I have to admit, I miss my Nexus One. The only thing that could make the pain go away would be a CDMA Nexus S (unlocked, of course). Sure, T-Mobile and AT&T are great, but Virgin Mobile’s $25 for unlimited data and 300 voice minutes is a helluva deal. Google, what do you think? Please?
There’s lots of speculation about Google and Groupon these days. Basically, everybody agrees that $6 billion is a ton of money for what’s basically Woot.com with an email subscriber list. But that’s only true if Google is acquiring a business. They’re not. They’re acquiring employees … because they have a human resources problem.
Google has over 2,000 job openings. They can’t hire people fast enough. Their gauntlet-esque hiring process is just not working. And it turns people off to the company. They know where the market is going — local, targeted ads — but they just don’t have the people. Groupon has some people, people that have probably applied to jobs at Google in the past only to be ignored or turned away, but the situation is now so bad that they just need people. They need action, and Google’s HR isn’t capable of it.
photo credit: Matt McGee
Groupon is basically just a big email list (full disclosure — I got sick of it weeks ago and unsubscribed). Groupon has over 1,000 employees, but it’s not a company worth $6 billion — Google is overpaying if they pay that much. DealBook cites Danny Sullivan as asking, “What’s the price of not buying it?” The price of not buying Groupon is whatever it costs to overhaul their HR system and hire people quickly enough to respond to the current market conditions. Compared to the immensity of that task, $6 billion seems like pocket change. But … if you add up all the opportunities Google is missing out on because of their HR practices, Google is just putting a $6 billion Band-Aid on its broken arm.
StatCounter is claiming that BlackBerry is beating Apple’s iOS for the first time ever … forgetting, of course, that when Apple launched the iPhone, the BlackBerry was already about a decade old and was beating Apple. Anyway, here’s why it’s happening:
Got a reason I missed? Let me know in the comments.
Kid, in my day, “apps” were called “applications” — and you had to run them on your personal computer. The personal computer sat on your desk, and it had a screen the size of a small TV and a keyboard big enough that you could type with all of your fingers instead of just your thumbs. No, the TV didn’t run apps! Computers ran them. The TV just showed video. No, phones didn’t play video. Phones were for talking …
Am I that old?
Why are we so enamored with applications that we want them on our TV? Do I really need to update my Facebook status while watching Glee? Do I need apps for my microwave too so that I can update Twitter while popping popcorn (Hey, Orville @oldtimepopcorn — I’m cooking up some Kettle Korn SmartPop)? I don’t get it. My phone is in my pocket or in my hand already — why is the TV remote more convenient? Am I supposed to double-fist my status updates?
We’ve seen this app business before. Back in the day, Microsoft got rich off their Office app which ran on their Windows-powered smartdesk. Every office that wanted smartdesks bought Office and they bought it in a box for hundreds of dollars and in the box was a stack of floppies, then a CD, now it’s a download. Then Apple built iOS to power their smartphone and gave it apps too. But instead of floppy disks and high prices, Apple’s apps were downloaded instantly (unless you were on AT&T’s network — zing!) and cost $0.99. They were cheap and plentiful, so people bought a lot of them (and installed even more that were free) and these apps sat on smartphones unused. Instead of profiting a lot from a single app, like Office, they profited from EVERY app, because Apple controlled the distribution. Apple didn’t need to care if you LIKED your apps. They only needed to ensure that you bought plenty of them (along with your music). All Apple did was take the smartdesk concept and jam it into a little phone that chirps and beeps and distracts you constantly while adding the element of controlled distribution.
The smartdesk evolved alongside the internet. Soon instead of sitting on a physical desk, plugged into the internet, the smartdesk computer became portable. It sat on your lap and it sucked its internet juices wirelessly. It used its browser to avoid installing apps. Instead of needing 10 floppies to use a word processor — you could use Google Docs instantly. And you no longer needed to install Outlook to access email — you could visit Hotmail.com. As smartdesks and computers became more connected to the ever-growing interwebs, they had less reason to store applications locally.
The browser also allowed developers to build one item and allow hundreds of devices to access it. Because browsers were standardized (except IE6 — zing!), companies didn’t need to cater to individual devices (like the iPhone). You wouldn’t need the Netflix Wii app if Netflix would just let their service run on the Wii browser.
Connectivity was the revolution. The “app” is a step backwards (but it’s a profitable step … temporarily). Apps aren’t the future — increased connectivity is. 4G connections are going to do to phones what cable modems and wireless routers did to computers. And as phones increase in size and computers decrease in size, their technologies will converge even more. Sure, we’ll continue to use apps just like we continue to use checks (and smartdesks). But transactions have evolved beyond the bank check and computers have evolved beyond the app — just like they evolved beyond the desk.
Fee-based news applications are the best example of applications without a reason to exist. Content applications aren’t filling a need — they exist only for temporary publisher profit. I don’t want to LIMIT my reading of Esquire to its iPad app. I want to read it my home office and at work and on the train to work. And I want to be able to read it during takeoff and on long trips too, and I want to be able to spill coffee on it and lend the latest copy to a friend and read it in the sun. And I don’t want Apple censoring content. And I’m not going to pay Rupert Murdoch for yesterday’s news … or a 24-hour pass for today’s coverage. The “native” experience is just not good enough to warrant any sort of consumer expenditure. Sure, I’ll buy a game, but with news, all I’m doing it reading words. I don’t need a fancy swipe UI. And if my TV gives me my News Corp news for free, why should I pay to have it on my iPad? It doesn’t make sense.
Apple has not learned from any of its mistakes. It’s trying to create a one-device future in a closed and censored environment, and it won’t work. The only people they can dupe into believing the iPad revolution are old men like Rupert. The closed-universe approach no longer works — connectivity killed it. Connectivity is hurting Microsoft and it’s starting to hurt Apple. The Apple model only works if you limit connectivity (AT&T), limit access to information (Murdoch), and limit choices (Stevie J.) — three tough things to hold back. Android has caught up — it’s almost over for Apple. And hopefully that means I can continue to live without a Twitter app on my iMicrowave. What I really need is a Google Chrome browser for my toaster.
Warren Buffett agrees with me — the recession is over. Yay!
Here’s another economic indicator that things are better: I’m avoiding Michigan Avenue again. Last weekend it was packed with shoppers and Chicago tourists. There was a crowd at the Gap — I had to wait in line to try on my jeans. It hasn’t been this busy for a long time … which was kinda nice for locals. This means two things: 1) I’ll be doing my shopping elsewhere again and 2) the recession is definitely over.
There were no real sales either — just a lot of serious shopping — which is a good sign for the upcoming Black Friday shopping extravaganza. I’m betting the numbers look pretty darn good.
I sold my Nexus One on eBay. I bought a simple AT&T GoPhone instead. The thing I’ll miss most about my old phone? The camera. The Nexus One takes great pictures, even in low-light. My new phone doesn’t have a camera. But here’s why I did what I did.
photo credit: Denis Dervisevic
Instead of reading books, I downloaded the Kindle app. Then I ignored it for months and played Angry Birds during my commute. Instead of grabbing a physical copy of the Onion, I downloaded the Reuters app and ignored that too. Part of it was just my general news detox, but a lot of it was the phone. There was just so much ELSE to do. Why should I waste my time reading instead?
Staring at my phone was the ultimate shield. I wasn’t ever alone — I was always connected to somewhere else. I could send emails, check Facebook, send a text or two … communicate with others without having to communicate with those around me. I was so connected that I became disconnected.
Instead of watching the clouds move across the sky while waiting for the bus, I would hop onto my phone, load the CTA bus tracker website, select my route, select my stop … wait for it to load … wait for it to load … wait for it to — oh, there’s the bus. Instead of remembering a map and an address, I’d plug it into the phone and let the GPS tell me where to go. And I stopped discovering anything new, because I stopped getting lost and taking ‘shortcuts’.
Well, kind of. There are obvious economic reason why it makes sense to sell an electronic device that still holds >80% of its original value instead of delaying and allowing it to become worthless. And the overall cost to own an Android-powered phone is just starting to drop off a cliff (Virgin’s Samsung Intercept along with its $25 plan, AT&T’s new $15 data plans). That timing make sense too — I can re-enter the market and be a few hundred dollars ahead.
Yes, I’ll buy another smartphone in the future, but I’m a dumphone guy for now. And maybe that will make me smarter. Those Windows Phone 7 ads cut a little too deep. We’ll see how long this lasts.
I’m thin and I’m not tall. Which makes some clothing difficult, especially suits and blazers. Thanks to Joe over at Dappered.com (@Dappered), I have a solution — Indochino. My blue blazer arrived today, fresh from Shanghai, China and custom-made for me (and one week early). I love it. Here are some pictures.
Here’s the box. Note the Ikea-inspired, flat packaging. Very efficient, but nothing was rumpled or crumpled.
Inside the box — another box. This one is Indochino-branded and very slick.
Note it’s also narrow.
Nope, after that box, it’s just tissue paper and clothing. Here’s the wrapping.
And here’s the Indochino sticker.
What did I get? A custom shirt (thanks, coupon), a blue blazer, and a folder filled with unnecessary alteration and return information.
Here’s a snap of the paperwork.
Here’s all the shrapnel that kept the shirt nice and presentable.
Yep, I had the free shirt embroidered. I typed in “pdo” … I got “PdO” … whatever. This is my only complaint. I’m a lower-case guy, Indochino!
Here’s the inside. Included are a bunch of extra buttons. Note the awesome burgundy lining. Indochino needs to start offering patterns. I would have loved some stripes.
Basically perfect. I was pretty careful about measuring, thanks to a bunch of help from my wife. The sleeves are cut nice and high in the armpit. The sleeve length is prefect — I show some cuff. The jacket length and shoulder fit are the real winners. The length just covers my ass and lines up with my inseam. Nearly every other jacket I own is too long. The shoulders are spot-on, and when I move my arms, the back of the jacket’s collar stays snug against my neck. If anything’s wrong, it’s that I’m not used to anything fitting this closely. The cut-in for my waist is almost too custom — I’m used to a much boxier shape.
The shirt is also spot-on — shoulders, lengths, waist — I really like it.
Again, nicer than any blazer I’ve ever owned. Nicer than my now second-favorite by a huge margin, Calvin Klein blazer. There’s a good bit of nap, it makes you want to rub it.
More pictures to follow as soon as the photographer gets home.
Update: Here’s another shot. More to follow as they come in.
I knew WEP passwords were a joke, but I didn’t do anything about it until I read this article on Lifehacker. Actually, I didn’t do anything until today, when I was troubleshooting some internet issues and stumbled into the 2WIRE admin panel. If you’re on AT&T DSL, chances are you have this same router. When I search for a wifi connection from my home office, I can see about a dozen 2WIRE modems in range. Turns out, it’s dead-simple to tweak the settings and use the more-secure WPA2 standard. Here’s what you do:
Save … and you’ll instantly get kicked off your network (surprise!). You need to enter in your new credentials. Then you’re set.
Click to see a bigger version of the admin panel.
A few days ago, I wrote about the American economy and the ending of the recession. My hypothesis was that I could see the recovery happening through increased HR activity. I was witnessing it through job offers and increased recruiting. A once-rare occurrence (a job offer) was becoming commonplace. This morning, my cab driver had his own theory: people were again taking taxis to the airport. Here’s what he said:
A few months ago, when it was bad, I would maybe get one trip to O’Hare every week. Before the recession, you’d get one per day. Yesterday, my friend, he drove out to the airport three times. Three! You are my second fare to the airport this week. I had one Monday and now you today. Look at this traffic! A few weeks ago you could get to O’Hare in 20, 25 minutes. Today it may take 45. Business is happening again.
And he’s right. I’m flying to California on a business trip. Business is happening again.
photo credit: Matt Werner Photography
His basic premise is that the activity of traffic, of cab rides, of construction is a gauge he can measure daily. What was weeks-ago a rare and quiet 7AM morning trip to the airport is now a traffic slog that’s happening daily. His income is likely up. He’s busy again. He mentioned that the going price for a city taxi badge was hundreds of thousands of dollars now – a year ago the price was a tenth that. He could see the economy recovering. People were spending money.
Economic recovery is still a pivotal part of this year’s elections. The Beige-Book report only hints at it, but my cab driver and I know it’s here. The rest of America has three weeks to realize it’s happening too, and when they do, the Tea Party doesn’t stand a chance.
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YIKES! Paul quit his job and has gone gypsy:
Driving Inertia
Mid-Air Blog Post — Thanks, Louis CK
I’m in the air as I type this. Enjoy some Louis CK: