off the Hook - 911s Chief Lotu...

With all the publicity (OK, TV ads ) I've seen about Microsoft's new search (err... "decision" ) engine, bing.com the past couple of weeks, I finally gave it a try today.

The query on my mind happened to be the $99 iPhone 3G. So first, I typed "$99 iPhone" into bing.com. The top result was a link to a "Boy Genius Report" article from December, 2008 (that'd be six months ago ) SPECULATING about a $99 iPhone. The rest of the results weren't any better.

Then, I went over to Google and searched for "$99 iPhone." The result? A link to an apple.com page actually describing the $99 iPhone and how to get it (otherwise known as "What I was looking for" ).

The only "decision" bing.com helped me make is not to use it. Don't get me wrong, bing.com does have pretty backgrounds that change every day for those that don't have a screen saver already doing that for them.

P.S. This humorous video pretty much sums it up too.

P.P.S. Want even better results? try my new favorite search engine at http://twoquick.com.

For anyone who despises Microsoft or Vista or just needs a laugh, check out the featured video at checkoutlotus.com (a youtube channel). 

I frequently wonder why as much as 47% of global businesses (according to one source) continue to run a less secure, less scalable, less stable, less adaptable, and flat-out inferior email solution (i.e., Microsoft Exchange) and seem so content to do so despite basic human reasoning compared to the 43% or so that run Lotus Notes / Domino. Over the years I have developed a number of theories.


Yesterday, I was directed to an interesting press release stating that the Sierra Nevada Corporation (who runs Notes as their email and collaboration solution by the way) has announced that it is ready to begin production of a "ray gun" that is targeted at crowd control, but could theoretically be used to place thoughts in people's heads and may simultaneously cause brain damage. Thankfully, SNC has not tested the technology on their own decision makers. The technology itself has existed for a number of years, but only recently been practically considered for mobile weaponized use.


Connect the dots however you may, but my theory is that improper use of such a technology could potentially cause irrational decisions, such as paying over $300 per user to acquire an office productivity suite and then at least $100 per user per year to protect the ability to upgrade that suite (even though it historically has at least a 4-year release cycle), when there is a perfectly reasonable and free alternative that could work just as well for 80% of the user-base.


All I can say for sure is that the annual Annual Microsoft CEO Summit is much better than “Cats.” I’m going to attend again and again.

Today I decided to upgrade from Firefox 2 to Firefox 3 as I have heard that at least one strength is faster page loading, which is always good. I have used Firefox for absolutely all web browsing for at least the past 6 months EXCEPT for (perhaps most ironically) the online IBM Business Partner tools that I have to use and require Internet Explorer. But I digress.

The inspiration for this blog entry was that when I went do download Firefox 3 from www.firefox.com wiith Firefox 2, I was presented with a nice 4 step process of how to download and install it with screen shots. What struck me is that steps 1 and 2 were screen shots that assumed I was using Internet Explorer to download it! OK, so maybe that's their target audience, but could they not at least detect that I am using a previous version of THEIR BROWSER and present me with instructions specific to that?

Sad; just sad.
 

I have used Yahoo for my personal email for the past 10 years or so. The recent discussions about Microsoft acquiring Yahoo had me thinking about where to move my personal mail to should that happen. Thankfully as of last night, it appears that deal will not be happening. But it does make me wonder what I would have done.

My first thought was of course Google, but I firmly believe that IBM Lotus and Google will find themselves in increasingly competitive situations over the next several years and I long ago swore I'd never go back to AOL or ever tie my personal email address to my "ISP du jour". There are plenty of free email services out there, but none of them appeal to me as much as my good old DWA 8.0 or Yahoo mail. So for now, I'll stay put, but (ahem IBM), it sure would be great to see Bluehouse offer free lighweight public mail services. I bet Amazon beats them to the punch though. :-)