Colin Charles Agenda

I just updated my Twitter avatar to a caricature, created entirely on an iPad, in about five minutes, at the Percona Live Santa Clara expo hall, at the MariaDB/SkySQL booth. It was done by Doug Shannon, the owner of EventToons. I’ve seen him before at the SkySQL booths, but never did get a chance to get a caricature done by him. Kinda glad that I just got one. Let’s see how this works and for how long this lasts.

I loved the Destination Anywhere album by Jon Bon Jovi back in 1997. It was an interesting time in my growth. It was only recently that I learned of the film (yes, it was an original soundtrack). I managed to watch it today, and its very interesting – a highly recommended watch, especially if you’ve listened to the album. 

It’s a 45-minute movie, and was apparently created to promote the film. It is a dark and very emotional film. Plenty of references to the Hotel Chelsea (which I’ve seen from the outside, read a lot about and has a vivid history). I enjoyed the movie thoroughly. I highly recommend it.

I was just listening This week in google #236, and they were talking about device ecosystems. The topic of smartwatches came up obviously. The first Samsung Galaxy Gear was apparently not a good seller because it had a limited app ecosystem and it was tied to just a few devices (I only know one person who has said watch, and wears it regularly).

If Apple builds an iWatch, they will tie it into the iOS ecosystem. This is why Leo Laporte the host likes the Pebble – it works with all his devices.

How many people are Leo with an iPhone and an Android phone? And whatever else is compatible with the Pebble? End users (consumers) usually have one phone. There’s nothing wrong with the iWatch to be tied into the iOS ecosystem — its an awesome ecosystem. Soon you may get cars with iOS on it (just like you can get cars with Linux on it).

The iWatch if Apple makes one will probably be compatible all the way back to the iPhone 4S. It should cover most iOS/iPhone users. And just like the apps you buy in the app store when the iPad came along (first you had iPhone only apps, with double-size; then you had separate iPad apps that would cost more; nowadays many apps are “universal” to work on both and cost the same), I expect something similar will happen with the iWatch. 

That said, I like my analogue watches. I had no interest in the Pebble or the Samsung Galaxy Gear. I’d be interested to see what they do with version 2, which has Tizen (even less apps maybe?). When Apple releases an iWatch, you can be sure I’d probably buy it — I have seen things from all sides, and I like their ecosystem.

Microsoft has its third CEO in its entire history (started 1975), Satya Nadella. Some choice quotes & thoughts…

Via WSJ:

What drives me every morning and what keeps me up every night is one thing: this business is not about longevity, it’s about relevance.

Via his letter to his employees:

Our industry does not respect tradition – it only respects innovation.

Many who know me say I am also defined by my curiosity and thirst for learning. I buy more books than I can finish. I sign up for more online courses than I can complete. I fundamentally believe that if you are not learning new things, you stop doing great and useful things.

This starts with clarity of purpose and sense of mission that will lead us to imagine the impossible and deliver it. We need to prioritize innovation that is centered on our core value of empowering users and organizations to “do more.”

I truly believe that each of us must find meaning in our work. The best work happens when you know that it’s not just work, but something that will improve other people’s lives.

Not sure about this “one microsoft” idea (I hear too much of 1Malaysia), but the elements required to aspire to change the world stand strong: talent, resources, and perseverance.

Definitely an exciting time to see what Microsoft can bring to the table. Not to mention that opensource and cloud computing is pretty much everywhere these days…

News today: Genneva (gold trading company, launched by former Prime Minister Mahathir) Malaysia director charged with accepting deposits without a license.

So if you’re thinking of a Bitcoin exchange in Malaysia, think again. Bank Negara Malaysia obviously doesn’t think much of Bitcoin. How will you accept deposits without a license? 

Singapore on the other hand proves itself to be in the forefront of finance: treat Bitcoin like a product. Read the full IRAS statement. Singapore is about to get its first Bitcoin ATM soon.

For further reading, see the BAFIA 1989, in its entirety. Once again, laws that prevent innovation.

• A potential to end HIV/AIDS: Pledge to the Immunity Project.
• A designer tells you how to knock off his luxury bags. Harder than it looks :-)
• Diabetes is everywhere; a smart contact lens from Google? Looks interesting. I’m not sure diabetics are allowed to wear contact lenses to begin with, but I have to say, interesting to watch.
• Blogger nails a major problem with facebook’s newsfeed – I can’t agree more. Why do people buy fans? Why do people then buy post boosts? He wants his Facebook friends back.
• Why Southeast Asia’s Boom is a Bubble-Driven Illusion. 
• I really enjoyed reading this Jason Calacanis piece about how techbrats do not represent the tech industry. This is a great piece; Malaysia (and even Asia) can learn a lot from this.
• The Google Technology Stack is a pretty good read. It’s missing information on Spanner, but I’d say it’s a good resource.
• How to become uber productive while working for yourself. It talks a lot about fake work (browsing, etc.), email isn’t work (yes!), how to set good goals, but what stands out is the grouping of tasks (that I think is unique/smart). I wish that when I’m in KL I can walk around more, though that’s where I drive; but in newer cities, this makes a lot of sense. And of course, close those tabs!
• The one reason why most startups fail. Quite simply, this whole “building runway” and trying to monetize users is a tough business (the exception, not the rule). It’s like they say in Jerry McGuire, “Show me the money!!!”.
• UK Government plans to switch from Microsoft Office to open source. They spent over 200m UKP since 2010 for the office suite alone! I like how they mention OpenOffice.org, but I’m a bit concerned that Google Docs isn’t the best solution (its free, not open source).
• Work-life haven: why entrepreneurs and digital nomads are settling in Bali. I love Bali, I had no idea there was a tech scene there too. Might interesting.
• More for productivity: The Origin of the 8 Hour Work Day and Why We Should Rethink It.
• Value is created by doing. Stuff that feels like work, isn’t.
• On The Death of Expertise.