the whole look and feel of this project.  Would like to go for a cartoon/comic book look.  More on that later.

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Night out in the snow

Posted on December 19, 2010 by Roger

We’ve been having some real winter weather here in the Netherlands these last couple of days, as did much of northern Europe.  I love it, so tonight I went on a nice walk through the park here in my neighborhood.  Don’t think I’ve ever seen snow this thick here in the Lowlands. Six inches at least.  Hope it’s a climate change trend (sorry to the other two thirds of the country who will be swimming in 100 years…) because I love real winters.  Took my little Lumix LX3 with me and boy do I miss my old DSLR.  As soon as the funds are available I’ll get another DSLR (basic Canon or Nikon model will do), since they’re so much easier to shoot with in difficult conditions (low light, cold, slow shutter speeds).  Yes, I should have known this when I sold my old gear, but I thought this nice compact would do.  It doesn’t.  Here are some shots of the walk.

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