Another Day in the Antz Farm

Observe the newsreader’s body language as she introduces her guest on the show. I’m sure Holly Hunter had been through several similar interviews but her level of interests about her new show is pretty poor form.

One word sums up the interview - filler. Yuck!

Source: One Louder

During the recent Microsoft Financial Analyst Meeting, Craig Mundie (Chief Research and Strategy Officer) shared his vision for the delivery of Software as a Service model with the move toward of multi-core processors. Visit Mary Jo Foley’s article for more details of this presentation.

Source:  What will next-generation multicore apps look like? (Mary Jo Foley)

Supporting the cause for cancer research, education and treatment is something very close to my heart. I had several family members and friends who had affected by cancer in one way or another. I am positive that many readers can understand to the stress when a loved one/ closed friend is battling this dieases and so I have adopted the Cancer Council - New South Wales as my supported charity.

Aug 12 2007, I will be taking part in the City2Surf Run for Charity event and I would like to invite everyone to lend a hand and consider making a donation via this web site. I am considering ideas for how I can show my appreciation for all donors. Right now I am considering, for each donations over 10 dollars, I will carry a card with your name on it and flash it at the finishing line. If anyone has another idea, please let me know. My email is ‘bernard’ dot ‘oh’ (hotmail).

I thought I would like to share my OPML list (social engineering opportunity here). It’s an interesting personal exercise to track the changes in my subscription as it reflects my changing interests and preferences at the various points in my life.

Some of my favourite blogs are:

• Frankarr - an aussie microsoft blogger
• Long Zheng - istartedsomething.com
• Michael Hyatt - From Where I Sit
• Kevin Schofield’s Weblog
• Freakonomics Blog

Special Mentions

• The Road Less Traveled (Berno: I caught with Adam for coffee in Seattle back in Oct 06 after his switch from PM to SDE and now he’s in a start-up! I like to think of his blog as “Life after Microsoft”
• FC Experts Blog (Berno: I am fond of reading this magazine (and Wired) for its focus on the value of technology and it’s application in real world scenario. My hat on technology is constantly about how can we improve the current process or situation with an improved business model, with the appreciation of current human behavioral patterns and the appropriate dose of technology to grease the wheel. Technology is an enabler not a deal-breaker.)
• Don Dodge on The Next Big Thing (Start-up matters with a proper dose of checks and balance)

PS: I have been using a Mac for awhile now and I generally enjoy the overall experience getting around Mac OS X. Some old habits die hard, I found myself ditching Safari and back to Firefox.

I’m taking a break from blogging to get some important stuff done. I will be back once I get the important stuff sorted.

Another good read on balancing inventory, sales with the appropriate marketing and pricing - Here Today, Discounted Tomorrow: Strategic Shoppers Know When to Buy, and at What Price.

Actually I would not say I’m a strategic consumer but after awhile you just noticed a pricing pattern. The so-called strategic buying is a simple response to the supplier-customer dynamics. The consumer need a particular good at the best price from the supplier who is dependent on a steady cash flow and revenue.

Related Links:

• Article Audio Download
• Purchasing, Pricing, and Quick Response in the Presence of Strategic Consumers - Gérard P. Cachon and Robert Swinney

Came across some interesting articles from Wharton on the release strategy for technology products (Case Study - iPhone), how the community is reshaping the web business and Increasing the ROI - the Holy Grail in Technical Marketing.

Happy reading and listening.

• New Products (Like the iPhone): Announce Early or Go for the Surprise Rollout?
• WebEx’s Diane Davidson: ‘We Defined a Community Ecosystem’ (Podcast)
• Making the Most of Every Marketing Dollar

If you are looking for a reliable tool to convert C# code into VB code (2002, 2003, 2005 and 2008-beta), you should explore the Instant VB tool.

Outstanding Features include:

• Evaluates all referenced assemblies and .NET projects in order to resolve external references more completely
• Excellent conversion of event handlers
• Flawless conversion of all aspects of inheritance and interfaces
• Converts ASP.NET script (aspx, asmx, ascx, ashx, and asax files)
• Converts ASP.NET ‘code-behind’ files (aspx.cs files)
• Allows custom replacement of strings in the final converted code
• Accurate even with poorly formatted C# code

Several VB MVPs on the internal VB list had recommended “Instant VB” as a reliable and effective conversion tool. Great utility to have in your arsenal when you can’t find the VB equivalent code sample.

Disclaimer: I do not have any commerical arrangement with the above mentioned company.

A new study by the University of New England suggests that migrants are generally healthier, better educated and more law-abiding than the average Australian born-citizen.

“They’re (Migrants) very highly motivated for their children to achieve and many of the benefits of their migration actually accrue to the second generation, so they’re absolutely critical to building a stock of social capital and human capital,”
- Prof Kerry Carrington, Co-Author, University of New England

Source: Migrants healthier, more educated than native-born Aussies: study (ABC News) 

Related link: Download The social costs and benefits of migration into Australia Report (Department of Immigration and Citizenship)

A vulnerability has been discovered in the Safari browser of the iPhone, and this video is a brief demonstration of how it works. 

No puns intended.

Related links:

• iPhone flaw lets hackers take over, security firm says (NY Times)
• iPhone falls short (The Australian IT)