Cubelogic Improv

The speech by Benjamin Zander about leadership, passion and classical music should be taught in universities worldwide. (Tim O’Reilly: thanks.)

What’s the value of an app that lets you send zombie bites to your friends on Facebook? Is allowing users to display Coors Light beer caps on their home page on XYZ social network changing the world? Would you feel proud developing an app that allows you to “sell your friends” on FB or whatever? Seriously?

How can people even develop such useless crap? Are they that hungry for money? Where has the ambition to change the world gone, the ambition that propelled Apple and other great companies, where’s the will to improve society and sure, make a profit while doing it, where’s all that in apps like Owned?

Yes, those apps are worth money, but that doesn’t change the fact they provide no real value to users. They are like McDonald’s food. People eat them, sure. But not only they don’t improve the world, they worsen it.

What a shame.

And what a waste of talent.

What a great event last night at YC. I talked to a lot of cool people, shook hands with robots, drank beer, really a lot of fun. It is so nice to see so many guys (and 6 or 7 girls) with a desire to create new stuff, never saw anything like this. That’s how progress should be, in the hands of young people that do stuff because they truly love it.

Trovo sempre stupefacente come in Italia vengano messi i bastoni tra le ruote a chi vuole aprire un’azienda. Invece di essere agevolati il più possibile, si introducono difficoltà accessorie, senza ogni garanzia in caso di errore. Invece di avere la speranza del successo, si ha la paura di fallire prima di iniziare. Un ristorante, un artigiano, qualsiasi azienda sono coloro che costruiscono l’economia, dal basso. Non ha senso ostacolare i piccoli imprenditori.
Technorati Tags: startup, burocrazia, piccola imprenditoria

Finally somebody understood the problem from its roots. Why did it take so long? This is a ground-breaking step in US politics. Go Larry.

Technorati Tags: lessig, corruption, lobbying

Non era abbastanza mettere pubblicità prima, dopo, e tutt’attorno i video su internet. Ora Google dopo ponderate riflessioni ha deciso che è invece meglio (per loro ovviamente) metterli DENTRO i video stessi. L’idea non è nuova ma è facile pensare che questo diventerà il nuovo standard. Da notare che le pubblicità sono SOPRA il video stesso, nella parte bassa. Alcuni pensano che così sono meno intrusive… ma dove??
Technorati Tags: AdSense, video, google, pubblicità

Two things I can see from the CNN screenshot (taken today Feb 5 around 11:20 PM):
1. People are voting for a candidate who already bailed from the race (Edwards got out a week ago)
   Corollary: Either I am missing something basic (votes for Edwards’ are transfered to whoever he endorses?) or somebody is pretty disconnected from reality.

2. CNN doesn’t even report results for the only “other” democratic candidate around, Mike Gravel.

It has to be said that CNN (and all other mainstream media outlets) has totally ignored Gravel giving him no TV air time, so at least they are coherent bastards. However, how can legit “alternative” candidates like Gravel ever stand a chance if no-one even consider them? Has he lost before even trying, or are we making him lose? Is this democratic? Is this giving everybody a fair chance? I don’t pretend equality, just the fairness of doing your job.

Technorati Tags: mike gravel, cnn, primaries, air time

Nuovo sito per la Deutsche Grammophon. Esecuzione perfetta: catalogo online inclusi MP3 a 320Kbps DRM-free a prezzi accessibili, sample preascoltabili, grafica minimale e molto leggbile. La cosa migliore (oltre alla ottima qualità audio dei download digitali) è soprattutto la funzione di ricerca, che permette di individuare velocemente tutti i compositori e gli interpreti in catalogo.

Technorati Tags: deutsche grammophon, 320kbps, musica classica