And more:

Is it a fad? Or a good investment?

Have you ever been “nexted”?

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go to http://chatroulette.com/

And then read the following article from The New Yorker magazine:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/05/17/100517fa_fact_ioffe

Blogs, videos, celebrities, a language and a million-plus people a day have made this the latest new thing – a Facebook killer? A more evolved state of networking? Something new altogether?

Whatever it is, investors and the cool and hip are flocking to it – and it is, I must say, kind of enticing – daring and different.

See what you think….

And see if you follow my use of this as an intro to my first thoughts on the iPAD.

To begin with – read the blogs, see the videos, watch the celebrities and the million-plus users in half the time it took to get a million users on the iPHONE.

The knee-jerk reaction is “Game Change”…yadda, yadda, yadda.

So let me begin.

First impressions – I think everyone who is honest agrees to this – is that it’s just a giant iPHONE – which immediately made me think of what it would be like up against my ear – given its size, which conjured to my mind the following picture:

Boom

Kind of like, why didn’t he just carry a Walkman…(for those who never heard of one, it was a pre-iPOD device used to play back music – often personal – from little rectangular plastic storage units called cassettes – can be found in museums and landfills – see 8-Tracks).

Second impression is that it’s just not a practical phone – oh well!

However, it is an amazing device. At the basic level all the apps and things that have been reconfigured for this new format are simply even cooler and more fun – the bigger size and the depth of color just make it all that much more immersive – they work the same – but clearly a bigger screen with the same amazing clarity speaks for itself.

My favorite app is Beat the Traffic – which by the way works on all smartphones – it’s practical, useful and it really delivers – more on apps in a later post.

You can play games – although it’s not X-Box or even close in terms of span of control, but here is where it is a game changer and where we need to spend some time thinking and pondering for the future.

This is a consumption device – plain and simple. It’s a way to consume channel information in one device as never seen before.

Now in the past you could listen to music – like my friend above – and then we made that more efficient and the experience more enjoyable by allowing you to carry the output of a thousand cassettes in one tiny device (the music might not be as good…more on that too, but…) and then we added your phone and other stuff and gave you a mobile nomadic capability – wherever you were – whenever you wanted.

In the past you could watch movies on a DVD player, then on your DVD player on your computer/laptop and then on a mobile device – and now, on your iPAD, on a screen worthy of showing great movies and videos – that also does all the rest.

The Kindle got us going on e-books – and while the experience is great for book reading and the set up is still the best in the business (better even than the iPad – Apple does have something to learn) the color and richness and page turning of the iPad do add value and take this to a new level. More on Kindle too – later…

But here is the real “revolution” (how I hate that word in this context – mea culpa): magazines and newspapers. We have gone full circle and all of the Internet gurus who preached the end of those channels might have to retool, regroup and rethink.

For years we have watched the printed medium – so beloved in its time, so easy to read (was it best practice or did we just get used to it?) – take form after form on the Web. We couldn’t replicate the printed page or its unique columnar structure – the pictures and drawings were not working and the screen format was not conducive to replicating the century-old and ancient page structures.

They tried everything – and nothing really worked – go back and track, for example, the evolution and de-evolution of The New York Times to see one pathetic trip to nowhere. And so the demise of an industry became the default belief.

And here is where the iPAD is brilliant. As I have written before, its mother was a magazine (maybe an aunt but family nevertheless). You can actually read a magazine as they have been designed and were meant to be read – with a twist – you can add video, audio links – whatever – but the experience is not Web or Web2 point anything – it is uniquely and wholly magazine and I love it for that.

Now ponder this – if we believe this is a game changer – if we really are convinced this is the Grail – at least for now – the generation that we have labeled “print”-illiterate will have to learn to read like we did – just on a new device – which is not revolution by any stretch – just (as if “just”) evolution – huge implications here to say the least.

Not to mention the implications for advertisers who will now have a mixture of traditional and nontraditional ad space to use in one place at one time – wild.

So what does this all mean?

No clue – not the slightest – but for this:

“There are two ways to slide easily through life; to believe everything or to doubt everything. Both ways save us from thinking.”  Alfred Korzybski

Don’t believe so fully or doubt so easily – be practically and cheerfully cynical and enjoy your iPAD, iPOD, iTOUCH, ZUNE; X_BOX, laptop, magazine, newspaper, movie in a cinema, TV at home…whatever!!!!

Your view?

A stranger who helps someone they don’t know – in fact, someone they might usually shun by mere association.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_Good_Samaritan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Samaritan_law

Truth is, I was going to review the iPad this week but then this story caught my eye:

http://network.nationalpost.com/NP/blogs/posted/archive/2010/04/27/428895.aspx

It is a simple story. A homeless man intervenes in a fight. Gets stabbed. Lies on a well-travelled street, bleeding to death, while people walk by ignoring him. Gets phone tagged by one mobile voyeur. All while high-tech video surveillance cameras record the sad ordeal. Finally, one person calls 911 Emergency Services – too late; he dies.

So in our world of social networking; always on; oversharing; never off the grid; in contact; 24/7 – you get the picture – we let a man die by almost purposeful neglect.

The question is are we losing our humanity because we have become so cyber? And if we are, what about the younger generation behind us whose only frame of reference is “Cloud Relationships”?

The question is on the minds of many:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/fashion/02BEST.html?sq=kids%20and%20reading&st=cse&adxnnl=1&scp=2&adxnnlx=1272805568-Rlxa9o+6njDE2EYMnQoA0Q

And should be on our minds as well – as the impact affects all human interactions.

Listen:

“Technology is a way of organizing the universe so that man doesn’t have to experience it.”  Max Frisch

We have all seen the movies and read the books and listened to the prophets of doom – I’d posit that a bleeding man lying unaided and dying on the street while his photo flashes through the mobile ether is way scarier and closer to home.

What do you think?

And one last thought – cynical as it may be:

“For a list of all the ways technology has failed to improve the quality of life, please press three.”  Alice Kahn

And if you press 1, 2 or 4 – be prepared….

Inspired by JR.

Despite the enticement and seduction – I decided to wait.

So…although I had planned to review the IPad this week – and despite my having tried one (it is cool…), I’m waiting for round two before I plunge in – review to follow.

And I’m still waiting for a few of you to weigh in!!!

But the IPad did inspire me to recommit to the long-term view of relevance vs. the short-term churn-and-burn faddish coolness of the new and hip. As in the thousands of Apps that get downloaded, make someone’s graph up-tick and then languish in Software Hell as they are forgotten and discarded.

There is a rigidness in thinking that often gets mistaken for vision – sadly mistaken – that puts many people on the defensive – as in you want to be in on “it” – as in you don’t want to be seen as a luddite or old-fashioned – as in you don’t want it said of you – you are of the wrong generation.

I was reminded by a friend (you will see in a moment) of the great Pink Floyd number-one global hit song – immortalized by this lyric:

All in all it’s just another brick in the wall…

The band’s paean to the dangers of rigid and unyielding schooling – actually banned in South Africa at one point, as it became a rallying cry for the underprivileged.

We all somehow related to that notion (many of us anyway) in the pre-digital, no-twitter era of dinosaurs.

Seems to me the sentiment is hotter than ever, but here is the twist – today it is about digital, but it’s still about relevance. And here, courtesy of my friend, is the thought:

“All in all you’re just another click in the wall.” – Gary Laben

And there you have it.

Relevance. IPads…and trust me – every new idea you see for the next few months will be shown on iPads even though only a few hundred thousand are around in a sea of millions upon millions of PCs and Macs – much like most mobile Apps are shown on iPhones, even though most of the world is still “needy”…using smart phones and old-fashioned mobiles.

Relevance. Without it – even our best, most creative thinking is nothing more than just another click in the wall…

What’s your view?

Chances are never – because all of the above are classified as dead or extinct languages.

Now I could be wrong – and if there are any Bina scholars out there I deeply apologize, and if you and your family regularly SMS in Kitan or Hittite I grovel at your feet.

That being said, there are distinctions between dead and extinct languages-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinct_language

But for the sake of my ramble I will stick with the overly simplistic view that they are all languages we don’t usually hear on the street, use in casual conversation, make love with or use to write client contact reports—although some might argue the last point.

What makes them die then, what drives them to extinction, is the lack of a partner – someone to share the dialogue, to communicate with, to be a part of your conversation.

And there the light bulb lit up for me.

Listen:

“All speech, written or spoken, is a dead language, until it finds a willing and prepared hearer.”    Robert Louis Stevenson

And that is the point. Once again we are back to listening – to hearing. The onus is on you, me, us – to be a willing and open participant…a catcher if you will…the tuned-in and attuned receiver who is ready to focus on the “transmitter” and make the communication a living, breathing, vibrant entity.

Think of the possibilities – personal, global, and in business.

We say relationships die and maybe what we really mean is that the language of the relationship died. We talk about negotiations that were killed and again…sometimes maybe it was just the language that we let become extinct.

Imagine where we could go, where we could get to if we taught listening the way we teach public speaking. If we taught hearing skills the way we teach presentation skills.

So English, French, Spanish, Mandarin, Russian, Arabic – you name it – are all in danger – unless we all learn to listen more.

What do you hear?

Da Vinci was the master of perspective and I have quoted him and shared my near-religious experience with The Last Supper in Milan: http://weeklyramble.wunderman.com/marketing/perspective-code

But – I imagine even Leonardo had his off days when some pissed-off Milanese yelled — “There goes the Goddamned graffiti guy.…”

Sadly my lack of motivation comes from severely prosaic sources. A meeting with a client on strategies for effectiveness that ends with “so how much will you drop your rates?”; a discussion on following rules for a presentation on high-level strategy and creativity; a colleague who uses a cc list like Facebook to stir the pot – and on and on….

Prosaic? A fancy word for mundane, dull and boring. Beyond banal. In the grand scheme of the world, a tempest in a teapot is like the perfect storm.

And then it happens. An event – so everyday on one hand and so miraculous on the other – renews your faith and reminds you of what is really important and what really counts.

The above is my long-winded way of sharing that I have become a grandfather – for the second time. I now have two grandsons and they are blessed to have four great-grandparents – beyond the usual array of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins from all sides.

What a blessing and yes, what a miracle a little life like that is. So full of promise: opportunity with a future rolling out before him like a field of virgin snow.

And here is where perspective doesn’t just return – it roars in – overpowering the ordinary, painting the colorless in a riot of shades and hues and tints, and striking a blow to banality wherever it rears its ugly and boring head.

Listen:

There is nothing like a newborn baby to renew your spirit – and to buttress your resolve to make the world a better place.

Virginia Kelley

And there you have it – next time you feel disconnected, put upon, mired down – find a baby to hold – and imagine what they might do with their life our world.

Talk about perspective!

By the way – Virginia Kelley is Bill Clinton’s mom.

What is your View?

Think of all the absolutes that we know – the world is flat; the earth is at the center of the universe; the Titanic was unsinkable; General Motors was too big and important to go bankrupt; there would never be a roof over Wimbledon…you get the point.

Many have struggled with the notion of absolute good and absolute evil – often, by the way, leaders of opposing countries; religions ideologies cast themselves one way and the focus of their ire the other.

However, and forgive my partisan; regional skew – its July 4^th and I’m in the USA this week – maybe there is an absolute or two – an immutable law of the Human Race that despite local nuance and custom – “All Relationships Are Local” –  are basic to our existence.

The founders of the US expressed this notion as follows – “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.

Students of history will know right away that not all the founders actually believed that “ALL men are created equal” but enough did to make this revolutionary – and the use of language – creator as opposed to a specific deity was equally revolutionary.

As for absolutes – here we go – “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” What could possibly be more basic; more unconditional; more unlimited?

So as we follow the news; work our network; interact with others and wonder what the hell is going on around the world – remember…..life; liberty and the pursuit of happiness – can’t have one without the other.

Now get out there and pursue happiness – hopefully the rest will follow!

Your thoughts????

So while time does pass in a chronological order – we humans live our lives in any sequence we so choose – meaning that if I choose the Peter Pan route that is my prerogative and if I make myself prematurely serious and aged that too is my choice.

Now here is the thing. Lester knows more about the true workings of the Internet than anyone I know; his conceptualizations of where digital media is going, can go – is the stuff of science fiction – except its real; and his visualization of what he calls personal advertising might just be our next frontier.

And, there you are – of age – of accumulated wisdom and experience – of deep understanding and empathy – of life.

I am blessed to have Lester as a mentor and Lester and his dear wife Sue as cherished and beloved friends.

And, we are all blessed to be able to learn from him; his never ending font of knowledge and his goodness.

And, we can also learn a critical life lesson from Lester as well.

Listen:

It takes a long time to become young.
Pablo Picasso

And, there you have it – would that we all had his insatiable curiosity; his ability to connect esoteric dots and his sheer humanity – not to mention the energy – don’t forget the energy!

On his birthday – I wish him continued youth and I wish us all to be so young as well,

Let’s all wish Lester a Happy Birthday by showing the power of direct in its newest form.  Tweet your birthday wish for Lester.  Or RT those of others.  Lester was always a trend-setter.  Include #wman in your tweet.

Ok – not much of a joke – more ironic I guess – but frankly true to the mark – not just about our business – to be fair – more of a state of the environment today.

And, let’s be fair – business is tough. Like everything that surrounds us, it affects our lives in its totality. More to the point, the negative atmosphere infects us. How could it not?

Budgets are down; clients want more for less – tension.

Revenue is down; pressure is on to deliver more profit for less – tension.

Harder to hire – tension.

Harder to reward – tension.

We have all cut back, downsized, and reprioritized in our private/home lives – tension.

We all have friends who are hurting – tension.

No doubt we are all worried a bit – tension.

Tension – Tension…

You get the point – it’s hard not to be negative, not to carp, whine, complain, bellyache, grouse, grumble…

Which of course leads to nitpicking, finger pointing and criticizing – not to mention nagging and fill in the rest…

Look – I’m no Pollyanna – I badger with the best. But to quote W.S. Gilbert, “Oh, wouldn’t the world seem dull and flat with nothing whatever to grumble at?”

Now that might seem a bit naïve to you – and a bit rose-colored glasses like – but my sense is that complainers complain – good times or bad. Yes, the subjects change – but not necessarily the rhythm of the message.

Now let’s be clear – it sucks out there – no question – yet there is still huge opportunity out there for all of us. Business and personal opportunity.

Opportunity to grow, to change, to develop – opportunity to transform and, yes, to revolutionize.

Let me be even clearer – this is not the silver-lining-in-the-cloud message – frankly the silver lining needs a hell of a lot of polish and that is where I am going with this.

Listen:
You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.
– Shirley Chisholm

And there you have it.

I won’t pander by citing all of the examples of companies and people that flourished in adversity—but I will repeat that they advanced through innovation and hard work. They polished that tarnished and dull lining until it gleamed.

Again – business or personal – it’s all about looking around us and working hard to make it all work – it’s about changing the rules, dealing with what we have and believing that all of us – any of us – can and do make a difference.

Grouse…I do – it helps to clear the pipes on occasion – but then deal…nothing is perfect – but then again it beats the alternative….

What’s your view?

Yet for many of us it’s merely a long weekend, a chance to go to the beach and barbecue. And of course, it’s a weekend to take advantage of big retail discounts – another tradition of the day.

Truthfully I don’t mean to bash my fellow country folk – my experience is that many countries have similar days set aside for similar purposes and that in many instances the general flow of the day is not too dissimilar from that which I have described. Yet it seems to me that the point of these days was not to glorify or reminisce – but rather to warn and caution.

To that end – forgive me for abandoning my usual format and general subject matter and allow me to share three thoughts that I find inspiring and stirring in much the same way martial music is to war itself.

The first deals with changing the paradigm. It reminds me of the famous notion of what would happen if they threw a war and no one came – Listen:

“Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind. War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today.” John F. Kennedy

The second I find to be relevant to today. We are convinced that technology solves all problems – what if it doesn’t? Listen:

“I do not know with what weapons World War 3 will be fought, but World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones.” Albert Einstein

The third is the sum of all – the raison d’être of our being…. Listen:

“As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.” Carl Jung

Thanks for allowing me the soapbox today. As for me – I’m going to try to kindle that light or at least allow myself to be lit…

Your thoughts?

Clearly there is a dichotomy – and I’d argue – strongly in fact – that the dichotomy in question affects us professionally and no less…maybe even more, personally.

Somewhere along the line – if all we do is focus on planning – and short-term or long, it all implies future state – we run the risk of missing today.

What did you do for me today….what did you do for yourself today?

Listen:
“You pile up enough tomorrows and you’ll be left with nothing but a bunch of empty yesterdays. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to make today worth remembering.”
~Meredith Willson

I repeat – WHAT DID YOU DO FOR YOURSELF TODAY?

So….? What did you do?