by Aanarav Sareen on July 26, 2010
I’m a huge fan of reducing technical barriers to improve access. While computers have certainly come a long way and have penetrated most advanced countries, technology still continues to be a challenge for people that are just getting computers. Their age range varies, but their goals do not. Common goals include:
- Communication.
- Viewing photos and videos.
- Access to information (fictional / non fictional)
While the above list just indicates 3 items, the list has a far reaching impact. Nearly all major websites fit into that category — Google, Yahoo! Mail, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, Netflix, Amazon, etc. The potential is endless.
From a software perspective (web software such as Amazon.com), the process is simple enough. Amazon spends a lot of time and money into user-experience to ensure that users can purchase products in the easiest way possible.
However, hardware continues to be a challenge. Companies like Microsoft, Dell and HP have made things harder over time. Examples include:
- Microsoft: The company has introduced half-a-dozen versions of their core operating system — Windows Vista and now Windows 7. Why is Microsoft trying to confuse consumers? Why not offer a version to consumers and another to business professionals?
- Dell: If you go to Dell’s site, they have more than a dozen computer models. Almost all of them do the same thing. They just vary in speed and form factor. Does a company really need to market 3 different products that do the exact same thing in a nearly identical form factor?
- HP: HP has been growing in the PC space quite rapidly. Similar to Dell, they also have too many products that essentially offer the same thing. Why not simplify the offering and make it easy for the consumer to purchase a product?
I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some large companies and have analyzed numerous user-experience cases. A majority of consumers look for stability, ease of use and ease of purchase. While I’m not a fan of the way Apple does business, I’m very impressed in the way they offer their products. Companies that try to falsely diversify their product portfolio are hurting themselves and their consumers.
by Aanarav Sareen on July 22, 2010
In the past day many tech publications have covered the launch of Flipboard, an iPad app that allows consumers to view content in an interactive way. The company officially calls it a “social magazine.” Here’s how the app works:
- Install the app on your iPad.
- Add your Facebook and Twitter accounts.
- Select content feeds from a pre-determined list.
- Click on the feeds you’ve added (including Facebook and Twitter) and browse through your content.
Content appears as an interactive magazine.
For example: Many people use Twitter to share links and other content. Clicking on those links gets tiring after a while. Flipboard solves that by presenting the Twitter feed and links in a magazine format.
Many people have said that this application is the future of news. In its current stage, it isn’t close. Here’s what the application needs to do in order to reach that potential:
- Allow RSS feeds.
- Enable dynamic media — photos, videos, etc.
- Give content publishers a chance to build their own “Flip” system that is displayed within the app. These modules should be able to support paid content.
- Grow beyond the handful of content that is offered.
The concept is good. But, many news publishers have created and distributed apps that are similar to Flipboard. At this point, it is a long way away from being a newspaper replacement. But, so far, it is one of very few apps that has true potential.
by Aanarav Sareen on July 21, 2010
Earlier this week, I noticed a commercial that NBC was running on the PATH train system. It was professionally shot and I assumed that it was a new show for the summer or the fall season. I was wrong. At the end of the commercial, the URL pointed to www.dialstar.tv.
Dialstar.tv is a digital show produced by NBC and sponsored by AT&T. In fact, the show is called “Dial *” and the AT&T brand is indirectly mentioned throughout the show. The show currently has 10 episodes, most of them only a few minutes in length. Like most media properties, the site has a Twitter feed and a Facebook fan page. As of this writing, the Facebook page has a little more than 1500 fans and the Twitter feed has 68 followers.
If AT&T is footing the bill for the entire show, I’d be extremely curious to see what they expect in return for their sponsorship. While NBC doesn’t disclose viewership numbers, the social media profiles indicate that they’re not extremely high. Furthermore, the show is not distributed via YouTube. However, it is available via iTunes. (Although, as of this writing, the first 4 episodes display access errors. )
While the numbers may not be significant, this is a good step forward as it indicates that the media companies are interested in producing digital-only content. Just like all media ventures, time and persistence are the two key factors.
