What about the guy or gal running a 5 person operation that really needs email and calendaring for their team. Or the small accountant’s office that is trying to figure out a proper backup solution for their client files. What of the small construction team that needs to share details of their projects. In a world of increasingly expanding technology, many of the “really” small businesses could be left behind. They don’t always keep up on what is happening, and may not understand that they don’t need to purchase a server with software and hire an IT guy to keep it all running. With a computer and internet connectivity, they can have access to some pretty powerful tools for little to no cost. They just need someone to point them in the right direction and help them when they get stuck. I wonder how I can help…

One of my problems, I’ve come to realize, is that the more experience I get under my belt the quicker I want things to come. Let me give you the perfect example. I’ve long wanted to learn how to code. I’m not interested in changing careers or spending time coding into the wee hours of the morning. However, I’m responsible for managing technology and all the people & process that comes with that. Earlier in my career I was “closer” to the day to day coding. I would occasionally write my own queries to pull raw data, I would examine the code of a page to figure out what was going on. I used the knowledge to better converse with my developers and DBAs in determining the feasibility of solutions. As my career has advanced, I’ve had to deal with more administration functions, management work, etc., and therefore have lost some of my skillset regarding coding, understanding what is possible, and ultimately my ability to critically think about what my team tells me. Hence my desire to dive into coding.

I’ve spent/wasted a decent amount of time deciding what language to learn. Something that truly is a waste as I’ve learned (and probably already knew). I’ve downloaded, watched, and interacted with tutorials on iOS, Java, PHP, Ruby on Rails, and others. I briefly read about object oriented principles, agile development methods, and the development lifecycle. Basically, I’ve skimmed over the surface of coding and never actually taken the plunge. I spent the weekend doing a bit of a “self-assessment” trying to understand why I can’t just get this going. The answer that I get is…wait for it…I want it to be easier. Not really profound, but true. I’ve spent a lot of hours in the classroom and in the real world amassing, what I would call, a wealth of knowledge. In my day to day job, I am occasionally challenged and need to pull from my past experience to put together a solution. However, it is all within an area in which I am COMFORTABLE.

I think that descriptive word is the key. Things are comfortable. When I have to step outside that comfort zone and learn things I tend to let things slide. I think part of my brain says, “You should understand this better…don’t you manage people who do this?” I need to dive in and get started.

With that said, I am going to start learning how to program in PHP. Again, back to what I said before, I’m not looking to change careers and lock myself in a room with a screen. (Yes, I know that all coders don’t do that…but it is quite the stereotype isn’t it?) However, I need to stretch outside of my comfort zone, in fact I think it is more important that I am occasionally uncomfortable than that I learn PHP. I think all of us need to push outside of our comfort zones. It’s good to be uncomfortable every so often…it reminds us to grow and develop. Hopefully in a few months I’ll be able to report back that I’ve made some progress.

A QR code, or quick response code, is a bar code. Better said, it is a 2D bar code. Most people have seen them in advertising or on some items you may purchase. The interesting thing about them is the ability to tie them back to a set of information. For example, I recent switched to the Droid X from my iPhone. The app purchase/download process is a bit different, with the main difference being the use of QR codes for downloading apps on android. Many websites advertise their application for download, whether by a link you can browse to on your phone, or more simply opening your bar code scanning application on your phone and scanning a QR code on the screen which prompts you to download the application.

This got me thinking, what about using QR codes to inventory technology.  I’m talking more about a simple set of QR code stickers and a database of information, what about being able to inventory an office or a cubicle? In my current corporate environment we have approximately 250 workstations, 20 offices, a few conference rooms, reception areas, etc…  What about utilizing a QR code that tied to all the technology equipment in the office, cubicle, or conference room.  You may pull up a list of the hardware, versions, model numbers, IP addresses, phone extensions, last service, etc. What makes this powerful is that my entire IT support staff have smartphones (iphones or android).  A simple bar code scanner could read the code, pull up a URL or some other link to an application that houses all that information.  No longer do they need to run around with a laptop and spreadsheets to know the details, but rather they could scan and go. It would be interesting to see the cost savings in terms of productivity.  Maybe we’ll try that out.

1. The new government Copyright Treaty.  This article from Wired sums it up very well. The Obama administration has been so obsessively secretive about the drafting of this legislation, and the leaked memo shows why.  It’s as if all the RIAA lawyers have teamed up with the Department of Justice to determine how much they can screw the internet companies.  Now, I don’t advocate for piracy and copyright infringement, but give me a break.  The treaty would require ISPs to actively employ policies to “combat the flow of unauthorized copyrighted material through their pipes”, and the implement a “graduated response program.”  At issue here is the ability to remain in business.  In case you didn’t know, piracy exists, and there is a ton of pirated material out there.  Further, there is a large amount of infringing content that is unintended.  So when you place the responsibility on the ISP to check all material flowing through their system, you are placing an undue burden on a company and will likely drive them out of business.  Innovation, as usual in Government regulate, will be stifled, and we, the consumer, will be harmed.  The problem here is that the RIAA spends more money that I can comprehend fighting to keep the world of technology status quo, rather than adopt new technologies that would lead to a larger revenue stream for them.  And the US government gladly becomes their lackey because of the money they spend.

2. Net Neutrality has been in the news a lot quite recently.  I won’t spend a lot of time here talking about it, but check out savetheinternet.com.  John McCain has recently introduced legislation titled the “Internet Freedom Act”.  Wow! Definitely can’t vote against freedom, right? Wrong! McCain has received more money than any other Congressman from the telecommunication industry.  Just over $900k.  His bill would take the regulation of the internet from the FCC and allow large telecommunication companies to deem what we, the consumer, should have access to.  The problem here is that it isn’t in their, the large telecommunication companies, best interest to allow me to make calls of Skype (free) or have access to podcasts (free) or use the internet for gaming or bit torrent.  Rather, they want to control which content I receive (theirs) and charge me if I want more.  The internet has been the largest technological innovation and has had more impact on freedom and democracy that any technology I can think of.  It is an open architecture that is agnostic to the type of content shared.  People around the world can learn in a heartbeat what is happening in the news.  Ideas are shared instantly.  Learning and growth is fostered.  But yet, our all-knowing government believes that we should allow the internet to be controlled by entities that have a vested interest in limiting our access to content.  Seriously?!? Please visit savetheinternet.com and let your voice be heard.  This is a fight we cannot let go, or all the innovation and flow of ideas will be negatively impacted.

This week, however, I went back to work.  Like the next guy, there always is a bit of time to spin up the engines again, and get re-engaged in the day to day grind of work.  However, this time was a bit different.  I’ve spent the week thinking about what is different, why I feel different, and most importantly how to keep it.  I think it boils down to perspective.  You see, I’m what you (and definitely my wife) would call a work-a-holic.  I’ve always got my iPhone with me, checking email, making calls, checking up on things.  I have a very hard time detaching myself from work, and tend to run around with the complex that the world will probably end if I don’t make that call or send that email.  However, this past week, I was forced to “unplug” as many of the places we went I couldn’t get a signal, and what I discovered was that the world kept on going.  Yes, I know, it’s quite the novel concept.  However, I think it was enough of a nudge to put things into a different perspective.  I like it.  I think I’ll try to keep it. 

The most important things are my wife, my boys, my faith, my friends, and how I treat them all.  Getting wrapped up in revenue, gross margin, efficiency, call volume, projections, EBITDA, etc. is important and a necessary part of life (unless you just happen to be independently wealthy).  However, it shouldn’t come at the expense of those things most important.  I should have the energy and desire to spend time with my loved ones and not allow any job to suck that out of me like a vampire.  So I won’t.  I’m still passionate about being successful, and affecting outcomes such that those around me are also successful.  I love solving problems, and creating long-lasting, innovative solutions.  But if that is going to interfere with a little league game, date night with my wife, chilling with my boys playing XBOX, or developing a stronger relationship with my God, then that price is too high and I won’t pay it.

Just thought I’d share…

I was recently talking with a co-worker about cell phones, plans, features, etc.  See, she has teenage children, and we were talking about the needs of parents when it comes to cell phones, plans, and features needed in this day of technology enabled youth.  I’ve got a few kids of my own, and they will soon be approaching the age where my wife and I will have to make a decision on getting my kids phones. With the advances in technology, as well as the concerns about the safety of my children, I wanted to make a list of what I would like to see a carrier create.

Shared Minutes:

While most, if not all, carriers have shared plans, I’d like to see the ability to allocate and share plans amongst the family.  I have three children, all of which will be teenagers at the same time.  I’d like to be able to allocate minutes to devices, or even group the minutes.  Ideally, I’d like to buy a set of minutes for the family, say 3000 minutes.  I’d allocate a group for my kids, and then split the rest for my wife and I.

Text Message Logs:

I know many would tell my I’m invading the privacy of my kids, but I want to know who my kids are texting and what they are saying.  With the new phenomenon of ‘sexting’ coupled with the lack of maturity that comes with the teenage years, there are too many issues that can come up if I don’t have my thumb on the pulse of what is happening in my kids’ lives.  I’d love to see the carriers offer me the ability to download or view online the last 30 days of text messages of any device I specify in my family plan.  I would hope that I have a relationship with my children where I wouldn’t need to view logs to check up on them, however I’m not naive enough to forget how I behaved as a teenager.

GPS Location and Tracking:

It seems like every phone you buy now is GPS enabled.  I’d like to see that put to use for my kids.  I’d like there to be a site I can go to in order to see where my kid’s phones are, and thus where they are.  Call me archaic or controlling, but if my son tells me he is heading to the school for an extra workout with the team, I want to be sure he is there.  The issue here is trust, and that it is earned.  I remember my years as a teenager and I went through stages of being trusted by my parents and then not so much.  This feature would allow me to occasionally check in on where my kids are, and that they are doing what they said they would.  Of course, if this was enabled you would need to remove the option for disabling the GPS on the phone.

Time of day functionality:

I believe this is already available with some carriers, however I’d like to turn on and off features based upon the time of day.  For example, no texting during school hours and between 10 pm and 7 am.  Or, disable the phone during the same time excluding emergency hours.

I’m still a few years away from needing to worry about these features, however I’d like to see a carrier think a bit more about the need of parents when it comes to family plans.  It needs to include more than just shared minutes, but create an opportunity for parents to better control usage

By saying “it can be cracked”, I am actually saying that your conversations can be picked up by a radio receiver, decrypted using an open hardware solution that costs less than $1400 and managed with open source software.  This is some really scary stuff.  The GSM Alliance, the group responsible for the GSM standard, is burying their heads in the sand with respect to this breach.  Apparently, the weaknesses of GSM have been known for years, but no one has attempted to resolve them but rather rely upon security through obscurity.

I would suggest downloading the podcast and taking notes.  This could get ugly.