Digital City Mechanics in :10 minutes
If you’ve ever wondered why I moved to Cleveland and what we’re up to – then here you go – in :10 minutes.
Digital City Mechanics, Gigabit Challenge Finale from Curt McMillan on Vimeo.
Even though we didn’t win, here’s a very nice review of the Gigabit Challenge contest
Perhaps my favorite personal pitch was by Marc Canter. Marc probably, to those in the technology, startup and investment community, was the most famous individual of all the finalists. As a designer I owe my mortgage to him – he created the first set of tools that let me become an interaction designer. Though he was not one of the three winners, I suspect we haven’t seen the last of Marc – he’s a visionary and his interest in the Gigabit Challenge is a strong testament to the value of the event and the talent that it drew. I also thought his idea, Digital City Mechanics, strongly identified what the difference fiber could mean for a community that’s willing to invest in the services that can take advantage of it.
Thanks Chris!
Please vote for Digital City Mechanics
We’re in a business plan contest on Jan. 18th in Kansas City.
Please go to: www.gigabitchallenge.com/live and check out the proceedings. We’re in slot #10.
15 slides in :10 minutes
Mid-January ’12 blogging
Headed to KC tomorrow – wish us luck.
Gazelle Labs in Tampa (and now Orlando) – great people, successful TechStars accelerator program
How to bootstrap the creative economy 3.0
Indeed the app economy is a closed economy. More evidence that Facebook and Twitter are bad for the open web. Can Google do something about this? Can WE do something about this?
We won’t develop for Android until there is ONE Android
Gamification to drive location services
I can’t find an RSS feed for Pandodaily. Do I care?
This Samsung smart window technology looks AWESOME!
Code Racer seems like an awesome to learn how to code
Its great to see SF and NYC getting their collective act together – thanks Fred
If I bought stock – I’d buy this stock – AVG. They make great products!
Larry Lessig interviews Jack Abramoff - I can highly recommend the Kevin Spacey movie “Casino Jack”
I try to explain to my artist friends why social media is BIG for artists
1M developers on a 1M keyboards
Strategic Technologies for CyberInfrastructure
Program Guidelines: PD 11-7684
The goal of the NSF Cyberinfrastructure Framework for the 21st Century (CIF21) initiative is to foster the development of a scalable, comprehensive, secure and sustainable cyberinfrastructure that supports potentially transformative research in science and engineering. The development of a mature cyberinfrastructure relies on the evaluation of the potential for new technologies to catalyze transformative research and on an understanding of the strategic role of new …
More at http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503475&WT.mc_id=USNSF_42&WT.mc_ev=click
Wal-Mart is building a REAL cyber team. Remember = EVERY brand needs to have their OWN platform!
On being 55
Today is my birthday, yet I have to spend the entire day taking care of my daughter’s birthday party, which was yesterday. Then I have to ship a major proposal to Jamaica, prep for Kansas City next week, get ready to hit Appalachia, followup in Tampa, keep our case studies going for PolymerOhio, line up support for our proposition to P&G, arrange to meet the Clinton Foundation and investors – in NYC and in general – act like an entrepreneur.
That’s for today.
Things are busy as they should be – for a 55 year old. I’m not young anymore, but I’m not old either. I’m in the middle of my life. In the middle of trying to launch a new company with ambitious goals – to create jobs. We’re getting our pitch down, rehearsing a 15 slide, :10 pitch for the finals next week and trying on new suits and coat jackets – as its time to LOOK like a businessman.
For years, since my divorce in 1996, I’ve refused to put on a suit, suck up to the notion that what I look like has anything to do with my ideas. I moved my family from California to Cleveland to get outside the echo chamber and see what the rest of the world looks like – and it’s ugly.
One thing I can tell you is that people DO judge you by your clothing - here outside the California/Silicon Valley echo chamber. Too bad. I bet there’s a direct corralary between judging people, innovation and entrepreneurism.
We now know ANOTHER reason why we’re in trouble, there are not enough new jobs and why the rich keep getting richer.
In the mean time – my birthday comes along – just about at the same time very year. January is when new pledges are made, new budgets ascertained, new projects started and many people – create a new beginning. That’s how I’ve been operating – for 55 years.
We used to spend all X-Mas week preparing for MacWorld – which was always the first week in January. Thank god I don’t have to do THAT anymore. But I DID have to wear a suit to those “soirees!”
Second week of Jan. 2012
At the front of my lobe….. Jamaica, Weirton, W. VA, KC, D.C., Lobbyists, Angel round, Fracking game, New suit, the RNC in Tampa
Its great to see the market that we’ve chosen to work in – get recognized. Its dominated by IBM and Cisco right now – but you never let competition scare you away – right? It’s us INNOVATORS that grow markets – right? Here’s a quote from Neal Pearce:
A group of high technology firms, led by IBM and Cisco, are plunging into the city management business. In varied forms, they offer super-efficient new-generation computerized information and control systems.
If the systems prove out — and first signs are positive — the companies stand to garner billions of dollars in business. But savings for cities, measured by dollars, by livability, by human lives protected, may be far greater.
The Old Agora is being “revitalized” – memories from college. Cheetah Chrome and Pere Ubu.
I sure as hell hope people stop comparing Facebook to Google+ now. This is MUCH bigger than a simple competition!
Swiss Army knife with 1T USB drive, w/display and Sata compatibility – now I KNOW what I want for my birthday!
2012 is the year that HTML5 gets its act together
I hate it when 300 workers commit suicide – for a raise
Please keep dumping and shorting Zynga – Mark Pincus deserves it
LuckyAnt, OpenSecrets.org, Silicon Strip, OpenFlow controller – Floodlight
What? You didn’t see this coming?
It amazes how stupid the so-called Blogosphere and world of pundits are - when it comes to Google, Google+ and their intentions. Is it that you just didn’t hear what we’ve been trying to say about Google+?
Is it something about the air you’re breathing or water you’re drinking?
Why WOULDN’T Googlr adjust search results, feed you information and in general – differentiate it’s search from everyone else – with Google+? Do you REALLY THINK that they’re still competing with Facebook now?
Do you REALLY THINK that facebook owns social networking -a nd that Google is reduced to some ‘up-and-coming’ competatior to our favorite mono[polist/single vendor dominated/exploit and monetize user platform?
I mean – come on! OF COURSE Google is gonna put MY NAME in the top left hand corner.
I’M the most important person in the universe – right? ME – ME – ME.
That’s what your profile page, about me, settings, account info, page is all about – right?
Now we just have to see how Google takes this new position – and parlays it into an identify platform – for brands.
Now we’re not talking about plus.google.com/Nike or plus.google.com/United or plus.google.com/LadyGaga.
I’m talking about providing all the benefits of the Facebook or Twitter platform – without – being locked into the Google domain. You bet Twitter is gonna complain. They’ve screwed their developers and they know their day has come and went. Who cares about Ashton Kutcher anymore? At least some of us see the chutzpah in Twitter complaining!
Doesn’t this all just make sense?
An underlying identity layer to federate us all together – in an open way?
I’ll ask my friend Joseph Smarr one more time - “Yo dude – when can we expect THAT kind of functionality?”
BTW Joseph – this “Search, plus your world” shit – rocks!
First post of 2012
Here’s a quick bit from Tampa (thanks to David Glass and the Florida Technology Journal – and Marv Scaff of Gazelle Labs.)
Marc Canter, The Digital City Project from Florida Technology Journal on Vimeo.
On-line ticket sales for events – has now matured
Meanwhile we’ve got the 10th slot for the finals in the GigabitChallenge business plan contest – to be held in Kansas City, Jan. 18th. There WILL be a “People’s Choice” award so everyone can come and vote for US!
More evidence that GroupOn and Living Social are DOOMED!
Smart Cities are real estate gold – imagine what they’ll mean to creating jobs!
Monetizing the insider scene = Path
A city where all billboards and outdoor advertising is BANNED!
The question is “Would CodeAcademy be doing their thang – including having Mayor Bloomberg commit to learning to code - without Doug Rushkoff and his book “Program or Be Programmed”
State of the world 2012 by Bruce Sterling and Job Lebkowsky
eTailing meets the real world – LeBron’s new store in Miami features iPads
Final post of 2011
Too busy to blog – must stay focused and vacation.
We’re finalists in the GigabitChallenge – thanks to Scott Mize for pointing us there – Come to Kansas City – Jan. 18th
Pivoting the way I pitch and think of the Digital City Project. What I think we’ve stumbled upon is a new way to offer worldwide brands access to authentic hyper-local relationships. How much is that worth?
Fascinating new architectural trend – BIM (Building Information Modeling)
What can Kansas City do with Google Fiber?
Middle mile gigabit network for D.C.
Broadband vs Internet – Doc Searls says it like it is
On-line accredited colleges on the rise
The Millennium Reserve park plan in Chicago. These are old industrial areas – which Cleveland has a LOT of!
We ALL know there’s only ONE David Weinberger!
Coworking – the future of work
Siri says “God is dead” - I wonder if she’s right?
The evolution of copyright law
WAXY.org (Andy Baio) has a great post on the evolution of copyright law and what he sees as a prohibition on the remix culture. Clearly (AFAIC) once movies, TV shows and music are available in digital form, copying, remixing, slicing up, and creating new work based on prior art – will become the norm.
All great artists and musicians paid homage to prior great work – and so does the current generation – but unfortunately it’s illegal. Andy argues that this prohibition that we’re currently living in – will inevitably go away – once our current generation (and future generations) become voting age and can vote in politicians who also share this new understanding of how prior art can get turned into future art.
The way Andy puts it:
What happens when — and this is inevitable — a generation completely comfortable with remix culture becomes a majority of the electorate, instead of the fringe youth? What happens when they start getting elected to office? (Maybe “I downloaded but didn’t share” will be the new “I smoked, but didn’t inhale.”)
Remix culture is the new Prohibition, with massive media companies as the lone voices calling for temperance. You can criminalize commonplace activities from law-abiding people, but eventually, something has to give.
Right on!
The same is going to happen with the Marijuana prohibition.
