I’m pleased to say that I’m starting to post the speaker videos from last year’s conference tomorrow over at Hull Digital.

From Rory Cellan-Jones, to Rob Palmer and Jaan Orvet, there will be 9 top videos going up over the week. Please do let your friends and colleagues know, there are some superb talks and loads to learn!

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I didn’t even get to the counter.

The place was a mess. Cups, mugs and food wrappings covering most tables. The floor was unclean. It immediately came across as “we really don’t care about your experience”.

I walked straight out.

A friend was telling Kate about a beauty treatment she recently had at a local hotel. To be blunt. It sucked. No one acknowledged her when she went to reception. 2 people walked straight past. The treatment was amateur, the beauticians colleagues were loudly chatting and clearing up nearby. Will she recommend them?

I don’t think so.

I don’t see many businesses or services really taking any pride in their work, their service. Certainly not around here at the moment. Great experience is not rocket science. In fact, I would go as far to say, I’m having better experiences online with brands and businesses right now. How amazing is that?

What bad experiences have you had recently?

What great experiences have you had?

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Have a listen below:

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Disappointment? A let down? Where’s the camera? No flash! No OLED screen?

To be perfectly honest, whilst refreshing the Engadget liveblog page, tweeting, and trading emails with a few friends, I was questioning whether or not this was going to be a) a hit and b) something I would be queuing up for. Underwhelmed was the feeling I was getting…

Having woken up and started reading some hands on reports, it seems that the non-believers (and me possibly included for this launch) are going to have a very nice surprise…

We haven’t seen one, let alone used one yet.

Stephen Fry

There are many issues you could have with the iPad. No multitasking, still no Flash. No camera, no GPS. They all fall away the minute you use it. I cannot emphasise enough this point: “Hold your judgment until you’ve spent five minutes with it”.

Daring Fireball

Lastly, there’s the fact that the iPad is using a new CPU designed and made by Apple itself: the Apple A4. This is a huge deal. I got about 20 blessed minutes of time using the iPad demo units Apple had at the event today, and if I had to sum up the device with one word, that word would be “fast”.

Don’t get me wrong, it looks very nice, and it seems beautifully designed as always, but my initial thoughts were perhaps a little off. We are not going to get the whole “I need to buy this baby right now” experience until we are in the Apple Store and picking it up for the first time.

What I’m now thinking

I’m thinking that this could be possibly something I’d buy into. Perhaps to have with the dock in the kitchen, lying about in the lounge for RSS feeds, Twitter and photos. Used to run clients through proposals and presentations. To watch films or podcasts whilst sitting in a comfy chair.

All the hands on reviews are talking about the speed:

Apple now owns and controls their own mobile CPUs. There aren’t many companies in the world that can say that. And from what I saw today, Apple doesn’t just own and control a mobile CPU, they own and control the hands-down best mobile CPU in the world. Software aside (which is a huge thing to put aside), it may well be that no other company could make a device today matching the price, size, and performance of the iPad. They’re not getting into the CPU business for kicks, they’re getting into it to kick ass.

This is great news, not only for the iPad, but, possibly even more so for the future of the other 2 mobile devices that Apple have already made so successful – the MacBookPro, and of course, the iPhone.

Imagine the next gen iPhone with an Apple chip. This is going to happen, no question. Better speed, better battery (and that is a BIG need right now for 95% of users and essential as the apps get progressively more impressive and do more). We are going to be seeing a seriously powerful iPhone 4, and probably within the next few months.

Key points

1. Initial scepticism and underwhelming feeling, being rapidly changed to one of belief and looking forward to try it

2. Fast, fast fast. We will be impressed by the speed.

3. Apps, apps, apps. This will be the key thing, once again. Both for our enjoyment, but also for Apple’s revenue (not to mention iBooks – their books app – and iTunes). 3 stores selling 24/7 = multo £££ $$$.

4. This is only V1. Can you imagine V2? (which will be already prototyped and working in the depths of Cupertino).

5. My wallet is starting to look like it may be opened in the Sheffield Apple store shortly

Links

Mashable – iPad guide

Robert Scoble’s 16 year old son’s thoughts

BBC report with video

Editorial: Engadget on the Apple iPad

Engadget hands on thoughts

Gizmodo pics of accessories

Apple special event video – watch the keynote here!

Griffin have already launched their cases

Hard Graft Prototype case

Times Online article

Guardian Article

Apple punishes company who blabbed too early

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So, tomorrow’s big Apple event is looming, and I’ve suddenly had a thought……

From their 3rd quarter earnings call:

And then there was Apple’s number 2, COO Tim Cook. During the call, he fielded a question more directly about a new product unveiling saying, “I wouldn’t want to take away your joy of surprise on Wednesday when you see our latest creation.”

They are using the word “Creation” rather a lot (hat tip to @TI3GIB for kicking off my thought process) and so this could mean something HUGE.

There’s been all this talk about how Apple are going to be offering new readable content, rivalling Amazon’s Kindle, and providing a new form of media experience (posted about here over at Hull Digital).

But what if we are also going to be providing that new content? Perhaps creating our very own “digital magazines”?

Think about it. Apple loves templates – think Mail, iPhoto books, iDVD, Keynote ….. easy to use guides that allow people to make great looking media to share.

Creation could be the fact that WE are creating – adding photos, adding audio easily recorded using the device, entering some copy, and then publishing or sharing.

I think the hard part will be the writing to be honest – that may prove a problem, but then again, Apple are sure to have thought about this and designed a really sweet touch keyboard which may well solve the touch entry issues.

So there you have it… my guess on what we COULD see tomorrow. Digital Magazines / Publications being created by ourselves and not just the the likes of GQ, Vogue, and the big newspapers.

PS Just had another thought when typing the word newspapers… how about hyperlocal digital newspapers which people create and share, reporting on news which is so laser-targeted it would be great reading?! The possibilities are now flowing thick and fast, and we only have just over 24 hours to go…..

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Espresso, Intelligentsia from Department of the 4th Dimension on Vimeo.

Thanks to Ruben at howies for this

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One such option which seems to be gaining fans and makes a lot of sense, is a targeted or dedicated network of websites which display the ads. 2 of these have recently come to my attention, Fusion Ads and The Deck Network.

I think I am right in saying that The Deck was first, but do correct if I am wrong. Both networks are targeted towards creative-types: developers, designers, and “web people”.

Both sites offer a number of options (almost identical) where as an advertiser you pay to appear on one of the targeted network sites i.e. your advert appears and no one elses. Obviously this rotates and changes each time you or anyone else visits the page. This provides a nice way of presenting an ad with no other clutter and there is just one ad – simple and effective.

The Deck has 30 “spots” per month and appear across 45 sites:

The thirty ads each month are in rotation across all forty-five sites and services. The ads are 120 pixels wide by 90 pixels tall and also allow for up to 80 characters of text to accompany the image which allows advertisers to make their ads a bit more graphic, so to speak.

The current rate for ads is $7600 USD per ad per month and this rate is valid through March 31, 2010. Additionally, marketers who desire 100% of the page views on the network for a given day or days may be able to purchase a “roadblock” for $7600USD per day. Roadblocks are ideal for product or service launches and other time sensitive communications like movie openings and conferences.

Fusion Ads has 30 spots and 40 sites:

Both networks offer per month pricing and a “roadblock” where for a day, you get ALL impressions across the network. There is a significant difference in cost though – Fusion Ads per month price is $950 and a roadblock for $1100. Compare that to The Deck’s $7600 rate per month or one day roadblock. Impressive figures, but also an impressive network of sites including the likes of 37signals, Carsonified, Daring Fireball and 43folders – all sites with huge traffic.

Fusion Ads are not quite in that league right now, but what has been very useful is to look through their list of sites (the sites which feature their ads) as it has turned up a few very cool / interesting new ones:

>> Minimal Mac – “Your Mac Simplified” – Patrick Rhone looks at apps, keeping your Mac, well, simplified and lots of other good stuff

>> Firstand20 – “a collection of iPhone homescreens from some very talented designers, developers and tech writers. It shows the current top 5 apps on the homepage as well as a small photo of the latest person’s homescreen. Click on that and you get a nice big version of the homescreen and some commentary on what they like, use and think about apps. It’s great to see who uses what and discover a load of new apps at the same time!

>> Lastly, Simple Desktops – as it says, just some really nice simple desktops to download for free

I’m sure there are some other networks knocking around aimed at specific audiences – if you know of any, do let us know in the comments!

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An excellent advert from Porsche – history, heritage and racing. Not posing. Hmmm…. not sure about that, but certainly very well done and nice to see them focusing on this for once.

Thanks to Martin for showing me this

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OpenID Connect, originally uploaded by factoryjoe.

I’m a big fan of OpenID, and use it for a number of sites every day.

What is it though?

OpenID allows you to use an existing account to sign in to multiple websites, without needing to create new passwords.

With OpenID, your password is only given to your identity provider, and that provider then confirms your identity to the websites you visit.  Other than your provider, no website ever sees your password, so you don’t need to worry about an unscrupulous or insecure website compromising your identity.

OpenID is rapidly gaining adoption on the web, with over one billion OpenID enabled user accounts and over 50,000 websites accepting OpenID for logins.  Several large organizations either issue or accept OpenIDs, including Google, Facebook, Yahoo!, Microsoft, AOL, MySpace, Sears, Universal Music Group, France Telecom, Novell, Sun, Telecom Italia, and many more.

Chris Messina, who sits on the board of OpenID, posted this nice mockup today of an OpenID Connect button, and goes into more detail about it here >> http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2010/01/04/openid-connect/

He has a very good point about people becoming more and more used to Facebook Connect or Twitter, and the fact that OpenID could do with more marketing and word of mouth so it spreads outside of the tech community.

Do you use OpenID? Let me know in the comments.

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