New Florence. New Renaissance.

Smart fixes to US infrastructure

"The economic stimulus package signed into law in February is sending $168 billion out to individuals to spend, in a best-case scenario, on new TVs and restaurant meals. That money could have bought a lot of concrete. While more funds are needed, how they’re spent is equally important. New information technology, fresh engineering and advanced materials can help us not just restore, but improve our infrastructure in the coming century. Planned and managed properly, next-gen projects can be smarter and more resilient than what came before. Engineers and construction workers know how to get the job done. But first, we must gather the national will."

Popular Mechanics has a series of articles on how to fix bridges, levees, ports, locks and the grid.

WANTED: More disruptive and innovative vendors..

...to join our list of disruptive and innovative vendor sponsors

We started a blog sponsor program earlier in the year (see sponsor policies here) and are proud to have a list of charter sponsors who are moving and shaking and disrupting their individual tech markets.

Like Zoho, which has pioneered Office functionality in SaaS mode
Like Cognizant, one of the fastest growing outsourcers as it represents to many customers a much nimbler alternative to its bigger competitors
Like Rimini, which offers mature Oracle and SAP customers a far lower-priced maintenance option
Like Joyent, which is a pioneer in the new wave of cloud computing
Like Neubloc, which offers technology companies IP development capability in. E. Europe away from the heated Indian market

Each of them aligns with the readership of this blog which focuses on innovation, and the Deal Architect blog which focuses on disruptive vendors and economics.

Over the next few weeks we are opening up a few more sponsorship slots.

So, if you are moving and shaking and disrupting your part of the hardware, software, outsourcing or telecom world, come join our team of like-minded sponsors

Please send Vinnie Mirchandani an email at vm@dealarchitect.com and we will send you a sponsor package to evaluate. And help you better reach an audience which is into moving, shaking and disruption.

...to join our list of disruptive and innovative vendor sponsors

We started a blog sponsor program earlier in the year (see sponsor policies here) and are proud to have a list of charter sponsors who are moving and shaking and disrupting their individual tech markets.

Like Zoho, which has pioneered Office functionality in SaaS mode
Like Cognizant, one of the fastest growing outsourcers as it represents to many customers a much nimbler alternative to its bigger competitors
Like Rimini, which offers mature Oracle and SAP customers a far lower-priced maintenance option
Like Joyent, which is a pioneer in the new wave of cloud computing
Like Neubloc, which offers technology companies IP development capability in. E. Europe away from the heated Indian market

Each of them aligns with the readership of this blog which focuses on innovation, and the Deal Architect blog which focuses on disruptive vendors and economics.

Over the next few weeks we are opening up a few more sponsorship slots.

So, if you are moving and shaking and disrupting your part of the hardware, software, outsourcing or telecom world, come join our team of like-minded sponsors

Please send Vinnie Mirchandani an email at vm@dealarchitect.com and we will send you a sponsor package to evaluate. And help you better reach an audience which is into moving, shaking and disruption.

Skinny Gadgets

Retrevo highlights a few

• Walltex Wallet MP3 Player, 4 GB credit card sized MP3 player (pictured on below)
• Modelabs Bluetrek Metal Bluetooth headset
• 50” Pioneer Kuro “Concept” Plasma TV
• Sony XEL-1 OLED TV, One of first OLED TVs on the market
• JVC LT-42SL89 and LT-46SL89, thin 42” and 46” LDC TVs
• Hitachi Director Series and Ultravision V series LCD TVs
• LG Scarlet 42LG61, 42” HDTV LCD TV from LG
• Apple Macbook Air, super thin laptop from Apple
• Envy133 from Voodoo PC (HP), Windows based laptop
• MotoRAZR V3, thin cell phone from Motorola
• Nokia E71, thin smartphone
• LG Secret, thin new cell phone from LG
• BenQ T850, thin 8 MP camera
• Casio Exilim EX-S10, 10.1 MP camera

Brookings Papers on Telecom Infrastructure

As part of a broader set of policy papers on state of US infrastructure and public/private ways to fund infrastructure investments are 2 papers focused on wireless and broadband telecommunications.

Couple of nuggets:

"..the FCC should be reformed to oversee "wireless" spectrum use through an increased emphasis on after-the-fact oversight (i.e., monitoring how the radio spectrum is used in practice) as opposed to its legacy of closely prescribed before-the-fact rules."

"These potential new wireless providers could then compete with existing telephone, cable, and cellular companies and other organizations for the obligation to bring broadband to an unserved community in return for a one-time subsidy. Defining this obligation in a highly flexible form and making it tradable on an open market would minimize the cost of infrastructure deployment and thereby reduce the subsidies needed."

How truly innovative is the iPhone 3G?

This blog post was originally carried on the Deal Architect blog

Steve Jobs is a genius when it comes to product design. But as I have been cataloging for years now on the New Florence blog, I like the Doblin framework which also looks at innovations in channel, processes, business model not just the product.

So how would I score the 3G phone on a broader innovation scorecard using some of the other Doblin focus areas?

Core Processes: A+

Mind-boggling - the logistics behind coordinating the global supply chain (dominated by Taiwanese component suppliers but also leveraging Japan, China, US, UK and other suppliers), the shipments for simultaneous launch in 24 countries, the reverse logistics of returning the first-gen phones - all at back breaking speed and under the never-before scale of intrusion from media and bloggers.

Product Design: A

While there are many features like GPS, and the aesthetics of the product have improved, a number of incumbent users have actually been disappointed that basic features like cut and paste, voice calling etc are still missing

Channel: B+

While some complain that many of the applications are "lightweight", the speed at which the apps ecosystem has come alive is impressive. The global rollout (and related channel challenges) to another 60 countries in a year is ambitious, to say the least. If the global rollout goes off flawlessly, I would raise my score to an A.

Customer Experience: B

While the product itself is joyful,  and Apple is innovating product education, the hitches with the service initiation, and the periodic billing and other dealings with AT&T (and its peers in other countries) will likely dilute the experience.

Service: B-

While customers rave about the experience at the Apple Store (in general around Macs, iPods etc), they may have to deal more with AT&T. AT&T Mobility's in-store experience has been improving the last couple of years, but the on-line and call center experience is still lacking. AT&T's attitude to service is summarized in this business practice - open for sales on Sunday, but not for call center service. Surely 3-5 million of its 60 million plus wireless customers need some technical or administrative help on a given Sunday?   

Business Model: C

Any joy Apple planned to bring to its customers with the "half the price" campaign has been mocked at by AT&T's confusing rules (only 35% of consumers will actually qualify for the $ 199 price) and the AT&T network's increased TCO. If anything, Apple was innovative with the first iPhone in trying to break the traditional model of carriers like AT&T subsidizing the device but getting a lock-in contract. With 3G. it has regressed to the traditional carrier model, at the time when consumer lawsuits related to that practice are escalating.

This blog post was originally carried on the Deal Architect blog

Steve Jobs is a genius when it comes to product design. But as I have been cataloging for years now on the New Florence blog, I like the Doblin framework which also looks at innovations in channel, processes, business model not just the product.

So how would I score the 3G phone on a broader innovation scorecard using some of the other Doblin focus areas?

Core Processes: A+

Mind-boggling - the logistics behind coordinating the global supply chain (dominated by Taiwanese component suppliers but also leveraging Japan, China, US, UK and other suppliers), the shipments for simultaneous launch in 24 countries, the reverse logistics of returning the first-gen phones - all at back breaking speed and under the never-before scale of intrusion from media and bloggers.

Product Design: A

While there are many features like GPS, and the aesthetics of the product have improved, a number of incumbent users have actually been disappointed that basic features like cut and paste, voice calling etc are still missing

Channel: B+

While some complain that many of the applications are "lightweight", the speed at which the apps ecosystem has come alive is impressive. The global rollout (and related channel challenges) to another 60 countries in a year is ambitious, to say the least. If the global rollout goes off flawlessly, I would raise my score to an A.

Customer Experience: B

While the product itself is joyful,  and Apple is innovating product education, the hitches with the service initiation, and the periodic billing and other dealings with AT&T (and its peers in other countries) will likely dilute the experience.

Service: B-

While customers rave about the experience at the Apple Store (in general around Macs, iPods etc), they may have to deal more with AT&T. AT&T Mobility's in-store experience has been improving the last couple of years, but the on-line and call center experience is still lacking. AT&T's attitude to service is summarized in this business practice - open for sales on Sunday, but not for call center service. Surely 3-5 million of its 60 million plus wireless customers need some technical or administrative help on a given Sunday?   

Business Model: C

Any joy Apple planned to bring to its customers with the "half the price" campaign has been mocked at by AT&T's confusing rules (only 35% of consumers will actually qualify for the $ 199 price) and the AT&T network's increased TCO. If anything, Apple was innovative with the first iPhone in trying to break the traditional model of carriers like AT&T subsidizing the device but getting a lock-in contract. With 3G. it has regressed to the traditional carrier model, at the time when consumer lawsuits related to that practice are escalating.

Total Solar Eclipse

"On Friday, 2008 August 01, a total eclipse of the Sun is visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses half the Earth. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow begins in Canada and extends across northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia, and China. A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes northeastern North America, most of Europe and Asia."

NASA

Photo of March 2006 eclipse - the last total eclipse - credit Space.com

Computing on 2 Watts of Power!

"CherryPal's cloud-based computer is unique because it offers the technology without subscription costs, and only draws two watts of power. The machine has no moving parts, and uses hardware encrpytion to provide a secure link to the cloud (which is run by Amazon)."

Gizmodo

And Zoli has a suggestion:

"why not go all the way (to cloud computing): forget desktop software, just bring up the browser and make Zoho or Google Apps the homepage."

Find a parking space on your PDA

"This fall, San Francisco will implement the largest mesh network for monitoring parking to date. Around 6,000 wireless sensors from the San Francisco company Streetline will be fixed alongside as many parking spots, monitoring both parking availability and the volume and speed of passing traffic. The city hopes that displaying information from the sensors on Web maps,smart phones and signs on the street will reduce the traffic and pollution caused by circling cars."

MIT Technology Review

The Bat-Pod

"Nolan and Crowley's original sketches had no tailpipe, but anything with a motor needs an outlet for exhaust. Weaving around the bike's carbon-fiber and Kevlar body and steel chassis, the design team built the exhaust system into the frame, ducting it through the hollow steel/aluminum/magnesium tubing. Two months later, the high-performance, water-cooled, single-cylinder engine—geared toward the lower end for faster acceleration—was ready to power the Pod. Only there was another headache: Who in the world could drive this thing?'

Popular Mechanics

Semiconductors are fun again!

Stacey Higginbotham at GigaOm

"That pushed the chip world into viewing these devices as mini computers requiring their very own processors. Obviously these processors need to be small, use very little energy and still cycle fast enough to load and display web pages, pictures and other mobile computing tasks. Chip firms had been thinking about those functions for years, but the success of the iPhone showed how important the mobile computing experience could be. So Intel begat Atom, a chip designed not for a mobile phone but for a smaller laptop that Intel calls a mobile Internet device."

The column then talks about Via, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, Nvidia and IBM in mobile computing.