SensoryMetrics

It’s Thanksgiving here in the great white tundra. There’s no better way to celebrate than thanking our BFF, the internet!

BTW – my son found this – sorry no source, but this LOLcats rebellion is too good not to share.

It’s sometimes the case that trademarks are mocked for political reasons. This time, a teenager named Jimmy Winkelmann decided that he needed to challenge the “branded kids”.

His The South Butt brand and logo obviously mock The North Face brand. Beyond mockery though, he’s actually selling product. For $60. you get a SouthButt fleece jacket! To their credit, North Face is treading lightly on this one – needing to legally protect its brand, yet not hammering down on a college kid.

If you owned the brand, what would you do?

BTW – I’m a big fan of North Face. I think South Butt is a nice complement! I’d wear both!

We don’t write enough about bacon… do we?

By chef Bill McDaniel at Red Cat in New York City.

12 strips quality thick-cut bacon
Canola oil
2 egg whites
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups club soda
Salt

1. Seperate strips of bacon, then lay half the slices in a large skillet in a single layer. Cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, until lightly browned but still pliable, about 10 minutes. Let bacon drain on paper towels. Repeat process with remaining bacon. (Save rendered bacon grease for another use, if you like.)

2. Pour oil into a heavy medium pot or a wok to a depth of 2” and heat over medium heat until temperature registers 375° on a candy thermometer.

3. Meanwhile, whisk egg whites in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold one-quarter of the flour, then one-quarter of the club soda, at a time into whites, folding thoroughly after each addition until batter is smooth.

4. Working in batches, dip bacon into batter, then deep-fry, turning once, until bacon is golden brown and crisp, about 6 minutes per batch. Drain on a wire rack. Season to taste with salt and serve immediately.

via LoyalIdiot.org

Very nice web app from NetFlix to flaunt the re-release of Wizard of Oz on October 3rd. Upload a face picture of yourself and within seconds you’re Scarecrow! Instantly uppload the video to Facebook! Yep. That’s me. Scary, huh? Oz Yourself here.

The US government has been publishing recovery program data via its web site Recovery.org. It gives you access to all sorts of data relating to government programs aimed at stimulating the economy. There is a tons of data including an interactive US map showing the number of active projects and investment.

The company running the site, Smartronix announced today an open API for all the data it has access to. This will allow developers to use the information Recovery.org collects and mash it up. I suspect there should be an iPhone app available by the weekend!

This outstanding transparency on the part of the US commendable. In Canada, our government’s stimulus activities are shrouded in secrecy!

One thing that struck me strange on the Recovery site: Rhode Island has 154 projects going on valued at over $478 million. Rhode Island?? Nothing happens in Rhode Island does it? Another thing – Why did Washington DC have to spend $9.5 BILLION?? Bailout for politicians?

What about Washington state. Microsoft ground zero got over $8 BILLION. Was this a Vista bailout? Zune??

Can’t wait for the iPhone app!

Some nice video work from SM friend Aydin Mirzaee and the Fluid Surveys gang!

SM friend Amanda Fisackerly of Fizz-Biz sends us an interesting quote from US president Coolidge (1923–1929) in the context of product success.

‘Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent’

So would Calvin be a PC or a Mac? An iPod or a Zune? A Segway or a Toyota?

He’s got a point!

Australian personal trainer Kat Eden has just posted 9 Secrets of Truly Happy People on Dumb Little Man. Well worth reading, but for now here’s the 10-second version:

1. They know what really matters
2. Choose just 2-3 important projects for each year
3. They put time aside for them each day
4. They surround themselves with people who motivate, inspire or build them up
5. Happy people eat well
6. They take time to play or to just ‘be’
7. They learn not to make excuses, justify, or cop out
8. Happy people take time to be grateful – for themselves and for others
9. They get something done

Got me thinking. Can we apply the same principles to product design and create something that just screams happiness?

1. Know what really matters. Product design should re-enforce the key value proposition: what’s the big idea? What significant problem are you solving?
2. Choose 2-3 important projects each year. Once a product launches, the dance begins. Customers want new features, bugs have to be fixed, and the product needs to grow to meet a maturing customer base. Too often, the little nasty projects cloud the path to 2 or 3 significant innovations that could be released every year!
3. Find the time for the important projects. Big projects take a lot of planning and attention. Having the discipline to move the yardstick even a little each day is critical. Otherwise, day-to-day minutiae takes over. The project will never see the light of day.
4. Surround the product with people who motivate, inspire or build them up. Find out who’s passionate about your product. Find out why? Whatever they say, do more of it!
5. Happy people eat well. It’s almost a cliche now – happy employees = happy customers. Happy developers = happy product. Why is this so difficult for some companies? Treat people, customers, and your product with respect.
6. Find a place to just be. Everyone needs a resting state – where you can just breathe and have a broad view of your world. It’s my opinion that products that offer a wide perspective of its status results in a happier product.
7. No excuses, justify, or cop out. Set expectations from the onset. Marketing usually focuses on what a product does. I find it refreshing when they offer information on what it doesn’t do.
8. Be grateful. Sure, the sales team thanks the customer. But is the product thanking them as well. Reward your power-users with added value. The more they use it, the more invaluable it becomes.
9. Get something done. Of course your product does something, otherwise nobody would have bought it. If your product does a lot of “behind the scenes” work – let the user know about it. Boast about all the hard work it’s doing.

Is your product truly happy?

Happy Product via the awesome Films of Mark Osborne

SM friend (and former NCI CTO) David Cuddy sent us some great info links from Aastra – the current manufacturer of the Vista VoIP phones. The “create your own phone app” is something we just HAD to try!!

Here’s Dave:

Although this forum is focused on the Vista/PowerTouch 350, some visitors may have its successor, the Vista 390. Or be considering getting a 390 as a replacement for a dead/dying 350. Here is a useful link to a PDF file that explains how to erase the old Bell iSelect ADSI scripts (or presumably ADSI programming of any kind) and restore the set to factory defaults:

The PDF file contains a link to a page on the Aastra web site that allows one to program the softkeys on the 390.

It’s pretty slick – you fill out a pair of web forms to configure two pages of Vista softkeys and labels, and then phone up an ADSI server at Aastra. The server downloads the requisite ADSI script into your phone. Automagically, your phone’s softkeys get configured just as you like them.
I don’t know if it works with a Vista 350.
No warranty expressed or implied.

Thanks Dave!