Boris Mann's Link Blog

The Colliers’ report also reveals a potential game-changer on the retail horizon, a new type of consumer, one who researches every purchase online and compares multiple stores’ inventory on their smartphones while simultaneously shopping in the store

Report reveals ‘potential game-changer on the retail horizon’ | RetailCustomerExperience.com

This is news?

retail

The Common Problem With Top Down Community Planning - The Online Community Guide →

I’ve come across this before. I call it the “lots of empty categories” issue — you create a bunch of categories without knowing which will be active.

If we are feeling distracted, we should pay attention to that distraction. It may be telling us that there is something better elsewhere, something more deserving of our attention. Or it may be telling us we are on the wrong path, just when we thought we were zooming in to that perfect conclusion of a paragraph or a project. Or it may be telling us we need better tools, that the set-up we have is not fully appreciating the particularities and peccadilloes of our own work life and demands. Or it may be telling us that we need better partners, or a better method, someone or something to help us over the hurdle. Or it may just be telling us we are working too hard and we need to put down what we are doing and go outside for a walk, or stop for a cup of tea, or go for a run, or maybe just check out Facebook for a while. Distraction is our friend because it reminds us that we are fully human, not just workers, and that our lives are complex and, trying to shut out the complexity, may in fact turn out to be the least productive way to lead a life.

Cathy N. Davidson - Distraction is Our Friend

In a response to Hanif Kurieshi’s wonderful The Art Of Distraction, Davidson lays down some pretty good thoughts, too.

(via stoweboyd)

Me Organize Real Simple Now « MyOwnPirateRadio →

A list of tools for organizing (software) work. It’s always great to see the thinking behind the choices.

I’ve tried Trello, it didn’t work for me. I still use Things for my personal “to dos”, and Evernote has replaced my folders of text files (but is really just a bunch of text files all in one place).

Platform Guidance for .NET | Telerik →

Telerik is where long-time Microsoft evangelist John Bristowe has landed. We’re using a lot of this tech at iQmetrix and are thinking about the same things: which tech for which purpose? But we’re broadening it beyond just the .NET stack.

And, frankly, without looking at Windows 8 in more detail, this kind of guidance is too early.

Regardless, a very interesting view into what Microsoft tech stacks are fit for what purpose.

When open data is not open: World Bank double speak on Google Map Maker? « Kelso’s Corner →

Instead, the current agreement allows Google to use local citizens to collect information for free and make exclusive profit. The agreement, specifically the general Map Maker terms or special ODbL terms for the World Bank project, should be rewritten as Patrick Meier*** suggests, to “allow citizens themselves to use the data in whatever platform they so choose to improve citizen feedback in project planning, implementation and monitoring & evaluation.”

This kind of stuff drives me crazy. I won’t contribute to anything crowdsourced unless there is open data agreements in place to re-use that data. I don’t understand why people keep falling into this trap.

One thing I believe but won’t try to prove (which means “take it on faith”) is that more attention has been paid to the change from print reading to screen reading than to the change from store purchasing to screen purchasing. But the change in purchasing behavior is by far more significant in its affect on the industry than the change in consumption, at least in the medium term.

By one benchmark at least, we are probably halfway through the (r)evolution – The Shatzkin Files

The story of ebooks is big. The larger canvas of the continued growth of ecommerce - away from bricks-and-mortar retail - is big in ALL categories.

Lies, Damned Lies, and Ebooks (by @baekdal) #insights →

Interesting rant on how the ebook / EPUB format is really just HTML, and that publishers should just publish on the web.

ebook

Handset market is projected to go from 1.5 to 2 billion units. Take it in the context of these numbers, the truth is that this is a jaw-dropping industry with enormous opportunity. Up against those numbers, the numbers don’t seem so large anymore. What seems so large to me is the opportunity.

Tim Cook on the “Law of Large Numbers” | asymco

Tim Cook on the size of the opportunity in mobile phones.

What is HTML5? - O'Reilly Radar →

From last July. Also, the most gigantic, ridiculously long HTML5 article you’ve ever seen. It’s practically a novella.

(via Tom Daggett)

HTML5