Category: Mobile

Kindle Touch: Sleeping Evil?

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Example of a Special Offer on the Kindle TouchTake a look at this example of a Special Offer that arrives via WiFi on the Kindle.  It only appears when the Kindle is “sleeping” and never interrupts the reading experience.  A small banner also appears in the footer of the “Home” menu that’s typically a smaller version of the same offer.

I used to receive offers featuring women doing yoga, women washing their hair with Dove shampoo, and deep discounts on chocolates from someplace in Boston.  I just started receiving announcements about “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” movie.  As a guy I have to admit that the Kindle was downright unmanly for the first few weeks.  Now I seem to be receiving more generic Amazon offers.

I don’t mind.

Since I purchased a Kindle a few weeks ago, I’ve started reading again.  My wife found an amazing custom designed leather cover for my Kindle, and I can’t put the thing down.  The Kindle brilliantly achieves the following:

  • Provides a solid reading experience at a reasonable cost
  • Creates a new category of display advertising with a growing install base
  • Directs readers to interesting book ideas but protects choice
  • Makes the purchase transaction seamless and almost invisible

My only complaint is its handling of PDF files.  At first I was thrilled to email journal articles to my Kindle address with the idea of reading them later.  But the Kindle renders PDFs like an image…and my Kindle Touch really wasn’t designed for images.  Maybe it’s better on the Kindle Fire.

Mobile isn’t about distance.  It’s about the subtle changes it creates in your day-to-day habits and routine.  I have fond memories of wandering the stacks at independent booksellers (now gone) in Cambridge, and I viewed the Kindle as a threat.  The reality is that the Kindle takes that exploratory experience and puts it in your hands…even if you live in the ‘burbs now.

I’ve just learned that I can save 50% on pancakes somewhere in Boston.  Hmmm…I wonder what Amazon is going to do with my attention next.  For now I don’t care…too many interesting things to read.

mCommerce and Eggnogg’n Tea

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A Box of Bigelow Eggnogg'n TeaIt took a box of Eggnogg’n Tea (with dancing penguins) to realize that I was totally wrong.

After eTail Boston last August, I wrote about how my life wasn’t that mobile.  I was rockin’ an ancient Blackberry and wondering why I should bother with mCommerce, upgrade to a smartphone and pay for an unlimited data plan.  I spend most of my time in front of a laptop, or commuting a short distance between home and work laptops, and it just didn’t add up.

The Blackberry finally croaked and I splurged on an iPhone 4s.  I traveled to New York for eMetrics and then Chicago to meet with the amazing eCommerce team at Quill.  I was driving somewhere outside of Deerfield when I asked Siri to find a good lunch spot.  Four options popped up faster than you can say “White Sox.”  And now I anthropomorphize my iPhone 4s AI…she’s earned it.

I’ve been back in Boston for a few months now, and some of the novelty has worn away.  Today I walked into the local Stop n’ Shop to stock up for the week and was greeted by a display full of Bigelow Eggnogg’n Tea.  I hate eggnog, but Becky likes it…however, I have been warned that eggnog is not a welcome surprise this year.  The side of the Eggnogg’n Tea box not adorned with dancing penguins touts all the good stuff that is eggnog without the guilt!

My old im-mobile self said “Hmmm” and just kept walking towards the fruits and vegetables isle.  And then my mobile-me stopped cold…took out my iPhone, and did a quick Google search on Eggnogg’n Tea (I confess…I like to say and type the word “Eggnogg’n”).

Reviews appeared…all pointing skywards!  This is a product that clearly satisfied the needs of eggnog lovers without the risks of saturated fats, excessive calories and (occasionally) raw eggs.

And I added a box to my cart, finished my shopping, and brewed a cup for my wife who said “hey…this is good stuff!”

You don’t need to be a road warrior to be “mobile” and it has nothing to do with distance. The real power of mobile can be felt in the subtle ways it changes your day-to-day routines.  Next article will be about my new Kindle…

 

 

ETail Boston: Noodles, Networks and Noses

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I wandered away from eTail Boston a little early to get some fresh air.  Mobile commerce and Social commerce were big topics this year.  My problem is that I’m simply not that mobile or social…I wake up, get the kids ready for preschool, scan gmail on my aging Blackberry, drop the kids off, and work in front of a laptop for most of the day.  So I went mobile and decided to enjoy a walk down Boylston St. instead of listening to another talk about the amazing ways to shop using phones or tablets that I have yet to adopt because I really need to spend the money on repaving the crumbling heap that is my driveway.

I also decided to get some fresh air because my cold from last week went mobile, invading my sinuses so badly that even a broth of spicy Asian noodle soup from Wagamama washed blandly down my throat.  A few blocks and cough drops later, I gave up and headed back to my car to make the early bird rate at the Prudential garage.

And then I did something remarkable…

I opened Google on my ancient Blackberry and held the little green phone button as instructed to voice search.  I croaked the name of my doctor’s office…and waited a few minutes for the number to appear.  I called and shared my woe with the receptionist, who asked me to hold for a moment to speak with a Nurse Practitioner.  While holding, I followed my Garmin GPS’ commands to escape Boston via the Mass Pike.  The nurse arrived before I made it to the tolls, asked about my symptoms, and promised to call in a prescription for antibiotics if I would please stop using my phone while driving.  It was an easy sell.  I hung up and drove the remaining 20 minutes to the CVS in Wellesley (on my way home) to pick up the prescription and a box of industrial strength tissues.  I scanned my CVS card while making the purchase, and watched my receipt grow into a small Torah of coupons for things I don’t believe I need.

At eTail Boston I listened to lots of presentations about mobile and the challenges surrounding multi-channel marketing.  I didn’t pay my doctor or purchase my prescription or even look for a discount on my box of tissues from my mobile device.  Mobile shines as a lifeline that quickly assembles information from people and systems while you’re on the go.

Fewer Choices Make Happier Phone Customers?

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Droid or iPhone…Driod or iPhone.  I’ve been thinking a lot about the replacement for my aging Blackberry.  Here’s the dilema…my choice has little if anything to do with the ability to make a call.  I use a Mac at home and I may never go back to a PC for personal use.  Let me correct that last statement…I love using a Mac at home.  It’s a work of art, and it appeals to my appreciation of design and aspiration to create something magnificent (whether I do or have is an entirely different question).  My wife has an iPhone and we have plenty of apps on it.  I’m not entirely sure what apps I would download immediately.  But I am certain that the iPhone will work as intended and not require a lot of fiddling to enjoy it.

The Droid will work with my current wireless provider.  I am in awe of its power and utility.  It’s a Google phone with endless possibility for development and customization.  I would really like to think that I’m as smart as the average Google employee  and that I have enough time to explore my choices and implement them quickly.  But the truth is that I’m not a rocket scientist and I’m always short on time.  I don’t really enjoy customizing my phone…or my PC at work….or my Mac at home.  There are tons of features and customizations I could make to my Mac.  But time is short and I’m satisfied with the experience.

So at the end of the day I’m really choosing between two brand identities, the more wonkish “I can create anything / Google genius” Droid or an iPhone that broadcasts my support for design but recognizes my surrender to whatever Apple thinks I should be doing on my phone..

Two great choices.  Maybe I should think less and simply choose the one that makes a better call?

Brilliant Design: A Blog Post Fit for the iPad

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My friend David Burmon (and partner here at Walden) purchased an iPad for his wife as a Mothers’ Day gift over the weekend.  This is not unusual for David.  I’m writing from my new MacBook Pro and I’ve read a few articles about the iPad (and held one in the Apple store before a lunch meeting) so I asked him how well the gift was received.  His reaction was very unusual for David; he raved about the thing….using a long string of explicatives (which is not uncommon for David….but usually reserved for important matters like his amazing collection of baseball memorabilia).  That great, eh?  Over lunch I did a bit more Google research and found a great blog post about the iPad by my friend Chuck Hollis.  Go ahead…read it.  It will only take a minute or two…

Why is Chuck’s post great?  Notice his conversational style and use of smaller, focused paragraphs.  And of all of the iPad hype, I don’t know anyone who has written a more effective title.  The post invites us to watch Chuck’s family as though it were an episode of Modern Family (which also features a bit about the iPad); it’s a great short-story in the making.

And here’s the interesting part, now that you’ve read his post.  We learn about the iPad, a consumer product with massive visibility.  We also learn a lot about Iomega, a subsidiary of EMC with a lot less press than the latest Apple brainchild.  By including Iomega in an iPad story the reader is subtly invited to consider doing the same;  I identify with Chuck’s story…and I consider an Iomega NAS device as part of my new Apple home reboot.

I haven’t asked Chuck if the Iomega mention was just part of the story or a more intensional tip-of-the-hat to his employer but it doesn’t really matter.  The sincere blend of personality and technology create an experience that is at once informative and enjoyable.  Nice job Chuck!