The biggest acts of 2013 remodeled the standard album rollout into a highly engaging blockbuster event, shattering any preconceived notions of hype. Some explored new sounds by collaborating with an eclectic mix of talent. Others took risks to deliver an elegant, challenging, and important record. A handful did both. But only one reached above and beyond.
#FollowFriday – @PitchTalks
Think TED Talks with grass stains.
That is the message that greets you when you visit PitchTalks.ca. And you WILL visit that website. It’s one of the best new things on the internet today.
If you’re a baseball fan, this site is for you.
If you’re a sports fan, this site is for you.
If you’re a Toronto sports media fan, this site is for you.
And if you want to attend a PitchTalks go to the next one.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_byT4yQdNXM?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
Twitter hopes to dominate #WorldCup second screen action with World Cup hub
As The Verge (and others) reported earlier this month, Facebook and Twitter will be battling it out during Brazil’s World Cup in the hopes of dominating second screen World Cup social media participation. (Man, that was a mouthful!)
I am a huge user and evangelist of Twitter so I was surprised I hadn’t seen anything. Until now. (I’m also a huge user of HootSuite)
Here’s a screenshot tour of the World Cup Twitter experience:
When you login to Twitter and click on the home tab on the top left you will be directed to your timeline. On the left you will notice the right navigation is World Cup themed.
This is what it looks like. The upcoming games are shown as is the ability to actually customize your Twitter World Cup experience based on your favourite team.
By clicking on the first game we get a Brazil vs Croatia themed Twitter page. Everything from scoreboard, photos, videos, tweets and even team players’ accounts are displayed.
What is you actually want to choose your side and get more personalization? Click on through to the other side! (The Doors would have loved Twitter, eh?)
Click a flag to choose your team! Who are you supporting?
That day I met Tin Lizzie in @StratFest
Tin Lizzie is the affectionate name given to the world’s first mass-produced car: Ford’s Model T. Made in the first few decades of the 19th century, the Model T was also the first car to be made on Ford’s assembly line. Today, all mass-produced cars are made on an assembly line. And many other industries use the same assembly line process in their factories and warehouses.
Last weekend, I went back to my favourite Ontario town that’s 2 hours away: Stratford. There was a classic car fair just outside City Hall.
And that’s where I met Tin Lizzie. Allow me to introduce you all to this piece of history:
thinking ON the outside of the box
My latest article for the Catalyst blog is all about how brands are using their packaging in fun and innovative ways. Packaging? Yup. You know, the stuff that holds the other stuff we bought.
You can read about how brands are thinking ON the outside of the box here.
#TBT – Xinzhuang Baseball Court, New Taipei City
Toronto is baseball crazy at the moment with the Toronto Blue Jays doing well in the American League East this year. So far. However, baseball is not the sole domain of North America. It’s huge in Asia. Specifically, Taiwan.
I was in Taipei earlier this spring and got the chance to go to a baseball game between the Elephants and Monkeys. As my son would say, “Go Primates!”
The game was pretty good. However, it was the atmosphere that I enjoyed the most. No one is drunk although they serve beer. It’s a family atmosphere even though the crowd is split between the rival teams. And the crowd is generally very well behaved even though the entire stadium is singing, clapping and cheering throughout the game. It’s amazing!
Here are some photos inside and outside the stadium.
GestureLogic – a new wearable company from Ottawa: my latest from itbusiness
I had a chance to meet the founding team of GestureLogic in late May at a We Are Wearables event at MaRS in Toronto. They are a fantastic team from Ottawa (not just a place for public employees it seems!) that is looking to change the way people exercise. They’re new product is called LEO. And very soon they will be launching an IndieGoGo campaign.
Keep your eyes peeled here to stay up to date on their fundraising campaign.
To read my interview with the founder of GestureLogic and the inspiration behind LEO click here.
the everything store by Brad Stone: my book review
“the everything store” by Brad Stone is a very in-depth analysis of the beginning of the Amazon story. And, of course, the main actor in this story is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
The story begins in the East Coast with Bezos working for an investment house. Starting here, Stone takes us on a journey inside Bezos entrepreneurial mind throughout the humble beginnings of Amazon as it grew into the behemoth that it is today.
I’ve read Accidental Billionaires as well as Hatching Twitter. I’ve even read the Steve Jobs book. “the everything store” is different. This is no soap opera story; although many former employees might tell you that they felt they were in one when they worked there.
Stone’s book is a serious business look at what makes Bezos tick and what makes Amazon as feared by competitors while being admired by entrepreneurs; both at the same time.
I met Olivia Chow…just inside Scarborough
On Sunday I spent the afternoon like many Torontonians did: at a barbeque. However, this particular barbeque was interesting. Toronto Mayoral candidate Olivia Chow was the guest of honour. My friend (who also happens to be the dad of two of my other friends – META!) was hosting an afternoon barbeque in support of Madam Chow.
She was dressed in a simple, yet elegant, yellow summer dress. She didn’t talk too long but did promise to bring respect and vision to City Hall. What struck me most was that Madam Chow didn’t speak like a populist. She didn’t promise to spend money nor stop spending money. She actually talked about building a city where people could get to work on time; a city that was clean and where the air was breathable; a city that cared for it’s young and elderly; a city that we could be proud to call home no matter if we lived in north Etobicoke or near the bluffs in Scarborough.
And, I think, that’s the type of city and leader Torontonians want: a city builder. I don’t want someone to cut services. I don’t want a Mayor who feels they need to fight to get things done. I want a Mayor who wants to build a city: a place where we can be safe to live, work and play.
a new direction. maybe
If you’ve been following this blog for any length of time or even if you scroll through the posts over the years, you will find that I have written about so many things. And most of the time, nothing in particular.
I’ve blogged about real estate, banking, social media, books and much more. I’ve even used this space to re-blog other blogs in the WordPress community. I also re-post articles that I’ve written in other spaces such as Catalyst (where I work) and itbusiness.
Recently, I’ve been itching to write about so much more: theatre I watch, places I visit, politics, music, and even podcasts I listen to. So I figured I’d rename the blog. The url is not changing – karimkanji.com (or karimkanji.wordpress.com). But I thought the title should.
So allow me to introduce you to “observations from just inside scarborough”. I live in Scarborough. Or, I should say, just inside Scarborough. Fred Patterson – co-host of The Humble and Fred Show – once asked me where I live. I replied, “Just inside Scarborough.” Why? You’d have to live just inside Scarborough to understand.
Well, that’s enough rambling.
Hope you enjoy the show!
