Dell (s dell) offered to loan me a Mini 10 netbook to see what the new Intel (s intc) Atom N450 platform can do. Of course, I said yes and the device arrived earlier this morning. While the Mini line of netbooks isn’t new, I haven’t had any extended time with Dell’s netbook offerings. This particular unit includes the 1.66 GHz N450 Atom, 1 GB of memory, a 250 GB hard drive and 10″ display with a resolution of 1024 x 600.
Although I haven’t had time to put the netbook through the paces, here’s a short video unboxing and overview of the Mini 10. I like how the extended, or six-cell, battery doesn’t stick out from the device, but I’m already not so sure about the trackpad with integrated buttons. Stay tuned for some detailed thoughts after I get a few days with Microsoft (s msft) Windows 7 Starter Edition under my belt on the Mini 10.
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Richard Binhammer from Dell and Mack Collier at SXSWi 2009 Photo Credit: David Alston
Woody Allen said 80 percent of success is showing up, but when it comes to establishing a meaningful presence on the social web, that figure may be closer to 100 percent.
There’s an opportunity here.
As much as I respect and admire the work of companies like Zappo’s, Comcast, Dell and Ford with respect to their use of social media in connecting with customers and all other types of people online and offline. I’ve often heard people grumble that they’re actually sick of always hearing from and about this list of usual suspects, not because they don’t learn from their experience and expertise — a quick Google search will show a whole lot of conversation around each of these brands, but because people are hungry for more.
I also don’t believe that anyone really wishes these companies weren’t present in the space, but what they’re really saying is they want a wider variety of voices, experiences and stories to draw from.
Official Is Not Always Social
Unfortunately, rather than opening up and sharing, I’ve heard a few people who organize conferences and events bemoan the lack of companies willing to let their social media teams speak about their work.
The disconnect here is that the social media and tech audiences aren’t interested in hearing sanitized positioning statements from an official spokesperson, and most companies have policies that prevent anyone BUT the official spokesperson from speaking on behalf of the company.
Even journalists in mainstream publications will often bury quotes in features on social media from the official spokesperson and instead lead with quotes from companies who allow those with their boots on the ground in the social media space to drive the story. Often times, the ones driving these stories are on the list of our beloved usual suspects.
Zappo’s, Comcast, Dell and Ford show up in a big way — they show up online every day and they show up at our events. They talk strategy, tactics and measurement. They mingle and answer questions. They commiserate with others working in the space. They’re our friends!
The real lesson these brands offer is that their social media teams show up and they teach us, they don’t just market to us. But, in the teaching and sharing, we become much more receptive and supportive of their marketing messages.
It’s not rocket science, but the ethos of the social web goes much deeper than the 140 characters in a single Tweet.
These brands win because we can count on them to show up and share: isn’t that exactly what it means to be social?
I understand the need to have official spokespeople in an organization – or only a few who can speak on behalf of the strategy and direction of the business. But can new boundaries be drawn a little differently?
The amount of spend continues to increase for social media budgets in 2010, but I can’t help but wonder how deeply some strategies will be able to penetrate a community that values sharing if companies aren’t willing to show up and invest a little skin in the game.
2010 presents a whole host of new opportunities. How are you planning to show up?
Note: I have a lot of admiration for the companies named here. This post is not intended to be a criticism, but my hope is to show that the positive examples they offer go beyond the landing pages, web-based media and Twitter updates. Several other companies are also doing a great job of showing up that aren’t named here and I did not mean to slight anyone.
Netbooks are everywhere, on buses, on trains, on planes… and in the classroom. It seems the little netbook has come out of nowhere to become extremely popular overnight.
But what is a netbook?
Netbooks usually have screens of 10 inches or less, runs Windows or Linux and generally sell for well under $500. As its name indicates, the netbook’s main purpose is to keep its owner conveniently connected to the net – anywhere, anytime.
First introduced by Asustek when it launched the first Eee PC in the fall of 2007. But it was only in the last year when we saw the explosive growth of these so-called mini-laptops. Now we have many computer companies such as HP, Dell, Lenovo… all jumping on this craze for a small portable laptop. So much so, that netbooks now is the fastest growing segment of the laptop industry and is expected to reach 139 million units by 2013.
Why is there a sudden popularity for the small netbook? Perhaps the answer lies mainly in our constant quest for mobility. We want a portable device that will keep us connected to the Internet and yet be small and light enough to be carried around all day. A truly ultra-portable device that keeps us connected with family, friends and the web.
The next question you have to ask: why do netbooks make for great student laptops? If the above reasons aren’t enough, try the following:
Size
Netbooks are small with 10 inch displays or less, which make them ideal for students. Plus, they are usually very lightweight — around 2 or 3 pounds. They are compact enough to tuck into your school bag or backpack, and small enough to carry around all day without developing a hernia.
Portability
As mentioned above because the netbook is so small and compact, it is very portable. A very mobile device that we can use to stay connected to the web and friends. Connectability is one of the main features — you are connected to the web at all times.
Sturdiness
Most netbooks are designed to be sturdy and tough. They can take a few hard knocks and still keep on working. Students are not exactly the most gentle creatures on the planet, so a sturdy tough machine is needed to handle the demands put upon it.
Battery Life
Because of their small size, you will usually get better battery life than with a regular sized laptop. This is important to the student since you may have to go all day without a chance to re-charge the battery. Long lasting battery life makes the netbook the perfect student laptop.
Performance
Although small, these mini-laptops still sports some very impressive specs. Many now come with at least 1 Gig of RAM and Intel Atom processors. There are even some with Solid State Hard Drives which make them more durable and less likely to be damaged. Most use Windows XP but newer models debuting this year with the Nvidia’s Ion platform may have Vista or Windows 7, but still don’t expect the kind of performance you would get from a regular laptop.
Storage
While storage on netbooks is constantly increasing, it is still nowhere near the kind of storage you will find on a regular sized laptop. Usually, most devices have around 30 or 60 Gig hard drives which should be adequate for most student’s needs. Many newer netbooks have 160 Gigs of storage.
Price
Perhaps, the main reason netbooks make the perfect student laptops is the low price. Students are usually on a very limited budget and the low price-tag is a perfect fit. Many perfectly adequate machines are now priced in the $300 to $500 range — while many good ones go for well under $300. Plus, prices are steadily dropping so almost any student can now afford a netbook.
As you can plainly see, the netbook does have many features to make it a perfect student laptop: small size, very portable, excellent connections, very sturdy, long battery life, good performance, adequate storage and most of all, a very affordable price almost any student can take advantage of. Overall, netbooks are well suited for the classroom and the student.
Cisco PIX Rackmount Firewall 506 – high-quality firewall, more info on the Cisco site.
Dell Dimension 4000 – 2-3 yrs old
Dell 1702 Monitor (goes w/ Dell Dimension 4000)
UMAX Mirage IIse Scanner – a little bit old, but still a good scanner, more info on the UMAX site.
HP 1040 Fax Machine – comes w/ extra ink cartridges
These items are available directly from the donor, who is located near Tribeca (10013 zip). They need a new home ASAP, or they will be subject to a premature death in the landfill. If you are interested in abopting any of these lovely electronic devices, please send an email with “Office Electronics” in the subject line and your name, your organization, and the items you are interested in, to jmetroATmftaDOTnycDOTgov.
Asia Gains Edge Backing Tech Start-Ups – DealBook Blog – NYTimes.com
Asia Gains Edge Backing Tech Start-Ups January 6, 2010, 1:50 am
For years, the process remained relatively static: PC makers like Hewlett-Packard and Apple, with well-staffed research labs and design departments, would dream up their next product and then hire a Chinese or Taiwanese fabricator to manufacture the largest number of units at the lowest possible cost.
But lately, this traditional division of labor has been upended, Ashlee Vance writes in The New York Times. Many of those Asian companies have moved well beyond manufacturing to seize greater control over the look and feel of tomorrow’s personal computers, smartphones and even Web sites.
The investment arms of large Taiwanese and Chinese manufacturers have created an investment network in Silicon Valley operating under the radar that pumps money into a variety of chip, software and services companies to gain the latest technology. As a result, some Asian manufacturers have proved more willing than entrenched Silicon Valley venture capitalists to back some risky endeavors.
“In the past, the manufacturers would sneak around and get inside information on technology by investing in these companies,” said K. Bobby Chao, the managing partner at DFJ DragonFund China, a business that invests in technology companies in China and the United States. “Now, they’re more involved, more visible and charging after more complex maneuvers.”
As manufacturing of electronics in the United States began moving offshore decades ago, some feared the American economy would suffer. But the American companies, as well as economists and policy makers, said that as long as the high-value jobs like research and design remained in the United States, there was little danger.
Asian investments in Silicon Valley present some risks for America’s top technology companies, which could lose their connection to top innovations.
Asian manufacturers like Foxconn or Quanta, as a result, could wrestle away the edge in research and design.
“The manufacturers have gotten more competitive as it relates to innovation, and in some instances they’re already competing directly with their customers,” said Patrick Moorhead, a vice president at Advance Micro Devices, a major PC chip maker.
The investments by Asian companies have already started to pay off. At the Consumer Electronics Show this week in Las Vegas, people will see laptops that end sluggish start times and instead boot up instantly and TVs that do not require remotes because they can see the gestures of viewers. These features are a result of strategic investments in technology by Asian manufacturers. One Asian manufacturer turned investor is Quanta, based in Taiwan, which has long been one of the largest manufacturers of laptops and personal computers for major brands like H.P., Acer and Dell.
To keep those customers coming back, it needs unique product designs and technologies that give it an edge over competitors. Last October, Quanta invested $10 million into Tilera, a chip start-up based in San Jose, Calif., in the heart of Silicon Valley, that has designed a radical computer processor. Tilera is gambling that it can take business from the major chip makers like Intel and A.M.D.
Quanta also joined a group investing $16 million in Canesta, another chip maker based in Silicon Valley. When combined with a digital camera, Canesta’s products let computers, televisions and other devices view objects in three dimensions. That means that a person could move photos or documents around a PC’s desktop or change TV channels simply by waving a hand.
Elton Yang, a vice president at Quanta, said there was a high likelihood that the technology could make its way into laptops in 2010. Eventually all makers of personal computers will have a chance to buy Canesta’s technology, but Quanta’s investment gives it a temporary design lead.
“The PC companies are looking for a new future, and we want to attract them to our machines,” Mr. Yang said. Over the last 10 years, Canesta has made its pitch to more than 100 venture capitalists in Silicon Valley — only to be rejected time and again. James Spare, the chief executive of Canesta, praised the willingness of companies like Quanta to back risky start-ups needing many years to turn ideas into products.
“It’s no secret that these companies make most of the devices we use in our daily lives,” Mr. Spare said. “And they’re only becoming more and more influential when it comes to innovation and guiding technology choices.”
Foxconn, one of the largest electronics makers, has found technology investments, too. It has backed Innovation Works, an investment and incubation company started last year by the former president of Google’s Chinese operations, Kai-fu Lee.
With $115 million at its disposal, Innovation Works, based in Beijing, has pledged to “build dream teams to collect, analyze, prioritize and execute on the most promising ideas” in the Internet and mobile computing markets.
Ambitious Taiwanese manufacturers are now talking to influential component makers like Intel and A.M.D. to help shape what tomorrow’s chips and hard drives will do.
“They do have a much bigger voice in what companies are doing on the chip level than before,” said Mr. Moorhead. “We are interfacing more with them than we ever have.”
Some former manufacturers have already made the transition and are gaining global brand recognition. Acer and Asustek are Taiwan’s most prominent computer brands, but both companies were contract fabricators for major American companies. Some of their executives steeped in this manufacturing tradition now run the investment arms of the companies.
For example, the Silicon Valley start-up DeviceVM has developed software that lets computers boot up in about five seconds, rather than the minutes many computers can take to start. Both Asustek and Acer, through its investment arm called iD Innovation, have put money into DeviceVM, and the company’s software now appears on computers from a variety of makers including the world’s largest PC company, H.P.
The Asian companies often back projects that Silicon Valley’s financial heavyweights pass on because pay offs are too low and take too long. The Asian companies are “thinking that they didn’t get their fair share of the technology pie in the past,” Mr. Chao said. “Now they have money and will take the risks needed to build up new levels of expertise.”
For entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, the money flowing from Taiwan and China represents a blessing.
“It’s great,” said Mr. Spare of Canesta, “to have another pool of money to go after.”
Go to Article from The New York Times »
Technorati Tags: Asia, Start-ups, startups, tech, DealBook blog, NYTimes.com, Hewlett-Packard, Apple, research labs, design departments, Chinese, Taiwanese, Ashlee Vance, personal computers, smartphones, Web sites, investment arms, manufacturers, investment network, Silicon Valley, venture capitalists, risky endeavors, K. Bobby Chao, DFJ DragonFund China, technology companies, China, electronics, offshore, American economy, high-value jobs, top innovations, top technology companies, Foxconn, Quanta, innovation, Patrick Moorhead, Advance Micro Devices, Asian companies, Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas, H.P., Acer, Dell, Tilera, San Jose, CA, Calif., radical comuter processor, Canesta, Elton Yang, laptops, design lead, James Spare, innovation and guiding technology, technology investments, Innovation Works, Kai-fu-Lee, Beijing, dream teams, promising ideas, internet and mobile computing markets, Taiwanese manufacturers, Intel, A.M.D., global brand recognition, Acer, Asustek, fabricators, DeviceVM, iD Innovation,
We’re going out on a limb with this one or given thats its winter we’ll say we’re walking on thin ice. We’ll gaze into the crystal ball and pontificate on ten subject areas for 2010. With some we hope we will be wrong. With some we hope we will be right.
1. Stock Market: Buoyed by well managed earnings by the large multinational companies in the DOW, principally as a result of cost reduction initiatives and exposure to over global markets the Index will finish up 6% and close at 11, 011 on the last trading day of 2010. Given an inflation rate of 4% investors will realize a 2% gain on equity investments in DOW constituents. S&P 500 and NASDAQ will be flat gaining 2% for the year.
2. Iraq War: The war in Iraq will continue to wind down. America will scale down its military presence in the country. Troop levels in the country will approximate 85,000 by the close of 2010. Though direct American military involvement in conflicts will decline, Iraq will experience civil unrest as Kurd nationalists, Shiite and Sunni Muslims seek to protect their political and economic interests.
3. Afghanistan War: The escalation of America’s military presence in Afghanistan will move the theater of war further into Pakistan. The Taliban will be satisfied to harass US forces by engaging in a guerrilla war. Taliban and Al-Qaeda supporters will use the opportunity to increase the level of urban terrorist attacks in the large cities of Pakistan. Al-Qaeda confederates will seek to reestablish base of support in Somalia, Yemen and ties will begin to emerge in Latin American narco-terror states.
4. Iran: The political situation in Iran will continue to deteriorate. This is a positive development for regional stability because it will force the ruling regime to cede its nuclear program development initiatives. Iran will not be able to capitalize on the US draw down in Iraq. It will become increasingly isolated as Hezbollah and Hamas pursue actions that are less confrontational to Israel in Palestine and Lebanon. The ruling Caliphate position will weaken due to internal political dissent and external economic pressures.
5. China: It will be a year of ultra-nationalism in China. Its stimulus program that is targeted to internal development will sustain a GDP growth rate of 8%. China will use this opportunity to strengthen the ideological support of its citizens to fall in line with the national development initiative. Globally China will continue to expand its interests in Africa and will cull deeper relationships with its Pacific Rim club member Latin America. China will continue to use US preoccupation with its wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and skirmishes in Yemen and Somalia as an opportunity to expand its global presence with a message of peace and cooperation.
5. US Mid Term Elections: Republicans will gain a number of seats in Congress. The continued soft economic conditions, state and local government fiscal crisis, war weariness and cut back in services and rising expenses will make this a bad year for incumbents and the party in power, namely the democrats. Sarah Palin will play a large role in supporting anti-government candidates drooling over the prospect of winning a seat in government.
6. Recession: Though the recession may be officially over, high unemployment, home foreclosures and spiking interest rates will hamper a robust recovery. The end of large government stimulus programs and the continued decrease in real estate values also present strong headwinds to recovery. We predict a GDP growth rate of 2% for the US economy. Outsourcing will abate and a move to reintroduce SME manufacturing will commence.
7. Technology: The new green technology will focus on the development of nuclear power plants. Smart phones will continue to explode altering the home PC market and continue to change the market paradigm for firms like DELL, Microsoft and HP. SaaS or cloud computing will gain on the back of lean business process initiatives and smart phone application development and processing infrastructure will encourage cottage industries fueling the cloud and making for some new millionaires. The tension between the creators of content and search and delivery will begin to tilt back toward the content providers. Litigation involving social networking sites will be filed to create safeguards against its use as a tool to control and manipulate behaviors thus threatening civil liberties and privacy rights.
8. Culture: American will embrace more corporatism as a pillar to add efficiency and order to their lives. Multiculturalism will continue to grow in the US. However a growing political backlash against it will become more of a prominent theme as Teabaggers agitate for a return to the true values of America. Electronic arts will make major leaps and bounds as commodification continues to be a driving force in the world of art. Printed words like books and newspapers will continue to dramatically decline. Writing, drawing and playing musical instruments skills will ebb as people prefer to develop digital skill sets. Texting and Tweeting make for poor practice for extended compositions.
9. Latin America: Instability will grow in Latin America as narcodollars continue to undermine political stability in Columbia, Venezuela, Mexico and Panama. The US will increasingly become involved in the conflicts between petro and narcodollars. Mexico’s stability will be increasingly undermined by the power and corruptible influence of the drug trade. China’s influence on the continent will grow.
10. European Union: The EU will continue to manage itself for stability. It will yearn to return to its aristocratic roots and will become increasingly conservative. It will continue to have a complex relationship with the expanding Muslim community. A call to deeper nationalism will arise out of a growing influence of Islam and the inefficiencies of EC bureaucrats in Belgium. The EU will continue its union of expediency to counterbalance their distrust of Russia and their distaste for America.
11. Environmental Justice: Though awareness continues to grow concerning the need to mount and implement large scale solutions to halt the problem of global climate change; the political will and resources required to drastically alter the planets current trajectory in growth of carbon emissions from the burning of fossil fuels remains unaltered. Social responsible enterprises, small businesses and individuals continue to make a difference. Eco friendly small businesses, urban farming, capital formation initiatives around renewable energy businesses are hopeful signs of a market response to the pressing problem. China is investing heavily in becoming a market leader out of business savvy and environmental necessity. Until the great powers of the world can come to some collective agreement on how to limit , cap or trade carbon credits we’ll have to be content to separate the trash and recycle, reuse and reduce.
You Tube Music Video: Donald Byrd, Stepping Into Tomorrow
Risk: unfulfilled predictions will make me look bad
Обратно през септември се срещнах @ HardlyNormal на Таймс Скуеър. До този момент, аз трябваше само говори с него чрез Twitter, но Марк е човек, когото съм искал да работя с и чиято причина мисля, че всеки трябва да подкрепи. Той планира да бъде в Ню Йорк, в същото време бях, и ние срещнаСреща он-лайн приятел има много предимства. Тези дни, хората ипотпали намират бъдещите си съквартиранти колеж чрез Facebook и среща с тях преди училище. Въпреки че среща он-лайн приятел не винаги е възможно, ако възможност идвам горе, отивам за него. Знам, че някои хора могат да намерят среща непознати онлайн ужасяващ, но това е важна стъпка, и този, който прави разликата между повърхностни връзка и истински. Просто бъдете ипотпални и винаги да си комплексна проверка преди в лице отговаря-нагоре.
Какви са стъпките за вземане на трайни приятелства онлайн? Моля, да споделите мнението си в коментарите по-долу.
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We’re going out on a limb with this one or given thats its winter we’ll say we’re walking on thin ice. We’ll gaze into the crystal ball and pontificate on ten subject areas for 2010. With some we hope we will be wrong. With some we hope we will be right.