Category Archives: Tech

Yuri Milner on Internet Advertising Margins

Yuri Milner (left) by Debray Riveros

From a Wired profile of Yuri Milner:

The theory holds that the Internet is an advertising medium where users themselves create the vast amount of content. In other words, as Milner understands it, the same ocean of advertising revenues that have gone to traditional media might now go to the Internet, but without the offsetting costs of having to actually create content. Voilá.

“From margin standpoint,” Milner notes, “this is very magical.”

This isn’t breaking news in 2011, but it is a controversial point that users do all the work while companies (Facebook, Twitter, etc) get all the profit.

This is why in 2011, creating a web app can be done overnight, but traction on yet another freemium service is so hard to get.

Nest Learning Thermostat

When you think of a thermostat, what comes to mind? I picture an old, off-white colored box that’s dusty and sort of works. You know the kind I’m talking about that exists in American homes which nobody gives any thought to.

Typical Household Thermostat

Nest Labs, ran by Tony Fadell (of Apple iPod fame), just introduced their new thermostat on Techcrunch.

Did I ever think I would be posting about a thermostat? No, but this one has obvious iPod inspired DNA.

Nest Thermostat (via TC)

The Nest is simply a giant circle that you can turn left or right to decrease or increase the temperature. Oh yeah, it has one button on the screen in front. Does that sound familiar?

iPod

Also, the Nest appears to have a proximity sensor and has smartphone level guts. The latter (smartphone processing power) doesn’t do much to set itself apart on today’s market.

I don’t know what the current market for expensive thermostats looks like. Price-wise, the Nest is surely an expensive luxury product compared to your Vanilla off the shelf thermostat. But then the dollar amount for the Nest is relatively insignificant when it comes to your home’s central heating & A/C system. If you’re renting or selling your house, the Nest would be an easy way to increase the overall value of the property by more than the cost of the Nest.

While the Nest is nice, I don’t see people running out and buying it if their current thermostat is in an OK working condition. But as discussed in the previous paragraph, it could be a relatively inexpensive investment to set your home apart if you’re doing extensive renovations anyways.

I’m not in the target market for the Nest, but it’s nice to see startups target hardware. With Square, Fitbit, and Nest, it’s nice to see startups tackle “market disruption” via a non-CRUD web app.

Free Stanford Intro to Databases course

Starting October 10th, 2011:

A bold experiment in distributed education, “Introduction to Databases” is being offered free and online to students worldwide, October 10 – December 12, 2011. Students have access to lecture videos, are given assignments and exams, receive regular feedback on progress, and participate in a discussion forum. Those who successfully complete the course will receive a statement of accomplishment. Taught by Professor Jennifer Widom, the curriculum draws from Stanford’s popular Introduction to Databases course.

If you’re interested in software or technology, databases are incredibly relevant to modern day computing. This free course may be technologically tough, but it will reward you with insights that you will be able to apply somewhere.

Google+ Staging Screenshots

Is Google is ready to leave the familiar comfort of white backgrounds?

Google.com

This new Google homepage is part of their Google+ push. Notice the black bar at the top.

Google Reader

The black bar even invaded my Reader.

Updated Google Reader Mobile Appbar

An Appbar has even taken over their mobile web app.

Apps Section of the Mobile Appbar

This Apps Section shows when you press “more” on the screen above. Oddly, Apps (and not Search) is the default choice.

Search Section of the Mobile Appbar

This is what pressing “Search” reveals.

Bottom of expanded Search Appbar Section

This screen shows you what the bottom of the Appbar looks like. Just in case you forgot you were in the Reader mobile web app.

Google+ Invite Request Screen

Back to Google+.

This is what it looks like when you go to the site uninvited. You can request an invite by clicking on “Keep Me Posted”. Notice “+You” now appears at the top left of the black bar.

Google+ Invite Request Form

This form appears after clicking “Keep Me Posted”.

A strange gaffe here. I have to enter my name and e-mail? If you look at the prior screen, I’m logged into Google Accounts, but here they ask for my info again.

Google Maps (when it finally recognized your Google Account) was the best thing ever. No longer did you have to fill out both the “From” and “To” fields to e-mail map directions. As it currently does, the “From” is pre-populated with your Google Account e-mail address. Recognizing your Google Account after you click “Keep Me Posted” is what Google+ should do.

The Future of Photography

A photography prediction: the future will include (1) wearable, (2) video (3) all-focusing cameras.

Eyez by ZionEyez

1. Wearable

By wearable, the camera of tomorrow doesn’t have to be a pair of glasses. It could be on a jacket’s button, hat, belt buckle, etc. What wearing your camera does is free you up from consciously choosing to take a photo. Everything you see while wearing your camera will be recorded from the point of view of your camera. This is like livestreaming yourself, but the streaming to the public part would not happen (unless you opt to). (via BB)

RED DSLR by RED

2. Video

As Vincent Laforet talks about, you no longer need to take a single photo. Instead, you might as well video record everything. Afterwards, you would review a time range to pick your ideal photo.

Video takes up significantly more storage than stills. Since this is the future we’re talking about, small devices like an iPhone Nano will have 10TB, so storage won’t be an issue.

Lytro by Eric Cheng/Lytro.com

3. All-Focusing

Lytro is a new type of photographic camera. If I understand correctly, their light field cameras aggregate light at many different points. Think of it as many camera sensors recording many light rays instead of the traditional one camera, one sensor. In addition to picking the time of the shot (#2 above), you would also pick your desired focus. (via NYT)

Put it all together

With these aspects, photography will become a constant lens in your life. Privacy controls would be key. But think of the benefits: Evernote would be on steroids and The Hangover would be solved right away.

The exact configuration has endless possibilities. A team of photographers could cover the Olympic Games with an army of Zeiss mounted to drones.

Japan's Ministry of Defense Ball Drone

The camera of the future could even use gestures (à la Kinect) to control settings instead of the current screen based menu hierarchy.

Follow Us Vocab

An ad spotted on the subway for Luna Park:

Luna Park Subway Ad

The ad says “Follow Us” whereas each site offers different vocab for interaction:

  • Facebook – Like (to follow) company pages / Share posts & links
  • Twitter – Follow profiles / ReTweet tweets
  • YouTube – Subscribe to channels / Watch videos
  • Flickr – Add contacts / Tag photos
  • Foursquare – Follow brands / Check-in to venues

Steve Jobs on Excuses

Steve Jobs by Getty

Inside Apple by Adam Lashinsky:

Jobs imagines his garbage regularly not being emptied in his office, and when he asks the janitor why, he gets an excuse: The locks have been changed, and the janitor doesn’t have a key. This is an acceptable excuse coming from someone who empties trash bins for a living. The janitor gets to explain why something went wrong. Senior people do not. “When you’re the janitor,” Jobs has repeatedly told incoming VPs, “reasons matter.” He continues: “Somewhere between the janitor and the CEO, reasons stop mattering.” That “Rubicon,” he has said, “is crossed when you become a VP.

This makes sense.

A junior employee at the bottom of the chain of command (such as a janitor) can have a legitimate excuse for why something was not done. It’s plausible that the janitor does not have the authority to get the key he needs, so it is not the janitor’s fault.

Whereas a member of management (such as a VP) has no excuse. If the key is missing, the VP has authority to find the person with the key, force open the door, hire a locksmith, etc. The VP needs to problem solve and cannot explain away things that were not accomplished as the VP has sufficient authority to get it done.

It’s interesting to note that Jobs is quoted using the term ‘reason’ and not ‘excuse.’ The former being legitimate and the latter being a scapegoat. That is, the former is only available to people at the staff level who are not sufficiently authorized/empowered.

(via MacStories via HN)

Upcoming NYC Event: TSL3 After Party 5/15

Aiur Chef by Blizzard

From TeamLiquid:

Location: Break Bar and Billiards in New York City.
Address: 32-04b Broadway, Long Island City, NY 11106
Time and Date: Sunday, May 15th – 19:00 EST

Take the NQ uptown to Queens, get off at Broadway and walk one street southeast. Bar is located on the corner of Broadway and 32nd Street – Google Maps.

There is no RSVPing to this event. Break Bar holds 250 people. Yes, it’s in Queens, deal with it other borough residents!

*You must be at least 21 years of age to enter*

Some meta/random commentary about this post:

  • I’m posting this on my blog, because this is the kind of thing that *I* would love to find out about.
  • Using the Aiur Chef image since I’m rocking that on the battlenets version two point oh.
  • Patch 1.3.3, Y U NO LIKE PYLON RANGE?
  • Don’t really have a preference between Naniwa or Thorzain. Guess I’ll support Naniwa cuz he’s Brotossing it up.