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.

In our culture today the internet and technology have become an ever present force in our lives. Whether were waiting in our car during rush hour, talking on a cellphone to a friend, using the internet to retrieve our email or setting our home security system we have come to embrace some aspect of technology in our lives. This has made our society one that expects outcome at a moments notice and wants information pertinent to them at any time, anywhere they are.

As the Internet has developed it has in some ways allowed us to reclaim knowledge. Information that once would have been a chore to find or limited to those doing scholarly research is now available to anyone at anytime from anywhere. Unlike the information that may be provided to a person by news media, a library or a school, a Google search could yield several different hits on a topic all from different points of view. This kind of access to information gives a power to the average person that they haven't had before. The advent of Web 2.0¹ (yes I know it's a cliché) has in many ways restored their voice and individuality.

Possibly one of the most important things that Web 2.0 does is 'harness the power of a collective intelligence' and embrace the 'wisdom of the crowd'². While this may seem like an easy thing to overlook, many of the websites we use today exemplify these two things. Some examples might be Amazon, Wikipedia, Digg, LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, etc.

Not only did Web 2.0 set out to collect and harness our intelligence but it also embraced the idea that people (and that means anyone) have a voice that should be heard. Blogs have allowed the average person to publish their thoughts, feelings, opinions and knowledge online for the world to see. Ideas, concepts, philosophy, journalism, writing, and art are all methods of expression and intelligence that are no longer limited to those who have a degree in their respective subject matter or to those with the money to publicize their thoughts. Blogs have in so many ways made truth, intelligence, ideas and expression a level playing field. And while there is a slight learning curve for those who are less familiar with technology, our culture is beginning to change because of this.

News Media
The internet has given people the power of choice back to the 'audience', they can now seek out the news that is important to them. News media networks such as CNN are adapting to suite a new breed of audience. Projects such as iReport embrace the 'collective knowledge' of their audience empowering them to submit news stories that are important to them.

Politics
Social media has completely changed the way the average citizen has the power to change their country through politics. The recent presidential campaign of Barack Obama has in many ways set a new standard for citizen involvement. By using various social media websites Obama's campaign allows people to campaign for him without ever leaving their couch via buddy icons, YouTube videos, Facebook groups etc. This new form of advertising allows any citizen the power to support Obama and promote Obama, even if they don't get out of the house and vote for Obama. By harnessing the voices of individuals he has created a buzz³ that could potentially land him in the White House.

The point is, the citizen is much less limited today as far as the reach of their own personal message goes than they ever were before. What used to be considered the audience is no longer the audience anymore, it is a voice that expects to be heard.

The world of Web 2.0 is also the world of what Dan Gillmor calls "we, the media," a world in which "the former audience", not a few people in a back room, decides what's important.

-A quote from Tim O'Reilly's article What is Web 2.0?²

I expect watching the influences of these ideologies extend further into our culture will be an interesting experience. It is possible that media 10 years from now will look nothing like the media we know now as the citizens media grows.