Posts
5 hours ago
Saturday, June 04, 2005
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Voice Scrambler for cubicle privacy
I need one of
The New York Times > Technology > these Electronic Silencers.
I need one of
The New York Times > Technology > these Electronic Silencers.
Google Earth = Keyhole next gen?
New version's out for beta testers Google Keyhole = Google Earth | newrecruit per this post.
New version's out for beta testers Google Keyhole = Google Earth | newrecruit per this post.
Friday, May 27, 2005
Winning by Jack Welch, other lessons of leadership
This is a stunning new book by Jack Welch who has been a great influence in my professional life. I was a little skeptical when I picked up the book at first as a rehash of his autobiography, but was pleasantly surprised.
One section that is very useful is the strategy section, or how NOT to do strategy. The exercise to follow the latest analyst trend devoid of competitive assessment is weak, and really needs to be changed to what he recommends - an honest candid view of where we are today, and where we want to go ,and the obstacles to get there.
The problems in doing this: a) no time from top management for true strategic analysis, besides traditional SWOT. b) Candid discussions killed due to politics c) People in the room not qualified/interested
I guess its frustrating to see problems happen when solutions are in sight, and not having the ability to do anything about that at a macro level.
This is a stunning new book by Jack Welch who has been a great influence in my professional life. I was a little skeptical when I picked up the book at first as a rehash of his autobiography, but was pleasantly surprised.
One section that is very useful is the strategy section, or how NOT to do strategy. The exercise to follow the latest analyst trend devoid of competitive assessment is weak, and really needs to be changed to what he recommends - an honest candid view of where we are today, and where we want to go ,and the obstacles to get there.
The problems in doing this: a) no time from top management for true strategic analysis, besides traditional SWOT. b) Candid discussions killed due to politics c) People in the room not qualified/interested
I guess its frustrating to see problems happen when solutions are in sight, and not having the ability to do anything about that at a macro level.
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Yahoo! Watch: My Web
Yahoo! introduces a new feature to keep persistent content from web searches.
Interesting at the least, probably competes in a low way with del.icio.us - but without the tagging. The important thing here is that searching is a way of sorting through random stuff to get to what you want, but once I found something I want I'd like to classify it in an orderly fashion. "My web" misses that point and is basically advocating searching as the only metaphor even in a reduced domain space.
Yahoo! introduces a new feature to keep persistent content from web searches.
Interesting at the least, probably competes in a low way with del.icio.us - but without the tagging. The important thing here is that searching is a way of sorting through random stuff to get to what you want, but once I found something I want I'd like to classify it in an orderly fashion. "My web" misses that point and is basically advocating searching as the only metaphor even in a reduced domain space.
Friday, April 22, 2005
Yahoo! acquires.... Flickr!
per this note in FlickrBlog, it is confirmed that Yahoo! is now the new master of of the the most innovative websites of 2005, the beginning of Web 2.0, IMHO.
It's unfortunate that HP decided to acquire SnapFish instead of Flickr, as they needed Flickr more... I'm sure Google was deciding on what to do here as well. :)
per this note in FlickrBlog, it is confirmed that Yahoo! is now the new master of of the the most innovative websites of 2005, the beginning of Web 2.0, IMHO.
It's unfortunate that HP decided to acquire SnapFish instead of Flickr, as they needed Flickr more... I'm sure Google was deciding on what to do here as well. :)
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Web 2.0 is here
So you've used Craigslist, and also Google Maps. Well someone's married the two. This is very very cool.
So you've used Craigslist, and also Google Maps. Well someone's married the two. This is very very cool.
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Travel Tips
For all frequent travelers like the one I've become, I found this link very useful:
Flash / How to Fold a Shirt
You are welcome. Send me your PayPal donations ;-)
For all frequent travelers like the one I've become, I found this link very useful:
Flash / How to Fold a Shirt
You are welcome. Send me your PayPal donations ;-)
Here's an intersting technology development - its called AJAX ( short for Asynch Javascript and XML). As this Microsoft Watch article talks aboutCould Ajax Wash Away 'Smart Clients'?, and Mary Jo questions - will we see a world divided between Ajax and Smart Clients? The reality is that smart clients are no different from Ajax if MS truly wants to see this survive and get adopted.
The interesting piece is that it is not an either/or situation - smart clients will need to have common foundations, and perhaps the only way they will deviate is in the usage of Flash. As my buddy Chuao points out, here is one company called Xamlon that integrates Ajax and Flash( you can also read the news article here).
Don't forget to check out their cool demo here.
The interesting piece is that it is not an either/or situation - smart clients will need to have common foundations, and perhaps the only way they will deviate is in the usage of Flash. As my buddy Chuao points out, here is one company called Xamlon that integrates Ajax and Flash( you can also read the news article here).
Don't forget to check out their cool demo here.
Monday, April 04, 2005
CTIA presentations from New Orleans
Here's the link:
Business Wire: The Global Leader in News Distribution
Don't miss ESPN's George Bodenheimer talk.
Here's the link:
Business Wire: The Global Leader in News Distribution
Don't miss ESPN's George Bodenheimer talk.
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Too much tech
Last week, I was in New Orleans for the CTIA Wireless 2005 conference. This was the happening place for Gizmodo-heads. Everyone who was anybody in telecom was there. It easily seems like the whole industry which was facing a slump is suddenly awake and alive with ideas. There were CxOs from all kinds of companies - service providers, applications, device manufacturers, chip manufacturers with a conspicous absence of systems integrators. Of course, the exception to this rule is the telecom unit of Patni where your's truly is currently employed.
The funniest part of this event was networking. With everyone having a cell phone stuck to their year, it was really difficult to have a normal F2F (face-to-face) conversation. On once occassion, I called the guy in front of me who was on another line and introduced myself as the person standing in front of him, just to get his attention! That worked!
Last week, I was in New Orleans for the CTIA Wireless 2005 conference. This was the happening place for Gizmodo-heads. Everyone who was anybody in telecom was there. It easily seems like the whole industry which was facing a slump is suddenly awake and alive with ideas. There were CxOs from all kinds of companies - service providers, applications, device manufacturers, chip manufacturers with a conspicous absence of systems integrators. Of course, the exception to this rule is the telecom unit of Patni where your's truly is currently employed.
The funniest part of this event was networking. With everyone having a cell phone stuck to their year, it was really difficult to have a normal F2F (face-to-face) conversation. On once occassion, I called the guy in front of me who was on another line and introduced myself as the person standing in front of him, just to get his attention! That worked!
More on Desktop Search
OK, so after some experimentation in the best way to find information on my PC, I stumbled upon ViaPoint here. This is a new class of applications that are becoming increasingly prevalent - founded upon the new platform for the web - Google web services. ViaPoint simply extends desktop search and sits on top of the Google Desktop Search tool.
The goal as I understood it was to make it easier to categorize and provide a rich user interface to find your stuff. The concept is great, but falls pretty behind on the execution, IMHO. The scan process takes infinitely long, the install is a whopping 75 Megs and at the end of the day, what a Google can do with just 3 Megs seems more than the sloooow unintuitive interface that ViaPoint provides.
I see that as a problem. Anyone else care to refute?
OK, so after some experimentation in the best way to find information on my PC, I stumbled upon ViaPoint here. This is a new class of applications that are becoming increasingly prevalent - founded upon the new platform for the web - Google web services. ViaPoint simply extends desktop search and sits on top of the Google Desktop Search tool.
The goal as I understood it was to make it easier to categorize and provide a rich user interface to find your stuff. The concept is great, but falls pretty behind on the execution, IMHO. The scan process takes infinitely long, the install is a whopping 75 Megs and at the end of the day, what a Google can do with just 3 Megs seems more than the sloooow unintuitive interface that ViaPoint provides.
I see that as a problem. Anyone else care to refute?
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Yahoo! now jumps into Desktop search
Try out the beta version here. I have the Google version installed, and the absence of indexing PDF is very painful... since most marketing collateral are found that way.
Try out the beta version here. I have the Google version installed, and the absence of indexing PDF is very painful... since most marketing collateral are found that way.
Friday, March 04, 2005
Are you a HedgeHog or a Fox?
Obviously taken from Jim Collins "Good to Great", here's an interesting read for those who have asked about what their next career step should look like. It should be something like this:
Here's an extract:
... a Hedgehog Concept is a simple, crystalline concept that flows from deep understanding about the intersection of the following three circles:
1. What you can be the best in the world at (and, equally important, what you cannot be the best in the world at). This discerning standard goes far beyond core competence. Just because you possess a core competence doesn’t necessarily mean you can be the best in the world at it. Conversely, what you can be the best at might not even be something in which you are currently engaged.
2. What drives your economic engine. All the good-to-great companies attained piercing insight into how to most effectively generate sustained and robust cash flow and profitability. In particular, they discovered the single denominator—profit per x—that had the greatest impact on their economics. (It would be cash flow per x in the social sector.)
3. What you are deeply passionate about. The good-to-great companies focused on those activities that ignited their passion. The idea here is not to stimulate passion but to discover what makes you passionate.
Obviously taken from Jim Collins "Good to Great", here's an interesting read for those who have asked about what their next career step should look like. It should be something like this:
Here's an extract:
... a Hedgehog Concept is a simple, crystalline concept that flows from deep understanding about the intersection of the following three circles:
1. What you can be the best in the world at (and, equally important, what you cannot be the best in the world at). This discerning standard goes far beyond core competence. Just because you possess a core competence doesn’t necessarily mean you can be the best in the world at it. Conversely, what you can be the best at might not even be something in which you are currently engaged.
2. What drives your economic engine. All the good-to-great companies attained piercing insight into how to most effectively generate sustained and robust cash flow and profitability. In particular, they discovered the single denominator—profit per x—that had the greatest impact on their economics. (It would be cash flow per x in the social sector.)
3. What you are deeply passionate about. The good-to-great companies focused on those activities that ignited their passion. The idea here is not to stimulate passion but to discover what makes you passionate.
Google Maps
Talk about changing the way maps work with a cleaner neater interface, and introducing some great technology! Google Maps takes the cake.
Here's a link to an explanation of how this works.
On a related note, here's a link to a visual overview of the California Coastline. This is a manual painful process of accumulating photographs of the coastline.
Talk about changing the way maps work with a cleaner neater interface, and introducing some great technology! Google Maps takes the cake.
Here's a link to an explanation of how this works.
On a related note, here's a link to a visual overview of the California Coastline. This is a manual painful process of accumulating photographs of the coastline.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Sayonara Oracle
Well, 'tis 'bout that time to day Goodbye. Just sent a note out to my friends and colleagues at PeopleSoft (now Oracle) that its time for me to move on.
There has been a lot of changes and yet so much remains the same. Its hard to look at the empty offices. Its hard to imagine the dramatic nature of change of leadership at the top. But it happens. There's a lot going on right now... except that very few of us are privy to what it is. I'd love to tell, but you know as much as I do now.
I've been fortunate that I chose to leave, was not laid off, unlike my friend Skanda here. He has a heart rendering tale that is a must-read - we have successfully evolved modern society into a heartless, terror ridden economic machine where people's contributions absolutely do not make any impact as compared to the bottom line.
Is it impossible to hire people and run a profitable business? I asked myself this question over and over again. I think I have an answer.
I'm betting my career on it.
P.S. ex-PeopleSoft folks, you need to take networking opportunities in your own hands.. so don't delay, register here at PeopleSoft Alumni Network now!
Well, 'tis 'bout that time to day Goodbye. Just sent a note out to my friends and colleagues at PeopleSoft (now Oracle) that its time for me to move on.
There has been a lot of changes and yet so much remains the same. Its hard to look at the empty offices. Its hard to imagine the dramatic nature of change of leadership at the top. But it happens. There's a lot going on right now... except that very few of us are privy to what it is. I'd love to tell, but you know as much as I do now.
I've been fortunate that I chose to leave, was not laid off, unlike my friend Skanda here. He has a heart rendering tale that is a must-read - we have successfully evolved modern society into a heartless, terror ridden economic machine where people's contributions absolutely do not make any impact as compared to the bottom line.
Is it impossible to hire people and run a profitable business? I asked myself this question over and over again. I think I have an answer.
I'm betting my career on it.
P.S. ex-PeopleSoft folks, you need to take networking opportunities in your own hands.. so don't delay, register here at PeopleSoft Alumni Network now!
Friday, February 11, 2005
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
This scenario is not too far away
As noted earlier on BoingBoing, this link to the ACLU's clip may be closer to the truth that we can imagine. I've had the pleasure of working with different vendors on several technologies that come very similar to this all under the umbrella of CRM.
In a nutshell, we want to run a large company as a small business.How do we do that? By enabling all pieces of customer information in the hands of the company representative.
Let's say that you are calling your mobile phone carrier. It is likely that they have all the phone numbers you dialed. They also have your social security number. It is not inconcievable now that they can get a lot of information about - who you dial the most, or who calls you the most; they can link with a host of publicly available information, crossreference your email id with all public accounts and get consumer data from Axciom and similar providers about your details.
What will the company rep do with all this information at their fingertips? Something very similar to the video clip above. All the public domain knowledge must be balanced responsibly with commercial interests. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if taking a legal approach to this problem is the only solution.... shouls software vendors be held accountable for explicit violations of privacy?
As noted earlier on BoingBoing, this link to the ACLU's clip may be closer to the truth that we can imagine. I've had the pleasure of working with different vendors on several technologies that come very similar to this all under the umbrella of CRM.
In a nutshell, we want to run a large company as a small business.How do we do that? By enabling all pieces of customer information in the hands of the company representative.
Let's say that you are calling your mobile phone carrier. It is likely that they have all the phone numbers you dialed. They also have your social security number. It is not inconcievable now that they can get a lot of information about - who you dial the most, or who calls you the most; they can link with a host of publicly available information, crossreference your email id with all public accounts and get consumer data from Axciom and similar providers about your details.
What will the company rep do with all this information at their fingertips? Something very similar to the video clip above. All the public domain knowledge must be balanced responsibly with commercial interests. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if taking a legal approach to this problem is the only solution.... shouls software vendors be held accountable for explicit violations of privacy?
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