| "You write down the problem. You think very hard. Then you write the answer."- Richard Feynman |
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| THINK |
I first heard of guerrilla drive-ins from the British
marketing newsletter, Springwise. Imagine my surprise
to discover a leading event right in my home town of West
Chester, Pa.
John Young runs it and does a wonderful job. He packs a
16mm projector in the sidecar of his motorcycle, and
chooses movies and strange locations appropriate to the
film's content.
For example, my daughter and I just attended a screening
of The Life Aquatic held in an open courtyard of an old
building on the premises of a local diving equipment
supplier. Open sky, friendly crowd, our own comfortable
lawn chairs - unbeatable entertainment!
Check John's site and his interesting blog.
marketing newsletter, Springwise. Imagine my surprise
to discover a leading event right in my home town of West
Chester, Pa.
John Young runs it and does a wonderful job. He packs a
16mm projector in the sidecar of his motorcycle, and
chooses movies and strange locations appropriate to the
film's content.
For example, my daughter and I just attended a screening
of The Life Aquatic held in an open courtyard of an old
building on the premises of a local diving equipment
supplier. Open sky, friendly crowd, our own comfortable
lawn chairs - unbeatable entertainment!
Check John's site and his interesting blog.
Elvis Is Alive Museum owner Bill Beeny, 81, showing
me how to give an Elvis 'pistol' greeting.
me how to give an Elvis 'pistol' greeting.
Elvis has finally left the building. The Elvis Is Alive
Museum in Wright City, Mossouri is closing, its
assets sold off to someone in Missippi, the home
state of Presley.
I loved visiting the museum, as it was filled with all
sorts of books offering DNA proof that Elvis faked his
death - Bill, the owner would happily show you the
stacks of FBI reports that he felt substantiated the
case.
Best of all was a tape of Elvis calling in on a cell
phone to sing along with a band playing hits created
long after his demise.
Museum in Wright City, Mossouri is closing, its
assets sold off to someone in Missippi, the home
state of Presley.
I loved visiting the museum, as it was filled with all
sorts of books offering DNA proof that Elvis faked his
death - Bill, the owner would happily show you the
stacks of FBI reports that he felt substantiated the
case.
Best of all was a tape of Elvis calling in on a cell
phone to sing along with a band playing hits created
long after his demise.
Does the world need more than five computers? That's the number predicted by IBM founder James
Watson.
Writer Nicholas Carr thinks Watson may have been off by four. He contends that the Internet is creating
essentially one world-wide computer, running "cloud apps". These are applications like Facebook or
Gmail that reside off our hard drives, and in cyberspace.
Internet use is rapidly moving to other mobile devices that will naturally use "cloud apps". Our programs
and data will be on millions of computers, and accessible wherever we are.
Carr points out that while computers are technologies of freedom, they are also technologies of control.
Note the millions of machines owned by people that have malware turning the machines into computing
slaves every night.
Watson.
Writer Nicholas Carr thinks Watson may have been off by four. He contends that the Internet is creating
essentially one world-wide computer, running "cloud apps". These are applications like Facebook or
Gmail that reside off our hard drives, and in cyberspace.
Internet use is rapidly moving to other mobile devices that will naturally use "cloud apps". Our programs
and data will be on millions of computers, and accessible wherever we are.
Carr points out that while computers are technologies of freedom, they are also technologies of control.
Note the millions of machines owned by people that have malware turning the machines into computing
slaves every night.
There is an amusing math trick that you may have come across. While it
requires specific rules to make it work, it turns out that it is absolutely perfect for
the web.
In fact, until you do it a couple times, you really can get the impression that
the "crystal ball" can tell you something. You need to watch what is happening
with the page to see how clever it is.
Click on the crystal ball for a little fun.
requires specific rules to make it work, it turns out that it is absolutely perfect for
the web.
In fact, until you do it a couple times, you really can get the impression that
the "crystal ball" can tell you something. You need to watch what is happening
with the page to see how clever it is.
Click on the crystal ball for a little fun.
It's being called a YouTube for magazines.
The web site and service issuu.com takes any
PDF file that you have and transforms it into a
magazine that can be read on line.
The use of full screen vector graphics give
the product a look and feel very much like a
print magazine, which is very different from the
usual on-line reading experience.
You can upload the magazine you create
onto their community site, or embed it in your
own. It's free and interesting. Click the image
top see how it works.
The web site and service issuu.com takes any
PDF file that you have and transforms it into a
magazine that can be read on line.
The use of full screen vector graphics give
the product a look and feel very much like a
print magazine, which is very different from the
usual on-line reading experience.
You can upload the magazine you create
onto their community site, or embed it in your
own. It's free and interesting. Click the image
top see how it works.
When Complexity Loses Its Fun Side
I used to read every instruction manual front to back. Any new software or gadget, I'd
spend hours learning how to use it - knowing the shortcuts, figuring out how to do unusual
uses - it was part of the fun in owning something new.
Now I find that when I get a new digital camera, I don't bother with learning how to line
up panoramic views digitally. ITunes can do much more that I would ever want it to, once
you look into the various advanced options available with electronic equalization or smart
playlists that can update themselves.
Part of my impatience may be age, less time, or just less interest in general. I think
there is something else at work, also.
Features used to be fewer in number and more difficult and costly to design. Now,
basic software engines or microchips contain nearly infinite variables built into the basic
version.
The urge to use these variables is understandable, especially from an engineer's
viewpoint. If one could really learn all this stuff, you could get more out of your purchase.
But if it takes too long to learn about a product, I get the feeling that I am working for the
software, not the other way around. Guess I'll be asking you how to use that new phone.
I used to read every instruction manual front to back. Any new software or gadget, I'd
spend hours learning how to use it - knowing the shortcuts, figuring out how to do unusual
uses - it was part of the fun in owning something new.
Now I find that when I get a new digital camera, I don't bother with learning how to line
up panoramic views digitally. ITunes can do much more that I would ever want it to, once
you look into the various advanced options available with electronic equalization or smart
playlists that can update themselves.
Part of my impatience may be age, less time, or just less interest in general. I think
there is something else at work, also.
Features used to be fewer in number and more difficult and costly to design. Now,
basic software engines or microchips contain nearly infinite variables built into the basic
version.
The urge to use these variables is understandable, especially from an engineer's
viewpoint. If one could really learn all this stuff, you could get more out of your purchase.
But if it takes too long to learn about a product, I get the feeling that I am working for the
software, not the other way around. Guess I'll be asking you how to use that new phone.
Quick, who invented the digital camera? Wrong, it was an electrical
engineer at Kodak, Steven J. Sasson, thirty years ago. Viewed as a threat to the
core film business, the technology was quickly locked away.
Kodak executive were right, of course, it was indeed dangerous. In hindsight
we see that exploiting the invention would have likely placed Kodak at the
forefront of digital photography. Instead, the downsized color expert is trying to
stem huge losses and regain their consumer footing.
It is counterintuitive to invest in ideas that threaten your core business, and
only the most fearless managers are likely to promote such efforts.
Today, Kodak is poring over their unused intellectual property, generating
hundreds of millions in licencing fees. With their latest inventions they are
hoping to become the World Bank of Imaging, according to the NY Times.
Many of their new ideas show promise, especially in the area of printers and
image sensors. But if a manager in the 1970s had been bold enough to get
Sasson's gadget built, we would be looking at a very different Kodak today.
engineer at Kodak, Steven J. Sasson, thirty years ago. Viewed as a threat to the
core film business, the technology was quickly locked away.
Kodak executive were right, of course, it was indeed dangerous. In hindsight
we see that exploiting the invention would have likely placed Kodak at the
forefront of digital photography. Instead, the downsized color expert is trying to
stem huge losses and regain their consumer footing.
It is counterintuitive to invest in ideas that threaten your core business, and
only the most fearless managers are likely to promote such efforts.
Today, Kodak is poring over their unused intellectual property, generating
hundreds of millions in licencing fees. With their latest inventions they are
hoping to become the World Bank of Imaging, according to the NY Times.
Many of their new ideas show promise, especially in the area of printers and
image sensors. But if a manager in the 1970s had been bold enough to get
Sasson's gadget built, we would be looking at a very different Kodak today.
The Curse of Knowledge. The other day someone mentioned that a customer felt that an item was, (if I remember
correctly) too "value-driven". I then pondered what this, exactly meant. I was genuinely confused, until I realized that the meaning
was "cheap looking".
Many of us do this unconsciously, particularly when speaking to people within our industry. (I still hear people describe a
stack of papers as a "deck", although it is, in fact, some papers.
The Journal of Political Economy talks about this Curse of Knowledge, "...once you've become an expert in a particular field,
it's hard to imagine not knowing what you do. (my emphasis). Your conversations are peppered with catch phrases and jargon
that are foreign to the uninitiated."
So what? Well, the point of the research is best described by Intel's Andy Grove, "When everybody knows that something is
so, it means that nobody knows nothin'" In order words, innovation becomes stifled by our sameness of thought.
Communicating to others in terms that have universal meaning is the first step in contacting those with diverse experiences,
a primary step towards innovation. Remembering to do this isn't easy, (I backslide all the time). Remember, if you are attempting
to communicate in a way that your friends outside your industry would not understand, then you are not communicating well.
correctly) too "value-driven". I then pondered what this, exactly meant. I was genuinely confused, until I realized that the meaning
was "cheap looking".
Many of us do this unconsciously, particularly when speaking to people within our industry. (I still hear people describe a
stack of papers as a "deck", although it is, in fact, some papers.
The Journal of Political Economy talks about this Curse of Knowledge, "...once you've become an expert in a particular field,
it's hard to imagine not knowing what you do. (my emphasis). Your conversations are peppered with catch phrases and jargon
that are foreign to the uninitiated."
So what? Well, the point of the research is best described by Intel's Andy Grove, "When everybody knows that something is
so, it means that nobody knows nothin'" In order words, innovation becomes stifled by our sameness of thought.
Communicating to others in terms that have universal meaning is the first step in contacting those with diverse experiences,
a primary step towards innovation. Remembering to do this isn't easy, (I backslide all the time). Remember, if you are attempting
to communicate in a way that your friends outside your industry would not understand, then you are not communicating well.