Verizon finally managed to push me into the arms of the competition. I was a fairly happy voice subscriber. I tested an XV6700 way back in March, and liked it. I decided to hold off, though, since the release of the XV6800 (pictured months earlier in various tech blogs), was supposed to be imminent. I was more than content to wait a few weeks for the superior hardware while still maintaining my Verizon relationship.
Oct 122007
Today, I was driving in San Francisco with a couple of other SEO-types and we spotted a prominent billboard for Google’s 411 service. The sign wasn’t too specific, but it conveyed that it was a free directory information service of some type. So, being intrepid explorers, we gave it a whirl from the car. First, we spoke the city, “San Francisco.” Then, we were prompted for a business name or category. We thought residential lookup might have been an option, but on the spur of the moment, we gave it “restaurants”. We were then prompted for an address or an intersection, and it recognized “Market and Valencia” without a hitch. In each case, the speech recognition was correct on the first try and our input was repeated for confirmation. It then proceeded to list restaurants close to that location, offering to connect us with their phone number or text the info to our cell phone. Both features worked fine. Three jaded techies were impressed by the accuracy and overall functionality.
Oct 052007
Apple’s not perfect – I just chronicled a couple of their miscues in Apple iPhone: Turning Off Fans. Despite that, Apple looks like a PR and branding genius compared to AT&T. Compare the introduction of Apple’s iPhone to the AT&T Tilt. Apple announced a launch date with lots of time for anticipation to build. AT&T delayed launching the Tilt past many rumored dates, and finally announced the official release date of October 5, 2007. That’s good, but AT&T waited until October 4 to make the announcement, leaving less than 24 hours for anticipation to build. Advantage: Apple.The iPhone got mostly good reviews, although reviewers pointed out some of its shortcomings, like the battery than must be factory-serviced. The reviews on the AT&T Tilt have been almost uniformly very positive, though perhaps expectations were somewhat different for the two models. Advantage: Draw.
Oct 042007
Every community operator knows that it takes different kinds of participants to be successful. Some people come looking for answers, others come to help. Some like to expound at length, while others say little. Some are lurkers, others are prolific contributors. Researchers from Cornell and Microsoft have produced some interesting research that graphically represents different community roles.
Oct 022007
No company in modern corporate history has developed a more cultlike, devoted customer base than Apple. I’ve often cited them as an example of what other firms strive for, or should strive for, in bonding with their customers. Now, Apple seems intent on turning the iPhone, which began as a public relations coup, into a PR disaster. Even worse, their corporate bullying isn’t targeting the competition, but rather their loyal customers. Apple has been cited as a shining star in just about every book on corporate branding; now they are rewriting branding strategy themselves. Here are the first two chapters in Apple’s guide on how to turn fans into sullen, disaffected owners: