Awesome Flick: “Crash (2005)” Don’t Miss It.

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Here’s the rare kind of movie that actually gets under your skin. Crash (2005) is written, produced and directed by Paul Haggis, who was nominated for the Oscar for Best Screenplay Adaptation for Million Dollar Baby. And Haggis is every bit as powerful a director and filmmaker as he is a writer.

This cinematic journey, emblazened by an impeccable ensemble cast who deliver astounding performances (Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Thandie Newton, Terrance Howard, and others), takes on the complexly human under-belly of racism as expressed in the lives of a broad cross-section of characters — from Persian immigrants to car-jackers, from the LA District Attorney to an African American TV director, and from a Hispanic locksmith to a number of LA police officers.

Most notably, this is no simplistic morality tale. Bad guys can be good guys (and visa versa). Miracles do sometimes happen. And some people are just angry all the time. I’m grateful for a true artist who can craft a cinematic mirror that reflects life in an scarely honest way. I found this experience especially valuable because Crash is courageous enough to shine its light into places that many of us would prefer to deny exist, but which need our attention… desperately. “This shit ain’t right” and more of us need to say so.

Thank you, Mr. Haggis, for one of the finest films I’ve seen in a long time. Highly recommended!

Podcast Channel Broadens with More Corporate Podcasters (IBM)

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This podcast thing is getting interesting enuf 4 me to be planning something coming “real soon”… stay tuned; and meanwhile I guess there’s momentum to consider Apple’s “next generation radio” as an interesting channel for corporate marketing communications. The latest entrant: IBM. And nobody ever got fired for copying IBM, or was that for hiring Microsoft 😉 Read more about the corporate podcast offerings of IBM and others.

Technographics: Techonology “Optimists” Watch Less TV

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Forrester Research is reporting, in what may be one of the most comprehensive studies yet on the subject, that among those who feel good about technology (about 1/2 the market which they call “technology optimists”), there’s significantly less TV watching. They also say broadband will continue to grow rapidly (duh), more than doubling by 2010, etc. This is the first I’ve heard of this relatively intuitive distinction between the techno-optimists and pessimists. They also have a category called “tenured nomadic networkers.” Read the Hollywood Reporter summary of the study.

Apple’s Approach to Podcasting Appropriately Promoted by Pogue (NYTimes)

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The New York Times’ excellent Mac-friendly technology columnist, David Pogue has further illuminated the podscape by agreeing with my comment below… awright he says a whole lot more and says it better… illuminating how the elegant integration of podcasts in Apple’s iTunes 4.9 has moved this new form of audio communication (Next Gen Radio) a whole lot closer to the mainstream. I was particularly tickled to read about how Microsoft folk are using the term “blogcasting” so that they don’t have to reinforce the iPod’s stranglehold on all things Pod. The title, In One Stroke, Podcasting Hits Mainstream, may be a bit overstated; but, IMHO, his article is a mighty fine read. Well done as usual, Mr. Pogue.

Treo & Blackberry Look Out. Here comes Moto Q. & Mo’

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Personally, I like being away from email when I’m away from my computer. It allows me more time to think for myself, introspection and all that.

But, yo, if you want your network wherever and whenever, here’s some new techno-fashion functionality to tickle yer IM type tastes: Read the ElectricNews.Net story on Moto Q and more.

NBC & A Podcasting Reality Check

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I don’t think I’ve posted yet how impressed I am with Apple’s easy-to-use integration of the ability to subscribe to podcasts right within iTunes 4.9, but just the same I’ve been skeptical about podcasting’s ability to become (as Apple says) “The next generation of radio.” My thinking being somewhat along the lines of the comments by Mark Cuban referenced in an earlier post (below).

However, I have to admit that I was surprised to happen to catch the end of tonight’s rerun of today’s Meet the Press and find Tim Russert (with some embarrassment) promoting that program’s new podcast. (Of course, this is also a reflection of increased web competition between broadcast networks… see post below re CBS.)

Bottom line, this media moment reminded me of the old days (5 or so years ago) when I’d see a commercial web site’s URL on TV and took it as confirmation that the Web really was becoming an important medium. Maybe podcasting will become important too? Maybe it really is the happy media marriage of Tivo’s “any time you want it” with the iPod’s (and any other portable digital media player’s) “any place you want it.”

Whadda you think?

Podcasting: A more sober view (and more)

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Who woulda thunk that wildman NBA Mavericks owner Mark Cuban would be the one to provide the most sober overview of the podcasting trend I’ve seen, but he did. Also, of interest to blog fans, Cuban announced the reincarnation of his blog-oriented search engine (formerly IceRocket, now BlogScour), not to mention a fun bit of Dot-Bomb memorabilia about the day 7 years ago when Broadcast.com went public. As always, Cuban continues to be, IMHO, a pioneer of interest on the digital frontier. Just lay off those reality shows, Mark.

Geospatial Tech: An Important Next Frontier

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I first came to understand the vast impact that “geospatial technologies” will have on all of us (think GPS systems hard-wired into computers, chips on packages and mobile applications) when I read Howard Rheingold’s Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution. Apparently, leading edge publisher, O’Reilly also thinks this trend is important because they just had a conference called “Where 2.0”. If you want to catch or tune into this wave, I recommend this in-depth perspective about the current state and future potential of location technologies. It’s the transcript of an interview with Tim O’Reilly and Nathan Torkington.

Apple: the iPod Company (sales rock on)

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No longer the Mac company, Apple may now be “the iPod company.” They shipped 7 times as many iPods in the last quarter at the year before, almost 6.2 million units, and only 1.2 million Macs (even though Mac sales did well too and represented more gross revenue). Read the Bloomberg report

CBS News Commits to New Net Services as “Cable News Bypass”

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Calling the revamping of its CBSNews.com web site an “extreme makeover,” the relatively new president of the relatively new division, CBS Digital Media, Larry Kramer (a true Net Vet as well as founder and former CEO of CBSMarketwatch.com) announced a “seismic change” (new Web attitude) at the old network’s news organization. He said in an online video that new initiatives or “investments” would include podcasts, a blog called “Public Eye” (which will provide feedback and criticism as well as public praise for CBS newscasts), and lots of custom “web-only” video content on an on-going basis.

This new commitment to new content in some ways reflects what other networks are doing with their cable news sister networks. As reported by the New York Times, Kramer calls this a “cable news bypass.” He said in the online video announcement, “On the web, daytime is prime time,” and pointed to larger audience opportunities online than even cable can provide.

We’ll see if they can get traction (build a powerful/viable audience), but Kramer “gets the Web” and should be able to provide the necessary leadership. Certainly, this CBS initiative couldn’t hurt; and it will most probably inspire other news organizations to get more serious (and hopefully more transparent) about the importance of their organization’s web presence. Let’s hope so.