iPad - Steve Jobs and Apple Did It Again..!!

Sekali lagi, Steve Jobs dan Apple kembali membuktikan bahwa produk yang kreatif dari Apple tidak akan pernah hilang begitu saja. Setelah sukses dengan iPhone, iTunes, iPod, Apple Stores kini di awal tahun 2010, Apple kembali mengeluarkan produk yang bisa dibilang revolusioner dari sisi efektivitas, efisiensi, teknologi dan harga. Produk yang telah menjadi pembicaraan selama tahun 2009 kemarin akhirnya resmi diluncurkan pada tanggal 28 Januari 2010 kemarin. iPad, begitulah nama produk Apple terbaru ini

Kali ini, saya tidak membahas fitur-fitur yang ada pada iPad sendiri, melainkan saya ingin dari segi harga dan kreatifitas produk ini sendiri. Pertama, bicara soal harga, entah mengapa pada saat peluncuran kemarin dan kebetulan saya juga menunggu acaranya di CNBC, terbagi menjadi 2 (dua) sesi yakni, produk dan harga. Mengapa Apple membaginya, menurut saya disinilah kita dibawa oleh Apple dan Steve Jobs dalam suasana yang ‘excitement’ pada saat pengenalan produk dimana yang kita tahu sebagai Key Speaker yang handal dengan presentasi yang memukai, Steve memberikan informasi kepada para users maupun para investor. Mengapa investor, karena berbarengan dengan itu, sebelumnya harga saham Apple (APPL) di DJIA, dibuka naik dari penutupan kemarin dikarenakan peluncuran iPad ini dan kita tahu sama-sama apabila Apple mengeluarkan produk baru, selalu saja saham mereka naik apalagi setelah diketahui bahwa harga iPad ini ada di kisaran USD 499 – USD 899, tergolong murah sekali untuk teknologi tinggi saat ini. Teknologi tinggi bukan berarti harga harus tinggi juga, begitulah Apple mensiasati karena biasanya produk yang baru diluncurkan dengan fitur-fitur tinggi biasanya juga memiliki harga yang tinggi tetapi ini tidak berlaku bagi Apple lewat iPad nya.

Kedua, dari sisi kreatifitas, ada 1 (satu) sisi menarik dari iPad ini yakni iBooks. Yaa, inilah buku berjalan pertama yang ada di dunia menurut saya saat ini. Di iPad, kita tidak perlu susah payah membawa buku yang tebalnya ratusan halaman dengan beban yang berat. Di iPad, kita bisa menyimpan banyak sekali buku dengan ratusan halamannya dan tentunya… dengan berat yang sama dengan iPad. Kita bisa membacanya dengan kondisi terang bahkan gelap, sangat menarik bukan!! Nantinya kita gak perlu bawa buku segala secara fisik, ya gak :-)

Itulah mengapa saya bilang produk ini sangat revolusioner, semakin sering orang dimudahkan untuk segala aktifitas mulai dari internet, email, peta digital melalui iPad ini. Semoga saja di Indonesia kelak akan memiliki ‘the new Steve Jobs’ dengan produk dan konsep-konsep yang lebih kreatif dan revolusioner.

The Type of Brand Management

Hi Guys, Meet me again. Well, I would like to story you now about Management. Within this blog I would like to tell you about the type of Brand Management. Well, Let's start.

A number of different types of brands are recognized. A "premium brand" typically costs more than other products in the same category. These are sometimes referred to as 'top-shelf' products. An "economy brand" is a brand targeted to a high price elasticity market segment. They generally position themselves as offering all the same benefits as a premium product, for an 'economic' price. A "fighting brand" is a brand created specifically to counter a competitive threat. When a company's name is used as a product brand name, this is referred to as corporate branding. When one brand name is used for several related products, this is referred to as family branding. When all a company's products are given different brand names, this is referred to as individual branding. When a company uses the brand equity associated with an existing brand name to introduce a new product or product line, this is referred to as "brand extension." [2]When large retailers buy products in bulk from manufacturers and put their own brand name on them, this is called private branding, store brand, white labelling, private label or own brand (UK). Private brands can be differentiated from "manufacturers' brands" (also referred to as "national brands"). When different brands work together to market their products, this is referred to as "co-branding". When a company sells the rights to use a brand name to another company for use on a non-competing product or in another geographical area, this is referred to as "brand licensing." An "employment brand" is created when a company wants to build awareness with potential candidates.

Companies sometimes want to reduce the number of brands that they market. This process is known as "Brand rationalization." Some companies tend to create more brands and product variations within a brand than economies of scale would indicate. Sometimes, they will create a specific service or product brand for each market that they target. In the case of product branding, this may be to gain retail shelf space (and reduce the amount of shelf space allocated to competing brands). A company may decide to rationalize their portfolio of brands from time to time to gain production and marketing efficiency, or to rationalize a brand portfolio as part of corporate restructuring.

A recurring challenge for brand managers is to build a consistent brand while keeping its message fresh and relevant. An older brand identity may be misaligned to a redefined target market, a restated corporate vision statement, revisited mission statement or values of a company. Brand identities may also lose resonance with their target market through demographic evolution. Repositioning a brand (sometimes called re-branding), may cost some brand equity, and can confuse the target market, but ideally, a brand can be repositioned while retaining existing brand equity for leverage.

Brand orientation is a deliberate approach to working with brands, both internally and externally. The most important driving force behind this increased interest in strong brands is the accelerating pace of globalization. This has resulted in an ever-tougher competitive situation on many markets. A product’s superiority is in itself no longer sufficient to guarantee its success. The fast pace of technological development and the increased speed with which imitations turn up on the market have dramatically shortened product lifecycles. The consequence is that product-related competitive advantages soon risk being transformed into competitive prerequisites. For this reason, increasing numbers of companies are looking for other, more enduring, competitive tools – such as brands. Brand Orientation refers to "the degree to which the organization values brands and its practices are oriented towards building brand capabilities” (Bridson & Evans, 2004).

The Blind Side – Extraordinary True Story of NFL Player USA

The Blind Side – Extraordinary True Story of NFL Player USA

Hi all, Now I would like to story about an extraordinary film related with a true story of NFL Player in the US.

“The Blind Side” depicts the story of Michael Oher (Big Mike), a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, taken in by the Touhys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential. At the same time, Oher’s presence in the Touhys lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes an All American offensive left tackle.

Oher is a homeless and traumatized boy who become an All American football player and first round NFL. Living on the edge of gang bang boys area, Oher used to be lives close with drugs, alcohol, girls, violent but these are not influence him at much to be a protection of his family. He has 98% senses of protective instincts but at the same time he also has poor percentage of every lessons given by his school.

One day, when the teachers are in discussion about Oher, all of them are persistence about Oher, except one, when she read about what Oher write “ I look and I see white everywhere, white walls, white floors and a lot of white peoples. Teachers do not know if I do not understand whatever they teach. I do not want to listen to anyone especially the teachers. They giving a homework so I can do it by myself. I had never done a homework for all my life time. I went to the bathroom, looking to the mirror and say This is not Michael Oher.” Another is, Michael finally gets his driver's license, and SJ (Shawn Junior, as his brother) wants to pick out a new video game. SJ asks Michael to take him to the store, and Leigh Anne surprises Michael with a brand new Ford F-150, and not long after getting the truck, Michael crashes into an oncoming vehicle and "stops" the air bag from hitting SJ in the face.

A movie based on real events should be allowed some creative license. It's no high crime, for example, that the filmmakers skip over the fact that Oher became eligible to play college ball by padding his GPA with correspondence-course credits. The cheap grabs for emotional resonance in The Blind Side's screenplay gall far more than the film's elision of minor details. In real life, Oher pushed a trash-talking defensive lineman so far off the field of play that he was penalized for "excessive blocking." In the movie, the bile-spewing opponent comes with a racist, heckling dad, the better to give Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock) an opportunity for righteous indignation.

This film is not a cost high-expensive film but it’s create a high impact of person life changing and mindset from instinct of protective to be a full left back NFL football player who protects his team as he protects his family. Somehow a low cost of film making is not always be a poor movie, this is an example

It's Peele - Peele Time..

Coba ulangi terus-menerus kata yang ada di Logo di atas.. Kepikiran gak maksudnya apa? atau artinya apa? Sebenarnya sih aq gak sengaja bisa nemu kata-kata yang pas buat itu, bayangin cuma dalam waktu 30 menit..!!

Oke, begini proses nya.. Harusnya kalo kita mau nyari kata-kata atau nama yang sedikit nge-freak dikit, mestinya kan ada brainstorming session? minimal kalo mau brainstorming ada 2 (dua) orang kan.. At least sh segitu, tapi dengan sendirian bisa kok asal purpose nya bukan mencari sesuatu yang bisa dianggap besar nanti di masa depan dalam artian besar ini adalah ide yang brilian. BTW, aq ngomongin apa yach.. Lo kok jadi bingung sendiri nh.. :-)

Oke waktu itu jam 22.45 (Coba itung nyampe gak 30 menit) Peele-Peele sebenarnya aq cari dari kata "People" tadinya aq mo pake kata itu buat nama in Blog nya aq tapi kemudian kepikirian kalo "People" itu adalah nama Majalah yang sangat terkenal di Dunia dan gak mungkin dong aq pake, ntar jadi kayak kasus Bu Prita deh malah-malah jadi kasus besar Dunia.. Wkkwkwkwk, gak mungkin banget ya.. hehe.. Setelah searching di Internet ternyata memang domain nya dah ada sh :-(

Terus, jam 22.55, aq plesetin katanya jadi "Peeple", unik banget kupikir dan tadinya aq malas banget nyari apa domain nya udah kedaftar atau belum tapi demi Hak Cipta orang yang telah membuatnya jadi aq putusin nyari di Internet dan ternyata hasilnya memang udah ada yang pake sh :-( jadi batal lagi deh pake nya.. Peeple adalah situs social networking tapi mereke lebih suka nyebutnya social club, walaw masih under construction namun aq gak mau pake domain itu, lagi-lagi karena Hak Cipta orang..

Terus, jam 23.05, aq coba lagi break jadi kata "Peele" karena teringat banget dengan legenda sepakbola dunia asal Brazil, Pele. Aq coba search di Internet tentang Peele dan ternyata domain itu juga udah ada :-(

Setelah hampir 30 menit mikir, ternyata setelah aq ulangin terus menerus kata "Peele" akhirnya muncul ide untuk mengulang kata tersebut menjadi "Peele-Peele" alias kalo dibaca pake Bahasa menjadi "Pilih-Pilih" bukan artian pilih-pilih kasih ya.. hehehe.. Namun ini yang aq cari sebagai Trade Mark nya Blog aq.. Kelak nama ini mau aq patenkan menjadi domain website dan someday it'll will be become my own company as creative consultant.. Amiiinn..

Ya, begitulah 30 menit pencarian alias brainstorming session sendiri, dimulai pukul 22.45 dan selesai hampir pukul 23.15 (hampir 30 menit ya). Oke buddy, see u next time ya..

Kiss Marta - Jati Diri Budaya Indonesia

Indonesia memang kaya akan nuansa budaya yang beragam, sehingga banyak seniman dunia yang mengapresiasikan karya nya dengan kultur dan suasana Indonesia. Kali ini Blog saya akan menampilkan Kiss Marta, seorang seniman yang berasal dari Hungaria.

Pada acara pameran lukisan yang diadakan di Gedung Bank Volks di kota Budapest, Duta Besar Indonesia menemukan elemen-elemen budaya Indonesia dalam setiap lukisan. Dalam setiap pakaian atau kain apapun dalam lukisan selalu terlihat corak batik. “Semua lukisan buah tanganku selalu menyandang budaya Indonesia,” demikian tukas Kiss Marta, sang pelukis kepada Duta Besar Indonesia sesat sebelum pameran tunggal tersebut diresmikan. Wajah-wajah yang dilukis bisa saja bukan orang Indonesia tetapi baju mereka selalu diberi corak Indonesia khususnya batik Jawa.

Dalam acara pembukaan pameran ini pada tanggal 4 September 2009 Duta Besar Mangasi Sihombing menggaris-bawahi peranan Kiss Martha dalam menjembatani Indonesia dan Hongaria dalam dunia seni dan budaya dengan memanfaatkan waktu yang singkat dalam perkenalan dengan Indonesia. Dicatat bahwa selain Kiss Martha, terdapat dua orang lagi warga Hongaria yang muncul menjadi pelukis yang baik yaitu Laszlo Balogh dan Tari Eszter yang karya-karya mereka menampilkan ciri Indonesia.

Seorang kritikus seni Hongaria, Szilagyi Gabor yang ikut memberikan sambutan dalam acara pameran menegaskan bahwa sebelum berkunjung ke Indonesia Kiss Martha tidak memiliki suatu kemampuan seni, namun setelah berkenalan dengan budaya Indonesia yang beraneka ragam, maka Kiss Martha menemukan potensi yang ada dalam dirinya. Selanjutnya sang pengamat mengemukakan bahwa 3 tahun lalu corak atau gaya lukisan Kiss Martha tidak dihargai orang, namun dalam waktu singkat Kiss Martha telah menjadi salah seorang pelukis yang tidak dapat disepelekan lagi. Sang kritikus juga memuji Kiss Martha yang bukan saja sebagai seniman pelukis tetapi juga seorang intelektual dengan buku karangannya dan sebagai seniman bidang musik.

(KBRI)

GARMIN Forerunner 385 GPS Receiver

Design

The 305's design is a radical departure from Garmin's previous generation of wrist mounted GPS devices, which reached a pinnacle with the Garmin Forerunner 301. While the 301 delivered accurate heart rate monitoring, good performance tracking, and decent GPS reception, it didn't quite deliver in the design department. The form factor was bulky and wearing it wasn't much different than duct taping a full-sized GPS device to your wrist.

Not so with the 305. Garmin's engineers obviously burned the midnight oil and have come up with a waterproof design that, while certainly not as small as a sports watch, feels just as comfortable. The curved casing allows the unit's antenna to face the sky when you're running, while the widescreen display is perfectly positioned for viewing when you need it. And the display certainly deserves a few kudos. While it's smaller than the display found on previous Forerunners, its resolution is far higher, offering incredible clarity and crispness.

Garmin has smartly given the 305 a simple button layout and the buttons have a nice tactile feel with good pressure response. The right side houses the menu selection and enter buttons, while the left houses a power/backlight button and a mode button. This simple and elegant solution is a big improvement over the sometimes confusing button functionality of previous Forerunners.

The underside of the 305 is pretty nondescript, except for a row of contacts that interface with the included charging and data cradle. The cradle is small and unobtrusive and its single mini-USB port connects to either an included AC adapter, or a USB cable that connects to your PC. In addition to data transfer with the USB cable, you can also charge the 305's embedded lithium-ion battery via a powered USB connection from your computer.

GPS Performance
The big news about the Forerunner 305 is that it features an integrated, high-sensitivity SiRFstar III GPS receiver. What does this mean? It means that the 305's ability to both track, and maintain a lock on, your position is better than anything before it. After an intial battery charge, the tester had the 305 on his wrist and was tracking speed and distance with GPS satellites within 3 minutes. The next time we used the 305, satellite acquisition was nearly instantaneous. A run through dense trees didn't faze the unit either; tracking remained true and steady. Performance on a bike was equally impressive. Whatever witchcraft has been cooked up by the designers of the SiRF technology, I like it!!

Computer Connectivity and Software
Garmin has been outfitting their devices with USB connectivity for some time now -- a welcome move for those who struggled with serial port connections in the days of yore. Thanks to USB, the 305 integrates seamlessly with the Training Center software and we quickly had workout history uploaded and stored on the computer. Not only does Training Center--which is compatible with both PC and Mac--make it easy to track your performance, you can graph data such as heartrate alongside your speed and distance. Over time, this is a great way to view your fitness levels increase, and it also helps you see what types of workouts are necessary to strengthen your weaknesses. For instance, if you see your heartrate begin to spike after a certain distance, you know you need to increase your endurance workouts to train that area of fitness.

In a first for the Forerunner series, the Training Center software also lets you define courses on your computer that you can upload to the device. When course information is combined with uploaded workout information, the Forerunner becomes a complete guide, telling you where to go, when to make a turn, and what kind of workout to do when you're on the road or path. Back on the computer, the software's ability to overlay workout data on maps of the course makes it easy to see where the course offers up the tough hills and the easy recovery spots. Plus, the ability to track historical performance on a given course is a great way to measure your improvement.

The 305 is also fully compatible with Garmin's MotionBased service, which takes your training to another level by connecting your data with the Internet. While we weren't able to use the service, the promise of sharing courses, maps, workouts, and performance data with other users is intriguing. And if you're a serious endurance athlete, you'll be glad to know that the 305 is also compatible with TrainingPeaks.com, an easy-to-use web based training system designed to help athletes train for any event.

Pros

• Radically new design is better in every way
• Amazing accuracy and fast satellite acquisition time
• So simple to set up and use, you will actually use it

Cons

• Okay, it's bigger than a sport's watch -- but so much more powerful

What's in the Box
Forerunner 305, Garmin Training Center CD-ROM, heart rate monitor, docking cradle, expander strap, A/C charger, USB cable, owner's manual, quick start guide.

Product Description

Package Includes: Forerunner 305, Heart rate monitor, docking cradle, expander strap, AC charger, PC/USB interface cable, Quick start guide, Garmin Training Center CD & owner's manual

The Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS System combines form and function. This combination running partner and personal trainer is designed for athletes of all levels. It features a high-sensitivity GPS receiver, new courses feature, and robust ANT wireless heart rate monitor for optimal performance. The super-sensitive GPS tracks your every move, even working on tree-covered trails and near tall buildings. The heart device monitors your heart rate, speed, distance, pace and calories burned so you can train smarter, more effectively. These taskmasters will continually push you to do your personal best. Courses feature lets you download recorded courses and compete against previous workouts Auto Pause pauses and resumes training timer GPS features - GPS with high-Sensitivity SiRFstarIII architecture Wireless communication between system devices via ANT protocol Display Size(WxH) - 1.3 x 0.8 (33 x 20.3 mm) Lap Memory - 1,000 laps Rechargeable internal lithium ion battery - lasts 10 hours (typical use) Waterproof - Submersible in one meter of water for up to 30 mins. Alerts - Time, distance, pace and heart rate Physical Size(WxHxD) - 2.1 x. 7 x 2.7 (53.3 x 17.8 x 68.6 mm) Weight - 2.72 oz. (77 g)

Heart rate monitor features - Transmission Range - approximately 3m (9.8ft) 3V CR2032 battery - lasts 3 years (1 hour per day) Physical size(WxHxD) - 13.7 x 1.4 x 0.5 (348 x 35.6 x 12.7 mm) Weight -. 74 oz (21 grams)

Motorola DROID

It's hard to look at the DROID without looking at the company which brought the device to life. Motorola: for years the name has been synonymous with... well, disappointment.

With the DROID, the company has perhaps created its most attractive and intriguing piece of technology yet. Forging an alliance with both Verizon and Google, Motorola has come up with a second compelling reason to count the phonemaker down, but certainly not out, while the other two giants have finally found a seemingly worthy device to position against the iPhone. So we must pose these questions: is this the phone which will catapult Android into the mainstream? Is it the device that will pull Motorola back from the brink? And -- most importantly -- is it the lynchpin Google and Verizon have needed to challenge the leader in mindshare in the smartphone market? After putting the device through its paces, we think we can give you the answers you seek -- so read on to find out!

The DROID is an odd and beautiful device. Looking at the hardware from a purely philosophical standpoint, the ID of the phone seems staunchly defiant. Instead of taking its cues (and lines) from current contenders in the smartphone space, the DROID is all hard edges and angular slopes. The construction is a mix of plastic and metal, and the phone has a solid, expensive heft to it. Couple that weight with soft touch materials and gold highlights, and the effect is somewhere halfway between a Vertu device and the European version of the Hero -- and it's a good mix.

If you must compare the DROID to the iPhone, then know that the Android platform still has a ways to go before the experience of using the phone is as seamless as the one Apple has created -- but also know that Apple has a long way to go before its messaging, email, and customization can match what Google is offering. Both products have very distinct strengths and weaknesses.

So, is the DROID a good smartphone? Yes, the DROID is an excellent smartphone with many (if not all) of the features that a modern user would expect, and if you're a Verizon customer, there probably isn't a more action packed device on the network. That's not to say the device doesn't have its faults; the camera was unpleasant to use, the application selection feels thin in both quantity and quality (despite the claim of 10,000 options), and the phone has bits of basic, non-intuitive functionality that might chafe on some users after a while. But even still, it's hard not to recommend the DROID to potential buyers eager to do more with their devices. It's easily the best Android phone to date, and when you couple the revamped OS, Verizon's killer network, and an industrial design straight from a gadget enthusiast's fever-dream, it makes for a powerful concoction. Ultimately, the DROID won't usurp the iPhone from the public's collective mindshare or convince casual users that they must switch to Android, but it will make a lot of serious geeks seriously happy -- and that's good enough for us.