source: ZDNet
15.11.08
Touchy, feely BlackBerry Storm
The BlackBerry Storm is the first touch-screen BlackBerry device and one of the first that has a display with real feedback. When touched, the screen depresses slightly.
source: ZDNet
source: ZDNet
Help Steve Jobs (Or GM) Design The iCar
The discussion of whether Steve Jobs could revitalize the auto industry by working with GM on an iCar (Steve Jobs For President. Of GM?) has been lively. But the bottom line question remains: What should that iCar be?
Let’s leave aside what the root causes of the American auto industry’s failure to move effectively into the present, much less the future, have been. Or whether the Apple culture is the right one to supplant the GM culture.
What is the blow-’em-away i-gotta-have-one design for a premium-priced but affordable iCar that would live up to the instantly game-changing standard of the iPod and the iPhone?
Bob Warfield at SmoothSpan tried to set out some essentials he would expect from a Jobs’ take on the automobile:
–Minimalist and modern.
–Innovative use of materials, from carbon fiber to aluminum and unique combinations of glass and plastics.
–Unique form of propulsion (at least unique to GM)
–Touch panel dashboard
–Heads up navigational display
–Map to nearest gas station that automatically pops up when the gas gauge hits low
–Drop-in slots for iPod or iPhone or other Apples
–RSS reader that speaks to you as you drive
–Audio system that plays back Internet radio stations
Etc. Take a look.
Interestingly, the possibility of a real-life iCar first came up more than a year ago, after Steve Jobs met with Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn. There is also the conceptualization of an iCar (inserted at the top of this post), which looks suspiciously like one of the colorful “see-through” early iMacs, from 1999, on display at The Apple Collection. It comes from a playful faux “Think Different” ad by Chris O’Riley.
So there’s been, one way another, years of thought behind what an Apple-designed iCar would look like and contain.
source: ZDNet
Let’s leave aside what the root causes of the American auto industry’s failure to move effectively into the present, much less the future, have been. Or whether the Apple culture is the right one to supplant the GM culture.
What is the blow-’em-away i-gotta-have-one design for a premium-priced but affordable iCar that would live up to the instantly game-changing standard of the iPod and the iPhone?
Bob Warfield at SmoothSpan tried to set out some essentials he would expect from a Jobs’ take on the automobile:
–Minimalist and modern.
–Innovative use of materials, from carbon fiber to aluminum and unique combinations of glass and plastics.
–Unique form of propulsion (at least unique to GM)
–Touch panel dashboard
–Heads up navigational display
–Map to nearest gas station that automatically pops up when the gas gauge hits low
–Drop-in slots for iPod or iPhone or other Apples
–RSS reader that speaks to you as you drive
–Audio system that plays back Internet radio stations
Etc. Take a look.
Interestingly, the possibility of a real-life iCar first came up more than a year ago, after Steve Jobs met with Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn. There is also the conceptualization of an iCar (inserted at the top of this post), which looks suspiciously like one of the colorful “see-through” early iMacs, from 1999, on display at The Apple Collection. It comes from a playful faux “Think Different” ad by Chris O’Riley.
So there’s been, one way another, years of thought behind what an Apple-designed iCar would look like and contain.
source: ZDNet
13.11.08
Tips For Managing Vendor Relationships In Tough Times
If you're thinking about consolidating your vendor and outsourcing relationships in an effort to save money, don't be hasty. Here are a few tips to consider first.
1) Use this time for fostering communication and collaboration with your internal customers and your vendors.
"If you're not careful, you might sign new deals to cut costs now, but when the economy improves, your constituency will be signing new contracts with other vendors," says Christine Ferrusi Ross, a Forrester Research VP and research director of the firm's sourcing and vendor management team.
That's because when you narrow your organization to fewer vendors, some internal customers could discover those new relationships aren't providing the skills or services they require.
"You need to spend time with your [internal] clients about the relationships they have with their vendors," what they're getting in terms of services and skills, otherwise decisions to stem costs in the short term could end up making things even more unwieldy later, she says. "You don't want to end up in the same boat or worse six months from now."
Communication also is vitally important between you and the vendors. "Give the provider the ability to offer good ideas, not just be an order taker," she says. Now is the time for CIOs and sourcing managers "to build trust."
2) Tap into your vendors' expertise while things are slower.
Service organizations have more people sitting on the bench these days. Now's a good time to access skills and expertise that are usually harder to find. For instance, if you've been wanting to pilot new business intelligence applications in your organization, a vendor just might have people with those talents available to help right away. "Renegotiate with your vendors to add incremental project work," Ross says.
When it comes to working with vendors "that are on shaky ground" because of the economy, evaluate the risks and possible rewards carefully. Working with a vendor that is having problems "isn't a death sentence," she says. In fact, it could be an opportunity to strengthen the relationship moving ahead. Telling a vendor "I'm going to give you more work to help you" can result in some good new opportunities, she says.
3) Evaluate alternative geographies.
This is a good time to look at what's going on in other countries for possible sourcing relationships, she says. "Consider what's going on economically, politically in other geographies," she says. For instance, rising inflation in India might mean it's time to consider services from vendors in other countries, like Vietnam or the Philippines, she says. Consider "whether there are markets we can take advantage of" based on current conditions and trends.
Looking for more ideas? Ross and her colleagues will be discussing other tips and insights about vendor relationships during Forrester's Services & Sourcing Forum 2008 in Miami next week.
source InformationWeek
1) Use this time for fostering communication and collaboration with your internal customers and your vendors.
"If you're not careful, you might sign new deals to cut costs now, but when the economy improves, your constituency will be signing new contracts with other vendors," says Christine Ferrusi Ross, a Forrester Research VP and research director of the firm's sourcing and vendor management team.
That's because when you narrow your organization to fewer vendors, some internal customers could discover those new relationships aren't providing the skills or services they require.
"You need to spend time with your [internal] clients about the relationships they have with their vendors," what they're getting in terms of services and skills, otherwise decisions to stem costs in the short term could end up making things even more unwieldy later, she says. "You don't want to end up in the same boat or worse six months from now."
Communication also is vitally important between you and the vendors. "Give the provider the ability to offer good ideas, not just be an order taker," she says. Now is the time for CIOs and sourcing managers "to build trust."
2) Tap into your vendors' expertise while things are slower.
Service organizations have more people sitting on the bench these days. Now's a good time to access skills and expertise that are usually harder to find. For instance, if you've been wanting to pilot new business intelligence applications in your organization, a vendor just might have people with those talents available to help right away. "Renegotiate with your vendors to add incremental project work," Ross says.
When it comes to working with vendors "that are on shaky ground" because of the economy, evaluate the risks and possible rewards carefully. Working with a vendor that is having problems "isn't a death sentence," she says. In fact, it could be an opportunity to strengthen the relationship moving ahead. Telling a vendor "I'm going to give you more work to help you" can result in some good new opportunities, she says.
3) Evaluate alternative geographies.
This is a good time to look at what's going on in other countries for possible sourcing relationships, she says. "Consider what's going on economically, politically in other geographies," she says. For instance, rising inflation in India might mean it's time to consider services from vendors in other countries, like Vietnam or the Philippines, she says. Consider "whether there are markets we can take advantage of" based on current conditions and trends.
Looking for more ideas? Ross and her colleagues will be discussing other tips and insights about vendor relationships during Forrester's Services & Sourcing Forum 2008 in Miami next week.
source InformationWeek
See Ancient Rome in 3D!! @ Google Earth
Google Earth's new layer of ancient Rome offers virtual tourists the chance to explore a city long gone.
Google Earth is extending its satellite perspective to paint a picture of what the ancient city of Rome looked like nearly two millennia ago.
While satellites weren't around to give us a bird's eye view of the city in 320 A.D., Google's "Ancient Rome 3-D" offers a 3D simulation of the ancient city at the height of its power. The new layer for the tool allows virtual time-traveling tourists to fly around the city and zoom in to explore ancient structures as they likely looked at the time, including the Colosseum, the Forum, and the Circus Maximus. Pop-up windows offer historical information written by experts.
The project, which was unveiled Wednesday, is the first ancient city to be incorporated into Google Earth and was developed in collaboration with researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Virginia.
The computer graphics are based on the Plastico di Roma Antica, a plaster model that was created by Italian architect Italo Gismondi and finished three years before his death in 1974. (The model can be viewed at the city's Museo della Civilta Romana.)
The digitization project began in 1997 and took 10 years to complete. It then took 15 people the better part of a year to transfer the project to the Web.
And apparently, they got it right.
"What fascinates me most about this project is the accuracy of the details of the three-dimensional models," Gianni Alemanno, Rome's mayor, wrote in a blog posting on Google's site. "It's such a great experience to be able to admire the monuments, streets and buildings of Ancient Rome with a virtual camera that lets you go inside and see all the architectural details."
While the public's interest in ancient Rome has exploded due in large part to movies like Gladiator and TV shows like HBO'sRome, Google is promoting the new layer as an educational tool and has invited teachers to submit innovative lesson plans that incorporate the new feature.
In other Google globetrotting, the company recently announced that after recent launches in France, Spain, and Italy, Google's Street View is now available in six countries. Also, Street View cameras have been spotted in New Zealand.
source cnet
Google Earth is extending its satellite perspective to paint a picture of what the ancient city of Rome looked like nearly two millennia ago.
While satellites weren't around to give us a bird's eye view of the city in 320 A.D., Google's "Ancient Rome 3-D" offers a 3D simulation of the ancient city at the height of its power. The new layer for the tool allows virtual time-traveling tourists to fly around the city and zoom in to explore ancient structures as they likely looked at the time, including the Colosseum, the Forum, and the Circus Maximus. Pop-up windows offer historical information written by experts.
The project, which was unveiled Wednesday, is the first ancient city to be incorporated into Google Earth and was developed in collaboration with researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Virginia.
The computer graphics are based on the Plastico di Roma Antica, a plaster model that was created by Italian architect Italo Gismondi and finished three years before his death in 1974. (The model can be viewed at the city's Museo della Civilta Romana.)
The digitization project began in 1997 and took 10 years to complete. It then took 15 people the better part of a year to transfer the project to the Web.
And apparently, they got it right.
"What fascinates me most about this project is the accuracy of the details of the three-dimensional models," Gianni Alemanno, Rome's mayor, wrote in a blog posting on Google's site. "It's such a great experience to be able to admire the monuments, streets and buildings of Ancient Rome with a virtual camera that lets you go inside and see all the architectural details."
While the public's interest in ancient Rome has exploded due in large part to movies like Gladiator and TV shows like HBO'sRome, Google is promoting the new layer as an educational tool and has invited teachers to submit innovative lesson plans that incorporate the new feature.
In other Google globetrotting, the company recently announced that after recent launches in France, Spain, and Italy, Google's Street View is now available in six countries. Also, Street View cameras have been spotted in New Zealand.
source cnet
11.11.08
What Technology Can Teach Schools About Kids?
Is your kid's school using technology in innovative, exceptional, or surprising ways? I'm not talking only about in-the-classroom use of computers; I'm also referring to technology that's being deployed behind the scenes.
An upcoming feature story is spotlighting technology trends in education, specifically how some schools are using sophisticated data analysis tools to dig into student, school, and district performance data. By analyzing these trends, these schools are hoping to uncover new insights to help kids achieve.
The education system (especially public schools) always seems to be on the defensive, needing to explain why kids flunk out, drop out, rank low in math and science skills compared with other nations, and suffer from a host of other embarrassing troubles.
Surely, there's a range of many issues at work and technology isn't going to solve all those problems. But technology could help shed new light on what's going on below the surface.
If technology is helping (or hoping) to turn things around at your local schools (or helping your schools continue on a trajectory of greatness,) tell me about it.
Source: InformationWeek
An upcoming feature story is spotlighting technology trends in education, specifically how some schools are using sophisticated data analysis tools to dig into student, school, and district performance data. By analyzing these trends, these schools are hoping to uncover new insights to help kids achieve.
The education system (especially public schools) always seems to be on the defensive, needing to explain why kids flunk out, drop out, rank low in math and science skills compared with other nations, and suffer from a host of other embarrassing troubles.
Surely, there's a range of many issues at work and technology isn't going to solve all those problems. But technology could help shed new light on what's going on below the surface.
If technology is helping (or hoping) to turn things around at your local schools (or helping your schools continue on a trajectory of greatness,) tell me about it.
Source: InformationWeek
10.10.08
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