R.I.P. Laptops - The Smart Bet is the Smart Phone

With Microsoft and Palm teaming up on the new Treo, it's obvious that the companies are working together to try and put an end to RIM's dominence in the smartphone arena. However, what might be the most important aspect of this deal between these dominant players is the added innovation that will be brought to the smartphone - a device which is rapidly growing in adoption and which may, sooner rather than later, replace the laptop as the be all, end all for mobile computing.

R.I.P. Thinkpad. You had your 15 minutes.

Blogging Open

I've been a big fan of Matthew Good ever since I got my hands on my first copy of "Underdogs" nearly ten years ago. An artist with talent and insight which goes well beyond almost everything that's put out there these days, I'm nothing short of in awe every time I hear a song written by him played. Far more concerned with being open than being popular, the musician has created some of the most powerful and eerily beautful pieces available in our lifetime, without any desire for the recognition that he so rightfully deserves.

Beyond musical talents, Matt Good has also been an avid blogger for years, using the forum to communicate with his audience for much longer than many of the people who are glorified as "pioneers." I've been reading his blog for quite some time and am never dissapointed with what he has to say. This week, he posted one of the most profound and ultimately inspiring postings I've ever read, which I can't help but share, in part, with you.

" I am, rather wooden-headedly, routinely drawn back to blogging because I receive a lot of correspondence from people that site my website as the place where their own interest in social awareness began. That’s a rather massive compliment and, as far as I am concerned, responsibility. Over the years I have been implored to abandon my blog by family members and friends on occasion, but that one aspect has always drawn me back to it, even after I have attempted to turn it off and walk away.

But that isn’t to say that, as a blank canvas, this blog hasn’t been home to a lot of my personal thoughts as well, especially over the last three to four months. I did my best to not talk about events in my personal life for quite some time, between late February and late July, but this summer the gross realities of things I was completely in the dark about really got to me and I suppose I just cracked. There is no question that some might look at the content that I have posted with regards to my personal life as ‘self pitying’. They also say that betrayal is worse than rape, so it’s coin toss I suppose. I also agree that, from the viewpoint of a daily reader, it might get tiring as well. Hell, I’ll even concede that, from time to time, some of it might even come across as downright vindictive. I say all of this as someone who, in a million years, never thought what I have learned this year possible. Perhaps conveying my frustrations, my disbeliefs, my discoveries, my sadness, my disappointments, my disparity, and my hopelessness might have been a bad career move. It may, in the end, even make you, a complete stranger, think less of me as a man or a person. But the truth is that for every person that looks upon it negatively there are scores besides that have endured the same thing or have also fallen on hard times that find comfort, similarity, and empowerment in my willingness to be so open. If that openness ultimately means the loss of record sales then what am I to say? That being human is less important than public perception? Perhaps that, and not my openness, is the real problem. "

Blogging, in all its glory, is a forum for social commentary. I'd comment on Matt's words, but my words would be mere fodder. Sometimes the most meaningful commentary is that which, rightfully, goes beyond all comment.

Always Fighting for a Minute; Having Time for Nothing

It's been a busy week and, as such, I've found it very difficult to find time to post. Minutes have been stretched in all directions, but while difficult to find time to produce, I have afforded a good deal of time to consuming.

First, congratulations to Ed Lee of Blogging Me, Blogging You fame for his move to iStudio. Sounds like their up to some interesteing stuff, and it should prove to be a good fit for him. Unfortunately, I doubt it will improve his backhand or volley, but hey, one step at a time. Pints are in order.

Great post today by Mark Evans, looking at how the business model of traditional news outlets is changing (or should be changing) with out growing shift from traditional to new media. Great read for anyone in the media business.

I went and saw The Departed for the third time early this week. I don't think I've ever gone to see a movie in theater three times before, but this one has been worth every penny. The characters, plot and acting is top notch, and each time i see it I find new things to love about the movie. Even if you haven't been in awe of Scorcese's earlier works, believe me when I say that you won't be dissapointed with this one. A huge fan of Goodfellas, I can say with confidence that this is his masterpiece. If you haven't seen it, try to find a few hours this week to check it out. You won't be dissapointed. Alec Baldwin could have a second career as a comedian.

Not a fan of the blood-and-gore cinema experience, I sucked it up and went to a screening for Saw 3 this week, and was pleasantly impressed. Granted, the stomach turned a few times, but the plot itself was actually mroe than enough to overcompensate for some below-average acting. If it's your schtick, go check it out. Even if it's not but you think you can get past the creatively disgusting elements, the craft put into the plot makes it a good watch.

Started reading two new books this week: "The Captain is out to Lunch and the Sailors Have Taken Over the Ship" by Charles Bukowski, and "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" by John Perkins. Not very far into either, but they both look to be really good. If anyone's read either, please let me know if these assumptions are true (preferrably without giving too many spoliers). I'll probably be done them both in a matter of days or weeks, so if anyone has any recos on what to pick up next please send them along.

With that, I've stretched as many minutes as possible for today. Hopefully more will be available this week.

Chuck Norris: The Key to Viral Success

Chuck Norris Fact: Chuck Norris can do anything that Chuck Norris wants. ANYTHING.

WorldNetDaily has offered Chuck Norris a role as a columnist with the online publication. Chalk up another line on the Chuck NorResume (which I am convinced is written in blood on the chest of one who tried to wrong him).

TV Star. Movie Star. Kung Fu Master. Inspiration. Now columnist? This man can do anything. Looking for a hero? A role model? A pinnacle of all that is right in life? Look no further than the man who brought magic to the screen as Walker, Texas Ranger.

Remember the first time you got the famous “Chuck Norris Facts” via email? You know you have. If I’ve gotten that same email less than 50 times, I’d be shocked. Everyone got it. Everyone loved it. It’s viral at its finest. And you know as soon as it’s hit your office. One cubicle starts laughing. Then the next. Then the next. Soon enough everybody in the office knows that Chuck Norris doesn’t read books – he stares them down until they give him the information he wants.

So how does something as random as “facts” about a B list actor become so popular? What should communicators look for when trying to plan a viral campaign that may share a fraction of that same popularity?

Chuck Norris Fact: You don’t search for Chuck Norris (success), Chuck Norris (success) finds you.

I’m sure I’m far from the first person to say it, but I AM the first person to say it here: humour. It’s that simple folks. We’re all very different people, with very few common traits (beyond an ever necessary dependency on oxygen). One of the few common dominators we have is laughter. Not everyone is funny, but everyone likes to laugh.

It all starts with a chuckle.

Think about it. It’s an easy gift to give to someone. Just make em laugh. Tell a bad joke. Make a stupid face. Poke fun at yourself (or someone outside of earshot!) It’s a nice break from the wars, genocides, poverty, embezzlements, abuses of power, negligence of responsibility, and blatantly negative actions and inactions which we’re bombarded with on a daily basis.

It’s one of the biggest reasons why nine out of ten forwarded emails you get end up being a video of someone doing something hilariously stupid, a joke about three priests and a stripper or a series of images of someone caught in a bad pose in different situations (one of my favourites). No one is afraid to share something with you if they know you’re going to get a laugh out of it.

Viral success? It all starts with a chuckle. Lighten up – your audience’s inboxes will, too.

Life 2.0

Talk about a brave young man. Jeremy David, 10 months shy of earning his BCom, is taking the lessons learned from the Subservient Chicken and applying it to real life. Not just real life, but his real life.

Jeremy David will spend the next 10 months taking suggestions from readers, and will then outsource his life for an entire year. That’s right – his life, your control.

Jeremy will be embarking on a year-long trip around the world, with most of his decisions being made by a vote. Sounds like fun.

Don’t just travel with Jeremy as he visits the Sphinx, The Eiffel Tower, Ayers Rock… DECIDE if he visits the Sphinx, The Eiffel Tower, Ayers Rock. And hell, decide if he eats a Big Mac or a Whopper along the way.

How ambitious of this young man to do this in an attempt to grow, while helping his faithful audience grow, too. I could never do it. I don’t trust the people I know well enough to let them make many decisions for me. Let alone those who would become a part of my life for the first time via my willingness to adhere to social direction.

For this, I commend the kid with two first names. With so many different options for a human-directed web, it’s a great paradox for someone to become a web-directed human. I just wish him the best on this journey…. And hope that he heeds my request when asked to ride a skateboard along the entire distance of the Great Wall of China… while laying on his stomach… and wearing a wedding dress… and singing “Viva Las Vegas”.

You're On Notice!

A must for any fan of Stephen Colbert and the Colbert Report. Now you can let those that wrong you know where they stand, with this handy On Notice Generator.

Finally, the Internet is doing us some good! As such, I've removed the Internet from the big board and replaced it with "14th Century Tyranny". It's had it coming for a long time.

You're On Notice!

Headlines and Heartaches

I left a meeting this afternoon and instinctively hopped onto Netvibes, and this is the first thing that caught my eye.

“Experts Create Invisibility Cloak”.

“Invisibility cloak!” I shout out loud, with little to no regard for those working hard around me. “I knew this day would come!”

October 19 was going to go down as being a better day than any birthday. October 19 was going to go down as being a better day than any Christmas. October 19 was going to go down as the day that my childhood dreams were finally realized.

I was one step closer to becoming invisible. How cool is that!

Sure, that may sound childish, but I don’t care. When you’re nine years old, there’s nothing cooler than being able to go invisible. Nothing. No rare baseball cards, no shoes with pumps in them, no nothing.

You’d never lose another game of hide-and-go-seek. Break a window with a foul ball? Johnny’s gonna take the fall, not the invisible kid. The possibilities were endless, and I still remember what it felt like to imagine those possibilities coming true.

Can I tell you the heartbreak I felt when I got two paragraphs in to find out that this groundbreaking “invisibility cloak” did nothing more than redirected microwave beams, so that they curved around a small object and reconnected on the other side, not unlike water flowing past a rock?

Sure, it’s quite a technological advancement. Think same idea as the stealth bomber, but much more advanced. Anybody in the military has to be pretty much ecstatic, as radar beams are even thicker than the tested microwaves, and just as easy to manipulate using this technology.

Good for them.

Know what? If I were a small object that was trying to hide from microwaves, I’d be jumping for joy today. But I’m not. I’m a nine year old kid trapped in a 20-something’s body, who thought he had just had his childhood dreams come true. Only to realize he was duped by a cleverly deceptive headline.

You got me this time, Paul Rincon, Science Reporter for BBC News. But just this once.

Is Technology Leading to the Decline of Humanity?

It would appear that the old saying “the rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer” holds more weight than most of us think, at least in theory. In an article recently reported on BBC News, an evolutionary theorist from the London School of Economics, Oliver Curry, believes by the time we have the inevitable Y3K scare, the human species will have peaked and begun on its decline.

Pardon me, but…. huh?

According to Dr. Curry, the human race is on a road that will breed two distinct classes, which goes well beyond just bankrolls.

In the red corner: the genetic upper class. Tall, slim, healthy, attractive, intelligent and creative. Height in the 6’ to 7’ range. Average life span: 120 years. Uniform race of coffee-coloured people.

In the blue corner: the dim-witted underclass. Ugly. Squat. Goblin-like creatures. Height? Probably won’t get close enough to be exact, but I’d guess somewhere in the 3’ to 4’ range, if they’re lucky. Life span: who cares, they’re ugly and goblin like.

For a better understanding of Dr. Curry’s depiction of where the human race is headed, go out and rent the movie (or god forbid, read the book!) The Time Machine, by HG Wells. Odds are Dr. Curry has seen it a few times.

Unsettling? Maybe. What’s even more unsettling? Dr. Curry’s vision for 10,000 years out, in which he feels it will be blatantly apparent that humans have paid a genetic price because of our constant advancement (more specifically, subsequent reliance on) technology.

Dr. Curry’s vision? Social skills and emotions will be lost, with technology creating continuous divisions between direct human interactions.

How about physical health? Reliance on medicines, resulting in weaker immune systems, could bring us all down. We “may” live 40 years longer, but we won’t be any healthier. Diseases won’t recede – our ability to fight them without clinical advancements will.

Damn you, technology and science - false idols if there ever were!

Personally, I find Dr. Curry’s theory intriguing, and not entirely far fetched. The majority of the conversations I have daily do not include the sound of a voice or the sight of a face. They involve an inbox and send button. When I get sick, I head for the DayQuil without a second thought. It makes me feel better, but is it helping me to be any healthier? Probably not.

However, I have one major fundamental qualm with this theory, which I think stands some considerable weight.

Is it really going to take 10,000 years for technology and science to bring us down?

In 1846, could we have fathomed a weapon so advanced that it could wipe out hundreds of thousands in a single explosion? Did anyone believe you could go 100 mph by turning a key and pressing down on a lever? Was anyone in Washington able to compare weather conditions with Beirut, just by writing a few words?

We’ve come a long way in less than 200 years, and innovation and technological advancements are happening faster than ever. Is this really going to subside?

Think about the damage we’ve done to the planet in that amount of time. Think about the damage we’ve done to each other in that amount of time. Are we really on a path that’s going to lead to a 12,006 AD?

Technology is supposed to be about advancements, yet often we’re finding the hands holding the technology to want nothing of the sort.

And really, should technology take the blame? Or should it fall solely on those that hold it? Is it the advancement of our technology that will ultimately lead to our demise, or is it the deterioration of our being that poses the ultimate threat?

If “technology” is going to bring us down, it’s doubtful to wait 10,000 years to do so. Patience isn’t a virtue when “progress” is at stake.

At first glance, Dr. Curry’s theory appears to be extremely pessimistic. Upon further thought, it would appear that he’s actually quite optimistic. Ironic, isn’t it?

Real News, Fake Life

Not satisfied with being one of the most identifiable news sources on this green and blue floating rock of ours, Reuters has announced the opening of a virtual news bureau in Second Life, one of the newest of the new online explosions.

For anyone who as of yet is unfamiliar with Second Life, think SimCity meets The Sims meets an e-commerce playground…. sort of. Second Life describes itself as “a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents.” The virtual world has a thriving REAL economy based on Linden Dollars (named after the creators) that can be changed into US currency through a number of online currency exchanges. It’s nearly four hundred thousand residents interact with one another, purchase land, and can even hock their goods in their new virtual surroundings. Sounds like the equivalent of an entrepreneurial techie’s wildest fantasy.

Companies are starting to take notice to this fantasy world. Coke, adidas, Toyota, Sony BMG… these are just some of the big guys playing in this small world. And now they have somewhere to advertise.

There are plenty of fake news outlets out there that provide fake news to the real world, and often even the real news outlets end up pushing the fake stuff out. But it’s interesting that now a real news outlet is going to push both into the fake world of Second Life, which to be perfectly honest, might not be as fake as it might seem. The interactions are real. The transactions are real. Sure, the 300 pounds banging away at the keyboard, trying to rack up e-t-shirt sales (and I’m not talking about that cute little alien that may or may not have prank called me) might be set up with a bodybuilder avatar, but all in all his activities are all real. Where do we draw the line?

But I’m getting away from my point.

I’m still sitting here in my first life, gazing curiously at Second Life, but I don’t imagine for much longer. It has nothing to do with not understanding the concept, although I still find myself confused at some of the dynamics of this new ones-and-zeros universe.

My concern: one day I’ll wake up and realize I’m more successful in my Second Life than I ever could have possibly imagined in my First Life. How terrifying is it to think that one day your online personality might be so distinguished that, if they were a part of real life, they would have none of you?

What if this fake world turns out to be based on more reality than our real world?

So many questions. It would appear that this Second Life is no less confusing than the first one. Maybe Reuters will do an editorial that will answer some of these questions, which will help to soothe my thoughts while I’m sipping away at my e-coffee and gazing into the virtual sunrise’s reflection over my own private ones-and-zeros lake.

Sounds relaxing.

Significance...

Just before 3 p.m. yesterday a plane crashed into a condo on East 72nd Street in New York City, conjuring up images of the horrific attack on the city five years ago. This time it was different. It wasn't a terrorist organization attacking the USA. It wasn't an action planned to hurt a single American. It was a case of a small plane flying off course and, with the worst possible result, colliding with a building. All the technology in the world couldn't have stopped it from happening.

The pilot of the plane was a pitcher for the New York Yankees, Cory Lidle. I remember seeing Lidle pitch when he was a Blue Jay, and often jeering at bad decision and earned runs or whatnot by the man. That's what you do when it comes to sports. You cheer the people you like. You jeer the people you don't. You sit back and claim that you could do better, even though you can't last five minutes on a treadmill or break 70 mph on a fastball that throws your arm out.

And then, something like this happens.

As an avid fan of almost any sport, I'm guiltier than most in verbally abusing players which I'll never meet. Players who will never know what I have to say about them and their performance. I rarely think twice about doing it, because I'm a fan and as a fan I feel I have a right to voice my opinion. After all, it's a game, not real life.

And then, it gets real.

Lidle leaves behind his wife, Melanie and a six-year old son, Christopher. The fact that he was 82-72 with a 4.57 ERA over nine major league seasons, with seven organizations, doesn't matter to them. What matters to them is that Lidle was a good husband and a good father.

And then, finally, it matter to us all. As it should have from the start.

I think that Rick Peterson, the pitching coach for the New York Mets (and a former coach of Lidle's) summed it up better than anyone could possibly have. When interviewed by ESPN, he said "I think it just goes to show how insignificant some of the things that we think are significant really are. We're about to play a baseball game, and how important is that, really?"

Those words go well beyond baseball.

Truer words are rarely spoken.

RSS For The Masses

For those who have been reading blogs and utilizing online news sources for any extended period of time, this might not be big news. But the fact that the newest update of Internet Explorer will feature a handy integrated RSS feeder is HUGE for the adoption of this feature amongst the rest of the online world. Granted, Mozilla and others have done this for a while now, but lets face it: the mass majority had IE on the computers when they got the thing, and to this day still know it's where to go to get their goods online.

While plenty of people have heard of NetVibes, Newsgator, MyYahoo, etc. I still think that the majority of online users have little to no understanding of what an RSS readers is or what it can do. As well, I don't know if many are jumping to go scouring webpages to find RSS feeds when they're only casual users. But an integrated feeder? Golden.

Now I haven't had the opportunity to try it out yet, so don't know exactly how it works. But frankly, regardless of the specific way it functions, I get the feeling it will do a lot for greatly expanding the use of RSS.

It still shocks me that so many people aren't utilizing RSS. In my line of work, not having an RSS feeder constantly keeping me informed of what's going on in the world and the industries that affect my clients is akin to being a surgeon who doesn't know that the knee bone is connected to the leg bone. It's just bad practice.

I think the only downside to RSS is that it can, from time to time, be a bit of a distraction. It's a lot like checking email - you get into the habit of doing it, and often far too frequently. This is one of the reasons I've avoided getting a BlackBerry, regardless of how much I want one. I'd never be able to pull myself away from it. I'm just too weak.

And if (when) I do give in to my urges for the BlackBerry, another problem presents itself. How do I keep myself from checking my RSS feeder from my BlackBerry?

Things could go downhill very fast.

Say Hello to GooTube...

Sources are telling TechCrunch that Google is in talks with YouTube to purchase the mainstream phenomenon for $1.6 billion dollars. Two parts of this story really caught my attention.

First off, the rumours started floating on the popular blog, and soon enough were picked up by the Wall Street Journal, arguably one of the top news sources on the planet. The cool part? WSJ gave the nod to TechCrunch for the scoop. I think this is a big step in the relationship between traditional and social media. I've seen a lot of stories break in the tech blog tab of my RSS reader one day, and picked up a few days later by mainstreamers like G&M, Yahoo, Reuters, etc. Never do you see a reference to the good people at the blogsites. Now I know that an acquisition such as this is a little more prominent than that of the slimmest LCD screen ever made, but still - round of applause to the team at the WSJ for giving recognition when it is deserved.

The second interesting part of this story: YouTube is still so young yet so successful, and with so much more potential, that $1.6 billion seems like a steal. There's been plenty of talk about the value of the company and its potential selling price for weeks now, and today's figure is right in line with all estimates. However, if I'm the one signing over the company to the good people at Google, who've just opened their brand-spanking new city block offices in the trendy meat-packing district of NYC, I'm not giving it over for what's expected. When News Corp. bought MySpace last year, they paid less than $600 million. I've seen recent estimates that the value of the company could be as high as $15 billion by 2009. That's quite a jump in a four year span.

If Google does buy the company today, will the value spike much like MySpace? How much credit should the News Corp. purchase get for juicing the value of the social networking champion? What would YouTube's value be three years from now if they don't sell to Google? Why didn't I come up with one of these sites years ago?