Mobile China and China Youth: Video Lecture

I recently spoke at the Illinois Technology Association’’s Mobile Visionary Roundtable and gave a presentation about the state of China’’s mobile environment, the issues that make up the China youth experience, and how youth culture and technology influence each other.  I”ve had the chance make a video of the presentation for your viewing pleasure.

There are 16 parts to this video (it was originally about 1 hr. in length), and I”ve uploaded both YouTube and Youku versions of each part depending if you”re viewing from within China or outside of China.

Special thanks to China Youthology, Enovate China, and Mobile Youth for their insightful contributions!

** Special note: Unfortunately Youku has censored the last 8 parts of my presentation. This second half is about China Youth Culture and grass-roots events that have happened that illustrate Chinese Youth pushing the limits of new media and censorship. Apologies to all who cannot view YouTube videos.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Unfortunately Youku has blocked the last 8 parts of my presentation. This second half is about China Youth Culture and grass-roots events that have happened that illustrate Chinese Youth pushing the limits of new media and censorship. Apologies to all who cannot view YouTube videos.

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

Part 13

Part 14

Part 15

Part 16

Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda: What I wish iPad could be.

Image from Apple website

My good friend Tim Cascio wrote a blog post entitled: Apple iSlate Roadmap: Game-Changing Features for Version 1.0 and Beyond and asked me to comment on what I imagine a game-changing iPad should look like.  Here was my response:

>> I was curious about what Apple would indeed release, but I had my doubts about what they would actually put into this new device. I concluded we needed a mini-tablet a couple years ago when I first started thinking about the need for a mid-tier device between the mobile phone and the laptop.  Since then we””ve had emerge Netbooks and also eReaders. These two alternatives have really risen the bar and made it difficult for how a mini-tablet or ”iPad” could be a game changer.

After the announcement yesterday, I”ve been reading a lot of reviews about the device.  I found this particular critique along the lines of my own opinions about the iPad: 10 Reasons Why you should NOT Buy Apple iPad

For me, what I””m looking for is a simple yet robust device that allows me to have a light, flexible, and versatile window into all my connectivity needs.

Building on Tim’’s list, here is my brief list of what would make me feel it is a game-changer:

1) Voice activation, Voice commands, & Voice type + recording: When I think of a touch screen device, a REAL one, I don”t think the proper interface is typing on a screen. I think it is awkward and inefficient.  A real game-changer would be get rid of the mouse, get rid of qwerty, and change the way we input information. Of course, there can always be a virtual keyboard when needed, or when voice is not appropriate (like in a meeting), but, a 9-inch screen should not be accessed by thumbs, and is really uncomfortable for efficient typing.

2) Multi-tasking: I think this is imperatively essential. Not that it has to be the same kind of OS and platform that we are used to in a netbook/laptop, but, some other form of convenient multi-tasking is extremely crucial.

3) Constant, continuous connectivity awareness: A real tablet should be constantly aware of its surroundings, automatically connecting you to the fastest, most stable, and free combinations of wi-fi, 3G & bluetooth devices around you.  This thing should make it seamless and simple for you not only reach out to the net and external information, but should also simultaneously enable you to pull information in from other devices (pictures, media files from your mobile phone or video/content saved on your computer or other storage, and ofcourse the internet).  This awareness should extend to things like credit-cards, all kinds of magnetic strips, and most importantly RFIDs.

4) An amalgamation of a bright OLED screen and eInk screen.  I might be dreaming at the moment, but you better believe that someday soon someone will figure out how to make both technologies available in one device.  Where you can change easily from a touch screen to an eInk screen. That would really be a game changer.

5) Really good graphics.  All I really want is for this thing to be an awesome viewing apparatus.  I want it to have enough processing power to show me things the way things should be seen. Maybe in the future with augmented reality and/or 3D technology. I don”t need it to have the kind of processing power to run complex gaming or heavy computing calculations.  I would expect all the heavy heavy computing lifting will be done through cloud-computing.  I would want this thing to be simple, light and be my window into where the real activity is going on: on the internet.

Thats really all I want. I don”t need it to have every knick-knack out there. Even a camera may not be that necessary for this thing. For me this should be my central nexus/hub to pull in all my disparate information from my disparate devices and formulate the best window for my information.  Thats it.

Music Review: Hua Acid Live

I love finding exciting new Jazz music creators.  I love them even more when they are doing it in China! Case in point: Hua Acid Live.

These guys just formed at the beginning of 2009, and they””ve hit the city of Beijing hard with their vicious rhythms and hypnotic tunes.  Being promoted by local media as the Only Acid & Funk group in Beijing, Hua Acid Live (or just known as Acid Live) are true to form with hard-hitting Acid Jazz mixed with Funk and House beats.  The band has been busy this inaugural year building an active local following and strutting their stuff at all the hottest live music venues in town.

The band says it is a melting pot for cultures and musical styles with the sole purpose of making good music.  This can best be seen by the groups”” eclectic roster: classical-pianist-turned-funk-keyboardist Zhang Zhang, UK expat Chris Cook AKA DJ Shiva spinning Electro and House music, guitarist Fei Jia and bassist Liu Yang.  Acid Live is joined regularly by other accomplished and diverse musicians such as Irish vocalist Anne Marie, American rapper Kor-E, Hip Hop group In3””er, and Chinese guzheng player Zhang Wei.

While the music Hua Acid Live plays is not ground-breakingly new, it is important to note that the high calibre with which they are playing this kind of fusion, is being played in China.  I have great excitement and high anticipation when I think about the scores of Chinese music patrons who will be exposed to this kind of music for the first time.  And I have even greater anticipation thinking and hoping for Hua Acid Live to record their first album! During their live performances that I have attended, they have mostly played standards that can be recognized by the audience — namely mainstream jazz-funk-soul songs for a still-maturing listenership. But Acid Live has played a few original songs as well.  Especially when they are mixing musical styles like with DJ Shiva, or one of the musical guests, you really get a sense of their potential in creating fresh, unique music that hails from Beijing but is made for a global audience.

Of course, there are many, many great unique musical groups that have put Beijing and contemporary Chinese music on the map, like PK-14, D-22, and Carsick Cars. But Hua Acid Live is really the first real Chinese foray into Acid Jazz+.  I hope but the first!

You can read some more reviews about Hua Acid Live at MySpace, TheBeijinger and CityWeekend 1, CityWeekend 2.

You can also see their MySpace page (music streaming) or their YouKu page (live performance videos)

Or just watch them now!

Hua Acid Live (electro)

Hua Acid Live w/ Kor-E

Hua Acid Live (soulful)