August 2006 Archives

Bokardo ｻ Apple Making Huge Social Software Push? This article provides solid evidence that Apple is making a big push into social software. The toolset that they have built over the past few years provides a solid platform for social applicaitons: Calendaring, IChat, and ITunes. Apparently, Leopard Server will contain a Wiki Server and Apple is planning to add a teams feature to Leopard providing workgroups an easy way to work together. I will want to test this new functionality.

I have written about Pandora in  the past but I am finding more reasons to like and recommend the service.  I can now listen and highlight my favorite artists.  In addition, Pandora now provides an html script so I can publish my favorite musicians and the radio stations that I have built.  Scroll down, and you will see the artists and stations that I recommend, Blues, Hard Bob, cool piano jazz, and contemporary jazz, like the Bad Plus, Happy Apple, etc.

Over the years I have owned and retired many Apple computers. I always feel badly. I should find a way to make them into servers, or automate turning on the lights in my home.  Enthusiasts do that.  Now, because I've sent my children off to college with new Intel MacBooks, I have four old iMacs.  I guess I could make a super computer cluster, but that is beyond me.  Plus, these machines only go for about $30 on eBay.  Any other suggestions?  Here is a list of the machines:

Apple Indigo G3 IMac 500mHZ
Apple Snow G3 iMac 500mHZ
Apple Flowerpower G3 iMac 600mHZ
Apple G4 iMac White 15" Flat Panel 700mHz

All great computers, in perfect working order.

 

Suggestica: Suggestions from Trusted Authorities This morning I found a new book recommendation site, Suggestica, and I immediated ordered 6 new books suggested by C. K. Prahalad on innovation and other business topics. This site has great potential to direct readers to the best and most influential books. Bill Gates is one of the featured experts on the front page of the site, but I did not find his recommendations inspiring.  I have not spent enough time with the site yet to assess its robustness, but it is an interesting idea and one worth watching.

LibraryThing | Catalog your books online I use LibraryThing to record the books I buy and have accumulated over the years. The service allows owners of books to connect with other people who have the same books, and therefore interests as you. It also provides an extraordinary way to find suggestions and add to your reading list.

Here is a link to my library.

Gartner predicts shift to collective intelligence - ZDNet UK News

Restaurants pyreneens et gascons de Paris Some of the best restraurants in Paris are listed on this page, especially those that specialize in the...cuisine du sud ouest. Despite the fact that I do not go to Paris as often as I once did, I can still dream.

The Sunday Mail - NEWS - AIRLINE WILL ZOOM SCOTS TO USA AND CARIBBEAN My son will be going to school in Glasgow so £99 fares from Scotland to the US will be a God send.

I have created a new weblog, "Learning to Change Business" for writing about topics in leadership and executive education.  My firm, Bridge Consulting International, helps companies build leadership capabilities so that top executives can create strategy and manage change.  Typically, we work for very large global enterprises in Europe, the United States, and China.  "Learning to Change Business" will give me and my colleagues an opportunity to write about advances in executive education, trends that are influencing our thinking, and important topics being addressed by business leaders.