Untapped iPad Applications

The new iPad had been touted as many things -- the Jesus Christ of e-readers being one of my favorites -- and I'm curious to see what new functions consumers will discover for its use.

Take a traditionally analog product, like a set of turntables, and "iPad" it: Is it possible to becomes the world's next biggest thing wearing oversized headphones with the purchase of a pair of iPads?

Aside from physical gear, the biggest advance in DJ technology has been the development of digital mixing softwares. Serato, one of the most popular DJ-mixing software, revolutionized the way DJ's mixed because it allows them to use the music off their computers hard drive, eliminating the physical CD element, and also has unique features that assist beginning DJ's develop skills such as beat matching with helpful tutorials built into the program.

Turntables themselves have been moving into the digital world with advances in new technologies like C-DJ's such as THESE that allow users to insert physical CD's and mix as well as plug into their computers to mix digital audio tracks (ex: mp3 files).

For those who are still using good old vinyl tables, don't feel left out! You can still spin your favorite Bee Gee's record digitally with a USB connection from the table to your computer with a set up like this Audio Technica tables.

But for those of you who don't know, a pair of turntables, mixer, and the aforementioned Serato mixing software can cost upwards of $2,000 for a decent set up. And with audio equipment, the last thing you want to do is under invest in your hobby/passion and purchase a product that you are going to be unhappy with.

Enter a young creative, Rana Sobhany, who already has used a pair of iPads to DJ and event at the iPad Dev Camp in Sillicon Valley. Her total cost of the pair of iPads, a cheap mixer, and amp? Approximately $1,200. Even more interesting is the fact that all the applications and programs she uses to mix were already created prior to the iPad being released. She has them posted on her website, which can be found HERE

Watch her video...



If Rana has already discovered this idea so quickly after the iPads release, it makes me wonder what else the iPad can be applied...


An article on Mashable discusses her idea in more depth. Check it out HERE

Michael Jordan Is My Dad

Does a viral strategy really work?

One young man, Jeremy Salzman, is testing this execution out with his website, Michael Jordan Is My Dad, accompanied with an imbedded YouTube video and linked Twitter account.

Salzman, a young basketball fan trying to get free admission for Michael Jordan's annual Flight Camp.

In the video, Salzman says he is Mike's long lost 3rd son and wants to attend his Flight Camp to play him one-on-one. Then, he proceeds to drain 4 full-court shots in a row. At the conclusion of the video, he asks Mike if to take a look at the video and seriously consider bringing him in, free of charge, to Flight Camp.

Along with the video and website, Salzman is using a twitter account to tweet NBA players, college and professional coaches, and media icons who cover basketball.

Here's an example:

"@StephenCurry30 Steph there's no way you can shoot like me. Check it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCjQ86uZyWU"

This was sent to Warriors guard Stephen Curry, and the other tweets look very similar.

By going on a digital onslaught on those involved in professional basketball, Salzman is hoping to gain online popularity to the point where Michael Jordan might actually see his video.

Will this work?

Check back after Flight Camp tips off.

New Car!

I've never spent so much money on one item in my life. Now what, you may ask, did I purchase?

A new (albeit, 10 year old "new") car!

I've been in the market for a few months now, and finally went ahead and talked to a family friend, Rick Balch, a private dealer who has tracked down 3 (now 4) cars for my family.

The car is all the way across the state, and looking at the pictures makes me want to get in and drive!

Take a look at it on my Flickr page.

The Genius Behind The "I-5 Slog"

I've lived in the Pacific Northwest for the last 18 years of my life, and since I was old enough to remember, have driven in every direction in and out of the state of Washington.

When I was 10, we drove from Seattle to Bozeman, Montana, and on to Yellowstone National Park. At age 13, we took off due north and went through the US - Canada border to visit British Columbia. And last summer, at age 21, I drove the 16 hours from Seattle to Santa Cruz, California, stopping in Berkeley and San Francisco along the way.

But those are lengthy drives -- you expect the time spent in the car and are prepared for it.

There is nothing like the Seattle to Portland (or Portland to Seattle) drive. It's approximately 3 hours in length, and unlike a lot of the long car trips I've been on, you know exactly where you are the entire way thanks to landmarks and familiar cities. Knowing your exact location in the state and how close (yet SO FAR) you are from your destination is extremely frustrating. The relative shortness (yet again, FAR DISTANCE) of this drive is the problem.

Solution: Try one of Horizon Air's numerous, affordable daily flights between the two cities.

Take off to touch down: A whopping 52 minutes -- I've seen trashy VH1 reality TV shows last longer.

But how will Horizon market this concept?

Solution: Enter WONGDOODY, a creative Seattle-based advertising agency that called upon the history of the "old west" and created an Oregon Trail-esque campaign that transcended both traditional media outlets as well as literal "point of sale" promotional materials that they called "The I-5 Slog".

Buses with the map of the "slog" traveled up and down the I-5 corridor, reminding those who were making the drive how much easier their trip could have been had they decided to fly Horizon.

Even better, WONGDOODY used the familiar landmarks (example: "Last Meal Gorge" referring to one of the last places to grab a bite to eat in southern Washington) that people who regularly make the drive would know and appreciate.

The online videos are shot like a Ken Burns documentary, emphasizing the "old west" image WONGDOODY is trying to promote. Another great execution is the use of online skyscraper ads that urge the target to "Wake the Slogger", referring to the driver who is falling asleep at the wheel.

Its brilliance lies in the simplicity of WONGDOODY's concept -- now I gotta ford the river. Hope I don't lose any of my oxen...

WONGDOODY Interview

Just had an interview with four really impressive people from Los Angeles's WONGDOODY branch earlier this afternoon. One word came to mind once I finished my hour and a half long conversation with them:

WOW!

They really impressed me with the way they spoke of their clients as well as their general attitude toward those they work with and the WONGDOODY brand they represent.

I'd be honored to work alongside these people! The message they put out was simple -- the sky is the limit, and WONGDOODY wants its employees to push the boundaries and think in a way no one has ever thought of before.

Can't wait to hear back from JJ....hopefully the news out of my camp next week is "California here I come!"

Reading huh...

Just finishing up the book Purple Cow

It's fantastic example of creating "remarkable" products, ideas, services, etc etc.

Kind of want to drop out of school and invent some stuff now...

http://blog.ragan.com/prjunkie/2010/02/southwest_hits_pr_turbulence_a_1.html

URL for Smith v Southwest Airlines

URL didn't post -- check out the story here.

Public Relations: How To Properly Handle a PR Disaster

Have you heard about the recent PR fiasco involving Southwest Airlines and movie writer/director Kevin Smith?

Check this:

Apparently, a Southwest Airlines employee informed Mr. Smith that he was too large to sit in a single seat on the airplane and would either need to a) purchase a 2nd seat, or b) remove himself from the airplane.

How could this have been handled better? First of all, how full was the flight? A quick look at the flight manafest will show if there was room on the flight or if every seat that had been purchased had been accounted for. Based solely on the fact that the employee gave the option of a puchasing a 2nd seat, I'd assume that there was room on the flight.

How do you recover from this? Southwest is getting slammed via Twitter as well as in other online and print media, as Mr. Smith's upcoming movie release, Cop Out, is being discussed by all kinds of entertainment media. Smith is using this stage to crucify Southwest.

The biggest question I have is this: in the article, Southwest claims that Smith regularly purchases two seats on his Southwest flights. Question is, is that propriatary information? Does the fact that he sometimes acts one way demand that he should always be treated and held to that standard?

Thoughts...opinions...

How do you...

As I mentioned earlier, life is multidirectional: you never know how things are going to work out and sometimes all the pieces just fall into place.

But how do you make things happen? For example, if I wanted to open a bar, how precise of a business plan would I need to acquire capital and get that operation up and running.

Sometimes, I think I should just go out and do something like that. FORGET APPLYING FOR JOBS -- create something you already know a lot about. A bar overcharges for drinks to cover overhead. I love college, and I LOVE a good college town bar, should I just go ahead and open a bar in a college town somewhere here in America?

I'll be in Vegas in about a month -- at that point I'll report what the odds are of starting a bar and succeeding. They have to be better than counting jelly beans for the rest of my life...