ESPN Beta - The Review (Beta)

I have blogged regularly about how much I like ESPN and their internet business. In fact, I've gone so far as to say it's difficult-to-impossible to complete with ESPN on content alone. And I've gone so far as to pay for their Premium Insider service. As an ESPN Insider, I got access to the new ESPN Beta (in other words, the new ESPN website revamp that has apparently been much of their focus for the last several months). And because I have spoken glowingly about ESPN and ESPN.com previously - I don't feel bad being sour about ESPN Beta.... but I am and here's why:

- It's too much like a magazine and too little like a sports site

- The magazine layout makes it more appropriate for People / US Weekly-like content than sports

- The screen shot below demonstrates just that - the only true sports content is in small blue text on the upper right... and that's what I want to see!

- The grid layout below the main module is visually attractive - but it's used exclusively to promote ESPN personalities rather than content

- The new header is clearly designed to increase pageviews and make hubs out of each league / sport (the navigational drop downs were removed)

- There are five headers / navigation bars: leagues, scores, ESPN properties, ESPN.com themes, sports... HUH?!

- While I like the ESPN Red color scheme, it makes the blue, gray and brown text very difficult to read

I've turned the Beta off as I am more than underwhelmed... I am struggling to use the new site.

Implications of Fast Rising, Falling Gas Prices

A month ago, it cost close to $100 to fill up my 20 gallon SUV. This weekend, it just under $40.00 (the same amount it cost back in 2003). Measured in either time or price - it's a stunning decline / change. A month ago, television commercials, marketing campaigns and sales were tailored around saving money on gas (a great Netflix example is here). Now, those promotions are based on savings and financing. Also a drastic, immediate change.

There is a great WSJ article describing the implications of the rising / falling gas prices: Americans Drive Less, Creating a Problem - Less Consumption Means Lower Gas Prices, Will We Go From 'Shock to Trance' Again?

When gasoline prices shot over $4 a gallon this summer, Americans didn't wait for Washington to respond with an energy policy. They took action on their own by driving less and switching to more fuel-efficient cars. The results are dramatic, but also problematic.

The good news is that gasoline consumption has fallen compared with a year earlier in every month from March through September of this year, according to data from the Energy Information Administration. Vehicle miles traveled -- the wonky term for how much we drive -- have dropped for 11 straight months, and fell 4.4% in September, according to the Department of Transportation....

In short, many Americans, by choice or by default, did what the people who worry about the climate and U.S. dependence on petroleum wanted them to do. They burned about 5% less gasoline in August than a year ago, according to Energy Information Administration data.

By jamming the brakes on driving, rediscovering mass transit and walking past Hummers to buy compact cars like the Honda Fit, American consumers caused big trouble for powerful interests. The question now is how will those interests respond?

Confessions of a Shopaholic: Sad & Ironic

While seeing a movie over Thanksgiving (the new James Bond), I noticed the following signage for the new movie "Confessions of a Shopaholic." The movie is based on the "Shopaholic" book series - but it really couldn't be hitting theaters at more ironic time. Shopaholic's tag line is "all she ever wanted is a little credit..."

Not only did that help get us into this mess - it's a feeling that is (and will continue) to be commonly felt throughout the country.

Shopaholic Plot:A college grad named Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fisher) moves to Manhattan to nurture her shopping addiction and get involved in the New York magazine world. Though she is up to her neck in debt, she becomes a financial-advice columnist and even manages to fall for a wealthy entrepreneur.

Shopaholic Cast:

Isla Fisher as Rebecca Bloomwood Hugh Dancy as Luke Brandon Krysten Ritter as Suze John Goodman as Rebecca's father (Graham) Joan Cusack as Rebecca's mother (Jane) John Lithgow as a publishing magnate Kristen Scott Thomas as a magazine editor Leslie Bibb as a fashion magazine staffer Lynn Redgrave as a doyenne of a publishing empire Julie Hagerty as a business magazine assistant

Amid Layoff Speculation, Google Ramps GMail Advertising

Google has covered Techmeme, VentureBeat, WebGuild, and others today amidst speculation that Google layoffs are coming... and 10,000 workers are affected. Whether those rumors are wholly true (my clear hunch: no), I've noticed another clear economic impact:

My GMail account is being littered with new, unwanted ads.

Google needs more pageviews. As ad dollars fall, increased pageviews is one of the few ways to offset the downturn.We saw this with:

- YouTube - Google Images

.... and now GMail. It seems to me that this move was masked by Google's new, well-received GMail Themes - which was launched just a few days ago. Now, every email I have has vertical ads layered beside the email's content - with an ad unit horizontally above.

What's coming next?

InGameNow NFL iPhone App Live

InGameNow has had a busy week (real-time scores and new Apps) - and here's one more: we've launched the InGameNow NFL iPhone App and, after just one day, it's quickly becoming our most popular. I think two things are worth noting here:

- first, we have seen that narrowly-focused apps are performing very well. While our core InGameNow App has been very successful, the league specific apps are growing faster and we have several more coming shortly. I was surprised by this - but excited nonetheless.

- second, real-time scores have already played a major role in the NFL App's success. Predictably, live scores are most important for mobile users. Delivering real-time scoring alerts has encouraged deeper, more relevant discussions and today was consequently the biggest day InGameNow has ever seen on all fronts: users, interaction, posts, etc.

- InGameNow now has three new iPhone Apps (all top sports apps in iTunes). Download them: - InGameNow App - NFL InGameNow - Soccer InGameNow

InGameNow Launches Live Scoring, Real-Time Updates

We are very excited to announce the launch of real-time scoring on InGameNow and our InGameNow iPhone Apps. On team and game pages, you will notice real-time alerts of scores. The posts come from the InGameNowAlerts user and include the game's score and timestamp.

You can see an example of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Detroit Lions game (showcasing because it is rather high scoring). You can see another example on a team page: New England Patriots Scores are here.

This is a big step forward for InGameNow - giving fans access to real-time scoring and fan interaction over on the web, the iPhone and instant messaging. We have several new enhancements and features in the works - and, as always, if you have feedback on the current product (specifically the live scoring) we welcome your input.

As I have posted previously, InGameNow has a Sports & Scores API. If you interested in developing against it and working with InGameNow, please contact me!

Google's GMail Themes - It's the Little Things

I like the idea of GMail Themes more than the initial batch of available themes (though I am sure more are coming). While there are several "cool" themes, my eyes can only tolerate a couple of the color combinations. That said, there are little tweaks that are as impressive as they are fun. The Ninja theme is too colorful and hectic for daily use - but the attention to small details is great. Look at the GTalk pop-up boxes and how the edges are mildly raised / angled. Small touches like that have be strangely excited for the eventual wave of new themes. Finally, why does Google ask for your location (city / country) when you choose a theme? Is there a real reason here or is it for something sneaky (answer is likely both).

InGameNow's iPhone Soccer App (New!)

The InGameNow iPhone App is consistently one of the 15 most popular sports Apps in iTunes and on the iPhone. We've released an updated version of the core InGameNow App and based on user feedback, we have two major updates:

- Coming in a couple days: Full, automated live scores and alerts - Live with more coming: League and team specific Apps

... And while real-time scores are a couple days away - our first league specific App is now live: InGameNow's Soccer App launched early this morning for professional soccer - covering both international (Premier League) and US (Major League Soccer / MLS):

InGameNow Soccer App - Real time interaction for soccer fans - Team schedules, alerts and discussions - Ability to set favorite teams and users - App customization

If you're a soccer fan, get the InGameNow Soccer App!

Facebook: Friend or Foe to App Developers?

Michael Arrington today wrote about Facebook's new birthday reminder tool and it's impact on app developers in that space... and despite it's seemingly silly topic, it is a very important article because it shows the following: - Applications and their developers are test-beds for Facebook innovation...

- Ultimately though, Facebook controls the product experience AND is capable of making competing apps irrelevant by creating an in-house, native version

- Furthermore, Facebook has (and rightly so) shown a willingness to create native products based on 3rd party innovation. Wall, video and messaging improvements are a great example.

- Consequently, third parties developing on Facebook and third parties cultivating audiences on Facebook *must* be aware that ultimately these users and the greater platform are Facebook's.

You must always ask yourself the common friend-vs-foe question and whether you are creating a defensible, meaningful experience able to live on its own.

Facebook just added another extremely useful feature for users, and in doing so took out a slew of applications that do that same thing. You can now get a weekly email telling you, simply, which friends have birthdays coming up.

That’s good news for all of us who want more birthday information. It’s bad news for Birthday Alert and its clones that already do that on Facebook. Birthday Alert has 180,820 active monthly users...

The title of this post is meant to be a joke, but it definitely sucks to be one of the very many birthday reminder Facebook apps today. Such is life. With a flick of the keyboard Facebook can make your app redundant and pointless. Meanwhile, I happily turned on the new feature, and I can’t wait to be prompted to send people virtual birthday gifts for a small fee.