After much hype, supposed leaks and predictions, Apple announced the iPhone 4S. No iPhone 5, just the iPhone 4s. Many people are disappointed that the company didn’t rename the 4S to a 5. Frankly, for Apple, that’s not much of a surprise. They did the same thing when they went from the iPhone 3G to the 3GS. The device looked the same, but the internals were brand new.

While most of the upgrades in the iPhone 4S are standard — newer camera, faster processor, etc., the biggest improvement of the device is Siri.

Apple purchased Siri a while ago. Between that time and yesterday, not much had been done with the product. However, Apple revamped the application and made it part of the core functionality.

And, frankly, it is impressive.

It recognizes accents and it learns who you are.

For those claiming it’s voice recognition technology — they couldn’t be more wrong. It is much more than that. And it will continue to evolve over time. Voice recognition technology is good for dictation and not much else. On the other hand, artificial intelligence (Siri) is a complete game changer.

As far as rest of the enhancements go — meh. Not big enough.

Amazon has been one of my absolute favorite companies. They made buying books easier. They made e-books popular. And their customer-service is stellar. What company gives you money back when their shipping vendor delays a package for 1 day?

A few years ago, they introduced the Kindle. It was priced high for market penetration. However, with their announcements last week — the Kindle is now a mainstream device. Starting at just $79 and all the way up to $199, e-books will be mainstream. As an author, that is great news. No other digital reader or media playback device can even remotely compete in this market.

Another big thing that Amazon has done with the Kindle Fire is firmly established itself in the media space — music and video.

Amazon was the first major player to offer DRM-free MP3s. Apple — the big behemoth had to follow suit. Amazon now has a competitive Prime video offering, which allows users to stream TV shows and other movies on the device itself.

As someone who recently canceled his Netflix subscription, I’m looking forward to exploring Amazon’s media offerings. It’s going to be an interesting experiment.

Last, but certainly not least, the Kindle Fire is very big news and just the beginning.

Last year, I wrote a fairly lengthy post about the state of the entertainment industry. Fortunately (for me), most of the predictions in the post held true. And, they will continue to hold true for the rest of 2011. Digital media has taken an interesting step over the past couple of months — for the worse. The volume of independently produced content is through the roof and the competition in this space is aggressive.

As someone who now works on the financial side of content — advertising — it’s hard to justify spending a considerable amount of money on online video. Why? It’s too expensive and not engaging. Here’s what’ll matter in 2011:

• Social: Facebook and Twitter are obvious first steps, but they’re also the only reliable platforms in the social media space.
• Mobile: It’s a challenge to find non-smart phones. With a phone coming out every few weeks, the market is now mobile heavy with an aggressive push on mobile content and services.
• Tablet: Unlike mobile, tablet is still very new. However, with very few reliable players in the market — it’s a good place to be involved from a content creation or syndication standpoint.

Here’s what won’t matter in 2011:

• Online video: It hurts for me to say this, but it’s true. Content discovery on the web is just way too difficult and there is a lot of content being produced. The chances of finding an audience and then monetizing it is nearly impossible.
• Loyalty: In this case, loyalty means something very different. It means not sticking to one mobile platform. Android is growing faster than ever and Apple is countering nearly every move. Sticking with one platform only is a recipe for disaster.
• Fluff: A lot of people are saying that the bubble is back. It may be, but there’s a reason why some initiatives get funded while others do not. Fluff. Investors and users are very restrictive when it comes to spending money. In this market, there is no room for fluff. Sadly, most companies created in the past few years do just that — create and sell fluff.

iPhone. iPad. Laptop. Desktop. Home Computer. Work Computer.

As the number of capable and connected devices have grown, it has become even more important to keep data across all these devices in sync. Rather than having a primary computer, all these devices have become complimentary for day-to-day use. However, managing these devices and making sure that no content gets lost in translation is a significant issue that very few companies have managed to address. Here are a select few ones that are doing it well:

• Dropbox: Dropbox has been around for a while and their introduction video makes it clear as to what the service is capable of. Dropbox can be installed on a number of devices and any content added to the Dropbox folder will automatically get synced across all devices.
• Simplenote: As a relative newcomer in the sync space, Simplenote is a great way to sync text files across various devices. Supports a number of different devices.
• Jungledisk: Perhaps the most complex and robust option is Jungledisk. Primarily designed to be a backup tool, once configured correctly, it could be ideal for large files with great reliability (I currently back up over 100GB+ of data via Jungledisk).

2011 should see a lot more sync services that bridge the gap between different devices.

The television set-top market is expanding rapidly. Just over the past week, we’ve seen 3 major players revamp the space with drastically different solutions.

These companies are Google, with their Google TV product (review), Roku with its 3 boxes (review) and Apple with its revamped Apple TV.

The new Apple TV is an aesthetic departure from the first generation. It’s smaller, does not contain a hard drive and is priced at less than $100 (by a penny).

Given the Logitech Revue and Roku variations, the Apple TV is a disappointment with a huge potential.

Unlike the first generation Apple TV, the new device does not come with a hard drive. It’s meant to sync directly with an iTunes library and rent or purchase content via the iTunes Store. The new device also has a Netflix app that allows users to view their ‘Watch Instantly’ content.

Other than the Netflix app, the reduced size and lower price point, the new Apple TV does not offer much over its predecessor or its competition.

However, the true potential of the device can only be realized with the un-announced Apple TV app store.

While signs do point towards a potential announcement, the Apple TV in its current form and features is an inferior device than both the Roku and the Google TV.

After months of anticipation, Logitech Revue, the first Google TV device is now available for pre-order. Starting at $299.99, it offers a wide range of options and features. The primary goal of the device is to connect web content with premium content and deliver it on “the biggest screen in the house.”

With the increasing competition in the digital set-top box market amongst Roku, Apple TV and now a slew of Google TV devices — the market is already starting to get cluttered. Is Google TV a step above from Roku and the Apple TV? Depends. Let’s take a look at some of the top-level features for the Logitech Revue:

Content:

At launch, the Logitech Revue features content from Amazon Video on Demand, Netflix, Pandora and a few other premium content providers. Apart from premium content, the device can also access content via Google Chrome, which is built into the device. This allows users to view content from any website. Given that the Logitech Revue supports Flash Player 10.1, it is possible to view content from Flash enabled websites. As of this point, Hulu has not announced support for Logitech Revue.

Search:

Since the Revue is powered by Google TV, search is one of the key features on the device. Search can be accessed at any point allowing users to browse content from any attached computers, connected DVRs or the web.

Calling:

The Logitech Revue features video calling. However, to enable this feature, a user must purchase a compatible Logitech camera and the end user must be using the Logitech Vid HD platform. Given the popularity and adoption rates of Skype, it is surprising to see that the Revue does not support Skype, yet. At this point, video calling is simply a premium feature with limited use.

Conclusion:

Given the price point and the initial limited feature set, it’s hard to recommend the Logitech Revue for general consumers. Very few features of the Revue are ground breaking original. Nearly all features of the device are available on other boxes — TiVo and Roku. Given that this is the first revision, it’s still a good step forward. For wide adoption, the price point has to reduce significantly.

Technology has come a long way in just the past 5 years. Companies like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have not only changed the way we do business and communicate, but these companies have also created entire economies. Today, there are thousands of social media consultants (good, bad and terrible) as well was hundreds of social media advertising agencies. By creating new technologies, entire ecosystems have come alive.

The same applies to mobile platforms including the iPhone and Andorid. These platforms did not exist a few years ago. Today, they’re thriving and are the future of communication

Despite innovation, there are people who choose to complain and dispute the benefits of technology. Ask anyone in the media and entertainment space and they will say that these advances are tools. They are.

Just like you can use a hammer to build or destroy a house, these new tools can be used for good and bad.

Often times, it’s hard to distinguish good from bad because a certain technology hasn’t been fully developed and nor will it ever be. Technology evolves. Companies need to evolve with them.

I have the privilege of working with some of the best media companies in the world. Often times, my advise to them is simple – try. Some initiatives work. Others fail. But, until someone tries, you won’t be able to determine the good from bad.

If a company the size of Google can experiment in it’s own domain with failed products such as Wave, media companies can and should experiment outside their core space. If it doesn’t work, there will always be another thing around the corner.

The biggest advantage of experimentation is the first mover advantage. Often times, the first company that enters the market with an innovative product gets to set the tone and others follow. A great example of this is the New York Times iPad app. The company developed the app and are now licensing it.

Disputing technology is neither helpful nor productive. Adapting technology is.

Last week, Roku announced the release of its new set-top boxes. Starting at just $59.95 and along with a few new partnerships, Roku has effectively made itself a very serious contender in the set-top box market.

Pricing:

The Roku HD box starts at just $59.95 — a price that is almost half of the latest generation Apple TV. This low price point is significant because it makes the device affordable in a market where traditional (cable, satellite, etc.) content consumption prices are increasing. With Roku, a user also does not pay any additional content access fees. The highest model Roku — the XDS is priced at $99.99 — the same price as the Apple TV.

Features:

By and large, this particular update doesn’t introduce any ground breaking features. However, the Roku XDS model has the ability to display content from USB drives. This makes the device an excellent choice for presentation and demo purposes on the road.

Content:

Today, Roku supports more premium content than the Apple TV and for that matter, most set-top boxes. With access to Amazon Video on Demand, Pandora, Netflix and now Hulu Plus, the device can access a significant amount of premium content at very minimal cost ($20 per month for Hulu and Netflix). And, with the XDS‘ upcoming ability to play content from an attached drive makes the device even more attractive.

Apps:

As of this moment, the Apple TV doesn’t offer the ability to install Apps. Roku does. Roku calls their apps “channels.” And, the ability to create apps and market them on a growing platform is win-win for any media organization — small or large. Broadcast networks could potentially create their own channels and introduce new revenue streams.

Conclusion:

The new release by Roku is a huge leap forward, not just for the company, but for the set-top box market. Highly recommended.

Yesterday at the BlackBerry DEVCON conference, RIM announced the BlackBerry PlayBook. While other sites have covered the technology aspects of this announcement in detail, this device marks a new era for RIM:

• User experience: Take a look at the embedded video above in this post. The user-experience is significantly better than current BlackBerry devices. A step away from corporate.
• No network: The initial PlayBook is available as a WiFi only device. BlackBerry phones, even today, are not sold without a service contract. This is a huge step for BlackBerry / RIM and their first direct-to-consumer product.
• BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS): BIS is the backbone of BlackBerry devices across the world — ranging from BlackBerry Messenger to email services. To a certain extent, BIS is also carrier dependant and without a carrier, it will be interesting to see how the device works.
• Privacy: BlackBerry has also been battling with privacy issues in the Middle East and Asia. It will be interesting to see how this device will impact data-sharing agreements between authorities.

As an end user, I’ll definitely be reviewing the device and comparing it to the Apple iPad. Thus far in the demos, the BlackBerry PlayBook looks like a good concept.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been hard at work creating something that not many people across the world will see, but something that will still get coverage on primetime broadcasts in the United States. What is it? Multi-screen content for NBC News’ Education Nation. Through my employer, we were hired to do multi-screen video content for the event in 3 weeks worth of time. Calling that time-frame aggressive was being polite. We had to produce 2 significant pieces of content — one for a 14-screen installation and one for a 4-screen installation. Teams worked round-the-clock to gather high-quality images from across the country and we had to use robots to get our most crucial shots. Impressive? Yes. Hard-work? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely. If you’re in NYC and would like to see the exhibit, send me an email — aanarav [at] sareen [dot] tv and I’ll be your personal tour guide this week.

Production & Technology:

I’ve been creating content for 9 years professionally. During that time, I’ve worked for local public-access stations, advised broadcast networks strategically and played a crucial consulting role for companies that enable media to progress. However, the art of creation is still one of the most challenges components in entertainment. Digital media thus far has primarily been a technological advance, not a creative one. Working on the above project over 3 weeks round-the-clock makes the best digital media advocates realize that although we should be focusing on technological advances, we shouldn’t forget what most people are still interested in — big, beautiful and inspirational. Web doesn’t do that. Yet.

Content creators need to keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Real-time instantaneous web broadcasts are fine. But, what’s the production quality? Digital-only content creators have littered the web with poor-quality content. There have never been financial incentives for poor quality work. Nor will there ever be. Despite technological advances, people still come back to watch content that inspires them. Content that looks good. As content creators, producers and marketers, we should be aiming for better.