Toluu

below the bottom line

perspectives on media, markets & technology by todd kenefsky

Blu-Ray Proves That Size Still MattersMarch 9

In case you missed the obituary, HD DVD is dead. Toshiba recently announced it would cease production of HD DVD's, making Sony's Blu-Ray the apparent winner of the high def physical format war.

I watched this battle with great interest as a case study in business strategy and brinkmanship. Here was a golden opportunity to observe VHS vs. Beta Part Two. My guess was that, having lived through a format war already, the major players would take a more sophisticated approach and settle on a format before bringing a product to market, thereby avoiding risking potential billions in losses. Boy, was I wrong.

So Blu-Ray won, but why? Many cite the advantage Sony had with it's popular Blu-equipped Playstation game console, others claim that Sony had more to lose and was more aggressive in it's pricing and partnerships, while a few believe the Blu-Ray name itself was a factor.

I'm sure the reasons are many and future MBA students will no doubt analyze the heck out of it. But comparing the two format wars, one simple similarity immediate jumps out like a top-loaded videocassette; size. Like VHS, Blu-Ray discs ha

Tonight's Ignite (It's Gonna Be Alright)October 25 2007

If you're looking for something cool to do tonight, you should head over to Wieden + Kennedy for the very first Ignite Portland. Each presenter has 5 minutes- 20 slides auto advancing every 15 seconds- to say something interesting. Check out this lineup of topics!

5:30 Doors Open
6:00 Registration & Networking
6:20 Welcome and Introductions
6:30 Presentations Wave 1
- Renny Gleeson: What is Ignite?
- Steve Morris: How to put together an investor presentation
- Urban Scout: Rewilding. The process of undoing domestication
- Adam Duvander: Simplicity, create killer products and live a saner life
- Audrey Eschright: Why knitting is a good hobby for geeks
- Kevin Tate: Emergence In Business
- Scott Huber: I know more about Russell Davies than I do about my boss sitting across from me.
- Crystal Beasley: How to make a proper southern meal
- Scott Kveton: Free beef and clean bathrooms: the irrelevance of Web 2.0
7:20 Break and Networking
7:35 Door Prize
7:40 Presentations Wave 2
- MJ: Unicycling for a wicked-good time
- Selena Deckelmann: Are surveys useful?
- Bill DeRouchey: The History of the Butt

YourList.com has a sweet Expanding Bubble LogoOctober 5 2007

Some things never get old. Like finding a sweet expanding bubble logo. This growing globular graphic comes courtesy of Beaverton, Oregon based YourList.com. From what I can tell YourList is like Craigslist but without the Craig. Contrataulations to YourList on their awesome logo.

The tally so far:

Aye Caumba! The Simpsons Movie PromotionsJuly 18 2007

In promotion of the upcoming Simspons movie, Twentieth Century FOX is unleashing an unprecedented, both in scope and creativity, pre-promotion marketing campaign. Here's a visual tour:

The official Simpsons Movie Site has lots of cool stuff ranging from the usual; wallpapers & screen savers to some silly yet surprisingly addictive games (complete with lots of “D'oh” & Aye Carumba! sound effects), a virtual tour of Springfield and a very cool tool that lets you create you own Simpsons avatar.

The Simpsons Movie Poster with every character in the film.



Using the Simpsons avatar generator each character can be customized with Simpson-esque skintone, hairstyles, clothes, eyes, and facial hair. Of course it's most fun to “Simpsonize” yourself.



Burger King has also launched a cross-promotional site at

Blogger Dinner With Jeremiah Owyang And Robert ScobleJuly 18 2007

Come join me tomorrow at an informal blogger dinner tonight with special guests Jeremiah Owyang and Robert Scoble of Podtech. The dinner will take place at Jive Software, which is co-sponsoring the event along with Intel Software Network.

Don't forget to RSVP if you plan to attend, and be forewarned; the event will be likely be streamed live, as well as videotaped and lots of cameras will be taking photos for blog posts, so wear a clean shirt.

Details:
When: Thursday, July 19, 2007 @ 6:00 pm
Where: Jive Software 317 SW Alder St., Ste 500 , Portland, OR