It should be here before Friday. I still don’t know what my first book will be. Any suggestions?
Technorati Tags: Amazon, AmazonKindle, Kindle, eBooks, eBook Reader, Digital Media, eCommerce, Downloads, EV-DO
Bookmark to:
A roundup of Kindle news, for those of you keeping track.
Guy Kawasaki: Amazon Announced Kindle
“Summary: If you want something that requires very little attention that will deliver your favorite newspapers, magazine, and blogs, you should definitely check out Kindle. Having reference books and documents handy is also quite valuable. Reading electronic versions of novels is cream. If nothing else, you have to admire Amazon for trying things that are as interesting as Kindle, S3, and Mechanical Turk.”
Gizmodo: Video: How to use Amazon Kindle
Gizmodo: Amazon Kindle Hands-On and Questions Answered (with Gallery)
“What’s in the library, aka Kindle Book Store? There are already plenty of books, 90,000 in all, including 101 of the current NYT bestsellers. Don’t believe us? See for yourself at the Amazon Kindle Store
.”
Wired: Amazon Kindle vs. Sony Reader
BoingBoing Gadgets: 15 Things I Just Learned About the Amazon Kindle
Apple Insider: Amazon’s New Kindle dubbed the ‘iPod of reading’
“So the Kindle proposition is this: You pay for downloadable books that can’t be printed, can’t be shared, and can’t be displayed on any device other than Amazon’s own $400 reader — and whether they’re readable at all in the future is solely at Amazon’s discretion. That’s no way to build a library.”
“For $400 this device is pretty damn remarkable. It can be read out in bright sunlight (my $3,000 Mac can’t do that). Its battery lasts dozens of hours. It’s a joy to use for the stated purpose: reading.”
BusinessWeek: Can Amazon Kindle Digital Book Fever?
Russell Shaw: IMHO: Amazon Kindle drum roll another example of digerati clustercluck
“You know the real word I wanted to type but my Mom raised a gentleman.”
Wall Street Journal: IPod of E-Book Readers? Amazon Taps Apple Strategy
Peter Glaskowsky: Amazon’s Kindle: first impressions
BlogCritics: Bringing Books into Generation G(adget): the Amazon Kindle
“But it appears that the best thing about the Kindle is the delivery system. No computers, no wires, no sync-ing. Just press button, browse the Amazon.com store, push another button and voila. Instant book-gratification. Best sellers are $9.99, and a quick browse this morning found that most books (that would likely by now be in paperback) go for around $5-6.00. No shipping fee and instant delivery. No charge to wirelessly connect to the store either.”
Silicon Alley Insider: What the Kindle Isn’t
UPDATED:
David Pogue of the New York Times and Wilson Rothman of Gizmodo give their reviews.
Technorati Tags: Amazon, Amazon.com, Kindle, Amazon Kindle, ebooks, gadgets, hardware, books
Bookmark to:
I ordered my Amazon Kindle eBook reader. It should be here on Friday.
What should be the first book that I read?
Technorati Tags: Amazon, Amazon.com, Kindle, Amazon Kindle, ebooks, gadgets, hardware, books
Bookmark to:
Bill Rowland of Philly Food Guys (”Hittin’ the streets for underground eats.”)
Vikki Ott, Communications Manager at Haley & Aldrich
Beth Kanter, Trainer, Blogger and Consultant
Peter K. O’Connell, audio’connell
Chef Mark of the ReMARKable Palate
Evan Blaustein, CEO of mimoco, makers of the mimobot (I have a 1 GB pupstar.)
John Wall of The M Show and Marketing Over Coffee
Shwen Gwee of the eTech@Work Podcast
Craig Calder, CMO of Mochila
Robert Allen and Holli Ehrlich of The Wedding Podcast Network
Jason Van Orden and his lovely wife, Melanie
Eric Rochow, creator of GardenFork.TV and RealWorldGreen.com
David Maister, Consultant and Author (He signed my copy of The Trusted Advisor!)
Martin Leone of the Dyann Bakes video podcast
Greg Narain of Blue Whale Labs
Todd Cochrane and Jeff Hinz of RawVoice
Technorati Tags: Podcamp Boston 2, PB2, People, Conference, Events, Unconference, Podcasting, Social Media
Bookmark to:
I’m again reading Napoleon Hill’s classic, Think and Grow Rich
They are just as true today as they were in 1937. In fact, I think they warrant a review by anyone who considers themselves a leader in today’s business climate. Since the text is now in the public domain, I can quote the full text here:
THE MAJOR ATTRIBUTES OF LEADERSHIP
The following are important factors of leadership:
- UNWAVERING COURAGE based upon knowledge of self, and of one’s occupation. No follower wishes to be dominated by a leader who lacks self-confidence and courage. No intelligent follower will be dominated by such a leader very long.
- SELF-CONTROL. The man who cannot control himself, can never control others. Self-control sets a mighty example for one’s followers, which the more intelligent will emulate.
- A KEEN SENSE OF JUSTICE. Without a sense of fairness and justice, no leader can command and retain the respect of his followers.
- DEFINITENESS OF DECISION. The man who wavers in his decisions, shows that he is not sure of himself. He cannot lead others successfully.
- DEFINITENESS OF PLANS. The successful leader must plan his work, and work his plan. A leader who moves by guesswork, without practical, definite plans, is comparable to a ship without a rudder. Sooner or later he will land on the rocks.
- THE HABIT OF DOING MORE THAN PAID FOR. One of the penalties of leadership is the necessity of willingness, upon the part of the leader, to do more than he requires of his followers.
- A PLEASING PERSONALITY. No slovenly, careless person can become a successful leader. Leadership calls for respect. Followers will not respect a leader who does not grade high on all of the factors of a Pleasing Personality.
- SYMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING. The successful leader must be in sympathy with his followers. Moreover, he must understand them and their problems.
- MASTERY OF DETAIL. Successful leadership calls for mastery of details of the leader’s position.
- WILLINGNESS TO ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY. The successful leader must be willing to assume responsibility for the mistakes and the shortcomings of his followers. If he tries to shift this responsibility, he will not remain the leader. If one of his followers makes a mistake, and shows himself incompetent, the leader must consider that it is he who failed.
- COOPERATION. The successful leader must understand, and apply the principle of cooperative effort and be able to induce his followers to do the same. Leadership calls for POWER, and power calls for COOPERATION.
There are two forms of Leadership. The first, and by far the most effective, is LEADERSHIP BY CONSENT of, and with the sympathy of the followers.
The second is LEADERSHIP BY FORCE, without the consent and sympathy of the followers.
History is filled with evidences that Leadership by Force cannot endure. The downfall and disappearance of “Dictators” and kings is significant. It means that people will not follow forced leadership indefinitely.
The world has just entered a new era of relationship between leaders and followers, which very clearly calls for new leaders, and a new brand of leadership in business and industry. Those who belong to the old school of leadership-by-force, must acquire an understanding of the new brand of leadership (cooperation) or be relegated to the rank and file of the followers. There is no other way out for them. The relationship of employer and employee, or of leader and follower, in the future, will be one of mutual cooperation, based upon an equitable division of the profits of business. In the future, the relationship of employer and employee will be more like a partnership than it has been in the past.
Napoleon, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, the Czar of Russia, and the King of Spain were examples of leadership by force. Their leadership passed. Without much difficulty, one might point to the prototypes of these ex-leaders, among the business, financial, and labor leaders of America who have been dethroned or slated to go. Leadership-by-consent of the followers is the only brand which can endure! Men may follow the forced leadership temporarily, but they will not do so willingly. The new brand of LEADERSHIP will embrace the eleven factors of leadership, described in this chapter, as well as some other factors. The man who makes these the basis of his leadership, will find abundant opportunity to lead in any walk of life. The depression was prolonged, largely, because the world lacked LEADERSHIP of the new brand. At the end of the depression, the demand for leaders who are competent to apply the new methods of leadership has greatly exceeded the supply. Some of the old type of leaders will reform and adapt themselves to the new brand of leadership, but generally speaking, the world will have to look for new timber for its leadership. This necessity may be your OPPORTUNITY!
THE 10 MAJOR CAUSES OF FAILURE IN LEADERSHIP
We come now to the major faults of leaders who fail, because it is just as essential to know WHAT NOT TO DO as it is to know what to do.
- INABILITY TO ORGANIZE DETAILS. Efficient leadership calls for ability to organize and to master details. No genuine leader is ever “too busy” to do anything which may be required of him in his capacity as leader. When a man, whether he is a leader or follower, admits that he is “too busy” to change his plans, or to give attention to any emergency, he admits his inefficiency. The successful leader must be the master of all details connected with his position. That means, of course, that he must acquire the habit of relegating details to capable lieutenants.
- UNWILLINGNESS TO RENDER HUMBLE SERVICE. Truly great leaders are willing, when occasion demands, to perform any sort of labor which they would ask another to perform. “The greatest among ye shall be the servant of all” is a truth which all able leaders observe and respect.
- EXPECTATION OF PAY FOR WHAT THEY “KNOW” INSTEAD OF WHAT THEY DO WITH THAT WHICH THEY KNOW. The world does not pay men for that which they “know.” It pays them for what they DO, or induce others to do.
- FEAR OF COMPETITION FROM FOLLOWERS. The leader who fears that one of his followers may take his position is practically sure to realize that fear sooner or later. The able leader trains understudies to whom he may delegate, at will, any of the details of his position. Only in this way may a leader multiply himself and prepare himself to be at many places, and give attention to many things at one time. It is an eternal truth that men receive more pay for their ABILITY TO GET OTHERS TO PERFORM, than they could possibly earn by their own efforts. An efficient leader may, through his knowledge of his job and the magnetism of his personality, greatly increase the efficiency of others, and induce them to render more service and better service than they could render without his aid.
- LACK OF IMAGINATION. Without imagination, the leader is incapable of meeting emergencies, and of creating plans by which to guide his followers efficiently.
- SELFISHNESS. The leader who claims all the honor for the work of his followers, is sure to be met by resentment. The really great leader CLAIMS NONE OF THE HONORS. He is contented to see the honors, when there are any, go to his followers, because he knows that most men will work harder for commendation and recognition than they will for money alone.
- INTEMPERANCE. Followers do not respect an intemperate leader. Moreover, intemperance in any of its various forms, destroys the endurance and the vitality of all who indulge in it.
- DISLOYALTY. Perhaps this should have come at the head of the list. The leader who is not loyal to his trust, and to his associates, those above him, and those below him, cannot long maintain his leadership. Disloyalty marks one as being less than the dust of the earth, and brings down on one’s head the contempt he deserves. Lack of loyalty is one of the major causes of failure in every walk of life.
- EMPHASIS OF THE “AUTHORITY” OF LEADERSHIP. The efficient leader leads by encouraging, and not by trying to instil fear in the hearts of his followers. The leader who tries to impress his followers with his “authority” comes within the category of leadership through FORCE. If a leader is a REAL LEADER, he will have no need to advertise that fact except by his conduct— his sympathy, understanding, fairness, and a demonstration that he knows his job.
- EMPHASIS OF TITLE. The competent leader requires no “title” to give him the respect of his followers. The man who makes too much over his title generally has little else to emphasize. The doors to the office of the real leader are open to all who wish to enter, and his working quarters are free from formality or ostentation.
These are among the more common of the causes of failure in leadership. Any one of these faults is sufficient to induce failure. Study the list carefully if you aspire to leadership, and make sure that you are free of these faults.
Given that this was written after the Great Depression, I find the section on “Fertile Fields for New Leadership” even more interesting. The industries that require reform are no different than when this text was first written.
SOME FERTILE FIELDS IN WHICH “NEW LEADERSHIP” WILL BE REQUIRED
Before leaving this chapter, your attention is called to a few of the fertile fields in which there has been a decline of leadership, and in which the new type of leader may find an abundance of OPPORTUNITY.
- First. In the field of politics there is a most insistent demand for new leaders; a demand which indicates nothing less than an emergency. The majority of politicians have, seemingly, become high-grade, legalized racketeers. They have increased taxes and debauched the machinery of industry and business until the people can no longer stand the burden.
- Second. The banking business is undergoing a reform. The leaders in this field have almost entirely lost the confidence of the public. Already the bankers have sensed the need of reform, and they have begun it.
- Third. Industry calls for new leaders. The old type of leaders thought and moved in terms of dividends instead of thinking and moving in terms of human equations! The future leader in industry, to endure, must regard himself as a quasi-public official whose duty it is to manage his trust in such a way that it will work hardship on no individual, or group of individuals. Exploitation of working men is a thing of the past. Let the man who aspires to leadership in the field of business, industry, and labor remember this.
- Fourth. The religious leader of the future will be forced to give more attention to the temporal needs of his followers, in the solution of their economic and personal problems of the present, and less attention to the dead past, and the yet unborn future.
- Fifth. In the professions of law, medicine, and education, a new brand of leadership, and to some extent, new leaders will become a necessity. This is especially true in the field of education. The leader in that field must, in the future, find ways and means of teaching people HOW TO APPLY the knowledge they receive in school. He must deal more with PRACTICE and less with THEORY.
- Sixth. New leaders will be required in the field of Journalism. Newspapers of the future, to be conducted successfully, must be divorced from “special privilege” and relieved from the subsidy of advertising. They must cease to be organs of propaganda for the interests which patronize their advertising columns. The type of newspaper which publishes scandal and lewd pictures will eventually go the way of all forces which debauch the human mind. These are but a few of the fields in which opportunities for new leaders and a new brand of leadership are now available. The world is undergoing a rapid change. This means that the media through which the changes in human habits are promoted, must be adapted to the changes. The media here described, are the ones which, more than any others, determine the trend of civilization.
You can pick up a paperback copy of Think and Grow Rich from just about anywhere.
Technorati Tags: Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich, Leadership, Management, Books
Bookmark to:
[via Engadget]
Technorati Tags: Books, Humor, Funny, Technology, Tech, Technical Support, Video
Bookmark to:
Chris Anderson, journalist and author of The Long Tail, proposes something we should all consider:
I propose that things that are paid will become free and vice versa. So music and books and other media are turning from paid products to free marketing, while free-to-air video and radio become a subscription or on-demand product for a fee.
Even if it’s complete bunk and potentially linkbait, going through the exercise of exploring your business within these constraints may produce some interesting new ideas.
If you work in media - digital or traditional - how would you rethink your business?
Technorati Tags: Media, Books, Magazines, Subscriptions, Television, TV, Radio, Premium Content, Advertising
Bookmark to:
Yes, it was a very geeky Christmas for me (again) this year. Under the Festivus pole were:
And finally, the geekiest (but really, most practical) gift I received this year:
This is a must-have for business travel. I can fit nearly every gadget, wallet, sunglasses, watch, notebook, iPod, book, keys, tickets and other paperwork in this thing and not have to worry about getting through security. I just take the vest off, stick it in one of those silly plastic tubs that the TSA gives me and send the whole thing through the x-ray machine. Done.
I have a Scott eVest Fleece that I use most of the time but sometimes, the weather is just too warm to wear it. (For instance, my upcoming trip to CES in Las Vegas, where I’ll be speaking on a panel about podcasting.) Yes, I’ll look like a big dork getting to and from the airport, but it’s so convenient, I just don’t care.
Technorati Tags: Gadgets, Alesis Multimix Firewire 8, AKG Perception 100, SanDisk Cruzer Micro, CampCo Safari Photo Vest, Durabrand, Home Theatre System, Surround Sound, Recording, Audio, Podcasting, Scott eVest, Travel, Business Travel, CES, Las Vegas, TSA
Bookmark to:
John Federico, Chia-Lin Simmons and Ken Gellman review their picks for the top stories of 2006 and offer predictions for 2007.
We wish you all the best in ‘007.
Our holiday wine selection was a 1919 Cabernet Sauvignon and an AmberHill Cabernet Sauvignon from Raymond Vineyards.
The book mentioned this week was The Deviant’s Advantage by Ryan Matthews and Watts Wacker.
Our closing music is Democracy from Alexander Blu.
Send us email to comments@odmcast.com or call our comment line: 775-860-2263. You can also reach us via Gizmo by contacting username ondigitalmedia.
Be sure to stop by http://www.odmcast.com to complete our listener survey - we’d really appreciate it.
Download | Listen Now | RSS | iTunes One-Click Subscription
Technorati Tags: Yahoo, Peanut Butter Memo, Online Advertising, The Deviant’s Advantage, Consumer Generated Media, CGM, The Long Tail, Hype, Bubble, Online Video, Video, TV, Television, Radio, Streaming Radio, 3G, EV-DO, HSDPA, Web 2.0, Wal-Mart, eBay, iPhone, Apple, Satellite Radio, XM, Sirius, Interactive Advertising, iTV, John Wall, The M Show, Wine, Predictions, CES, Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas, On Digital Media, John Federico, Chia-Lin Simmons, Ken Gellman, Digital Media, Cell Phones, Mobile Phones, Mobile Content, Music, Podcasting, Podcasts, Sangria, Zune, SanDisk, Sansa
Bookmark to:
This week’s episode includes John Federico, Chia-Lin Simmons and our special guest, Steve Hatch. Ken Gellman couldn’t join us this week, but we expect him for episode #17…
- John had a good time (perhaps too good a time…) at the PaidContent NYC Mixer. (Thanks, Rafat.)
- Listener Email
- Sony to build vertically integrated music service + device while cellular carriers allowing content providers to sell content to their subscribers off-deck
Music companies releasing music from certain artists as mp3 in order to gain access to Apple’s iPod- Chia-Lin doesn’t want to back up her music - where’s the online bit locker for digital media?
- iPhone “confirmed” by Kevin Rose;
- Steve wants it to have Exchange support. John wants Steve to just get a Mac.
- MarketingSherpa case study on Popeye’s and their successful use of coupons via SMS (facilitated by qtags)
- Jason Calacanis becomes “Entrepreneur-in-Residence” at Sequoia Capital
- Time Warner looking for “internet deals” to help speed up the transformation of AOL
- Executives expect new media to make money…eventually, while the New York Times Company is doing it NOW
- Is About.com user generated content? John tries to make the distinction between casual user generated content and dedicated production of user generated content.
- Wenda Harris Millard of Yahoo isn’t convinced that user generated content has real revenue value - doesn’t Yahoo make lots of money from user generated content like email, Yahoo 360, Yahoo Groups, etc.?
- Social networking is solely for the youth market? Really?
- Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics: Podcasting is growing. Podcasting is declining. Film at 11.
- Dana Gardner thinks that the B2B publishing value of podcasting is being overlooked. (Not by us, of course…)
- Use Dragon Naturally Speaking 9 to make transcripts of your podcast
- John got a Skype client for his Treo 700p: iSkoot
Our wines this week were: 1919 Cabernet Sauvignon and some (very good) chianti that I’ve never heard of…
Our closing music is Democracy from Alexander Blu.
Send us email to comments@odmcast.com or call our comment line: 775-860-2263. You can also reach us via Gizmo by contacting username ondigitalmedia.
Download | Listen Now | RSS | iTunes One-Click Subscription
Technorati Tags: Video, Verizon Wireless, Cingular, Sprint, Treo 700p, John Havens, Thumbplay, Chris Phenner, Dada.net, Jamster, Mobizzo, Sony, Yahoo, Wenda Harris Millard, LinkedIn, Social Networks, User Generated Content, UGC, About.com, New York Times, NYT, Online Advertising, NBCU, Jeff Zucker, Social Networking, Steve Hatch, Kevin Rose, Diggnation, iSkoot, Skype, Podcasting, John Gartner, Rafat Ali, PaidContent, Nokia, Wine, Fair Use, YouTube, John Federico, Ken Gellman, Chia-Lin Simmons, Advertising, On Digital Media, Alexander Blu, Apple, iPod, iPhone
Bookmark to: