Monthly Archives: July 2010

The Risk of Innovation

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More Mac news today: (New York Times)

In Ruling on iPhones, Apple Loses a Bit of Its Grip

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

Today, The Library of Congress (who strangely have the authority to rule on exemptions of copyright law?) basically…. ruled that it was legal to pop into the local strip mall cell phone kiosk and have a teenager unlock your phone while you grab a hot dog on a stick.

Long story short; that old work phone your second cousin Joyce gave you, that you planned to give to your youngest who’s convinced they need one at age 9, can work with ANY, yes any, provider!

The ruling today stated it was legal for such things to happen when in an effort “… (to) get “lawfully obtained” programs to work.”

We all have heard about how Apple is like an angry Bill Belicheck sitting on top of Fort Knox when it comes to their software. BUT…Google is wolfing up the gap between the two — faster than anyone wants to admit. Microsoft is basically already kaput in the space. And the Yahoo/AOL fiasco doesn’t get any billing here either.

Does Jobs have to break his course, and finally give in? OR, is the Apple/Mac brand so strong, so symbolic of something that it doesn’t really matter? Their customers will be there rain or shine.

Economists are showing that all the scrutiny is not slowing down Mac product sales….hmmmm? So what is the true price of innovation? Is it the slow dissolve of the brand identity. Is it just a polish perhaps; or in Apple’s case a total change of heart? Somewhere in between?

I guess only time will tell if the “open market” mentality of programming: expands the pace of innovation, or simply scatters the technology flock in preparation for a costly return.

All my best,

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Jay Kubassek

The Wiki is Leaking!

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The morning’s Internet buzz centers on the White House reaction over WikiLeaks, the controversial three year old website (that’s been likened to media insurgency no less) who published Sunday evening more than 91,000 secret documents pertaining to U.S. military actions in Afghanistan.

WikiLeaks, who collects and posts highly classified documents and video, was started by Melbourne born (go Aussies!) Julian Assange. The rogue Internet activist, self-described as the “editor-in-chief”, has been releasing documents and videos ranging from operating procedure at Guantanamo Bay, to the contents of Sarah Palin’s private Yahoo account (oh boy!). What’s amazing is WikiLeaks has no paid staff, no copywriter and no office.

THE NEW YORKER profiled WikiLeak last month, and what Julian describes as his push for “full transparency.” What I found incredibly interesting amongst all of the hoopla this has caused, is the most crafty and unprecedented journalistic integrity check I’ve ever seen. Sort of the ultimate CALL TO ACTION for mainstream news if you will.

I’ll explain: yesterday evening, before the documents were published, WikiLeak provided the database of information to the New York Times, the German weekly Der Spiegel, and British publication The Guardian. Now, this was said by WikiLeak to be “in an (effort)….to reduce the risk of gagging by the authorities…”

Okay, I can buy that. But does anyone else see what else they put into play here? It’s pretty darn savvy if you ask me. They basically threw down the gauntlet of journalistic integrity. By giving the information to the three publications, securely, preemptively and publicly, they basically dared them to ignore it. Dared them to report it inaccurately. Dared them to ignore the “position” That position: THE TRUTH.

Hmmm…we’ve all seen different arguments recently about how the Internet, while democratizing information, has also diluted the overall credibility and integrity of information. We just had a perfect example of this last week with the Shirley Sherrod debacle. I can certainly see arguments from both sides. The question remains, does a platform like WikiLeak, hurt or harm our efforts to have more truth and accountability in the media? We all know that nothing moves forward without a little competition right? But is this the right type of competition?

Check out this recent TED talk with Julian Assange about why he feels the world needs WikiLeaks.

All my best,

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Jay Kubassek

Ideas have sex?

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The copulation of ideas? Hmmmm…. an interesting concept. While it’s a little weird at first to imagine, (little pencil drawn paragraphs making out and such) it makes sense though doesn’t it? One idea meets an another, to create another better idea, and wallllaaa!!! You have a result.

The celebrity driven culture we find ourselves in today has conditioned us, through various means, to celebrate the achievements of the individual. We praise and commend single persons for accomplishments that really, behind the curtain, are actually the fruits of a collective labor. We all know the phrase: “A rising tide raises all boats.” But how often do we really put that into use?

When I began my journey as an entrepreneur I got burnt, multiple times. I was enchanted with the possibilities; eager, hungry to learn and do well. My ambition and desire blinded me at times, and I’m not embarrassed to say I got taken for a ride on more than one occasion. But, to employ another great old phrase: “fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.”

We learn as much if not more from our failures and our missteps. And I certainly learned my lessons. But I can say, without any hesitation whatsoever, that one of the most important lessons I ever learned was that WINNING doesn’t mean someone else has to LOSE.

TED talks (which I really just can’t get enough of by the way) presented a wonderful quick video by the author Matt Ridley about how, as he puts it: “….throughout history, the engine of human progress has been the meeting and mating of ideas to make new ideas happen.”

I think it’s important for us to recognize and remember that our efforts, and our successes, are infinitely greater when we work TOGETHER. When our resources, passions and expertise are COMBINED rather than hoarded to ourselves.

As we continue to work together, as a unified force, to pull our global citizens out of poverty, let us remember Aristotle’s old adage that the TMZ’s and gossip mags of the world would like us to forget: “THE WHOLE IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS.”

All my best,

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Jay Kubassek

Who needs Congress? Give me Google’s Stimulus Package!

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This morning Google, in typical Google fashion, released the numbers (along with a nifty little map) of the total amount of money the company stimulated in American economic activity for 2009. You ready for this number? …An incredible $54 BILLION DOLLARS! Impressive right? And that’s only the United States!

This money, were told, went towards American businesses, web publishers and non-profits. As Google stated in their press release today: “…We’re more than just a search engine.” Well yes friends, you most certainly are! The link below will take you to Google’s Economic Impact Report: http://bit.ly/bNiroG.

I gave it a look earlier, fascinating information. You can see definitively, in pure dollars and cents, what states are truly excelling at creating progressive Internet related revenue, and which are still drastically behind the curve. How did your state make out?

The evolution of the Internet will never be defined by a single purpose. I think that’s partially what makes it as rare and dynamic as it is. But one thing is certain, it is at the forefront of global commerce and a commodity in and of itself. And it sure isn’t showing a single sign of slowing down.

Saddle up friends, the waves are just beginning.

All my best,

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Jay Kubassek