Category: Network

NBC: slap yourself in the face

Post author By Don Kasprzak
Post date September 20, 2007
1 Comment on NBC: slap yourself in the face

Well after three weeks of questions regarding where NBC would move its digital television programs after breaking ties with Apple’s iTunes. I blogged about their greed. Well NBC Universal “announced” many popular shows would be available for free download.

But hold on. They are pulling a fast one. In attempting to fight the TiVo generation (watch TV programs when, where and how you want) NBC has decided on the following conditions on their new NBC Direct program:

Shows available for one week only following broadcast.
Playback on computer only – no transfer to mobile devices.
Commercials included: viewers cannot skip through ads.
Shows will “degrade” — become unwatchable.
Windows only support – Mac and iPod support later in 2008

So you download The Office and have only seven days to watch it before it “implodes” rendering the video useless on your computer. This seems to imply re-downloading…but maybe NBC is taking the position you have just one week to watch the show or else.

Even industry analysts are calling it a stretch. A blunder is more accurate.

But this idea actually gets “better” for consumers. At some point in 2008 (if ever) NBC will sell you the same shows without commercials and allow them to be moved to mobile devices … yea it’s called iTunes. Who is running the store over there…Jack Donaghy???

Tags: NBC, iTunes, tv show, download

Design Education Globalization Network Rich media Technology

Google takes on PowerPoint

Post author By Don Kasprzak
Post date September 19, 2007

Google has now added to their on-line tools solution to include presentation software very similar to PowerPoint. This compliments their word processing and spreadsheet tools, virtually serving online version of Microsoft Office. And all you need is a Google account.

google prezo

Impressed that it supports PowerPoint (.ppt) file format. You can upload an existing presentation created in Microsoft PowerPoint program and share it with a few people (in a secure environment) or choose to share it with the world (via a url) or better yet simply upload your file to SlideShare a great free site where people are sharing presentations.

Education Globalization Internet2 Network Technology Virtual Reality WiscNet

Tech futures in higher education

Post author By Don Kasprzak
Post date September 13, 2007

internet2 k20 Today’s Live Discussion at the Chronicle of Higher Education points to the growth of new technologies that will change the college campus. Gartner’s “Hype Cycle for Higher Education” focused on technologies that will transform colleges in the next 10 years: global library digitization projects, personal devices with campus network access, Internet2, e-learning repositories, quantum computing and virtual worlds.
I am very glad to see Internet2 getting more press as a key, defining technology for the future of colleges.

Tags: The Chronicle of Higher Education, Internet2, future technologies,trends

Education Globalization Network Smartphone Technology

Text Message your next pizza

Post author By Don Kasprzak
Post date August 18, 2007

The emerging and cool method to order pizza is via SMS by Domino’s. After a successful test run early this summer.

Sound interesting? Big pizza lover? You will need to register and establish a preferred menu…but just text message “gametime” will have your favorite pizza at your door within 30 minutes.

And by gametime I mean football….well actually I mean soccer. Domino’s is making this available only in the United Kingdom.

Tags: pizza, Domino’s, SMS, United Kingdom, trends

Design Education Globalization Network Rich media Smartphone Technology

Designers: Core Animation

Lets face it: Today many graphic designers are programmers. They have been moving into the coding world for a number of years. Most cut their teeth on Web 1.0’s plain old HTML. With one foot in Flash‘s ActionScript and JavaScript were clearly the sign to jump in with both feet. This acquired knowledge and new creative energies have paid off handsomely for many designers.

CSS was the next logical choice that continues today as designers create smarter webpages and blogs with strong visual impacts. Even WordPress‘ own website correctly states: Code is Poetry. These skills have proved to be required tools for today’s successful graphic designer.

falling pins The next step may well be Apple’s Core Animation. Look closely at the new iPhone commercials – you will notice a bit of Core Animation: Google push pins drop from the sky onto a map. Good bye static pins!

This small example should really open up the interactive space for designers. Core Animation clearly shows just the tip of the graphical/animation iceberg that will become more robust moving forward.

Designers will jump on this new technology and adapt the necessary code to implement designs on phone and webpages. Apple needs to empower more than their die-hard programmers. Give designers the right tool for the job and we will see amazing interactive graphic elements on the web and our iPhones.

Tags: Core Animation, graphic design, code, iPhone, information design, trends