Wouldn't It Be Cool?

HD-DVD LOSES!

2008-02-16T12:31:00.003-05:00

It looks like Blu-Ray has won. Toshiba, the major developer of HD-DVD, is shutting down its HD-DVD production facilities. It's Over. HD-DVD has lost.

I have one thing to say on this. I called it.

Ever since rumours of Sony backed Blu-Ray and Toshiba backed HD-DVD were in development all those years ago, I was saying Blu-Ray was going to win. I would tell anyone who would listen that Blu-Ray was not only superior, but that Sony wasn't going to lose another format war.

I got in some heated discussions, all of which I would like to think I won. Especially looking back now.

I'm not going to lie, I feel good about myself. I feel somewhat superior to all those people who just thought I was choosing a side for the sake of choosing a side. Yes, my ego has been inflated. I think I may become a futurist. Perhaps this blog will be my starting point.

2008-01-14T00:05:00.001-05:00

SnuzNLuz

2008-01-12T14:31:00.000-05:00

This is something I need.

I enjoy sleeping. It's great fun. There isn't much that stops me from hitting my snooze button repeatedly every morning, but the thought of losing money every time I hit that seductive little button would most certainly act as a deterrent. I hope.

Introducing the SnūzNLūz - Wifi Donation Alarm Clock.

This alarm-clock-turned-philanthropist connects to your Bank Account via WiFi (or hard line) and for every time you hit snooze, makes a donation (min. $10) to a charity that you HATE.

Are you a liberal? Well, Mr. Harper could use $10 of your hard earned money. Enjoy harming animals? Why not send some money over to PETA.

I'm seriously considering one of these.

VeloCity

2008-01-07T12:48:00.000-05:00

The University of Waterloo is establishing a residence where its "most talented, entrepreneurial, creative and technologically savvy students will be united under one roof to work on the future of mobile communications, web and new media."

This is incredible. Disrupting University Residence? Who would have thought.
What I wouldn't do to be back in University just for the chance to apply.

Check it out. It will be interesting to see what comes out of this residence turned think tank.

http://www.velocity.uwaterloo.ca/index.php

Happy New Years

2007-12-30T23:40:00.001-05:00

The Dark Knight

2007-12-14T15:33:00.000-05:00

Now this is how movie posters should look
I can't wait

July 18th, 2008

Inside The Box

2007-12-09T20:14:00.000-05:00

As I just posted my last entry, I began to think about one of the final sentences: "We need to think outside of the box, or at the very least outside of the web."

I think that maybe the issue is we're all so stuck on trying to think outside of the box, we miss the target. Perhaps we need to bring things back a few steps.

It seems to me that all we try to do is 'spread awareness'. In all reality, what good does awareness do? I agree that educating people on whatever it is you're promoting is necessary to achieve change, but it isn't what drives change. What does? I'm not sure. I do know that I see no results from the oh so ubiquitous 'awareness campaigns'.

Here's an idea: Instead of having free worldwide concerts that attract hundreds of millions of people to spread the awareness of ____________ (poverty, aids, the environment), charge something for a ticket. Charge anything. One dollar. That would make a difference. Money makes a difference.

We can't be ignorant to the fact that it is money and it is power that drives change. Awareness a great, but if the right people with the deep pockets don't listen, there's no point. Sad? Yes. True? Yes.

I guess I do know what drives change.

Generation Q

2007-12-09T19:28:00.000-05:00

I read an op-ed column by Thomas Friedman in the New York Times quite a while ago and it was, to me, a perfect description of my, of our generation.

He coined the current College and University class of students Generation Q - The Quiet Generation. He says that we, as a student body, need to be louder. We need passion, we need to light a fire under our government's asses. He's right.

I do however disagree with his notion that our generation is somehow lacking in a passion for social causes, I have been invited to Facebook groups for things ranging from Save the Turtles to Kill the Turtles. We are undoubtedly angry about the state of the world, just as previous generations have been, however, we don't fight the way our parents did.

This is where I completely agree with Friedman. He says that when we fight for a cause, its virtual, resulting in virtual results. Rather than march in protest, we click in protest. We create Facebook groups, we send emails, we create on-line petitions.

It is, and always has been, the younger generations that change things, that bring on revolutions. We are beginning to lose that edge with every email we send rather than a latter, with every online petition as oppose to a clipboard and with every online group we join instead of standing on solid ground with others. There are so many half-baked ideas on how the save this planet floating around cyberspace that its no wonder the state of the world seems hopeless. We need to think outside of the box, or at the very least outside of the web.

And no, the irony of me posting this on a blog is not lost.

You can read the full article HERE.

Heineken - Disrupting a Commodity Business

2007-12-09T19:15:00.000-05:00

From one blog to another.

Below is an entry on The Disruption Group, which I frequent on a regular basis. I found it really interesting, not only because its about beer, but because, well... mostly because it was about beer, but also about how Heineken is disrupting the commodity business.

You can read below or check out the original post HERE.

HEINEKEN - DISRUPTING A COMMODITY BUSINESS

Most of the time when people talk about disruption they focus on high-tech companies: Google, RIM and others. Certainly these companies have used technology innovation to disrupt their markets and solve new problems. But sometimes disruption is about improving the experience, accessibility or convenience of a product through distribution or delivery, such as NetFlix did in the DVD rental business.

Changes in distribution or delivery can in turn can unlock new uses and expand the market; especially if the changes are difficult or expensive for competitors to copy. Part of NetFlix's success is no doubt because they got a very long lead ahead of rival Blockbuster which did not recognize the convenience introduced by using the post office as a delivery channel and did not want to undermine its core business.

In this example, we'll look at one of my favorite products: beer. Heineken competes in one of the most commoditized and conservative markets around. But instead of trying to innovate based on a new flavor or new style of brewing, Heineken focused on creating a packaging system that provides a better customer experience and likely increases consumption.

What is the Heineken DraughtKeg? From the consumer perspective, it's 1.33 gal (5 liters) of premium draft imported beer at a cost per serving that's just slightly more than a typical twelve-pack. That gets you around 14 12 oz servings, depending on how much foam you like. The price is just under $20.

What makes the DraughtKeg unique is that, as its name implies, it's real draft beer from a keg, only scaled down for convenience. Testers report that it tastes fresher than bottled beer, which is due to the way it is dispensed via CO2 cartridge --just like draft beer in bars. But unlike a normal 70 pound keg, you can get it at your local store without a pickup truck and a team of guys. The mini-keg weighs around 12 pounds (5.5 kg) and is fresh for 30 days after it's opened. So the Heineken DraughtKeg provide a keg taste experience without all the hassle and without the need to consume the entire keg in one sitting. (Though you can if you want.) No doubt the DraughtKeg will be featured at many home parties in the fall. It's perfect for watching a game on TV, an office party, or any other social occasion. The DraughtKeg has some novelty, which in itself add to the fun.

Development of the DraughtKeg took Heineken nearly 10 years and it cost them more than $15 million dollars to build a new production line. Because Heineken is selling a premium beer, the added fixed costs can be ammortized over the price of the beer at about a penny an ounce compared to bottled beer. This 8-9% the cost increase is not negligeable to consumers, but it is well within the reach of the premium beer drinkers Heineken is targeting. This turns out to be an important part of Heineken's strategy: it's not competing at the low-end of the market. As a result, Heineken is unlikely to be challenged by a low-end Budweiser Keg. The margins at the low-end are too thin to support this type of a delivery system.

Features or Convenience? If you're in a business that is increasingly being commoditized you might be tempted to try to come up with new features (or in this case, flavors) to stand out. But in a commodity market, that may be the wrong strategy, especially if the product has already surpassed the quality expectations of most customers.

The DraughtKeg is not a new trendy style or flavor of beer. In fact, it's the same Heineken beer they've been brewing for more than 100 years. What's new here is the packaging and the delivery system. In other words, they improved the experience in how their commodity is delivered to the consumer.

And since they did not change the proven Heineken recipe they reduced one of the key risks in consumer marketing that customers would not like the change. Of course, there is still risk in any consumer product changes, but not as much as, say, introducing a New Coke recipe or launching the Zima malt beverage. Both those moves cost their companies many millions of dollars in losses.

According to Forbes, the Heineken DraughtKeg provides the company not only with added revenues (estimated $300 million) but also better shelf space from retailers due to the higher margins. So it looks like this move will payoff for Heineken and help them stand out in a crowded market.

Questions to consider:

Are there barriers your customers have in accessing or using your product?
Can you improve the convenience and accessibility in such a way that customers will use more of it?
Are there new uses for your product beyond the mainstream that can provide opportunities for growth?
Are there ways you can stand out in the market without changing the product itself?

Verkeersbordvrij

2007-12-07T18:13:00.001-05:00

Urban planners in Drachten, a city in the Netherlands, began removing all traffic signals, curbed sidewalks, road signs and most street marking from their busiest intersection 8 years ago.

The result? No accidents. Traffic fatality rates have fallen to zero.

The reason? Because it is so dangerous. Hans Monderman, the pioneer of of this idea, equates it to a busy skating rink. There are people gliding all over the place, but they never bump into one another. It is because of the apparent danger and the increased chance of a collision that there are no collisions.

Drivers take control of their own actions and become better decision makers.People are more focused, they are more defensive. They pay attention.

Other EU cities are trying it, including England, Belgium, Denmark and Germany.

Now this is thinking outside of the box. I do wonder however if it would work in North America where people seem to always have a sense of immediacy in everything they do.

Verkeersbordvrij means Free of Traffic Signs

Are You Smarter Than a Monkey?

2007-12-07T18:09:00.000-05:00

Researchers in Japan have made some interesting discoveries concerning the cognitive abilities of primates compared to humans.

I guess my teachers were right. I may look like an ape, but I'm definitely not as smart as one.

An Ape, Phil Collins and Chocolate

2007-12-07T18:05:00.000-05:00

I saw this ad during the previews of No Country for Old Men (see it). I thought it was great.

I don’t know if its necessarily a good ad in terms of increasing brand awareness or driving revenues northwards, but it has an ape and Phil Collins. Therefore, it is great.

Check it out below.

TV's Best - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

2007-12-07T17:52:00.000-05:00

I can’t quite remember how I came across this show, but it was a few years ago now that I was exposed to the absurdity that is It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I was not impressed at first. I stopped watching.

It was close to a year later that I began to hear some buzz about a show that was going into its second season. A show that no one had ever heard of, no one watched during the first season, but was insanely funny. I started to watch from the beginning again.

I am not one to give a series a second chance to make me laugh, but I did this one time, and I haven’t stopped laughing since. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is a vulgar show. I enjoy vulgarity when it’s done properly. This show does it right. I have heard it be referred to as ‘Seinfeld on Crack’, which is an accurate description.

Episode topics range from “Charlie Wants an Abortion” to “Charlie Got Molested” to “Mac Bangs Dennis’ Mom” to “Sweet Dees Dating a Retarded Person”.

If you're still not sold, think on this: The pilot was created for less than $200, it was picked up by FX for 1 season and Danny Devito began watching it and loved it. One of the most perverse minds in Hollywood became a huge fan, started pushing it on talk shows and basically it saved it. Oh, and he also became a prominent character in the 2nd season.

I highly recommend it for those who can take a little politically incorrect humour. As I said, it is on the FX network. It also airs on Showtime in Canada and the first two seasons are now out on DVD.

Buy it, rent it, download it, I don't care. Just sit down with some limoncello and enjoy.

TV's Best - The Wire

2007-12-07T17:47:00.000-05:00

There was a time when I didn’t watch much television. I was a movie guy. Things change, tastes change. I would now consider myself a TV guy. I still enjoy movies, but for me, some of the best writing and story telling has been on TV.

I love a great story. Television, good television, is the perfect medium for telling a great story. There is time to develop plots and subplots, to explore characters, to create a world that can’t be matched on the big screen.

I began to appreciate television for its story telling potential when I re-watched the first few seasons of The Sopranos and then picked up the 4^th and 5^th seasons on DVD. I then followed The Sopranos through that journey of an ending with the rest of the world. David Chase was a pioneer. He brought a level of story telling to the small screen.

This entry is not about the Sopranos though. It is about another HBO show that gets very little attention from the media, from award shows and most importantly, from viewers. It is The Wire. This is, quite simply, the best television I have ever watched. For me, it surpasses The Sopranos.

The show is set in west Baltimore and follows good guys and bad guys. That is, the police and the criminals. Each are given equal screen time and we as the viewer connect with both sides. We want both to succeed.

This is not the average cop show. This is something more. A critic for the New York Ties has said that “if Charles Dickens were alive today, he would watch The Wire, unless, that is, he wasn’t already writing for it”.

The Wire was created by Ed Burns and David Simon. The former a Baltimore detective and school teacher, the latter a Baltimore detective. The story lines come directly from their experiences and that authenticity shines through. It has been described as literature on screen. In fact, many of the shows writers are critically acclaimed novelists, including David Simon himself.

Each season tackles one overarching theme while focusing on the same main characters. These themes range from the war on drugs, to politics, to schools, to unions and in its final season, to media.

This is not an easy show to watch. It takes a commitment. Just as you would read a book, you must focus and immerse yourself in the narrative. It is not a show you can watch while doing something else. There is no multitasking with The Wire. Trust me, you want to devote and hour of your time to each episode.

The Fifth and final season of The Wire begins in January. I highly recommend tuning in.

You Hate Dane Cook Too

2007-11-30T00:06:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who voted on this weeks poll.

I am pleased to say that 80% of you hate Mr. Cook as much as I do.
There were only 6 votes however, 1 of which came from me and 1 of which came from Leslie.

So, to the 4 other voters out there, thanks for wasting your time with me.

I Hate Dane Cook

2007-11-25T00:22:00.000-05:00

I hate Dane Cook.

Before I go any further, let me applaud the guy for being a genius self promoter. He was unsuccessfully trying to make a name for himself doing the traditional stand up tour in small clubs around the US. When he realized that this wasn't getting him anywhere, he sunk $30,000 of his own money into a website and a MySpace page (before any other celebrities), only to be ridiculed by his colleagues. The rest is history. He has become one of the highest grossing comedians per tour of this generation.

Good for him.

Here's why I hate him.

1. He Isn't Funny
What is it that comes out of his mouth that people find so hilarious? I don't understand it. He says nothing witty or intelligent. He runs around stage making stupid faces, making up words, making up hand gestures (yes, you SU-FI) and acts as though what he is saying is indeed funny. It isn't.

2. He Fools People
I think what he is doing is fooling people into believing he's funny.
'Well, he looks like he's being funny, he must be funny'.
This may sound like I'm being rather pretentious, but Dane Cook is what is wrong with society. When someone like him can sell out stadium after stadium, it says something about the level of intelligence in this world. It's the same as how a show like Arrested Development gets canceled and a show like According to Jim is still running strong. If we are constantly told that Dane Cook is hilarious, then that is what we as a collective group will begin to think is funny. It isn't.

3. He Plays it Safe
To me, the best comedians say something. They take a stand on issues and make a point. Whether it be observational, topical or even prop comedy, the best comedians say something, anything. They aren't afraid to push the envelope. Dane Cook doesn't even dare to say anything topical or take a stand on anything. He curses. Take out the four letter words and he's a comedian my grandma could listen to without being offended.
This isn't to say that all comedians must take on the world in their stand-up routines, but at least most that play it safe are still funny. Dane Cook tries to act and sound like what he is saying pushes the envelope and is bad ass. It isnt.

4. He Steals Jokes
Comedians hate Dane Cook. It's not that they're jealous of his success, although I'm sure some are, its that he was, and still is, known as a joke thief. He steals jokes from other comedians and pawns them off as his own, often in a delivery that doesn't even resemble what some people call comedic timing.
While he was coming up, other comedians didn't care that he was stealing because they didn't think he was going anywhere. He just sucked at stand-up. They were wrong.
When you are a comedian and you find out that you are doing a bit that is similar to another comedians, you call him or her up to discuss it. Often times, it is just parallel thinking, a coincidence that the material is similar. The two comedians will discuss who was doing the bit first and they will be the ones who can continue to use it. Dane Cook has never done this, but only flat out denies having similar material, even though he is known to have seen the allegedly stolen material live. In fact, Dane Cook is known to be very litigious and will sue anyone who does any material that he deems to be similar to anything he has ever done as though its worth protecting. It isn't

LOUIS C.K. is the best example of a comedian Dane Cook has stolen jokes from.
Please listen to the clip below.
It can show better than I could ever explain the klepto that Dane Cook is.

Now, keep in mind that Dane Cook was known to have seen this material live a few years before he performed it. There are many other examples of this type of joke theft he has been accused of. Louis C.K. is the most prevalent example.

4. He's A Douche
I really just don't like him. He's the type of guy I want to hit in the back of the head with a fastball when I see them walking down the street. I really don't know what is so appealing about this guy. It quite honestly blows my mind how many people find him funny. Did you know that when he was younger, he was known to smash puppies and kittens in his comedy bits, à la Gallagher? It's true, look it up. It isn't.

If you're still reading this stream-of-consciousness rant, I thank you.

Travis Barker - Crank That Remix

2007-11-25T00:02:00.000-05:00

I really don't like Crank That by Soulja Boy.

I like hip-hop and rap, I actually used to be somewhat 'thugged' out in highschool. White guy wearing Phatfarm, I know, hilarious. I even rolled with Pimps of the Round. Tired of getting shot at though, that whole thing.

Although there are some artists who are still at the top of their game, I really can't stand this new trend of 20 word raps being paired with a simple dance to sell records. Rap used to be like modern poetry. Now its turning into modern shit.

With that said, I came across this video of Travis Barker of Blink 182 fame drumming to Crank That. I must say, its pretty incredible.

Check it out.

Philips Bodygroom = Freedom

2007-11-24T23:15:00.000-05:00

Some of you may or may not know this, but I am a relatively hairy person. Relative to those who have some chest hair. Some have referred to it as 'manfur'. This hurts.

I have tried everything. I waxed my chest in high school, I have shaved my shoulders and Naired my, well, parts of my body. I have literally shed blood and tears in the hope of being smooth. But no, I have lived a life of coarseness and solitude.

No longer. Thanks to Philips and their revolutionary Bodygroom razor, I shall walk the beaches just as those of you who are slightly more evolved.

Please find some hilarious videos below. I know many of you, whoever you are that may be reading this, have seen these before. I just came across them, so they're new to me.

Wouldn't It Be Cool

2007-11-21T22:05:00.000-05:00

I call them my 'Wouldn't It Be Cool' moments. Those brief flashes of an idea that come and go through the course of a day. We all have these moments when we think to ourselves 'Wouldn't it be cool if... there was a body sponge that would dispense my body wash'.

We have two options when these moments come along. We can either:

(a) Let it fade away only to see that idea come to
fruition years later at the hands of someone else.

(b) Do something. Do anything.
Google your idea to see if it exists.
If it does exist, can you do it better.
If it doesn't, how will you make it a reality?

Archimedes didn't just yell 'Eureka!' and then continue with his bubble bath. He ran through the streets exclaiming his discovery. Naked.

And so, the purpose of this blog is to post the 'Wouldn't It Be Cool' moments other people have had and what has come of them. These may be posts on a new gadget, a breakthrough in technology, a book, tv show or movie. Anything I deem to be cool.

I'm sure there will be some other things in there too, like how much I hate Dane Cook.