I collect everything I can get my hands on. Which is only a problem when you have to actually throw something away. This week I resolved to clean up all my contact databases so that everything with the new company is fresh and up to date. Wow, what a mess. In the last couple of years I have really accumulated a bunch of business cards and contact info that contains a lot of stuff that really needs to be deleted.
I am currently using ACT, which is ok, but to date I really haven't found anything that good. I am loathe to use Plaxo, so until something better comes along, I have a lot of typing to do this week.
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
T E N Years
Ok, so on Friday I will have been married to the most awesome woman in the world for 10 years. I can't believe it. You can only hope that things work out as well as it has for us. I am looking forward to the next 10.
Monday, July 26, 2004
Wireless Sensor Networks Part 2
In a previous post I mentioned some work my brother in law is doing with some wireless sensors. His company is called Pedigree Technologies. They have been doing some interesting things with wireless sensors and how they work in different agricultural settings such as in field and in post storage. Through his introduction to the industry he has developed a really good network in a short period of time. So much so that he got a mention yesterday in the New York Times.
Sport of Kings
Caught the opening weekend of Del Mar Racing. I love watching horse racing. Del Mar is arguably THE most beautiful track on the planet. Don't miss the summer meet. This is the 3rd year in a row I have taken my son to the track for the Daybreak at Del Mar on the weekends. You can eat breakfast and watch the horses doing their workouts. Its awesome.
Friday, July 23, 2004
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Yesterday I got to meet with Sanjay Kapoor, who worked with me at MP3.com. He moved back to the Bay area because his wife was entering a residency program in Pediatrics at Stanford. Sanjay ended up taking a job at Google. When he offered to have me swing by the office for lunch I couldn't pass it up.
It was quite a scene. The company has moved into the old Silicon Graphics space and it had a lot of the feeling of many other companies in 1999. Chefs, Volleyball courts, and Segway vehicles. The difference is, they make money. The excitement in the air was evident and I must say that it was cool to see that buzz that comes with an impending IPO. Hopefully this bodes well for the entire sector.
It was quite a scene. The company has moved into the old Silicon Graphics space and it had a lot of the feeling of many other companies in 1999. Chefs, Volleyball courts, and Segway vehicles. The difference is, they make money. The excitement in the air was evident and I must say that it was cool to see that buzz that comes with an impending IPO. Hopefully this bodes well for the entire sector.
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
Bacar
Shawn and I were in San Francisco for business meetings and a friend of mine, Gus Warren, had us meet him for Dinner at Bacar. His cousin Curtis Thurston works there and oh my god, what a killer dinner. We left ourselves in his capable hands and had an unbelievable dinner with wine pairings that was to die for. When in SF, this is a must visit dining experience.
Monday, July 19, 2004
High Speed Cell Networks
I go to LA occasionally and although I love the ease of commuting on the Train, the lack of Internet access can be a pain. Maybe one day soon I will be able to use wifi. Over the last couple of weeks I have been using two different phones to see how well they work.
My Sony Ericsson phone on the Tmobile network does an ok job of retrieving my email. I have a sick account with Tmobile, with 5000 minutes and Hot Spot access. So far I haven't gotten a bill for GPRS access so I give this a big thumbs up. It says I am connecting at like 115 kbs, but I don't believe it.
The other phone is an Audiovox phone using Verizons 1-XRTT network. This is a lot faster, like 280 KBS, but it doesn't feel all that fast and given that I am mostly using it for email, the cost doesn't seem worth it.
If they can get the high speed networks up to the point of access like the EVDO service from Verizon, and get the cost down to what you pay for a Hot Spot, then I think Wi FI is toast.
My Sony Ericsson phone on the Tmobile network does an ok job of retrieving my email. I have a sick account with Tmobile, with 5000 minutes and Hot Spot access. So far I haven't gotten a bill for GPRS access so I give this a big thumbs up. It says I am connecting at like 115 kbs, but I don't believe it.
The other phone is an Audiovox phone using Verizons 1-XRTT network. This is a lot faster, like 280 KBS, but it doesn't feel all that fast and given that I am mostly using it for email, the cost doesn't seem worth it.
If they can get the high speed networks up to the point of access like the EVDO service from Verizon, and get the cost down to what you pay for a Hot Spot, then I think Wi FI is toast.
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Edge of the Network Content
I have been meaning to write this for a while and after all my screwing around with gadgets and technology, I decided to get back on topic. So Edge of the Network Content...
Traditionally content has been created from the centers of media production that reside in places like New York and Los Angeles and come in the form of movie studios, or record labels, or book publishers. These centers of media aggregate ideas, stories, songs etc. then coax and refine the product and pump it into massive distribution channels called TV stations, or retail stores, or radio stations, or movie theaters.
Because there is so much machinery involved, it is very important to feed the monster. Movie budgets can run to the $100 of millions of dollars. That's for production. Then you throw in another $50+ million for marketing etc. and you can see how this is a high risk proposition. And for every Spiderman 2 you get a dozen or so Alamo's.
In the world where you control the machinery, its ok for this to happen. Well sort of. But all that editorial aside, there is a new trend that points the way to a more viable long term model. Content at the edge of the network.
What is this content? This is content made by a small group of people, with little money(relatively speaking) that is designed for a targeted group of people. An example of this would be Spike and Mike festivals. This sicko film festival was the spawning grounds for shows like Beavis and Butthead and Southpark, and many others. This stuff wasn't created by the machines, it was created by people who were targeting another group of people and it happened to get the attention of the machinery and became a big hit.
So that's kind of straightforward, but other examples that are less obvious are things like the game CounterStrike. Counterstrike is a mod to Half Life. The creators of Half Life designed a game that allowed others to modify it to create their own versions of 'capture the flag' or save the hostage as it were. Ultimately the mod was as or arguably more popular than the original. Again, this was content that was created at the edge and was subsequently pushed to the center of the network.
By now you get my point, I think the same applies to things like blogging, indie music websites, underground art, things like the Suicide Girls, etc. But thinking about this is interesting in that its obvious for a TV show, or movie, or a game to blow up. And arguably the whole Howard Dean movement speaks to the power of blogging. The question I ask myself is what is/are the models for media in the future?
My theory is this: Create a platform that can facilitate the development of edge of the network publication. When you have created this platform, mine the data to spot the trends. When trends seem to emerge, cross reference similar groups and market the product to like minded groups. See if there is a favorable response. If there is, market the hell out of it.
So great theory. How do you do it? I am thinking about that every single day.
Traditionally content has been created from the centers of media production that reside in places like New York and Los Angeles and come in the form of movie studios, or record labels, or book publishers. These centers of media aggregate ideas, stories, songs etc. then coax and refine the product and pump it into massive distribution channels called TV stations, or retail stores, or radio stations, or movie theaters.
Because there is so much machinery involved, it is very important to feed the monster. Movie budgets can run to the $100 of millions of dollars. That's for production. Then you throw in another $50+ million for marketing etc. and you can see how this is a high risk proposition. And for every Spiderman 2 you get a dozen or so Alamo's.
In the world where you control the machinery, its ok for this to happen. Well sort of. But all that editorial aside, there is a new trend that points the way to a more viable long term model. Content at the edge of the network.
What is this content? This is content made by a small group of people, with little money(relatively speaking) that is designed for a targeted group of people. An example of this would be Spike and Mike festivals. This sicko film festival was the spawning grounds for shows like Beavis and Butthead and Southpark, and many others. This stuff wasn't created by the machines, it was created by people who were targeting another group of people and it happened to get the attention of the machinery and became a big hit.
So that's kind of straightforward, but other examples that are less obvious are things like the game CounterStrike. Counterstrike is a mod to Half Life. The creators of Half Life designed a game that allowed others to modify it to create their own versions of 'capture the flag' or save the hostage as it were. Ultimately the mod was as or arguably more popular than the original. Again, this was content that was created at the edge and was subsequently pushed to the center of the network.
By now you get my point, I think the same applies to things like blogging, indie music websites, underground art, things like the Suicide Girls, etc. But thinking about this is interesting in that its obvious for a TV show, or movie, or a game to blow up. And arguably the whole Howard Dean movement speaks to the power of blogging. The question I ask myself is what is/are the models for media in the future?
My theory is this: Create a platform that can facilitate the development of edge of the network publication. When you have created this platform, mine the data to spot the trends. When trends seem to emerge, cross reference similar groups and market the product to like minded groups. See if there is a favorable response. If there is, market the hell out of it.
So great theory. How do you do it? I am thinking about that every single day.
The Two year old
Wow. Its amazing how time flies. My son is turning two next week. Here he is on vacation last week, blissfully unaware of the impending arrival of triplets.
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
Thursday, July 01, 2004
Riding in Cars in the Midwest
Every time I visit my in-laws in North Dakota, I take the time as an opportunity to pick up some music to listen to on the long drives across the prairie. So the three CDs I am listening to on this trip are: (Drum roll please)
Coheed and Cambria In Keeping Secrets of the Silent Earth: 3
I love this album. I take issue with the Allmusic Guide review. This is super cool Prog Emo that reminds me of early Rush. The title track really harkens to something like 2112. I would check it out, all too often us oldsters keep listening to the same stuff. I think these guys are going to be big someday. Come to think of it, they have an new one coming out very soon.
Wilco A Ghost is Born
I bought the last Wilco CD for my wife and it became one of my favorites. I haven't had enough time to get into this one yet, but I like what I hear so far. I heard a lot of Sonic Youth style in one of the early tracks, which made this one definitely to explore for a couple of months to come. Its not as catchy as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but it seems to have a lot more complexity which will surprise for some time to come.
The Ataris So Long Astoria
Last year on my annual trip to the Midwest, I went to a show to check out a band that was big on MP3.com by the name of Align. Their manager, a real cool guy named Levar hooked me up with backstage passes and I got to hang out backstage and watch the show. A bunch of great bands were there, including Ministry and Sum 41, but what I found very surprising is that I really loved the Ataris. This CD from last year has the song In My Diary, which is a homage to touring around with the Warped Tour, and a remake of Don Henley's The Boys of Summer. Maybe not a CD for everyone, but the two tracks mentioned bring a smile to my face. ;-)
Coheed and Cambria In Keeping Secrets of the Silent Earth: 3
I love this album. I take issue with the Allmusic Guide review. This is super cool Prog Emo that reminds me of early Rush. The title track really harkens to something like 2112. I would check it out, all too often us oldsters keep listening to the same stuff. I think these guys are going to be big someday. Come to think of it, they have an new one coming out very soon.
Wilco A Ghost is Born
I bought the last Wilco CD for my wife and it became one of my favorites. I haven't had enough time to get into this one yet, but I like what I hear so far. I heard a lot of Sonic Youth style in one of the early tracks, which made this one definitely to explore for a couple of months to come. Its not as catchy as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but it seems to have a lot more complexity which will surprise for some time to come.
The Ataris So Long Astoria
Last year on my annual trip to the Midwest, I went to a show to check out a band that was big on MP3.com by the name of Align. Their manager, a real cool guy named Levar hooked me up with backstage passes and I got to hang out backstage and watch the show. A bunch of great bands were there, including Ministry and Sum 41, but what I found very surprising is that I really loved the Ataris. This CD from last year has the song In My Diary, which is a homage to touring around with the Warped Tour, and a remake of Don Henley's The Boys of Summer. Maybe not a CD for everyone, but the two tracks mentioned bring a smile to my face. ;-)
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