The Future of Homepages

As reported on by our agency's voice of authority on User Experience, the "homepage" as we know it today may dramatically change in the near future.

The following are some interesting points from the article:

• Overall, search, RSS and widgets are driving users deeper into websites
• 50% or more of traffic on many top sites originate beyond the homepage
• 60% of consumers customize their start pages
• 56% use RSS
• 54% use search engines to start their shopping experiences

Temperamental iPod Touch(s)

Dumb and Dumber. That's what my wife and I are calling our two 16GB iPod Touch devices.

This weekend, we stopped by the Apple store to replace our 30GB Video iPods (stolen from us on our recent cruise). Although we entered the store with the intent of purchasing 80 GB iPod Classics, we were completely enthralled by the fun factor of the Touch model.

Unfortunately our excitement and fascination with our new (*and expensive) gadgets quickly dwindled from the moment they were connected to our computers. Jen's iPod screen lost it's magical touch capability, completely freezing up with no online forum or tutorial offering a remedy.

Simultaneously, my troubles began when I attempted to connect my iPod. The device decided it didn' t like my USB2.0 PCI slot drive on my Powerbook, and only wanted to cooperate with my USB 1.0 input (with less-than-stellar data transfer rates). Next, iTunes refused to recognize that I actually connected a compatible device and insisted I try to restart, disconnect and reconnect an array of a dozen or so configurations before finally loading it.

Lastly, my patience wore thin when a pop-up window notified me that the music and videos I was attempting to sync were TWICE AS LARGE as the device's capacity. Then began the tedious process of weeding out podcasts, playlists and albums I guess I could live without. After a few more dances with configurations so that iTunes recognized my iPod again (it just disappeared from my devices), I called it a night and shut everything down.

My usability issues aside (well not really... I hate that i have to toggle through to get to my volume, lock my device and shut it off), this may not be the device for me. Simplicity and storage capacity reign supreme for me. It's what made me such a loyal fan of my Gen 2 and 4 iPod devices.

While my wife would like to exchange her iPod Touch for one that actually functions, I think I'll eat the $39 open box fee and send this bad boy back to the store. Anyone interested in giving me a good deal on a 30GB Video iPod?

Wish List: MultiPot

Ugly strip-style and aquatic-themed surge protectors are so passe´. You've got to get those wires contained in style! Enter the MultiPot

I'm blown away by the beauty and simplicity from Northern Italy lighting designer; Rotaliana. The MultiPot looks like an attractive, illuminated planter, 5 outlets and a generous length of feeder cable. The icing on the cake? A docking tray on top so you can conveniently charge your iPod, digital camera and phone.

This gadget is definitely going to find it's way into my home office.

A Place Between Us

A.PlaceBetween.Us is a great Google Maps mash-up that helps you and a friend find a spot to meet up for coffee, drinks, etc. Now when my friends from across town want to catch up for lunch, we don't have to waste time pinpointing a central spot to meet.

Props again to GetTRIO for the tip.

Airplane Grounded, Flooded Train Station and Large Pipe Burst

Today was just another page in my book of travel woes. For me, business travel is always an adventure. However, today's unique series of events bares mention, even if purely for the sake of entertainment.

Earlier this morning, my flight to Detroit — out of LGA — was canceled due to a severe weather system that swept through, wreaking havoc on travel across the tri-state area. AA kindly offered later flights, but were made available with little guarantee on time of departure. I, of course, learned this the hard way by taking them up on the offer.

As the time quickly approached 11am, my 12:30pm in-person Detroit meeting was no longer within reach. So, Plan B consisted of a 15-minute cab ride home, allowing me to dial-in and leisurely conduct the meeting from the comfort of my own home. Here's the part where I learned that the weather "wreaked havoc on ALL travel..."

Plan B began to derail when my 15 minute cab ride turned into a 2-hour ordeal. And boy, let me tell you — there's nothing like leading a meeting from a cab!

I'll save readers the gory details as to how my call went. My interesting story continues after I arrived home and considered heading into the office. News reports (and other reliable sources, ie. my wife) said that my train line was closed indefinitely due to water damage. "Water damage???" A further investigation revealed the extent of flooding.

This evening I learned that working from home may have been for the best. You see, news reports revealed that one of NYC's largest steam explosions took place only blocks away from my office. Read about it here, here and here. While my heart goes out to those who were injured in the mayhem, I'm thankful my wife and I were able to avoid it — and the gnarly mass transit delays that followed.

Oh, and the forecast shows similar severe weather for the next two days...

I Don't Always Eat Money

We're hiring. Yes, we're hiring at Avenue A | Razorfish. I am interested in sharing this news not just because of the prize money I could earn for hiring you, but also because I was instrumental in creating the video promotion.

Where US Presidency Campaign Finances reside

The NYTimes.com has brilliantly assembled a map to highlight where 2008 US Presidential candidate campaign donations come from. Using this tool, just select a candidate and see where the deep pocketed supporters reside! Oh, and it's great fun to see what mid-western states are supporting the obscure candidates. Enjoy.

Who needs an iPhone when you have an iDea?

Creatives should always choose a table napkin over an iPhone. introducingidea.com

"Like the iPhone, it's got simplicity going for it - and like the iPhone, it can accommodate your biggest ideas, then act as a vehicle to communicate it to the rest of the world. Add-on accessories include masking tape."

(courtesy of adrants.com)