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Monday 30 April 2012
Published on 2012-04-30 08:05:00
For some reason, Wired will always remind me of internet journalism from the mid-1990s. But this week there are several interesting articles on wired.com that (to me at least) demonstrates that they are still capable of new and original writing... First is a piece on a small start-up that I've been tracking for a few months: Can an Algorithm Write a Better News Story Than a Human Reporter? This one is a bit of a primer for laypeople on the practice of multivariate testing: The A/B Test: Inside t [..] > read more
Monday 2 April 2012
Published on 2012-04-02 09:35:00
A couple of good articles on the business of TV and the future of said business. The first one is a bit of an apologia for the cable industry from Wired: The Nimble Empire: In Defense of Cable The next one features a discussion of the work of yours truly: Clicking through the wild west of video-on-demand > read more
Wednesday 28 March 2012
Published on 2012-03-28 11:08:00
As if I ever had any doubts that getting out of the Yellow Pages business was a good idea: Are Yellow Pages Toast? Four Years Later We Review Ad Value Just to pat my own back, my timing for fleeing that particular sinking ship was impeccable. But as for whether my new ship is sailing toward an iceberg, there are lots of interesting developments happening every day. But so far none of these signs so far seem to augur certain doom or certain success. This piece is just another example of how the [..] > read more
Monday 5 March 2012
Published on 2012-03-05 08:54:00
Seems like the media can't quite make up its mind about Netflix. Either the company is getting into bed with cable MSOs, or it is about to be "crushed" by the likes of Comcast. Regardless, there is one thing that everyone does seem to agree on: Apple is going to remake the TV industry in its own image. And in the process, the computer company from Cupertino is going to "embarrass hardware makers, stiff content providers, destroy cable companies." While I think it's true that Apple does have a s [..] > read more
Thursday 1 March 2012
Published on 2012-03-01 10:02:00
Hot on the heels of revelations that Google+ is a virtual ghost town, here's a new report claiming that there are less than 1M Google TV devices in use. It seems like Google has been trying to pivot for the past 5+ years, with few successful examples of gaining widespread traction outside of its core search and advertising products. Can anyone say Innovator's Dilemma? > read more
Monday 20 February 2012
Published on 2012-02-20 09:41:00
This article makes the point that BSkyB's move to disrupt itself is 'brilliant'. And while it's true that it is better to cannibalize yourself rather than let someone else do it, I would argue that there are times when 'old media' companies are too tempted to start dining on their own flesh before the 'new media' cannibals have even started sharpening their knives. Having been in this situation myself, my take on it is that this trend is often motivated by the personal insecurities of old-media [..] > read more
Friday 17 February 2012
Published on 2012-02-17 09:30:00
Two recent (and related) pieces caught my eye the other day. They both touch on the ability of firms to tap into customers' online and offline behavior, and turn that data into actionable intelligence about people's tastes, consumption patterns, future earning potential, and even -- in the Target example -- reproductive status. A Guide to the Digital Advertising Industry That's Watching Your Every Click How Target Figured Out A Teen Girl Was Pregnant Before Her Father Did > read more
Thursday 16 February 2012
Published on 2012-02-16 15:57:00
It's always better to work for a successful company that is growing than one whose best days are behind it. It's even better to know that you're contributing to the success: Comcast surges on reduced subscriber losses; posts best quarter in 5 years And on a related note, it's always exciting to see yourself quoted in print, even if the quote isn't entirely accurate: Comcast to market 'X1' next generation digital TV service to homes > read more
Monday 6 February 2012
Published on 2012-02-06 11:56:00
Interesting development, especially considering the recent announcement of a joint marketing agreement between Comcast and Verizon Wireless: Redbox Partners With Verizon To Launch Streaming Video Service > read more
Saturday 28 January 2012
Published on 2012-01-28 13:23:00
Cool article on a cool project at the NYTimes beta620 lab: Meet Deep Dive, the New York Times’ experimental context engine and story explorer Funny what you can learn on the interwebs: Comcast reveals social TV strategy that rewards subscribers in patent application Read more: Comcast reveals social TV strategy that rewards subscribers in patent application > read more
Wednesday 11 January 2012
Published on 2012-01-11 12:55:00
Happy 2012. Two new pieces, coinciding with CES. No further comment: How People Watch TV Online And Off Myspace — Yes, Myspace — Says It’s Going to Sell You Web TV > read more
Monday 28 November 2011
Published on 2011-11-28 10:51:00
I've just now gotten around to reading this piece from Fast Company in late October. It's a pretty good precis on how things are shaping up for Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google: The Great Tech War Of 2012 There's even an update meta-story that was published 30 days later: The Great Tech War Of 2012: Ongoing Skirmishes > read more
Tuesday 22 November 2011
Published on 2011-11-22 09:17:00
A few acquisitions and announcements from some small video search and recommendations players, all for around the same pricetag: Synacor Guns for $75M IPO Al Gore-backed VideoSurf bought by Microsoft for $70 million Ebay’s Got A Hunch, For Around $80 Million This last one is interesting, especially given Ebay's new 'couch commerce' Watch With Ebay app. Soon you may actually be able to buy Rachel's sweater after all. > read more
Friday 18 November 2011
Published on 2011-11-18 08:41:00
Two new stories of hardware manufacturers looking to disintermediate content distributors by doing deals to connect broadcasters directly with consumers. It's not that they're trying to eliminate the middleman; they are trying to become the middleman. Sony Considers Internet Rival to Cable TV Boxee’s Latest Cord-Cutter Tool: A Cable Set-Top Box ‘Stick’ > read more
Friday 28 October 2011
Published on 2011-10-28 10:09:00
A few interesting snippets on 1) interactive and targeted TV advertising, 2) Facebook's role in the TV ecosystem, and 3) Apple's plans to upset the television applecart. Interactive Ads: Cable’s Future May Already Have Passed Can Facebook Improve TV Ads? Blockbuster to offer VOD on Facebook What’s Really Next for Apple in Television Also this late-breaking piece: Google Tries Again With Google TV > read more
Thursday 27 October 2011
Published on 2011-10-27 14:46:00
Facial monitoring: The all-telling eye A piece in the Economist explains how webcams can now spot which ads catch your gaze, read your mood, and check your vital signs. In my last job, I tried to get a POC off the ground to do this with digital out-of-home billboards, but I honestly never thought of doing it with front-facing cameras on people's PCs, iPhones, and tablets. Seems like an interesting concept, provided you can get over the privacy implications. > read more
Wednesday 29 June 2011
Published on 2011-06-29 11:57:00
I like the Nieman Journalism Lab. As could be expected from a site focused on quality journalism, their stories are usually insightful and well researched. Here are a couple of interesting ones that I've seen recently: Google plans for “the second > read more
Monday 20 June 2011
Published on 2011-06-20 10:06:00
Fresh off a week at the annual NCTA Cable Show and the Digital Media Conference, there has been a lot to report on in the world of television and video. Perhaps the biggest announcements coming out of the Cable Show were related to Comcast's plans to > read more
Friday 10 June 2011
Published on 2011-06-10 08:07:00
I really dig a couple of quotes from this piece on Jeff Bezos's response to a question at Amazon's most recent shareholder meeting: "If you invent frequently and are willing to fail, then you never get to that point where you really need to bet the > read more
Wednesday 8 June 2011
Published on 2011-06-08 08:51:00
In a previous role, I used to spend a bunch of time trying to pay attention to where various companies fit into the digital media and advertising landscape. Now a consulting firm has done all the hard work for us, and even documented their findings i > read more
Tuesday 31 May 2011
Published on 2011-05-31 12:58:00
Interesting piece on how Facebook wants to own the media space, not necessarily by owning the content or distribution, but by inserting its users and their friends between the content producers and the distribution partners: Facebook Is Developing Wa > read more
Wednesday 4 May 2011
Published on 2011-05-04 13:06:00
A piece detailing what comes after personalization and behavioral targeting: Predicting how individuals will respond to any given call to action. Welcome to the Brave New World of Persuasion Profiling A piece on how PBS has tried to make their vast > read more
Monday 25 April 2011
Published on 2011-04-25 08:32:00
Only one good article today, with a couple of really good (and topical) quotes about how researchers are using data collected from mobile phone usage to draw insights into people's lives: "We are trying to understand the molecules of behavior in this > read more
Monday 18 April 2011
Published on 2011-04-18 13:46:00
More tales of (potential) disruption in the TV industry... Legal this time? Startup offers local TV on the 'Net, with a twist I Clicked on Tina Fey’s Glasses and She Responded Don't Be So Sure Apple Won't Start Selling TVs > read more
Tuesday 5 April 2011
Published on 2011-04-05 13:53:00
Disruption everywhere in studioland! Movie studios sue DVD streaming site Zediva Top 10 Ways the iPad Is Changing Cable > read more
Friday 25 March 2011
Published on 2011-03-25 13:54:00
A few new bits and pieces: two from software companies trying to figure out how to play in the TV game, two about different types of media organizations using recommendations engines and predictive analytics to drive usage, plus one of the better pri > read more
Tuesday 15 March 2011
Published on 2011-03-15 07:42:00
Inside the Recommendation Engines of StumbleUpon, YouTube, Pandora and Hotpot > read more
Thursday 10 March 2010
Published on 2011-03-10 09:28:00
Hello. It's been a while. Here are some things I've been reading lately: Facebook Is AOLifying the Internet—and That Sucks Personalized iPad Magazine Zite Learns As You Read, Challenges Flipboard Apple TV to offer sports leagues Microsoft's music/ > read more
Monday 1 November 2010
Published on 2010-11-01 21:29:00
Today I am being a bit boring: Three interesting articles from the New York Times. I like this one because it is highly pertinent to my new job: Lost the Remote? Another Reason to Use an App I like this one because it busts some of the myths of > read more
Friday 29 October 2010
Published on 2010-10-29 19:40:00
Four interesting pieces about cable, internet video, DVD rentals, and tablets. They pretty much speak for themselves. Redbox To Announce Streaming Partner Soon; Is It Wal-Mart or Amazon? Google shifts TV effort to YouTube Is Comcast’s Xfinity TV a > read more
Friday 22 October 2010
Published on 2010-10-22 11:07:00
Two separate but related pieces on the growing rift between content owners and content distributors in the online video space. First, as was widely reported, Fox blocked Cablevision customers from accessing their JV site Hulu.com as part of a dispute > read more
Thursday 14 October 2010
Published on 2010-10-14 09:56:00
Just back from vacation, and there's lots to report on. What's interesting to me (or perhaps just illuminating about my subconscious's tendency to create a narrative for my life) are all the common ties between these different news items. On the surf > read more
Monday 13 September 2010
Published on 2010-09-13 06:21:00
Google Instant: Potential Implications for the Advertiser A lot of people have been commenting on what Google's new instant search results means for users, advertisers, SEO/SEM, etc. But this analysis is one of the more insightful that I've seen. On > read more
Wednesday 8 September 2010
Published on 2010-09-08 12:12:00
Don’t Tell the Creative Department, but Software Can Produce Ads, Too This one from the NYTimes is great... and a little scary. The piece details some new software developed by BETC Euro RSCG in Paris that promises to create credible creative > read more
Wednesday 1 September 2010
Published on 2010-09-01 07:54:00
First up, a good primer from the NYT on the business of ad retargeting, featuring a peek at some of the big players in the space, as well as some of the controversies surrounding the more daring implementations of retargeting. The piece describes one > read more
Wednesday 25 August 2010
Published on 2010-08-25 08:08:00
Sofa Wars: Crowded Field for Bringing Web Video to TVs The NYTimes does a series of articles on the changing ways that people are consuming video at home, and on the changing business models of the companies that hope people are watching their > read more
Saturday 21 August 2010
Published on 2010-08-21 08:12:00
The Implications Of Facebook's "Places" Everybody's been talking about Facebook's new Places feature, but this piece does a better job than most of actually interpreting what it means for Facebook, other location check-in services, and for local sea > read more
Wednesday 18 August 2010
Published on 2010-08-18 10:51:00
Big news day in blogland... First up, and near and dear to my (old) heart, are a few articles on how yellow pages and local search companies are continually trying to reinvent themselves to compete in a digital world. The first piece describes how > read more