Capitalogix

New Version 4 of Shift Happens Video

Last week I wrote that my son (and his generation) won't communicate the way we do.

For example, he used 9,827 text messages and 564 MB of data on his phone this month.

I'm not going to pretend that I understand how I would use that many messages ... But I'm beginning to understand that he does.

A decade ago, I couldn't have conceived the way we use trading technology today.  The scope and scale of what's possible would have seemed like an improbable science fiction plot.

And that is the point.  Some things seem like nonsense (or magic), until they become science and way things are done.

New Version 4 of Shift Happens Video

Fascinating presentation of facts, stats, and insights about how technology (like the internet) has been changing the world. Some of the tech that we take for granted is now at an inflection point because of the sheer mass of late-adopters.

It is worth watching and thinking about ... as someone living in these changing times ... and in terms of how these changing times shift the game and create a whole new set of opportunities.

While similar to the post on how Social Media is changing everything ... this presentation focuses on the bigger picture and has a more general business tone. 

I like the new design and the added content; yet, found the music a bit distracting.

We are moving forward more quickly than ever.  What you thought you knew about the economy, technology, innovation, and the world are probably out-of-date. I can't wait to see what comes next.

• Here is a link to a transcription of the presentation.
• Here is a link to the author's blog.
• Here is a link to the Shift Happens Project.

Here's a List of Fun iPhone Apps Worth Using

I wanted to create a list of the coolest iPhone apps. However, cool doesn't necessarily mean useful. Instead, this is a list of the applications that I use most.

This week I'm listing the lighter and more fun iPhone apps.  Here is the link to the list the business and productivity apps that I use most.

I limited myself to the top two applications per category.  Hope you find some cool stuff in here.

Social Media

• Facebook
• TweetDeck

Food & Fun Finders

• Yelp
• IWant

Games: Strategy

• Flood-It
• Block-Out

Games: Puzzle

• Sudoku
• DropSum

Games: Pattern Matching

• Moonlight Mahjong
• Triazzle

Games: Text

• TextTwist Turbo
• Scramble

Music

• Pandora
• Rhapsody

Photo Fun

• Photo fx
• ColorSplash

Health & Fitness

• iFitness
• Lose It!

Relaxation

• Pzizz Relax
• Ambiance

Sports News

• Sportacular
• Plusmo Football Plus

Shopping

• SnapTell
• Amazon.com

Even if you don't have an iPhone, check-out the links to see what is available.  I am amazed at how much of my computing and basic research are now done on a Smartphone.

That's it for now.  Let me know if I forgot your favorite or you found something worth sharing.

Timeless

Listen to the clever word-play in this Louis Armstrong and Danny Kaye duet and you'll hear the seeds from which a bunch of modern music sprouted from ...

If this doesn't make you feel better after you watch it, please contact me and I will send the fun police by your house!

(hat tip to Perro Grande)

Click here for more Louis Armstrong music videos.

Screen Capture Software Worth Snagging

I'm so glad I found Snagit.  It is one of the un-sung heroes that I use all the time but don't think about because it is so reliable and stable that I forget how good it is.

What Can You Do With Snagit? 

Capture anything you see on the screen. Edit and combine those captures. Add text, arrows, or highlights to make the image better.  Then share them through your favorite applications. Organize and find them again later.

I end-up using it several times a day.  It is my default image editor.  I use it to create or edit the graphics for the blog, presentations and e-mails.  I use it to capture and annotate certain financial transactions ... and to get or give tech support. Bottom-Line: the more you use Snagit, the more ways you'll find to use it. 

Here is a two-minute video that will give you a quick overview of some of the things Snagit can do for you.

Techsmith makes several other cool tools too.  I'm not affiliated with them, other than as a satisfied client.  Just thought it was worth sharing.  Hope it helps you too. 

Click here to go to the product page for Snagit.

Click here to download a trial.

Capitalogix Commentary 06/28/09

Rolling Stone is not where I typically read insightful Market commentary.  Nonetheless, Matt Taibbi wrote a piece for them you should read.  The article is called "The Great American Bubble Machine", and it details Goldman Sachs' role in engineering every major market manipulation since the Great Depression.  Take a look.

Also, here is a link to the text of the article.

Other Asset Classes.

This chart caught my eye.  It shows the top-ten residential real-estate markets, and let's just say none of them are around here.  Click the picture to go to Reiden's site for more data.

 

I guess Goldman Sachs isn't the only one who can create Bubbles. 

Also, I'm hearing a lot more rumblings from experienced traders about buying a little gold.  Richard Russell, of Dow Theory fame, says: “The way the world is going, ‘gold will be the last man standing’. Gold will be wanted because unlike everything else, gold can not go bankrupt. Gold has no debt against it, gold is not the product of some nation’s central bank. Gold is pure intrinsic wealth. It needs no nation to guarantee it. Gold is outside the paper system.”

Confidence In the U.S. Equity Markets.

The VIX closed at 25.93 today, down more than 16% from Monday’s close of 31.17 to the lowest closing level since September 12, 2008 – the last trading day before the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy was announced.  A rise in volatility from these levels would likely be bearish.

Bespoke notes that the Michigan Confidence joins the growing number of indicators that are now at or better than Pre-Lehman levels.  It is currently at its highest level since January 2008.  This month's reading is also the fourth consecutive month-over-month increase in confidence.  

Market Metaphor?

This NYC hotel claims that one of its rooms is not only a tourist attraction, but is “art”. Art that starts to smell bad in warm weather.

Room Covered In Melted Cheese

Business Posts Moving the Markets that I Found Interesting This Week:

• Why Isn't The Stimulus Stimulating? Seems Like Speed Will Matter. (Forbes)
• World Economy Tracking or Doing Worse than the Great Depression. (VoxEU)
• Morgan Stanley Topples Goldman as M&A Leader this Year. (NYPost)
• List of Banks with the Biggest Profits and Losses Last Year. (Economist)
• Tech Sector Strength May Be Weaker than Claimed. (Barrons)
• Why Computers Can't - Yet - Consistently Beat the Market. (Forbes)
• Michael Jakson's Debt, Private Equity & His Hedge Fund Backer. (FinAlternatives)
• More Posts Moving the Markets.

Lighter Ideas and Fun Links that I Found Interesting This Week

• What Is Your Favorite Michael Jackson Song? Interactive Retrospective. (NYTimes)
• Windows 7 at Half Price: Why is Microsoft Offering Discounts? (InformationWeek)
• New Defense Industry Niche: Researchers Developing Tiny Flying Spies. (Forbes)
• New Book on the Secret History of the National Security Agency. (USNews)
• Super-Intelligence: When Will Computers Be Smarter Than Us? (Forbes)
• Google Voice: Smarter Phone Calls for Your Smart Phones. (NewScientist)
• Can You Get Fit in Six Minutes a Week? The Research is Promising. (NYTimes)
• More Posts with Lighter Ideas and Fun Links.

Happy Dance Postcards From Around The World

I found this strangely compelling and fun to watch. 

Been there, want to go there, hadn't even heard of there ... I've flown over 4 million miles, and enjoyed realizing I haven't even scratched the surface, yet.

Why watch a video of a guy doing his happy dance in various places around the world?  See for yourself. 

Here is a link to several of his videos and a link to his website.

Is Genius Something You Have or Something You Are?

Some of my greatest accomplishments seemed almost effortless when they happened.

Some people call it "Flow" while others call it "Being-In-The-Zone". You've probably experienced the same thing.

Genius may be related to that. As I think of it, some of my best ideas seemingly came to me fully-formed.

For example, in 2003 I had a breakthrough discovery resulting in an algorithm now used in a series of trading systems. Leading up to that point, I had spent quite a long time thinking about every little aspect in detail; and the progress had come slowly and painfully. Then, whoosh, it's like the whole thing came all at once.  I say (and I believe) that it came to me, through me, and from me.  But I still don't know how or why it happened.  It is almost like I was television or radio receiver that somehow got turned into a channel broadcasting something worthwhile.

Since then, I've tried to re-create the environment, my work process, anything to bring back that feeling of inspiration, innovation and progress.  And I have had moments like that from time-to-time.

The Ted Talk Video on Genius:

This video is about the process I described above.  It is about "Genius" and whether it's something you "Have" or something you "Are".

While this video does not provide answers, hopefully it will stimulate a thought process and provoke some ideas and discussions that you find helpful and enjoyable. I know it did for me.

Here is the direct link.

Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love, muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses -- and shares the idea that, instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all of us "have" a genius.

Also, here's a link to a website that lists the daily routines and work process that various famous people have used. I found some interesting things there.

This is what happens when too many bankers are out of work ...

In 1929 they jumped off buildings; now they make videos. This guy has some talent, just not enough clothing.  All The Single Ladies, will never be the same.

Direct Link to YouTube video. And here is a link to Beyoncé doing that same song a little differently.

Numa Numa is the original viral video in this class.  It has over 25 million views. See why.

Direct Link to the YouTube video of Numa Numa. Here is Brolsma's new video and here is his website.

So Bad, It's Good

Microsoft has a new product that people use to create a new genre of really bad music.  I have to admit that I enjoy it, even though it's like watching a train wreck.

Microsoft just released Songsmith, a product where you sing the words as best you can, and its software supplies computer-matched musical accompaniment. The truth is that it probably has some pretty advanced technology.

It has become trendy to take a vintage rock video, strip out the instruments, and then let Songsmith process the classic song in "unexpected" ways.  So, if you want to hear the Police's song, Roxanne, differently than you had before ... Songsmith is the right tool for that job.

To make things worse (or better) Microsoft's promotional video for Songsmith is so bad that it is painful to watch.  It is so campy I suspect it was done intentionally to generate buzz. You've got to see it to believe it.

Here is the direct link. 

For the record, I'm a fan of Microsoft.  It may not be a popular position to take, but I like and use lots of their software.  They come up with many innovative things.  The ad, above, may not be their best effort. So watch and listen for yourself?

Here is the result of Songsmith processing the classic Police song, Roxanne.

Remember, you get to choose lots of options, like tempo, style, and instruments.  So, someone wanted it to sound like this.  Still, it speaks for itself, doesn't it?  Here is the direct link.

Here's one with a slightly better result ... Oasis' Wonderwall.

Here is the direct link.

Here are a few other links worth checking.  Remember, real music sounds better when this stops.

• Here is a link to a Techcrunch article about Songsmith and its ad.
• Here is a link to a collection of other horrific Songsmith versions of Billy Idol, The Cars, etc.
• Here is a link to more strange re-mixes.
• Here is a link to a spoof of the ad that isn't politically correct, but you may find funny.
• Here is a link to Microsoft's product page for Songsmith.
• And if you still want more, search for "Classic Hits by Microsoft Songsmith" on YouTube.

Resonant Chamber

This Animusic video is mesmerizing.  The animation is better than what you find in many video games and adds something to the music, which is pretty good in-and-of itself. 

The video was not animated by humans.  Instead, the studio that created this video invented an animation engine that analyzes the notes in a piece of music and the engine's algorithms animate from there.

Fascinating; check-it-out for yourself.

Here is a direct link to the video on YouTube.  Animusic has their own YouTube Channel.