Posts Tagged ‘debate’
June 1st, 2011 • Posted in General Observations
Yesterday, Jason McCabe Calacanis invited me to respond to his post “Has Google Been Naughty? Yes. Should the Government Get Involved? No”. You can read responses from Vivek Wadhwa and Robert Scoble along with mine in a handy digest on the Launch blog. The following post is the full text of my response to Calacanis view of Google’s future path.
There’s a predictable cycle in business, at least in the sectors of technology, media and telecommunications.
In the first part of the cycle, companies achieve success by introducing a new service that delights customers: call it the “Value Creation” phase. This is the phase when lots of customers sign up. Remember when you bought your first Windows computer, your first iPod, or your first smartphone? Chances are good that you made the switch at the exact same moment when millions of other people were migrating to these new gizmos, too. Everyone was attracted by a novel combination of utility, cool factor and the right price.
But over time, as the new product/service evolves into our daily habit, some companies are tempted to Continue Reading
Tags: Android, Apple, coercion, cooperation, creativity, debate, Future of Media, future of TV, good ideas, Google, innovation, IPhone, new media, search, Smartphone
March 15th, 2011 • Posted in Creative Process, Video Clips
The advent of table computers and electronic book readers poses a serious challenge to the traditional business of book publishing. As I’ve written previously, it’s entirely possible that the economics of print publishing will crumble faster than commonly expected.
Recently I was invited to appear on “This Week In Books” to discuss the implications of electronic book publishing for authors, publishers and readers. There’s no doubt that this transition will present some difficult challenges, but our conversation was focused on the many new opportunities for authors to connect with their audiences via digital media. Printed books are great in many ways, and that’s why they’ve continued to occupy a central role in modern civilization in more or less unaltered form for 500 years. But now the Gutenberg culture is going to be transformed. Watch the video clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st4RVMQmVYI
Tags: death of the book, debate, digital books, digital media, electronic books, future of books, Future of Media, good ideas, new media, print, print publishing, Smartphone, television, video clip
November 7th, 2010 • Posted in General Observations
I’m not referring to your web browsing habits (there is already a
multi-billion dollar industry of tracking your online behavior). I’m talking about your daily activity in the city where you live.
Tags: 1984, bad execution, debate, orwell, security, social media, social software, spyware, surveillance
November 9th, 2009 • Posted in General Observations
In 1986, when I returned to New York City after living in West Berlin for a long time, a lot of people asked me “When will they tear down the Wall?”
There is something typically American about this question. Behind the question was the implicit assumption that, eventually, the two Germanies would be re-united. You might call it hopeful. Others might call it naive.
However, that wasn’t the mentality in Germany at the time. Continue Reading
Tags: Berlin, collective willpower, debate, illusions, individualism
August 7th, 2008 • Posted in Conferences
Wow, what a weekend. I am seriously jet-lagged. Just returned from X-Media Lab, which is an intensive three-day workshop held periodically in different cities throughout Asia: Dubai, Shanghai, Seoul, Singapore, Mumbai. Last weekend XML took place in Melbourne, Australia.
How XML works: ten individuals with experience in digital media arrive from all corners of the globe. 16 companies are chosen for the workshop from a competitive field. On the first day, the experts present their vision and background as it pertains to the subject matter of the lab. (Our topic was “DIY Media”). During the next two days, each of the 16 companies has the opportunity to review their project in one-on-one sessions with the experts. The result is a combination of brainstorming, pitching, debate, challenge, refinement and collaborative creativity. Very fun. It’s unlike any other conference.
The XML workshop is the brainchild of Australian impressario Brendan Harkin. He and his tireless partner Megan Elliott make the whole thing work: coordinating the travel of 10 speakers, finding and screening the projects, securing the venue and government support. Continue Reading
Tags: australia, collaborative creativity, Conferences, debate, innovation, x media lab, XML
