Get Grok.

I have been visiting the same Apple Store for over a decade. I have seen it go through one renovation, a temporary location, and a major expansion. I remember the special moments of awe and wonder when I played with my first Macbook, iPod, iMac, iPhone, and iPad. The experience of the Apple Store always had an additive effect to the magic of the devices themselves. I have been a part of the “hero’s parade” as Apple Store employees applauded me down the center aisle of the store as I purchased the latest release of OS X. I have seen a Apple employee stand on top of a table in the middle of the Apple Store and engage the whole store in applauding a soon to be college student for getting accepted to the University of Texas and buying her first Mac.

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Wearable tech, activity monitors/trackers, health and fitness gadgets – call them what you will, there is a burgeoning market for these types of devices. The concept is simple enough place something on your person and wear it 24/7 while it uses various sensors to capture data. Then sync your data to a smartphone or computer and magically become healthier. So that last part may not be so simple, but helping you be healthier or at least more conscientious of your health is the purpose of this class of devices. While the market for activity monitors (my preferred name for this class of devices) continues to grow this review aims to examine four activity monitors that are available at brick-and-mortar retail stores, the Fitbit One, Jawbone UP, Nike+ FuelBand, and the BodyMedia LINK. …Continue Reading

There are many reviews of the Nest Learning Thermostat but they have primarily focused on installation, features, and user experience. Putting all features of Nest aside if the Nest does not live up to the promise of saving energy none of its features or “gadget-y coolness” matter in the end. To truly review the Nest I have analyzed my energy usage during the first three months of having the Nest installed. …Continue Reading

My Favorite Steve Jobs Quote.

“We’re here to put a dent in the universe.

Otherwise why else even be here?”

-Steve Jobs

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I recently gave a presentation at Ignite Dallas 4 on Saving the World from Bad Design.

Presentation Description:

I believe design thinking can save the world. We live in a world that has become jaded to bad design. Everything in our world is designed from our toothbrush to our education system. Why are we so willing to tolerate bad design when it impacts our lives in so many significant and meaningful ways? I for one am mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore!
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In use since the 16th century innovation has become one of the biggest buzz words in business during the last decade crescendoing into a deafening noise. Over used and over hyped, the word innovation itself has lost meaning. One of the most important unintended consequences is a lack of focus and understanding of the word invention vs. innovation.
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If you have to say your brand or product is revolutionary, visionary, or inspiring it probably isn’t. If you find yourself writing copy with the words of what you want to be or think you are, face it you aren’t that. If you are innovative your brand experience should exude it in a self-evident way. If your brand is inspiring, then I should feel inspired not read ‘inspiring’. Let’s refer to this as Eminem Marketing from now on. Stop writing it and start being it.

Cause I am whatever you say I am if I

wasn’t, then why would I say I am?

– Eminem, The Way I am

Hans Rosling shows us the power of data visualization. Rosling makes data feel accesible and uses it to tell a story in a way that is inspiring while debunking common myths, but more than anything else it is his passion that sucks you in. Be sure to visit Gapminder.org and check out the new desktop version of Gapminder that is available.
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Arrrggh! It’s good to be a Pirate.

Steve Jobs continues to prove his idiom: Why join the navy when you can be a pirate. The “new” Notifications Center is inspired and pirated from Android’s notification system. Safari’s Reading List functionality mirrors those of Instapaper, Readablity, and Read it Later.  The new search capabilities in Mail emulate Gmail and the reading experience borrows from Sparrow. Of course the Apple design philosophy in almost all cases greatly improves upon anything that inspired them. There are a host of other “new” features from Apple that can be added to the pirate list.
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There has been a boon of minimalist applications released for the Mac App Store and the App Store. Information Architects, Inc. has a great video to promote the release of their latest application, iA Writer for the Mac, that really sums up this trend the best.
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