Two Lists You Should Look at Every Morning

So we try to speed up to match the pace of the action around us. We stay up until 3 am trying to answer all our emails. We twitter, we facebook, and we link-in. We scan news websites wanting to make sure we stay up to date on the latest updates. And we salivate each time we hear the beep or vibration of a new text message.

But that's a mistake. The speed with which information hurtles towards us is unavoidable (and it's getting worse). But trying to catch it all is counterproductive. The faster the waves come, the more deliberately we need to navigate. Otherwise we'll get tossed around like so many particles of sand, scattered to oblivion. Never before has it been so important to be grounded and intentional and to know what's important.

Never before has it been so important to say "No." No, I'm not going to read that article. No, I'm not going to read that email. No, I'm not going to take that phone call. No, I'm not going to sit through that meeting.

via blogs.hbr.org

Quite difficult to do but I did this for 5 days on my last vacation, was quite successful and enjoyed my time to the fullest.

Google Changes Tack on Android

Google plans to give multiple mobile-device makers early access to new releases of Android and to sell those devices directly to consumers, said people familiar with the matter. That is a shift from Google's previous practice, when it joined with with only one hardware maker at a time to produce "lead devices," before releasing the software to other device makers. Those lead devices were then sold to consumers through wireless carriers or retailers.
via online.wsj.com

I don't see this avoiding fragmentation.

The Facts about Xfinity TV and Xbox 360: Comcast is Not Prioritizing

There's also been some chatter that we might be prioritizing our Xfinity TV content on the Xbox. It's really important to us that we make crystal clear that, in contrast to some other providers, we are not prioritizing our transmission of Xfinity TV content to the Xbox (as some have speculated). While DSCP markings can be used to assign traffic different priority levels, that is not their only application — and that is not what they are being used for here.

It's also important to point out that our Xfinity TV content being delivered to the Xbox is the same video subscription that you've already paid for, to your home over our traditional cable network — the difference is that we are now delivering it using IP technology to the Xbox 360, in a similar manner as other IP-based cable service providers. But this is still our traditional cable television service, which is governed by something known as Title VI of the Communications Act, and we provide the service in compliance with applicable FCC rules.

via blog.comcast.com

Comcast answers the Xfinity TV and Xbox 360 debate.

GM to Stop Advertising on Facebook

General Motors Co. plans to stop advertising on Facebook after the auto maker's executives determined their paid ads had little impact on consumers' car purchases, people familiar with the matter said.

The largest U.S. auto maker by sales will continue to expand its use of marketing through Facebook's pages, in which marketers can display content at no cost, these people said.

The news comes at a bad time for Facebook Inc. The Menlo Park, Calif.-based social network is expected to hold a historic initial public offering on Friday. Company executives have spent the last two weeks trying to convince investors that its advertising business makes it worthy of a $105 billion valuation.

via online.wsj.com

Talk of "Bad Timing"

Subsidized XBOX/Kinect bundle with two-year subscription

Microsoft is planning to launch a $99 Xbox console package with a monthly subscription as early as next week, according to our sources. The software giant will offer the 4GB console with a Kinect sensor at its range of Microsoft Stores in the US, subsidized with a monthly cost of $15. We're told that the two-year subscription will provide access to the Xbox Live Gold service and possibly some additional streaming content from cable providers or sports package providers. Customers who sign-up for the deal will also be covered under a two-year warranty.
via theverge.com

Game changing move. This is what Telco's do, subsidize the device/equipment and then have monthly subscription fees to use the service. In this case the service is XBOX Live Gold which allows you to access a host of services like Netflix, Youtube, Xfinity etc on your XBOX. I am sure Microsoft will roll-in few more services into to make it more attractive (like "Woodstock" music service coming soo to your nearest XBOX). This could also turn very similar to Amazon Prime since it is connected to Microsoft Stores (the retail outlet which sells Microsoft products).

HP reclaims top spot in PC sales, market as a whole climbs 21 percent

Well, Apple's reign atop the list of the world's top PC makers was short lived. After clawing its way into the lead, if you counted the iPad as a PC, HP is back atop the heap -- even with Cupertino's tablet-inflated numbers. According to Canalys, the Palo Alto company shipped 15.8 million units in the first quarter of 2012, barely sneaking passed Apple by 40,000 computers. Of course, remove Apple's 11.8 million iPads, and it's not even a competition. Lenovo, Acer and Dell rounded out the top five, with the total market shooting up 21 percent over the same time last year. However, there is plenty of reason to believe we won't see client PC fly out the door at such an incredible rate. Amazingly, according to Canalys, tablets accounted for 40 percent of all PC shipments in the US. For more details check out the PR after the break.
via engadget.com

Goes to show Tablets are Add-on devices and not replacement for PCs - not yet. It's a PC-plus world and not Post-PC.

Barnes & Noble and Microsoft Form Strategic Partnership

The new subsidiary, referred to in this release as Newco, will bring together the digital and College businesses of Barnes & Noble. Microsoft will make a $300 million investment in Newco at a post-money valuation of $1.7 billion in exchange for an approximately 17.6% equity stake. Barnes & Noble will own approximately 82.4% of the new subsidiary, which will have an ongoing relationship with the company’s retail stores. Barnes & Noble has not yet decided on the name of Newco.

One of the first benefits for customers will be a NOOK application for Windows 8, which will extend the reach of Barnes & Noble’s digital bookstore by providing one of the world’s largest digital catalogues of e-Books, magazines and newspapers to hundreds of millions of Windows customers in the U.S. and internationally.

via microsoft.com

There is more than just a Windows 8 App for Microsoft in this. Let's look at the win's for Microsoft here:

  1. Settled the patent litigation with Barnes & Noble (B&N) and this new subsidiary will now have a royalty-bearing license on Microosft's patents. That leaves Motorola Mobility as the only one standing, not paying royalties on Android use of Microsoft patents.
  2. Microsoft entering the competitive market of e-Books and will now compete with Amazon and Apple. Barnes & Noble has around 25% of the US e-book market share (which is larger than their share of physical books) and sells twice as many ebooks as all formats of physical books combined on BN.com.
  3. NewCo will use the [Windows Phone] Marketplace as the in-application commerce transaction platform, when available, for commerce transactions in the NewCo Phone App, including payments and fees associated with Content acquisition and subscriptions (if available). Some revenues to be made when this is available.
  4. And, Microsoft will get the Nook Windows 8 App.

Talent Shortage Looms Over Big Data

according to a report published last year by McKinsey, there is a problem. "A significant constraint on realizing value from Big Data will be a shortage of talent, particularly of people with deep expertise in statistics and machine learning, and the managers and analysts who know how to operate companies by using insights from Big Data," the report said. "We project a need for 1.5 million additional managers and analysts in the United States who can ask the right questions and consume the results of the analysis of Big Data effectively." What the industry needs is a new type of person: the data scientist.
via online.wsj.com

Big Data = Big Money, but not unless you have the Big Talent.

Revenge of the "Null"

We have an employee whose last name is Null. He kills our employee lookup app when his last name is used as the search term (which happens to be quite often now).

...

Cute, huh?

via stackoverflow.com

Amazon’s Q1 2012: Revenue Up, Income Down

Amazon just reported earnings for the first quarter of 2012. Net sales increased 34% to $13.18 billion in the first quarter, compared with $9.86 billion in first quarter 2011. Net income decreased 35% to $130 million in the first quarter, or $0.28 per diluted share, compared with net income of $201 million, or $0.44 per diluted share, in first quarter 2011. The company beat Wall Street expectations; analysts expected a profit of $0.07 per share on revenue of $12.9 billion for the quarter.
via techcrunch.com

And the stock still went up.

Amazon - Revenues up, Income down

Net sales increased 34% to $13.18 billion in the first quarter, compared with $9.86 billion in first quarter 2011. Excluding the $56 million unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, net sales would have grown 34% compared with first quarter 2011.

Operating income was $192 million in the first quarter, compared with $322 million in first quarter 2011. The unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter on operating income was $4 million.

via phx.corporate-ir.net

And the stock is still up.

Apple '10 years' behind Microsoft on security

Speaking to CBR at Info Security 2012, Kaspersky told us that Apple is a long way behind Microsoft when it comes to security and will have to change the ways it approaches updates following the recent malware attacks.

"I think they are ten years behind Microsoft in terms of security," Kaspersky told us. "For many years I've been saying that from a security point of view there is no big difference between Mac and Windows. It's always been possible to develop Mac malware, but this one was a bit different. For example it was asking questions about being installed on the system and, using vulnerabilities, it was able to get to the user mode without any alarms."

Kaspersky added that his company is seeing more and more malware aimed at Macs, which is unsurprising given the huge number of devices being sold. Its most recent quarter revealed Mac sales of 4 million, a 7% rise on the year ago quarter. These figures are still dwarfed by PC sales of course, and Kaspersky said Windows will remain the primary target for cyber criminals.

via malware.cbronline.com

"With great power comes great responsibility" - Mac is doing well for past few years and it is getting attention now - good and bad. Apple needs to take more responsibility of keeping it's house clean and of users.

Creative Monopoly

We live in a culture that nurtures competitive skills. And they are necessary: discipline, rigor and reliability. But it’s probably a good idea to try to supplement them with the skills of the creative monopolist: alertness, independence and the ability to reclaim forgotten traditions.
via nytimes.com

Great Op-ed in NYTimes today citing Peter Thiel (Paypal founder) thoughts on Competition and establishing "Creative Monopoly". Premise being - Rather than being competitive in an already established market, you should focus on creating new niche markets which will allow you to rule that for a considerable period of time. While you benefit with better profit margins, the value to society is often bigger.

Apple will coast and then decelerate

When Steve Jobs departed, he took three things with him: 1) singular charismatic leadership that bound the company together and elicited extraordinary performance from its people; 2) the ability to take big risks, and 3) an unparalleled ability to envision and design products. Apple's momentum will carry it for 24-48 months. But without the arrival of a new charismatic leader it will move from being a great company to being a good company, with a commensurate step down in revenue growth and product innovation. Like Sony (post Morita), Polaroid (post Land), Apple circa 1985 (post Jobs), and Disney (in the 20 years post Walt Disney), Apple will coast, and then decelerate. 
via blogs.forrester.com

Filed under "Time will tell" category.

What Your Klout Score Really Means

The interviewer pulled up the web page for Klout.com—a service that purports to measure users’ online influence on a scale from 1 to 100—and angled the monitor so that Fiorella could see the humbling result for himself: His score was 34. “He cut the interview short pretty soon after that,” Fiorella says. Later he learned that he’d been eliminated as a candidate specifically because his Klout score was too low. “They hired a guy whose score was 67.
via wired.com

Sign of the times.

Who owns the data in your Google Drive?

But there is a small catch. Here’s what the terms say:

Dropbox — terms can be found here:

“Your Stuff & Your Privacy: By using our Services you provide us with information, files, and folders that you submit to Dropbox (together, “your stuff”). You retain full ownership to your stuff. We don’t claim any ownership to any of it. These Terms do not grant us any rights to your stuff or intellectual property except for the limited rights that are needed to run the Services, as explained below.”

Microsoft’s SkyDrive — terms can be found here:

“5. Your Content: Except for material that we license to you, we don’t claim ownership of the content you provide on the service. Your content remains your content. We also don’t control, verify, or endorse the content that you and others make available on the service.”

Google Drive — terms can be found here:

“Your Content in our Services: When you upload or otherwise submit content to our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide licence to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes that we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content.

The rights that you grant in this licence are for the limited purpose of operating, promoting and improving our Services, and to develop new ones. This licence continues even if you stop using our Services (for example, for a business listing that you have added to Google Maps).”

The last sentence makes all the difference. While these rights are limited to essentially making Google Drive better and to develop new services run by Google, the scope is not defined and could extend far further than one would expect.

via zdnet.com

The answer is Google. You decide, which drive to use?

Apple Reports Q2 Results

Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2012 second quarter ended March 31, 2012. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $39.2 billion and quarterly net profit of $11.6 billion, or $12.30 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $24.7 billion and net profit of $6.0 billion, or $6.40 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 47.4 percent compared to 41.4 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 64 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

The Company sold 35.1 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 88 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 11.8 million iPads during the quarter, a 151 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 4 million Macs during the quarter, a 7 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 7.7 million iPods, a 15 percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter.

via apple.com

Highlights:

The NEW SkyDrive - More ways to connect/share data

Here’s what’s available for use, starting now:

  • SkyDrive for the Windows desktop (preview available now). View and manage your personal SkyDrive directly from Windows Explorer on Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista with this new preview app available in 106 languages worldwide.
  • Fetching files through SkyDrive.com. Easily access, browse, and stream files from a remote PC running the preview app to just about anywhere by simply fetching them via SkyDrive.com.
  • SkyDrive storage updates. A new, more flexible approach to personal cloud storage that allows power users to get additional paid storage as their needs grow.  
  • SkyDrive for other devices. We’ve updated the SkyDrive apps on Windows Phone and iOS devices, bringing better management features and sharing options to those devices. We’re also releasing a new preview client for Mac OS X Lion, letting you manage your SkyDrive right from the Finder.
via blogs.msdn.com

Microsoft does disservice in not marketing SkyDrive effectively. It is an Awesome service few people know about. Definitely a competition to Dropbox and other cloud storage services. 7 GB free for new users (existing users can keep 25 GB free) makes it very competitive and now integration with Windows Explorer on Win7/8/Vista desktop, Windows Phone/iOS devices and MAC OS X Lion makes it even more useful.