BMW Films

These are three of my favorite short films from Seasons 1 and 2 of the now discontinued "BMW Films" episodes. Talk about good marketing.

Featuring Madonna and directed by her husband Guy Ritchie; some very impressive driving (not actually done by Clive Owen, of course). BMW M5 used.

"Star":


From Season 2,

"Ticker", featuring the Z4 (directed by John Woo):


"Hostage", featuring the Z4:

Life Changing Digital/Web Technologies

While "life changing" may sound dramatic, if you take a moment to think about how certain technologies have impacted your life, it's quite appropriate to describe them as such. Even for tech neophytes, it's difficult to argue that there isn't at least one technology that's significantly changed the way we do our work, enjoy life or solve problems small or large. These are the types of technologies that I’ll be referring to below.

I've separated them into two categories: "Web" and "Digital Lifestyle". The former refers to technologies that have leveraged the power of the internet* on a large scale to bring tangible value to a global user base. The latter refers to technologies referred to informally as "gadgets", which have changed the way we think about and use digital mediums of entertainment and communication in our everyday lives.

Top 5 Web Technologies

1. Web Search:
It's broadly estimated that we’ve** aggregated less than 30% of every web site in existence. Rather than focusing on a specific Web search provider (i.e. Google, Yahoo), I’m focusing on the concept of Web Search as a technology itself. Simply put, the value of the internet would be diminished dramatically if it wasn’t organized or made universally accessible and useful.

2. Web 2.0:
The implementation of AJAX has allowed web-based applications to become extremely powerful and versatile, not to mention viable alternatives to client-side applications (ie. Google’s Docs & Spreads vs. Microsoft Word & Excel).

3. Social networks/P2P Communities:
There are more than a dozen individual sites in this category that could easily be their own item on this list: Wikipedia, Facebook, MySpace, to name a few. However, I’m focusing on the very concept on which all of these sites were founded on. Social networks and communities will continue to be a breeding ground for productive and fun collaboration as well as public knowledge creation and distribution.

4. Apple iTunes Music Store:
If there was a textbook example of e-commerce done well, this would be it. Apple has managed to create seamless integration between its music store, the iTunes application and the iPod. The process by which you purchase music is extremely intuitive and the price-points all make sense. Now, if only they could nail the DRM (Digital Rights Management) portion of it to enable access to purchased music, server-side.

5. Email/Instant messaging:
The most dated technology on this list, I think we can all agree that email and instant messaging have proven their worth over the years. Beyond the fact that we’d all be lost without them (both at work and in our personal lives) it makes real-time communication easier and more accessible. When paired with a smart phone (below), you have the best of both worlds.

Top 5 Digital Lifestyle technologies

1. Smart phones:
The newest inductee to this group would be Apple's new iPhone. Smart phones are essentially devices that can browse the web, serve as a PDA, run third-party applications, make and receive calls and look damn good while doing all of it (OK, so the last one isn’t really a requisite, but what good is a smart phone if you don’t want to be seen using it?). Moreover, in countries like Japan, the mobile phone is the most commonly used device to access the internet, not PCs. Some popular fruits, numbers and letters (respectively) in this category are the BlackBerry, Treo and Q.

2. Apple iPod:
Can you think of any other piece of hardware that has single-handedly modified the direction of an entire company, currently has a cult following consisting of children, young professionals and seniors alike and is quite possibly one of the most desirable pieces of hardware ever made? The iPod has brought new meaning to the words "mobile media".

3. Wireless networking (802.11_)
If you enjoy being able to work at Borders, the airport, in the park or on your bed untethered to a CAT-5 cable, then you need to give 802.11_ some love. Often taken for granted, wireless networks will be the driver for new business models, including (but not limited to) enhanced distribution channels, advertising, and collaboration.

4. GPS-enabled devices:
While satellite-based navigation is currently the most common use for GPS technology today, the future looks bright in other areas as well. As geolocation becomes more important (ie. standing at an intersection in San Francisco and finding all pizza places within a 0.5 mile radius of you, automatically), we’ll see GPS technologies becoming more commonplace in phones and other mobile devices.

5. TiVo:
I don't watch enough television to warrant owning a TiVo myself, but the concept of on-demand media continues to show promise, as evidenced by YouTube. TiVo is last on this list because as products such as Apple’s iTV and Google’s YouTube begin integrate, the demand for TiVos may slowly diminish.

While perusing various exhibits at Macworld last week, I thought about what differentiates a "life changing" technology from a merely utilitarian technology. After some mild deliberation, I came to the conclusion that the former goes far beyond utility; it’s emotional; it stirs excitement and passion. Consumers lust after Apple’s brilliantly designed products after nearly every new product release they have. Google has become a commonly used verb in the English language.

I don't personally know anyone who gets excited by the thought of firing up Microsoft Windows on their Dell laptop (usually, having to do so conjures feelings of frustration and angst). However, the utility (not to mention compelling market share) of the Windows platform is inarguably present. Therein lies the distinction.

Google’s new releases during Macworld:

Viewing San Francisco in 3D with Google Earth 4

Modeling an Audi R8 with Google Sketchup 6

* The internet itself could be considered a top web technology on a macro level. I’m thinking on more of a micro level here, focusing in on internet-based technologies.

** In saying “we’ve”, I’m referring to the aggregated indices of all top search engines.

*** I work at Google, but all of the views expressed in this post are my own and not those of my employer.