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Many years ago, Google stated ten points on their Corporate Philosophy page – they were as follows:
They are still applicable with a constant endeavor by Google to follow the stated norms and also with constant improvements in the implementation procedures. This was reflected in the Scientific Evaluation, recently discussed by Amit Singhal at the discussion hosted by Church Hill Club where he openly explained the testing procedure of every algorithmic update at Google. He says that the focus has always been "DO What Is Best For The User"
All search activity starts and ends with the user.
It seems so simple, but there are scientific and psychological principles which this whole activity revolves around.
The three parties involved in this activity are the user (always #1), the websites which get ranked, the search engines and the search algorithms which execute this result.
The search engines want to give quality search results to their users. The website owners want their websites to be ranked as high as possible so that their website can be found by the user. And the user wants to find relevant content as fast as possible. Hence, the user is the focus at every step of the search activity.
Amit Singhal also stated that there are approx. 500 changes to the Google algorithm every year, and Google runs around 20,000 tests every year.
The answers to the following questions are considered before moving forward with the new algorithm. They are:
Google says that every algorithmic update is rigorously and scientifically tested before finalized. The website owners optimize their sites by investing time and money to be found by the user on the search engines. Each click on the search listings proves the user found something relevant and useful. Other metrics like the bounce rate, the click thru rate, time on site, pageviews, and the execution of the call for action, prove the result served the purpose of the user's search and was considered relevant or irrelevant by the user.
Usually the first focus is on what search engines want followed by the user or potential visitor. However, the web developer and SEO's flow of focus by should be the other way round. Construct content, design, colour combo and content options – like images, videos, and texts, from the user's perspective and then focus on the search engine bots.
SEO is not rocket science (yes an old and overused statement). It's all very simple but still demands a lot of patience and perseverance.
Search is fundamental to all and is constantly evolving so SEO cannot be a one time job. As search engines keep on working on their algorithms for quality results, an SEO needs to monitor, measure and tweak the site constantly as per the user's evolving search behavior and the changing algorithms for attaining stability for the site in search rankings and visibility.
Check out the SEO Tools guide at Search Engine Journal.
Content is King But the User is the Emperor
Original Page: http://www.searchenginejournal.com/?p=32423
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YouTube is useless at boosting traffic if you're not using it to its fullest potential. YouTube is home to 490 million users, and offers the possibility of sending interested users to your website, but only if you know how to use it. If your video isn't up to snuff, it'll only gather cobwebs and be forgotten about. Everyone wants their video to go viral, right? So, how do we go about it?
Two factors make up a viral video: the video itself and how well the video is optimized. An example is the infamous 'Rick Roll'. For those who lucky enough to be spared from the Rick Roll, it's the Rick Astley song "Never Gonna Give You Up" played as a prank and displayed as something that you was searching for (but obviously is not). Yes it's irritating, but it shows how well optimized the video was for you to have actually seen it. There's no relevant content, but by following the algorithms of YouTube, the video has managed to show up in your results. On the other end of the scale, you could have an informative, helpful video, but if it isn't optimized, no one will see it. It's the balance of the two elements that leads to your video receiving a lot of viewers – interested viewers, which is what we all want.
Now, I would say that this would be a first step for all users looking to optimize their videos. It's essential you decide who you're targeting and find out what they're searching for.
A good tool for this would be https://ads.youtube.com/keyword_tool – this tool suggests keywords to you that are similar to those you entered. It also shows the number of searches per month. Experiment and come up with a list of keywords that are relevant and searched for by a sufficient amount of users.
To optimize our videos, we must know what the search results are based on. For those of you who don't know, YouTube is owned by Google, so the algorithms will have some similarities.
When you create your video, there are only three parts that you can control: the Title, Description, and the video's Tags. These are all vital for your video to be seen and make sure that they're of the best standard, keyword AND quality wise. These are factors you have control over, but there's other things you can't change, such as the amount of views, the amount of likes, and the comments. The basic rule of thumb is the more uncontrolled factors the better, although there are a few variables, which will be explained shortly.
For all of you SEOs out there, treat your YouTube video title as you would a Meta title. Your YouTube title is what shows above the video, but it's also the first thing that shows in the search results. So, it's important that you get this right, otherwise users will pass over it if it does not match their needs. First, you need to find your keywords. Once you've decided upon them, figure out what terms are the most important and most searched for. It's vital that the title doesn't look too spammy and is short and to the point.
Let me give you an example – if your video was a tutorial, showing how to create backlinks from your site to another, simply name it "How to Create Backlinks" and possibly include your company name if it's relevant. Bear in mind that search engines don't pick up words like 'and', 'to' and 'for', so keep these to an absolute minimum. If you're using YouTube to help develop your branding, I suggest putting in your company name religiously because if someone's to search the name of the company then all of your videos are easily shown.
Again, for the SEO experts out there, treat your YouTube description how you would a Meta description. The principles are very similar. Addressing users lacking SEO knowledge, the main thing is to include a lot of your keywords in this section. Don't end up keyword stuffing, though, as this is a black hat method, which is frowned upon by the search engines and could get you banned.
Moving on, the description needs to actually describe your video in a readable format, but make a conscious effort to include your keywords. If you have a website, it's essential that you include it within the first line of your description, this way your site is always available and always visible. The same thing goes for telephone numbers or email addresses. If you'd like people to contact you then make your contact information clear and visible. Remember people do actually read the descriptions, so format them accordingly.
Now this is the area where you're supposed to keyword stuff. Anything you think your viewers could potentially search and be looking for in a video similar to yours, put it in. It's much better to have more tags than less. In addition, make sure you have every variation you can think of with phrases and words; you want your video as visible and available as possible.
There's a 500 character limit; you're unlikely to run over that, but make sure you prioritize your keywords in correlation to how many people are searching for them. It's important that these keywords are 100% relevant to what your video is actually about; otherwise, your video might as well join the Rick Roll.
Likes and comments are basically the same thing. With regards to optimization, the more you get the better. If a lot of comments are placed on your video, this means the video impacted the viewer enough for them to make a comment, regardless of whether it was good or bad.
Similarly, the more likes you have the better, but negative likes will affect the search results. Obviously you'll show lower in YouTube's results if you have more dislikes than likes. There's not much you can do to control this, although in regards to comments make sure you engage your audience… maybe ask their opinion, but most importantly, get them involved and encourage them to comment, like and subscribe.
Finally, I come to the views, they have an effect and the more the better. Although, details of the view effects it to some extent, if someone stops watching your video halfway through, then that individual view won't be as beneficial as a full view.
However, even if you click off the video halfway through watching, it still counts – YouTube just takes note that it wasn't a full view. The only way you can influence that is by making sure the content of the video is of a high quality throughout and keeps the viewer entertained!
Now, a lot of different elements come into creating a brilliant video, but the ones that have always been the most popular are as follows: How to's or Tutorials, Comedy, Product or Service Reviews. Cute animals and sexy women will always have a high amount of views, but try not to take advantage of the easy options just remember they're always there for those who really need them.
When you've decided on the type of video, know what it needs to set it apart from the rest. A good opening is essential, it needs to be snappy, capture the attention of its audience, and retain interest. Once you have their full attention, don't let it go… Make your video consistent throughout. Production of the video is also important, it must be well edited and not slapped together. It needs to be as good as possible otherwise your viewers will just find something else.
There are many methods to get your video noticed and some people just stick to one. If you want your video as viewed as much as possible, make it available as possible. I suggest trying and using all of the following methods.
Join a forum that relates to the videos you're creating, become an active member and when the opportunity arises, direct potentially interested forum users to your video. For example, if you joined a mobile phone forum someone is likely to be discussing and asking for opinions about the iPhone4. If you've actually done a review of that, mention your work and provide a link.
This method also works with YouTube. Look for similar videos and say something along the lines of "I've actually created a similar video and I have a different point of view". Also, post your video in the video responses section; this gives your video as much opportunity as possible in the sense of YouTube.
If you're an active Twitter, Facebook, or any other social media platform user, then write a short post and a link about your video. Upload the video only to your YouTube account, this way all of your traffic is put into one place and will benefit you more as opposed to uploading on separate sites.
An exception to this is to upload the video onto your own site, possibly in your blog. Use the embed code provided by YouTube and put it onto your site with a short description about the video, similar to the YouTube description page.
It essential you carry out the video's production and distribution to the best standard if you want great results from YouTube. You'll notice the effect it has on your business once you utilize YouTube's potential. Remember, just one factor on its own won't provide the results you're looking for, unless you are a "Rick Roller", so put effort in all the different elements that add up to a useful YouTube video.
Check out the SEO Tools guide at Search Engine Journal.
YouTube is Useless
Original Page: http://www.searchenginejournal.com/?p=32078
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Whether you're building a tech startup, raising three kids, or running a soup kitchen, Steve Jobs's indelible philosophies serve as a roadmap to success.
He's been called the modern day Thomas Edison, the Beethoven of business, and the most prolific visionary since Henry Ford. Yet as Steve Jobs steps down from the helm of Apple, he has left us with so much more than incredible technology.
Jobs completely transformed the industries of personal computing, digital animation (Pixar), music, mobile phones, and now tablets. He created the most valuable company in the world and impacted the way billions of people live their daily lives. But beyond his accomplishments, he's taught us lessons in leadership and life. The characteristics he embodied can serve as a roadmap for us all to become better not only in business, but in our communities, families, and personal achievements.
For all us kids from 1 to 92, Jobs's guiding principles can help us live our best life and make the biggest difference:
1) Put Passion First He followed his heart and let the operational details fall into place. He refused to put a governor on his burning desire to reach new heights.
2) Never Limit Your Imagination He always imagined the ideal solution or product and never cut corners or watered down his most potent ideas due to setbacks or fear.
3) Pursue Greatness Over Money Jobs didn't chase the mighty dollar. Rather, he focused on making the biggest possible impact and the money followed.
4) Demand Excellence Critics complain of his exacting style and "unrealistic" demands. There's a natural gravitational force of mediocrity, and sometimes it takes an aggressive stance to rise above the sea of sameness.
5) Put Yourself Out of Business Jobs was never satisfied, and constantly strove to be the force of disruptive change that would make the Steve Jobs of six months ago irrelevant. Never clinging to past successes, he maintained intense urgency around continuous reinvention.
6) Challenge Conventional Wisdom When there were norms, he lived to shatter them. Nearly every step of his success can be traced to inspired thinking that stuck his finger in the eye of the complacent incumbents.
7) Simplify'Nuff said.
8) Ignore the Naysayers If he listened to the "sound advice" of others, we'd never even know his name. He never let the fear of others interfere with his own trajectory.
9) Persist While today he sits victorious, there were many times he nearly lost it all. There were dark days at Apple, Pixar, and even in his personal life. Where others throw in the towel, Steve stared into the abyss and never accepted defeat.
10) Never Pigeonhole Steve wasn't a "computer executive." He was a visionary change agent and could not be constrained. He realized his calling was far beyond any categorical label.
11) Push Beyond What You Think is Possible When Steve heard "that can't be done," it only emboldened his resolve. He constantly drove himself and others to reach new heights.
Whether you're building a tech startup, raising three kids, or running a soup kitchen, these indelible philosophies serve as a roadmap to success. While you may organize your thoughts on your MacBook, communicate with your team on your iPhone, and later relax with some tunes on your iPod, the impact of Steve Jobs is far greater than the devices he's provided. Rather, he's given us a model to reach our full potential.
Steve famously said he wanted to "put a ding in the universe." You have done that, my friend, and so much more. The impact you've made is immeasurable, and has inspired a generation to "think different." Thank you for taking the path less travelled, for conquering the never-been-done, and for leading with purpose. Thank you for changing the world.
For more insight on Creativity and Innovation, please visit www.JoshLinkner.com
[Image: Flickr user Sigalakos]
Original Page: http://www.fastcompany.com/1776914/life-lessons-from-steve-jobs?partner=rss
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"La scorsa settimana ho notato che combinando le parole dello spot Apple Crazy Ones con alcune immagini storiche di Steve Jobs poteva avere perfettamente senso". A scrivere queste parole sul suo blog è Ken Segall, autore del video tributo che vedete qui a seguire.
Se il nome Ken Segall vi dice qualcosa, consideratevi pure dei buoni Apple-storici, perché Segall è che il creativo che ha ideato il concept originale di quel famosissimo spot televisivo che fu la chiave di volta dell'altrettanto nota campagna Think Different.
Il filmato di apertura assume un valore che va ben oltre quello del tributo di un semplice fan: è il creatore stesso della campagna che, a 14 anni di distanza, la corregge per integrare una carenza importante.
Continua a leggere: Steve Jobs, the crazy one, the misfit (...)
Steve Jobs, the crazy one, the misfit, pubblicato su TheAppleLounge il 30/08/2011
© Camillo Miller per TheAppleLounge, 2011. | 4 commenti |
Tag: dimissioni di steve jobs, ken segall, Steve Jobs tribute, Think Different
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Original Page: http://www.theapplelounge.com/?p=66386
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We've learned a lot about former Apple CEO Steve Jobs's personality over the years. But his sucessor, Tim Cook, is still largely an unknown. Both men did deliver commencement speeches, which we compared in word clouds, but only Jobs's address was available in text. Here's the complete transcript of then Apple COO Tim Cook's Auburn commencement speech.
May 14, 2010. Auburn University.
It's a tremendous honor and a privilege for me to be here with all of you. To be back to a place that really feels like home to me, and to be back to a place that brings back so many fond memories. Auburn has played a key role in my life and continues to mean a lot to me, as anyone who comes in my office at Apple or my home in Palo Alto instantly discovers. I have so much Auburn memorabilia you might think it was a California outpost for J&M or Anders.
As thrilled as I am to be here I stand before you knowing that the lives of many people here and even more across our state and beyond are deeply affected by the tragedy off our shores. I grew up on the Gulf Coast and my family still lives there and I want you to know that my thoughts and hopes are with you.
Also as thrilled as I am to be here, I stand before you with a deep sense of humility both because of how I got here and who is here. I am where I am in life because my parents sacrificed more than they should have. Because of teachers, professors, friends, and mentors who cared more than they had to. And because of Steve Jobs and Apple who have provided me the opportunity to engage in truly meaningful work every day for over 12 years. And I know that I'm offering words of advice in front of a faculty whose ideas and research positively impact our lives. And I do so in a gathering where the faculty is complemented by the hard-won wisdom of so many parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents that have been a source of incredible inspiration for today's graduates.
So bearing all that in mind I'll share some personal discoveries with you that have at least served me well. Discoveries based on this most improbable of journeys that I have been on.
My most significant discovery so far in my life was the result of one single decision: My decision to join Apple. Working at Apple was never in any plan that I'd outlined for myself, but was without a doubt the best decision that I ever made. There have been other important decisions in my life, like my decision to come to Auburn. When I was in high school some teachers advised me to attend Auburn, other teachers advised me to attend the university of Alabama and, well, like I said some decisions are pretty obvious. The decision to come to Apple which I made in early 1998 was not so obvious. Since most of you graduates were 10 years old at the time you may not realize that the Apple in early 1998 was very different than the Apple of today. In 1998 there was no iPad or iMac or iPhone, there wasn't even an iPod--I know it's hard to imagine life without iPods. While Apple did make Macs, the company had been losing sales for years and was commonly considered to be on the verge of extinction. Only a few months before I'd accepted the job at Apple, Michael Dell, the founder and CEO of Dell Computer, was publicly asked what he would do to fix Apple, and he responded "I'd shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders." In making this statement what distinguished Michael Dell was only that he had the courage to say what so many others believed.
So Apple was in a very different place than it is today, and my employer at the time, Compaq Computer, was the largest personal computer company in the world. Not only was Compaq performing much better than Apple, it was headquartered in Texas and therefore closer to Auburn football. Any purely rational consideration of cost and benefits lined up in Compaq's favor, and the people who knew me best advised me to stay at Compaq. One CEO I consulted felt so strongly about it he told me I would be a fool to leave Compaq for Apple.
In making the decision to come to Apple, I had to think beyond my training as an engineer. Engineers are taught to make decisions analytically and largely without emotion. When it comes to a decision between alternatives we enumerate the cost and benefits and decide which one is better. But there are times in our lives when the careful consideration of cost and benefits just doesn't seem like the right way to make a decision. There are times in all of our lives when a reliance on gut or intuition just seems more appropriate--when a particular course of action just feels right. And interestingly I've discovered it's in facing life's most important decisions that intuition seems the most indispensable to getting it right.
In turning important decisions over to intuition one has to give up on the idea of developing a life plan that will bear any resemblance to what ultimately unfolds. Intuition is something that occurs in the moment, and if you are open to it. If you listen to it it has the potential to direct or redirect you in a way that is best for you. On that day in early 1998 I listened to my intuition, not the left side of my brain or for that matter even the people who knew me best. It's hard to know why I listened, I'm not even sure I know today, but no more than five minutes into my initial interview with Steve, I wanted to throw caution and logic to the wind and join Apple. My intuition already knew that joining Apple was a once in a lifetime opportunity to work for the creative genius, and to be on the executive team that could resurrect a great American company. If my intuition had lost the struggle with my left brain, I'm not sure where I would be today, but I'm certain I would not be standing in front of you.
This was a surprising lesson. I recall how uncertain I was at my own commencement about where my life would lead. There was a part of me that very much wanted to have a 25-year plan as a guide to life. When I went to business school we even had an exercise to do a 25-year plan. I found mine, now 22 years old, in preparing for this commencement address. Let's just say it wasn't worth the yellowed paper it was written on. I didn't understand it then as a young MBA student, but life has a habit of throwing you curve balls. Don't get me wrong--it's good to plan for the future, but if you're like me and you occasionally want to swing for the fences you can't count on a predictable life. But even if you can't plan, you can prepare. A great batter doesn't know when the high-hanging curve ball is going to come, but he knows it will. And he can prepare for what he will do when he gets it.
Too often people think about intuition as the same as relying on luck or faith. At least as I see it, nothing could be further from the truth. Intuition can tell you that of the doors that are open to you, which one you should walk through. But intuition cannot prepare you for what's on the other side of that door. Along these lines a quote that has always resonated with me is one by Abraham Lincoln. He said "I will prepare, and some day my chance will come." I have always believed this. It was this basic belief that led me to Auburn to study industrial engineering, led me to co-op alternating quarters while attending Auburn, led me to Duke to study business, and led me to accept so many jobs and assignments that are too numerous to mention.
In business as in sports, the vast majority of victories are determined before the beginning of the game. We rarely control the timing of opportunities, but we can control our preparation. I feel Lincoln's quote is especially appropriate now, given the state of the economy and the worry that I suspect a number of you must feel. I had the same worry when I graduated in 1982 (yes, I am prehistoric, for the record). But as many of the parents here will remember, the economy then bore some strong similarities to the economy today. The unemployment rate was in the double digits, we didn't have the collapse of Wall Street banks but we did have the savings and loan crisis. I worried, as many of my classmates did, what the future held for them.
But what was true for Lincoln was true for those of us who graduated in '82, and it is true for those of you graduating today. Prepare and your chance will come. Just as all previous generations have done you will stand on the shoulders of the generation that came before you. The generation of mine and your parents. And you will achieve more and go farther. The fact that you are here now at this great institution, in this great state, at this great moment for both you and your families is a testament to the fact that your preparation has begun. Continue to prepare yourselves as you have at Auburn, so when your gut tells you "this is my moment," you are without a doubt ready.
If you are prepared, when the right door opens then it comes down to just one more thing: Make sure that your execution lives up to your preparation. At least for me the second sentence of the Auburn creed, "I believe in work, hard work" really resonates here and has been one of my core beliefs for as long as I can remember. Though the sentiment is a simple one, there's tremendous dignity and wisdom in these words, and they have stood the test of time.
As current events teach us, those who try to achieve success without hard work ultimately deceive themselves, or worse, deceive others. I have the good fortune to be surrounded by some brilliant, intuitive thinkers who create the most elegant and extraordinary products in the world. For all of us intuition is not a substitute for rigorous thinking and hard work: It is simply the lead-in. We never take shortcuts. We attend to every detail. We follow where curiosity leads, aware that the journey may be longer but will ultimately be more worthwhile. We take risks knowing that risk will sometimes result in failure. But without the possibility of failure, there is no possibility of success. We remember Albert Einstein's words: "insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results." When you put it all together, I know this: Intuition is critical in virtually everything you do, but without relentless preparation, and execution, it is meaningless.
So those are my discoveries on the significance of intuition, preparation, and hard work. For me they give rise to a simple principle for the most important decisions in your life: Trust your intuition and then work with everything you have to prove it right.
Logic probably dictates that I end my remarks here, but as I've said sometimes logic shouldn't prevail, and so I have one last brief discovery to share with you. I think it is misleading to talk about success without also referencing failure. I know of no one who has achieved something significant without also in their own lives experiencing their share of hardship, frustration, and regret. So don't believe that something in your past prevents you from doing great work in the future. To all of you who doubt yourselves, I have been there too, and although today I've spent time talking about a great decision, I've made some that are far from it. And like many of you I've had my share of life's personal challenges and failures. But after many miles on my journey I recognize that each of these difficult periods of life passes, and with each we exit stronger and wiser. The old saying "This, too, shall pass" has certainly proven true for me and I'm sure it'll hold true for anyone who believes it.
So paint in your mind the most grand vision where you want to go in life. Prepare, trust in, and execute on your intuition. And don't get distracted by life's potholes. Congratulations, class of 2010, this is your day. This is your moment. You've received a first class education, from a first class institution. Congratulations to your families and friends who have supported you. And as important as this day is, make sure that you carry the Auburn spirit in the weeks, months, and years ahead. Let your joy be in your journey--not in some distant goal. And regardless of where your particular journey may lead you from this moment forward, thank you for allowing me to play a small part in today.
Original Page: http://www.fastcompany.com/1776338/tim-cook-apple-ceo-auburn-commencement-speech-2010-transcript?partner=rss
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Steve Jobs's return to Apple in 1997 is often referred to as the greatest second act in business history. He had been ousted more than a decade earlier in 1985, and was forced to watch helplessly as the company he built tumbled toward bankruptcy, hampered by poor management, a weak product line, and a dearth of innovation.
That all changed when Jobs came back, and breathed new life into the struggling company. We know how the story goes from there: Apple unveiled revolutionary products--the iMac, Mac OS X, iTunes, the iPod, iPad, and iPad--which led to unprecedented growth. When Jobs returned in 1997, Apple shares were being traded for barely a couple dollars; today, Apple stock hovers around $380 a share, and recently shot passed $400, briefly making Apple the most valuable brand and company in the world.
But to get to that point, Jobs had to do more than introduce flashy products. He had to define Apple's future. And he did so over the years, fighting off skeptics, refocusing the company, and most importantly, giving Apple a long-term vision.
Responding To Critics
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Steve Jobs's return was never a cakewalk--many were skeptical that Jobs would be able to rebuild Apple. After all, NeXT, the ultra-high end computer company he started while away, failed to crack the mainstream market (though Apple ended up acquiring the startup for $400 million). In this rare Q&A session at 1997's Worldwide Developers Conferences (WWDC), an audience member takes Jobs to task, angrily questioning his technical understanding and telling Jobs that he doesn't know "what he's talking about."
Jobs responds calmly to the question, even going so far as to say, "People like this gentleman are right." He apologizes for his mistakes in the past, acknowledges there will likely be more mistakes in the future, and admits he does not have all the answers. However, he says, "We've tried to come up with a strategy and vision for Apple--it started with: 'What incredible benefits can we give the customer?' [And did] not start with: 'Let's sit down with the engineers, and figure out what awesome technology we have and then figure out how to market that.'"
Jobs goes on to cite the reaction consumers had when first seeing the laser printer. "People went, 'Wow, yes!'" Jobs said. "That's where Apple has to get back to."
Focusing On Saying No
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Apple in the 1990s had a lot more products than the Apple of the aughts. QuickTake digital cameras, LaserWriter printers, Newton PDAs--all of these product lines were discontinued when Jobs came back. And Jobs's thinking can be found at WWDC 1997, when he explained how Apple had lost its way.
"Apple suffered for several years from lousy engineering management," he said. "There were people that were going off in 18 different directions…What happened was that you looked at the farm that's been created with all these different animals going in all different directions, and it doesn't add up--the total is less than the sum of the parts. We had to decide: What are the fundamental directions we are going in? What makes sense and what doesn't? And there were a bunch of things that didn't."
"Focusing is saying yes, right? No. Focusing is about saying no. You've got to say, no, no, no," Jobs continued. "The result of that focus is going to be some really great products where the total is much greater than the sum of the parts."
Burying The Hatchet, Letting Apple Be Apple
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Microsoft is likely the main reason Apple had lost its way. The bitter battle between the two companies--for market share, over operating system superiority and patent issues--ended with Apple in a significant hole, trying to bite off more than it could chew.
Steve Jobs--who probably more than anyone had the right to be bitter about Microsoft--decided on his return to put the intense rivalry to rest. "Relationships that are destructive don't help anyone," Jobs said at MacWorld in 1997. "I'd like to announce one of our first partnerships today, and a very, very meaningful one, and that is with Microsoft."
Predictably, the crowd groaned and booed--even more so when Bill Gates made a cameo appearance via satellite. But the partnership showed just how far Jobs had come, and just how much he and his vision for Apple had matured. The deal proved incredibly important for the company: Microsoft injected $150 million into Apple; agreed to provide Macs with Microsoft Office; and agreed to patent cross-licensing and Java collaboration.
But most important was just how much Jobs dramatically changed the direction of his company, during one 12-minute speech. "If we want to move forward and see Apple healthy and prospering again, we have to let go of a few things here. We have to let go of this notion that for Apple to win, Microsoft has to lose," Jobs said. "We have to embrace the notion that for Apple to win, Apple has to do a really good job. If others are going to help us, that's great. Because we need all the help we can get…The era of setting this up as a competition between Apple and Microsoft is over."
The Apple Hierarchy Of Skepticism, Redefining Product Strategy
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At MacWorld 1998, Steve Jobs finally got the chance to silence a few skeptics. After the release of the iMac, he had the facts to back up his success. Profits were surging, to $47 million his first quarter, and to $55 million during his second. He had launched Apple.com, which he refers to here at the "gold standard of e-commerce," a site that rocketed from 1 million hits per day to more than 10 million. And Apple's market value had quadrupled to roughly $4 billion.
"This went a long way to convince a lot of the skeptics," Jobs said. "When I came to Apple a year ago, all I heard was that Apple is dying, that Apple can't survive. Turns out that every time we convince people that we've accomplished something at one level, they come up with something new. I used to think this was a bad thing. I thought, 'When are they ever going to believe that we're going to turn this thing around?' But actually now I think it's great."
In what he calls the "Apple Hierarchy of Skepticism," Jobs lays out all the ways critics will be skeptical going forward--in many ways, the critics would never be silenced, and as Jobs said at the time, that's a good thing. It meant Apple was ahead of the curve--that it was taking risks, and trying to innovate.
One of the riskier moves Jobs also took that year was to redefine Apple's product strategy. At the time, most other OEMs were spitting out dozens of products into the market--Apple was no different. "When we got to the company a year ago, there were a lot of products--15 product platforms with a zillion variants of each one," Jobs said. "I couldn't even figure this out myself, after about three weeks: How are we going to explain this to others when we don't even know which products to recommend to our friends?"
Jobs dramatically changed and streamlined Apple's product roadmap. The company, he said, would now just offer four products, a simple offering plan that has allowed Apple to differentiate itself over the years from the endless options available from competitors such as HP, Dell, and others.
The Big Picture: Vertical Integration = Customer Experience
[youtube qTYGdhy09UA]
"I remember two-and-a-half years ago when I got back to Apple, there were people throwing spears, saying, 'Apple is the last vertically integrated PC manufacturer. It should be broken up into a hardware company, a software company, what have you,'" Jobs said in 2000 at MacWorld. "And it's true, Apple is the last company in our industry [that's vertically integrated]. What that also means if managed properly is that it's the last company that can take responsibility for customer experience--there's nobody left."
That strategy--to keep Apple a hardware-software integrated company--has allowed Apple to thrive in recent years. It was the opposite approach as the one taken by Microsoft, which licensed its OS, Windows, to device makers. And even with critics arguing that Apple should follow suit, Jobs resisted--in fact, Apple pre-Jobs-comeback had tried (and failed) to license its operating system to OEMs such as Gateway. Jobs devotion to hardware-software interplay led to breakthroughs with the Mac/OS X and iPhone/iPad/iOS.
"There's no other company left in this industry that can bring innovation to the marketplace like Apple can. It means that we don't have to get 10 companies in a room to agree on everything to innovate--we can decide ourselves to place our bets," Jobs said at the time. "We're going to integrate these things together in ways that no else in this industry can to provide a seamless user experience where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. We're the last guys left in this industry than can do it. And that's what we're about."
The Digital Hub
[youtube b5C7pnrS4oY]
At MacWorld 2001, Jobs began by looking backward to describe what he called the golden ages of the PC, from the age of productivity to the age of the Internet. He then spoke at length about what the next golden era would be.
"I'd like to tell you where we are going," Jobs said. "What is our vision?"
Describing the "explosion of new digital devices" such as cell phones and music players, Jobs said he envisions Apple (the Mac, specifically) to become the new "digital hub for our emerging digital lifestyle." While he didn't explicity say what products were likely to come from Apple--Jobs would never do such a thing--he described a future very much like the one we're living today, where Macs, iPods, iPhones, and iPads are central to our digital media experience.
"We don't think the PC is dying," Jobs said. "We think it's evolving."
In the decade that lay ahead, traces of Apple's products and innovations can be traced back to this talk, and speeches Jobs had delivered in the years prior--to what Jobs had envisioned for the company all the way back in 1997.
And in true Jobsian style, he concluded his 2001 MacWorld address with what is now justified hyperbole.
"We think this is going to be huge," Jobs said.
And he was right.
[Image: Flickr user Mathieu Thouvenin]
Original Page: http://www.fastcompany.com/1776369/video-how-steve-jobs-vision-inspired-a-decade-of-apple-innovation?partner=rss
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Apple is a standout company because Steve Jobs refused to accept mediocrity. Your company's success depends on whether you follow in his footsteps.
Apple will be fine without Steve Jobs. Because Steve Jobs isn't just a CEO, he's an idea and an idea that all companies should embrace. I know, because I aspire to bring him to life every day at my company.
Steve Jobs represents an ethos that is core to Apple's culture. He, as an idea, is a simple one. It's all about building amazing, intuitive, life-changing products that people love. To embody this principle, Apple doesn't need Jobs. It can live on through the shared vision of Apple's talented people who deeply care and are dedicated to creating greatness. As long as that culture continues to thrive in Cupertino, Apple will be fine.
That said, it's also a culture other companies would be well-served to have. As MarketWatch reporter Brett Arends wrote last night, "What Apple has achieved isn't impossible. Why don't more companies do it?"
Because it's really, really hard. At HUGE, we all come together, every day, to try to build Apple-caliber digital products that people love to use. That's what our clients are asking from us when they hire us to create a new mobile application, website, social media experience, outdoor digital installation or anything else. They want us to produce something so special, something that's so genuinely loved by their users, that their business is dramatically transformed as a result.
That's no easy task. It means pushing yourself to design something, and then throwing it all away to try to make it better. It means constantly challenging yourself to see if the experience can be easier, more beautiful, simpler, more elegant, more in tune with what people will embrace. It's a painstaking undertaking that means sweating all the details, because your heart and soul is in it, and because it's become your baby and you want it to be absolutely perfect.
Then one day you release it to the world - in our case turning it over to our clients and their audience - and you hope for the best. You catch yourself holding your breath, sitting at the edge of your seat, engaged in a very pregnant pause waiting for feedback. But in your heart of hearts, you know that it will be ok and the product will be a success for one simple reason: you designed it for yourself. That's the secret to all great design: you may not be a member of the product's target demographic, and you may never use it in real life, but you designed it for yourself. And your goal was to build a revolutionary product. Your self-imposed expectation of performance exceeds that of most technology users in the world. And that's what makes great products great.
But most people don't bother to do this. That's why Apple is such a standout. For many the passion, the heartache and the pressure that's required is just too much. They fall back to what is easy: mediocrity. They punch the clock, go home at five to play soccer with the kids, and don't really push themselves or their team toward greatness.
HP's TouchPad is a case in point. Think for a moment about that product and the team behind it. Were they really trying to reinvent the world? To create the best tablet possible? No. If they were, they certainly weren't trying hard enough. Because all they created was an iPad clone with a few extra bells and whistles. Why would anyone buy a bad imitation of the original for the same price? They wouldn't and didn't.
If HP had a Steve Jobs culture, they would have made something completely different. They would have pushed themselves to make something better. Better could have been cheaper; better could have been something dramatically different that makes people rethink whether an iPad is the tablet for them; better could have had consumers wondering how they ever lived without it. But HP took the easy way out.
For many years, taking the easy way out was relatively acceptable. You could get away with it and keep a product on the market. No more. In the tech world this has come to life as a "Sell Big or Die Fast" mentality. To non-tech companies, the stakes are the same. There's no such thing as an offline business. Every company's customers, employees, job candidates, "friends," and "followers" are technology users. They create mass public opinion and operational performance; they shape brands and drive sales. In 2012, 50 percent of consumer spending is going to be influenced by or transacted through the Internet, according to Forrester Research. This means every company must provide users with a first-class digital experience they want to use, ideally one worthy of Steve Jobs' approval. This is what I write about in Users, Not Customers. Every company can and should provide people with outstanding digital experiences, because it is increasingly becoming the point of difference between companies that thrive and those that die.
So the opportunity for you, as a manager, executive, technologist, or whatever your job is, is to follow in Steve Jobs' footprints. Be the Steve Jobs of your company. Just like him, you can push yourself and your team to create exceptional digital products and experiences that are so special in forty years you'll look back and be proud that you were part of it. It's the key to your business success, your company's ability to compete in today's digitally-driven economy, and it's the key to a rewarding, fulfilling career and personal happiness. Make something you really, really love.
____
Got a question for Aaron Shaprio? Let him hear it at @amshap.
Original Page: http://www.fastcompany.com/1776054/be-steve-jobs?partner=rss
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Original Page: http://www.cwi.it/?p=50440
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Il 65% degli utenti internet adulti, secondo l'ultima indagione di Pew Research Center, dicono di utilizzare un sito di social networking come MySpace, Facebook o LinkedIn, rispetto al 61% di un anno fa. Questo è più del doppio della percentuale che si era registarta nel 2008 (il 29%).
Il ritmo con cui gli utenti sono accorsi a siti di social networking è stata sbalorditiva: in una prima indagine sui siti di social networking nel febbraio 2005, solo l'8% degli utenti Internet - il 5% di tutti gli adulti - aveva dichiarato di usarle.
Continua a leggere Il 65% degli utenti internet usa i social network...
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Original Page: http://feeds.blogosfere.it/~r/blogosfere-205/~3/PWK3dsu5HQw/story01.htm
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http://www.ipadforumitalia.com/news/conosciamo-assieme-tim-cook-il-nuovo-ceo-di-apple.html
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Nonostante l'annuncio ufficiale non ne facesse affatto menzione, praticamente tutte le grandi pubblicazioni italiane e straniere ieri hanno collegato in automatico le dimissioni di Steve Jobs ad un aggravamento delle condizioni di salute dell'ormai ex-CEO di Apple. La verità è che non c'era e non c'è nessuna indicazione in tal senso, e il collegamento è solo una pigrizia giornalistica a cui per molti è stato facile ed immediato indugiare. Fatevene una ragione, pennivendoli e soprattutto titolisti: "dare le dimissioni" è diverso da "passare a miglior vita".
Per giunta le indiscrezioni più quotate parlano di uno Steve Jobs che, nonostante non si sia fatto molto vedere nelle ultime due settimane, ha trascorso tutto l'ultimo giorno da CEO al lavoro in ufficio.
Continua a leggere: Steve Jobs: le dimissioni e la salute (...)
Steve Jobs: le dimissioni e la salute, pubblicato su TheAppleLounge il 26/08/2011
© Camillo Miller per TheAppleLounge, 2011. | 7 commenti |
Tag: dimissioni di steve jobs, salute di Steve Jobs
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Original Page: http://www.theapplelounge.com/?p=66320
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È di poco più di un giorno fa la notizia che Steve Jobs ha rassegnato le dimissioni da CEO di Apple per lasciare il posto a Tim Cook. Non c'è dubbio che l'evento rappresenti un momento storico tanto per la compagnia (Jobs è stato CEO dal 2000 fino a ieri) quanto per l'uomo. Anche per questa ragione Walter Isaacson introdurrà i dettagli delle dimissioni di Apple in Steve Jobs, il suo libro biografico ufficiale sulla vita dell'ormai ex-CEO più importante della Silicon Valley.
Continua a leggere: Steve Jobs: la biografia conterrà i dettagli delle dimissioni (...)
Steve Jobs: la biografia conterrà i dettagli delle dimissioni, pubblicato su TheAppleLounge il 26/08/2011
© Lorenzo Paletti per TheAppleLounge, 2011. | Commenta! |
Tag: biografia, dimissioni Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson
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Original Page: http://www.theapplelounge.com/?p=66322
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Google ha rilasciato un aggiornamento per la sua applicazione: Google+, che aggiunge il supporto ad iPad e all'iPod Touch. Inoltre sono state introdotte nuove funzionalità, con cui è possibile comunicare con gli amici attraverso chat private. Sono poi state aggiunte le notifiche in push e tutte le impostazioni sono raggruppate in un'unica schermata.
Original Page: http://www.ipadforumitalia.com/applicazioni-ipad/google-si-aggiorna-e-diventa-compatibile-con-ipad.html
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Ciao,
se mi segui saprai che già ho scritto più volte riguardo all'Intelligenza Relazionale e ho anche già dato una definizione in questo post.
Oggi vorrei ritornare sopra questo argomento, riportando quella che, secondo me, è la miglior definizione mai letta. D'altra parte è stata scritta da Stefan F. Gross, che guarda caso è l'autore del libro: "L'intelligenza relazionale"… 
L'Intelligenza Relazionale è la capacità di stabilire, con il prossimo, un rapporto positivo e di rendere tale rapporto duraturo e proficuo. L'Intelligenza Relazionale permette di conquistare la stima, il rispetto e il sostegno attivo di colleghi e conoscenti; riesce a far nascere un'atmosfera di collaborazione distesa e serena.
(Stefan F. Gross)
Cosa ne pensi? Puoi scrivermi un commento.
Un saluto
Salvatore
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