The Honda Accord

Just in case any of you thought I was full of hot air regarding problems at Honda, here you GO.

Smartphone Apps

Marco Arment is right on with his last post titled Might upgrade to the paid version someday.  If you use a smartphone, I recommend that you read the post.  Here is my favorite part:

It’s a very common user mindset: they tolerate a lot of limitations, ads, and nags to avoid paying. It’s not that they’re cheap, per se: they just really don’t believe that apps are worth paying for, and they feel cheated or defeated if they end up needing to pay for one.²

I have definitely met a lot of people who fall into this category.  I don't think less of them.  It comes back to my philosophy that everyone has their favorite things in life and those tend to be the things that they spend their money on.  Buying a $200 smartphone and then paying somewhere between $70-$110 a month for service but being unwilling to pay for apps is like buying an expensive refrigerator, paying to run it all month long, but being unwilling to buy food to put in it.

I enjoy apps.  I think they add value to both my phone and my life.  Some people feel the same way about gardening, washing their car, buying new clothes, dying their hair, dining out, traveling, donating, etc.  To each their own.

The Death of Satellite Radio

I have to be honest here.  I have not closely followed satellite radio.  I have not studied the financials of Sirius nor do I know how many subscribers they currently have.  I do know that there used to be two head to head competitors in the US market: XM and Sirius.  In 2008, finding that competing wasn't a viable option, they merged.  On January 13th, 2011, XM was dissolved as a separate entity and merged fully into Sirius.  I don't like radio.  I like being in charge of my own music.  I also like listening to music and not annoying local advertisements.  This is also the reason I use Rdio rather than Pandora.  Let me quickly compare the three services.

Sirius Satellite Radio
Annual Cost: $199
Ability to choose your own music: Channel selection only
Ads: Very few
Mobile: Yes

Pandora
Annual Cost: Free or $39
Ability to choose your own music: Channel selection only
Ads: Yes
Mobile: Yes

Rdio
Annual Cost: $120
Ability to choose your own music: Yes
Ads: No
Mobile: Yes

Satellite Radio, as it is currently offered, will not survive.  This is my prediction and hopefully this won't end up being claim chowder.  In a world without smartphones, Satellite Radio makes a lot of sense.  It has a MUCH wider variety of channels than normal radio and it has a lot less ads (hence the annual cost.  Nothing is free.  Everything is either paid for with the user's money or paid for by advertisements.  Or, in the case of Hulu Plus, it is paid for by both.)  However, we DO live in a world of smartphones and internet everywhere.  The rising generation doesn't like to pay for things as it is, let alone for radio.  The music scene has already changed and matured a lot in the past few years and I think it will continue to evolve.  Pandora will survive and hopefully Rdio (and other subscription based services like Mog, Spotify, and Rhapsody) does as well.  Satellite Radio however will not.

Chicago

There is something nostalgic about Chicago. I zoom in and out on Google Maps and for a moment it feels like I am there again. Something emotional about my oldest brother moving away when I still felt so young. He moved to Milwaukee, only a two hour drive away from "The Windy City." Or at least it was supposed to be a two hour drive but I remember the Chicago traffic prolonging travel by at least an hour. Boy do I remember Chicago. If you've ever been to Chicago, you remember it. It is that kind of city. The type of city that evokes a surge of passion through your veins. One that feels larger than life. It resembles New York City but feels much more personal. It's as if you could walk up to any one of the big sky scrapers, press your palm against the brick in a gesture akin to a handshake, and instantly become friends. It's the kind of city where even if you do watch what you eat, you start to believe that Chicago Deep Dish Pizza is good for you. It's where you choose your own identity and then let the world know. That's the Chicago I remember.

That piece was written about two weeks ago. Ladies and Gentlemen, that Chicago I wrote of, will be our new home! After much struggle with what I wanted to do in this life, I have finally decided: Advertising. Specifically, copywriting. Last Friday, the 13th of April, I received my acceptance to Chicago Portfolio School  Wahoo! We will be moving around the end of June in order to be all moved in before classes start on July 9th. We love Utah, our beautiful family, our terrific friends, and the life we have here. However, the call has come and we are ready to leave our mark on the world. First stop: The Windy City!

Photo by Trey Ratcliff 

Honda and Acura Design Woes Continue.

The New York Auto Show is in full swing and there are some awesome new models that have been

introduced. I look forward to discussing a number of those new models here on The Juicebox.  However, I couldn't resist that my first post be about Honda and Acura.  Honda introduced the "Crosstour Concept" which is basically a refresh to the current Crosstour.  It may be a refresh but only a trained eye is going to see the changes.  The problem is, even if you do notice the changes, they aren't any good.  The vehicle is still incredibly ugly.  This is an opinion coming from a guy who really likes wagons.  Now, on to Acura.  Acrua introduced the RLX Concept.  THIS car my friends is supposed to be the company's flagship sedan.  This car is more boring than a white wall.  The best thing about this car would be to drive next to one on a road trip and watch it cause all your passengers to fall asleep.  I honestly don't see how Acura can put this thing on the show floor and feel good about it while Audi and Mercedes are selling legitimate beauty pageant contenders.  Again, I'm not going to argue that this car is going to be a bad car mechanically or not a quiet, comfortable ride.  I am fairly confident it will meet those criteria.  This is about design and the design scheme is seriously flawed, from top to bottom at Honda.    

Note: While I think the Crosstour is downright ugly, I just think the Acura is boring.  The Acura would look fine in a retirement home parking lot.