Me at the London Olympics Courtesy of Samsung Mobile



It’s been an odd odd week for me, but one that has culminated in an amazing opportunity and experience. Through a London based agency (see end of post), Samsung Mobile have been seeking a few designery tech blogger types to take to the London Olympics with the goal of putting their Samsung Galaxy Note (Part 1 & Part 2) through it’s paces in an amazing sporting environment.

I just had to shout this from the roof-tips as I am just totally buzzing with pride, excitement, joy and appreciation. For the most part I just go about my day whilst tweeting some things, designing logos and blogging a bit whilst looking after my two amazing dogs: Mr Dylan and Miss Charley.

I lead quite a low key life, and not at all used to being singled out in any way whatsoever.

So, when I was approached last week to be a personal guest of Samsung Mobile: to enjoy an all expenses paid 3-day Olympic treat, I actually first thought it was a scam of sorts. My brain didn’t register that something this cool and important, to be picked out by Samsung Mobile, and to be invited as their personal guest to something as extraordinary as the Olympics, would be the sort of thing that would end up in my Inbox. It took the agency a few tweets over a period of a few days to chase me down, before I actually realised this was the real deal. It really was a shock, but hell of a wonderful one.

The overall aim of this glorious invitation is to focus on Samsung’s Galaxy Note: to put this smartphone in the hands of a few designery tech type bloggers whilst experiencing the excitement and passion of the Olympics. From a marketing point of view this is such a great idea, not least because I am now part of it.

Samsung clearly and totally believe that the Galaxy Note has a lot to give.

So what better way than to put the money where their mouth is and allow people like me this incredible opportunity to experience, first hand, the Olympics whilst recording aspects of it with the Galaxy Note—especially a hardened Apple user like me!

This is not a review of the Galaxy Note, I’ll save that to after it’s all over, but I just absolutely had to scream out so loud about how truely greatful I am to Samsung for picking me out for this once in a lifetime experience. My week this week has been quite weird as the realisation of it all starts to set in.

We are talking about being escorted to the Olympic Opening Ceremony as VIP guests of Samsung! I mean seriously? When did this happen to me? I’ll take this opportuniy with both hands, feet and brain and max it out to the max max and max it until there is no more max to max.

I have been a loyal Apple user for over 20 years, and my Macintosh Colour Classic still sits in my studio, and I never really gave it much thought that I would consider using anything other than Apple: the Macintosh Pro, the iPad and my iPhone.

Since the Nexus 7 came out last week, I now had my first experience with Android: a tablet that just feels so much more like a tablet than the larger iPad. Then I thought I would never get on with a phone that had a 5.3″ screen, such as the Galaxy Note, but just one evening with the Note in my hands I am now looking at the iPhone and really starting to wonder…

Yes, these are all immediate and novelty inspired thoughts and conclusions, but to say that my first impressions of the Nexus and the Samsung Galaxy Note, after decades of being an Apple fan, does have me thinking just a little.

You can rest assured that when I do look to write my thoughts down it will be because I now have a pretty good spread of devices to consider as a whole. I really do like Android, I so far love the Nexus more than the iPad, and wondering if a 5.3″ screen can be used in daily life? Just try looking at Instagram photos on the large colour Galaxy Note screen, I can tell you it’s wonderful experience, or pretty much anything visual for that matter.

But back to the Olympics.

I am going to the opening ceremony tonight, then I will be having a further 3 days in August thanks to Samsung. The last day will be travelling up to Manchester to watch a footy match!

When amazing things like this happen, when you are noticed and picked out you absolutely must grab the opportunity in both hands because it’s not often things come to you. In my experience, especially with ijc, you have to go out there and make it happen. Those that just expect things to come to them are set to be somewhat let down.

Thank you Samsung Mobile for making me a very happy and excited bunny, and also huge thanks to the London agency that I can’t really name at the moment. You know who you are.