Jeremy Toeman’s LIVEdigitally

Intro: Mike Arrington was able to get Comcast support via Twitter, I thought I’d do the same (although I am Canadian, I’m no Arrington and I’m not using Twitter).  I’m a subscriber to the NHL Center Ice package, offered via Comcast through iNDEMAND.  The regular season is over (Go Habs!), and now things got messy.

In the program guide, there’s no more information for the Center Ice package at all.  No listings, just baseball.  I googled, found a few scattered suggestions and possible answers.  I then proceeded to try Comcast’s support chat, the agent was polite and tried his/her best, but found nothing.  Eventually told me to call my regional office.  Which I did.

Local agent looked through a variety of things, and sooner or later started surfing the Web looking for more.  Nothing.  Found the Center Ice info page, which is missing all information about the playoffs.  Well, not all the info, just has a page showing where they would be, and nicely refers to them as the 2007 playoffs.

I called iNDEMAND.  The most help I got from them was that (a) there was a confirmed game on Versus, which I already knew, and (b) the channels to find Center Ice were numbers 461-470, which I already knew.  This information came just slightly after I managed to convince them that I was actually a paying subscriber.   Bottom line is at 4pm on Thursday I’m going to have to have my Slingbox ready so I can quickly find the right game and set it to record on my DVR.

First I blame iNDEMAND for not having the right information.  It’s not really Comcast’s fault since their vendor doesn’t have the data.  That said, Comcast shouldn’t do business with vendors who do not have the information needed to support their customers.  If Comcast made it an absolute requirement, I guarantee the iNDEMAND folks would have the answer already, but as it is, there’s little-to-no incentive for them.

As an aside, it’s like when I called Sony for support on my Vaio and they blamed Microsoft and NVIDIA.  They might be right, but nobody exactly forced Sony to use NVIDIA chips.  Then again, the laptop is on its way back from Ed Bott’s place, where he says it’s lightning fast!! Windows may just be re-entering my life (it still does have better keyboard shortcuts)…

Back to the topic at hand - customer service.  Service is as important as any marketing or promotion activity.  With the combination of blogs, Twitters, and Google, it’s impossible for a company’s bad habits to remain in the dark any longer.  Fundamentally I believe if you sell a product, you must support it to the fullest extend possible.  No passing the buck.  Setting the right standards for your organization isn’t hard to do, and in the long term can have a huge payoff.

I love that just by posting on 04/01 I have to give a disclaimer that this post is NOT an April Fool’s joke (thank you Anil). What a terrible day to be online.

I ride the bus to work every day. Everywhere I look I see the white headphones of cool iPod people. I get off the bus, walk to the office. People walk by with the whites on. On the plane. In line at Starbucks. On bicycles. In the tub. In the car. Up against the mini-bar…

It’s annoying.

Some might read this, think “it’s just like Walkmans were”, but thats definitely not the case. Walkmans were never so pervasive in our culture, they were just too darn bulky. iPods are so well designed they are close to invisible, and convenient to carry. And the clever commercials did such a good job branding the signature headphones that it’s a bit of a fashion statement to wear them (I still vote for Shures incidentally).

I’m tired of getting bumped into by people who don’t even realize it because they’re so focused on whatever it is they listen to. Here’s the thing people: YOU DON’T HAVE TO LISTEN TO YOUR IPOD ALL THE TIME. It’s true, studies have proven it. It’s okay to NOT be entertained 100% of your bus ride, walk, or other moment in life where you can just, you know, think about something or read a book.

In case I’m not clear here - I have no problems with iPods (though my Rio Karma was still the best MP3 player out there… once), nor using them when appropriate. As a wise man once said, “Life goes by pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Thus endeth the ranting.

One more thing:  If you DO have to have your iPod in use in a public place, please check the volume - the rest of us don’t want to hear the tinny aftertunes.

God knows I’m not a big believer in all things 2.0, in fact, I’m not much of a believer in anything 2.0. However, amidst the muck and dreck there are some winners, and more importantly, underlying all the new rounded corners fanciness it’s become clear that the future of the Web is about open platforms and data sources all able to talk to each other. Flickr is better than Kodak Photo Gallery because they made it so easy for me to get to my photos through not only their site, but on my blog, Facebook, etc etc.

Before there was 2.0, in fact, before there was really dot-com, there was IMDB, the Internet-hosted paradise for film geeks.  I won’t see a movie without checking it’s IMDB score, and upon seeing one I’ll instantly dash off to read the trivia, and give it a rating myself.  At a dinner party if a movie gets mentioned and a debate about some actor starts, the laptop comes out, and off to IMDB we go (at a friends’ house I’ll usually just kwiry the movie instead, since they seem to find it rude if I go get their laptop just to prove them wrong).  It’s been that way for a decade or more, and unfortunately, nothing much has changed.

Amazon bought IMDB some years back, integrated shopping in a not-so-bad way too.  IMDB launched “pro” but it’s really for people in the movie business.  So rather than involve the community and become the de facto source for all movie data across all Web sites, IMDB sits on their closed, controlled, protected database, and sits on the sidelines as competitors emerge.

Want to build a movie app using their data?  No problem, you can license it here (and here’s their data format, mercifully updated from CSV into XML in the past few years).  There are discussion forums, but no RSS feeds to get the conversation elsewhere.  There is a “my movies” feature, but if you want it integrated into your blog, you have to use their widget (preview it here) which allows for zero customization.  There is an unbelievable wealth of data, a literal treasure trove of it, and it’s all locked away in their proprietary site.

Part of me thinks that after Amazon bought them they reduced the technical staff down to one or two people, who spend their time making sure the site works in new browsers (see? just like 1997!).  Part of me thinks there’s some crazy person in charge who believes keeping things status quo is the way to win.  I’d like to think there’s some big plan on opening up the platform (remember: open beats closed!), enabling richer applictions to emerge, and IMDB will escape its position as film nerd haven.

But most of me thinks the whole darn thing is locked in some server farm somewhere and nobody can figure out the captcha to get back in.

I saw over at Engadget today that Verizon has some new cell plans.  This is great news for Verizon customers like me who are being raked over the coals to enjoy their network.  And I’m not being (too) facetious here, it really is a great network, I only drop calls in two locations: (1) I-280 by Sand Hill Road (millions of VC dollars can’t get a good tower built???) and (2) inside the United terminal of JFK.  Otherwise, all is great.

I saw the new plans seemed quite attractive, but none quite meet my needs.  I have a “FamilyChoice” plan that my wife and I use to make calls throughout the US and Canada (where we go frequently).  It’s a little pricey, but very convenient for our needs.  The new plans are:

• $100 - Nationwide Unlimited (voice)
• $120 - Nationwide Select Unlimited (voice, SMS, MMS)
• $140 - Nationwide Premium (voice, SMS, MMS, VZNav, VCAST, email)
• $150 - Nationwide Email and Messaging (voice, SMS, MMS, and data)
• $170 - Nationwide Global Email and Messaging (voice, SMS, MMS, and international data)
• $200 - Family plan with two lines, $100 per additional line.

All look good, but no Canada.  After viewing the Verizon website for a while, I saw a chat window pop up, offering help.  I figured it would be easier than calling.  Here’s the transcript (verbatim, no edits made):

Antione.: Hello. Thank you for visiting our chat service.  May I help you with your order today?
You: hi
You: i am an existing customer, i have the America’s Choice FamilyPlan
You: so it’s 3000 minutes, for both USA and Canada
Antione.: How may I assist you today?
You: i heard there are new plans
You: whats the new equivalent for my plan?
Antione.: How many lines?
You: 2
Antione.: I recommend the Nationwide Family Share Basic 3000 minute plan. This plan includes unlimited nights & weekends so you can talk all you want on the nights and weekends. It also includes unlimited IN calling so you can talk free to any Verizon Wireless customer. This plan costs $149.99 per month and includes 2 lines. Will this plan work for you?
You: does it include canada?
Antione.: You can call to canada with our nationwide plans.
Antione.: How does that sound?
You: how about from canada?
You: (sorry about that delay, the window was hidden)
Antione.: Yes, you can call to canada with a nationwide plan.
You: how about calling FROM canada?
Antione.: One moment please.
Antione.: We do not have any family plans to allow you to call to canada.
You: so i shouldnt change from what i have today, right?
Antione.: You can keep your current plan if you would like.
Antione.: What features are important to you in a phone?
You: huh?
Antione.: Are you eligible for an upgrade?
You: why are you asking? does this impact my ability to make calls to/from Canada?
Antione.: I have not heard from you for a few moments.  Would you like me to keep this chat session open for you?
You: did you see my previous question?
Antione.: I was checking to see if you were eligible to upgrade your phone. Our family plans does not offer you to call to canada.
You: so the question had nothing to do with what I was asking about?
Antione.: We offer a single line that has the ability to call to canada. I am sorry about that, we do not offer any phones that will allow you to call canada with the family plan.
You: ok, thanks very much

Hmmm… I think my favorite part is the triple flip flop on whether or not Canada is supported.  It’s either that or the random shift from helping me into trying to get me to buy a new phone.  Thanks very much, Antione, for so much non-help.  I feel slightly dumber for having had that conversation.

When I switched to a Mac, I couldn’t find any calendaring system I liked, so I moved over to Google Calendar (or, as the guys in my office call it, GooGooCow).  Took a while to get used to, and I still don’t understand why they don’t mark full-day events as actually “busy” data, but that’s neither here nor there.  One ridiculously useful feature they introduced a few months ago was the ability to get SMS reminders.  Now my $49 Samsung phone is in synch with my calendar (and it does video, all for much less than $499).

The combo was great, as 10 minutes before any appointment I’d get a text message on my phone.  All was good in the world.

Until about 3 weeks ago.  When it started getting unreliable.

Now, I get some alerts long after events are over.  I get others just as events begin.  Some I don’t get at all.

Which means I have to go look for a new solution, because in the world of alerts/reminders, unreliability is about as bad a problem as anything I could imagine.  It’s weird too, seeing as how it’s (1) a very easy technology, and (2) Google usually scales well.  Very very annoying.  I think the only worse solution would be hiring Britney Spears as my administrative assistant.  Yes, I went there.

It’s unbelievable to me that in this day and age it’s still so ridiculously difficult to install things. Hardware, software, drivers, whatever. Is it easier with my Mac than it was with Windows? Sure. Especially relative to my Sony Vaio, which, (say it along with me people), is the most terrible laptop you can buy. (Exhale).

I write this roughly 70 minutes into the process of attempting to install a simple webcam on my dad’s computer (guiding him through it over the phone). First, it’s a Microsoft LifeCam VX-1000, which apparently strongly encourages the user to download and install Live Messenger otherwise nothing will work. Which I know is a lie, but to the unsuspecting installer, is quite a threatening note to the inexperienced user. Bad form.

Next up, the bewildering steps of determining which order hardware/software installs can go. Just plain stupid. If one requires the other, the respective systems simply should not allow the user to proceed. How hard is that? I’m not exactly a top-notch coder, but I’m pretty sure it would look something like:

if (!hardware_installed()) then install_hardware();

The above steps are definitely more Windows pains that Mac ones, but next is the process of actually putting software where it belongs. The first problem lies in a software download, which invariably ends up in a random location on the user’s computer, and probably stays there forever, long after the installation is completed. As much as OS X brings the simplicity of moving apps into the Applications folder, the fact remains that there is unnecessary room for error (and for the tech-elitists reading this who think it’s SOOOO easy, I’m amazed you got this far).

Finally, I really dislike the fact that applications are less aware of hardware than they should be. Back to my father’s case, shouldn’t Skype be “aware” of the fact that a webcam showed up? Why should he have to go into settings, video options, webcam settings, and pick the device? OK, this one isn’t Apple/Microsoft’s fault, but they certainly could provide the required infrastructure to make it work better.

By the way, for those keeping track, it took a total of about 80 minutes to get my dad’s webcam working. And it only took two system reboots, three aborted installs of MS Live Crappenger, and 5 visits to the Skype tech support forums.

Did a quick scan on Techmeme this morning for interesting CES news. Guess what I see?

Apple decided to announce new servers today. I call this a lame move.

Last year, Apple dominated CES without even being there with their iPhone announcements. This, in my opinion, was fair game, since CEA scheduled the conference to overlap with MacWorld.

However this year there’s no schedule conflict. And the PR guys and marketing team there know this, and they also know that by issuing virtually ANY news (Mac servers? really? do they exist?) they are going to get prominent coverage. In other words, they did this intentionally to steal any limelight from the thousands (yes THOUSANDS) of companies spending HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of dollars at CES.

This is a lame move akin to a bully stealing some lunch money. Lame, and unnecessary. And in case anyone’s forgotten, I actually like Apple now. Well, maybe just a little bit less.

UPDATE: okay, 20 comments later, I get it, you don’t agree.  that’s fine, and some of you raise some good points.  but no need for the personal attacks, that’s lamer than lame!

My MacBook came along with an HP Photosmart C4280 printer/scanner/copier/hot water maker. Seems like a nice device, especially for free. Setup was fine, until I had to actually install software that accompanied the printer. Here’s the stuff that got installed:

I understand that for 90% of the customers, this is desirable. The “HP Scan Pro” helps get you up and running with a scanner. HP Photosmart Edit is a nifty little tool for photo manipulation. Ink monitors help me… well, ok, they help HP sell more ink. But I get it, and again, for the majority of users, this is the absolute correct product decision.

However, it would take NO additional work for the company to include the drivers as a standalone file on the CD, or downloadable from the Web site.  This option is not available.  Granted, life is better than on Windows where I’d be scared to uninstall anything for fear of missing DLLs and whatnot.  I have a hunch the thinking went like this:

We are HP, we make a lot of money selling ink. We should, therefore, include tools to help sell ink. How about an ink monitor?  It’ll tell the user when they need ink.

Sounds good.  Ship it.  But wait, what if the user doesn’t want the application?

Doesn’t matter. Gotta sell the ink.

It’s the same kind of logic that had early-stage Internet portals debating whether or not they should link out.  Of course they should make it easy to get ink, but the more they empower me and give me overall product satisfaction, the longer they’ll have me as a customer.  When designing your product and experience, remember that short term wins are just that: short.

I’ve been a Verizon customer since they were GE Wireless in the late 90s. They have the best service and network as far as I can tell. I wish there were better CDMA phones out there, and I think they price gouge out the wazoo (sp?). But my plan allows my wife and I to make calls into Canada as well as make/receive calls while there with no additional fees. Also, a lot of my friends are VZ customers, so all our calls to each other are free. Fits my lifestyle just dandy, and frankly I’m not really trying to sell ya on them.

Every now and then a brand you know/trust/like does something that one might call… hmm, what’s the word for it… appalling?

Verizon is in the midst of launching a new program that basically lets them illegally sell ads on your mobile phone. Yes, one more time, it’s illegal (well, kinda, but doesn’t that just jump out at you when I put it that way?), and it’s on your phone. Now you might think this would be part of some new service that you have to sign up for or something. It’s not. And worse, you opt-in by default, and have to call them (1-800-333-9956) to opt-out. If you are a Verizon customer, take a pause and make the call - it’s all automated and takes about 45 seconds.

To call this vexing is a bit of an understatement. I recommend reading more here on how you can contact the FCC to complain yourself. Also (thanks to gethuman.com) here’s their customer service number: 1-800-922-0204.

I was testing out a few new devices this weekend, and found myself just immensely frustrated with them. At first I chalked it off to the pitiful, yet unbelievably tolerated excuse of “that’s technology”. But that’s really a pathetic answer. Gadgets should not suck as much as they do. So here’s my little list of Why Gadgets Suck:

1. They are ill-conceived. I think the picture of the MP3 player slash breathalyzer I took at CES is the best example here. Too many people sitting in board rooms thinking up crazy ideas that apply to nobody. Also, convergence for the sake of convergence is a terrible idea. If you think consumers want keyboards in their living rooms, or more remote controls, or to carry around something that doesn’t fit in a pocket OR a backpack, you have the wrong consumer experts on your team.
2. Too much jargon. If the average Joe can’t figure out how to add contacts using a Moto RAZR, forget putting in a network setup screen that asks them which type of wireless network security their SSID uses. If you can’t figure out how to make a setup screen have regular old English, then you’ve made your product too hard to figure out by regular people.  Think of it this way: the average person out there is uncomfortable with the concepts of “inputs and outputs” on their stereos - so if you are even minorly more sophisticated than that, you are confusing people.
3. Unusable interfaces. A product should be usable without an instruction manual. Sending an SMS, synching MP3s or podcasts, and creating Season Passes should be as easy as making instant popcorn in the microwave. Granted there’s always room for “power user features” but the power users should be the 20%, not the 80%, of people who buy your product. If your “usability designer” (who probably has a Ph. D) shows you something and you don’t instantly understand it without explanation, it’s not good enough.
4. Usability designers. I’m sure there are plenty of these folks who have built great products in reality. Unfortunately it sure seems like most of them just do it on paper. My biggest tip here is that a really good usability person (a) doesn’t need a degree in it and (b) can point out not just flaws, but ways to improve most products they use, be it a coffee maker or a cell phone.
5. Lack of visionaries. Remember the old “a camel is a horse designed by a committee” phrase? In the devices world, this applies doubly. Visionaries keep products focused, whereas teams build according to “specs”. Three products built by visionaries: iPod, Slingbox, TiVo. Three products built by the rest: the Nomad Jukebox, Sony LocationFree TV, Comcast’s DVR. Need I say more?
6. Poor timing. With a domestic market of over 50% of Internet-connected households having broadband, today would be an acceptable time to attempt to ship “Internet devices”. But when 3Com tried to ship the Audrey in the late 90s, that was poor timing. I recently played with two different gadgets that both used dialup networking to get online. ONLY. Not even a broadband option. Really?
7. The buttons don’t match the screens. My Syntax Olevia 32″ LCD (which, by the way, is having issues and their tech support department has been excessively slow in responding to) has a very simple menuing system that’s extremely easy to navigate. However, the buttons on the remote were not laid out in a way to match the on-screen menus, and literally 1/2 the time I make a setting the button I push is the one that cancels the setting! You can certainly call this user error, but if someone as comfortable with devices as I am has a recurring issue like this, there’s probably a way the product could be made better.
8. Shoddy workmanship. I’m really talking about poor product testing here, but I just like that phrase so much. It amazes me when I try out a product with a basic feature set, such as a media extender or a digital picture frame, and run into an actual bug within minutes of use. One product I tried had the on-screen fonts render at double their normal size during video playback and when I asked their engineers about it, they hadn’t seen it before. I was using a standard file format and wasn’t even trying to trip it up. Always review your test cases to make sure they line up with real-world scenarios, not the ones in the labs.

I could probably double this list up with other common annoyances out there, but this seems like a good spot to take a pause.

I started using Plaxo years ago as a mechanism to “safeguard” my contacts. In the marketing field, my network (”rolodex”) is one of my more important assets, so having an online service to help me migrate the database from computer to computer is wonderful. I think this is now my 5th or 6th laptop owned since originally signing up to Plaxo, and each migration has gone fairly smoothly. Even to my Sony Vaio SZ-VGN460N, the worst computer I have ever owned in my life.

Now there’s always been a little rivalry of sorts with LinkedIn, even though they both have distinct value propositions (Plaxo being slightly more useful in my eyes). But with rapid onslaught of Facebook in the post-collegiate world this year, it seems like everybody even tangentially related to the social networking space is either jumping on board with a Facebook App (shameless plug - rate Facebook applications here!!!) or trying to compete with a similar styled offering.

Unfortunately, from all outward appearances, Plaxo is taking the “slightly more evil” route of diong business. Plaxo seems to be going down the route of near-invasion of privacy combined with phishing-style email updates. Today I received an email entitled “What’s happening in your Pulse”:

As you can see from the screenshot, I have a few updates from some colleagues. Now first off, I never asked for said updates, which puts this into the spam category of email. Secondly, I am pretty sure nobody on the list has opted in to having Plaxo track and share this information with me, which is a privacy invasion (yes, I know that these are all publicly accessible things, but without the opt-in, it’s dubious).  Thirdly, it is absolutely ridiculous that these aren’t active links to the activity updates!  I’m supposed to go to Plaxo Pulse just to get the links I want.

In my eyes, this is a shameful betrayal of users on Plaxo’s part.  They have created a “service” designed without any consent on anyone’s behalf.  In doing so, they have most certainly lost me as an evangelist, and have opened the door for any competitor with a similar offering to rapidly snatch me up.  What a terrible business, product, and marketing decision they have made.  I wonder how many people it took to make it?

To be clear, I am not anti-Microsoft nor pro-Apple. I am anti-bad products, and pro-good ones.

Mark my words, Vista will go down in history as a bigger debaucle than Windows Millenium Edition - not because it’s technically worse, but because it’s 7 years later and they should have known better. Details to substantiate the title of this post are here. Microsoft has handed market opportunity to Apple on a silver platter. I was absolutely fine with XP, and still consider it my favorite OS to-date, but if you are forced with a new computer buying decision, either find a PC that can get XP support, or pick up a Mac.

Don’t forget - don’t buy the Sony Vaio SZ-460N (now, 3 months later, the Sony Vaio SZ-470N), as it is a terrible laptop with terrible support from Sony.

ps - I am sorry to my friends at Microsoft, I’m sure this is a rough time for many of you. Hopefully messages like these make their way up the food chain to enough people to make sure you don’t ship anything else like this in the future.

pps - for those of you at Microsoft who were responsible for this mess, I hope you are paying a lot of attention, and not writing off these complaints as from some minority population. You’ve made a huge mistake. My wife doesn’t like Vista on my laptop (that Vaio SZ-460N, you remember, the $2500 piece of junk that gets outperformed by my $1100 MacBook?), nor does my mother like Vista on her new Dell laptop. It’s a big stinking mess, and you should be out with brooms and mops cleaning it up, whatever it takes.