Freedom to choose. If this was true, it would be big:
At first blush, that’s a radical notion any right-thinking CTO would dismiss out of hand. But not so fast: IT shouldn’t dictate what computers and handhelds users get — and perhaps IT shouldn’t manage them, either. That’s the conclusion some IT organizations are reaching, or at least investigating.
Of course it’s already happening. It’s how open source creeps into the enterprise bypassing the budget committee, how SaaS inflitrates the MS/Siebel/Oracle strong holds, and why we’re seeing Macs and iPhones crop up in unexpected places. What to expect? Less Windows, less Lotus Notes/Exchange, less anything you wouldn’t pay for with your credit card. Less software licenses all around, giving way to support contracts and monthly usage bills. The new way of doing software is selling dinners, not kitchens.
Was that an earthquake? Let’s say you wanted to predict earthquakes. First thing you’ll need: seismographs. How much would it cost to place those seismographs at large density around major faults? For the Quake-Catcher Network, the answer is $0. Just distribute software to people who can run it on their notebooks using the built-in accelerometers to detect earth movements. Briliant.
Sometimes, you’ve to to make a call. Dave Caolo on the data usage of the iPhone:
There are other options on that screen, like “View my minutes,” which I usually check when I pay my bill. As of right now, I’m looking at 1300 roll over minutes. This can only mean one thing:
I rarely use my iPhone as a phone.
I’m also racking up roll over minutes, using the iPhone for everything but making phone calls. Last year I cancelled my land line, but before that, I used it exclusively for dial-up (DSL is just a fancy name for dial-up). So I have a different take: it’s only a true mobile phone when you can use it for data, and occasionally voice.
Who’s influencing you? According to a new study:
Of more than 1,100 adults polled in December, nearly 80% said they were very or somewhat more likely to consider buying products recommended by real-world friends and family, while only 23% reported being very or somewhat likely to consider a product pushed by “well-known bloggers.”
Accroding to my non-scientific, sample-of-one, anecdotal research, nearly 80% of those “friend and family” recommendations are one or two degree of separation removed from an influencer. The problem with this study is not the data collected or its statistical analysis, but blatant ignorance for human behavior. We have a strong need to believe we’re not operating under any source of influence. If you want to know, don’t ask, observe. (Via ReadWriteWeb, which also falls for this trap)
Three cheers to WP 2.5. Just upgraded to WordPress 2.5. (Disclosure: a couple of influencers I trust told me to) It’s a definite improvement over 2.3, especially for writing and managing comments. I’m now hooked on the new full-screen editor.
The UI is much improved, but still has some way to go. Joen Asmussen has an excellent writeup the usability issues with 2.5, and worth reading if you’re intersted in Web app usability (not just for WP).
Above, the perfect gift to the person who has everything: Betamax to HD-DVD convertor.