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Gravity Medium

Strategies for Public Media 2.0

From here, at the end of Apple’s participation in the Macworld conference entirely, I suspect we will see them develop a revised annual cycle of product updates and announcements in various categories. What might that calendar look like?

Well, first off it won’t be a rigid calendar — it will have a give-and-take that’s more helpful for software development projects. Dumping Macworld gives them control over both the size and timing of each announcement, rather than being tied to venues, dates or formats dictated by a third party. That said, Apple would be well-advised to bite off projects in 12-month increments. Projects that run much longer than 9 months can easily start to lose focus and experience endless scope creep.

In any case, I’m betting on a roughly annual product cycle that might look something like this…

JAN / FEB: Mac OS X, iLife, iWork, MobileMe

Like this year’s Macworld, this could be a great time to introduce consumer software updates. “You got a new Mac for the holidays? Great. Now you can spend another $200 on new software!” Plus, if you have an older Mac and love it, you’re pretty likely to drop some coin for the new goodies. (Or maybe the new stuff will push you to buy a whole new machine at the next hardware launch?)

MAR / APR: iMac, Mac mini (and Pro apps?)

This seems like a good time for consumer desktop Mac announcements and perhaps peripherals. The timing here is designed to beat the e

My own Macworld 2009 predictions (updated)Yesterday

Hey, you don’t have to be a paid pundit to play the Apple prediction game — anyone can play. Here are my own predictions for this year’s Macworld, as I tweeted them a few hours before the keynote.

Please note that, unless specifically called out in the prediction, I am not predicting any ship dates or prices, though everything will be out before September 2009.

Now updated with my results.

17″ unibody MacBook Pro, sealed battery. Battery must be sealed for structural integrity of a super-thin/wide body.
PREDICTION: People will bitch about the battery thing, but the thinness and sexiness of this model will shut most people up. And please — how many times do you really change batteries on your laptop each day? If multiple batteries are that important to you, then get the 15″ model and be done with it. Or get an outboard battery. Clearly you are an unusual case.
RESULTS: Nailed it! Sure, they didn’t talk about structural integrity, focusing instead upon space constrictions. But I consider that close enough. And don’t take this away from me — I’ll need this win later as I lose on several more predictions!

Apple TV and Time Capsule merge into a single media device for iTunes library hosting plus their existing features.
PREDICTION: Somewhat wishful thinking here. Why there isn’t an iTunes server made by Apple yet has

WiMAX vs. Cable Modem in AnchorageDecember 23 2008

Right now I spend about $150/month for high speed Internet service combined with cable TV, phone, long distance and so on. I’m not happy about this, partially due to the price, partially because I don’t want all those extra services. So I’ve started looking for “pure Internet” alternatives, and given the choices in my area, it appears the best option is a relatively new wireless Internet service available from AT&T Alascom (sort of related to AT&T) in Anchorage, Alaska.

AT&T’s offering is a WiMAX service, the new long-range wireless Internet infrastructure touted as the Next Big Thing by several players, including Sprint / Clearwire / Xohm, Intel, AT&T (at least the Alascom part of it) and other smaller developers, especially those serving rural and smaller markets.

If WiMAX works well, I can dump my cable modem service, save money and cut my copper ties at home. But any way you slice it, the service will be slower. Can I accept slower service to get just the features I want and save money — or will the siren song of copper speed keep me from straying?

Below, I share my findings — so far — in a video presentation. If you’re considering a switch like this, you might be interested. The video runs about 16 minutes — or you can download the presentation slides via PDF (link below).

Did You Know?December 21 2008

I love these kinds of videos. Found via Bates Online Media Group, Bates College - Lewiston, Maine.

The New New AdvertisingDecember 16 2008

If you want to get your product noticed going forward, you may just have to do something bold, original and — surprise! — long-form. No 30-second TV ads here.

The gift is predictable. Even mundane. But the delivery of the message is innovative, entertaining and hilarious.

Going viral is hard. But when people have the power to banish ads from their content, it may be the only solution.