Do You Think Cloud Computing Can Help Create Network Effect to Support Crowdsourcing?

This topic brought up somehow after (again) I have read an article about convergence, in this new era, any network effect starts with a small set of something and it eventually grows bigger and bigger - users, content etc. The cloud makes it a great platform for such systems that demand this kind of growth. The adoption barrier is close to zero for the companies whose business model actually depends upon creating these effects. They can provision their users, applications, and content on the cloud and be up and running in minutes and can grow as the user base and the content grows. This actually shifts the power to the smaller players and help them compete with the big cloud players and yet allow them to create network effects.

The big cloud players, that are currently on the supply side of this utility mode, have few options on the table. They either can keep themselves to the infrastructure business and I would wear my skeptic hat and agree with a lot of people on the poor viability of this capital intensive business model that has very high operational cost. This option alone does not make sense and the big companies have to have a strategic intent behind such large investment. Google, Amazon, and Microsoft are the supply side cloud infrastructure players that are already moving in the demand side of the tools business though I would not call them the equal players exploring all the opportunities.

And last but not the least, there is a sustainability angle around the cloud providers. They can help consolidate thousands of data centers into few hundreds based on the geographical coverage, availability of water, energy, and dark fiber etc. This is similar to consolidating hundreds of dirty coal plants into few non-coal green power plants that can produce clean energy with efficient transmission and distribution system.

Next: Regulation vs Freedom Network

Nokia Lumia 900 vs Samsung Galaxy S3

I love gadget.... but I just want to compare 2 devices that currently trend in the market as I am using them besides my iPhone 4S. Somehow, what’s so special about this particular WP7 device? Let’s see: An 8MP camera sporting Carl Lens optics, a smooth and beautiful OS, LTE coverage, and the most attractive design of any handset out. But while it’s unarguably the best Windows Phone on the scene... yes, the Lumia 900 does have imperfections. Call quality could have been better and it’s almost baffling to see a phone sporting a Carl Zeiss lens having focus issues. In the end, the pros do outweigh the cons.

For usage comparison, Samsung Galaxy S3 Android Mobile, in the hand feels superb. The design contours well against the palm, and while the screen size may be a little big for some (I need a bit of shuffling to reach the upper section of the screen) it's definitely useable in the hand. So in short: I don't mind with a slightly lighter-feeling polycarbonate shell (although looks cheap!) and I like big HD screens in my pocket, this is a phone definitely one of my best!

Next Question: what next? iPhone 5?

How to Design An Approach to Fight Complexity And Failure

Being in R&D company always occupied my brain to thinking what will be in the future, with simplicity result and complexity ways to absorb overall requirement; necessary design thinking for software architecture is a must, well - I just want to share a bit about that...

Another common point of confusion is the distinction between design thinking and Agile methods of software development. The primary difference is that Agile offers a specific set of prescriptive processes while design thinking encapsulates a set of guidelines and general principles. Although not the same, the two approaches are highly complementary (even on the same project), because both recognize the benefits of using iterative work cycles to pursue customer-centric goals. Always remember that real people work on every project. The best methodologies are inherently people-centric and help participants anticipate likely causes of failure. Visualizing failure early in a project is an excellent means to prevent it from occurring. We’re all human and may make mistakes but certainly no one wants to fail. Finally, design thinking can make potential failure a learning tool and not a final outcome.

Next Question: in reality?

2012 Year of Hope

I always start new year with big mouth and awesome spirit of life... I’m not big on New Year’s Resolutions. I can’t remember the last time I did one, most likely because every resolution is a setup for failure. But several months ago I decided for a resolution for 2012 and it all started with my appetite to try new foods... well, my wife now should stop me! *lol* The resolution is very simple and I can’t fail (well, I can but I won’t).

My 2012 resolution is very simple for NOW, no more mumbo-jumbo big mouth words; simply every time I go out for lunch or dinner with someone else, I’ll let the other person decide on my dish. That’s it! I’ll not be making my own choices on restaurants for 2012!

To support this, there are a few rules for the “game”:
- If the person sitting with me is my family or my wife, I’ll ask them or her to pick my meal.
- If the person is someone who I don’t feel comfortable asking that question, I’ll just let him/her order and I’ll say “the same for me”
- If I’m eating alone, I’ll ask the waitress what she likes and order the first thing she says, or order the special of the day.

I eat pretty much anything, so there won’t be much I won’t like and I expect to have tried many things I would not have tried otherwise... but, wait...exclude frogs!

Why?

In two words: selection bias. We have ingredients that we like a lot and every time that we see it on a dish we are inclined to ordering it. I think the selection bias just gets worse with age and instead of expanding the list of ingredients and foods we like, we narrow it to just a few, making us picky eaters and “old people”.

And this resolution starts in 3, 2, 1… Now!

I hope...