Twitter as a Service (TaaS)

Posted by bert at 05:43 AM on May 27, 2009 in ME.

Ok, so maybe it doesn't sound as good as SaaS (or do they call it SaS now?).  whatever.   I came across this article regarding how revolutionary Twitter was going to be.  I just don't know.  I've been on that "trendy" thing for roughly 2+ years now.  I'm no Ashton, but I just don't have that many things to say, even if I'm limited to 140 characters.

http://247wallst.com/2009/05/26/the-ten-ways-twitter-will-permanently-change-american-business/

This article is interesting because you have some journalist that likes to play with e-toys and decided to figure out how that new toy is applicable in the future.  It's a classic column structure and those who use that toy will click and see if they are doing any of those "10 things."

I'm a sucker...

So i went through and I thought it was omitting what would be my #1 Twitter revolution.  It makes sense to me, but JIT marketing sounds like a big potential hit.

For example, there's this local coffee joint downstairs from where I work called Swings Coffee.  If you're ever on the west end of the White House, I recommend trying a cup.  

So lets say you're a manager there and your morning business is a bit on the slow side, but you have a pretty decent twitter audience (or you have been building it up...) and you want a quick boost in revenue because you baked a few too many scones.   Rather then need to throw them out, you put out a twitter sale alert for your scones.   "Free scone with every coffee" or something from 10-11 A.M.  And those who were thinking they needed a cup of joe would be able to grab it and get their scone too.

Just-in-time marketing.   That's right, lets upgrade the blackboard.

And if you were Twitter, instead of wanting to be acquired, wouldn't you want to do some acquiring of basic social network sites like... yelp, open table?  where you could twitter comments about restaurants, shopping?

or how about Zagats or other ratings type publications.   Sorry just thinking. =)

 

Hrm.. anyone have a patent on twitter-fed LED boards?  

 

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Smart Phones (shortened eval)

Posted by bert at 10:16 AM on May 26, 2009 in Tech, ME.

It's funny when work FINALLY intersects with personal interests.

I'm helping with an assessment of the smart phone industry and the various value chains baked into it.  Thanks to a certain relative, I have a pretty decent preview of things as well.   Not that it really matters since my job is to look 2-3 years out, not 6 months.

Of course, the most interesting thing in my eyes is the battle of Apple’s iTunes vs Google’s mobile marketplace vs Microsoft’s ability to migrate Office processing capability onto its smart phones.  Yes I am ignoring Blackberry.  Like all things Canadian they are irrelevant. (ok, j/k on this one)

Basically you have 2 OS’s against 1 “all-inclusive”, where the all-inclusive has managed to lock away a significant share of the market.  Long story short, Apple has people locked in on the iTunes platform since people have spent money to use Apple-only merchandise from iPod song and video purchases to iPhone and iPod Touch application purchases.   All those things are non-transferable so basically Apple has basically scaled up the barrier of entry for all competitors.  

(side note, this is why I still refuse to purchase music on iTunes…   I buy CD’s and rip them to MP3 so I am not completely attached to my iPod.  In fact, I have NEVER purchased music from iTunes&hellip

Apple really is the incumbent here, so I’m going quickly into how Google can win.  As for Microsoft, they’re getting backed into multiple corners.   They needed to win a battle of convergence (mobile OS’s + office suite portability) and are now being attacked by smart phones and net books.   (funnier side note… I told MSFT this during an interview last year with their Office group, and they really didn’t like my answer.  One day I’ll learn to hold back.)

Google has a huge advantage over Apple.   They do not have hardware costs for their phones as they do not make any of their phones.   You have companies like HTC and Sony making various “google phones.”  These companies are bearing the brunt of diversifying their phones for each of their target audiences.   Unlike Apple, they are forced into a slow release process of ONE type of phone each generation.  Unless something changes soon, Google will have multiple phones to compete against the stylish iPhone.  

Soon, we’ll see a second phone, the HTC “magic.”   It’s a serious sexy phone that has already improved upon many of the drawbacks I see with the iPhone.  It’s lighter weight, has better battery time and has one of those sexy “pearls” to help navigate.  There’s a sony Erickson model that looks to be an iPhone mimicker.  Some other smaller Samsungs in multiple colors to woo the fashionable female demographic.    If done right, Google will have multiple competitors with many demographics covered competing against each other for price, across all phone networks.   Essentially, they are shotgunning the market and have spread most of the risk to the manufacturers.  Pretty smart if you ask me.  

So who wins?  I’ll bet on whoever treats their developer forums the best.   This is very much like the video game industry.  He who gives the best toolkits and in this case the best kickbacks to their applications developers, will have the more complete application library.   He who has the best/most games wins.

Oh and Linda.  That new phone is seriously sexy.  If they need more alpha/beta testers  for that, I’ll be happy to get off of AT&T for awhile.

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"I'm smarter than lots of really smart people"

Posted by bert at 09:00 PM on May 1, 2009 in ME.

my mom's computer was "broken" so of course it becomes the reformed engineer's job to fix it.    Though she has already called Dell, and two current IBM'ers to help fix it, my mom was not getting sound out of her laptop.  

 

Turns out someone helped her with a selective startup that turned off the sound drivers on the computer so I turned those back on.   My mom was so impressed and told me that I was smarter than 3 people, and that cooking dinner for me was an excellent form of payment.  Of course, one of the people who helped told my mom she wouldn't have "these kind of problems if she got a mac."

Ok, so I don't get it.  Macs are cute, they're nice to look at, but at the end of the day it's just a computer.   It has less software options, that when you can buy it often costs more.    It's not like Macs never have problems (have you looked at the waiting list at those "Genius Bars?"   And now they're talking about how it gets less viruses than PCs.   Well.. that is true because virus makers target PC's since the user base is much larger.   I think it would not be a stretch to imagine a day when virus makers start targeting iPhone OS and Mac OS's because a bunch of these really "cool" people are still stupid when it comes to computer use.   How do you make phishing more effective?  Target a mac.  I know I would if I were a hacker.   (sadly I was thinking "blue ocean strategy" as I wrote those words).

Oh and Linda.. your mom has learned some new tricks in teh cooking department.  It was a truly solid meal when I got home. =)

 

 

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I'm back!

Posted by bert at 06:24 PM on April 25, 2009 in ME.

not really, just wanted to make Roy look =P

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quick redirect

Posted by bert at 12:39 PM on February 13, 2008.

I'm blogging about my study abroad in HK at a separate site (sorry roy).

 

I'll be back in April.

 

http://twinkieinhk.blogspot.com/ 

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SoCal >>>> NorCal

Posted by bert at 12:18 AM on February 1, 2008.

Why do people keep saying that San Francisco is 12092381075948723x better than SoCal?   ITS NOT!!!

Here’s why.

·         The weather in SF SUCKS.  Who likes 45-60 degrees and torrential downpour?   I’ll take sunny and 70 degrees any day.

·         There’s no beach.  Well not with sand, volleyball, surfers

·         Girls in LA are fake, true.  But they are a HOT fake =)

·         I’ve overhead two different sets of old ladies get yelled at by an old man with a cane, and a 15 year old Asian kid with a Mohawk.   Seriously..  the old ladies can not help being slow.  By definition, they are OLD.   F’ing assholes.

·         Who wants to commute on a bus?   LA just removes the pretentiousness and you just drive wherever the hell you are going.   The SF bus system is overrun with trash who ride it and try to pick your pockets.  Yup… someone tried to pick my pocket today.   I’ve been to Tijuana like 4 times, but my 2^nd time in SF?  Yeah, some asshole school kid tried to pick my pocket.   F’ing dipshit.  If you’re going to do it, do it with a gun or a knife.   I’ll give the Bloods props for doing something right. 

o   Side note.   If you’re going to pick someone’s pocket, do it on someone who is not going to be loud and physical.   I know I look like any other f’ing FOB in Chinatown, but I’m 5’10, thus 6 inches taller than your dumb ass. 

·         Its been raining non-stop since 10 A.M.  I love the misting in Seattle, but what I hate most s soaked jeans.  That’s simply not fun.  And have you ever taken a bus with smelly people after its been raining on them?   My nose needs to be quarantined.

·         Girls need to spend money on nice jeans.  But when they do they should make sure it amplifies their nicer characteristics.  I do appreciate girls who try to make themselves look good.  Sure, you may say it makes them fake, but at least they TRY.

·         I give up,  maybe if its nicer tomorrow I’ll have a good time checking out candlestick.

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my life in brief

Posted by bert at 02:49 PM on January 25, 2008.

lets see.. past month has been a blur.

 There was this christmas thing and the new years thing, neither of which were a big shift.

Then i went to Park City, Utah for a much needed ski away break where i realized... damnit...  my legs weren't built for skiing.

This past weekend, we went to vegas for our annual MBA Poker Tournament where I got to meet Evelyn Ng.  (she's cute =P)

 ran into the ex too.   that was weird.   Good thing i made fast friends with a few cute harvardites.

 ok.. on to the meat of my post.

 

That's right.. I'm officially on "get the heck out of NC" countdown.

 

5 days BIATCHES.  and then i fly out to meet up with the sis in wonderland.  Err...  san fran.

 

then I follow that us with a flight to Hong Kong just prior to Chinese New Year.   oh man..  and then a trip to Shanghai with the mom for chinese new year.  

 

So.. i'll be updating again soon.  As of now.. my life is not worth mentioning. 

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lack of posts?

Posted by bert at 04:21 PM on January 6, 2008.

blah.  happy now?

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merry xmas.

Posted by bert at 09:42 AM on December 25, 2007.

and stuff.

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