This interview with the author of a new book titled "RenGen: The rise of the cultural consumer and what it means to your business", caught my eye. Heres how the author, Patricia Martin describes "RenGen", aka the "Renaissance Generation":
"The RenGen is a psychographic more than a demographic, but when you
look at census figures alone you have this large group of boomers who
in their youth idealistically wanted to change the world, got
frustrated and cashed out. You also have this even larger, rising
segment of young people every bit as idealistic as boomers once were.
If you look at a census table, it looks like a book-ended generation
with these two groups on either end. As for their
characteristics — they are eco-conscious; they take their cues from
nature so they are willing to accept products that are flawed but
authentic rather than slickly produced and inauthentic. Dove figured
this out with the real-women campaign.
They want to make a difference.
They want to live many lives. They don’t want to be told, “You can’t be
an architect and a poet.” They are sensualists. Because they are both
idealistic and cynical at the same time, they have learned to trust
what they experience rather than what experts tell them. That is why
design and aesthetics are so elevated right now."
Despite that horoscope like opening, the author really caught my eye with this enticing prediction:
"I predict that what we will see out of the younger RenGen is the
largest class of entrepreneurs the United States has seen in a long
time. Not only are they driven to do original work, but they are going
to want to live that out in originally designed careers."
Its a cool, idealistic vision, especially appealing in these turbulent times. Adding the book to the reading list.
This interview with the author of a new book titled "RenGen: The rise of the cultural consumer and what it means to your business", caught my eye. Heres how the author, Patricia Martin describes "RenGen", aka the "Renaissance Generation":
"The RenGen is a psychographic more than a demographic, but when you
look at census figures alone you have this large group of boomers who
in their youth idealistically wanted to change the world, got
frustrated and cashed out. You also have this even larger, rising
segment of young people every bit as idealistic as boomers once were.
If you look at a census table, it looks like a book-ended generation
with these two groups on either end. As for their
characteristics — they are eco-conscious; they take their cues from
nature so they are willing to accept products that are flawed but
authentic rather than slickly produced and inauthentic. Dove figured
this out with the real-women campaign.
They want to make a difference.
They want to live many lives. They don’t want to be told, “You can’t be
an architect and a poet.” They are sensualists. Because they are both
idealistic and cynical at the same time, they have learned to trust
what they experience rather than what experts tell them. That is why
design and aesthetics are so elevated right now."
Despite that horoscope like opening, the author really caught my eye with this enticing prediction:
"I predict that what we will see out of the younger RenGen is the
largest class of entrepreneurs the United States has seen in a long
time. Not only are they driven to do original work, but they are going
to want to live that out in originally designed careers."
Its a cool, idealistic vision, especially appealing in these turbulent times. Adding the book to the reading list.
The technology industry, especially the enterprise-focused hardware companies, have been doing their utmost of late to re-tool their products and services for the perceived holy grail of new, "green" markets. An example of this is IBMs Green project initiative launched in the middle of last year:
"In May this year the firm launched its $1bn Big Green Project campaign focusing on ways it could reduce energy consumption.
Technologies which IBM touted last month included liquid cooling
solutions, virtualization systems and power management, all of which it
hopes to integrate into the new facility.
Data centres have been notorious for consuming vast quantities of
power, as well as pushing out large chunks of carbon emissions to keep
the beasts ticking over."
You may have seen several commercials IBM has been running to convince its target market, the enterprise CIOs (Chief Information Officers), of the merits in investing in "green hardware, software and services. This one is a good example:
Its an uphill climb, as other companies in the industry with similar recent initiatives, like Dell, have found. This piece in the Register yesterday is a case in point:
"Dell has admitted it wont earn much return on the energetic
greening of its operations and products, until CIOs get paid to have
greener data centres.
Michael Dell, Dells founder, chairman and CEO, said in a briefing
with journalists in London today, that the underlying interest in green
matters is growing at a fast pace.
But he added: "CIOs say the energy cost is not in my budget."
That means that Dell, after a breakneck rush to green its product
range, is offering products to CIOs who do not yet have an incentive to
buy them.
Dell thinks "this is changing. CIOs are being held accountable."
Asked if, when CIOs do get an energy budget responsibility, Dell would
be there waiting, he said simply: "Yes."
These markets take a long time to turn around to new trends and opportunities. Heres hoping in this instance that the market catches up with the vendors some point soon.
The technology industry, especially the enterprise-focused hardware companies, have been doing their utmost of late to re-tool their products and services for the perceived holy grail of new, "green" markets. An example of this is IBMs Green project initiative launched in the middle of last year:
"In May this year the firm launched its $1bn Big Green Project campaign focusing on ways it could reduce energy consumption.
Technologies which IBM touted last month included liquid cooling
solutions, virtualization systems and power management, all of which it
hopes to integrate into the new facility.
Data centres have been notorious for consuming vast quantities of
power, as well as pushing out large chunks of carbon emissions to keep
the beasts ticking over."
You may have seen several commercials IBM has been running to convince its target market, the enterprise CIOs (Chief Information Officers), of the merits in investing in "green hardware, software and services. This one is a good example:
Its an uphill climb, as other companies in the industry with similar recent initiatives, like Dell, have found. This piece in the Register yesterday is a case in point:
"Dell has admitted it wont earn much return on the energetic
greening of its operations and products, until CIOs get paid to have
greener data centres.
Michael Dell, Dells founder, chairman and CEO, said in a briefing
with journalists in London today, that the underlying interest in green
matters is growing at a fast pace.
But he added: "CIOs say the energy cost is not in my budget."
That means that Dell, after a breakneck rush to green its product
range, is offering products to CIOs who do not yet have an incentive to
buy them.
Dell thinks "this is changing. CIOs are being held accountable."
Asked if, when CIOs do get an energy budget responsibility, Dell would
be there waiting, he said simply: "Yes."
These markets take a long time to turn around to new trends and opportunities. Heres hoping in this instance that the market catches up with the vendors some point soon.
Its great that Tina Fey won yet another Emmy for the her performance on the show she created, "30 Rock". But I think the award for the best line at any Emmy acceptance speech also goes to Tina Fey, who said:
""30 Rock is available to be viewed on NBC.com, Hulu.com, iTunes,
Verizon phones, United Airlines and occasionally on actual television,"
Fey quipped."
One of the dramatic financial news item over the weekend of course was the conversion of the last two investment banks, Goldman Sachs (GS) and Morgan Stanley (MS) into bank holding company structures, with the blessing of the Government. As BusinessWeek notes:
"The standalone investment bank died quietly Sunday, Sept. 22, 2008, after a brief but dramatic illness. It was 75 years old.
On Sunday night, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley
said they would become bank holding companies, submitting to the
authority and oversight of federal banking regulators. After the
collapse of Bear Stearns, the bankruptcy filing of Lehman Brothers and
the agreement by Merrill Lynch to be acquired by Bank of America,
Goldman and Morgan were the last remaining investment banks.
Goldman
noted that the move would make it the fourth biggest bank holding
company in the U.S. Morgan said it was seeking “maximum flexibility and
stability to pursue new business opportunities as the financial
marketplace undergoes rapid and profound changes.”
The Fed said
it had approved the switch, with allowances for a five-day waiting
period to clear any anti-trust hurdles; the banks’ broker-dealer units,
along with Merrill’s, will also be able to borrow from the New York
Fed.
The move is likely to subject the companies to stricter regulation,
requiring them to retain more capital and take fewer risks than they
could as investment banks.
The announcement was made without much fanfare (as the New York Times
said), and may also make regulatory reform somewhat easier for the next
president and Congress. Instead of two kinds of regulated entities,
they could well face the need to consider just one."
Much of the media coverage today seems to be focused on how Goldman Sachs is humbled by becoming
"just" an ordinary commercial bank, knocked off its lofty perch as the most eminent of global investment banks.
And the consensus seems to be on how Goldman is going to have to "settle" financially and culturally for being a commercial bank.
Theres no question that these moves were in response to some historically major financial market factors, and that all financial industry participants to have to struggle mightily just to survive the difficult times ahead.
This thought though, comes to mind.
Maybe its just the emotions of a former lifer at Goldman Sachs, but I cant help but think that Goldman may be a commercial bank in structure and name, but that its unique DNA and culture will not only adapt, but thrive in the long-term under its new structure.
The thought that comes to mind in fact is that Goldman with this move may have just become the wolf in sheeps clothing (image source). And of course therell likely be some sheep that try to be a wolf.
DISCLOSURE: Im a long-time shareholder and former employee of GS.
One of the dramatic financial news item over the weekend of course was the conversion of the last two investment banks, Goldman Sachs (GS) and Morgan Stanley (MS) into bank holding company structures, with the blessing of the Government. As BusinessWeek notes:
"The standalone investment bank died quietly Sunday, Sept. 22, 2008, after a brief but dramatic illness. It was 75 years old.
On Sunday night, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley
said they would become bank holding companies, submitting to the
authority and oversight of federal banking regulators. After the
collapse of Bear Stearns, the bankruptcy filing of Lehman Brothers and
the agreement by Merrill Lynch to be acquired by Bank of America,
Goldman and Morgan were the last remaining investment banks.
Goldman
noted that the move would make it the fourth biggest bank holding
company in the U.S. Morgan said it was seeking “maximum flexibility and
stability to pursue new business opportunities as the financial
marketplace undergoes rapid and profound changes.”
The Fed said
it had approved the switch, with allowances for a five-day waiting
period to clear any anti-trust hurdles; the banks’ broker-dealer units,
along with Merrill’s, will also be able to borrow from the New York
Fed.
The move is likely to subject the companies to stricter regulation,
requiring them to retain more capital and take fewer risks than they
could as investment banks.
The announcement was made without much fanfare (as the New York Times
said), and may also make regulatory reform somewhat easier for the next
president and Congress. Instead of two kinds of regulated entities,
they could well face the need to consider just one."
Much of the media coverage today seems to be focused on how Goldman Sachs is humbled by becoming
"just" an ordinary commercial bank, knocked off its lofty perch as the most eminent of global investment banks.
And the consensus seems to be on how Goldman is going to have to "settle" financially and culturally for being a commercial bank.
Theres no question that these moves were in response to some historically major financial market factors, and that all financial industry participants to have to struggle mightily just to survive the difficult times ahead.
This thought though, comes to mind.
Maybe its just the emotions of a former lifer at Goldman Sachs, but I cant help but think that Goldman may be a commercial bank in structure and name, but that its unique DNA and culture will not only adapt, but thrive in the long-term under its new structure.
The thought that comes to mind in fact is that Goldman with this move may have just become the wolf in sheeps clothing (image source). And of course therell likely be some sheep that try to be a wolf.
DISCLOSURE: Im a long-time shareholder and former employee of GS.
If youre looking for some Sunday reading that takes you away from the fires we face in the markets and abroad, and give some food for thought on how were educating our children, take a look at the New York Times Sunday Magazine issue on Teaching, the College Issue. Heres a taste of what to expect:
Words aside,
however, the look of this issue is all-student: headline type,
photographs and illustrations are all the work of undergraduate and
graduate students from across the country, and a few from overseas as
well."
Theres a lot of good stuff here, and one of my favorites is this piece on the explosion of amazing lectures available online to anyone anywhere in the world with an internet connection. The viral online success of Physics Professor Walter Lewin, number one for a while on iTunes University, is a good case in point.
If youre looking for some Sunday reading that takes you away from the fires we face in the markets and abroad, and give some food for thought on how were educating our children, take a look at the New York Times Sunday Magazine issue on Teaching, the College Issue. Heres a taste of what to expect:
Words aside,
however, the look of this issue is all-student: headline type,
photographs and illustrations are all the work of undergraduate and
graduate students from across the country, and a few from overseas as
well."
Theres a lot of good stuff here, and one of my favorites is this piece on the explosion of amazing lectures available online to anyone anywhere in the world with an internet connection. The viral online success of Physics Professor Walter Lewin, number one for a while on iTunes University, is a good case in point.
UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES This New York Times article describing the reaction of Congressional leaders getting the real low-down on the financial crisis from Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson earlier in the week, is worth noting*:
"Mr. Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr.
had made an urgent and unusual evening visit to Capitol Hill, and they
were gathered around a conference table in the offices of House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi.
“When you listened to him describe it you gulped," said Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York..."
"...the congressional leaders were told “that we’re literally maybe days
away from a complete meltdown of our financial system, with all the
implications here at home and globally.”
Mr. Schumer added, “History was sort of hanging over it, like this was a moment.”
When Mr. Schumer described the meeting as “somber,” Mr. Dodd cut in.
“Somber doesn’t begin to justify the words,” he said. “We have never
heard language like this.”
“What you heard last evening,” he
added, “is one of those rare moments, certainly rare in my experience
here, is Democrats and Republicans deciding we need to work together
quickly.”
Perhaps one of the meagre silver linings of this crisis, is that it may finally bring both parties together to do what needs to be done on so many fronts. It may, perhaps be short-lived, but its better than not having happened at all. I dont have any illusions that partisan forces wont come into play as the government solution, whatever forms it ends up taking, is ultimately crafted and made into law.
Also, given that this is happening in a Presidential election year, we may see both candidates quickly change their play books from attacking each other on silly stuff, and race each other for the high ground of the center.
There may instead be a race between the two candidates to be the first to break through the clutter of partisanship, and connect with the silent majority of mainstream Americans who are not as partisan as the base of either party, and just want government to really just work for a change (pun intended). Now thatd be a sight to behold.
UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES This New York Times article describing the reaction of Congressional leaders getting the real low-down on the financial crisis from Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson earlier in the week, is worth noting*:
"Mr. Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr.
had made an urgent and unusual evening visit to Capitol Hill, and they
were gathered around a conference table in the offices of House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi.
“When you listened to him describe it you gulped," said Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York..."
"...the congressional leaders were told “that we’re literally maybe days
away from a complete meltdown of our financial system, with all the
implications here at home and globally.”
Mr. Schumer added, “History was sort of hanging over it, like this was a moment.”
When Mr. Schumer described the meeting as “somber,” Mr. Dodd cut in.
“Somber doesn’t begin to justify the words,” he said. “We have never
heard language like this.”
“What you heard last evening,” he
added, “is one of those rare moments, certainly rare in my experience
here, is Democrats and Republicans deciding we need to work together
quickly.”
Perhaps one of the meagre silver linings of this crisis, is that it may finally bring both parties together to do what needs to be done on so many fronts. It may, perhaps be short-lived, but its better than not having happened at all. I dont have any illusions that partisan forces wont come into play as the government solution, whatever forms it ends up taking, is ultimately crafted and made into law.
Also, given that this is happening in a Presidential election year, we may see both candidates quickly change their play books from attacking each other on silly stuff, and race each other for the high ground of the center.
There may instead be a race between the two candidates to be the first to break through the clutter of partisanship, and connect with the silent majority of mainstream Americans who are not as partisan as the base of either party, and just want government to really just work for a change (pun intended). Now thatd be a sight to behold.
One of my favorite from the 1990s is the movie "Independence Day", where almost unbeatable aliens almost annihilate the human race. If you havent seen it, do rent it.
Theres a moment in the film, where the American heroes finally come up with a plan to beat the aliens and communicate it to a hodge podge array of military pilots around the world from many nations, via Morse code.
I couldnt find a YouTube clips of the scene, but heres the relevant excerpt from the screenplay, with my favorite line in bold from the movie, involving some British pilots working with Israeli and Arab pilots in the middle eastern desert:
"ANGLE - ARABIAN AIR FORCE CAMP
Dozens of Arab pilots are gathered around a large radio as the Morse code comes through. Thomson quickly kneels down, taking notes. THOMSON Its from the Americans. They want to organize a counter offensive.
REGINALD Its about bloody time. What do they plan to do?"
What brought the line to mind is the spirit in which the world markets reacted last night, to the news that the U.S. Federal government may finally be planning a coordinated response to pro actively address the financial crisis thats almost brought most markets around the world to their knees this week.
"The federal government, acknowledging the need to take a more
comprehensive approach to the financial crisis, is working on a
sweeping series of programs that would represent perhaps the biggest
intervention in financial markets since the 1930s.
At the center of the potential plan is a mechanism that would take
bad assets off the balance sheets of financial companies, according to
people familiar with the matter, a device that echoes similar moves
taken in past financial crises. Its size could reach hundreds of
billions of dollars..."
Of course, unlike the movie, the plan is going to be hugely controversial and expensive, with a lot in it for everyone to complain about. And in a particularly heated election year, both political parties will do their best to tear it apart while publicly taking credit for its crafting and implementation. Its going to be a big, royally messy spectacle, and who knows if the markets will continue to receive it as well today as they did yesterday afternoon and evening.
But despite all those issues, its still an attempt at an organized counter-offensive by the good guys. And it is about Bloody Time.
P.S. The movie also has one of the best political speeches given by a fictional American President this side of Obama. I was able to find a clip of it on YouTube if you havent seen it:
One of my favorite from the 1990s is the movie "Independence Day", where almost unbeatable aliens almost annihilate the human race. If you havent seen it, do rent it.
Theres a moment in the film, where the American heroes finally come up with a plan to beat the aliens and communicate it to a hodge podge array of military pilots around the world from many nations, via Morse code.
I couldnt find a YouTube clips of the scene, but heres the relevant excerpt from the screenplay, with my favorite line in bold from the movie, involving some British pilots working with Israeli and Arab pilots in the middle eastern desert:
"ANGLE - ARABIAN AIR FORCE CAMP
Dozens of Arab pilots are gathered around a large radio as the Morse code comes through. Thomson quickly kneels down, taking notes. THOMSON Its from the Americans. They want to organize a counter offensive.
REGINALD Its about bloody time. What do they plan to do?"
What brought the line to mind is the spirit in which the world markets reacted last night, to the news that the U.S. Federal government may finally be planning a coordinated response to pro actively address the financial crisis thats almost brought most markets around the world to their knees this week.
"The federal government, acknowledging the need to take a more
comprehensive approach to the financial crisis, is working on a
sweeping series of programs that would represent perhaps the biggest
intervention in financial markets since the 1930s.
At the center of the potential plan is a mechanism that would take
bad assets off the balance sheets of financial companies, according to
people familiar with the matter, a device that echoes similar moves
taken in past financial crises. Its size could reach hundreds of
billions of dollars..."
Of course, unlike the movie, the plan is going to be hugely controversial and expensive, with a lot in it for everyone to complain about. And in a particularly heated election year, both political parties will do their best to tear it apart while publicly taking credit for its crafting and implementation. Its going to be a big, royally messy spectacle, and who knows if the markets will continue to receive it as well today as they did yesterday afternoon and evening.
But despite all those issues, its still an attempt at an organized counter-offensive by the good guys. And it is about Bloody Time.
P.S. The movie also has one of the best political speeches given by a fictional American President this side of Obama. I was able to find a clip of it on YouTube if you havent seen it:
(Update: Apple also announced updated MacBook Pro laptops today, with the 15-inch model also sporting an LED-enhanced screen. The new models still dont offer an integrated WWAN wireless network option for high-speed wireless data access.)
Its almost coming up to six months since the release of Windows Vista, and we still dont have a desktop or a
laptop with the new OS on it. For those of you who know me, thats pretty unusual. At the very least, its an impressive bit of self-restraint, if I do say so myself.
Like so many others, Ive been waiting for the Service Packs thatll fix the early version of Windows Vista, including updated drivers that finally offer some speed and performance advantages over Windows XP based machines.
"Weve got the scoop on some early marketing materials / renders for
Dell XPS m1330, and we have to say, this is as impressed as weve ever
been with a Dell laptop. Check it out:
13.3-inch screen, configurable with LED backlight! (300cd/m2, or 220 with CCFL backlight)
Core 2 Duo processor (up to 2.4GHz), Santa Rosa chipset (965PM/GM)
Up to 4GB DDR2 SDRAM
32GB SSD drive or spinning-platter drive options up to 250GB
Slot-loading dual-layer DVD±RW drive!
Optional NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS / 128MB
WWAN option for Verizon, Sprint, or AT&T
Ethernet, 802.11a, a/g, or n options, Bluetooth option
Integrated 2 megapixel webcam (VGA only on LED-backlit display)
HDMI, VGA, 1394, (2) USB 2.0, integrated media reader (MS, SD, xD), dual mini-PCI slots, fingerprint reader
Dimensions
with LED 12.5 x 9.4 x 0.87 - 1.33-inches (318 x 238 x 22.1 - 33.8mm) /
with CCFL 12.5 x 9.4 x 0.97 - 1.43-inches (318 x 238 x 24.6 - 36.3mm)
Weight starts at 4 pounds"
The key features that Ive been waiting for here, are the LED backlight and the Santa Rosa processor, not to mention the 250 GB drive in a 4 pound machine.
Now I realize that Dell may make this laptop available with either Vista or XP installed, as they do on their current line of XPS desktops and laptops. So its not just a "Vista laptop".
No word on when the thing will actually be available, but it sure does look tempting.
His third post out of the gate, titled "Bubbles on the Brain", gives a thoughtful argument on why the current Bubble-fears in Silicon Valley can be over-blown.
The discussion is a healthy one, reminding us of the cyclical nature of all trends, large and small.
That waves undulate and can cause good and bad things to happen is not new.
That these waves occur in the fast-changing technology industry, especially since the dawn of the "computer age", half a century ago, is not new.
That they can create immense opportunities for wealth destruction and creation is not new.
Whats new, is that these waves, driven by the rapid evolution of internet technologies, are really starting to hit a whole lot of traditional industries.
"...a historian of science named Thomas Kuhn, whose seminal 1962 book,
“The Structure of Scientific Revolution,” neatly mapped the
anti-establishment landscape of innovation.
Kuhn’s central
insight, which fast became a cliché, was to identify “paradigm shifts”
as the key to advances in science and technology.
Scientific
world views were belief systems first and proved empirically only
later. Facts had meaning only in relation to a “world view.” When world
views were overthrown by rebels, new paradigms could be constructed,
opening the way for new theories, new facts, new technologies."
The Mosaic/Netscape browsers made the first internet related paradigm shift in computing clear for many.
Since then, there have been other internet-driven paradigm shifts made more evident in a mainstream way.
Just three examples would be Google making the paradigm shift in advertising more clear, Craiglist doing the same for Classifieds, and YouTube doing ditto for television.
That phrase, however, was likely over-used in the first Internet "Bubble", as these things often are.
But its more important to keep in mind now than ever.
Were going to have a whole lot more paradigm shifts, large and small, across a whole array of industries over the coming decades.
Thisll largely be driven by the technology waves that continue to amass growing power from the on-going, commercial, internet innovations started a decade ago.
The same New York Times article above also observed:
As the London-based writer Ziauddin Sardar has noted, in the popular
mind, Kuhn reduced science to “nothing more than long periods of boring
conformist activity punctuated by outbreaks of irrational deviance.”
Were likely to see a whole lot more "irrational deviance" going forward, as entire mainstream industries try and re-configure themselves given the operational and financial disruption caused by the internet.
Globally.
"Irrational Exuberance", popularized by our last Fed chairman, Alan Greenspan, is really about rational opportunism around "paradigm shifts", again large or small.
This rational opportunism is generally incremental, but can cascade pretty quickly into a game of musical chairs, where participants rush not to miss an opportunity.
So its good to see on-going debates on Bubbles, whether they exist or not.
Were just going to have a lot more of them going forward.
And well have a chance to see a whole lot more bubbles, large and small.
Housed in building 43, the secretive group headed by ex-Yahoo! and Amazon search guru Udi Manber, the group constantly tweaks, tests, and tortures the knotty, growing glob that make up the "Ranking Algorithm".
Heres how the article introduces us to this group:
"...Amit Singhal and hundreds of other Google engineers are
constantly tweaking the company’s search engine in an elusive quest to
close the gap between often and always.
Mr. Singhal is the
master of what Google calls its “ranking algorithm” — the formulas that
decide which Web pages best answer each user’s question.
It is a
crucial part of Google’s inner sanctum, a department called “search
quality” that the company treats like a state secret.
Google rarely
allows outsiders to visit the unit, and it has been cautious about
allowing Mr. Singhal to speak with the news media about the magical,
mathematical brew inside the millions of black boxes that power its
search engine."
But unlike that secret formula, which maybe gets tweaked and tortured once in a while to give us concoctions like Diet Black Cherry Vanilla Coke, Googles formula is "improved", constantly, in near real-time (image source).
(As an aside, this similarity is one reason alone why Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway should consider adding Google to his Coke position, despite the notion that he doesnt "get technology"...I know, I know, his friend Bill might not like that very much, but this is BUSINESS, not personal)*.
The piece is a great glimpse into how Google is inventing its future around one of its core competencies. (As an aside again, the other of course is its algorithmic genius around MONETIZING the "ranking algorithm", which could use a whole separate article by the New York Times).
Especially at a time, when there are so many startups trying to out-do Google in its core competency.
The latest VC-backed, Search effort is an interesting case in point.
"Mahalo is the worlds first human-powered search engine powered by an
enthusiastic and energetic group of Guides. Our Guides spend their days
searching, filtering out spam, and hand-crafting the best search
results possible.
If they havent yet built a search result, you can
request that search result. You can also suggest links for any of our
search results."
"...human editors can be approximated with algorithms."
As the New York Times article illustrates, the companys approach to improving its search algorithms centers around hundreds of Search Quality specialists testing endless number of variables that drive the "best" search results.
Its an effort that contrasts sharply with those of startups like Mahalo, that tries to define the "perfect search" BEFORE the search.
Googles approach focuses on endlessly improving on the "perfect search" AFTER countless searches on millions of items that hopefully give results that are "good enough" initially, and get better over time.
These are entirely different approaches.
And thats what gives us such an interesting horse race.
(*DISCLOSURE: I own shares in both Microsoft and Google).
(Update: Problem solved thanks to comments and emails by several folks, including several folks from Feedburner. Thanks very much all.)
Ive been a subscriber to Feedburners services since its early days, and like many others, am pleased to see the company being acquired by Google this week. Ive long used Feedburner as the primary way for readers to subscribe to my blog via email and RSS feeds.
Like other well wishers, I congratulate Google, the Feedburner team, and its investors in this outcome.
The companys services have long had a Feed and Forget" characteristic which has been laudable. Both their primary feed service, and email subscription services were relatively easy to set up for my blog, and have worked well for my subscribers and me.
Today, for the first time though, I got a direct email from an email subscriber to my blog, asking me to remove them from the email subscription list.
I immediately tried to oblige, but realized quickly that I had no idea how to do that.
So I went to the Feedburner site, and logged into my account for the first time in months. I then spent close to 45 minutes trying to figure out where in the service I could manually unsubscribe a particular email subscriber at their request.
And I failed miserably at trying to find a way.
My account page on Feedburner seems to offer no obvious way for me to access my email list and/or perform any maintenance on the list. There likely is a way, and Im just too dense to notice it and/or figure it out.
In the meantime, I replied back to the person who requested that they be unsubscribed, with a lame reply.
Basically, I asked them to see if there was an "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of the email they get daily in their email feed for me. Or try replying directly to that email with the word"Unsubscribe".
Hopefully that works. But it is not a good feeling being unable to help someone directly with this reasonable and straightforward request.
Ill spend some more time on my Feedburner account to figure out what I may have missed.
If any reader has an idea or a suggestion, please leave me a comment, or email me directly.
Heres a timely gizmo for summer pictures. The New York Times has a piece on a new hand-held camera from Panasonic that packs 12 mega-pixels, and the ability to shoot in really low-light situations:
"The 12-megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX100...
...uses a 28-millimeter Leica lens and built-in image stabilization
to prevent blurring while on the move and, thanks to improved control
over sensitivity, even in low light.
It can shoot at up to ISO 6400, an
impressive range for a small camera."
That is a cool feature, as is this, almost bonus feature:
"It can also record video at near-high-definition quality."
Another $400 temptation...should be available next month.
The most interesting new product announcement from my perspective, was the Livescribe Smartpen, founded by the principals who brought us LeapPad from Leapfrog for our kids.
The holy grail of pen-driven computing may finally yield something practical for mainstream users.
"In a nutshell, the most critically cool thing it can do is link audio
recordings you make as you jot written notes to the actual text youre
writing.
And it can later all be indexed on a PC, and played back on
the computer. Or by clicking on the notepad.
Completely useful for
students, journalists, lawyers—anyone who takes a lot of notes. And it
works."
Theres a brief video of the demo at D on the D website. But also useful are the animated videos explaining the various possible users of the gizmo on the Livescribe website.
The product is supposed to be available for around $200 later this year, and will require ongoing purchase of special paper coated with microdots that make the Smartpen work.
But this time, the dreamers may have figured out how to make this pen computing thing really work.
Its not just about a $100 laptop that could change the developing world. This New York Times article provides a glimpse into why not:
“A billion customers in the world,” Dr. Paul Polak told a crowd of
inventors recently, “are waiting for a $2 pair of eyeglasses, a $10
solar lantern and a $100 house.”
The article goes on to explain:
"To that end, the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum,
which is housed in Andrew Carnegie’s 64-room mansion on Fifth Avenue
and offers a $250 red chrome piggy bank in its gift shop, is honoring
inventors dedicated to “the other 90 percent,” particularly the
billions of people living on less than $2 a day.
Their
creations, on display in the museum garden until Sept. 23, have a sort
of forehead-thumping “Why didn’t someone think of that before?”
quality."
A good example is this picture below.
"For example, one of the simplest and yet most elegant designs tackles a
job that millions of women and girls spend many hours doing each year —
fetching water.
Balancing heavy jerry cans on the head may lead to
elegant posture, but it is backbreaking work and sometimes causes
crippling injuries.
The Q-Drum, a circular jerry can, holds 20 gallons,
and it rolls smoothly enough for a child to tow it on a rope."
Im looking forward to showing this picture to my mom.
As a young girl in a small village in India, she had to carry water daily, from
the village well on her head, much like the young woman pictured here
.
Better late than never, shell likely reply.
I know shell want to go and see the exhibition, on her next trip to New York.
