The Internet is coming to a living room near you…
This was cross-posted on the Berkeley DMEC blog.
We have come to expect the Internet wherever we are and whenever we want. Mary Meeker predicts that by the end of the year, we could reach 10 Billion mobile Internet devices. Yes, that's a B. While we still have the power of a PC in the palm of our hands, one main area has yet to be conquered--the living room.
Many have tried to create linkages into the living room, but few have succeeded. In 1988, Nintendo launched the Family Computer Network Systems. With the purchase of a special cartridge, the Famicom could interact with other terminals or a central computer to monitor and trade stocks. Unfortunately, by the time I got my NES, it only came with a pad to stomp on and gun to shoot ducks with.
Perhaps the next largest leap came from Tivo. With its emphasis on UX, they brought us the concept of time-shifting our content. With a simple phone line, owners would be able to sync their cable stream to the programming list. However, Tivo's glory days were short-lived. Why pay for a Tivo if your cable operator was willing to give you a free set top box?
In the end, the thought of connecting stand alone devices is such a huge mental leap that not even excellent UX can overcome it.
However, the tides are shifting. Over the past year, I've seen a multitude of new ways to connect the living room to the Internet. From simply plug-and-play devices like Roku, to elaborate Microsoft media center setups, people are realizing that the Internet isn't just for streaming videos of cute cats playing the piano or seeing charlie biting his brother's finger. The Internet is able to provide consumers with a lean-back 10-foot experience.
With the GoogleTV coming around the corner, and companies like Boxee that are constantly augmenting their content libraries, the Internet is finally making its way to the living room.
Last spring, my friends and I embarked on an independent study project looking at the this very space. In it, we tested the preferences of lead-users to prove/disprove hypothesis. Here are some of our findings:
- Short-Form Content (like Youtube) belongs on the computer monitor
- Most mass market consumers do not know the difference between streaming v. downloading content
- There is little room for new content platforms, new companies should seek to become embedded with CE manufacturers
- Apps for Connected TVs will provide little differentiation. Companies can only lose from not keeping up with its competitors
- Consumers want a recommendation engine for content
You can review our final presentation here:
Obama and Me [Presidential Similarities]
It's nice to see that Obama is also a bit depressed that BSG is now over. Maybe I can pick up gardening.
Gorillaz goes Monkey
Jamie Hewlett (Tank Girl and Gorillaz) and Damon Albarn (Blur and Gorillaz) are at it again. This time, they've collaborated to bring one of my favorite childhood stories to life.
The ad is inspired the Ming Dynasty book Journey to the West (???), which one of the Four Great Classic Novels (????). As a kid, I was fascinated with mythology and lore. Beyond reading all I could about the Greek mythology, my dad went Chinese on me and bought vividly colored books about Monkey King's escapades to India during the Táng dynasty in order to obtain Buddhist religious texts called sutras. In fact, I built a tiny diorama based on the Monkey King's escapades. If only we had digital cameras back then. Oh, the craft I could expose you to.
Through time, I've seen permuations of the character crop up all over the place:
- Cartoon
- Musical
- TV Miniseries
- 2006 National Book Awards Winner: American Born Chinese
OK, enough talk, check out the clip via BBC's Olympic site here.
Top Chef Season 4 Finale-Find it online here…
After Dale got punted off the show, I promised never to watch the show for the rest of the season. But like a month to the flame, I just couldn't stay away and was drawn back.
Now, not neither TIVO or cable poses a problem. Where does one go to watch the episodes. While Youtube may have been a sufficient source of television shows, I recommend Hulu.com. A collaboration of NBC and FOX, Hulu (you can read about it here) contains your everything from SNL clips, episodes of Family guy, and movies like The Girl Next Door.
But more relevant to this post, it has the most recent episode 13 (Season Finale pt. 1) of Top Chef. The compression is smoother and larger than anything you can find on Youtube, veoh, or surfthechannel.
If you haven't seen it yet, I advise you follow the following drinking rules put out by Metromix Chicago:
Rule No. 1: Drink every time Lisa curses.
Rule No. 2: Drink every time a Glad product appears on screen. Chug for the first five seconds of any Glad commercial.
Rule No. 3: Drink every time Dale lashes out, directly or indirectly.
Rule No. 4: Chug for five seconds any time someone says “threw me under the bus” or similar.
Rule No. 5: Drink for every tight shot/zoom of a GE Monogram logo.
Rule No. 6: Drink every time Spike appears on screen wearing a hat.
Rule No. 7: Drink every time Tom says “interesting,” asks “Have you done that before?” or “kind of just blinks and pulls his head back.”
8. Drink every time a contestant butchers the pronunciation of a Spanish word.
Top 10 Reasons to Watch New Season Battlestar Galactica (David Letterman)
I will come out and say it. I watch BSG. And no, bears don't beat it.
Yeehaw, camping near sxsw
In a couple hours I will be on a plane from Midway en route to the great Texan state. As a person bitten with wanderlust, this must be my mid-west year. Barring any delays, I will arrive in Dallas, TX tonight. It's been a while since I've been to Texas. But you've got to love a state where there are restaurants on top of restaurants. I wont' be spending much time here though... only to rest and to take a shower...
Tomorrow morning, me and my college roommate, will be driving to Austin. A city definitely worth checking out, for the past week and for the next two weeks, the city is teeming with people.
Why? Because it's so cool? I'm sure it is, it's because of the annual SXSW festival. three festivals that abut each other--interactive, film, and music. Initially a music festival, this festival has grown in leaps and bounds over the past couple of years.
But, I may not partake. I will be about 20 miles outside of the festival. Away from the hubbub, I am going to go fishing, hiking, and communing with nature (it does have its benefits). We may go in, we may not. I'll report back after I get back sunday night.
Scratch that, i fly back and immediately drive to Jeff's place to watch the season finale of the wire.
Can life get any better?
The wire leak…
For those of you who are fanatical about the Wire. My friend just sent me a link that has a couple episodes that have yet to air.
Clearly, this is for for the impatient:
http://www.surfthechannel.com
Hungry for Bourdain?
Many of you have already read his books, watched the show, and now... you can devour his blog.
If you have read any of his books, its a must read for any aspiring foodie. Kitchen Confidential is a great reveal of what goes in the back office of a restaurant.
Truthiness of the wire
Sudhir Venkatesh watches the latest season of the Wire with a bunch of gang leaders to see close to real-life it is.
Here's a couple bullets from the session:
- The Bunk is on the take.
- Prediction No. 1: McNulty and the Bunk will split.
- Roughly $8,000 was wagered on the timing of Marlo’s death.
You can read the rest of the blog at NY Times.