Now this is something I’d use for work! Really excited about the possibilities of Microsoft’s tablet computer – especially with the targeting towards creative-types.

iPad let me down somewhat with it’s lack of handwriting recognition software, which would have been huge for me ( I really want a notebook replacement!). This however, looks like it might fit the bill. What I love about it is that MSFT is taking a very specific approach with this one. Targeting designers, creatives, artists… people that traditionally have gone the Apple route.

Very exciting times we gadget lovers live in.

-Joenandez

Forrester Research

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Forrester Research’s Augie Ray had this to say:

“While bringing relevance filtering to the noisy social media world could prove a significant advantage, this doesn’t (yet) seem to be enough to pull people away from the networks they’ve already created elsewhere. Buzz doesn’t update user’s Twitter () or Facebook feeds, so I expect experimentation but not wholesale switching in the foreseeable future. Buzz could end up supplementing rather than replacing users’ other social networks for now.”

We agree with Forrester’s initial reaction: Google Buzz isn’t compelling enough to pull people away from Foursquare, Facebook or Twitter — at least, yet. Google is putting a lot of resources into this project, and it won’t give up the fight for social easily.

This is a genius quote – the best I’ve seen today on Google Buzz. “doesn’t (yet) seem t be enough”… “expect experimentation but not wholesale switching”.

Again Google is trying to change people’s existing behavior. People! Innovation is not about changing people’s behavior, it is about making the behavior they exhibit today EASIER, and more SEAMLESS.

Had Google integrated Twitter/Facebook cross posting, allowed me to view/filter Facebook/Twitter feeds by groups/lists that I’ve ALREADY created – then we are talking about something I might use. Throw into the mix my email social graph (which is different from Facebook and Twitter social graphs) and some of the cool features Buzz introduced today, and we are starting to talk.

TIme will tell, but I just don’t see the utility YET.

-Joenandez

You can now preview iPhone Apps, Music and Videos via a ‘web’ version of iTunes store. With Apple’s recent acquisition of cloud-music all-stars Lala, one might conjecture that this web push of iTunes preview is leading the way (or perhaps a test bed) for a full fledged iTunes in the cloud, on the web version.

The benefit of such a solution seems pretty clear – access to your entire media library, including playlists, music, videos, and iTunes store from wherever you are. At work on the work PC, on the go on your Phone, at the Coffee shop on your personal computer, at a friends house on their PC, etc. This is increasingly beneficial as Apple is trying to fit more and more computing gadgets into our lives (see iPad) – the “authorized devices” paradigm is one of the more confusing systems I’ve seen from Apple.

I think getting consumers access to their entire media library regardless of their location is important. Media is the first step, but documents, applications, user settings, etc can theoretically follow a user around regardless of WHERE or HOW they are accessing the web.

In the near future, high-speed wireless access will be ubiquitous, and the “coverage” wars will seem like the distant past. In this world, the network and its ability to deliver to you YOUR content regardless of access point without having to jump through hoops will be the major selling points. Google and Apple seem the farthest along here, but you never know when another major player (hint: Facebook) might jump in and stir things up.

http://www.techcrunch.com/2010/02/05/facebooks-project-titan-a-full-featured-webmail-product/

I can’t believe I’m saying this… but this could actually happen… I think they could do it. I mean, nearly 1/12 of the world’s population is on Facebook.

They already have the majority of every user’s social graph hooked into it.

WOW, the implications to Google are significant. And this is coming from a Gmail lover/advocate.

-Joenandez

Hello cable providers. Please pay attention.

I’ve said it before, and I will say it again.

When I want to watch TV – I DO NOT say “I wonder what’s on Channel 1546″.

I say “I want to watch LOST.” or Sportscenter. or Lacrosse. Or The OFFICE.

I don’t care what specific channel it is on, I just want to watch that thing. Why do we have to remember channels? It’s about the content, not the number. There has to be some really great shows and channels that I miss or don’t even know about that are playing content I would love. But I will never know, because there is no easy to way to search and discover TV shows.

My question is why? WHY? I’m certain there is a database somewhere that knows what is on and when. I’m sure you can tell what I’m watching, for how long. I’m sure you can tell what people that watch the same stuff I watch are watching. Where are the recommendations? Where is the search? 100% of America must watch TV – maybe I’m naive to believe that data like that actually exists.

WHERE IS MY QWERTY KEYBOARD REMOTE.

Boxee just continues to get things right. Kudos.

-Joenandez

The oft leaked Motorola DEVOUR has been officially announced and on it’s way to Verizon. It has what looks like standard Android specs – running on 1.6 with MotoBlur Social Networking Layer on top, 3 inch screen – nice and compact actually. Good looking phone IMO.

Interestingly enough, VZW has decided (at least it seems this way) to omit the DROID branding from the handset. In Fall/Holiday, VZW launched both the Motorola DROID and DROID Eris by HTC and it seemed as if the DROID moniker was VZW’s attempt to slap a brand on their Android devices. Such sub brands can be advantageous in lifting awareness and building a general mystique (for the geeks) around future products in the line.

One can only conjecture as to the reason for the shun of DROID branding – my personal hypothesis is that they believe this device with it’s MotoBLUR interface is meant for a different target market where the DROID branding would be less impactful. Hint: Not Geeks. Hint: Probably younger consumers who resonate with always on SN.

The geek-focused DROID campaign and even the recent Mom-focused Palm Pre+ advertisements show that VZW is not afraid of very specifically targeting certain demographics/psychographics – regardless of who they might be alienating. They clearly know their customer target and interested audiences for their product launches, and assail them relevant branding and messaging. One can respect that.

But I suppose that really is just the way it should be done. Imagine that.

-Joenandez

Automatic Transmission

Used to be that to drive a car, you, the driver, needed to operate a clutch pedal and gear shifter and manually change gears for the transmission as you accelerated and decelerated. Then came the automatic transmission. With an automatic, the transmission is entirely abstracted away. The clutch is gone. To go faster, you just press harder on the gas pedal.

That’s where Apple is taking computing. A car with an automatic transmission still shifts gears; the driver just doesn’t need to know about it. A computer running iPhone OS still has a hierarchical file system; the user just never sees it.

That’s not to say there aren’t trade-offs involved. Car enthusiasts (and genuine experts like race car drivers) still drive cars with manual transmissions. They offer more control; they’re more efficient. But the vast majority of cars sold today are automatics. So too it’ll be with computers. Eventually, the vast majority will be like the iPad in terms of the degree to which the underlying computer is abstracted away. Manual computers, like the Mac and Windows PCs, will slowly shift from the standard to the niche, something of interest only to experts and enthusiasts and developers.

This is the best way to description I’ve seen of why the iPad is different, and why we (by we, i mean product/tech people) are having a hard time letting go.

-Joenandez

Smart article from NYT – iPad won’t kill Kindle. I made a similar article last week.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/three-reasons-the-ipad-wont-kill-amazons-kindle/

Kindle is for Book Lovers. iPad isn’t.

-Joe