"...it came out freaking sweet!"

I think most of what is done in the automotive industry is boring & tired. Sure, I like gawking at the new body styles from certain manufacturers each year, but honestly most of what is coming out of that industry seems pretty staid to me.

Except for Scion and what they're doing with Scion Speak.

I like what they did when they introduced the car. I like how they have marketed the car. I like how they sell the car (using separate areas in Toyota show rooms). And I like how they are building customer loyalty around the car. I think they've done a good job of knowing what market they are going after and they hit it.

(TANGENT: this is available here through the NY Times, which should have a free sign up form if you can't already view the article; otherwise it's $1,000 USD to republish on the internet for 1 Year (maximum) - that's nuts! I feel another blog coming on...)

I think this is a great example of leveraging the Voice of their brand, and strengthening (and building more of?) their raving fan customers. This car is all-about self expression. It's a mass produced, customized ride.

But don't confusing "Marketing" (which is what we're talking about here) with "Sales" (which is a different part of the company and frankly, not doing all that well).

Scion has carved out a niche for itself that it should focus on. I see Scion Speak as one step on that path, and would like to see what they do with it next.

Would I buy one? Probably not. Would I try to emulate their marketing & sales techniques. I think you would be "Scichotic" not to...

Quick GDC Review Published in "The National Networker"

I had my first article published this week for The National Networker, giving a brief review the Game Developer's Conference (GDC), and the networking aspects to the event. I'll be posting a more detailed series of blogs over the next few days, but thought you might enjoy this high-level recap in the mean time.

The National Networker is a Monthly Publication that focuses on many different aspects of networking (geographic, profession, general interest, etc.) . It pretty much has something for everyone. The magazine tries to convey networking strategies beyond the usual tactics. I'm the Technology Editor for this magazine, and it gives me a chance to talk about Technology with a different crowd than my usual Geeks and Tech Heads!

(and yes, it's a little shameless self-promotion, but if you don't toot your own horn every now-and-then, others will use it as a spitoon! :) )

Let me know what you think, and what you might like to see in the column. Over the next few months I will be profiling certain technologies and uses for technology in the networking and online / Social Media / Social Computing space. Stay tuned...

Help Me! Help Me! (best said in a very tiny, sqeaky voice, laying on a spider web, at the end of a 1950's movie)

This is the coolest thing I've seen on the web in a LOOOOONG time. Why?

- it looks cool!
- imagine (and appreciate) the engineering the mechanical / electrical / computer engineering that went into making this. Now, contrast that with an average human's biological & computational engineering - realizing that many of us might not do so well.

Can't wait to see the next version!

The Good Folks Over At Common Craft

I really like what these guys do - very quick, easy & simple.

This is something my Grandmother would be able to understand!

PS - GDC review coming soon...!

Open the pod bay doors, HAL!

I'm writing this blog entry using Dragon NaturallySpeaking version 9. Because I can.

I first purchased the NaturallySpeaking software about any 10 years ago and didn't like it. After putting together the content for an upcoming webinar, and having it take six hours of typing, I decided to try something different. Now that webinar would only take me about an hour or two.

I is still working out the nuances of the software (pun intended).for example, I am still learning all of the formatting commands, and I am finding that because my computer is slow. There is a very slight delay in the response of the software. However, I am noticing that the program is "learning" as I go. If you do a lot of typing out, you should definitely check it out.