Author Archives: Alan Dodaro
I’ve spent the past few weeks using a Samsung Windows 7 phone. As an iPhone user since 2007, I was somewhat skeptical but curious to give Windows’ approach to mobile a try. After a few weeks with the Windows Phone 7, I was genuinely surprised by the great mobile experience Microsoft has created. 
The good
The tile interface. The Android/Apple cold war has lead to a similar UX for the two largest smartphone platforms. On Windows Phone 7, my Facebook, Twitter and other social accounts are all aggregated into my People tile. No need to flip through separate apps for all of my separate social networks. Emails and upcoming meetings are even previewed on tiles so I do not need to dig into an app to review my information- they’re all consolidated into one experience. The concept behind this was to connect you to information as quickly as possible, getting you in and out of your phone in a few gestures so you can go back to your life without missing a beat. Very cool.
Attention to detail. The interface elements, scrolling and subtle animations that guide the interface are intuitive, snappy, and just plain fun. I love how updates flip through to my home screen as they happen. No need to check individual apps as the newest news is pushed to me directly. Even the system fonts tout a polished design that looks crisp onscreen and has a subtle hipness to it. You won’t find Times New Roman here.
The bad
Camera experience. The software is clunky and the Samsung camera is slow, although overall image quality is pretty good. This will disappoint iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S users but could be on par with midrange Android and older iPhones. No doubt your mileage will vary depending on your particular phone, but the laggy response and clunky UI were somewhat disappointing.
Disjointed Syncing Experience. Much to my surprise, nothing happened when I plugged in the WIndows Phone 7 to my Mac. There was no included documentation on connecting my device either. After a Google search, I was directed to a file on Microsoft.com for a Mac-compatible Windows Phone 7 media manager. Unfortunately, the file was a 4kb text document that contained a link to the “real” URL in the Mac App Store. Very lame but easy to fix.
Read More
After years of missteps, Apple finally got the cloud shortly before Steve’s death in 2011. Replacing MobileMe with iCloud brought a slew of new features to IOS devices. In-the-air syncing, iMessage, wireless backups and PC-free operation were great starts to the iCloud service, and I think the following additions will put Apple light years ahead of the competition.
1. Unify Apple IDs. I have a trail of Apple IDs dating back to the early days of the iTunes Music Store. My three or so IDs are tied to specific content that I don’t want to part with. And my iCloud Apple ID is different from my FaceTime ID which is different from my Apple Retail ID. Having the ability for Apple ID veterans to merge these identities would cut down on password headaches and improve the overall Apple experience.
2. Optional auto updates for apps. iOS4 does a great job of removing the digital housekeeping tasks from the end user but I find myself updating apps several times a week. I think there should be a setting to allow users to opt-in for nightly updates when available.
Read More
Recently, pundits have been taking swipes at Google+, dismissing it as another stumble into the social space, tugging back at the coattails of Facebook, the established juggernaut in the social space with over 165 million users. But as the new player in the social space, Google+ might have one up on the established Facebook juggernaut.
Exploding growth
Receiving my Google+ invite at the launch of Google’s new social endeavor was reminiscent of 2004 Facebook–new ideas fueling a radical departure from established tools. The “what do I do with this” questions people are asking about Google+ are the same questions people had for Facebook when it debuted. It took Facebook ten months to cross the 1 million user mark, a feat Google Plus destroyed when it crossed 20 million users just weeks after its invite-only debut. I’ll be the first to admit that a lot of this growth is thanks to networks like Facebook that have brought social channels into the mainstream.
The New Sharing Model
But critics who don’t feel Google+ is a valid destination for a number of people suffering from Facebook Fatigue, the frustration of spam, privacy issues, distant acquaintances and family all congregating on the same platform with a very flat interaction model. Wading through the myriad of privacy options, your online persona must mingle with with your great aunt, 8th grade crush and supervisor’s supervisor, but fundamentally Facebook was designed as a social platform for a group of college friends sharing experiences at a four year college.
This is where Google+ really shines. Instead of a static friend/no friend state, Google’s circles solution lets you choose exactly who you’re sharing each piece of content with. Other options relating to profile, location and photo privacy are clearly labeled, and I hope this leads to greater transparency- and Facebook has already responded with clearer sharing options, although the labyrinth of privacy settings still remain.
After a year of patience and a failed launch-day trek to the Apple Store on March 2, I’m finally the owner of a new Apple iPad 2.
The iPad is Apple’s flagship “post PC era” device, but I’m not sure we’re ready to ditch our laptop shackles just yet. The magical aura surrounding my unboxing of the product was cut short when I pressed the power button for the very first time. As the screen began to glow for the very first time, I was quickly met with the “must connect to iTunes” screen- no cosmic intro video or helpful setup assistant here. This might one day become a post-PC device, but not without a digital tether to the machines of today. I hope that future versions of iOS will allow some onboard functionality without the need to first connect to iTunes.
Once the iPad synced all my stuff- photos, podcasts and apps, it was time to see if this tablet could really fit in my digital life, or if it would live as the evil middle child between my Macbook and iPhone.
With summer musical festivals there’s still a lot to look forward to on the music scene in 2010. But this isn’t a collection of up-and-coming artists or a rant about Ticketmaster. Instead, it’s a collection of upcoming developments that will how we obtain and consume music- coming soon to a digital device near you.
Sharing all of your music across the internet to any device
Earlier this year, Google acquired Simplify Media in a move that will open digital syncing services to the masses. Simplify Media provided a service that let you seamlessly share music and photo libraries through the web.
By running the service on two computers, each other’s music collections would appear as a local iTunes shared library, even if each machine was thousands of miles apart. The service also allowed you to connect to libraries of up to thirty friends to stream all of their collections too. The real game changer came when the company released its iPhone application, allowing you to pull down your entire library wherever there was an internet connection.
This signaled a fundamental shift in media consumption: No longer was it the case that a device’s media capacity was limited by internal storage. As long as the device was online, it could pull down entire libraries of content. Storage space became irrevelant.
The service ceased in June and the software has been pulled from the website and Apple’s App store. It will certainly be interesting to see how Google, known for creating web-based solutions and shunning desktop programs, will implement this service. There’s speculation the company may incorporate the syncing technology into its own Android OS software but I’m hoping they maintain a presence across all platforms.
Alan Dodaro | Critical Mass Chicago
It turns out all of that idle time spent on Twitter could actually pay off. In my case, it did with a brand-new job. The Great Recession changed how people think about jobs while creating new ways for people to be heard and stand out. I spent months looking for new opportunities the old-fashioned way trolling through job posts and making weekly sweeps through career sites without any luck.
On Twitter, I followed a few agencies including Critical Mass and noticed several companies tweeting about new opportunities within their organizations. This made me rethink my job search strategy with Twitter. Here’s what I did to land my sweet new job:
Research
I knew I wanted to go beyond the traditional agency setting and explore a more interactive workplace. Aside from a few staple companies, I didn’t know who the main Chicago players were in this industry. I began following the trades and blogs diligently to see who was making headlines. Once I had a few companies in mind, I began following them and their key players, learning more about each company as information was pushed to my twitter feed as soon as it was released.
Extreme Makeover: Your digital image edition
Social media allows for very personal interactions and it leaves a lot to be desired when you update about your mystery rash, blackout bar nights (to be fair, everyone gets one drunk tweet) or starring role on the next episode of Hoarders. Save the sick stuff for Facebook where it belongs (kidding) and focus on creating dialogue. Tweet about work, websites and industry happenings you think is cool (and why). Retweet anything insightful and provide your own commentary. You’ll get your fair share of followers that will boost your twitter credibility too.
Change your avatar to a photo of yourself. Make your face clearly visible and be the only person in the shot. It doesn’t have to be dry and corporate but keep it to something you’d feel comfortable having your grandma show to her friends. A real photo helps connect you to your online identity, and will help people pick you out at networking events and at (fingers crossed!) your interview.
Finally, include a bio. After indicating I was in the advertising/marketing industry, some of the agencies I followed began following me back even while it was very obvious I was in a very junior position. Keep your bio short and sweet highlighting relevant information showcasing your interests.
Twit Lists
The typical twitter feed can be an overwhelming free association of thoughts from friends, celebrity train wrecks, industry leaders news posts. My problem was that I wasn’t monitoring my timeline 24/7 meaning important posts could be pushed out of my feed if my timing wasn’t perfect. Twitter has a feature that allows you to group specific people/companies into specific lists separate from your main timeline. Even more helpful, you do not need to be following a person to have them on your list, provided their updates are public. I set up a list to follow agencies and companies without the noise and distraction of everything else. This helped organize my hunt.
