Well based on some obvious visual features its safe to say that Safari 4 beta is the closest thing Mac users have to Chrome.  The rounded tabs at the top seem to mirror that of the Chrome browser as well as the “Show Top Sites” screen.  I’ve been testing it on a Mac so far and it appears to be running smoothly.  One initial point to note is that if you are running Leopard you need to be running the lastest version OS X 10.5.6.  And similarly on Tiger you must be running 10.4.11. For a full listing of all 150 features which I have yet to identify, check out Apple’s website.

Early Thoughts

Tabs - I love the fact that the tabs now occupy the area where the titlebar used to be.  Although it only adds 22 pixels more of browsable space, every bit counts.  What I don’t like about the tabs is the decreased clickable area when trying to move them around or create new windows.  Because the titlebar is no longer there the user now has to click on the tab bar to move the windows around.  What we are left with is a tab bar that also acts as the titlebar, so now to rearrange the tabs you are forced to click on the right corner as opposed to anywhere on the tab itself. Coverflow - I like the coverflow option for the history and bookmarks pages, the only problem is that they don’t load the previews by themselves.  So far the only way I can get the coverflow preview to be visible is by having to navigate to the page, have it load and then return to coverflow mode to get the preview.  Perhaps it’s still trying to load all my previews four hours later? Page zoom - I appreciate the page zoom addition I just think it would have gone hand in hand a full-screen feature as well.  Prior to page zoom I would do the ‘control + (mouse scroll)’ to enlarge an entire page and not just the text.  Now with page zoom you can do that within the Safari window.  I was hoping for a full-screen browsing mode just as the added to iWork ’09 but oh well.  I guess I’m the only one looking for that feature. Note: If you are looking for a browser for the Mac that does do full-screen browsing check out Shiira. In terms of MobileMe bookmark syncing I haven’t had any issues thus far and my bookmarks seem to sync properly between Safari 3 & 4 both ways. Other than some feature nitpicking I’ve been happy with Safari 4 beta so far.  The Jury is still out on the search bar vs the Inquisitor add-on, but I think Inquisitor might still have a stronger case.

 

When I say Netflix I mean the Netflix of a couple years ago when it was a physical movie rental service.  The Netflix I’m talking about is the one before the HD streaming and dedicated hardware.  It was the good old movie rentals from your computer that stuck it to Blockbuster and delivered it to your door (shipping fees and return postage included). What we have in Canada is Zip.ca.  Although feature wise it is not quite a true competitor to Netflix in the US, it certainly puts up a mean fight when compared to Blockbuster and Rogers video rental services. Shipping their first DVD in 2004 Zip.ca has grown their collection of DVD and Blu-ray rentals to include over 72,000 titles.  The collection includes movies from independent Canadian productions, to Bollywood, to Hollywood blockbusters and more.  They also have a growing television collection which includes all the classic series that you can’t find on bit torrent. More importantly is the pricing.  Not only does the new release price fall short of Blockbuster it also includes the shipping cost both ways.  Zip.ca has a variety of subscription options from 2 per month to unlimited (with a limit to how many you can carry at a time).  All options allow for addition pay-per-title rentals which still fall below the competition price. If you are a previous Zip.ca user and left because you found their website took forever to load there has been some obvious upgrades which make the catalogue browsing much smoother.  They have also added a pop-up dialogue box when mousing over titles to get a quick preview (and although I can’t take full credit for that addition I did leave it in the suggestion box:) ). Aside from the typical rating system and recommendation tool that thinks I have an anime fetish mixed with a love for all movies bad or pre 1960, the web tools are easy to use and straightforward.  The rentals work on a ranking system that the user puts together based on which movies he/she wants to see and in what order (called the ZipList).  They then send you items based on your ZipList as they become available so you may not always get your first choice, in fact you likely won’t right away so keep your list populated.  As of writing this post all of my rentals have been within my top ten choices. If you are wondering how much Zip.ca is paying me the answer is nothing, which is likely for two reasons: My blog doesn’t get a lot of attention and I have no association with Zip.ca aside from the fact that I’m a happy customer.  I also don’t like driving to Blockbuster in the Canadian winter.   They offer a free trial and have a referral program as well, but the referral program really only benefits the referrer. Me.  So unless you want to do me a favour you might as well just give the free trial a try.

Earlier this week I observed a lecture by Nancy Chappelle, the Managing Director of Content and Programming for TVO. If you’ve followed what goes on at TVO in the past but have perhaps lost touch do check in again. I was (and still am) amazed and inspired with not only their web presence but also their social media penetration.

We all know the typical model for a television networks website whose general purpose is to bring eyes back to the TV. Although we are slowing seeing a shift in this behaviour, with examples like Hulu, the flow is generally one direction and the intent is to direct all eyes back to television. The ads are on television, the ratings are tied to the television, there are definitely legitimate reasons for this behaviour, but things are changing slowly and surely.

Increasingly we are seeing networks putting up full episodes and bonus content because perhaps there is some value to the web. Acknowledging that now might not be the best time to experiment with fantasy revenue streams, there is still a growing potential for this shift. Anyone heard of Netflix? Is there anything they are doing wrong?

Although TVO doesn’t fairly compare to a major network (mainly because of where their funding comes from) they are still an excellent example of online potential for networks. They specialize in children’s content and have an entire website of over 150 games. Yes we are still talking about a television network. They produce podcasts (TVO Parents, The Agenda), they are on Twitter (@AgendaCamp, @TheAgenda), they have Facebook groups, they’ve got all the basics covered. But what goes above and beyond simply existing on the web is that they not only do all those things (which should now be considered requirements), they also promote topical unconferences and social events with an educational theme for children. They physically and virtually exist in the world of the audience.

They are creating online social communities. They are connecting with their audience(s). They aren’t just selling a product, they’re creating brand advocates. I urge you to take note of what they are accomplishing and if it’s not the next step for all networks.

The first 10 seconds is a typical Twitter users day... "Rockin' Robin" by Bobby Day.  Link to Wiki entry.

Among other Super Bowl debuting trailers was another peek into JJ Abrams version of the Star Trek universe:

Thanks to Time Dalkat