Oct 16 2006
Great article from CNNMoney about the ten biggest sins your boss can commit. No, not murder or adultery but those employee disempowering ones like micromanaging and indecision.
This is a great list because it’s a concise blueprint of what describes a good leader (not just your boss). I’d like to see this list contrasted with successful businesspeople like Mark Cuban and Bill Gates. Which traits were most critical to their success?
Oct 15 2006
With oblivious recognition of his 1st birthday, Junior walked for the first time. Three times actually.
I’m sure I’ll be cursing this day a month from now but for now, yay!
Oct 09 2006
I hate to use the expression “it just works” on any Microsoft product because it’s not usually true. Well, in the case of the new Xbox Live Vision camera, it’s entirely true. In fact, it works where my previous attempts at getting webcams to work under Windows have failed - even my iSight and Mac wouldn’t work due to some inexplicable router issue with SIP port 5060.
The Xbox webcam, a mere $40 which includes a $5 game (UNO) and $15 wired headset, delivers 640×480 video at 30 fps. There are no drivers to load, no incompatibility because I’m trying to use AIM-Yahoo-MSN clients, and fool-proof operability because the Xbox 360 already communicates properly through my router.
While the Xbox Live Vision camera may not be the “best of breed” it works extremely well. Why? It’s the Apple factor: build the hardware and the software and you’ve got (almost) guarenteed compatibility. Considering most Xbox 360s are in the living room, where better for a video chat with family?
I’m a Mac convert and will be in the foreseeable future but I’m continually impressed with Microsoft’s efforts behind the 360. Perhaps in the not-so-distant future they’d have abandoned the OS market and become King of the Consoles where they seem to “get it” in the way Apple “gets it” with their products.