Different Ways to Consume the Same Content (Flipboard and Boxee)
What is Flipboard? It turns your Facebook and Twitter account into something that looks like a magazine. It also lets you build a custom magazine, either by choosing from Flipboard’s pre-built curated “boards” or by importing Twitter lists. This is a very powerful and engaging way to read Twitter. You can also turn a single person’s Twitter account, or a single brand’s Twitter account, into a Flipboard. For instance, you can follow Techcrunch on Twitter with it and it will turn Techcrunch into a beautiful magazine-like interface that’s easier to read than any other reader.
via First look at “revolutionary” social news iPad app: Flipboard — Scobleizer.
From what little I've seen of Flipboard, and the number of rave reviews it's getting on Twitter by people I follow, it's certainly increased my desire to get an iPad.
It's surprising what a difference it can make to view the same data through different clients. For example, viewing Twitter and Facebook content through Boxee on the living room TV is very different to viewing the same posts on the desktop PC using Brizzly or twitter.com. Boxee displays only the links posted that contains video, and then displays that video in full screen (on the big screen). When sat on the sofa this is a vastly improved experience compared to sitting at a desk, no matter how big the monitor is. I'm used to watching video on the sofa, and working at the desk.
Flipboard appears to take Tweets and Facebook statuses and rather than optimise them for the living room, it optimizes them as if each link contained within a post were a magazine article.
It goes to show there is more to Twitter than just "what I had for breakfast". I wonder what other variations can be applied to Twitter and Facebook beyond the standard 'stream' view?
Glastonbury, Twitter and the Other World
For me, Glastonbury has been a good gauge of how much Twitter has grown.
I remember searching a couple years ago for Glastonbury on Twitter during the Weds and Thurs. There were probably 5-10 tweets an hour at most.
Performing a search now and there are many a second:
And Twitter and it’s like have certainly had an impact on Glastonbury too.
Gone are the days where the Q Daily could stick a rumour regarding the outside world in their daily newspaper and you couldn’t confirm or deny it without ringing someone on the outside (that’s assuming you could get a signal). A few years back the outside world was cut off world. Now-a-days Twitter, Facebook and access to the mobile web in general means that even if you’re not keeping up with the outside world with your phone, your mate probably is. There’s no escaping the news now (I can’t decide on whether this is a good thing or not..).
I remember thinking last year that when Jackson died, in previous years that news would have been considered yet another rumour that goes around the festival. However, a quick look at the mobile phone now and it’s confirmed.
Idea: Google Reader in Boxee
We've now got a decent media PC in the living room that displays video correctly. As a result I'm using Boxee a lot more than I previously did (as in I actually use it).
Friends Activity
One of my favorite features is that it lists the videos that your friends and the people you follow have posted on Facebook, Twitter and Google Buzz.
This results in a nice mix of music (Facebook), geek (Twitter) and fun stuff (both).
Usually when people post videos I rarely watch them. The viewing expierence on both my iPhone and desktop PC isn't the best. I'm simply not used to watching and enjoying video on them.
However, on the big screen tv whilst sat on the sofa, it all makes sense and is a good way to kill 20 minutes.
Google Reader
It made wonder what other services would make a good source for video. Most of the content I read is via Google Reader. However, as with Facebook and Twitter I can't sit there and watch the content the various sites post. So I figured wouldn't it be neat if Boxee pulled in my Google Reader feed (this could be all items or particular categories) and display the videos that feature in that feed.
Boxee Fail
Then the penny dropped. I remembered that the second best feature of Boxee is the way it manages RSS feeds. Using a web based GUI accessible via your favorite browser, you can easily add podcasts that can then be viewed via Boxee.
All I had to do was insert a feed I've shared via Google Reader and I should have the functionality I want. However, when I attempted to do that it failed stating it could not detect a feed.
Bummer.
If I find the time I might have a crack at creating a Boxee app that does it. If I do create such an app, or find a different solution I'll post it on this blog.
Sharing what you watch on TV
The last couple years has seen the way my brain thinks about things slightly differently. This has been down to two reasons:
- The iPod
- Google Reader & Friendfeed
The difference is, I now want to rate and share everything.
With the iPod I find that when I’m listening to a track my brain now naturally comes up with a rating (which I then apply via the iPod). This extends beyond the iPod though and happens when I’m listening to the radio. Of course, my brain soon clocks on to the fact that I can’t rate it and moves on.
Google Reader and Friendfeed has caused my brain to naturally want to share things. In Google Reader, I find that if I enjoy an article, I click the Share button and it then appears on my Friendfeed stream. It doesn’t really matter if anyone actually reads it or not. The cost to share is so minimal (one click) that there’s no reason for me not to do it. To an extent its my way of showing my appreciation for the work.
As with the ratings, the need to share items also goes beyond Google Reader.
I read a good letter sent into Teletext and I want to (but cant) share it. Or - and this is kind of the point of this post – I’m watching something good on TV and I want to share that.
It happened the other night. I was watching a Neil Young performance and thought “Jesus this is amazing! Must share so other people know about it and can enjoy it.”. Of course, the option wasn’t there (apart from a few choice text messages). But I really hope that’s where we’re heading in the future.
In an ideal world, the following would have been possible when watching that Neil Young performance:
I’m watching the Neil Young performance and think “Jesus this is amazing!”. I hit the share button on the remote and the following occurs…
It first of all prompts me to ask which group of friends I’d like to notify. I have a group setup for those who I consider to have a similar taste for music as me. I choose it.
My brother is watching the TV and a little icon appears in the corner of his screen. Its to highlight the fact someone in his social graph (haven’t heard that term in a little while – it was all the rage a year ago) has shared something. He presses the ‘view shared items’ button on his remote (or something to that affect) and it points out I’ve shared the Neil Young show.
With this being the future and all, we’re watching video on demand rather than Sky. So he can either tune in from the start right there and then, or perhaps flag it as one to watch/stream later – maybe after he’s finished what he’s watching.
A friend, Mark, is visiting family in Cardiff. His mobile chirps and he checks it. A tweet has just come through on Google Talk stating that one of his friends has shared a tv show. He clicks the link which offers him the chance to flag it up for viewing later. He’s not a big Neil Young fan so he passes on it.
A few days later, Dan (another friend) is browsing his Google Reader feeds and notices I’ve shared this show. He clicks the link and starts viewing. He likes what he hears and in turn shares it by clicking his Google Reader share button. As he’s a Friendfeed user this shows up in his Friendfeed stream. And from there? All sorts of folks pay attention, share and discuss it. I see it on my Friendfeed and join the discussion.
I don’t think my brain will be happy until I can share everything I enjoy. The infrastructure is starting to take shape in the form of Google Reader, Friendfeed, Twitter, BBC iPlayer etc, we just need everyone to tap into it.
I’ll save the ‘rating’ part for another day.
