Revisiting the Mullet: Why Surface is not a MS Business

October 21, 2012
Mobile
20 Comments

A few weeks ago a bunch of people (who should know better) were running around like chickens with their heads cut off yelping “Surface will be $199!” Exasperated, I wrote a post1 describing just how idiotic a concept that would be. I showed that even if Microsoft was serious about Surface being a real business, it could never sell it for $199 this fall. I promised to wear a Kasey Keller like mullet to Build …Continue reading →

I Want A Surface Keyboard for My iPad

October 21, 2012
Uncategorized
10 Comments

I had two hilarious encounters with the new Microsoft Surface advertising this weekend. One is just funny. The other is telling. Here’s the ad: Microsoft’s first real TV spot for the Surface Funny item #1: Multiple people asked me if, at 13 seconds in, I had a little cameo: No, that’s not me. I know people think we all look alike though. Funny, but not so funny (for MS), item #2: We’re watching the Flordia …Continue reading →

The Market Sides of the Mobile Ecosystem

October 18, 2012
Mobile, Platforms
12 Comments

I’ve been using a taxonomy to describe the market-sides of the mobile ecosystem that looks like this:     Up until now, my writing on the mobile ecosystem has been focused on smartphones, because their adoption and sales dominated. Given the season of the tablet has started, I need to make some points about how tablets relate. Even though we use the term “mobile” to describe scenarios involving both phones and tablets, before I go …Continue reading →

Mobile is Mobile

October 18, 2012
Mobile
4 Comments

In the past, I’ve instinctively associated “mobile” with “phone”, as in something that has cellular voice as a primary function. But most of the world has, apparently, decided to include tablets (but, curiously, not laptops) in this definition. I did an informal poll on Twitter. I asked: HiveMind Poll: Answer Yes/No: When someone says “mobile” (as in mobile industry) that includes tablets. — Charlie Kindel (@ckindel) October 18, 2012 The vast majority of respondents said …Continue reading →

MileLogr now Supports Outlook.com!

October 6, 2012
Startups
1 Comment

On September 10, Stefan & I launched the beta of MileLogr. We got some great feedback and have just launched a major update. MileLogr is a Calendar App that Creates Mileage Logs. MileLogr integrates with your calendar and creates mileage logs for taxes, expense reports, and timesheets. Automagically. For Free! The new update incorporates the following new features: Now supports Outlook.com (Hotmail/Live) based calendars in addition to Exchange/Office365 and Google calendars. For calendar systems that …Continue reading →

Motorola is a Sunk Cost (and a sinking Titanic)

October 5, 2012
Mobile
1 Comment

M.G. Slieger wrote, regarding the horrific “deal” Google got in buying Motorola: Google bought the Titanic. And they bought it when it was already underwater. – @parislemon This is cute (and true), not the right analogy because it makes people think Google bought Motorola for Motorola’s business. They did not. Google paid $12.5B to become a patent-superpower like Apple and Microsoft. They had failed in getting the Nortel patents (or were thwarted, depending on your …Continue reading →

The Conversation Amongst MSFT, NOK, VZW, & ATT

October 4, 2012
Mobile
11 Comments

NOK to MSFT: We really need to get all major carriers at WP8 launch. MSFT to NOK: Agree! Let’s make it happen. NOK to VZW: Do the 920 for launch! VZW to NOK: Well, ok. Maybe. MSFT to VZW: Do WP8! VZW to MSFT: One word: Kin. MSFT to NOK: Hey, Elop, beg them please! NOK to MSFT: Ok, working on it… Meanwhile. MSFT/NOK to ATT: Do the 920 at launch. ATT: Sure. We’re in. …Continue reading →

Why Sr. People Leave MSFT in September

September 28, 2012
Uncategorized
7 Comments

It’s September. No surprise that my FB stream is full of Sr. Microsoft people announcing they are leaving the company. — Charlie Kindel (@ckindel) September 28, 2012 I tweeted about a bunch of senior MS people announcing their departures from Microsoft on Facebook and got a bunch of questions from my followers about why this happens.  Figured it was worth sharing my opinion on why. There are four reasons: The general stock plan is set …Continue reading →

What Kindle Means for Android

September 27, 2012
Uncategorized
14 Comments

[This is a copy of a guest post I wrote for GeekList. Find the original here.] I still think Amazon would be stupid to build a phone. But I no longer believe they won’t do it. Within the next 6 months Amazon will go big with their own Android based smartphone. And when they do, it will be the moment that everybody else realizes that Google lost control of Android ages ago. “Google has already …Continue reading →

Paying Developers is A Bad Idea

September 26, 2012
Business, Platforms
95 Comments

The companies that make the most profit are those who build virtuous platform cycles. There are no proof points in history of virtuous platform cycles being created when the platform provider incents developers to target the platform by paying them. Paying developers to target your platform is a sign of desperation. It means developers have no skin in the game. A platform where developers do not have skin in the game is artificially propped up …Continue reading →

Doing git Dev on Two Machines

September 18, 2012
Coding, Uncategorized
10 Comments

I prefer coding on my workstation (30” + 24” LCDs, fast, great chair, etc…).  But sometimes want to hack on my laptop (an MBA) when I’m out and about. Here’s my workflow. I am posting this for two reasons: It’s complex enough that regularly forget how to do it. I rely on random Bing searches to remind myself. This way it’s all in one place. I’m not sure I’m doing it right, or if there’s …Continue reading →

Eye-Fi: Shockingly Great Customer Service

September 18, 2012
Uncategorized
1 Comment

I try to write blog post whenever I encounter truly great customer service. I think it’s important to call out companies who clearly get it; those who provide Shockingly Great Customer Service. I have owned Eye-Fi cards since they came out. Last year I highlighted them in my annual gadget gift guide. Wi-Fi should be built into every camera. But it’s not. With Eye-Fi we simply ensure the camera is turned on after taking pictures: …Continue reading →

Muscle Activation Techniques (MAT)

September 8, 2012
Skiing, Uncategorized
4 Comments

God did a great job engineering our bodies. But I think he put the B-team on the design of the spine and the knees. I, knock on wood, have not had serious problems with my knees, but my back is another thing altogether. Like many of you I have a bad back. Both the discs at S1/L4 and L4/L5 are budging and/or burst, as you can see from this MRI taken of my back in …Continue reading →

Facebook is like a Brick

September 6, 2012
Platforms, Startups
1 Comment

At my Future of Mobile talk at Thinkspace last week, someone asked me what I thought of Facebook’s future. I came up with an analogy for explaining my perspective, and have since developed it further. “All the big guys have potential energy. They are objects with mass at altitude. Apple, Microsoft, and Google’s altitude comes primarily from their massive profits. Facebook’s altitude results from having lots of eyeballs in their social graph. There are other …Continue reading →

Windows Phone’s Canary in the Coal Mine

September 1, 2012
Mobile
1 Comment

Few believe Nokia will survive as a company if Windows Phone 8 isn’t successful. How can we tell if Windows Phone and Nokia will live or die? Coal miners used to take canaries down into the mines to detect deadly gasses. If the canary suddenly dropped dead it was a warning to the miners they were about to die too. The canary in the coal mine for Windows Phone is the sales force responsible for …Continue reading →

Retail Pricing, Markup, and Margins

August 30, 2012
Business, Mobile
2 Comments

Tom’s Hardware is generally really solid. But they should stay focused on technology because this post is seriously absurd: “More than two years after the introduction of the iPad, Samsung appears to be very confident in the tablet market and is shooting for margins that exceed Apple’s iPad levels.” – Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Has Bigger Profit Margin Than iPad, Aug 27, 2012 MSRP stands for Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price. It is the price a …Continue reading →

A $199 Surface? I Will Wear a Mullet

August 29, 2012
Uncategorized
11 Comments

A few weeks ago I jokingly tweeted “If MSRP on Surface is really $199, I will shave my head.” It was a joke, because as you’ve probably already figured out I’m pretty much bald. But I was completely serious that I think the idea of Microsoft selling the 10” Surface with a MSRP of $199 is completely ludicrous. Someone tweeted back that instead I should promise to grow a mullet instead. I’m not quite sure …Continue reading →

My “The Future of Mobile” Talk (Video/Slides)

August 28, 2012
Mobile, Platforms
6 Comments

I just wrapped up my “The Future of Mobile” talk at www.thinkspace.com.  I had a great time giving the talk and the event was sold out. Thanks to all that attended. While I’ve written about the content and I talk about the topic with consulting clients regularly, this was the first time I had given this particular talk in public. I thought it would go over well, and I sensed it did. If you missed …Continue reading →

The Future of Mobile

August 26, 2012
Mobile, Platforms
4 Comments

Video & Slides from this talk are here: http://ceklog.kindel.com/2012/08/28/my-the-future-of-mobile-talk-videoslides/   I will be presenting my thoughts on the future of mobile this Tuesday, August 28, 2012, from 6:00pm to 7:30pm at Thinkspace in Redmond. If you’ve read my blog you know I have some pretty strong thoughts about how the mobile industry actually works. My goal for Tuesday is to drill into some of those ideas further.  In my experience most industry watchers are seriously …Continue reading →

Seattle Angel Conference #2

August 17, 2012
Startups
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On May 30, 2012 we held the first ever Seattle Angel Conference. It was a smashing success. Bolstered by the success of the first event, we’re doing it again on December 13. The primary mission of those of us helping to drive Seattle Angel Conferences is: “To grow the angel community in greater Seattle by creating an open environment where any accredited investor can participate in the investment of new startups.” We know there are …Continue reading →