Generally left out of this conversation, though, is how the Post Office (and mail in general) is also facing that power shift. It appears more and more that the reliable need to send mail on paper being replaced by other tools like email, scanners, and faxing (to a lesser extent). I thought, what could the Post Office do to stay relevant?
Many have considered Microsoft’s power from a consumer perspective, but in the blog “Microsoft’s Most Valuable Asset“, Jeffery Padgett is spot on about what is Microsoft’s major asset. he goes on to say: Why? Because after the fail of Novell, the only relevant, full featured alternative for the corporate marketplace is AD. When Novell was king, […]
One new choice on the horizon will be Windows 8, and the certain upheaval it represents. Much has been made of this new version of Windows (available October 26), and how many will not “get it” and fewer still will shell out cash to purchase the product that almost no one likes. I think this is a sound theory since Windows 8 is almost universally being panned. Even the expected positive review from Walt Mossberg is, well, not so much.
So many in technology and consulting are amazing at what they do. They can figure out things no one else can. But, they, like the rest of us are at war with one of the most difficult obstacles. Is is their own internal dialog? Is it the other companies that want the business? Is it the client that second guesses them? No, they’re at war with the one thing that levels the playing field. You might call it clarity, understanding or transparency, but with this simple piece missing, the most brilliant person is reduced to ineffective.
New with Windows Vista (and included in later versions) was the Windows Mobility Center. This great little tool typically allows mobile users to see and control many of the most obvious and useful settings on a Windows machine. The settings are arranged as tiles on a single window with each tile containing a specific setting. Also possible by OEMs, is extending the interface to include other tiles for controlling a system. I thought, this is cool and useful but really, really ugly. I thought, there must be other stuff I can do with this.
Is the future of email, Twitter? Well, a longer version of Twitter not limited to 140 characters. He or She of Virtual Pants goes on to say that no one wants to remember a fill email address and that an @username is much easier to remember. Since that blog doesn’t seem to offer a place to comment, I’ll do that here, thank you very much.
On August 1, Microsoft announced that Windows 8 had been released to manufacturers (or RTM). While this is certainly not the biggest news to come along – it’s a good time to prepare for this new version of Windows. Windows 8 is going to be a rather big shift for computing in general, so this milestone also serves as a warning for all users. In many respects, you might find yourself having no choice but to use it, so this is a good time to get ready.
Recently, I met a 70 year old former engineer, who by all accounts was in great shape for his age. I remember thinking I’d like to look that good at 70. He had been a mechanical engineer for more than forty years and recently left the industry he enjoyed to retire. These days, he tells me travel and leisure take up a good portion of his time.
As you’ll see, the dangers of people that will sell and handle these sales unscrupulously are so very real. After this experience, I think I’ve learned that that buying a product that you can’t fully test (at the moment of purchase) is a dangerous undertaking.
It’s for those days your significant other gives you hell for not devoting time, those days that you’re out of the country and the customer walks away because you can’t take care of them. I want to let you in on a few secrets I’ve learned over the years to keep on keepin’ on.