I had a couple topics in mind that I had wanted to talk about this week: The loonie hitting a 10-month high, and what on earth was going on between RIM and Nortel and how that ended by a surprise appearance of Ericsson. If you have no idea what that means, then I guess I am a bigger nerd than I thought....
But, instead, something else caught my attention as I perused the online world: Jill and Kevin got married. You didn't know? Don't worry, outside of the 300 so people that were there, no one else in the world would have either. But, as of July 27th, 8.5 million people know that Jill and Kevin got married, and that they did so in style.
I am a YouTube fanatic, and this video has grown in popularity faster than any other one that I can remember. Have you seen it yet? You really should do that now! Right Here
The first thing that has to come to your mind is this wedding is going to be a party, no questions asked, and I am willing to bet that it is an open bar! If you were sitting there thinking "just another wedding *sigh*" your opinion has no doubt been changed, and if it hasn't, you must have a type of OCD that causes you to avoid any type of fun-ness.
There is a saying that how your wedding day goes is how the rest of your life together is going to be. If it's full of hysterical emotions, expect the next 50 years to be full of the same. If it's a chaotic compilation of disorganized events, guess what you're in for on your path to bliss.... But if you're Jill and Kevin, I have to take a stab and say that their life is going to be full of excitement, laughter and happiness.
From all 8.5 million viewers and counting, we wish you all the best!
Thank you for being different and may we all learn from you.
Have a great week!
Matthew
Monday, July 27, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Oil Is Starting Its Shift
Shifting to what? First, let me explain my thinking on Eco-friendly cars (i.e. hybrid vehicles, full electric vehicles, hydrogen vehicles) and their so called battle with oil vehicles. Eco-friendly vehicles are seemingly non-existent, yet people seem to developing an increasingly massive awareness about them, especially here in North America. If you have been to an auto show in the last 3 years you will know that fuel saving, eco-friendly cars are dominantly displayed at them. Yet, we just don't see that translating onto the roads. Why is that? Well, your self-titled socially responsible, eco-individual will tell you that it is because the big oil corporations are continually behind closed doors making sure that vehicles that use less oil will never become mainstream. Then, on the other side, you have the V-8 petrol heads saying that driving a vehicle is meant to be an exhilarating experience and the reason why people don't buy hybrid vehicles is because they are completely exhaustively boring.
You may or may not fit somewhere in between those two definitions. I myself have my own opinion. The reason why we don't see very many eco-friendly cars on the road is this (for these arguments I am going to be referring to hybrid vehicles because electric cars are not practical for everyday use since they can't travel very far and hydrogen cars have a lack of infrastructure to fill them):
1) They actually are not that eco-friendly (if you don't believe me, consider that a Toyota Prius, throughout its manufacturing process, will contribute as many green house gases as the making and fuel consumption that a typical oil burning car will. And you don't even want to ask what happens to those giant batteries).
2) The MPG of a hybrid is not the end of having to fill up at the pump. If you are driving only on the highway, you are better off driving a V-6 with 350 horse power, and if you are driving in the city you are better to be driving a clean diesel powered car.
I think that most consumers after they do their research see these same points that I do.
Here is where we seem to be short-sighted though. I am fairly confident in saying that the eco-friendly cars we see on the road today are nothing more than a trend and a quick cash grab for manufacturers. I don't think it is difficult to conclude that the large vehicle manufacturers have in their locked up rooms right now a vehicle that does not need oil to run, can be powered for very long distances and causes no harm to the environment.
Don't believe me? In 1969 we put a man on the moon, in 1945 we figured out how to take a simple atom, split it in two and consequently have the ability to destroy the world. It is tough for me to believe that the combustible engine, which is proven to be one of the least efficient engines, is still the best source of power for vehicles. Call me crazy!
Once you are comfortable with the fact that the sale of cars and oil is a business then you can start to think a little more clearly. For example, let’s look to technology. Five years ago you couldn't buy a camcorder that shot video in HD, now you can fairly easily. But, five years ago a company like Sony knew that they could make camcorders that shot in HD. This is why we have these labels in the tech market referred to as generations: the I-pod gen 1, the I-pod gen 2, the I-pod gen 3... and that will keep going. There is more than likely already an I-pod gen 10 in the works, but think of all the sales they will make off the gen 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.
I believe the same thing is being done with the shift from oil to another form of fuel for vehicles. It would make absolutely no sense for an oil company to shift from working with oil to another form of fuel overnight. There is too much oil left, and there are too many vehicles that use oil. It makes no sense for manufactures to start only making non-oil vehicles. It would just be too advanced for the mind set of consumers. Consumers need to be eased into transitions.
But the shift is happening and if you look closely you can see it. The introduction of hybrid cars is not a shift, don't be blinded by that. News like this the start of major changes Abu Dahbi
Oil is not running out any time soon and hybrid cars are not going to take over the market share either. But don't think that multi-billion dollar oil companies and manufactures don't have a clue what is going on. They know exactly what they are doing and when they want to do it, and don't think you are going to see anything drastic until the oil supply starts getting low. When that day comes on a Friday, guess what will happen on Monday....
An all new way to get your family around without oil!!
Have a great week!
Matthew George
You may or may not fit somewhere in between those two definitions. I myself have my own opinion. The reason why we don't see very many eco-friendly cars on the road is this (for these arguments I am going to be referring to hybrid vehicles because electric cars are not practical for everyday use since they can't travel very far and hydrogen cars have a lack of infrastructure to fill them):
1) They actually are not that eco-friendly (if you don't believe me, consider that a Toyota Prius, throughout its manufacturing process, will contribute as many green house gases as the making and fuel consumption that a typical oil burning car will. And you don't even want to ask what happens to those giant batteries).
2) The MPG of a hybrid is not the end of having to fill up at the pump. If you are driving only on the highway, you are better off driving a V-6 with 350 horse power, and if you are driving in the city you are better to be driving a clean diesel powered car.
I think that most consumers after they do their research see these same points that I do.
Here is where we seem to be short-sighted though. I am fairly confident in saying that the eco-friendly cars we see on the road today are nothing more than a trend and a quick cash grab for manufacturers. I don't think it is difficult to conclude that the large vehicle manufacturers have in their locked up rooms right now a vehicle that does not need oil to run, can be powered for very long distances and causes no harm to the environment.
Don't believe me? In 1969 we put a man on the moon, in 1945 we figured out how to take a simple atom, split it in two and consequently have the ability to destroy the world. It is tough for me to believe that the combustible engine, which is proven to be one of the least efficient engines, is still the best source of power for vehicles. Call me crazy!
Once you are comfortable with the fact that the sale of cars and oil is a business then you can start to think a little more clearly. For example, let’s look to technology. Five years ago you couldn't buy a camcorder that shot video in HD, now you can fairly easily. But, five years ago a company like Sony knew that they could make camcorders that shot in HD. This is why we have these labels in the tech market referred to as generations: the I-pod gen 1, the I-pod gen 2, the I-pod gen 3... and that will keep going. There is more than likely already an I-pod gen 10 in the works, but think of all the sales they will make off the gen 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.
I believe the same thing is being done with the shift from oil to another form of fuel for vehicles. It would make absolutely no sense for an oil company to shift from working with oil to another form of fuel overnight. There is too much oil left, and there are too many vehicles that use oil. It makes no sense for manufactures to start only making non-oil vehicles. It would just be too advanced for the mind set of consumers. Consumers need to be eased into transitions.
But the shift is happening and if you look closely you can see it. The introduction of hybrid cars is not a shift, don't be blinded by that. News like this the start of major changes Abu Dahbi
Oil is not running out any time soon and hybrid cars are not going to take over the market share either. But don't think that multi-billion dollar oil companies and manufactures don't have a clue what is going on. They know exactly what they are doing and when they want to do it, and don't think you are going to see anything drastic until the oil supply starts getting low. When that day comes on a Friday, guess what will happen on Monday....
An all new way to get your family around without oil!!
Have a great week!
Matthew George
Monday, July 6, 2009
Is The Death Of Public Media On The Horizon?
It has been a busy couple of weeks in the world, has it not? Let’s just recap what has happened, from deaths to sports.
Popular figures that died:
Farrah Fawcett, actress, cancer.
Micheal Jackson, pop star, cardiac arrest, not yet confirmed.
Billy Mays, TV pitchman, heart disease, not yet confirmed.
Steve McNair, NFL star, homicide, not yet confirmed.
Ed McMahon, TV host & announcer, health problems, old age.
NBA free agency opens:
Rasheed Wallace signs with the Boston Celtics.
Jason Kidd re-signs with the Dallas Mavericks.
Hedo Turkoglu verbally signs with Portland then backs out and signs with the Toronto Raptors.
Ron Artest signs with the Los Angels Lakers.
Trevor Ariza signs with the Huston Rockets.
Ben Gordon signs with the Detroit Pistons.
NHL free agency opens:
Marian Gaborik signs with the New York Rangers.
Jay Bouwmeester signs with the Calgary Flames.
Daniel and Henrik Sedin re-sign with the Vancouver Canucks.
Mike Cammalleri signs with the Montreal Canadiens.
Martin Havlat signs with the Minnesota Wild.
Mikhail Grabovski re-signs with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Mike Komisarek signs with the Toronto Maples Leafs.
Rick Nash re-signs with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Alexei Kovalev signs with the Ottawa Senators.
In World news:
North Korea launches test missiles.
Sarah Palin resigns as governor of Alaska.
14 year old girl only survivor of plane crash (where?).
Swine flu attacks young adults.
Air France flights crashes off the coast of Brazil.
Bernard Madoff is sentenced.
You have to agree that that is a tremendous amount of news, that is, information that is discussed for the purpose of allowing as many people as possible to view and/or hear it.
It is now common place that we have the ability to be informed about each one of these events without reading a paper, listening to the radio, watching the news, or even reading an online newspaper; even the crowned killer of printed news now has its own competition lurking.
I am referring to the social networking phenomenon that is sweeping our globe. It started viral with You Tube, My Space, etc., but these early launches where basically used to promote individual achievements, personal opinions and to keep friends up to date as to what is happening in one’s own life.
But we have seen an emergence of new media, and the innovation of the aforementioned sites, to create an almost instant relay of the information and news that used to be found only in newspapers and television broadcasts that could take from hours to days to reach you. Now, with these new media forms, you are able to hear about events seconds after they happen, directly from individuals that were eye witnesses to them.
For example, if you don't follow tennis you might not have known that the Wimbledon finals were played this past weekend. Armed only with my phone, I was able to follow both the women's and men's final, being kept up to date not only on the points and games won and lost, but also to the reactions of the players, how tired they looked, who had the mental edge, who was in the stands, how the umpire was doing, changes in the weather, even when they brought in new tennis balls. All of this information was provided to me instantly and free of charge by a reporter at the match.
Without needing to read the paper to find out who won the match, I could write my own column about not only who won, but give a detailed account on how the match was won. As a sports fan, though, I would like to actually see some of the action. No Problem. I have been provided a link where I can see the highlights from the match. I can also see video from the match before it is even finished!
This sequence of events was a common theme in regards to keeping track of all of the news headlines that have been seen over the last couple weeks. I have been able to rely on being updated on events happening world wide in every aspect of the news without having to read a paper, watch the TV, even visit a newspapers online edition.
I must comment, though, that in order to gain an in-depth knowledge of what has happened it is still necessary to read an article on the event, maybe even a couple, to get all the details, but I don't, for example, need to know the details of a contract that has just been signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 10 words or less I know that "Beauchemin signs in Toronto for 3 years/ $11.4 million." Fantastic! Welcome to the team. On the other hand, information like "North Korea launches test missiles" might be something you want to read more about, but, of course, that is always easy to find from the traditional sources.
Is the death of public media on the horizon? I would answer that by saying that it will rather continue transforming and innovating the way it relays information. Newspapers are going to have to go online; I really can't see them surviving any other way. Maybe some big players can keep their hardcopy paper going as well, but they are still going to have to rely mainly on online communication. This innovation of immediate communication of news is not the enemy of traditional news (i.e. written articles). I believe that these new forms of instant relaying headlines are bridges to these articles. The headline piques our interest, allows us to be more efficient in where we direct our attention, and allows us to pick and choose which pieces of information we wish to receive and read.
We can now reach our news like index cards at the library. We know what we want to find, we know where to look for it, and we are told where to find it.
It is more efficient, more personal, and more informative. Imagine the world at your fingertips.... Actually, no need to imagine, it is already here.
Have a great week!
Matthew George
Popular figures that died:
Farrah Fawcett, actress, cancer.
Micheal Jackson, pop star, cardiac arrest, not yet confirmed.
Billy Mays, TV pitchman, heart disease, not yet confirmed.
Steve McNair, NFL star, homicide, not yet confirmed.
Ed McMahon, TV host & announcer, health problems, old age.
NBA free agency opens:
Rasheed Wallace signs with the Boston Celtics.
Jason Kidd re-signs with the Dallas Mavericks.
Hedo Turkoglu verbally signs with Portland then backs out and signs with the Toronto Raptors.
Ron Artest signs with the Los Angels Lakers.
Trevor Ariza signs with the Huston Rockets.
Ben Gordon signs with the Detroit Pistons.
NHL free agency opens:
Marian Gaborik signs with the New York Rangers.
Jay Bouwmeester signs with the Calgary Flames.
Daniel and Henrik Sedin re-sign with the Vancouver Canucks.
Mike Cammalleri signs with the Montreal Canadiens.
Martin Havlat signs with the Minnesota Wild.
Mikhail Grabovski re-signs with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Mike Komisarek signs with the Toronto Maples Leafs.
Rick Nash re-signs with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Alexei Kovalev signs with the Ottawa Senators.
In World news:
North Korea launches test missiles.
Sarah Palin resigns as governor of Alaska.
14 year old girl only survivor of plane crash (where?).
Swine flu attacks young adults.
Air France flights crashes off the coast of Brazil.
Bernard Madoff is sentenced.
You have to agree that that is a tremendous amount of news, that is, information that is discussed for the purpose of allowing as many people as possible to view and/or hear it.
It is now common place that we have the ability to be informed about each one of these events without reading a paper, listening to the radio, watching the news, or even reading an online newspaper; even the crowned killer of printed news now has its own competition lurking.
I am referring to the social networking phenomenon that is sweeping our globe. It started viral with You Tube, My Space, etc., but these early launches where basically used to promote individual achievements, personal opinions and to keep friends up to date as to what is happening in one’s own life.
But we have seen an emergence of new media, and the innovation of the aforementioned sites, to create an almost instant relay of the information and news that used to be found only in newspapers and television broadcasts that could take from hours to days to reach you. Now, with these new media forms, you are able to hear about events seconds after they happen, directly from individuals that were eye witnesses to them.
For example, if you don't follow tennis you might not have known that the Wimbledon finals were played this past weekend. Armed only with my phone, I was able to follow both the women's and men's final, being kept up to date not only on the points and games won and lost, but also to the reactions of the players, how tired they looked, who had the mental edge, who was in the stands, how the umpire was doing, changes in the weather, even when they brought in new tennis balls. All of this information was provided to me instantly and free of charge by a reporter at the match.
Without needing to read the paper to find out who won the match, I could write my own column about not only who won, but give a detailed account on how the match was won. As a sports fan, though, I would like to actually see some of the action. No Problem. I have been provided a link where I can see the highlights from the match. I can also see video from the match before it is even finished!
This sequence of events was a common theme in regards to keeping track of all of the news headlines that have been seen over the last couple weeks. I have been able to rely on being updated on events happening world wide in every aspect of the news without having to read a paper, watch the TV, even visit a newspapers online edition.
I must comment, though, that in order to gain an in-depth knowledge of what has happened it is still necessary to read an article on the event, maybe even a couple, to get all the details, but I don't, for example, need to know the details of a contract that has just been signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 10 words or less I know that "Beauchemin signs in Toronto for 3 years/ $11.4 million." Fantastic! Welcome to the team. On the other hand, information like "North Korea launches test missiles" might be something you want to read more about, but, of course, that is always easy to find from the traditional sources.
Is the death of public media on the horizon? I would answer that by saying that it will rather continue transforming and innovating the way it relays information. Newspapers are going to have to go online; I really can't see them surviving any other way. Maybe some big players can keep their hardcopy paper going as well, but they are still going to have to rely mainly on online communication. This innovation of immediate communication of news is not the enemy of traditional news (i.e. written articles). I believe that these new forms of instant relaying headlines are bridges to these articles. The headline piques our interest, allows us to be more efficient in where we direct our attention, and allows us to pick and choose which pieces of information we wish to receive and read.
We can now reach our news like index cards at the library. We know what we want to find, we know where to look for it, and we are told where to find it.
It is more efficient, more personal, and more informative. Imagine the world at your fingertips.... Actually, no need to imagine, it is already here.
Have a great week!
Matthew George
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