Jeff Cutler – columns, essays and opinions

I’m now in a session at Enterprise 2.0 learning how to measure social media activity within communities and entire populations. Here are a few of the resources these guys have shared with us so far…

Google Sets

Searchword Research

Next up in the session – 40 minutes about what you should think about when working with communities and social media. Analytics that apply to the social media and Website landscape.

The session is called Enterprise Communilytics. Here is the description…

Last year, at Enterprise 2.0, we took a look at the tools used to monitor social media platforms. The market has matured greatly since – and many new tools and techniques exist to help you understand more about your brand presence online.

This year, we’re going to cover how measurement practices and tools are applied to every day social media campaigns. You will leave with a practical understanding of measurement concepts as they’re applied to digital strategies. We’ll spend time looking at real campaigns that we’ve launched, and how we measured them to determine their successes and failures. We will cover some material from our book, Complete Web Monitoring, but most of the content in this session comes from recent campaigns that we’ve launched and new concepts that we didn’t have a chance to write in the first edition.

Instructors:
Alistair Croll, Founder, Bitcurrent
Sean Power, Consultant and Analyst, Co-Founder, Watching Websites

It’s good stuff with a lot of practical information. Glad I made the trip to Boston today. Conference goes for another three days. More info here.

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Tags: analytics, communilytics, enterprise 2.0, numbers, social media, society, technology

While still in the Cloud Computing session, the speakers showed a great slide – in my opinion – of questions to ask your data services provider. Pardon the blurry photo, lighting wasn’t fantastic in the ballroom.

What questions would you ask a data provider? What questions would you – as a consumer – want to ask Google or Facebook or Twitter?

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Tags: #e2conf, Boston, cloud computing, data center, Jeff Cutler, safety, technology

Lots of friends and social media colleagues use BlueMic equipment to do their podcasting. I have been using the Zoom H2 as my mic for 51 episodes of one podcast and for about 40 episodes of another (along with some recording for NPR and other projects). I can say without doubt that the Zoom equipment has served me well, but I wanted to see if there were other mics that I could use in my studio so I wouldn’t have to break out the Zoom every time I wanted to make a Skype call or record a column.

Here’s a fast fast fast first take on the Snowflake Portable USB microphone from BlueMics (they’re at BlueMic.com).

*By the way, here are two podcasts for you to listen to. One was made with the Zoom H2 and the other with the Snowflake. No need to listen to the entire file, you can tell the sound quality once I begin my intro after the lead in by Natalie Gelman and the typewriter.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Now my thoughts…

The bad…

I think the Snowflake is a little more hollow than the Zoom. It has a slight echo and didn’t have the fine-tuning features as the other mic. This made me wonder if I had to go right up against the screen to get the strongest sound. It also may have some build-quality issues as the first unit that was provided to me didn’t work at all and I had to send it back. This unit worked fine, but the head swivels around easily and made me take extra care not to move for fear it would spin and miss some of my words.

The good…

It’s tiny. It’s plug-and-play. It’s affordable for anyone who prefers to use an external mic instead of the onboard one. It looks sleek. It works pretty well – again with some limits. And the customer service at the company is top-notch.

Verdict…

Too soon to tell. I’ve recorded one podcast on the thing and had the one hiccup of a bad unit. I’ll use it some more in various situations and let you know what I think.

What microphones do you use when you’re recording? What camera equipment do you use. I welcome your thoughts. Whether you’re Bob Knorp or Steve Garfield or even Robert Scoble, I know we can all learn something about the technology you use to record.

Thanks for reading.

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Tags: blue mic, CES, Jeff Cutler, snowflake, technology, zoom

Guest Post by Philip Zannini

With just a day left to go before the big Apple event at the Yerba Buena center to announce the new tablet, slate, big iPod, iPony whatever the thing will be called, I felt a pressing need to go on record somewhere I could be heard with my prediction.

Now, you might be having some premonitions if you’ve looked at the title of the post (yes, it is a tip of the hat to Caddy Shack BTW) and you’re probably feeling pretty DARN good about knowing where I’m going. Well, you’re absolutely probably pretty somewhere in the right church, I have no idea if you’re in the right pew – or even if this church has pews or chairs. But iDigress.

Yes, my prediction is that on the 27th of this month Apple is about to launch is first bonafide (say it like Colonel Potter from the old MASH TV series) turd since the G4 Cube (pretty as that was too). And I know you’re saying “But PhillyMac! Dude! You’re an Apple fanboy, an iPhone developer (http://ventipixel.com) – heck you even hosted a popular Mac podcast and everything! How can you say that!?” The answer is: easy.

If all the rumors turn out to be true. If Apple does not surprise us with a completely different device and form factor than we’re getting all indications of, this is going to be a big stinker of a product. It’s going to be the slickest, most high powered heavily marketed chocolate snake since the Edsel. Yes it’s true. And I know I say this at the risk of angering many fans, but my job (as I see it) is to speak the truth.

The tablet market has been one going nowhere and had no one (except for Bill Gates) caring about it for a very long time. OK, OK. Fine, there’s a very small niche that actually does give a crap. But that’s it. This market has no broad or radical opportunities in it like the mobile phone market did, where every device had been crippled by the carriers demands, the tablet has been open forever.

I know. This is Apple! This is Steve Jobs, not Bill Gates! This is Johnny Ives, this is a new and better touch interface! (Well, in theory that’s supposed to be one of the big selling points anyway). And you’re right. It’s all of those! None of them make not a hanging chad worth of difference. This thing is still going to be one of the biggest loads laid at 1 Infinite loop since they had to grab the pooper scooper to pick up the Pippin droppings.

First there’s the price. Heads up here. We’re in a bit of a squeeze right now economically if you hadn’t noticed. This makes a difference when selling a computing device. Oh, sure, Mac sales are still up in a crazy manner. I’ll give you that. But those sales are up on machines that people are using as their daily driver. you know, camera, keyboards, track pads. All the standard inputs that make computers work – especially if you like to do things like say… oh, type an post like this one. Rumors are that this iStinker is going to be between $700-1000 dollars. That would make it a primary machine – not a secondary device like a netbook that you’re going to keep in the living room for your three year old to use as a step stool or a frizbee. Got it? Price on this will be a BIG barrier to entry. #PriceFAIL.

Second, there’s the price. No, I didn’t make a mistake, I just said the same thing. It applies differently. Just as price is an issue that will keep this from being the secondary machine, price is also the issue to keep it from being the new Kindle or whatever book reader thingy you’re going to get. Yes, yes. It has a color screen. Whoopee! So what!? So does my MacBook! But you’re saying that I can watch movies on it too! I know! I can do that on my MacBook already! And you know what, I can read eBooks on my MacBook too! With my external monitor, I can even flip it and use the portrait mode to make it even BIGGER to read Oh, wait. I know, you’re going to tell me it has a great new touch interface. Great. See point one in the paragraph above. #PriceFAIL2.

Third, there’s the market. I know I already mentioned it, but I wanted to make sure you knew it was firmly on my list. Pay attention now or I’m going to box your ears. NO-BODY (except Alex Lindsay, Leo Laporte, Andy Ihnatko and Scott Bourne) want this thing. No one cares! This is one of those things that people at Apple are going to look back at and say “What the bloody hell were we thinking?” This isn’t like the mobile market where we were all desperate for a phone that could really work well and connect us. None of us want to use a tablet. I don’t want writing input, I type about three times faster (at least ) than I can write and when I’m done I can READ what I’ve written. I don’t care if I can use coverflow to find my document if it means that I have to type everything into that document with a virtual keyboard. Sure, I use the one on my iPhone – but that’s my PHONE. #MarketFAIL

Fourth, the size is wrong, Wrong, WRONG. The beauty of my iPhone is that it fits in my pocket. This would fit into my back pack – where it would have to share room with my MacBook because I need a device that has a keyboard and a mouse for all my standard input needs. I don’t care if I can touch the screen to move stuff – I’ve already got enough issues and have to have an expensive chair and weekly chiropractic visits to keep me well enough to function. Having to reach around on the darn input device like I’m drawing on an easel or on a real pad would put me in even more pain. But back to my original point here, it’s the wrong size. This isn’t the device I throw in my pocket with my Blistex and my license. It’s big, I can’t carry it around without thought and it is (as I’ve mentioned already) a secondary device. Let’s see, pick up the baby or spare another hand for the iDoody. Hmmm. #SizeFAIL.

People, please understand. As much as I love Apple. As much as I’d like this new device to revolutionize the world like the iPod and the iPhone – this ain’t it. As much as I love His Steveness, this is going to be another one of his single minded failures – something that gets made just because he’s the big dog at Apple and he says so (like the G4 cube, the hockey puck mouse and the mighty mouse). It makes me sad too.

I’ll admit it. This device is going to come out. It’s going to be pretty and shiny. It’s going to play video. It’s going to he an amazing touch interface that I’m SURE will be a blast to play with in the store (like Minority Report or something) but will be a DOG when you have to use it on a daily basis. I know these guys are the best at User Interface of anyone in the industry, but I can’t think of any conceivable interface based on touch that would mitigate the issues I’ve described above. Yes, I know I’m not Apple – but I am a UI/UX expert with a decade of experience designing interfaces – I can’t see how it will be done.

The device will be beautiful, even powerful. it’ll be very slick. I’m going to want one just because Steve will create a reality distortion field. But, once my head clears and I realize I have no possible use for this – and neither does 90% of the rest of the population – I won’t buy it. I’ll go into an Apple Store and I’ll play with the iDoody. When I’m done, I’ll grab a wipee and the hand sanitizer because really, it’s not hygienic to touch things after doody, whether Apple makes it or not.

BIO:
Phillip is an Award Winning Mobile Device designer, UI/UX Authority, Brilliant Speaker (http://phillymacmedia.com) and the Co-Founder of Venti Pixel (http://ventipixel.com) where they’re busy cranking out iPhone (and other mobile device) applications like their language translation application DoubleSpeak (http://bit.ly/dspeak) and Flame Wars (http://bit.ly/fwtwitter)

Contact:
email: phillymac@gmail.com
phone: 508 65 SHINE (508-657-4463)
iPhone/Mobile Development: http://ventipixel.com
Speaking: http://phillymacmedia.com

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Tags: Apple, fail, guest post, iPhone, phillymac, steve jobs, tablet, technology

Just a quick list of some stuff I saw – along with links to their sites.

The rest of this week will feature a series of columns on my entire CES experience. Stay tuned!

ToolGuard – a loud, battery-powered alarm for your tool box. Not listed on their site yet, but it’s from Dynamco of Australia.

http://dynamco.com.au/

Album is a portible digital-photo storage in a 7-inch display. Stores up to 40,000 photos.

http://www.album-life.com/en/

Laptop to HDTV – watch your movies on your flatscreen.

http://www.alereon.com/

GPS transmitters to maintain tabs on your loved ones or employees.

http://blacklinegps.com/

Bluetooth headphones and in-ear pieces.

http://www.myblueant.com/index.php

Podcasting microphones from BlueMic – they make the Snowball, the Snowflake and the Yeti.

http://www.bluemic.com./

Sync and share your computer, mobile and the cloud.

http://www.dazzboard.com/

Videos and more on your TV, live streamed from your computer or similar device.

http://www.boxee.tv

Evaluate your own car – just plug it in. CarMD.

http://www.carmd.com/

Case-Mate has protective film that needs very little prep. They also introduced the HUG, the first real iPhone osmosis charger.

http://www.case-mate.com/

Collaborative authoring tool for your book. Use the Web to get input and feedback.

http://www.fastpencil.com/

Thermal imaging. It’s neat, but I’m not sure I’d know how to use it as a consumer – unless I was going to use a surface to surface missile to take out a skunk or a pesky rabbit.

http://www.flir.com/US/

The i-Mate is like a smartphone toughbook. Waterproof, drop-proof and built to meet military specs.

http://imate.com/

System software to help speed up your PC.

http://www.iolo.com/

Bluetooth headsets, earphones, earbuds and more. Flashy design, too.

http://www.jaybirdgear.com/

Find Song Lyrics and Download Ringtones. Over 600,000, including hard-to-find, songs. Might be like Mobile17.com, but with lyrics.

http://www.mspot.com/

My favorite smartphone cases. Love the durability and the access to all my iPhone’s functions. Also love the other sports cases they offer.

http://www.otterbox.com/

Tiny scanners that are portable and work fast.

http://www.planon.com/

The QUE is another content reader with cool partnerships and a nice design.

http://plasticlogic.com/

Pocket Radar. Why? I say why not? It’s a neat way to judge speeds. Use it for outdoor sports, baseball and even for calibrating your scooter’s notoriously bad speedometer. Handheld.

http://pocketradar.com/

Computer backup software. Partnered with Seagate…for the PC.

http://www.rebit.com/

One of my favorite headphone companies. I have a pair of traditional on-the-ear headphones for most of my podcasting and leisure use…I love them.

http://www.sennheiserusa.com/home

Radio to your smartphone.

http://www.slacker.com/

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Tags: CES, ces 2010, gadgets, Jeff Cutler, Las Vegas, technology

As you can see from the photo below, the press room at the Venetian is tiny, horribly outfitted and did I mention tiny.

What has reportedly happened for 2010 is that CEA – the organization that puts on the show – decided that with so few exhibits at the Venetian, they didn’t need to fully outfit a press room.

There are two computers, a handful of Ethernet jacks, no printers and a grand total of 29 chairs and two couches for ALL PRESS and BLOGGERS.

That’s to accommodate the approx. 5000 registered press attending the show.

Even though there are major press conferences, CES Unveiled and other press-specific meeting here all week long.

Curious. It’s like they’ve never done this before.

Photo was taken with my back to the far wall. I suppose I won’t be the only reporter who feels that way this week.

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Tags: CES, technology, vegas, venetian

The other day I had one of my car tires slashed. The car was right in front of the house and I was astonished that someone had been so bold.

So guess what I’m doing now.

That’s right, I’m shopping for infrared cameras.

First I’m looking at edealinfo.com, and then after I’ll take a gander at the tech stores in NYC.

What would you do if you were violated at home…or at least had your stuff wrecked by people or persons unknown?

More details on my shopping and protection experience later.

Keep reading!

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Tags: annoyed, online shopping, slashed, technology, tires

Computers, smart phones, talking GPS, time-zone-alert alarm clocks and heating systems that self-adjust are only a few of the pieces of technology that allow us geeks to stockpile guilt in heretofore unheard of amounts.

While our tech is presumably being efficient and completing tasks while we eat, sleep, code, chat or spend time away from our homes and desks, our minds are busy beating our souls into submission.

According to Freud, the superego uses guilt and self-reproach as its primary means of enforcement for internalized rules. If you don’t achieve a goal, your mind takes it out on you.

Worse, if you give your technology permission to complete a task and it fails, you’re doubly to blame. Once for trusting in technology (an iffy proposition at best because the robots will soon kill us all with lasers) and a second time because you’ll have to do the work yourself in a more responsible way.

Take video production, for instance. No matter how great a processor your computer has, it takes about 14Million hours to process a snippet of HD video. So, most people do the Ron Popeil and “set it and forget it.”

That only works never. Because the second you’re out of sight of the computer, the program realizes it needs you click OK on some button to continue the interminable process.

Is there a solution to how closely we’ve tied our souls to technology’s wins and losses? Sure, don’t do it. Stop blaming the tech.

I mean you should take credit for everything you do, whether it’s tech-assisted or not. Don’t get hung up on the processing power of your PC or the inability of your phone to play FourSquare or the woman on the GPS who allows you to drive into a sand pit.

We’re products of a society that allows everyone to blame others for their plight. Don’t buy into that and don’t bring tech tools into the game either. If you’re smart enough to stuff a SIM card into an iPhone or download a song or even send an email, you’re qualified enough to take the blame for throwing out your photo library, deleting that one email you needed, setting the heat in the house to work during the day instead of night, or forgetting to back up your computer.

I don’t want to hear your whining or your blaming or your shame. Technology is just a tool. Learn how to use it or get out of the way.

Keep reading!

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Tags: blame, Freud, guilt, new media, technology

Just a quick thought that I wanted to get on electrons before it escaped my sieve-like mind.

When you’re attending an Open-Coffee or similar networking session, wouldn’t it be great to have a whiteboard or some other sign-in mechanism to give new arrivals a view of the people in the room?

Just showed up at Cambridge Open Coffee at Andala Coffee House and the room is packed with people shouting at each other over the street noise.

With 15 people in the room before I wandered in, I have no idea where to start, who’s here and what’s already been discussed.

In fact, when I arrived today, the group was sitting in a campground circle vigorously talking about something.

It’s settled a little bit now, but I still have to get up and poke each and every person to find out their story and share mine if applicable.

What’s your experience in going to networking and tech gatherings?

Keep reading!

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Tags: Andala Coffee House, cambridge, Jeff Cutler, meetup.com, open coffee, technology

Have you ever had to edit a Word doc with a group of committee members? If so, you know that by the time you get the original document back, it’s every color under the rainbow and all shred of continuity has been extinguished.

That’s usually the power of collaborative tools. And that’s why there are so many jokes about large committees not being able to accomplish anything.

In fact, there’s a town north of Boston where the school committee chair allows everyone from the crossing guard to the custodian to give their thoughts on policy before making a decision. In that hamlet, the meetings regularly go for 90 minutes longer than scheduled and it’s taken them years to agree on topics as menial as school naming procedure.

But I digress. Technology now makes it possible – and has made it possible for years – for large groups to work together without being at the same table or even in the same hemisphere, and actually accomplish real work.

These tools, on display at the Enterprise 2.0 Conference at the Westin Waterfront Hotel this week, are proving to be the lifeblood of doing more work with fewer staffers.

For example, RollStream has a product that allows companies to build networks like Facebook for their clients. Essentially, the software creates a closed social network where teams can work together online, safely and easily.

Also at the show is a company called ThoughtFarmer. They’ve created a tool that’s used internally at companies for collaboration and information exchange. One interesting way people are using this software is to put up company alerts, HR info, and other internal forms and data – all inside the walls of the firm and presumably safe from prying external eyes.

Walking around the exhibit floor, I saw a dozen companies with similar products and that made me realize it might be the wave of the future. But why?

I think it’s got the promise of financial savings and ease of use. People are increasingly comfortable sharing their updates on Twitter and LinkedIn and Facebook, so why not leverage that familiarity to create tools that work the same way at the office?

Are we hearing the bell toll for shipping, hard media forms like CDs and DVDs, and for business travel?

Well, products will still have to be shipped and people will still want to look at larger documents in hard-copy (architectural drawings, etc.). But as these tools get more popular, we are going to see fewer people jetting around the world to sit in a room with a useless committee. We’ll see less spending on shipping if people can just click and see a product or contribute their thoughts. And we’ll continue to see companies tightening their belts on resources.

One can only wonder what’s going to happen to conferences like this one when everyone finally buys into distance learning and collaboration. Why would you ever need to go anywhere to be AT a conference if you could be there just by sitting down at your desk?

What’s your take on new media tools for business? Are you marketing, collaborating and interacting only on line these days?

Keep reading!

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Tags: collaborative tools, distance learning, enterprise 2.0, Facebook, Jeff Cutler, technology