Bill Gates’ show-and-tell ushers in virtual living

“The line between the virtual and the physical world become increasingly thin”, the Microsoft voice under Surface says.

So many bloggers have posted questioning Microsoft’s contribution to innovation. I have never understood that since the scientists in the Redmond labs are shaping our future like no one else. I already posted some time ago about their holographic computing and an image search engine and now Surface corroborates my point yet again. Bill says it won’t be out for 10 to 15 years but the prototype shown is impressive. To think what is basically a backlit tabletop screen can enable you to move its visual content with a finger touch and drag is impressive. You can even draw with your finger or a paintbrush.

Everything is getting more visual and less text driven. Easier to learn, adopt and use. More intuitive. Videos and images are key platforms for marketers to seek in the immediate future. Why? Well, the visual sense is fast and easy for interacting with customers. Surface is to computing, what Alexander Graham Bell’s first telephone line was to telegrams and the town crier. It is yeat another sea change in how we live our lives.

As Bill has demonstrated you can drag items chosen off a menu onto the image of your credit card and it automatically tallies your total. You can even drag virtual theatre tickets and maps onto your PDA or souped up cell just by resting it on the surface of your table. No drop menus, pages, or buttons to forage through.  Imagine the uses to Surface for customer experience, marketing and operational efficiency.

I am confident all the Surface can be has not surfaced yet.

Did Microsoft $6 billion buy cause AvenueA Razorfish to lose clients?

Well it’s too soon to tell–the ink is still drying on the aQuantive deal, Microsoft’s biggest acquisition ever. (Have you noticed how organic growth stops when garage entrepreneur’s become behemoths?)

My suspicion is that Razofish will be affected. It’s not wise for any media to buy an agency and vice versa. This is not rare though; WPP for example own media. Nielsen are owned by VNU. Marketers will simply have to set-down ground rules to their media planners in-house or outsourced. Or conflicts of interest will run amuck. With the large consumer packaged goods and auto accounts, the biggest on-line buyers this will buzz around the water cooler. Razorfish’s client lunches budget will balloon. I’ll bet they are sipping apple martinis on Mad Avenue as I key-in.

Did Microsoft account for advertiser losses in its valuation? Will Microsoft spin out the Agency? It would make life easier; but, temperance can prevail.

New VS Old: the trial of the century this July 27

VS

The internet is all about openness, sharing, community. It is the democratization of all voices, the”long tail”.  It’s what it is. I believe in creative rights totally! But the thing is, if Viacom were to win its case now to be heard July 27 ’07 (NYTimes) it could truly alter the face of the internet. And the tail could be snipped short creating costly barriers to viewers and put power back in the hands of traditional networks for awhile.  Networks are still thinking analog and fighting to maintain a dying model while they figure out a way to dominate on internet turf. This win will buy time while they create a new revenue stream to upshore losses in the old format.

Digital entertainment will be ubiquitous within five to ten years and we will see the rise of production companies who find impetus solely from the internet using BitTorrent styled or compression technologies. The world will move from 20 some broadcast hours to a place where there is no limit on time or choice. Audiences will become exponentially fragmented and advertising will become less intrusive and relevant. No one not even Viacom will be able to stop this reality.

If YouTube get their wrists slapped it will cost them and their users will have to begin opening their wallets, BitTorrent style. Or offer a pre and post-roll advertising model for free access. Don’t we have enough advertising in our lives! In the end, YouTube will remain the leading purveyor of home-grown and perhaps professional shorts (although I don’t feel professional shorts should be placed in an environment replete with content that offends mainstream sensibilitities).

Google are requesting a jury for this epic day. Internet users around the world must be posted for this drama as it unfolds. This signifies that the internet is still young and undefined. It is not just technology advances that define it as we can see; it is also special interests. Democracy is for all. Everyone gets their kick at the cat.