If you’re reading this, you REALLY need to get OFF of the computer and get back to all of those relatives in the next room… it’s the “right” thing to do. But, before you go, check out these “top gifts for geeks.” Hey honey, I want the Humping Dog USB Memory Stick for my Birthday!!!
Posts from the The Junk Drawer Category
Gifts For Techies
December 25th, 2006 by Chief Nut
Live Free Or Die
December 15th, 2006 by Chief NutFor those of you who have never heard that phrase (Live Free Or Die), it’s the state motto for us here in New Hampshire. Since the early beginnings of our great nation, the people of NH have held the strongest belief that individual liberties are as precious as any other “rights” we enjoy.
Needless to say, you can imagine my reaction to this Washington Post article, pointed out by Seth Godin, where the Federal Trade Commission may step in and regulate various aspects of Word Of Mouth advertising. Hmmmmmm.
CUT!!
November 12th, 2006 by Chief NutIn the past week, I’ve had at least six separate conversations about what’s going on with YouTube and the other online video sharing venues … how they’re impacting businesses today and how they’re changing the world at large. Feeling a little left behind? Written by Joel Williams, this article is a GREAT read if you’re wondering what the differences are between the big players and how easy (or hard) it is to get your own videos up and running on the Web.
Hey Dad, Look! I Built A Nano Bot!
November 9th, 2006 by Chief NutImagine having to wrestle your alarm clock in the morning to prove you’re awake. If I had one of those in 1981, I would have missed FAR FEWER BioChem classes in college! Well, a student at MIT made such a device. I didn’t say design one … I said made one.
Neil Gershenfeld, the director for the Center for Bits and Atoms at MIT has been on the leading edge of a manufacturing revolution. One where you and I (or, more likely, our kids) will be able to manufacture just about anything they want as simply as pushing the print button on their computer. Using nanobeam laser writers and supersonic waterjet cutters, the Center’s lab can crank out itsy-bitsy things like semiconductors to large scale objects … like buildings … all without having to send off plans to an overseas manufacturing plant. This isn’t just another MIT geek-fest. There are 15 such labs around the globe. In Ghana, an 8 year old girl made a working circuit board. In Norway, a 14 year old boy created a robot car. This movement is just starting to roll.
Talk about an individual’s ability to control their needs, ideas and their world! It’s like Moore’s law being applied to manufacturing.
I Predict You’ll Read This Post
November 5th, 2006 by Chief Nut
Here’s an article from a 1950s Popular Mechanics Magazine entitled “Miracles You’ll See In The Next Fifty Years“. Some creepy, spot-on predictions:
- Shop by picture phone … a la the Internet
- 8 second cooking … a la microwave ovens
- Business people conducting videoconferencing …a la web cams
- Computers able to accurately predict weather conditions
- Synthetic antibiotics
- Life expectancy of 85
- Nuclear powered ships
However, there are some pretty bizarre predictions as well:
- Dissipating Hurricanes by burning oil in the middle of the Atlantic
- Wood, brick and stone not used in construction because it’s too expensive
- Turning used underwear into candy
I have to wonder how I would fare in trying to accurately describe life in 2057. Typing into my “shop by picture phone” in November 2006, I just want to know where I can buy a $5000 house! They can keep the underwear candy.
High “D”, Low “I”
October 31st, 2006 by Chief Nut
I’m jumping on the bandwagon. In the past two days the book The No Asshole Rule by Robert Sutton has been referenced by Guy Kawasaki, John Moore, Mike Rothman, Doug Mitchell, Andrew Luter, and MANY others … now me too. I’ve pre-ordered the book and look forward to a very interesting read (the decision to do so based on this video).
Other than the Starbucks test …
If you hear someone at Starbucks order a …decaf grande half-soy, half-low fat, iced vanilla, double-shot, gingerbread cappuccino, extra dry, light ice, with one Sweet-n…-Low and one NutraSweet,… you…re in the presence of an asshole.
… I’m not sure yet if anyone has given a really good test that can be given to determine if an individual qualifies as “an asshole”. We recently hired a local business consultant to come to our office to give a half day workshop as a follow up to a DISC Assessment that was conducted for each of our employees. (BTW, DISC is a very interesting process and an amazing approach to doing personality assessments!) We were told that a person scoring a very high “D” as well as scoring a very low “I” will qualify as a “flaming A-hole”. Come to think of it, anyone who places an order at Starbucks, as described above, would qualify as a high-D-low-I. Verrrrry Interesting.
I’m Torn …
October 26th, 2006 by Chief NutA friend of mine sent me this link and described it as “amazing and disturbing”. Our team of designers can pull off equally miraculous things in Photoshop just like what you see in the video. They spend their day creating images that evoke very specific emotional connections … weaving fonts, colors and images together in beautiful ways. They do this to sway the consumer to buy our client’s products and services. Here’s an example of what 30-40 minutes can do for a local Landscape Designer…. It’s not really different than what happens in the world of beauty and cosmetics. A LOT of it is, indeed, illusion.
As practioners of this craft, we need to be sensitive to the ethical issue of whether we are simply swaying minds or are we permenantly altering the psychology and self esteem of the consumer. If it’s the latter, I’m not OK with that.
THAT’S (sexy) A (sensual) GREAT (alluring) MESSAGE!
October 24th, 2006 by Chief NutHow our brains pick up powerful imagery on a subconcious level can be really amazing…. This article from HealthSciTech reviews results from a study analyzing the effects of subliminal erotic imagery on the subjects focus…. Amazing insight.
Is it in YOUR bio?
October 19th, 2006 by Chief NutDoes your bio include the title “Author”? Mine doesn’t …. yet.
Some food for thought.
Branding and the Boy Scouts
October 15th, 2006 by Chief Nut
I’m one of the leaders of Laconia, NH, Troop 143. This weekend was the Wannalancit District Fall Camporee … where 200 screamin’ (literally) 11 to 17 year old boys, and their troop leaders, got together for a two day camping trip. Friday was special for 70 of the boys because they worked to get their Wilderness Survival Badge. This is where everyone is outdoors WITHOUT sleeping bags OR tents. The boys have to make their own shelter, start a fire without matches, learn survival priorities, learn the many ways of signaling for help and must keep themselves warm. Oh, by the way, did I mention that Friday was the first heavy frost of the year and the temperatures dipped well below 30 degrees?
As I tried to fit the act of thinking between the chattering of teeth, I found I had A LOT of time to think without distraction. It also dawned on me that the recent success of this troop, in particular, is an example of great brand management. HUH? Yes, that…s what I said …¦ great brand management. Here…s how.
DIRECTION
Steering the direction of your brand is kind of like herding cats. You can TRY to get them all going in one direction but the results may be something completely unexpected. If you…ve ever tried to get 200 teenaged boys to do something, you…ll get the whole …cats… analogy. Regardless of which you herd … boys or cats … you…ll most definitely be challenged and will have fun in the process.
GETTING THE BZZ
Troop 143 has an especially difficult challenge in its own survival because it has no …feeder pack…. This is a local group of younger cub scouts that will eventually …cross over… to become Boy Scouts. Without this pack, the troop can only grow or maintain size by constantly recruiting new members. Yep, think marketing. Creating a brand connection with the boys of …fun, hip, fun, different and fun… was a challenge. Creating a brand of …smaller (than other local troops), more focused, experienced, leadership oriented… for the parents was also a challenge. By doing this well, the troop attracts new members.
GROWTH
When my boys and I started with the troop, it had dwindled down to only four scouts (five are required to maintain your charter). It has since grown to NINE scouts with two more seriously considering signing up. The recruiting efforts for these new boys was identical to a marketing campaign. If it had been based on a weak or diluted brand, it would have been much less successful. While we have thrived, the other local troop size has fallen down to half. Yes, it’s all about branding for them too!
DIFFERENTIATION
When we began a year ago, the patrol name was …The Americans…. This name was picked because, as a requirement, the patrol must have a flag and a patrol cheer. The boys already had an American flag and easily came up with the cheer …Go Americans…. They found it easy to just go in that direction …¦ it…s good enough isn…t it? Although this thinking is patriotic, it…s not very unique or memorable. Kinda like most businesses, don…t you think?
After a little cajoling, we were able to sit the boys down and teach them how much better a new name would be. They quickly got the brainstorming bug and they came up with LOTS of great names. The name they finally picked was the …Rabid Chipmunks… and the cheer sounds like something off of a George Romero film soundtrack. Yes, it…s very …boy-like…, but it…s also fun watching them do the cheer and it lifts the Scouting spirit up with every boy at every meeting. You can only guess what the flag looks like.
This has been a longer than usual post but it…s definitely helping to get my fingers warmed up!
Feeeed Meee
