Does Gen X exist only because of Gen Y?

Reading Ryan Healy’s post on ”A Message to Gen X” at Employee Evolution:

“Most of the questions I get from Human Resources and Recruiting professionals about Generation Y are the same. They are all about why this generation expects to get so much so fast, why we feel entitled to flexibility, why we think we deserve high pay immediately, and so forth. The thing that surprises me every time is that it’s not the Baby Boomers who are so upset with Gen Y, it’s the Gen Xers. The more I pay attention, the more obvious it is that it’s the Gen Xers who think we’re just lazy, entitled Millennials.

The problem is that Generation X did not get what they asked for, and Generation Y is seemingly being catered to like we are owed something.”

From Ryan’s article, Gen Y is better positioned to take the reigns from the Boomers than Gen X because of the following factors: 1) better demographics, 2) better use of technology, and 3) better teamwork.

I will add 2 more factors 4) Globalization awareness, 5) Diversity advocates.

Apple 1987 Video: “The Knowledge Navigator”

And this is why Apple is so advanced.

I had the pleasure to discuss with someone working at Apple in the early 80s, and she showed this video. She told me she used to broadcast this video to her clients; showing Apple’s vision!

Back then, we can see the Touch screen, multiple mailbox system (voice, messages…), the climate issue discussed, voice recognition and the integrated approach!

Is this what we call convergence?

Thanks to GigaOM for the picture!

Convergence services and widgets on tv

I do not see any service to send SMS from your TV…

Mobile Monday March 9th Paris

This mobile monday was sponsored by Device Anywhere.

Voxmobili, Device Anywhere, Orange Partner, Xelasys were presenting their different solutions.

I found this Parisian MoMo interesting however a bit disapointing in its form, sound was not very good especially for the Orange part…and I fell there was a lack of substance in the companies’ speech.

Nevertheless, I was impressed by the solution offered by Device Anywhere that literraly let you test your application/service on hardware mobile phones (2500 in total) connected to servers. So at the end it is not an emulator it is a mobile phone that you use to test your services! So it looks like a very good solution never tried it though.Device Anyzhere recently made a partnerships with Zed,  one of the largest mobile content supplier.

Vox made a good impression to me too. I was following their different solution especially their phonebook 2.0 integrating social network in your “event historic” (SMS, email, Facebook Status…). They mention the service from Device Anywhere is good and compliant to their requirements of testing their apps on different mobile phones.

Xelasys specializes in the application of multilingual databases (dictionaries, translators, lexicons, glossaries…) from the PC to mobile (Iphone, Smartphone, Pocket PC, etc.).As said by the head of Xelasys there are a bunch of techies looking for a good marketer to help them and I think they are right! They also need someone to help them financially and markertingly.

This week I am attending Le Mobile 2.0 a forward looking event, the cream of the mobile in France…

In the news – January 18th 2009

1. According to a report by the Korea Herald, all of its most senior executives over age 60 were replaced, except for two Presidents who were promoted to Vice-Chairs. Twenty-five Presidents and Vice-Chairmen out of forty-six were replaced with younger executives. Samsung Electronics announced that it is integrating its four business units into two – Device Solution and Digital Media & Communications. Korean always surprized me by their eager to mix tradition and modernism here is one good example applied to Management!
2. After 60 million downloads in one month, 100 million by September, and an absurd 300 million at the beginning of December, Apple has now disclosed that over 500 million applications have been downloaded since launch.
3. The end of the exclusivity of the iphone in France is a reality – SFR and Bouygues Telecom’s offers will arrive in stores by end of January beginning of February 2009
4. Motorola is divesting in its R&D center in Rennes France. The latter’s employees are putting a lot of effort in finding a new owner and keep their job – I am wondering why they did not put such effort with their former employer it would have maybe saved their center…the video and the website here.The buzz is getting bigger and bigger radio and local press reports as well as TV appearances! Good luck to them and definitely with more money in hand I would have liked to invest in such skilled and creative engineers!

Apple’s 2009 keynote

Not much to say about it apart from being very disapointed…no tablet, no iphone nano, no new imacs

A good resume from a Singaporean blogger can be found here

Why Look at Asia for mobile services?

I attended an interesting presentation in Paris, at La Cantine in the 2nd District about mobile services. This presentation was made by Benjamin Joffe, founder of Mobile Monday in Beijing.

Couple of things striked me:

• Japan stopeed selling 2G phones in 2007
• The mobile ad market represents 700 million USD in 2007 in Japan
• Moba-Oku is a mobile auction site. It is easy to use with a 5 steps approach. I am wondering how we could bring this application in Europe mixing it with mobile messaging…
• Mobile books that were written using a mobile phone – it is definitely a new way of writing. In his presentation, Benjamin is giving the example of “Koi Sora” that was then printed and sold 8 Eur/book revenue of 2 Million Euros

Whether it is on Twitter or on Mobile, new ways of creating books emerged.  Therefore a book can written as you go which implies new ways of writing and understanding what the author meant. It reminds me of the Twiller.

North Asia is a good benchmark for European willing to bring new services in their home countries. In addition I may say that purchasing power in Europe is more higher than in Asia thus enabling new mobile services to be more profitable!

The presentation can be found here

LHC Hip Hop Video

A Hip-Hop video clip to explain how the LHC works. So far 2 Million + viewed. This is what we call “the Buzz of the Higgs”

I like the reproduced voice of Stephen Hawking, the way to explain to people what the LHC is all about and the retro-style of the scientists. Enjoy.

Better cameras in mobile phones

Mobile phones manufacturers are releasing within these past couple of months impressive mobile phones with good quality camera:

1. LG with its 5 Megapixels Viewtyful with:

• manuel & auto focus, image stabilizer, up to 120 fs video recording

2. Samsung with it 8 Megapixels Innov8:

• autofocus, image stabiliser, up to 120 fs video recording, flash & a mechanical shutter!

Nokia announces as well its 8 Megapixels Mobile Phone.

Recent studies such as ABI Research showing that more & more users are expecting better performances from the camera of their mobile phone.

The trend is definitely going towards better quality camera for high end phones. In couple of years I think that we will see Professional-like camera features in mobile phone! When are we going to see an EOS Canon coupled with a Samsung?

Weezer Web 2.0 Video

Great video clip from Weezer taking some of the famous faces from Youtube and the Web2.0 – you will find the Tchechene Guy, the Black Teenager, the Daft Punk Girls and Hands, kung-fu master, and many others… – The video was released in the beginning of June, it already attracted more than 8 millions viewvers.

Enjoy!