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When Agile Isn’t the Best Thing for the Client

Terry Bunio wrote this outstanding article for PM Hut describing why the difference between Agile and Waterfall methodology doesn’t need to be as black and white as you might think.

Check In, Don’t Check Up

Mike Cohn is a leader in the field of Agile development and in this article he describes how to follow-up with your team without seeming a nag.

Tips and Tools to Manage Your Project More Effectively

Jennifer Whitt talks about some of the essential steps to running more efficient, organized projects.

Excel as a Project Team

Dmitri Ivanenko, PMP describes some of the traits that successful project teams have in common.

Daily Scrum: Not Just for ScrumMasters

Another jewel from Mike Cohn. Scrum meetings can often devolve into a daily “status meeting.” Here are some helpful tips for a project manager to keeping them on track.

Dethroning the iPad from its place atop the tablet world will be no small feat. As our own Jill Krumsick documented early this year, Apple has a staggering lead in tablet market share. While competitors Samsung, RIM and Motorola have leveraged their experience and brought considerable marketing budgets to bear, they still find themselves falling far short. Nobody has even made a noticeable dent in iPad dominance.

Source: ChangeWave Research

Many people believe that where so many others have failed, Amazon will succeed. It could be said that Amazon’s current Kindle is already iPad’s stiffest competitor, even though it’s not technically an apples-to-apples comparison (pun intended). While Amazon tends to be tight-lipped regarding exact sales figures, many reported numbers as high as 8 million units during 2010. Compare that to just fewer than 15 million units for Apple, and it sure looks like a solid number two in the market to me. Really, Amazon doesn’t need to depose iPad. There is plenty of room with consumers for both products. The tablet pie will only continue to grow as more users decide to go mobile and leave their old PCs behind. Competition always makes products better, and Amazon and Apple will continue to push each other to innovate.

So what about some specs on this mystery product? According to sources, the upcoming tablet release will feature a 7-inch color touchscreen with a 10-inch version planned for 2012. The tablet does support multitouch gestures similar to an iPad. It is rumored to have a mini-USB port. Alas, no camera for all you shutterbugs out there. However, the real news is that while the device is based on a flavor of Android, Amazon has forked the open-source operating system and created its own version. The interface is branded Amazon and looks little or nothing like the Android interface of other tablets. This would make sense for Amazon, which wants to enter the market on an established platform. Android already has a thriving developer community and a catalog of apps for download. But the Amazon team wants to have more control over their environment, and that is exactly what forking Android does for them. All future releases of the Kindle tablet will be based on this new source code, and if Amazon decides to incorporate later releases of Google’s software, it will be on their terms and behind the scenes.

There are several reasons why this venture into tablet computing makes sense for Amazon. First of all, the Kindle has been a huge success as Amazon’s initial hardware offering. While content remains their primary business, they have found a way to make the hardware profitable as well. Sales for the device continue to top Amazon’s electronics category. Also, Amazon has learned a great deal from the Kindle about streamlining production costs. The entry-level price point for a Kindle has continued to become more attractive, dropping to $114, which is very reasonable for the average consumer. It would stand to reason that the e-commerce giant could expect similar sales from a Kindle-branded tablet device. Rumors abound regarding the expected consumer cost for the upcoming device, but some have it as low as $250. At half the cost of the iPad, it is attractive enough for serious buyers to take a long, hard look before making a decision on any tablet purchase.

Cost is not the true advantage for the Amazon tablet. After all, Samsung and other competitors have already entered the market with prices below Apple. The edge that puts Amazon above the rest is the existing content delivery infrastructure. The success of all Apple iOS products has been largely dependent on the integration of iTunes and the App Store. No other manufacturer has such a massive content network in place to support their hardware…until now. Amazon already has relationships in place with publishers of all media types. They have a massive user base already shopping over their network. And they now have a fully integrated Amazon App Store. Amazon is poised like nobody else to compete directly with Apple at every level.

Related articles:

• Is Amazon’s Knife Sharp Enough to Carve into the Tablet Market?
• Amazon App Store for Android Reportedly Live Outside U.S.
• Amazon App Store Opens to Australia, Canada, Europe, More
• New Amazon Kindle Tablet: A Threat to the iPad?
• Amazon Site Redesign Is Final Puzzle Piece for Kindle Tablet
• Amazon’s Kindle Tablet Won’t Be for Geeks
• How “Open” Will Kindle Tablet Be?
• Amazon to Launch 7? Android Tablet for $250 in November
• Kindle Tablet Thoughts and Wondering What It Means for Kindle 4

General requirements

Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or Xeon processor
2GB of memory
OS X v10.6.6 or later (v10.6.8 recommended)
7GB of available space
Some features require an Apple ID; terms apply.

Some features require a compatible Internet service provider; fees may apply.

Feature-specific requirements

Time Machine

requires an additional hard drive or Time Capsule (sold separately).

Photo Booth

requires a FaceTime or iSight camera (built in or external), USB video class (UVC) camera, or FireWire DV camcorder. Backdrop effects when using a DV camcorder require fixed focus, exposure, and white balance.

FaceTime

Video calls require a built-in FaceTime camera, an iSight camera (built in or external), a USB video class (UVC) camera, or a FireWire DV camcorder; and a 128-Kbps upstream and downstream Internet connection. Making HD video calls requires a built-in FaceTime HD camera and a 1-Mbps upstream and downstream Internet connection. Receiving HD video calls requires a supported Intel-based Mac.

Screen sharing

in iChat and the Finder requires a 128-Kbps Internet connection (300 Kbps recommended).

iChat

Audio chats require a microphone and a 56-Kbps Internet connection. Video chats require a FaceTime or iSight camera (built in or external), USB video class (UVC) camera, or FireWire DV camcorder; and a 128-Kbps upstream and downstream Internet connection.

Backdrop effects when using a DV camcorder require fixed focus, exposure, and white balance. Some iChat features offer better performance and quality with higher system capabilities. More details
AirDrop

supports the following Mac models:

•  MacBook Pro (Late 2008 or newer)
•  MacBook Air (Late 2010 or newer)
•  MacBook (Late 2008 or newer)
•  iMac (Early 2009 or newer)
•  Mac mini (Mid 2010 or newer)
•  Mac Pro (Early 2009 with AirPort Extreme card, or Mid 2010)

Boot Camp

supports existing Boot Camp installations with Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows Vista, or Windows 7. New Boot Camp installations require Windows 7 (sold separately).
Exchange support

requires Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 Update Rollup 4 or Exchange Server 2010. Auto-setup requires enabling the Autodiscovery feature of Microsoft Exchange Server.

QuickTime X movie capture

requires a FaceTime or iSight camera (built in or external), USB video class (UVC) camera, or FireWire DV camcorder.

OpenCL

requires one of the following graphics cards or graphics processors:

•  NVIDIA GeForce 320M, GeForce GT 330M, GeForce 9400M, GeForce 9600M GT, GeForce 8600M GT, GeForce GT 120, GeForce GT 130, GeForce GTX 285, GeForce 8800 GT, GeForce 8800 GS, Quadro FX 4800, Quadro FX5600
•  ATI Radeon HD 4670, ATI Radeon HD 4850, Radeon HD 4870, ATI Radeon HD 5670, ATI Radeon HD 5750, ATI Radeon HD 5770, ATI Radeon HD 5870
•  AMD Radeon HD 6750M, AMD Radeon HD 6770M, AMD Radeon HD 6970M

Gestures

requires a Multi-Touch trackpad, Magic Trackpad, or Magic Mouse.

VoiceOver gestures

require a Multi-Touch trackpad or Magic Trackpad.

Mac App Store

is available only to persons age 13 or older in the U.S. and many other countries. Requires compatible hardware and software and Internet access; broadband recommended (fees may apply). Terms apply.

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Attention! The Internet is no longer just a supplement for old media. In the past few years, we have witnessed the rise of the first generation of legitimate Internet superstars. These are not old media icons that translated their fame into digital success. Rather, they utilize technology as their primary medium because they were raised with it. They are as comfortable with digital distribution as the average Boomer is watching television or reading a book.

Stars like Jonathan Coulton, The Gregory Brothers, Rhett and Link and The Lonely Island have surpassed simple cult status and rocketed into the mainstream of American consciousness. If these names don’t sound familiar to you, it’s not because you aren’t acquainted with their work. The Lonely Island is a comedy troupe composed of Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone and Andy Samberg, whose work you have no doubt seen on “Saturday Night Live.” You have likely heard Jonathan Coulton on NPR’s “All Things Considered” or in the hit video game Portal. Coulton makes his songs available under a licensing agreement that allows fans to create their own music videos or alter the compositions in strange and unique ways. These fan mashups help to spread Coulton’s work far and wide and make it almost impossible to calculate his current reach.

The Gregory Brothers broke out in 2010 with the “Bed Intruder Song,” which to date has been viewed over 75 million times (plus another 20 million on their iTunes extended version).

Comedy duo Rhett and Link, who call themselves “Intertainers,” turned their successful YouTube video “T-Shirt War!!” into an opportunity to re-create the short as a 30-second commercial for McDonald’s and Coca-Cola.

This April, some of these successful YouTube musicians are taking their talents on the road for the first YouTube concert tour. Catch acts like the aforementioned Gregory Brothers and Mystery Guitar Man along with Dave Days, Destorm and Ricky Ficarelli on a 27-city tour starting in April. Dubbed the Digatour, this lineup is composed solely of YouTube stars and looks to increase the exposure of the channel as a primary vehicle for success.

And, of course, how could I write an article about Internet celebrities without mentioning Justin Bieber, who was discovered when a talent manager happened across his YouTube videos. Beiber is a force unto himself right now, and there is no telling how high his star will rise. Whether you are a fan or a hater, let’s face it, “Bieber Fever” has gripped the nation, and he is enjoying megastar success like other teen idols before him. The one difference, it all started with a YouTube video.

It’s time to come to terms with the fact that Internet entertainment is not just a platform for LOL Cats and YouTube isn’t just a place to post funny videos of cute kids. Reality is starting to set in, and that reality tells us that more and more young talent is choosing to distribute their work online where they have greater control over the way the content is delivered. Also, it’s worth noting that the types of media that can be uploaded, streamed, linked and viewed online are raising the bar for all forms of information consumption. Digital distribution has invaded your computer, your car, your phone, your television and any other device powered by a chip. Unlike what television did to radio before it, the Internet is not looking to surpass old media. It’s looking to completely replace it.

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The most important Internet-capable device in your life may very soon be your television. The Web is poised to invade your living room and revolutionize the way we consume media. Companies like Apple and Google have introduced products this year that transform the way we watch television. What these Internet-capable set-top boxes provide is what has always been the promise of the Internet, convenience. Traditional television is clunky and difficult to manage. It requires users to conform to the rules of the content providers. Who today has time to plan their lives around an 8:30 p.m. time slot on Thursday nights? Streaming video allows users control over their television viewing. People want to watch what they want and when they want it. People also want choice. Online video gives viewers this freedom in ways that traditional media can’t. Devices such as Apple TV allow users to stream online video instantly and on their own terms.

The company known primarily for search announced Google TV at this year’s Google I/O. It promises to be a very interesting addition to your living room media cabinet. As with their Android mobile operating system, Google has chosen to focus on the platform while allowing others to create hardware to run its new TV-centric software. Google TV provides streaming services such as Netflix and Pandora along with a TV-friendly Internet browser. You can already purchase devices running Google TV, such as the Logitech Revue or Sony Internet TV Blu-ray Disc Player, or even built into a standalone TV, such as the Sony Internet TV.

Apple, on the other hand, prefers to be the master of its own hardware with Apple TV. The Cupertino-based computer giant launched the second generation of its set-top box at their September Keynote. The software/hardware integration allows virtually flawless syncing with iTunes along with your iPhone or iPad. Also, Apple TV is running a version of Apple’s mobile iOS, which means we could be seeing an iPhone-like app store for the set-top box in the near future. This is a long way from the device that Steve Jobs originally called just a “hobby” for Apple.

Apple is in a slightly better position than Google to take advantage of this new streaming video reality. Beyond the obvious advantage of hardware compatibility, they have a history of working with content providers with products such as iTunes and iBooks. Networks are less skittish when dealing with Apple’s closed and controlled ecosystem than they are with Google’s open platform, with its promise of free online use. But Apple and Google aren’t the only players in this market. The Roku Player, while still relatively unknown, beat both of the Internet giants into the market and has a very loyal, if small, following. It also features extremely competitive pricing and a tiered system of hardware choices. And let’s not forget about the stealthy Internet-capable devices that you likely already have connected to your television. Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft have very quietly positioned themselves to compete in this new space with their gaming consoles. Reports show as many as 21% of Americans already use their video game console to watch television and movies, including streaming online content from providers such as Netflix. In fact, Nintendo has admitted that it sees Apple as its main competitor in the coming years.

With the ever-increasing availability of broadband connectivity, online streaming video has become more and more prevalent. Yet, major networks are already fighting to prevent these new devices from distributing their content. ABC, NBC and CBS have all made moves to block their otherwise free online content from being distributed over devices such as Google TV. However, if we have learned one thing from similar attempts by the record industry and publishers, it’s that the people’s will will be done. Apple and Google have both recognized the need for Internet platforms attached to your television. These channels will reach users across millions of devices that are not traditional computers or laptops as any of us currently know them. Picture a person browsing the Web while sitting on their couch. Perhaps they use a tablet to read online articles, search for the latest episode of their favorite television show from their phone and then use the phone or tablet as a remote to watch the video on the living room TV set. That day is already here and, as always, the technology is simply waiting on the content providers to catch up.

Despite hesitancy from some, it is a fact that streaming Internet video is the future of television. All that remains to be seen is how content providers react to the current trends. The smart ones will embrace the new shift in viewing habits and find ways to extend advertising and other revenue-generating models to online. In this sort of race, it’s very frequently those who act fastest that thrive. It’s also likely that we will see fresh and new content providers that are built on a sleek, low-budget model that is designed specifically for this type of environment. These newcomers will likely thrive in the new world of streaming video. Because of this drastic change in media consumption, marketers will have to act quickly to make sure their brands stay relevant in this space. Without a comprehensive digital strategy, it will be easy to get lost in the noise. Because if there is one thing that the freedom of the Internet also delivers, it’s parity. When everyone’s voice is heard equally, it’s much harder to stand out. Digital presence no longer just means a website, but exposure across multiple web platforms: blogs, social media, search, display ads, podcasting and, yes, online video.

1. Get a job
2. Hone your craft
3. Do what you do best

It’s more complicated than these 3 steps may imply, but these steps are a solid wireframe for starting your own business.  Please, allow me to explain…

Around three years ago, I left a really good job to start a business.  At the time I had no idea if it would work, but after three years of operating a successful business, I can look back now and see clearly what made it possible.

Step 1: Get a job

Starting a successful business begins by getting a job working for someone else.  I know that probably isn’t the first step you were hoping for, but it is a must in my opinion.  The reasons are many, but there are two reasons that stand out.  Those reasons are:

1. To make connections
2. To learn a skill/craft

I worked for a large interactive company in Dallas for about three years.  I learned more in those three years than I learned at all of my previous jobs combined.  However,  and this is just as important, I met people.  I met a lot of very talented, intelligent people.  Over seventy-five percent of our current client base comes from those people I met while working for someone else.  Almost all of those past colleagues have now moved on from where I used to work.  In fact, they have branched out across the country working at some of the largest and most influential digital agencies.  I had no idea back then that the relationships I formed while pulling coding all-nighters would lead to a vast network of future business partnerships.  So, step 1 is to get a job.  In your job search, look for opportunities where you can learn a lot and work with people from all disciplines.  The more interactions you have with project managers, account managers, designers, other coders, etc, the better off you will be.

Step 2: Hone your craft

By trade, I am a multimedia developer.  I specialize in The Flash Platform.  However, I’ve learned to do a lot over the years like how to work with databases, servers, various coding languages, audio, video , yada yada yada.  Point being, I spent years getting good at what I do and I did it on someone else’s dime.  I became an authority in my field.  It wasn’t easy.  It took a lot of time outside of work too, but eventually I became good enough at my craft that everyone I worked with trusted me to solve problems and always deliver.  This is essential.  The professional relationships I built would have never grown into client relationships if I sucked at my job.  Business partners will always compare you to the other people they work with.  So unless you standout, you don’t have any business trying to start a business.

Step 3: Do what you do best

So, you went out and got a job.  You held that job for at least a couple of years.  You laughed, you cried, you worked, made friends, and then you quit to start a business.  Well, you may not want to quit until you have some work lined up for your new venture, but that is up to you.  What you must do though, is focus on what you do best.  Start by yourself.  There will be plenty of time to manage contractors and lease an office.  What you need to do first is spend as little money as possible and only take jobs that you can deliver on.  So, do what it is you do best.  Reputation is everything when starting a business.  So, get off to a good start.

I realize there are many details left out of this short article.  If anyone is interested or has questions about those details, please leave comments.  If there are enough comments about anything in particular I would be happy to write some follow ups.  Also, if you are starting a digital business or already have one but could use some helpful insight, I highly recommend the book Rework, by the people from 37 Signals.

Snoogins.

P.S. I would be remiss if I didn’t promote my business in an article like this.  Ovrflo Media

I recently wrote an article for the Click Here Insights Blog describing the pitfalls of creating solutions based around using technology for technology’s sake. I used Wave as an example of this common mistake and for good reason. Google Wave utilized some revolutionary browser enhancements. So revolutionary in fact, that Wave never worked in Internet Explorer. Google handicapped it’s creation from the start by the simple fact that it did not work at all in the browser that over 50% of all people use to view the internet. Now, I hate IE as much as the next bloke, but when you want your product to be accepted by a wide audience then it might be a good idea to make sure that you aren’t limiting the reach of that product.

The argument for the lack of IE support is the advanced browser technology like being able to view others typing in real time. What follows is an example of the typical users reacting to real time typing.

“Wow, we can actually see each other typing in real time.” This was the immediate reaction which was invariably followed by the second reaction: “That’s really annoying, how do I turn that feature off?”

Of course you couldn’t do, although Google was kind enough to give us a grayed-out button just so we knew that someday in the distant future we would be able to turn it off. As if waiting to receive functionality that is actually the default behavior in hundreds of instant messaging clients wasn’t frustrating. Or perhaps the ability to remove someone from a wave? Such simple and most would say essential functionality failed to ship with the beta release of Wave. Yes it was beta, but let’s face it, the product was not in any shape to be released to public testing when invites started to go out last year.

And who can forget Dr. Wave? He was the annoying….err, I mean friendly mascot for Google Wave. He was so annoying….err, helpful in his tutorial videos that really didn’t explain much of anything about how someone should actually use Wave. I guess it didn’t really matter if the videos were helpful or not because any sane person couldn’t sit through the entire thing. Seriously, that guy made me wish for Clippy the anthropomorphic paper clip from Microsoft Office. Now that was a mascot that was worthy of all of my hatred and scorn.

At least once you got passed the broken or missing functionality, the lack of standard browser support and the super annoying mascot the user interface was intuitive right? Wrong! After using Wave for a year I still can’t easily navigate my way around the thing. Why must I browse for extensions in the same interface that I use for my inbox? How do I add a contact if they don’t have a Google account…or if I just don’t know what it is? Why do I continually click in the wrong place in a wave and then I’m only replying to one waver and not the entire distribution list? And when I do make this mistake why is it near impossible to delete my reply.

It’s not that Google Wave was a bad idea, if fact, I originally thought that the technology has some serious potential. I wrote an article after watching the I/O about how project managers could harness the new communication process presented in Wave to better collaborate with teams locally or spread out across the world. The problem was, like it is with so many of Google’s properties, that the tech giant did not support it. All of the issues I outline above could have been easily remedied if only Google had responded when users complained about them. Alas, Wave looks and acts today much as it did upon it’s birth just over one year ago. It’s major defects left unaddressed and it’s potential left unrealized. Personally I hope that Google incorporates some of the advances from Wave into it’s other web properties. Gmail, Google Reader and Google Docs could all benefit from the lessons learned from Wave. If Google can do that then this web tool need not have died in vain.

Let us all learn some valuable lessons from Google Wave. When the technology is so advanced that most users can’t operate it then it will make success more difficult. When one worries too much about what can be done and not enough about what should be done then users are likely to be confused by the product. Once mistakes are made, act quickly to correct them or users will just as quickly loose patience with the product. If Google had heeded these simple truths then Wave might not have died so young.

So without further delay I would like to officially say goodbye to Google Wave. So long, farewell, auf weidersehen, adieu. At least some of us will miss you. Now play him off Keyboard Cat!

Code Monkey by Jonathan Coulton: Anything by Coulton is gold, but this one deserves a special place of honor in nerd lore. Who among us hasn’t tried to have a conversation with a pretty girl only to achieve all-time epic failure in the attempt. If only those conversations went as well in real life as they do in our heads.

Hug a Developer Today: What makes it so funny is how true it really is.

Pixels By Patrick Jean: This is great fun for all of us that grew up during the 80′s. I especially love seeing Donkey Kong on top of the Empire State Building. I remember thinking that graphics just couldn’t get any better…I mean we had 8 bits, what else did we need?

Windows 7 Party Time (Censored): One of the great things about viral videos is the way the public edits and modifies them to make something even better than the original. Microsoft’s lame video was funny by itself, but this version takes it up a notch and let’s your imagination make funny, funny for you.

All Your Base Are Belong To Us: Okay, this is an oldie but a goodie. It was one of the original viral videos to win our hearts and deservedly so. I don’t know why, but I always find myself coming back to All Your Base Are Belong To Us. It’s just a classic.

UPDATE

Office 2010 The Movie: Microsoft strikes again with this fake movie trailer for Office 2010. My favorite part is the tombstone to his dead partner Clippy!

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