Monday, May 31, 2010
什麼是設計
東海大學「設計邊境」第一堂／主講人：姚仁祿／學校的教育體制，多是符合工業革命制度的設計與需求，很容易抹殺了人們的原創性，課堂中並引用TED TALK影片「學校教育扼殺了創意？」（中文字幕），引導同學討論。
VIDEOS : BP's next move
VIDEOS
BP's next move
Sun, May 30: The anger is growing along the Gulf Coast after BP's best hope to stop an oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico failed. It's now being called the worst environmental disaster in U.S. History. Crystal Goomansingh reports.
Raw Video: Oliphant on Mulroney (May 31)
Raw Video: Oliphant on Mulroney (May 31)
Raw Video: Justice Jeffrey Oliphant has found former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney breached federal ethics guidelines in the past. Raw video. May 31.
Raw Video: Justice Jeffrey Oliphant has found former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney breached federal ethics guidelines in the past. Raw video. May 31.
富士康12跳 世界工廠出問題！ 台商太剝削？陸勞不耐操？廉價勞工不再！企業管理要改！
來賓：
嘉農發展基金會總裁 蔡武璋
環球經濟社社長 林建山
資深媒體人 楊憲宏
Call out 香港大專師生監察無良企業行動項目 幹事 鄭依依
富士康連續發生員工跳樓事件，中國官方媒體新華社發表評論指出，顯示中國經濟發展方式轉變的緊迫性，也反映出傳統發展方式的時代之痛。近來中國罷工、員工殺害雇主或自殺屢見不鮮，隨著經濟轉型，過去被認為廉價、服從、穩定的勞工正在急遽變化。
富士康12跳！中國勞動市場轉型預示？
富士康驚傳第十二起跳樓自殺案件，而諷刺的是，數小時前，鴻海集團董事長郭台銘才親自帶兩岸以及國際媒體到深圳廠區視察。郭董深深鞠躬道歉。如何看待富士康問題？
全球電子代工龍頭的鴻海集團形象重挫，富士康在香港股市的股價重跌一成多，創下七個月來新低。郭台銘極力澄清，富士康絕對不是外傳的血汗工廠。
本田大罷工！勞工意識高漲？
日本知名車廠本田汽車位於廣東佛山的零件廠，上千名中國員工不滿薪資過低要求加薪，從21號晚間開始大規模罷工，導致零件供給不足暫時關閉在中國的四座裝配廠。市場預估本田每日產值損失可能超過2億人民幣。本田中國管理方面表示將積極展開對話，但何時復工則尚未有時間表。
世界工廠的背後，勞工境遇悲慘
沿海工廠的基層勞工，往往都是鄉村來的農民工，在中國總數有兩點三億，其中沿海城市就有一億六千多萬名農民工，佔了城市人口的兩成七。在戶口二元制的政策下，這群農民工在城市沒有戶籍、薪資低，食衣住行全靠資方掌控。南方周末：「人像碎片般的活著！」，40萬人的工廠，非得軍事化、機械化的管理？
世界銀行的報告指出，中國維持基本生活水準費用，每月是1685塊人民幣，但絕大多數的沿海農民工底薪在1000元以下，平均每週得工作66個小時，每月得加班120個小時，才能拿到1685元工資。
薪資低，迫使勞工不得不加班，但加班後精神狀況不佳，加上持續的壓力，勞工的處境堪憐。員工抗壓不足？索求無度？雇主苛刻勞工？
世界工廠面臨轉型，老闆亦難為
員工動輒罷工、自殺、殺害雇主，大陸勞工變了嗎？對企業會有多大傷害？台商管理大有問題？在企業眼中，原本和低工資及密集勞力畫上等號的中國，也開始改變。中國政府08年中國實施《勞動合同法》包括設定基本工資，以及配合一胎化政策，給予女性員工產假及育嬰津貼等福利樣樣不少，而沿海基本工資也不斷調漲。
薪資、穩定度、勞動合同法…大陸勞動成本的改變？雇主如何調整薪資待遇與管理方式？60年代管理方式始終不變？老闆必須與時俱進？
當中國勞動成本越來越高，世界工廠的未來，影響產業重新布局的下一步。薪資漲、勞動意識抬頭、動輒跳槽忠誠度低、中國的勞動市場優勢不再？世界工廠位置不再？企業的大陸布局會因此調整嗎？該因此調整嗎？
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Reinstall Mac OS X
Reinstall Mac OS X
1Insert your Mac OS X Install DVD or Installation Disc 1.
2Restart the computer and hold down the letter "C" as the computer starts up.
3Continue to hold down the letter "C" until you see a grey screen with an Apple and a small spinning gear.
4Select your language on the Welcome to the Mac OS X Installer screen and click "Continue".
5Click "Continue" on the following screen.
6After reading the Software License Agreement, click "Agree".
7Select the volume to which you are going to install. "Macintosh HD" is the default name.
8Click the "Options" button in the bottom corner of the window and select your installation type.
9Click "OK" and then "Continue". You will be presented with a confirmation window at which point you can click "Install" to proceed.
THE CORPORATION [1/23]
The Corporation is today's dominant institution, creating great wealth but also great harm. This 26 award-winning documentary examines the nature, evolution, impacts and future of the modern business corporation and the increasing role it plays in society and our everyday lives.
Denmark Pavillion for Shanghai Expo 2010 / BIG
In my opinion Bjarke Ingels, founder of BIG, is one of the best architects when it comes to give shape to the interests of an “unspoken” client on public buildings,either representing the values of a country or a culture. All with exceptional syntax and presentation skills.
And BIG’s latest project (in collaboration with Arup and 2+1), the Danish Pavilion for the Shanghai 2010 Expo, does it again, by taking the best of living in Copenhagen and placing it on China for visitors to experience.
The Finnish pavilion
The Finnish pavilion will look like a "giant kettle", in the words of the architects. For images of the Finnish pavilion.
Video: At the Swedish pavilion
In his guided tour, we see all five "rooms" that will house the exhibition. As you will have noticed, the pavilion is not ready yet :-), but construction is proceeding rapidly, without major hiccups. Currently, air conditioning and sprinkler systems are being installed. Soon, when the walls are complete, the outside panelling will start being put into place. The installation of the exhibition will begin just after Chinese new year, in February. And on May 1, you'll be able to walk through these rooms just like Sven did.
The Swedish Pavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010 in 上海
Interview with the yo-yo artist Rasmus Wurm
青岛音乐之帆小草合唱团
Dr. Hans Blix hates bombs but likes nuclear power. "Today the world is spending 1,400 billion dollars on the military expenditure. Could we do not better with that, in trying to save the planet?"
Bengt Frithiofsson tastes the red wine. By Tobias Andersson Åkerblom
Video: Day 3 of the 72 HOUR RACE TO INNOVATION
Video: Day 2 of the 72 HOUR RACE TO INNOVATION
Video:Day 1 of the 72 HOUR RACE TO INNOVATION
Video: The inauguration of Swedish pavilion
Video: Visit from the Swedish King to the Swedish national pavilion day
Video: Visit from the Swedish King to the Swedish national pavilion day
May 23 we celebrated the National Pavilion Day for Sweden, and we were honored to welcome His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf and the Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden, Ms Maud Olofsson as our distinguished guest on this very special day.
Fashion show at the Expo Center on National Pavilion Day
Fashion show at the Expo Center on National Pavilion Day
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Graffiti Analysis
Graffiti Analysis 2.0: Digital Blackbook from Evan Roth on Vimeo.
Graffiti Analysis (iPhone) - DustTag v1.0 from Evan Roth on Vimeo.
Graffiti Analysis 2.0: Digital Blackbook from Evan Roth on Vimeo.
Graffiti Analysis 2.0 Playback Screencast from Evan Roth on Vimeo.
Graffiti Analysis 2.0 Capture App Screencast from Evan Roth on Vimeo.
In new NASA photos, see Gulf of Mexico oil spill from space
The folks at NASA have assembled a series of time-lapse photos, over a 35-day period, of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Using images from its Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, or MODIS, tethered to its Aqua and Terra satellites that orbit the globe, the series shows the view from space of how the spill — which began on April 20, 2010 with the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig — has progressively gotten worse through May 24, 2010.
NASA says the oil slick appears grayish-beige in the images, and changes with the weather, ocean currents and use of oil dispersing chemicals.
Here’s a look:
The images only show oil at the surface — there’s plenty more beneath it.
蔡明介想撼動宏達電股王寶座聯發科下個戰場是智慧型手機？
聯發科在白牌手機市場的成功已有目共睹，而動輒要價新台幣一萬五千元的智慧型手機，成為聯發科下一個戰場，誰說聯發科不能再重返股王寶座？
二月十四日西洋情人節當天，傳出南韓ＬＧ，以及中國大陸手機廠ＴＣＬ、海信等３Ｇ手機晶片訂單下給聯發科的消息，受此激勵聯發科股價強勢反彈逾兩成，可見３Ｇ晶片對聯發科的意義不容小覷。除了３Ｇ晶片以外，聯發科還準備挑戰宏達電，切入智慧型手機市場，對王雪紅來說，這個情人節恐怕浪漫不起來。
手機業界人士表示，去年中成立的景泰通訊（二月十九日改名為景發科技，股本由二億元提高到四‧二億元），董事長林慧玲為前聯發科代理發言人，另一董事陳維漢則是聯發科前稽核主管，二者關係顯然非常密切；至於總經理張欣晴不僅是明基前手機部門主管陳盛穩的左右手，也是聯發科總經理謝清江在台大電機系的同班同學。
兩位同窗的合作默契是，聯發科朝智慧型手機晶片發展，景發則幫聯發科設計智慧型手機所需的軟體，二者整合成一套的智慧型手機turn key（統包）後，聯發科便可以像白牌手機一樣，賣給客戶全套的智慧型手機解決方案。由於陸續開發出ＧＰＳ、藍芽、WiFi以及多媒體等功能晶片，景發只要負責再將微軟的作業系統導入，聯發科就能夠複製白牌手機的成功模式，切入智慧型手機市場。
業者表示，聯發科雖然在中國大陸白牌手機市場攻城略地，不過，出了中國，聯發科的手機晶片便英雄無用武之地，因為諾基亞、Sony Ericsson以及摩托羅拉等國際手機大廠早有自己的盤算，不願將訂單丟給聯發科，為了繼續在手機市場擴張版圖，蔡明介便把腦筋動到智慧型手機的頭上。
智慧型手機價格將白牌化？
毫無疑問，電信業者總希望多一些人幫忙開發更便宜、效能更強的智慧型手機，試想，一支動輒要價新台幣一萬五千元以上的智慧型手機，一旦聯發科能複製在白牌手機的成功模式，將產品售價降低到五、六千元，消費者接受度勢必更高，電信業者也能增加更多的營收。問題是，除了聯發科以外，華碩、明基、廣達、仁寶以及鴻海等大型電子公司，都不約而同對智慧型手機很感興趣，約莫一年半前，當宏達電表明將轉切入品牌市場時，包括Vodafone、O2、 i-mate、惠普以及Palm等國外電信業者與知名品牌廠商便曾與華碩等代工廠密切接觸。
尤其，微軟為了要拓展手機市場的占有率，也開始扶植這些長期在ＰＣ與ＮＢ領域的台灣合作夥伴，想不到一年半過後，這些代工廠研發的速度竟然還是跟不上宏達電，國外客戶為避免市場流失，只好回頭請宏達電幫忙。
智慧型手機技術需要時間累積
顯然，智慧型手機的進入門檻不如想像中簡單。宏達電主管透露，關鍵就在於智慧型手機的技術是要時間累積的，尤其，軟體在智慧型手機扮演的角色非常吃重，核心團隊如果經常變動，找來的新人就算再厲害，還是要從頭開始解各式各樣的bug（小毛病），功能愈多，bug 就愈多，結果研發速度自然會落後於競爭對手；反觀宏達電核心團隊的十一位成員從成立到現在，除了卓火土因健康因素呈半退休狀態以外（仍擔任董事職務），其餘重要幹部都還留在公司打拚。
其次，智慧型手機的軟體作業系統（微軟）雖然與ＰＣ以及ＮＢ一模一樣，廣達、仁寶以及鴻海等代工廠也幫戴爾與惠普代工多年，甚至這些產品從頭到尾都是台灣廠商設計、製造的，然而，國內代工廠卻受戴爾與惠普等品牌廠商影響太深，養成完全放棄產品主導權的習慣，當客戶主力不放在手機上面時，國內代工廠也不會把資源集中到智慧型手機了。
業界人士表示，華碩算是這些年來國內廠商當中，最有誠意在這塊市場發展的公司，一個月光是花在研發智慧型手機的費用，據估計就高達五千萬元，儘管如此，截至目前為止，華碩幫Vodafone 等客戶代工的產品出貨量卻少得可憐，至於廣達、明基以及鴻海集團等成效也不如預期。看來，智慧型手機能長期維持高售價，不是沒有原因的。
歐美品牌廠商與電信業者雖然也把訂單丟給台灣其他代工廠，問題在這顆大補丸在吞下去以後，大部分人卻消化不良，景發雖有聯發科這個富爸爸撐腰，並引進兩家創投溢價增資，近期開始從一般功能的手機（feature phone）練兵，同時也取得ＬＧ的訂單，但是，這和智慧型手機的問世，還是有一段不小的差距，何況，連耕耘一段時間的華碩、鴻海集團都還在這個市場載浮載沉，聯發科真能再度演出後發先至的逆轉秀嗎？
所幸，外資圈對聯發科投下了信任票。其中，花旗環球證券亞太區半導體首席分析師陸行之便認為，聯發科下半年將推出二‧七五Ｇ智慧型手機ＩＣ解決方案；業界人士也表示，華碩、鴻海集團一開始就從難度最高的３Ｇ智慧型手機切入，短期內自然成效難以顯現，聯發科選擇先從二‧五Ｇ以及二‧七五Ｇ破冰，反而是比較務實的做法。
至於究竟有哪個客戶願意率先採用聯發科的產品，目前還不得而知，可以確定的是，聯發科和景發切入智慧型手機市場，還是需要一段時間才會看到具體成果。難怪，對於外界提起聯發科以及景發將朝智慧型手機市場發展的消息，公司總是低調否認。
不論如何，至少聯發科已經開始和客戶接觸了，有了中國大陸的成功經驗，業界也會對聯發科投注更多的注意力，業界人士表示，這是一條對的路，智慧型手機接下來肯定還很有得玩，儘管聯發科的智慧型手機晶片為二‧五Ｇ與二‧七五Ｇ，宏達電產品八○％以上為３Ｇ，短期影響有限，但長期而言，聯發科的威脅還是不容小覷。至於接下來蔡明介率領的聯發科團隊能否讓王雪紅交出股王寶座？時間將證明一切。
二月十四日西洋情人節當天，傳出南韓ＬＧ，以及中國大陸手機廠ＴＣＬ、海信等３Ｇ手機晶片訂單下給聯發科的消息，受此激勵聯發科股價強勢反彈逾兩成，可見３Ｇ晶片對聯發科的意義不容小覷。除了３Ｇ晶片以外，聯發科還準備挑戰宏達電，切入智慧型手機市場，對王雪紅來說，這個情人節恐怕浪漫不起來。
手機業界人士表示，去年中成立的景泰通訊（二月十九日改名為景發科技，股本由二億元提高到四‧二億元），董事長林慧玲為前聯發科代理發言人，另一董事陳維漢則是聯發科前稽核主管，二者關係顯然非常密切；至於總經理張欣晴不僅是明基前手機部門主管陳盛穩的左右手，也是聯發科總經理謝清江在台大電機系的同班同學。
兩位同窗的合作默契是，聯發科朝智慧型手機晶片發展，景發則幫聯發科設計智慧型手機所需的軟體，二者整合成一套的智慧型手機turn key（統包）後，聯發科便可以像白牌手機一樣，賣給客戶全套的智慧型手機解決方案。由於陸續開發出ＧＰＳ、藍芽、WiFi以及多媒體等功能晶片，景發只要負責再將微軟的作業系統導入，聯發科就能夠複製白牌手機的成功模式，切入智慧型手機市場。
業者表示，聯發科雖然在中國大陸白牌手機市場攻城略地，不過，出了中國，聯發科的手機晶片便英雄無用武之地，因為諾基亞、Sony Ericsson以及摩托羅拉等國際手機大廠早有自己的盤算，不願將訂單丟給聯發科，為了繼續在手機市場擴張版圖，蔡明介便把腦筋動到智慧型手機的頭上。
智慧型手機價格將白牌化？
毫無疑問，電信業者總希望多一些人幫忙開發更便宜、效能更強的智慧型手機，試想，一支動輒要價新台幣一萬五千元以上的智慧型手機，一旦聯發科能複製在白牌手機的成功模式，將產品售價降低到五、六千元，消費者接受度勢必更高，電信業者也能增加更多的營收。問題是，除了聯發科以外，華碩、明基、廣達、仁寶以及鴻海等大型電子公司，都不約而同對智慧型手機很感興趣，約莫一年半前，當宏達電表明將轉切入品牌市場時，包括Vodafone、O2、 i-mate、惠普以及Palm等國外電信業者與知名品牌廠商便曾與華碩等代工廠密切接觸。
尤其，微軟為了要拓展手機市場的占有率，也開始扶植這些長期在ＰＣ與ＮＢ領域的台灣合作夥伴，想不到一年半過後，這些代工廠研發的速度竟然還是跟不上宏達電，國外客戶為避免市場流失，只好回頭請宏達電幫忙。
智慧型手機技術需要時間累積
顯然，智慧型手機的進入門檻不如想像中簡單。宏達電主管透露，關鍵就在於智慧型手機的技術是要時間累積的，尤其，軟體在智慧型手機扮演的角色非常吃重，核心團隊如果經常變動，找來的新人就算再厲害，還是要從頭開始解各式各樣的bug（小毛病），功能愈多，bug 就愈多，結果研發速度自然會落後於競爭對手；反觀宏達電核心團隊的十一位成員從成立到現在，除了卓火土因健康因素呈半退休狀態以外（仍擔任董事職務），其餘重要幹部都還留在公司打拚。
其次，智慧型手機的軟體作業系統（微軟）雖然與ＰＣ以及ＮＢ一模一樣，廣達、仁寶以及鴻海等代工廠也幫戴爾與惠普代工多年，甚至這些產品從頭到尾都是台灣廠商設計、製造的，然而，國內代工廠卻受戴爾與惠普等品牌廠商影響太深，養成完全放棄產品主導權的習慣，當客戶主力不放在手機上面時，國內代工廠也不會把資源集中到智慧型手機了。
業界人士表示，華碩算是這些年來國內廠商當中，最有誠意在這塊市場發展的公司，一個月光是花在研發智慧型手機的費用，據估計就高達五千萬元，儘管如此，截至目前為止，華碩幫Vodafone 等客戶代工的產品出貨量卻少得可憐，至於廣達、明基以及鴻海集團等成效也不如預期。看來，智慧型手機能長期維持高售價，不是沒有原因的。
歐美品牌廠商與電信業者雖然也把訂單丟給台灣其他代工廠，問題在這顆大補丸在吞下去以後，大部分人卻消化不良，景發雖有聯發科這個富爸爸撐腰，並引進兩家創投溢價增資，近期開始從一般功能的手機（feature phone）練兵，同時也取得ＬＧ的訂單，但是，這和智慧型手機的問世，還是有一段不小的差距，何況，連耕耘一段時間的華碩、鴻海集團都還在這個市場載浮載沉，聯發科真能再度演出後發先至的逆轉秀嗎？
所幸，外資圈對聯發科投下了信任票。其中，花旗環球證券亞太區半導體首席分析師陸行之便認為，聯發科下半年將推出二‧七五Ｇ智慧型手機ＩＣ解決方案；業界人士也表示，華碩、鴻海集團一開始就從難度最高的３Ｇ智慧型手機切入，短期內自然成效難以顯現，聯發科選擇先從二‧五Ｇ以及二‧七五Ｇ破冰，反而是比較務實的做法。
至於究竟有哪個客戶願意率先採用聯發科的產品，目前還不得而知，可以確定的是，聯發科和景發切入智慧型手機市場，還是需要一段時間才會看到具體成果。難怪，對於外界提起聯發科以及景發將朝智慧型手機市場發展的消息，公司總是低調否認。
不論如何，至少聯發科已經開始和客戶接觸了，有了中國大陸的成功經驗，業界也會對聯發科投注更多的注意力，業界人士表示，這是一條對的路，智慧型手機接下來肯定還很有得玩，儘管聯發科的智慧型手機晶片為二‧五Ｇ與二‧七五Ｇ，宏達電產品八○％以上為３Ｇ，短期影響有限，但長期而言，聯發科的威脅還是不容小覷。至於接下來蔡明介率領的聯發科團隊能否讓王雪紅交出股王寶座？時間將證明一切。
Friday, May 28, 2010
Is Intelligence Overrated? (27.05.10) - TWStuff
What's your view?
Lysette Anthony appeared on the show to promote her new play, No Expense Spared, with Joe McGann.
Where kebabs come from with Giles Coren
Food critic Giles Coren visits a kebab factory to see what goes in to making them and how much of it is actually meet.
Giles Coren interview (28.05.10) - TWStuff
Giles Coren appeared on the show to promote his new book, Anger Management for Beginners.
Note that I had to trim some of the 'coming up' stuff for timing reason
低價中國５大真相，你我正在付出的代價
你可能知道生活週遭充斥著中國製產品，但你可能不知道中國廉價產品的背後，讓其它國家的人丟了工作。毒奶事件後更讓消費者避之唯恐不及。暢銷新書《低價中國》作者哈妮，分享挖掘低價中國５大真相，告訴我們影響你我消費背後的真相？
Rod Beckstrom - The Starfish and the Spider
Rod Beckstrom is the co-author of The Starfish and the Spider: the Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations. The book analyzes in an entertaining way how a new form of organizations and a new style of management, based on starfish networks, is taking the business, social and geopolitical worlds by storm. Rod has advised government officials around the world. He has also given speeches on organizational structure, technology and leadership at the State of the World Forum, the World Economic Forum in Davos, Microsoft, Starbucks, Napster, Harvard University, Stanford University, and YPO Universities.
Billionaire Bill Gates's quest to eradicate polio
Billionaire Bill Gates's quest to eradicate polio
Nigeria is ground zero for the reemergence of polio. Now the country is making surprising headway against the crippling disease, in part thanks to an unlikely meeting of two leaders: Microsoft mogul Bill Gates and the Sultan of Sokoto, the spiritual leader of Nigeria's 70 million Muslims. WSJ's Rob Guth reports.
Nigeria is ground zero for the reemergence of polio. Now the country is making surprising headway against the crippling disease, in part thanks to an unlikely meeting of two leaders: Microsoft mogul Bill Gates and the Sultan of Sokoto, the spiritual leader of Nigeria's 70 million Muslims. WSJ's Rob Guth reports.
Obama: 'No silver bullets' for clean-up
Obama: 'No silver bullets' for clean-up
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Adobe and Apple CEOs square off
Adobe and Apple CEOs square off
Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen sits down with Alan Murray and fires back at Apple's Steve Jobs in latest round of Flash fight.
Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen sits down with Alan Murray and fires back at Apple's Steve Jobs in latest round of Flash fight.
Personal Finance Minute: Tips for Job Seekers
Personal Finance Minute: Tips for Job Seekers
Whether the labor market gains or loses jobs in coming months, the loss of more than 8 million jobs in the recession means those seeking work don't have an easy road ahead of them. Here's one career consultant's job-search strategy. MarketWatch's Andrea Coombes reports.
Whether the labor market gains or loses jobs in coming months, the loss of more than 8 million jobs in the recession means those seeking work don't have an easy road ahead of them. Here's one career consultant's job-search strategy. MarketWatch's Andrea Coombes reports.
Videogame Sales Get Shot Down
Videogame Sales Get Shot Down
The weak videogame industry showed no signs recovering as April sales fell 26%, the market's sharpest decline since last July. Dan Gallagher helps explain the decline and looks ahead to developments that could invigorate the industry's bottom line.
The weak videogame industry showed no signs recovering as April sales fell 26%, the market's sharpest decline since last July. Dan Gallagher helps explain the decline and looks ahead to developments that could invigorate the industry's bottom line.
Google TV debuts
Google TV debuts
Jessica Vascellaro has details on Google TV, which was just unveiled by the internet giant at its developers conference in San Francisco. Plus, social networking for kids and retailers use their stores to speed up shipping for online orders.
Jessica Vascellaro has details on Google TV, which was just unveiled by the internet giant at its developers conference in San Francisco. Plus, social networking for kids and retailers use their stores to speed up shipping for online orders.
iPad makes global debut
digits: iPad makes global debut
Apple's iPad debuted overseas on Friday, drawing long lines of eager consumers who were hoping to get their hands on the hot-selling tablet-style computer that is still in short supply in the U.S. Bruce Orwall has details from London.
Apple's iPad debuted overseas on Friday, drawing long lines of eager consumers who were hoping to get their hands on the hot-selling tablet-style computer that is still in short supply in the U.S. Bruce Orwall has details from London.
Obama, BP and The Gulf Oil Spill – What Should Be Done?
President Barack Obama used the growing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to renew his pitch for alternative energy Wednesday, arguing that the unfolding environmental disaster “gives you a sense of where we’re going” without comprehensive reform.
The federal government is “going to bring every resource necessary to put a stop” to the spill, the president said during a visit to a solar panel manufacturing facility in Fremont, California. “We will not rest until this well is shut, the environment is repaired, and the cleanup is complete.”
But, he added, “a lot of damage has been done already. The spill in the Gulf, which is just heartbreaking, only underscores the necessity” of seeking alternative fuel sources. A failure to enact comprehensive energy reform, he argued, would pose a threat to national security and the economy, as well as the environment.
And this:
The Obama administration, under pressure to act over the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, is expected to announce Thursday that it will suspend consideration of any applications for exploratory drilling for oil in the Arctic until 2011.
The decision is a major blow to Royal Dutch Shell PLC, which had planned an ambitious oil-drilling program in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off Alaska this summer. Shell has been arguing to regulators that its operations in Alaska would face a lower risk of the kind of problems faced by BP PLC in its ill-fated Gulf of Mexico operation.
Is this enough? Not enough? Too much? Do you agree BP should be running the cleanup instead of the government? Given BP is the most knowledgeable on such things, despite never having tested some of their methods, is there a choice? What do you think about suspending drilling? Are you in the conspiracy camp that says the explosion was on purpose to further alternative energy? What other steps would you take?
Anne's Theme
The song "Anne's Theme" from the miniseries "Anne of Green Gables". I transcribed this piece about 20 years ago when I first watched the movie. I recently found this sheet music which was better than my original transcription so I thought I'd learn it. Hope it turned out okay.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Disrupt 2010: Startup Battlefield Finale - Soluto
Watch live streaming video from disrupt at livestream.com
Disrupt 2010: Awards
Watch live streaming video from disrupt at livestream.com
CHINICT: China’s biggest tech conference, streaming right here on TechCrunch
Watch live streaming video from disrupt at livestream.com
Frustrated by your sluggish and unresponsive PC?
Soluto - Anti Frustration Software from Soluto on Vimeo.
Soluto - How to use Soluto Beta from Soluto on Vimeo.
Frustrated by your sluggish and unresponsive PC?
Soluto is bringing an end to PC user frustration with transparency, killer technology, and your help.
Disrupt 2010: Jack Dorsey, Founder & CEO, Square
Watch live streaming video from disrupt at livestream.com
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Disrupt 2010: Bill Gross, CEO idealab, debuts TweetUp
Watch live streaming video from disrupt at livestream.com
Disrupt 2010: Yuri Milner, CEO & Founding Partner, Digital Sky Technologies
Watch live streaming video from disrupt at livestream.com
Opening Remarks: Mike Arrington
Opening Remarks: Mike Arrington
Watch live streaming video from disrupt at livestream.com
Watch live streaming video from disrupt at livestream.com
The Writer - Cameron
Smart Girls At The Party
Amy Poehler, Meredith Walker and Amy Miles celebrate girls who are changing the world by being themselves.
http://www.onnetworks.com/videos/smart-girls-at-the-party/cameron#
Cameron has been writing stories with a penchant for the paranormal for years now (and she's only ten). She tells Amy, Meredith, and Amy about how she comes up with ideas, beats writer’s block and even co-writes an original story with the Smart Girls crew!
Amy Poehler, Meredith Walker and Amy Miles celebrate girls who are changing the world by being themselves.
http://www.onnetworks.com/videos/smart-girls-at-the-party/cameron#
Cameron has been writing stories with a penchant for the paranormal for years now (and she's only ten). She tells Amy, Meredith, and Amy about how she comes up with ideas, beats writer’s block and even co-writes an original story with the Smart Girls crew!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Carol Bartz To Michael Arrington: “F*ck Off!”
Watch live streaming video from disrupt at livestream.com
Today at TechCrunch Disrupt in New York City, Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz took the stage for a fireside chat with our own Michael Arrington. It took about 15 minutes, but Mike got her to tell him to “fuck off.”
That’s not all she had to say. When Mike pressed her about Yahoo outsourcing the social graph to Facebook. Bartz admitted that if she could own it (as Facebook does), she’d love to. “Oh, I’d love to own it — shit, why not?,” she said. She said also that “I’d love to be Queen Poobah – but I’m not.”
I highly suggest you read the notes below. She had plenty of interesting things to say. Not just about the new Nokia and Match.com deals, but about Apple, Google, Facebook, and yes, even TechCrunch.
Just wow.
Update: And here’s the video (or it’s at the bottom).
Below find my live notes (paraphrased):
MA: So how the fuck are you?
CB: Is that all you got?
MA: So my last two posts were critical.
CB: Were they?
MA: You don’t read TechCrunch? I can show you how. It’s weird, I talked to you backstage, you’re a human being. You took the time to talk to us.
Okay let’s go. What is Yahoo?
CB: (her mic cuts off) What is Yahoo? Yahoo is a company that is very strong in content. It’s moving towards the web of one. We have 32,000 variations on our front page module. We serve a million of those a day. It’s all customized. Our click-through rate went up twice since we started customizing this. People come to check the things they like. “You can just get it together.” Yahoo is one site people always stop at.
MA: You had two pieces of news. One is a partnership with Match.com. Why abandon personals?
CB: It wasn’t in the sweet spot of what we do. It was the same with HotJobs. It’s just not about in line with we do anymore. I was trying to think about if I should fly with the volcano cloud, I checked the AP, it was 17 hours old info. We need live content feeds.
MA: Are there any other of the big Yahoo properties you’re killing?
CB: No. We’re focused now.
MA: What was the other one?
CB: We had an announcement with Nokia. Co-branded.
MA: How important is mobile to Yahoo going forward?
CB: We’re on 37 million of the 82 million mobile devices in the US. We have half the US market. People don’t think that’s true, but it is. And we’re huge in the emerging world. It was important to get to the dominant partner outside the market.
MA: So is the focus not on the smartphones?
CB: We still do them too. We have an iPhone app, for example. We have alliances with 100 OEMs. We’re on 2,300 different handsets. I have a BlackBerry and an iPhone.
MA: No Android?
CB: No.
MA: Let’s talk about the product perspective. You’ve made some changes and there have been departures. The new blood is Blake Irving. Does he run product at Yahoo now?
CB: Absolutely.
MA: Is there a product Czar? Does he answer to you? Think about how Steve Jobs acts, he’s in charge. Is that Blake?
CB: You can’t find anyone like a VP that compares to Steve Jobs so that’s not fair. Blake reports to me — under him there are three segments. We have one of the largest private clouds in the world. We serve 10 billion ads a day — that’s a huge technical effort. There’s no one strategy at Yahoo. We do a lot of things.
CB: We know that men have banner blindness but will look at them in certain areas. Women will look at them in other areas. Men are odd.
MA: What about the iPad?
CB: With the iPad, Apple is a hardware and software company. It’s an evolution — not revolution. These days if you’re not coming out with some device, you’re not innovating, apparently. But that’s not true. There’s a soul to our product. Absent Steve Jobs, who’s the product soul in big companies? It’s a lot of people who have to do it.
MA: You ever hear the saying, “a camel is a horse designed by committee”?
CB: That’s true but you implement with several people. I can imagine that a lot of concepts are brought to Jobs too — there are people involved. It’s naive to think there’s not.
MA: Why Blake? He was a professor at Pepperdine. Before that he was at Microsoft.
CB: Well he was taking a two year break from Microsoft.
MA: Fair enough. How important is social to Yahoo?
CB: Back when social had a broad definition, you could almost say that Yahoo Finance chat was the first social product. We have a million comments a day now. We had 85,000 comments on day one at Yahoo News. And we’re merging in some of the big products like Twitter, etc. We’re doing some new cool things with Mail next month too. It’s about finding out the new things about people.
MA: Facebook would say the social graph is key. Is that important to you? Are you comfortable not owning that?
CB: I don’t know if anyone really owns it. They share it with partners. It’s just about getting the information. Building a better user experience.
“Oh, I’d love to own it — shit, why not?” “I’d love to be Queen Poobah — but I’m not.” (reference to Grand Poo-Bah from Gilbert & Sullivan’s “The Mikado“?)
MA: In 2008 you said Jerry Yang first approached you about the job. You said you weren’t the right person for the job. Are you now?
CB: I’m one of many. Many people could do this job. There’s no one special person for any job. That’s the beauty of it.
MA: You’ve asked bloggers to tone down some of the critiques and advice. But you made a statement earlier this year that Google has some problems.
CB: Did you see the interview? I said Google needs to grow a Yahoo every year — just go into a lot of businesses. They have to be a 20% grower. It’s not so bad to say.
MA: You said they were so reliant on search advertising.
CB: Is that wrong?
MA: No but you said it’s not a good trick to have.
CB: I would love to have that! Like the social graph. What I said has to be true. I’m just saying they need to grow a company the size of us every year. They have to do other things.
MA: Are you being a hypocrite by giving them advice when you say you don’t want advice?
CB: I gave them my opinion. You do that all the time. “I’ve never had a bong in my life if that means anything to you.”
MA: Is your pitch kind of BS though?
CB: Steve Jobs came back to Apple in 1997 — the iPod came out 4 years later. 3 years after that is the first time his market cap grew. It took 7 years. I’ve been here a few months. Give me a break. You are involved in a very tiny company.
MA: Very tiny.
CB: It probably takes you a long time just to convince yourself what to do. “So fuck off!”
MA: Are you a search company or not?
CB: Half of our revenue is from search. The fact that you can crawl the web is a commodity. We’re about search, but we’re not a search company. We do a lot of things.
Read more: http://techcrunch.com/2010/05/24/carol-bartz-talkes-with-michael-arrington-at-techcrunch-disrupt/#ixzz0p0vQVepe
Disrupt 2010: Startup Battlefield–Session 4: Finalists
Watch live streaming video from disrupt at livestream.com
Today at TechCrunch Disrupt in New York, we had a panel entitled “Does The iPad Change Everything For News, Or Is It Still All About The Web?” The New York Times’ David Carrmoderated the panel which included angel investor Ron Conway, Huffington Post CEO Eric Hippeau, and Bloomberg chief content officer Norm Pearlstine. The common theme? The only thing that can stop the iPad is Apple.
While that may sound confusing (since, of course, Apple makes the iPad), everyone seemed to agree that Apple’s restrictions could end up hurting the device in the long run. Apple is in control right now because they’re the first to market with a killer product, but others will emulate them, reasons Pearlstine. He believes a lot of the content on these type of tablets will eventually be web-based rather than app-based (similar to an argument Google co-founder Sergey Brin made last week).
Carr extended on that question, asking if maybe the iPad itself would just be a device where you consume content on the web rather than through apps?Hippeau says that’s up to Apple. Clearly they want to push people towards apps, behind their wall, he believes. The problem with this is that Apple doesn’t give back nearly as much data as having your own website would, Hippeau says. He thinks Apple will have to learn that media organizations live off of this data. “They’ll have to open it up more,” he says.
Pearlstine agrees, saying that the key for traditional publishers is their lists of subscribers. More importantly, they have their payment information. With iPad apps, Apple has that information, and that will be a problem for a lot of media companies. “There will be other providers that won’t do it the Apple way,” he says. That, again, is implying that while Apple may have jump-started the industry, if they don’t open up a bit more, a competitor will beat them.
Of course, that hasn’t happened with the iPhone yet. But Android is charging fast.
Conway believes that Apple has a good lead for now though thanks to its “fantastic user interface.” He sees publishers flocking to it just like the music business did to the iPod/iTunes combo. “It’s a better model than free,” he says.
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