Social Experiment? Oh, You Mean Advertising.

In recent years, social experiment became more and more popular. The reason? I do not exactly see the full picture, but I believe part of the reason is the technology revolution. Nowadays, it is so easy to capture human behaviors and attract great amount of attention not only in the physical world or in traditional media (i.e. TV programming, radio and newspaper), but, more importantly, also online, such as YouTube and other social media. Once a social experiment goes viral–because people like to see how others behave and how surprisingly some of the results are, more will start to come out of no where, either for scientific purpose or personal enjoyment.

Today, I discovered a so called social experiment that was published on YouTube at the end of last year. It is called “Beldent Almost identical”. The reason I used the phrase ‘so called’ is because it is an advertisement masked with a layer of social experiment over it. Technically, it is a social experiment; however, the nature of the experiment is purely designed to provide the most benefit for Beldent, the company that lead the experiment. It is genius and is one of the best ways to market a product or service.

The video started with some background information and explanation of why they decided to do this experiment. Their reason of creating this social experiment is to reveal the truth to the social stigma associated with chewing gum.

You may know that chewing gum under certain contexts indicates that you are being disrespectable, or careless; this is especially ‘chew’ when you are in a serious conversation, presentation, ceremony, or some sort of formal events. It is quite similar to a dress code, where t-shirt is not quite appropriate for a formal event. So gum=t-shirt. Recently, Obama chewed gum at the D-Day Ceremony and got criticized quite harshly.

Fun Fact: The Singapore government outlawed chewing gum in 1992 because it was becoming a danger when it was wedged in the sliding doors of underground trains. However, in 2002 the government allowed sugarless gum to be sold in pharmacies if a doctor or dentist prescribed it.

This video can definitely justify for being a social experiment, but when we dig deeper into the responses of the observers, we start to question the sincere-ness of this social experiment. Observers were invited to a contemporary art museum to watch several sets of twins who sat side by side with each other and the only difference between them is that one person is chewing and the other is siting there EMOTIONAL-LESS like a darn robot or a piece of wood. 73% of the 481 observer shown in the video correlates positive attributes to the person who was chewing gum.

Let’s think about this for a second. Even though only 73% of the observers favored the person chewing gum, the conclusion at the end of the video said, “They aren’t identical. The one chewing gum gives a better impression” where the last sentence was bolded to emphasize a point. Without a doubt, this statement is misleading.

Second, the set-up of the experiment AIMS to prove that gum is ‘not necessarily bad’. The twins were staged to sit side by side with no emotions on their face. However, by chewing gum, your facial muscle is moving–your jaw is moving. And the person who has a facial movement will very likely be considered as more lively, human-like, and friendly. It is obvious that people will correlate positive and fun attributes with a person with at least some motions (and thus, maybe emotions) than a person who sits there like a wax statue.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, the whole experiment was lead by Beldent. And the goal of this video was two-folded: 1) Gums are NOT BAD. In fact, they will get people to favor you more! And 2) Beldent gum is the best choice to achieve that, because guess who made the video?

This social experiment challenged people’s perspective on chewing gums and was quite interesting/unique; therefore, it created great popularity. As it became more popular, Beldent gained brand awareness and, thus, brand equity. At the end of the day, it is one smart marketing executioin, rather than an interesting social experiment.

A New Ara For Mobile Devices: OPA LEGO STYLE!

Colors, patterns, shapes, materials, durability, trendiness, price. These words can very well describe how I decide to build my closet. YES. Closet. You must be thinking I have just gone insane or simply wrote this post in Colorado with a joint right beside me. Give me a moment, and I will show you why do things that made up your closet relate to the world of mobile devices.

First of all, I would like to clarify a few things: 1) I do not smoke buds; and 2) I did not just go insane recently; not recently. Clothes become so common and trivial, that we don’t see how lucky we are. Let’s you go back in time for around 100,000 years, when human beings first discovered clothing. At the time, people just discovered this new technology/material that keeps them away from water and coldness. Soon, due to the human nature of wanting to be differentiated from others, to possess one’s own identity, and to express one’s opinion, perspectives, and attitude towards themselves, people around them and the world, fashion becomes the new trendy thing after using fire to cook pulled pork or use pepper to season grilled salmon. Hmm…salmon. So, that’s why you see people wear different clothes: for different occasions, for different weathers, and for different people.

SO, why do we have to sarcrafice our OWN identity when it comes to phones? Yes, there are quite a few devices. Yes, there are quite a few cases. And YES, you can even load your own OS. BUT, we can’t cherry pick the features we want, unlike what we can do with clothes. If the screen is not functioning or the speed of the processor is too slow on your phone, the only solution is to get a new one. However, for clothes, you can simply donate it to people who need them, and get a new one. You don’t have throw away your pants, your jackets, your shoes, or your socks. Why can’t this happen to mobile devices?

Well, in fact, in the technology world, this idea of hardware freedom (and in fact there is a Hardware Freedom Day initiated in on April 20th 2012 to celebrate the concept of open hardware) is not uncommon in the desktop PC world. Dell created his company in 1984 based on the idea that he can put together computer parts better than others, cheaper, better compatibility, and better performance. I, myself, put together my own PC in grade 11; it was such a simple process: purchasing a motherboard, a CPU, a GPU (graphics card; it is not mandatory, but a must for gamers and others who crave/need high graphical performance), a hard drive, a set of RAMs, a case, and a power supply, then simply putting them together. So, it is natural to assume that we should have mobile device DIY-proof too!

The answer is ‘no’. There are couple of things we need to consider: 1) the first commercial computer came out in 1951; 2) mobile devices are computers–just much smaller. Note that a computer case plus a monitor is about 59358 Cubic CM, and a standard smart phone is only 114 Cubic CM, approximately 520 smaller than a standard computer. The size of modern mobile devices restricted one’s ability to DIY, as it requires special tools and machinery to install certain parts onto the device (most parts are intergrated onto the ‘motherboard’ of the device; normally, only the battery, the Micro SD Card, and the SIM card can be removed or changed). So, there is no way to get DIY on mobile devices?

There is. Since we are in an age where technology evolution is faster than it has ever been in the human history, sooner or later, we will have this technology read for commercialization, especially there is an existing demand in the market for it (as I explained in the clothing analogy). There were quite a few ideas and concepts being introduced, and one of the most recent ones is the Phonebloks.

It was introduced by the Dutch designer Dave Hakkens in a YouTube video published on September 10th 2013. Later, Motorola (Google) decided to join the conversation since its ATAP (Advanced Technology and Projects) group has been working on a similar project called ARA. 

They have announced at Launch.co’s annual event last month that Ara will be fully commercialized (meaning that not only developers will have access to the device, but also mass consumers) within a year or so (maximum two years) after Developers get their hands on the functioning prototypes in a month, on April 15 and 16, the first Ara Developers’ Conference. Normally, if a company announces that a new flagship device will come out in a year, I will simply nod and smile, because all the phones coming out all usually possess great features, but none with a comparable technology breakthrough as Ara.

The presentation at Launch was given by Paul Eremenko, one of the four people working on the Ara project at Google’s ATAP team. Paul brought a demo (non-functional prototype) to show case what the device is capable of (in fact, they thought about bring in a functioning prototype, unfortunately, it didn’t seem to work well in the last second). Here is what you need to know about the device:

• The device is extremely thin! I don’t know the exact dimensions, but it is not as bulky as the concept of Phonbloks. It has much more colors than any others phones–reminds me of Motorola X which is definitely an eye candy.
• The base of the device is called a Endoskeleton (“Endo”), simply a partition space that carries a very little battery. It was told at the event that it will be sold for as little as $15.
• An Endo’s small battery enables hot-swap for modules, including batteries.
• There are two sizes for front modules: 3×5, and 1×3. Mainly for speakers, cameras, displays, etc.
• There are three sizes for rear modules: 1×1, 1×2, and 2×2. Mainly for batteries, cameras, storage, processor, SIM/SD Cards, etc.
• Modules are locked in place with 3 Newton magnets to keep all the parts from falling off. Most modules also contain a piece of electromagnet which increases the magnitude of the magnet to 30 Newton, making it nearly impossible to take out modules when they are working. I am guessing there will be a software command that is similar to ‘safely remove device’ for flash drives in order to release the module that one wishes to remove/replace.
• The cover for each module can be removed and replaced. Google is playing with not only cosmetic 3D printing technologies, but also functional printings. Imagine the possibilities.
• All modules will be designed, manufactured and tested by individual (“indie”) or major (i.e. Samsung, Sony, etc.) organizations. Google will give out MDK (Module Development Kit; a template used to design customized modules to work with the Endo) to developers, and set up a platform similar platform that provides credentials to maintain qualities.
• A basic device, a display (size not mentioned), a WiFi module, a battery module, a low power processor, etc, can cost as low as $50, same price as the cheapest tablet/feature phone one can purchase.
• Data transfers modules and the endo is up to 10 Gigabit/s for 1×1 modules, and is up to 20 Gigabit/s for all other modules.

I hope you all have a clearer idea of what Ara means to future mobile devices, and the world. This strategy clearly aligns with Google’s vision of bringing internet to the world–1 billion smartphone users, 4 billion feature phone users, and everyone else. It is very clear that the more people use internet, the more will need to use Google’s services: search engine, Gmail, Drive, YouTube, etc. The benefit for Google is infinite. Will Google compete in the modules market? Definitely. And I assure you that Google will make some modules almost insanely good so it becomes basic modules that every consumer wants. The future for Google is beyond our imagination.

Now the water is not simply stirred; the level of intensity in the mobile device market is once again reset to the beginning when Jobs introduced the first iPhone. Yes, I just compared Ara to world’s first touch screen smart phone. Will my words be true? Only time will last.

Watch the video below to see Paul Eremenko’s presentation at LAUNCH (starting at roughly 5:20):

Feel like crap? Maybe it’s good for you.

No one wants to feel like crap. It is simple: feeling like crap is the exact opposite of joy, what people live for. To make yourself better off, however, it is necessary to feel like crap from time to time.

I always adore people who are successful, especially the tech giants and those who crack me up, no Rob Ford jokes please, or make a great impact in me in a fictional art form, mainly movies and TV shows. The problem for me was, however, that I never used these people’s success to measure mine. It’s a good thing, some of you may say. And normally I would agree to you if I am wearing my optimistic and ‘be different’ hat, but today, I am wearing the realistic hat.

As a kid, I find money useful and important, since my parents were always in a fight over how my dad lost couple of grands in the stock market back in the day (it was around the tech bubble, and the Chinese stock market was in turmoil at that time just like the NYSE or the FTSE). My childhood friends and I envied how how much money Bill Gates or Michael Jordan earns, per second. And we joke around how much ice cream we can buy with that money. Our wish at the time, when we were seven or eight, was to be rich one day just like them. However, when it comes to figuring out how to be successful, I wasn’t sure, and all I did was blindly following the path: education. And that’s what I have done until several years ago. And what changed me was when I started to listen to Job’s bio after his sudden death in 2011. No doubt it was devastating, because Apple was a company I love and hate at the time, but thanks to his bio, I was able to relive his life. And that allowed me to re-think about mine, because I felt I have wasted all my first 18 years. I felt like crap. I reviewed what I wanted for the first time ever, consciously and constructively, in 18 years. And man it felt good. I didn’t simply learn from another man to drop out of school, to travel to india, to design a new computer, or to try acid (hell no). I simply learned to give my life a meaning and constantly modify it throughout time. I simply learned to finally stop, think, decide, and change.

And just this morning, when I woke up to the gray cloudy Vancouver sky, I started reading Seth Rogen’s Wikipedia page, thanks to my FaceBook feed which constantly reminded me that Rogen is in town filming. To me, he was just another superstar, one of the best comedians of our time. And just like Rogen, many other actors and actresses were all regarded by me as people who were just talented enough to be where they are right now. I adore them, but I never try to understand them. And guess what? It turns out Seth Rogen is much more than just successful; he was a man who supported his family as the main earner at the age of 16 when both of his parents lost their jobs, and started writing for Superbad when he was 13. What the hell was I doing when I was 13 and 16, I thought to myself at that very moment. And unfortunately, my answer were trying to play games on Miniclip in the public library, and blindly giving up my academics to pursue music. Well I guess the latter makes me sound kinda like a badass hipster. Nonetheless, I felt like crap again. I didn’t, however, start writing movies script out of the blue, trying to be funny and tell terrible jokes to my friend so I can get their attention, or auditioning for school musicals. I simply realized that I am not Seth Rogen who found his comedic dream when he was 6, pursued it, and succeeded. I am going to take a much long path than him to give my life a meaning, modify it constantly, and finally reach where I wanted to be.

So, feeling like crap is never an attractive alternative to not feel like crap, but some days, you need to feel the pain to understand where you are at and where you want to be, and whether or not you are doing the right things to get you from point A to point B. Simply feeling like crap sucks, but learning the things that motivate you, pushe you closer to your dream, and keep you sane from time to time are such great outcomes that are so worth the pain.

So, don’t hesitate, next time when you can choose between feeling like crap, or hiding your true feelings in a dark corner that never gets looked at, pick the more agonizing path. Maybe it’s good for you.

Consumers may never ‘data’ Target again

The title would only make comical sense if you say data like date-ah. Away from my lame pun that hopefully started off this discussion well, I would like to talk about the recent madness about Target, the consumer retail chain who just entered Canada this year.

To give you some background story and to keep this short, on Thursday, Target confirmed that credit and debit card information, including names, card numbers, expiry dates, and CVV codes, from 40 million consumers who shopped at US Targets were lost due to a data leak. This means that people who purchased using a credit or debit card  in the US in the past (between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15) may be in a less happier mood this holiday season. Since many of you who read this blog lives in Vancouver, it is very likely that you are victims as well. Damn those vacations & shopping sprees every weekend.

Even though Target received very few fraud reports, consumers are furious. Lots of them posted on Facebook and went to other social media to express their anger and frustration. Many tried to call Target’s customer service centre; however, most of them only received busy tone back as you can imagine. Most people cancelled their credit and debit card which they have used at Target, even if they didn’t make a purchase recently! Some switched to cash immediately to avoid further damages. Some already received calls from banks’ anti-fraud squad, and they swore to never shop at target again unless Target finds about what exactly happened and those thieves are caught.

In response to this catastrophic event, Target’s marketing/PR group quickly thought of a clever to remedy this issue: 10% for you, 10% for you, 10% for you, 10% discount for all of you! Would this work? Yes, in the short run! People may only purchase with cash though. Unfortunately, the only way Target can drag themselves out of this crap is to declare that they found out how data were breached, how they will prevent it in the future, and the thieves who have pulled off this ‘amazing’ job. And the reason I say it’s unfortunate is because it takes time, and lots of resources to reach such results. In the mean while there are several damages:

1) Target will lose quite a bit of sales this holiday season, because when people start to only use cash to purchase, they tend to buy less. And when people don’t trust you, you are basically dead.

2) Target may not get as many shoppers in the US and Canada due to bad company image. This is extremely hurtful to Target’s Canadian stores as they didn’t receive as good of a result as they have hoped before entering the market. This recent data breach is not in favor of its expansion plan in Canada.

3) Target will have a hard time fixing all of these problems and regain the reputations, and in the mean while, Target’s rivals can use several tactics to steal market shares they have long been desiring of! To redeem themselves, Target will need to invest heavily in marketing and its Management Information Systems.

So what caused this breach? According to many experts, such an event where 40 million users’ data were lost is quite rare as most of the fraud occurs within one or two stores only. This infection of the whole chain is definitely an “Italian Job”. Could this be an inside job? We can never rule out of this. As secure as the POS stations are, there are always new computer viruses and melwares which can hack into the system and take control of the hardware used to collect passwords, magnetic and chip information.

This is the second largest data breach in the history; the TJX snafu of 2007, the largest breach against a U.S. retailer, led to the theft of data from more than 90 million credit cards over about 18 months. TJX, in turn, compensated Visa and Mastercard $65-million due to this data breach.

PS: And do you know what’s funny? These two companies have the same stock price as of Today, December 20th. Not sure if this is signifying anything at all.

What does the commuters say?

Okay here’s the life many of us commuters go through everyday, and I hope this gives a little bit of contexts if why we, commuters, may get fired up when a person lives walking-distance away from the campus.

In the morning, you need to wake up at least 30 min before you start your commute. For ladies or guys who spend 1 hour or more on making their hair perfect, which could be destroyed by the train easily especially in Vancouver winter, it may take an hour and half to get ready.

After we took of, we either take a direct bus or Skytrain and bus combination. And here’s when the game starts. Since I know this is true, I’m just going to assume lots us have class in the morning. Say 9.30. So you are likely to arrive at a Skytrain station or bus loop at around 8.30. And you will start the game with a dessert, long line ups or crowded platforms.

Once you are near the Skytrain or bus loops, you have to choose your strategy to achieve several goals: a) get to ubc on time; and b) stay as comfortable as possible.

So this is how you play the game. When you are a Skytrain, you need to watch out for when you will get off. If it’s within 2,3 stops, stand by the door which opens when you reach your destination. If more than that, stay away from that. Instead, lean by the other door, to avoid traffic coming in and going out. You want to stay close to the door because you need to quickly get off the train and beat others to the bus loop.

Once you have successfully acquired a good position in the queue at the bus loop, you will likely get a seat and play with your phone for the rest of the trip. However, if you failed to o achieve the first step because you simply are too weak or just happen to arrive at a long line up, your alternative to get on the bus is to wait for the next one. Of course, you need to ensure the number one goal is met: arriving on time.

Okay, so what if you are entering a crowded bus? No need to worry. Here’s the strategy: 1) take off your backpack just so people won’t murder you with their stares, 2) avoid at all cost from standing by the doors-remember that buses are getting those stupid sensor upgrades. Not going to be a good life for commuters. Just imagine 100 pairs of eyes in you when the freakin door won’t close. 3) pick a good location. You need to pick the right direction, and either way, it’s like surviving in a large corporation, you will eventually get a comfortable seat. And you happen to be standing for the whole time? Well let’s just call it a leg day and move on.

So after all of these corporate, bureaucratic, and ugly fights to stay comfortable on the skytrains and buses, we, inevitably, cannot take back the time we spent on travelling. And as much as the experience can be made extraordinarily wonderful, a life of a commuter still sucks. When you woke up 6 AM in the morning, and got home at 11 PM at night, you would probably start to think really hard about quantifying the cost and benefit of living on campus.

And I believe the time saved by living on campus will produce a GREAT benefit as there is positive spillover effect as you are able to interact with a different social group, and live a different life. May you will waste the time you have saved on one or two netflix show or parties, but the aggregate benefit is way higher than the monetary short term cost.

So next time, you are complaing how bad it is living on campus, how you don’t have food in your fridge, and how waling from from Main Mall to Allison road is far, just remember that at least one commuter (me) is ready to be Tom Hanks in this video:

Fight Against Sexual Assualts Needs Education

4 recent sexual assualts. 4 innocent souls were hurt. 40,000 students felt somewhat uncomfortable , and most of them felt outragous about this. And here are my thoughts. This is no satire. This is no joke.

I have seen posts/comments on blogs, Facebook groups, friends’ FB Walls and so many other places regarding this issue; they are mostly positive and speaking from a personable point of view. However, there are a few points I do not quite agree with.

Let’s take Take Back the Night UBC for example. I agree everything they try to do; it’s a good cause, and it brings out the awareness, condemns the criminal and sexual assaults, and hopefully gives comforts to the victims. HOWEVER, certain parts I am not understanding as a student, as a person, and finally as a man.

As a man, a student, and a person in the society, I feel uncomfortable walking alone at night. “Why?” you ask, “You are a man, why would you feel uncomfortable? You are not likely to get raped?” And I agree, statistically, we are not the general victims. However, when I walk alone at night, girls look at me differently and avoid me. Why? Because I am a guy. Because I am walking home alone. Because I am walking home at night. Why do those girls feel that way? Posts like this, “Yet they say nothing to those (men) who feel entitled enough to initiate these sexual assault” really helps creating a misunderstanding, as well as the myth that strangers will likely to commit sexual assault. The word ‘men’ in the brackets clear state that the fugitive running is a man. And even though, in all 4 cases, it was a stranger who committed the crime, but statistically, acquaintances are more likely to commit such crimes! So, please don’t narrow people mind by using words such as ‘men’, because this caused me to feel uncomfortable walking alone at night. “Female and woman-identified people have a right to walk safely at night without fear of being attacked”, but at the same time, everyone else, including men, deserves the same right!

The event description continues with: “We demand this continued use of violence against women be connected to men, specifically men who benefit most from patriarchal attitudes and relations of power that were inflicted here by colonists.” Couple of things here. Yes men who sexually assault may have such tendency and mentalities in mind; however, most sexual assaults were committed when people think ‘it’s okay if she is drunk and I’m drunk”,or “she is allowing me to get to second base, so it’s okay to continue on”. You need permissions and consents, and those can be terminated anytime. Also, not only men have those mentalities.

The article began rampaging at the RCMP and UBC Securities. Well, here is the thing. You say that they are victimizing because they told people not to walk alone at night. Okay, here’s the deal. They are not doing their job right because there are criminals or one criminal continuely committing crimes (4 times is unbearable) on campus, and they failed to prevent this from happening. Are they not investigating? Yes they are. Are they saying the victims are the just victims, and there are nothing they can do about it? No, they didn’t. They basically said that, don’t walk alone, because while we are investigating the case, and we do not have enough resources to fully monitor UBC campus to catch this guy, please watch out when walking home late at night; a buddy will help a lot. It is saying, oh we know the floor is wet and slippery, and many people fell here, please walk around it while we clean it up. Of course, the severety cannot be compared, but the messages are strive to achieve the same goal: don’t get yourself hurt. Like the article said, one is not solely responsible, but RCMP and the UBC Securites are not either. Please be considerate to people who try to help us. Not all cops are corrupted and beat up random innocent people on the street.

How do we deal with this?

1. Respect the vicitms. Don’t talk about how they got sexually assaulted, dont’ joke with it, and don’t say you don’t care.
2. Catch the motherfogger and make an example out of him/her. Give him/her heavy penalties and release public blames with media’s help. Let it be known that anyone messes with our campus and anyone else in this society will be punished to the degree of what he/she deserves.
3. Watch out your own safety and others’. Bring anti-rape whistle with you, and try not to walk near dark areas which are not lit. Just watch out. Also, watch out for your friends’ or any strangers’ safety on campus. A community united is much more stronger than man/woman for him/herself.
4. Since we won’t have resources for people to watch out every corner, we should install monitors/cams to make sure the campus is safe. HOWEVER, the downside of this is possible NSA and privacy issues. This is just for thoughts.
5. Understand what is sexual assaults! To be honest, I didn’t fully understand it until I had training with SASC, and you should learn more about and from them! EDUCATION is uttermost important!

Useful links:
SASC:

Ripe Blackberry went bad quickly as no one picked it up

“Once upon a time, there was a company called Blackberry. I know what you may think, ‘I know it will go down right away because there will only be one successful fruit company out there! And Apple is the one!” You are right; the company almost vanished near the end of second decade of the 21st century. But the name does not have much to do with the fall of Blackberry. Let me tell you the tale of how RIM, one of the most successful mobile devices manufacturer and the founder of Blackberry OS, who later failed as an unwanted ripe Blackberry.” — A Business Fairy Tale

Alright, I made the introduction a bit cheesy, but I am not exaggerating. The fall of RIM (or BBRY) is just like the fall of Kodak (oh poor Kodak), Motorola, Nokia, and so many other companies. What do all of these companies have in common? They were all major players at some point in time: Kodak was the father of modern cameras, Nokia used to be world’s largest vendor of mobile phones from 1998 to 2012 and  Motorola–where the first call from between cell phones are made; in fact, “In 1969 Neil Armstrong spoke the famous words “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” from the Moon on a Motorola transceiver” (Wikipedia).

So what destroyed these ancient giants? Time. There is nothing more powerful than this 4-letter word. It alters cultures, thinking, perceptions, people’s behaviors, the physical appearance of earth, and so many other aspects of this world. And anything that tries to stop it from moving forward will receive punishments. Simply put, all those giants failed to move forward with time, or get ahead of time thus hit by punishments arisen from the nature of time.

For smart phone manufacturers, such as RIM, Nokia, and Motorola, they did realized too late that PDAs and  devices with simple interface and ‘dissatisfying appearence’ will not satisfy the growing demand from consumers. The consumer also wants an accessory, a power tool, a toy at hand, a social media device, and an experience. At the same time, they missed the fact that other industries are changing as well–music industry redesigned the idea of music video, YouTube was born to reform the broadcasting industry, and film industry moved towards special effects focuses as well as 3D effect content as well, automobile industry was introduced the trend of sustainable, alternative resource powered, or even robotic driver-less vehicles. The whole world has changed in the early 2000’s immediately after the tech bubble burst; the phoenix was reborn, in fact, more than one phoenixes.

Apple was one of those phoenixes who found out what people may want, and eventually, ‘need’. Jobs was definitely not contributing towards the finalization of iPhone which would revolutionize the whole world alone; however, he has the bigger picture. Where did he get the inspiration? Some say it’s his genius mind, some say it’s his years in Pixar (which is my argument as well; he did screw up on Lisa, and Apple III (even though Sander is leading the project, Jobs was suppose to over-see it), and if he didn’t get kicked out of Apple, he may not be able to do so well later in his career.

Jobs personally has three proud projects and products which came out of his team: Apple I, the iPod, and the iPhone. Despite MacBook series and iMac, these three projects each “revolutionized their related industry”. And he is right about that point. Jobs understood what people wanted, especially when he discovered iPod. It was a pity that other companies did not pick up the hint from iPod that Jobs’ ambition was not only limited to MP3 players. Jobs set his mind at positive infinity. And this is why others lost.

Even though, many companies such as Finnish giant Nokia, RIM, and Motorola failed, some remained in the market to compete: Samsung who dominates the market beside Apple, as well as HTC, Sony, LG, and now Google (by acquiring Motorola, Google is able to produce its own Nexus phones, or MotoX) and Microsoft (after purchasing Nokia, MSFT aims to share the almost saturated market of smart phones with the Lumia brand). This is a sign that the first mover will grab the bigger piece of cake; however, if you move quickly enough, as second mover, you can copy exactly what the first mover did and make it better. There are always way to make the right decision; you just need people who have that vision to lend their in-sights.

So now we, not just consumers but future business leaders, have to ask ourselves whether if we are in that mold–not just the high technology or related industries, but every aspect of private and public sector. If you are not the first few to eat the crabs, you will be the one who eats the shell, or starve to death.

Google’s next Android OS will be named….

Kitkat. Yeah who could’ve ever guessed this? Well maybe analysts who have been watching closely whom is meeting with Google that seems to be too weird for this tech giant.

Take a Break, with iPhone.

As you may know Google started with the trend of naming it’s Android OS after sweet stuff. In the past we have seen as early as names like Cupcake which was the code name for Android 1.5,  Donut for 1.6, Eclair for 2.0, 2.0.1 and 2.1, Froyo (Frozen Yogurt)  for 2.2- 2.2.3, Ginger Bread for 2.3-2.3.7, Honey Comb for 3.0-3.2, Ice Cream Sandwich for 4.0-4.0.4, and finally Jelly Bean for 4.1 – 4.3. Starting with 4.4, the OS will be named after Kit-Kat.

We can clearly tell that all precious versions of the Android OS are named after well known food. In other word,  they are generic terms–you can argue about Froyo, but you see what I mean. This new co-branding strategy laid out by Google is quite upsetting as well as interesting.

When I first hopped onto the Android wagon back in 2011, my main reason was its low price, competitive performance, open source support and variety. But there are also little things that gives me a good feeling about Android. The naming of its system after sweet stuff in particular. To me this is rather revolutionizing as code numbers–pun intended–does not express personality. It does not add anything excited to a brand. And that in particular would draw less attention from people who want something more lively rather than a piece of cold metal. Now when Google is trying to put a brand name like Kit-Kat onto its next OS? I don’t think the people who enjoyed the vanilla flavors of the previous OS would want to associate themselves with a brand like Kit-Kat.

At the same time, this is HUGE for the tech industry, and people who don’t really care the naming too much, but more about the experience that may come along with this. It was such a rare thing for a tech company to partner up with the ‘sweeties’ and ‘honeys’. The most important thing about co-branding is the brand value and image presented by the two brands. Google on one hand has been playing around with names of sugary stuff since the beginning, so there is definitely the association without being subtle. And when we look at Kit-Kat, its “take a break” campaign seems to work well with people who are working hard and are under lots of pressure–typical office clerks, stay home moms, business people, etc. This is an interesting target market that Google has been looking to tap into for a long time–officially taking over BlackBerry in sales would be a nice move before Microsoft completely absorbs Nokia.

However, I am excited about the system that will come out! What are some of the cool new changes that will arrive? Since Google already released its glasses, are we going to see a better version of Android that works better with the glasses? Or are we going to have a completely different experience with Android where it will be used on laptops/computers (it has already been done by ASUS, but more)? Will Google follow its goal of diving into the accessory market and make some watches as well like Sony, Pebble, and Samsung? Everything is possible!

EDIT: Now think about it. The “take a break” campaign may be a hilarious phrase to use against the iPhone users to take a break from Apple and move to Google. If this is some kind of secret plan that Google has–using phrases we see everyday to trick our subconscious mind–then I am really impressed. Cuz I doubt Google is telling to take a break from the phone, so we can think properly, communicate face to face, and act like a real human being.

Related articles

• Google names next Android OS KitKat in surprise move (metro.co.uk)
• 9 Rejected Android OS Food Names (mashable.com)

Thoughts on new school year

3rd year. It actually scares me. I have been in UBC for 2 full years and a summer. Looking back at all those years; there are lots of regrets, and many things that I would totally do once again if I were to go back in time. 

And when I try to look forward into the future (not through a crystal ball), I cannot seem to see through the mist and fog in my head. Thick and dark, the mystery in my head that prevent me from seeing what and who I will become. 

Today was the day when we went back to school, and of course, we met our great friends. And automatically, we started talking about our summer. How was my summer? Well, let’s just say comparing to working as an intern at a finance firm/institution as an intern beats anything such as ‘taking a course’ or ‘working at a real estate office.’ My friends had the opportunities to live in another country and working at a firm that contributes its unique part to the society. I am simply behind. 

I guess I simply do not know what I want. And both employers and women look for a man who knows what he wants, because nobody else can give away that secret. I am not that man. I am still a kid struggling to see the world in my own way, and trying to find new things that would define me. 

I am not sure finance, the option I picked is what I will do for life, and I am not ready to just ‘give in’. I want to explore what really wake me up in the morning, lit my passion, and push me to challenge myself. I am looking, and it is running out of time. 

There are so many things that I know which will get me excited: every time I shoot a video, every time I start and finish my radio show, every time I share my blog with friends, every time I answered questions one may have, every time I helped someone with a subject or just something I know, every time I have a crazy idea, but it may work, and every time I stepped out of my comfort zone to force myself to grow a bit. 

I know what I would do if I have infinite resources, but is that what I really want to do? Is there a boundary to what one can explore? Do I know if I am ready to settle? Unfortunately, I don’t have an answer to the question. 

So the road will be hard. The road will be filled with challenges that will bring me down. The road will be tough, but that is the only way to realize who I am and who I wan to be. So I will be prepared. 

Drugs

Alright, this is like my 5th draft, and whenever I wanted to start a topic like this, I am not sure if I am able to express myself clear enough. And I from this post, I would like you to understand what my thoughts are on drugs. So bear with me.

When I was a kid, drugs are drugs, and everyone knows how bad it is. It’s very hard to get it, and all the stories and news I as a kid read or saw was about heroine, or crack. The only people who get access to this stuff are extremely violent people who always get involved in gangs. Typical high class activities played out in loki events; nothing epic

However, when I came here, I realized the differences. Drugs are not all the same, and people have very distinct attitudes towards the two types of drugs out there: hard, or casual. It’s funny how I used the word casual, but that is the best way to describe stuff like weed/marijuana. It’s the stuff you do when you are being simply, ‘casual’. And as you may know, most of our friends at least smoked or are still smoking these type of substances. They explain to me how people shouldn’t make it a ‘big deal’ (I am talking about the casual drugs here; it’s a totally different story with hard drugs):

1. They are less harmful than smoking cigarettes! For those of you who still think this is true, please check out this link; this is the newest study done by Montreal researchers. Please don’t argue with me unless you have read the article and understand everything. I am not saying that it’s more harmful than smoking, and I do not know that–it can be true or not true–for sure. I am simply saying that the ‘natural substances’ that grew in the ground may not be as harmless as you think.

2. “Dude, it’s like drinking or playing computer games man! It’s a hobby simply, and I have the freedom to do that!” Sure, I agree that it can be a hobby for people, and even if you don’t get addicted to it, it’s part of your freedom that you desire. The reason I believe that drugs are labeled as illegal is because it has a higher chance to cause others of harm. And see, here is what gets tricky. If the law is to solely provide protection for the public, then does a person smoking weed in a private setting disturb anyone else? It depends. Since drugs cause people to react differently for different people, it is hard to argue whether if this is true. That is, some people would just sit there like they just broke up with their girlfriend and he is ‘watching’ all the clips of their time together from the beginning to the end, some  stare at sources of light as if he is staring at the love of his life, and some, and I do not know the percentage of people acting this way, go nuts, causing damages to other people, or self. However, in a society where suicide is not illegal, self harming seems to be more of a moral issue rather than legal issue. And since I am going from a legal point of view, let’s keep it that way for now. It is the harm that potentially may cause for others that is really the issue here. And since these drugs, even the casual ones, will almost always be consumed with something else–alcohol, etc. It is likely to have a mixed effects. Plus, the high potential being a gateway drug–sometimes, your best ‘buddy’ can trick you to take stuff you don’t want, and destroy your life, cuz all you need is that one time, the potential harm with even casual drugs can be potentially higher than alcohol or smoke–considering the biggest harm to society is the potential second hand problems, and I am NOT saying smoking is good, I personally is against smoking, 100%. There are also problems arose from gangs, and other violence. But some argue that the not legalizing is the cause of those violence, as the high profit is the key, but not drugs itself. I only agree half of it.

3. “Hey look, I don’t know what it does to me, but first I enjoy it, and second, I only smoke like 2 times per month. MAXIMUM!” My friend, all bad things start with little effort–just like how bad words travel quicker than good ones. Smoking 2 times per month does not make a huge difference in my opinion. As long as you do it, you have a chance of getting addicted.

From these reading, you are probably understanding where I place my ‘opinion card’ on the drug table.

As of hard drugs, I don’t even need to tell you how you shouldn’t do it, because it’s just stupid. Pure stupidity. The purpose of becoming a human being is not to be stupid and poison yourself until you lose yourself, physically, then slowly, mentally.

Related articles

• Drugs Inc.: Great Show, But… (prescribedthoughts.com)
• Should Marijuana be legalized? (Part 2) (nasirghumman.wordpress.com)
• E-cigarettes: gateway to drug abuse? (wptv.com)
• Marijuana More Harmful than Alcohol? New Report Says it’s ‘Mostly True,’ but National Institute on Drug Abuse Disagrees (hngn.com)
• Pot use presents long-term danger to teens’ brains, study suggests (ctvnews.ca)