CNN debuts hologram reporting

I feel a bit like I’m watching Star Trek although I have to admit it truly feels like the future. CNN is dong a bunch of great stuff this year and I hope they’ll continue to build.

ESPN Wants to Sleep with You on the First Date

Picture 5

Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

Working a lot with web companies, one of my main complaints has always been the registration page. First, there is the question of when to ask for registration information. Companies want it any way they can get it. Users need to see a return, or a potential return, on the investment of their time and data… and trust you to use it for their benefit. Personalization? Awesome. Spamming me to death? Not awesome. It’s sort of like a first date. Let’s get to know each other slowly and eventually we’ll make a commitment to each other and we’ll be in it to win it.

So, it’s the time of year that I get girded up for fantasy football. After a brief false start with my old client Yahoo! we’ve moved the league over to ESPN where things are supposed to be a breeze. BUT, then I come to this page with eight different boxes pre-checked for me to receive information, solicitations, backrubs from ESPN, Disney and their partner companies. Oh, and I could give them my cell phone number… umm, no thanks.

I guess I’m glad that the one box they didn’t precheck was, “Yes, I’m interested in getting information on ESPN fundraising.” SERIOUSLY?? What is ESPN fundraising and why on earth would you put it in a registration?

ESPN, I think we are moving too fast. But it’s not you, it’s me. Ok…it’s you.

Nokia’s Next Episode

Nokia is firing a shot at Apple, finally. While Nokia has been making great phones for awhile, it hasn’t seemed to be able to articulate a new future or to help customers envision how its products will change behavior.  I think this spot from Lowe may finally be that future.

Advertising: Are you Looking at Me?

The good folks over at wired magazine just released their best vintage technology advertisements. I was particularly struck by this one for XBox 360 which was apparently only released online. It is a surprise that a commercial showing people running around pretending to shoot people in a train station might not have been the best idea at the end of the day.

But my question is, did that commercial eventually become this Nike commercial?