A few fun things and a phone from Google
Kudos to Dean Velez for his re-branding of The Anvel to Motion Graphics Lab. Nice site and still lots of free stuff to download. Support Dean’s generous spirit and pay visit.
From the “Gosh that guy mentions Steve Audette a lot” department: Steve sends along this helpful link for those looking for sound effects in a hurry. Sound Snap’s a better than expected free sfx sharing site. A lot like the Stock.xchng for stock photos.
Also Steve’s appearing at the next Boston Avid Users Group meeting to talk about his editing heroics at Frontline. If you’re in Boston November 14, never mind. The weather sucks here then. Go somewhere else to catch Steve.
Google to launch phone platform
And I’m overdue for a prediction. As mentioned in the Wall Street Journal, Google’s expected to announce its gPhone initiative in the next few weeks.
“The most likely scenario from a Google perspective is to build some, if you will, inspirational platform [applications]; but primarily focus on getting third parties to do it because that’s where the innovation will come from,” said Google CEO Eric Schmidt, speaking at the All Things Digital conference in May. He said that “the new model of these phones is going to be person-to-person” with people exchanging videos and other types of data.
Prepare to be underwhelmed. Consumers want a phone and developers want a platform. Spare us the inspiration. And what’s Google going to bring to the table that Microsoft (Windows Mobile), Apple (iPhone), and Nokia (Ovi) don’t already have? This space is crowded already. Google fans retort search was pretty full when Google entered the fray. Search plays to Google’s strength – algorithms. Mobile plays to Google’s weakness – UI design. Note to users: Gmail’s UI sucks.
Google should continue working with mobile platform developers as it has with Apple to get YouTube and Google Maps on the iPhone. Notice how much more usable both are after a nip and tuck at the Cupertino clinic.
The Wall Street Journal on editing
With the credit markets in a tailspin and the southern half of the US in flames and out of water, you would think the Wall Street Journal would have a busy enough news day. Apparently not. It was time for the WSJ to dust off the editing-is-just-so-dang-easy piece.
Lee Gomes is apparently no David Pogue. At least when Pogue oversimplifies my job in print, it’s fun to read and accurate enough for the masses. Gomes’ piece has no information of any interest to any editor, producer, or post production supervisor. Well, may the post supervisors will get a kick out of it.
In describing the modern, streamlined approach to feature film post, Gomes writes:
Right on the set, the digitized film went into a computer; after that, just a handful of people were involved. While the skills were different, coordinating the work of these editors and others wasn’t much more different than what happens in an average office with a typical PowerPoint presentation.
Oh really? I’ve done the consulting thing, and with it the whole PowerPoint to end all PowerPoint presentations. You know what, Mr. Gomes? If it’s that easy, I suggest you ditch journalism and become a post director at one of the networks. The pay’s a lot better, and you seem to think you could handle it.
Can’t wait until Gomes writes about managing SIVs. Now that’s something apparently any kindergartener can handle.
Innovation and the NLE
Last week’s Economist included a special section on innovation. Innovation’s one of those soft concepts like creativity that everyone favors, but has trouble defining. Ask people to list some innovative companies, and a lot of lists include Apple. It’s a well-deserved reputation earned through the Mac OS, the iPod, the iTunes Store, Apple TV, and the iPhone. Talk about nonlinear editing, and perhaps Apple shouldn’t be so close to the top of the list. ScriptSync? Avid. Multicam? Avid. Dynamic Linking? Adobe.
What Apple’s done is commoditize the NLE. Color is cool, but it’s not innovative. It’s a smart purchase. This isn’t a knock on Apple. Making the NLE a commodity is no small feat. Taking a highly specialized product, broadening its appeal and lowering its price is tough stuff.
But this is about innovation. While Apple chomped at its market share, Avid did not engage in a race to the bottom. It lowered its prices somewhat, but continued to bank its future on higher margin customers. It’s the right strategy. Markets can support Chevys and BMWs. What’s odd is that its usually Apple playing the role of the Bavarian craftsmen.
So, how has Avid remained innovative? The common wisdom has it that Avid remains plugged-in to its best customers, and the outwardly visible evidence bears this out. Final Cut Pro has made the smallest of its gain in the large Hollywood studios and network facilities.
In the long run, focusing too heavily on the studios and networks could be Avid’s downfall. The Economist cites Clayton Christensen, author of the Innovator’s Dilemma, giving this warning to American companies regarding their Indian and Chinese rivals, but it rings true for Avid looking over its shoulder at Apple.
From A Dark Art No More (subscription required)
Mr Christensen, author of “The Innovator’s Dilemma”, believes he has cracked the code [of innovation]. He says it can require unlearning some of the things that managers often accept as golden rules. The chief one is the belief in listening and responding to the needs of your best customers.
This seemingly sensible strategy can be a dangerous siren song, Mr Christensen argues. His influential book shows how even successful firms can get into trouble by trying to please their best customers. Because there may be only a handful of highly profitable, high-end buyers who want and can afford more features and better performance, firms can invest heavily in trying to deliver what this elite group wants even though the resulting products may end up beyond the reach of the majority of their customers.
That, argues Mr Christensen, allows upstarts to enter the market and offer inferior (although perfectly adequate) technologies and products at much cheaper prices and push incumbents into ever smaller niches—and ultimately out of business altogether. He cautions this “disruptive” innovation is not the same thing as “radical” or “breakthrough” innovation, although the notions are often conflated. In his view, personal computers disrupted IBM’s mainframe computers and Digital Equipment’s mini-computers, as did Nucor’s highly efficient mini-mills to US Steel’s blast furnaces.
From The Love-in (subscription required)
Mr Von Hippel thinks that firms that are close to their lead users can come up with much better designs for new products and get them to market faster. This advice appears to contradict what Harvard’s Mr Christensen says, but in fact the two theses are compatible. Mr Christensen’s point is that firms should not uncritically cater to the demands of their most profitable current customers. They must question those demands or they could end up doing little more than gold-plating their current offerings; like Mr Von Hippel, he thinks firms should keep a closer watch on new and dissatisfied users, who are much more likely to be the source of disruptive ideas.
The challenge for Avid, in other words, is to get close to your newest and most dissatisfied customers. In other words, Avid needs to establish a relationship young indies and pay a little less heed to gray beards. The advice of Steve Cohen, Steve Audette, and Frank Capria has taken the company as far as it will go.
Forget the iPhone, unchain the iPod
Dear Mr. Jobs,
If you really want to own the hand-held device market, forget about the iPhone, just add some real functionality to the iPod Touch. As I’ve stated numerous times, I’ll never switch to AT&T, and approximately two-third of Americans are with me on that. Even you can sway us. You see, we still need our phones to make calls.
Just yesterday I was out and about with my iPod and clicked the Safari button to see what would happen. There was a WiFi network available, and that’s becoming more common every day. So why not ditch this phone thing, get in with Google on the bandwidth buying spree and go with VOIP?
Look you don’t play well with others — especially those old-school blue chips. Remember Motorola? You can’t tell me that the AT&T story will end any differently.
So here’s what you do for total hand-held domination:
- Put an email client on the iPod. Web-based email — excepting .Mac of course — sucks. Everyone hates it.
- Get Skype working on the iPod. How hard can that be? You’ve done a hell of a job with YouTube. In fact, just buy Skype and make it less dorky. I hear the honeymoon at eBay is over. They’ll part with it.
- Fix Safari. We can understand why you don’t love Flash, but the rest of the world does.
Now you have a hand-held device that’s better than the iPhone because AT&T is out of the picture. I mean, look at them, they’re selling refurbished PDAs for $30 next to your lovely iPhone. Mr. Jobs, they are not worthy. Move on before they embarass you further.
Sure, AT&T is going to sue you, but Apple lawyer’s are pretty good in court. And it’s pretty easy to renege on a deal with them. NASCAR screwed them pretty good and got away with it.
I’d make Apple my carrier tomorrow. I bet the other two thirds of Americans might too.
Joost to go live
As announced at MIPCOM this week and reported at Paid Content, Joost will try its hand a live sports in the US Q1.
[EVP Yvette Alberdingkthijm] said the live programming will include a “combination” catch-up option to watch on-demand shows following live transmission, then said Joost will offer widgets allowing viewers to bookmark favourite sporting moments and keep scores – some co-written with content partners, others by the community.
Play to the fantasy sports crowd and it will be an instant winner. Joost already has a deal with Major League Baseball to offer highlights on demand, so don’t be surprised to see a Joost-powered fantasy baseball portal. This is a crowd that spends countless hours pouring over minutiae while games are playing. The Joost interface is perfect for the trash-talking fantasy addict. Q1… NCAA tournament?
Fantasy sports just might be Joost’s ticket to the mainstream.
