Archive for January, 2010

The Future Is Coming and Houses Are Smaller

3
2 years ago
by David van Sunder in
Robot

Danger Will Robinson! Your House Is Too Big!

The other day, I was talking with my wife about how homes have gotten bigger and bigger over the past decade or so. That got me thinking about how our need for space in our homes is now actually shrinking. Forget about the houses in your neighborhood with the garages so full of stuff that the cars are all parked on the driveway and on the street. I’m not tackling the subject of pack rats.

What I’m thinking about is how technology is reducing the space needed to hold our belongings. Eventually, people might not feel the need for 3,500 sq ft homes, except maybe as status symbols or to house families the size of the Brady Bunch. (Which from my memory, had a smaller than 3,500 sq ft home, but I digress.)

Now some people with drawers full of gadgets would probably disagree with my assertion, but I’m making a few assumptions that will make my vision possible over time:

  1. Technology will continue to advance at a rapid pace
  2. Internet connections will become ridiculously fast and ubiquitous
  3. Society will adapt and change, taking full advantage of technology and abandoning old media paradigms
  4. Old gadgets will so quickly become dated that when they are replaced they will be recycled rather than kept for possible future use

(more…)

The Dangers of Numerical Goals

7
2 years ago
by David van Sunder in
Bar Graph

Have to make those numbers!

Many managers seem to think that setting concrete numerical goals and riding their employees to deliver on them is the key to good management. If their employees don’t deliver, they need to be “talked to”. That’s definitely an approach, but it isn’t always an effective approach. The reasons why are complicated, but they come down to two key areas: appropriate focus and motivation.

Appropriate focus, you ask? Let me explain. (more…)

Vanity Search or Brand Protection?

1
2 years ago
by David van Sunder in
Search me

Let's see how I look on Yahoo!

Many people Google their names or the names of their businesses occasionally to see what they find. While some people call that a vanity search, I call that brand protection. Some of you might protest that you don’t need to search for yourself because you’re not selling anything, but in reality, we’re all selling something. Anytime we’re in public in anyway, we’re selling ourselves. Everytime we meet someone, talk on the phone, write an email or send a Twitter message, we’re selling ourselves to the people we’re interacting with. If we come across well, then good things might happen. That could mean a job, a new friend, a date, etc. (more…)

The Apple iPad Unveiled! The iPad?

5
2 years ago
by David van Sunder in
Apple iPad

Apple called it the iPad? Seriously? Image courtesy of Apple

Today, Steve Jobs announced Apple’s new product, a tablet called the Apple iPad. It has a 9.7 inch screen, runs iPhone OS 3.2, has 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, has no camera, no USB ports and no multitasking. It has optional 3G coverage from AT&T, but is unlocked, so it can be used on any compatible carrier. You might be thinking that you could take advantage of that to use it on another carrier, such as T-Mobile. Well, the Micro SIM used in the iPad will prevent that for now, since no other U.S. carriers are using them currently. With Wi-Fi only, the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions are $499, $599 and $699, respectively. Adding 3G bumps the price of each up by $130. That puts the top end iPad at $829. Want more details? You can find them on Apple’s website here.

Now for my thoughts. Where to start? (more…)

Social Networks: Too Big to Ignore

1
2 years ago
by David van Sunder in
Twitter Style Bird

Singing about the fast growth of social networks! Image by Luc Latulippe

Have you wondered if marketing via social networks is worth considering for your business? If all the hype is real or if marketing on social networks is just another waste of time like marketing on Second Life turned out to be for almost everyone? Well, Nielsen has released numbers on social networking to give a little perspective. According to Nielsen’s report, global time spent on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter was up 82% in December 2009 from the same month the year before. (more…)

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