No, I don't know why the topic of fish (http://sumocat.blogspot.com/search?q=fish) keeps coming up. I'm weird, okay? Deal with it.
Anyway. Microsoft has released a new "Touch Pack" for Windows 7 (http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windows7/archive/2009/05/27/introducing-the-microsoft-touch-pack-for-windows-7.aspx), which my GBM homey Rob Bushway has demo'd at GottaBeMobile (http://www.gottabemobile.com/2009/05/27/gbm-inkshow-microsoft-touch-pack-for-windows-7/). Lot of good stuff there, particularly Lagoon, a multi-touch virtual fish pond (http://sumocat.blogspot.com/2008/08/virtual-fish-in-multi-touch-pond.html). Great idea, and not just because I proposed it two years ago (http://www.gottabemobile.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3049&PN=3). You're welcome. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
Well, well, well. Found this gem in my email today. Looks like #3 on my list (http://sumocat.blogspot.com/2008/08/pandora-should-stop-whining-and-start.html) of money-making ideas for Pandora: a sponsored email. Content needs to be spiced up, but it's a step in the right direction. Hope to see more. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout! Or more accurately, it's what I blogged about (http://sumocat.blogspot.com/2008/08/pandora-should-stop-whining-and-start.html). What is it? A little banner ad sitting over the album art in Pandora (http://www.pandora.com/), my most-used iPhone app!
Even better, they managed to overcome an obstacle I thought might be holding them back: the obtrusiveness of click-through. They managed to keep the click-through within the app, so the music keeps going while you browse their sponsor's site. Very well done.
First and so far only sponsor appears to be Best Buy Mobile. Excellent targeting, but it could go a step further and send me straight to iPhone accessories. An audience of Pandora-loving iPhone users is probably move interested in more stuff for their iPhones rather than new and likely Pandora-less phones.
Some dude named Steve claims to have gotten an email from Steve Jobs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs) that says Apple is looking into a tethering plan for the iPhone. On one hand, I find it unlikely some dude named Steve got a legitimate confirmation from the notoriously secretive Steve Jobs. On the other hand, I have no doubt the plans are being considered because I pointed out the plausibility of this more than two weeks ago (http://sumocat.blogspot.com/2008/08/iphone-why-apple-pulled-netshare.html). So even though I laid out the logic, some dude named Steve will likely get the glory for breaking the story (http://gizmodo.com/5043218/rumor-apple-and-att-developing-iphone-tethering-plan), if it turns out to be true. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
Little move than a year ago Microsoft announced their table computer called Surface sporting multi-touch screen operation. Great technology, but I thought the initially proposed applications were unimaginative. I was challenged to think up something better. I imagined a virtual fish pond (http://www.gottabemobile.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3049&PN=3).
Pet the fish, push them around, ripple the water, feed them jalapeno poppers. Aside from the poppers, The Blimp Pilots (http://theblimppilots.com/The_Blimp_Pilots/Koi_Pond.html) made that idea a reality with Koi Pond (http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=286420263&mt=8)... for the iPhone.
Naturally, I had to download it, and except for the lack of commercials, it's exactly what I envisioned. Oh, and it's also the #1 paid app in the App Store. So what I thought would be a killer app for Microsoft Surface has arrived as a killer app for Apple's iPhone. That's weird, right? I should start a blog category called "Great minds think alike". (http://sumocat.blogspot.com/search/label/Great%20minds%20think%20alike) [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
Fellow Tablet PC enthusiast, blogger, and thinker Loren Heiny has made some waves lately with his thoughts regarding tablets and the iPhone. As usual, I find I must bow to his logic. But it's one thing to say I agree with someone; it's another to back it up with history.
From Incremental Blogger: A Tablet PC desktop keyboard (http://www.lorenheiny.com/2008/08/11/a-tablet-pc-friendly-desktop-keyboard/): [sketch of keyboard with touchpad] + ["...the digitizer surface would be multi-touch..."]
From my blog: About the Mac Tablet speculation... (http://sumocat.blogspot.com/2007/08/about-mac-tablet-speculation.html) ["...multi-touch...multi-touch..."] + ["...keyboards with touchpads..."]
From Incremental Blogger: Is the end of the Tablet PC era in sight (http://www.lorenheiny.com/2008/08/09/is-the-end-of-the-tablet-pc-era-in-sight/): ["...I think we’re on the cusp of a new generation of Tablets. The iPhone being the first of them..."]
From my blog: Apple officially kicks everyone's ass (http://sumocat.blogspot.com/2007/01/apple-officially-kicks-everyones-ass.html): ["Oh, one more thing, anyone else look at this iPhone and see a small Tablet PC?"]
Different circumstances, but it's pretty clear we're looking in the same direction. Not sure if that makes us "great minds", but I like the way we're thinking. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
