Author: rob (Page 1 of 2)

photo of rat in a maze

Marketing isn’t a Dark Pattern. But it can be.

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On October 30, 2018

In Marketing, User Experience, Web

I’m frustrated. I’ve finally received familial approval to cut the cord—something I’ve wanted to do for years.  But I can’t make it happen.

With the exception of a few sporting events here and there, we haven’t actually watched television live or recorded on our aging TiVo in years. We’re a Roku and Plex household. In the back of our minds we’d kept cable service for when guests come and want to watch their favorite channels. That also hasn’t happened in years.  It’s time to stop paying for something we don’t use.

In 2018, one would think that this is a

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National Hardware Cup

The National Hardware Cup

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On February 1, 2016

In Emerging Tech, Strategy

The regional finals of the National Hardware Cup were in DC the other night—a business pitch competition for hardware startups looking for fame, fortune, and funding for their burgeoning enterprise. Here’s what went down.

About the cup

The National Hardware cup is a funding competition for hardware companies started by Pittsburgh based startup accelerator alphalab gear. Anyone with a startup focusing on a physical product can enter one of nine regional competitions. From the online pool of applicants, six are chosen to pitch their idea to a panel of local VCs and market leaders who will select one to

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LCD vs Phish

Getting the Band Back Together

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On January 7, 2016

In Etc

Today James Murphy published a lengthy blog article giving background to the recent announcement that he and the rest of LCD Soundsystem would be headlining Coachella this year. Fan responses have been mixed which is frequently the case once a band says “Goodbye”—especially one that did it so dramatically with a series of New York concerts in 2010 ending with a nearly 4 hour long show at MSG featuring every song they’d ever released.

So why am I so excited about referring to them in the present tense again after 5 years when I’ve been so reluctant to return to

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Top Lists of 2015

The 2015 Top List of Top Lists

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On January 3, 2016

In Etc, Marketing, Social Networking, User Experience, Web

As we wind down the last week of 2015 and writers across the globe struggle to tie it all together, readers have two choices: look back and rank order the things that happened last year or look forward and make some guesses on what’s going to happen in 2016. This is the first of those… a look back—perhaps with a sprinkling of the latter.

As I’ve indicated a few times here, I have a lot of disparate interests. This is one of the few posts that attempts to tie them all together. We’ll see how it goes. And now, without

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The Future Looks Bright

Why PCI DSS Requirements Will Change the Web For Everyone

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On December 22, 2015

In Security, User Experience, Web

By June of 2018 all “safe” websites will have to transact using TLS 1.1 or higher. This change over should start this summer as many service providers are required to implement the standard.  The cascade of change as a result could do more to move web technology forward than anything else has in the last 5 years. Why? You won’t be able to use your old browser.  Nobody will.

PCI DSS, Wha?

If you’re here reading this, chances are you’ve purchased something online at some point in your life.

When you made that purchase, you likely paid with a credit

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what do you expect

Promises, Promises

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On February 6, 2013

In User Experience

 

This Christmas season was a challenge for every successful retailer—with success comes numerous orders, strains on staff, hardware or software outages, increased fraud, and challenges related to getting temporary staff up to speed as quickly as possible.

There are inevitable lapses in quality, late hours, and frayed nerves.  At the end of it all the hope is for reduced inventory, happy customers, and a big fat bonus check.

So, it turns out the hardest part of that equation (to absolutely nobody’s surprise) is the happy customer.  Is there a key to customer happiness that gets overlooked in the furious

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