July 2006
Levy: The Hard Disk That Changed the World
IBM delivered the first disk drive 50 years ago. It was about the size of two refrigerators and weighed a ton.
Filed under Technology
| Send this 
Bravia: One Commercial People Look Forward To
Filed under Marketing
| Send this
E-volver
E-volver is a software that invites an "image-breeding-machine" and a human "gardener" to collaborate together. While the machine has no notion of the aesthetic qualities of the evolved images, the human can barely understand what internal processes are taking place.
Filed under Design
| Send this
A few more Presentation How To's
I was thrown into delivering an OSCON Tuesday night keynote at the last moment. I wasn't exactly honored by being the dead last person they could think of who could step in. ; ) No, the word was more like terrified. Not only was I taking up the slot traditionally filled by geek god Paul Graham, I also was the warm-up act for the guy who--and I don't say this lightly--gives the best presentations I have ever seen. The best.
Filed under Brand You
| Send this
Welcome to BlogHer '06
Yesterday I endured a long (but pleasant) JetBlue flight from New York to San Jose so that I could attend BlogHer '06. In its second year, the conference's mission is to create an opportunity for all kinds of women bloggers...Filed under Blogging
| Send this
one percent. one percent? one percent!
A trend in recent advertising is to let consumers create the ads. This has worked splendidly sometimes (BSSP, Converse) and has failed miserably others (Chevy Tahoe). This idea has been used in other mediums, like the internet, with about the same results. Consumer generated content for websites is a great idea, it brings traffic to your site, and they do all the content creating for you. The only problem is that it's difficult to get users to actually add content.Filed under Blogging
| Send this
Wal-Mart and the "Living Wag...
In a potential blow to Wal-Mart’s efforts to expand into urban areas, the Chicago City Council yesterday approved an ordinance requiring big-box employers to pay a “living wage”. The proposal calls for retailers with at least 90,000 square feet of floor space and sales of over $1 billion to pay $13 an hour in wages and benefits by 2010. ...Muscular dystrophy reversal clue
Scientists find a way to reverse muscular dystrophy in mice, offering hope of a cure for humans with muscle-wasting diseases.Filed under Healthcare
| Send this
PR For Bloggers
PR Man Steve Rubel exposes the Underground Blogosphere, which he describes as the system of back-channel e-mails bloggers send to each other to try to get more link love from their fellow bloggers. As he defines it:The Underground Blogosphere is an intricate web of hundreds of thousands of emails that bloggers send to each other every day. In essence, they are "pitching" their latest posts in hopes of getting a link.
Filed under Blogging
| Send this
GDP needs an overhaul
Is the Gross Domestic Product a good measure of the nation's economic health? Commentator Hazel Henderson says it misses a few things. (Audio
)
IRS to Ax Estate-Tax Cops
This is a few days old, but worth noting. The New York Times reported on Sunday that the Internal Revenue Service plans to layoff 45 percent of its staffmembers who are assigned to audit tax returns that qualify for the gift and estate taxes. This comes after Congress raised the threshold at which the estate tax kicks in, but opted not to repeal the estate tax entirely, ...Citizens Pony Up for Green Energy
Some utility customers feel that if the government won't put muscle into renewable energy, they'll pay a little more to make utility companies deliver it. Utilities in 36 states offer some form of green pricing.Filed under Trend$
| Send this
Industry Focus: Can IT Save the Airline Industry?
Spiking fuel costs, low-cost competition, changing business models and new technologies have forced nearly everyone in the airline industry to consider how best to use IT to optimize efficiencies and cut costs.Filed under Technology
| Send this
Fans Watch for Trades As Deadline Nears
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Alfonso Soriano, Miguel Tejada, Barry Zito and other stars soon could be changing uniforms soon. As Monday's non-waiver trade deadline of 4 p.m. EDT drew near, several teams were active Sunday....New Life For Those Dusty Old LPs
7 AUG 2006 from BusinessWeek | Read the full story»
The Laser Turntable brings out the best in ancient vinyl, but it will cost you
For years, a wonderful and really obscure song, Bobby Woods's Love is My Business, would often pop into my head. Woods recorded the song in 1959, and I found it on a vinyl record compilation of songs from his label, Ace Records, in a London shop about 20 years ago. But as I switched from records to compact discs, Bobby Woods vanished from my collection. The album never made the transition to CDs, iTunes (AAPL ), or even file-sharing networks, and my copy was relegated to a box in the basement ...
Filed under Technology
| Send this
Wal-Mart scraps German venture
Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retailer, retreats from the German market as rival Metro takes over its 85 stores there.Why We Buy
"The computer industry is immature; it has been preoccupied with technology and driven by technologists."
-Jonathan Ive , designer, Apple
Filed under Design
| Send this
Avoiding the stress of Generation Why
Companies are just beginning to wake up to the havoc that the newest generation of workers is causing in offices across the globe. And adapt they must, because it is they who will dominate the workforce for the next 70 years or so.Filed under Talent
| Send this
You sell my data? That's what friends are for.
26 JUL 2006 from BusinessWeek.com | Read the full story»
Read Stowe Boyd's take on Jigsaw, the Web 2.0 company that pays the public for their friends' and colleagues' contact data. Stowe takes a gentler approach toward Jigsaw than Michael Arrington, who savaged it.
Filed under Technology
| Send this
Searching for America's Most Inventive Towns
The tinkerers who helped build America haven't disappeared -- they're right next door. A search for small-town patent hubs found surprising innovations from coast to coast.Filed under Innovation
| Send this
Slim Devices Gets All Fancy on Us
26 JUL 2006 from Wired.com | Read the full story»
Several years ago, when the concept of sending digital audio over a home network to your stereo was about as unfamiliar a concept as taking a picture with your cellphone, I wrote about a tiny company which consisted of two guys building devices in their garage. Their device let you listen to your computer's MP3s on your stereo, and the first generation actually worked pretty well. When I realized these guys were into to open source software, that pretty much sealed my admiration for them, especially since the other manufacturers in the space were keeping it proprietary.
Filed under Technology
| Send this
Waking Up on the Wrong Side of the Desk: The Effect of Mood on Work Performance
While a lot of research has been done in the past two decades on work-family conflicts, few studies have looked closely at how mood affects workers' performance. Wharton management professor Nancy Rothbard and co-author Steffanie Wilk wanted to find out which mood-altering events have the biggest effect, if any -- those that influence one's outlook at the start of the day, or those that nudge one's mood up or down as the workday advances. The results of Rothbard and Wilk's study are reported in their paper, "Walking in the Door: Sources and Consequences of Employee Mood on Work Performance." Among their key findings: The mood you bring with you to work has a stronger effect on the day's mood -- and on work performance -- than mood changes caused by events in the workplace.Filed under Talent
| Send this
How Bot Those Nets?
Tie thousands of computers together in a single hive-mind and you can solve colossal math problems and search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Sadly, criminals and fraudsters use "botnets" for less lofty purposes. Commentary by Bruce Schneier.Filed under Technology
| Send this
Oil profits soar as Senate considers domestic drilling
ExxonMobil made $1,318 dollars a second in Q2, which works out to $10.4 billion for the quarter. Meanwhile, the Senate is taking up a bill that might expand oil drilling in the US. John Dimsdale reports. (Audio)
Eco-Heating System for the Lazy
The guy who invented the Sleep Number bed creates a system that makes heating your home with biomass almost as easy for the consumer as pushing a button. By Gretchen Cuda.Filed under Trend$
| Send this
Brand Naming: What Roles Do Letters Play?
28 JUL 2006 from Strategic Name Development | Read the full story»
Lots.
We recently conducted proprietary research among a national random sample of 414 consumers and found some interesting associations that consumers have with the consonants in the English language.
Filed under Strategies
| Send this
Young Coders Summer on Google
Google's Summer of Code pays hundreds of students to work on open-source projects, hooking them up with big-name mentors. But a few of the kids are feeling the heat. Joanna Glasner reports from the O'Reilly Open Source Convention in Portland, Oregon.Filed under Technology
| Send this
Doctors Test Anti-Smoking Vaccine
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Doctors are testing a radical new way to help smokers quit: a shot that "immunizes" them against the nicotine rush that fuels their addiction....Filed under Healthcare
| Send this
Lulu Blooker Prize Back - Todd S.
Lulu is again doing the Blooker Prize. This contest is devoted to "blooks"--books based on websites such as blogs and webcomics. This year the top prize is $10,000 and the two top category winners each get $2,500. The deadline...Professor invents 'ripeness' sticker
A University of Arizona professor has invented a sticker that can tell consumers if a fruit or vegetable is ripe. The stickers ...Filed under Technology
| Send this
Fed sees slower US growth signs
The US economy has shown signs of slowing since June, the Federal Reserve says in its Beige Book survey.Genius at Work
"Artists are by nature entrepreneurs, they're just not called that."
-Bill Strickland , President and CEO, Manchester Craftsmen's Guild
Filed under Education
| Send this
SEC rule puts top salaries under scrutiny
27 JUL 2006 from the Financial Times | Read the full story»
Disclosure of executive pay and perks in America received their biggest overhaul in 14 years on Wednesday when the Securities and Exchange Commission approved a new set of rules designed to help investors better understand how top company officers are rewarded. (Subscription required!)
SEC approves overhaul of executive compensation
The U.S Securities and Exchange Commission has approved the biggest overhaul of executive compensation rules in 14 years, including a requirement that public companies lay out information about stock-option grants to their top executives.The intuition vs. analysis conundrum
Let's say you've got a really good idea. And you've had good ideas before.
You show it to your colleagues. They analyze it. They tell you why it's not a good idea.
Hmmm.
Filed under Innovation
| Send this
A Winning Tale
If you're a woman business owner, here's a pretty irresistible proposition: tell a story about how you grew your business, and win a year's worth of consulting services from one of the country's most successful entrepreneurial women. Mary Cantando, a...Filed under Entrepreneurs
| Send this
Academies 'having mixed results'
Academies are improving pupils' exam performances but the benefits are "not universal", a report suggests.Filed under Education
| Send this
Ice cream guy takes on defense budget
Ben & Jerry's founder Ben Cohen now runs a non-profit called Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities. Host Kai Ryssdal talks to him about the change from peddling ice cream to trying to cut the defense budget. (Audio)
Filed under WOW! Projects
| Send this
From helmet to sideline, device measures impacts to head
26 JUL 2006 from USAToday | Read the full story»
The latest football helmet innovation not only protects the head — it can read the mind.
Or at least what's happening to it.
The Head Impact Telemetry System measures and records impacts to the head and sends a wireless signal to the sideline in real time. The device, which is being tested by several high school and college teams, is a tool to learn more about head injuries, and researchers hope it eventually will lead to safer helmet designs.
Filed under Technology
| Send this
More than 95% of e-mail is 'junk'
More than 95% of e-mail is junk, be it spam, error messages or viruses, report mail monitoring firms.Filed under Technology
| Send this
Nice Rats, Nasty Rats: Maybe It's All in the Genes
A five-decade project explores what makes animals (and maybe humans) tame. (Subscription required!)Filed under WOW! Projects
| Send this
'Synthetic Gecko' material paves the way for Spider-Men gloves
Soldiers and spies of the future could be given "Spider-Man" suits to climb up sheer surfaces and even stick to the ceiling, according to BAE Systems.The British engineering firm has developed a material that closely mimics the feet of a gecko lizard. The gecko's foot is covered with hairs so small that they merge with molecules of things that they touch. This incredibly strong bond can also be easily peeled off.
Filed under Design
| Send this
Want to save? Give up the big things
As gas prices rise and consumers get scared of inflation, many people have started cutting back on small expenses. But commentator Amelia Tyagi says the little things don't matter as much as most people think. (Audio)
One man's spam is another's art
26 JUL 2006 from C|NET News.com | Read the full story»
Most people see Viagra ads and Nigerian scams as simply more e-mail to delete. Alex Dragulescu sees art.
For the last several years, the Romanian-born computer artist has applied techniques in computational modeling and information visualization to invent a new form of artistic expression. One of his more notable projects involved creating what he calls Spam Plants. He wrote algorithms that analyzed various text and data points of junk e-mail to produce "organic" images of plantlike structures that spontaneously grew based on incoming spam.
Filed under WOW! Projects
| Send this
Download Case Should Go to Jury Today
DULUTH, Minn. (AP) -- The case against Jammie Thomas is expected to go to jurors today. Six major record companies accuse Thomas, 30, of sharing 1,702 songs online in violation of the companies' copyrights. The record companies claim they found the songs on a Kazaa file-sharing account they later linked to her....Friendster Patent Could Hurt Rivals
Friendster is weighing whether to sue rival social-networking Web sites or take other action for alleged patent violations. (Subscription required!)Filed under Technology
| Send this
Server Farms Live Off Open Source
The most visited websites on the internet run on open source software. But while the sites are ratcheting up page views, the companies behind them are less gung-ho about releasing their own code. Joanna Glasner reports from the O'Reilly Open Source Convention in Portland, Oregon.Filed under Technology
| Send this
Sending MMS from Cell Phone to TV
26 JUL 2006 from MIT Advertising Lab | Read the full story»
Narrocasting TV is "a product that connects the TV in your living room with your mobile phone. When your mobile receives any message or a photo, the mobile phone forwards the message to your TV. The TV on a certain channel will then show the message or photo. It also stores images and texts for a while and can show a slideshow of them. You can also send a message to your family's TV directly."
Filed under Technology
| Send this
Substance and Style
WWD.com reports that the WSJ is creating a fashion and design bureau and promising daily coverage under a specific logo. The paper seems to see the move as an ad-sales play designed to cater to female readers as consumers, however,...Filed under Trend$
| Send this
Amazon Versus Apple in Coming Digital Video War
It looks like Apple and Amazon are going to fight head-to-head in the digital movie realm. Just as Apple is preparing to launch its rumored digital movie rental service, Amazon is putting the final touches on its own much-anticipated digital video service which is now expected to launch in August.
Filed under Technology
| Send this
Intel Dual-Core FAQ
When Intel unleashes its Core 2 Duo processors upon the world, the new technology inside the chips is sure to spark a few questions. Like, exactly how fast are they? By Eli Milchman.Filed under Technology
| Send this
Research finds tiny tremors may help forecast disastrous quakes
Researchers are close to unlocking the secrets of earthquake prediction by uncovering the link between tiny tremors deep inside ...Filed under Technology
| Send this
Well dig yields rare, centuries-old artifacts at Jamestown
Sometime around 1610, a thirsty colonist in Jamestown set his brass pistol on the side of a well and accidentally knocked ...A President Felled by an Assassin and 1880's Medical Care
A new exhibit describes how President James A. Garfield's fluctuating medical condition became a national obsession in the summer of 1881. (Subscription required!)Filed under Peculiar Picks
| Send this
Dynamic Analysis
A more realistic view of tax policy. (Subscription required!)The Rise and Fall of a Spam King
A noir melodrama tracks a sleazy dude through his short life, as he withholds employees' pay, boasts of sexual adventures, enrages government officials and floods Russia with 25 million e-mails a day. Until he gets his skull bashed in. By Brett Forrest from Wired magazine.Filed under Technology
| Send this
HP buys Mercury for $4.5bn price
Computer and printer firm Hewlett-Packard buys software company Mercury Interactive for about $4.5bn.Filed under Strategies
| Send this
TiVo Is Watching When You Don’t Watch, and It Tattles
26 JUL 2006 from the New York Times | Read the full story»
AS the advertising and television industries debate how to measure viewers of shows watched on digital video recorders, the pioneering maker of the recorders, TiVo, is getting into the argument. It is starting a research division to sell data about how its 4.4 million users watch commercials — or, more often, skip them. (Subscription required!)
Filed under Marketing
| Send this
Still trying to shatter the glass ceiling
A new study out today finds the rate of promotion for women to top corporate jobs has slowed. Hillary Wicai reports. (Audio)
Filed under Trend$
| Send this
Bird flu vaccine breakthrough offers hope
A low-dose vaccine for the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus succeeds in initial clinical trials in humans — lower doses mean more people could be treatedBoston installs solar compacting public trash-cans
26 JUL 2006 from BoingBoing | Read the full story»
Boston is solving the problem of overstuffed public trash cans with solar-powered, self-compacting replacements ...
Still Sexy at 60?
25 JUL 2006 from the Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»
Jeff Taylor, founder of Monster.com, is spending $10 million to build an online social network. But he couldn't care less about teenagers, college students and 20-somethings, the biggest users of such Web sites. Instead, he wants their parents and grandparents. (Subscription required!)
Filed under Trend$
| Send this
Senator Fannie Mae
25 JUL 2006 from the Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»
A strange thing has happened on the matter of corporate scandal: Democrats have discovered the virtues of forbearance. Or at least they have on reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the "government-sponsored enterprises" responsible for some $16 billion in mistaken or fraudulent accounting in recent years. To adapt F. Scott Fitzgerald, the rich in Washington are different; they have more political protection.
And their main protector at the present crucial moment is none other than Senator Paul Sarbanes, co-author of Sarbanes-Oxley. (Subscription required!)
Texas tops in wind energy production
Long known as a top oil- and natural gas-producing state, Texas has gained new energy acclaim by becoming the nation's top ...Filed under Trend$
| Send this
Amazon's Foray into Online Groceries
Would you like a book with your beef jerky? By Ben Macklin - Senior AnalystFiled under Marketing
| Send this
Study: TV Makes Learning Less Efficient
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Your parents were right, don't study with the TV on. Multitasking may be a necessity in today's fast-paced world, but new research shows distractions affect the way people learn, making the knowledge they gain harder to use later on....Filed under Education
| Send this
Prahalad Keynote on IT Conversations - Todd S.
IT Conversations has a 32 minute audio keynote of C.K. Prahalad. In this speech, he talks about how location is no longer a barrier to innovation. The talk is titled, "Emerging Hi-Tech Ecosystems". IT Conversations has tons of great...Filed under Innovation
| Send this
What's your favorite biz book?
Most important? Overrated?
Squidoo is starting to do lenses about lenses. They're easy and quick and they aggregate content around a topic. Check this out: The Best Business Books Headquarters on Squidoo. If you click the Build My Own Lens button, your thoughts are automatically added to the group.
The Stowaway Guitar
Sporting a detachable neck, this six-string is easy to transport. In Gear Factor.Filed under Design
| Send this
'Survivor' Hatch Sent to Oklahoma Prison
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- Richard Hatch has been sent to a federal prison in Oklahoma as he serves a 51-month sentence for failing to pay taxes on the $1 million he won on the debut season of "Survivor."...Evidence of hydrocarbon lakes on Titan
Scientists said Monday they have found the first widespread evidence of giant hydrocarbon lakes on the surface of Saturn's planet-size ...Filed under Technology
| Send this
Imagining the Day When the WSJ Print Edition Folds
23 JUL 2006 from AdAge | Read the full story»
Wow, they're going to do it. Or at least they're going to think about doing it. That's the first thing that came into my mind on a recent Friday morning when The New York Times reported that the parent company of The Wall Street Journal had created a committee "to reassess the ways it delivers news across all its print and online properties."
Filed under Technology
| Send this
Monopoly ditches cash, goes plastic
24 JUL 2006 from Endgadget | Read the full story»
While Monopoly is the paragon of good 'ole fashioned board game fun, the "old fashioned" part had to go. Parker Brothers is phasing out the cash-based version's funmoney and replacing it with an "Electronic Banking" flavor that could leave Mr. Moneybags turning his pockets inside out as his stash is replaced by a magnetic strip.
Filed under Peculiar Picks
| Send this
The 'big box' battle: Vote pits jobs vs. regulation
24 JUL 2006 from the Chicago Sun-Times | Read the full story»
Chicago isn't the only city seeking to legislate minimum wages with its big-box ordinance, but it is the furthest along in requiring a wage and benefit standard for a specific category of retailers.
Filed under Strategies
| Send this
Is It Time to Dump Your Desktop?
24 JUL 2006 from the Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»
For years, software makers and Web boosters have been forecasting that the Internet would break Microsoft Corp.'s stranglehold over business software. Instead of buying a copy of, say, Microsoft Word and installing it on your computer, you would travel to a Web site, type and edit your document there and store it online. The fee would be tiny compared with the cost of buying Microsoft's software, and you wouldn't have to pay anyone to troubleshoot the program or update it. (Subscription required!)
Filed under Technology
| Send this
Tech companies hope to cash in on Web 2.0
23 JUL 2006 from the Dallas Star-Telegram | Read the full story»
Williams and his staff of seven at Firewheel Design are making a name for themselves among small-business customers with their online invoicing site, Blinksale.com.
The company is following a growing trend of desktop software making the move to the Web. Known as "software as a service," programs including word processors and spreadsheet makers are now fully available online; users don't have to download or install a thing.
Filed under Technology
| Send this
The Italian post office delivers profits
21 JUL 2006 from Fortune | Read the full story»
Poste Italiane's CEO and his 150,000 foot soldiers are making money on everything they do - except the mail.
Filed under Service
| Send this
HCA
24 JUL 2006 from the Financial Times | Read the full story»
It may be bigger but is it better? Monday's daring $33bn buy-out of hospital operator HCA inevitably calls up the ghost of Kohlberg, Kravis Roberts' epic battle for RJR Nabisco. But size aside, these two deals could not be more different – which should be a relief to the buy-out team given the hard slog RJR turned out to be. (Subscription required!)
Filed under Strategies
| Send this
How oversight failed in underground project
24 JUL 2006 from the Seattle Times | Read the full story»
BOSTON — When excavation began in 1991, it was heralded as a jewel of engineering and vision, a network of tunnels that would burrow under Boston, eliminating traffic gridlock, reducing air pollution and fostering an economic rebirth in one of the nation's oldest cities.
Memory chip threat to hard discs
BBC Click explains why a new magnetic microchip could mean the end of the road for hard discs and flash memory.Filed under Technology
| Send this
WTO global trade talks collapse
Efforts to unblock the Doha round of trade talks collapse, with farm subsidies remaining the key stumbling point.Floyd Landis Takes Crown in Tour de France
Floyd Landis won the Tour de France on Sunday, a few days after being written off after a disastrous performance in the 16th stage of the Tour de France. But in a classic comeback story, the 30-year-old's performance Thursday catapulted him back into the fray. Andrew Hood, a reporter for Velo News, was on the Champs Elysee when Landis sailed across the finish line. (Audio)
Enron Jury Sent the Right Message
| Published: | July 21, 2006 |
| Author: | Malcolm S. Salter |
The most noteworthy message of the Enron trial is that corporate executives can be convicted in a court of law for a pattern of deception that may or may not be illegal. Left unaddressed in the trial were many financial transactions and accounting decisions of debatable legality.
Filed under Strategies
| Send this
BL Ochman: Where's Michael Dell?
The brouhaha over Dell's terrible customer service is playing out not just in the blogosphere, but also on Wall Street, where Dell stock has plunged....
For Women Consultants, Business is Booming
Average revenue for women-owned firms has jumped 45% in five years, a new study shows.Filed under Trend$
| Send this
Advertising Gets Into Videogames
Advanced technology is finally allowing advertisers to get inside videogames like never before. Welcome to the new frontier.
Filed under Marketing
| Send this
Vulnerability: Why journalists should blog
Vulnerability. It's a good thing. It's what people need to establish healthy relationships, and it's why journalists (among others) should blog. This thought occurred to me when I was talking to Technorati's David Sifry six weeks ago. He said...Filed under Blogging
| Send this
Citizen journalism unconference
Dan Gillmor is organizing — instigating? catalyzing? — an unconference on citizen journalism as an informal extension of Wikimania in Cambridge, MA. Sounds like it could be a terrific event.Are you a rejuvenile?
Author Christopher Noxon talks with Kai Ryssdal about how American adults nowadays are living in ways once thought to be strictly for the younger set. They're not stunted adolescents; they're something new — rejuveniles. (Audio)
Filed under Trend$
| Send this
Scott McCloud on the future of comics
Cory Doctorow: Here's a cool, brief interview with Scott "Understanding Comics" McCloud that touches on the present and future of comics (which is looking pretty rosy, thanks to novel titles, formats and business-models):Race to meet targets can throw corporate America off course
23 JUL 2006 from the Financial Times | Read the full story»
It is one of the rituals of American capitalism. Every three months, companies, investors and analysts eagerly await the word from the corporate version of the ancient oracles: the chief executive. (Subscription required!)
Filed under Strategies
| Send this
No Such Thing as a Free Museum
Hardly a day goes by when the NYT does not run an article on the Metropolitan Museum's new "recommended" $20 admission policy. The typical attitude seems to be that pricey museum tickets are an abomination. (Never mind that if you...Filed under Strategies
| Send this
Largest water clock in N. America
Blog: We're not sure if there's an obviously practical application for this contraption, but it caught our attention anyway because...Filed under WOW! Projects
| Send this
Mark Cuban and idea shopping
Maybe it's because we're in the middle of summer movie season, but our mini-flurry of movie-industry posts continues: If you have a new and unique way to help market the movies Mark Cuban is involved with, he wants to know.
Filed under Marketing
| Send this
Bezos Invests in 37Signals
Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos has invested in startup 37Signals (one of our Next Net picks) through a personal investment vehicle called Bezos Expeditions. That's quite an endorsement for the webtop software startup, which makes Web-based project management and personal task management software called Basecamp and Backpack, among others. The size of the investment was not disclosed.
Filed under Entrepreneurs
| Send this
Technology Rewrites the Book
20 JUL 2006 from the New York Times | Read the full story»
When Steve Mandel, a management trainer from Santa Cruz, Calif., wants to show his friends why he stays up late to peer through a telescope, he pulls out a copy of his latest book, “Light in the Sky,” filled with pictures he has taken of distant nebulae, star clusters and galaxies. (Subscription required!)
Filed under Technology
| Send this
Two dead after artwork takes off
UK: Two women killed as wind blows inflatable art installation into the air.Watching the Bestseller Lists - Todd S.
It is very interesting to look at this week's Wall Street Journal bestseller list [sub. needed]. There are three entries on the business list outside of the regulars. This is really unusual. The list is dominated week and week...What Steve Jobs is like in a meeting
Steve Kemper was given complete behind-the-scenes access to Dean Kamen and the Segway design team during the machine’s development and wrote about it in Code Name Ginger. In this excerpt from the book, Kemper describes the meeting where Steve Jobs gave his first impressions.
Filed under Leadership
| Send this
Another Sacred Cow Debunked: You Don't Have to Write All Your Posts
20 JUL 2006 from Six Apart | Read the full story»
One of the most commonly asserted "truths" about corporate blogging, especially by senior executives like CEOs, is that you have to write all your posts all by yourself! We're always on the lookout for blog dogma that we can help dispel, and the best tips can help make your blogging efforts easier.
Filed under Blogging
| Send this
Behind Bars, He Turns M&M’s Into an Art Form
16 JUL 2006 from the New York Times | Read the full story»
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/21/us/21artist.html?pagewanted=1
CRESCENT CITY, Calif., July 16 — The morning after the opening of a show of his recent work, the artist was in his studio, a concrete cell in the Pelican Bay State Prison, where he is serving three life terms in solitary confinement for murder and for slashing a prison guard’s throat. He was checking his supplies, taking inventory. (Subscription required!)
Filed under Design
| Send this
Poor nations 'being pushed back'
The world's poorest nations are at a "critical moment of transition" and could fall even further behind, the UN warns.High-tech jobs recovery? Don't believe the hype
WashTech/CWA's Marcus Courtney says the tech sector is suffering from the longest jobless recovery since World War II.Filed under Technology
| Send this
Darwin's steps map flower changes
A survey following in the steps of Charles Darwin finds fewer changes than expected in plants near his home.Filed under Peculiar Picks
| Send this
Institute Cites Medication Errors, Suggests Changes to Cut Injuries
31 July 2006 from the Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»
Medication errors serious enough to cause injury occur 1.5 million times a year in the U.S., according to a report released by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.
The report makes ambitious recommendations for reducing the rate of errors, with U.S. agencies taking the lead, and recommends deadlines. It calls for $100 million in research to determine the best and most cost-effective measures. (Subscription required!)
Filed under Healthcare
| Send this
The Phone Companies Still Don't Get It
31 July 2006 from BusinessWeek | Read the full story»
... In case you haven't been keeping score, after the original phone company, American Telephone & Telegraph, was broken up in 1984, the country was left with eight major regional telcos. Over the past decade these companies proceeded to gobble one another up. Now there are four: AT&T, Verizon (VZ ), BellSouth (BLX ), and Qwest (Q ). Just keeping track of the mergers and names is an endless challenge ... (Subscription required!)
Filed under Strategies
| Send this
Preparing Your Firm For a Flu Pandemic
Government officials are encouraging businesses to start their contingency planning now.Neanderthal Genome Project Launches
BERLIN (AP) -- U.S. and German scientists on Thursday launched a two-year project to decipher the genetic code of the Neanderthal, a feat they hope will help deepen understanding of how modern humans' brains evolved....On Updike and the Future of Books
I am so glad that Jeff Jarvis has brought up again the whole issue of John Updike's concerns about the future of books and being a book author. Because I meant to write about this earlier. To recap: Updike wrote...Games industry 'burns out talent'
The games industry has a long hours culture that is burning out young talent, union Bectu warns.Filed under Talent
| Send this
Pew report on bloggers
Pew Internet has a new report on a national survey of bloggers. It's the usual great stuff from Pew.
Eight percent of internet users, or about 12 million American adults, keep a blog. Thirty-nine percent of internet users, or about 57 million American adults, read blogs - a significant increase since the fall of 2005.
Filed under Blogging
| Send this
Apple's Net Jumps on iPod Demand
Apple's profit jumped 48%, boosted by iPod shipments, which topped eight million, and higher sales of Mac computers. Shares rallied 8% in late trading. (Subscription required!)The Fed's Logic
Slower growth does not necessarily mean lower inflation. (Subscription required!)Alain Thys: Is There a Formula for Word-of-Mouth ?
According to the Marketing Science Institute, there may be. They just published a working paper on how companies can encourage the diffusion and adoption of new products by creating positive buzz and avoiding negative buzz....
Filed under Marketing
| Send this
U.S. workers want greater flexibility
Although six out of 10 Americans believes that telecommuting at least some of the time would be the ideal working arrangement, fewer than a quarter are actually given the option by their employer.Filed under Talent
| Send this
starbucks enlist the help of cutting-edge technology
Summer is here and that usually means Starbucks is looking to push something cool. This year, to help them make that happen, they are enlisting some help from some pretty interesting technology.Filed under Technology
| Send this
Microsoft Establishes 12 Principles for Windows Development
19 JUL 2006 from eWeek.com | Read the full story»
WASHINGTON—Microsoft has announced 12 principles by which the company will guide its development of the Windows desktop platform, starting with Windows Vista and beyond.
Filed under Technology
| Send this
World 'needs new wildlife body'
A new global organisation is needed to slow the loss of plant and animal species, scientists argue.Battery-Fueled Car Will Smoke You
The world's first lithium-ion supercar is here. Zero emissions never looked so hot. By Joshua Davis from Wired magazine.Filed under Technology
| Send this
Employers give thumbs down to academic qualifications
Only a tiny proportion of European employers have any faith in the trustworthiness of academic qualifications, CVs and job application forms in determining on-the-job performance.Filed under Talent
| Send this
Find your dream town, then a job
18 JUL 2006 from Fortune/CNN Money | Read the full story»
More people are choosing where they want to live first, then trying to get hired there. But how do you make it work?
Filed under Brand You
| Send this
Simply Hired; First Step in Your Job Search?
Review: This site should be your new first Web stop when looking for a job.Filed under Brand You
| Send this
Go Ahead, Let Them See You Sweat
18 JUL 2006 from Forbes | Read the full story»
Joining your company's athletic teams can enhance your physique and your career. How? The boundaries between cubicles and corner offices disappear on a court, field or pitch.
Filed under Brand You
| Send this
Lessons in Corporate Blogging
18 JUL 2006 from BusinessWeek | Read the full story»
What your company can learn about keeping an online journal from the likes of Dell, Microsoft, and Apple.
Filed under Blogging
| Send this
The Neuroscience of Leadership
SUMMER 2006 from strategy+business | Read the full story»
Breakthroughs in brain research explain how to make organizational transformation succeed.
Filed under Leadership
| Send this
Wal-Mart Tries to Be MySpace. Seriously.
17 JUL 2006 from AdAge.com | Read the full story»
It's a quasi-social-networking site for teens designed to allow them to "express their individuality," yet it screens all content, tells parents their kids have joined and forbids users to e-mail one another. Oh, and it calls users "hubsters" -- a twist on hipsters that proves just how painfully uncool it is to try to be cool. (Free subscription required!)
Filed under Strategies
| Send this
Dealing With Deadbeat Customers
17 JUL 2006 from Forbes | Read the full story»
Here's what you can do to ease the hassles of doing business on credit.
Filed under Entrepreneurs
| Send this
Food groups increase use of internet to target children
19 July 2006 from the Financial Times | Read the full story»
Food companies are increasingly using the internet to deepen children’s exposure to marketing messages through online games and commercials, blurring the lines between advertising and entertainment, a new study has found. (Subscription required!)
Filed under Marketing
| Send this
Fighting Poverty With $2-a-Day Jobs
16 July 2006 from the New York Times | Read the full story»
Social activists have typically railed against large multinationals that have sought the lowest-priced labor they can find in developing countries. But for some members of a new generation of philanthropists, schooled in the techniques of venture capital and Wall Street, fighting poverty effectively relies on the creation of low-wage factories, as well as the establishment of lending institutions that charge rates that many Americans would deem usurious. (Subscription required!)
Selling the Special Touch
18 July 2006 from the Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»
A growing number of companies in industries not known for great customer service -- banks, hospitals, law firms and car dealerships, to name a few -- are increasingly seeking help from luxury hotels that pride themselves on service, like the Four Seasons Hotels Inc. and Marriott International Inc.'s Ritz-Carlton hotels. (Subscription required!)
Filed under Service
| Send this
On the Road Again
After suffering through the worst years in its history, Yellow Freight System hired Bill Zollars to drive an old-economy company in a new direction. Now, almost six years later, Yellow is faster and more reliable and caters to customers like never before.Filed under Leadership
| Send this
BP shuts down 12 Alaska oil wells
BP shuts 12 producing wells at its Alaskan operations after workers claim the wells were leaking insulating agent.10 'dumbest' (but rich) businesses
Blog: In continuing our theme of the week--top 10 lists--we combine more of our favorite topics: lists and dumb ideas. WeirdTechNewsHub...Filed under Entrepreneurs
| Send this
Ditch the penny?
An Arizona congressman wants to abolish the penny, but his state stands to benefit from the move. And some say the one-cent coin is an important American institution. Alex Cohen reports. (Audio)
China Says Number of Web Users Hits 123M
BEIJING (AP) -- China's population of Internet users, already the world's second-biggest after the U.S., has jumped by nearly 20 percent over the past year to 123 million, with broadband access soaring, the government said Wednesday....Interview of W. James Au AKA Hamlet Au
If you thought that writing a blog makes a hip, voguish and captivating guy/gal of you, wake up! That coveted role belongs to embedded journalists. W. James Au AKA Hamlet Au (the in-world journalist formerly known as "Hamlet Linden") is one of them. Actually he's THE one. He travels the Second Life world as an avatar wearing a pristine white suit and interviewing residents about their everyday life, business, passions inside the game.
Filed under Blogging
| Send this
Virtual worlds to test telepathy
Scientists have built a virtual world which will be used to test the telepathic skills of humans.Filed under Technology
| Send this
No assembly required
It seems scientists are harnessing the sum total of human knowledge and technology to… assemble Ikea furniture. An article about artificial intelligence in the New York Times today discusses ways in which cutting edge technology might find its way into...Filed under Technology
| Send this
Daniel Pinkwater serializing new fiction online
Cory Doctorow: Daniel Pinkwater, the greatest sf writer in the universe, is serializing a story on the Internet. Many writers had an influence on me when I was growing up, but no single writer did so much to inspire me to write as Pinkwater: a gifted humorist and storyteller whose savage wit and nerd-positive message comes across in stories from picture-books to young adult novels (including the blisteringly, savagely funny Young Adult Novel). Two Pinkwater omnibuses (5 Novels and 4 Novels) collect nine of his finest.Brits Float Solar Boat
It may be slow, but developers hope the 42-passenger Serpentine Solar Shuttle cruising a lake in London's Hyde Park will usher in an era of solar-powered transportation. A 60-passenger sun-run train and a 300-passenger Thames ferry are in the works.Filed under Trend$
| Send this
Horse-and-Buggy Health Coverage
The employer-based system of health coverage is over. (Subscription required!)Filed under Healthcare
| Send this
the grups and thinking beyond demographics
The Scotsman has an interesting article about how advertisers are trying to come to terms with the "grups". The "grups" are the latest line in media created segments following in the wake of "yuppies", "generation x" and "generation-y", etc.Filed under Marketing
| Send this
How to live happily with a great designer
Why do some organizations look great... and get great results from their design efforts and ads... while others languish in mediocrity? I think it has little to do with who they hire and a lot to do with how they work with their agencies and designers.
Here are the things your design team wishes you would know ...
Filed under Design
| Send this
Drugstore Clinics Are Bursting with Health
17 July 2006 from BusinessWeek | Read the full story»
CVS' purchase of MinuteClinic is only the latest sign that retail-based care facilities with low prices and short waits are booming.
Filed under Healthcare
| Send this
Farming? Running? It Doesn't Sound Like a Vacation to Me
18 July 2006 from the Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»
As the demands on our time grow, the question isn't how one chooses to put work troubles behind, but whether one has succeeded in finding work's antivenom. Some of us return from vacation at this time of year feeling thoroughly unrelaxed. That may be because what seems like an ideal vacation -- sunshine, drinks with little umbrellas and extended tours of slumberland -- aren't the kind of relaxation that some say we need most. (Subscription required!)
Filed under Brand You
| Send this
'I'm the Guy to Run GM'
24 July 2006 from Newsweek | Read the full story»
So says CEO Rick Wagoner as he responds to critics growing impatient with his turnaround plans.
Filed under Strategies
| Send this
New York Times to Shrink Width of Pages, Cut Jobs
18 July 2006 from the Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»
NEW YORK -- The New York Times plans to shrink the size of its pages in 2008, making them one-and-a-half inches narrower, the newspaper said in its Tuesday edition. (Subscription required!)
For Icy Greenland, Global Warming Has a Bright Side
18 July 2006 from the Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»
QAQORTOQ, Greenland -- Stefan Magnusson lives at the foot of a giant, melting glacier. Some think he's living on the brink of a cataclysm. He believes he's on the cusp of creation. (Subscription required!)
Filed under Trend$
| Send this
The Quest for the $1,000 Human Genome
DNA sequencing at birth, or at a routine doctor's visit, may be getting closer to becoming reality. (Subscription required!)Age verification at social-network sites could prove difficult
With heightened concerns over sexual predators lurking at so-called social-networking sites, state attorneys general have called ...Filed under Technology
| Send this
Discovery lands safely after smooth mission
Space shuttle Discovery's safe landing Monday after a nearly flawless mission marks a recovery from problems plaguing the shuttle ...Wedding webcasts engage more interest
Faraway friends and family are plopping down at home to watch couples walk down aisles and across bandwidth. Like the wedding ...Filed under Technology
| Send this
The first star: Things heated up quickly, scientists say
For many millions of years after our universe first formed no stars existed, and then there was one. That primordial star was ...Filed under Technology
| Send this
Busting Burglars With Spit, Vomit
The Justice Department is helping police detectives solve simple property crimes with advanced DNA analysis. Can CSI: Special Shoplifting Squad be far behind? Luke O'Brien reports from Washington.Filed under Technology
| Send this
3 Arrested in Katrina Hospital Deaths
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- A doctor and two nurses have been arrested in connection with the deaths of patients at a New Orleans hospital after Hurricane Katrina hit the city, the Louisiana attorney general's office said Tuesday....Ford commits to fuel efficiency . . . in the UK
Ford today announced it will invest almost $2 billion to develop better hybrid technology in its automobiles. But the automaker will do it all in Britain. John Dimsdale reports. (Audio)
Filed under Trend$
| Send this
Stem cell politics
The Senate is debating a bill that would allow federal funding of stem cell research. It's expected to pass, but President Bush has threatened to veto any such bill — and money may not be the key issue, Hillary Wicai explains. (Audio)
Innovation buzzword of the day: Afrofuturism
Afrofuturism is a website dedicated to exploring futurist themes in black cultural production and the ways in which technological innovation is changing the face of black art and culture ...Filed under Innovation
| Send this
Weight loss 'can herald dementia'
Weight loss can be a sign that a woman will develop dementia in the future, researchers find.Filed under Healthcare
| Send this
Green rentals
Filed under Trend$
| Send this
Senator's Slip of the Tongue Keeps on Truckin' Over the Web
Senator Ted Stevens, who has significant sway over telecommunications policies, referred to the Internet, not as a big truck, but as a series of tubes. (Subscription required!)Screens Around Town: CrossConnector, Dandelife, and Wufoo
CrossConnector, a tool that helps ministries get online, has an unusual promotional offering: branded Keynote/PowerPoint slides for integrating into presentations. Dandelife takes a person’s stories and creates a visual timeline. Save a form at Wufoo and the rest of the screen dims while this box appears with options for what to do next.Filed under Technology
| Send this
Yeti Skin Rug
By Debra Swann.
Filed under Design
| Send this
Promoting Your Business Through Search Engines
Marketing on these Web traffic boosters has become crucial, but it takes special know-how.Filed under Marketing
| Send this
Do-it-yourselfers turn diner grease into biodiesel fuel
With diesel at $3 a gallon, 50 cents more than last year, ingenious Americans like Newman are turning their garages and basements ...Filed under Trend$
| Send this
AI Reaches the Golden Years
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of artificial intelligence, researchers gather on the East Coast to examine the field's history and future -- calling the first half-century the start of something great. By David Cohn.Filed under Technology
| Send this
Maybe We Should Leave That Up to the Computer
A professor has been studying the decisions that managers make, and is convinced that computer models can do a better job of it.Filed under Technology
| Send this
Top Volkswagen Executive Tries U.S.-Style Turnaround Tactics
18 July 2006 from the Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»
WOLFSBURG, Germany -- Eighteen months ago, after a falling out with his boss and union leaders at DaimlerChrysler AG, Wolfgang Bernhard joined Volkswagen AG. He is already making big waves at Europe's biggest car maker with his American-style notions of cost-cutting. (Subscription required!)
Filed under Strategies
| Send this
Beyond Brand Management
SUMMER 2006 from strategy+business | Read the full story»
The marketing profession is currently undergoing its most significant transformation in more than 50 years. Driving it are massive shifts in technology and society... which are converging to make the old marketing model obsolete. As the world changes, so must the capabilities of marketing professionals.
Filed under Marketing
| Send this
The Lonely Impulse of Delight
JUL/AUG 2006 from Stanford Magazine | Read the full story»
[E]very true reader has a secret life, which is equally intense, complex and important. The books we read are no different from the people we meet or the cities we visit. Some books, people or places hardly matter, others change our lives, and still others plant some idea or sentiment that influences our futures.
Keeping talent happy... a primer.
06 JUL 2006 from The Jason Calcanis Weblog | Read the full story»
As you can see it's all about removing obstacles and creating a comfort level for the talent. When we started Weblogs, Inc. I wasn't rich, but I moved mountains to make sure that my people didn't have to worry about paying their rent. I made sure folks didn't have to screw around with the details.
Filed under Talent
| Send this
Working the Day Sith
17 July 2006 from Wired News | Read the full story»
Table of Malcontents
Chad Vader: Day Shift Manager
I don't think you need an introduction from me. "Chad Vader: Day Shift Manager" pretty much says it all. Nice James Earl Jones impression, though.
Filed under Peculiar Picks
| Send this
Putting a price on a virtual computer
Microsoft, software industry grapple with how to charge businesses for programs when one computer behaves like many.Filed under Technology
| Send this
Viewing America in high resolution
A cross-country tour with a custom-built camera aims to capture the U.S. in staggering digital detail.Images: Closeup on America
Filed under WOW! Projects
| Send this
Is the Net neutral?
John Palfrey and Robert Rogoyski have written a paper about Net neutrality as an architectural ideal and as a reality. Here's the abstract ...Filed under Technology
| Send this
Logitech to be YouTube official webcam
Great move: Logitech has announced a partnership with YouTube.com.Filed under Marketing
| Send this
'Big Dig' Closure Has Boston Businesses Concerned
A fatal construction accident has led to an investigation -- and unprecedented traffic.How to evangelize word of mouth marketing internally
From the WOMMA blog, Kira Wampler, senior marketing manager for Intuit, shares her tips on how she garnered support for word of mouth marketing programs internallyFiled under Marketing
| Send this
Juve hold breath for judgement day
Football: Agents across Europe limber up as the four Italian clubs await the outcome of the match fixing investigation.Net phone services falling short
Free net phone services still have their shortcomings reveals study of six popular services.
Filed under Technology
| Send this
Phishing with two factors -- What's really changed?
There's been a lot of heavy breathing in recent days about phishing attacks that target two factor authentication technology used by banks and financial services companies. While this is clearly a new wrinkle in the phishing epidemic, I don't think its anything anybody should be peeing down their leg over.Filed under Technology
| Send this
What Do Listeners Listen To When They Listen To Radio Online?
There seems to be a difference between the radio dial and an Internet click.Filed under Technology
| Send this
Retail sales are driven by love, not real estate
There's been speculation that the cooling of the housing market could result in lower retail sales. Commentator and retail consultant Michael Silverstein isn't buying it. (Audio)
Filed under Marketing
| Send this
Investing in investment knowledge - Kate
If you're an investor, BusinessWeek suggests you read: Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds A Random Walk Down Wall Street Investment Policy: How to Win the Loser's Game Unconventional Success:...One for the Weekend
My previous Netflix rental was explicitly about business. My most recent watch, which I saw last night, was explicitly about post-war Poland... but implicitly about business. Go figure! Krzysztof Kieslowski's 1976 film The Scar touches on a lot of serious...Filed under Strategies
| Send this
Call for heart checks on babies
All newborns should have an ECG in their first month to check for heart problems, say cardiologists.
Filed under Healthcare
| Send this
"Kids Today" Articles in Stanford Magazine
The July/August issue of Stanford Magazine contains a marvelous collection of articles about “Kids Today.” If you have a kid(s), you must read it. If you know people with a kid(s), you should send it to them. Certainly every mommy blogger should link to it!Filed under Peculiar Picks
| Send this
The Day the Cow Sneezed: Jim Flora book from 1957
Mark Frauenfelder: Ward says:Thought you might be interested in my recent post on "The Day the Cow Sneezed," a hard-to-find children's book from 1957 written and illustrated by the late, great James Flora (SHAG has mentioned it as an influence before). Along with some scans from the book featuring the wild and wacky illustrations of Flora, I also feature a rare treat -— scans of original mock-ups for the book, which have never been seen publicly until now (BIG thanks to Flora's biographer, Irwin Chusid). It's a fascinating account to see the creative process of putting together a children's book, especiallly when the artist is the brilliant James Flora.
Wal-Mart Starts Its Organic-Food Push
12 JUL 2006 from AdAge.com | Read the full story»
As Wal-Mart positions itself to win over more affluent shoppers, the focus on organic food -- once considered a luxury of the affluent -- comes in the one category where it beats rival Target Stores handily. (Free subscription required!)
Filed under Strategies
| Send this
Got a Better Letter Opener?
13 JUL 2006 from The Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»
Staples solicits inventive ideas from the public for products it can brand, sell exclusively. (Subscription required!)
Filed under Strategies
| Send this
Storytelling: Escaping the Price War
06 JUL 2006 from AdAge.com | Read the full story»
How Perrier and other marketers have elevated product value with authentic narrative. (Free subscription required!)
Filed under Marketing
| Send this
Coffee, Pie, and The Diner Guys
06 JUL 2006 from BusinessWeek | Read the full story»
State & Main is in business to help diner veterans and wannabe owners. Partners Garbin and Carvell want to help save this slice of Americana.
Filed under Entrepreneurs
| Send this
Christie's New Bid: Online Auctions
12 JUL 2006 from The Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»
Christie's International is venturing into live online auctions, but don't expect to bid electronically for a Picasso painting or a Ming vase. Instead, $300 Lucite lamps and $3,000 antler chandeliers will be on the block, at least for now.(Subscription required!)
Filed under Technology
| Send this
New in Basecamp: Significantly improved print layouts
13 JUL 2006 from 37signals | Read the full story»
We’re not big printers, but our customers tell us they are. They often have to print screens from Basecamp to take to meetings, present to clients, or prepare a report for their superiors.
Filed under Design
| Send this
As Oil Hits New High, Businesses Continue to Struggle
Increased fuel costs have forced business owners to raise their own prices.Filed under Strategies
| Send this
Tough market drives changes at Intel, Dell, Gateway
Troubled tech giants Intel, Dell and Gateway each announced turnaround initiatives Thursday. The plans are varied but have ...Filed under Technology
| Send this
Google's Click-Fraud Crackdown
The search giant is confronting a seemingly intractable problem: how to tell if a real person, and not a robot, is sitting at a keyboard and clicking on all those ads. Commentary by Bruce Schneier.Filed under Technology
| Send this
R.I.P. Windows 98
Microsoft's operating system, has been given the boot.Filed under Technology
| Send this
NY AG Sues Chip Makers Over Price Fixing
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- New York's attorney general sued leading makers of memory chips Thursday, claiming they made secret price-fixing arrangements that inflated the cost of personal computers and other electronic devices ....Weaving the Land into Stories, and History
Storyteller Kevin Kling has just returned from the South Australian Outback. The region isn't just far away from home, Kling says: The familiar is very unfamiliar; the stars in the sky are different, and even the lakes are dry much of the time, quite different from Minnesota. The visit gave him perspective on the land and how the land and stories weave together to create a history. (Audio)
Filed under Peculiar Picks
| Send this
Cold Pigs Could Save Human Lives
A procedure tested on these poor pink porkers may allow surgical patients to flatline for over an hour. By Bijal P. Trivedi from Wired magazine.Filed under Healthcare
| Send this
Is 2006 the new 1976?
Your stories of drought and hot plastic car seats.Filed under
| Send this
Hockey Stick Hokum
A man-made global-warming evangelist's dream. (Subscription required!)Filed under Trend$
| Send this
Fuel for Thought
Brazil and others would benefit from greater use of ethanol. (Subscription required!)Filed under Trend$
| Send this
Brain sensor helps paralyzed people do tasks
A brain implant makes it possible for paralyzed patients to move a robotic arm and a computer cursor with some ease, says a study ...Filed under Healthcare
| Send this
Bacteria made to sprout conducting nanowires
A wide variety of bacteria are persuaded to produce long, wire-like appendages that conduct electricity more efficient biofuel cells could followFiled under Technology
| Send this
Mr. T Sheds Gold After Katrina Destruction
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- Mr. T has given himself a makeover. The former television action star shed the piles of gold chains that were his signature look after witnessing the destruction from Hurricane Katrina....Filed under Peculiar Picks
| Send this
Famous dead castrato brought out of retirement
The body of Farinelli, the most famous castrato opera singer, is to be exhumed to learn how he achieved such dulcet tones.Filed under Peculiar Picks
| Send this
Trees hiccup methane rather than belch
The clean image of forests was damaged following reports of their releasing methane in huge amounts - but new findings suggest smaller emissionsFiled under Trend$
| Send this
Popular Mortgage Web Site Under Scrutiny
12 JUL 2006 from The Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»
Lawsuit against Bankrate spotlights difficulty of getting sound financial data online. (Subscription required!)
More than MBAs
30 JUN 2006 from FastCompany | Read the full story»
Companies are relying more on their own execs, and less on B-school professors, to teach up-and-coming leaders. Here's why.
Filed under Leadership
| Send this
How John Deere Cut a Clear Path Across a Rough Field
10 JUL 2006 from The Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»
Over the past 40 years, he adds, there were only spurts where the company earned its cost of capital. That has changed since Mr. Lane, a 24-year Deere veteran and former banker, took the helm six years ago and overhauled manufacturing, sales and other processes to ensure consistent profitability. (Subscription required!)
Filed under Strategies
| Send this
Finance 101 For Startups
26 JUN 2006 from BusinessWeek | Read the full story»
Small business guru Steven D. Strauss talks about the steps needed to secure financial stability in your new business.
Filed under Entrepreneurs
| Send this
MarketingSherpa's Top 10 Best Blogs & Best Podcast of 2006: Readers' Choice Award Results
27 JUN 2006 from Marketing Sherpa | Read the full story»
The results are in -- here's your guide, including handy hotlinks, to MarketingSherpa readers' favorite marketing-related blogs and podcasts of 2006. Our hearty congratulations to all the winners -- with thousands of votes tallied, this was hard-fought race indeed! Note: Curious about how we picked the winners? Scroll down to the bottom for the 'Behind the Scenes Story' on Sherpa's Awards.
Filed under Blogging
| Send this
Bow Street bows out
The court that tried the Krays and Casanova.Sunny, With Good Chance of Viewers
14 July 2006 from The Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»
Weather Channel Promises A Set Commercial Audience In Deal With Media Buyer By BRIAN STEINBERG (Subscription required!)
Filed under Marketing
| Send this
Microsoft, Yahoo users can talk amongst themselves
In another potential blow for AOL, Microsoft and Yahoo team Thursday to merge the audience for their online instant-messaging ...Filed under Technology
| Send this
Does a GM-Nissan-Renault Alliance Make Sense?
On July 7, General Motors' board of directors voted to study the pros and cons of entering into a three-way alliance with automakers Nissan and Renault. The alliance was proposed by GM shareholder Kirk Kerkorian who sees it as a way to revive the struggling company and expedite the restructuring taking place under GM's current chairman and CEO, Rick Wagoner. Another central figure in this drama is Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan and Renault, who is credited with turning around Nissan and who is seen by Kerkorian and others as holding the keys to GM's future. What would a three-way alliance mean for GM, and for the auto industry in general?Filed under Strategies
| Send this
Women and Everything Blogging: Aliza Sherman Rizdahl's Take
She was blogging before ... the term "blog" was invented, so the new book by Aliza Sherman Rizdahl, The Everything Blogging Book, is certainly worth a look. Aliza's long history with the Internet and writing led her full speed ahead into the art and science of blogging. I quickly interviewed her a few weeks before the birth of her baby, Noa Grace, but waited to post until I knew the book was ready for purchase.
Filed under Blogging
| Send this
Competition the Cure for Healthcare
| Q&A with: | Michael E. Porter |
| Published: | July 12, 2006 |
| Author: | Roger Thompson |
Editor's Note: Last month HBS Working Knowledge offered an excerpt from Redefining Health Care: Creating Value-Based Competition on Results, by Harvard Business School professor Michael E. Porter and Elizabeth Olmsted Teisberg. The U.S. healthcare system is dysfunctional, a Rube Goldberg contraption that rewards the wrong things and doesn't create value for the consumer. In this Q&A, Porter discusses his research.
Filed under Healthcare
| Send this
Does the House Always Win?
A couple of days ago, I talked about increased online gambling during the Atlantic City casino shutdown. Yesterday the House of Representatives voted 317 to 93 in favor of the Internet Gambling and Prohibition Act, which would put an end...China brings fabled British sports car to U.S.
12 July 2006 from marketplace.publicradio.org | Read the full story»
Chinese automaker Nanjing said today it will build a new MG coupe in Oklahoma. The move would make it the first Chinese car company to set up shop in the US. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports. (Audio)
Filed under Branding
| Send this
A shirt that measures sound levels
Blog: It's been awhile since we've offered a fashion tip in this space, so we'll try to make up for lost time. Enter "The Show Off T-Shirt,"...Filed under Peculiar Picks
| Send this
GM spray could keep dentist at bay
8 July 2006 from news.scotsman.com | Read the full story»
A SINGLE dental treatment that involves spraying genetically-modified bacteria into a patient's mouth could cut the risk of cavities by up to 90 per cent, according to new research.
Filed under Healthcare
| Send this
Street gangs get Web-savvy
6 July 2006 from CNN.com | Read the full story»
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Some of the country's most notorious street gangs have gotten Web-savvy, showcasing illegal exploits, making threats, and honoring killed and jailed members on digital turf.
Filed under Technology
| Send this
Client-Satisfaction Tool Takes Root
10 JUL 2006 from The Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»
GE embraces measurement of customers' experience; winning back detractors. (Subscription required!)
Filed under Strategies
| Send this
Leading Through Uncertainty
10 JUL 2006 from The Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»
Paul Taffinder, a partner in the London office of management-consulting firm Marakon Associates, and author of "The Leadership Crash Course: How to Create Personal Leadership Value," spoke recently with The Wall Street Journal Online about what it takes to be a good leader and the difficulty of leading through uncertainty. (Subscription required!)
Filed under Leadership
| Send this
Going Global with Online Mentoring
07 JUL 2006 from BusinessWeek | Read the full story»
An ambitious initiative sets out to change the face of online mentoring, using the latest low-cost or free Internet tools.
Filed under Leadership
| Send this
The imagination economy
05 JUL 2006 from Fortune/CNNMoney.com | Read the full story»
The U.S. economy faces a historic problem, and how it is resolved will drive major consequences for managers, investors, politicians, and especially workers. The problem is that Americans' pay isn't going up. That's remarkable because the economy is booming - growth is strong, unemployment low, productivity rising smartly. Yet the latest figures show that the broadest index of pay (inflation-adjusted wages, salaries, benefits) is no higher than it was at the end of 2003.
Filed under Innovation
| Send this
When business gets personal
06 JUL 2006 from Fortune/CNNMoney.com | Read the full story»
Executives are putting their values to work building their businesses.
Filed under Brand You
| Send this
Tearing up the Jack Welch playbook
11 JUL 2006 from Fortune/CNNMoney.com | Read the full story»
The Six Sigma master was once the undisputed authority in management. But Fortune is finding that today's smart CEOs are following a different set of rules.
Filed under Leadership
| Send this
Astronomy: today at sunset, NYC turns into Stonehenge
Xeni Jardin: An unusual sunset in Manhattan. Snip from NASA "astronomy pic of the day":Today, if it is clear, Manhattan will flood dramatically with sunlight just as the Sun sets precisely on the centerline of every street.
Filed under Peculiar Picks
| Send this
A Tale of Two CEOs: How Public Perception Shapes Reputations
12 JUL 2006 from The Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»
In the public's mind, Home Depot's Bob Nardelli and GE's Jeffrey Immelt have come to symbolize the best and worst of their breed. Yet here is what they have in common: Neither CEO has earned a penny for shareholders. (Subscription required!)
Filed under Leadership
| Send this
Data miners dig a little deeper
Companies are collecting and aggregating data in new ways so sophisticated that many customers may not even realize they're being watched.
Filed under Technology
| Send this
Old Navy Head to Step Down
Gap said Jenny Ming, who helped launch Old Navy and has been the apparel retailer's president since 1998, is resigning. (Subscription required!)Long Tail podcast with Chris Anderson
If you're looking to wrap your arms around the key points of the Long Tail theory, check out the new 15-minute podcast with Long Tail author Chris Anderson over at TCS Daily.china's brand goes green
When it comes to improving living conditions and pushing economic progress in the developing world, one of the more intriguing strategies is the establishment of national brand identities. In Simon Anholt's 2005 book, Brand New Justice, he argued that countries, like companies, have brand associations, and that a well-crafted national image, could be the key to progress.Filed under Branding
| Send this
EU Fines Microsoft $357 Million
The EU fined Microsoft $357 million for failing to obey its 2004 antitrust order and threatened new fines of $3.82 million a day beginning July 31. Microsoft called the fine unjust, saying it will go to court to get it overturned. (Subscription required!)Three Are Indicted in Coke Secrets Case
A federal grand jury indicted three people on Tuesday on a charge that they conspired to try to sell Coca-Cola trade secrets to PepsiCo and were willing to give the information to the highest bidder... (Subscription required!)How to Market A Green Company
Running an environmentally friendly business can be a good way to distinguish yourself from competition. But don't assume just because you're "green," consumers will naturally be willing to throw more greenbacks your direction, cautions Kelly Spors.Filed under Marketing
| Send this
Who will pay for the Internet superhighway?
In the media and the halls of Congress, the Internet, phone and cable TV industries are raising a ruckus over "net neutrality."Filed under Technology
| Send this
Einstein Letters Reveal Inner Thoughts, Doubts
Newly released documents reveal Einstein's most intimate moments and deepest feelings. Michele Norris talks with Walter Isaacson, who wrote a piece in this week's Time magazine about the newly released correspondence between Albert Einstein and his wives and children. (Audio)
Filed under Peculiar Picks
| Send this
MySpace is now the #1 destination on the Web
Yet, if you were to ask a Fortune 500 CEO: "What's your MySpace strategy?" what do you think the answer would be?'Prada' Movie Spotlights Nasty Boss Phenom
05 JUL 2006 from ABC News | Read the full story»
[T]here are scary, capricious bosses in every field. Which raises another set of questions: Just why do they get away with it? And should they? Some analysts say that in certain fields, particularly creative ones, a difficult, mercurial personality can actually be a status symbol.
Filed under Brand You
| Send this
If You Think You Have All the Right Answers, This Site Is for You
12 JUL 2006 from The Wall Street Journal | Read the full story»
Yahoo has turned thousands of people into its personal unpaid librarians through Yahoo Answers, which allows anyone to ask a question, and then lets everyone else try to answer it. (Subscription required!)
Filed under Technology
| Send this
States Receive Poor Grades
More than a quarter earned a D or lower, according to a study of entrepreneurial activity.Filed under Entrepreneurs
| Send this
Hewlett Slows Pace After Fast Start in Consulting
Hewlett-Packard's $16 billion consulting and services business, HP Services, has been one of its few laggards. (Subscription required!)Time Warner Thinks Free AOL Will Be Costly
Time Warner expects AOL to sacrifice nearly $1 billion in operating profit through 2009 under a plan to offer free online service. (Subscription required!)The Accidental Innovator
Companies spend many hundreds of billions of dollars on R&D each year, but the microwave oven was conceived from a melted candy bar, saccharin from an accidental chemical spill, and the Daguerre photo process via a shattered thermometer. Accidents happen—and we're all better off because they do.Filed under Innovation
| Send this
Learning to hack for all the right reasons
This fall students in Britain will start on the country's first bachelor's degree that teaches them everything they need to know about cyber-crime. Stephen Beard reports. (Audio)
Filed under Technology
| Send this
Google to Put a Research Center in Michigan
In a much-needed boost for Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm, Google plans to build an office and research center in Ann Arbor. (Subscription required!)Filed under Technology
| Send this
California Auto Insurer Changes Rate Model
The Automobile Club of Southern California, the state's fourth-largest provider of auto insurance, says it will now base its rates on driving records and how much customers drive, not on their zip codes. The move could reduce policyholder rates by millions of dollars, and set a national precedent. (Audio)
What gardening and managing have in common
If a gardener simply gave a plant an intimidating look and barked out a command to "grow", you'd think he was crazy. So why do we put up with this sort of behaviour in managers?Filed under Leadership
| Send this
James Dyson Sets Up the Dyson School of Design Innovation.
Here's a flash. James Dyson, the inventor of many things, including a best-selling vacuum cleaner, is establishing a new school for design innovation in Bath, England. This is very big news. Note the age of the students--and the fact that...Filed under Innovation
| Send this
What Kind of Genius Are You?
A new theory suggests that creativity comes in two distinct types -- quick and dramatic, or careful and quiet. By Daniel H. Pink of Wired magazine.Filed under Brand You
| Send this
Advertising: Mr. Peanut, You're Perfect. Now Change.
Companies lucky enough to have recognizable mascots are joining a makeover movement for the nation's advertising characters. (Subscription required!)Filed under Branding
| Send this
The 'Daily Effect': Cynical, Yet Informed
According to a new study, watching the Comedy Central political humor show The Daily Show makes college students more cynical about politics, but more confident about what they know. Professor Jody Baumgartner of East Carolina University, one of the authors of the study, talks with Debbie Elliott about the "Daily Effect." (Audio)
Filed under Peculiar Picks
| Send this
You go, girl gadgeteer
Women, a growing force in the consumer-electronics market, have a message for gadget makers, and it's not all about the color pink.
Filed under Trend$
| Send this
The Strongest Brands in America
Harris Interactive, in its "EquiTrend Brand Study," went online and polled 25,666 US consumers, ages 15 and older, in order to measure and compare the brand quality and equity scores of over 1,000 brands within 39 categories.Filed under Branding
| Send this
David Armano: Rocketbust: It’s About Talent
So Amanda is leaving Rocketboom—by now that’s old news. And rather than get into the drama behind it, I’d like to call some attention to what I think is a bigger issue...Retaining your talent.Filed under Talent
| Send this
Ten Questions with David Sifry
Here is an interview with David Sifry, the founder and CEO of Technorati. In this interview he explains what Technorati does as well as the practices of good blogging.Filed under Blogging
| Send this
Lay's legacy: Commoditize everything
Commentator and consumer advocate Jamie Court says Kenneth Lay's vision has become the operating principle from Wall Street to Capitol Hill. (Audio)
Filed under Strategies
| Send this
For eBay, Departures Underscore a Risky Time
The Internet auctioneer eBay is facing new concerns over executive turnover and management succession at a time when Google is invading its turf. (Subscription required!)Green America: Why Environmentalism Is Hot
With windmills, low-energy homes, new forms of recycling and fuel-efficient cars, Americans are taking conservation into their own hands.Filed under Trend$
| Send this
Kraft to Acquire Part of United Biscuits
Kraft agreed to acquire a part of United Biscuits in a deal valued at $1.1 billion. The deal gives Kraft control of brands like Ritz crackers in Europe. (Subscription required!)Times Infiniti
Nissan vice president Jan Thompson on how a passion for "vibrant design" is driving a high-wire revival of a formerly faltering brand. A HUB magazine exclusive conversation, with Tim Manners.Filed under Design
| Send this
'Social' search engines replace computer results with human recommendations
Yahoo and Google are pursuing "social" search, hoping it'll help make search results more meaningful and thus expand the companies'...Filed under Technology
| Send this
Joe Robinson: leisure rules
But can't hard work be a source of pride?I hear that all the time: "That's what makes this country great." It is a myth we have tricked ourselves into believing. The Dutch, the French, the Norwegians, the Belgians and the Irish are more productive per hour than we are, even with their four- and five-week vacations. We are number one in terms of productivity per person only because of all the overtime we do. And that's the number we count.
Filed under Talent
| Send this
Site-Lookup Service Foils Fraud
A new company hopes to sell netizens on a smarter domain-name-resolution service that fixes typos, blocks fraud sites and serves lightning-fast results. But will its ad-supported model ruffle feathers? By Ryan Singel.Filed under Technology
| Send this
How Failure Breeds Success
10 JUL 2006 from BusinessWeek | Read the full story»
Everyone fears failure. But breakthroughs depend on it. The best companies embrace their mistakes and learn from them.
Filed under Strategies
| Send this
Accidental Tech Entrepreneurs Turn Their Hobbies Into Livelihoods
30 JUN 2006 from InformationWeek | Read the full story»
InformationWeek interviewed five accidental entrepreneurs, including the founders of del.icio.us and Digg and the author of the blog Dooce, to find out how they freed themselves from the paycheck-to-paycheck grind.
Filed under Entrepreneurs
| Send this
A Sucking Sound
03 JUL 2006 from Newsweek | Read the full story»
The old job-for-life is on the way out across Europe. The new trend is temp-time. Now for the backlash.
Filed under Talent
| Send this
The Guide to Avoiding Small Talk
06 JUL 2006 from Okdork.com | Read the full story»
6- STFU. For those who don’t know the acronym, it means listen more than you speak. You already know your own stories, tales and adventures. These other people have been alive 20-60 years or more I am sure they have some good ones to hear.
Hat tip: Seth Godin
Filed under Brand You
| Send this
Wikipedia founder tackles politics
The founder of Wikipedia, the peer-edited online encyclopedia, has launched a new political wiki site, saying it's "time for politics to become more intelligent."Filed under Technology
| Send this
Working Teens Are a Dying Breed
Commentator Angela Nissel recalls her summer and after-school jobs. She examines how teenagers who once would have spent their summers working at McDonalds or life-guarding are now spend their time at cello camp or internships. (Audio)
Older Entrepreneurs Rewrite Retirement Rules
For some people, turning 60 means it's time to start a new business. Now a new award, the Purpose Prize, aims to recognize older Americans who start innovative projects aimed at helping others.Filed under Entrepreneurs
| Send this
The rise of the junior creative class
Creativity is quickly becoming a major buzzword on college campuses. As Inside Higher Ed points out, Tufts University made waves yesterday with the announcement that it would be considering creativity as a factor in its decision of whether or not to admit undergraduates.Filed under Education
| Send this
New York to Examine Creating Citywide Broadband Network
New York City intends to study whether to establish a citywide broadband network similar to those planned by cities like Philadelphia and San Francisco.Filed under
| Send this
In Memoriam: Goodbye to the Godfather of Consumer Centricism
Levitt’s longer-lasting contribution to marketing was his insistence on customer-focus: "They must ascertain and act on their customers' needs and desires, not bank on the presumed longevity of their products. In short, the best way for a firm to be lucky is to make its own luck. An organization must learn to think of itself not as producing goods or services but as doing the things that will make people want to do business with it."Filed under Strategies
| Send this
Can next generation of entrepreneurs deliver?
A recent survey of entrepreneurs revealed that most earned money as kids, many via a paper route. The classic paperboy has gone the way of Mayberry. So is America losing an entrepreneurial breeding ground? Curt Nickisch looks below the fold. (Audio)
Filed under Entrepreneurs
| Send this
Business Blogging Still Bogged Down
Is Big Biz Ready To Blog?Filed under Blogging
| Send this
Self-Service Sleeping
Customers love to check themselves in at the airport. Can they ever feel the same way about hotels?Filed under Service
| Send this
Splitsville at Rocketboom
06 JUL 2006 from BusinessWeek | Read the full story»
The pioneering video blog's founders are going their separate ways, leaving the fate of the daily mock news show up in the air.
AOL Mulls Giving Away Service
AOL is considering offering its services free to users with high-speed Internet connections, gambling that ad revenue will offset the loss of subscription fees. (Subscription required!)Filed under Technology
| Send this
Microsoft Backs Open Document Format
Caving to government pressure, the software giant creates a bridge between ODF and its Open XML format.Filed under Technology
| Send this
Enron's Lay Dies Suddenly
Kenneth Lay, convicted and awaiting sentencing in one of the biggest business frauds in U.S. history, dies suddenly while vacationing in Colorado. He was facing a life sentence.Backdating options scandal moves forward
At least 50 companies have had to open their books to the feds in the scandal of backdating stock options. Now, the SEC appears ready to pursue civil charges against one of them. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports. (Audio)
Working Backward
"If I listened to Six Sigma … I’d be sitting here five years later measuring things," says Gamal Aziz, explaining why he prefers to tear things apart to build them back up at the MGM Grand casino resort in Las Vegas, as reported by Paula Kaihla in Business 2.0 (Jul 06). Unlike Six Sigma...Filed under Strategies
| Send this
Impersonators in the Land of Small Business
For years, large corporations have been counted as small businesses in federal contracts either through loopholes, via acquisitions or by mistake. (Subscription required!)Inc.com Kicks Off Search for Best Young Entrepreneurs
The first "Best Lemonade Stand in America Contest" is open to children ages 5 to 12.Filed under Entrepreneurs
| Send this
Extreme interviewing
According to Mark Franchetti, the Sunday Times' man in Moscow, Russian employers are increasingly using the so-called 'stressovoye' — stressful interview — to help them hire the best staff.Filed under Talent
| Send this
Sun CEO sees competitive advantage in blogging
26 JUN 2006 from USAToday | Read the full story»
In an interview, Schwartz says the payback for allowing free expression is that customers value authenticity and integrity and that one day it will prove to be a competitive advantage. He announced in his June 2 post that customers now may write unedited product reviews, blemishes and all, directly to Sun's website.
Hat tip: Ben McConnell at Church of the Customer
Filed under Blogging
| Send this
Suit 2.0
10 JUL 2006 from New York Magazine | Read the full story»
Back in the nineties, Jason Calacanis was a Silicon Alley cowboy. Now, at AOL, he’s in full corporate harness. Is that the only way for an entrepreneur to get to the top?
Filed under Entrepreneurs
| Send this
A - Z of Professional Blogging
27 JUN 2006 from ProBlogger | Read the full story»
Following is my A to Z of Professional blogging including blogging tools, platforms, services and ways of making money from blogging (in fact whether you blog for money or not much of what follows should help you improve your blogging).
Filed under Blogging
| Send this
How to read a business book
16 JUN 2006 from Harga-blog | Read the full story»
About 3,000 new business books are published each year in the U.S. (according to the Economist). That’s roughly 57 new books each week when, for most of us, reading even one a week feels like an accomplishment. How do you keep up? How do you read a business book?
People Power
JUL 2006 from Wired | Read the full story»
First, steam power replaced muscle power and launched the Industrial Revolution. Then Henry Ford’s assembly line, along with advances in steel and plastic, ushered in the Second Industrial Revolution. Next came silicon and the Information Age. Each era was fueled by a faster, cheaper, and more widely available method of production that kicked efficiency to the next level and transformed the world. Now we have armies of amateurs, happy to work for free. Call it the Age of Peer Production.
Filed under Technology
| Send this
Mimicking Whole Foods Market
29 JUN 2006 from Brand Autopsy | Read the full story»
If one were to take the WFM team member out from its business, Whole Foods Market would not be the successful company it is today. Try saying the same thing for Wal-Mart. You can’t. Right?
Hat tip: Ben McConnell at Church of the Customer
Filed under Talent
| Send this
Ax tax that slams indie workers
19 JUN 2006 from The New York Daily News | Read the full story»
If you're an independent worker in New York City and you earn more than $45,000 a year, you're automatically subjected to an additional tax - as if you were running a company - simply because you aren't an employee in the conventional sense.
Hat tip: Dan Pink
Filed under Entrepreneurs
| Send this
Americans Mistake Overwork for Good Work
A survey conducted by CareerBuilder.com says that one-in-four Americans will take work with them on vacation this year. To get a sense of why Americans are working harder, and taking less vacation, Lynn Neary speaks with Bob Rosner. He's the workplace columnist for WorkingWounded.com. (Audio)
Filed under Brand You
| Send this
David Leonhardt: The Internet Knows What You'll Do Next
Google Trends offers a window into what people are actually doing. Freaky? Maybe. But chances are good you'll check it out. (Subscription required!)Filed under Technology
| Send this
Chinese innovation at the top of the world
The new Himalayan railway that links Beijing with Tibet is now the world's highest rail line. It's also an "engineering marvel" and a testament to the spirit of the human imagination - it took nearly five years and more than $4 billion to build, and its 1,200 miles of tracks traverse 342 miles of permafrost, much of it at altitudes exceeding 13,000 feet.Filed under Innovation
| Send this
Ford Cites Hurdles to Turnaround Push
Ford is running into a stronger headwind than it expected a few months ago, its CEO said, a development that is stressing its "Way Forward" turnaround plan. (Subscription required!)Invisible leadership
Lisa Haneberg:Invisible leadership feels more like doing the best things without yielding power. Invisible leaders influence the system and people by being a partner.
Filed under Leadership
| Send this
The blogosphere is not "credible"
My point: The blogosphere by itself has no credibility. Individual bloggers build their own credibility. I trust Tim Porter, just to pick one. But his credibility doesn't fall one bit if 10,000 other bloggers make fools of themselves.Filed under Blogging
| Send this
Excuse Me, Is My Plane Ready NOW?
As the price of jet fuel goes through the roof, airlines are eager to replace old gas-guzzling planes with a new generation of fuel-efficient airliners. Airbus and Boeing are taking plenty of deposits, but not one of the shiny new...lessons from the world's most innovative chef
Adria has been criticized by many for being a showman without substance and for breaking the rules just for the sake of it. However, the program showed that there is a lot more to Adria than meets the eye and in fact, Adria can teach brands a few things.Filed under Branding
| Send this
Beethoven's Sonatas: 'From Darkness to Light'
Beethoven poured his "scowling genius" into his 32 sonatas -- works that helped transform music forever. Three artists discuss their attempts to interpret some of the most challenging pieces ever written for piano. (Audio)
Filed under Peculiar Picks
| Send this
Functional beer for women
Filed under Trend$
| Send this
China Hands
Is China the next economic superpower? Ming Zeng of Cheung Kong business school and Elizabeth Economy from the Council on Foreign Relations hash it out.Don't optimize bad processes
20 JUN 2006 from Salon | Read the full story»
Lynn made a forceful case that the relentless search for supply chain efficiencies via offshoring and outsourcing by companies such as Dell and Cisco and Wal-Mart have resulted in fragile, brittle, over-extended production lines that are certain to crumble in the face of unexpected disaster. (Subscription required or watch an ad for a free pass!)
Filed under Strategies
| Send this
Is your doctor paid to keep you healthy? Probably not.
17 JUN 2006 from St. Louis Post-Dispatch | Read the full story»
Typically, physicians get paid only when their patients receive care, and more complex care often brings bigger paychecks. At the same time, doctors complain that paltry payments for office visits force them to rush through checkups instead of educating patients about their illnesses, medications and healthy living - all of which might lower future medical bills.
Filed under Healthcare
| Send this
For Buyers, More Choice Means Better Quality
MAY 2006 from Stanford Graduate School of Business | Read the full story»
"Less is more" is not an adage you’re likely to find in marketing. When it comes to selling goods, conventional wisdom affirms that more is indeed more—offering a greater array of product options increases the likelihood customers will find what they need and buy.
Filed under Strategies
| Send this
Physicians barred from using cursive to write prescriptions
21 JUN 2006 from Seattle Post Intelligencer | Read the full story»
On June 7, a new law went into effect that could paralyze the penmanship-impaired. It says that if a prescription isn't hand-printed, typed or electronically generated, it can't be filled, Jeff Smith of the state Health Department explained.
Filed under Healthcare
| Send this
Happy 4th of July!
We're taking the day off in celebration of Independence Day here in the U.S. We hope everyone has an opportunity to relish freedom today. Enjoy!
Filed under Blogging | Books | Brand You | Branding | Design | Education | Entrepreneurs | Excellence | Healthcare | Innovation | Leadership | Marketing | News | Peculiar Picks | Service | Strategies | Talent | Technology | Trend$ | WOW! Projects
| Send this
Brussels challenge to Mastercard
Credit card group Mastercard has been threatened with legal action by the European Commission over its fees.China Restricts Internet Cafe Access
China has launched a campaign to enforce curfews at Internet cafes before schools let students out on summer vacation, a news report said Monday....Renault Set to Hold Meeting to Discuss Alliance With G.M.
Renault of France will hold a board meeting Monday to discuss expanding its alliance with Nissan Motor of Japan to include G.M. (Subscription required!)Kerkorian pushes 3-way automaker deal
Today, billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian urged troubled carmaker General Motors to consider partnering with Nissan and Renault. Host Tess Vigeland speaks to the New York Times' Micheline Maynard about the story. (Audio)
Map Quest
Location, location, location: The Web cognoscenti are mashing up data with maps to create a new way to communicate.Filed under Technology
| Send this
A Search Engine That's Becoming an Inventor
Google is a solid member of the Fortune 500 with $9 billion in cash, but it is stubbornly sticking to its do-it-yourself approach to technology. (Subscription required!)Filed under Technology
| Send this
Vox: Smart Move for Six Apart
A little about SixApart's Vox, how it breaks down barriers to blogging, and how it allows for different levels of conversation.Filed under Blogging
| Send this
Working with the government - Kate
The U.S. Government is "the largest buying entity in the history of the world" and yet, many companies don't consider it as a possible customer. Mark Amtower is experienced in just that. He created a company dedicated to helping companies...AT&T Is Calling to Ask About TV Service. Will Anyone Answer?
AT&T's new television service, U-verse, crams video, data and, soon, phone calls down one high-speed broadband line.(Subscription required!)Filed under Technology
| Send this
IRS gets soaked
The Internal Revenue Service is shutting down. But, alas, not for good. Marketplace's Hillary Wicai reports that the East Coast floods have washed out the taxman — but just temporarily. (Audio)
Ode to the Summertime Sprinkler
As the summer heats up, host Debbie Elliott pays homage to the sprinkler. We hear the rhythmic pulse of an old-fashioned sprinkler, the poem "Ode to the Sprinkler" by Gary Soto and Adrienne Pierce's song "Every Sprinkler." (Audio)
Filed under Peculiar Picks
| Send this
David Carr: A Blog Mogul Turns Bearish on Blogs
The founder of Gawker Media recently put 2 of his 15 sites on the block, reorganized others and laid off several people.(Subscription required!)Filed under Blogging
| Send this
Tenet pays for its "mistakes"
Tenet Health Care has been reeling for almost four years from allegations it scammed the Medicare system out of huge payments. Today, the company announced it's settling with the government for $900 million. Helen Palmer has the story. (Audio)
Capitalist Roaders
China is in the middle of a car-buying and road-building boom. But what happens when hundreds of millions of people all discover the joys and agonies of car culture at the same time? (Subscription required!)Is a philanthropic monopoly a good thing?
Political philosopher and commentator Benjamin Barber worries that Warren Buffett's bequest to the Gates Foundation may pose threats to civil society and philanthropy that people haven't considered. (Audio)
Internet Calling Pressures Bells to Lower Rates
New competitors, including cable companies and start-ups like Vonage, are putting intense pressure on traditional phone companies.(Subscription required!)Product Placement For Blogs
PayPerPost.com links up bloggers with advertisers who want to promote their product or service. If you're a blogger you basically choose from the list of advertisers products and how they want their product mentioned, and hey presto you get paid for it. Like it or not, it's happening - this is just a transparent service.Filed under Blogging
| Send this
Site Tempts Video Makers by Offering to Pay Them
Lulu.tv is creating a fund from monthly account fees that it will use to pay creators of most-watched videos posted on its Web site. (Subscription required!)Filed under Technology
| Send this