Whaddya do when you need to send a 40mb data file to your co-author who's in a different city?  Chances are you can't just email it.  Your email server likely imposes an upper limit on attachment size for security reasons.   And 40 megs is a big attachment.  You could snail mail a thumb drive, but that seems archaic.  You could post your file on your faculty webpage for download, but that may be a bit of a chore, especially if you don't have permission or software skills to tinker with it.  Or . . . (drumroll), you could DropSend it.  DropSend allows you to send files up to 1GB, or to upload and store files online.  And best of all . . . (drumroll), it's free.  You just have to register by (no surprise) giving them a wee bit of personal information.  For free, you get 5 sends per month and 250MB of storage.  Five bucks a month gets you 15 sends and 1GB of storage.  And so on.  It's a really nice service when you need it.

Permalink | Internet| Technology | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) | Bookmark

As someone who grew up a few months too soon to be in the video game generation, I'm a little embarassed to say this, but I think my family is a Nintendo family.  Last week I was reading this NYT article on how Nintendo is killing Sony and Microsoft in the video gaming industry right now, and it dawned on me that the article was about my family.

Part of the reason for the success of such products as the Nintendo Wii and the Nintendo DS, according to the article, is that Nintendo finally realized that many families didn't want high-level geeky games created by high-level geeky gamers.  Although many families have one person that these games attract, the games don't universally attract all family members.  Voila!  The Wii.

I completely agree.  A couple of years ago, I broke down and allowed an X-Box into our house.  But the games are too complicated and not kid-friendly.  The Lego Star Wars series, while a really fun concept, is created for 30-somethings who love Star Wars, not the kids looking at the "E" for everyone.  I don't consider it fun to have to look up on the Internet hints and secret codes for getting from Level Whatever to Level Better.  When my son tries to play it alone (without Paul), he often asks me to help him, but there is literally nothing I can do.  But all this is changed now.  Two weeks ago, we bought a Wii!

First of all, you can hook up a Wii in 5 minutes.  Then, you create your "Mii," and you can play in about 5 more minutes.  (My kids think the creating the Mii part is the best game so far.)  The Wii Sports games that are pre-loaded and the games on Wii Play have very steep (short, fast)learning curves.  Without investing time in honing special skills, mom can jump in, friends who come over can jump in, even grandparents can jump in.  For our family, this is a much better game.  Although complex games may sharpen problem-solving skills, blah, blah, blah, for our family, having something that everyone can play is much more important.  "Game night" doesn't have to be Monopoly anymore!  (On our wish list, Mario Party 8.)

We also have a Nintendo DS Lite for our daughter.  Although she's not video-game crazy either, she really likes Nintendogs, a game the article points out is one of few marketed to girls.  So, I guess if we have to concede that Nintendo is winning the gaming wars by marketing to the low-brow, low-tech masses, that's at least half our family!

Permalink | Technology | Comments (1) | TrackBack (1) | Bookmark

About a year and a half ago, I bought a PDA phone, the Samsung SCH-i730. I have struggled with this device, which is clunky in every sense of that word. I want an iPhone ...

Permalink | Technology | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) | Bookmark

Apple's new iPhone looks very cool. Here is a report on the launch. I have a Samsung i730, which is an amazing device in many ways, but it is clunky. Unfortunately, the iPhone will be available only through Cingular.

The W$J asks whether the iPhone is worth the hefty price tag ($599). "Yes" seems to be the early answer, at least if you think investors have their fingers on the pulse of the market. Apple's shares rose $7.10.

UPDATE: Check out Paul Kedrosky's brief discussion of Cisco v. Apple on the name "iPhone."

Permalink | Technology | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0) | Bookmark

Further to my earlier rant on flight delays and airlines' failure to disclose them in timely fashion, Delta has just started a new service that reports flight delays to your designated phone number or email address.  According to a press release, the new service

will notify customers when their flights are delayed and provide continuous, real-time updates when operational changes occur, such as rebooking options or gate changes.

I've just subscribed to the service, so I can't yet say  whether notifications will be timely.  But it's certainly a step in the right direction.  As I wrote previously, this seems in the airline's interest as well as the passengers': 

[I]s it that costly to disclose the departure delay in advance? Presumably, some passengers would find alternative flights, and Delta couldn’t impose cancellation penalties for flight commitments it couldn’t fulfill, right? Even assuming that’s right, it seems to me that it still might be profit maximizing for Delta to disclose early. First off, under current pricing practices, it would probably be difficult for most passengers to find a palatable fare on an alternative airline on such short notice, so there won’t be many cancellations—except for those passengers who simply decide not to fly that day.  Second, wouldn’t a policy of early disclosure offer enormous marketing advantages? If an airline always disclosed flight delays as early as possible, I would certainly favor that airline over its less helpful competitors. Even if it didn’t enable me to switch flights, I would appreciate the information for planning purposes.

Permalink | Technology| Travel | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) | Bookmark

My office telephone has a message on it right now. I am supposed to call someone back. I hate calling people back. I like email, which allows me to write them back anytime of the day or night.

Lately, I have been noticing that many teens do not use email. See, e.g., here and here. I have learned that emails (not just mine, but emails generally) are a burden to my 18-year-old daughter. She doesn't like to respond to emails. She prefers texting. Or talking on the phone.

So I am feeling betwixt and between, not able to communicate effectively with the next generation older or younger. I am imagining myself twenty years from now, still blogging and using email, and annoying all of the younger professors.

Permalink | Technology | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) | Bookmark

The Milken Institute has just released an extensive report of biotechnology transfer entitled Mind to Market: A Global Analysis of University Biotechnology Transfer and Commercialization. The report ranks universities around the world based on "publication rankings, patenting activity and office of technology transfer (OTT) outcome measures, or how universities perform in the overall innovation pipeline."

Wisconsin ranked #14 in publications, #9 in patenting activity, and #22 in OTT outcomes. In addition, Wisconsin ranked #4 in licensing income and #5 in patents issued. Well done, Badgers!

Other key findings:

• Harvard ranks first in terms of biotech research, as measured by papers and citations, followed by the University of Tokyo and University of London. U.S. universities hold eight of the top 10, and 28 of the top 40 positions. California universities hold five of the top 25 rankings; the UK and Japan hold three each.

• The University of Texas system scores first on our Biotech Patent Composite Index, followed by UC San Francisco — which is likely first among individual campuses since the University of Texas doesn’t report data on individual campuses — and Johns Hopkins. Nine of the top 10 patent holders are U.S. universities. The University of London ranks first among foreign universities (10th overall). (U.S.-issued university biotech patents grew from a cumulative total of 433 through 1995 to 11,430 in 2004.)

• Our University Technology Transfer and Commercialization Index shows MIT first on outcome measures, which include such factors as licensing income and startups. The University of California system ranks second (led by UC San Francisco), with Caltech third, Stanford fourth and Florida fifth. The University of British Columbia was the highest-ranked Canadian institution, coming in eighth overall.

• Among U.S., Canadian and European universities, the United States leads in invention disclosures, patents filed and granted, licenses executed and licensing income. However, European universities surpass their U.S. counterparts in startups established.

• Research activity has a high rate of return. Each 10-point increase in our Research Papers score contributes an additional $1.7 million in annual licensing income.

• Investments into OTTs also offer high returns. For every $1 invested in OTT staff, the university receives alittle more than $6 of licensing income.

• In terms of job creation, the Amgens and Genentechs most differentiate the economic impact of U.S. university-based biotech commercialization that originates from universities in other nations.

Interesting stuff, though if you want to read the whole thing, you will need to reserve a few hours.

Permalink | Technology | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) | Bookmark

In this age of technology, why would you hire  DJ for your wedding reception?  Not for the music library -- for a typical $650 fee, you can download a lot of eclectic tunes.  For the DJ's witty repartee?  Perfect sense of timing to know just when the crowd wants to do the Chicken Dance?  Probably not.  The WSJ today warns that iPods are killing the DJ industry.  For the cost of renting speakers and maybe cajoling a pre-teen cousin to watch the playlist, couples are opting out of the DJ era.  This seems sensible to me.  No one who plans a wedding ever really wants a DJ.  You want music.  However, live bands are expensive, so many people opt for the DJ.  The D.J. is usually not something you tout -- he doesn't match the color scheme -- instead, you want him to be as inconspicuous as possible.  What's more inconspicuous than an iPod?

Permalink | Technology | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0) | Bookmark

Sony made the batteries, but Dell is issuing the recall. Here is the story, and here is Dell's website. Or you can just enter your battery ID here.

My laptop is a Dell Latitude 610, which is on the list of laptops with "potentially affected batteries." And I bought it during the relevant time frame. But my battery is not affected. Still, Dell is not inspiring a lot of confidence lately.

UPDATE: Dell's share price is up this morning by over 2.5%. Michael Dell noted that the recall would not be a material event for the company because Sony is going to cover the cost.

Permalink | Technology | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Bookmark

From W$J:

The nation's technology capital lost 185,000 jobs, or one in five, between 2001 and 2005. This year, state economists expect a net inflow of people into the area for the first time in six years.

Just as noteworthy as the comeback is the source of all the new jobs. For the most part, it isn't giants such as Cisco Systems Inc., Sun Microsystems Inc. and Intel Corp. They're adjusting to slower growth rates and in some cases continuing to shed workers. The biggest demand comes from thousands of small and midsize companies and start-ups ..., suggesting that Silicon Valley's entrepreneurial ferment survived the bust just fine. Companies are typically looking for experienced workers who are well-versed in hot technologies.

And, yet, fears of recession seem to be spreading elsewhere in the U.S.

Some used to talk about creating "the next Silicon Valley," while others argued that there is only one. Well, Silicon Valley is looking pretty unusual right now.

HT Darian Ibrahim.

Permalink | Internet| Technology | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Bookmark

From the W$J. Any surprises for you?

The high representation of California cities is to be expected, but Boise is a mild surprise to me. I have visited Boise, and I know that it is more than just Micron, but its placement at #8 is a bit surprising.

The W$J also has an interesting podcast to go with the story, though the story's author says Bend, Oregon like it's an obscure Tibetan village. Bend is a widely known vacation spot, right?

Permalink | Intellectual Property| Technology | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Bookmark

On one gallon of gas.

Permalink | Technology | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Bookmark

My colleague Anne Miner made an interesting observation at the end of her presentation. She has studied university technology startups around the world, and she observed that policy makers and tech transfer officers worldwide have embraced an enormous vision of the power of technology startups to solve many of society's ills. Not just problems like unemployment or economic growth, but racial tensions caused by immigration (France) or the lingering problems caused by colonialism (Thailand). This is the world of technology startups as social movement.

Are they right? Probably not. But this is about hope, not experience.

Permalink | Entrepreneurs| Technology | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) | Bookmark

Last week, my Discover Card was cancelled after someone transferred an $11,000 balance to my account. Discover was right on top of the problem. We now have a new account number, and the $11,000 has been removed. Fresh from that experience, I was drawn to a W$J article with a great lead:

When Brenden Walker got his new MasterCard PayPass ATM card in the mail last month, he headed to the gas station to try it out.

To test the card's "Tap N Go" convenience, he passed it in front of the scanner, which activated with a beep and displayed the word "authorizing..." on its LCD screen.

That was quite enough for Mr. Walker. Without completing the transaction, he put the card down on the pavement and took a hammer to it.

You probably have guessed that Mr. Walker was destroying the radio chip that is embedded in the card. Lots of people are worried that their card information might be stolen or that they will inadvertently pay for someone else's purchase. If you are one of those people, you probably should avoid the microwave option:

Others are using do-it-yourself methods for disabling radio chips, including microwaving them. The electromagnetic energy emitted by a microwave oven fries the chip and renders it useless. The downside: Tagged items might burst into flames in the process, warns Caspian, a consumer group campaigning against the widening use of radio tags. The group suggests cutting out the chip with a pair of scissors, puncturing it with a straight pin, crushing it or pulverizing it.

Permalink | Technology | Comments (2) | TrackBack (1) | Bookmark

Lots faster.

Permalink | Technology | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Bookmark