Apple Watch Series 4

Photo of my Apple Watch, Gen 1

As much as I love my Apple watch, it might be time to upgrade. The series 4 will be able to detect a-fib, a heart condition I unfortunately have. A bunch of my friends an colleagues texted me after the Apple announcement about this feature.

As much as I’d like to rock a classic mechanical watch, having a personal ECG will be an amazing feature. I think I’m going to order the 44mm in black. I really want to get the stainless steel with sapphire, but the watches don’t really hold their value or last that long… so, the lesson learned is to spend less and keep up with tech cycles.

Close up of the Gen 1 watch, with all the battle wounds

For whatever reason, folks in SF hate on the Apple Watch as if it were passé. I personally feel like each generation gets a little better. In fact, I’ve known other watch enthusiasts completely switch over to the Apple Watch.

I just wish that the watches had a little more longevity. Apple is offering me $25 for a trade in. Hah! Anyway, I think Annie said she might get me the new model. *grin*

Pre-ordered Nikon Z6

Okay, I did it–I finally pulled the triggered and pre-ordered the Nikon Z6 (with the FTZ mount adapter). Based on the price, specs and my needs, the Z6 made the most sense.

Let me explain why.

Price
So why the Z6 over the Z7? For starters, the Z7 is $1,400 more. That’s a substantial delta for an amateur like me. The Z7 packs a bunch of additional features, but the biggest difference is the megapixel count (45.7mp vs 24.5mp). It’s hard to justify the price difference because I rarely crop my photos, nor do I print anything the size of a wall mural. For professional photographers, paying a little more is logical because they’ll make it back–more megapixels makes cents (tee-hee). For me, the only thing that makes the Z7 more attractive is that it will be available a little sooner than the Z6.

What will I do with all that saved money? I’ll probably get a backup battery and potentially an off-board video recorder like the Atomos (so I can shoot at 4k, 10 bit, at 4:2:2). And maybe… just maybe… I’ll add another lens to the stable.

Cost of change
The reason why I chose the Z6 was because I already own Nikon glass, a strobe, and a couple of other accessories. Selling off all my gear in exchange for another brand like Sony would come at a loss. By purchasing the Z6, my D600 will substitute as a secondary camera for shooting B-roll or quickly snapping additional photos with a different prime lens. That my friend, adds another dimension to my set up.

If I wasn’t so invested into Nikon, I would have gotten a Sony mirrorless camera a long time ago. In particular, the Sony A7III is a much better value and offers some features that are a couple generations ahead of Nikon like eye tracking auto-focus.

I also know my way around the Nikon interface, so I know how to operate all the nitty gritty stuff. I’ve heard that the Z6 works exactly like all the other Nikon interfaces. Changing platforms means learning a new system–I won’t have to fumble around Sony’s infamous UI. Instead, I can just pick up the camera and start shooting.

It’s my hobby
For me, shooting photos on my phone is fun, but it’s not the same experience as shooting on a full frame camera. Call me old-school, but I’m going to miss the feeling of a mirror slapping on my D600. Perhaps it’s the same reason why I like things like driving manual sports cars and wearing automatic watches–you’re forced to slow down because of the process and limitations. That experience enables you to feel and appreciate things from a different perspective. When I post-process photos, I’m always evaluating why the photo matters. Should it be in black and white? Does it need more contrast? What is the star of this picture photo, and how do I present it in such a way that it provides a better narrative?

To me, photos are critical to the human experience. Photos act as an extensions of our memory, triggering us to recall the smells, sounds and feelings. In that brief moment, time is frozen. I used to shoot photos with my dad’s Nikon F2, but I think I really got into it when I purchased the D200–I had gotten my first big bonus working for a design agency and I sprung for it. While that particular camera body is out of date, the photos I shot have brought back so many memories. That’s the part that’s priceless.

I don’t think the Z6 will automatically make me a better photographer, but it’ll act as a tool to continue exploring the world, the people, and savoring each moment a little more… one picture at a time.

The New Macbook Pro 13″

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Opening the new MacBook Pro 13″ for the first time.

I’ve been waiting for this new Macbook Pro for a looooooooong time. I’ve owned or used every single Apple laptop since the Lombard… and I can say that this model is pretty amazing. I still need to run it through its paces, but it feels great. The most impressive thing about the new MacBook is the screen—finally… it’s bright, with beautiful colors, full of contrast.

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Refined on the inside and out.

This is the first time that I’m using a 13″ for design, photo, video etc. Typically, I opt for the 15″ because it usually offers more power (and a better graphics card), but this is the first time I’ve felt like I don’t need that extra juice. This package offers the right balance between portability and performance.

I wanted to thank my team and Expa for hooking me up with a new machine. I’m looking forward to building beautiful products with this new MacBook Pro.

VR Developer Stories: Snowday

This is the story of Snowday, a VR game created in SF.

Joe and I did some research around VR and decided that we wanted to put together a series of videos that highlighted VR developers in the community. We interviewed Shem Nguyen and Jeremy Bernstein (co-founders of Snowday) to share their perspectives about trends in VR, Unity vs Unreal, and their greatest challenges building a game with limited resources.

I’m really thrilled to have put this together in my spare time. I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that trying to build a game in a space that has a small (albeit engaged) audience–and that’s friggin’ challenging. It’s hard enough to create a compelling game, and it’s even more challenging to try and make money off an early marketplace.

I think Shem and Jeremy are real passionate technologists and artists, and I truly admire their story. I’m rooting for them. It takes real visionaries to be an indie developer, and this team is glowing with passion. Download Snowday from Steam.

I’m hoping that Joe and I can find a small niché and create some content to promote the VR community. It’s also a good way for me to sharpen my story telling skills. Let me know if you want to see more videos like this.

5 Minutes with the Snapchat Spectacles

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Photo of Rudy wearing Spectacles for the first time.

I’d like to share some initial impressions. I’d also like to touch on and some challenges ahead of Snap and their new Spectacles.

As you may know, I designed an app similar to Snapchat (called Flare). While the app I created never took off, I had a chance to talk to hundreds of people, and observe the behavior of thousands of people and I’ve developed a perspective about the space.

Daily Usage = Daily Habits

Word on the street is that Snapchat has had some insane DAU/MAU (the ration between daily active users over monthly active users), upwards of 70% in their most prime growth.

To truly appreciate Snapchat and their retention, you really have to ask “how they created such a pattern of daily habits to hook their users”. There’s definitely a science to how Snapchat created habits through ephermal photos and 24 hour stories, but there’s something different about Spectacles.

The first thing you notice when you use the Spectacles is that it’s doesn’t feel like something you can use every day. The fact that they’re sunglasses makes it difficult to use when you’re indoors or at night, unless you’re Casey Neistat.

The second issue is that the process of uploading is slow and somewhat clumsy. This is a substantial amount of friction that punishes users for using Spectacles. Instead of rewarding the user for posting more, there is a negative feedback loop where the user has to wait. Just to give you an idea of how important performance is, I used to benchmark Snapchat’s camera launch versus our product. On average, Snapchat launched in about 3 seconds on an iPhone 6 plus. As you know, seconds add up. When talking to high school students, there was a girl that proudly admitted that she launched Snapchat at least 200 times a day. If you do the math, she had to wait at least 10 minutes a day for snapchat to load. If you multiplied that by a year, she spends 60.83 hours a year for Snapchat to load.

While the upload performance of Spectacles will inevitably improve, it’s still friction. All those seconds add up, at it really makes me question whether people will develop a habit around Spectacles.

I wonder if there’s enough dopamine generated when users snap with this accessory. Without instant gratification, I question whether users will naturally use Spectacles as their first choice camera (versus using a smart phone). And even if they use the Spectacles first, they still have to transfer files.

If the Spectacles could auto upload without a phone, I think they’re on their way to becoming an awesome camera that reduces friction across the board.

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Spectacles oversized charging case.

Light + Small = Portable

While the Spectacles are delightfully light, the case (that doubles as a charger) is unreasonably large, heavy, and not very sexy. For $130, they’ve created an incredible amount of value, but for some reason, there’s a lot left to be desired. The case won’t fit in your pocket–I mean, this thing is the size of a giant f’n burrito. Let’s just say you’d have to be pretty damn determined to carry this case inside your purse or pocket. While it probably offers an amazing amount of protection, it’s just comedically oversized.

I like that the case doubles as a charger, but it’s just not portable… and I think that is a mistake. Even the magnetic charging cable that comes with it is a little clumsy. Sorry to be so negative, but it lacks the minimalist ethos that I expect from all Snap products. It doesn’t feel very Snapchat, you know?

For me, a winning Spectacles case would be something 50% slimmer, lighter, and not a triangular burrito shape.

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Hooman showing me how to upload photos to Snapchat.

Previews + Control = Posting

People are self conscious about posting things. When I designed Flare and Bunch, I can tell you that users need to see previews. Without previews, users don’t know what they’re sharing to the rest of the world. All it takes is one bad post to tarnish their reputation or cause a huge embarrassment. While a preview adds another step to the posting process, it psychologically helps the user build confidence because they have control before posting. This, in turn, reduces friction in the long run. Users build trust with a product, building a positive feedback loop.

The Spectacles act more like a Go Pro versus a Snapchat product. I definitely think that there’s a market for this kind of product, but I suspect that Snapchat users will have to develop a new habit if they’re naturally self conscious.

And let me be clear, Snapchat is not all about posting anything and everything. Users on Snapchat actually curate their own stories, strategically posting what they want people to see. After talking to hundreds of Snapchat users, posting too often is considered bad etiquette, making a user feel needy or spammy. While Snapchat encourages people to post more, most people will only share a certain number of photos in their story. I’m not sure if the Spectacles will be able to override old habits or rewrite the rules of the game. Will it be okay to post 30 videos using Spectacles? Probably not.

Snapchat = Selfies

I think Snap knows that they’re the king of selfies… and perhaps they may be a victim of their own success. Yep, users love the lenses (ie. the doggie selfie). Spectacles will generate new content. While it can be formatted vertically and horizontally, I think the outward facing camera is interesting. I wonder if Snapchat has too much selfie content. One has to ask what are the long term effects of users consuming too many photos of selfies?

The fact that Snap is investing in a outward facing camera tells me that they want more content that’s more interesting for other people to watch.

And if I speculate, once Spectacles can miniaturize the Hololens experience, Snap will be the player to beat in augmented reality. The potential of creating a mixed reality experience in their Spectacles is something that I am personally really excited about. I just hope that this is just a first gen stepping stone that’ll get them there.

And if don’t think it’s going to happen, check out the latest description of their company:

Snap Inc. is a camera company.
We believe that reinventing the camera represents our greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate.
Our products empower people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together.

Snap is maturing, growing into larger shoes, and reaching a larger audience. To continue their growth, their brand is changing. They’re entering the hardware game and it’s focused on outward facing content. This is extremely bold, and I applaud them for taking a new direction. As they create a new ecosystem of content and users, it’ll be fascinating to see which adventure they choose.

Anyway, I think Spectacles are cool, but they’re not for everyone. Right now, the only people that have them are investors. I’d be curious to borrow Hooman’s Spectacles for a week and get Annie’s sisters to play with it and do a real world stress test.

VR Vlog 002

Hanging out at the Facebook headquarters and playing with Oculus.

Today we made a trip out to Facebook to check out their campus, as well as take a peak at some of their latest toys. The new oculus is pretty damn sweet, and it’s a nice hardware improvement.