Christmas Predicts Next Christmas

Prognostication enjoys domain over worst and best lists for the year gone by and trend predictions for the year to come. 2010 marks a new decade so events and lists span ten years. “This Week in Consumer Electronics”  and Steve Smith hold out in Smith’s year end post the past ten was a “digital decade”.

TWICE presents gloom and doom of the pain everyone felt this year but admonishes

“…the industry during the 2000s was more innovative than ever before. And … this 10-year span will be remembered as “the Digital Decade.” CE (Consumer Electronics) migrated from analog to digital, and its transformation created new categories across the board.
Video has always been the industry’s key category, and TV became HD in this decade, also moving from tubes to LCD and plasma flat screens.
Apple in effect reinvented MP3 players with iPod, and digitized music from online services became the rage, disrupting the music industry’s reliance on selling CDs and becoming a major CE brand in the process.”

trendwatching.com’s  October post references a June story on “Nowism.” The read explains the trend “dubbed ‘NOWISM’, this mega trend has, and will continue to have, a big impact on everything from … corporate culture to customer relationships to product innovation to tactical campaigns.”  trendwatching reviews of “Ten Crucial Consumer Trends for 2010.” reports trendwatching’s advocacy much of American population resides in cities “… and don’t even get us started on the growing consensus that cities could actually be the most sustainable form of human settlement.”

The International Institute for Management Development presents an interesting mash-up to mind map the zeitgeist. Yeah, we go way out there and we should. Begin thinking about consumers and what they might desire this season next year.

Here’s Broadcast Newsroom Computing’s lucky seven websites to cerebrate future consumer electronics and business trends. Start with tips to work from end to beginning:

1. DigitalTips
2. DigitalTrends “Best Gadget of 2009: Top Gadgets and Technology Products
3. Cnet Two way video phone calling
4. Thirteen Microsoft Milestones in 2009
5. PC World’s 2009 in Review Microsoft’s Big Year
6. PC World’s Crazy “2009 in Review: Quotes From the Year’s Most Interesting Tech Leaders and (Lady Gaga).”
7. Let’s round this year end list of learning with Consumer Electronics Daily News “Best New Products” post.

Guiding providers and producers of rich media and related industries pleads a sense of ultimate spender – consumer direction. BNC hopes we set you on the right path.

Broadcast Newsroom Computing next year checks outs Amazon’s most gifted of the season eBook reader, the Kindle and Apple Computers’ Kindle Killer plans. What does it all mean?

Happy New Year and Prosperity to All

James Rowe

Rowe and Company, LLC

Technorati Tags: Consumer Electronics Association,TWICE,trendwatching.com,Nowism. Consumer Trends,Institute for Management Development,DigitalTips,DigitalTrends,Cnet,Microsoft Milestones,Lady Gaga,Tech Leaders,New Products

Let’s Share Project Management Knowledge

Project management is a pragmatic science although one might argue with my claim it is a science. Project management certainly relies on established branches of science to conduct work and there is an associated body of knowledge.

One of the best sources of knowledge relating specifically to project management is held by the Project Management Institute. The Institute certifies project management professionals referred to as PMPs. In fact PMI has a resource called the “Knowledge Shelf.” The support is part of the PMI “Virtual Library.” The website defines the collection of information as “a great place for practitioners to expand their understanding of different aspects of project management.”

Readers of Broadcast Newsroom Computing should consider project management as more than work carried out by engineering, which always has a project underway. In reality every news assignment is a small project. I suggest the principles of project management can be affectively used on every single story covered and special program produced. So while the information offered by the PMI Knowledge Shelf might be viewed as geeky by some there are tips on saving time and effort to be learned there.

The site tells visitors membership offers more access to information and it does. Membership in the PMI is free. Certification as a project manager costs. However, there are on site seminars and e-seminars on project management. Check out the project management demo promoting PMI’s $550 ($500 for members) video on project management training.

Education is based on PMI’s PMBOK (Project Management Book of Knowledge). Membership in the PMI makes the guide available for a reasonable price. The book costs $65 US from most sites and PMI sells it to members for $50 USD.

There is an extensive list of training available from PMI. Many courses are expensive. But the Knowledge Shelf has numerous downloadable documents available to non-members for free. Whether you pay or partake of free offerings there is much to learn about project management at the Institute’s website.

Next on BNC, the Associated Press finally has file based video delivery. What does it mean to digital news production?

James Rowe

Rowe and Company, LLC

Technorati Tags: Project Management Institute,PMBOK

SMART Goals Smart Answer

Project managers and human resource executives use SMART goals as a way of creating understanding in work objectives. The acronym’s initials are often defined with assorted terms.  Project Smart, an English project management web site, displays a chart to describe the varied terms associated with SMART goals.  

The following are goal setting definitions from Project Smart.

• S – specific, significant, stretching
• M – measurable, meaningful, motivational
• A – agreed upon, attainable, achievable, acceptable, action-oriented
• R – realistic, relevant, reasonable, rewarding, results-oriented
• T – time-based, timely, tangible, trackable

However, the following interpretations are SMART goals I prefer.

Specific

• Well defined and clear to anyone with a basic knowledge of the project.

Measurable

• Know if goals are obtainable, how far away is completion and when it has been achieved.

Agreed Upon

• Agreement with all stakeholders what goals have been decided.

Realistic

• Fall within the availability of resources, knowledge and time.

Time Based

• Enough time to achieve the goals.

When establishing objectives I use specificity.  Let’s be clear about what we wish to accomplish.  Next,  know how to determine when we reach the target.  I want those involved in the work process to agree to specific goals and how they will be achieved.

SMART goal parameters give us a design we can specify, understand how to accomplish, agree is real and has a beginning and an end.  The process establishes at a minimum what we require to reach the same conclusion.

SMART goals offer a method to focus efforts in a project.  After work is completed all should be able to realize expectations set out at the start of the assignment.  When goals are specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic and time based the conclusion  should be exactly as everyone anticipated.

Next week Broadcast Newsroom Computing looks over what’s on the knowledge shelf at the Project Management Institute.

James Rowe

Rowe and Company, LLC

Technorati Tags: Project Smart,SMART Goals,project management

Tweets in Your Outlook

Microsoft Outlook is the de facto communications tool for most knowledge workers.  It’s more than an email reader.  Learn all you can do with Outlook from Microsoft’s free training resource.

Twitter is a short message service which seems to baffle many about its utility.  Broadcast Newsroom Computing uses Twitter and encourages newsrooms to consider the free service for more than “please bring some coffee on your way in.”  Here’s BNC’s document on how journalists might benefit from Twitter.  Download it here and share it.

Twitter for Journalists –

Now you’re ready to consider Tweeting from Outlook and manage Tweets that can overwhelm you like email does until you take control.

Tech Hit produces Outlook add-in Twinbox, an upgrade to OutTwit.   Tech Hit’s FAQ page answers what happened to OutTwit and more about Twinbox, configurations and capabilities.  It’s free.  Tech Hit makes several utilities for Outlook including one for Facebook.  Social networking from within Outlook could make your work easier.

Social network sites and others have created clients and add-ins to get around  logging in from a browser.  Business and journalistic utility is to leverage these tool to better communicate with your group or directly with individuals in the group.

Viewing updates from social networks you follow for story ideas and tips from within your main electronic communications tool is what Twinbox delivers with simplistic features. 

BNC considers the application a must know about.  If you’re still on the fence about the real utility of Twitter download our Broadcast Newsroom Computing digest and visit TwiTips for new and simple tricks to send and receive short messages via Twitter.

Twinbox offers a quick start guide on its site as well.

iPhone and Blackberry are in the game too.   There are applications to collect Tweets and to Tweet.  Adoption of social networking is becoming easier and more user friendly.

Next week, Broadcast Newsroom Computing begins a series on file based workflows for television news production.

James Rowe

Rowe and Company, LLC

Technorati Tags: Tech Hit,TwiTips,iPhone,Blackberry,Facebook,Twinbox,Twitter,Microsoft Outlook

Staying in Synchronization

These are the days of cloud computing and file sharing across firewalls without security violation.  Many news professionals have calendars they wish to track as their own and securely within their chosen group or organization.  Across enterprises or organizations was once too lacking in security however assurance of safeguard has improved.

Broadcast Newsroom Computing examines low level collaboration across secure boundaries.  There are more powerful solutions with a price tag to boot.  Two major players in professional collaboration across geographic and technological borders are Microsoft and Google.  Microsoft’s Outlook email and calendar application is standard and deep-rooted professionally.  Google has applications to link its public and private calendars to Outlook and even an enterprise version of Google Apps for a fee.

Google makes a direct appeal to replace Microsoft Exchange promising a seamless user experience in the transition to Google’s cloud computing environment while keeping the Outlook client.  Microsoft Office Live, MS cloud computing, is still in beta.  Live appears to be Microsoft’s competitive response to Google.  Compare the two services and decide which is better.  Today Google leads.  BNC is unable to gather Microsoft information beyond what is in being tested but works like released applications.

Google offers a free app for synchronization of Google calendars and Outlook.   The Premier version of Google Apps is their business solution with fee.

Mere calendar synchronization among individual calendars across machines is acquired with minimal expense through tools like SyncMyCal and Syncing.net.  Mozilla’s Sunbird Calendar is free and works quite well with Google Calendars and others.

The ability to view someone else’s public or secure calendar to see if it matches your own is easy, as you have read.  You can publish project schedules, assignment calendars and futures calendars as well for public and private sharing.  Consider how uses of these applications and cloud computing might reduce costs of collaboration in the newsroom.

Next post Broadcast Newsroom Computing touts parent Rowe and Company, LLC  and its new vendor agreement with The Walt Disney Company and ABC Television.

James Rowe

Rowe and Company, LLC

Technorati Tags: The Walt Disney Company,ABC Television,Google,Microsoft,Mozilla Sunbird,SyncMyCal,Syncing.net,Office Live,calendars,cloud computing

Search Engine Wars or Race for Users

Everything I read  calls it a search engine war between Microsoft and Google since MS introduced its search engine Bing on Monday.  Scrutinizing Microsoft and Google homepages provides little about the battle brewing between the two giants.  Broadcast Newsroom Computing believes the healthy competition is much deeper than search engines.

There is little reason to doubt the two giants are reaching for similar market share.  TechCrunch reporters take the description of the competition a bit further pointing out Bing 411 received little attention during the launch of Bing.  Google has goog-411.  Directory information services with more benefits than phone service providers offer.

Take a look at Windows Live to see how Microsoft is targeting the same audience as Google.  A lot of Windows Live services list as beta.  However many services Google offers are yet to be officially announced as released from beta.  A number of these services I use and have been long enough to personally consider them beyond release stage.

Bing was out before Monday’s official release and already Internet consultant Paul Savage from blackdog has a smack down tool comparing the two services.  It’s fun to play with and offers little beyond the differences in results or order of results returned.  It’s great work from Savage for search engine optimization in which he specializes. 

BNC suggests opening two browser sessions with one Google’s homepage and the other Windows Live.  Vertically tile the two active sessions and you’ll get a comparison of two business models.  These are examples of what both offer for gratis.

• Email
• Storage
• Photo sharing
• Messaging
• Calendars
• Search tools
• Software as a service
• File sharing

Search engines rule.  They’re usually a first resource for users to decide Internet activity.  Search engine optimization is without a doubt, IMHO, a required skill for journalists.

However, BNC points out the business case of the two search engine giants is clear evidence we’re all after the same audience.

Next post, Broadcast Newsroom  Computing examines calendar and schedule synchronization.

James Rowe

Rowe and Company, LLC

Technorati Tags: Bing,Bing-411,goog-411,Google,Microsoft,Windows Live

Television Sets Reign

In the United States, viewers sit in front of huge television screens and enjoy movies, news and other forms of entertainment including games.  Nielsen Online quantifies viewing habits of Americans and the rest of the world.  The research firm measures quarterly viewing on television sets, personal computer monitors, and mobile phones.

Nielsen’s latest report is available online.   The quick read is at the end in “key facts” and “trends to watch.”   First bullet point on the page reads “Almost 99% of the video watched in the U.S. is still done on television.”  Almost three whole five-day work weeks  are spent each month watching television sets.  It makes Hulu advertisements about sucking brains empty seem like news reports from the future.

Watch for what Nielsen refers to as “time shifting usage.”   Digital video recorders and their usage grew 40-percent last year.  Online viewing, using the PC monitor, is expected to increase with broadband upgrades and consumer hardware upgrades.

Come screen three, mobile phone viewing, according to the latest Nielsen Online report, grew by 13-million people or 52-per cent over last year.  And teenagers are the avid viewers of video on mobile devices.

Get a good sense of how consumers handle the three screens of delivery, currently on the market, reading  Alan Weinkrantz’s blog post at 3screens.net.  Haggling comes to America – Weinkrantz writes "Having made several calls over the last week, I did manage to negotiate the following….”  He haggled with Time Warner and at&t about the cost of each screen and the offerings on each.

While Nielsen Online affirms the television set is where many consume video in the United States other forms of viewing are growing.  The strategies adopted early by the likes of at&t and Time Warner portend the market and preparation to meet its needs.

Broadcast Newsroom Computing tomorrow suspends for a while Friday’s Memo.  Times are changing and priorities shifting so catch the latest announcements tomorrow.

James Rowe

Rowe and Company, LLC

Technorati Tags: Time Warner,at&t,Nielsen Online,three screens

Posting Tomorrow

Apologies please.  We’ll complete our three screen report tomorrow morning.

We also have to skip Friday’s Memo.

We’ll be back in business and on regular schedule as soon as we get a handle on the current project that takes precedent.

Broadcast Newsroom Computing appreciates your cooperation and check back because we’ll keep the promises we make to post.

Thank you.

Patrick Rowe

Managing Partner

Rowe and Company, LLC

Does Hyper Local Equal Hyper Revenue?

The only thing constant is change.  Any scientist or cook is likely to tell you forget certainty of results when mixing and stirring.  There are many experiments underway in journalism .  “No one size fits all;  there are many models,” says Jan Schaffer, director of the J-Lab.

Like cooking, what is created is for someone, a human., to consume.  Keeping the “human” top of mind while creating and administering makes sense of work and directs work to appropriate ends.  A new phrase describing journalism’s latest attempt to reach people is hyper local.  Ain’t in the dictionary but ain’t is.  The site hyperlocal.org offers a very technical view of its meaning.  Remember technology and journalism are married and mixing and stirring.

The Berlin based hyperlocal.org managed by Reinhard Knobelspies headlines their homepage “The emergence of a new paradigm!”  Knobelspies writes “the impact of this development will be as dramatic as with earlier industrial revolutions like the beginning of mass production and cannot be underestimated.”  He points out mass production market strategy was think global act local.   The emerging model, Knobelspies claims, in an age of connectivity for all, shows an opposing view.  “Think global-act hyperlocal.”

“The news business is in a difficult time period right now, between what was and what will be,” Gary Kebbel from Knight Foundation tells the New York Times.   The foundation funds hyper local news research.  “Our democracy is based upon geography, and we believe local information is such a core need for our democracy to survive.”

Schaffer points out “Citizen media is emerging as a form of bridge media, linking traditional media with forms of civic participation.”  Hyper local is often misused to mean citizen journalism.  The Knight Foundation backs a Chicago project called EveryBlock and its an example of hyper local, interactive, multi-media, and relevant journalism.

Peter Krasilovsky from Kelsey Group forecasts revenue growth in hyper local news presentation.  The NYT report writes  “many small businesses have never advertised outside the local Yellow Pages … an untapped online ad market whose worth (Krasilovsky’s) firm expects to double to $32 billion by 2013.”

Broadcast Newsroom Computing brings it all back to the newsroom desk tomorrow.

James Rowe

Rowe and Company, LLC

Technorati Tags: J-Lab,hyper local,hyperlocal.org,Reinhard Knobelspies,Knight Foundation,New York Times,Gary Kebbel,Peter Krasilovsky,Kelsy Group,Jan Schaffer,EveryBlock

One to Many for Profit

I want what I want right now where I am.   Such a statement would have drawn ire from my parents.  It becomes the mantra for deciding where media is to present.  The choice of platforms to attain what one wants when desired seems countless and burgeoning.

Consumer discretion  increases and broadcasters’ resources to accommodate end user selection usually cost in the six figure range.  Workflow attempts to send content produced once to many consumption points can boggle the mind.  Nielsen-Online’s three screen report from late last year is a dated analysis of popular stages.

Television, radio and text is consumed at home, online, on big and little screens, in movement  – such as in a car or train, on telephones,  and in public venues like work, theaters, bars, and supermarkets.  There are a number of legacy personal entertainment devices still in the hands of many and more devices made and sold to deliver rich media. 

As usual there are no real standards.  Formats for varied presentations challenge how best to communicate.  Broadcast Newsroom Computing writes often about technologies utilizing accepted standards.  Products sold as everything to broadcasters find huge systems mired in a form of head scratching, usually for lack of standards.  Simplicity is lost for user and administrator.

Business demands cost control and fierce competitiveness at the same time.   The competitive playing field broadened to arenas lacking defined and profitable models for commerce.  Getting it done once and capitalizing many times is requirement.  Doing so can be easier.

The one-to-many ideal is achieved with innumerable devices.  Managing numerous points of content delivery sometimes means digital asset management according to vendor.   Like nations, vendors most often refuse to cooperate well.  Choosing the best technology for a specific business solution requires products still learning to play nice.

Massachusetts based Signiant, IMHO, achieves respectable management of rich media across geographies and products.  Signiant’s Content Distribution Management sold to broadcasters and rich media content producers and distributors is a must check for one-to-many solutions and standard file based distribution.

BNC Friday’s Memo tomorrow with some late forecasts.

James Rowe

Rowe and Company, LLC

Technorati Tags: Signiant,Content Distribution Management,content delivery,Nielsen-Online,one-to-many production,rich media,rich media supply chain management