Ged Carroll

Category: innovation | 革新 | 독창성 | 改変

Innovation, alongside disruption are two of the most overused words in business at the moment. Like obscenity, many people have their own idea of what innovation is.

Judy Estrin wrote one of the best books about the subject and describes it in terms of hard and soft innovation.

  • Hard innovation is companies like Intel or Qualcomm at the cutting edge of computer science, materials science and physics
  • Soft innovation would be companies like Facebook or Yahoo!. Companies that might create new software but didn’t really add to the corpus of innovation

Silicon Valley has moved from hard to soft innovation as it moved away from actually making things. Santa Clara country no longer deserves its Silicon Valley appellation any more than it deserved the previous ‘garden of delights’ as the apricot orchards turned into factories, office campus buildings and suburbs. It’s probably no coincidence that that expertise has moved east to Taiwan due to globalisation.

It can also be more process orientated shaking up an industry. Years ago I worked at an agency at the time of writing is now called WE Worldwide. At the time the client base was predominantly in business technology, consumer technology and pharmaceutical clients.

The company was looking to build a dedicated presence in consumer marketing. One of the business executives brings along a new business opportunity. The company made fancy crisps (chips in the American parlance). They did so using a virtual model. Having private label manufacturers make to the snacks to their recipe and specification. This went down badly with one of the agency’s founders saying ‘I don’t see what’s innovative about that’. She’d worked exclusively in the IT space and thought any software widget was an innovation. She couldn’t appreciate how this start-ups approach challenged the likes of P&G or Kraft Foods.

  • Nokia Lumia + more news

    Nokia Lumia

    The Nokia Lumia hasn’t got off to a great start. I got to try a Nokia Lumia 920. It had a heft to it that was similar to my Nokia Communicator E90. The Nokia Lumia hasn’t been enough to stop Samsung’s Galaxy from displacing Nokia as the world’s top cellphone brand. This is despite the quality problems that Samsung’s Galaxy III have exhibited. Imaging has been one of the Nokia Lumia strengths, the problem is that the imaging chief quit Nokia

    Samsung Displaces Nokia as Top Cellphone Brand in 2012 and Takes Decisive Smartphone Lead Over Apple – IHS iSuppli®

    Nokia’s imaging chief makes surprise exit • The Register

    The Nokia Lumia Sellout – Most Likely A Marketing Strategy – Seeking Alpha

    Consumer behaviour

    More Japanese youth wearing surgical masks to hide their face ‹ Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion – “Others believe that having to rely on a mask to feel comfortable in public is a byproduct of Japanese youth becoming too accustomed to using e-mail and social networks to communicate with each other; they can’t interact with others unless there is a protective “wall” that offers them some degree of anonymity“

    APAC travellers want more social media | Market-interactive.com

    Economics

    Price comparison: How much groceries cost in Hong Kong, Beijing and London | South China Morning Post

    Global semiconductor revenues set to shrink in 2012, IHS says – useful economic indicator

    Quartz – China’s stock market plunging due to retail investor sentiment

    Skills Don’t Pay the Bills – NYTimes.com – gap in expectations, in a social contract

    Hong Kong

    Hong Kong’s vanishing mojo | South China Morning Post – rise of China changes perception of where Hong Kong stands in things

    How to

    How To Become A Hacker – Eric Raymond on hacking (rather than cracking)

    Ideas

    MIT Scientist Andrew McAfee Says Big Data Will Soon be Too Big for the Metric System to Handle | MIT Technology Review

    The Conservative Turn Against Science – The Chronicle Review

    Exploiting the implicit – MEC whitepaper

    Nassim Nicholas Taleb: The future will not be cool – Salon.com

    Innovation

    Scientists See Advances in Deep Learning, a Part of Artificial Intelligence – NYTimes.com – artificial intelligence gets another 15 minutes of fame

    Next-Gen Tablets and Laptops Will Get “Cooler” With GE’s Jet Engine Technology | SiliconANGLE

    3D Printing is the New Industrial Revolution? – broadstuff

    Apple Joins Google in $500 Million-Plus Bid for Kodak Patents – Bloomberg

    Printed electronics pilot line starts production

    Touché – Carnegie Mellon University | CMU – really interesting immersive media experiments

    Japan Today – Humanoid robot to keep Japanese astronaut company on space station – get more data on human | machine interaction

    Korea

    McClureMusic.com | NHK makes no-Korea move – has hallyu lost much of its force in Japan?

    Luxury

    Luxury habits mature in China | Warc.com

    Study Shows Affluent Spend Money to Save Time (Infographic) | Social Media Today

    Michelin Stars slammed in fear of rent hikes, | Market-interactive.com

    Marketing

    Agencies, media & digital companies: Your sales pitch sucks, Advertising – interesting common-sense perspective from a marketer at Dell

    Media

    Brands must adapt search strategies | Warc.com

    Why Google Just Made iPhone King: Ads | Wired.com

    Combating accidental clicks in mobile ads – Google Mobile Ads Blog

    Amoeba Music’s Vinyl Vaults is no Napster – I, Cringely

    Facebook makes it official — an external advertising network is coming soon — GigaOM – if this is just an ad network it could make for interesting behavioural advertising and potentially dial up relevance. If it is part of their search offering then things really take off

    Facebook Has Decreased Page Reach, And Here’s Why | TechCrunch – some great data here on why a blended paid | owned content strategy is required for page owners

    Dotcom: We’ve hit the jackpot – National – NZ Herald News – more legal twists and turns

    Facebook Studio :: Blog | Announcing a New Pages Structure for Global Brands | Latest News and Updates

    MediaPost Publications Pre-Roll Video Ad Prices Dip, Large Inventory Blamed 12/07/2012

    Times of London offers $80 Nexus 7 to new digital subscribers | Geek.com

    Time Spent In Mobile Apps Is Starting To Challenge Television, Flurry Says | TechCrunch

    Facebook in Talks to Buy Microsoft’s Atlas Ad Platform – AllThingsD

    Nielsen | Social Media Report 2012

    Daring Fireball: Why ‘The Daily’ Failed – there is also the problem that the content didn’t have value. It wasn’t a professional tool like the Wall Street Journal or provide something you couldn’t get elsewhere

    Audio and Video Streaming in focus – Exclusive Nielsen white paper

    Yahoo’s Ad Sell-Through Rate on its Log-in Page Has Plummeted | Advertising Age

    Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: The Beatles Stereo Vinyl Box Set – digital record labels trying to make premium analogue money need to manage the quality control much better

    TVB shelves HK$50m plan for international channel | South China Morning Post

    Online

    Chinese manufacturing base Shenzhen leads country in Internet, microblog penetration: Report – The Next Web

    Why We’re Building Collections – I hope that they don’t forget pinboard.in

    Google exec was told to stop Tweeting | The Wall Blog – the people who are responsible for engineering social media don’t even understand how things can propagate

    As of February, you’ll have two fewer characters to tweet with when you share a link on Twitter – The Next Web – trillions of links already

    Twitter Loses Ability to Properly Display Instagram Photos – NYTimes.com

    Google’s Searches for UnGoogleable Information to Make Mobile Search Smarter | MIT Technology Review

    Yahoo sees several flaws in $2.7 billion Mexico ruling: source | Reuters – the big question is why wasn’t it disclosed in company documents in the first place

    Retailing

    Amazon Book Reviews Deleted in a Purge Aimed at Manipulation – NYTimes.com – interesting implication for wider social content sites as well as e-tailing

    Billionaire Sells Stake in Topshop for $805 Million – NYTimes.com

    Japan Today – Fast Retailing to acquire majority interest in J Brand Holdings – this reads as much about technical know-how with fabric as much as a way of moving their portfolio upmarket for Uniqlo

    China Mall Developers – Time to Shop Around – China Real Time Report – WSJ

    MUJI LIFE CHECK IN for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad – great example of the web of no web using a locative gaming mechanism used to drive bricks and mortar retail

    Black Friday Saw Online Retail Traffic Jump 60% Year-Over-Year | WebProNews

    Security

    Schneier on Security: E-Mail Security in the Wake of Petraeus – interesting debate which boils back down to don’t write anything you wouldn’t anyone else see if it was made public

    Apple Hires Hacker Who Helped Save Windows From Security Hell | Wired.com

    ITU Approves Deep Packet Inspection Standard Behind Closed Doors, Ignores Huge Privacy Implications | Techdirt

    PRWeb Statement on Fraudulent ICOA Press Release – Blogging PRWeb – a tough place for PRWeb to be I feel for them

    Software

    Microsoft reveals cunning Windows plan below surface – It has to dump hardware partners to work | TechEye

    Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer defends company to shareholders – San Jose Mercury News – the key point is that Microsoft share price stands about the same level as they did a decade ago

    No Google Apps on Windows 8 and WP8: User base too small to invest in | BGR

    The future of software pricing: PwC

    Just bought an Apple product? Need support NOW? Drop an F-BOMB • The Register – deep learning or machine intelligence depending what label you like at work

    TECHNOLOGY REPORT » Blue Brain Project Update

    Microsoft’s battle for consumers: it’s time to drop the Windows name | The Verge – has the Windows brand been over-extended?

    Facebook Messenger for Android drops account requirement, taking on SMS and WhatsApp | The Verge – interesting how Facebook is being usurped as a communications platform

    TI rolls open-source RTOS for MCUs – lower footprint than Linux which should be compelling

    Windows 8 Sales: Good, Bad, or Ugly? – surprised to see quite this negative a take on things by Windows IT Pro

    Lack of Distribution Is “Killing” Surface – AllThingsD

    Here comes the first real alternative to iPhone and Android – Quartz

    Technology

    Apple loses $34.9 billion in market cap in its worst trading day in 4 years, but why? – The Next Web

    London Calling: Should Apple buy ST-E or Renesas Mobile? – but what about patent licences?

    Telecoms

    Why ‘slow light’ might just save the Internet • The Register

    Nokia Siemens sells optical network unit to Marlin Equity Partners – ok, interesting move. But will it be enough to be competitive against the new network players?

    ‘Can do’ approach spurs Huawei’s growth in Europe | chinadaily.com.cn

    Web of no web

    Apple Said to Fire Maps Manager as Flaws Hurt IPhone 5 – Bloomberg

    Wireless

    Samsung Galaxy S III hardware failure: Phones failing for no reason | BGR – bad NAND? Will this be like the capacitor issue that plagued PCs years ago?

    European Union formally accuses Samsung of antitrust violations in patent investigation (update) | The Verge

    FOSS Patents: Judge denies Apple permanent injunction, throws out Samsung’s jury misconduct claims

    Samsung Exec Admits To Using Apple Products, Calls iDevice Ecosystem “Sticky” | TechCrunch

    US court rules Apple’s iPhone infringes on three patents held by Sony and Nokia owned MobileMedia – The Next Web

    Apple, LG Electronics Defeat Alcatel-Lucent Patent Claims – Bloomberg

    The real threat that Samsung poses to Apple | asymco – really interesting article on Samsung’s strengths

    On Legacy iPhones and Cannibalization – AllThingsD – the legacy phone makes up the lower price models in the Apple range

    China Mobile’s Li Yue on iPhone 5: TD-SCDMA is not a problem, it’s all about business model and benefit sharing » Unwired View

    King of Samsung: a chairman’s reign of cunning and corruption | The Verge

    Apple vetting operators on LTE network performance » telecoms.com – it makes sense otherwise users would have a poor experience and battery life would be hammered

    Exclusive: Nokia seeks to block sale of some RIM products

    Ericsson’s massive mobile report: 6.4B global cellular plans, 75% of all new phones in Asia and Africa | VentureBeat

  • Autonomy + more news

    Autonomy

    H.P. Takes Big Hit on ‘Accounting Improprieties’ at Autonomy – NYTimes.com – HP can’t seem to catch a break, if the allegations are true it could also adversely affect the UK’s reputation for start-ups – having more in common with SpinVox than ARM. Autonomy provides in-organisation search across file servers. Autonomy software is used by the likes of BAE Systems. It has a reputation for being notoriously hard to set up an organisation to use Autonomy and was alleged to have a high failure rate on implementation projects.

    Business

    Jobs Guru Spills Secrets About Older Workers | TIME.com – skills rather than experience is what sells

    Online behavioural advertising: OFT investigates personalised pricing based on consumer online tracking

    Chart Focus: Why bad multiples happen to good companies

    Consumer behaviour

    Shifting US Demographics Influence Electoral Strategies – SPIEGEL ONLINE

    Design

    Creative Review – Vintage billboards – great to look at for inspiration

    Japanese Gadget Makers Need A Miracle – Business Insider – make products more fun or more desirable

    Sharp Suits, a website created by a bunch of Irish designers who have made posters out of the stuff that clients say.

    Economics

    More than half of Brits vote to ditch the EU – Quartz – and trade with who exactly? Burnt EU countries may not play nicely with the UK as part of wider looser relationships, also likely to impact UK financial services sector further

    Exclusive: Worried Germany seeks study on French economy – sources | Reuters

    FMCG

    P&G’s market share drops, employees depart in China｜WantChinaTimes.com

    Chinese condom brand recruits female ‘testers’｜WantChinaTimes.com – I suspect that this is a great buzz marketing ploy

    Gadgets

    Apple Invents Very Cool Next-Gen Dual Mode Headphones! – Patently Apple – is it just me or do these look like a typical pair of DJ headphones?

    Hong Kong

    V Perspective: 寫英文無前途？The End of English Language in HK?

    How to

    Five handy Pinterest tools to help you measure success | Econsultancy

    How to Watch Hulu Videos Outside the U.S.

    Three Mac apps to help you self publish your book — Apple News, Tips and Reviews

    How to Grow a Facebook Page in an Edgerank World | Tots 100

    how to easily delete your online accounts | accountkiller.com

    Ideas

    How the Internet is Shaping Our “Global Brain” -Harvard Business Review

    Drone pilots too bored, MIT study suggests – First world problem revealed in lab simulation | TechEye

    Innovation

    US military invests in 3D printing on the frontline

    Luxury

    Global brands set higher price for products sold in China｜WantChinaTimes.com – combination of taxes and pricing strategy

    Media

    Chinese Billionaire Spends $130 Million To Make A “Hollywood-Style” 3D Movie (Video) » M.I.C. Gadget – it looks like first steps, its what’s next that will be of interest

    Social gaming most popular among women: Spiral Media – Campaign Asia-Pacific – not surprising

    Facebook to launch advertising ROI tool – Marketing magazine – dealing with perception gap and marketing manager concerns

    Financial Times’ German offshoot to close – RTÉ News – the brand was wrong for Germany

    Pinterest Takes a Step Towards Making Money by Inviting Businesses to Join – Technology – The Atlantic Wire – finally formal brand page offering

    Facebook Pages: Why I don’t like Nest thermostat or anything else anymore. | Nathan Kontny

    NEWSPAPER ABCs: The Sun descends as i motors past 300,000 copies – Media Week

    7 Navy SEALs disciplined for role with video game – CBS News

    McClureMusic.com | Sony Japan domestic catalog finally on iTunes

    Online

    The Power of Like 2: How Social Marketing Works – comScore, Inc

    Stewart Butterfield’s Glitch Is Closing – Business Insider – sad as the concept was great

    Twitter prosecutions: Nature not reach of Twitter messages should determine whether prosecutions should be pursued, expert advises Keir Starmer

    Retailing

    Minding the store | asymco – how retail experience is part of the dialogue with the customer rather than just a channel

    Security

    UK government is going headlong for internet filtering- The Inquirer – for a government that abhorred the ‘nanny state’ of the previous administration, this seems like a retrograde step. It also sends out the wrong message about the UK in terms of values. The UK uses Huawei network technology for this

    Software

    Apple’s journaling system for iOS makes geotagging a system-wide feature

    Netflix CEO Reed Hastings On Microsoft Windows 8, Surface Challenges – AllThingsD

    Steve Ballmer: Android Ecosystem Is Wild And Uncontrolled, Apple Is High Priced And Highly Controlled | TechCrunch – but will it be Nokia filling the gap?

    Android and Apple OS shares show mountain MS must climb • The Register

    Apps on Facebook.com – Facebook Developers

    Minding The (Apple)Store | Monday Note – it reminds me of the lack of attention that Rank Leisure and most restaurants pay to noise level. However in cultures where noise, hustle and bustle are part of the experience, this maybe just the ticket

    Apple’s design problems aren’t skeuomorphic « counternotions

    Microsoft’s Midori operating-system skunkworks project soldiers on | ZDNet

    Technology

    U.S. Kids Continue to Look Forward to “iHoliday” | Nielsen Wire – interesting that 13+ years old kids have a lower predisposition to buy Apple products than tweens

    Panasonic prepares for garage sale, to axe 10,000 jobs | Reuters

    Web of no web

    Is Siri really Apple’s future? « counternotions

    Wireless

    Xiaomi may exit the smartphone market in one year｜WantChinaTimes.com

    Cisco Acquires Enterprise Wi-Fi Startup Meraki For $1.2 Billion In Cash | TechCrunch

    Ofcom sets UK 4G auction plans: Submissions by December 11, bidding in January and rollout in May/June 2013 – The Next Web – will the UK government get the auction prices they want? I doubt it

    ARM CEO Warren East Says Mobile Chips Will Move into Energy-Efficient Desktops, Laptops, and Servers. | MIT Technology Review – computing power per watt

    Samsung Chip Factory Reportedly On Hold – WSJ – if it is Apple related, interesting that Samsung phones wouldn’t pick up the slack in demand? Is is more economic outlook related?

  • Jamie Hewlett + more news

    Jamie Hewlett

    Jamie Hewlett was not someone that I would have associated with luxury menswear brand Dunhill. Dunhill have been creating interesting content for a number of years, that used to be accessed through an iPad application and their own site. This interview with Jamie Hewlett is brilliant. Hewlett’s talent as a comic creator developed early with him working in the studios of Bob Godfrey. Godfrey is famous to UK TV watchers for the cartoon series Rhubarb & Custard. After college Jamie Hewlett was recruited for Deadline magazine, which is where his iconic Tank Girl creation was formed and his relationship with Damon Albarn of Gorillaz.

    Jamie Hewlett submarined during the 1990s when the underground became mainstream drawing Get The Freebies. Eventually Jamie Hewlett teamed up with Albarn to provide the visual look of The Gorillaz.