Chrome plug-in eliminates Facebook connect

An enterprising Google engineer has written an extension to the Chrome web browser which eliminates Facebook's presence and connective ability on non-Facebook pages. The image below illustrates this:
This is particularly interesting because it strongly mirrors the AdBlock extension for Firefox (an equivalent exists for Chrome) and functions in a similar manner: as the page is being loaded, specific elements belonging to Facebook are dynamically removed. Both extensions are free to use and install.

What I found interesting about this is how much power is returned to the user/browser and it makes me wonder about the implications of a mass roll-out or upscale of such a practice. Imagine if Firefox or Chrome came bundled with these extensions; are extensions like these, especially those which block ads, detrimental in the long run? What good will it be for a company to pay Google for advertising space if their ads are largely eliminated from web pages? Will Google suffer and need to move to a new revenue model? Or will this foster a need to innovate new methods of ensuring content delivery? I remember when adblockers first debuted, they simply removed images (banner ads were quite popular at the time). As a result, many advertisers shifted to using Flash or pop-up ads which were harder to identify/block at the time. What will happen now that the geeks have caught up?

Starbucks is trying everything!

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-20020129-36.html?part=cnn-cnet

Not only has Starbucks started offering wine and beer, it has also created a landing page featuring various digital content that's only accessible from its in-store Wi-Fi networks. Starbucks is teaming up with Yahoo, WSJ, GOOD, The New York Times, iTunes, LinkedIn, and Foursquare to deliver news, free music download promos, weather, movie trailers, etc.

Essentially, this new Starbucks Digital Network is a sort of digital newspaper to eventually replace the physical stack of newspapers in-store. The content featured on the hub is generated specifically to target and appeal to the interests of coffee-shop-goers.

This article is interesting because when you think of the players and competitors in the digital publishing industry you naturally think about traditional publishers making a transition into digital content. However, even retail outlets like coffee shops are becoming portals for delivering your media content.

SmartGrid, SmartPhone, now SmarterCar?

Will your next car be a smartphone?

It’s clear that as technology advances, we are able to increasingly stay connected to our networks. Often, we can hardly hold a conversation without someone pulling out their phone to check something. This has definitely not been lost on auto manufacturers Ford and GM as they intend on making it easier for us to continue this while we are in our cars.

The current plan is to add the ability to talk and text on a touch screen that sits on the dashboard, which will eventually allow you to update your Facebook status by voice as well.

As many of us probably discovered when we were writing our Ford memo, Ford will be rolling out “App Link” that links smart phones to some Ford vehicles, a precursor to this step.

But as the article also inquires, how safe is this? Laws have been passed in most states that limit the driver’s interaction with their phone and with good reason. It will be interesting to see if this allows enough of a “hands off” approach that will actually make a difference in driver safety.

New York Times Adherence to the Old-School

New York Times CEO: "We will be printing newspapers for many years to come"

http://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-times-ceo-we-will-be-printing-newspapers-for-many-years-to-come-2010-10

Does the New York times really believe that print is here to stay or are they simply trying to prevent any more cannibalization of their print product by their online offerings? Is the New York Times online keeping current readers from going elsewhere, or simply killing print with increasing speed?

Between the new iPad app, mobile phone apps, NYT online, and DealBook, (the NYT's business news blog) consumers are being given more and more alternatives to the physical newspaper. In this environment, it is no wonder both circulation numbers and ad revenues are declining. Is the New York Times doing everything it can to recapture its lost readership with these other media, or has it missing an emerging news delivery channel? Are they using enough user-generated content or are they simply transferring their old model to the three screens?

FaceBID

It has just come to my attention how Facebook is monetizing is data. Can it be true what this article shades light in? There are actually applications in the platform that know more about us that they´re suppose to.

My mother use to say trust is like a cristal, once is crack is over. Fortunately I never trusted "much" any website, I just don´t believe that any human can be imparcial with so many information. My take away for this news is that we as a society create this phenomenons and except them to behave as we should in our current situation. That is simply imposible, regulation has to come from a third party, in some countries violation of private policy is nothing of relevance, gladly we are not in one of them. I only hope we can learn more about this issue and I can say I am glad I do not use any application in Facebid, sorry Facebook.

Surprising Leadership Change at Microsoft

It was announced today that Ray Ozzie, the Chief Software Architect at Microsoft, is leaving the company. In a memo to employees, Steve Balmer reported that he will be moving into the entertainment space. The only other person to have held this position is Bill Gates himself, and it has been announced they will not fill the position again.

Ozzie worked at Microsoft for only five years. As we all remember, he wrote his very influential memo on Internet Disruption. Since that time, he has been focusing primarily on Microsoft's cloud initiative. It is interesting to see him departing before that product has really been launched and taken off. For someone who saw this as the future of not only Microsoft, but for the IT industry, I am surprised to see him depart before his vision comes to fruition.

It makes me wonder if there are mixed thoughts on the future of the cloud, even at the highest levels of Microsoft. This could be the first evidence that the "three screens and a cloud" idea are not as simple, or realstic, as some have thought. Considering the stock dropped over 2% on the news, my guess is that many investors are also in doubt.

Time for CIO’s to Lead from the Front

I came across an article that echoes a lot of the discussion we had in the second half of today’s class. The article points out the importance of CIO’s to move away from solely leading from the back (contributing to their company through work on projects behind the scenes to deliver business strategy at speed and scale) and start leading from the front (start proposing, encouraging and challenging their enterprise to take advantage of new opportunities often created by technology innovation).

This idea is very similar to the challenges we discussed today for executives that have to balance innovation (the front) and implementation (the back). The article goes on to discuss that is especially important for the CIO to lead from the front because of the increasing reliance on technology to help generate revenues, cash, and productivity for companies.

To me this seems like an obvious concept that all CIO’s should adopt, but I think it is important to remember that sometimes company norms and other factors may deter CIO’s from being able to do this. It may be a lot harder for CIO’s to change their leadership posture than simply deciding they want to embrace innovation. The CIO may need to convince the company, shareholders and other C level executives that the Chief Information Officer needs to have more of a balance between implementation and innovation responsibilities.