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Business musings

2001-07-20 15:54:06+00 by Dan Lyke 9 comments

Apropos of [ahem] nothing at all, I wonder if a company whose biz-dev people are more important than the creative or technical staff has any long-term prospects? I wonder what it means when a company's customer is not its audience? If markets are conversations, then who is the dialog with? And while the rest of the country is trying to figure out how to keep the driver focused on the road, what are the long-term effects of Pioneer releasing a car stereo wtih customizable images on its display?

The system allows each radio to store a total of 5MB of generated images including 1MB for personalized custom screen savers. The unit comes with seven factory-generated screen savers such as CART racing, space travel and flight of the bird.

[ related topics: Music Technology and Culture New Economy ]

comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):

#Comment made: 2002-02-21 05:32:18+00 by: Pete

Three things:

  1. The Rio Car/Empeg has been doing this for, oh, at least a year, probably significantly longer (though OLED is undoubtably snazzy). And it runs Linux. Yes, you can telnet to your car stereo.
  2. I saw a report years back saying that using a heads up display (HUD) to project entertainment tv programs in between the driver and the road improved safety by rewarding the driver for consistently keeping the road centered in their view.
  3. Do you think that continuously listening to the new mix of U2's Elevation casues brain damage? I'm really hoping not.

#Comment made: 2002-02-21 05:32:18+00 by: Pete

Wow, that is so not the way I typed that in. WTF are you doing, Dan?

#Comment made: 2002-02-21 05:32:19+00 by: Dan Lyke

I'm trying to recognize lists and turn them into their HTML equivalent; the old "what are they trying to represent and how can we appropriately mark that up?"

And yeah, I think a HUD would be a good thing. That Pioneer player doesn't appear to be a HUD.

And I've long thought that listening to U2 causes brain damage. I'm not sure how this applies to Negativland pieces which use samples.

#Comment made: 2002-02-21 05:32:19+00 by: Dan Lyke

Whoah! I just read your #2 above. Entertainment, huh? I'm not sure I like the idea of the guy in the Peterbuilt[Wiki] having I Love Lucy[Wiki] superimposed over my rear bumper, but if it works...

#Comment made: 2002-02-21 05:32:19+00 by: Pete

Ya know, Dan, one of the reasons so much from mickeysoft sticks in the collective craw of clueful users is their unyielding confidence that they know better than their users. Maybe I don't like the standard html lists. Maybe I have a deep intellectual and emotional attachment to funky list paradigms.

I don't, but a "WTF!?" reaction is not usually taken as the sign of an optimal human/computer interaction.

And what's your problem with the trucks I built?

#Comment made: 2002-02-21 05:32:19+00 by: Pete

Also, your brundlefly interpretation of lists isn't mentioned in the bottom text, adding to the WTF'edness of the experience.

#Comment made: 2002-02-21 05:32:19+00 by: dexev

Sure it is, Pete:

...(as in a quoted message) or look like lists, or within a paragraph...

Though, Dan, your explanation *is* a bit obfuscated -- perhaps a link to a more in-depth explanation is in order?

#Comment made: 2002-02-21 05:32:19+00 by: Pete

ehp

#Comment made: 2002-02-21 05:32:19+00 by: Dylan

Apropos of the original topic...Not that I have any experience in this area *koff koff koff* but given my complete lack of first-hand knowledge *koff* I don't think that...say...a software company that puts marketing and other glitz ahead of solid engineering has many long-term prospects.

Dan and Todd will know why I'm coughing, the rest of you can pretend I have (work-related) emphysema.