We Need To Cut The USPS Lose

According to this Bloomberg article, the USPS is far beyond repair, trying to save is is throwing good money after bad. Will people be impacted if the USPS is closed? Yes, some will be. Is the impact worth the billions and billions the United States is losing year after year? No. And I don't think anything could have been done to save it.

I've been thinking about some alternatives that this black hole could pursued to stay competitive and stay ahead of demand. And I simply could not come up with one.

Do you think the USPS should still exist? What products or services could USPS innovate to lead their market, or new markets?

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Could Microsoft Survive A Windows Phone 7 Failure

I've been reading all about the new Mango release of Windows Phone 7, and all the companies that are tied to the success of the product. Would you like to be one of the companies who have bet the ranch on a timely release of a Microsoft Operating System?

This isn't like other products Microsoft has failed gain market share with, and eventually cancelled, like the Zune. This to me is a make or break product line for Microsoft. The future is mobile. And if they are unable to keep up, they deserve to fail, and fast. There is no way Microsoft can say they didn't see this coming. As I've said in the past, they have an enormous developer base. They should have been tapping into that long ago. They should have an app store that rivals Apple's iTunes App Store.

If you're a Windows Phone 7 user, what are the missing pieces? Do you feel you have backed the right horse? Could Microsoft survive a Windows Phone 7 failure?

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Two Features Social Photo Sharing Services Must Have

I'll be the first to admit I'm a social photo sharing application addict. I install apps all the time on my iPhone and try them out. Most of the apps I delete as fast as I install them. There are two must have features every social photo sharing service should have, or they will struggle to catch on; a web site for each user, and a mobile application.

You Must Offer A Web Site

Viewing one photo at a time is, a waste of time. I want to see a grid, or a gallery, or a time line of photos. I want to see a description, the ability to like, republish (via Twitter or Facebook), and comment. I want the ability to build a community around a photo or a collection of photos. Many of the most popular photo sharing services offer this type of web experience.

Not offering a web site, or one that is so restrictive and lacking in features, is a huge misstep.

You Must Offer A Mobile App On Multiple Platforms

Apple'siPhone is a very popular device, and is becoming one of the most popular ways to take photos. Just recently flickr announced the iPhone is number one camera used to to take the photos uploaded to it's service. That is huge. But it's not the only game in town.

Android based phones are becoming, if they haven't already, the most popular phone in the world. As this new platforms gains popularity, with phones having larger screens, dual core processors, and cameras that exceed 10 mega pixels, to ignore it would be another huge misstep.

No one else in my Family has an iPhone. Services that require an iPhone to view photos in a mobile app don't work for me. Many of my developer friends don't have an iPhone, they have an Android based phone. A large portion of the market is being left out. And it's a misstep if your services doesn't cater to all mobile platforms.

Developing For Android Sucks

David Karp, CEO of Tumblr recently said in a live interview at TechCrunch DISRUPT, Android "Absoutley sucks to develop for." Wow, what a statement.

Crazy amounts of investor money is being thrown at photo sharing services, and I'm hoping these services have something up their sleeve besides an API and an iPhone app. I know Android isn't the easiest platform to develop on, but there are alternate methods that would allow you to get started. I'll post more on those later. In the mean time, give us the full experience, and the ability to share with all our connections, not just the ones who own an iPhone.

 

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Salt Lake City Is The Perfect MozCation Destination

SEOmoz is looking for a destination on the #MozCation. And of course Salt Lake City is the perfect place. Why you ask? Because we have all the perfect things this planet has to offer:

1. The best snow on earth
2. The best natural wonders on earth
3. The most Dinosaur bones on earth
4. The most ice cream on earth
5. The best biking and hiking trails on earth
6. The most burger joins on earth

and... the most SEO experts on earth.

Yes, it's an SEOmoz paradise. If you don't #MozCation here, you will have missed the opportunity of a lifetime.

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30-day Geek Challenge | Day 11 - Favorite Movie

This post is part of my ‘30-day Geek Challenge‘.  As I stated, the order isn’t important, and I might not do one every day.  Feel free to make your own list, or copy mine and participate.  Should be a lot of fun!

Today's challenge is to name my favorite movie. There are so many, I can't name just one. So I'm going to give my top 5.

Coming in at number 5 is War Games, the 1983 edition. This was the first real hacker geek movie that I remember. There were plenty of nerdy computer movies, but this one was a little more real and not so nerdy. It was me in the 80's.

Coming in at number 4 is Star Wars,  Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. These are the originals, with the first release in 1977. Star Wars was probably the first real adult movie I remember seeing. I watched them at the Trolly Corners Theater in Salt Lake City, multiple times, and was amazed at the special effects and story. Thanks George Lucas.

Coming in at number 3 is Star Trek, the movie, 2009 release. This is such a great movie. The special effects are incredible. Zachary Quinto makes a great Spok.

My number 2 favorite movie is Star Trek: First Contact (and Generations, and Nemesis). The Generations series was great on TV and was very well done in a series of movies.

And my all time favorite movie is... Galaxy Quest. Yes, the Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver space comedy. Corny at times, but I love the story, and the termites, er, Thermians are awesome. Love Guy, Tech Sergeant Chen and Laredo.

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