Remember that a bit (binary digit) is the single piece of information in digital systems, it is either a 0 or a 1. A byte, instead, is a group of 8 bits. When we talk about computer memories or data storage 1 kilobit refers to 1024 (2^10) bits, 1 megabit refers to 1024 kilobits (or 1024 x 1024 bits), 1 kilobyte refers to 1024 bytes and so on. In telecommunications, however, transmission rates have traditionally been declared in bits per second (bps) and 1 kilobit refers to 1000 bits and not 1024 as in data storage.
Invention vs. Innovation
The first confusion to dismiss is the difference between invention and innovation. The former refers to new concepts or products that derive from individual’s ideas or from scientific research. The latter, on the other hand, represents the commercialization of the invention itself.
Blogs vs. Newspapers
There is an interesting discussion going on lately regarding the importance of blogs against that of traditional information sources like newspapers. Some time ago Malcom Gladwell (by the way if you have not had the chance to read his books I suggest you do so, they are short yet insightful) speaking on a panel about the future of journalism said:
“Without the New York Times, there is no blog community. They’d have nothing to blog about.”
Will YouTube get it right?
Internet is something amazing. One day (early 2005) you are trying to figure out how to share videos with your friends, the other (mid 2006) you own a service that delivers 100 million videos per day.
Long Term Success or Survival?
Stories like the above one, even if not as dramatic, are not uncommon. Consider the lists Fortune 500, Forbes 100, Global 1000, S&P 500 and so on, they collect the largest and, supposedly, the best managed companies in the world. If we take a closer look, however, practically all of those large organizations underperform the market in the long term, a rather counter-intuitive fact.
The Pros and Cons of Fiber Optics
For many years people have talked about the wonders of optical fibers. Yet the dream of an all-optical network is far away from materializing. Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) is a reality in very few places around the world,
Competing Against the Non-Consumption
There are many costumers who would be willing to drive an all-electric car, despite the reduced performance, because the alternative would be not driving at all. Consider parents who are worried about how far and how fast their kids might drive. An electric car could be the perfect choice.
Marketing Under the Information Age
The information age is changing most activities in our society, and marketing is no exception. Internet and new media are creating different ways for people to communicate, work and live. The question then becomes: how can marketers revise their strategy to embrace those innovations? Below I provide the top 5 marketing trends under the information age:
Predictions gone wrong!
The collection of quotes I present below illustrate how managers, scientists and academics often fail to free themselves from paradigms. As Peter Ustinov said “If the world should blow itself up, the last audible voice would be that of an expert saying it can’t be done”.
The list was too big therefore I decided to break it up in 2 parts. Have fun.
When the Web goes Visual!
Most people sooner or later come across an idea or a product and say: “Damn, I was thinking about something just like it!”. For quite some time now I have been thinking how web surfing could become more “visual” and “user friendly”, and when I came across the Swarm site I said: “OK looks like I am not alone”. (If you click the link wait some time on the site to see the dynamics going on).