small signals of fun · 2006-08-09 19:36
something that I’m not sure is real, but has struck me… companies are now starting to invest in fun. I’m not (just) talking about Nintendo, whose ever utterance is about making people – everyone – have more fun more of the time.
Two instances recently – the first was the Sony Ericsson K800. A very capable phone, with a decent camera, and some nifty features like panorama stitching. One big feature is photo frames – but they aren’t just the standard borders you might expect. You can be, for example, an astronaut or a bunny, or indeed, a Heathnote.
The other instance is iChat Theater. Apple have announced that a major feature of the next version of OS X is backgrounds for video chats, both static, and videos.
You’ve got to wonder when senior VPs of technology companies start mugging at the camera, pretending to be on a rollercoaster, if there isn’t some mileage in this fun thing.