Life In The Weeds

iPad II - does it really need to be better?

Is it? Of course!  Bbut with sales of 15 million units, the original iPad has already been a runaway best seller...and, a new version just means another instant Apple home run!  Quick math tells me 9B in original iPad sales.

The iPad II seems to deliver everything the consumer was looking for, with the exception of a USB port.

A few highlights:

• the new iPad adds front and rear cameras that permit the kind of FaceTime video chat that is so appealing on the latest iPhones and on Mac computers
• the VGA camera on the front of the second-generation iPad can capture video (and audio) at up to 30 frames per second, a standard measure of smoothness; the rear camera can shoot in high-definition, up to what techies refer to as 720p.
• the presence of cameras also permits the Photo Booth feature popular on Macs that lets you snap pictures with a bunch of wacky special effects, one of which can morph your head into two.
• The hardware itself is a head-turner. New tablets come in black or white — Apple says both will be available on day one — and are noticeably slimmer. In fact, they're 33% thinner than the first iPad and, at 1.3 pounds for the Wi-Fi-only model, a tad lighter.
• Apple will also be selling a new $39 accessory that will let you plug the iPad into an HDTV with an HDMI port so you will be able to "mirror" the apps and whatever else is on the iPad screen on a bigger display...this is pretty dam cool.

I admitted a long time ago, when the iPad was first introduced, that I did not see the value in having one...then I got one and have become a convert.  With more and more Apps being introduced...and with everything moving to the cloud, the iPad can allow you to eliminate your laptop all together.

mj

 

Generation (F)acebook

Like it or not, technology is here to stay...if you don't believe it, here are a few facts to enlighten you.

Close jaw now!

mj

Starbucks; at it again!

This week, the mega coffee giant, Starbucks, revealed a logo change.  While the logo appears in lots of places, the most obvious location - the Starbucks coffee cup - is where most consumers see the change.

Changing the Starbucks logo is not a new thing...in fact, way back, they not only changed the logo, but the color as well.

I find it funny when I read about consumers and marketers who are "outraged" over the change.

I think it's great...and certainly a testament to how strong the brand IS.  And, it is not really a great departure from their first ever logo.  The siren has always been the mainstay of the logo. Now the logo is more iconic...like McDonald's. The golden arches do not need a name to make the brand more clear.

Having an iconic logo is much more flexible in today's social media world...YOUR logo should look great as an App icon sitting on your iDevice.  That is exactly how ANY brand new or old should be viewing their next logo design.

mj

Bottoms Up?

Talk about the perfect pour...check out this video!  

 

Could this be the latest in beer technology?  It looks impressive...

mj

Commercial of the Year

Well, not officially, since no one really cares what I think...

However, my Television Commercial of the Year comes from the car company Kia.

The Hamsters are hilarious.

Watch it once, then again...and I won't believe you if you say you are not singing "you can live with this or you can live with that" all day long!

mj

College Bowl Games - Pay to Play

It's always a hot topic during the collegiate football season...should players be paid to play?  (we are not debating this topic here and now!)

Certainly, the spotlight on Cam Newton, the heisman trophy winner from Auburn this year, brought back the notion of athletes (and parents) being paid under the table to assure they attend a particular university.

The NCAA rules are very strict...and very clear.  A booster can not so much as buy a player a hot lunch without violating NCAA guidelines.

With Bowl games galore coming up, I think the colleges have found a "grey area" to work within.  Take a look at this breakdown of what participants in said Bowl games recieve...how does this fall within the NCAA guidelines?

The NCAA allows each bowl to award up to $500 worth of gifts for up to 125 participants, according to the article. Players can also receive awards up to $350 from the school and up to $350 from the conference for postseason play.

Can you say pay to play...

BOWL	ELECTRONICS	WATCH	SUNGLASSES/ APPAREL	LUGGAGE	OTHER
NEW MEXICO Dec. 18, 2 p.m. (ESPN); Albuquerque, N.M.	Gift suite		Oakley Fuel Cell sunglasses; Oakley beanie; New Era cap	Oakley Panel backpack	Pen with box, Christmas ornament
UDROVE HUMANITARIAN Dec. 18,h 5:30 p.m. (ESPN); Boise, Idaho	Sony gift suite		New Era skull cap; waterproof breathable parka, winter gloves, hand warmers	Ogio Fugitive backpack	Big Game souvenir football
R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS Dec. 18, 9 p.m. (ESPN); New Orleans	Apple iPod touch				Balfour ring
BEEF ‘O’ BRADY’S ST. PETERSBURG Dec. 21, 8 p.m. (ESPN); St. Petersburg, Fla.	Microsoft Xbox 360 4GB		Oakley Fuel Cell sunglasses	Oakley Panel backpack	Mini-helmet
MAACO BOWL LAS VEGAS Dec. 22, 8 p.m. (ESPN); Las Vegas	Gift suite
SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA Dec. 23, 8 p.m. (ESPN); San Diego	Best Buy gift card	Fossil	Hooded sweatshirt; cap
SHERATON HAWAII Dec. 24, 8 p.m. (ESPN); Honolulu	Kicker EB141 earbuds		Oakley Fuel Cell sunglasses; Pro Athletics custom shorts; commemorative T-shirt, golf shirt, visor	Oakley Surf backpack	Beach towels, calendar
LITTLE CAESARS PIZZA Dec. 26, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN); Detroit	Gift suite	Timely Watch Co.		Leather duffel bag	Commemorative football
ADVOCARE V100 INDEPENDENCE Dec. 27, 5 p.m. (ESPN2); Shreveport, La.	Gift suite	Timely Watch Co.	New Era hat; souvenir hat
CHAMPS SPORTS Dec. 28, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN); Orlando	$420 shopping spree at a local Best Buy*	Timely Watch Co.
INSIGHT Dec. 28, 10 p.m. (ESPN); Tempe, Ariz.	Sony gift suite	Tourneau	Cap	Ogio Cooper backpack
MILITARY BOWL PRESENTED BY NORTHROP GRUMMAN Dec. 29, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN); Washington, D.C.	Sony Dash; Altec Lansing inMotion portable speaker		Beanie, cap	Duffel bag	Tailgate blanket
TEXAS Dec. 29, 6 p.m. (ESPN); Houston	Apple iPod touch	Fossil	T-shirt	Backpack	Belt buckle
VALERO ALAMO Dec. 29, 9:15 p.m. (ESPN); San Antonio	Microsoft Xbox 360 with Kinect; $20 Game Stop gift card; Kicker 541 headphones; Apple iPod shuffle	Fossil			Schutt mini-helmet, team panoramic photo
BELL HELICOPTER ARMED FORCES Dec. 30, noon (ESPN); Dallas	Sony gift suite	Timely Watch Co.		Ogio All Terrain duffel bag	Commemorative football
NEW ERA PINSTRIPE Dec. 30, 3:20 p.m. (ESPN); Bronx, N.Y.	Would not disclose (1)
FRANKLIN AMERICAN MORTGAGE MUSIC CITY Dec. 30, 6:40 p.m. (ESPN); Nashville	Skullcandy headphones, Apple iPod shuffle, iTunes gift card	Fossil	Majestic fleece; Port & Co. long sleeve T-shirt	Ogio Newt backpack
BRIDGEPOINT EDUCATION HOLIDAY Dec. 30, 10 p.m. (ESPN); San Diego	Best Buy gift card	Fossil	Hooded sweatshirt; cap
MEINEKE CAR CARE Dec. 31, noon (ESPN); Charlotte	Would not disclose (2)
HYUNDAI SUN Dec. 31, 2 p.m. (CBS); El Paso, Texas	Gift suite	Timely Watch Co.	Majestic fleece pullover; Top of the World cap	Ogio Politan backpack	Helen of Troy hair dryer; souvenir coin
AUTOZONE LIBERTY Dec. 31, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN); Memphis	Apple iPod nano 6th Generation, 8GB	Fossil	Nike training shoes; Nike sport sandals; Nike sunglasses	Nike Air Jordan backpack	Commemorative football
CHICK-FIL-A Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN); Atlanta	$250 Best Buy gift card	Fossil	Russell Athletic knit cap	Russell Athletic travel bag	Commemorative football, Chick-fil-A gift card
TICKETCITY Jan. 1, noon (ESPNU); Dallas	Gift suite	Timely Watch Co.
CAPITAL ONE Jan. 1, 1 p.m. (ESPN); Orlando	$420 shopping spree at a local Best Buy*	Timely Watch Co.
OUTBACK Jan. 1, 1 p.m. (ABC); Tampa	$150 Best Buy gift card	Fossil	Cap		Jostens ring; $25 Outback Steakhouse gift certificate
GATOR Jan. 1, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN2); Jacksonville		Fossil	Oakley sunglasses	Leather duffel bag	Jostens ring; commemorative football
ROSE BOWL GAME PRESENTED BY VIZIO Jan. 1, 5 p.m. (ESPN); Pasadena, Calif.	Gift suite	Fossil	Oakley cap	Oakley Bugeye backpack
TOSTITOS FIESTA Jan. 1, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN); Glendale, Ariz.	Gift suite	Fossil	Cap	Ogio Cooper backpack
DISCOVER ORANGE Jan. 3, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN); Miami	Gift suite	Tourneau	New Era cap
ALLSTATE SUGAR Jan. 4, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN); New Orleans	Sleek Audio custom earphones; Gift suite	Reactor Meltdown	New Era cap
GODADDY.COM Jan. 6, 8 p.m. (ESPN); Mobile, Ala.	Nikon S70 touchscreen camera package	Timely Watch Co.		Leather luggage bag	Commemorative football
AT&T COTTON Jan. 7, 8 p.m. (Fox); Arlington, Texas	Would not disclose (3)
BBVA COMPASS Jan. 8, noon (ESPN); Birmingham, Ala.		Oakley Blade II	Oakley Fuel Cell sunglasses	Oakley Surf backpack	Big Game souvenir football
KRAFT FIGHT HUNGER Jan. 9, 9 p.m. (ESPN); San Francisco	Sony noise-canceling headphones	Fossil	Cap	Ogio backpack	$100 Levi’s gift certificate
TOSTITOS BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Jan. 10, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN); Glendale, Ariz.	Gift suite	Fossil	Cap	Ogio Cooper backpack

mj

Top Ten Overused Buzzword's on LinkedIn

I am a LinkedIn user.  I like it and think it is a valuable tool.  

Heading into 2011, the LinkedIn Analytics Team decided to take a crack at finding the most clichéd and overused phrases for the past year by trolling through over 85 million LinkedIn profiles.

Here they are:

Take a look at your profile.  Are you using using any of these to describe yourself?  How many? One...ten?

mj

Miracle Product

Do you take your dishes out of the dishwasher and wonder if the dishwasher is working correctly?

Do you live in an area where this hard water?

Let me introduce you to a product that will make your dishes look like new when removed from the dishwasher: Lemi Shine.

Buy it, use it, love it!

mj

Hyundai Sonata - Review

My buddy Irish and I have been talking about what a great value the Hyundai Sonata is...it looks great and is definitely worth considering on the next car purchase.  So, two weeks ago, my brother pulled the trigger on the Sonata...

Here is a [guest blogger] review of the 2011 Hyundai Sonata:

Keeping in mind I painfully relinquished my ultimate driving machine for a more affordable and family-friendly set of wheels...that said, the marketing campaign for the Sonata seems pretty accurate to me…a LOT of car for the buck.  I got the Limited for mid 20k’s…

Even with a BMW, I never have been an “engine/power guy” so I really don’t spend a lot of time thinking about pick-up and RPM’s...no doubt, however, the Sonata is not a growler under the hood, but after those 6 seconds the car drives the same speed as any other car commuting around town.  Also, unlike an Avalanche (my other car) or Suburban where the fuel gauge moves as you watch; I have driven for a week and still have half a tank of gas!

Love the exterior styling and I’m pretty impressed with the interior.  Very comfortable, nice headroom and spacious…please note we test drove with 3 kids in the back to confirm leg room etc…Plenty of space.  My kids are not full grown however, and this won't be the primary family vehicle, but it works for the 10% of the time I’m hauling them around in this car.  Very different than stuffing them in the back of my very unpractical coupe with only 2 seat belts and no rear leg room for a Sunday Paper.

Trunk is huge…which means I can now actually fit my sticks without a six step process and probable damage to my R9 driver.

Sonata has lots of technology that was really easy to learn and implement.  Love the key-less entry/start.   More places to store/misplace my phone and sunglasses than I’ve been able to count quite yet.

Ran over a large squirrel last night, and saw no visible damage which is a good thing.  Not sure it would fare as well against your deer population which I heard is almost a 1:1 ratio with cars on the road.

Think I covered everything…here’s to Korean know-how.  Of course, my Marine father/ Korean War Vet has disowned me as a traitor!

hjs for mj

 

The Quiet Car Experiment

In early September, NJ Transit began a 90-day Quiet Car Experiment...and, it appears to be working.

As part of the three-month pilot program, 29 express trains between Trenton and Manhattan have acquired two quiet cars, one at each end, that promise commuters a Zen-like cocoon: “No cell, no song/low talk/in peace we travel/arrive calm,” read the pale-blue promotional posters.

Of course, ornery commuters have been enforcing de facto quiet cars since the dawn of the mobile age. Every seasoned commuter is capable of a such a hateful, scornful look that is so nasty, it would make any noisemaker fall to their knees.  But, now, fellow quite car passenger will have strength in numbers.

I'm all for it!  I've always been shocked at the conversations people are willing to have in front of perfect strangers...

So, in addition, to peer pressure, how is the quiet car enforced?  I've seen the conductors inform folks to keep it down because they are in a quiet car, but is it really enforceable?  Is talking on your cell phone in the quiet car a law breaking offense?  Of course not...it's more about a social change in behavior.

My guess is that Quiet Cars will be part of the regular commuting experience...

mj