With Google Glass getting more press coverage, gaining interest, and steam, I have to assume this product will gain critical mass at some point in the next year or so. When that happens, advertisers and marketers will want to advertise on the screen and we will of course have to measure those advertisements.
So with that, will we have new metrics to measure against? Share of Eyeballs (SOE)? Share of Field of Vision (SOFOV)? Will we want to measure time looking at the ad on the GG screen? Similar to the Pay Per Gaze articles that are appearing, perhaps we could measure how much time is spent looking at an ad and combine that with how many people saw the add out of the potential people that could see the add to get a % of potential. It's another version of the GRP. Maybe a GGGRP? Or a Visual GRP? Not sure but it leads to more the more interesting question: Assuming that ads appear on this new screen, and this new screen gains critical mass, how do we optimize the ads? Presumably we would have all of the geo-targeting and geo-fencing capabilities that exist elsewhere and other basics such as connecting to previous behavior based on a login (or cookies?) but where does it stop?
Can we target an ad based on an object that a person is looking at with object recognition? It has a microphone so can we target an ad based on ambient audio? For example, could the advertiser promote the "hangover pill" if Glass senses that a person is at a party, it's late and it's recognized a lot of solo cups?
Could we incorporate location as well? If you're on vacation in NY and at a party in Chelsea, there could be an advertisement around events that start later in the day the next day for example. The possibilities are seemingly endless.
Maybe somebody has already posed this question. I admittedly didn't run a quick search to find out. But I think it's interesting enough to ask again.
Thoughts?
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Charging Customers for Browsing Doesn't Lead to Conversions
As I was looking for a new direction to guide my posts, an article popped up on reddit that gave me the orientation I needed. The article is about a clothing store in Australia that posted a notice telling their customers they were going to be charged if the walked in and didn't buy anything. It is labeled as just looking fee set at $5.
You can find discussions here, here and here.
I find these articles interesting because it often opens up numerous discussions on all kinds of topics but what I find most interesting is the question of why. The answer is often a response to the discussion of the symptom rather than the needed discussion to a larger solution.
The real question is and should be, "Does this tactic lead to the goal?" Presumably the goal of the store is to drive orders. Does this tactic lead to more orders or less? I would have to assume the latter which is terrible at best.
That said, the new purpose of this blog is to discuss the various marketing tactics that are seen in the media, news outlets and elsewhere and to discuss the good and bad points as well as other options. Discussing the why and understanding what the goals are and how these tactics align to the goals is fascinating to me. It gives you an inside view of how the company thinks and how the meetings go behind closed doors.
If they are seeing high traffic and low conversion, that tells me that pricing is a potential issue along with product assortment. One of the comments from the reddit thread says that you can find the same items in the store as you can at local supermarkets. As products become more commoditized, stores will have to be more creative with their offerings to differentiate.
If you can't differentiate on price, you may have to differentiate on customer service and satisfaction. Or create a unique shopping experience. These are no cost or low cost tactics that can often lead to larger gains. Starbucks for example relies on the experience. Their coffee is, relatively, very expensive but people come back because of the experience.
It takes a lot of effort, however, to put these in place so maybe this is an issue of motivation? I'm not sure but it's an interesting response nonetheless.
With all of that, what do you, the yet to be determined reader, think of all of this? Good tactic? Bad tactic? Are there other options to combat "showrooming"?
You can find discussions here, here and here.
I find these articles interesting because it often opens up numerous discussions on all kinds of topics but what I find most interesting is the question of why. The answer is often a response to the discussion of the symptom rather than the needed discussion to a larger solution.
The real question is and should be, "Does this tactic lead to the goal?" Presumably the goal of the store is to drive orders. Does this tactic lead to more orders or less? I would have to assume the latter which is terrible at best.
That said, the new purpose of this blog is to discuss the various marketing tactics that are seen in the media, news outlets and elsewhere and to discuss the good and bad points as well as other options. Discussing the why and understanding what the goals are and how these tactics align to the goals is fascinating to me. It gives you an inside view of how the company thinks and how the meetings go behind closed doors.
If they are seeing high traffic and low conversion, that tells me that pricing is a potential issue along with product assortment. One of the comments from the reddit thread says that you can find the same items in the store as you can at local supermarkets. As products become more commoditized, stores will have to be more creative with their offerings to differentiate.
If you can't differentiate on price, you may have to differentiate on customer service and satisfaction. Or create a unique shopping experience. These are no cost or low cost tactics that can often lead to larger gains. Starbucks for example relies on the experience. Their coffee is, relatively, very expensive but people come back because of the experience.
It takes a lot of effort, however, to put these in place so maybe this is an issue of motivation? I'm not sure but it's an interesting response nonetheless.
With all of that, what do you, the yet to be determined reader, think of all of this? Good tactic? Bad tactic? Are there other options to combat "showrooming"?
Monday, February 4, 2013
Did the Superbowl Ads Jump the Shark?
After seeing the superbowl ads, I have to wonder: did they just jump the shark? Personally, I didn't think any of the ads were particularly good, nothing that really stood out at least. I haven't heard one person mention them at the office unlike years past. With the ads being reviewed by the Wall Street Journal before they even air, some of the secrecy, excitement and newness is lost.
It seems though I might be the minority though because most people like the ads and find them favorable entertainment.
IMHO, the real advertising "win" was the Real Time Marketing done by Jello, Oreo and others. That seems to have a bigger impact, in terms of buzz, than the $3.8M spent on 30 seconds of ad spot.
Thoughts?
It seems though I might be the minority though because most people like the ads and find them favorable entertainment.
IMHO, the real advertising "win" was the Real Time Marketing done by Jello, Oreo and others. That seems to have a bigger impact, in terms of buzz, than the $3.8M spent on 30 seconds of ad spot.
Thoughts?
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Does the new iphone screen size matter?
I saw an iphone commercial that showed someone using the phone with their right hand going through menus and apps using only their thumb. The voice over talked about the bigger screen which "allows you to see more content at one time". The implication was that the new iphone was "perfect" because the screen was larger so you see more of a website but not so large that you had to use two hands to use the phone. With pinch and zoom isn't iOS two handed by default? You can't double tap to zoom in like on android so this commercial seems to be misleading.
Smartphones have become two handed devices with games, image zooming and anything that requires horizontal viewing (e.g. Netflix) all usually requiring two hands. People are used to switching from one hand to two when needed. With the new screen size on the iphone 5, they seemed to have a me-too screen size play and then come up with a marketing message to justify it. Or they "solved" a problem which didn't exist.
**This post was typed on an S3 on a crowded city bus using only one thumb and SwiftKey.
Thoughts?
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Buy.com parent buys tablet company
This should help the fledgling tablet company get off the ground.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Verizon's turbo button
Verizon To Offer "Turbo" Button To Users To Speed Up Apps, For A Price
Would you post extra for more speed?
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Brat Pack Actors by Age
After watching about last night, I wanted to know which of the brat pack actors as the oldest. Here is a list of the core brat pack actors by age, as reported by Wikipedia.
| Judd Nelson | November 28, 1959 (age 51) |
| Ally Sheedy | June 13, 1962 (age 49) |
| Emilio Estevez | May 12, 1962 (age 49) |
| Andrew McCarthy | November 29, 1962 (age 48) |
| Demi Moore | November 11, 1962 (age 48) |
| Rob Lowe | March 17, 1964 (age 47) |
| Anthony Michael Hall | April 14, 1968 (age 43) |
| Molly Ringwald | February 18, 1968 (age 43) |
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Uh oh. Brace Yourself for Winter
According to Accuweather and the Farmer's Almanac, this is going to be a bad winter. Better buy those warm clothes now. And don't take Lake Shore Drive when it says it's going to snow. You don't want to get stuck.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
First 2 Days with Google TV
Google TV:
Even though I, like many others, don't really get what Google TV is, I caved and bought the Logitech Revue with Google TV when it dropped to $89.99 on eBay, by way of Tiger Direct. It came in the mail on Friday, 2 days ago.
It took a while to setup, requiring a SPDIF cable since the RCN Motorola DCX3400 senses when there are more than one downstream HDMI devices and disables the picture. The SPDIF cable allows you to use the HDMI cable from the cable box to the Logitech box and out to the TV. The audio is carried from the Logitech to the av receiver, cutting out one of the HDMI devices. Luckily, I had one of these cables laying around but for those of you that don't, it could be a costly add on.
The setup process alerted me to the need for the SPDIF but didn't give details. Details were found here:
http://www.googletvforum.org/forum/logitech-revue/407-what-motorola-dvrs-work-revue.html
From there, the rest of the setup was quite easy. Just follow the onscreen instructions. Have your TV and AV receiver model numbers on hand.
Usage and Functions:
It's basically what you assume it would be: Web TV redux. There's a keyboard with a mouse pad, buttons to control TV volume and of course a search button. Once setup, it controls all of your devices, including DVR functions, guide functions, menu options and everything a universal remote can do.
The built in apps are pretty standard: Netflix, Pandora, NBA Game Time, CNBC Real Time, Gallery, Google Chrome, and Twitter. There are others for Logitech HD and a Logitech Media Player but there pretty standard and nothing to speak of.
The "What's On" Feature is kind of cool. It scans across the cable channels and let's you know what shows are playing in a particular category. For example, if you have it show all comedy movies, it will tell you that Who Framed Roger Rabbit is playing on Toon HD and that there is 1:54 left.
Techie Cool Feature:
Controlling all the devices with your Android phone. This feature is almost completely useless in that you have the normal remote controls, your universal remote control as well as the Logitech keyboard which is one big remote control but being able to turn on all the devices and control them all from your phone is pretty cool. Haven't found a good use for this yet but the cool factor is worth showing off to your tech geek friends and gadget loving dad. Everybody else seems to think it's just weird.
Best Use Case:
Probably the greatest use for the Logitech Revue with Google TV is the picture in picture for fantasy football. You can start up Google Chrome, put the pre-game shows on "Live TV" and then enable picture in picture to setup your line-ups.
Misses:
Engadget does a great series called "What would you change about [fill in the blank]". Knowing the data that Google has access to and the ability to take non-structured data, I would think they could add a presentation layer over live TV to include additional information, a la Pop Up TV. This could be powered by IMDB since this site is already connected to what's playing on what channel and has all the trivia captured.
The option to auto sense a URL displayed on the screen and then to provide the ability to go that site right away would be nice. Last but not least to be able to split screen in more ways than one. There are times when I would like to have side by side as well as top/bottom screens. The software should be able to do this with ease.
Another feature that would be cool to have but might not have a real purpose is to be able to draw on live tv with the mouse. It should be fairly simple to have a Telestrator app.
Unexplored:
I have not yet explored all of the Spotlight channels. This includes the Dailymotion, CNN, CNet, Classical TV, Clicker, Chow, Al Jazeera, Crackle, Redux, HBO Go, MeeGenius, tour factory (real estate search), we draw, YouTube Leanback, adult swim, amazon instant video, baeble music, C-span, cartoon network, epix, flixster, fraboom, grab games, huffington post, ign, kqed, lp33 music television, mspot movies, the fashion station, new york times, nhl, oreilly, party central, pbs kids, poker fun, revision 3 internet television, sec digital network, sidereel, tbs, the karoake channel, the onion, this week in, tnt, tune in, uinterview, usa today, vevo, vimeo, and college sports.
There are so many channels in here it will take some time to explore but unless the content is different than what I can find online via a computer, laptop or tablet, I'm not expecting much.
Unexpected Bonus Feature:
The Logitech Revue seems to automatically balance the volume levels for commercials! My wife and I both noticed that commercials don't seem so loud now that it's plugged in. Our control's mute button is getting a much deserved break. Advertisers take note: I will actually sit to watch and listen to a commercial when it's not blaring. I don't have the same flight response as I normally do. Turn your commercial's volume down!
Summary:
For $90 it's a cool gadget. It would make a great gift for someone who doesn't have a laptop since it's essentially a simplified laptop with a wireless keyboard that uses your TV as a monitor. If the new OS and apps give it more functionality, then it might be very cool and useful. For now though, it replicates something that I already have: a laptop that sits near me while I watch TV.
Even though I, like many others, don't really get what Google TV is, I caved and bought the Logitech Revue with Google TV when it dropped to $89.99 on eBay, by way of Tiger Direct. It came in the mail on Friday, 2 days ago.
It took a while to setup, requiring a SPDIF cable since the RCN Motorola DCX3400 senses when there are more than one downstream HDMI devices and disables the picture. The SPDIF cable allows you to use the HDMI cable from the cable box to the Logitech box and out to the TV. The audio is carried from the Logitech to the av receiver, cutting out one of the HDMI devices. Luckily, I had one of these cables laying around but for those of you that don't, it could be a costly add on.
The setup process alerted me to the need for the SPDIF but didn't give details. Details were found here:
http://www.googletvforum.org/forum/logitech-revue/407-what-motorola-dvrs-work-revue.html
From there, the rest of the setup was quite easy. Just follow the onscreen instructions. Have your TV and AV receiver model numbers on hand.
Usage and Functions:
It's basically what you assume it would be: Web TV redux. There's a keyboard with a mouse pad, buttons to control TV volume and of course a search button. Once setup, it controls all of your devices, including DVR functions, guide functions, menu options and everything a universal remote can do.
The built in apps are pretty standard: Netflix, Pandora, NBA Game Time, CNBC Real Time, Gallery, Google Chrome, and Twitter. There are others for Logitech HD and a Logitech Media Player but there pretty standard and nothing to speak of.
The "What's On" Feature is kind of cool. It scans across the cable channels and let's you know what shows are playing in a particular category. For example, if you have it show all comedy movies, it will tell you that Who Framed Roger Rabbit is playing on Toon HD and that there is 1:54 left.
Techie Cool Feature:
Controlling all the devices with your Android phone. This feature is almost completely useless in that you have the normal remote controls, your universal remote control as well as the Logitech keyboard which is one big remote control but being able to turn on all the devices and control them all from your phone is pretty cool. Haven't found a good use for this yet but the cool factor is worth showing off to your tech geek friends and gadget loving dad. Everybody else seems to think it's just weird.
Best Use Case:
Probably the greatest use for the Logitech Revue with Google TV is the picture in picture for fantasy football. You can start up Google Chrome, put the pre-game shows on "Live TV" and then enable picture in picture to setup your line-ups.
Misses:
Engadget does a great series called "What would you change about [fill in the blank]". Knowing the data that Google has access to and the ability to take non-structured data, I would think they could add a presentation layer over live TV to include additional information, a la Pop Up TV. This could be powered by IMDB since this site is already connected to what's playing on what channel and has all the trivia captured.
The option to auto sense a URL displayed on the screen and then to provide the ability to go that site right away would be nice. Last but not least to be able to split screen in more ways than one. There are times when I would like to have side by side as well as top/bottom screens. The software should be able to do this with ease.
Another feature that would be cool to have but might not have a real purpose is to be able to draw on live tv with the mouse. It should be fairly simple to have a Telestrator app.
Unexplored:
I have not yet explored all of the Spotlight channels. This includes the Dailymotion, CNN, CNet, Classical TV, Clicker, Chow, Al Jazeera, Crackle, Redux, HBO Go, MeeGenius, tour factory (real estate search), we draw, YouTube Leanback, adult swim, amazon instant video, baeble music, C-span, cartoon network, epix, flixster, fraboom, grab games, huffington post, ign, kqed, lp33 music television, mspot movies, the fashion station, new york times, nhl, oreilly, party central, pbs kids, poker fun, revision 3 internet television, sec digital network, sidereel, tbs, the karoake channel, the onion, this week in, tnt, tune in, uinterview, usa today, vevo, vimeo, and college sports.
There are so many channels in here it will take some time to explore but unless the content is different than what I can find online via a computer, laptop or tablet, I'm not expecting much.
Unexpected Bonus Feature:
The Logitech Revue seems to automatically balance the volume levels for commercials! My wife and I both noticed that commercials don't seem so loud now that it's plugged in. Our control's mute button is getting a much deserved break. Advertisers take note: I will actually sit to watch and listen to a commercial when it's not blaring. I don't have the same flight response as I normally do. Turn your commercial's volume down!
Summary:
For $90 it's a cool gadget. It would make a great gift for someone who doesn't have a laptop since it's essentially a simplified laptop with a wireless keyboard that uses your TV as a monitor. If the new OS and apps give it more functionality, then it might be very cool and useful. For now though, it replicates something that I already have: a laptop that sits near me while I watch TV.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Chrome is a fantastic browser but it has one major flaw: a setting to open tabs in background tabs. This extension fixes that problem:
https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/bblhflcbilbefagmeoanbdiofmmnehda?hl=en
Originally found here:
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Chrome/thread?tid=4923f1a6f588ab73&hl=en
Thanks to the author of the extension, Samir.
https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/bblhflcbilbefagmeoanbdiofmmnehda?hl=en
Originally found here:
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Chrome/thread?tid=4923f1a6f588ab73&hl=en
Thanks to the author of the extension, Samir.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Unofficial Observances
This is a great list of days to "celebrate" with your loved ones. My favorite is International Bacon Day, commonly celebrated on the Saturday before Labor Day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Unofficial_observances
Enjoy!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Unofficial_observances
Enjoy!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
Little Orphan Annie - Chicago Connection
The comic strip, Little Orphan Annie, first appeared in the Chicago Tribune on August 5th, 1924. Harold Gray was inspired by James Whitcomb Riley's popular 1885 poem "Little Orphant Annie" which begins:
It's pretty cool that something that had such a long run in American history started in Chicago.
- Little Orphan Annie's come to our house to stay,
- An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away...
It's pretty cool that something that had such a long run in American history started in Chicago.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Dear Google, Re Google Plus
Dear Google,
You're missing the boat on all the social chatter on Google + by not dedicating resources, whether they be human or computer, to getting more people in the beta. I realize there's a fear of unwittingly violating some privacy law or something but generating pent up demand for a tool that requires social interaction won't work. In other words, don't use the Nintendo Wii strategy for a tool that requires humans to interact because if there's no one to interact with, the early entrants will leave and never come back. Don't "wave" goodbye to this excitement.
Adam
Updated 7/22/11: I finally got in. thanks google!
Monday, May 9, 2011
What? Why? Site
I love finding new sites that make you have to ask: What? Why? Here is that site for this week:
http://www.khaaan.com/
http://www.khaaan.com/
Friday, April 15, 2011
Things To Do In Chicago
I recently put a list of things to do in Chicago together for a friend and thought it might be useful to others so I'm sharing it here.
Chicago Weekend Notes:
I try to denote touristy and not touristy not as a bad thing or anything but more so you can know what to expect and for your adventure level. Also, any of the addresses that I list, a cab driver will know if you just say the address or cross streets. For example, you can tell any cab driver 958 W Wrightwood and they will know what you mean.
Touristy
Millenium Park
Millenium Park, Cloud Gate (aka the Bean). This is one of the top tourist spots because of the large open spaces and view of the city from the east. Lots of people to watch, and artwork is scattered throughout. There are restaurants and shops all over, mostly touristy, but plenty of snacks and small eats as well as some nicer restaurants if they so choose. (*This is where Tavern on the Park is, a restaurant that you and I have been to.) Free to walk around of course. Take the bus or red line to get there. See note about Google maps at the bottom for directions.
Michigan Ave
Of course Michigan Avenue is known for it's shops but it's also nice to just walk down to see the artwork and flowers (if they're out) and of course window shop and people watch. The Apple store is one of the larger ones in the country though not as large as the Manhattan store.
Navy Pier
This is of course the tourist destination. Lots to look at, tons of shops of course and lots of people. There's always something going that's seasonal: ice sculpting and dog races in the winter, demonstrations and shows in the summer and all kinds of things.
Museums: Lots of them, all good. (see link below)
National Geographic put together a list of "free things to do in Chicago":
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/city-guides/free-chicago-traveler/
Not Touristy
Wrigleyville
After a Cubs game, go hit up the batting cages upstairs at Sluggers, right near the stadium. It will be an "interesting" crowd because of the number of Cubs Fans that pile into the surrounding bars but it's always a fun time to be in the action, especially after a win.
Downtown
Grab a drink at the Roof. The Wit hotel has a fantastic roof top bar. It's a little trendy with low slung chairs and the drinks are more of the martini style but it's a great view of the city and it's fun to people watch. They also have a few open air areas which are great for sipping martini's. Free to enter, the only cost would be drinks (if any)
http://www.thewithotel.com/
Grab a bite to eat at the Purple Pig. While this restaurant is on Mich Ave, it's considered one of the top new restaurants. http://www.thepurplepigchicago.com/
If you're into walking and architecture, there's a lot of hidden gems in the city, one of them right behind Wrigley Field. Alta Vista Terrace is a tiny little street where every house is considered a replica of London. Not very big but fun to look at: http://home.xnet.com/~jkelley/VirtualTours.fldr/VirtualChicago.fldr/AltaVista.fldr/AltaVista.html
Deep Dish Pizza (this is a whole email in and of itself but this is a good overview)
The number one touristy spot: Uno's on State and Ontario (49 East Ontario) This is the one that made Chicago famous for it's deep dish and they now deliver all over the country. Touristy
http://www.unos.com/
My favorite is Lou Malnotti's on Sheffield and Lincoln (958 W Wrightwood). Supposedly Lou Malnoti actually made the first Uno's pizza and then went out on his own. Very good. Not touristy at all.
If you're downtown (e.g. near Navy Pier or Millenium Park) there's Pizano's pizza on State and Madison (61 E Madison) http://www.pizanoschicago.com/loop.html This is another one that was started by the same Uno's/Lou's crew. Also very good.
Last but not least, Gino's East is like Uno's in that they've made a name for Chicago Deep Dish. Plenty of locations and their schtick is that you can write on the walls. http://www.ginoseast.com/ If you go to the Superior location or the Wells location, they're pretty touristy. The others aren't as much.
True Chicagoan
If you really want to get out of the touristy scene altogether, head over to wicker park. One of my favorite spots is Violet Hour. It's hard to find (there's no sign) and the drinks are made very meticulously. It's modeled after an old 1920's speak easy with very high backed chairs, very private and dark. http://www.theviolethour.com/
Also in Wicker Park/Bucktown area is Jerry's Sandwich Shop. Amazing food, a huge beer selection and it's nestled in between a bunch of great little bars. http://www.jerryssandwiches.com/ (Address on bottom right of page)
Hop Leaf
"Up north" in Andersonville this little spot has a fantastic beer selection and is often full because of it. http://www.hopleaf.com/dining_menu.html Very casual beer spot but great.
There are a lot of other, more casual places like this that serve good food and have great beer. If you're interested I can expand on this section.
Mercadito
Great food, located in River North neighborhood, good lively atmosphere and is often a place to see and be seen. http://www.mercaditorestaurants.com/chicago/index.php
Uber Exclusive:
Sunda and Underground. Owned by the same guy, these two places, the first a restaurant that serves high end philipino food is often frequented by celebrities whenever they're in town, the second a dance club that is frequented by the same celebrities. The club can be hard to get into.
http://www.sundachicago.com/
http://chicago.metromix.com/bars-and-clubs/lounge/the-underground-river-north/146714/content
Other Links for More Info:
http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en.html
http://www.chicagotraveler.com/things-to-do.htm
http://www.chicago.com/things_to_do/
For Getting Around:
Google Maps does a great job of listing both walking diretions and public transit directions. It's even smart enough to know if you type "wrigley field" as your stating point and "millenium park" as your destination.
Example: http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&f=d&sll=41.812267,-87.837067&sspn=0.732868,1.450195&saddr=&daddr=&ttype=dep&date=4/14/2011&time=11:44%20AM&dirflg=r
This is the main site for all things public trans. You don't need to use it really just know that it costs $2.25 to ride the CTA per person, one way. So two people riding the train or bus "there and back" would be $9. Weekend unlimited passes are a good deal and the site lists where you can get them.
http://www.transitchicago.com/
Chicago Weekend Notes:
I try to denote touristy and not touristy not as a bad thing or anything but more so you can know what to expect and for your adventure level. Also, any of the addresses that I list, a cab driver will know if you just say the address or cross streets. For example, you can tell any cab driver 958 W Wrightwood and they will know what you mean.
Touristy
Millenium Park
Millenium Park, Cloud Gate (aka the Bean). This is one of the top tourist spots because of the large open spaces and view of the city from the east. Lots of people to watch, and artwork is scattered throughout. There are restaurants and shops all over, mostly touristy, but plenty of snacks and small eats as well as some nicer restaurants if they so choose. (*This is where Tavern on the Park is, a restaurant that you and I have been to.) Free to walk around of course. Take the bus or red line to get there. See note about Google maps at the bottom for directions.
Michigan Ave
Of course Michigan Avenue is known for it's shops but it's also nice to just walk down to see the artwork and flowers (if they're out) and of course window shop and people watch. The Apple store is one of the larger ones in the country though not as large as the Manhattan store.
Navy Pier
This is of course the tourist destination. Lots to look at, tons of shops of course and lots of people. There's always something going that's seasonal: ice sculpting and dog races in the winter, demonstrations and shows in the summer and all kinds of things.
Museums: Lots of them, all good. (see link below)
National Geographic put together a list of "free things to do in Chicago":
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/city-guides/free-chicago-traveler/
Not Touristy
Wrigleyville
After a Cubs game, go hit up the batting cages upstairs at Sluggers, right near the stadium. It will be an "interesting" crowd because of the number of Cubs Fans that pile into the surrounding bars but it's always a fun time to be in the action, especially after a win.
Downtown
Grab a drink at the Roof. The Wit hotel has a fantastic roof top bar. It's a little trendy with low slung chairs and the drinks are more of the martini style but it's a great view of the city and it's fun to people watch. They also have a few open air areas which are great for sipping martini's. Free to enter, the only cost would be drinks (if any)
http://www.thewithotel.com/
Grab a bite to eat at the Purple Pig. While this restaurant is on Mich Ave, it's considered one of the top new restaurants. http://www.thepurplepigchicago.com/
If you're into walking and architecture, there's a lot of hidden gems in the city, one of them right behind Wrigley Field. Alta Vista Terrace is a tiny little street where every house is considered a replica of London. Not very big but fun to look at: http://home.xnet.com/~jkelley/VirtualTours.fldr/VirtualChicago.fldr/AltaVista.fldr/AltaVista.html
Deep Dish Pizza (this is a whole email in and of itself but this is a good overview)
The number one touristy spot: Uno's on State and Ontario (49 East Ontario) This is the one that made Chicago famous for it's deep dish and they now deliver all over the country. Touristy
http://www.unos.com/
My favorite is Lou Malnotti's on Sheffield and Lincoln (958 W Wrightwood). Supposedly Lou Malnoti actually made the first Uno's pizza and then went out on his own. Very good. Not touristy at all.
If you're downtown (e.g. near Navy Pier or Millenium Park) there's Pizano's pizza on State and Madison (61 E Madison) http://www.pizanoschicago.com/loop.html This is another one that was started by the same Uno's/Lou's crew. Also very good.
Last but not least, Gino's East is like Uno's in that they've made a name for Chicago Deep Dish. Plenty of locations and their schtick is that you can write on the walls. http://www.ginoseast.com/ If you go to the Superior location or the Wells location, they're pretty touristy. The others aren't as much.
True Chicagoan
If you really want to get out of the touristy scene altogether, head over to wicker park. One of my favorite spots is Violet Hour. It's hard to find (there's no sign) and the drinks are made very meticulously. It's modeled after an old 1920's speak easy with very high backed chairs, very private and dark. http://www.theviolethour.com/
Also in Wicker Park/Bucktown area is Jerry's Sandwich Shop. Amazing food, a huge beer selection and it's nestled in between a bunch of great little bars. http://www.jerryssandwiches.com/ (Address on bottom right of page)
Hop Leaf
"Up north" in Andersonville this little spot has a fantastic beer selection and is often full because of it. http://www.hopleaf.com/dining_menu.html Very casual beer spot but great.
There are a lot of other, more casual places like this that serve good food and have great beer. If you're interested I can expand on this section.
Mercadito
Great food, located in River North neighborhood, good lively atmosphere and is often a place to see and be seen. http://www.mercaditorestaurants.com/chicago/index.php
Uber Exclusive:
Sunda and Underground. Owned by the same guy, these two places, the first a restaurant that serves high end philipino food is often frequented by celebrities whenever they're in town, the second a dance club that is frequented by the same celebrities. The club can be hard to get into.
http://www.sundachicago.com/
http://chicago.metromix.com/bars-and-clubs/lounge/the-underground-river-north/146714/content
Other Links for More Info:
http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en.html
http://www.chicagotraveler.com/things-to-do.htm
http://www.chicago.com/things_to_do/
For Getting Around:
Google Maps does a great job of listing both walking diretions and public transit directions. It's even smart enough to know if you type "wrigley field" as your stating point and "millenium park" as your destination.
Example: http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&f=d&sll=41.812267,-87.837067&sspn=0.732868,1.450195&saddr=&daddr=&ttype=dep&date=4/14/2011&time=11:44%20AM&dirflg=r
This is the main site for all things public trans. You don't need to use it really just know that it costs $2.25 to ride the CTA per person, one way. So two people riding the train or bus "there and back" would be $9. Weekend unlimited passes are a good deal and the site lists where you can get them.
http://www.transitchicago.com/
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
TIL: The pound sign is also called an "octothorpe"
Borrowing from Reddit's, TIL motif, today I learned that an "octothorpe" is the name for a pound sign. From the wiki article:
The term octothorpe was coined by Bell Labs but opposed by Western Electric and therefore never gained any popularity.[2]
Interesting stuff.
The term octothorpe was coined by Bell Labs but opposed by Western Electric and therefore never gained any popularity.[2]
Interesting stuff.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
SNL Home Page is Terrible
I mean, really, NBC? Really?? You can't find crap on the home page of the SNL show:
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/
What is all that garbage on the page? I don't care about tiny, short, clips that I don't want to view. And Fan Polls? Is this the late 90s? And the Fan It points? At least this is the early 2000s.
What we want are links to info about the site, e.g. when does the new season start and who will be on it and information about past episodes. Or at least details on the show that is airing tonight. Not just a unclickable picture of the host.
Useless. IMDB to the rescue.
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/
What is all that garbage on the page? I don't care about tiny, short, clips that I don't want to view. And Fan Polls? Is this the late 90s? And the Fan It points? At least this is the early 2000s.
What we want are links to info about the site, e.g. when does the new season start and who will be on it and information about past episodes. Or at least details on the show that is airing tonight. Not just a unclickable picture of the host.
Useless. IMDB to the rescue.
Monday, August 30, 2010
A non Social web is slowly disappearing
When it comes to social networking, I'm the odd man out for sure. I'm the black duck, the weirdo, the 17th wheel. I like to consider myself a hold-out. I don't get it. I don't understand the need for sharing what sandwich I'm eating right now and when I'm in the bathroom releasing the same sandwich back into the wild. Who cares what I'm reading?? Who care's where I'm at?? And I sure don't care what you're doing and where you're at. Because I'm not there with you!
Ok enough of that. My biggest concern is that the web is becoming totally reliant on social channels. I tried to check out a new search engine today and no where on the main page do they even give you an option to add your email to be notified of the launch. It's either like on Facebook or Follow on Twitter.
Check out the screenshot from blekko.com
What about giving an option for email? For people like me that don't have a twitter account (*yes I know you can follow without one) and or a Facebook account?
Ok enough of that. My biggest concern is that the web is becoming totally reliant on social channels. I tried to check out a new search engine today and no where on the main page do they even give you an option to add your email to be notified of the launch. It's either like on Facebook or Follow on Twitter.
Check out the screenshot from blekko.com
What about giving an option for email? For people like me that don't have a twitter account (*yes I know you can follow without one) and or a Facebook account?
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