brainmower

Google Voice – after the dust has settled

I am coming around to really liking Google Voice.  Google Voice is more than just another phone number, it has: -web based SMS -voicemail transcribed to txt. (very slick!) -advanced call routing/handling, including time based clauses -easy to use Gmail like interface -integration with Google Contacts Google Voice centralizes all of my SMS and voice communications with the added benefit of using my Google Contacts.  I can offer a single phone number to callers, change where those calls ...

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Changing my Twitter name

I changed my Twitter name. I decided I no longer want my name plastered on every Twitter update. I'm not a conspiracy theorist or concerned about privacy. I use Twitter to tell silly jokes in an attempt to get stars on FAVRD and stay in touch with a small group of personal friends. My name is not relevant for that type of use. I'm not building a brand around me, I'm mostly telling jokes. Poorly at times. Twitter is a distraction. Once described in a conversation as a "useful waste o...

Boxee vs Hulu – The viewers lose

In a recent blog post Hulu stated their content providers requested they "turn off access to our content via the Boxee product, and we are respecting their wishes". Hulu is pulling their support for Boxee effective 02-20-2009. Removing Hulu integration with Boxee is a lose/lose idea for Hulu, Boxee, Content Providers and Users.  Let's break it down. Content Providers: The content providers want eyeballs because eyeballs mean revenue. To gain those eyeballs content providers want NEED to e...

Orlando, Chicago, Chicago

You may have heard the saying (or some variation):  "It takes five times to form a habit but only three times to break it."  The meaning is that for any activity to become a habit requires five repetitions but that the habit can be broken with just three missed occurrences. Take this blog for instance!  I've been off my regular routine due to travel to Orlando and two trips to Chicago inside of four weeks.  The weekends away seeing old friends and relaxing have been great. Tomorrow I leave...

Dell Mini9 and the Cloud

My Dell mini9 arrived.  The mini9 is Dell's entry into the netbook market. I have been quite skeptical of the cloud and the value of a netbook, but I'm at the airport on free WIFI and I've been accessing everything I need from my web browser. Webmail, my companies CRM, Facebook, Twitter...all from a 2lb, $400 laptop. I feel the mini9, except for a few keyboard oddities and a slightly dim screen, was a great purchase. If I'm not on the Internet, computers have little value to me. Everythin...

Good is better than Best

I am currently reading Selling the Invisible: A Field Guide to Modern Marketing by Harry Beckwith. It's a good read, but there is a page and half that has had a major impact on me, showing me where I have a huge blindspot in business and how I stop my own progress.  This page and a half is possibly the most important material I've read in a book in several years (for me it applies directly). The author talks about the Fallacy of Planning in a business setting. He ranks plans in this order...

Google Chrome is your new PC

Google has released a new browser called Chrome.  Unlike Firefox or IE, Chrome is intended to be a full Operating System in the near future.  It's pretty clear Google wants to change the rules of Information Technology and Chrome is just a starting point.  Just like Email became Gmail, it appears Google intends to replace the PC with the GC (Google Computer).  The Google Computer will run Chrome as an OS and a suite of Apps Google will provide in the cloud.  Once Google picks up a decent fina...

Gmail, or how the cloud stopped my email

Gmail was down today for about an hour. While this may not seem like a big deal for some, according to this link on CNET the outage also affected business customers who use Gmail. Other web based services have gone up and down (ahem, Twitter), but the fallout from Gmail being offline, especially since it affected business clients, will be interesting. Cloud Computing just took it's first black eye. Welcome to the fight.

No Twitter for Hitler

For those Twitter users out there, this is hysterical: