Apr 16, 2010 | blog
As things happen every now and again, I recently got the opportunity to join a panel at the MHTA (Minnesota High Tech Association) Spring Conference “A New Way Forward” on April 22nd. Of course I jumped at the chance to talk with so many great geeks technical professionals from some of the top companies here in the Twin Cities!
Here’s an overview of the spring conference:
As we enter the second decade of the 21st Century it is time to examine the assumptions and approaches that are fundamental to our success. The New Deal of the last century was about getting the basics right – productivity and efficiency, providing people with meaningful work, getting the economy on its feet – using production lines and automation tools.
Today, the New Way Forward is about achieving these same goals while using distinctly different tools and approaches, retractable banner stands have served us well but the future holds much more for the savvy marketer. As Minnesota business leaders look at a greatly changed global economy, they know their companies not only measure up – they frequently outperform global competitors.
Join us April 22, 2010 at the Minneapolis Convention Center for another outstanding program filled with immediately applicable strategies and practices to help you do the same. Collectively, these ideas will do more than just get us back on track – they will propel us forward faster than ever before!
The agenda and list of speakers is here and here. In case you’re interested, I believe there are still tickets available, which you can register for here.
Jan 29, 2010 | blog
< warning >I’m not an Apple Fanboy, but I play one in this post< /warning >
Hardly, but I do have a point to make so hang with me.
In Windows Vista in 2007, Microsoft had rebuilt several portions of it’s operating system, installed a new device driver model & API, updated the UI for a more modern feel, and polished many areas in need of attention. Of course, there were ineveitable issues, especially for poorly written, decade-old, legacy applications that many companies run their business. Also at issue at the time were a lack of device drivers for anything other than the most generic hardware & peripherals. Because of these issues , and a few others, the press and bloggers couldn’t help but tear the new OS to shreads and created a huge discussion that Microsoft never saw coming.
Of course being in IT myself, I couldn’t figure out the fuss – after all, I’d heard it 6 years earlier. The same criticisms were thrown about from the same sources about Windows XP in 2001. So what was the difference?
Social Media.
In 2001, the blogosphere was much smaller, not taken for serious journalism or news, and didn’t cause any more product or public relations for Microsoft than an Op-Ed piece in your hometown newspaper at the time. In 2007 that was totally different and was the driving factor of creating the impression that Microsoft release a completely inept piece of software that they expected people to pay a premium for. In short, Microsoft never got out front of the issue to listen and participate.
So here we are in 2010 and a large chunk of initial reviews and feedback for the new Apple iPad is fairly negative. “They under-delivered”, “Didn’t they market-test that name?”, “doesn’t look too sturdy”, “it’s an over-sized iPhone”, “where’s the camera?”, “doesn’t run OS/X”, “we expected more from Apple…”.
I highly doubt that Apple will have an issue with negative press in the long run and I fully expect the iPad to succeed where other efforts in this ‘tween area of mobile technology have failed. The key is to look not at the hardware, but what Jobs and Co. had set out to do.
This space between smartphone and laptop is rare territory. We tend to expect computing power approaching a real computer, but we want that half-pound sized, last-all-day battery, instant on, always connected device to cost us about $300 (less is better). We’ve experienced some of this in Netbooks, and while totally disagree with Jobs’ position on them, they deliver the content in a different way, and really fit for a different crowd (budget conscious & tech geeks).
The iPad is one device that was truly built for the specific market it’s targeted at. It’s a content consumption device, plain and simple. Having a slate/tablet style device that allows you to consume blogs, news, books, video, streaming content, music, podcasts, email, social networking, and also create content as well in a hand-held format that we’re all comfortable with is just too great. They even got the pricing in the right area, which is something Apple only get’s right for itself. 😛
Simply from my perspective, the iPad is the first Apple product that speaks to me, that answers a need that I have. I find that kind of surprising after all the wildly successful products they have, the one that peeks my interest is the one that isn’t quite as well received. That hasn’t happened since the Newton – and yes I owned one of those. It was way ahead of it’s time, but unlike 1995, the market is looking for this kind of product.
Photo credit: Joachim S. Müller
Mar 26, 2009 | blog
Several years ago (okay, more than a decade) there was a great keynote speech by James Burke at ACM 97 where he talked about ‘The Next 50 Years of Computing’. Now, if you’ve seen James Burke’s Connections series, you know what he’s good at. Describing the intertwining relationships of time, technology, and happenstance.
Here, a decade or so later, I’ve been thinking how true those words are. At the time, Windows 95 was still new, Microsoft Outlook was in it’s initial ‘1.0’ release, and the browser wars of Netscape vs. Internet Explorer were on, and Google was still a dream to be developed. Back then, I was waist deep in technology as a Novell NetWare and then Windows NT “expertâ€, and loving it. It was all about connecting computers together, and getting businesses connected to the Internet. Email and ICQ were HOT.
Fast forward a decade, and so much has changed. Where cell phones were a luxury that businesses could barely afford to sponsor, they’re now the de facto communication device of nearly all of us (who needs a land line). Why have browser wars when you can have 5 to choose from that all have a spot on your Start Menu? Where we used to pay upwards of $30/month for 56k dialup access, today most folks pay about that much for about 100 times that speed. Heck, we have faster connections on our cell phones than we did at home back then. GPS was a nifty gadget where you could plot waypoints to your favorite fishing hole; today, we have full-on navigation packages built into our vehicles to guide us anywhere. The list is endless.
The point I’m getting at is the change all these things have made to our culture. We’ve brought the concepts of democratization to technologies and industries that we used to think impenetrable. Through citizen journalism and social media, we’ve toppled once powerful institutions. We’ve squeezed huge entertainment companies to the point that they lash out at their own customers because they can’t find a new business model. The people of the United States felt they had a real voice that was listened to in the selection of their latest President.
All this is through the incredible advancements in technology that changes our culture.
A decade ago in that keynote by James Burke, he talked about how developed countries were 50 years ahead of underdeveloped countries, and how this pattern would repeat into the future. I believe we’ve sped up the process and are much farther down that path than we believe. We are living in a future that our parents could never have dreamt of. We have the opportunities available to us at the touch of an iPhone that a decade ago weren’t thought possible.
My question then, is what will you do with the advantage of living in the future?
Photo credit: Hometown Invasion Tour
As a note, if you follow the link to the ACM97 slide deck and videos, I just want to point out that it was compiled a long time ago and is not as polished as we see today on YouTube. Just remember that as you go through it. It’s still a great presentation, by a master at telling stories of history and technology. Oh, and I did try to find it elsewhere without luck.
Mar 21, 2009 | happiness
Realizing technology has only ever been a hobby, and creating things a true passion.
Jan 12, 2009 | blog
So it’s the end of another year. As such, I wanted to take a minute and put my plans & goals for 2008 out there. I’ve not done this one before, but thought I give it a go this year. Much has changed and I have some directions that I want to follow in 2009 that I neglected in years past.
Writing – Blogging
I’m planning on making a return to a regular blogging schedule after a bit more than a year of a more random approach. The reason for this was partially work related, but also from a lack of direction in the Fall/Winter of 2007/2008. This will include the review of a couple other blogs I have – see if I still have the passion & interest to continue those, or if I should end up selling them off.
Writing – eBooks, Newsletters
Ah… yes, there were two aspects to the writing bug this time around. I also am planning to move forward with some eBook projects and a possible Newsletter in 2009. I’m not sure when exactly this will take place, but will be working on the planning in January. The eBook topics will relate to personal branding, the social web, information technology (& social media), and probably how many of these relate to the enterprise. I’m thinking hard on these lately.
Events
Social Media Breakfast – Twin Cities (@SMBMSP on Twitter) has been a great success here in the Minneapolis & St. Paul area, and I plan to continue evolving our local version. It will remain a low or no-cost event. In addition to this fun monthly event, I’m planning on working some one-off special events and possibly an annual event. Whether those are a summit, retreat, or un-conference style I’m not sure yet, but I do have a few concept ideas that I want to expand on. I’ve found that I really enjoy helping people connect, and thereby connecting their business or career needs with resources in the local community.
Online Income
2009 is the year I get serious about increasing online income. By focusing energies on new ideas and business models for my consulting services I plan to make the transition this year from a senior technologist role to a business & customer communications role. The end result will probably be something different, but that’s the fun of a dynamic, fast-paced industry… it’s constantly changing.
Direction
The next few weeks of this year is also the time I’m going to be taking to reassess my career direction. Am I really pursuing the dream, or have allowed myself to get sidetracked and mired in the mechanics of the mundane, again? This is a crucial piece of the puzzle, as it feeds into everything else. Without direction, none of has have a clue as to where we’re going.
So what’s your plan for this year?
Photo credit: tochris
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