In September of this year, Mashable proclaimed “Apple’s Tablet Will Eat Kindle’s Lunch“.  The article went on to criticise the Kindle device on a number of levels, such as the fact that it’s not in color, and that it doesn’t have fancy multitouch functionality.  While I agree the device will soon be left in the dust, I think Amazon has something much bigger up their sleeve…

Can you believe it’s already been two years since Amazon launched the original Kindle?  Although not the first e-reader, it was the first to enjoy significant market penetration, and today it’s practically a household name.  In February 2009, Amazon announced the smaller, sleeker Kindle 2 device.  It was still lacking some basic features like color (yes I’ll call that basic, sorry Amazon), but it was an improvement nonetheless.

But it wasn’t until March that things got interesting. That’s when Amazon released the Kindle iPhone app, and suddenly you had a whole new group of potential customers for the Kindle book store.  I’m not sure if you’ve been playing along but the foot print of iPhone owners worldwide is quite a bit bigger than Kindle.

This trend continued in November when Kindle for PC was released.  Suddenly every PC owner was a potential customer.  Huge!! With plans for a Mac Kindle app in the works, this can only continue.

So why doesn’t Amazon keep the Kindle software, and the Kindle market exclusive to the Kindle device?  They would sell more Kindles right?  Yes, but in my opinion the revenue potential for the Kindle devices is minor compared to that of the Kindle store.  Not to mention that hardware gets trumped every day by new devices.  With this approach Kindle doesn’t have to worry (as much) about dream/concept devices like the Apple Tablet or Microsoft Courier.  Just make Kindle software for each.

If Amazon roll this out fast enough, and gets the all important user experience design right, it will have a beast of market on its hands.  Kindle is to books/newspapers/blogs/magazines as iTunes is to music and movies… Maybe.  Remember when Apple decided to roll out iTunes on PCs instead of staying Mac-exclusive?  We’ll have to wait and see.

Some key components I see for the success of the software:

* It must be open (i.e. I better be able to read my own pdf files)
* It must remember your place in everything you’re reading
* everything must sync with the cloud, but a local copy should be maintained on all devices
* Commenting and sharing must be enabled.  In this age of social media, if Amazon doesn’t do it, someone else will.
* Users should be able to pull in any RSS feed (currently blog owners have to register their site with Amazon before this works, and the user has to pay $2 to subscribe to the blog – that’s just silly, and unsustainable)
* It should incorporate some sort of web ‘instapaper‘-esque service.  Busy people see stuff they want to read online all the time, but any productivity guru will tell you it makes sense to batch all that reading up instead of buying in to constant interruptions.
* UX/UI design should be spot on!  I hope they don’t skimp on this.  It’s why Apple is so successful with iTunes.

Some potential competitors.

There are plenty of devices with e-reading capability  (like Sony and Barnes & Noble) with many more on the horizon.  If I had to pick the big players in the e-book marketplace of the future, though, I’d have to say it will be one of these three:

Amazon:  Obviously.  See above.
Google:  Will be a big player because of all the books they aim to digitize.
Apple:  You really cannot beat Apple’s product and user experience design.  With the Apple Tablet looming on the horizon, they will make a big splash.  It appears like they will tackle magazines first.

I don’t see any startups swooping in for the top stop, although some will inevitably get acquired for pieces of the puzzle along the way.

What do you think?  Is Amazon crazy or riding the gravy train?  Will Apple eat Amazon’s lunch or buy it dinner?

This weekend, Lollapalooza is finally upon us in Chicago.

And for anyone keeping score, this marks the first summer where fans can connect directly with the vast majority of artists, in real-time, using Twitter. Here is a list of all the Lolla acts and their Twitter names (those not on Twitter left blank)…

A-Trak – @atrak
Alberta Cross – @albertacross
Amazing Baby – @AmazingBaby
Andrew Bird – @ANDREWBIRD
Animal Collective – @Arrrrgh
Arctic Monkeys – @ARCTICMONKEYS
Asher Roth – @AsherRoth
Atmosphere
Band of Horses – @Bandofhorses
Bassnectar
Bat For Lashes – @BAT_FOR_LASHES
Beastie Boys – @beastieboys
Ben Folds – @benfolds
Ben Harper and Relentless 7 – @BenHarper
Blind Pilot
Bon Iver
Boys Noise – @Boysnoize
Cage the Elephant – @CagetheElephant
Car Stereo (Wars) – @CSwars
Carney
Chairlift – @chairlift
Coheed and Cambria – @Coheed
Cold War Kids – @CWKontour
Constantines – @theconstantines
Crookers
Crystal Castles – @CRYSTALCASTLESS
Dan Auerbach – @thadistrict
Dan Deacon – @dandeacon
Dark Wave Disco
Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam
DeadMau5
Deerhunter
Delta Spirit – @deltaspirit
Depeche Mode – @depechemode
Eric Church – @Ericchurchmusic
Ezra Furman & The Harpoons – @ezrafurman
Federico Aubele – @FedericoAubele
Fleet Foxes – @fleetfoxes
Friendly Fires
Gang Gang Dance
Glasvegas – @glasvegas
Gomez – @gomeztheband
He Say, She Say
Heartless Bastards – @thehbastards
Hercules and Love Affair (DJ Set) @HerculesLA
Hey Champ @heychampmusic
Hockey
Hollywood Holt
Ida Maria
Jane’s Addiction – @janesaddiction
Joe Pug
Kaiser Chiefs – @kaiser_chiefs
Kaskade – @KASKADE
Kevin Devine – @KevinDevineTwit
KiD CuDi – @KiDcuDi
Kings of Leon – @Kingsofleonfans
LA Riots
Langhorne Slim – @langhorneslim
Living Things – @LivingThings
Los Campesinos! – @loscampesinos
Lou Reed – @LouReed
Lykke Li – @lykke_li
Manchester Orchestra
Miike Snow – @MiikeSnow
Moneypenny
MSTRKRFT – @MSTRKRFTMusic
Neko Case – @nekocasefans
No Age – @NoAgeLA
Of Montreal – @ofmontreal_fans
Other Lives
Passion Pit – @passionPit
Peter Bjorn and John – @PeterBjornJohn
Portugal. The Man – @portugaltheman
Ra Ra Riot -@Rarariot
Rise Against – @Riseagainst
Robert Earl Keen
Rye Rye @thaRealRyeRye
Sam Roberts Band – @samrobertsband
Santigold – @SANTIGOLD
Silversun Pickups – @SSPU
Simian Mobile Disco
Snoop Dogg – @snoopdogg
STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9) – @STS9
The Airborne Toxic Event – @Airborne_Toxic
The Bloody Beetroots (DJ Set)
The Builders and The Butchers
The Decemberists – @theDecemberists
The Gaslight Anthem
The Glitch Mob – @theGlitchMob
The Green Cards – @thegreencards
The Henry Clay People
The Killers – @_thekillers
The Knux – @theknux
The Low Anthem – @thelowanthem
The Raveonettes – @THERAVEONETTES
The Virgins
Thenewno2 – @thenewno2
Thievery Corporation – @ThieveryCorp
Tool
TV on the Radio – @tvontheradio
Vampire Weekend – @VAMPIRE_WEEKEND
White Lies – @whiteliesmusic
Yello Fever

(Anyone I missed? Let me know in the comments.)

This week I was asked to speak at the Social Media University conference in Milwaukee about “viral video” on the web. I don’t believe there’s a special formula to follow that magically equals viral distribution, but I think there are many things you can do to set yourself up for success.

In the slide deck below (the one I presented at the conference), I discuss the following topics:
* Where we are today with web video (scale, how we consume it, how we share it, etc.)
* Examples of certifiably viral videos (some are good for companies, some are bad)
* 3 components of a video strategy to extend your reach
* Creating video: Some things to consider
* Sharing video: Hosting, embedding, share buttons, and distribution
* Tracking video: Analytics packages to track your video success (helps you prepare for the next one)
* The future of video on the web: Mass distribution and real-time streaming

The presentation was video taped, so I’ll place that here as soon as it’s ready. I would love to hear what you think in the comments, or on Twitter. Be sure to view the presentation in full screen mode.

The Spreenkler group in Milwaukee is one of the more creative, driven sets of people that I’ve ever met. In this video, Brian Artka gives a little taste of what the crowd is like. Great work Brian.

As you may have noticed, the activity on my blog tends to wax and wane. If you’d like to get some more frequent updates, you should check out blakeju.mp. The site aggregates most of my online activity into one place.

In other words:
This blog + ActionsTalk + Twitter + Posterous + Flickr = blakeju.mp

What do you think?

I saw two videos today that made me think we’re only beginning to see the raw potential that lies in the iPhone. When Apple decided to open the platform up to developers, it was such a brilliant idea! Building a platform and letting others take it and run is a very compelling business model.

This first video shows the Brushes app, and how it was used to create cover art for a recent issue of the New Yorker. Are you kidding me?! A $5 application being used in design for a major publication. That’s just unbelievable. You can read more about this here.

This second video shows a new iPhone game called “Seek n’ Spell”. Players of the game have to run all over a specific geographic area to collect letters, helping them make words to win the game. What really amazes me is how this game involves the physical world and software. The future will be very very interesting.

Here’s a great video I found that really speaks to the entrepreneurial spirit. I highly recommend it.

Even if you don’t work for yourself, you can think and act like an entrepreneur. How are you changing your company, your community, your world for the better?

Friends and Family,

I’d like to bring to your attention a fantastic charity opportunity that is being organized by two of my close friends, Allen Burt and Ryan Graves.  This week (beginning April 27, 2009) marks the beginning of their $5K in 5 Days campaign.  The goal is to raise money to buy books for school children in Laos by leveraging the power of the social web.  The goal and how you can help are described below.  If you’re able, please consider a donation.  I couldn’t speak more highly than I do of these two gentlemen.

The Goal
My good friend Allen Burt has been traveling through Southeast Asia over the last few months and has hooked up with an awesome organization called ‘Big Brother Mouse ‘. Their goal, and now ours, is to provide literacy opportunities for the children of Laos. Allen and I have organized a world wide campaign to raise funds for this organization!
Through LibraryForLaos.org & The $5K in 5 Days campaign, books will be purchased through the non-profit Big Brother Mouse, at an average cost of only $1.80 per book. With your help, we can provide thousands of books and fund reading programs for schools in rural Laos. Simply, contribute your lunch money or inspire 10 of your friends to contribute and share with 10 of their friends. This will take you only 3 minutes and YOU can help change the landscape of literacy in Laos!

When
During the final week in April we are going to launch a web wide effort to raise $5,000 US towards the children of Laos. Mark your calendars for this coming Monday, April 27 – Friday, May 1, 2009. We’ll be accepting donation starting that Monday at 12:00am and going until Friday at midnight.

How can I help?
Easy…just go to LibraryforLaos.org and either go to the donate page to contribute monetarily. Or, use these links to share LibraryforLaos.org with all your friends, listservs, Twitter followers, or even stalkers on the web! Again, this sharing will only take you a minute so please help us spread the awareness of this cause!

Email – Email Library for Laos to friends!
Twitter – Share Libary for Laos with Twitter followers!
Facebook – Update your status on Facebook to recruit friends to help!

Why Laos?
The country of Laos is in a devastating state of poverty and the children of rural villages are suffering. Of a population of roughly 6 million, over half are under the age of 21. Increasing opportunities for literacy NOW, will have a substantial impact on the Laos’ future. Just as China and India have experienced a boom in education and thus impact on the world, Southeast Asia is next in line. With such a large number of children the potential impact is enormous.
Thank you so much for helping us raise funds for LibraryforLaos.org and Big Brother Mouse! On Sunday May 3rd we’ll send out an email letting you all know what dollar amount we reached! Your help and support is very much appreciated!

Over the weekend, Erica and I visited the Yerkes Obervatory, near Lake Geneva, WI.

Yerkes Observatory, which calls itself “the birthplace of modern astrophysics,”[1], is an astronomical observatory operated by the University of Chicago in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. It was created in 1897 by George Ellery Hale and financed by Charles T. Yerkes. The observatory represented a shift in the thinking of observatories, from mere housing for a telescope and observer, to the modern concept of observation equipment integrated with laboratory space for physics and chemistry. A 102 cm (40 inch) refracting telescope built by the master optician Alvan Clark is located inside. It is the largest refracting telescope used for scientific research (a larger demonstration refractor, the Great Paris Exhibition Telescope of 1900, was exhibited at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1900). ~Wikipedia

I pieced a few shots together to make this panographic photo (click it to see it bigger):

File this one away with my series of posts focused on Information Overload…

One major gripe I’ve had with Twitter for some time now (and I know I’m not alone here) is the inability to group the people you follow into certain categories. Let me explain.  Currently I’m following (receiving updates from) upwards of 600 people on Twitter.   It can be assumed that they are all worth listening to from time to time – otherwise I wouldn’t have clicked “follow” in the first place.  But the experience of watching a big newsfeed tick by with the updates from all these people is a little daunting, and clearly inefficient.  How can I focus with all this noise?

Right now, some of my main interests are startups, photography, Milwaukee (”represent”), and business intelligence.  Sometimes (almost all the time actually) I’d prefer to read about only one of these subjects, not all of them at a time.  For example, if I’m in a creative mood, I could be eager to see what people are saying about photography or design.  Now, I could do a twitter search for “photography”.  While this might return some decent results, it just shows me a list of recent tweets mentioning “photography”.  This completely negates the time I’ve put into finding people who actually know what they’re talking about.  I’d much rather just see the recent updates from all the people who I consider experts.  And now I can – using the Tweetie iPhone app, with the process described below. [note: This works just as well with Twhirl for the desktop if you don't have an iPhone]

Tweetie is like many iPhone Twitter applications that allow you to see the recent updates from the people you follow.  What sets it apart is that Tweetie allows you to use many different Twitter accounts.

Here’s how it works:
1. Download Tweetie (it’s $3, but worth it)

2. Make a list of topics you’re into.
Maybe include on the list some people on Twitter who clearly know what they’re talking about when it comes to that topic.

3.  Create a new Twitter account for each topic
(in this example, i’ve appended “a_” to the name.  It will help my list of accounts sort nicely alphabetically later)

4. Log into the account created for a topic, and follow the people who say interesting things about that topic. For example, with the account I created for Photography, I followed @simonmcconico, @jakedavidrohde, @RachelK, @photocampmke as a good start.

5. Add your real account, and your “topic accounts” to Tweetie

Now you’re all set!  In my example, I can pop into the Photography account to see what the photography tweeps are talking about…

Or if I want to see what’s going on in Milwaukee, it’s as easy as checking the Milwaukee account…

One critical feature of Tweetie is the ability to reply with any of your accounts.  So If I’m viewing all the Milwaukee updates, I can still reply as @blakesamic.

Just another battle won in the war against Information overload.  Let me know what you think in the comments.