Steve Jobs doesn't wear a belt. His typical attire when in the public eye includes a black long-sleeve shirt, a pair of ordinary jeans, and casual shoes. A "timeless" look to some degree. But what about the belt?

I began to ponder why this innovation superstar did not opt to wear a belt, and then it occurred to me that he decided he didn't need one. He didn't need the help of that third-party apparatus. And then it all made sense.

Apple has become a superstar in the technology world by reinventing the approach to technology. The products are beautiful. The products are cutting-edge in technology. The products are marketed well, and people will pay a premium price for them. Oh, and they last a long time, but that's why Apple's stock has dropped drastically... people don't need to buy a new one anytime soon. So how has their revenue model changed?

Subscription Model

Apple's Itunes has become a powerful force and direct venue for lots of micropayments. But according to Financial Times they might take it one step further and push an "all you can listen to" subscription that is either a one-time fee when buying a device, or a monthly fee. This consistent cashflow is something nice to have I'm sure.

So to tie it back to the "no belt," Apple has a vertical merger that has a created a perfect Apple experience from the fancy computer, through the simple intuitive software, through the easy, convenient, and fast supply chain, and now you're experiencing your favorite media, whether a movie, a book, or music. All done Apple Style. If the shirt and pants work, why do you need a third-party belt? It just interrupts.

Belts are Out of Fashion.

Media on the internet has become an uncontrollable monster with illegal downloads, torrents, and the works. The only true way to bring it back is to make it more convenient the user, and make it unlimited. This is why I think the subscription model will work, and is where the industry needs to move. Internet TV however does not need a subscription because we are conditioned to commercials. Hulu rocks:)

So in conclusion, Steve Jobs doesn't need a belt, as Apple doesn't need a "belt". I believe this trend will become a staple for media distribution. But if Jobs goes on stage without a shirt, we might all be in trouble!

If you have time any free time on your computer, outside your traditional routine, check out this archive of web 2.0 companies that have brilliant ideas on how to make your life a little easier, but will probably disappear in the next few years.

These entrepreneurs understand our problems and are solving them individually, but how do they get incorporated into our daily routine, when they are so... distant? Let me explain further.

Trying the Jott Trot.

Upon first glance, in the sea of beautiful fresh logos, I chose Jott, whose tagline is "Voice-Powered, Hands-Free Messaging and To-Do Lists," sounds pretty useful. The site is nice, so I went a little further. One tutorial movie later, it became very apparent that it is a solution to a problem that isn't really a problem to most people, but does offer some amazing features that, after registering and testing it out, is quite useful.

I registered quickly, and had my account. Connected my mobile with my Jott account, and then liked my Jott account with my Google Calendar account. This was awesome because if these new technologies can't link to something "standard" like Gmail or Facebook, users will forget to use it

The Countdown Begins.

Even being sick and sounding very nasal, Jott recognized my spoken statement, and placed it on my google calendar in the right day and time slot. Amazing. This technology is able to flow into the mobile phone realm, but how long will this market be around before every mobile IS a computer with internet? The registration and linking of accounts was more difficult than my dad could handle, so it's targeting the same demographic that is eagerly waiting for gen 2 of the Iphone. Jott is now in my mobile however, and I will probably play with it for a week or so, but that might be it until I discover how it works with other steadies in my routine.

The whole process took about 40 minutes, including testing and playing. And then I was back to the site, searching for the next big thing. Do you see the problem here?

Win Me, or Confuse Me?

Time-management and convenience is a web epidemic that is hot right now, but making one process more streamlined does not necessarily make room for other stuff. And as companies try and out-tech the competitor, they loose the average consumer in their race, and suddenly only the young web-saavies can make use of their product. It is truly innovative stuff, I just want to see how it gets to everyone and into the average Joe's routine. That is the underlying question that needs to be answered. Comment if you have an answer.