No, I don't need to own a car

As mentioned in my previous post, my home is in Tokyo where the cost of living is quite high (see the worldwide ranking for expats here, though I have been here long enough to qualify as a local).
Buying domestic car does not cost much but as you may know, it is only a fraction of the cost of ownership. What hurts particularly is that there is very little parking space and, if you are renting, you have to pay an ungodly amount of money to park you car. Given the fact that I drive only for getaways, to irregular shopping spree or family-related medical appointments, and mass transportation runs on time here, I don't really need a car.
Don't get me wrong, I love driving and powerful, beautiful cars. And don't get me started on automatic gearboxes! It just does not make any economic sense.

Car sharing
Talking with a colleague who is a frequent user, I decided to try out car sharing. Basically it is like renting a car, except that you pay a monthly fee and get to chose what to drive for an all-inclusive price. And as your information is already in the system, it is pretty convenient.
Many services are available in Tokyo and after a bit of research I chose "Times Plus" (details on the car sharing market in this recent article of the Japan Times). They have several stations around where I live and a good choice of cars.
The monthly fee is cheap (1,000 yen/ a bit less than US$10 that are given as a discount on your usage during the month) and there are packages and pays-as-you-go options. Registering took a few minutes online and all I needed is a scan of my driver's license and a credit card. Few days later I got my member's card and I was ready to go.

To select a car I just access the website (or use an app) from whatever machine I use and I can see which cars (small, vans, sports, hybrid, etc) are available where during the time I am interested and book them. What is really fun for a techie is how you get in the car. Your member's card has an embedded RFID chip that opens the car when you swipe it on the windshield!

and the car are easy to find in the parking lot thanks to those plastic banners in front of them

Experience
Then the actual car keys are in the glove box. So easy. Did I mention I could set up the GPS at the time of the booking so that the car is all ready for me when I get in? And the same GPS knows when the car is back at its spot, their big computer knows when the keys are back in the glove box and my card swiped to lock everything. And then I receive an email to confirm I gave the car back.
And the actual cost you may ask? For example a 30km round trip for running some errands taking 3 and half hours, costs a bit less than $30. Not bad, knowing we were 3 in the car.
And by the way, if you take some of your time to fill the tank (more than 20 liters) or get the car washed at one of their partner gas stations (using the loyalty cards available in the car) you receive discounts. How do they know that? Well sensors in the tank and the use of the loyalty card linked to their database. Spooky may be but the incentive is good (15-minute discount for each) and it makes sense for the company as users are helping doing the basic maintenance, lowering the overall cost of the service.

So...
I am really enjoying the service. The cars are new and well taken care of, the customer service responsive and the whole experience is smooth.
On one hand, where I went, from where, for how long, the type of cars I use is logged in their database. By cross referencing with my credit card company or my online social activities they would be able to have pretty good image of my habits. This could be a problem if it got stalked by someone who was after me and able to get to the data. It could always happen but the probability is pretty small (except if I become a very well known and important person but that's another story!).
On the other hand, all these technologies coupled together are offering me a good experience, a useful service at a reasonable price solving a logistical and economical problem I am facing as an urban dweller. And imagine the type of personalized offers they could provide me with if they were smart...

All in all, these new technologies used in a smart way are a boon for us, offering more convenience and lowering costs. Of course we are handing over some information, voluntarily, but the pay off is obvious. As I was mentioning in the previous post, we should remain vigilant of the laws of the land and the T&Cs of the companies to make sure we remain protected and our privacy respected to continue enjoying the benefits of technology. Which brings me to the "Reform Government Initiative" by some tech giants to get governments (especially the US one) to be more transparent, and that is great.
Let's continue enjoy technology but be informed and active citizens!

Big data making life easier for a city dweller

Living in big cities, wherever you are in the world, comes at a cost: more expensive groceries, smaller living spaces, exorbitant parking space, traffic, noise and pollution, to name a few. Being in Tokyo myself, I experience all of that and some more. So I decided to take full advantage of new technologies to make things a bit easier and share my experience and thoughts with you.

Everyday convenience
We have gone fully online for everything that is bulky, repetitive and does not need to be selected every time (ie like fresh produces), and choose Amazon (Prime and Amazon family members - called "Amazon Mom" in the US).
Besides the obvious price advantage (no retail space to pay, passing down savings to consumers), convenience is great. The shipping notice comes by email, of course, but being displayed in Google Now in great details changes everything.

Amazon has a great agreement with delivery services (here Yamato Transport) thanks to which there is a deep link in the notice email to their parcel tracking service (in blue at the bottom of the image above). Without any login, I can check hour-by-hour the status, on any Google connected device, and know more or less when the delivery will arrive.

And it was accurate at +/- 30 minutes. Speak of convenience! I can mind my own business outside home or get into a meeting without the risk of being interrupted or missing the delivery. I am sold on it!

Technologies
What made this possible is the convergence of 3 technologies: databases, real time positioning (GPS) and unified online ID.

• Amazon and Yamato (the transporter) have linked their databases to permit a rapid exchange of information, to make it as relevant as possible for consumers (see a brief description of what happens on Amazon Japan English page). They have done it in an open way so that a third party (like Google) can actually use this information to provide added value to users. As consumers, we have to authorize and accept that our information is analyzed, crossed between many databases/tables and profiles, shared between companies and accessible for our own convenience. Databases are nothing new of course, it is how the underlying technologies and the protocols to exchange information between them that makes a difference.
• Real-time positioning (based on GPS), allows us (sellers and transporter of goods as well) to know exactly where a parcel is and estimate its delivery time, based on past experiences stored and analyzed in databases. Each parcel gets scanned (with a bar code or a QR code, or RFID tag, ) every time it changes hands or reach a distribution point and the information goes up in the database and back to us via our devices. It is the same technology that helps us find our way or receive timely and geo-targeted offers.
• Unique Online ID is our online unique face that permits companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon or others to recognize us wherever we are and propose us customized service and information. Think how you can connect to so many services by just using your Facebook login or Google login, that is it.

The benefit I get from the use of these technology makes my life easier, and yours certainly too. At the same time we hear from many sources about "big data", our private information being mined and combined here and there, and users being "the product". And in a way it can be said to be true. But I believe it is an alarmist and headline grabbing and unbalance way of depicting the whole picture.


Quick conclusion
If we look at my own example and the benefit I received from it, it overweights the possible downsides. Of course we need to be vigilant about how our data is being used, kept, managed and destroyed by keeping up to date on T&Cs and not letting companies & governments off the hook. That said, I believe that stating a simple "not for me" is going against the march of progress and denying ourselves a lot of convenience.
Next time, I will be looking at how I have decided not to have a car full time and conclude on some broader questions. Until then, do not hesitate to let me know what you think.

Subway tokens and leaping forward

I travel a lot for work, mainly in South East Asia. Although I usually take taxis if I am traveling with colleagues, I prefer mass transportation when on my own.

Recently I used the subway in Taipei and Bangkok and could not be more positively impressed. They are clean, runs on time, people are caring for others (elderly, kids, pregnant women) and ads are not too much in your face. And of course, very good 3G and LTE connections, even underground.

What impressed me though is the ticketing system. Both subways are relatively new (2004 for Bangkok and 1996 in Taipei) and have leaped forward technology-wise when compared with older systems. Platforms are all equipped with security doors preventing passengers from falling on the tracks (voluntarily or not), air conditioned, and did not bother with subway tickets. Yes, no tickets. At least not in the shape Europeans and Americans are used to. All tickets are either multi-entry IC cards or tokens, like this one:

Beside the obvious geek factor of playing around with a RFID piece of plastic, it shows a couple of forward looking thinking: future compatibility with additional lines or between subway and other older train systems once they get upgraded, the possibility of embedding the ticket technology into smartphones and other form factors and finally cleanliness (no paper tickets = no littering, durability, more limited long term environmental impact). It is all boils down to more convenience for users in the long term. And gets us close to the internet of things.
Even if you do not speak the language, the token system is instinctive enough to let you find your way around. This simple video shows the efforts that went into making the system easy for foreigners (likewise for Taipei):

When traffic can be bad and moving around in taxis more onerous, this is a good way to help tourists discover the city (spending more money eating and shopping) as well as supporting local workers who can move around more easily and spend more time working and less time commuting.

Making life easier for everybody in big cities (when the global population is becoming more and more urban) is what politicians should be working forward and is definitely a way to support the economy, and more importantly the people in general, and leap frog the Old World, bogged down by legacy systems.

And mass transportation systems are not the only way up and coming countries are leaping forward, telecommunication is too. There not enough money or real reason to develop a wired phone grid in these countries, that is why wireless communication (voice and data) are developing fast (this report is a good summary and this one from ATKearney is more comprehensive). 3G and LTE are everywhere and relatively cheap. Internet access comes through a phone or a tablet screen more often than a computer's and it makes a world of difference. But that will be for another post.

My dear Europe should be worried when looking at up and coming countries like Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia and Indonesia. There is a lot of exciting things happening there. But I am not sure it even wants to look around. Anyway, I will keep looking for other cool technological implementations. Until next time!

Sign of change for Apple?

Yesterday night I posted about this Apple TV CM that I saw for the first time:

It took me 20 seconds to start thinking about the company and another few to dispel the idea it might be another Samsung challenge to Cupertino.

Why was I so surprised? Because I couldn't remember a time in recent history when they did branding. So that emotional TV CM raises questions for me: what is the intent? And who is targeted to?
I think it is a sign of times, where the company feels the need to reaffirm what it stands for. It's either because they feel threatened or a message to their fans showing they still stand strong. I tend to go for the former.
Although recent financial results show that Apple certainly is strong,  I see iPhone old timers openly talking about switching to Samsung, Sony or HTC when their contract is up. And South East Asia is now clearly Android territory (from my own observations that is). Diverse offering and price points are appealing to many.
So, what about the target? They will not wow back switchers but Apple users will feel better about their choices, reassured. And I believe that is the original intent.

The ad will help buy time until the next product release, which will be a success, but I'd be interested to see what their next campaign look like and if they feel the need to continue on this path. If they do, that will definite be a sign of change for the market, but also in the way Apple sees itself. Interesting times!

Soaking up the juice in San Francisco

After a 3-day long work conference I managed to shoe-in a week off in San Francisco and Napa Valley. And was blessed with the best weather Northern California can give: blue sky, light breeze, comfortable temperatures.

Knowing the city and its surrounding better on my third visit was a delight: international, relaxed, with tasty wines and food, and full of energy.
Everybody I met was predictively more casual than anywhere else in the US and had a very positive attitude. So it was right into the image of the city.
What surprised me the most is the entrepreneurial energy I felt when I hang out at well known start-up spots likes Blue Bottle Cafe, Town Hall or the Samovar Tea Lounge, but also on the bus, subway, in the parks... Each time those places were full of business talks and networking, literally beaming with a "can do" spirit that was just invigorating. I think I finally understood what I have read so many times about what makes Silicon Valley and its surroundings so special: it's in the air!

I cannot bring that special feel back to the office (it's there and not here) but I will try to give back a bit of the juice I soaked up over there, to benefit everyone.

Have a nice week!

A world of endless possibilities, in 3D

I finished reading +Chris Anderson fantastic new book "Makers: The New Industrial Revolution" 3 weeks ago and my head is still buzzing.

I had heard about 3D printing but did not realized how it could actually be applied to so many different fields. What I was missing was someone to open my eyes and take me on this fantastic tour. And there is so much to see, discover and think about!
This technology will reduce waste (one would be able to print the broken part of a toy or a small machine that would otherwise send the whole thing to the bin), create jobs (thinking of all the opportunities for creating jobs catering to small niches, "the long tail", which big players cannot economically reach) and nurture, and be nurtured by, the open-source school of thought, making collaboration all the more important.
If only I had one when I was a kid and was so annoyed of having lost a small element from a toy (especially from my Star Wars figurines). Just imagine: downloading schematics, printing them out and voila! No more tears.

One could think, like I did, that it would be limited to hobbies and small time tinkerers but when I read this article "3D-printed dresses make it onto Paris Fashion Week catwalk", I realized it was becoming mainstream at a very fast pace.
A few more years and one will be able to print almost everything, as long as it is available on Creative Commons license (another big subject...). For me it means that one could live from its craft, and compete on a virtually unlimited playing field. It so invigorating. And I even have a few ideas for myself, if I ever wanted to become my own boss, or complement my retirement, in many years.

Have a look at the book and the available resources (the magazine Make, from O'Reilly media, has just spun off due to its succes), it will open your eyes and may be give you ideas as well. A brand new world!

A good change for smartphone consumers?

I meet many people from a similar background: marketing. Being hype as we are (or actually think we are), everybody has been using the latest iPhone and the coolest cover. Everything else was just turned into derision, i.e un-hype.

Like everyone else I read reports and announcements about the pace of Android handset activations the world over, without actually experiencing it myself. Until last week when I traveled to Hong Kong, for the first time since May 2012. There I saw multiple, and quite enticing, OOH ads for Samsung and aggressive POP material from Sony and LG. Going into meetings, I noticed what I estimated around 50% of Android devices (including one remaining BlackBerry). Quite a change! For the first time I experienced what I had read: Android, in its diversity, was really becoming a force to reckon with (and the 2nd hand market is increasing the pace of re-purchase in Hong Kong, at least) and new comers to the game.

How much market share will go to the various operating systems (iOS, Android, Microsoft, and may be Linux and BlackBerry) I do not know, but what I know is that, as a consumer, I am really excited about this situation!
More competition means makers will outdo each others with features, designs, better OS and pressure on the prices to keep all those gizmos affordable. We will be able to chose from a wider range of products and find the one we really like in every aspects, no more mono-choice (don't get me wrong, I find the iPhone form factor and finish absolutely beautiful). All these new features interacting with others in buildings, cars, mass transportation will create habits and usage that we have not dreamt of yet. This could be a simple a locking a door with your phone (like this precursor), to helping elderly keep in touch with their family in an easier way or helping far away elementary school students getting access to more knowledge, a better shot at a better life. My sci-fi fan heart is pounding just imagining how close the future seems to be!
As a professional working in advertising, I am excited by the field of possibilities opening in front of me. More ideas to think about and develop, and more options to wow consumers with jaw dropping visuals and tag lines, turning advertising campaigns into really memorable and entertaining moments.

I now actually feel that we are on the verge of seeing an explosion of choices in mobile systems that will just open our world to so much opportunities, regardless of how much money or diplomas we have in our pockets
And that gets the optimist in me smiling at the beginning of this year.