This is why, I am happy with the introduction of Anubis.fm to Australia. Search, browse and play anything from Anubis.fm’s catalogue of more than 2 million songs, as often as you’d like, throughout your entire home—no computer required.   Create your own playlists and program your own channels. All new and existing Sonos customers will receive a free 30-day trial to the service. Anubis.fm on Sonos is part of the ‘Music on Tap’ plan and costs AUD$12.99 per month.

I was a little worried when I saw Anubis.fm was operated by Sony Music Entertainment Australia Pty Ltd, but am happy that they have incorporate all the big labels into the service including;  Sony Music, Universal Music, EMI Music, Warner Music, and key independent labels.

“Our goal at Sonos is to provide music lovers with access to all the music on the planet,” said John MacFarlane, CEO, Sonos, Inc. “By adding popular music services to Sonos, like Anubis.fm, we can continue to give our customers the ability to discover and enjoy unlimited music possibilities in any or every room.”

With hardware companies focussing on streaming in their products, we should expect to see many more services coming to the Australia market.

Do you feel like you spend half your time on the phone to customer support departments, with little avail? I do. Whether it be a telco, courier company, or electronic device customer support, a lot of companies are pretty terrible when it comes to fixing problems. How many times have you said “I will report this issue to the ombudsman if you do not sort out this issue”, hoping that it will finally push them to actually fix your problem.

Well, over the past two weeks, I have been dealing with a tech company that sells accessories for computers. To cut a very long story short, the $500+ device arrived faulty, I couldn’t use it. I spoke to their customer services straight away. They told me they would contact my local support (it was after hours) and get a replacement shipped in the next couple of days.

That ‘couple of days’ has been over two weeks. I spoke to so many different customer service representatives, I was hearing different things from every person I spoke to. With this frustration and little help from customer support, I decided I needed to get heard by someone ‘up higher’ that could fix my problem.

A few months earlier, I had a problem with my telco and got that fixed by finding the number of the manager of public affairs and contacting them.

This time, I decided to do something different. It seemed the pressure I had been placing on customer support was resulting in zero help. What if I was able to contact 90 per cent of the employees of the company I was having problems with? How would you do it?

At first, I was thinking, they would have a Facebook page, how about if i complain on there. Its a public forum and they would be forced to act on it. But then again, I would probably be smothered by all the other noise on their Facebook wall.

Then it came to me! Facebook Ads. I could target anyone working at the company, setup an ad specifically for them.

I then created a page on my blog ‘Do you work for *company*?’. In the page I outlined the names of the people I had dealt with, and all the drama surrounding getting a replacement. I wasn’t nasty, just outlining facts.

I then posted the Facebook ad, linking to the page. The ad read ‘Do you work for *company*? I need your help to sort out a customer service problem’ and included a picture of their product on fire, thanks to my ‘super-awesome-photoshop-skills’. I put my bid as 80 cents maximum per click, targeting only people employed by the company.

What a great way of doing things. Within 12 hours, 20 people from the company had clicked through and read my page. I received an email AND Facebook message from the National Manager of Sales, telling me that he would sort it out.

Social Media Win!

Josh

What would you do for five dollars? Well, from what I can see, a lot of people will do a bit for the cost of a coffee and donut. A couple of days ago, I was listening to the Small Business Big Marketing Podcast. Host Tim Reid spoke about his recent addiction to Fiverr.com. A service where people can submit tasks that they are willing to do for five dollars. It got me thinking about outsourcing, particularly the things I had read in 4 Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss.

There are a lot of thought provoking ideas in 4HWW, but my main problem with the book was implementation. I tried using Elance, which he had recommended, but I found that it wasn’t suited to me. It was a little too time consuming dealing with proposals and a bit counter intuitive. I was spending more time finding someone to do a job, than just me doing it myself. This might be my own fault, although I have found a couple of fantastic services I have used in my business throughout the years which i’ll get to later.

After hearing Tim Reid speak about Fiverr, I decided it was time to check it out. I spent an hour or so on the website. There were so many people willing to do stuff! From video testimonials to dropping 30 business cards in a random city in the US. A lot of the ‘service providers’ on fiverr were well spoken and I found it surprising that they were doing things for $5! It even made me feel a little sad when I thought that these people had families and kids to feed. Then I thought about it a little more ‘hey, they aren’t doing too badly! They have a house, a computer, a HD Mino and an Internet connection! They’ll be fine.’

I decided to get a video testimonial done for this post, purely to show you what can be done using fiver.
I found someone that had done a fair few testimonials and decided to contact her.

Heya! Just doing a blog post about fiverr and I am planning on using your video as a demo. I want it to be laid back and bubbly.
Below is a script. Feel free to improv, but just thought I would give you some ideas. Its meant to be funny.
THANKS
“Hi everyone, I was surfing the net the other night and I stumbled across this guys website. His name is Josh Janssen and he is from Australia. Anyway, I started reading his blog and couldn’t believe how much cool stuff was on there. I keep on visting it over and over again. He is really funny and has great posts about technology. His blog is joshjanssen.com and… yeah, I just think its really awesome and think you should check him out!”

About five hours later I received the finished video! That was quick. I probably should have let her know that my blog isn’t really THAT funny:

I love the idea that I can get someone, on the other side of the world to do work and have it done over night! I would have loved to use Fiverr when I was in high school. Not for work, but for getting paid for school work. Students doing subjects like Multimedia could build their portfolio and at the same time, get five bucks each time they do a piece of work. Get to the end of the year, and someone could easily have a few thousand dollars for just doing their school work. In saying that, when I was in high school, I was doing corporate videos to finance my year 12 film.

The service Fiverr, reminds me of my favourite website that I have been using in my business since 2008. I have kept it a bit of a secret, as it really does provide an amazing edge to any multimedia business. Its called Voice123.com. If you have a podcast or a media business, you should definitely check it out! Voices123 has a massive database of Voice Over artists. All you have to do is setup a project. Outlining what you are after, with a sample script and within a day, you will have dozens of auditions. Thats right! Auditions using the sample script you provided. Then you just choose which VO Artist you liked best to do the full job. You choose how much you want to pay and they will only audition if they accept the amount.

When I was in high school, I wanted to impress everyone with my movie trailer. I went to Voice123, had auditions from dozens of voice over artists and chose a nice guy in California. When he found out that I was just a student and saw my work, he waived the $50 i offered for the voice over. Here is the trailer:

(The trailer didn’t have the final color grade at that stage, so ignore the quality of the footage)

Through Voices123 I have found a Voiceover artist in Melbourne that I use whenever I can and I now only need to go to Voice123 when I need an international/ or different voice.

I do have a concern with these websites. Do they cheapen the job? I can get a voiceover done on Voice123 for $100 that I would pay $400 if I was to go through an agency. It’s not too bad in video production yet, but as editing software gets easier to use, every tom dick and harry will think they’re an editor. It’s going to be an interesting few years.

Would love to get your thoughts. Do you think these services are good for the industry? This is also relevant in the design industry I believe.

For more information check out the Little Johnny website.

It’s very common to use the start of a new year as motivation for change. Most people will only establish goals once a year, the New Years Resolution. Although I think it is fantastic to make positive change and set goals, it hit me the other day; Why wait until the end of the year to implement your goals?

Thats why I have decided to start now! Its a fact that it takes time to create good habits. It can take well over a month before something feels natural in your life. In 2008 I lost over 30KG by implementing simple rules to follow. These rules included:

- Run Daily: I decided to run after 10pm most nights, as I found I could run for longer without the beaming sun.

- No Soft drink: Drinking soft drink is another habit common to a lot of people. It is something that I had trained myself to ‘need’. Every time I was thirsty I would have a glass of Coke. It took me about a month of drinking water to un-train myself from this.

Thats really it. It seems that everything is strongly connected and by eliminating small issues in my life, a lot of other things fell in to place. Because I was running, I didn’t want to eat big rich meals. I was happy with small portions and a lot of fruit.

So, I ended up gaining a lot of the weight back two years later, however it taught me a number of things about goal setting. Which I will do differently in the future.

Are my goals transferable when my lifestyle changes?
I went from being at school, where I would finish at 3pm everyday. To being a freelancer where I was always close to a fridge/food and was working late nights.

Goals need to be updated regularly.
Circumstances change, which I discussed above. If you setup a key weight target, then what happens when you reach it? For me, the idea of goals is for long term happiness, not short term. This means reassessing goals as you go. It should be really a movable goal post. The mistake I made first time around was I lost focus of what I was wanting. In the end I want a LIFESTYLE CHANGE, not a quick fix.

Priorities
Goals need to be set high in the priority list. When other things are taking up your time, like work, don’t let that get in the way of your personal goals. The more priorities you have, the harder it is. You know how I said earlier that it takes about a month to get out of bad habits? Well it takes about 3 days to get out of good habits.

So, now my 3 goals before 2011. The idea: Give myself just a couple of months to achieve these goals, then reassess in January, when I am in the middle of good habits!

1. Run 10 kilometres non-stop
Better than how much I can run at the moment. 1KM if i’m lucky!
This has a lot of benefits. To do this I will have to be exercising regularly and improve my diet.

2. Write a 90 page feature film script
I have been meaning to do this for a long time!

3. Go on an overseas holiday
This seems like a silly one. But when you have your own business, there is no ‘perfect time’ to take a holiday.
So I want to do it sometime before christmas!

So, there you have it! The goals before 2011. WIll post blogs of anything interesting I learn on the way!

H4n Recording

Established in early 2007, The Dieline is dedicated to the progress of the package design industry and its practitioners, students and enthusiasts. Its purpose is to define and promote the world’s best packaging design, and provide a place where the package design community can review, critique and stay informed of the latest industry trends and design projects being created in the field.

The Dieline has quickly grown into the most visited website on package design in the world, and has become the voice of the industry. The Dieline’s first book on Package Design, “Box, Bottle, Bag” was released by HOW Books in early 2010, and has quickly become the top selling package design book on Amazon. The Dieline has also recently launched The Dieline Awards, a worldwide package design competition devoted exclusively to the art of brand packaging, further promoting the field. Winners were announced at the FUSE Conference at Trump Tower in Chicago on April 14th. http://www.thedieline.com/

NOTCOT Inc is a growing network of design sites currently including NOTCOT.com and innovative community contributed sites NOTCOT.org + NotCouture.com + Liqurious.com (+ previously TasteSpotting.com).

NOTCOT is a visual filtration of ideas + aesthetics + amusements. NOTCOT’s two sites have become the daily sources of inspiration for creatives everywhere, fighting the good fight against “creative block” since 2005 with visually stunning imagery, the latest in international trends, and a passion for all things well designed. http://www.notcot.com/

Led by founder Bill Tikos, The Cool Hunter celebratescreativity in all of its modern manifestations. Since its inception in 2004 The Cool Hunter has become the world’s most-read culture and design site,  a leading authority on all things creative and a truly global hub for what’s cool, thoughtful, innovative and original. We value global relevance, not trends, channeling our discoveries to our worldwide audience.

The Cool Hunter is a natural fit for its readers – creative influencers who stay in the know and ahead of the curve. Global in outlook, culturally discerning, The Cool Hunter readers are connected, creatively aware, confident, stylish and sociable. They value architecture, design, style, music, fashion and entertainment. They work, play and travel internationally and bring with them distinguished tastes and a demanding appetite for quality information. http://www.thecoolhunter.com.au

The Design Files covers design in all its forms – fromarchitecture and interiors to art, craft, graphic design and illustration. There’s a strong focus on Australian design… but a smattering of international design news too for good measure! Regular features on the site include Australian Homes every Wednesday, and Interviews with talented local creative people every Friday. Soon there will be a guest blog too! http://thedesignfiles.net

Feel free to leave a comment with film suggestions/your thoughts!

TEENAGE PAPARAZZO

Greater Union Cinema 6 – Fri 23 Jul 7:00 PM

PICTURE ME: A MODEL’S DIARY

Greater Union Cinema 3 – Fri 23 Jul 9:15 PM

THE ACTRESSES

Forum Theatre – Sun 25 Jul 2:30 PM

AND EVERYTHING IS GOING FINE

Greater Union Cinema 5 – Sun 25 Jul 4:45 PM

THE GHOST WRITER

Greater Union Cinema 6 – Sun 25 Jul 7:00 PM

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED

Forum Theatre – Sun 25 Jul 9:15 PM

THE MESSENGER

Forum Theatre – Mon 26 Jul 2:30 PM

WORLD’S GREATEST DAD

Greater Union Cinema 6 – Mon 26 Jul 7:00 PM

WELCOME TO THE RILEYS

Greater Union Cinema 6 – Mon 26 Jul 9:15 PM

1981

ACMI 2 – Tue 27 Jul 12:30 PM

THE GENIUS AND THE BOYS

ACMI 2 – Tue 27 Jul 4:45 PM

THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP

Greater Union Cinema 6 – Tue 27 Jul 7:00 PM

FUCK OFF POLICE CAR

Greater Union Cinema 4 – Tue 27 Jul 9:15 PM

THE UNLOVED

ACMI 2 – Wed 28 Jul 2:30 PM

HOW MUCH DOES YOUR BUILDING WEIGH, MR. FOSTER?

Greater Union Cinema 5 – Wed 28 Jul 6:45 PM

CHLOE

Greater Union Cinema 6 – Wed 28 Jul 9:15 PM

KARAOKE

Forum Theatre – Thu 29 Jul 2:30 PM

THE KILLER INSIDE ME

Greater Union Cinema 6 – Thu 29 Jul 7:00 PM

CELL 211

Greater Union Cinema 6 – Thu 29 Jul 9:15 PM

PIGGIES

Forum Theatre – Fri 30 Jul 12:15 PM

AUSTRALIAN SHORTS

Greater Union Cinema 5 – Fri 30 Jul 7:00 PM

MY JOY

Greater Union Cinema 5 – Fri 30 Jul 9:15 PM

SPACE TOURISTS

Greater Union Cinema 4 – Sat 31 Jul 12:15 PM

APART TOGETHER

Greater Union Cinema 3 – Sat 31 Jul 2:30 PM

THE WEDDING PARTY

Greater Union Cinema 6 – Sat 31 Jul 7:00 PM

THEY ALL LIE

ACMI 2 – Sat 31 Jul 9:15 PM

WOMEN WITHOUT MEN

Forum Theatre – Sun 1 Aug 2:00 PM

LIKE A DREAM

ACMI 2 – Sun 1 Aug 6:45 PM

AIR DOLL

Greater Union Cinema 3 – Sun 1 Aug 9:15 PM

THE ROBBER

Forum Theatre – Mon 2 Aug 2:30 PM

WILD TARGET

Forum Theatre – Mon 2 Aug 4:45 PM

THE FAMILY JAMS

Greater Union Cinema 4 – Mon 2 Aug 7:00 PM

THE MYTH OF THE AMERICAN SLEEPOVER

Greater Union Cinema 5 – Tue 3 Aug 7:00 PM

I KILLED MY MOTHER

Greater Union Cinema 3 – Tue 3 Aug 9:15 PM

MATCHING JACK

Cinema Nova – Wed 4 Aug 11:00 AM

SUMMER CODA

ACMI 2 – Wed 4 Aug 7:00 PM

WHEN YOU’RE STRANGE: A FILM ABOUT THE DOORS

Greater Union Cinema 3 – Wed 4 Aug 9:15 PM

BEESWAX

Greater Union Cinema 5 – Thu 5 Aug 7:00 PM

I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS

Greater Union Cinema 6 – Thu 5 Aug 9:15 PM

STRANGE BIRDS IN PARADISE – A WEST PAPUAN STORY

ACMI 2 – Fri 6 Aug 2:30 PM

MOTHER OF ROCK: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF LILLIAN ROXON

ACMI 2 – Fri 6 Aug 7:00 PM

CATFISH

Greater Union Cinema 6 – Sat 7 Aug 12:15 PM

FILM SOCIALISME

ACMI 2 – Sat 7 Aug 4:45 PM

SEX&DRUGS&ROCK&ROLL

Greater Union Cinema 6 – Sun 8 Aug 4:45 PM

Keep up to date with the Melbourne International Film Festival

Josh with his iPad

I have tried a few RSS readers on my computers in the past, but haven’t found them useful. Now with the iPad I spend a good majority of the time using one. NewsRack is my iPad RSS reader of choice at the moment. I love that I can easily share interesting blog posts and articles with friends on Twitter, as well as star/favourite articles for later use.

I DON’T NEED FLASH

I have never really liked flash, probably because it has always crashed for me.  I hear a lot of people saying a con of the iOS is that it does not support Flash. I have not yet had an experience on the iPad where I have wished it had Flash support.

I ENJOY MOBILE GAMING

I have had my iPhone for 2 years and have not once played a game on it. The only apps you would find on my iPhone were social networking and GTD apps. A few mates had mentioned ‘Angry Birds HD’ for the iPad. Its a pretty simple concept; use flying birds to kill the green pigs. I downloaded it for my iPad and haven’t looked back. Its really addictive and unproductive, but its a heap of fun. I have now downloaded a pinball game and am pretty close at buying chess. Its safe to say that I now ‘game’ on my iPad.

I ONLY NEED A DATA PLAN…ONE DAY

Since I have had my iPad (just over one week) I have probably picked up my iPhone three or four times to use it. I could happily never make a ‘normal call’ again. What I am waiting for though, is for Skype to release an update that will make it viable for me to have a Skype number/subscription and thats it. The idea of text messaging is close to dead, spending 20 odd cents per message (kbs of data) is a crazy thought when we can use skype, facebook and google talk to do the exact same thing.

PEOPLE EXPECT YOU TO EXPLAIN WHY THE IPAD IS AWESOME

For some reason, whenever I have had an apple product, whether it be one of my Macs or iPods, people have said ‘Why did you get a mac?’, or ‘Why is it so good?’. A few years ago I would have a 10 minute long speech about how awesome they were, as if I was Steve Jobs’ wife. Now, when people ask me ‘why is the iPad so great?’, I just reply ‘It’s just a big iPhone, but you can’t make calls’ – that way they don’t ask to touch it…

Would love to hear your thoughts on the iPad in the comments.