Mind mapping from the cloud

Mind Mapping is one of the things that I was introduced to just a few years ago as a tool to develop ideas and collaborate before the advent of some of the Cloud Computing tools that have emerged. Its a really neat way to get your thoughts down, take notes, improve your learning and help you develop non linear thinking process to improve your creativity. Allowing others to participate in the creative process is a really helpful way to get feedback and to strengthen your ideas I have found. Now that being said, who needs another way to collaborate? We've got dozens of options today and most of them seem to do the same thing. Right?

Well let me let you in on a little secret. There's a web-bases mind mapping tool called Mind Meister that is worth a look. Yep, its in the Cloud and it has a free as well as a paid model. I've used both and certainly prefer the paid Premium version but you can get a lot of great use out of the free version too. There's a very short learning curve to begin to create you own mind maps. Sharing them is easy too. I use a stand-a-lone product called Free Mind to work off-line and you can exchange them with the online maps. This app has nearly 9 million downloads which says something about it.

You've got to at least check it out. Its change my life and others that adopt is one of there everyday tools. 

Super Bowl XLIV commercials and the Cloud - what a let down!

There was this cloud commercial... well not exactly a Cloud Computing related one by Coke. So where was the the rest of the cloud activity during the Super Bowl? I guess the 1.5 million Twitter subscribers to the NFL Twitter link could be an indication of Cloud activity. The Google advertisement was a statement of Google's search dominance but it didn't point to their cloud strategy, mobility play or Chrome OS. All in all I think some of those great advertising minds missed out on pushing a Cloud Computing message.

I guess they haven't figured it out yet. With 65 commercials (actually there were closer to 70 if you count the ads for the television shows that the network promoted) and not a single reference to "an app for that" maybe it indicates the complete disconnect on the part of the advertising intelligentsia on how to market products today. Where were the opportunities to go and run, download or do anything in real time other than the lame: "go to our website blah, blah, blah."

Come on guys, wake up and smell the Starbucks! Get with it and get in the game. Don't just sit on the sidelines. Give the consumers something memorable by pushing them into the cloud and locking them into the brands that you're trying to help survive during these difficult times. Start innovating! Push stuff into YouTube for permanence or something. Get them texting from their cell phones to vote or get a free coupon. Force interactivity not just passivity. Don't just sit there patting yourself on the back for your great one minute spot when you are missing out on getting audience recall instantly for the companies that are paying you for market response.

That's the end of my rant for today. I know I'll have another chance to get my juices going on this subject in the future.

Off we go into the wild blue yonder - or is it now the Cloud?

Yep, those are the first few words of the Air Force Song but the lyrics may have to change as the US Air Force has announced plans to build a military grade cloud network. Well that might not be any surprise to some, but lets ponder this a minute. Does this endorsement mean that our premier military agency has figured out that keeping data in the Cloud is more secure than having it hanging around on jump drives in Afghanistan? Has someone in the Pentagon just woken up and do they know something that we don't?

Actually I'd like work up a conspiracy theory that includes: Google, Halliburton, Carly Fiorina, Fox News, and Rush Limbaugh, and maybe a few others but can't seem to figure out the angle. Maybe there isn't one. I think we can all agree that we've thought of the Air Force as an entity, that not only adopted technology early on, but usually was responsible for funding the development of it. So why are they so late in the game with this disclosure, and why aren't the other military departments chasing Cloud technology?


Is it conspiracy or is it just grid lock. Here's my theory: since its called Cloud Computing the Air Force are the ones that are responsible for things that are consider in the sky. Of course this sounds silly, but I wouldn't put it past the higher echelons to have had grid lock on deciding who's job it is to capitalize on Cloud Computing and rationalized it this way. None-the-less, let's give everyone involved a big Hurray! Now maybe those nay-sayers about how secure the Cloud is will start looking for something else to dis.

Announcing the "Cirrus Awards" for the best of Cloud Computing

What's the point you ask? There is already the "Cloudies" and a dozen other awards that recognize something to do with Cloud Computing. I thought I'd get into it with my own award with a little different spin. I'd like to recognize the most innovative Cloud product, application, service or breakthrough. Of course the intent is to make this the most coveted award because it will not only look real cool, but it will single out new innovators that might be overlooked. You know the ones that were under everyone's radar. Kind of like American Idol meets technology developer. Who knows, I might be able to get a billionaire to present the award to the lucky winners.

I'm sure this brings a smile (or smirk) to your face but lets face it, everyone likes to get recognized. And why shouldn't there be more recognition for innovation? I'm serious (or Cirrus). I'd like to give Apple, Google, Salesforce, Amazon, Sun and a slew of others an award for their contribution, but lets face it, they are making a ton of money already as their reward. Let's give someone who might not have the influence, marketing, or media control or money a chance to receive a nice award and a free meal at some exclusive resort. Right!

I've thrown the gauntlet down and plan to go all the way with this award thing. Look out all you other award givers, here comes the "Cirrus Awards"!

"I'm fringing in the rain" a new song title.

Sometimes you just have to be silly and today is one of those days for me. I've just updated my Nokia E71 smartphone with the latest FRING client and am having a lot of fun with it. I was using this app a year ago to consolidate my MSN and Skype IM accounts, and it worked fine. The VoIP function seemed to leave a little bit to be desired, and I eventually lost interest. Out of the clear blue (no cloud computing pun intended) I checked out their site and a brand new version (ver. 4.1) had just been released so I tried to see if I could install it.

Amazingly I did it with out the usual !#%@ expressions. Then I proceeded to check out all of the new features and improvements. There are really too many to mention but let me just say that I'm now listening to my Blues music over wifi from Last.fm, and tweeting from it also not to mention IMing to several IM clients. This really is convenient. Oh did I mention Facebook posting too.

Some days you can just strike it rich in the Cloud with one new app. Thank goodness the Cloud is working for me today.

P.S. Video conferencing to my mobile works and my phone has a camera facing me during the call. Sweet!

Apple or Google, who's going to dominate the Cloud?

Apple computer released its iPad with a lot of anticipation for it and now we can see what this marketing giant was up to. There was a sigh of relief that its out and that there wasn't some hidden feature to blow everyone away. Its just another slick appliance that gets its power from the web. Its secret sauce is that delivers an improvement in experience which is one of the core values consumers make buying decisions on. Some have described it as a giant iPhone without the phone because it can run all of the iPhone apps immediately. It capitalizes on touch as a big part of the experience as well as speed and visual enhancements. Apple is referring to it as magical, and who doesn't like magic!


So is this a threat to Google. I'm not sure they are in the same game. Google's revenue comes mainly from business advertising and Apple's from consumer's downloads. With the exception of the recently released Nexus One, Google doesn't sell anything to the consumer products the compete with Apple. Apple sells their devices and delivers content in the form of apps, and tunes to its customers. 


The one thing they both have in common (which might have happened when Eric Schmidt was on Apple's Board of Directors) is a focus of simplifying their products so that there are no impediments to adoption. It will continue to be interesting to see how these two companies, that are headquartered within in a few miles of each other and who continue to have rapid growth, maintain their distance and keep focused on their core competency. Google has announce their Chrome OS which when run on netbooks or the future computer pads, should give the consumer an enhanced experience which is hoped to conform to a wider audience than Apple's iPad.


We'll have to see how these two companies re-invent computing and the web. Stay tuned, as the stakes get higher and and the competition gets closer, it might turn into a bumpy ride.

Keys to unlocking the Cloud.

Let me see if I can help you understand this. The keys are a lot like a how to win the lottery primer. Sounds a little far fetched I know but just go with me on this. 

The truest expression for winning the lottery is that "you have to be in it to win it". For Cloud Computing it is "the more you use the more you get". The benefits of Cloud computing are just like the benefits of the Personal Computer itself.  Its not one great application that makes the PC great. Its the buffet of applications that unlock its potential and give back its value and your ability to pick what you need.

So should we think that Cloud Computing is any different. In fact its really an extension of the PC paradigm which I'd like to state as: "the integration, personalization and use of applications with hardware that significantly enhances our performance and our experience." Now that that's said, you want to know what and how to get the benefits.

Well first thing you have to do is "believe" and trust that this new way will deliver to your expectations ... eventually. That means you might not hit a home run the first time up at bat.  Keep swinging anyway. Try out every application that you can. There's hundreds to choose from and the one someone else is using might not be the one that delivers the most value to you. Its like wearing someone else's shoes.  Don't! If you like the style, keep looking for something in your size that fits you, don't give up until it feels right. Compromising will only hurt you in the long run. Then if it works for awhile, don't be afraid to change when it doesn't feel right any longer. Migration is key and loyalty is a very selfish part of the equation.

Don't get discouraged and think you're not going to ever get any value out of the effort.  Its like exercise, you don't see the results immediately. Go ahead an get started, it will get you to finish line that much sooner.