Tom Cuthbert
Nebulosities Kill Clarity

Nebulosities create a lack of clarity in our communication. They contribute to vagueness and ambiguity. They’re the language of “saying things indirectly.” We may think we’re getting our point across without being too aggressive. Instead, we make it a cloud of words. Often times, they come to a different conclusion.

Nebulosities Kill Clarity
Leadership, Communication
Tom Cuthbert
Companies Break in the Middle

After spending over 1,000 hours per year with CEO’s I have an observation, companies break in the middle.

Hold a stick with both hands at each end. Your right hand is the CEO, your left hand is the front-line employee. Everything in between is the middle. Now bend the stick…until it breaks.

The break will happen somewhere in the middle. No matter the strength of the branch, it will break with the right amount of pressure. This is why it is so important to pay attention to the middle.


Companies Break in the Middle
Tom Cuthbert
2020 Book of the Year
2020 Book of the Year
Tom Cuthbert
Pitbull is Right

These are stressful times with hard decisions and long days. For many of our members, this is the first economic downturn they have faced. This is my sixth downturn and... I believe that we will win.

Pitbull is Right
Tom Cuthbert
2019 Book of the Year

I read (and listened) to 24 fantastic books in 2019.  Most of them were business related, personal growth or pure entertainment.  I rate books based on impact to me and add bonus points if I reread it. The 2019 nominees are:

2019 Book of the Year

Starbucks Stores in New York Now Accepting Mobile Payments

I'm a big fan of mobile payments and Starbucks!  So when the two come together it gets my attention.  I've had the Starbucks Mobile Payment App on my iPhone for six months, hoping to find a store where I can use it, to no avail.  Mobile payments make perfect sense.  I rarely carry cash when traveling because of the risk.  I always have my iPhone and would be perfectly comfortable paying with it.

So go Starbucks!  I am pulling for your success with this venture.  I'll be in NYC next week and will be ready with my iPhone!
Mashable,  Jennifer Van Grove
Starbucks has seen sufficient success with its Starbucks Card Mobile payment pilot program in select San Francisco, Seattle and Target stores that its ready to extend the program to nearly 300 company-operated stores in New York City and Long Island.

Starbucks Card Mobile for iPhone and BlackBerry lets users pay for their coffee by holding up the 2-D barcode on their smartphone to the scanner at the counter. The application allows customers to manage and reload their Starbucks Cards as well.

Customers have responded positively to the mobile payment option, Starbucks reports.

“We’re seeing more and more customers using their smartphones as their mobile wallets,” says Brady Brewer, vice president Starbucks Card and Loyalty. “We’ve heard from our customers on My Starbucks Idea that they want a faster, more convenient way to pay.”

Read the full article here

Groupon Adds Self-Serve Deal Platform, Says It's the "Future"

I'm impressed with Groupon.  Not as much as a consumer but from the business concept standpoint... quite frankly, it's brilliant. There's a reason this company has been the fastest to a $1B valuation (yep, faster than Google and Facebook!)

Now Groupon is testing a new feature called Groupon Stores, which allows local businesses to create Facebook-like pages where fans can follow them and access deals. The businesses can add their own deals, bypassing Groupon’s long waiting lines in each city, but do they have more than enough to keep track of already?

Each business that signs up receives its own page with a web address that begins “groupon.com/merchants/” and can offer details about itself along with deals similar to those hosted on the main section of the Groupon website. Only a few businesses are testing out the feature at present.

The Journey of Latavious Willaims

I met Latavious Williams last year through my involvement with Dutt Sports.  Latavious is both a terrific young player and a very nice individual.  I'm thrilled for him and his opportunity to play in the NBA.  The story below shows his progress, leaving space for the next chapter.
Meet Latavious Williams. While many of his high school classmates were heading to college, the 6’8”-210 pound Williams decided to forgo the backpack for basketball shoes and pursue his dream of playing professional basketball. Despite the wide array of options that lay before him, Williams chose to enter the NBA Development League, making him the first high school graduate to do so. Playing for the Tulsa 66ers, Williams’s game is marked by length and athleticism and coaches were immediately impressed by his tireless work-ethic and eagerness to be a student of basketball. 

What Earnings Reports Have Revealed About Ads

Cost per click is up, clicking activity way up. Good news for Google, bad news for advertisers...

From CBS News
Here are highlights of recent quarterly earnings reports from selected Internet, media and advertising companies and what they say about the state of spending on advertising: Oct. 14: Google Inc. says its average cost per click rose 3 percent from a year ago, meaning companies paid more to place ads. People clicked on ads 16 percent more than they did in the same period last year. Executives also indicate that display advertising accounted for nearly 10 percent of ad revenue in the quarter, and mobile advertising was almost 4 percent. Those figures helped justify two of Google's biggest acquisitions - of DoubleClick Inc. and AdMob. Oct. 15: Gannett Co. reports a 37 percent rise in third-quarter earnings on Friday, helped by a jump in broadcasting revenue. A recovering auto industry and political campaigns heading into midterm elections poured money into Gannett's 23 television stations. That, plus an increase in advertising on the company's websites, helped the biggest U.S. newspaper publisher halt declining revenue for the first time since 2006. Tuesday: The New York Times Co. and McClatchy Co. both report that print advertising fell compared with a year ago, when ad sales had already taken a big plunge from 2008 levels. And neither company was able to draw enough new business from its digital operations to make up for the losses in print. Yahoo Inc. says search advertising revenue fell 7 percent from last year to $331 million. But Yahoo generated slightly more revenue from each search in the third quarter, the first time that has happened in two years. The company fared much better in its stronghold, the "display" advertising category that covers banner and full-screen ads, sometimes featuring video. Revenue in this segment climbed 17 percent to $465 million. Among earnings reports coming up: Wednesday: IAC/InterActiveCorp Thursday: Microsoft Corp. Nov. 3: Time Warner Inc., AOL Inc. Nov. 4: CBS Corp. Nov. 5: Washington Post Co. Nov. 11: Viacom Inc., Walt Disney Co.

Birthday Freebies!

Today is my friend Don's birthday.  As a public service, I thought I would post this handy dandy list of cool stuff you can get for free on YOUR birthday!  From free pancakes to appetizers to coffee to ice cream... you get it all!  Unfortunately, you will have to buy your own Alka-Seltzer :)

Everyone loves birthdays and everyone loves free stuff. Luckily for us, there are a ton of places out there that offer birthday freebies! I’ve compiled a list of some of the best birthday freebies out there. Remember that some places will want you to show proof, so be honest!

Abbot’s Frozen Custard

 – Join the Abbott’s Frozen Custard Fun Club to a get a free frozen custard on your birthday. The site says there will also be freebies throughout the year for their members.

Alfy’s Pizza – Get a free mini pizza on your birthday.

Applebee’s – Free dessert and song on your birthday.

Austin Grill – Register for their eClub and get a free meal on your birthday.

Bakers Square – Get a free peice of pie on your birthday at Bakers Square.

Bandido’s – Get $10 off your favorite entree when you celebrate your birthday at Bandido’s in Ohio and Indiana.

Baskin Robbins – Baskin Robbins will send you a coupon for a free 2.5 oz scoop of ice cream on your birthday plus other special promotions when you join the Baskin Robbins Birthday Club.

BD’s Mongolian BBQ – Receive a free stifry on your birthday when you join Club Mongo.

Ben & Jerry’s – Get a free ice cream treat on your birthday when you become a ChunkSpelunker with Ben & Jerry’s.

Benihana - Join “The Chef’s Table” and receive a Benihana Birthday Dinner certificate worth $30 to use during the month of your birthday.

Bennigan’s – Get a buy 1 entree, get 1 entrée free and a free brownie ice cream dessert coupon on your birthday.

Black Angus Steakhouse – Get a free steak dinner on your birthday when you join the BA Prime Club. You also get a complimentary dessert for signing up for the club.

Blimpie – Get a coupon for a free 6” sub on your birthday at Blimpie’s.

Blue Bell – Members of the Blue Bell Country Club will receive a gift certificate for a free half gallon of Blue Bell Ice Cream during the month of their birthday.

Bob’s Big Boy – Get a free hot fudge ice cream on your birthday.

Bob Evans – Sign up your child for their birthday club and they’ll get a free kids’ meal on their birthday at Bob Evans.

The Body Shop – The Body Shop will give you a free birthday gift up to a $10 value during the month of your birthday. **No longer valid**

Boston Market – Kids 12 and under will receive a birthday coupon good for a free kid’s meal, drink, and dessert at Boston Market.

Buffalo Wild Wings – Get a coupon for a free dessert to celebrate your birthday at Buffalo Wild Wings.

Burger King – Sign up your child to be a member of Club BK so they can get a free kid’s meal on their birthday.

California Pizza Kitchen – Sign up your child (10 and under) for CPKids and they will receive a free CPKids meal during the month of their birthday.

Captain D’s – Kids get a free kids meal and birthday greeting on their birthday at Captain D’s. Adult’s can join the D’s Club and get a coupon for a free birthday meal.

Caribou Coffee – Create an account and be sure to update it with your birthday. They will send you a coupon for a free coffee drink on your birthday.

Carrows – Join the Carrows E-Club to get a free dessert on your birthday as well as one for joining.

Cattlemen’s – Join the Cattlemen’s E-Club and get a free dessert when you come in on your birthday.

Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse – Get a free gift on your birthday as a member of the Charlie Brown’s Handshake Club as well as gift vouchers and special members-only events.

Chevys – Join Chevys Compadres Club and get a free dessert on your birthday.

Claim Jumper Restaurant – Join the CJ E-Club and get a free dessert on your birthday.

Cold Stone Creamery – Cold Stone Creamery will send you an email with a coupon for a free ice cream creation to enjoy on your birthday. All ages are welcome!

Country Buffet – Join the eClub and get a free birthday coupon in the mail.

Cracker Barrel – You can come into Cracker Barrel on your birthday and you will get a free dessert and song.

Crazy Buffet – Bring a friend and your ID into Crazy Buffet on your birthday and get a free dinner buffet.

Dairy Queen – Join the Dairy Queen Blizzard Fan Club and get a free ice cream cone on your birthday as well as a coupon for a blizzard when you join.

Dave & Buster’s – Get a free $5 game card credit on your birthday.

Denny’s – Come in and get a free Grand Slam on your birthday.

Desparados Mexican Restaraunt – Come in and get a free meal at Desparados on your birthday.

Discovery Cruise Line – You get a free one-day cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to the Bahamas. You do have to make the trip with another fare-paying adult and will have to shell out the $20 for the Bahama departure and harbor fee.

Disneyland – Get free admission on your birthday when you register in advance. You will need to bring the confirmation along with your ID to the park. **No longer valid**

Dockside Restaurants – Get a free meal on your birthday.

Duke’s ChowderHouse – Get a coupon for a free lunch or dinner entree on your birthday when you sign up on Duke’s website.

Dutch Bros. Coffee – Stop in on your birthday and get a free coffee as your birthday freebie.

Famous Daves BBQ – Free food coupon via email on your birthday when you join the Famous Dave’s P.I.G. Club (could be free cake, an appetizer, or some ribs!).

Firehouse Subs – Jon the Firehouse Subs Birthday Club and enjoy a free sub on your birthday.

First Watch – Join the suneclub and receive a coupon for a free entree at First Watch.

Friendly’s – Sign up for Friendly’s E-News and get free ice cream for your birthday. This is now for kids and adults!

Fuddruckers – Join the Fudds Club and gett a free burger on your birthday. (May not be available in all areas.)

Garozzo’s Ristorante – Bring in your driver’s license to get a free spedini meal at this Kansas City eatery.

Grimaldi’s – Sign up for the birthday club at Grimaldi’s and get a free pizza.

Hana Japan – Get a free birthday lunch or dinner when you bring in 4 or more people on your birthday.

Hard Rock Cafe – Come in and get a free dessert on your birthday.

Helzberg Diamonds – Sign up for free email updates at Helzberg Diamonds and receive a coupon for free pearl earrings for your birthday.

Hollywood Video – Get a free rental at Hollywood Video on your birthday with card membership. In fact, anyone on your account can get a free rental on their birthday.

Hometown Buffet – Join the eClub and get a free birthday coupon in the mail.

Houlihan’s -  Join Houlihan’s email club and you’ll get a coupon for a free entree on your birthday. Or if you’re not a member you can still stop in a get a free dessert.

IHOP – Come on into IHOP and get a free meal (a sundae at some locations) on your birthday. (May not be available in all areas.)

Joe’s BBQ – Visit Joe’s BBQ (AZ) on your birthday and receive a free meal.

Joe’s Crab Shack – Go to Joe’s Crab Shack on your birthday and get a free piece of cake.

Lone Star Steakhouse – Sign up for the Lone Star Steakhouse e-club and you’ll receive a coupon for a free entree (up to $15 value) to help you celebrate your birthday. **No longer valid.**

Lowry Park Zoo – If you’re a Florida resident and go to Lowry Park Zoo (Tampa, FL) on your birthday, you’ll get free admission.

Luby’s - Free kid’s birthday meal (ages 9 and younger) on their birthday as a member of the Luby’s birthday club.

Macaroni Grill – Come on into Macaroni Grill on your birthday and get a free dessert plus a song.

Maggiano’s – Join the Maggiano’s Birthday Club and get a coupon for $10 off your meal purchase.

Marie Callender’s – Join Marie Callender’s E-Club and get a coupon for $5 off your meal and piece of pie when you visit during the month of your birthday.

McDonald’s - Free Happy Meal for your child on their birthday. This offer is only good at participating McDonald’s in Colorado, Greater Las Vegas Area, Western Nebraska and Wyoming.

Memphis Barbecue – Receive a coupon good for a free rack of ribs and a dessert when you join the free eClub.

Moe’s Southwest Grill – Get a coupon for a free Moe’s entree (excludes fajitas) on your birthday when you choose to “stay in the moe.”

Noodles & Company – Join the Noodleville Noodlegram to get a coupon for a free dish on your birthday.

Olan Mills Portrait Studios – Get a free Olan Mills portrait package that includes (1) 8X10, (2) 5X7 and (8) wallets when you join the birthday club.

Old Country Buffet – Join the eClub and get a free birthday coupon in the mail.

Old Spaghetti Warehouse – Join the Warehouse Club and get a coupon for a free meal on your birthday.

On the Border – Get a free appetizer on your birthday when you join On the Border’s Club Cantina. When you initially join you will get an instant coupon for a free bowl of queso or empanadas.

Outback – Get a free dessert and a song when you go to Outback on your birthday.

P.F. Changs – Come in and get a free dessert on your birthday.

Pancho’s – Join Pancho’s Birthday Club to get $10 off the bill for adults or $5 off the bill for kids.

Perkins – Receive an email for a free kid’s meal and birthday greeting on their birthday when you sign them up for the Bakery Buddies Kid’s Birthday Club. Adults can get an email coupon for a free piece of pie.

Provino’s – Come on into Provino’s on your birthday and show your ID to get a free pasta speciality dinner (which includes salad, garlic rolls and a birthday dessert!).

Red Lobster – Join the Overboard Club and they will email you a suprise for your birthday.

Red Robin – Join the Red Robin eClub and get a coupon for a fee burger on your birthday. This is for all ages!

Rock Bottom – Join the Mug Club and get a free appetizer on your birthday.

Round Table – Get a free personal pizza when you visit on your birthday.

Ruby Tuesday – Ruby Tuesday now has a birthday freebie. Join the So Connected club and you’ll get an email for a free burger on your birthday.

Ru Sans – Visit Ru Sans to sign up for their birthday card to get free food on your birthday.

Ryan’s – Join the eClub at Ryan’s and get a coupon for a free adult buffet with the purchase of another adult buffet during the month of your birthday.

Sephora – Sign up as a Beauty Insider and get a free gift from Sephora on your birthday.

Shoney’s – Get your child (10 and under) a free kid’s meal on their birthday when  you sign them up for the the Kids Club.

Yep, Apple Killed The CD Today

By MG Siegler, Techcrunch

Stop. Take a deep breath. Before my headline gets you all worked up, consider what I’m saying here. The CD and other optical discs, like DVDs and Blu-rays, are obviously going to live on for a while as a way to transport media. But make no mistake that today, with two unveilings, Apple has effectively sealed the fate of the optical disc in the computer industry. Soon, it will go the way of the floppy disk.

Last week, I wrote a post laying out what I hoped Apple would bring with a revamped MacBook Air. I came to the realization that I had never once used the optical drive in my current MacBook Pro, and it was simply taking up a lot of space and was making my computer unnecessarily bulky. I wanted to replace it with a MacBook Air. And now I can. And I’m not going to be the only one that does.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: but the MacBook Air has been around for a couple of years and it hasn’t killed off the optical disc yet. That’s true, but a couple key ingredients were missing the last time around.

First of all, the first-generation Airs were a bad combination of underpowered and overpriced. That is no longer the case. Second, they required some convoluted desktop computer CD syncing system to be able to install something from an optical disc to the Air (or an optional USB add-on). That is also no longer the case (though both still exists).

When you get your MacBook Air and you open the box, you will find exactly zero optical discs inside. Normally, Apple includes at least one back-up DVD to reinstall OS X and other software if your computer fails. But now, that has been replaced with a super-slim USB stick. This stick, packed in with your manual, is all you need to reinstall your system now.

This makes a lot of sense. CDs were replaced by DVDs because they offered a lot more storage. But flash memory cards, such as the one Apple includes with the Air, are already blowing DVDs out of the water when it comes to storage. They may still be more expensive to produce, but Apple has clearly figured out a way to make it work. I suspect we may see more drives like this one (which use much less plastic than typical USB flash drives — and appear to even use less plastic than optical discs).

But that’s only one half of the future.

The other half is a potentially much bigger announcement Apple made today: the Mac App Store. While Apple didn’t give a ton of details yet, it appears that this store will work pretty much just as their App Store does on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. There will be free and paid apps. There will be one-click downloads. There will be automatic updates. All that.

What there won’t be are any optical discs.

Up until now, the vast majority of software (at least the legal variety) has been distributed by way of CD or DVD. The Mac App Store could very well change that. Every app found on that store, undoubtedly including the big ones we all know and love and use on our computers today, will be distributed over the Internet. This is long overdue.

Plenty of companies have tried Internet distribution for a long time. Some have success, and some don’t. But none have the type of central repository that Apple is offering here. This is going to be huge.

If it sounds similar to what Google is working on with the Chrome Web Store, or what Mozilla is proposing with their Open Web Ecosystem, remember that those are only webapps. We’re talking native applications for the Mac App Store. We’re talking apps that run on your computer, just like you have now, they’re just distributed in a way that makes a lot more sense.

They’re distributed in a way that makes the CD, DVD, and every other optical disc obsolete. And that’s good, since soon the optical drives will start to fade out of existence as well.

With the launch of the iTunes Music Store seven and a half years ago, Apple put the wheels in motion to kill the CD. Today, they kicked off their final assault. There will be no survivors.

Miami Heat Website Going With Picture Of LeBron James Today

I love The Onion :)

 

MIAMI—After much deliberation,members of the MiamiHeat.com web team decided today that the featured homepage image should depict Miami Heat small forward LeBron James playing basketball.

According to sources, the choice to go with a photograph of James was made in an early morning staff meeting. Several different image ideas were suggested, including LeBron James shooting a basketball, LeBron James passing a basketball, and LeBron James playing defense in a basketball game.

The selected photo will reportedly replace yesterday's picture of LeBron James standing on a basketball court and dribbling a basketball with one hand while pointing with the other.

"We like today's photo because it's an action shot, it's vibrant, and you can tell the crowd in the background is really enjoying the game," web editor Mark Christie said. "And it has LeBron James in it, as well."

"He's dunking," Christie added.

Christie told reporters that on any given day, his colleagues have a rough idea of which Heat player or players they want to feature on the website. Monday—according to Christie a high-traffic day—is typically reserved for a picture of LeBron James. On Tuesday, Christie said he likes to go with an alternate image of LeBron James. And on Wednesday, the web team typically selects a LeBron James picture that strikes a tone suitable for the site's midweek audience.

Thursdays, however, Christie said he likes to change it up by going with a picture of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James either laughing with each other, staring intensely at the action on the floor, or sitting next to each other on the bench.

Weekends are reportedly reserved for a three-shot of Wade, newly acquired forward Chris Bosh, and LeBron James, in which James is standing between the two holding a basketball.†

"Sometimes that weekend schedule goes completely out the window, though, and we'll just go with a picture of LeBron James," said assistant web editor Jarrod Brewer, adding that single images of Chris Bosh can be found on the website's "photos" page. "Especially if we have a really good photo of him. People would be surprised how often that happens. It's ultimately very fluid around here. Last Friday we were slated to have a photo of Chris Bosh and LeBron James, and then Mark said, 'It feels like a just-LeBron day to me. Let's go with him sweating.'"

Continued Brewer, "Also, I thought Mark's decision to go with LeBron James standing at a podium after a preseason game instead of a picture of Coach, um, Coach—the coach of the Miami Heat basketball team, yeah—was a really good call on Mark's part."

According to Christie, the main goal of MiamiHeat.com is to make the website feel like a unique experience for daily visitors. That is why, Christie noted, he likes to constantly change up the photos of LeBron James. If, for example, Christie uses a picture in the morning of the All-Star forward throwing chalk into the air, then during the afternoon he'll go with a more subdued photo of James sitting on the bench with a towel draped across his knees, drinking a cup of Gatorade.

"Mix is really important to me," Christie said. "If we go two days in a row with LeBron James smiling, then I'm not doing my job."

When asked why a photo of 16-year veteran Juwan Howard was featured in the site's top spot several weeks ago, Christie said that the incident was a huge mistake, that the person who posted it was immediately fired, and that the page was actually intended to feature LeBron James.

USA Today: Escalating click fraud erodes credibility of online advertising


The level of fraudulent clicks on legit online advertisements rose to 22.3% in the third quarter, ending September 30, according to summary findings released today by online ad tracking firm Click Forensics. 

That's up from 14.1% during the same three months of 2009. "During the past quarter, we saw a growing volume of click fraud flow through a more diverse number of sources," says Paul Pellman, CEO of Click Forensics. "As advertising in videos, social networks and mobile devices continues to grow, advertisers will need to pay close attention to the quality of traffic they receive."

Advertisers have wasted tens of millions of dollars on faked clicks, as we reported in this story.

Most often, cybercriminals put up websites carrying online ads and no other content. The criminals then retain the services of cybergangs in control of sprawling networks of infected PCs, called botnets, which are directed to repeatedly click on the ads. This triggers payments to the crooks who put up the Web page.

Click fraud continues to steadily erode the credibility of Internet-based advertising, which is why Microsoft has declared war on cybercriminals who specialize in click fraud, as we reported here.

Context supplied earlier this year by Brad Smith, Microsoft senior vice president and general counsel, bears repeating.

Smith told reporters at a press briefing in May that criminals are "not alone" in getting rich. Smith outlined how Google, Microsoft and Yahoo, the biggest online advertising platform providers, also profit from click fraud, since each also gets a piece of the payment advertisers pay for each faked click.

The tech giants can "take aggressive steps" to stop click fraud, "or look the other way and make money on it," noted Smith. "We don't believe looking the other way is an option."

By Byron Acohido

Click Fraud Rate Rises to 22.3 Percent in Q3 2010

Click Forensics®, Inc. today released advertising audience quality figures for the third quarter 2010 from the industry’s leading independent online advertising data reporting service.

Now in its fourth year, the Click Forensics reporting service provides statistically significant data collected from Cost Per Click (CPC) advertising campaigns for both large and small advertisers across all leading search engines as well as comparison shopping engines and social networks. Traffic across more than 300 ad networks is reflected in the data. Key findings for Q3 2010 include:

  • The overall industry average click fraud rate was 22.3 percent. That’s up from the 18.6 percent reported for Q2 2010 and the 14.1 percent rate reported for Q3 2009.
  • In Q3 2010, the countries outside North America with significant CPC traffic producing the greatest volume of click fraud were Japan, the Netherlands, the Philippines and China, respectively.

“During the past quarter, we saw a growing volume of click fraud flow through a more diverse number of sources, including mobile proxies,” said Paul Pellman, CEO of Click Forensics. “As advertising in videos, social networks and mobile devices continues to grow, advertisers will need to pay close attention to the quality of traffic they receive.”

Since 2006, Click Forensics has published online advertising industry data collected from the first independent third-party Cost Per Click (CPC) and online advertising fraud detection service. The service monitors online media traffic across over 300 ad networks as well as billions of clicks from top search engines, comparison shopping engines, social networks, leading publishers and advertiser web sites – providing the most accurate view of online advertising audience quality.

For more details, visit http://www.clickforensics.com/resources/click-fraud-index.html.

2012 Mayan Calendar 'Doomsday' Date Might Be Wrong : Discovery News

According to all the ridiculous hype surrounding Dec. 21, 2012, the Mayans "predicted" the end of the world with one of their calendars. On this date, doomsayers assert that Earth will be ravaged by a smorgasbord of cataclysmic astronomical events -- everything from a Planet X flyby to a "killer" solar flare to a geomagnetic reversal (I hate it when those happen!), ensuring we have a very, very bad day. 

And now, according to a recent study by an associate professor at UC Santa Barbara, this fundamental "end date" may also be inaccurate. It could be at least 60 days out of whack. Mayan

60 days!  This throws everything off... read more here:

How the iPad Changed My Life :)

I don't want to be overdramatic or 'overplay' this but dad-gummit the iPad has changed my life!  130 days in and I still can't believe how amazing this device is.  I have always had lots of technology toys in my life.  From the Casio Telememo watch to the Palm Pilot to the Treo smartphone, I've had them all!  So why has the iPad created such a stir?  There are three things it does extremely well that have literally changed the way I work and live.
First, I love to read... I consistently read three newspapers, six magazines, dozens of blogs, Twitter posts and Facebook updates.  (Not to mention about a book a month!)  Suffice to say I am an avid reader.  The iPad has changes where, when and how I can read.  I subscribe to the Wall St. Journal for the iPad.  It is a great app, easy to update, simple to read and can go anywhere.  
For blog reading I love the Pulse app... it makes reading blogs easy and moves quickly between an extract and the full post on the web.  Flipboard is a new app that makes everything look and feel like a magazine.  I use it for reading Twitter and Facebook posts, as well as some magazines.  (I'm hoping that Flipboard and Pulse merge, that would be the perfect reader!)  Instapaper is an incredible app that allows you to "read later" any story you find online.  I recommend it highly.  All in all, I have become a more productive reader with the iPad. The second aspect of the iPad I am amazed by is the business functionality.  
I travel a lot and have found that the iPad is almost a complete replacement for my laptop.  I recently was in NYC and had 14 meetings with friends and investors discussing a new company I've been helping.  In each meeting all I had was my iPad and Moleskine calendar.  I simply fired up the Keynote app, set my iPad on the table and stepped through the deck page by page.  It was seamless and made for great conversation.  From calendar to email to presentations, spreadsheets and documents it does it all.  The single downside today is the inability to easily print.  Surely Apple will fix this soon.  (Side note, I can now type about 80% of the speed of my laptop, not bad!)  I have also begun taking meeting notes into my iPad using Notepad Pro.  It is a very handy app and makes meeting recaps quick and easy.
Finally, I love the apps!  It has huge entertainment and information value.  I watch streaming movies and TV shows from Nexflix.  I play Words with Friends with my son (and consistently lose!).  There are incredibly functional apps including TripIt, Amazon, Maps, Skype, Flixter, Yelp, Redbox, Starbucks and NYCWay to name a few of my favorites.  I even manage my accounts from my iPad... in fact, just about everything I need is right there in the 10" by 7 1/2" little pad.  I have found myself taking it just about everywhere.  Yes, I have an iPhone too but the size and comfort level of reading the iPad makes it a must have when I am out and about.  It is lightweight and not at all a burden to carry around.  I can't imagine leaving home without it! So if you don't have an iPad I suggest you get one.  Try out a friends for a day and you'll see what I mean.  I know there are imitators on the way.  That will be a good thing in the same way that iPhone imitators have brought better functionality in it as well.  It is a rare occurance in my life when anything exceeds my expectations.  As I sat on my porch on April 3rd waiting for the UPS truck to arrive I was already excited.  Now, 130 days into being an iPad owner, I continue to be blown away and I predict  you will be too! Tom Cuthbert

iPad Pre-ordering Fun

This morning at 7:30 AM, I stopped what I was doing and logged onto the Apple site using my iPhone.  I zipped into the Apple store and  pre-ordered my iPad, a 32g Wi-Fi model.  
Sure, I thought about joining the club and camping out overnight at the Apple store on April 2nd (with hundreds of other dorks!) so I could get mine sooner.  But alas... I chose to simply sit on my porch all day long on April 3rd and wait for the Fedex truck.
Apple's device has been called the, "Most eagerly awaited tablet since Moses delivered the Ten Commandments".  I have to say, it's been awhile since I've been this excited about a new product release.  So why and I so pumped about the iPad?  Simple... for me, I believe it is a game changer.
There are three aspects of a Apple tablet product that I believe will change things.  First, portability.  I always travel with my laptop.  Over the years I graduated from a Treo to an iPhone (like jumping from kindergarten to grad school!) and still a laptop is a must have for most business travelers.  The iPad will fit perfectly size-wise between a phone and a laptop.  Throw in a portable keyboard and poof, you have a computer well-suited for business travel.  It will be ideal for everything from email and spreadsheets to games and movies, all in a compact, portable size. Secondly, the newspaper and magazine industry should be thrilled that they will soon be able to distribute their content digitally.  I know Amazon has the Kindle and numerous others have  e-readers that do this now.  But Apple has figured out how to digitally dominate music and they will do the same with "print'.  I wrote recently about the "Future of Newspapers" and noted that this is an industry in transition.  The seemingly easy to read iPad will make newspaper content more relevant, timely and easier to access.  It also will launch the micro-payment industry.
Finally, the iPad will set the bar significantly higher for entry laptops.  I imagine that these devices will become staples for students (the textbook possibilites are enormous), older folks who want the simplicity of an Apple product for a low price and travelers.  The idea of being able to do the "basics" (email, video, music, pictures) all in one $500 device has mass market appeal.

I really didn't see the need for 3g... I will always have my iPhone with me and Wi-Fi is pretty ubiquitous between Starbucks, hotels, airports and even some airplanes.  Plus I am already paying AT&T for 3g access and don't want to fork out more.

So if you are looking for me on April 3rd... I'll curled up in the corner of my porch, waiting for my iPad :)

Tom Cuthbert