tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63896299625458975502024-03-12T21:46:07.411-05:00Travels in Technology and InnovationGarrett Dodge's blog exploring all things technology, marketing and innovation related.Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-91715548278280839932010-07-26T17:13:00.003-05:002010-07-26T17:19:13.865-05:00Cracking the App Store Ranking AlgorithmIt has been way too long since I posted to the blog. I'll blame that on startup work and twitter. Up next I'm working on a blog post on the awesome wire framing tool <a href="http://www.balsamiq.com/">Balsamiq</a>. Until then, check out this great presentation from Romain Perrier on marketing your iPhone application.<br /><br /><div style="width:425px" id="__ss_3223692"><strong style="display:block;margin:12px 0 4px"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/romperrier/how-to-market-your-iphone-app" title="Cracking the App store ranking algorithm">Cracking the App store ranking algorithm</a></strong><object id="__sse3223692" width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=appstudy-12665776532905-phpapp02&rel=0&stripped_title=how-to-market-your-iphone-app"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed name="__sse3223692" src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=appstudy-12665776532905-phpapp02&rel=0&stripped_title=how-to-market-your-iphone-app" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><div style="padding:5px 0 12px">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/romperrier">Romain PERRIER</a>.</div></div>Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-73491164770466853182009-06-23T15:40:00.006-05:002010-03-04T18:52:28.458-05:00Tech Shopping with MomMy Mom, like most moms, is not very tech savvy. A few months ago she mentioned to me that she wanted a new laptop. I live hundreds of miles away, so the best I could do was send her a few links based on what features she told me were important to her. A month or so later she mentioned that she bought a new Dell XPS Laptop from QVC. If you're a tech person or a deal hunter you can imagine my surprise when I found out she bought a laptop from a home shopping channel. However, I quickly realized that QVC was the easiest, least threatening purchasing choice for her. Unfortunately, when the laptop showed up she was unhappy with the weight and the glossy screen.<br /><br />She returned her laptop to QVC and asked me to help her pick a new one out when she came to visit San Francisco. After some obligatory sightseeing we went over to Best Buy to pick out a new laptop. Upon arriving in Best Buy we proceeded to check out the numerous laptop and netbook brands they carry, including Dell, Apple, HP, Acer, and Sony. We quickly discovered that almost all of the laptops today have high gloss screens. These are great for watching movies but not so good for working in bright sunlight. Further, older individuals like my Mom have an especially hard time with the screen glare. We asked the friendly sales associate if they carried anti-glare screen covers that we could sample. He kindly referred us to Office Max.<br /><br />With our choice severely limited, we decided to evaluate the Macs more closely. Their screens were still glossy but not nearly as pronounced as some of the other brands. She quickly became enamored with the MacBook Air which offered everything she wanted. Notable selling points included the built-in webcam, lack of viruses, light weight, backlit keys, and general ease of use. Although her previous laptop ran XP, she was facing the challenge of learning a new OS on both Mac or PC (Vista).<br /><br />After settling on a MacBook Air we headed over to the GPS and digital camera sections where our frustrations were repeated. These products, like almost all tech products, are not designed for simplicity or use by older people. For example, the leading digital cameras either have microscopic buttons or touch screens with complex menus. They pack in features while increasing complexity. The cameras with simple menus or large buttons are all low-end models with poor picture quality.<br /><br />Finally, we went home empty handed to continue our research online and look for the best deals on the models we liked. With my assistance she was able to get some great deals online at Newegg and the Apple store. Her MacBook Air came refurbished from Apple for $999 and her Fuji FinePix came with an accessory bundle from Newegg.com.<br /><br />Our experience was stressful, typical, and somewhat enlightening. Once again, I realized that there is a vest unaddressed market for user-friendly technology products. The Baby Boomer generation may not have grown up in a high tech world but they have disposable income and a desire to stay connected to their children and grandchildren. Technology companies, software companies and retailers need do a better job of designing and marketing their products to this audience. If you need a tech gift for Mom (or Dad) check out my approved list below.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tech Products for Older Folks</span><br />Digital Camera: <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830122193">FUJIFILM FinePix</a> - large rubbery buttons, a sliding lens cover, and bright colors make this camera a great choice.<br />Computer: <a href="http://store.apple.com/us/product/FB940?mco=NjcxMjkzNw">MacBook Air</a> - Light and easy to use with a built in webcam and iChat to remotely trouble shoot for mom.<br />GPS: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/TomTom-340-S-4-3-Inch-Portable-Navigator/dp/B001VEJEGK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1245451092&sr=8-1">TomTom 340</a> - Simple menus and large icons for easy use.<br />Computer Service/Training: <a href="http://www.apple.com/retail/onetoone/">Apple One to One</a> - Get going on your new Mac for $99.Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-37285800368615365612009-06-19T12:28:00.009-05:002009-06-22T11:15:16.806-05:00Best of SF New Tech 6/17For the last few months I've been a regular attendee at numerous Bay Area tech events. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.sfnewtech.com">SF New Tech</a> is hands down one of the best events for the companies featured, the format, and the networking. With so many great companies presenting I've decided to highlight the best companies each month.<br /><br />The June 17th New Tech, "Widgets up the Wazoo," included <a href="http://www.clearspring.com/">Clearspring</a>, <a href="http://www.gigya.com/">Gigya</a>, <a href="http://sproutinc.com/">Sprout</a>, <a href="http://www.sellit.com/">Sellit</a>, <a href="http://www.adgregate.com/">Adgregrate Markets</a>, <a href="http://toobla.com">Toobla</a>, & <a href="http://transpond.com/transpond/">Transpond</a>. All of these companies had interesting technologies but the two that impressed me most were Transpond (B2B) and Toobla (B2C).<br /><br />Toobla is esentially a rich media version of Delicious. The site lets you bookmark any content from the web and organize it into folders that can be embeded on other sites. The visual nature of the bookmarks makes them perfect for sharing through social media or on your blog. Toobla also makes it much easier to share things like video playlists or sets of documents from sites like <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/">Slideshare</a>, <a href="http://www.visualcv.com/">VisualCV</a>, and <a href="http://www.scribd.com/">Sribd</a>. The company did a nice demo at New Tech but unfortunately since they are still in private beta I haven't had a chance to really test their site out. They will be slowly opening up the site over the next few weeks so sign up with your email or check back regularly.<br /><br />The most impressive B2B company of the night was Transpond (formerly iWidget). The company provides a platform that facilitates the easy creation & publication of applications. They integrate with social media sites like Facebook, MySpace, Yahoo Connected TV as well as moible platforms including the Palm Pre. Their new platform update is drop dead simple and their flat rate pricing will keep your budget happy.<br /><br />For more coverage on the night check out today's <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2009/06/19/still-a-wonderful-world-of-widgets-for-some/">WSJ article</a>. SF New Tech broadcasts live on Justin.tv so if you can't make it to the next event you can always tune in online.Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-2671992325052201842009-05-02T12:59:00.007-05:002009-05-02T13:38:56.963-05:00An iPhone App for the UnemployedWe all know that unemployment is at its highest level in decades. For many people this means cutting back on unnecessary expenses like eating out, that deluxe cable package, or new tech toys. But what about that $80+ iPhone bill? There isn't too much you can do about that, right? You've got to take that hour long phone interview, call in to an audio conference, or network with former colleagues. If your cell phone is your only phone, job hunting can quickly drive up your bill. Although you may be stuck with your iPhone (for better or worse), there are a few ways to keep your bill in check.<br /><br />This week I've been using an iPhone app called <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=307780008&mt=8">talkfree</a> (iTunes), which goes through your phone address book and identifies all your contacts who are also on AT&T. This is great because now you know who you can call without burning through your daytime minutes. The app adds (in) next to the contact name, making it easy to surf your address book and figure out who to call next.<br /><br />Obviously, talkfree will be useful for many people, and at $0.99 you can't beat the price. However, for people that are currently unemployed talkfree will give you the piece of mind you need to waste the day catching up with friends (or networking with former coleagues).Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-13538556923823961302009-04-23T00:18:00.007-05:002009-04-23T13:08:38.054-05:00So Many San Francisco Tech EventsThings have been busy lately- very busy. Since moving from Boston in August, I've been immersing myself in the SF tech community. Although Boston has some great events (like <a href="http://www.momoboston.com/">Mobile Monday</a>), it seems like SF has about 10 times the number of events. Over the last few weeks I've been to <a href="www.sfnewtech.com">SF New Tech</a>, <a href="http://www.web2expo.com/">Web 2.0 Expo,</a> and <a href="http://startupweekend.com/">Startup Weekend</a>. In addition, there are are another half dozen events that made it on to my schedule. Whether you're job hunting or just looking to get involved in the tech community, here are my best of San Francisco tech events.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SF New Tech</span><br />This is consistently one of the best tech events in the Bay Area. From the venue, to the format, to the attendees, everything about this event is great. It is usually held once a month at Mighty in Potrero Hill. Presentations are 5 minutes with an additional 5 minutes of questions, and plenty of time for networking before and after. Even if you're not in the area you can watch the live stream through the <a href="http://www.sfnewtech.com">website</a>. The last SF New Tech featured <a href="http://www.twittfilter.com/">Twittfilter</a>, <a href="http://blog.adcause.com/">AdCause</a>, and <a href="http://pixelpipe.com/">Pixelpipe</a> among others. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Startup Weekend</span><br />This <a href="http://startupweekend.com/">international event</a> brings together developers, business people, and "cooks" who want to pitch their ideas, build a team, and work on a project over the course of a weekend. At the recent <a href="http://sf2.startupweekend.com/">Startup Weekend SF</a> over 150 people show up and worked on 23 different projects (including my own <a href="www.cheapparkingapp.com">cheap parking mobile app</a>). About 80% of the teams had a product to demo by the end of the weekend and many of them are currently moving forward with their projects. For a great recap of the weekend check out <a href="http://www.artificialignorance.net/blog/startupweekend/startupweekendsf-produces-a-record-23-startups/">this blog pos</a><a href="http://www.artificialignorance.net/blog/startupweekend/startupweekendsf-produces-a-record-23-startups/">t</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Plug and Play Tech Center</span><br /><a href="http://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/">PnP</a> is a tech incubator that has three locations around the Bay Area. The events they hold at the Sunnyvale location are a great place to meet people working on early stage startups. The guys who run PnP have their pulse on the VC community and help tech entrepreneurs understand how to found and grow their companies. Check out their monthly event calendar <a href="http://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/calendar/">here</a>. <br /><br />If you're interested in keeping up to date on t the latest events check out <a href="http://community.icontact.com/p/roomfull/newsletters/snapsummit2/posts/upcoming-bay-area-tech-events">this great newsletter</a>. Also, feel free to let me know what interesting events I've left off.Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-13732835519922592832009-02-15T18:41:00.005-05:002009-02-15T21:02:44.921-05:00Women Over 55 Discover Facebook<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.marketingcharts.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/inside-facebook-us-audience-growth-last-120-days-feburary-2009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 325px; height: 388px;" src="http://www.marketingcharts.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/inside-facebook-us-audience-growth-last-120-days-feburary-2009.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The other day I came across an <a href="http://www.marketingcharts.com/interactive/women-over-55-take-facebook-by-storm-7879/">interesting article</a> highlighting the explosive growth of Facebook users over 35. This trend is especially interesting in the 55+ demographic and it mirrors my recent experience.<br /><br />To my surprise, about a month ago my Mother-In-Law began talking about getting on Facebook. Now that all of her children and grandchildren were on Facebook, she felt left out. Why hadn't she hadn't seen that great picture her family was talking about? Why was she the last to know about a fun day of sledding?<br /><br />The situation got me thinking about how under served this demographic is on the internet and with technology in general. A few companies have tried to cater to them, but nobody seems to have hit the winning formula. Examples that come to mind include <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.eons.com">Eons</a>, <a href="http://www.webtv.com/pc/">Web TV</a>, and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.jitterbug.com">Jitter Bug</a>.<br /><br />Now that the network effects of Facebook (and other technologies) are so strong, older users are ready to sign up as well. There is an opportunity to modify these existing sites & technologies to better cater to this group. For example, why not a scaled down Facebook with larger text specifically for older people? My Mother-In-Law doesn't care about 95% of the applications and isn't tech savvy enough to sort through them. However, she does want to see family pictures, maybe get status updates, or remember everyone's birthdays. How about streaming Facebook photo albums to her digital picture frame?<br /><br />One of the more interesting stories I've heard about older Americans on the web was from a <a href="http://www.convergenceculture.org/futuresofentertainment/2007/">digital entertainment conference</a> at the MIT Media Lab. The <a href="http://www.raphkoster.com/">presenter</a>, who worked at an MMO gaming company, described how older players (55+) were joining the game as priest characters. They weren't really interested in the fighting aspect of the game but they enjoyed interacting in the virtual world. This was especially true for retired people or people with limited mobility.<br /><br />Many older American's have the money and are more than willing to spend it to stay up to date with their family; However, the technology has not been modified or marketed to them. Why not market the iPhone to grandparents? They would love the ability to see the latest photos, use Loopt to keep track of grandchildren, or utilize the GPS to get directions. With a little help on the setup I'd say the iPhone is easier to use than most cell phones.<br /><br />No doubt creating technology for older Americans can be a risky proposition. However, over the next few years I hope to see some websites that cater to my aging parents and make it easier for me to share my digital life with them.Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-59276447655406835422009-02-02T14:09:00.003-05:002009-02-02T14:43:49.018-05:00iPhone Billing ProblemsYou should have seen my face on Christmas day when I unwrapped my new iPhone 3G. I spent the next couple weeks glued to the screen getting it set up just the way I wanted it. One such customization was to change the number that had been assigned to me to a new phone number. I made sure not to activate the default number and went to the At&t store on December 27th to get the new number set up.<br /><br />After a month of blissful usage my problems began about a week ago. I got a bill from At&t for the number I had never used. When I called customer service the agent gave me a bit of a hard time until I pointed out there was no usage for the number so clearly it wasn't active. Then I got an SMS saying that I had racked up a big text bill. I called to straighten that out and the agent discovered that my request for the 200 text plan had never gone through. Today I logged in to my At&t account to find a bill for $1,269 which had auto charged to my credit card. Apparently, when they changed my number they didn't set it up on the iPhone data plan, which is odd because the agent didn't mention that when she added my text plan.<br /><br />I think the interesting thing is that my iPhone bill was well over $1,000 for one month of data usage at $.01 per kb. When I was using the MediaNet plan for my old phone I didn't have a sense for how much heavy mobile internet usage would cost me so I just went with the unlimited plan. Of course, it is so much easier to use the iPhone data but I it just goes to show that At&t has decided to set up their pricing so that the unlimited plan (text and data) is really the only practical option. <br /><br />After over 45 minutes of talking to customer service and a $1,200 credit card charge it would have been nice if they threw me a few extra minutes for free. All the agents were friendly enough but considering I'm accruing interest on my card it would have been nice to get a little compensation. A few years back when I was on T-Mobile they would always give some extra minutes if you had a major customer service issue. </p>Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-48472639740938321082009-01-25T18:58:00.004-05:002009-01-25T19:01:10.073-05:0025 Years of Steve JobsCheck out this great video from the archives. Classic Steve Jobs from 1984.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/G0FtgZNOD44&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/G0FtgZNOD44&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-873701623540460092009-01-15T16:35:00.005-05:002009-01-15T16:43:50.428-05:00Boston Mobile Investment<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ANf5fquxzuk/SW-sLlz0M6I/AAAAAAAAK-4/GPke69Ve8H0/s1600-h/Boston+Mobile+Investment.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ANf5fquxzuk/SW-sLlz0M6I/AAAAAAAAK-4/GPke69Ve8H0/s320/Boston+Mobile+Investment.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291637402311603106" border="0" /></a>Along with the list of Boston area mobile startups, <a href="http://www.xconomy.com">Xconomy</a> (a great site covering Boston and Seattle startups) also posted an<a href="http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2009/01/12/boston-area-mobile-investment-surged-past-half-billion-mark-in-2008/"> analysis of the total mobile investment</a> which has been steadily growing. Interestingly, the 2008 investments were fairly steady despite economic issues.<br /><br />"MoMoBoston didn’t detect any dropoff in mobile investment as 2008 progressed: the total of $562 million was invested in fairly even chunks across the four quarters, with a slight spike in the second quarter...With over half of a billion dollars invested in 2008 and 180 very diverse companies operating locally, Boston has quietly developed into the worldwide hub of mobile and wireless.”Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-60491605504140971552009-01-15T14:23:00.004-05:002009-01-15T14:31:03.243-05:00Boston Mobile Companies<a href="http://www.xconomy.com">Xconomy</a>, with the help of <a href="http://www.momoboston.com">Mobile Monday</a>, just posted a list of all the mobile startups in the Boston area. It is pretty cool to see Boston gaining a reputation in the mobile community. Some of the more notable statups include <a href="http://www.skyhookwireless.com/">Skyhook</a>, <a href="http://www.ulocate.com">uLocate</a>, and <a href="http://www.jumptap.com">JumpTap</a>. Here is the <a href="http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2008/12/22/the-greater-boston-mobile-technology-cluster/">full list</a>.Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-90715689063830879632009-01-12T20:06:00.003-05:002009-01-12T20:30:42.498-05:00Mapping in the Web 2.0 WorldAs part of my MBA internship I had the opportunity to research mapping and location based technologies like wifi, GPS, UWB, and cell tower triangulation. Through the combination of these technologies there is an opportunity to guide people from the outdoors through an indoor environment to their destination. <br /><br />My internship project work focused on thinking about how people navigate large indoor spaces like casinos or malls. It seems like almost everyone who has been to Las Vegas has spent a significant amount of time trying to find their way out of a casino or just trying to find what you're looking for in the casino. Although GPS is continuing to make headway as a location based technology outdoors, an indoor solution is still lacking (despite that fact that the technology exists). Further, most mapping / navigation applications continue to think of search in a 2D world rather than in the full context of the user's space, time, and situation. By combining customer information from a loyalty program (or other data source), time, and location there is an opportunity to drive behavior. I belive that this will be the future of search and location technologies. <br /><br />I hope to post some of my location based services (LBS) research soon. Until then check out the <a href="http://www.endpointenvironmental.com/W2MSN_meeting_videos.html">video archive</a> from the <a href="http://www.meetup.com/webmapsocial/">Web 2.0 Mapping and Social Networks meetup group</a>. The group meets regularly in Mountain View, CA. Also, if you want to check out some cool ultra-wideband technology <a href="http://www.ubisense.net/">Ubisense</a> has an interesting solution. It is a bit cost prohibitive right now but when used in conjunction with other lower cost technologies it has great potential.Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-63423336869076589042008-12-11T14:49:00.008-05:002009-01-22T13:44:04.423-05:00Nike+ InterviewIn addition to being into tech, one of my other passions is running. One of the things that has helped to keep me motivated in is my <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.nike.com/nikeplus">Nike+</a> Sport Band. For $60 I can track my routes, pace, and mileage. The thing I love about it is that it is totally easy to use and has a great user interface.<br /><br />Nike has built in some basic social networking features but has yet to realize the full potential of the platform. With their powerful brand and full line of athletic products they have the ability to be a dominant player in the online fitness space. Currently, the Nike+ site doesn't have many features beyond just tracking runs. I'd love to see them add things like shoe tracking, a gear wishlist, 3rd party race results, etc. These features would let them learn more about me as a customer and drive my purchases through targeted incentives.<br /><br />Check out this <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_46/b4108074443945.htm?chan=magazine+channel_what%27s+next">BusinessWeek article</a> and video on Nike+ as well as some commentary from <a href="http://www.mpdailyfix.com/2008/12/is_some_of_nikes_current_succe.html">MarketingProfs Daily Fix</a>.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eU7rdZN3SOQ&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eU7rdZN3SOQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-91670553380635301302008-12-09T15:36:00.003-05:002008-12-09T15:51:25.150-05:00BU Tech Strategy PresentationI'm finally getting around to posting some of my work to Slideshare. Below is my team's winning presentation from the <a href="http://smgcasecomp.blogspot.com/">2007 Boston University Tech Strategy Case Competition</a>. Each team had 24 hours to address the subject, “What is the best way for Motorola to win in seamless delivery of media and entertainment?” We recommended that <a href="http://www.motorola.com/content.jsp?globalObjectId=2364-8176">Motorola</a> leverage their position in the set-top box market to enable a P2P media delivery system. Check out the presentation. I'd love to hear your comments.<br /><br /><br /><div style="width: 425px; text-align: left;" id="__ss_810058"><a style="margin: 12px 0pt 3px; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; display: block; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/gdodge/motorolas-strategy-for-media-distribution-presentation?type=powerpoint" title="Motorola's Strategy for Media Distribution">Motorola's Strategy for Media Distribution</a><object style="margin: 0px;" width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=teamrokrmarch312007final-1228237303772699-9&stripped_title=motorolas-strategy-for-media-distribution-presentation"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=teamrokrmarch312007final-1228237303772699-9&stripped_title=motorolas-strategy-for-media-distribution-presentation" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><div style="font-size: 11px; font-family: tahoma,arial; height: 26px; padding-top: 2px;">View SlideShare <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/gdodge/motorolas-strategy-for-media-distribution-presentation?type=powerpoint" title="View Motorola's Strategy for Media Distribution on SlideShare">presentation</a> or <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/upload?type=powerpoint">Upload</a> your own. (tags: <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://slideshare.net/tag/box">box</a> <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://slideshare.net/tag/set-top">set-top</a>)</div></div>Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-62498698561265436692008-12-09T15:28:00.003-05:002008-12-09T15:34:29.925-05:00Harrah's InnovationLast year I had the opportunity to be part of Harrah's newly formed Innovation Team. We were working on some cool projects including the <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2008/jun08/06-11hetsurfacepr.mspx">Microsoft Surface</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Location-based_service">location based services</a>, and mobile applications. <br /><blockquote>"The best way to fast-track a promising innovation, he says, is to operate it as an independent venture, separate from the tethers of everyday business processes. That often means running an innovation project on separate IT systems to avoid mingling experimental data with business operations." Tim Stanley, CIO & Chief Innovation Officer<br /></blockquote><br />Check out this <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/web2.0/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212001026">InformationWeek article</a> on the innovation process at Harrah's.Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-54592534052383426242008-12-02T12:52:00.003-05:002008-12-02T12:56:08.814-05:00Mobile Start-Up Presentation<a href="http://www.slideshare.net">Slideshare</a> is a great site for all kinds of useful information (once you sort through the junk). Check out the mobile presentation I recently found. Also, you can find a number of <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/gdodge">my presentations</a> there. <br /><br /><div style="width: 425px; text-align: left;" id="__ss_115634"><a style="margin: 12px 0pt 3px; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; display: block; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/rudydw/the-mobile-startup-ecosystem-rudy-de-waele?type=powerpoint" title="The Mobile Start-Up Ecosystem - Rudy De Waele">The Mobile Start-Up Ecosystem - Rudy De Waele</a><object style="margin: 0px;" width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=the-mobile-startup-ecosystem-rudy-de-waele1497&stripped_title=the-mobile-startup-ecosystem-rudy-de-waele"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=the-mobile-startup-ecosystem-rudy-de-waele1497&stripped_title=the-mobile-startup-ecosystem-rudy-de-waele" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><div style="font-size: 11px; font-family: tahoma,arial; height: 26px; padding-top: 2px;">View SlideShare <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/rudydw/the-mobile-startup-ecosystem-rudy-de-waele?type=powerpoint" title="View The Mobile Start-Up Ecosystem - Rudy De Waele on SlideShare">presentation</a> or <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/upload?type=powerpoint">Upload</a> your own. (tags: <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://slideshare.net/tag/socialmedia">socialmedia</a> <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://slideshare.net/tag/startup">startup</a>)</div></div>Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-62184191169421662672008-11-11T14:49:00.004-05:002009-01-15T16:57:39.081-05:002nd Annual Open Web AwardsCheck out the <a href="http://mashable.com/openwebawards/home/">2nd Annual Open Web Awards </a>and vote for <a href="http://www.reardencommerce.com/">Rearden Commerce</a> and all your other favorite companies. You can nominate and vote for companies in 26 different categories.<br /><br />Update: The 2008 winners have been announced and can be found <a href="http://mashable.com/2008/12/16/open-web-awards-2-winners/">here</a>. Some of my personal favorites from the list include <a href="http://www.gyminee.com">Gyminee</a>, <a href="http://www.evernote.com">Evernote</a>, and <a href="http://www.doodle.com">Doodle</a>. Be sure to check out all the rest of the winners and finalists.Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-5861994257267280882008-11-07T11:48:00.003-05:002008-11-07T11:54:20.925-05:00Tech and the financial crisis <meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cgdodge%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">Check out this presentation by Mary Meeker from the <a href="http://en.oreilly.com/web2008/public/content/home">Web 2.0 Summit</a>. She talks about some of the causes of the financial crisis and the outlook for tech. The <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/11/06/mary-meekers-view-of-the-world-in-50-slides/">video</a> of the presentation is available on TechCrunch.</p> <div style="width: 425px; text-align: left;" id="__ss_725248"><a style="margin: 12px 0pt 3px; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; display: block; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/hblodget/mary-meeker-web-20-presentation-presentation?type=powerpoint" title="Mary Meeker Web 2.0 Presentation">Mary Meeker Web 2.0 Presentation</a><object style="margin: 0px;" width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=techtrendsweb2110508-1225933600339539-9&stripped_title=mary-meeker-web-20-presentation-presentation"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=techtrendsweb2110508-1225933600339539-9&stripped_title=mary-meeker-web-20-presentation-presentation" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><div style="font-size: 11px; font-family: tahoma,arial; height: 26px; padding-top: 2px;">View SlideShare <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/hblodget/mary-meeker-web-20-presentation-presentation?type=powerpoint" title="View Mary Meeker Web 2.0 Presentation on SlideShare">presentation</a> or <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/upload?type=powerpoint">Upload</a> your own. (tags: <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://slideshare.net/tag/web">web</a> <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://slideshare.net/tag/2-0">2.0</a>)</div></div>Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-6093040085109540662008-10-03T11:54:00.010-05:002009-01-30T18:03:43.569-05:00Ready For Any Weather<o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">It seems that this week everyone is talking about how an economic downturn will effect <st1:place st="on">Silicon Valley</st1:place>. Case in point, today's NY Times article titled, "<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/03/business/03valley.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1">Credit Crisis Spreads a Pall Over Silicon Valley</a>." I'll leave the financial health of Apple or Google up to the experts and say that <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.reardencommerce.com">Rearden Commerce</a> is still growing like crazy. With a <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/05/06/at-rearden-commerce-addiction-is-job-one-100-million-round-confirmed-major-deal-with-jpmorgan-chase/">$100 million in fundraising</a> this year, Rearden was recently cited by TechCrunch as one of the <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/09/30/startups-best-positioned-to-weather-a-downturn/">firms ready to weather a downturn</a>.<br /><br />Even more important than Rearden's $100 million is a business model with multiple revenue streams and a product that gives companies a platform to capture and reduce their business expenses. In tough economic times the impetus to manage employee spending only gets stronger. The dramatic growth of Rearden's customer and supplier base is a perfect testament to this. Additionally, Rearden's upcoming entry into the consumer market through a <a href="http://www.reardencommerce.com/docs/20080506-RCprChase.pdf">partnership with Chase</a><a href="http://www.reardencommerce.com/docs/20080506-RCprChase.pdf"> </a>(pdf) will further solidify the company's position as one of the tech companies ready to weather and even thrive in this tough economic climate.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Update 1/30/09: Despite Rearden's war chest and strong customer growth the comapny hasn't been imune to significant layoffs. In November the company had to <a href="http://valleywag.gawker.com/5087783/rearden-commerce-cuts-50-people">layoff over 10% </a>of their employees, including the majority of the marketing department, in an effort to reduce costs. Oddly, the compay is <a href="http://www.btnonline.com/businesstravelnews/headlines/travel_management_company_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003928955">now reporting</a> that they are hiring aggressivly including increasing R&D spending by 20%. <br /></p>Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-84605148349627188972008-05-19T21:34:00.005-05:002008-05-19T21:44:43.599-05:00An Open Platform for Mobile Application DevelopmentAs <a href="http://mitsloan.mit.edu/">my MBA</a> experience comes to an end it seems like a good time to post some of the project work I've done over the last two years. One of my main areas of focus has been mobile technology. This semester I took a class called Winning in Technology Markets which used <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_dynamics">System Dynamics</a> as a framework for tech strategy. My team project was an evaluation of an open platform strategy for the Japanese cell phone company <a href="http://www.nttdocomo.com/">NTT DoCoMo</a>. Here is our presentation deck. If I get the chance I will also post the full analysis.<br /><div id="__ss_416692" style="WIDTH: 425px; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><object style="MARGIN: 0px" height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=nttdocomoweb-1211250214196281-8"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=nttdocomoweb-1211250214196281-8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><div style="FONT-SIZE: 11px; PADDING-TOP: 2px; FONT-FAMILY: tahoma,arial; HEIGHT: 26px"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/?src=embed"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: -5px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="SlideShare" src="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/logo_embd.png" /></a> <a title="View 'An Open Platform Strategy for NTT DoCoMo' on SlideShare" href="http://www.slideshare.net/gdodge/an-open-platform-strategy-for-ntt-docomo?src=embed">View</a> <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/upload?src=embed">Upload your own</a></div></div>Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-56856444318018552412008-05-11T21:48:00.006-05:002008-05-11T21:56:10.052-05:00Yahoo's New Fire Eagle<object classid='clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000' codebase='http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0' width='320' height='270' id='yfop'><param name='movie' value='http://d.yimg.com/cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/fop/embedflv/swf/fop.swf' /><param name='flashvars' value='id=6812854&shareEnable=1' /><embed src='http://d.yimg.com/cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/fop/embedflv/swf/fop.swf' width='320' height='270' name='yfop' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' flashvars='id=6812854&shareEnable=1'></embed></object><br /><p>Tom Coates of Yahoo's Brickhouse announcing <a href="http://fireeagle.yahoo.net/">Fire Eagle</a>, their new location sharing service. The promise of location based services take one more step forward. </p>Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-65148154311117710352008-04-08T22:31:00.005-05:002008-05-16T16:30:45.800-05:00The Future of MobileThe <a href="http://smg.bu.edu/casecomp/">BU Tech Strategy Case competition</a> is now a few weeks past but I haven't been able to stop thinking about my team's proposal. We proposed a new platform based business model for Vodafone with <a href="http://www.ericsson.com/">Ericsson</a> (competition sponsor) as a strategic partner. Unfortunately, we didn't make it beyond the first round (more details later).<br /><br />I sat in on the presentations of the four finalists. For the most part these presentations were high level type consulting reports that advocated moving to a mobile broadband world. It was disappointing to realize that the competition sponsors just weren't ready for an innovative idea like ours. On the upside I'm starting to realize that I'm not alone in feeling this way. Check out this great <a href="http://www.telco2.net/blog/2008/03/cebit_next_generation_mobile_n.html">blog post</a> and discussion from one of my favorite blogs, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.telco2.net">Telco 2.o</a>. To quote from that post:<br /><br /><br /><blockquote>Then you have to ask: “Don’t we need a new <a href="http://www.telco2.net/event/april2008/slides_two-sided_business-models.php">business model</a> here, in parallel with the 4G technical developments?” The answer is of course, yes, and we explained why to NGMN.org in detail over a year ago on this blog. But, of course, we’ve had a deafening silence from the tecchies about this (“Not<br />our problem!”).<br /></blockquote>Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-40971466857665666882008-03-30T10:32:00.003-05:002008-03-30T10:34:13.115-05:00Sloan First Round Presentation<div style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10px; MARGIN-LEFT: 10px"><a title="photo sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/casecomp/2370478483/"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 2px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000000 2px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 2px solid" height="175" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2410/2370478483_047bb3827e_m.jpg" width="284" /></a><br /><span style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px;font-size:0;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/casecomp/2370478483/">Dehli's Presentation</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/casecomp/">Boston University Tech Strategy Case Competition</a>. </span></div>After an hour of sleep we were the first team of the day to present to the judges. We got off to a slow start but warmed up as we went through the presentation.<br clear="all">Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-21806668959184514272008-03-17T15:58:00.003-05:002008-03-17T16:15:35.835-05:00BU Tech Strategy Case CompetitionIt is just about time for Boston University's annual tech strategy <a href="http://smg.bu.edu/casecomp/">case competition</a>. This year 16 teams from around the world will be competing for the top prize of $25,000 sponsored by <a href="http://www.ericsson.com/">Ericsson</a>. Last year I participated in the competition and was fortunate enough to be on the <a href="http://gdodge.blogspot.com/2007/04/costa-rica-to-boston.html">winning MIT Sloan team</a>. As the only first-year student on that team I had the opportunity to put this year's team together. We've got a great team and will hopefully come home with enough money to hold me over until I find a job. <br /><br />The competition goes from March 27 - 29th and you follow the action on the official <a href="http://www.casecomp.blogspot.com/">competition blog</a>. Check back here to see if Sloan was able to pull off a repeat victory.Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-37222814712206118822008-03-02T20:20:00.006-05:002008-04-08T22:45:45.775-05:00Pandora at SloanI want to say thanks to <a href="http://www.pandora.com/people/tim#">Tim Westergren</a>, Co-founder of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.pandora.com">Pandora</a> for speaking at Sloan this past Wednesday. Tim gave a great talk on the founding of Pandora, the future of the music industry, and the <a href="http://www.pandora.com/mgp.shtml">Music Genome project</a>.<br /><br />One of the most interesting aspects of Tim's talk was his explanation of Pandora as part of the music discovery process. Because Pandora uses over 400 objective criteria to rate each song, the music discovery process is not driven by the latest fad or ratings that trend toward the mean. Pandora spends between 15 - 45 min rating each song. In addition over 70% of their music is not on a major label. For my money Pandora clearly has nailed one piece of music discovery on the internet. Ultimately they still need to dramatically improve the ease of purchase. Tim mentioned that many of their artists are not on iTunes or Amazon.<br /><br />For the first three weeks of Pandora's life the company attempted a subscription model. When this was a dismal failure they moved to a free service. Currently, Pandora is supported by ads and a revenue sharing agreement with merchants like Amazon.com. Next time you want to buy a CD (or other item), help Pandora out by clicking through their site.<br /><br />Pandora recently sent me an email with some tips for improving <a href="http://www.pandora.com/people/gdodge4#">my station</a>:<br /><blockquote>Want to create a station with a very specific sound? Consider giving a thumbs up to a song only when you like (almost) every aspect of a song, because each thumbs up will add more songs to your station, perhaps in a range that is wider than you had hoped.<br />Thumbs down has a less dramatic impact than thumbs up – it simply bans that song from that station, so consider using it liberally for any song you don’t like, or for a song that just doesn’t ‘fit’ on that station.</blockquote>Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389629962545897550.post-39232659643167122162008-02-14T22:49:00.006-05:002008-12-11T15:22:59.542-05:00MIT Sloan BooksDuring my time I Sloan I have had the opportunity to work with some great professors and researchers. I just wanted to highlight some of the books they have written. <br />
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My <a href="http://mitsloan.mit.edu/cisr/">CISR</a> Research Advisor, <a href="http://www.leighbureau.com/speaker.asp?id=411">George Westerman</a>, recently released a new book called <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ryKSAQAACAAJ&dq=IT+Risk+Westerman&ei=hAu1R9HXJ4a4zASf8ISQDQ">IT Risk.</a> One reviewer put it nicely when he said it is the first IT risk book that didn't put him to sleep. George and his CISR colleagues do great work. Please check out his new book.<br />
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I am also working as a teaching assistant for Professor Tom Malone. His book, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=WZL9LuUZgYUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+future+of+work&ei=Ew21R_jIM5vEzAT6kInHBQ&sig=P4no7cPrXRY6y63rhjH3oZyMXBQ">The Future of Work</a>, has some great insights on the organizational changes that are happening due to the reduction in communication costs.Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593829014014231540noreply@blogger.com050 Memorial Dr, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA42.3602971 -71.083986142.356333099999993 -71.0912816 42.3642611 -71.0766906