Recently, W Hotels launched an iPhone app to bring signature sounds and insider access to guests at their properties around the world. The W Scottsdale, a swanky property nestled in the heart of old town, came to us to help create a few pieces to help them market the app to visitors.

Splinter designed and produced collateral to announce the app, as well as strategically placed QR promotional decals that scan to “Get the App!” We were also commissioned to create iPhone replicas, which were used to train their staff on how the app works. After some creative brainstorming, we came up with a solution that resembled the actual size, shape and look of an iPhone. They were a hit! Another W property saw images of the replicas and actually thought the W Scottsdale had used real phones for training. Needless to say, the replicas were pretty spot on.

The new app is way rad, allowing guests to book their stay, order in-room service, or even request fresh towels. My personal favorite feature of the app streams music curated by Michaelangelo L’Acqua, the W’s global music director. The app gives you an option to listen to it at that moment or to purchase it on iTunes. It also detects your location to display any hotels near you and offers the ability to post on Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare.

This effort by W Hotels will surely add value to your stay and provides the progressive type of service their brand has come to be known for. Now, if I could just replicate their poolside experience, sitting at my desk today might not be so bad.

“I said it. FlipOff!”

As of late, there has been quite a bit of chatter about the expected demise of The Flip Camera.  On April 12th, the New York Times ran an article about the short lived and widely successful life of the Flip camcorder. In 2009 Cisco became the proud parent of a half a billion dollar product that may have already seen its 15 minutes of fame. Actually it was about 3 solid years of dominance, which is still a blink in time even for gadgets. A mere two years ago at the time of acquisition it was one of the hottest products, flying off shelves and gobbling up market share. Cisco has now realized The Flip has started to fall from the spotlight and is aware of the Flip’s almost certain demise.

In the last few years as smartphones increased their capabilities, they have bullied many products out of the realm of necessity. From Portable GPS units to iPods, the smartphones are smothering other gadgets’ success. Let’s look The Flip’s nemesis, the highly demanded smartphone and why it appears to be stepping on the neck of our favorite little camcorder.

A few reasons why I bought a Flip Camera and why they rule(d).

1. The Flip had unmatched innovation and simplicity in the beginning. It is very easy to operate and tends to be a helpful and portable companion.

2. A price point much less than the sticker price for a smartphone and amazingly cheap compared to the rest of the HD camcorder market.

3. Unlike smartphones, the Flip has a tripod mount which is extremely beneficial, especially for more professional shoots requiring stability.  Even without a tripod, the Flip is smoother filming than any phone I’ve seen. We’ve all watched videos recorded on a phone with a ton of movement and it’s pretty hard to handle.

4. The audio from the Flip is very impressive for the unit’s simplicity, especially when compared to even the best smart phones. This is an extremely valuable when seeking a more professional video: instructional and how-to videos, interviews, video blog posts, etc.

5. Flip Cameras are very durable. Both of mine have taken a licking and keep on ticking. The Flip doesn’t handicap me personally if something happens to it: stolen, got wet, scratched display, etc. I would much rather that happen to my Flip than my smartphone. My smartphone is a vital lifeline to my business and personal life, thus making the Flip more expendable. This eases the fear of taking my Flip to the most extreme environments to get the money shots, for example: skydiving, pool parties, mosh pits, or dirt biking to name a few.

Maybe that is why the Flip still remains the top-selling camcorder on Amazon today.  So how could Cisco already plan to scale back on the fun product that provides such fun and simple usability?

Here are some reasons why my Flip Camera spends more time in a drawer than in my hand:

1. The ability to share directly from the device. This is the #1 reason I leave the Flip behind when I’m on the run. Seriously? I have to wait to find a computer to download before I can share. This poses a problem for us given our appetite for real time information. The Age of Instant Gratification only seems to be gaining steam. This is a massive benefit for smartphones given the way we interact with social networks and sharing of media. If I’m at the World Series, I want to share that content now, whether I email my buddy or upload to Twitter or FB. The content looses influence and the coolness factor if it’s sent or posted at a later time.

2. The Flip takes very grainy videos without sufficient lighting. Video lighting features on phones are becoming very common. I have yet to see a Flip with a built in lighting option. There are accessories you can purchase, but they are not very convenient. See one example here – http://goo.gl/FZ8ES. Good luck with that in your purse or pocket.

3. Speaking of my pockets. There is a finite amount of space in my pockets and it’s extremely valuable to me. I already have my smartphone, keys, wallet, change, and possibly some chap stick or a lighter. I have a hard time justifying squeezing a Flip in my pockets right next to a new Droid that takes HD 1080 video.

4. The screen on my smartphone is almost 4x times the size of the Flip screen, which makes videos in playback worth watching.

5. Smartphones are littered with hundreds of photography and video apps that are fancy and very easy to use. They are not only fun to play with, but actually offer some rad filters and treatments. Most also offer basic editing, which is really sweet for those who care about the quality of their media. Its surprising how easy it is to take a photo or video, enhance with an app, and fire it off via email or posted to a social network within seconds.

I’ve got a method now that tells me when to use of my Flip or phone.

If it’s something that is impromptu or candid, my phone is always within reach and is the best candidate. For the events that are planned and/or need a better quality sound and/or stable footage, I’ll use the Flip.

I’d love to hear from any of you that use both smartphone and Flip to record video. Is the Flip still useful or should it #FlipOff?

If you’ve ever had a meeting with us, you probably know we’re pretty big Google fan boys and girls over here at Splinter Creative. From our email to our project management software to managing online ads, we rely on Google and Google Apps to help run our business on a daily basis.

As a thank you for being an Adwords customer, Google just sent out an awesome thank you video using technologies beyond the normal comprehension of most humans. I mean, we’ve heard of variable printing on direct mail and such, but variable video? Well done, Google… Well done indeed. To see why we’re so amazed with this, be sure to check out the video.

We really can’t wait to see what they come up with next. Here’s to many more years of using Google products to make life, and work, better.

While there is an infinite amount of greatness happening across the valley, here’s a few events taking place that Splinter will be attending and/or helping out with…

Phoenix Design Week – It’s the inaugural event and it’s happening October 21^st – 25^th. The week will be filled with exhibits and galleries featuring the work of local graphic artists, interactive and motion designers. Phoenix Design Week kicks off on Friday with the Typophile Film Fest at MadCap Theatres and then moves to the weekend conference at the downtown convention center. The lineup of guest speakers looks amazing and it is sure to be the start of something great. Visit the PhxDW website to purchase tickets and get all the details. The folks here at Splinter are looking forward to checking out the exhibits and taking in some knowledge from the speakers. Should be a great one!

Ignite Phoenix #5 – This pile of awesome was brought to life by a group of folks passionate about lighting a fire under the Phoenix creative community. Gearing up for the 5^th installment of Ignite, Splinter is eager to jump in and help out again by providing killer design services along with a few other juicy items. In fact, we’ll be donating enough goods and services that we’ve been offered the opportunity to put together a 30 second spot showcasing who we are and what we do. Hopefully it turns out as awesome as this video by @bwilley and @krysvs from Ignite Phoenix #4.

PodCamp AZ 2009 – Originating in Boston, Massachusetts and heading into its 3^rd year, this event takes the original concept of PodCamp and changes it up a bit to meet the needs of Phoenix. Contrary to its name, this event isn’t just about podcasting, it’s about the creation and delivery of new media and how people use the information. Taking place November 14^th and 15^th at the University of Advancing Technology, this unconference has been coming together over the past several months and is sure to be the different event you’re looking for. And hey, it’s FREE. If you’re interested in sponsoring or attending this new-media focused event, make sure to check out the website for more info. While the event is new media based, we’ll be assisting the crew with some printing and graphic needs as the date nears.

The only question I have… Who’s coming with me?

Have you ever wondered how they make those wicked web advertisements you see floating along the sides of your favorite news and social media sites? This type of moving media has been coming on strong for a while now. And although, I personally believe that print media is still alive and well (design critic Steven Heller gives two prime examples here), the creative minds at Splinter want to be able to assist with anything and everything our thriving clients need, whether those projects stand still or do a little dance on screen. Until now, we have always collaborated with exceptional web developers to meet the expectations of our clients’ online presence. However, we want to bring at least some of this web development in house so that we can control production time and quality ourselves (and also because we think it’s awesome!).

[kml_flashembed publishmethod="static" fversion="8.0.0" movie="http://www.splintercreative.com/flash/Splinter_Banner.swf" width="600" height="200" targetclass="flashmovie"]

[/kml_flashembed]

As a designer who works mostly in static media, I’ve always wanted to delve deeper into understanding Flash and the ActionScript involved in creating dynamic visual elements. This week I began my exploration into learning basic Flash elements to improve our client’s ability to communicate in an increasingly web-centric market.

I am starting with a basic knowledge of how Flash works, but I also understand that what goes on behind the scenes is a much more complicated thing. If you’ve ever tried to learn another language as an adult, you know my frustration in learning ActionScript for the first time. I know what I want to say, now I just have to figure out how to say it in AS! My first assignment was to develop a basic Flash image gallery with scrolling thumbnails. This is an element that many companies with a web presence could find useful, from displaying examples of their own range of work to showcasing event photos, etc. You can see my work below!

[kml_flashembed publishmethod="static" fversion="8.0.0" movie="http://www.splintercreative.com/flash/flash_scrollingGallery.swf" width="600" height="450" targetclass="flashmovie"]

[/kml_flashembed]

What is astounding is the amount of scripting that goes in to something that, on the surface, seems so simple. I’ve pasted below only a small portion of the language that sits behind the visually pleasing surface of this basic Flash gallery.

If you are unfamiliar with any sort of web development, this might surprise you. (If you are familiar, go easy on me, I am just starting out!) In any case, creating Flash elements is, to say the least, a time consuming endeavor. If you are in the market for something like this, be sure to expect a legitimate turn-around time if you want your message to be exceptional. One lesson to take away is that there is a lot more than what meets the eye when it comes to moving messages!