Bauart Creative

I'm Working On My "Whuffie". How About You?

David R Jennings — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 05:00:00 +0000

In Cory Doctorow's 2003 novel, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom (available for free) he foretold of a future currency. A currency not based on cash, but on what cash is really all about, respect and influence. Doctorow called this new currency "whuffie".

The more I consider whuffie the more I like the whole idea. I have come to believe it is a legitimate goal we should all be attempting to achieve. People who work for whuffie are trying to influence those around them in a meaningful way. They are hopefully trying to contribute to, and not take away from, society. We currently live in an economic system where whuffie won't pay the rent, but a trend toward a whuffie based economy is visible all around us.

There are many examples of real-word whuffie. Perhaps it is blue collar whuffie like Habitat for Humanity, white collar whuffie like open-source software, or maybe just one of the many no-collar social media whuffies like Twitter? The way to achieve what you need in life, now or in the past, has always been to gain enough influence which you can exchange for real-world currency. Of course history is full of tyrants who gained their influence by intimidation, war and murder. But in a world where whuffie is currency, anyone who doesn't practice the golden rule will begin to lose their influence and will eventually end up "down-and-out".

In the last few years, with the rise of social networking, we have begun to see the creation of a new type of real-world whuffie that has a tremendous social and financial impact. A top-of-mind example is the increasing influence of bloggers and social networking on old-world media. As their whuffie has grown, the whuffie of newspapers and old-school mass media has faded. Of course many social networks earn real-world dollars, but a large majority are only working for whuffie and receive no financial reimbursement for their efforts. They legitimately compete with, and often out perform, newspapers and old-world media. Competing not for subscribers and advertising dollars but for the respect and influence of the community. The whuffie of this new order has begun to have a powerful effect, just ask the former employees of the Rocky Mountain News.

I think Doctorow is on to something and we should all begin to consider the impact whuffie is going to have in our day-to-day lives.

So... how much whuffie do you have?

Apple Goes Down Market

David R Jennings — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Apple has made a great marketing move, they built their Safari for PC application to look like it belongs on a PC.

I have recently installed the updates for Apple Safari across all my computers. The new version of Safari is fast, safe and VERY reliable. But I have one little observation.

After installing Safari for Windows on my virtual PCs I noticed the design was... well... "down market". If you don't know this phrase let me explain. "Down Market" is a marketing term that refers to aiming low. If, for instance, Neiman Marcus was to decide to sell Walmart branded items in their stores they would be going "down market". If Mercedes was to offer free McDonalds Big Macs with every purchase they would be going "Down Market". If Apple decides they want to draw more Windows users with a familiar user experience, they are most certainly going "Down Market"!

So, is this a good idea for Apple? Well, I have to say YES! The PC version of Safari has been around for about a year now and has had only a marginal impact. If Apple wants to convince PC users to switch they may have to give them something familiar.

So... here's the deal. People who use a PC on a daily bases fall into one of several categories.

A.They are die-hard PC users. They love the Microsoft experience and everything MS. They use it at work, home and on the road. If they are going to try that "wimpy" Apple browser it had better look and feel just like Internet Explorer!

B. They use what is put in front of them. These users never touch their systems. They will use IE6 until the computer dies and they are forced to upgrade. If this group sees Safari pop-up instead of IE it must have been installed by an Admin who knows what's best.

C. They are PC users that like to ride the cutting edge. These guys know that Macs have a good argument, but they feel that the PC is still the best platform for the world. They install Safari for PC to give it a decent workout and see if those guys at Apple are on their game. If they are, they just might make the switch.

D. They hate Apple and are looking for blood. There are a lot of these guys in the market. They know that Apple is for sissy's and they live to prove it. So what if Apple made Safari look like IE! That just proves that IE had the right idea all along!

E. Apple Aspirational - This group has been using PCs since Bill Gates was a teen ager, but they know about Apple products. They love their iPods and iPhones and have even dropped into Apple.com to check out what is on the hot list. This new browser is familiar and A'OK by them.

F. The Die-Hard Mac Users who only uses PCs when forced - Mac rules... PCs suck! The earth would have to be on fire for them to use a PC.

So, take a look at that list. Everyone of those guys is OK with a browser that copies the IE interface. (All except maybe the "die-hard Mac user", and they are already onboard with Mac and don't need convincing.) The rest of the gang see a familiar PC interface as a stepping stone.

Apple you have made one hell of a good marketing move! This may go down as the best thing you have ever done to convince PC users to make the switch to Apple.

South by Southwest 2009

David R Jennings — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Bauart will be attending SXSW Interactive '09 March 13 - 17.

The SXSW Interactive Festival features five days of exciting panel content and amazing parties. Attracting digital creatives as well as visionary technology entrepreneurs, the event celebrates the best minds and the brightest personalities of emerging technology. Whether you are a hard-core geek, a dedicated content creator, a new media entrepreneur, or just someone who likes being around an extremely creative community, SXSW Interactive is for you!

Visit the Official SXSW website. We hope to see you there!

Don LaFontaine - The Voice

David R Jennings — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

One of the greats died recently. Don LaFontaine rewrote movie marketing. His special voice was the magic behind movies ranging from "The Simpsons" to "The Terminator".

Top Five Ways Developers Can Kill the Microsoft Monopoly. Please Take Notes!

David R Jennings — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 06:00:00 +0000

I have watched, listened, and prayed that someone would get their act together and deliver a group of applications that would finally break the monopoly that Microsoft has on corporate America. But alas, no one gets it right. This is puzzling to me because the path seems obvious.

But why you ask, what is so wrong with having Microsoft Office and Windows as the default for business applications? Well..., it's the monopoly mindset. It is the fact that every Microsoft indoctrinated company assumes that everyone else must be Microsoft compliant. They assume that everyone else must integrate with their Microsoft work-flow.

But worse of all these Microsoft reliant companies are stuck in a particular way of doing business that is time consuming, unprofitable, and counter intuitive.

So dear developers... here is my list of ways to make your Non-PC, Non-Microsoft, Non-MS Office products kill the Microsoft Monopoly and be adopted by the Microsoft centric business community.

#5 Create Products That Work With and Like Existing
Microsoft Products (A must have)

From Windows OS to Microsoft Office applications, be damn sure that if the Microsoft application you are competing with can do it, your product can do it as well or better. (Preferably better).

#4 Quick Adoption Lies in Successful
Import / Export Functionality (Get it right!)

Like the previous be damn sure that if a non-Microsoft user imports a document, manipulates it, then exports it out as a Microsoft format, that it will function exactly like it would if it had come directly from another Microsoft product. i.e. If you are writing compatibility alerts to show during import or export YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG.

#3 After Compatibility is Achieved... One-up them!
(But don't go crazy)

This should not be difficult since Microsoft products have a built in crap-o-matic filter that makes most functionality counter intuitive. But here is the rub... DO NOT add so many new whiz bangs that it scares off the Microsoft zombies (I mean their user base). If your new application offers too many whiz bangs this will scare off the weak minded Microsoft drones and we will be back to square one. Choose your whiz bang carefully and make it a good one what works and works well. Then add additional whiz bangs with each product upgrade cycle.

#2 Networking and File Sharing (Make it work!)

This seems to be the buggiest part of the Windows vs. Mac world. I think it is because Windows really REALLY sucks at networking and as a result every IT guy worth his salt comes up with a unique way to make it work better. Therefore the compatibility issues between Mac's and PC arise from the work-a-rounds built into most corporate networks, not the windows systems themselves.

The answer to this problem lies not in just working with Microsoft servers, but in solving the the Microsoft problems for the IT Director. In a perfect world a corporate IT guy could plugin a new Mac or other non-Windows server and know that all the PCs in the office would still see each others files perfectly and share information in a manner to which they are accustom. If you can add to this that the entire office would then run faster and more securely, you will have a winning scenario that even a die-hard Microsoft fan can not refuse. (See #5 above).

#1 Email and Calendaring (A Deal Breaker)

This is probably the most important item on the list. The world now depends on email and office scheduling. Any non-standard, non-Microsoft application that doesn't share email and allow the addition and removal of calendar events with other Windows applications is doomed to failure. DOOMED!

Developers should focus on creating a "rosetta" like application to work with Microsoft Outlook. It should be a middleware application that integrates perfectly with Outlook and allows other non-Microsoft applications to communicate seamlessly with said Outlook. Most non-Microsoft email applications actually do a nice job of out performing Outlook, but they miss the boat when it comes to working with Outlook. To beat them you have to first seamlessly join their network then out perform them at every step.

One More Thing (A New Idea)

The path to killing Microsoft's monopoly, especially relating to Outlook, is to rewrite the problem. Let's face it, the current email standards, including POP, IMAP, and Exchange need to be tossed out the window. They are overly complex and out dated. If you don't believe me... try talking a grandmother through the steps needed to setup an email account. You will quickly go insane! The new miracle application should work with any of the old standards, simplify the setup process, and be more secure than what is currently available. In addition, email and calendaring should ALWAYS go hand-in-hand. Any email that contains a calendar event should be processed accordingly without errors or alerts.

Reinventing email might sound like a pipe dream but a new email / calendaring work-flow will be the silver bullet that kills the Microsoft monopoly. Programmers and developers of the world should unite in this goal to do it better and get it right.

Microsoft IE 8... The Fools Apprentice

David R Jennings — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 06:00:00 +0000

A lot of you nice people go to the Web everyday and don't realize the code war going on behind your screen. This week, despite having lost every major battle they have fought, Microsoft has chosen to continue the browser wars with their upcoming Internet Explorer 8 (IE 8) Web browser.

Let me over simplify a bit to explain.

A few years back most Web browsers worked differently from each other. This was bad. It meant that every Website had to be built to work as expected in each browser. This took developers many long hours and made building functional Websites tricky and often VERY expensive for you nice clients.

A short time later a lot of clever people got together and created some standards for the Web so that all the browsers would work a little better and more like each other. This was good.

A problem arose pretty quickly though. The most used Web browser on the market, "Internet Explorer" made by Microsoft was not following the plan. While the market drove ahead with this new improved browser technology Microsoft lagged behind. Because Internet Explorer was, and is, the most used browser, MANY Websites never switched over to the new plan. Many in fact ignored the new plan and just kept building for the masses who were using Internet Explorer. This is bad. It means that despite the new rules, your Websites still might look different depending on which browser you use, or worse yet might not work at all.

Well, Microsoft felt badly about this and decided to help us out. But instead of adopting the new rules everyone had agreed on they sort of "rewrote" the rules so that all those old sites would still function. (Protecting us from us I guess you could say?) This they called "Quirks Mode". It allowed old sites and new sites to "declare" how they wanted to be displayed. Although it appeared good. This was bad. It didn't solve anything. It meant that everyone building Websites the old wrong way would just keep on doing it wrong. It also meant that everyone who had decided to work to the new plan had to keep going back to the old school way and make their Websites compliant to both versions.

Microsoft felt that if they suddenly switched to the new plan that many old websites would fail. But MANY disagreed and felt that ultimately Microsoft has hurt the entire market by allowing bad technology to remain... well..., bad.

The past few months have heralded the release of a new Microsoft Web browser. It is to be called, "Internet Explorer 8". (Clever name by the way.) Microsoft bravely announced late in 2007 that their new browser would be compliant with the Web standards laid out long ago. Many rejoiced and sang songs of good cheer. This was VERY good. We knew IE 7 and earlier browsers would still be around for a while, but the end of the war was at hand. Until this week.

Microsoft has recently restated their proclamation and announced that the new IE 8 browser will be compliant with the new plan if users decided to turn on what they are now calling, "Super Standards Mode". This, like before, is bad. It means that although the new IE 8 browser has the ability to be compliant with the plan, it will still work as previous browser have.

In the long run nothing is different. Yes, your banking Website will still work next year, but the cost to build, maintain, and keep it running will still be high.

If Microsoft would stop acting like protecting parents and just "make the switch", the rest of the world would follow and the headaches of the past would slowly go away. But alas they appear to be unable to bring themselves to make the change.

Clues That Apple is About to Change Everything With WiMax

David R Jennings — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 06:00:00 +0000

I have to admit WiMax is one of those tech-terms that comes in and out of the ear enough to be rendered forgetful. WiMax, WiFi, Wireless 2G, Wireless 3G, all meld into a kind of techno-babble that you might just miss.

But listen carefully, say the word WiMax out loud, because WiMax is different and is about to change how you access the internet.

The first small clue about Apple Inc.'s plan for WiMax slipped last year when Apple announced that their hot new iPhone would only offer the 2G wireless network from AT&T, a slower technology than most expected. In retrospect trying to push 3G into the iPhone would have either taken longer to implement than Apple wanted, or be cost prohibitive. With what might be announced next week their decision to go with 2G and forget about the cost and delays of 3G could be prophetic.

The big question then, "When will the iPhone get 3G Wireless"? My new guess... NEVER! Why you ask? Because I believe Apple is about to jump past 3G straight to WiMax.

Adopting WiMax would have HUGE benefits for the iPhone, and will probably be complimented by what is about to be released from Apple at the MacWorld 2008 convention next Tuesday. A few leaked photos of preparation for the MacWorld at the Mascone Center have already shown that Mac's theme for MacWorld '08 is, "There's Something In The Air".

So... what exactly is WiMax? WiMax is a wireless digital communications system, also known as IEEE 802.16, that is intended for wireless "metropolitan area networks". WiMAX can provide broadband wireless access (BWA) up to 30 miles (50 km) for fixed stations, and 3 - 10 miles (5 - 15 km) for mobile stations. In contrast, the WiFi/802.11 wireless local area network standard is limited in most cases to only 100 - 300 feet (30 - 100m). Read more from "WiMax.Com" and on the "WiMax Forum"

WiMax could take the place of your home DSL, and/or home Cable. Using high-speed reliable WiMax broadband you could completely forget about your phone company and begin using internet VOIP phone services with more confidence. WiMax will be the next generation beyond 2G and 3G wireless, and the current WiFi standards. It is a "Last Mile" technology that drastically reduces the infrastructure needed to bring internet to your home. It is custom built for urban areas, but will bring phone and internet to remote areas where stringing wire was impractical, and is perfect for a wireless mobile world.

If Apple MacWorld goes as I think it might, it will be a turning point for the internet, broadband, and bring broadband connectivity to more of the U.S. than ever before, and make Apple Inc. the de-facto winner as a wireless connectivity platform.

The Internet is a "Series of Tubes"... No Really!

David R Jennings — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 07:00:00 +0000

In 2006 U.S. Senator Ted Stevens blundered his way through a description of the internet by describing it as "A Series of Tubes" . In 2007 the phrase "World Wide Tubes" occasionally pop'd-up in the American lexicon, often as a digg on Senator Stevens.

After hearing the Senator make this fatal faux paux we at Bauart Creative couldn't stop thinking that maybe he might just be on to something big? To help set things straight for Senator Stevens, and possibly reinvent him as a technical visionary, Bauart Creative Services has just launched a new Web site that will make 2008 the year of the World Wide Tubes .

"World Wide Tubes" Launched on New Years Day January 1, 2008

World Wide Tubes is a site developed by Bauart Creative Services for all the would be Tubers of the world! We constantly search the internet for interesting news stories, important articles, and even occasionally toss in some trivial entertainment. We then sprinkle it with a light dose of jocular commentary and place the news links on one web page for you to gobble up quickly. The concept behind World Wide Tubes is to help all the non-technical Luddites of the world get up-to-speed as fast as the techno-new-dweebies.

I recommend that instead of popping through a dozen Websites each day you get a cup a joe, put up your feet and take it easy. World Wide Tubes has a tube for you. And just like the weather in Texas, if you don't like what you see on the Tubes, then just wait a few minutes and a new Tube will appear for your approval.

Don't forget to bookmark World Wide Tubes and send it to all your friends!

So..PLEASE make a new years resolution to stop sucking from the wrong tube! Become a "World Wide Tuber" and get all your news from the World Wide Tubes !

To Kill or Not to Kill Bit Torrent?

David R Jennings — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 05:37:28 +0000

Let's cut to the chase.... Bit Torrent is just a transport medium, it is not evil, it will not kill, it only conveys what it is given and is capable of no negative chi of it's own. So what's the big deal.... what is a torrent?

Wikipedia says:

BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer file sharing (P2P) communications protocol. A method of distributing large amounts of data widely without the original distributor incurring the entire costs of hardware, hosting and bandwidth resources.

So, How does it work you ask?....

The peer creates a checksum for each piece, using a hashing algorithm, and records it in the torrent file format. When another peer later receives that piece, the checksum of the piece is compared to the recorded checksum to test that the piece is error-free. Peers that provide a complete file are called seeders, and the peer providing the initial copy is called the initial seeder.

So that is as clear and transparent as mud? Let me explain in a way you might understand, "Bit Torrent is an easy way for you to obtain stuff like movies, music, photos, and other online stuff you didn't pay for." Ok... I know.... it can be used for most anything and it's not evil.... I AGREE, but let's face it, anything you get from bit torrent don't cost nothin', and is basically an undocumented way of taking what you want.

This method of acquisition is more commonly called stealing.

Of course there are a few Bit Torrent P2Ps out there exchanging Biblical content, but I bet even they are exchanging bible lessons or Oral Roberts prayers that have been copyrighted by someone other than Jesus. I'm mean... Christ, bit torrent is really easy to use!

I have experimented a bit recently with: Limewire, The Pirates Bay, Bit Torrent, Miro and a few others. (OK to be fair Miro is just a player, sort of like QuickTime is a player, and Pirates Bay is just a warehouse... but hey, they sure make it easy for a klutz like me). All of these systems are just tools where you can search and look for things you don't have.

Last week I missed a TV show I like... A show that I really wanted to see... I mean it's a show about a hot chick who can jump over buildings... that is a must have for me! Of course I could have gone to Amazon and paid for it, or I could have gone to the TV network's Web site and watched it there with all the commercials still intact . But, instead I did a search on Bit Torrent and well... there it was, just laying there. I clicked the 6 million dollar button and it began to download. Two days later it was mine... sort of?

Oh... I didn't mention that part. Bit Torrent isnt' really very fast. The word Torrent is more of a proper noun, and not so much a verb.

If you want to download your favorite show via Bit Torrent you can't be in a hurry. The "Peers" you must connect with might be offline, on vacation, or just have all their bandwidth tied up using Skype or maybe their just having a slow connection day? Occasionally something comes through quickly, but it's always an unexpected surprise.

Another little problem with Bit Torrent's are the dopplergangers and fakes. Often when you hope to be downloading something exciting like the theatrical release of Spider Man 3, you may actually be receiving a low resolution copy of "The best of Punky Brewster Season 4". So after waiting two days for your download you get an evening of Punky Brewster! Damn It !!!! Jeez! I hate this stupid thing!!!!!

After only a few Punky Brewster experiences you start to think that actually paying for Spider Man 3 and watching it when you want isn't so bad after all.

Is Bit Torrent a real threat to the market? Eh... well.... maybe? But it's more a threat to bad VHS dubs being sold on street corners. Don't get me wrong it is a FANTASTIC technology. But ultimately it is a technology being managed by 13 year olds with too much time on their hands.

So here is the alert... Please be on the look out for upcoming government oversight and the attempted legal containment of Bit Torrent. This oversight will initially arrive with endless and unexplainable cease and diciest orders. Why you ask? Because the mass of luddites who think they "know all" are just now hearing the phrase "Bit Torrent" and they have hopes to shoot it down like they did Napster in the 90's.

"Kill Bit Torrent", is the new buzz phrase of the ignorant!

These are the same determined groups that spent a billion trillion dollars trying to save unborn babies with their attempts to abort stem cell research. Of course they are just now learning that some guy from Wisconsin can now make stem cells out of poo. NO REALLY!

Bit torrent isn't evil and it isn't going to kill the movie industry. It might however keep you away from VHS dealers selling copies of Punky Brewster on street corners, so be vigilant!

Other Visitors Like You Are GREAT Clients!

David R Jennings — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:00:00 +0000

Keeping track, taking toll, holding the line and making good time all come into play when maintaining a competitive Website. Most clients tend to overlook or not even realize that their Website has a lot of information to provide them about who is visiting their site and what they like or dislike.

Yes... we ARE talking about statistical analysis. No... no wait, don't run away. It's not going to make your eyes glaze over, in fact you may walk away with a twinkle.

If you have a website and don't check your stats more than once a year you are missing a gold mine of helpful information.

Even the simplest site tracking systems can do more than tally how many visitors you had. The newer number crunchers can tell you what browser they are using, what type of computer they have, what part of the country or the world they are hailing from, what their monitor resolution is set to display. And MOST importantly, which of your pages they visited and how long they stayed.

A few of the more common tools include:

Unique Visitors: This is the term you need to use instead of "Site Hits". A single unique visitor is actually one visit to at least one page of your site. If they visit more pages it is still only counted once.

Visits: If that "Unique Visitor" above visits three pages it would be counted as three "Visits".

Hits: A single "Hit" is any file requested from the server. This number can become very high. A single page on your site might, for instance, have a logo, an HTML file, and a photograph. So each "Unique Visitor" who "Visits" your page would call three files from your server and rack up three "Hits".

Entry Page: This is the first page of your site visited by a Unique Visitor. (This is a great tool to let you know if, for instance, your recent post on an outside site has directed any of those readers to your site.)

Exit Page: This let's you know where the Unique Visitor got bored and left. If you see one page that ranks high on this list you might want to do some improvements.

Visit Duration: Like Entry Page and Exit Page this is self explanatory, but knowing how long a visitor stayed can help you to improve your site. Are many visitors skipping in and then jumping away in less than 30 seconds? Well you might want to improve your external site links so the visitors know more about your site. If they think they are visiting a site about dancing but your site really is about Flamingos, then your site description might be lacking.

The above glossary is just a very short introduction. A good analytics program can give you lots of relevant info and even help you to setup site goals so that you know when a visitor has stepped through your site in a way which indicates they are a possible client. Or maybe like you.... a GREAT client!

So... go visit some of my other site pages!

Genetic TIme Machine

David R Jennings — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:00:00 +0000

Keeping abreast of technology, science and design is a key goal of mine which I enjoy sharing in this column, so I'm always on the lookout for stories that push boundaries in each of these fields. (Even if the "design" is more in-step with creative science rather than the creative arts).

Two groundbreaking papers published today have effectively removed the embryonic stem cell debate that has both tantalized and angered so many over the past decade. A paper by Shinya Yamanaka in the journal Cell in Kyoto Japan, and another by James Thomson of the University of Wisconsin demonstrate that each scientist has independently achieved the same feat of reprogramming a normal human cell back to an embryonic stem cell. Dr. Thomson accomplished this feat using only a normal cell from the cheek of a human female.

This discovery has several effects worthy of note. It allows scientist to continue investigating the genetics of embryonic cells without the nasty side effect of enraging every right-to-life advocate, and it presents a strong argument that it could one day be possible to roll back the time clock on other cells, groups of cells, or organisms. This makes the futuristic sci-fi concept of a pill to re-grow a liver or a kidney a "might happen in our lifetime" concept rather than something for Spock and McCoy to debate in the future.

"I think this is the future of stem cell research," says Dr. Gearhart, the biologist who first discovered human fetal embryonic stem cells. "It's absolutely terrific."

Neither scientist Yamanaka from Japan or Thomson from Wisconsin believe these cells are quite ready for patients... but they can now start talking about when rather than if.

Can ATT Kill The iPhone?

David R Jennings — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 06:00:00 +0000

It is yet to be seen if AT&T can kill the iPhone, but they sure are trying!

The iPhone launch last Friday went well for Apple. Each Apple store was well stocked and their employees were helpful, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable. Many Apple stores actually lined up their employees to cheer each new customer and congratulate them on their purchase. When was the last time you got applause for spending $600!

But, as many of these smiling iCustomers returned home and began the AT&T activation process their iHappiness was replaced with iFrustration.

AT&T Scrambles To Activate iPhones,
And Quickly Falls Short Trying

Slow activation and hidden AT&T family plan charges were the most heard complaints. But others were just as frustrated with the slow AT&T network and spotty coverage.

Our friend Cali Lewis of Geek Brief TV was so turned off by the hidden AT&T family plan fees she announced her intention to return her two iPhones Saturday morning. Her latest Geek Brief update states that she WILL activate her phones, but so far AT&T hasn't gotten around to doing it yet.

Many online reports stated that iPhone customers were having to wait more than 24+ hours to have their phones activated. Obviously AT&T does not have an automated activation system capable of turning on the juice, and an unactivated iPhone can not even do non-phone related task like play music and videos. A more likely scenario is that AT&T is having one of their human staffed service centers do the activations manually. A smoke and mirrors approach to automating the activation process. Why else would it take so long?

An Unactivated iPhone Is So Thin It
Won't Even Make A Good Doorstop!

The Dallas morning news reported Sunday that most AT&T stores had sold out of phones by Friday evening, and only a couple of locations were left with the 4GB $500 models.

As I reported last week AT&T was a poor choice for Apple. Whether this fault lies with Apple, or the other carriers who declined the Apple iPhone is undecided. But if anybody can kill a good iBuzz... it is for sure AT&T!

Will iPhone be myPhone?

David R Jennings — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 06:00:00 +0000

Will you be in line next week to get an iPhone? I'm really having a tough time with this one. Not because of the iPhone, I think it is incredible, revolutionary, and certainly the coolest gadget of the year! I have read all about it, watched the videos of how to use it and would love to be an owner. I live on Macs, check the Apple site almost daily for updates and new widgets, and I have an iTunes music and movie library you would be envious of... no really!

The thing is that the iPhone has one HUGE disadvantage that over shadows everything else and makes it practically unsellable to me. What is this you ask? Let me tell you... it's AT&T. You know these guys, their the ones who have been around since the days of "Ma Bell". Well let's face it, AT&T IS "Ma Bell". If Cingular was still around and competing with AT&T I WOULD be sold. You would see me out in front of the Apple Store the night before the big event with a bed roll and $600.

"AT&T is like Enron and Darth Vader rolled into one megalithic super ugly. They are NOT a favorite!"

As recently as last year I had an AT&T residential phone line. Then one cool spring day I started receiving a new AT&T bill to go along with my regular bill. What's this I ask? Hmmm I don't recall buying a house in North Dallas and calling overseas this much.... must be a mistake. But when I called AT&T, for 4 hours one day, I was told that it MUST be my number. It is after all my drivers license and social security ID linked to the account. Who else would setup a phony telephone line and make calls that are billed to someone else? Apparently I had built a vacation home up North and routed all the AT&T bills to my villa down South. It only took six months and canceling my service to remove this little hiccup from their system.

On a cool spring day this year after a year of happy VoIP service from Vonage, my old AT&T phone line in the hallway began ringing. I hesitantly picked it up, being careful to not let any evil spill on the floor, and said "hello". A lady on the other end of the line, using a frustrated voice I recall from my AT&T days said..., "Who is this and where do you live!". I was of course a little reluctant to give out that info since she was calling on the line from hell. Apparently she had been pleading with AT&T to turn her phone on for a couple of weeks, and each time she called they said, "it IS on". So she finally decided to call her own number to find out where she was. Turns out AT&T had her living at my house. Maybe they should repackage this "feature" as a new dating service?

iPhone myPhone? I'm not so sure? I would be MUCH happier if Apple had received the go ahead from Verizon, or Sprint, or any of the others, but I understand that each were not thrilled about the package Apple laid on the table. Can you imagine the numb-skulls who turned down the iPhone! It is the most talked about gadget of all time and is made by a company who revolutionizes everything they touch. Seems like it would be kind of difficult to say no to that?

In the end I will wait a few weeks to see what happens. I'll listen to find out if the iPhone clients are happy with AT&T, then if results are favorable I will take my $600 down to the Apple store and hope for the best. Maybe this time I will send the bills to my palatial North Dallas estate?

iPhone AT&T 3G Network

David R Jennings — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 19:18:37 +0000

AT&T released today the rate plans for the iPhone, and is now providing information about the AT&T 3G network.

If you haven't heard iPhone hits the stores this Friday June 29th at 6pm

Several of the draw backs for iPhone are evaporating this week as more information is released. The big news released today is the highly awaited Rate Plans from AT&T. Links from Apple.com now show three basic plans, all of which come with unlimited data and video-voice-mail.

The AT&T Rate plans are 450 minutes for $59.99, 900 minutes for $79.99, and 1350 minutes for $99.99. This IS a competitive rate and beats my similar plan from Verizon which runs $39.99 for coverage and $49.99 for unlimited data. (It's the free data that is the surprise).

Another new link from Apple shows the AT&T coverage and includes a click box to see their 3G services. I was surprised to learn that a great expanse of the US is already covered by AT&T 3G service. Most references to AT&T Wireless only mention the slower "Edge" service, but a small text link to a pop-up explains:

The AT&T 3G / BroadbandConnect network is currently available in most major metropolitan areas and is expanding rapidly.

The enhanced 3G service, when integrated into the iPhone itself, will make the iPhone far more palatable as a wireless internet tool. Although lacking internal support for the 3G network at this week's release the iPhone will include WiFi integration which should help compensate for the slow "Edge" network speed when near a WiFi hotspot.

The missing component for me is only the lack of information about whether the iPhone can be used as a modem for a laptop. Having a backup DSL speed modem available through Verizon has saved many wasted hours when cable and high-speed land-lines have failed. I suspect this will be added to the iPhone at some point but may not be wrapped into the initial release. It's a minor issue for most people, but a major life saver for those with spotty or inconsistent land-line service.

Second Life In The Real World

David R Jennings — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 03:57:03 +0000

Second Life is an phenomena. It may be the future of the Web, but sometimes Second Life is kind of "Second Rate". This video is the perfect explanation.

(FYI, if you have never been to Second Life this will make no sense at all).

Specu-GOOGLE-ation

David R Jennings — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 22:00:00 +0000

Less than a year ago Google absorbed a company that may reveal a lot about their long-term strategies.

A Google corporate acquisition usually transforms a company into a free open source tool for everyone, and the change can occur practically overnight. But the acquisition of Jotspot has gone a little differently.

Jotspot is, or was I should say, a collaboration tool built as an easy to use Wiki . A user could setup a Jotspot account, create a collaboration Wiki, add calendars, files, schedules, and work in a team environment with anyone added to the project. It even grew to include photo galleries, and web-based spreadsheets.

When Google acquired Jotspot it was immediately closed to new registrations and the Jotspot pages went dark to everyone but existing paying customers. This strategy wasn't in itself very telling, but now months later I believe the continued absence of Jotspot means that Google is making some significant updates. This long delay probably means the changes are flowing both ways between the two corporate structures, especially considering the language used on the Jotspot FAQ page.

"Google shares JotSpot's vision for helping people collaborate, share and work together online. JotSpot's team and technology are a strong fit with existing Google products like Google Docs & Spreadsheets, Google Apps for Your Domain and Google Groups."

I believe we can look to a revamped Jotspot to emerge very soon. The new tool set will likely continue where Jotspot left off last year but have grown to include a whole new set of business and office tools. Jotspot was getting very close to creating an online office environment went it went dark so you can bet it is not going to let that just drop.

A new Google/Jotspot might look like an online corporate headquarters for your company. Imagine being able to login every morning from home or office and see everyone on your staff that has already checked-in, then be able to instantly share schedules, documents, spreadsheets, inter-office communications, and even have meetings, personal chats and white-board sessions through a single framework. This type of collaboration is not only possible but likely. If you take a few extra steps to include VoIP and video chat the need to get in the Hummer/SUV/Earth Destroyer and drive to work is gone.

Once enough companies take this tack corporate life will become very different. Meetings and presentations would happen virtually, travel would be reduced, and working from a home office would become the norm rather than the exception.

Let me add another "specu-Google-ation" to this forecast. I believe you can look for Google to go shopping for a company like Linden Lab in the very near future. Adding the functionality of a virtual world like Second Life to a Google/Jotspot tool set would be extremely powerful . Virtual worlds are no longer just meet-up joints for teenagers. You're just as likely to bump into a PHD, Architect, or Corporate CEO in Second Life as you are a teenager. Increasingly, large corporate entities are setting up virtual offices in these virtual environments and using them for everything from recruitment to online conferences.

Some of the more influential virtual environment players now include IBM, CNN, C/Net, Reuters, and a hundred or so other corporate juggernauts. Give these guys some business tools from Google/Jotspot in the virtual world and the corporate playing field will become very different, very soon.

The Unannounced Apple Update

David R Jennings — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 05:00:00 +0000

It's been a big week for Apple. Steve Jobs WWDC keynote had some expected news, like the upcoming release of OSX Leopard in October which will include some fun and productive tools.

The big "One Last Thing" announcement was a beta release of Safari for PC. For all you PC people Safari is the free Web browser built for the Mac by Apple. Safari broke some new ground when it first launched, it was one of the first to come with built-in RSS, Tabbed browsing, and a simple clean interface. But, until now, Safari has been unavailable to Windows users.

The blogs are full of statements about the downside to Safari on PC, and that it doesn't match the hype. But Cali Lewis mentioned yesterday on Geekbrief, "It is important to remember the word BETA when comparing Safari on the PC to anything else". Thanks Cali, you're correct! To compare a beta version of Safari to IE7 is a bit unfair. Let's wait until Safari is in full release before we stomp to hard.

Apple's Safari Browser Broke New Ground When First Launched and Set the Bar for Years!

But there is another Apple change that slid under the radar this week. Apple launched a new Web site during Steve's keynote. The previous Apple site was a turning point in internet design. The simple interface managed to show everything you needed without cluttering up the page. It set the bar for many years.

The new Apple layout simplifies the navigation even further and reduces the main top links to only seven links and a search. The new site draws heavily on the use of expandable AJAX based sidebars and quicklinks which show blurbs or thumbnails and expand automatically as you hover over the content.

Apple had been aiming toward this update for the past few months. New pages seemed to not match the old site. Backgrounds went from a uniform white to black, white, and grey. But as the new site comes online the design falls back into a scheme that is planned and calculated.

You should also take notice that Apple.Com is incorporating a lot more video. Flash is a great tool and is used throughout the site, but Apples inroads into broadcast tools shows up frequently, especially on pages that premier a new product or hype an existing promotion.

I think we will all be in for a fun summer of mac this year. Their products continue to amaze, and with the new frame around the familiar Apple web site they are ready to push their products to the masses.

Milan is Multi-Touch

David R Jennings — Thu, 31 May 2007 05:00:00 +0000

As a follow up to last weeks story, "Multi-Touch Has Arrived", we could not ignore the announcement this week of "Milan" from Microsoft.

"Milan" for all practical purposes is Jeffry Hans' Multi-touch. The contents of Microsoft's presentation clearly demonstrate that the two systems are not only similar, but identical.

"Milan" from Microsoft IS Multi-touch!

We watched with great excitement the announcement of Milan. It is fantastic to see this type of user interface reach the market. Although initial cost of more than $5K will put the system out of reach of the average consumer it will, according to Microsoft, be quickly adapted by the business community. Microsoft is apparently reaching out to the kiosk world first with hopes to make Milan the choice interface at every bar, hotel, and train station. From a business 101 POV they are correct, but Multi-touch will be so much more!

See the full story about Milan here.

The only lament from Bauart is that this is coming from Microsoft. Although they have side-stepped their normal vendors to take this product to market, their track record for stylish and innovative is lacking. I think we can expect something similar in the near future from Apple, but instead of hotels and bars think Architects and Designers.

Whether released by Microsoft, Apple, or others... Multi-touch technology is the user interface we will all be using within a very short span of years.

Check out this video of a suspected Apple multi-touch release. It may not place your order for a dry martini, but it would certainly be a double shot for Designers and Art Directors!

Multi-Touch Has Arrived

David R Jennings — Sat, 05 May 2007 20:46:09 +0000

Remember the movie Minority Report and how quickly Tom Cruise could manipulate images and video using a 3-D hand-in-glove system? Well, that Sci-Fi tech was based on the real world tech of interface designer and MIT graduate John Underkoffler. His two handed interface was already on the drawing board when the movie came out and is now a working application looking for a home.

"Gestural computer interface applications are about to change our whole interaction with technology."

Interfacing with your computer using a point-and-click mouse is akin to using a brick to touch-up a painting. Most human dexterity comes from the fingers and hand not the wrist. Pen-tablet systems have been the only interface applications available for computer artist for the past decade, allowing many times the flexibility of a mouse.

Wacom Technology manufactures some of the best pen-tablet systems on the market, and are now offering a blue-tooth wireless tablet which un-tethers the tablet from the computer. But these tablet-pen interfaces will soon vanish along with the mouse to be replaced by even more intuitive systems like multi-touch or the Minority Report hand-in-glove style system.

Multi-touch was introduced about a year ago by Jeffery Han. See Han's amazing public debute of Multi-touch here. It allows the user to manipulate on screen data using simple intuitive hand geastures. Han describes the multi-touch interface as "natural" and says it's basics only takes seconds to learn.

Sometime in June 2007 Apple will be introducing Multi-touch as the interface application for the iPhone . This simplified version of multi-touch will introduce millions to the possibilities of multi-touch in preparation for a roll-out for desktop and laptop systems, (updates that are only now being speculated).

So don't get to attached to your little mouse friend. He has served us well but his point-and-click days are numbered. Once multi-touch and other similar systems hit the market brick users will soon discover they have about seven fingers they have never introduced to their computer.

Firefox Has New Appeal for Safari Users

David R Jennings — Sat, 05 May 2007 15:23:31 +0000

We at Bauart are early adapters. There are not too many techno whiz bangs that we have not heard about, tried, or even promoted. But being Mac users there was no urgency to switch to Firefox and ditch Safari. The security issues all you XP/Vista users worry about is not even on our radar so why bother using anything other than Safari?

Firefox has sat quietly in our toolbars for several years now, but we only go there to check browser compatibility. It is on the list when we export our favorites from Safari but the chances of us dumping Safari to use Firefox.... "not gonna happen"!

"But somehow, month by month, Firefox has edged it's way into our daily routine."

First it was Firefox's "cool" factor with it's nifty ability to be re-skinned to look like any other browser. We now have it decorated to look just like Safari. This makes us feel comfortable and secure.

Then came the increasing annoyances with Safari's ability to play nice with online forms and scripts, especially secure HTTPS sites. (Bauart whispers.... You Safari users know the routine..., you're trying to buy something and Safari works perfectly right up until you hit submit, then suddenly it gives you an error screen asking you to "send a bug report to Apple"... what's with that! We have submitted that bug report about a billion times already!!!)

Next came Firefox's Live bookmarks, a fun little twist on RSS that none of the other browsers seem to understand?

But the last "cut of death" was the introduction the of integrated Google toolbar for Firefox on the Mac. Safari has had a Google Search bar for years, but suddenly Firefox offered not only a search bar which can be greatly customized, but the actual Google toolbar with all the extra plug-ins including site rankings. That did it... now were actually going to "think" about "maybe" "considering" to "possibly" try an application not made by Apple! We each feel dirty inside.

"It's hard to give up Safari. It has served us well and has always been ahead of the pack."

But now that Firefox can look like Safari, play nice with other applications, has better RSS support, better integration with Google and fully supports the Mac as a platform of choice, we have no reason not to switch.

Our last hold to Safari has only been how nicely it handles user favorites and bookmarks, but to be honest our choice bookmark tool is just a third-party plug-in not even built by Apple... damn!

Apple it's time to update Safari! As a group of Art Directors we don't want to go Sans-Safari unless forced. Are you forcing us? The clock is ticking!

Does T-rex Taste Like Chicken?

David R Jennings — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 19:21:52 +0000

Unless you live under a 65 million-year-old rock you have probably heard that a paleontologist from Montana State University discovered soft tissues in an ancient T-rex thigh bone back in 2003. After studying the tissue samples for the past 4 years they have recovered enough material to establish a link between dinosaurs and birds, in this case the humble, and tasty, chicken.

"We can now start to create relationships between extinct and living organisms.... T-rex tests supported the idea that birds are derived from dinosaurs or are closely related."

Apparently three of the seven reconstructed protein sequences were closely related to chickens. The scientist resisted being drawn into speculation on the likely taste of a T-rex drumstick. But wouldn't you want to find out!

So if your asking what this has to do with creative design... well not much. But Bauart is really clucking to help hatch design ideas for any T-rex marketing concepts that are in the works. (Sorry I couldn't resist).

Try out these starter concepts:

-   The T-rex Bucket Buster from KFC
-   Chicken Flavored T-rex Vitamins from Flintsone's
-   The Jurassic Chicken Rollercoaster at Universal Studios
-   Why Did the T-rex Cross The Road Comedy Tour
       starring Jeff Foxworthy

Do you have some other concepts? Post them here, I can't wait!

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