I am one of those people who always have a few phones in their bag or on their person. Not because I am involved in real estate or nefarious pursuits but because I work remote and I travel (My phone usage is a post for another day though.) having more than one phone is essential. Because I don’t want to put all my eggs in the Apple basket, I have often carried an android phone with me, but for the last few weeks, I have been carrying two new phones in my Pocket and I wanted to share my experience.

The two phones are the Nokia Lumia 900 and the HTC one X. Both are much larger screen sizes than my iPhone but I am really ok with that. I am not into giant phones but 4.6 or 4.7″ fits nice in my hand. I won’t get into the specs as you can see a comparison sheet here. What I want to talk about what is more important to me, what it was like to use the phones.

The Nokia Lumia 900

I wasn’t sure I would get to use one of these phones other than the occasional messing with one when a friend from Microsoft would be near by, but fortunately for me I sit next to a VP at Microsoft within the windows phone team at Seattle Sounders matches. One day before a match were sharing product launch stories and the Lumia came up and he offered to send me one. (Disclosure: MS sent me this phone, I didn’t buy it).

I have used this phone the longest of the two and it has been on two trips with me. The phone is strange in someways. It feels good, the polycarbonate case and the construction just seem perfect and it feels nice in your hand when you first pic it up. On the downside though, it seems really thick. Given the form factor this is really confusing because if you do look at a spec comparison I am not sure why they couldn’t go thinner. Also button placement is just wrong. I have hung up on several conference calls by holding down the power button without realizing it.

Windows Phone is getting better all the time. The software seem unique and innovative, so different from iPhone, but still familiar in some ways. But the big drawback is the apps. There are so many apps, but the ones I use everyday are a long way off. No path; No Instagram; none of my travel productivity apps… It isn’t that there aren’t great apps there are just a noticeably fewer amount.   

The other thing that is weird about this phone is that the hardware is underpowered. When you have every modern android coming on multi-core top of the line chips, the Snapdragon S2 just seems slow. It just seems like it isn’t as snappy as the iPhone or the One X. I don’t want to make it about the specs, but the reality is that when you have multiple phones you can feel the difference and see the difference when you use them.

As a phone the Nokia really shines though. I have used it for every conference call for the last three weeks and without a doubt it sounds more clear than the iPhone and the speaker feels more clear than the speaker on the iPhone. Hands down this is better.

The HTC One X

Ever since they announced this phone I have wanted to get my hands on it. I went to my local AT&T store as soon as it was available. The first thing I would say is this phone was meant to be held. I love it. The polycarbonate feels really nice and the shape is so thin… It feels thinner than it is because of the design. I really like it. Compared to the Lumia you can see in the picture it isn’t so much thinner but difference between 12mm and the 9.3mm is huge.   

Unlike previous android phones, this phone feels really nice. Sense is out of the way. The phone is snappy and the resolution is very sharp. I like using this phone. If you haven’t used Ice Cream Sandwich, this is the first build of android that feels like they thought about the user. It is much more polished and even more important you nee

The camera is super sharp and is probably one of the better features. It isn’t perfect but better than most phone cameras outside of the iPhone. Here is a pic from a Sounders match:

The only thing I don’t like about the white version of the phone is the polycarbonate material seems to get dirty real easy. I am cleaning it a lot right now.

One other thing that I haven’t figured out is at least three mornings I have grabbed the phone off the charger to find it had not charged. I don’t know if this is because of user error or because some hardware or software issue.

The thing I don’t understand.

Check out this picture of the box. Both phones came in AT&T boxes and wrapped in “don’t text and drive” vinyl protectors. They both load with an AT&T screen and have the logo on it. One thing you notice about Apple and the iPhone is that no matter where you get it. The phone is an iPhone. No messy interstitials to remind you that you are a slave to AT&T for the next 2 years and the packaging makes you feel like the phone is a gift. Both these phones have a bunch of AT&T crapware installed and the packaging makes it look like the first feature phone you ever owned.

This really bugs me because it lowers the quality of the experience. AT&T is where I get my service. They didn’t make the phone. Can you imagine best buy or target telling some manufacturer that if they want to be on the shelf they need to brand everything with their brand. It wouldn’t happen. (I am ignoring subsidization issues of course, but lets be real the consumers brand attachment begins at the box.)

These are both really good phones and I am pretty sure I haven’t enjoyed using a phone since my first iPhone as I feel when I use the One X.   

Look I know you can’t help yourself. You saw some post on a blog and now you want to waste your day ranting about the topic. I have an idea:

Go back to work.   

Better yet: Find a hobby. I suggest yoga. (I mean look at her, doesn’t she seem happy)

There is nothing wrong with getting involved in industry discussions if it helps you learn or adds to your bottom line, but my reaction to the daily drama is stay out of it. You will make more money, be happier and live longer.

Seriously: If it doesn’t add to your bottom line or happiness just stop.

In the mean time I am muting you on twitter.

As a fan of vintage sneakers (I refuse to tell you how many I have) I have two problems when I get a pair I really love. If I wear them too frequently I will wear them out and how do you keep a pair clean living in the wet and dirty Pacific Northwest. So I was thrilled to learn about the Jason Markk Premium Shoe Cleaning kits a couple of months. back.

The cool thing about the kits is that it makes the usual job of keep your shoes fresh a snap. I am not sure what is in the solution they send, I understand is a mixture of soap and some oils, but it will keep your shoes looking and smelling great. According to the site the cleaner does not contain any harsh chemicals or abrasives, is 98.3% natural, and is completely biodegradable. Good for sneakers and good for the environment.

I know for a lot of sneaker lovers like me, you want to keep them dead stock, but what is the fun in that. Shoes were meant to be worn. I highly recommend you keep this in your kit of essentials at home so your shoes are always fresh and clean.

Anyone who has talked to me about travel and work in the last three years knows what a fan I have become of the Mission Workshop bags. Easy to clean and super durable for travel or daily use. I am amazed at how much stuff I can cram in my bag.

I came across a video yesterday (H/T Hypebeast) of a new line they are launching with a unique closure system and special military spec MOLLE system for adding modules. Check out the demo video they shot. I can’t wait to see what bags will be in the line up and might be worth checking out as a future pack.

Every strategy begins with a business goal and persons responsible for those outcomes. When we think about how to hire or even how to be a digital strategist, I often wonder what qualities we should be looking for in those individuals. I decided a while ago I should make a list. I keep refining it, but here is what I have so far.

1. An inventor

The last times I interviewed a digital strategist I asked one question? When was the last time you invented s something and what what was it? I am not looking for a patent list from the person but really the question is about when was the last time they dug so deep they created a new process or solved a problem that had never been solved before.

A great digital strategist is a creator, not a promotor. A great digital strategy is always an act of creation. Bringing something to life that hasn’t been seen before. If you are a digital strategist at any level and it has been a while since you feel you have really created, don’t you think it is time to start?

2. An Integrator

A great strategist is not a divider. They bring people together. Becoming an integrated team player though is hard. Sometimes you have to fight for every inch so it is easy to run over people an not bring them on the journey, but the best among us know how to how to help bring people along in the context of making something great. It isn’t glamorous. but it is the job of the strategist to bring people together.

3. Empathetic

So many of us fight to be the smartest guy in the room. But sometimes there is a higher calling and that is tough to say, because I have fought tooth and nail to be the smartest guy in the room. But you know what we need are not here just to show off our brilliance. We also are not here to make the inevitable happen. We are the gatekeeper that can answer is this useful to our customer. We are the measurable part of the business, so being open to listening has to be key.

4. Unyielding

I have had a vision of where I have wanted my business to be. After almost 3 years we move closer and closer all the time. Creating the strategy is easy, but companies are political beasts and the best among us look to crush the low hanging fruit, but they also realize you are playing the long game. Companies compromise, but customers don’t. Your job is to drive to result the customer is expecting. You may not get there tomorrow. but you have to keep moving forward on step at a time.

The unyielding strategist doesn’t get caught up in trends but instinctively knows where to go next. This is key to a future for your team and company that doesn’t just chase the wind.

So, what happens next?

We are not creating websites, applications or services – the strategies we create are the technological articulation of how we add new value to the marketing platform or product. The core of any business is understanding how to ad something valuable to a situation. We must remember that at the core of the strategy mindset: Understanding the businesses core value and how to modernize, strengthen, increase or extend on it. That is what we are here for.

“Gonna blast squeeze first ask questions last so-called gangsters pass”

Last week marked the 15th anniversary of the death of the Notorious B.I.G. and somewhere in Austin at SxSW a white nerd is pouring a 40 in 6th ave in his honor. As for me I have had this mashup playing non-stop.

I was disappointed with Lana Del Rey’s album, even though the early released material was cool, her live performances have been terrible. However, the atmospherics she provides mashed up with Biggie is amazing. This is the real deal.

DJ Terry Urban mashed up this unusual combination and it is one of the hottest things I have heard all year. Del Reys vocals at the beginning of Money is the anthem are spooky and amazing when the voice of Biggie pops over the top. If you need a album to get you through the rest of the winter, I think this is it.

Education is hot space in the startup scene right now. There isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t see some new startup on Hacker News that is focusing on education or learning. I won’t get into the politics of it, but it is clear that it is a space ripe for disruption. I am always looking for ways to keep my skills sharp and the educational startup can be one way to keep you learning.

I mentioned in a previous post on learning to code that startups like Codeacedemy and I have been using Coursera to take the free classes at Stanford. But what if you just want to learn a simple skill or learn from a particular industry expert. I have been playing around with a few sites that try to leverage social and video to train you.

Here are a few I have been playing with:

Teeks For Geeks

Strange name sure but the idea seems simple; Professional IT training and community. The videos are short but focused lesson with quizzes and the opportunity to make the learning less lonely with some community elements built into the site. There is some good collections of content here that will help the IT beginner or the pro looking to learn more.

Udemy

I found Udemy when a friend sent me a video of her teaching a class on marketing. I found it really useful and have since watched a number of other videos. They offer free and paid courses on a number of topics. A pretty cool opportunity with Udemy is to create and run your own class. I have toyed with idea of recording some of my talks and sharing them there as a way of improving and developing them further.

Khan Academy

This guys is the big fish. If you haven’t heard of Khan Academy you must be living under a rock.

A non-profit, Khan has a goal of providing a world class education to anyone, anywhere. I have listened to a ton of lectures on economics, programming, and algebra.

There really isn’t a good excuse not to keep learning. I found this Quora on hacking edu that if you are interested in the education space is worthing following.

http://www.quora.com/hackingedu

Photo by Stijn De Clercq used under Creative Commons

I was staring at a spreadsheet tonight created by someone else to track progress and was in awe about how so much information could tell me so little about what was going on. Thinking about this and some other things going on in my business life I was reminded of the following quote:

Because by nature we tend to add when we should subtract, and act when we should stop and think. Because we need some way to consistently replace value-destroying with value-creating simplicity. Because we need to know how to make room for more of what matters by eliminating what doesn’t.

The great companies routinely eliminated activities and pursuits that did not significantly contribute to the following criteria: profit, passion, and perfection.

May, Matthew E.; Guy Kawasaki (2009-05-09). In Pursuit of Elegance: Why the Best Ideas Have Something Missing (p. 12). Crown Business.

Lets try and remember this more. ok.

I flew out to Austin in December to help with this little show we put together. These guys put on a great live set and they were very cool hanging out for a few hours after the show with their fans. Check out the video below we put together for the event:

If you get a chance to visit Austin, Momo’s was a great bar too. The staff there was excellent if you need to throw an event or just want to go catch a band play.

I travel a lot. I have learned to love hotels. Especially really nice hotels. So when I read an article by on the eConsultancy website explaining that the Four Seasons Luxury hotel chain had just launched a new mobile friendly upgraded website. I had to check it out. Hotel websites, like restaurants and luxury brands seem stuck creating awful web experiences and according to the article from eConsultancy they wanted to improve the percentage of bookings that occurred from the 30 million annual visits.

The site does have some nice features and the booking process is up front and center, but I was a little shocked when I visited the site. I would have called this site slick about five years ago, but it doesn’t even compare to the travel site Jetsetter, and there are lots of technical and content issues with the site.

I thought I would share with you, some of what they got for their 18 million:

Forget being found

Probably the first thing I noticed when I went to the website was a strange redirect. I typed in the URL www.fourseasons.com and was redirected via a 302 redirect to the development or staging server www.preview.fourseasons.com. As you wander the site you find lots of strange redirects all using the 302 rather than a 301 redirect. I found some terrible search issues my favorite was this in the robots.txt file:

############################ # DO NOT REMOVE THIS FILE # ############################ # this file tells all robots they are not allowed to crawl any part of the site # It is served instead of robots.txt on servers that are not PRIMARY # only the live production server is PRIMARY #

User-agent: facebookexternalhit

Disallow:

User-agent: *

Disallow: /

Yes, it is true that they launched the new site, blocking the site to web crawlers. When they see the traffic from search engines die over the next few weeks I wonder if they wil be surprised.

It’s buggy

At the time I checked it, this site didn’t look like it was ready for prime time. The big win was supposed to be the mobile experience, but on both my iPad and my iPhone the site would jump from the mobile experience to their full site. The full site is not even slightly friendly on the phone this was supposed to be the big win, but it appears that it inconsistently seems aware of my user agent.

Check out a couple of shots:

It’s slow

Most travel sites have big beautiful photography, and this can bog down a site, but from a quick glance it looks like the site is using a CDN to cache and improve performance. SO why is it so slow. Images on my very fast internet connection took forever to load and when they did they rotated so fast they were making me ill. When I look at Jetsetter they have similarly large images but the template loads quickly. And when I did look at the reservations tool the available rooms pages took just as long as other pages to load.

Am I wrong?

Maybe I am being unfair, the site was just launched, but when I hear a brand rebuilt their site from the ground up for 18 million dollars I am expecting a site worthy of sharing. Instead, I see a site that doesn’t even really have the attention to detail that I would expect from a brand like the Four Seasons. I can imagine how a lot of the problems were introduced…

But quite frankly, I am shocked by the sticker price, with that kinda number you expect a site that really pushes the boundaries and functions well. It just seems like a hot mess. I feel like I am working in the wrong industry at the moment, because if I had 18 million you wouldn’t find simple bugs on launch day let alone major issues. Perhaps a few of us should create an agency that caters to companies with unbelievable budgets and low-expectations.

Getting it right is really hard and it is clear that budget is not a guarantee to deliver a great experience for your brand. It just feels like they missed the mark and all the bugs are hard to overlook.

UPDATE: In case some on from Four Seasons sees this and wants to reach out I made a list of other issues that people have sent me that they found, including some security vulnerabilities that are real issues. You can use my contact form and I will send my list.

UPDATE #2: It appears they fixed a bunch of the deployment issues I found and they are no longer redirecting to the staging domain. I did check and it looked like they were loosing some URLs in the search engines. There are still a lot of issues. Its tough to watch.