This is the first mag I have received from Adobe (but it’s Volume 4 apparently),
and I was surprised by their choice of technology to distribute and implement a digital magazine.

The Adobe Magazine is:

1. Distributed via email to Adobe’s design marketing list (see the online version)

2. The email links to a downloadable ZIP file (10Mb in size)

3. Then extract the ZIP file and open the PDF file

4. And view from your desktop (I recommend viewing in Full Screen mode)

Adobe also makes Flash, which is a popular way of delivering online magazines with rich interactivity. So why have they decided to go old-skool and use PDF?

From what I can guess, it’s probably to showcase some of the nice new features of PDF that people seldom use (chaptering, hyperlinks, some interactivity, embedded video, image switching, etc). It’s also nice that from one big initial download you have a seamless experience, can view offline and PDF is naturally very printer friendly.

But you lose a lot. By using PDF you compromise interactivity, as compared to a Flash-based online magazine. And by being offline you lose even basic social-networking options such as the ability to make comment (Adobe have a very crude way of doing this: email the editor), social bookmarks, personalisation, tagging etc.

I think the format works for this particular magazine, but I also expect a lot of Adobe users would object to a 10Mb ZIP download on principle, it seems like a dated approach from a company that prides itself on technical innovation.

What do you think?

Tim O'Neill, Managing Director UK

Labels: Design and Usability, Technology

Welcome to iPhone article number 154,000,001 and counting.

Actually, this is not just about the iPhone, but about some interesting recent developments in the mobile space.

I’ve been using the iPhone for about three months now, as have 3 other Reactive staff. It is without a doubt the coolest consumer electronics device ever made, people who say otherwise are just jealous (let the debate begin).

Ok, so the iPhone is not perfect, but as far as I can tell the only real problems are; lack of Flash support in Safari; the poor email support (for business users) and no 3G. Other than that, it’s clearly superior to other phones in all other aspects. If this is Apple’s first attempt at a mobile communications device, after say 2 years of development, then one can only imagine how awesome they’re going to be in another 2 years.

A 3G iPhone is just around the corner with analysts predicting a release by mid-2008, as I’m sure is Flash support. Flash is processor intensive, so Adobe will either release a Flash ‘light’ version or Apple will simply implement better mobile chips – both are likely to happen.

Interestingly, Nokia is getting ‘multimedia’ support with the recent announcement that Silverlight is coming to the Symbian OS. So that means that you’ll also be seeing more integrated .NET 3.5 / Windows Live applications getting pushed by Microsoft and their partners to mobile platforms.

We at Reactive are excited about the imminent iPhone SDK (software developer kit) which will allow developers to build their own applications to run on the iPhone. Until now the only ‘applications’ you could develop were Web-apps, but even the best ones are pretty lame. So developers will be able to build cool applications like the iTunes mobile store, which is a light version of the iTunes store. The iTunes mobile store makes it so easy to preview and purchase songs, and so well integrated (syncing purchased music over to your desktop computer when you plug your phone in) that this application alone offers a clear view into the future of mobile eCommerce, and a good lesson in how to make this business model work through robust development and ease of use. It won’t be long before we see other iPhone eCommerce applications, like eBay or Amazon jumping on-board.


Developing iPhone versions of websites is also cool, and pretty easy if you follow the developer documentation provided by Apple. We’re working on a couple at the moment at Reactive for our clients. Essentially customising existing websites so they look and feel really nice on the iPhone. It doesn’t have to mean a massive investment for our clients, especially if the original website is developed properly in the first place, according to web-standards and user-centric design principles.

It’s been my experience that the iPhone can actually replace a laptop in the home, I recently sold my laptop intending to upgrade to the MacBook Air, but because I have my iPhone, I don’t actually find that I need a laptop anymore. I can check the news, weather, buy stuff and check email (both Gmail and Exchange) all through the iPhone.

It also integrates seamlessly with Outlook at work, so I can easily sync up my address book and calendar. In fact it’s way better at this than my Nokia E65 (Symbian).

Google have Android, Microsoft have Windows Mobile, Nokia/Sony Ericsson have Symbian and Apple have the iPhone/OSX. It’s going to be an interesting 10 years as these players battle it out for mobile operating system supremacy. My prediction is this: Android will become the Linux of the mobile world (i.e. for scientists and Über-geeks), Symbian will fade away, Apple will grow its market share through the successful delivery of seamless hardware/software integration, whilst Microsoft will continue to do what it does best and provide productivity software to those of us that just need to ‘get stuff done’.

As a side note, I got it to work by following the instructions on this site:
http://www.hackint0sh.org/


So bring on the iPhone, it’s definitely the mobile consumer product of the future


Carl Panczak, General Manager Sydney

Labels: Technology, Web Culture and Trends

This week Hitwise released new numbers on Australian browsing habits. Rather disturbingly for online retailers, visits to shopping sites accounted for only 5.93% of Australian Web visits for the week ending 9 February 2008 - almost half the number of visits compared to the US or UK. Once again it appears Australia is lagging behind the rest of the developed world when it comes to embracing the online retail concept.

Now it would be pretty easy to spend the next couple of paragraphs pointing the finger at Australia's diabolical broadband penetration and listing the endless other reasons for Australia's slow uptake of online retail. Instead I thought it might be a bit more interesting to take a look at some of the areas where Australian online retailers have experienced success to date and some of the areas that are going to lead the eCommerce charge in Australia over the coming months.

1. Niche markets
If you can find a niche and deliver something consumers can't get elsewhere you're likely to have success in online retail. If you're a start up it's even better as online retail has generally lower start up costs than ‘bricks and mortar’ enterprises- as well as access to a much wider audience. Miijo is an Australian company that has successfully done just this: nabbing a niche market for designer fashions and accessories that you can't buy anywhere domestically.

2. Global brands
Australian brands with loads of international recognition but not necessarily international distribution are also prime candidates for online retail. If it is difficult for international consumers to access your product then setting up online retail capacity to service these customers is going to ensure that their dollars go straight into your pocket. Surely this is better than their money going to bootleggers or to savvy eBay resellers. Australian denim brand Ksubi has recently worked with us to do just this - and we're currently working with another iconic Australian brand on a similar eCommerce project.

3. Big brands
A large investment in bricks and mortar doesn't mean that online retail is necessarily a waste of time. While online retail isn't likely to become your primary source of revenue any time soon, it can act to provide your customers with choice when it comes to buying your product. It can also defend your brand from competitors who might not be so shy when it comes to eCommerce. Customers already know your brand and are likely to have fewer reservations about purchasing online from your store. You needn't put your whole inventory online either - why not consider starting small or having online-only products to assess your customer’s individual requirements for online retail. With the recent launch of Sportsgirl's online store I'm certain that we'll see a number of other big Australian fashion brands follow suit in the coming months.

4. Proven successes
Certain sectors are already more successful than others when it comes to online retail. If your product is travel or music or personal electronics then it's likely that you're already one step ahead of the game. While these sectors are crowded and competition is fierce customers in these areas tend to be more used to purchasing online and are more likely do so again meaning that the market is there for a well planned and executed new competitor. I'm sure a couple of years ago Flight Centre would have laughed you out of the room if you'd told them Web Jet was going to be a major market force for domestic flights.

What I am trying to say is that Hitwise's statistics and the general gloomy impression of Australia's online shopping habits should be no cause for alarm amongst aspiring online retailers. The market is only going to grow and while it's still small there are still plenty of opportunities to be had.

Bradley Grinlinton, Senior Account Manager

Labels: Web Culture and Trends, Web marketing