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29 July 2010

Hospital Hospitality

by Jack Cahill

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As I have written about before, I have had reason to spend more than my fair share of time visiting someone in the hospital over the past few years. Although this has not been a fun experience for me, I have had the opportunity to observe some very positive improvements in amenities offered to patients.

As I have written about before, I have had reason to spend more than my fair share of time visiting someone in the hospital over the past few years. Although this has not been a fun experience for me, I have had the opportunity to observe some very positive improvements in amenities offered to patients.

Most of what I noticed was at one major Boston area hospital (which will remain nameless for the purposes of me not getting sued). I cannot be sure all of them are following its lead. But I hope they are because how I regard this particular hospital has significantly changed due to these simple enhancements. When I see references to this hospital now, I smile rather than shudder. I cannot say that about others.

Some of these enhancements include:

  • Room service! Gone are the days of missing the food cart. You can order off a menu at anytime by calling room service. Their wine list was a little lacking, though.
  • There are mini-fridges in hospital rooms now. This is where they keep the mini soda cans (the kind you only find in hospitals). And it is a great place to keep the chardonnay.
  • They validate parking for visitors! It took me a while to discover this great feature. There are two validation possibilities – standard and special. To qualify for special validation, you must make real nice with the nurses and then they give you a sticker which qualifies for free parking. In Boston this is something significant.
  • Patients have DVD players and VCRs on their TVs. This is an awesome development. I can just imagine watching my “Lord of the Rings” Special Edition while on medication.
  • Speaking of medication, doctors are quite liberal with it. They seem to maintain an “if you ask, we give” policy. Again, an awesome development.
  • People are actually helpful in the hospital. During an early visit to this hospital, a Nurse’s Aide saw me trying to understand the directory and map (which was about as helpful as a cross-section of the Death Star). She asked me if I needed help. She then walked with me to the cafeteria to be sure I found it!

Now, I am not recommending a stay at the hospital, but at least they are making it suck less if you have to. It seems even hospitals are beginning to consider user experience into how they build their services.

I was stuck in the same hospital following an injury in 1997. It was awful. Perhaps if some of these things were available then, I would not have hated it as much.

One Response to “Hospital Hospitality”

  1. Mark Cohen says:
    August 6, 2010 at 9:34 am

    What a novel idea–the patient as customer!

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29 June 2010

An Exercise in Social Media Connectivity (aka “AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”)

by Jack Cahill

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Like most people, I have always wanted to jump from an aircraft at 12,000 feet and free fall towards the Earth at nearly 60 miles per hour while putting my survival in the hands of a complete stranger. However, I was—for some reason—a bit frightened about actually doing it. And every time I turned to people around me for encouragement and participation, I found no one.

Like most people, I have always wanted to jump from an aircraft at 12,000 feet and free fall towards the Earth at nearly 60 miles per hour while putting my survival in the hands of a complete stranger. However, I was—for some reason—a bit frightened about actually doing it.  And every time I turned to people around me for encouragement and participation, I found no one.

But last winter at dinner with friends, one of them actually said she’d do it.  So I wondered—what would happen if I threw the idea out on Facebook and Twitter?  Would I find others who might be interested in joining us?  So I decided to perform a little exercise in social media connectivity and did just that.  I posted a Facebook link and invited people (anyone) to join me.  I also posted it on Twitter and our workplace bulletin boards.

My objective was to recruit a few people to accompany me on this “Bucket List” adventure and be available to push me out of the plane if sanity took over at the last minute.  I thought I might get two others.  What I got instead was a huge surprise.

Within three days I had 15 people who expressed serious interest, and several others who were on the fence, but not quite ready to take that plunge (get it—“plunge”? OK…sorry).  Encouraged, I went ahead and contacted a local jump school that provides tandem jumping.  After cost and scheduling issues were resolved, we had a group of 11 people who had connected to participate.  I was floored.  The Jump had turned into An Event!

The group was a collection of people who maintained different relationships.  Some had never met before the day of The Jump.  But most of us shared one thing in common — we were all incredibly nervous.  Fortunately, one had jumped before, and his encouragement (and the festive atmosphere of the place) kept our nerves in check.

Despite those nerves, we all did it (and loved it—check it out).  Afterwards, when we all gathered at a local eatery to drink and come down from the adrenaline high we were riding, any outsider would have had difficulty telling that most of us had only just met.

It is kind of hard to jump out of a plane with someone and then not feel a strong connection with them — even if you don’t know them.  We’ll definitely do this again…

4 Responses to “An Exercise in Social Media Connectivity (aka “AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”)”

  1. Nancy P says:
    June 29, 2010 at 9:39 am

    I got an adrenaline rush just watching the video. It’s a great story and has me thinking about the power social media has for marketing businesses. You created an event without much effort. Businesses can create these events pretty easily once they’ve created a network.

  2. James Bailey says:
    June 29, 2010 at 9:41 am

    Whoa!

  3. Susan Cress says:
    June 29, 2010 at 1:20 pm

    AMAZING! I think the closest I’ll ever get is the parachute I wear for aerobatics and faking it in a wind tunnel. I admire those with the gumption to jump.

  4. carol curran says:
    June 30, 2010 at 10:08 pm

    Wow! I had a pit in my stomach just watching the video but the adrenaline rush must be amazing. Better you than me. CONGRATS!

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16 June 2010

On Pride and Prejudice

by Jack Cahill

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Like the almost 150 online communities run by Communispace, representing 92 countries around the world, the staff here represents a wide variety of people. Diversity is not only embraced here, it is encouraged. As a gay man, this has special meaning to me. Gay people in our company are well-represented in every department and every level of the organization. The atmosphere of tolerance here is inspiring.

Like the almost 150 online communities run by Communispace, representing 92 countries around the world, the staff here represents a wide variety of people.  Diversity is not only embraced here, it is encouraged.  As a gay man, this has special meaning to me.  Gay people in our company are well-represented in every department and every level of the organization.  The atmosphere of tolerance here is inspiring.

Being gay in the workplace has not always been easy for me.  In 1989, Massachusetts first included sexual orientation in its anti-discrimination legislation.  I was right out of school at the time, just out of the closet to my friends.  I was trying to figure out how to fit into the professional workforce without pretending to be someone I wasn’t.  Although I was encouraged at the time by this change in the law, I was not ready to be open to the people I worked with, for fear of some form of retribution.  Instead, I just closed out people who could have been great friends.

However, employers began to recognize the value of their gay employees and started extending benefits to them.  Some included benefits for gay domestic partners even before gay marriage became a reality.  And, as I began to develop my professional relationships, it became easier to be more open about who I really was.  At some point along the way, I realized I was not giving people enough credit.  Maybe I was the prejudiced one. 

More positive visibility in the media also helped me on this journey.  When I was younger, the best we had were the depictions of gay people in “Dynasty” and “Soap.” (Yeah, I admit it, I watched both, so…?)  I thought of this recently when I saw this McDonald’s ad running in France.  The message McDonalds sends is very simple, and very powerful.

June is National Gay and Lesbian Pride Month in the United States.  Pride was first enacted as an official celebration in 2000, by President Bill Clinton, but it had been observed unofficially for years as a tribute to the Stonewall Riots of June 1969.  Pride events celebrate the progress the gay community has made during the past 41 years.  Events are held throughout the U.S., even at Disney World.

During Pride, I think a lot about my own personal growth.  This blog post is evidence of it. 

I also go dancing.

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11 May 2010

It’s Complicated

by Jack Cahill

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A Facebook friend of mine recently changed her relationship status from “In a Relationship” to “It’s Complicated.” I assume she realized this detail was broadcast to her friend network, as we are all on Facebook to share the juiciest details of our personal lives, right?

Seeing this did not make me want to know the details, nor will I ask about them. However, it did cause me to think about relationships in general, and what exactly is meant by the status “It’s Complicated.” At first glance, on Facebook this status seems to imply “in trouble” or even “breaking up.” I imagine it is largely accepted that way. But to me, this designation seems misguided.

A Facebook friend of mine recently changed her relationship status from “In a Relationship” to “It’s Complicated.”  I assume she realized this detail was broadcast to her friend network, as we are all on Facebook to share the juiciest details of our personal lives, right?

Seeing this did not make me want to know the details, nor will I ask about them.  However, it did cause me to think about relationships in general, and what exactly is meant by the status “It’s Complicated.”  At first glance, on Facebook this status seems to imply “in trouble” or even “breaking up.”  I imagine it is largely accepted that way.  But to me, this designation seems misguided.

After all, isn’t any relationship “complicated?”  It seems to me the most complicated ones of all are the ones that last.  I have been in one for over 20 years, and it has not always been easy.  But it has been rewarding, and I know why it has worked.  Because my partner and I (like others in successful relationships) engage in one of the most difficult things humans have to do to relate to one another in a meaningful, mutually beneficial way: Compromise.

This is true of any relationship, not just the ones between significant others.  Compromise is a critical element of all successful relationships – those with your family, your friends, your community, your customers or your co-workers.

I know I am not saying anything revolutionary here, nor am I saying that every relationship can turn into something great.  In some cases, even long-term,  successful relationships eventually run their course and it makes sense to end them and move on.  But I do urge people who are involved in new relationships that they consider “complicated” to carefully weigh their reasons for ending it before doing so.  Relationships that are quickly ended without a genuine effort to make it are not complicated at all.  They are simple.

Compromise is not easy – it is often very hard for any of us to do it.  But the value you can get in the long run from doing it is immeasurable.  It is often hard to see that though in the early stages, particularly when people are blinded by their own feelings of anger or mistrust. 

Maybe Facebook should add a relationship status of “Working on It.”  Of course, all relationships are different, and it would be hard to create a concise list of all the possible status options to accommodate them all.

After all, it’s complicated.

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14 April 2010

Everybody Needs a Hero

by Jack Cahill

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Forty years ago this week, the whole world watched as a real life drama unfolded in space. The crew of Apollo 13, the third planned mission to the moon, was locked in a dramatic struggle to survive after an accident that forced NASA mission controllers to push the technology envelope beyond the limit and turned a potential tragedy into one of the nation’s most triumphant moments.

Forty years ago this week, the whole world watched as a real life drama unfolded in space. The crew of Apollo 13, the third planned mission to the moon, was locked in a dramatic struggle to survive after an accident that forced NASA mission controllers to push the technology envelope beyond the limit and turned a potential tragedy into one of the nation’s most triumphant moments.

After reliving the events of that amazing week on a special Dateline NBC (yes, I am old enough to “relive” them), I watched HBO’s seriously excellent mini-series, “The Pacific.” Getting all caught up in this patriotic evening started making me think about what kind of person a Hero really is and how we perceive them.

People often look to heroic figures for inspiration, especially during difficult times.  And in 2010, I was curious what those types of figures are for different people and to see what was common among them.

Using highly-advanced scientific research methodology tools (such as Facebook, Twitter, and AIM), I reached out to friends and family to get some different perspectives.  Although the specific examples cited were different, there was a common theme. Simply that, a Hero is someone who acts selflessly to help others in need without concern for personal consequences.  What is so wonderful about this is that anyone can be a Hero.

Some of these highly inspirational people are often publicly recognized:

  • The three astronauts who 40 years ago remained amazingly calm despite horrific odds and the mission controllers who under incredible stress stayed focused and brought them home safely.
  • Soldiers fighting and dying in places with names like Pavuvu, Hamburger Hill, Fallujah and Kandahar.
  • Politicians who vote for what they believe is right rather than what their party tells them is right.
  • And naturally, firefighters and police who put themselves in danger to protect people they do not even know.

But others are people who are less recognized (but are still inspirational):

  •  The parent who tirelessly spends his or her free time racing from one kid’s after-school event to the next. 
  • The person who speaks out against discrimination, even in places where it is still the norm.
  • The friend battling terminal cancer who every day makes a point of asking me how MY day was.
  • The co-worker who helps you without being asked when they notice you having an off day.

These two lists could go on and on.  So in a world where the news is ripe with terrorism, economic crisis and golfer sex scandals – remember, there are still Heroes all around us.  You just have to look.

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18 March 2010

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to FarmVille

by Jack Cahill

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According to MSNBC.com, the virtual world of FarmVille on Facebook now has over 80 million residents (ref, MSNBC.com). If FarmVille was a sovereign nation, it would be larger than every European nation except Germany and Russia. In fact, it would be the 15th largest nation on Earth (ref, Wikipedia). That’s a lot of virtual farming. And if a nation’s GDP was measured in gold coins or perfect bunches of flowers, I am sure it would be the wealthiest.

According to MSNBC.com, the virtual world of FarmVille on Facebook now has over 80 million residents (ref, MSNBC.com). If FarmVille was a sovereign nation, it would be larger than every European nation except Germany and Russia. In fact, it would be the 15th largest nation on Earth (ref, Wikipedia). That’s a lot of virtual farming. And if a nation’s GDP was measured in gold coins or perfect bunches of flowers, I am sure it would be the wealthiest.

Recently I decided to embark on a fact finding mission to FarmVille, to see what all the hype was about. I had noticed many of my Facebook friends’ updates about their agricultural and animal husbandry successes and my curiosity was aroused. However, after a frustrating hour of trying to figure out why it was so much fun, I gave up.

Very quickly, a number of friends reached out requesting I become a FarmVille “neighbor” and they started sending me virtual gifts. I found this both amusing and worrisome. Amusing because I was surprised how many were playing it, and worrisome because I did not want to offend anyone by not responding. So I decided to play along while I developed an exit strategy. But along the way something happened—I started to enjoy it.

As I reached out to other friends to become neighbors, I thought about the fact that many of my Facebook “friends” were people I had never met. I knew them because of online games I’ve played or through Twitter. But I have interacted with many of them enough that I feel I do know them. It still amazes me the ways these sites can bring people together in an often meaningful way.

I was fascinated recently when a discussion started among several of my friends who did not know each other or have any existing relationship other than that they know me. They were commenting on something I posted on Facebook and started talking among themselves via the comments. My separate groups of friends are starting to talk. This is great (I think). And it is beginning to happen more frequently.

I doubt I will stick with FarmVille for long. It is beginning to feel more like work than play—harvesting crops before they wither is stressful (even when they don’t really exist).

But if I pick up a few new relationships from the experience, it will be worth it.

One Response to “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to FarmVille”

  1. Kendra says:
    March 19, 2010 at 8:16 am

    Hi Jack – I definitely know what you mean! Back when I was a Facebook MobWars aficionado, a lot of my friends became friends with each other so they could join each others’ mobs and become stronger. Now that that’s long gone, I still see my friends commenting on my sister’s wall or vice versa because they already know about each other and now they have a way to directly connect. I have found that these online games that require coordination and working together are a great way for people to get to know each other and feel closer while having fun.

    And if you’re getting sick of harvesting crops – might I suggest planting some of those 4-day plants? Also please send me some materials for my stable when you get a chance. Thanks!

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3 February 2010

At the Genius Bar, Enjoying an APPLE-tini (aka “Can’t we all just get along?”)

by Jack Cahill

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A long time PC user, I recently crossed party lines and bought my first Mac. I was interested in creating a harmonious co-existence in my home network.

Although the purchase of this new MacBook may seem impulsive, my decision to go Mac has apparently been a gradual one. I know this because it was explained to me by the robotic, well programmed Mac Expert at the Apple Store (a place deliberately designed to lull you into a false sense of having a lot of extra money to spend). He described the PC to Mac conversion as a three part process, probably engineered by Steve Jobs himself:

A long time PC user, I recently crossed party lines and bought my first Mac. I was interested in creating a harmonious co-existence in my home network.

Although the purchase of this new MacBook may seem impulsive, my decision to go Mac has apparently been a gradual one. I know this because it was explained to me by the robotic, well programmed Mac Expert at the Apple Store (a place deliberately designed to lull you into a false sense of having a lot of extra money to spend). He described the PC to Mac conversion as a three part process, probably engineered by Steve Jobs himself:

  • First, you embrace the iPod (check).
  • Then, you switch to iPhone (check).
  • Finally, you purchase your first Mac (and check).

He went on to explain that the rest “happens naturally”—as you work more on your Mac, you start ignoring your PC and eventually stop using it altogether. 

That “natural” part has not happened to me yet. I am impressed with the MacBook and enjoy learning more about it. It is sleek, and well designed. But my PC still is my primary computer (and probably always will be).

Despite how that sounds (and what some of my friends would say), I am not a PC user who previously disliked the Mac. I have worked with the Mac before both at work and school (and I LOVE my iPhone). But most of my professional experience has been on the PC, and Windows Networking is an old hobby of mine that I turned into a career. I just always figured that the Mac did not have any real place in my life (and I did not want to shell out the big $$ for one). 

However, as an IT professional I understand that I need to be familiar with both Windows and the Mac platforms. With the release of the iPad (a rather large new iPod model), and the new more affordable MacBook, I decided now was the time to go down the rabbit hole.

As I try to figure out what role each will play in my life moving forward, there is one thing I have learned through this experience—I am a “PC” who now understands why so many people love their Macs.

Let the hate mail begin.

11 Responses to “At the Genius Bar, Enjoying an APPLE-tini (aka “Can’t we all just get along?”)”

  1. Halley Suitt says:
    February 3, 2010 at 10:20 am

    Nice post … isn’t it best to know as many systems as possible anyway?!

  2. Mike Jennings says:
    February 3, 2010 at 10:29 am

    Great post, Jack. I guess I’m at Stage 2 of the conversion process you describe. I embraced the iPod, then the iPhone, and now I’m looking into buying a Mac. I guess my thinking is – PC for work; Mac for fun (i.e. media).

  3. Charlotte Daher says:
    February 3, 2010 at 10:58 am

    Mike, I completely agree. There are a lot of things that I feel like I can only do on a PC (mainly work related) but I turn to my Mac for the fun things!

    I am actually a new mac user– a friend of mine gave me his iBook G4 when he upgraded to a MacBook, something I plan on doing soon as well! I quickly found that using a Mac to surf the web, use iTunes, and manage digital photos was easier and more fun than on a PC.

    I think someday I will become a Mac, but for now I am a “PC” who loves using a Mac.

  4. Jack Cahill says:
    February 3, 2010 at 11:00 am

    Halley, I agree – being familiar with multiple systems makes a user more versatile. Mike, that is how I see it right now too – PC for work and Mac for play.

  5. Karen Barone says:
    February 4, 2010 at 7:14 am

    Jack,
    In the spirit of computer-related confessions, I’m a Mac gal who’s currently thinking of buying a PC. My Mac just doesn’t offer me a good gaming environment and it bums me out. (Yes, I game too. Am I revealing too much?) I think it’s interesting that most folks think of Macs as their “fun” machine (see Mike’s post above). The truth is…sometimes I think of my Mac as a really expensive place to keep my music and pictures. Sigh….

    That being said, I love, love, love my iPhone.

  6. Jack Cahill says:
    February 4, 2010 at 9:32 am

    Karen, I will send you a link directly to a nice HP notebook, very powerful, very affordable – you should get what you need from it. Not much of a gamer myself, need to find something to try though.

  7. Rosanna Y. de la Cruz says:
    February 5, 2010 at 4:03 am

    Jack,

    I love this post and so appreciate it!

    It has been enjoyable to see you slowly but surely join the bright, sunny side that is the world of ‘being’ a MAC. It is a nice pastime for those of us who are die hard groupies of MAC computers and avid people watchers.

    You bring up some very valid points of discussion re being a MAC or a PC. I agree that depending on what you use the device for, you could be tipped one way or the other.

    Some observations from someone who has been a MAC girl since high school:

    •In my experience, using a PC 100% of the time is akin to being an active member of a dangerous cult, especially if you happen to be an IT professional. Until you spend some time away from the PC environment (or until you are ‘deprogrammed’ by a Mac) you don’t realize anything was amiss with the way you have been operating.

    •As a MAC user, I can totally see why it would be challenging for a PC person to come over to this side, especially if you live and die by the evil empire’s useful apps. Take for example, MS Outlook. I have completely abandoned Entourage, the MS answer to Outlook, as it is extremely frustrating and does not have the functionality I require for being effective professionally. I am sure there are many others like me.

    •I tend to view it as being a ‘native’ speaker of a language. Be it you are a PC or a MAC native, you are always going to be more comfortable in whatever language you grew up with. That said, bi-lingual folks tend to appreciate the positive side effects of being able to express themselves in more than one language. It just makes you better rounded.

    Pls keep blogging about your experience. So fun to read!

  8. Mike Butler says:
    February 5, 2010 at 1:55 pm

    Great Post, Jack.

    I purchased my first Mac after a bad PC experience, hard disk failure after owning the pc for a week. That was 8 years ago. I wanted it for iTunes, and iDvd for home videos. I didn’t go through the 3 stages, I just thought, for what I need at home, this is going to be much easier than anything I’ve seen on the PC. Now I own 3 macs, and I’ve never looked back.

    I’m happy to hear that you’re enjoying your Mac.

  9. Gina Davison says:
    February 9, 2010 at 12:17 pm

    Great job bridging the un-bridgeable gap, Jack.

    I think it’s just a matter of needs and taste just as with any product; I am a loyal Mac user, but hate the iPhone (I still like to have buttons on my phone, thanks).

    TBWA’s Mac vs. PC ads are definitely better than any PC ad I’ve seen in a while though.

  10. Jack Cahill says:
    February 10, 2010 at 4:40 am

    Thanks Mike and Gina! I appreciate the comments.

    Gina, you are actually the very first Mac lover I have heard from who hates the iPhone! Although I do hear you about the buttons (I am a recovering Blackberry user), I still feel the functionality of the iPhone is remarkable. But I must admit that the auto-correct and word-suggest features can drive me crazy when trying to type something on it.

  11. Leslie L says:
    March 1, 2010 at 7:27 am

    I actually started on a MAC and then moved to a PC because it was the business standard. Full circle? Yup.

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24 November 2009

Health and Health Care: What I am thankful for this year

by Jack Cahill

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If you have been watching the new TV show V, then you know there has been some discussion lately about Universal Health Care. I would not pretend to know as much about the subject as V leader Anna or ambitious newsman Chad (played by Scott Wolf), but I do have some thoughts about health care reform that stem from personal experience.

If you have been watching the new TV show V, then you know there has been some discussion lately about Universal Health Care. I would not pretend to know as much about the subject as V leader Anna or ambitious newsman Chad (played by Scott Wolf), but I do have some thoughts about health care reform that stem from personal experience.

Over the past few years I have watched someone close to me battle a difficult form of cancer. Despite an initially grim prognosis, he has been the beneficiary of a number of cutting edge developments in cancer treatment (including the CyberKnife™ radiation treatment, now being hyped in Boston TV ads). As a result, he has been able to exceed survival expectations and has maintained a high quality of life. It seems that as one treatment starts to become ineffective, another comes along. This is a testament to the strength of medical technology development. I watched someone else wage the same fight 22 years ago. But these options were not available then, and the results were very different. 

But as great as the advances in the technology element are, what strikes me more is the improvement in the human element of how patients are treated. In 1997, I was hospitalized and had never before endured such a frustrating and horrible experience (with the possible exception of that time in Newark). But today, in the very same hospital, it has totally changed.

A large part of this may be due to the passage of the Patients’ Bill of Rights in 2001. But, I also believe part of it is due to medical professionals actually listening to their patients and taking them seriously, more like customers. Patients and their loved ones are treated with more dignity and respect, and are provided with better resources for coping. This is as important as the treatments themselves, because the stress levels are so high for patients and their families, and every little thing has a significant impact.

So this Thanksgiving, I give thanks for what is good in our health care system. I know that there is a lot that needs to be changed, but I hope these trends in the system are not affected. They represent the best parts of it.

One Response to “Health and Health Care: What I am thankful for this year”

  1. heather c says:
    December 3, 2009 at 6:09 am

    i took care of my father-in-law the last year of his life, which included a 2&1/2 month hospital stay in the VA hospital. i know exactly what you are talking about about. thank god for the patients’ bill of rights, which i had to bring up several times.
    i think a government option that competes with privately owned insurance companies would be a good thing. after all, if it isn’t competetive, no-one will want it.
    private insurance companies and drug companies already charge people a fortune, and in some cases, won’t pay for life-saving treatments. it should be regulated. power companies are regulated. construction companies are regulated. doctors are regulated. banking will be more regulated, so that the powerful and greedy can no longer steal from the nation, and loot their workers’ retirement funds.
    i think competency and compassion are what is lacking overall in the insurance industry as a whole, and a little regulation may be the solution.

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18 September 2009

The World in Your Palm (or BlackBerry, or iPhone…): Looking forward to the next 10 years of hand held internet access

by Jack Cahill

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TwitterBerryIn July, I tweeted about the Pomegranate:

“jackcahill Funny maybe (actually, yes) – but ten years from now we will all have one … – http://bit.ly/uG6aZ.”

The Pomegranate is an innovative, although fictional PDA with some great features, including a coffee maker and electric razor. I joked that although it was a fictional device, we would probably all have one in ten years anyway.

TwitterBerryIn July, I tweeted about the Pomegranate:

“jackcahill Funny maybe (actually, yes) – but ten years from now we will all have one … – http://bit.ly/uG6aZ.”

The Pomegranate is an innovative, although fictional PDA with some great features, including a coffee maker and electric razor. I joked that although it was a fictional device, we would probably all have one in ten years anyway.

When you think about PDA and cell phone functionality ten years ago and compare it to what we have today, that may not be so off base. Many of us today, old enough to remember the 1990s, will recall the primitive ancestors of today’s devices. They were hard to use, unreliable, and expensive—and we loved them.

But today we do not just love them, we cannot live without them. Today’s PDAs provide a full range of communications—phone, email, and video. In fact, the distinction between cell phone and PDA is disappearing. Do you remember when this convergence was considered a “new frontier”? Neither do I. Today it is routine to carry the Internet in the palm of your hand. And developers are beginning to answer the need for mobile websites and mobile apps geared towards the mobile browser.

I used to rebuff the mobile web browser—but not anymore. Recently, my BlackBerry was the only access I had to the Internet on vacation. I used Google Apps to easily get restaurant information and to check the online sales of a visiting friend who is an antiques dealer. Google Maps helped me locate a specific store. Facebook Mobile and TwitterBerry allowed me to babble to the universe. But some websites would not load well and it was difficult to find basic information—that still needs attention.

So what can we expect in innovation for the handheld Internet during the next ten years? Everything is possible. I’m hoping for the universal translator, but a rotating Death Star Hologram projector would also be awesome.

Real innovation in mobile websites and devices will focus more on meeting the users’ needs than in flash or style. What is cool is not necessarily what is good. A website visitor has different needs when using a mobile device. They are not looking for the same type of information in the same ways as they would on a computer. Mobile users today are also savvier than their counterparts were ten years ago. They are less impressed with glitter (OK, not all of them) and are looking for functionality. When mobile device and web developers are designing for the handheld Internet, they need to identify what the users need to make their mobile online experience a richer one.

Developers who can do that will leave their mark on the next decade of the PDA.

2 Responses to “The World in Your Palm (or BlackBerry, or iPhone…): Looking forward to the next 10 years of hand held internet access”

  1. Steve says:
    September 18, 2009 at 11:35 am

    Cool. Pomegranate may be here sooner than we think. Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUdDhWfpqxg

    If you don’t have the time, start at about 4:20.

  2. Diane Hessan says:
    September 20, 2009 at 2:09 pm

    Jack, it is so much fun to think about what we’ll have in the future. I’m ready for that pomegranate. And hopefully, by 2010, RIM will realize that they need to stop calling a Blackberry a PHONE!

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11 August 2009

Excuse me, but you’re Techno-Babbling

by Jack Cahill

2 Comments »
All posts by Jack Cahill

techno-babble“Techno-babble” is a term used to describe the fantastic way a storyteller can string together technical words and phrases to create a fictional (and usually ridiculous) explanation to provide entertainment (or more likely, to plug plot holes). As a science fiction enthusiast (geek), I enjoy listening to it explain the unexplainable. Whether it was the chief engineer of the Starship Enterprise “re-routing primary power relays to boost warp gain” or CTU’s Chloe O’Brian “opening an IP socket to a secure volume on a node cluster in a server farm,” techno-babble could help you pretend the impossible was possible.

techno-babble“Techno-babble” is a term used to describe the fantastic way a storyteller can string together technical words and phrases to create a fictional (and usually ridiculous) explanation to provide entertainment (or more likely, to plug plot holes). As a science fiction enthusiast (geek), I enjoy listening to it explain the unexplainable. Whether it was the chief engineer of the Starship Enterprise “re-routing primary power relays to boost warp gain” or CTU’s Chloe O’Brian “opening an IP socket to a secure volume on a node cluster in a server farm,” techno-babble could help you pretend the impossible was possible.

People often use a lot of buzz words and phrases in real life as well, but too often don’t understand what they really mean—creating a real life techno-babble. I thought of this recently when I received an email from a supplier who at one time I used regularly. My contact there wanted to re-connect. The message was a form letter about 1,200 words long and full of industry keywords, covering every possible technology offering in the charted galaxy. 

But what it didn’t cover was why I should care. The reason I stopped using this supplier was because every time I attempted to enter into a meaningful discussion to understand how I could solve a problem, my contact could not provide me with any useful answers—I would always be pushed off to some “technical advisor” who was rarely available. It was clear to me that my contact didn’t really understand the technologies they were boasting about in sales pitches. So, I found one at another supplier who did.

My point? Simple—but it’s too often overlooked (or worse) ignored—know your customers’ language before trying to use it. Otherwise they will see right through you and go elsewhere. As Mr. Spock might say, you’d “be responding in gibberish.”

Keep the techno-babble where it belongs, in fantasy (or playful banter). In the meantime, feel free to initiate electronic communication and relay your opinions.

End Transmission.

2 Responses to “Excuse me, but you’re Techno-Babbling”

  1. Matt says:
    August 11, 2009 at 11:57 am

    Check out the Retro Encabulator at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXJKdh1KZ0w – certain to satisfy all of your wildest technobable dreams….

  2. Jack Cahill says:
    August 12, 2009 at 8:24 am

    Thanks, Matt. That is clearly the most poetic use of techno-babble I have yet seen. Brilliant.

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