“There’s a map for that.”

Verizon is launching an anti-iPhone/AT&T ad campaign that hits hard on Apple’s only non-defensible drawback: its shoddy AT&T 3G service. I just saw the first ad on TV, but it’s going to take a while to determine whether Verizon’s got a winner here. From where I stand, there are a couple of reasons why this is going to be a difficult uphill battle:

1. Contracts & Cancellation Fees.  Here’s an obvious reason. All AT&T users are locked into two-year contracts with exhorbitant cancellation fees. Further (and this is definitely speculation on my part), it seems like there’s a pretty significant number of iPhone users who recently renewed their contracts this summer to get the new iPhone 3GS. This segment of users will have to wait a full two years before they can leave AT&T, and many more will need to wait at least a year. Will Verizon’s argument last that long into the future? Perhaps. Is it enough to provoke customers to cough up $175 right now and abandon AT&T for the more reliable Verizon? That seems pretty unlikely.

2. iPhone Apps & Functionality. While I abandoned my iPhone for the Samsung Jack a little over a month ago, it’s still difficult to deny how feature-rich and engaging the iPhone is, especially when compared to every other mobile device on the market. All of my friends with iPhones use and love the its apps and features so much that I almost never hear complaints about dropped calls and service outages (however present they may be). I know this evidence is anecdotal at best, but it raises a question around whether AT&T’s crappy 3G service is that much of an issue at all. If it isn’t, Verizon needs to create this problem in the minds of iPhone users and propose a call to action that’s compelling and realistic enough to stimulate iPhone users to abandon their beloved mobile devices. IMHO, this current campaign just isn’t there yet.

3. The Carrier Who Cried Wolf. Both AT&T and Verizon have run ads for ages, each claiming they have the “most coverage” or the “fastest service.” It’s gotten to a point where I doubt whether consumers believe these ads anymore. Sure, Verizon’s new campaign is a clever and competitive, but all it really does is put a new spin on a tired argument that consumers are sick of hearing. Everyone has the best service — the question is, who has the best phones?

4. World Travelers. Probably not a huge issue for the vast majority of consumers, but one great thing about AT&T that kept me with them even after abandoning my iPhone is the fact that I can unlock the phone and swap out my SIM card to avoid international roaming charges. For people who travel outside the US frequently, this is functionality that Verizon just can’t reproduce at this stage in the game. Again, a small issue, but something many iPhone users are no doubt taking into account.

I’m definitely interested to see what happens here, and I’d love to see Verizon’s campaign stimulate more competitve behavior against the iPhone, a device which I still think is held up on a pedestal far higher than it deserves (due in large part to Apple’s masterful marketing execution). While I don’t see this campaign dethroning the king of mobile just yet, it’s certainly a step in the right direction. And with ever-more competitive devices on the way from Microsoft, Google, Palm, and RIM, it’s looking more and more as if the iPhone is standing alone as a perfect storm of competition gradually builds around it.

2009
10/17
CATEGORY
Business
Devices
Technology
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The Infamous “I’m Back” Post

I’ve been offline from blogging for almost 2 months now, making it the perfect time to draft the obligatory “I’m Back” post so many bloggers have begrudgingly had to post in the past. Many are embarrassed to write an “I’m Back” post. It’s a sign of weakness, an indication that the blog beat you, that you can’t keep up, that you aren’t committed. Most bloggers would rather go on posting random, useless information to their blogs before waiting for the time to be right to compose an entry that’s truly “read-worthy.”

Well, sorry to disappoint you, blogosphere, but that isn’t for me. I hereby refuse to succumb to the tired traditions of old. After all, “delayed and infrequent” is the new “timely and consistent,” especially as it relates to relevant, “read-worthy” content. Over the past several years, much of what we consider today to be “mainstream” blogging has evolved into a veritable juggernaut of inaccurate, second-hand news media distribution. It’s all about grabbing content from the real news content providers (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, etc.) and creating the blogging equivalent of a 5-second sound byte for mass consumption–And tacking on some snarky editorial commentary to boot. Ian Shapira of the Washington Post recently harangued Gawker for its tasteless redistribution of news content that he had spent days painstakingly compiling, and this is just one example of the ongoing death of traditional news media that continues to this day.

Well I say no more! I submit that blogging, much like fashion and music, is largely cyclical, and I am here to lead the charge away from the inaccurate grip of rapidity into the wonderfully correct arms of delay. It’s good to take some time off every now and then to make sure what you’re putting out there is relevant and correct, and I’m not going to lie: That’s exactly what I was doing these past two months… some of the time.

So while this is my obligatory “I’m Back” to blogging post, I’m not going to apologize and promise that I’ll do better in the future. I’m proud of my delayed timing, and you should be ashamed of wanting me to speed up.

2009
08/06
CATEGORY
Blogging
Personal
Technology
1 comment

TweetDeck for iPhone Thoughts

My desktop Twitter client of choice, TweetDeck, launched a free, iPhone-based version of its software today, and I am so impressed that I just had to write about it. Below are my early thoughts:

  • Interface: The interface is so smooth and seamless, it’s as if Apple built this application native for the iPhone. One thing I hate about iPhone apps (at least the free ones) is that many of them are clunky, buggy, and not all that responsive to my gestures. TweetDeck for iPhone handles like a dream.
  • Features: All of the great features that I love so much about TweetDeck are present in the iPhone version as well, and then some, so the experience is totally seamless.
  • Desktop Syncing: This is shockingly seamless. Once you download the 0.26 update (available here) for TweetDeck Desktop, and sign up for a TweetDeck account, all of your user groups are totally available in the sky. Unfortunately, TweetDeck for iPhone can only handle 6-8 columns max before it starts to become really buggy, but TweetDeck has partially solved this problem by allowing you to choose which columns to sync.
  • “Mark as Seen:” Now this is huge. In the past, I never minded whether my tweets had been marked as read or as seen because there wasn’t really a ton of benefit in doing so. However, now that TweetDeck offers desktop syncing, I can work back and forth between desktop and iPhone completely seamlessly, without wasting time rereading tweets to see where I left off last time. The “mark all as read” button is a quick, easy way to remove much of the clutter that I’ve become accustomed to dealing with when switching between Twitter clients.
  • Columns: At first, I was a little worried about how columns would translate to TweetDeck for iPhone. After all, the ability to sort users into groups, or “columns,” is one of the desktop version’s hallmark features, and past attempts at doing this on the iPhone have been mediocre at best. That said, I’m happy to report that columns in TweetDeck for iPhone are handled so well, I think they’re probably handled better than they are on the desktop. Columns can be navigated in several ways, but my favorite way has been to use the convenient arrow keys at the bottom, which switch between columns as easily as turning pages in an eBook. This is so much easier than using the clunky, inaccurate scrollbars of TweetDeck Desktop.

So with that out of the way, it would be wrong of me not to mention that TweetDeck for iPhone does have some stability issues. I’ve only been using it for about 30 minutes, and its crashed maybe 4 times already. But keep in mind, I’ve been using it pretty intently, trying to try out all of its features. I don’t think its performance would be this bad under normal use.

Final Verdict: This is my new mobile Twitter client of choice — by a mile. Not only is the interface and the feature set light years ahead of any other iPhone Twitter client, but the desktop syncing completely seals the deal for me.

2009
06/16
CATEGORY
Social Networking
Technology
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3 comments

Five Great Things About NEPA

I’ve spent that past few days packing what is essentially my entire life into boxes and suitcases destined for “the real world,” otherwise known as Seattle, WA. I didn’t realize at first how significant this move would be, because I’m used to leaving home — I’ve been doing that for the past four years in college.

But this time, I think the finality of this move is actually starting to sink in. As a result, I’ve been taking some time to reflect on my time here and reconnecting as best I can with old friends and family. Not many people have been to my rural homeland of Northeastern Pennsylvania, or “NEPA” as us locals tend to call it, so I thought I’d take advantage of this moment of reflection to put together a slightly tongue-in-cheek list of my favorite things about living here:

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this list do not necessarily reflect those of all NEPA residents, and are provided here for entertainment purposes only.

5. Great customer service. Now don’t get me wrong; this isn’t to say that NEPA is home to particularly nice people. I’m not trying to make the hackneyed argument that the people are especially nicer in small towns vs. large cities (Although if the point of comparison is Philadelphia, I would argue that’s definitely the case.) No, my comment is merely that there is a clear and ubiquitous “customer is always right” mentality here, and people are usually able to leave whatever baggage they might have at the door and put on their “nice to meet you” hats when they have to. This truly makes getting things done so much easier. Ever have to deal with the apathetic customer service rep over the phone or the Subway employee more interested in her phone conversation than your sandwich? Well, we don’t have those here, and it’s great.

4. Few homeless people. One of the hidden benefits of living in an area with such a low cost of living (Note: This is likely to change soon.) is that there aren’t that many people so poor they can’t find a place to live. It’s hard to be homless in NEPA. Outside of the cities (e.g. Scranton, Wilkes-Barre), stores tend to close at around 8 or 9pm, so there’s no place to run inside for refuge from the cold during the winter months. Further, people tend not to walk around the sidewalks too much due to a lack of public transportation, so there are few opportunities to beg for change. Finally, most people who live here have done so for many years and therefore have a family network to fall back on when money is tight. The result is a pleasant community you could feel good about raising your children in.

3. Affordable goods and services. Two quick points about this. First, people don’t have as much money here, so retailers and other businesses can’t really afford to charge that much for goods and services. That’s a big win for us. Second, many of the towns in NEPA are small (read: fewer than 1,000 people). This makes it very easy to get to know the person you’re dealing with and negotiate a lower rate. Win win!

2. No secrets. At first glance, you might think this is a negative thing, but as long as you keep your nose clean, I think the fact that word travels fast through the small towns of NEPA can be a huge asset. Think about it: Have you ever driven past some heinous accident on the highway and wondered what happened, who was involved, whose fault it was, how it’s going to affect the families, etc.? Well I haven’t, because I am usually able to find these things out merely by waiting for a phone call from a friend that starts, “Hey! Did you hear that Steve’s aunt’s daughter-in-law’s best friend just got into a car accident on 81?!” This is so much better than CNN. (PS: That said, now you know why I included a disclaimer at the beginning of this list.)

1. Slower, simpler pace. Perhaps the best thing about living in NEPA (and over time, you could argue this might become a negative) is that life truly moves at a slower, simpler pace, compared to everyone else. Get used to a 10-minute haircut lasting an hour because old friends keep dropping in to say hello. Get used to long (and I mean long) telephone calls because many don’t have cell phones (or cell reception) and therefore value the opportunity to talk to you that much more. Get used to people not panicking about being late to this or that, because there isn’t really anything all that urgent around here. It’s a fun place to live because it moves slowly enough for you to have the time to take your head out of your busy life every now and then to appreciate the world around you.

The truth is, I joke about NEPA a lot, but it really is a nice place to grow up. You’ll probably never have a reason to visit, but trust me, it’s not as bad as they make it out to be in The Office… Well, at least not all the time.

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2009
06/16
CATEGORY
Personal
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‘Royal Pains:’ The Best New Show on Television

I recently began watching the new USA show ‘Royal Pains‘ on Hulu out of boredom, and am I ever glad I did. This show is easily one of the best new shows on television IMHO, and here’s why:

  • Great writing. The show’s writing is totally incredible. It’s the comedic equivalent of NBC’s fantastic yet under-appreciated, “Kings,” only this time, it’s not on the broadcast nets and therefore actually has a chance at survival. And I implore you, please allow this show to survive. The dialogue is both catchy and witty. One of my favorite new terms from the first show is “Citiots” (i.e. the name people from the Hamptons call people from Manhattan visiting for the weekend). Further, the show is gritty and unique enough to be lumped in with the great premium cable shows like Weeds and Entourage. But don’t get me wrong; it’s nothing like those shows — it’s totally unique and that’s why it’s awesome.
  • Great cast. Now don’t take this to mean the cast is well known because it isn’t. When I say “great” cast, I mean this cast works well together. It’s easy to understand and relate to each of these characters, because they understand their motivation and play to them so well. My favorite character is easily Hank’s brother Evan, played by Paulo Costanzo, who you might remember from his role as Rubin Carver in 2000’s Road Trip. He plays the comedic relief of the show, but his jokes are truly hilarious. I found myself rewinding to catch them again because of how smart and funny they were.
  • Beautiful women. It’s the Hamptons. Enough said.
  • Rich people, richer lifestyles. So I know I’m not alone when I say that I enjoy seeing how the rich live their lives. I mean, if people didn’t love that, would Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous have ever been a success? Definitely not. What about MTV’s Cribs? I certainly don’t think so. Watching rich people be rich is a big part of the reason I love NBC’s also-underrated Dirty Sexy Money so much. This show captures the fun of that show while going a step further and tying it back to a much more meaningful statement about healthcare, bureacracy, generosity, and life in general. This is an epic show.
  • Crazy MacGyver-style medicine. So if you haven’t already stopped reading to start watching the pilot on Hulu, I’ll tell you that the show is about Hank Lawson an E.R. doctor who, through an unfortunate series of events, becomes a concierge doctor in the Hamptons. A concierge doctor is essentially a doctor who does house calls and treats patients wherever they live so they may avoid the wait-times of hospitals and free clinics. However since he doesn’t work on patients in hospitals, he has to perform some of the most incredible procedures with regular household objects! Awesome, right?!

I’m going to prove my dedication to this show by watching it live on USA when it airs on Thursdays at 9pm EST and I would encourage you to do the same! This great show just can’t go the way of Kings, Dirty Sexy Money, Arrested Development, Huff!, Dead Like Me, and so many others (all while f-ing Dollhouse gets renewed). It would be a crime against television.

You can catch the pilot and second episode here on Hulu if you want to check it out, but if you like what you see and have the time to spare, I encourage you once again to watch it on USA this Thursday at 9pm EST. We just can’t risk losing another gem like this!

Okay, advertisement over. You may return to your regularly scheduled activites.

2009
06/14
CATEGORY
TV Shows
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5 comments

Two Monumental Events Tonight

Yes, it’s true. Tonight we will witness two monumental events in technological innovation:

  1. Analog television will turn off for good. (read more)
  2. Facebook will allow users to claim vanity URLs. (read more)

Okay, I guess one might be a little more monumental than the other… The facebook vanity URLs! I’m totally pumped to get on there and claim facebook.com/seanoliver or facebook.com/sean.oliver or some other permutation. I only hope facebook’s servers can handle the humongous demand it’s about to experience.

I mean, think of all the young, excited facebook users whose analog TVs are going to turn off for the last time at midnight tonight (there must be tens of them!) with nothing to do but visit facebook. President Obama was right, change has indeed come to this great country of ours. :)

2009
06/12
CATEGORY
Social Networking
Technology
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J.J. Abrams Returns for ‘MI4′

Spoiler TV is reporting that Tom Cruise personally asked director/producer J.J. Abrams to return to the ‘Mission Impossible’ franchise to produce Mission: Impossible 4, and he accepted. While Abrams hasn’t yet committed to directing the film, he mentioned that he and Cruise, “have come up with a really cool idea,” for the film. And any “cool idea” that comes out of J.J Abrams’ head is an idea I want to watch play out on the screen.

Abrams is the creator of the TV hits Alias and Lost (among others) and the director/producer behind Mission: Impossible 3 and this year’s number 1 box office earner Star Trek. Abrams is a creative powerhouse, and I’m thrilled that he’ll be staying on with this franchise. You may remember that MI3 performed relatively weakly in terms of box office sales when compared with Brian de Palma’s MI1 and John Woo’s MI2, but for all intents and purposes, it was a better movie, scoring a 70% on Rotten Tomatoes compared with 56% and 57% for MI1 and MI2 respectively.

That said, judging by the critical and box office acclaim over this year’s still ongoing Star Trek release, it’s clear that Abrams and his production team have worked out the marketing-related kinks they had back in 2006 and are ready to kill it with MI4. Look for this film to impress both critically and at the box office in 2012.

2009
06/12
CATEGORY
Movies
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Comment with Twitter

I’ve just activated a WordPress plugin that allows you to comment on this blog using your Twitter account, instead of logging in with your name and email address. Look for the “Sign in with Twitter” button below the comment box to give it a shot. :)

2009
06/12
CATEGORY
Personal
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Thoughts on Twitter, Tumblr, and WordPress

Welcome to my new blog, powered by WordPress. In the run-up to this move, I started looking heavily at making the switch back to WordPress when I heard that the new 2.8 release would allow users to select and install themes at the click of a mouse, similar to the way Tumblr manages themes. I’ve been blogging with Tumblr for a few months now, because it’s been so easy to customize the blog’s look and feel. The hassle of having to go through FTP to make changes to my WordPress layout was, frankly, a huge turn-off.

That said, the new WordPress is excellent. The backend interface is so much cleaner and faster than I remember, and the new one-click theme-install feature is fantastic. It brings the ease of customization up to Tumblr’s level and makes it even easier with the power of WordPress widgets. Further, the indexing and archiving functionality of WordPress is unmatched, with the ability to do contextual searches for old posts rather than tag-based searches. Categories offer another layer of convenience to archiving, as does the ability to build custom archive pages — the Tumblr archive pages are beautiful, but complicated and unintuitive.

Finally, there’s the Twitter piece. My Twitter feed has recently become my outlet for all of the things I would have otherwise shared with friends using Tumblr, but now the process is so much easier. Upon review, I just don’t see the point in maintaining a redundant blog with Tumblr anymore when most of my true blogging can be handled better by WordPress and my micro-blogging can be handled better by Twitter.

So out with the old and in with the new. Once again, welcome to my new blog and thanks for reading. :)

2009
06/11
CATEGORY
Personal
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