2-29-08 Work Clips

Future of SaaS

SFC has a good quarter

Cdn Copyright Rule Reform

Oof.

Well, at least I don't work for KPMG. And more

Saasy

Well, it's not like the company will do anything about it.

Random Links that I was Interested in

Going back to one of the original points of the blog - storekeeping random finds online that interest me, without filling up everyone's inboxes...

Checking out the Personality Profile of Prospective Presidents. This would be fun to do for the next Canadian election. Or for your own personality...

The seven words of eating right guy in town, but sold out. The words? "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." More details here - which is the precis of his book.

Toronto's future. Well, one possibility for Toronto's future that will be partially, and badly implemented.

Toronto's Past. Well, fictional past and how it intersects with the real past. The TPL has done a great job of thinking about the book and how it impacts Toronto. See here for all sorts of cool toys, incl. an annotated chapter, a guided walking tour both by map and speaking tour (via mp3), a map of the old city, etc. Spacing Wire is getting in on this too. The role of cemeteries in the book, riverdale, old buildings, Toronto Islands, etc.

Loss of Toronto's Past in the Present. Bye Bye Duke's.

Cool Art on Ugly Road. Great explanation of the Harbour Commission building as well

Spying on Toronto's Rivers.

Roomie in Europe (and no Interpol calls so far)

Recent Eclipse

Cool talks at TED Conference

CIS Volleyball Live Webcast

What an awesome idea. If TSN, SportsNet and CBC are going to continue to ignore live amateur sports in favour of poker and wrestling, then perhaps this can get the product out to the masses.

Here's the schedule:

Friday, February 29:
1:00 pm, 3:00 pm, 6:00 pm, 8:00 pm: 1st round

Saturday, March 1st:
1 :00 pm – consolation
3 :00 pm – consolation
6 :00 pm – semi-final
8 :00 pm – semi-final

Sunday, March 2nd :
11 :00 am – 5th and 6th position *
1 :00 pm – 3rd position (Bronze) *
4 :30 pm – Final (Gold) *

* TBD : depending of TV broadcast

Google's Data Centres

How they manage the infrastructure behind the searches and ads, and emails and ads, and maps and ads...

Billy Bee flies south

Boo. One of my more famous employers gone. If I can, I'll post a pic of the (in)famous costume for everyone's comedy value.

Look Up!

There's a lunar eclipse over Toronto tonight at 10:00 pm.

Canadian Ski Marathon

Ow. But thanks to all the volunteers...

The True Price of SMS Messages

Between this and Tom Purves' post on Canadian mobile data rates, it's all very depressing.

Soros is gloomy

“The current crisis is not only the bust that follows the housing boom. It’s basically the end of a 60-year period of continuing credit expansion based on the dollar as the reserve currency.” Is the US finally having it's post-Edwardian England moment?

What's the halflife of online personal data

Cory Doctorow: why personal data is like nuclear waste

3000 years of the Middle East explained

In one easy to use graphic!

The propensity for engineers to be terrorists

Hmm. Something to ponder.

This is Crazy

Someone was shot, during the day, where I used to live. And shop. Crazy.

All of 2007 Lists

The best of's for 2007

Ads / Architecture / Art / Autos / Books / Business / Comics / Design / DVDs / Fashion / Film / Food & Drink / Gadgets / Games / Ideas / Media / Music / People / Sports / Science / Technology / Theatre / Travel / TV / Videos / Words

Why I Retired From Telecom

Most of the profitable niches in telecom are now gone. Home phone service, long distance, small business phone service, conference calling, mobile — all have become low-margin commodity markets dominated by established companies. The capital costs of prototyping new phone services have declined, but not nearly as much as retail pricing, and hence, the margins are near zero. The liquidity and exit opportunities for small telecom companies are also not good. You either need massive amounts of capital, or you need to be bought by a phone company (the stereotypes about phone companies exist for a reason). There are exceptions, of course, but they are rare.

Mobile should be a huge opportunity for developers, but unless and until the carriers open their platforms and create something like Ad Sense for developers, it’s a rotten business to be in. The mobile operators micromanage application developers, and they do not share revenue freely. They often charge for network access when they should be rewarding you for stimulating usage.

What’s the message in all of this for entrepreneurs? Telecom seems like a great industry. After all, billions of people use cell phones. The problem is that there is nothing like the web for mobile, and by that I mean the entire set of standards and business practices that have grown around it. It’s hard to see this changing significantly in the near future.

A Surfer's Life

Nice work if you can get it...

101 Simple Appetizers in 20 Minutes or Less

Some good simple options here.

The Year's Ideas in Review

NY Times' 2007 Ideas in Review

Happy Christmas to you all

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Creating your own Brazilian name!

Not sure mine fits, but hey...