I think it is safe to say that if you spend any time on the social web, in the VoIP industry, or most recently, in the world of personal fitness, you have heard the name Jeff Pulver a zillion times. To explain and describe Jeff in a blog post is practically impossible. In fact, even to cover all his accomplishments alone in a blog post would be quite difficult.
Every once in a while, I feel the need to expand my horizons by connecting and learning from new people on the social web. So I turn to my Twitter followers and ask for some recommendations on interesting people to follow. A few months back, someone recommended I follow a mobile analyst by the name of Benedict Evans.
Someone had to say it so I figure why not me. Not a day goes by in which I don’t see a so-called marketing expert overuse and even worse, misuse hashtags on the Web. It happens most often on Twitter but recently, both Facebook and Google+ started using hashtags as well, so the same principles apply there.
Over the years of blogging, there have been a few defining moments. Not many, but each was pretty significant to me. The decision to leverage my personal blog to interview some of the most amazing people with whom I have connected was such a moment. People like Alyssa Milano, Guy Kawasaki, Walt Mossberg, David Pogue, and many more.
You may recall a few months back I wrote a post about a Chinese restaurant and how they taught me a lesson on how NOT to do marketing. Well, this post is the other side of that coin.
Blogging is serious business. At least that is what many bloggers would have you believe. The truth is, everyone just needs to chill out a bit. That is why I am a huge fan of Jay Yarow of Business Insider. In fact, that is why I am a huge fan of Business Insider, in general. While the site has been recognized as a very serious publication for years, Jay doesn’t take himself too seriously.
Along with the advancements we have made in tech, believe it or not, come some responsibilities. Yes, we are all more accessible thanks to the mobile phone and the social Web but that does not mean you should be calling me in the middle of the day to pitch me about your startup, does it? Does it?! In fact, one can make the claim that because of all this new tech, privacy needs to be honored and respected even more than before.
OK, let’s jump right in. I had a chance to test out Google Glass last week. I have to admit, I can’t remember the last time I wanted to try a new device as much as Google Glass. The first thing I noticed about Glass is that there is an unprecedented amount of Buzz surrounding its existence. Everyone was staring, asking questions, pointing, and snapping pictures. It’s as if, someone had sat with every person in my vicinity five minutes before and explained to everyone that “In a few minutes, there will be a man wearing something on his face that represents the future. You are going to want to take pictures because you won’t get another chance”.
It has been over 6 years since I picked up my virtual pen to start my first blog post. Throughout those years, there has been a small group of elite journalists who have served as a role model and inspired me to keep writing. This group includes names like David Pogue, MG Siegler, Joshua Topolsky, and Robin Wauters. I have been following Robin for years and I believe I first encountered his work when he was just getting started at TechCrunch.
So there I was minding my own business in a Tel Aviv mall, trying to decide what to eat for dinner. As I walked through the food court, there were many options including burgers, sushi, pizza, and a Chinese restaurant that looked like the food was quite tasty. Then the person behind the counter of the Chinese place did something smart that could have easily been the “differentiator” that would lure me in to becoming a customer.
When Apple introduced the iPad Mini, it was the first ever Apple announced that sparked an emotional reaction from your truly. No, it was not excitement or happiness that the company finally reversed a policy put in place by the late Steve Jobs that there is no room for a smaller tablet in the Apple portfolio. My reaction to the iPad Mini announcement was actually disappointment and frustration, maybe even borderline anger.
