Big Gigantic Huge

Ben Powell — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 03:46:31 +0000

$600 Million in Stamps

Ben Powell — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 05:02:34 +0000

Netflix is now attempting to shift the $600 Million a year that they pay in postage into digital distribution contracts with movie studios and media companies. Reed Hastings had the vision when no one else did. They couldn’t put the pieces together. They sat back and now that they see the power of his vision they all want a piece.

Media Owners – Time Warner - http://nyti.ms/heYQoH

Distribution – Comcast - http://wapo.st/gs1XIs

Competitors – OnLive - http://bit.ly/efwRbV

They might be able to chip away, but do they have the motivation to really change their entire business when everything is going just fine? http://read.bi/9UnKj4

Their business model isn’t broken. People aren’t “cutting the cord.” In a national study by Nielsen it was found that less than one percent of households have ditched their cable tv connection. http://es.pn/hB5fHr

Another recent study by Nielsen shows that people are watching more TV today than they ever have. http://bit.ly/LjE4H

The problem for the old guard is that someone will find the special sauce. The secret missing piece that rapidly accelerates the rate of change. We aren’t there yet, but it’s inevitable.

Maybe it will be something similar to what Mark Cuban is suggesting. http://bit.ly/b871Pa

Whatever it looks like it won’t need stamps.

I am love

Ben Powell — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 03:12:51 +0000

This movie is a throw back to a few of the gods of cinema Antonioni and Bergman.

It’s rare when a film lets you get caught up in the experience and you forget about story or plot. This film manages that and quite a bit more. It’s in a few theaters sprinkled around. Definitely find one. You will be rewarded by seeing it in the theater.

The secret to innovation is turning the crank

Ben Powell — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 01:56:30 +0000

“given enough goo and a sufficient number of chicken embryos, they could “make another one.” “

Malcolm Gladwell on the hum drum everyday, boring nature of breakthrough ideas.

http://www.gladwell.com/2008/2008_05_12_a_air.html

Look at your hand, now back to me.

Ben Powell — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 04:08:49 +0000

The guys that created this spot are way too god damn good. This is genius. Not only is the concept brilliant, so is the writing, as is the acting, as is the direction as is the fact that it was shot all in camera (except for the diamonds) Oh yeah, and it’s on strategy.

The greatest film review of all time, ever

Ben Powell — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:59:43 +0000

Somehow the interwebs brought me this little piece of genius. A review of “The Phantom Menace. Though it’s actually a hilariously brilliant lesson in storytelling. Revel in all 70 minutes, you’ll laugh your ass off.

Y Combinator

Ben Powell — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:12:55 +0000

YCombinator

People do incredible things when they are asked to. Many ideas get lost because they are never looked for. Y Combinator seems to have figured out how to create web startups that do something meaningful. They approach starting companies from the perspective of right now. The web finally beginning to morph into something that we haven’t imagined and they have the pulse.

King Dieter

Ben Powell — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 14:22:56 +0000

Dieter Rams

The commandments of good industrial design from the king himself Dieter Rams. If you aren’t familiar with Dieter’s work take a look at every product Apple has released in the last 10 years. Each one has its roots in products that Dieter designed for Braun in the 60s and 70s. I wonder if Jonny Ive has ever met Mr. Rams. He needs to at least buy him a beer.

Here’s a shot of Dieter in 2005 at a retrospective of Braun design that my father curated.

ffffound!!!

Ben Powell — Tue, 12 May 2009 03:15:26 +0000

I love this website. Sometimes I wonder if images are degraded when there are millions everywhere spread across a ton of photo sharing sites where it’s hard to find anything interesting. Every image on this site is amazing. Is there a site like this for video, it needs to happen.

On the (nearly lethal) comforts of a luxury cruise

Ben Powell — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 15:24:47 +0000

David Foster Wallace takes a luxury cruise. He veers from hilarity to essay to self-portrait. A big long flowing internal monologue amidst, mysterious Polish maids, and endless buffets.