Using a phone for voice/apps/email/misc. gives you a full understanding that simply browsing a website or jotting down a note on the memo pad gives you, so if you are thinking about switching make sure you test everything out.

“So your saying there’s a chance”

This is a great phone. The Droid is a viable alternative to the iPhone and a serious competitor to other smart phones. With the next iteration coming soon (so I have heard) this operating system will only get better. In the end, like most industries, have strong competition ends up being great for end users. I look forward to continued testing of the Droid and will report back with my findings.

Price
$370 + $99.99 a month
I signed a 1 year contract and at a $99.99/month plan which gives unlimited everything but only 450 minutes per month of talk time.
There is a $100 rebate bringing the hardware total down to $270 (would be $200 with a two year contract)

Screen
The screen is bright, clear, and better than the Blackberry and iPhone. This became very clear when using the phone during the day in bright sunlight. There is no multi-touch which is sorely missed. this is such a native gesture I found myself constantly pinching on maps and pics. Video looks very clear and crisp and refresh rates are fast.

Keyboard
In a word; painful. Comparing the physical keyboard to the onscreen keyboard its a no brainer to never slide the unit open. Getting the on screen keyboard to pop out can sometimes be an issue as the functions are buried beneath the many on phone and on screen buttons.

Android
In a word; amazing. This is no winmo copycat. Things are thought through and seem road tested. This is a direct result of this being the 2.0 release – but that is a good thing.

The marketplace is everything the blackberry app world isn’t – fast, clear, concise, oh and did I mention fast?

You can see top paid, top free, and a very cool filter called newest which shows the latest apps added in that category.

Service
Verizon mobile service in the NYC metro area blows away all other service providers in my opinion. This phone was working in random locations around the city that my TMobile blackberry would not stand a chance in – and the Subway!

3G speeds are a game changer if you havnt experienced them already. They add a layer of snapiness to the OS that is appreciated. Texts, emails, MMS, and videos got sent over the network without any apparent congestion issues all around manhattan.

Apps

Foursquare (disclaimer: USV investment)
Fast and elegant design. Works much better than the blackberry app and wap site. iPhone app for foursquare may be on par with the droid app – its just that good.

Gmail
Fast, native email. This is a killer feature for the Droid. It just works – something that blackberry is catching up to now.

Calendar
Could not get calendar to sync but didn’t try the desktop software so this feels like and unfair dig – but nontheless it didn’t work.

Imeem
Killer music service delivered well on the Droid

Amazon
Great app to browse and buy from

Tip calculator (about 50+ in the marketplace)
Good to have with groups

Contacts

Between facebook and gmail I was bale to load up my contacts from the cloud and have a almost fully stocked list when I hit the road.

The fast dial features of the blackberry were sorely missed here as I like to just start typing a friends name to dial. Not the case witht the droid.

Scrolling long lists has a cool tab similar to the ipod/iphone but let’s you drag to the letter in question vs rolling around the wheel or wiping.

Google night sky
This was the wow factor app with anyone I showed the droid to. Its an augmented reality view of the night sky complete with all planets and constalations – with search built in.

Google maps navigation (native to the Droid)
This is a game changing application for drivers and GPS devices. Its slick, polished, and probably the best turn by turn navigation GPS app I have ever used. Seeing is believing and it really exceeded my expectations.

Email

Email on the Droid is great as it gives a full functioning email client and Gmail client. The web browser also gives that feeling of being a native app (if you have used Gmail.com on an iphone you know what I mean) and its great.

Writing emails on the other hand was tough. The pop-out keyboard is good, but as I said above not great. I would rather wait to get back to the Blackberry or a real keyboard before typing out something very long.

Post from: Marketing.fm - Eric Friedman
You should follow me on Twitter Motorola Droid Review

The amount of services I use through Google is now summed up in a simple dashboard showing everything. They sum it up as transparency, choice, and control which is a nice way of softening the realization of how much data Google actually collects about you.

Here are the services they list and my usage:

Account – Yes
Alerts – Yes
Blogger – No
Calendar – Yes
Contacts – Yes
Docs – Yes
Friend connect – Yes
Gmail – Yes
Health – No
iGoogle – No
Orkut – No
Picasa – Yes (Paid)
Product Search – Yes
Profile – Yes
Reader – Yes
Talk – Yes
Tasks – Yes
Voice – Yes
Web history – Yes
YouTube – Yes
(other – 30 not yet in dashboard)

So that is 16/20 services that I use, some on a daily basis, and one that I pay yearly for (Picasa).

Like many things, this data has been out there for awhile, just never compiled in one place. The same is true for public records (think real estate transactions) but rarely is it organized and show in one place.

I think there will be the initial reactions to this that Google is collecting too much information. Once the dust settles on that argument, I think people will start to better understand their collective data exhaust from one company, and appreciate it all being organized.

You can easily see your active involvement, or lack thereof, in any service and control the settings for each. Obviously this is something you could do before, but I feel people respond to a centralized dashboard much better than a “settings” area across 20 different applications and services.

What do you think about the Google dashboard? How many services do you use on that list?

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• Google Gives You A Privacy Dashboard To Show Just How Much It Knows About you (techcrunch.com)

Post from: Marketing.fm - Eric Friedman
You should follow me on Twitter Google Dashboard

This remains one of the core investment thesis ideas in my mind when I look at a company that lives on the web. In an inverse relationship to environmental exhaust where usually the more left behind the worse the system, the web works in just the opposite way. The more data left behind, that can be harvested, the better the underlying network. This process of collection can be done via a lazy login, a deliberate subscription, or a federated login system – in each case allowing the underlying infrastructure you are traveling across (or consuming) the ability to retain this data.

The data retained from data exhaust can be use for many different things. The first and most obvious is to make your experience better. Your profile and activities give off information that can be used and processed with a system, making your experience better the next time you arrive. This presents a sparse data problem for new users and new systems, but once the data asset is in place you have more of an incentive to return.

This dynamic behind a new web service shows the importance of allowing users to traverse across an already present data asset.

Many services do this well today, while others built up this asset of data over time. Being a new user on a service is tough, but the opportunity to grab the data exhaust of each of those new users to turn around and use of for the betterment of the system and other users is great.

Federated login systems such as Facebook Connect and Google Connect enable you to bring your data with you, something that I think will become common place over time. As these paradigms solidify in peoples minds, and the value of such activity becomes apparent I think you will see demand increase to bring a customized set of decisions, opinions, and “personality” with you whenever you sign up for a new web service.

Post from: Marketing.fm - Eric Friedman
You should follow me on Twitter Data Exhaust

If you are interested in attending this Steve Blank discussion with entrepreneurs event tickets are now open to the public and are $25.00 and help cover costs associated with the event.

Be sure to checkout Steve Blank’s blog for more information.

A big thank you to Maestro Market for helping the new york entrepreneur community reach Steve and get him to come speak in NYC.

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• Lean startups aren’t cheap startups (entrepreneur.venturebeat.com)

Post from: Marketing.fm - Eric Friedman
You should follow me on Twitter An evening with Steve Blank in NYC

Google announced the ability to search, find, and play music via their search experience tonight.

This is a huge business development boon by the companies involved and a major kudos goes to Imeem, MySpacePandora, LaLa, and Rhapsody. This also seems like a big win for the record labels.

Below is a video that explains ramifications of bringing the power of Google search to music, lyrics, titles and others:

This Google onebox deal has far reaching implications for a few different reasons.

It first deep links to music site providers giving users a (hopefully) better experience.
It provides a monetization strategy for music providers to help people find and discover new music.
It provides a revenue stream to music providers, and most likely Google, when a sale or transaction happens as a result of this deal.

Each of those requires their own analysis and explanation which I will not go into now.

The bigger paradigm change in my mind is the change to search results. How do you optimize for this type of query? What will happen to ad CPC’s associated with these queries? Can you target or message things differently now that the behavior on Google.com is changing?

I think this brings up far bigger questions and only time will tell how people react.

To date, the goal of Google has been to get you off the page as quickly as possible. This Google Music initiative certainly changes that dynamic greatly, and actually invites you to interact and spend meaningful amounts of time on a Google page.

I certainly look forward to trying out this feature, and would love to hear from others on their thoughts about this new initiative by Google.

Post from: Marketing.fm - Eric Friedman
You should follow me on Twitter Google Music

Along with having some smart advertising introduce the new layout, integrated well with the IAB standard units, they highlighted another section at the top of their navigation: CNN NewsPulse

This dashboard approach combines a few items you have probably seen elsewhere on content sites. You have probably seen “most emailed”, “most read”, or “hottest” articles from an internal system or a company like Surphace powering a module – but this is first time I have seen this done in front of a large audience. Sites like BuzzFeed are a great example of these engines at work. Putting hot content in front of people and promoting things that do well and letting the audience know when things go viral.

CNN however has created a popularity index which is some combination of activity happening around each article.

These types of data driven decisions are what makes content that is good rise to the top. Influences such as web video plays, twitter links, passed links, emailed stories, etc… should all lead to more data about a story which can be used to help put relevant content in front of someone at the right time. This is starting to happen today.

There has been great discussion recently around headline optimization and A/B testing by the Huffington Post, as well as others doing similar things. I think these types of activities will only increase.

The benefit of optimizing stories, layouts, and even headlines is a better experience for the reader. Some may argue that this changes the dynamic of the publication – but that is exactly what is needed. The old way is being overcome by a wave of real time data and this allows an editor to embrace this data wave and make informed decisions about what to put in front of readers.

It is also clear that offline devices should become smarter as you use them not stay the same. This trend is happening with the power of data to influence front page news and will only continue.

Post from: Marketing.fm - Eric Friedman
You should follow me on Twitter CNN NewsPulse and the future of content

This is a game that was potentially finished and is now being resurrected to a platform that has become relevant. By bringing social features to the game such as sharing level ups, progress, and of course getting help from others – they are able to refactor the original classic and bring it to a new audience.

The old audience will of course pickup and re-play the game, thus introducing a new fanbase to the franchise. This behavior will continue with other games and on other platforms, but the net result is the same. Games are being syndicated in a new form for the sake of new players and a re invigoration of the original game.

We no longer need patches, updates, lag time problems, or special hardware – instead, great games are being ported to platforms like Facebook, MySpace, and Flash (on mobile devices) where they can be seen as new.

Providing a social layer to these classic games is the first step towards re-launching the franchise. The second step is introducing game play dynamics from the original series with a virtual currency twist. It is no longer a question of if this is possible, but rather when it will happen.

I believe we are seeing the beginnings of what social gaming can be, and a comfortable way to introduce this new dynamic is with solid classics that we all feel comfortable in. Once people recognize the power of these new layers to their favorite OLD games, new games will introduce the next stage of social gaming that will go far beyond the RTS mouse\keyboard\monitor setup that we have come to know today.

As a big gaming fan myself, I am excited for the next level in gaming.

Post from: Marketing.fm - Eric Friedman
You should follow me on Twitter The first stage in social gaming

The gist of the post are these three key elements:

1. Think relevant, not recent
2. Focus on skills-based versus situation or industry-based qualifications.
3. Connect the dots — what ties it all together?

The third seems to be the most important to me as it indicates why and how you got to this exact spot. Whether it is a work even, conference, networking function – all the decisions you have made to date are a culmination putting you right here. It may be random, but that plays its role too.

Finding your story also provides good context and history to someone that may gain great information without having to go through prying interview questions. This is also helpful when you are not even in an interview, which is honestly a great way for someone to get to know you.

A friend of mine recently has been looking for a new opportunity and I helped him bottle up his “story pitch” as follows.

I worked in a large corporation, learning the bureaucracy and politics, but also identifying I did not want to be there. I next joined a startup company where doing menial tasks and wearing 10 different hats was a common occurrence. I gained some insight and experience that I brought to my next role within a public company – taking ownership over a team within a large organization. I now know that I like to operate with a smart group that has the resources to try new things.

Without getting too specific that quote above is helpful even to the general person he might meet. It is also helpful to gain some background knowledge and context. Packaging up your story can be important and its worth doing in a short and concise way.

As the saying goes “If I had more time I would have written a shorter letter”

In a world where people are looking at tons of resumes, yours has to pop from the pile to get the job done.

Post from: Marketing.fm - Eric Friedman
You should follow me on Twitter Figure out your story

I deal with a number of requests all focused around setting up a time and location. Sometimes its me reaching out to someone and other times it is someone reaching out to me.

These range from setting up a time to speak via phone or can include setting a time and a place to grab lunch or a coffee.

One thing I have learned, and wanted to pass along is the idea of, serving up options on a silver platter. Whether this is done with making an appointment, getting someone to make a decision, or simply trying to show your point, how you serve things up can make a huge difference on the outcome.

Here are a few principles to remember:
Everyone is busy.
People like to process emails\tasks and move on.
Never assume.

So with those three items lets begin. Below are my most successful outreach efforts that have worked for me, as well as notes that are convenient for incoming requests.

The first thing to remember when scheduling an appointment is that even from the first interaction it makes sense to propose times\dates\locations and choices between the three.

For example here is an optimized warm intro to setup a time to speak via phone:

Hi Joe,

I received your contact info from Jane Smith and wanted to setup a time to speak with you about your experience with XYZ Consulting as I am about to make a decision to start working with them. Do any of the dates\times below work for you?

10/07/09 – 2pm or 4pm EST?
10/08/09 – 11am EST
or
10/09/09 – 9am EST

I can be reached at 212-555-1212 but happy to call you at a number you provide.

Thanks,

Alternatively, below is a cold start to setup a lunch:

Hi Joe,

My name is Eric Friedman and I work at ABC Co. I have an interest in what you are working on and would love to chat further over lunch. Are you free next week at noon on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday? I can meet you at your office or at a place nearby.

Below are some places that seem convenient
Place 1
Place 2

Let me know what works best for you.

Thanks,

The benefit of doing the hard work ahead of time (picking a time\place\date) helps someone process the task and get onto their schedule.

Like most people, they next step is to get this information written down or into their calendar. By providing the date, day, time, and location you are helping them get the information logged faster.

Post from: Marketing.fm - Eric Friedman
You should follow me on Twitter How to setup an appointment

In their own words:

Google and the Wharton School’s Future of Advertising Project are partnering to create, “Fast. Forward”, a first-of-its kind online destination for marketing and advertising. The YouTube channel is designed to be the most current, compelling, convenient and credible site for the latest thinking on an industry in the midst of complex transformation.

Below is an example video from the showcase discussing the importance of experimenting in new areas of advertising from John Gerzema, Chief Insights Officer, Young & Rubicam.

You can checkout the Fast Forward Channel directly.

There are some great tools and features buried behind some flash navigation so I cannot link directly here but you can find them quickly on the site. It is great to be able to sort by topic, company, and category as well.

I think this is a great project and look forward to following it – I just wish they allowed some of the typical easy “embed” features of regular youtube videos and deep linking.

Post from: Marketing.fm - Eric Friedman
You should follow me on Twitter Google and Wharton Partner to Create helpful Marketing and Advertising YouTube Channel