An overachiever’s epiphany, Part: Deus Ex

August 29, 2011 1 Comment

I have to say that I have some of the most wonderful friends in the world; friends who are willing to drag out of me what ails me and for them, I’m grateful. I did however want to expand on my previous post, seeing as this has taken an emotional toll that I wasn’t expecting. Therefore, so people know that I’ll be alright at the end (and because this is very therapeutic) let me explain what’s going on.

You see, everyday I come up with these ideas. These things that I want to do to better the community. When I was awarded the MVP award for Zune, back in 2008, I kind of saw it as a calling. I saw it as a chance to really use this given credential and go out and make a difference. That’s the kind of person I’ve always been; I’ve wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. When you see the kind of impact you can have on a person’s life, in a positive way, it can become a driving fuel to do more.

Unfortunately, there isn’t enough Monster Energy Drink in the world to not acknowledge that in wanting to do so much for the community, I have to learn first that I’m the primary community member who needs help, guidance and comforting. No amount of community contribution is worth people turning around and finding me deep in the ground. No amount of assistance is worth thinking that it has to be done 25/8.

This past Saturday, I took a trip to the Science and Natural History museums. While there I just blocked out every little thing, every little project that I had going on. For those few hours, it was just me and the exhibits. It felt wonderful. It was then I realized that I was allowing myself to bite off more than I could chew. So yesterday, Sunday, I started putting my professional goals and tasks into their proper contexts.

Then came the post I wrote this morning.

However, I wasn’t expecting to finish that post and suddenly getting a flush of emotion. I mean I became somewhat of a mess and I think I know why. In understanding that I can’t do everything for everyone, I have to also understand that not being able to BE everything for everyone IS NOT a failure on my part. I have to understand that I’m not letting anyone down by not fully pursuing every possible little thing that creeps into my head. Hell, no one even has to know the idea was even there so who have I hurt, but not pursuing it at THIS. VERY. MOMENT.

Then I came to another conclusion. I have this mechanism by which I’ll freely knock my own accomplishments. You tell me that something was fantastic and I’ll respond with some snide-ass remark that makes it sound like I’m more beating myself up than lifting myself up. That has to change. I look around at what I *have* done and I know that if I was to leave Earth tomorrow, I made a difference. The difference that I’ll jokingly say I didn’t make, I made it.

Fully embracing these notions will take time and I’ll sometimes resort back to them, but I know there are people who will make sure I hear about what I’m doing is good work, who won’t let me resort to such shenanigans and who’ll tolerate if I put myself on a pedestal every now and then.

Sometimes making a realization, and the emotional aftermath that follows, can be one of the best things ever.

Filed under Reflections

An overachiever’s epiphany…

August 29, 2011 1 Comment

This weekend, I decided to truly deflate; to step back from all of these projects I got involved in and figure out how best to consolidate or place on the backburner. As much as I enjoy using my MVP status for the greater good, I have to realize that I can’t be everything for everyone. I can’t possibly do every single idea that I have in my head, no matter how beneficial I think it’ll be. If you want some of these ideas, and feel that you can do it the proper justice, let me know and I’ll gladly share them with you.

What I came away with, even as I sit here at my desk this morning, is that I have a couple of great things developing rapidly and awesomely that I need to seriously focus on. As what started as side projects and “what ifs” these projects are vastly becoming something that far exceeded my expectations and therefore should get the full 110% that they deserve.

The first, and obvious one, is #MSMVP. I continue to be amazed at the level of support that this little event gets. I’m already scheduling events for next year (which already is into April) and I still have a few more stores to get onto the bandwagon. I had to tell myself that even if I’m not able to personally attend all of these events, their show must go on and they shall. The attendees who come are always excited, happy and leave more comfortable with Microsoft technology than when they started — the foundation for why this event was created in the first place.

The second thing is RapMusic.com. I enjoy writing and I enjoy music, therefore RapMusic is going to become a great place to focus on and discuss the world of hip-hop culture. While I rail the idea of autotune or guys continually singing nonsense, there’s not a single person who can deny the influence and stature that a genre like hip-hop has on our society. It’s exciting to see that genre continue to evolve and transform.

If you’re wondering why I didn’t include Inside the Circle on this list, that’s because that’s my comfort zone. I’m never giving up on that little bloggy blog because it continues to do what I always wanted it to do, and that’s zig where other sites dealing with similar topics (music, music-technology) will zag. That may not lead to blockbuster pageviews or a place at the table with places like Engadget or Gizmodo, but what we do we do well and if even a few people get benefit from it, then we’re doing our jobs.

All of this other stuff I was thinking of doing, are great, but they require time, energy, effort and persistence. I would love to see them all come to fruition and, frankly, I’m glad that I can even come up with big ideas to do, but I’m only one person and I need to realize that I’m only one person. I’m sure, in time, these ideas will pop into the head of another individual and they’ll be able to do great things with them.

For me, I have great things ahead of me that I’m excited about, MSMVP especially.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I gotta head back out and make some EPIC happen.

Filed under Microsoft MVP, Reflections

A #Zune is not a #Touchpad and I hope you hit your word count!

August 23, 2011 Leave a comment

3 screenOne of the major tech stories, of the past few days, revolved around the downfall of HP. Many of my friends scrambled to pick up a Touchpad as it went on super-duper-clearance sale. I, frankly, don’t understand why people suddenly feel like they have the money for a Touchpad, especially since you know the thing isn’t getting supported anymore, but that would digress from the main point of this editorial.

You see, many in the blog world went to their keyboards and began pontificating about why they feel HP had fell, plus offer their thoughts on the failure of the Touchpad to make any significant dent in the tablet market, that is currently dominated by the iPad. I don’t mind if one decides to analyze what could’ve caused the Touchpad to fall.

I do care when Zune’s name gets haphazardly thrown into the discussion.

What I’m, particularly, looking at is an article at Entertainment Weekly, which called the downfall of the TouchPad a “Zune Moment”. Think about that for a second. How was this a Zune moment? How is this related to Zune? What’s Zune got to do with it?

The great Ed Bott made, what I think, is the proper comparison and that is between the HP Touchpad and the KIN phone. Ed made this wonderful observation in his article:

The Kin was on sale for 55 days, from May 6, 2010, when it was first available for purchase online, until Microsoft pulled the plug on June 30. The TouchPad went on sale on July 1, 2011, and lasted until August 18, giving it 49 days on the market. HP wins that Dubious Achievement award, narrowly.

The proper comparison is being made: KIN and the HP TouchPad. Two devices that never really got the chance to get off the ground and had their plugs pulled prematurely.

However, at Entertainment Weekly, it must be a great moment to knock Zune.

For those of us old enough to remember the last time Apple invented/dominated an entire consumer market, the demise of the HP Touchpad is conjuring up vivid memories of Microsoft’s Zune.

I’m sorry, my friend, it’s just you…

What I think the author is trying to say that Zune was the last time Apple dominated a market to the point that any competitor just didn’t hack it. Well first off the Zune ecosystem is thriving in the face of obvious Apple dominance. Microsoft hasn’t pulled the plug on the brand after 4 days. Matter of fact, Zune has been around since November 2006. After 5 years of continued Apple superiority you’d think MS would’ve already moved this into something else.

The article at Entertainment Weekly isn’t the first article I’ve seen that has tried to bring Zune into a discussion about why a particular technology failed to get off the ground. I’m sure that the article at Entertainment Weekly won’t be the last article to do this either. Seriously, is this fair to the Zune brand?

What folks don’t seem to get is that you’re discussing the failure of a piece of hardware. Zune is more than a piece of hardware, it’s an entire ecosystem. As much as people want to try to tie Zune to a touch screen device that plays music, there is much more to it than that.

Go back to when Zune was first launched. Bill Gates famously holds up a Zune 30 on a chilly day in Seattle. However, if you read the press release, at that time, more carefully, you’ll see that Zune was never going to be tied to a device. Moreso, Zune was going to be the name of a set of services (including devices) that would help people obtain their favorite media in new and exciting ways:

Zune is Microsoft’s music and entertainment platform that provides an end-to-end solution for connected entertainment. The Zune experience includes a 30GB digital media player, the Zune Marketplace music service, and a foundation for an online community that will enable music fans to discover new music. Inspired by the vast and varied community of music fans, Zune focuses on helping emerging artists shape the digital canvas. Zune is part of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division and supports the company’s software-based services vision to help drive innovation in the digital entertainment space. [Zune Press Release, November 2006]

So to talk about Zune now and say that it’s ‘failure’ can be compared to other tech failures, loses its steam. Last time I checked, Zune was still here and still being utilized by many people across the U.S. and the globe (through various services).

I will be the first to tell you that Zune should do more in the space that it’s going for. Yet, to say it’s a failure, in the context of other tech failures that we’ve seen since then, KIN and Touchpad especially, is seriously a #FAIL.

Filed under Reflections, Zune Ecosystem

Search Query: When is the new #Zune device being released?

August 19, 2011 2 Comments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really am starting to enjoy looking through what search queries lead people this blog. One of them is about the prospect of a new Zune device on the horizon. But here’s where I’m torn: First off, people will say that the MP3 player business is on a serious decline as more and more folks are turning to their phone to do everything. Yet, there are folks — like me — who still get value out of a portable media player (not to mention not having to worry about wasting precious phone battery life).

So I, personally, would love to see a new Zune device, of some sort, announced. Until my Focus can handle my media needs without needing a charge after an hour, I’m going to rely on my Zune HD to handle those duties. Plus, there are still things the Zune HD does much better than the Focus (some things the Zune HD handles better simply because the Focus doesn’t even have the capability). I’m talking about things like syncing Zune cards, channels and audiobooks.

Oh, if you came here because you thought I had some inside information about such a new Zune device, sorry to burst your bubble. Although, you have to admit that the silence out of the Zune camp — as it pertains to what exactly they’ve been working on all this time — is both welcomed and deafening. We know of some of the new things they’re adding to Windows Phone Mango (like Smart DJ) but what about the software? What about any firmware updates for current Zune HD owners?

Until Zune comes out and gives us a status report, we’re relegated to hanging outside of the arena banging on the doors wanting them to open — or you could be like some folks and peek through that little sliver in the door to see if you can tell what they’re setting up on the stage.

The patience game continues…

Filed under Zune Ecosystem

Update: Where to locate a @Zune HD, if you’re still in the hunt.

August 17, 2011 1 Comment

ZuneHD

If you’ve been following me on Twitter then you know I periodically like to update what’s going on with Zune HD devices and online retail outlets. Currently you can find a Zune HD at Walmart, Amazon, NewEgg and Best Buy. While I could post here what I see at this given moment, things tend to shift pretty quickly. However, I did want to give this general update and say that you can still find Zune HD devices. I should detail that and say you can find 16GB and 32GB devices, as the 64GB devices have become quite scarce.

And can someone tell the Microsoft Store to take that 16GB device off if they don’t ever plan to have any back in stock to sell online? It would just be easier that way.

So listen up Zune hunter, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter and let me know if you’re looking for a Zune HD. I’ll do my best to point you in the right direction as I think some places are just fucking shady.

But there are Zune HDs to be had if you want one in your hands.

Filed under Zune Ecosystem

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