I don't like to just re-post others' content here, but you should really check this out. I think Peter did a really nice job covering the roll out of Virgin Galactic's White Knight II yesterday.
I saw Neil Armstrong walk on the Moon, I saw the Space Shuttle go up for the first time, and I can't wait to watch this one fly!
Showing posts with label Society. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Society. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Help Me! Help Me! (best said in a very tiny, sqeaky voice, laying on a spider web, at the end of a 1950's movie)
This is the coolest thing I've seen on the web in a LOOOOONG time. Why?
- it looks cool!
- imagine (and appreciate) the engineering the mechanical / electrical / computer engineering that went into making this. Now, contrast that with an average human's biological & computational engineering - realizing that many of us might not do so well.
Can't wait to see the next version!
- it looks cool!
- imagine (and appreciate) the engineering the mechanical / electrical / computer engineering that went into making this. Now, contrast that with an average human's biological & computational engineering - realizing that many of us might not do so well.
Can't wait to see the next version!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Cmuoniactoin
This is cool. check this out...this works ok w/human-to-human communication; I don't think it would work so well (yet) in creating computer programs (unless you had some good AI involved)...
fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too
Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.
i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs forwrad it
(...and yet, while I can comprehend this, I'd still feel bad if I sent somethign out that was missspelled...)
:P
fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too
Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.
i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs forwrad it
(...and yet, while I can comprehend this, I'd still feel bad if I sent somethign out that was missspelled...)
:P
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Convergence is NOT bullshit
Let me just say, for the record, that Chris and I see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, but I've got to disagree with him on this one. We've even gone back and forth on this topic over several months. And even though I've wanted to I just haven't been able to blog about this one until now.
As with most general platitudes (which sound great to say, but upon further examination don't always hold water), one needs to first set the context of the remark. Seamus Blackley (one of the original creators of the Microsoft Xbox) was correct when he made his statement – in the context of what he was talking about.
The Xbox would NOT be a good all-in-one home media device (at least, not right out of the gate, when they had the conversation many years ago). I still don't think it's ready for prime time. Will Microsoft get there? Probably? Will the Xbox be the vehicle? Don't know. But, that converged functionality is coming; people want it and companies want to figure out how to deliver it. (In fact, I've got a few ideas of my own on how to do this...but that's a blog for another day...)
Here are some good examples of convergence (which I am summarizing to mean a successful combination of functionality and delivery vehicle):
- secure fax machine
- recent versions of smart phones & Blackberries (Treo 700P/W, the HTCs, etc.)
- SkyNet service (which got renamed to Flynet...hmmm) on Lufthansa (no, I'm not talking about this one; I'm talking about this one)
- roller skates and Heelies
- Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
- cable industry converging with the telephone industry into something new (i.e. - Comcast, SBC, Qwest, etc.)
- Youtube.com
- Amazon.com (internet, book store, supply chain and logistics expertise)
- (and yes, the swiss army knife)
...and there are more. The point is, by bringing together different functionality and vehicles with which to deliver it to defined markets, certain companies will gain advantages over their rivals, for some period of time. So, while I think this is also a good and cool example of convergence, ultimately market acceptance and business execution will determine how long that advantage remains.
The graphic that Chris posted depicting a toaster / coffee maker / bread baker is an example of “Convergence of Convenience”. The question is not, "Could you eat at The Palm with a Swiss Army knife and enjoy the experience (well, I could, but that's just me)?" Rather, the quesstion is, "Would you eat at The Palm with a Swiss Army knife and enjoy the experience"? Most people (the Contrarians among us aside) would say "No" to that experience.
Currently, I think most “smart cameras” and cell phones would fall into this category. Honestly, I see this type of innovation as "educational" more than anything else. "Let's show people what this technology can do, let's give it to them, and then let's step back. Many people knew they wanted a Walkman before Sony came out with one. And so you havethings like this and this.
No, most of these examples of convergence are not mind-blowingly earth shattering – but for a short period of time, they are market differentiating. And that is really the point. If a company can execute well with that tactic then they will have an advantage for some period of time. Other companies will try to copy them. Consumers / Markets will then vote with their dollars. They will also find unintended ways to leverage the new technology in ways the creators (probably) hadn't even considered when they created the original specifications. Of note:
- music sampling in rap and rock music
- tire swings
- coke bottle bird feeders
- camera phone to take picture of the license plates and damage to cars in a car crash
- other --> who knows?
And people in companies will have to innovate again. And the cycle will continue...and that's why Convergence is not Bullshit. Some additional food for thought...
As with most general platitudes (which sound great to say, but upon further examination don't always hold water), one needs to first set the context of the remark. Seamus Blackley (one of the original creators of the Microsoft Xbox) was correct when he made his statement – in the context of what he was talking about.
The Xbox would NOT be a good all-in-one home media device (at least, not right out of the gate, when they had the conversation many years ago). I still don't think it's ready for prime time. Will Microsoft get there? Probably? Will the Xbox be the vehicle? Don't know. But, that converged functionality is coming; people want it and companies want to figure out how to deliver it. (In fact, I've got a few ideas of my own on how to do this...but that's a blog for another day...)
Here are some good examples of convergence (which I am summarizing to mean a successful combination of functionality and delivery vehicle):
- secure fax machine
- recent versions of smart phones & Blackberries (Treo 700P/W, the HTCs, etc.)
- SkyNet service (which got renamed to Flynet...hmmm) on Lufthansa (no, I'm not talking about this one; I'm talking about this one)
- roller skates and Heelies
- Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
- cable industry converging with the telephone industry into something new (i.e. - Comcast, SBC, Qwest, etc.)
- Youtube.com
- Amazon.com (internet, book store, supply chain and logistics expertise)
- (and yes, the swiss army knife)
...and there are more. The point is, by bringing together different functionality and vehicles with which to deliver it to defined markets, certain companies will gain advantages over their rivals, for some period of time. So, while I think this is also a good and cool example of convergence, ultimately market acceptance and business execution will determine how long that advantage remains.
The graphic that Chris posted depicting a toaster / coffee maker / bread baker is an example of “Convergence of Convenience”. The question is not, "Could you eat at The Palm with a Swiss Army knife and enjoy the experience (well, I could, but that's just me)?" Rather, the quesstion is, "Would you eat at The Palm with a Swiss Army knife and enjoy the experience"? Most people (the Contrarians among us aside) would say "No" to that experience.
Currently, I think most “smart cameras” and cell phones would fall into this category. Honestly, I see this type of innovation as "educational" more than anything else. "Let's show people what this technology can do, let's give it to them, and then let's step back. Many people knew they wanted a Walkman before Sony came out with one. And so you havethings like this and this.
No, most of these examples of convergence are not mind-blowingly earth shattering – but for a short period of time, they are market differentiating. And that is really the point. If a company can execute well with that tactic then they will have an advantage for some period of time. Other companies will try to copy them. Consumers / Markets will then vote with their dollars. They will also find unintended ways to leverage the new technology in ways the creators (probably) hadn't even considered when they created the original specifications. Of note:
- music sampling in rap and rock music
- tire swings
- coke bottle bird feeders
- camera phone to take picture of the license plates and damage to cars in a car crash
- other --> who knows?
And people in companies will have to innovate again. And the cycle will continue...and that's why Convergence is not Bullshit. Some additional food for thought...
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Creative and Profitable
Why begrudge someone else's success just because they took of an advantage of a creative idea before you? I'm not sure why some people feel this need; to me, that's just "my bad" and it means I need to take some action!
What am I referring to? These interesting business ideas are just a few examples:
- Million Dollar Web Page (http://www.milliondollarhomepage.com/); the ones I like the most are the single-pixel ones - some of which are either reserved for someone, have an order pending, or are just plan silly (see if you can find the "Pimp My Pixel - the Wave of the Future" one!)
- One Red Paper Clip (http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com/) tells of one man's journey from one red paper clip to owning a house in Saskatchewan
- Pixledoodle (http://www.pixeloodle.com/) - another knock-off or will this one work too? The owner is almost half way to their goal...
and more...
While these might just seem like gimmicky internet ideas, the reality is that they:
- created attention around a particular theme
- the creator was able to create tangible value from an intangible idea
- someone else saw enough value in what was going on that they gave the creator money, time, etc.
Nothing wrong with that. Does that mean that this is the forefront of some new business model we all need to start worrying about? I don't think so; not at this stage, anyway.
I think that it's a good experiment that shows the possibilities of making technology accessible to people, and letting them see where their creativity takes them. And that's where businesses need to show more courage. I tried to get my old company interested in web blogs (6 years ago), just for internal uses. I used examples of car companies letting their employees blog about all sorts of things - gardening, the company, etc. - and showed how it actually helped the company overall. It was over ruled as a "potential security issue". Now, the CEO blogs and is talking with the SEC about disseminating financial information to the world via a blog.
Companies, industries, organizations...if they've been around for a bit they have a vested interested in the status quo. After all, that's a large part of what got them where they are in the first place. I understand why governments might think that way. I have a harder time supporting this notion for the marketplace. Sticking with what you know will usually just get you more of what you've already got.
Now, what are you going to do with it?
What am I referring to? These interesting business ideas are just a few examples:
- Million Dollar Web Page (http://www.milliondollarhomepage.com/); the ones I like the most are the single-pixel ones - some of which are either reserved for someone, have an order pending, or are just plan silly (see if you can find the "Pimp My Pixel - the Wave of the Future" one!)
- One Red Paper Clip (http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com/) tells of one man's journey from one red paper clip to owning a house in Saskatchewan
- Pixledoodle (http://www.pixeloodle.com/) - another knock-off or will this one work too? The owner is almost half way to their goal...
and more...
While these might just seem like gimmicky internet ideas, the reality is that they:
- created attention around a particular theme
- the creator was able to create tangible value from an intangible idea
- someone else saw enough value in what was going on that they gave the creator money, time, etc.
Nothing wrong with that. Does that mean that this is the forefront of some new business model we all need to start worrying about? I don't think so; not at this stage, anyway.
I think that it's a good experiment that shows the possibilities of making technology accessible to people, and letting them see where their creativity takes them. And that's where businesses need to show more courage. I tried to get my old company interested in web blogs (6 years ago), just for internal uses. I used examples of car companies letting their employees blog about all sorts of things - gardening, the company, etc. - and showed how it actually helped the company overall. It was over ruled as a "potential security issue". Now, the CEO blogs and is talking with the SEC about disseminating financial information to the world via a blog.
Companies, industries, organizations...if they've been around for a bit they have a vested interested in the status quo. After all, that's a large part of what got them where they are in the first place. I understand why governments might think that way. I have a harder time supporting this notion for the marketplace. Sticking with what you know will usually just get you more of what you've already got.
Now, what are you going to do with it?
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
"Disintermediation" brought to you by You Tube, Google Video, etc.
Check this out...
When I was in the 6th. grade, I remember reading a story depicting a day-in-the-life of a student of similar age, only at some point "in the future".. They lived in houses where the beds were essentially built-in cushions in the floor, the showers were cubes with omni-directional jets of water and warm air (to wash and dry you off), and they wore spray-on clothing.
One of the things that I thought was really cool was the idea of going to school without leaving my house, which showed the student sitting in a room in their house with a television monitor showing their teacher and classmates.
We've had some form of interactive televised knowledge transmission for over 10 years now, with both the education and the medical fields leveraging the technology. But there's another reason why I find this new feature from Google interesting...
Disintermediation.
If ("when", actually) this gets coupled with better two-way, rather than one-way, knowledge transmission, Google has the ability to establish a great position for itself. MySpace is already filled with most of the demographic that want to get (or are already pursuing) college degrees. It's no great leap in logic for them to "naturally" look to the web for their course lectures (in fact, college students are citing Wikipedia references in scholarly papers, over the protests of their professors and the founder / editor of Wikipedia!). Professors can leave their entire lecture "on reserve" rather than just their written notes (which never convey the nuances of an idea).
This will also have an impact the pricing associated with getting a degree ("Eventually", anyway...). Will there be sufficient cachet associated with a degree earned this way? Yes, but it will take some time for the Majority to endorse the idea - at least in the U.S. Baby Boomers are going back to school in record numbers, for a variety of reasons. Other nations who don't have the infrastructure of estbalished universities, however, can now take advantage of this right now.
And so can anyone who has an internet connection.
Think about that for a moment...
True, they won't get the college credits for attending the class, nor the degree to "certify" their "knowledge acquisition". But they will gain the information that they can use.
And isn't that what learning's all about, anyway???
When I was in the 6th. grade, I remember reading a story depicting a day-in-the-life of a student of similar age, only at some point "in the future".. They lived in houses where the beds were essentially built-in cushions in the floor, the showers were cubes with omni-directional jets of water and warm air (to wash and dry you off), and they wore spray-on clothing.
One of the things that I thought was really cool was the idea of going to school without leaving my house, which showed the student sitting in a room in their house with a television monitor showing their teacher and classmates.
We've had some form of interactive televised knowledge transmission for over 10 years now, with both the education and the medical fields leveraging the technology. But there's another reason why I find this new feature from Google interesting...
Disintermediation.
If ("when", actually) this gets coupled with better two-way, rather than one-way, knowledge transmission, Google has the ability to establish a great position for itself. MySpace is already filled with most of the demographic that want to get (or are already pursuing) college degrees. It's no great leap in logic for them to "naturally" look to the web for their course lectures (in fact, college students are citing Wikipedia references in scholarly papers, over the protests of their professors and the founder / editor of Wikipedia!). Professors can leave their entire lecture "on reserve" rather than just their written notes (which never convey the nuances of an idea).
This will also have an impact the pricing associated with getting a degree ("Eventually", anyway...). Will there be sufficient cachet associated with a degree earned this way? Yes, but it will take some time for the Majority to endorse the idea - at least in the U.S. Baby Boomers are going back to school in record numbers, for a variety of reasons. Other nations who don't have the infrastructure of estbalished universities, however, can now take advantage of this right now.
And so can anyone who has an internet connection.
Think about that for a moment...
True, they won't get the college credits for attending the class, nor the degree to "certify" their "knowledge acquisition". But they will gain the information that they can use.
And isn't that what learning's all about, anyway???
Friday, September 15, 2006
STAR WARS!
I first heard about this movie when one of my brother's friends came over to our house on a Saturday, when we were all fixing our bikes (tires, oiling chains, etc.), and all he kept talking about were these space AWESOME battles! I had no idea what he was talking about, but since I knew I wasn't going to be seeing "Jaws" anytime soon (my parents said I was too young), I was determined to see this.
My Dad, Mom, brother and I all went to see this movie, one night after dinner. While they enjoyed the movie, none of them took to it like I did. And I don't really know why; I just did.
I had no idea what I was in for when I saw this movie, and it literally changed my life:
- I met a friend at school via Star Wars, and together we saw the movie more than 50 times.
- I walked around with stiff arms and legs, perfecting my first British accent, as portrayed by Anthony Daniels (playing C3PO, of course) - it drove my Mom nuts! Later, I increased my accents, as I got more into Monty Python, but that's another post...
- I became interested in really good story telling, classical music, how music could be used to enhance moods (which would come in handy later on in life), and the art of the movie (scripts, comics, trading cards, toys, etc.)...it was all good.
The closest thing I have found to re-experiencing this effect has been through video games and the video games industry.
Why? It's a more immersive and inviting medium than any other. It not only engages all of your sense - it also engages your imagination, which is much more powerful.
Think about this - one of the next five U.S. Presidents (and their administrative staff) will not only have been kids influenced by Star Wars, but they will also probably have played video games, probably an Atari or a Nintendo...
I first heard about this movie when one of my brother's friends came over to our house on a Saturday, when we were all fixing our bikes (tires, oiling chains, etc.), and all he kept talking about were these space AWESOME battles! I had no idea what he was talking about, but since I knew I wasn't going to be seeing "Jaws" anytime soon (my parents said I was too young), I was determined to see this.
My Dad, Mom, brother and I all went to see this movie, one night after dinner. While they enjoyed the movie, none of them took to it like I did. And I don't really know why; I just did.
I had no idea what I was in for when I saw this movie, and it literally changed my life:
- I met a friend at school via Star Wars, and together we saw the movie more than 50 times.
- I walked around with stiff arms and legs, perfecting my first British accent, as portrayed by Anthony Daniels (playing C3PO, of course) - it drove my Mom nuts! Later, I increased my accents, as I got more into Monty Python, but that's another post...
- I became interested in really good story telling, classical music, how music could be used to enhance moods (which would come in handy later on in life), and the art of the movie (scripts, comics, trading cards, toys, etc.)...it was all good.
The closest thing I have found to re-experiencing this effect has been through video games and the video games industry.
Why? It's a more immersive and inviting medium than any other. It not only engages all of your sense - it also engages your imagination, which is much more powerful.
Think about this - one of the next five U.S. Presidents (and their administrative staff) will not only have been kids influenced by Star Wars, but they will also probably have played video games, probably an Atari or a Nintendo...
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