July 31, 2011
Technology Anonymous
May 1, 2011
Social Networking the Pepsi Way
It's a touch screen, networked machine that aside from enabling the purchase of soft drinks and the provision of nutrition information online, it also enables users to "gift" a drink to a friend by entering the recipient's name, mobile number, and a personalized text message (and even has an option to personalize it with a short recorded video).
The recipient of the Pepsi gift simply enters the redeem code at a pepsi social vending machine to get their soda. They can also return a thank you gift to the sender or "pay it forward" and give a gift to someone else.
In addition, the machine makes use of advanced telemetry to remotely measure and report on inventory, manage delivery scheduling, and update content on the machines. This machine is alive with changeable content and interactive communication between users.
As the Chief Innovation Officer of PepsiCo Foodservice states: "Social vending extends our consumers' social networks beyond the confines of their own devices and transforms a static, transaction-oriented experience into something fun and exciting they'll want to return to, again and again."
Additionally, Mashable reports that in phase 2, Pepsi is planning to integrate their Social Vending concept with other social media such as Facebook, extending the reach of product placement and gifting even further through cyberspace and social networking.
While many companies continue to struggle to figure out how to integrate social networking into a companies operations and make it profitable, PepsiCo has a simple formula for how it engages it's customers, promotes sales, and makes it all seem completely natural to the whole transaction--like it belonged there all along.
Great job PepsiCo!
Social Networking the Pepsi Way
April 9, 2011
Mapping Our Social Future
I came across this interesting Social Network Map (Credit: Flowtown).
Mapping Our Social Future
March 31, 2011
Evolving Capabilities To Meet The Times
Evolving Capabilities To Meet The Times
January 27, 2011
Safeguard Your Location
- Turn off the GPS on devices such as smartphones and cameras.
- Keep geocoded photos offline from the Internet (i.e. Flikr, Picasa, etc.)
- Avoid use of location-based social networking services (e.g. FourSquare, Facebook Places, Gowalla, SCVNGR, etc.)
Safeguard Your Location
January 22, 2011
When My Friend Got Hacked
True story.
So an old friend of mine had his account hacked on Facebook.
And the hacker is sending chat messages to my friend’s Facebook contacts—like me—pretending to be him—with his picture and name and all his online information.
He says that he is stuck in London, just got mugged—at gunpoint—losing his money and phone and needs my help.
At first, I’m thinking oh crap; my friend is in trouble and needs me. Then, I’m like wait a second, he’s pulling my leg. So I ask “are you joking?”
The hacker—pretending to be my friend—continues how it was such a terrible experience, but thank G-d they are still alive.
I’m on the other end of this chat—and questioning now if this person is really who they say they are—despite the REAL picture and profile.
I ask who are you with?
The hacker replies with the name of my friend’s wife. Her real name!
And the hacker continues with the mugging story and how they are leaving in a few hours for their return flight to the States, but need help.
Ok, I am happy to help my friends, but I want to know this is really my friend. Behind the scenes, I am contacting other mutual friends, family and so on to verify this story and resolve this.
On the chat, I ask—can you tell me something that only the two of us would know?
The hacker starts flipping out and gives me "?!?!?!...."
I repeat my question and ask if the hacker understands.
The hacker responds that they do.
And then ignoring my questioning, proceeds with the storyline asking me to wire money and that it will be okay, because they will need identification to retrieve the wire.
Now I ignore the hacker’s request and go back to my question about who this person on the other end of the chat really is?
No response.
"U there?"
Hacker is offline...for now.
When My Friend Got Hacked
November 25, 2007
Implicit Requirements and Enterprise Architecture
The Wall Street Journal, 24-25 November 2007, reports that "some executives are still spinning their rotary card files...more than 20 years after the digital revolution that forecasted the paperless office, the 'rotary card file'--best known by the market-leading brand name Rolodex--continues to turn."
The article continues, "as millions of social-network users display their connectedness on their Facebook pages, a surprisingly robust group of people maintain their networks on small white cards. Most of these devotees also rely on BlackBerrys and other computer-based address books."
This infatuation with physical Rolodex files extends to models like the 6000-card wheel that are no longer even on the market. Other executives keep as many as 8 or 9 Rolodex wheels on their much needed desk space. Why?
The article states that "part of the card system's appeal has always been that it displays the size of one's business network for the world to see." Yet, social-networking sites like LinkedIn also display the number of contacts a person has, so what's the difference from a physical Rolodex file--what need is the technology not fulfilling with users?
From a User-centric EA perspective, it seems that people have a fundamental need with their contacts to not only be able to maintain them in an organized fashion and to demonstrate the size of their network (to show their value to the organization), but also to feel important and accomplished and to be able "to wear" this like a mark or medal of distinction, in this case by laying it out their Rolodex files prominently on their desks for all to behold.
In EA, when we design technology solutions, we need to keep in mind that there are functional requirements like the organizing of personal and professional contacts, but there are also human, psychological requirements that may never actually come out in a JAD session. These are unstated or implicit requirements and architects need to plan technology to meet both the explicit and implicit needs of users.
A little like Sherlock Holmes and a little bit like a psychologist, an architect must explore user needs beyond the surface if they are to successfully align new technologies with end-user and organizational requirements.
Implicit Requirements and Enterprise Architecture