Capitalogix

Are You More Worried that China or the U.S. Wants to Monitor You?

Are you more worried that China is cyber-snooping on us ... or that the American government admitted doing it too?

When I travel on business in a foreign country, I assume that my computer use is monitored. Likewise, many organizations are now prohibiting production laptops, iPads, or other personal electronic devices from traveling to certain countries. Instead, the users given a clean travel device and instructions on certain types of communications and activities to simply forgo until they're back in the country.

But here we are safe ... right?

 

 

Many years ago, my father told me he assumed that people could see what he did and hear what he said. With that in mind, he told me, it wasn't hard to act accordingly.

These days, it is hard for me to imagine someone being genuinely surprised to learn that nation-states monitor telephone conversations, email, or Internet usage.

Nonetheless, it is somewhat surprising that digital privacy hasn't been more a higher profile ("real") social issue in our society.

On some level, people are becoming desensitized to 'sharing' ... For example, look how much personal information people freely give out every day via social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and other social media sites.

The rules of engagement will get more clear as we start to hash out the laws and protections here in America, and the conventions and accords that will at least superficially guide global behavior.

What do you think?

Short and Funny TEDTalk called "10 Top Time-Saving Tech Tips" - Bet You Don't Know All of Them

David Pogue (the tech reviewer from the NYTimes) gave a short and funny TEDTalk.  In it, he shares 10 simple, clever tips for computer, web, smartphone and camera users.

Sure, you may know a few of these already -- but there's probably at least one you don't.

 

 

 

I didn't know all of them.

SNL Parody of Early Google Glass Use

Sometimes it pays not to be an early adopter.

Here is a Saturday Night Live parody of early Google Glass use.

 

 

or try this version (because the SNL link was down for a while).

 

 

 

The Google Glass Stare does not seem natural yet.  Not sure how long it will take to get used to.  For example, imagine having someone like this in a meeting dealing with sensitive data. A little creepy?

 

via White Men Wearing Google Glass.

Are you getting a pair?

Here Are Some Links for Your Weekend Reading

Perhaps you've seen the t-shirt before ...

 

Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.

 

Lighter Links:

• Washington, DC, Is No. 1 — at Watching Porn. So they are doing something there. (Newser)
• 20 Tech Trends That Will Define 2013. Selected By Frog Design (Fastcodesign)
• Seeking Cheaper Insurance, Drivers Accept Monitoring Devices. (NYTimes)
• Toyota Unveils a Lexus that Drives Itself. But Says It’ll Keep Drivers in Control (MIT TechReview)
• Getting the Right Dose of Exercise. Why Four Workouts a Week May Be Better Than Six. (Well)

 

Trading Links:

• How Michael Jordan Still Earns $80 Million A Year. (Forbes)
• Kass Gets ‘Summer of 1987 Feeling’. Sentiment and valuations make a strong bear case (CNBC)
• Fed Action This Year More Powerful Than in 2012. (WSJ)
• A Tax That Could Change the Trading Game. It’s all about ‘Carrots’ and ‘Sticks’. (NYTimes)
• Perhaps You Are Not as Good an Investor as You Think You Are. Many investors have been behaving as if the bloodbath between October 2007 and March 2009 never happened. (Wall Street Journal)

Putting One Foot In Front of the Other

Whether you think you can ... or you think you can't ... you're right.
        ~ Henry Ford

 

Slack-Lining is kind of like tight-rope walking (except the line isn't as taut ... so it moves and bounces around).  The image to the right is of me trying it less than six inches off the ground.

It was harder than you might guess ... Perhaps fear of falling contributed to the heart racing and muscle tension that went along with it.

Josh Beaudoin (the guy trying to steady me) claims that slack-lining is not an adrenaline sport.  It is about being composed in the moment.  It is about finding the confidence to face your fear and the power to manage your emotions.

Listen to some wisdom as you watch an awesome video by Josh. It was shot in Rock Canyon near Provo, UT. 

 

 

Imagine the experience of being up there ... and what we do down here doesn’t seem risky.

To see something else a little crazy.  Check out this link about Fire-Walking.

Related articles

Expect Extraordinary - Here's a Video of Something Not to Try at Home

Naked female climber enjoys stunning Thai paradise at sunrise¿ but refuses to wear protection or harness despite perilous drop

Daily Grind: Famed daredevil Dean Potter highlines under moonlight in breathtaking new video

Cool App Shows You Data About Where You Are

Sitegeist is a mobile application that helps you to learn more about your surroundings in seconds.

There’s a lot of information about your neighborhood (or anyplace you choose). Drawing on publicly available information (such as the U.S. Census, Yelp!, and others), this app digs it up, divides it into categories (people, weather, history, housing, etc.), and serves it up in easy to digest graphics.

 

 

The results are interesting, even though an app like this just scratches the surface of what's possible with access to data.

Some of the data you'll learn about a location includes:

• Age Distribution
• Political Contributions
• Average Rent
• Popular Local Spots

• Recommended Restaurants
• How People Commute
• Record Temperatures
• Housing Units Over Time

Sitegeist was created by the Sunlight Foundation in consultation with design firm IDEO. It is the third in a series of National Data Apps.

Bet you start seeing more apps like this.

Related articles

The Data and Tech Behind Sitegeist

Sitegeist - Sunlight Foundation

Facebook Is A Data Company

Here Are Some Links for Your Weekend Reading

Sometimes it makes sense to buy a little time ... other times you have to play to win.

 

Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.

 

Lighter Links:

• The 11 Most Fascinating Scientific Discoveries of 2012. (The Week)
• This Tiny Gizmo Could Be A Very Big Deal In 2013 - And Beyond. (ReadWrite)
• Flight Forecast. What Travelers Should Expect Next Year - Airlines Get an Upgrade. (WSJ)
• How Obama Decides Your Fate If He Thinks You're a Terrorist. (TheAtlantic)
• Americans Are the Most Spied On People In World History. More Spying On Citizens than Stasi Did in  East Germany (BigPicture)

 

Trading Links:

• Wall Street's 2013 S&P 500 Target from 14 Equity Strategists. (BusinessInsider)
• CyberSecurity Firm Identifies a ‘Credible Threat’ to 30 U.S. Banks. (Washington Post)
• How The Brain Evaluates Risk. (MedicalNewsToday)
• Heirs of Mao’s Comrades Rise as New Capitalist Nobility. (Bloomberg)
• Obama Trades One U.S. Cliff for Another. Yes, the calamity was averted, but only at the expense of setting up a potentially worse showdown in two months. (FT)

Stand and Deliver: Jimmy Fallon and Christina Aguilera Use Office Supplies to Perform Her New Song

Here is a clip of Jimmy Fallon and Christina Aguilera using office supplies and used them as instruments to perform Christina's "Your Body."

Here is the "Instrument" list:

stapler, iPhone keypad, coffee pots with pencil drumsticks, roll of sticky tape, water cooler jug, tissue box & elastic band guitar, spiral notebook (a.k.a. the "tear snare"), keyboard washboard, paper clip shaker, and scissors.

 

 

Innovative, talented, and pretty cool.

 

The Spoof of the iPhone 5 Video is Hilarious

I was watching some of our team chat about the new iPhone 5.  They shared the link for the video and said things like "Wow, dude ... I want one so bad!"

Here is a link to Apple's official iPhone 5 promotional video.

 

 

There is also a spoof of the video.  It is very funny ... worth watching for a laugh and some perspective on how "big" the Apple brand promise has become.

 

 

 

In many ways, the spoof made me want the phone even more.

As a side-note, wouldn't it be great to design a product that was spoof-worthy?

 

As you think about what a spoof of your product or service would be, perhaps the bit of "truth" in the humor points at the real competitive advantage ... or at least towards the roadmap that leads towards creating one?

 

Related Articles

• Samsung to iPhone 5 Fans: You're Idiots! [VIDEO] (mashable.com)
• Conan O'Brien Tries to Get His Hands on the iPhone 5 (mashable.com)
• Apple Delays iPhone 5 Pre-Order Shipments Nearly a Month (mashable.com)
• Jimmy Kimmel Proves: Apple's Magic Is In The Brainwash (techcrunch.com)

How Hard Was It to Get an iPhone 5 Upgrade?

Perhaps you heard, Apple sold a few new iPhones last week.

According to TechCrunch, iPhone 5 Pre-Orders sold-out 20X faster than the 4 and 4S did.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, this should tell quite a story.

The first picture shows the first hurdle ... just strong demand ... right?

 

 

 

At a little after 2am CST, the iPhone 5 seemed close.  The upgrade process starts.

 

 

 

Clicking the button, however, resulted in no joy. The site was unavailable.

 

 

OK, lots of people must be hitting the site all at once.  Let's try again ... and again ...

Progress; at least this is a new page. They must have fixed things?

 

 

It's after 3:30am and the next picture shows why pillows seem more likely than gadget love.

 

 

Give AT&T credit for good planning. How many ways can you anticipate failing?

 

 

I sleepily imagine my propeller beanie being taken away for failing to score ... my early adopter status is wavering as much as my sleep deprived body.

 

 

 

Oh, Apple's site probably sucks less than this ...

 

 

Alas, there's still a chance to wait in line this Friday.

Are you planning on getting the new iPhone?

 

Related articles

• Here's The Anti-iPhone 5 Ad Samsung Will Run In Newspapers Tomorrow (AAPL) (businessinsider.com)
• Will the iPhone 5 Be Apple's Best-Selling Gadget? (mashable.com)
• iPhone 5 Pre-Orders Are Sold Out! (businessinsider.com)
• AT&T: iPhone 5 Set Sales Record, Was "Most Successful iPhone Launch Ever" (techcrunch.com)
• The banned iPhone 5 promo video (idownloadblog.com)