"Since you found it pleasing, of course my blame was all involved. Splash me with glories, litter my seas with an onslaught of riches — what's that? You discerned it to be incompetent? Well then, I have naught to do with it!" -Came to me in a dream
Got a Logitech DiNovo Edge keyboard, which looks like this:
Yes, it's a looker. Black, orange, and white. Not unlike the type of terminal which would appear in a seminal cyberpunk work, as conjured from a fertile imagination of the late-1990s. But, it's also fragile. To my disappointment, raking my nails even slightly visibly scratches and damages the plexiglass.
If you're wondering why I got one after enthusing over my aluminum Apple keyboard so much, a few reasons: I'm really not in need of a numeric keypad, for one, and the wirelessness makes it that much easier to hoist onto my lap (I could've gone the Apple wireless keyboard route too, but it lacks certain key keys and I liked the DiNovo's design better… until I found out about its fragility). Many glowing reviews on Amazon.com, plus a US$50 rebate right now, altho not as cheap as weeks previous which I missed out on, where it would've been US$80-something instead of US$100-that.
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I recommend this enlightening book on a number of counts. In an increasingly crowded (and sometimes superfluously smelly) elevator of social media and marketing how-tos, Rohit Bhargava sets himself apart: one of the most noticeable distinctions Personality Not Included has is its non-linear, self-referential structure, which makes it easy (and rewarding) to skip around if you're compelled. I didn't, but the option is there, which can't be said for less adventurous texts.
The book largely deals with personality (of course) and the looming ennui of "faceless" companies that don't connect with their customers, which benefits no one. It sounds obvious, but as staples like The Consumerist hammer home time and time again, even the glaring gets forgotten. I suspect this is due to "idealogical incest", the echo chamber of corporations copying each other on the WRONG things, compounding their screwups by being over-cautious and de-humanizing themselves!
Why did I pick this up?
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One of the best ways to learn how to not just talk to, but passionately care about your customers is to repeatedly be on the receiving end of customer service — or lack thereof — from other companies. I've got 2 shining stars:
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I recently got a Nokia N800 "Internet tablet" from a nice chap on eBay. Rewind a bit: I was mulling over getting an iPod Touch (in a freakish coincidence, my brother reveals he got one a coupla days ago and he had no idea I acquired this N800), but as fantastically stylish as it is, it didn't do everything I wanted. But what did I want?
I needed a useful machine to capture ideas on. Both vocal and written. I also wanted to read ebooks when on the go, and surfing/poking the Net would be a plus. So's playing music… and movies (like TED talks).
My research led me to the cheap availability of Nokia N770s (earlier sibling) on the market, and gosh darnit, I missed a US$156 sale on the N800s. After much digging, it became clear that instead of the iPod Touch (which lacks a mic), the N800 would be right device for me. It was difficult to find a bargain since they're being discontinued at various places, but like I said, eventually eBayed it for US$200 — which is still a great deal compared to its street price at introduction, and the US$400-something N810, which has somewhat more features but isn't worth twice the price, I feel.
The good great stuff off the top of my head (without bullet points):
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