Time Management

How things have change lately with the appearance of all the devices that makes us be communicated with business and social world. PDA, Blackberry and Iphone devices, Wifi and Wimax networks, 3G technology, etc. New breed of Workers face this new business way of working scenario. The main feature of those workers are that they are ubiquitus in the global arena. There is no chance to avoid a call, message, etc. We need to be prepared for every occassion no day and night, no bad mood, not a special ocassion.

One question arise from this. Can we really improve our time management with this new communication networks?

Government 2.0

Electronic Government models have been evolving over the years. Service delivery has been the target for most electronic government approaches. New trends in information technology, innovation models, the net generation, and new rules that govern information society make us think in a new egovernment ecosystem.

What would be the impact ofthe social networks on the G2C and C2G relationtionship? would new generation demand a new diferent service delivery. If you want to explore more into this issue, let me share a small work on it. http://www.electronicgovernment.se/SIGeGOV/2_ibarra.pdf

Bob the Builder

Lately if being feeling like Bob the builder (the pre-school learning program) because all the devices I have to carry out every time I go out. Mobile, Ipod ,USB data Traveler, Camera, etc. I even have to buy a waist bug to carry all the stuff. I've been thinking that the electronic industry is failing in the integration of devices. The Iphone is a good attempt to fulfill the latter objective but still is not a complete solution. Specialization in the electronic industry is the main problem for this issue. Consumers can have the best camera, Mp3 or mp4 device (not necessary Ipod) or mobile phone but not together in the same device and consumers want to have the best and together is not possible (at least for the time being).

This problem of lack of integration is not new in the industrial age. The history of failings attempts of integration is long, but I would like to show a couple of its. The first and most notorious for me is TV set (the old one not the flat model) and the VCR (or DVD lately). Even the same manufacturers were not able to do it. All the entertainment centers that the market offer us are a bunch of good separate devices sell it together.

Another example is the microwave and conventional ovens. Why we have to take more space in our house if there is a chance to have all devices together (unless there is an impossibility that we don’t know yet). The explanation is the same: specialization. The best TV brand is not the best VCR brand or the best microwave brand is not the same that conventional ovens.

From the consumer perspective there is one point against integration: the help desk service. If devices are separate manufacturers can offer a better service (specialization again) than if devices are all together . Imagine if your camera is not working well you have to leave your phone, Ipod, etc. But still manufacturers can have good and innovative ideas to go over it.

Music System

Writing back after some time. One thing I want to coment today is about the use of computers to keep and manage mp3 files. I've been downloading and storing music in my notebook for a while. I think I have more than 3 thousand titles. it is very convenient to manage information about the title and also to make playlist for every ocasion. I use windows media player and also media monkey lately. Both of them are very good managing information. The only incovenient I have found using the computer to listen music is the imposibility to have remote control over the music. There is some software that help to integrate this feature to the computer. However, i thing this feature should be embeded to the computer and part of the basic hardware. In my opinion computer industry should understand the fact that computers are the future of periferics integration (radio, tv, music system) and fron that fact they will start thinking the future that way specially if the future is already here.

Internet Social Networks

Since the appearance of the web we've been using mail and web mail as means of communication. With the upcoming web 2.0 new means of communications have been created. Blogs, wikis and social networks are new buzzwords in the information society.

We are facing a new revolution in the information society which break some boundaries. According to sociologists, persons have a limit for social relationships. Dumbar's number (150) its the maximum number of individuals with whom any one person can maintain stable relationships.

The appearance of Internet social networks change this proposal and can make people get involve with an infinitive numbers of people and keep stable relationships. Its like an upgrade of the hard disk which you can use to save information about your relations and load it when you need it.

For the net generation this mean is part of their lives and is approaching the use electronic mail. Hi5, facebook, myspace, wayn and lately linkedin are examples of social networks leading the market (as far as I know). The main feature of these networks are that are focus on some field of interest and try to reach a special niche. Hi5 and myspace are based on friendship (I had contact people I have not seen in 20 years) and are very popular among youngsters, wayn is based on traveling, quit interesting special for people who travel a lot, Linkedin is a network of pros and facebook is mix of all of them.

Supermarket II

I was surfing "second life" for some days trying to figure out what is the business behind the wall. Nothing comes out so far, but I was really thinking about the supermarket of the future we post it some weeks ago. I was thinking that supermarkets can create a 3D Supermarket where customers can navigate through a 3d supermarket, they can choose products, interact with real employees which can give information about products, size, choices, etc. also meet real people who are also shopping. Then clear shopping card an that's it. This can create a unique experience to customers and put technology and electronic commerce one step forward.

Track List

I was wondering why a CD players are not able to bring us track list information from a CD. Its seems like we look for the more difficult path to find something. When you use Internet you are able to see track list for companies that bring track list database, I figure out that the CD have a sort of code which it uses as primary key to find the information. I propose a very easy thing, put the information of the track list in a text file in the CD, common standard. Music player and Cd Player can be able to read the information and show us in the device. Would this be possible?