Digital Living

Microsoft's "I'm A PC" New Ad Feels Like "A Pity!" ;-(

Microsoft finally launched a new ad campaign. Their new airshow is based on a new format with a lot of "I'm a PC, I'm a PC, I'm a PC" mantra around.

Despite its 1 minute duration, at the end of the ad there's almost nothing left to really feel excited about.

So far these series of campaign ads are perhaps among the worst campaign ads that is ever created at Microsoft. Ballmerian Microsoft's taste and gesture seem feel awfully different from Microsoft in the past. There's no elegance in these latest ad.

What a PC ... oops I mean: what a pity. ;-( ;-( ;-(

Asus Announces World's First Skype Video Phone!

While skype is probably one of the most beautiful thing that the world experience over the internet today, one of skype's greatest "annoyance" is that we almost always had to turn-on our computer before we would be able to use it.

Well, perhaps not anymore, because recently Asus announces the release of the world's first video phone:

Basically what this device does is enabling people to skype over the internet, using this video phone, yet without needing any computer at all.

Now that's something cool, very useful, nice and superbly awesome! I think if the device has arrived and it is indeed as good as we expect it to be, I think there's no reason why not buy one.

Recently Asus is doing and pioneering alot of pretty amazing thing. After pioneering the Eee/NetPC phenomena a few months back, now they are becoming the first to introduce this? This is really superbly awesome.

The First Google HTC Android Phone Has Arrived!

While yesterday we speculate "what if" one day HTC embraces Google Android OS, interestingly today it was rumored that such device is actually now start being secretly "unveiled" during the Android Developer Conference in Europe.

This is far far faster then we could have expected! Peter Chou is really ingenious! In the next few weeks let's wait for the formal announcement, and in the next few months or so, let's see how other handset manufacturer would respond: especially Samsung and LG, then -- later on -- SonyEricsson and Nokia.
 

This is really exciting! When the formal launch of the "stealth" device started, another new era would then formally begin.

HTC Touch 3G Revealed!

HTC website reveals the HTC Touch 3G -- the latest "touch" product from HTC.

Take a look at how beautiful these latest generation device looks like.

Peter Chou, the HTC CEO is surely a really great leader! He successfully and magically brings HTC from a large yet "unknown" handheld maker, to become the most branded Windows Mobile handheld maker of them all.

Most "magical" of all: each time he introduced his latest product, his next step innovation always bring another wow!

HTC uses SPC software to build the "intuitive & user friendly interface skin" on top of Windows Mobile. This approach has been taken since day 1 the HTC touch device is introduced.

Yet -- based on HTC Touch's first generation experience -- because HTC devices is still using Windows Mobile underneath, beneath the beautiful skin surface, everything is still the same old clunky, multi-steps, unintutive, cluttered, complex, confusing, tired menu-and-folder-navigation structure of Windows Mobile!

I wonder whether in this release such "limitations" already being totally fixed or not.

More excitingly, I wonder what if one day HTC could come out with Android version of such device, or PalmOS version of it. The whole experience of using the device might be significantly better. And the device might eventually become a great contender of Apple legendary iPhone device.

Peter Chou is surely know where he put his bet, and how to overcome the "basic limitation" of Windows.

In that respect, he is truly ingeneously awesome!

Microsoft "Un-Mojave" Experiment: Have These People Being Shown A Mac OSX Before/After They Are Being Shown Vista??

Microsoft Mojave experiment try to tout the "beauty" of Vista by sharing to the world how people get "ooh ahh" by the sheer beauty and magnificence of "Microsoft's future operating system" which later they found out was VISTA!

They said people really "Oooh Ahh" about it, as they never thought such great operating system was VISTA!

Hmmm ... this is so Ballmerian "trick" by nature. >:-(

I think this experiment "miss" ONE key important point:

• Have these same people and audiences being shown Mac OS X BEFORE they are being shown Vista?
• Or at least: Have these same people and audiences being shown Max OS X AFTER they are being shown Vista?

If they have been shown the Mac OS X before (or after) they have been shown Vista, what would then these same audiences feel? Would Vista be still "feel" the "same" ??

 

This is what I called the "UnMojave Experiment". ;-)

Oh, Mr. Ballmer, your "old dirty trick" is such a "tard".

The Era Of Pico Projector Has Arrived!

It is truly fascinating to see the latest innovation in projection screen technology. Called pico projector, the device is about the size of our hand (which makes it truly portable), and the price is a wonderful $395!

 

With this, no longer people need to carry "bulky projectors" around. Everything becomes truly portable instead; pocketable -- to be more precise. 

There are two model avaialable today. One from Toshiba. Another from 3M. 3M says, the first device will be launched in the market on September 30.

This is awesome! Truly awesome! No longer projector becomes luggable anymore, it has become pocketable instead.

Apple Next Step: Leveraging iPod Touch As A Platform For "Next Generation" Game Machine?

Apple just announced a new "refresh" of its iPod product lines yesterday. While "on the surface" there seem to be "not so many significant changes happening", I think it is inside where there are many "strategic attempt" and innovation really happening.

One of it is in regards with the iPod touch. While the outward explanation of the device "modestly" say: the funnest Apple ever, the "inner attempt" for the re-introduction of this device -- I strongly feel -- is probably to make it the "next" platform for game machine! A kind of a portable wii for everybody?? one day a strong contender to the Sony PSP??

Let's see where Apple have been in the past 7-8 years:

• from the creator of innovative scroll-wheel based music player,
• to the inventor of music download sites (which now reach total 5 billion downloaded songs),
• to the creator of series of super exciting music player than can do video and stuff,
• to the inventor of the "handphone" platform of the future,
• ... and now to the "inventor" of the next platform and foundation for game machine of the future.

This is the pictorical description regarding the evolution of the Apple product set, and the key series of innovation that is happening from one phase and one stage to another:

For me, reading this picture, it "become obvious" that Apple aim to focus, win and leveraging its "iPod" platform, to become:

• the number one digital music & digital media (video, photo and stuff) player in the world.
• the number one ground breaking & most innovative smartphone platform in the world.
• the number one portable-wii-style  game machine platform in the world!

Apple under Steve Jobs leadership is really becoming a superbly awesome great super company once more!

They systematically, passionately, meticulously and super smartly invented, win, redefine and "own" the platform for the future! and make those platform that don't change becoming obsolete or totally irrelevant in the future.

What a wonderful company! (Just like Sony in the past -- under the leadership of the great Akio Morita).

Crispin & Bogusky Is The Creator Of Microsoft's "Uncrisp & Totally Bogus" New Ad!

A few "study" over the net reveals that "Crispin Porter & Bogusky" is the ad agency that created Microsoft's new ad campaign that was aired recently.

While the initial idea of the campaign might sound "creative, beautiful, and wonderful", I really wonder why the actual result become not crisp, and totally bogus after all!

Below is Microsoft's memo, which try to explain the "real meaning" of these "ads" and what was its real intention was really about. I seriously wonder:

• Since when an "ad" has a "user guide" to help "audience" understand its meaning ??
• Why the final feel and format of the ad totally look (and taste) different from its original intended meaning ??

Hasn't anybody (at Microsoft) really stand up to identify the "bug" and "flaw" in that first ad? ;-(

Has many of these Ballmerian Microsoft people become lauzier, sillier, quiter and dorkier everyday ?? [which I don't think so] ??!! ... or do they individually start to feel "afraid" to stand-up their true voice and sound under the "dictatorian leadership" of the crazy-dancing Ballmerian "emperor" ??

By delivering these "latest lauzy accomplishments"; which almost ruin the great reputation (and sacred charm) of Microsoft's founder and its once beautiful product, Mr. Ballmer really need to step down.

The New Microsoft Ad Is Really So Bad!

The new Microsoft ad is finally out, and seriously I don't get what the message is all about. Was the ad talking about Microsoft and its readiness for the future, is it talking about shoe, is it leveraging Bill Gates charisma to save Microsoft reputation from failure? I don't know what it is all about!

Do see it for yourself:

The ad is so bad that even me -- the guy who happen to excitingly follow Bill Gates and Microsoft growth since 1984 -- don't get the message at all!

As I highlight several days ago, Bill Gates loves Microsoft and probably would do almost anything to make it great. The problem is the lauzy Mr. Ballmer now is incharge. And as usual, this Ballmeristic sense of campaign approach is totally crazy, uninteresting, boring, embarrasing and irrelevant.

As discussed several days ago, what we really afraid is that this Ballmerian latest act not only worsen the Microsoft reputation this time, but dimming the Bill Gates reputation and charisma as well. It seems that such worry really happen in reality.

Oh, Mr. Ballmer, why are you really is so strange? Isn't ruining Microsoft image (and make it embarrasingly a boring giant) already a "bad enough" accomplishment ? Why do you still need to ruin the reputation of the great founder as well?

Totally troublesome. Unsuspectingly crazy campaign act. This Ballmerian Microsoft style ad (and act) is one of the worst of its kind. It's totally different from the great campaign and cute/clear messages that Microsoft could always articulate and campaign about during the 80s and 90s.

I sincerely believe the strange, wierd, arrogant, boring, monkey dancing Mr. Ballmer shall really be out. If you think I'm overly being "agonistic" about this, let's see what the poll (as of today) said:

 

46% of the audience think they (also) don't get the message, 18% think the ad do nothing to help the Vista case, 22% have the "great sense of humor" to say "they want that cake computer" (whatever that means) :-) , 13% are Microsoft fanatics enough to say they REALLY "get" what the message is all about! This means almost 87% of the audience think the ad is a useless "fad"!

Mr. Ballmer shall really be out! (and the silly boring advertising company that produced the ad be fired).

The Team That Develop "Google Chrome"

Google took 6 years to develop their "chrome" browser. The project involves many people with different expertise and extraordinary gifted talents. During the past 6 years, these people come to Google through  hiring or through series of strategic acquisition.

Here's a picture of the team involved:

And here's the fascinating story behind "chrome" great effort and development:

http://www.niallkennedy.com/blog/2008/09/google-chrome.html

During the great days of Windows (1990s), we always remember names like Brad Silverberg and the bunch of team that created Windows. During the era of the excellent Mac OS X Tiger we remember names like Avi Tevanian.

I wonder who now develop the "boring, dorky" IE ??