The best of the Big Picture - Telegraph

The best of the Big Picture - Telegraph



wow, the above is my favourite, brilliant selection indeed!

great photos or what!?

10 Must-have Google Chrome Extensions

10 Must-have Google Chrome Extensions

never really checked but

should look into chrome extension when my notebook come back to life.

these look pretty good.


so glad others s work hard on getting these best of threads on all sort of subject.. however, not sure if it is sustainable culture..

How not to handle China | Jonathan Fenby | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

How not to handle China | Jonathan Fenby | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

This is a much more balanced piece, definitely much better than the Mark Lyna's piece that mentioned mainly China crashed the party...

It is how the free press should really be used. balanced and aim to inform.

Twitter adds location tracking to the mix | Business | guardian.co.uk

Twitter adds location tracking to the mix |
Business |
guardian.co.uk

This makes perfect sense.

value adding services to an open API social platform are all at risk.. and it is not sustainable.

;)

China unveils 'world's fastest train link' - Yahoo! News

China unveils 'world's fastest train link' - Yahoo! News

Brilliant to see that not only bad news or cheap labour stories coming out from China.

It's story like this that make us proud to be Chinese for more than a moment.. given at the same time Eurostar having a bit of issues..

Key however is not who/which country has the fastest train but which one has the best ecology of business that benefit all but not only a few.

That would be the super good news that hopefully will make us proud to be a Chinese in the coming years..

Tech Pioneers of 2010: Future Innovation Leaders - BusinessWeek

Tech Pioneers of 2010: Future Innovation Leaders - BusinessWeek

Great article by Jennifer! @jennschenker

many great aspirational examples..

Korea still a Hermit Kingdom, says study - INSIDE JoongAng Daily

Korea still a Hermit Kingdom, says study - INSIDE JoongAng Daily

I personally think that most of the Tech firm had focused sometime get the wrong end of the stick when they 'think' and invest in millions trying to emulate Asia in the west.

This is a great example where, the structure, culture, social environment of another great technology success story of Korean is in fact not well understood..

It is also social (or not) of Japanese culture (plus the lack of internet penetration + reasonable business model) which led to the overwhelming success of DoCoMo i-mode.. which could also be argued why the same success did not arrive for i-mode outside of Japan.

Our information/Internet/Twitter age should promote understanding, as long as we do not 'group think', which sadly it is pretty much the case most of the time, even within the Twitter age/community..

Merry Christmas to you where ever you might be.

@GarethWong

BBC gets green light over Project Canvas | Networks | silicon.com

BBC gets green light over Project Canvas | Networks | silicon.com

When this comes out, it will be AWESOME.. saw it deomoed by Eric Hugger.. just hope it will be as good or even better when launched!

.. excited nerd mode on. ;-)

Theme Parks See Potential in Asia - NYTimes.com

Theme Parks See Potential in Asia - NYTimes.com

note comments on China/HK & Japan, Merlin in UK has rosy future

Emerging Markets: Brazil, China—and Pakistan? - BusinessWeek

Emerging Markets: Brazil, China—and Pakistan? - BusinessWeek

Interesting take on this subject.

Content Farms - Why Media, Blogs and Google Should Be Worried - NYTimes.com

Content Farms - Why Media, Blogs and Google Should Be Worried - NYTimes.com

This is brilliant, tie into my last few posts regarding future demise of Google.

This could be big, but not what you might think! Google to Start Selling Own Phone Without Wireless Partner by Next Year - WSJ.com

Google to Start Selling Own Phone Without Wireless Partner by Next Year - WSJ.com

Brave, and my personal take is that Google and Eric has got it right.

It maybe risky on the surface of it, but as I have written widely before, the MNOs seem to be the gatekeepers within the highly regulated and high capex market, sadly they have let their eyes mostly off the balls, and still do not know what their clients want.

Most of the handset manufacturers are now creating the handsets for MNOs, rather than consumers only, as the MNOs decide and can in fact influence what the clients may want, with iPhone the exception, rather than the rules.

However, even with iPhone, which is arguably the first true handset manufacturer that focus only on what consumers may want but STILL distribute mainly via in most cases exclusive distribution agreements with MNOs (although it may have limited success so far in China with China Unicom)..

Google in fact as far as I can see, understand that, and they themselves IS probably the biggest sales channel, and if they start distributing/selling directly a device. I have no doubt, what so ever that it will become a great success (if the device is indeed what the consumer/clients may work, and minimum works, reliable and deliver as promised etc.) ..

However, the bigger implication that people might not be aware of is in fact something much more fundamental shift, as they might get a tastes and in fact use the mobile to distribute more 'custom' made products/services (virtual or otherwise).. with likes of visual search like Google goggle.. where does it end?

if all goes to plan, we might be shopping at Google shop very soon, rather than our local Walmart or Tesco.. retailers, wake up, NOW!

@GarethWong

bestof2009 - Lifehacker

bestof2009 - Lifehacker

some of the best articles/shortcuts..

note to self to check them out properly if/when I can have a rest during hols. ;-)

Online Shopping Benefits Biggest Web Merchants Most | Peter Kafka | MediaMemo | AllThingsD

Online Shopping Benefits Biggest Web Merchants Most | Peter Kafka | MediaMemo | AllThingsD

The Web democratise content, but sadly without ways of bridging 'trust & confidence' means invariably, most still do NOT transact online, but even if they do, they skewed towards those with best price and services (which most likely will get best perceived offers from the big/consolidated brands) It is sadly at present unlike YouTube democratising content.. it does not bode well for retailers.. as despite the great 'market place' of likes of eBay.. it is still 'buyers beware'.. but one would trust the local market more vs. market in Istanbu.. but eBay is still mostly black art for most of the mass market (we are not talking about internet 'penetration' here).. the pervasive retail environment is still sadly a LONG way away.. @GarethWong

How Foursquare is Changing Social Media Marketing

How Foursquare is Changing Social Media Marketing

Thanks very interesting post.

We think alike.

However, sadly foursquare for me is difficult as I use blackberry in UK. Privacy is key issue, I have an account but challenge of logging on seems a bit difficult.

Microcommunity is a great interim solution.. but friends that shares similar tastes (based on our limited trusted circles even with comparative transparent social media) is different from collection of a 'trusted' community which shares similar need/preferences but having the biggest challenge of 'discovery' taken out of the equation...

See my contrary comments on the reverse of 'search'.. its a different ways of thinking of issue from a different angle.

http://garethcxo.blogspot.com/2009/12/search-will-be-killed-by-co-creation.html

BR

@GarethWong

Search will be killed by co-creation, yes, Search will #soon# be dead

I don't know about you. Is it me that is the only person in the world that appreciate the advanced of the internet/mobile/new media/social media etc. etc. and our age of search or 'google'.. but yet I personally have big reservation.. even the web 4.0 or was it 3.0 of 'semantic web' would not solve what we consumer or B2B customers want.. which is 'qualified' answer(s).

Good example is that just now, I needed to find our 'local' 24 hours (sadly maybe just lower my requirement of open late) pharmacies.. it is nearly impossible by the ubiquitous 'search'.. and I am tech savvy!

The response had thousands of results and some 'cheated' ones even from yell.com where it looked like it had the answer but once clicked through, it had another several hundreds unrelated results.. even my own GP's website and the NHS direct website does not provide information, well, it did tell us to call if urgent, and if not urgent wait until next working day, which is two days away!

Surely, the future or what we need in the present is this:

1.) We have a need (now or in the defined future)

2.) some qualified and trusted provider (of products/services) will be approaching us in time through trusted channels (via mobile, email/sms etc.)

3.) We can then transact through trusted methods either directly or via proxy

Not difficult.. surely!

As Search at the moment sadly is our ONLY choice, it does not solve NOR address

a.) discovery

b.) trust

c.) transaction

...

therefore, I would like to assert that despite at present likes of Google might have US$150Bn market cap.. it is not the future..

but co-creation is.

I hope I have time to bring customer-life to the world (something I planned from 1999) and before Prahalad & Ramaswamy coined the word 'c0-creation'..

I would like to say that #Soon#, when there is a valid option.. Search WILL BE dead..

Just saying.

@GarethWong

Crackdown on China GMAT Cheating - BusinessWeek

Crackdown on China GMAT Cheating - BusinessWeek

Sad but true.

10 Web trends to watch in 2010 - CNN.com

10 Web trends to watch in 2010 - CNN.com

Interesting

Top 10 Viral Videos - November 2009

Top 10 Viral Videos - November 2009

bookmarking by my blog..

What should the ad industry take from TED? :: i-boy :: postcards from the blogosphere

What should the ad industry take from TED? :: i-boy :: postcards from the blogosphere

Well, one of the better post in the last months.

I would also agree, Rory's speech at TED was another best one I have seen in months.

10 Unique Gifts You Can Make with Help from the Web

10 Unique Gifts You Can Make with Help from the Web

any of these deliver to Rest of the world?? (other than US)

I wonder

What are the best TV ads of the noughties? | Media | guardian.co.uk

What are the best TV ads of the noughties? |
Media guardian.co.uk

Great selections, which one do you like?

Civil Society - Finance - News | GamCare under threat from Gambling Strategy Board proposals

Civil Society - Finance - News | GamCare under threat from Gambling Strategy Board proposals

this is yet potentially another harsh and haste judgement by supposedly independent strategy review board.

It was pulled together specifically to use fresh eyes to look at the 'responsible' and funding aspects of the gaming gambling sector.

If it was to say that the present setup of GamCare is too administrative and not efficient spend of money, that is another issue, and if so, it should be addressed ASAP.

From the outside market point of view, both the regulation of Gambling Act 2005 (dis regarding the treasury position) and GamCare are the two 'pillars' of the gaming sector in UK that is being studied (in some case emulated) worldwide..

Hope that the action is not to be taken in haste by the Gambling commission...

Why The Economics Of Social Gaming Are So Attractive To Investors | paidContent

Why The Economics Of Social Gaming Are So Attractive To Investors
| paidContent

Great one also.

Why Abu Dhabi Will Help Dubai - Conversation Starter - HarvardBusiness.org

Why Abu Dhabi Will Help Dubai - Conversation Starter - HarvardBusiness.org

Well written

must read.

Google: Zeitgeist 2009

Google: Zeitgeist 2009

Another year..

Platon: Photographs of World Leaders : The New Yorker

Platon: Photographs of World Leaders : The New Yorker

Nice gig when you can get it.. hard work.. but no doubt he is gleefully thinking the book, exhibitions, interviews he can do now armed with all these portraits and 'niche' he created.

Well done!