2015 Jan 22

Scenes from a BBQ Restaurant

Years ago, a young man, let's call him D, with whom I had once gone to summer camp followed his dream and opened a meat restaurant. They had great big burgers, flaming wings, fresh onion rings and fries, a meat-lovers dream. Not only did I enjoy going there, but when a group of friends helped me move apartments before I got married, I took them there for a "thank-you" dinner.

2015 Jan 19

Ask Why You Care About Security

Recently, I had a conversation with a senior executive at a company about the firm's information security. The conversation, like others I have had, revolved around a sudden increase in interest in that security. To be clear, we are not talking privacy settings on Facebook (use them) or whether or not Snapchat pictures and messages really disappear (they don't). These people are seriously concerned about loss of data due either to security breach by bad actors targeting the company, or simple loss of data due to employee errors.

2015 Jan 16

Free Wi-Fi Is Coming!

Free Wi-Fi is coming! Well, perhaps not everywhere, but at every Hyatt hotel. I just received an email from Hyatt that they will offer free Wi-Fi for all guests in all rooms and lobbies worldwide, beginning 14 February 2015, just a month away. How did Hyatt come to that decision? Why wasn't it free before? What does it mean for their profits? Most important of all, what lessons can be learned for our businesses?

2015 Jan 15

It's About The People, Stupid

It has happened again. Another horror story of an airline leaving customers in miserable conditions for hours on the tarmac. This time, however, it happened multiple times over a 28 (!!) hour period. According to the Jerusalem Post article, United Airlines Flight 84 from Newark to Tel Aviv in June: was delayed without explanation multiple times when explanations were given, they were patently false required the police to come on board to remove the pilot from the cockpit gave minimal food vouchers ($21 per person) for a day+ delay gave passengers vouchers for a hotel that was half an hour away from the terminal didn't bother to arrange rooms at the hotel for the passengers The list goes on.

2015 Jan 14

Security Spending: Part II, the Good Tower

Today, we present the second guest post in the series by Ted Lloyd, editor of OnlineCISO. Yesterday, we explored why security spending need not be a bottomless pit, and how yesterday's tools, such as antivirus, can be evaluated using familiar risk management methodologies. Where then, should a business reinvest the funds previously allocated to antivirus solutions? Another analogy to the physical world can help to answer this question. Malware and variants are similar to microbiology in our physical world.

2015 Jan 12

Security Spending: Part I, the Bottomless Pit

Today, we are honoured with the first of two guest posts in a series by Ted Lloyd, editor of OnlineCISO. Cybercrime has emerged as a multi-billion dollar business and spawned another mufti-billion dollar business to combat it. As 2014 closed, Gartner estimates that global spending on information security will top $71 billion representing a nearly 8% increase in spending over 2013. The trend and trajectory are expected to remain steady for 2015 as well.

2015 Jan 9

Convenience vs. Efficiency, Guess Who Wins?

A year and a half ago, I wrote how Starbucks, early adopter and therefore, through its ubiquitous locations and preferred venue for professionals to work, a driver of adoption of WiFi, was driving adoption of "wireless" charging. Unfortunately, unlike WiFi, it wasn't truly wireless, "anywhere within a reasonable range" charging, but rather more like "plugless" or "contactless" charging, using PowerMatters Aliance (PMA) mats built into their tables. Put your phone on the table and it charges.

2015 Jan 9

How Incredibly Good Airline Choice Has Gotten

I expect this topic to get me a lot of flak. After all, everyone likes dumping on the airlines, including me. But hear me out. I fly a lot of miles every year, mostly in coach, sometimes in business. Most of the time, the journey is tiring and uneventful, sometimes it is annoying, and sometimes downright offensive. I regularly hear and read stories about the decline of comfort, service and value in air travel over the last 30 years.

2015 Jan 6

Non-Innovation in Appliances

It has been almost five years since I last addressed appliances. Yes, those drab, dreary every day appliances that solve everyday and boring problems, like washing your clothes or dishes. While they now all have fancy LED screens and digital controls and stainless steel surfaces, at heart, the job is unchanged. Unfortunately, most investment capital goes into "sexy" and exciting new ideas that can spread quickly at low cost, like games or social networks or online services.

2015 Jan 5

Just Making Technology Work Is Hard Work

Apple's philosophy for technology is, "just make it work." I had one of the early pre-iPod mp3 players. It was a great piece, lots of battery life, played every format out there at the time... and within a year I had replaced it with an iPod. Transferring music to this player and managing it was just an enormous headache. With iTunes and iPod, it "just worked". Fast forward to the year 2014.