tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58342002024-03-07T22:30:33.835-05:00Chris HamoenMy Personal Blog - may not represent...blah blah blah.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger523125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-73367282777207410392011-09-01T12:45:00.003-04:002011-09-01T12:46:40.491-04:00Why People Avoid the TTCAfter a few months of taking the TTC, I can confidently say that I understand why people drive to work.<br />
<br />
Let me list a few experiences (that I know others share).<br />
<br />
<b>1. South-bound Yonge Subway at Rush Hour</b><br />
("<i>Getting farther with others than you usually do on a first date</i>")<br />
<br />
I get on at Lawrence, which isn't too bad. Train is probably almost full, but there is still a bit of room here and there to stand. Train departs Lawrence...then proceeds to move at "walking speed" with frequent near-stops all the way down to Eglinton. Eglinton is the first station where people are left waiting for the next train...unless they decide to push in. Recently, one lady said "F@#$ it" and shoved in without much room. This only encouraged others to do the same - in some sort of "No Passenger Left Behind" moment. It felt like those <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjJ3g_wv8H0">Japan videos</a>, minus the people on the outside helping to shove more people in.<br />
<br />
<b>2. TTC Workers Getting Paid to Socialize</b><br />
("<i>Chillin' with my homies</i>")<br />
<br />
Alright, you've all seen them. In a solution designed sometime in the 70's, the TTC has put a bunch of workers throughout the Bloor/Yonge station. What are they doing? Socializing with each other. I need to take a photo of this - really feels like my tax dollars are working hard. I know they are there with the idea of passenger safety and to guide traffic - but this is the wrong solution to a larger problem.<br />
<br />
<b>3. Streetcar Drivers Filling out Paperwork while Driving</b><br />
("<i>Multi-tasking at it's best</i>")<br />
<br />
This was hilarious - I pulled the line for the streetcar to stop, and the driver kept on going. I was at the back of the longer streetcar, so I had to get up front, and he completely ignored me. He kept filling out his paperwork, and stopped at the next stop (3 stops later) without looking up or any other form of acknowledgement. After I got off, I realized this was a clear case for taking a photo.<br />
<br />
<b>4. Solution? Extend Lines Further North!</b><br />
("<i>So which Councillor owns a condo development company building in Vaughn?</i>")<br />
<br />
Extend the Spadina line further north! Vaughn People - come enjoy the Subway at rush hour! <br />
Sheppard extensions!! Awesome - more people connected to the city!<br />
<br />
Wait. What does this do to solve passenger congestion getting to the core? Oh, it doesn't solve it, it makes it worse. <br />
<br />
<b>Solutions?</b><br />
<br />
We have new trains offering 10% more capacity, and the ability to move around. Potentially a new signalling system. Eglinton LRT from Black Creek to Kennedy (which may only make the rush-hour-into-the-core issue worse, we'll see). (<a href="http://www.torontosun.com/2011/08/24/ttc-ridership-is-up-up-up">Link</a>)<br />
<br />
Wait - where is the solution? Oh yeah - if you work downtown, drive.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-58583423352633367682010-09-08T16:10:00.001-04:002010-09-08T16:12:16.270-04:00Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.Love this - it can be used from anything from business process to cleaning the house.<div><br /></div><div><div></div><blockquote><div>This is a little story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.</div><div>There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.</div><div>Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.</div><div>Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job.</div><div>Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it.</div><div>It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.</div></blockquote><div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-57078479653993813442010-05-18T13:04:00.004-04:002010-05-18T14:52:04.797-04:00iPad - forget Netbook killer...PC Killer?<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:small;"><div><blockquote></blockquote>As a Canadian, I hadn't spend much time with the <a href="http://www.apple.com/ca/ipad/">iPad</a>...until yesterday at a customer site. Very impressive. Programmer types may not like it because it's restrictive, but end users love it. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcuaDdI-eTY">Reading newspapers</a> is an unbelievable experience...not to mention photos, video, browsing, etc. </div><div><br /></div><div>And this is only the start for apps (not to mention <a href="http://www.apple.com/iphone/preview-iphone-os/">OS4</a> and some major needed updates like multi-tasking).</div><div><br /></div><div>So, let's talk about netbooks. What are (were?) they? Crappy, low-cost laptops. For $400 I could get a small clam-shelled device that tried to keep up the PC experience. Aside from the price point, ultra-portables like some of the VIAO's were much, much better. The <i>user experience</i> of a netbook was generally poor compared to a true laptop. And suh...low....</div><div><br /></div><div>Basically, Netbooks are too confusing for the market. <a href="http://www.globalnerdy.com/2009/06/23/like-i-said-netbooks-suck/">Check out these stats from last year</a>:</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 20px; font-family:'Segoe UI', 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><ul style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.538em; margin-left: 1.538em; list-style-type: square; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><blockquote><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><i>60% of the people interviewed by NPD who purchased a netbook instead of a notebook</i><strong style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><i>thought their netbooks would have the same functionality as notebooks</i></strong><i>.</i></li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><i>58% who bought a netbook instead of a notebook said they were “very satisfied” with their purchase, </i><strong style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><i>compared to 70% who planned on buying a notebook from the get-go</i></strong><i>.</i></li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><i>In the 18- to 24- year old group, the group that many commenters said would embrace netbooks, </i><strong style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><i>65% said they bought their netbooks expecting better performance; only 27% said that netbook performance exceeded their expectations</i></strong><i>.</i></li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><i>Portability is a big selling point for netbooks and a point that many commenters brought up, but </i><strong style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><i>60% of the people surveyed said that they never even took their netbooks out of the house</i></strong><i>.</i></li></blockquote></ul></span></div><div><br /></div><div>One interesting question is: Isn't the iPad a netbook? Let's look at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netbook">Wikipedia's definition</a> of netbook:</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-family:sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"></span></b><blockquote><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Netbooks</span></i></b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> (sometimes also called </span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">mini notebooks</span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> or </span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">ultraportables</span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">) are a branch of </span></i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Subnotebook" title="Subnotebook" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">subnotebooks</span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, a rapidly evolving</span></i><sup id="cite_ref-cnnogg_0-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; font-weight: normal; "><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5834200#cite_note-cnnogg-0" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">[1]</span></i></a></sup><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> category of small, lightweight, and inexpensive </span></i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Laptop" title="Laptop" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">laptop computers</span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> suited for general computing and accessing </span></i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Web_application" title="Web application" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Web-based applications</span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">; they are often marketed as "companion devices", i.e., to augment a user's other computer access.</span></i><sup id="cite_ref-cnnogg_0-1" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; font-weight: normal; "><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5834200#cite_note-cnnogg-0" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">[</span></i></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5834200#cite_note-cnnogg-0" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1</span></i></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5834200#cite_note-cnnogg-0" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">]</span></i></a></sup></blockquote><sup id="cite_ref-cnnogg_0-1" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5834200#cite_note-cnnogg-0" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"></span></a></sup></span></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Aside from the implied meaning of laptop (ie clam shell), it's hard to argue that the iPad is not a netbook.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Ok, how about previous tablets? We all know Microsoft tried over and over to bring a tablet PC to the market. The pitch was great, but ultimately they couldn't get any traction. More recently, <a href="http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2010/04/30/failure-microsoft-tablet/">Microsoft has failed pretty hard at tablets</a>:</span></div><blockquote><i>Windows 7 is a wonderful operating system, but when coupled with a small screen and a veneer of touch capabilities, it is hardly a pleasant experience. In other words, even if the hardware was excellent, the user experience was destined to be lacking. That it died is merely indicative of larger problems, and not real cause for upset.</i></blockquote><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><b>So....what's the difference?</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">Well, as many others think, I tend to agree that this is because Apple come "up" rather than "down". Both Netbooks and Tablets suffered from trying to take the PC or laptop experience down to a tablet/netbook...rather than a smartphone experience up.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Sure, there are <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/2300-3121_7-10002305.html?s=0&o=10002305&tag=mncol;page">people who still believe in Netbooks</a> - they have flash, a camera, USB ports and a full OS.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Let's go back to that customer discussion. A few who have bought an iPad (and have a high-end ultra-portable) are now ONLY taking the iPad on business trips. They don't use cloud-apps - but for presenting (ie PPT), reading email (web-based corporate email), news, and stock-tracking...there isn't any need for the laptop.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">So yes, I wonder as well if the iPad is truly a game-changer and will <a href="http://blogs.bnet.com/ceo/?p=4315&tag=col1;post-4588">ultimately affect the entire laptop market. </a> As a traveller myself, I can see a BlackBerry and iPad as all I need.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-59557420050094640682010-01-25T19:42:00.005-05:002010-01-25T20:54:46.549-05:00Yelp - 2.5/5 starsI <a href="http://www.inc.com/magazine/20100201/youve-been-yelped.html">read through this article with great interest</a>. I think the author does a pretty good job of being fair and balanced, with a slight opinion tip in <a href="http://www.yelp.com/">Yelps</a> favour. Be sure to read past the first page, when the article gets into some good details on Yelp itself.<div><br /></div><div>This "opportunity" has been very interesting to me in the past few years. Specifically, finding great restaurants and associated nightlife easily has always been a problem. This naturally leads to some sort of web site with a master list of data + reviews. Yelp is this - basically, a <a href="http://www.toronto.com/">toronto.com</a> or <a href="http://www.martiniboys.com/">martiniboys.com</a> minus the "we moved the magazine online" element and added user generated reviews and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/">facebook</a>-lite. Of course they have now turned into a larger directory - from <a href="http://www.yelp.ca/search?find_desc=dentists&ns=1&find_loc=toronto+ON">dentists</a> to <a href="http://www.yelp.ca/search?find_desc=dentists&ns=1&find_loc=toronto+ON#find_desc&sortby=category&cflt=religiousorgs">religious organizations</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>They figured out the Community Manager position - which is highly effective local marketing. This is VSB (very small business) - to get to them, you have to call them. As per the article, many owners in their listings are probably not that web-savvy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here comes the "but". I don't believe that the simple rating system is all that effective. Can the average person write an honest review? Can they separate their experience from that night with the places they went? For example, I had a bad experience because I went out with boring friends...but don't admit my friends are boring; so the bar gets 2/5?</div><div><br /></div><div>The conclusion of the article sums it up well:<br /></div><br /><blockquote>Of course, it's easy to see why so many business owners, faced with millions of Yelpers,<b> each capable of ruining or at least damaging a business</b>, choose to look on the bright side. Jane Reddin, who owns a crafts store in Phoenix, complains to me for 10 minutes straight about <b>Yelp, assailing the company's business model, its arrogant salespeople, and the stupidity of the average Yelp reviewer.</b> "They don't know what they're talking about," she says. "It's as if they're complaining that the gazpacho is cold."</blockquote><br />She does go on to mention she likes the community aspect of Yelp. Seems like she likes Yelp for other people's businesses, but not for her own..:)<br /><div><br /></div><div>What is also interesting is the sense that something is off in how the owner, <a href="http://jeremy.stoppelman.com/">Jeremy Stoppelman</a> is portrayed. At least I hope so. Read this quote:</div><div><br /><blockquote>"The most frustrating thing is talking to owners who say, 'Yelp has been great,' and then they think for a minute and remember the one negative review. I understand that people want to be heard, <b>but you're meeting the Yelp founder</b>, and all you want to talk about is a single review that doesn't even matter in the grand scheme of things. I don't understand that."</blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div>To a small restaurant in a downtown, competitive area? It does matter. <a href="http://www.yelp.ca/biz/riva-toronto">Look at this restaurant, Riva</a> on Yelp. One review, because the reviewer believed that the cook was "PSYCHO" and gave her a bad look.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is why I don't believe in the ratings model at work here. Their 5 star ratings system is very basic - there is some text when you mouse over, but is that clear enough? What are you actually rating? Compare to a <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.zagat.com">Zagat</a> - where food, decor, price, decor and cost are all rated so you can "slice and dice". Too bad their interface is suh-low.</div><div><br /></div><div>And finally, <a href="http://www.eastbayexpress.com/eastbay/yelp-and-the-business-of-extortion-20/Content?oid=1176635">here is the negative article on Yelp</a> - claiming sales people are offering to move negative reviews for a monthly fee. <a href="http://officialblog.yelp.com/2009/02/kathleen-richards-east-bay-express.html">Here is Yelp's response</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yelp is doing a pretty good job - sort of a 1.0 on this. And they will <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/12/17/google-acquire-buy-yelp/">certainly exit for a ton</a>. But there still remains another answer/opportunity/extension here...</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-27712651423416814892010-01-09T15:54:00.002-05:002010-01-09T15:58:12.098-05:00Track flights mashup (Google Maps)This is a prototype created to show flights coming in and out of Amsterdam. Cool stuff.<br /><br />You can <a href="http://casper.frontier.nl/">see it in action here</a>.<br /><br />Source: <a href="http://www.bilal.ca/live-flight-tracking-with-google-maps-casper/">Live Flight tracking with Google Maps. Neat.</a><br /><br /><iframe src='http://casper.frontier.nl/?miniMode' width='300' height='300'><p>Your browser does not support iframes.</p></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-88745712281839349002009-10-08T17:24:00.002-04:002009-10-08T17:25:42.339-04:00You can't trust the system!Hilarious!<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/e4e2187156/andy-samberg-i-threw-it-on-the-ground">Link.</a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre; font-family:Arial;font-size:12px;"><object width="512" height="328" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" id="ordie_player_e4e2187156"><param name="movie" value="http://player.ordienetworks.com/flash/fodplayer.swf"><param name="flashvars" value="key=e4e2187156"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed width="512" height="328" flashvars="key=e4e2187156" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" quality="high" src="http://player.ordienetworks.com/flash/fodplayer.swf" name="ordie_player_e4e2187156" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object><div style="text-align:left;font-size:x-small;margin-top:0;width:512px;"><a href="http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/e4e2187156/andy-samberg-i-threw-it-on-the-ground" title="from TubularGoldmine">Andy Samberg - I Threw it On The Ground</a> - watch more <a href="http://www.funnyordie.com/" title="on Funny or Die">funny videos</a></div></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-22343848233420617742009-09-29T01:43:00.003-04:002009-09-29T01:54:38.927-04:00Do ItFun video, worth sharing.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-zcOFN_VBVo&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-zcOFN_VBVo&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Reminds me of the journey video done last year in cyprus by some IT people on vacation...<a href="http://valleywag.gawker.com/5062424/its-the-end-of-web-20-as-we-know-it">which was wrongfully derided</a>. The video is there too - it looks fun.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-40793841548219702172009-09-16T10:05:00.003-04:002009-09-16T10:17:12.517-04:00Facebook isn't the Next Pets.comA lot of people over the past couple years have suggested that facebook will eventually flame out - once the hype gets too much and the profits don't appear.<br /><br /><a href="http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/technology/andrewkeen/100003534/can-facebook-fail/">Well, it turns out they are wrong</a>. Facebook is profitable, and has 300 Million users. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.insidefacebook.com/2009/09/15/facebook-reaches-300-million-monthly-active-users/"><span style="font-style: italic;">50 million new users in the last 75 days.</span></a><br /><br />Wow.<br /><br />So they aren't going anywhere. In fact, it appears to have become part of the daily/weekly social interaction cycle. People understand the privacy issue, but the benefits outweigh the risks. It's much easier to share and stay involved in your friends/family's lives.<br /><br />Some thoughts going forward:<br /><ul><li>facebook is flickr+myspace+blogger+email+games+etc. Sounds like a platform. Is it already? (hint: yes)<br /></li><li>With the advances in the mobile space - will the line between privacy and social benefit become more difficult? Think: facebook adds google lattitude - you can now see where your friends physically are at any moment....even if your phone doesn't have GPS.</li><li>Facebook competition: it's going to be really, really, really hard to unseat facebook. Probably just as hard, if not harder, than google for search.</li><li>What is the net impact on culture, both locally and globally? This is a degree of sharing never seen before...how will this change us?<br /></li><li>What is the "facebook for business" answer? There are many, many startups out there trying to answer this, and I think they're mostly wrong.<br /></li></ul><br /> <div style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;" class="zemanta-pixie"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/fc94f160-d9e3-4a6b-a67d-01812e6a2eb5/" title="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]"><img style="border: medium none ; float: right;" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=fc94f160-d9e3-4a6b-a67d-01812e6a2eb5" alt="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]" /></a><span class="zem-script more-related pretty-attribution"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js" defer="defer"></script></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-18122076651538533142009-08-31T15:40:00.006-04:002009-08-31T16:37:10.970-04:00Windows PhoneThere is unbelievable excitement in the mobile world these days. Both Android and the iPhone are moving to the next level with <a href="http://friendfeed.com/scobleizer/e6e411b4/new-yelp-iphone-app-is-also-out-there-cool-easter">Augmented Reality functionality</a> - and Android stands to get even further. With the OS separated from the hardware, there are <a href="http://www.slipperybrick.com/2009/08/1080p-android-set-top-boxes-are-coming/">all</a> <a href="http://www.talkandroid.com/1634-android-mid-images/">sorts</a> <a href="http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/06/17/zte_android_solar/">of</a> <a href="http://phandroid.com/2009/06/05/android-in-your-car-autolinq-by-continental-ag/">opportunities</a>. The Apple strategy of OS+Hardware+Control will probably limit them in the end. Look for Android to be hitting some big time strides next year.<br /><br />So where is Microsoft in all of this? They are re-branding from Windows Mobile to Windows Phone with the next OS release, 6.5. What else? When I watched the video below, I found myself saying "Yeah...So?" What is really new? Maybe the tag stuff, but...meh.<br /><br />And don't get me started on when he said (along the lines of) "Not very pretty - but it doesn't need to be pretty." Really? A consumer phone....doesn't need to be pretty? It reminds me of their commercials...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">EDIT: Found the video on Youtube and embedded it here. Some of these other video sites are ridiculous - autoplay? Are you serious?</span><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TUR92csygQw&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TUR92csygQw&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> <div style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;" class="zemanta-pixie"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/d895ebb5-011f-431c-8ed7-03131ba4b251/" title="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]"><img style="border: medium none ; float: right;" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=d895ebb5-011f-431c-8ed7-03131ba4b251" alt="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]" /></a><span class="zem-script more-related pretty-attribution"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js" defer="defer"></script></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-83647952314187280882009-08-21T13:42:00.004-04:002009-08-21T13:47:34.856-04:00Footage of the StormAs most know, a blistering storm came through Southern Ontario last night. It seemed like just another one - we have many, many tropical-style 30-min-to-1-hr storms come through this summer.<br /><br />Last night was much worse. Check out the footage:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/v__S0o9IUHw&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/v__S0o9IUHw&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/video/popup_nlp.html?http://www.cbc.ca/mrl3/8752/news/features/josie.wmv">This one probably requires Internet Explorer</a> (CBC - really...WMV??)<br /><br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;" class="zemanta-pixie"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/018b55d7-1ccf-4662-b3e4-2e725ea07308/" title="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]"><img style="border: medium none ; float: right;" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=018b55d7-1ccf-4662-b3e4-2e725ea07308" alt="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]" /></a><span class="zem-script more-related pretty-attribution"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js" defer="defer"></script></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-23984084400415902082009-08-04T13:52:00.003-04:002009-08-04T13:59:24.323-04:00How Americans Spent Their Day in 2008<a href="http://www.nytimes.com//interactive/2009/07/31/business/20080801-metrics-graphic.html?hp">This is a really cool graphic</a> showing how Americans spent their day in 2008. Be sure to check out the demographic filters.<br /><br />I love this line:<br /><blockquote>Sleeping, eating, working and watching television take up about two-thirds of the average day.<br /></blockquote><br />Another great piece of insight is that it appears that those<span style="font-weight: bold;"> with 2+ children work MORE than those without any kids! </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-70765608783670097282009-07-17T16:06:00.002-04:002009-07-17T16:10:57.020-04:00SuccessWatch the video. <a href="http://blogmaverick.com/2009/06/09/success-motivation-2009/">Read this blog entry</a>. Get motivated. Go out and do it. The chance to achieve your dream has never been greater - the markets are down, startup costs are bordering on non-existent other than YOU, and the opportunities are endless. <br /><br />It has not been done before, at least not the way YOU plan to do it.<br /><br /><object width="334" height="326"><param name="movie" value="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="bgColor" value="#ffffff"></param> <param name="flashvars" value="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/embed/RichardSt.John_2005-embed_high.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/RichardSt.John-2005.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=320&vh=240&ap=0&ti=70"><embed src="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" pluginspace="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" bgcolor="#ffffff" width="334" height="326" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/embed/RichardSt.John_2005-embed_high.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/RichardSt.John-2005.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=320&vh=240&ap=0&ti=70"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-26004944962708221862009-07-16T20:08:00.004-04:002009-07-16T20:13:30.471-04:00Why I Don't Use MySpaceI just got spammed from myspace (see below). I'm sure I can modify my settings, but myspace doesn't <span style="font-weight: bold;">start </span>with trust.<br /><br />Other than following music artists, why does anyone use myspace anymore? I just checked <a href="http://www.myspace.com/edge4444">my account</a>, apparently it was hacked to set the status? Might be time to delete my account - I haven't logged into it in probably over a year.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-wv06bdPyuVOMu3eVCtvnuorieHr7YioRQHu4xzAknuPmHQBL4zKX7vcADf73S0JS_PakZ5V5xd4BP6AgZSwDTLhEfDbwq4scjQcKhzXxjzZwZ0yuOkIv0tWpxbNmgiHfDQvYVg/s1600-h/gmail.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 81px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-wv06bdPyuVOMu3eVCtvnuorieHr7YioRQHu4xzAknuPmHQBL4zKX7vcADf73S0JS_PakZ5V5xd4BP6AgZSwDTLhEfDbwq4scjQcKhzXxjzZwZ0yuOkIv0tWpxbNmgiHfDQvYVg/s320/gmail.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359214645448468706" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-62939045510884743252009-07-14T11:09:00.003-04:002009-07-14T11:23:41.108-04:00Office 2010Check out this pretty cool"trailer" for Office 2010. Some think it will <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-google-announced-chrome-os-last-week-microsoft-rolling-out-free-google-docs-killer-2009-7">crush Google Docs</a> - as it <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-to-offer-free-office-software-2009-7">will be (partially?) free</a>.<br /><br />For more, take a look at the <a href="http://www.office2010themovie.com/">official preview site</a>.<br /><br />I think the little we see doesn't look that radical - they're playing catch up. And I<a href="http://it-tactics.blogspot.com/2008/11/why-i-hate-ribbons.html"> hate the ribbon</a>.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VUawhjxLS2I&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VUawhjxLS2I&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-84664325009934409242009-06-25T14:59:00.003-04:002009-06-25T15:55:32.495-04:00iPhone vs BlackBerry - the Lazy Writeup EditionAbout 2 months ago, I added an <a href="http://www.apple.com/ca/iphone">iPhone</a> as a second cell phone. At the time, I wanted to check it out, as there were some interesting apps to look at. My main device for the previous four years has been some version of a <a href="http://www.blackberry.com/">BlackBerry</a> (generally a new-"er" one). Before that, I actually carried the <a href="http://www.mobiletechreview.com/palm_Tungsten_W.htm">Tungsten W</a>, which, like many, I was ultimately disappointed with.<br /><br />So now that I've had both the BlackBerry 8800 (world edition) and the iPhone (3G NOT jailbroken) for a couple months, I wanted to post some thoughts.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">iPhone</span><br /><br />Best handheld on the market today for the consumer. Bar none. Devices like the new Palm Pre might have some advantages - but the sheer size of the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.apple.com/iphone/appstore/" title="App Store" rel="homepage">App Store</a> and what is there more than overcome some minor UI improvements. Obviously, the interface of the iPhone is slick, quite easy to use, and functional for a touchscreen.<br /><br />The network connectivity is nothing short of brilliant - web sites render very well (not to mention the iPhone specific web sites such as <a href="http://www.cnn.com/">CNN</a>). Every single BlackBerry I have ever used has big problems with WiFi - it's a big hassle.<br /><br />The iPhone AppStore is where the true power of the device lies. People are using the iPhone to <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/26/read-your-obd-ii-with-iphone-using-rev/">check engine readings for their car</a>, <a href="http://giwayne.com/militaryiphone/">in the field by the military</a>, <a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/134453/2008/07/remoteapp.html">home stereo remote</a>, and many more strange applications for a phone.<br /><br />A great light example is when a co-worker with the Storm came up excitedly to show me the cool new games the Storm has.....ummm...yeah..."that's hot"... Or when we were talking about mobile gaming on smartphones - someone said "oh yeah, like brickbreaker!!" While gaming is an incredible opportunity for some, the iPhone and it's future is much, much more than this. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BlackBerry</span><br /><br />Email email email. The BlackBerry does e-mail much, much better than the iPhone.<br /><br />Tactile (ie physical) keyboard (well, except the Storm). At first this was important, but I am finding that with the iPhone, I am typing at roughly 80% speed of the BlackBerry. Plus, no one should be typing novels - but I can take quite extensive notes during presentations on the iPhone. The auto-correct feature on the iPhone is better than BlackBerry - I trust it more.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Summary</span><br /><br />So - yes, it's the classic iPhone sexiness (and apps) vs BlackBerry email + keyboard. As a travelling business person who needs a world phone and great email functionality - it's all BlackBerry. But that is the only reason. <a href="http://www.marketingvox.com/blackberry-combats-iphone-loyalty-stampede-044459/?utm_campaign=rssfeed&utm_source=mv&utm_medium=textlink">Even those with BlackBerry's want to switch</a>....<br /><fieldset class="zemanta-related"><legend class="zemanta-related-title">Related articles by Zemanta</legend><ul class="zemanta-article-ul"><li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://kotaku.com/5292918/iphone-the-great-white-hype"> iPhone: The Great White Hype? [Well Played] </a> (kotaku.com)</li><li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/06/palm-pre-apps/"> Palm Pre App Catalog Makes a Slow Start </a> (wired.com)</li><li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://mycompuquest.blogspot.com/2009/06/new-iphone-3gs-heats-up-smartphone-wars.html"> New iPhone 3GS heats up smartphone wars </a> (mycompuquest.blogspot.com)</li><li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://cultofmac.com/tales-from-development-hell-why-iphone-developers-have-it-good/12152"> Tales from Development Hell - Why iPhone Developers Have It Good </a> (cultofmac.com)</li></ul></fieldset> <div style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;" class="zemanta-pixie"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/37186724-8976-465c-b69b-a28ce3ab8559/" title="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]"><img style="border: medium none ; float: right;" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=37186724-8976-465c-b69b-a28ce3ab8559" alt="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]" /></a><span class="zem-script more-related pretty-attribution"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js" defer="defer"></script></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-66976901345569635522009-06-17T10:55:00.004-04:002009-06-17T11:02:26.082-04:00Re-making Downtown Toronto Core?<a href="http://spacing.ca/wire/2009/06/16/entertainment-districts-master-plan/">Here is an article</a> about remaking the downtown core, basically Spadina to union station, Queen to the Gardiner. If you miss the clickthrough, check out the <a href="http://www.entertainmentdistrict.ca/home.php">source directly here</a>, with an <a href="http://www.entertainmentdistrict.ca/images/Poster_FINAL_s.pdf">overview here</a>.<br /><br />I think it looks interesting - making the streets in this area more attractive and pedestrian friendly is certainly a plus. It's too bad that it can't be completely car free...but then where would all the club-going 905'ers park?<br /><br />I don't know what the overall impact (or likelihood) of this is, however. Isn't the area around the CN Tower and Skydome recently (in city terms) done? Is this tax-payer funded? Will this really happen (or anything like it)?<br /> <div style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;" class="zemanta-pixie"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/bc421371-49f6-46f4-b855-7d3d4959d663/" title="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]"><img style="border: medium none ; float: right;" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=bc421371-49f6-46f4-b855-7d3d4959d663" alt="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]" /></a><span class="zem-script more-related pretty-attribution"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js" defer="defer"></script></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-28513653199012518862009-06-16T14:14:00.003-04:002009-06-16T14:21:09.152-04:00Newish ThinkingI love it when I find new (ish) ideas - and this one, <a href="http://twitter.com/onemeth">courtesy of twitter</a>, is a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xRT-KXS4-s">website done entirely on youtube</a>. It's better to clickthrough to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xRT-KXS4-s">youtube to see it</a>.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Cool.</div><div></div> <div style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;" class="zemanta-pixie"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/d0432193-43b8-4d7f-a331-c671dd939ae7/" title="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]"><img style="border: medium none ; float: right;" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=d0432193-43b8-4d7f-a331-c671dd939ae7" alt="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]" /></a><span class="zem-script more-related pretty-attribution"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js" defer="defer"></script></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-41019036087159604802009-06-12T10:17:00.003-04:002009-06-12T10:49:02.545-04:00New iPhoneAs most people know, there is a new iPhone coming out shortly. I am a recent convert - I have used various BlackBerry's for 3-4 years, and was a Palm fan before that. I've turned into a bit of an iPhone fanboy - this device is pretty much the best smartphone I've ever used. I joke that it "delivers on the promise on the Tungsten W"! <div><br /></div><div>The new iPhone has a variety of new features (both the device and the OS), but what is probably the biggest game-changer is the compass. At first glance, most people think "so what" - people joke that this is only for people who get lost in the woods..</div><div><br /></div><div>Now realize this: the phone knows exactly where you are (GPS), and which direction you are pointed in (compass). Let me give some examples:</div><div><br /></div><div>- the iPhone tour guide. You're in a new country, and turn on the tour guide. "On your left, you can see..."</div><div>- indexing of photos. When you take a photo, it could possibly know <i>what</i> you took a picture of.</div><div>- Skymap. <a href="http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2009/05/sky-map-for-android-mobile-planetarium.html">There exists a google android software app</a> today that tells you what you are looking at in the sky...live. This could be on your iPhone - GPS + compass + level. What is that star? </div><div><br /></div><div>Sick. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-59696603318444687712009-06-11T13:26:00.003-04:002009-06-11T14:09:44.038-04:00Aged NewsWhat a great term - "aged news"! <a href="http://watch.thecomedynetwork.ca/#clip180782">This clip from the Daily Show</a> (after the napolean stuff) is awesome. New York Times lets them in to their offices for some hilarious commentary on the state of newspapers. The best part is when they challenge a managing editor to find one thing in there (newspaper) that happened today. Also hilarious is when the New York Times person references google as a news source (WOW).<div><br /></div><div>I think the true challenge will be to preserve actual journalism through this migration in news delivery. Most online news sources are really commentary sites, rather than original journalism.</div><div><br /></div><div>However, <a href="http://www.buzzmachine.com/2009/04/06/arianna-huffington-saves-journalism/">there was a great point referenced here</a> - </div><br /><br /><blockquote>“In the two biggest stories of our recent time—the war in Iraq and our financial meltdown—investigative journalism did not fulfill its mission,” Huffington told me in an interview for the inaugural Guardian Media Talk USA podcast. “We all have a real stake in not only preserving what investigative journalism is but in making it better.”<br /></blockquote><div><br /></div>What a great point - current journalism, well, generally sucks. So what, exactly, is worth saving? Or, as referenced in the same article, is it time to re-think what investigative/original journalism is and should really be?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-78710201754729627802009-06-05T14:17:00.004-04:002009-06-05T14:30:09.352-04:00Window into the Potential Future of Video GamesThe video game conference, E3, was this week. While there was the standard "check-out-version-5-of-the-same-crap-but-looks-better" stuff, there was a couple intriguing presentations. One I will highlight is something called "Project Natal", from Microsoft (for xbox). <br /><br />I highly recommend <a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-lionhead-milo/50015?type=flv">watching this trailer</a> all the way through. Some might say "oh, that's Wii without the remote", but I think there is a lot more going on. It's a bit campy, but the technology involved is wild, and could represent an interesting new paradigm in interacting with many forms of electronic devices.<br /><br /><object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JF_HXTQ7Quo&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JF_HXTQ7Quo&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-767336372657077712009-06-02T09:40:00.003-04:002009-06-02T09:54:14.555-04:00Because It's Not Google<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/165747/microsoft_relaunching_search_service_as_bing.html">A new search engine has recently hit the net</a> from Microsoft, called <a href="http://www.bing.com">Bing</a>. The claim is that it is a <a href="http://www.decisionengine.com/Default.html">Decision Engine</a> - from what I can see, it basically allows you to filter your results. Check the search results for <a href="http://www.bing.com/search?q=turkey&go=&form=QBRE&filt=all">Turkey</a> - click the filters on the left. There are many different meanings of "Turkey" - so it essentially is asking you "which one?" Could this be called end user semantic definitions post-search? It definitely is attempting to create structure from the mess...:)<div><br /></div><div>It appears that many of the features of bing aren't available here in Canada yet - ie, local, links to purchasing, etc. I haven't tried hotspot shield yet to see if this is the reason.</div><div><br /></div><div>PC World <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/165910/the_unbearable_lightness_of_bing.html">aren't fans</a>, for some valid reasons.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-54668661485244536472009-05-28T14:36:00.005-04:002009-05-28T15:48:43.637-04:00The Semantic Web (aka Web 3.0)I attended a <a href="http://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Semantic-Web-Meetup-Group/calendar/10403225/">meetup</a> last night - the first one in Toronto to gather and discuss Web 3.0/the Semantic Web. Much of what was said I agreed with - however, the strongest feeling I had coming away was "What is the elevator pitch to a non-techy person?"<br /><br />I have been interested in the issue of how we deal with this great volume of information now freely available (and growing at a ridiculous rate). Everyone is blogging, books and articles are online, and it's pretty clear that media is moving to a permanent home online (<a href="http://blogmaverick.com/2009/03/25/internet-tv-vs-music-vs-newspapers-et-al/">sorry MC</a> - it's just too convenient). How do we dig through all of this to find what we want? I think many of the people at the meetup last night feel this same frustration...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">WARNING: RUN-ON TRAIN OF THOUGHT INCOMING!</span><br /><br />The speaker last night, <a href="http://www.growthroute.com/people.shtml">Greg Boutin</a>, <a href="http://www.semanticsincorporated.com/2009/05/search-statistical-vs-semantics-and-so-the-battle-begins.html">has blogged about the difference</a> between "Finding" and "Discovering." The suggestion here is that the Semantic Web can absolutely help answer a specific question (ie <a href="http://www.wolframalpha.com/">Wolfram Alpha</a>) - in seconds. The google experience is "Discovering" - you are interested in a topic, and what to read more about it (minutes or hours). I would like to add in one more Search method - <a href="http://www.mahalo.com/">Mahalo</a>. While I don't use them much - they went in the other direction - they use actual people to create content pages about popular subjects. I like to think of it as "human algorithms" rather than "statistical algorithms"..:)<br /><br />So, let's look at these search engines in the context of different searches. Let's run through a simple one: "How Big Is Canada?"<br /><br /><a href="http://www56.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=how+big+is+canada%3F">Wolfram Alpha</a><br /><a href="http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=how+big+is+canada&btnG=Google+Search&meta=&aq=f&oq=how+big+is+canad">Google</a><br /><a href="http://www.mahalo.com/Special:Search?search=how+big+is+canada&search-type=mahalo&go=Search">Mahalo</a><br /><br />Wolfram answers the question, Google will eventually get you there, and Mahalo gives me absolutely nothing (not even easy to scan relevant alternate results). Conclusion - if you have a simple question - Wolfram is better than the rest.<br /><br />Let's try another search term - this time, just "Canada". Perhaps I'm planning a vacation to Canada and want to read up on it. Let's have a look:<br /><br /><a href="http://www56.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=canada">Wolfram Alpha</a><br /><a href="http://www.google.ca/search?q=canada&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a">Google</a><br /><a href="http://www.mahalo.com/Canada">Mahalo</a><br /><br />Again, Wolfram gives me the basics - size, biggest cities, pop density, etc. The searcher should no longer think "I'm going to Nova Scotia, then Quebec, then Toronto, Alberta, then BC in 1 week, and I'm driving..." :) What does Google tell us? Well, we get a nice link to the Government web site, the Wikipedia entry, Canada.com, etc. Now we start to open multiple tabs, and start digging. And how about Mahalo? Basically, the google search results, but neatly formatted and easily digestable.<br /><br />While I do enjoy the occasional "surfing" session - often I want answers, and I want them now. I don't have time to dig to page 27 on some forum, or page 5 in Google. Personally, I'm getting frustrated with Google these days - I often find myself doing advanced filtering (ie by date).<br /><br />So - in summary, one of the benefits of the Semantic Web is to make your life easier because you will be able to find answers much more quickly, and it will make sense in the context of your query (ie Title: Job title != Land ownership != movie title..etc)<br /><br />Here are some random questions/thoughts out of last night:<br /><br />- How will content get tagged/structured/indexed correctly? Text analyzers? Manually? Standards that assist both?<br />- Is this inevitably just addon tools like Zemanta? Or should it be part of the core fabric of how data is stored?<br />- ..and is Zemanta truly Web 3.0? Or just smart text-analyzers? How is that really different than Google search?<br />- While there is clear benefit to new Software Apps, what is the benefit to the Content Owners? Don't tell them "increased readership through linking"! (in case you don't know, the major newspapers are blaming google and craigslist for their downfall).<br />- PageRank has worked pretty well for quite awhile (certainly better than Yahoo directories or Altavista back in the day) - but will it work with the dramatic increases in data?<br /><br />Final Point: the Semantic Web and Web 3.0 remains poorly defined and no one can agree on what it really is or how it will really work. The meetups and the discussions happening around the globe on the net indicate a push is underway. <span style="font-weight: bold;">There is definitely a market opportunity here.</span> Now what is it...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-77914101258432845912009-05-28T14:00:00.002-04:002009-05-28T14:01:35.687-04:00FreestyleHere's something to kill the next 3 minutes - it's pretty amazing. All that urban gymanstics stuff is fascinating.<div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(100, 95, 94); font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><object width="400" height="307"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4875063&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4875063&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="307"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/4875063">Damien Walters Showreel 2009</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1594793">krazy.semans</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p></span><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-11632964277571671642009-05-25T15:56:00.004-04:002009-05-25T16:16:37.531-04:00Car AudioI am an iPhone convert. I've used BlackBerry's for years, and Palm-based devices before that. I remember my high hopes for the <a href="http://www.mobiletechreview.com/palm_Tungsten_W.htm">Tungsten W</a> - and how great it was to finally get one....only to start using it.<div><br /></div><div>Now I have my iPhone, and have put it through it's paces a bit. Sure I can't type as fast as the BlackBerry - but there is just SO MUCH MORE you can do with this device. I've set up <a href="http://ootunes.com/">media servers streaming</a> to it, played with <a href="http://www.quickoffice.com/">Office apps</a>, and <a href="http://pocketgod.blogspot.com/">punted islanders.</a> Combined with the Media capablities out of the box - it's impossible for a techy to go back to the BlackBerry. I had someone demo some of the "amazing things" the storm does - and I may have laughed (cried?) on the inside.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyways, now I'm on to the next step - my car. I have a 2004 model - which means I do not have an Aux in port. I'm not much of a fan of having my iPhone connected through the car via a simple Aux in connection anyways - as if someone calls this could lead to fumbling around/etc. </div><div><br /></div><div>So I investigated further...and it appears that most car audio places want you to install an entire new car stereo system. Basically, install the latest <a href="http://www.alpine.com/">Alpine</a> deck and connect it up via Bluetooth for calls, and the PIN port on the iPhone for audio and charging. This results in the iPhone basically being a HDD for music and supporting Bluetooth for calls. But it means I have to install some new DIN thing - and the entire dash gets replaced.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next solution offered by a place I found called <a href="http://www.uvisions.ca/">Unique Visions</a> was something called a <a href="http://www.parrot.com/catalogue/catalog/products/parrot-mki9200/">Parrot MKi9200</a>. It's basically an external source that can connect to the iPhone over bluetooth and/or the PIN connector. I read some reviews that seem up and down - and too be honest, I don't really care about handling calls in the car that much. What I do care about is listening to music/podcasts/streaming/browsing in my car...and this seems inserting another thing into the telephone game...</div><div><br /></div><div>In other words - all recommended solutions are to bury the iPhone in the glove box and use car stereos or something similar as the UI for everything.</div><div><br /></div><div>So tell me....WHY? Why can't I buy a car stereo to plug the iPhone in to - where the iPhone display is the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">primary display</span></span>? Why do I have to connect the audio out from the iPhone to some other source - can't it go directly to the amp? None of these "solutions" support the fact that I might want to go beyond standard replaying MP3's and handling bluetooth calls? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">The most amazing solution would be an in-dash iPhone-based car entertainment system</span>. Oddly, it would have to support both portrait and landscape use ideally. I found someone <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kURDbDA-0Y">who installed a Touch</a> into his Jeep. I don't know about doing this however..</div><div><br /></div><div>I think my solution is going to be to highjack my SAT port on the current factory deck - <a href="http://www.pac-audio.com/vag.html">I found some cables that should do it</a> - and route the cables to some sort of "vent hanging" device. I don't like it - but I can't find any sensible solutions.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834200.post-5225544838730277322009-05-22T14:32:00.003-04:002009-05-22T14:39:35.624-04:00World BuilderA fairly recent short film that was shot in a day, and spent 2 years in post production (spare time).<div>From <a href="http://www.kanyeuniversecity.com/blog/?em3106=225361_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&em3161=&em3281=">Kanye West's blog</a> - was just catching up as he blogs (reblogs?) a lot.</div><div><br /></div><div><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VzFpg271sm8&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VzFpg271sm8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com