Today I stumbled across an email that I consider a defining moment that helped to shape my career path. This particular email stands out because its a digital forecast letter addressed to Ty Montague on August 24, 2005. Mr. Montague, then, was the Chief Creative Officer and Co-President, JWT New York which was and still is the fourth largest advertising agency in the world.

To put my 2005 forecast in perspective – This letter was written when Youtube was about seven months old… Video podcasting had not been an offering yet in the iTunes store… It predated Netflix video streaming by five years… There was no such thing as an iPhone or iPad and the video iPod was three months into the future….

Hello Ty,

My name is Ben Williams. We’ve met. For the past five years I have pioneered our digital media services department under John Garland and Drew Vogelman. Digital media – Apple – and new technology are not just my job … they are my passion. I request 10 minutes of your time to discuss in person a critical turning point at JWT.

Podcasting (and webstreaming) is the buzz in the industry, and its only going to get bigger. At the moment its like the wild wild west and the early days of the internet. And like the MP3 revolution, it is being led by techie minded visionaries.

The JWT website states that “we need to stop interrupting what people are interested in and be what people are interested in. We need to create work that people choose to spend time with.” Well, here is “that” opportunity to step up to the plate.

I’m aware that there have been discussions surrounding podcasting at JWT and I’m curious about their direction. Having followed webcasting for 3-4 years, let me just say that the traditional 30 second commercial is not going to be as effective here. So what does this opportunity represent, then, and how is it to be grasped?

The bigger picture: promote JWT as the global brand. Think and act like a global owner and not a player, using, and transforming the technology and expertise already in place here at the agency in order to capture a direct stake in emerging — and merging – media.

Lastly, Video streaming is here – its not quite ready for prime time but the eve is near … with all the portable media devices, connectivity, and DVR (TIVO) advancements we are looking at a new age of media consciousness shifting from TV and radio to online downloads and audio and video streaming.

I have some ideas to share with you…

Regards,
Ben Williams

Two days later I had my meeting with Ty. This was a defining moment because he basically gave me his blessing to jump right in to explore the new medium. No micro-management, no formal paperwork, just do it! It gave me the opportunity to travel to any new media or tech event (my choice) on company time and their dime. That following month I did my first podcast and several months after I was among the first of the pioneering independent video producers and avant-garde digital evangelists to emerge in the grassroots social media community. I want to thank Ty Montague, John Garland and Drew Vogelman for supporting and feeding my digital hunger.

- Bendrix

面包屑 = Breadcrumbs:
“面包屑” is the Chinese translation of “Breadcrumbs”. This link “面包屑” represents the trail of my digital realizations and residual thought bits as it relates to observations in an ever-changing digital landscape. The concept comes from the trail of breadcrumbs left by Hansel and Gretel in the popular fairytale.

WWDC 2011 represents an important milestone in my digital lifestyle, one that I have been aching for at least ten years. FINALLY!!!! We are going to be able to sync and interface between all our devices in a more efficient and intuitive way. My dad types with one finger while looking down at the keyboard and he uses the CAPS LOCK feature whenever he writes one of his many long documents. He’s been doing this since 1996 when he got his first computer… 15 years later he still interfaces with his machine this way. He’s one of the people who will benefit from this event today because it appears that Apple is attempting to fuse speech recognition into both the Mac OS and IOS platforms.

Since 2000 I remember experimenting with a free samples of iListen and ListenDo software manufactured by Nuance. Back then I thought Apple was going to have a major breakthrough with a new input method for the Mac. I waited and waited and waited and 11 years later still nothing. Its a shame really because there is absolutely no reason why this has not happened yet. Now that Google (Apples long time buddy) is in the platform game Apple knows it has to step up their game because they have been getting complacent with their lackluster efforts to provide superior file sharing and interfacing with their devices.

I want to be able to swipe up on my iPad and access the multitasking features below while all my unaddressed notifications sit above waiting to be accessed… i want to be able to 3 finger swipe left or right on any open application that I’m working in to access all my open applications at will or better yet I would LOOOVE to be able to access my open apps the same way its done on Mac OS X using Expose. It would be ultra cool to designate quadrants and manage my IOS environment like Mac OS X does with Spaces. The biggest falsehood with IOS is that you cant multitask but the reality is that people have been doing this since the iOS4 update using Xcode… w know that these features already exist now its time to make it public.

I’m really looking forward to seeing OSX and IOS features fusing together to look more harmonious like its almost the same seamless operating system… Apple is going to make everything appear seamless because more and more people are using Apple devices and today they are just going to articulate the overall experience better than any computing company has ever done in history. Thats right no company in history has been able to migrate portable devices, computers, home media centers and other future devices with user-friendly and consistent smart interfacing. Today is the day they make the refrigerator the television, the cellphone, the home computer, the car will all interface with people and they will all get it. People will be able to use other more natural means of inputing and outputting media and It will just work. To me that is HUGE news and a big reason to celebrate for the computing industry.

iPhones, iPads and iPods are selling well, technically there is absolutely no need to develop any of these new models for years to come because at the moment the shell and general functionality of them are magnificent, why fix something if its not broken. And why replace something if its selling like hotcakes. Today I’m ultra excited by the possibilities of file-sharing… no I’m not talking primarily about iCloud (though its exciting) but damn can I at least transfer a file from my Mac to my iPad without having to buy file-sharing applications that work very sloppy. I’m excited about the update to Safari, I mean really can’t I get a web browsing experience with tabbed browsing file transfer multi-touch gestures and other neat features. I’m excited by the future of notifications for the sheer fact that I keep reading about people unnecessarily moaning about it. And most importantly I’m geeked about the enhanced multimodal computing experience we will have.. talking about speech recognition and the various capacitive touch screen multi-touch features that will be added between both Mac OS X and IOS. Today Apple officially says to the world that the mouse and the desktop is dead (well not for the hardcore production guys) but we are in a new era of computing and the Microsoft Intel days are passing.

Oh ok its now 10 minutes to the Keynote speech and I need to catch my front rowseat… shhhhhh

- Bendrix

面包屑 = Breadcrumbs:
“面包屑” is the Chinese translation of “Breadcrumbs”. This link “面包屑” represents the trail of my digital realizations and residual thought bits as it relates to observations in an ever-changing digital landscape. The concept comes from the trail of breadcrumbs left by Hansel and Gretel in the popular fairytale.

“We decided to innovate our way through this downturn, so that we would be further ahead of our competitors when things turn up.”

- Steve Jobs Tuesday, January 9, 2001

These words were cemented at the 9AM Keynote, Mac World Expo, San Francisco Moscone Center by Steve Jobs. I was not there, but I remember I watched the Keynote online. It was and still remains one of the most awe inspiring quotes that I have ever heard. When I see how far Apple has come I would dare say it was a defining moment and one of the most understated forecasts ever uttered in the business world. Its nearly unfathomable to grasp how potent this Keynote speech was until you look at it in relation to Apple’s near collapse in 1997 to them being the second most profitable and wealthiest companies in the world in 2011 .

The 1998 all-in-one color iMac’s were the turning point for Apple – it was this product that wowed people and started to bring consumer eyes back to Apple, but it wasn’t till 2001 when Apple’s most important foundations were quietly being implemented.

January 9, 2001 – iTunes was unveiled
March 24, 2001 – Mac OS X released to the public
May 19, 2001 – the first two Apple retail stores were opened
October 23, 2001 – the iPod was unveiled

I don’t think people realized the magnitude of what was going to happen at that time. Apple only had like 3% market share and were seen as the computer you used to draw pretty pictures, it wasn’t’ taken seriously. Those who did care were the ultra Mac Geeks like myself who were focused on Mac OS 9, powerful desktop enhancements and pro applications. We felt that consumer events that promoted the iMac, the iPod and the Apple store took away from the exclusivity and the pro focus. The reality is that the Apple retail stores helped to educate the base and new comers and raise the level of expectations of consumers. It is with the foundation and combination of the iPod, iTunes and Apple retail store that helped Apple to innovate way beyond its competitors and even rose the bar of their loyal followers.

I remember July 18, 2002 when the first SOHO Apple Store was opened in NYC. It was magical it was unlike any computing environment that I had ever witnessed. The store is on the corner of a super hip part of SOHO near NYU, I remember the grand opening where the line spanned in two different directions around the block. The store was remodeled out of an old Post office it looked intelligent, clean and had a presentation theater on the second floor. I remember getting permission from my employer to take a 3 hour lunch break whenever there was a live streaming Apple Events unveiling. The theater would be packed. I remember being among the first Final Cut Pro user groups and Podcast/Video Blogging groups doing monthly presentations in the theater. I remember being at the standing room only launches of Jaguar (2002) and Third Generation iPod, launches that took place at 12AM. I remember videotaping the iPhone launch on June 28, 2007.

I remember May 19, 2006 when the 5th Avenue store had its grand opening in NYC. I was there with video camera in hand capturing the historic event. I remember seeing scores of people in a line that spanned seven city blocks. Celebrity Notables Kanye West, Dave Chappel, Kevin Bacon, Spike Lee, Mos Def and our masterful leader Steve Jobs. It was the first ever 24-hour technology store and in my mind one of the most unique looking building entrances on the planet. I remember living ten blocks from this store and I would get my computer’s serviced in the A.M. hours and they would be repaired while I waited. I remember live music performances every friday by big name bands and DJ’s. I remember videotaping the iPhone launch on June 29, 2007.

For me this day is full of deep heartfelt memories more so than focusing on what the “BIG” product announcement is going to be. I mean I’m ULTRA curious and excited about the announcement today, but, I want to just stand back, absorb and enjoy the moment. I’m grateful for the services and products Apple provides, without Apple, the cellular, music, television/film and computer industries would continue to be below the bar and mediocre at best. Steve Jobs had a vision that was light years ahead of hardware and software companies, media platforms and all the starry eyed fanboys.

No one expected Apple to have such an influential impact on our culture the way that it has but I bet Steve knew. “We decided to innovate our way through this downturn, so that we would be further ahead of our competitors when things turn up.” His quote plays on rotation in my head and makes me think of that Epic moment in the Matrix when Neo realizes he is “The One”.

- Bendrix

面包屑 = Breadcrumbs:
“面包屑” is the Chinese translation of “Breadcrumbs”. This link “面包屑” represents the trail of my digital realizations and residual thought bits as it relates to observations in an ever-changing digital landscape. The concept comes from the trail of breadcrumbs left by Hansel and Gretel in the popular fairytale.