Archives: Leveraging The Paradox

I will be posting links to older articles that seem to be fairly popular. Hopefully some of the newer readers will find the articles interesting and helpful.

A popular 2010 blog entry about companies using the paradox strategy of management to drive competitive advantage.

Read the article here

 

Yellow fever vaccination booster not needed

Yellow fever is still endemic in 44 tropical countries in Africa and the Americas. As a frequent traveller to many of these regions, I was vaccinated against Yellow Fever a little over 10 years ago and was considering re-vaccination when I read the new guidance from the WHO about Yellow Fever re-vaccination.

The Yellow Fever vaccine has been given since 1930 (about 600 million doses) and there have only been 12 reported cases of infection post vaccination which has lead the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization to declare re-vaccination not required. 

Dr Helen Rees said:

“Looking at really very good evidence, it was quite clear to SAGE that in fact a single dose of yellow fever vaccine is effective."

Who press release here.

 

Surface Pro heads to Japan with 256GB of storage

Everyone's favouring "tablet" (said sarcastically of course), the Microsoft Surface Pro, will be shipping in Japan on June 8th and come in a new 256GB storage model. 
The 256GB version will be available for 119,800 yen ($1,175) and customers will be able to pickup the touch or type covers. The Microsoft pressure sensitive pen is included with all bundles.
Read translated release here.

Washington Post claims Chinese access defense information

The Washington Post claims to ahev gained access to classified documents stating that Chinese hackers compromised systems contrianing information about the USA's highly classified cutting edge defense products (like the F-35 and PAC3 PAtriot missiles).
The report goes on to list other critical defense systems like the Aegis ballistic-missile defense system, F/18, V22, etc. Could this report be the reason the US Government has started to take a much stronger and much more public stance against Chinese hackers?

Blackberry Playbook may get Blackberry 10 in a few weeks

If you were unlucky enough to buy a Blackberry Playbook like I did, you quickly realized how bad an experience it is and how limited the functionality is. It is pretty much useless. Now we see a tweet from the official Blackberry Mexico account that promises an upgrade to BB 10 in the next few weeks.
It offers some hope for an otherwise crappy tablet but it was strange that something like this wasn't announced at the last Blackberry live. And shortly after the tweet was sent, it was deleted. This means either the rep misspoke or it was supposed to be a secret. 
Let's see what Blackberry does in the next couple of weeks.

The White Nexus 4 is now official

After weeks of rumors, LG has now officially confirmed the white Nexus 4 phone and at the same time has said it won't be making another Nexus branded device for Google.
The white Nexus 4 .... well... white and that's the only difference compared to the existing black one. LG said it will come to North America sometime in the next couple of months but didn't specify who will sell it (Google, carriers, etc).
More shocking for me was the fact that they finally admitted that they did not want to make another Nexus device. Kim Wong, LG Mobile Europe's VP, said they got hat they wanted out of the deal and aren't interested in making another Nexus branded device for Google. This was an interesting position for a company that was put back on the map by making this phone for Google.

What is white, black and flat?

As we get closer and closer to Apple's WWDC (starts June 10), the rumor mill is speeding up. Everyone wants to hedge their bets and publish their predictions.

It's no secret that responsibility for the User Interface of IOS (iPhone, iPad and iPad Mini) was handed over to Jony Ive (head of industrial design). Looking at his track record, it is clear he doesn't believe in skeuomorphism so we expect a heavy redesign of the next major release of IOS, IOS version 7.

9to5mac has written an interesting article detailing the changes their contacts claim are coming which is a replacement of real world replicating icons by flat (think Windows 8) style design. 9to5mac has typically had a good track record of predicting changes so I tend to believe them a little more than the competition.

Although IOS 7 is expected to sport some minor new features, it seems the crux of the changes will be visual opting for the trademark Ive flat industrial design philosophy.

Most shine, transparency and reflections will be removed (think lock screen, upper status bar, etc).

Some rumor sites have claimed that Apple is testing Notification Window widgets to control WIFI, Bluetooth, Airplane Mode, etc (ala Android).

The other credible rumor I have read is that IOS 7 will be accompanied by the new annual revised iPhone model which will of course be the same price but faster, have a better camera and possibly come in multiple color options (like the iPod).

I have been an iPhone user from the very beginning replacing my device every 2 years. Recently IOS has started to feel old and definitely lags behind the Android devices I have tested.Google is improving on design faster than Apple is improving on web services. My upgrade window (for my main driver phone) is October 2013 and this may be the year Apple pushes me to Android once and for all.

Solar Kettle for hot water on the go

Are there are times when you absolutely need a coffee or some tea but don't have access to reliable electricity? then this product is for you. Whether you want hot water when travelling, camping or during an emergency, the Solar Kettle will let you enjoy hot water without any plugs or hassles.
You simply fill the device with hot water, and position it under the sun. It can boil water anywhere there is sun. the company explains the magic as
"At the heart of the solar kettle is an evacuated vacuum tube. This absorbs solar energy, converting it directly into heat which heats the water inside. Each tube is constructed like a Thermos flask, so the heat energy goes in but doesn’t come out."

 

You can order one now fro 35 pounds here.

Chromium browser can clean-up after malware infections

Even the most careful internet user may find himself/herself on a questionable site that loads the browser with all kinds of "wonderful gifts" like toolbars, new search engines, extensions and the like. Normally recovering from something like this is painful and time consuming.
A crafty and detail oriented individual, Francois Beaufort, discovered a new feature in Chromium called reset profile which resets everything back to factory defaults:
  • homepage
  • search engine
  • cookies
  • and disables the extensions
Why is this interesting? Because cool new features often work their way from Chromium back to Google official Chrome browser. One more tool to make the internet a safer place.
You can read Francois' Google+ post here. And if you're not on Google+, what are you waiting for? 

Real world: Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 Review

I have spent the last 15 years traveling the world as world as a business consultant (I have conducted business in at least 30 countries) and advanced PADI certified scuba diver.

I picked up my first digital camera in Singapore in 2000 (a rectangular 2 megapixel device) and worked my way up various semi-pro Canon dSLRs and scuba diving cameras.

The Trip

Mid April, I was heading to CUBA for a beach vacation with my family (wife and 2.5 year old) and started to think about what camera I wanted to take. I didn't want to carry my dSLR with all its accessories but I was afraid a point and shoot would be too limiting (bad quality, slow shutter, limited control, etc).

After spending a couple of weeks reading and researching, I decided to use my vacation to test a couple of the most popular waterproof cameras available.

This review is my experience with the one I liked the most, the Panasonic Lumuc DMC-TS5.

My verdict

Instead of writing my verdict at the end, I will just go ahead and give it to you now. I love this camera. I mean I really loved it.

It impressed me so much, I will likely go out and buy one with my own money.

Marketing straight goods

The body

The Panasonic DMC-TS5 is waterproof (to 43 feet), shockproof from a 6.6 foot fall, crush-proof to 220 lb and freeze-proof down to -10 degrees Celsius.

The lens was coated with a special hydrophobic coating that made sure most of the water was removed from it, which means pictures looked good even when coming out of the water (aka no droplets of water creating spots on your pictures).

The Pictures

In the photo department, the DMC-TS5 comes with a 16 megapixel sensor couples with a 4.6x (optical zoom) lens. It takes great shots and 1080p (full HD 1920x1080) AVCHD videos.

The auto scene detection mode is smart enough to automatically choose the proper scene mode to deliver the best possible results (it knows whether you are taking a portrait, a beach shot or a hand held night-shot).

For the love of WIFI

This camera has WIFI and Panasonic has implemented it right. I connected the camera to my home WIFI and downloaded the GPS assist data (which makes GPS position identification much faster). You can download the Lumix mobile app and use your smartphone as a remote trigger (cool feature but not something I found useful).

You can also use the app (IOS or Android) to pull pictures to your smartphone (or tablet) and share then via email, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc. You can also configure the app to send pictures via WIFI to your smartphone (or tablet) as you are taking them.

When I compare the WIFI settings and features to the other cameras I tested, the Panasonic Lumic DMC-TS5 is easier to configure, easier to use and worked everytime.

The Kit

The kit came with everything I expected:

  • The camera
  • The Battery Charger
  • a LI-ION battery
  • A bunch of cables
  • Their software on CD-ROM
  • and manuals

The wonderful world of GPS

When shooting with my dSLR, I always carry a Sony GPS-CS1 to record my location and then use a software to record the GPS location of each picture (matched using the pictures time compared to my GPS log). This is tedious but useful 3 years later when you want to know where a picture was taken.

This wonderful little device comes with a GPS receiver built in so it automates one more activity making my life that much easier.

The Battery

With the new standard battery that came with the kit, I was able to take pictures for about 1.5 days. This is between 250-300 pictures (some with flash, and some without). The battery life was extremely good.

The Quad Indicator

This is a term created by Panasonic but something I really liked.

  1. GPS - The first indicator is the GPS that I already mentioned. In addition to standard lattitude and longitude information, the camera comes with over 1 million points-of-interest directly in the camera. Which means if you take a picture of at one of those locations, it adds that POI information straight into the picture.
  2. Barometer - It will automatically record the barometric pressure reading when the picture is taken.
  3. Altimeter - It will record the altitude at which the picture was taken.
  4. Compass - It will records the direction you were facing when you took the picture.

Remember that all of this data is recorded in the EXIF data of each picture. I know many people will ask if they need all this information and my answer is always yes. There is no such thing as too much information because you never know what cool tricks you will be able to perform in the future if you have this data. 10 years ago, no one GPS tagged their pictures but today it is a must for most people. I feel the barometer, altimeter and compass will go through the exact same adoption process.

Standard care

Like any other waterproof camera, there are some special care instructions you should follow to keep your device operating in tip top shape.

After using the camera in salt water (aka the ocean), I made sure to rince it out with fresh clean water for a couple of minutes. Every evening, I submerged the camera in a pool of clean water for 10 minutes (gently moving the camera around to make sure I get all the salt off).

I then dried it with a soft scratch free, lint free cloth and removed the battery for charging.

If you haven't used a scuba camera before then this may be new to you but you should follow these simple steps to keep your camera "healthy". You will also have to change the waterproof gasket (around the battery compartment) once a year. This gasket is cheap and can be changed in under 10 minutes.

In the real world

Here are some samples for you to consider. The first picture was taken at night, hand-held. When I compared this exact same shot to a mid level Nikon dSLR, the DMC-TS5 image was very close in quality, luminosity and clarity.

When I got close to a subject, the camera automatically switched to Macro mode and made the required adjustments.

I tested the camera in harsh direct sunlight, backlight, shade, night, under rain and in every situation, it produces a very good image without having to fuss with settings. It just worked.

Here is a sample of an image I took at about 4 feet of depth when the water was "dirty" with sand because of strong waves and currents.

The DMC-TS5 has great color reproduction. Images aren't too vivid, the color saturation felt just right.

I think this picture really summarizes everything I like about the camera. Even when you blow up this picture, it still looks like a professional postcard taken with a much more expensive camera (except it was taken with the DMC-TS5 which is pocketable and easy to carry).

Final word

Go read my verdict at the beginning of this post. Comparing this to the other rugged cameras I tested (the Nikon Coolpix AW110, Olympus TG-2 iHS and Fuji FinePix XP170) this one if my favorite and the one I will buy with my own money and carry on trips.

But it's not a dSLR

I know many of my readers are semi-pro photographers and would never be caught dead with a point and shoot. I understand and this camera isn't for you. My dSLR is wonderful and the camera I will use often when at home but when I travel, I want something small and rugged. I have done many trips lugging my dSLR, lenses, flashes and accessories and can confidently say those days are behind me. I popped this in one of my Scottevest jacket pockets and had it with me everywhere.

Redesigned GMail for Android on the way

During a Google IO presentation, it seems one of the slides leaked information about an upcoming redesigned GMail client for android. The new version is cleaner and much more streamlined.
A new drawer design provides easier access to key features. It seems this was shown without much constraint and the presenters email address was even left in. 

How to get 50% more run time on your laptop

Intel's Architecture Group VP Rani Borkar is making some bold claims about the upcoming Haswell chipset: that it will allow laptops to deliver 50% more power out of existing batteries. 50% more runtime is an incredible claim and if true, may single-handedly drive increased laptop sales as customers jump to upgrade.
He attributes the miserly battery usage to lower power requirements and better power management. I have to test a Haswell device before I can believe such a grandiose claim but it is music to my ears. 
In other words, wait a couple of weeks before you buy that new laptop.
Computerworld article here.

Angry Birds Space free (iPhone & Ipad versions) for first time

The Angry Birds series has become one of the most popular game franchises ever and now the Space version is free for the very first time. This is a quality game you should download today (while it's free).
Angry Birds for iPhone free download here - Normally $0.99
Angry Birds for iPad free download here - Normally $2

Otterbox acquires LifeProof

Otterbox  has acquired waterproof case maker LifeProof.

Otterbox will start integrting LifeProof products into its own line and they will retain all the employees for now. The big question is "Could this be the start of consolidation in the accessory manufacturer space?"

 

FORT COLLINS, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OtterBox®, the global leader in protection for handheld technology, today announced the acquisition of TreeFrog Developments Inc., DBA LifeProof®. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in San Diego, LifeProof is an award-winning maker of protective cases and complementary accessories for smartphones and tablets.
Much like OtterBox, LifeProof is a rapidly growing, multi-million dollar business with a strong global brand, comprehensive product offering, impressive intellectual property and thriving company culture. Over the next 30 days, OtterBox will begin incorporating the LifeProof brand into the OtterBox family. More information about product availability and alignment will be determined at the completion of the integration.
"The joining of OtterBox and LifeProof is a way to combine two great brands and provide customers with even more great products, services and choices for smartphone accessories," OtterBox CEO Brian Thomas said. "Both companies are successful because we foster an environment where everyone takes pride in being part of a culture that knows how to identify opportunities and grow them quickly. Our goal in this acquisition is to create more value for our customers than we ever could have generated while operating individually."
A key driver for the acquisition is about creating customers who are passionate about the OtterBox brand. "Our strategy is to utilize our combined brand momentum, and world-class talent to create a great customer experience that generates OtterBox brand ambassadors for life," Thomas said. "Our customers and our employees are the ones who have the passion for the brand that allows us to succeed. This passionate spirit motivates us to build better teams, better companies and ultimately, better communities. At the end of the day, that is our goal."
OtterBox employs approximately 650 people worldwide. LifeProof employed approximately 250 people, who are now members of the OtterBox family and will remain in their San Diego location for the foreseeable future.
OtterBox has been a family-owned business since 1998. The financial details and terms of the agreement are confidential.
About LifeProof:
Based in San Diego, LifeProof designs, manufactures and markets cases for smartphones and tablets that deliver protection, style and functionality. LifeProof is built on the idea of giving everyone the complete freedom and confidence to use their mobile devices in any environment. Designed to defend against water, dirt, snow, shock and the hazards of daily life, LifeProof lets consumers use their mobile device every day, everywhere, and for everything, without worry.
For more information, visit lifeproof.com.
About OtterBox:
Founded in 1998, OtterBox creates premium technology accessories for smartphones, tablets and mobile devices. The top mobile device manufacturers, big box retailers and wireless services providers in the world value their partnership with OtterBox to increase device sales and to strengthen their own brand equity. OtterBox works endlessly to create a strong connection with consumers through first-class customer service, commitment to premium product quality and constant voice-of-the-consumer efforts.
OtterBox has been a five-time honoree on the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing private companies in the US, recognized in the Top 10 by the Forbes Magazine America's Most Promising Companies list and is a repeat honoree in the Great Place to Work annual survey published by FORTUNE Magazine. The multi-million dollar company has global headquarters in Fort Collins, Colo. and offices in Boston, San Diego, Cork, Ireland and Hong Kong.
OtterBox is the No. 1-selling case for smartphones* and offers an extensive lineup of screen protectors, cases and other accessories that enhance various consumer lifestyles.

 

Amazon Android App store opens to Canadians

I have been jealously watching my American friends downloading the Amazon free app of the day (which is actually a pay for app made free for a day) from Amazon. 

I am happy to report that the Amazon Android App Store is now open to us Canadians. You will have to a setting on your device to "Allow Unknown Sources" to download the Amazon app store app.

You use your standard Amazon.ca account to sign in.
Download the Amazon App Store App here.
I tested the purchase process by "buying" todays free game 10000000 (which failed in the past saying the store wasn't available to me) and it worked.

Apple says Google Now violates its patents

Over the last 6 months, Google Now has gone from an idea to a key differentiator when competing against arch rival Apple. Google Now is very good and in many cases beats Siri when it comes to speed of reponse, accuracy of understanding and breadth of knowledge. Google Now simply shines.
Apple has now decided that Google Now violates 2 Apple patents used by Siri (U.S. Patent 8,086,604, and U.S. Patent 6,846,959).
Both patents are related to a "universal interace for retrieval of information in a computer system."
Competition is good for innovation, it is good for consumers and I wish companies would spend less time litigating and more time innovating. 
Source : FOSS Patents

Rogers' US Roaming versus Roam Mobility

On May 14th, I wrote a blog post about a new US roaming package Rogers started offering its customers ($7.99 per day for 50MB of data). 

As the summer holidays get ever closer, it is interesting to see Rogers spice up their roaming plans. In addition to the plans, Rogers now has text alerting to notify you of roaming data spending in the hope of preventing sticker shock.

Anytime you are travelling abroad, you really should look at using Onavo to compress your 3G/4G traffic, this will:

  • cause you to use less data (cheaper)
  • make data transfers faster (better user experience especially on slower networks).

Even with the above plans, Rogers is still way more expensive than what you can get from Roam Mobility for US trips. My advice for Canadians travelling south is to unlock their smartphones (through their carrier) , use one of Roam Mobilities US plans and install Onavo. This will be the cheapest and best experience.

 

 

 

 

Amazon Cloud Drive available to Canadians

Dear Canadian readers, rejoice in the fact that Amazon.ca has finally made Amazon Cloud Drive available to you (in Canada). Using Cloud Drive Photos (for Android or IOS) you can upload your photos to Amazon's remote storage service.
Cloud Drive allows users to store photos, files and music. Music purchases on Amazon's MP3 store don't count towards your storage limit. Songs stored on the service can be played back using the web interface or Android client.
What is the storage limit you ask? It is the usual 5GB (become smallish considering Google now gives you 15GB and Skydrive 7GB). Additional space can be purchased at competitive prices.
Any neat tricks? Glad you asked, they offer a Windows and Mac sync feature (a la Dropbox) that works pretty well. 
You can download the IOS client here.
You can download the Android client here.

Share files of any size from a Mac for free

There are hundreds of free file sharing services littering the web but there is a new service [for Apple computers only right now] called Minbox that may be worth a second look.

Benefit 1 - No wait sharing

The issue with every other service is that they force your upload to complete before allowing you to send it to someone. Minbox allows you to configure the sharing info while the file upload which means you can get back to work while Minbox continues its magic in the background.

Benefit 2 - Faster Uploads

In addition to the share while uploading functionality, they claim to use secret compression technologies to make the upload twice as fast as its main competitors (cough.... Dropbox... Cough... Cough).

Benefit 3 - Files of any size

The service allows you to share files of any size. All uploaded files are kept on their services for 30 days (after which it is automatically deleted).

Benefit 4 - So much more

The service is well thought out and allows:

  • simultaneous uploads
  • converts raw to JPG automatically
    • creates a photo gallery if you upload multiple images in the same stream

Premium Option

They offer a premium version with unlimited file storage, better encryption but the free version should meet the needs of 90% of its users.

They are currently polling their users about other platforms the service should be made available on.

Apple the most valuable company in the world

Even with all the negative press surrounding Apple, Apple was voted the #1 brand in the world by Marketing Week.
It will be interesting to see how this changes in 2014 based on Apple's 2013 product releases (which many are hoping brings the company back to the forefront).