Social Media gone to far?

I saw this article and I became a little worried. While the idea of young age learning and connecting to others is very important in child development, I can't for the life of me figure out why it would be important for a toddler to know when another toddler is brushing his teeth. Social media has many good values, but I think this step is at least one too far...

The government has its eyes on the Cloud...

The federal government is making the admininstration's strongest statement yet in support of Web-based computing as it is adopting a "cloud-first" policy.

Clearly the government realizes the fast pace at which technology changes, and with its complex system and usually slow decision-making process, it may make an IT acquisition only to find out one month later that the technology has gone obsolete. As federal officials push agencies to move their data and applications to the web, the number of physical data centers the government uses will be significantly reduced.

The article included comments from a couple key officials in the change process, and it sounded like the decision to move to the Cloud has received quite positive feedback and support.

The federal government will outline more details at an open meeting on Dec. 9.

any publicity = good publicity on Google?

This weekend's NYT had an interesting article about an online eyeglass company called DecorMyEyes, whose thug-like business tactics and on-line notoriety have helped the business move up on Google's search results.

DecorMyEyes has built up quite a reputation online as a dishonest retailer that not only cheats its customers but also harasses them and makes death threats (seriously). Somehow the countless complaints online about the company have been translating to higher rankings on Google search results and DecorMyEyes has been getting more and more business as a result.

Although the algorithm used by Google to determine the ranks remains unknown, a big factor is the number of links from respected and substantial Web sites. The more links that a site has from big and well-regarded sites, the better its chances of turning up high in a search. Google does not want to disclose the algorithm because it is afraid that people will try to game the system, but it seems that at least one business owner seems to have found a way to do that without knowing the formula. The owner of DecorMyEyes was quoted as saying: “I’ve exploited this opportunity because it works. No matter where they post their negative comments, it helps my return on investment. So I decided, why not use that negativity to my advantage?”

This article seems to raise some important points about the limitations of Google algorithms and how the system could backfire for unsuspecting consumers. We'd like to think that there is less information asymmetry as a result of consumer comments and blogs, but perhaps we still have ways to go. On the other hand, maybe this is the way it should be: Google doesn't make any guarantees about the quality of the site it displays -- it just shows the most relevant sites. It's a pretty democratic process, albeit misleading for shoppers. So what's the solution? What is Google's responsibility in a situation like this?

The Google Netbook: An Enabler

A recent article in the NY Times went over how Google is planning on introducing a Google Netbook in the coming months. The netbook is expected to run on the Chrome OS, which as the article discussed, is essentially the same thing as the Chrome browser. Basically, all of our information normally stored on each individual computer will be stored on Google's servers, accessed via the cloud. Google's strategy is to use these netbooks as another portal towards their services, allowing them to make money off of their primary means: advertising. The Chrome OS-based netbook will run only Google web-based applications instead of its competitor's apps (instead of iTunes, a Google based music software, instead of MS Office, a Google-based office replica, etc.).

The article notes one major issue with introducing a netbook is that the market has already changed in the past year from netbooks to tablets. However, I see a few other issues with the idea of the Google Netbook. If all of our information will be stored on Google's servers, privacy issues will certainly come to the forefront (as if they weren't already). Google will have direct access to a huge amount of critical information. I would imagine companies holding sensitive information on their databases would be a bit skeptical in putting such information on the cloud. Another issue is the attempt Google would be making at locking in users to their Web-based applications. Google has been about opening up the web, allowing their open-source model of application development to push their applications above many of their competitors. However, locking out software on their Google Netbooks will most likely drive away customers who like the flexibility of using different software/applications. It could also reduce the value of Google's applications, as developers for the Chrome OS will have less competition to deal with and thus less motivation to improve since the OS disallows consumers to use some of Google's major competitor's applications.

Long Live the Web: Reflections by Sir Tim Berners-Lee

Happy Thanksgiving...  As you relax (or on your flight back), please take a look at this article by Sir Tim Berners-Lee published in the latest issue of the Scientific American.  It is titled Long Live the Web: A Call for Continued Open Standards and Neutrality. I think it is an important read--both in terms of the last two decades and in terms of what the future implications of many of the ideas that we have explored in our course. 
--
Best. 

Cloud Gaming....

Ask any hardcore gamer which is better PS3 or Xbox 360 and you will here a list of pros and cons despite the fact that both systems are very similar in capabilities and access to games.

Early on in our MS-MBA classes we saw diagrams outlining the evolution of the gaming industry with all the spokes leading back to the gaming platforms. Cloud gaming may be the next diagram for this evolution. Xbox 360 (and I believe PS3) already offer access to many games online, but these games are generally downloaded to your console's harddrive before you can play them. Moving games to the cloud could potentially marginalize the need for a robust console. The consoles could become simple portals to game libraries with the basic hardware for controllers.

This change would also eliminate the need for consoles to have disc readers to play games. Some computers (including my laptop) have already eliminated the CD-ROM drive. If I need to import/export information, I use the USB or high speed internet.

The question is who will be dominating player in this change. A movement away from the console centric view invites powerful players, previously unheard of in the gaming industry, such as Virgin. They can channel investment and solely focus on building their cloud. Microsoft and Sony would have to slowly transition their users into the cloud or face backlash from their customer base. Console makers will have to make some hard decisions in the very near future or face being left in the dust if cloud gaming takesoff.

Kinect does what?

Although Xbox Kinect only emerged on the market at the beginning of November, hackers have already begun unlocking the controller so that it can be used for different purposes, without an Xbox. The NY Times recently published this story about hackers' alternative uses for the product.

There are a few interesting aspects to this story. First, the 3D images, holograms, and manipulations are really incredible. Another (more relevant) point is that Microsoft has had an evolving response to the tinkerers.

At first, Microsoft said that it would work with law enforcement to prevent product tampering. Since this initial statement, the company's position has changed. Per the article, “Anytime there is engagement and excitement around our technology, we see that as a good thing,” said Craig Davidson, senior director for Xbox Live at Microsoft. “It’s naïve to think that any new technology that comes out won’t have a group that tinkers with it.”

By accepting and embracing these innovative consumers, Microsoft may have recognized that these users are potentially exposing a new edge to its business.