Best Annual Map Of The Web! Now, Just Find The Time…

While we all wish we could just troll the web to check out the coolest sites, the most exhilarating use of technology, or the most elegant online animation, there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Even with those hours, it would be hard to find what is really cool and not just what has the most money going toward promotion of those online elements. So, there still aren’t enough hours in the day, but we’ve come to the time where everyone has a guide – The Webby Award Nominees… Again, it will take a very long time to get through everything, but at least there’s the semblance of a map of the web and some of this past year’s strongest offerings.

The site itself could possibly put itself up for an award. With smooth movement and simple voting mechanisms, it’s easy – though I sometimes wish it had a more elegant solution to jump in and out of details, live sites, voting and more.

As we’re constantly working to output product ourselves, there never is enough of a chance to see what else what’s out there – especially in other verticals. Without a set determination or rule of who gets to develop better experiences on the web – remember back in the day when Auto sites and porn subscriptions were at the vanguard of web development – you’re losing ground if you’re only checking out what your competitors have published. Events/sites like the Webbys remove any excuses for that research.

Remember, these are awards, so electioneering definitely plays a part.  Some offerings may not be there while others with deeper pockets and promotions teams are.  But, for the most part, everything that we’ve seen major buzz for throughout the year is in there to provide credence to these being the best of the year.

There used to be less categories for easier reviewing – but just like the web, there’s so many permutations of content that call for more categories. If you were to consider all of the entries in every category and vote on them, I imagine you would derive a lot of pride and deeper understanding of what’s out there.  I’ll just be happy if I can get through half of it.

What excites me the most are sites that convey its purpose – marketing, news, commerce – in an elegant way. For me, that means I check out the Arts and Entertainment categories first. And with that, I fell in love with MOMA’s site on the Century of the Child. I really feel that the way users can move from one part to another fluidly is the way everything should be moving, and the content is extremely fun regardless of interface.

The showcase of products by category also illuminates how some things stay similar to how they’ve always been (check the two Disney films with almost identical navigation to what is usually seen for Disney titles and the beautiful BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD site that has long downloads for beautiful pictures but very little content.) The cool thing is finding the specific nuances that tweak typical offerings in just the right way.

Ultimately, the voting part takes away from what I like the most about the annual announcement of the nominees – the exploration.  Spending time to figure out what is best when there are so many differences even within same category nominees seems to diminish what we can truly get out of this. There is just so much to see in sites, advertising, video and more.

With that being said, I’m stopping this entry that went longer than I hoped for so that I can jump back to my map of the web and continue exploring – there’s not much time…

Question Using Technology Just Because It’s There

Sometimes even those trying to do a good deed are questionable in how they do it – especially when the use or presentation of technology come into play.  In the case of the charity, Obra do Berço in Rio, they devised what seems to be an alternate way to give money than through panhandlers in cars. You can see in the YouTube video how they showcase the technology and more questions arise than answers.

Courtesy of Obra do Berço

The technology they present as a form to raise funds for homeless kids is an SMS program – THE SOS SMS – that enables drivers to shut their windows on kids at street corners who are looking for change and make the donation quickly through their phones.  Seems simple enough – but there are so many issues in this setup – beyond the fact that it seems everyone has been hired for this video through Brazil’s version of Central Casting.

1) Its a shame that there are so many homeless children in the 6th Largest economy in the world. Is it more shameful that they are supporting the adults to ignore them in human terms? It seems bizarre that closing windows and turning away to donate to an organization would be thought of as being humane.

2) With their concept of hiding an SMS transmitter at an intersection, that does not lead to automatically being able to generate the mobile number to allow for an SMS communication.  The privacy issues on that alone would be enough to cause major concern.  Perhaps their better solution is through Bluetooth communications.  But, this would also rely on users turning that feature on and would not be automatic.

3) The utilization of high technology to solve a problem that is anything but high technology would cause concern for most people.  What is at its core a humanitarian action becomes a seemingly corporate one. It could be somewhat effective, but might it turn off more people than it turns on?

We could go on, but it seems pretty set and dried.  Sadly, I cannot read Portuguese, so I couldn’t find any supporting literature on their site as to how many locations have this technology or even if it is real.

Ultimately, the hope is that they were just trying to make a social statement with this campaign and not actually roll-out a non-solution like this. They did have some very engaging copy at the end of the video:

Sadly, it has become too easy to be enamored with our technology and ignore more important things around us. Even if we don’t get stuck in this perplexing situation at a Rio street corner, hopefully we can take something away from this and realize that high technology is not always the solution just because its available.

Native Advertising By Any Other Name

While reading an interview in Forbes with former NY Times Editor, Bill Keller, there was a feeling of deja vu – or at least just the feeling we’ve seen this all before.  The interview was wrapped in the blanket of technology and how that’s affected traditional media stalwarts like the NY Times.  One of the lead-off questions related to Native Advertising – the creation and placement of editorial-like content by advertisers on news or editorially driven sites. The thing that’s clear is that Native Advertising is just a catchy new name for something that’s been around forever – it’s just a bit blurrier.

For decades – if not centuries or millennia – content has been pitched for sponsorship. What more recently was considered advertorial – where a company could write content and have it show up in a publication with clear demarkation as advertising – has become easier to pull off and produce within digital media.

This form of advertising through “legitimate” means goes back to patrons of religion, gifts for kings and even the holy of holies, Disney – you didn’t think that the Carnation Cafe is on Main Street just because it fit the them, did you? The problem is that many of the leading digital news outlets and even some traditionals are allowing pure advertising to be pay-for-play while misleading many readers about its origins.

Again, we’ve known this type of thing has gone on forever, but maybe we’ve gotten too lazy about it in the search for bigger dollars.  Maybe we’re OK with changing our ways from selling the advertising surrounding good content to just selling the content – good or bad.

Where there was a clearer delineation between advertising and publicity – with the only correlation was that the more content people read, the more it attracted advertisers.  Now, advertisers are trying to be both sides of the coin and it causes problems that time will tell whether it makes a difference or not.

One of those problems is that it is up to the reader to figure out whether they are reading unbiased news or corporate spin. It might have been easier before, but it is no longer.  Some trade blogs and sites are almost completely populated with thinly veiled advertisements.

The other problem – and one that certainly hits far fewer people – is the way these practices have shifted the very form of publicity. What may have been the challenge of pitching a compelling story that a reporter would cover, shifted first to being included as a value-add to a media spend – and finally to just a matter of having a piece written and receiving paid-placement on a publisher site with little to no editorial involvement. It becomes a problematic when companies feel that they can just post releases on the wire and reporters are waiting at the ready to write about them.

As money becomes harder to come by and the ability to keep commerce and sound reporting separate, opportunity arises for advertisers to benefit.  But, regardless of the name you might want to affix, is Native Advertising the way to go? If history is any proof, it’s the only way it’s ever really been – just a little more shrouded in technology.

When World Mobile Congress Drops The Gavel, Scarlet Strategic Is There

Though I don’t believe the Mobile World Congress actually drops the gavel, when it does “fall” next week in Barcelona, Scarlet Strategic/Scarlet Terrier Productions will be there. Continuing with the success from CES, the Mall Wall and Cloud-Connected Table that is presented as part of the ngConnect program will be shown in Alcatel-Lucent’s booth. Even in the short time since CES 2013, the systems have been strengthened even further and truly showcase how connectivity can add another dimension to interactivity and digital signage.

From the 25th through the 28th of February, these products can be seen in Hall 3, booth 114. If you can’t make it to Barcelona, you can get a very basic sense of the Mall Wall and Cloud-Connected Table by clicking on either – certainly not the same as being there, but…

With the double offering of better connectivity in public spaces and heightened interactivity with content via NFC, these products are perfectly positioned for generating even more interest on the Mobile World Congress floors.

CES 2013 Show Recap and Technology Tidbits

Another CES has come and gone. And, much like in the past, there’s some cool things that you can’t wait to see hit the market.  There’s also some things you don’t want to see hit the market.  There were a number of “wow” factors as well as some “scratch your head in wonder” factors.  Some may never see the light of day and some are already there.  One of the most interesting elements was the tracking of progression from one year to the next – both in the show itself and the technologies it showcases. The show itself is now covering even more square footage.  So, with the feet showing more wear and tear, what follows is a collection of thoughts and tidbits.

Microsoft’s Huge Cost Savings
Before getting into what was actually on the floor, there was a lot of press was devoted to Microsoft’s pulling out of CES – no booth and no keynote. Kudos to them on still making a huge Keynote splash by crashing Qualcomm’s Keynote with Steve Ballmer walking on stage and presenting Windows Mobile 8. Who knows how much they saved in sponsorship fees, Keynote production costs and the actual cost of the booth.

Starting At Innovation

In years past, I’ve made it a habit to start the show at the main hall, but switched it up this year and began at the Innovation Hall in the Venetian.  What used to be a showcase of the Innovation “Best In Shows” on the convention center’s main lobby floor has expanded – even if it’s not so close to the main floor.  The great thing about the Innovation Hall is that it provides a quick overview of what’s new and cool.  You can’t interact with most of the things, but it easily provides the opportunity to determine what booths you don’t want to miss on the exhibition floors.

What has made it even more interesting is the grouping of small, up and coming companies in the hall around the “Best of” displays.  These are the budding companies who may have a cool idea but don’t really have the strongest marketing and certainly don’t have the market share (yet) to be on the main floor. There are probably more misses than hits, but its always fun to find the hidden jewels.

Future Home – Whirlpool

Though not a start-up by any means, Whirlpool used this space to show off possible future tech.  In the image above, they considered this to be a futuristic fireplace – where people could sit around a table with weird lighting from the table and above and have the food kept warm by the lighting. My takeaway was that it could work on the Gallactica or in Buck Rogers, but it will be interesting to see if this becomes a common feature in the next 20 years…

3D Printing

While there was only one 3D printer in this hall last year, the ones presented this year made last year’s seem like it was from the stone ages.  The precision printing of objects directly from digital files is very cool to see in person.  In the top image, you can even see a guitar made from a 3D printer.  While still somewhat rudimentary, you can really see some true future benefits from the development of this technology.

Autos and Accessories

Moving on to the Convention Center, we restrained ourselves from going into the Main Hall and went into the North Hall instead – where mobile accessories and Auto products reign. After a while in this hall (and the entire show for that matter) you feel like you never want to see an accessory again.

One thing that I found funny in the accessories was this product from Pure Gear that adds an analog game to the iPhone.  Made me laugh because you would assume there’s an app for that.  Perhaps they figured they’d pass on the charging cover and just provide something to do for when your battery dies out.

Audi has been on the floor in this hall for a few years and their booths are quite spectacular. With Lexus joining the fray and promoting their future self-driving car, they provided some communication competition for Audi, but the Germans still mastered booth mystique.  Even with the lack of clarity in terms of what Audi was selling, their booth was hands down the winner.

Lexus

Audi

And, just in case you were wondering about the safety of texting and driving in Los Angeles – or anywhere for that matter – consider the computing power found within the newest LAPD cars…

Connectivity

On the upper floor of the South Hall, the heavy hitters were all about connectivity and processing.  Verizon was showing off every use of mobile under the sun, Qualcomm was highlighting everything that uses their chips/processors (plus providing their usual coffee stand) and Alcatel Lucent was demoing all the ngConnect stuff.  The connected displays we worked on were well received by numerous entities coming through – from Telcos salivating over the opportunity for transactional revenue to mall and other large-scale public venue corporations excitedly discovering how their locations can be reinvigorated through dynamic, connected signage.

There was a bunch of other stuff to see on the floor that was interesting for about a minute and then you moved on.

Sadly, I didn’t get much time on the bottom floor of the South Hall, but I did see a few things of interest.  The first was a robot window cleaner to complete your collection of the Rhoomba and the Mint.  I wish I could find more, but the company member who was there wasn’t too open with information.  One thing of note about that lower hall was that there was much more breathing room. There was an opportunity to have some fun with your booth design – which one company selling bluetooth enabled outdoor active speakers did.

The Main Event – Main Floor

This year, I entered the main hall in a way that I hadn’t before.  In addition to not being the first hall I entered, I only spent a short period in there on the first day and then didn’t go back in until the middle of the second day.

When we first went in, we just went into the LG booth because it has the best entrance – with the huge 3D wall.  This year, what really caught my eye (and was my most memorable technology from the show)was the Ultra HD 84″ screen that was just beyond the wall.

Obviously, it can’t be seen here, but what makes it spectacular is the fact that LG has seemingly mastered 3D over the past year.  Their glasses have always been great, but their 3D was only good for things coming out of the screen toward the viewer.  This monitor caught my eye because of the addition of a great depth-of-field.

Regardless of how blown away I was by the Ultra HD, I had to laugh when I got to a nearby screen for 3D gaming.  The screen looked great, but they highlighted the use of a mobile phone to control the gameplay. When I tried to play the game using it, I had to constantly look down at the controller – which wasn’t in 3D.  A cool concept, but with its flat screen, mobile devices as controllers just don’t make sense.

On the way out of the hall, I stopped at the Intel booth which seems to have literally blossomed without Microsoft being so close.  I sadly don’t have any images, but built an interactive Ultrabook display that looked like a tree.

The next day was the accidental discovery that was my favorite content of the show as well as led me to my favorite audio piece at the show – both of which were at the DTS booth.

My favorite content was the interview by Nic Harcourt with the engineer for most of the Beatles’ albums – Geoff Emerick.  Geoff’s frankness and stories from those days were fascinating in how they would create effects in an analog world that still hold their own in a digital one.

After the interview, we were able to sample a new DTS product called Headphone.X that effectively can turn any set of decent headphones into an 11.1 sound system.  Their demo did a great job showcasing this new technology.  But, as with many things shown at CES, it will take a while to even cycle the newer processors that can handle the technology into the market.  When I asked, I was told that Qualcomm is the only one providing a processor that can handle it – and then the audio still needs to be build in 11.1.  So who knows when we will actually be able to enjoy.

As for the rest of the main hall, it was even more about lights and action and overwhelming stuff.  The biggest players are Samsung, Sony and Panasonic.  Sony’s area was huge and provided a lot of room to walk around and see their version of the largest OLED.

Panasonic was throwing everything out there from screens to beauty products to a first-class cabin on Air Singapore.  They even had their own version of the largest OLED. Their booth was somewhat easy to move around, but the presentation was dry and I am still trying to figure out who would want the 20″ tablet they were showing off.

I will say this for Panasonic: they did a very good job of conveying how their technology makes it into people’s lives – both in the home and in business.  One example is their presentation of POS solutions through tablets. They drew people in with their organic menu and allowed the technology presentation to get people over their disappointment that there wasn’t actually healthy food available on the floor.

Finally, the booth that exemplifies all that is CES can be found in the middle of the main hall – Samsung.

Samsung has usually had the coolest things to show and have always generated the largest crowds.  Sadly, their booth design is an assault on the senses.  It is so overwhelming that you don’t know what to look at, where to go or why to care.  Taken in doses, the content is more palatable, but that controlled dose pattern is very hard to pull off.  Without a doubt, there were many great items that were missed due to the hubbub.

But, I guess in the end, that’s what CES is all about – and what drives people to come back – the exploration for that next great thing.