Commentary

Streaming Dreams

I recently had what I'm sure will prove to be a prophetic dream, one inspired by Steve Jobs--the Willy Wonka of 21st century technology--and his latest invention: the video iPod. Passing through a city too much like Tokyo to be New York, I descend stained steps into a subway filled with commuters, each attached to a video iPod. But not the original video iPod that Jobs debuted last week; these are customized models that come in a variety of shapes to meet the needs of their owners. The real tailoring is found within the devices' shells, however; each one contains a mélange of music videos, home videos, visual love letters, movies and television shows, news clips, sports highlights, interviews, educational material, and the latest innovations from the "vlogosphere." Oh yeah, and advertising, definitely advertising.

Clearly, in my dream, the video iPod has transformed media consumption habits as profoundly as the original iPod has. And, of great importance to the rich media community, this next stage in the "evolution of the revolution," as Apple calls it, is far more accepting of visual advertising than the initial audio stages were.

And how miraculous that this could and will be a reality so fast. JupiterResearch analyst Michael Gartenberg, with whom I spoke the day of Jobs' announcement, joked about how many publishers and media execs were surely booking flights to Cupertino, Calif.--where Apple is based--to explore licensing deals with Mr. Jobs.

I'm just hoping it won't take too long for media execs to see past paid content limitations, to the possibilities of an ad-supported content world. For instance, in my dream there are digital content distributors about the size of a desktop computer attached to news kiosks. Rather than pick up a paper, commuters en route to work load up their video iPods with a news package from CBS, say, which would invariably include a few Wal-Mart ads.

And any company with a message and the means--from record labels to clothing companies to pet chow sellers--could set up these so-called distributors. The goal is to offer a sufficient level of convenience, so the average commuter would be happy to take a few ads with their coffee in the morning.

Now, to be clear, I'm not nearly as excited about Jobs' device as I am about what people will do with it. Back down in the subway, a Kenyan man who has never been able to communicate with the Bangladeshi news kiosk owner he sees daily, shows the news dealer a video of his children playing soccer in Kenya; a girl just beginning the seventh grade reviews Indonesian geography; a man nearing retirement scrutinizes playoff highlights; and a 20-something chef-in-training without a minute to spare watches a news roundup, which is, invariably, proceeded by a 15-second Wal-Mart pre-roll.

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