Just opened up my new Apple 27" Cinema display. Wow! Now that's a monitor.

Cloud To Cloud ETL / Integration: The Next EAI?

Today, my good address book and my Plaxo address book are synced with each other.  But I do it the old fashioned way: through my PC.  Though both services are in the cloud, they come together in the address book on my Mac.    In reality, though, there's no need for that.  Cloud services can and should sync together through the cloud.  Indeed, Plaxo has a beta Google contact sync, but it doesn't work yet (at least not with any reliability).

What's true for consumers today will be true for more and more enterprises in the future:  cloud services will increasingly need to sync  with each other.  And there's no point in routing the data through the enterprise for the sake of clogging your bandwidth or slowing your cycle time.

The need for cloud-to-cloud integration will range from the mundane (sync your salesforece.com contacts with your LotusLive mail application) to the very complex: verifying delivery addresses and inventory availability with your cloud-based ERP and your cloud-based eCommerce, both managed by different vendors.

Today, most cloud users are consumers or enterprise that have one small cloud app hanging off their big fat local ERP.  That's going to change in the future. As more and more companies grow and mature into networks of cloud applications, they will still need ETL and EAI as much as they did before.  But where to it and how to manage it?

Smart cloud apps with implement their own inter-app linkages.  Salesforece.com to and from lots of related applications.  The problem: enterprises no longer have visibility to how that information is being transferred and managed.  That could present challenges in managing enterprise master data.  So, is there an opportunity to create an a kind of cloud-based EAI solution - managing and tracking integration and master data for enterprises between different cloud applications?  I think there's a market for this, getting bigger by the day.

Cloud To Cloud Integration could be powerful.  Photo Flickr CC.

Cool integration of Skype and Facebook is going to make Facebook even more compelling as a platform.

Bookmark: http://ping.fm/6aJan

You can find more of prbrody's bookmarks at
- http://ping.fm/JQ9n3

Fraud Never Looked So Good

I've spent the last few weeks reaching out the owners and leaders of online movie web sites.  My goal is to establish business development links to these sites for my new company, Zediva.  The challenge: a depressingly high percentage of these sites are frauds.

They lure people in with the promise of free movies.  And, in fact, it seems like on at least a few of them, you really can find (stolen) first run Hollywood movies.   The reality, though, is that these sites are mostly honeypots - designed to capture usernames, passwords, and credit card numbers.

Technically savvy users know: if you're going to steal a movie - BitTorrent is the place to do it.  Nobody searches the web anymore in hopes of finding a good streamable stolen movie.  At least not the smart ones don't.  For the rest: there is plethora of honey pots online - attracting users with the promise of free movies.  And what's amazing: these sites look good.  It's easy to rip off HTML and the designs for many sites are remarkably simple.  Indeed, I started to recognize the look and feel fo the phoney sites after a while.

So, how do tell if a site is a honeypot?  Well, real web sites have sections like "About Us".  The feature pictures of the entrepreneurs, contact information, and even mission statements.  They have legalese and terms and conditions that you don't see - yet - with the fake sites.  And some of this is hard to fake - at least in a way that's original.

Sadly, I'm sure we can look forward even more realistic fake web sites as consumers wise up to con artists online.

Sites like Cinamuse and Cinemaden (pictured below) look great online, but scam websites contain warnings about them.  I was afraid enough given those notes to not even try to register and find out more.  You can see, however, how professional these sites do look:

Hulu Makes Complicated Seem - Well, Not Terribly Complicated

It's crazy that you can watch some shows on the TV and others not.  Some on the phone.  Others not.  Some expire right away.  Some never.  Some show up a week after broadcast, others the next day.  In the end, no matter how good a job Hulu does of presenting the facts, it's hard for anyone to keep up.  And it's hard to really understand the logic here.

I don't want to knock Hulu too much.  It's not their fault that these terms are in the deals.  And overall, they do a terrific job of delivering video to consumers with limited ads and a high quality user interface.

Continuing Issues with Hulu

Random videos show, other don't.  You can watch The Event in HD, but the latest episode of Chuck is not available in SD.

A perfect location for breakfast in San Francisco

Is Legal Stuff A Distraction Or A Key Part of Innovation?

There's a tendency to think that innovation is purely about technology.  After more than 15 years in the technology business, I know that isn't true.  Good ideas and great technologies routinely lose out to inferior products.  More enlightened strategies (like IBM's approach to innovation) look at solutions for problems - technology that creates value.

Is the law part of that?  In the past, I would have seen legal issues as impediment to innovation, but not necessarily as a source innovation.  More and more, however, I am seeing that the law itself can not only enable or disable an innovation, it can be a source of innovation.

Ivi.tv, a company in Seattle that is attempting to become a virtual multi-channel distribution system (in other words a cable system with out cable) is engaged in a pitched battle with the major networks and copyright holders over their business model.  IVI is attempting to use the same law that allows cable systems (the ones with actual cables) to retransmit free-to-air broadcast signals.

Is this a loophole or an innovation?  I think it's an innovation.  Having spent the last three months attempting to raise money for my own company, Zediva, I'm tired of hearing about loop-holes.  Property rights and public services are not loopholes, they are essential features of our economy and democracy.  Innovations around how property is handled have been key for our growth.  Joint Stock Companies (public companies with shareholders) were once a legal innovation.  I can just imagine some 17th century VC telling an entrepreneur that selling shares is just a loop-hole for raising money and it won't last.

I've read IVI's complaint in federal court against the major broadcasters.  I have no idea if they will win or lose, but I look forward to the battle. I hope they win - if only because disruption and change bring more innovation.'

A Forest of TV Antennas.  Free to air thanks to taxpayer subsidized spectrum.  Photo CC  D Searls

Amanda Enayati Lives Out My Revenge Fantasy

The other day while riding my bike, a car cut me off and knocking me off my bicycle and leaving me with a nasty case of road rash, a destroyed Rolex, and a damaged $2,500 bicycle.  He didn't even stop to see if I was alright.

As I hear from other cyclists, that kind of thing is a depressing reality.  I admit, I'd like to hunt down the SOB who ran off and knock a few of his (or her, I'm a modern, equal opportunity kind of guy) teeth out.

Amanda Enayati didn't get knocked off her bike, but she did get robbed.  And she found the thief - a lot of very clever sleuthing.  He was out on parole and now he's back in prison. She writes about it in this article on Salon - and it's just awesome.  Check it out.

Shattered Glass, Flickr CC from USB

What Goes Up Must Come Down?

Is the housing market about to rebound?  I don't think so.  There's some good news: by a number of measures of value, houses are actually fairly priced.  But generally, what goes up too high in financial markets tends to plunge too low.

Exuberance is not the only irrational investor emotion.  I love "The Big Picture" blog (link).  Awesome analysis here and cool chart as well from the site: (Visit the Blog for a nice blow-up version)

Bottom line: house prices in the US are coming back into line broadly with income.  Two problems:

1. We haven't undershot - which we usually do after a bubble
2. Incomes are gong up at a snail's pace right now

Got extra hugs from my kids last night. Andrew told me I should try to hold on harder to the bicycle. So cute!

Toyota 1, Rolex 0

Toyota 1, Rolex 0. One mangled watch after a car hit me while riding my bike today. Driver didn't even stop! I am ok. Just a few owies.

The Quantified Life: It Gets Boring

I'm a big fan of these quantified web sites.  I wish I had the discipline to keep it up.  But I don't.  I've tried all the different sites and while I think there's a powerful relationship between tracking and performance, I'm not always up to it.

When I am diligently pursuing a goal, I am able to keep up the tracking, but as a day-to-day activity, I find it hard to do.  My attention wanders and it's hard to keep up.  I love the fitbit, for example, but tracking my eating and sleep is just too much effort.  So I'm still able to do the daily exercise tracking (well, the system does it for me) but beyond that…

I'm failing to keep up my data input...

Cool Ideas Online: Time for Web Developer Code of Conduct?

I saw this slideshare presentation and I loved it.  There are good sites - like Amazon.com.  They treat their customers with respect and never try to pull a fast one.  There are bad sites, like RyanAir - which require eternal vigilence if you dare use them at all.

I think it's time for a code of conduct, and I like the way this guy thinks:

Dark Patterns: User Interfaces Designed to Trick People (Presented at UX Brighton 2010)

View more presentations from Harry Brignull.

Problems At Hulu?

Twice this weekend, I tried to watch an episode of Psych.  Impossible - the content simply would not download.  I was able to easily switch to other episodes of other TV shows, but that particular episode of USA's Psych simply would not download.

It wasn't my internet connection and it doesn't seem to be all of Hulu, but it is odd that I couldn't watch just one particular show.

Are TV Stations Helping IVI?

In the last week, ivi.tv has come on the scene and promises a disruptive approach to TV.  Cable television without the cable.  The company re-transmits broadcast signals under the compulsory licensing regime of the US copyright office.  Ivi even allows users outside the US to watch US broadcast TV.

The product is slick.  The quality seems good so far, and I hope it will not degrade over time.  You are limited to live television with basic pause / play functions - pause, rewind, etc., but no true recording yet.  There's a nice selection of the top US networks as well as some minor ones.

Screen Capture from ivi.tv application on the Mac

I immediately subscribed just to try it out.  That said, a few days after subscribing, I don't find myself using it.  The reason: I get my news on the web (not video), I don't watch sports, and I like my entertainment on demand.  Indeed, it reminded me how little I depend on live television in my daily life anymore.  But I am not typical.  For sports fans overseas, this has be a great find and far better value than any of the online services offered to-date.

Reaction has pretty similar across the internet to this new service:

1. It works pretty nicely.
2. It's disruptive to existing players
3. Nobody is sure if it is legal

The most print has been focused on the question of legality.  A great blog entry (link) examines their position and compares it to what is known.  The copyright office seems to have stated quite explicitly that compulsory licensing does not apply to internet services.

I hope that ivi has some novel and important arguments to make the case that it should apply.  I'm no expert in this space, but I do think there should not be a requirement that you string physical cable to a network operator.  As in DSL in Europe, which has had great success, companies should be able to compete with each other on all aspects of the service.

Local TV stations and the broadcast networks should be cheering ivi.  They have long wanted to be paid like any cable network.  If ivi causes the government to re-examine this regime, it could end up being good.  Indeed, at least one blog entry seems to suggest that ivi is capturing broadcast signals at the source with the cooperation of over-the-air broadcasters:

The company has secured the rights to deliver live television feeds from local affiliates in Seattle and New York, with plans to expand to LA, San Francisco and other markets in the near future. Ivi pays the stations an undisclosed amount to pick up the signal, which it does by either placing a physical encoder device at the station or capturing it from satellite or antennae. (Techflash)

Separating content creation, distribution, and physical infrastructure is likely to have a positive effect on competition and consumer value creation, so I hope they achieve some good disruption!

A great reminder that we are really bad at assessing risk. For ourselves and our kids.

Bookmark: http://ping.fm/qr2QL

You can find more of prbrody's bookmarks at
- http://ping.fm/FdOK9

Nice analysis of IVI's disruptive play. Doesn't look good, though.

Bookmark: http://ping.fm/7yGYE

You can find more of prbrody's bookmarks at
- http://ping.fm/HjJVu

No excuse for more "crapifying" of Android.

Bookmark: http://ping.fm/aX60R

You can find more of prbrody's bookmarks at
- http://ping.fm/d0cbm

Wow, I was skeptical of statements that the iPad was cannibalizing notebook sales, but maybe it really is.

Bookmark: http://ping.fm/ss9I1
prbrody's notes: Wow, I was skeptical of statements that the iPad was cannibalizing notebook sales, but maybe it really is.

You can find more of prbrody's bookmarks at
- http://ping.fm/ebu3S