Seth says there are two kinds of people in the world:
“The folks that want (need!) an iPhone, and those that couldn’t care less. And of course it’s not just Apple and it’s not just phones. It’s every single industry in the world. You’re not likely to convert one group into the other. What you can do is decide which group you’d like to market to.”
There you go. I am in the first group and Jobs sold me in the first five minutes.
You know I’m not a cell phone guy. Nobody to call…nobody to call me (‘cept Barb). But the new Apple iPhone is so much more than a cell phone. Makes the Treo and the Blackberry look like Fisher Price toys. The iPod led me to purchase the MacBook…and the MacBook will probably lead me to buy an iPhone.
Update: Just watched Jobs’ keynote. Amazing. And take a look at the effect of the iPhone announcement on Palm (Treo) and Rimm (Blackberry) stock in the hours following.
Brandweek has a good article on how marketing on cell phones is finally starting to work:
“Crammed into his seat on his way into Manhattan, a businessman uses his cell phone to log onto Weather.com just to see if there’s some sunshine on the way (“Seventeen inches of snow expected by the weekend.”) Just then, a bright blue banner ad with white lettering pops up on and grabs his attention: “Aruba” …He clicks on the banner ad, and his phone dials an 800 number, connecting him to an Aruba Tourism booking agent. “
The article includes several good examples.
Restroom faucets, soap dispensers and towel dispensers are now equipped with motion detectors. Scott Adams is anxiously awaiting the next innovation in restroom automation.
“I assume developers are already working on the last mile: A robotic arm to unzip my pants, grab my unit, then do the holding, shaking, and repackaging. I’m too busy to do that stuff for myself.
The Autopee device (it needs a name) would be problematic because every guy is built different. Somehow it would need to know the dimensions of what’s behind your zipper so it didn’t accidentally neuter you. …You’d also have to tell the Autopee how much shaking you want, ranging anywhere from two quick flicks to a happy ending.”
If you are not reading the Dilbert Blog, you are missing some of the smartest, funniest writing anywhere.
A company called QuickPlay has come up with a way to stream podcasts directly from a central server, instead of downloading and storing on space-limited memory cards. They say they have lined up some high-profile content providers, ranging from ABC News to the Wall Street Journal. The service is available immediately for $8 per month and requires an existing BlackBerry connected to a cellular provider’s data plan.
It’s going to get easier and easier to watch/listen stuff on portable devices. Once that happens, I think we’ll stop using the term podcast.