They Just Don't Get It

As I read this story in BusinessWeek tonight, I found it interesting how this writer presents the players on the online video stage like highlanders locked in epic battle for the hearts and minds of the online viewer (who we all know is not capable of regularly watching video from more than one source) - THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!

He fails to recognize the niche each of these providers fills. YouTube's name says it all. It is a brave new world in which ordinary people with creative concepts (or many times, sufficiently strange concepts) can become celebrities without the sanction of a studio or being discovered by the powers that be. The powers that be in that world are more people just like you and me. Enough people watch and --POW!!!-- you're a star. YouTube is also a great place to interact with thousands of people on topics of common interest like religion, politics, or music just to name a few. You can exchange video responses or comments if you like the interaction or just sit back and watch and listen if you don't. It can also be a great place to spread the word about your cause or product.

Hulu, on the other hand, is a place where people can watch that episode of their favorite show that they missed this week because they've decided that people are more important than TV. Perhaps they took this new-found freedom from the network programming schedule formerly reserved for those who can afford digital cable and a DVR and they went to aunt bernice's 60th birthday party to show they care. Hulu is the perfect solution for these viewers; viewers who just so happen to be the same viewers who at other times are surfing YouTube. Hulu does have the potential to be the end of another media outlet but YouTube's not the one that should be worried. Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon along with any other local cable and dish TV providors are the ones who need to be concerned about Hulu. I'm almost at the point where I'm ready to cancel cable. Every show I watch regularly is available on Hulu. I don't watch many and I'm probably not the typical TV watcher; however, as its selections continue to grow, it won't be long before every cable customer's tastes will find satisfaction on Hulu.

As for Apple's iTunes rental model, neither of the previously mentioned services brings the majority of newly released movie rentals to your living room, ready for viewing at the click of your mouse for less than it would cost to get in the car and drive to blockbuster to rent your movie; not that I've done that since I discovered redbox...but that's an entirely different post. Apple's rental system has much room for improvement but it's just so easy to use that it still gets my business over the video store (though redbox is giving it a run for our money).

In other words, the BusinessWeek story seems to give a pretty flat view of online video. You have to recognize that YouTube has really created a whole new medium; it's not just online video. Hulu is the new cable. It's the online version of the cable box or satellite dish. And iTunes (perhaps along with other online rental services like Netflix or Amazon) has become the video rental store of online video. I recognize that my description  of the online video landscape also runs the risk of over simplifying it but my point is that there is room for more than one online video source.

Eventually, each could grow and begin to cannibalize the other's territory but as it stands now, there is plenty of room for each to continue growing and doing what they do best. As one who views all three on a regular basis, I'd compare being faced with a choice of one over the other to a choice between MS Word, Quicken , or Outlook. They're all software but they have very distinct uses. I want all three. I predict that YouTube, Hulu, and iTunes rentals will peacefully co-exist for a long time to come. In technology chronology, "a long time" means at least a year or two.

Don't Get Kromked

If you use Facebook, then you've probably gotten a direct message from a friend asking you to visit kromked.net. It should go without saying, but DON'T!

You should ALWAYS be suspicious of cryptic messages like this one. In fact, that's a good reason to not be cryptic in messages you send. Spell out what you mean when messaging your friends. In a day where we are being conditioned to communicate in 140 characters or less, this IS a message that bears repeating.

There's not much out there yet about this kromked spam but I did find a description of what happens if you click the link at www.islandcrisis.net.  The author says that basically nothing happened, nothing obvious that is.

Even as a mac user, I am not going to let my curiosity get the best of me. It killed the cat, you know. Just say no to kromked.net.

UPDATE: Kurt from has www.islandcrisis.net has been posting updates about this and has proposed an interesting theory about what the scheme might be. Click on over for the update.

I WANT a DROBO!

If you've never heard of DROBO, you should definitely read this. You can also win one at the Managing Your Digital Life blog. Here's why I want one:

My day to day workflow involves layout of a local paper I publish and ad design for the paper, web design for clients of the other half of my business, and web design and digital communications design work that I do for the church of which I am a member. Everything I do on a daily basis involves storing, retrieving, and incorporating digital media (primarily photos and graphics). It’s kind of like I have three jobs but it’s not as bad as it sounds since there is so much over lap.

I have two machines that I use every day. The older of the two is a 5 year old PowerBook G4 with an 80 GB hard drive (only 2.8 GB free). The newer machine is a 4 year old iMac G5 with a 160 GB drive (only 7.4 GB free). Both were large drives when I bought them. I’ve added a 500 GB external drive for backup and I also store vital files on my iDisk (when it’s working) as a backup of my backup.

How would I use a DROBO? After wiping the tears of joy from my face, I would immediately set it up as the central media storage device for my home office network so that I could free up the limited memory on each of my machines and have the peace of mind that knowing my livelihood is stored on a DROBO would bring!

Be sure to head over to the Managing Your Digital Life blog to find out more about DROBO and how you can win one!

An Open Letter to My Dad (and anyone else shopping for a new computer)

I recently wrote a response to my dad who emailed me for advice on buying a new computer. Like so many others, he has asked me for this kind of advice before. The Cliff's Notes version of my advice is always, "Buy a Mac." What kills me is that almost every time, they don't listen to me and buy a cheap...uh...inexpensive Windows box. Why do they even ask me? They don't listen.

Well, this is my third attempt to convince him to get a Mac. Think about it. I still have the iMac I bought in 1999 (it's running OS 10.3). FULL DISCLOSURE: I also have a 4 year old iMac G5 and a 3 year old PowerBook G4 (both running Leopard). I have three so that I, my wife, and the kids can each have our own machines. He's shopping for a third because the first two were devoured by viruses, spamware, malware, adware, etc. They no longer function.

I thought I would post the advice I offered him for anyone else on the fence to read. Read on and choose wisely:

Dad,

The laptop has an older processor (not the Core 2 Duo) and it doesn't say what speed. That usually means it's not fast. If it were, they would highlight it. The desktop is the current standard chip set (Core 2 Duo) but it still doesn't say the speed. $399 is a nice low price but you know what they say, "You tend to get what you pay for."

If you really just need a low end machine with a solid warranty, it would be a good fit. It would probably work for you but you know me... standard disclaimer: you'll be happier and more satisfied with an iMac. It's loaded, has a 20" built-in display, and comes with a free printer all for $1,199.

I would also recommend a 1 GB RAM upgrade ($75), iWork ($49 pre-installed), and Apple Care 3 Year Warranty ($169). Fully decked out with all the extras I recommend, it would be $1,492. That's a lot more than $399 but you know what they say, "You tend to get what you pay for."

Even if you just go for the 20" iMac with a free printer for $1,199, you're getting security (the days of worrying about viruses, spyware, malware, Norton/McAfee updates is over), bigger hard drive, superior user experience, and tons of bundled software that you can't get for Windows.

Final paragraph of propaganda: The Dell will work. But think about this; how many Windows users do you know that really love their computers? "Tolerate" probably comes closer to the sentiment they have for their unattractive boxes (I'm a Mac snob, I know it). Now think about this; how many Mac users do you know that don't sound like they've joined a religious cult? I'm guessing Zero. To use a Mac is to love your Mac. Why is that? If you get one, you'll know. That's all I'm saying. :-)

Love ya,
Geekbert

Star Wars Plot Summary

This has nothing to do with technology but, seeing that you and I are both geeks, I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

Born to Mediate

I knew it! I took a "How geek are you?" survey and found that I'm 64% geek...almost half and half. My part-geek, part-average-joe composition has always made me a good translator but kept me from rising to the uber-geek status for which I have always strived (or is is striven?).

You can take the quiz too. Just click the badge. How geek are you?

64% Geek