Data is changing the world. Facebook, Google, Microsoft and mass media is offering new opportunities to understand human behavior on a grand scale. Big Sur is a new program designed to further current voice and facial recognition technology that could have an impact on the next generation of electronics and intelligence. Self Learning software will be powering many things in the world over the next few decades.
I'm not a big tech guru but I am one for new ways of understanding. Artificial Intelligence is something that theorists have talked about a long time. It is a core part of sci fi movies ever since the self-learning machine. The development of systems that can collect and learn from masses amount of Internet data is interesting and a little scary.
There are two parts that I see to this. The first part is about improving current systems by helping them integrate new information that may vary during processes such as manufacturing, security, and service development. The other side of this is more related to the possibilities of collecting and analyzing large amounts of societal data.
Such systems are becoming more likely as hardware adopts to process more data and more people get connected to the Internet. Facebook has been used for research for a long time but we are now on our way to analyzing massive amounts of user data. It be so much information that one could poll a society just by the way they are talking about issues and the words they are using.
Perhaps such systems will someday let us know how and why revolutions start, how wars are carried out, how social opinions are formed and how people are moving around the world and what they are saying about it. That is both the beneficial side and the scary side of mass programs that can understand, learn and calculate information on a grand scale.
The possibilities are endless and progress will move on whether or not we are ready for it.
Friday, December 11, 2015
Optimism Helps Busy Professionals Beat Heart Attacks
How we think determines many things in our lives. Most of us might think about our positive or negative perspectives on life and how it filters throughout our general viewpoint. According to new research from Harvard Medical School optimism is linked to an 8% decrease of repeat hospitalizations for serious heart problems.
Optimism was linked to an 8 percent lower risk of repeat hospitalizations in the six months after one of these serious events, known as acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Participants engaged in 2.5 miles of steps throughout the day but those who were more positive ended up doing better than those who didn't.
This doesn't stand as a surprise considering that optimism reduces stress and stress is a major contributor to long-term health problems. The hearts problems don't generally rise over night and takes years of bad eating, no exercise, stress, and hypertension to create problems.
When you have a positive outlook on life you reduce that stress which creates less pressure on the brain and the body. You can't but help to let silly things go and focus on what is most important to you. Life is short living your life in a way that keeps long-term stress down will raise your optimism and improve upon just about every other aspect of life.
Optimism was linked to an 8 percent lower risk of repeat hospitalizations in the six months after one of these serious events, known as acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Participants engaged in 2.5 miles of steps throughout the day but those who were more positive ended up doing better than those who didn't.
This doesn't stand as a surprise considering that optimism reduces stress and stress is a major contributor to long-term health problems. The hearts problems don't generally rise over night and takes years of bad eating, no exercise, stress, and hypertension to create problems.
When you have a positive outlook on life you reduce that stress which creates less pressure on the brain and the body. You can't but help to let silly things go and focus on what is most important to you. Life is short living your life in a way that keeps long-term stress down will raise your optimism and improve upon just about every other aspect of life.
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Raising Subjective Customer Value Perceptions Through Reducing Core Confusion
Customer perceptions maybe subjective but do have tangible value in their minds. Customer perceived value (CPV) is the difference between a customers benefits and costs associated with purchasing a product/service. Raising CPV isn't impossible if the company understands its core demographic and caters its products and services to them.
When the company's products and services are aligned with their core customer base they are better capable of raising per visit purchase amounts as well as retain these customer over a lifetime improving long-term profitability. Unfortunately, many businesses suffer from what I call "core confusion". This occurs when they are not sure who they are as a business and who their customer is.
A company might have multiple products that appeal to different segments. They are trying to be everything for everyone. Their confusion leads to confusion in marketing which in turn draws in lots of customers that have different perspectives the company is not able to meet, products/services that don't fit well, and lots of wasted resources trying to earn a small dime from each customer when they could be earning bigger dollars.
Raising customer perception requires knowing what you are as a company and the type of customer you want to attract. Marketing should be focused on that core customer and services should cater to that core customer as much as possible. If a company does this well they will find their profits rising and their costs going down; shareholders are happy.
When core confusion is low the right customer is being attracted which costs less in overall marketing as the company is high skilled and focused in their campaigns. Less money is spent attracting customers as well as less money actually retaining them over a longer period of time. Internal operations improve as activities become aligned to their core group and stakeholder satisfaction rises with a consistent product, performance and message.
When the company's products and services are aligned with their core customer base they are better capable of raising per visit purchase amounts as well as retain these customer over a lifetime improving long-term profitability. Unfortunately, many businesses suffer from what I call "core confusion". This occurs when they are not sure who they are as a business and who their customer is.
A company might have multiple products that appeal to different segments. They are trying to be everything for everyone. Their confusion leads to confusion in marketing which in turn draws in lots of customers that have different perspectives the company is not able to meet, products/services that don't fit well, and lots of wasted resources trying to earn a small dime from each customer when they could be earning bigger dollars.
Raising customer perception requires knowing what you are as a company and the type of customer you want to attract. Marketing should be focused on that core customer and services should cater to that core customer as much as possible. If a company does this well they will find their profits rising and their costs going down; shareholders are happy.
When core confusion is low the right customer is being attracted which costs less in overall marketing as the company is high skilled and focused in their campaigns. Less money is spent attracting customers as well as less money actually retaining them over a longer period of time. Internal operations improve as activities become aligned to their core group and stakeholder satisfaction rises with a consistent product, performance and message.
Monday, December 7, 2015
Listening as a Communication Skill
Communication is the process of transferring and receiving information between at least two people. Most do really well on speaking and telling others what they need but fail to listen adequately. By adjusting our communication patterns we are better able to listen to what the other needs and communicate our needs in a more effective manner. Communication experts often achieve great personal and professional success.
Social interaction occurs through communication but is inherently part of social reciprocation. People talk and connect because they both receive benefits of doing so. When people talk and discuss issues they are connecting themselves into a wider social group and this has value for both parties. When communication breaks down so does social interaction leading to conflict.
Listening is at least half of this reciprocation process. When we listen we can better understand what the other person wants, needs, and desires. We are able to adjust our message and communication pattern to match theirs and in turn create better levels of understanding. Two people are better able to share their thoughts and ideas when the both are listening closely.
To listen effectively we have to slow down our thinking and avoid acting on the urge to talk. Try and understand what the person is saying and focus on what they are thinking. Once you have a good idea of what they want to say and what they are really saying you can open up and say something. That something is likely to be more profound and influential than if you didn't listen first.
This is difficulty because we have be conditioned and program to take a "first" stance in everything. However, effective communicators can use more wisdom than simply blabbing their mouths. They can listen and assess the environment and the conversation before talking. Once they act they are more effective and get more of their needs met.
Social interaction occurs through communication but is inherently part of social reciprocation. People talk and connect because they both receive benefits of doing so. When people talk and discuss issues they are connecting themselves into a wider social group and this has value for both parties. When communication breaks down so does social interaction leading to conflict.
Listening is at least half of this reciprocation process. When we listen we can better understand what the other person wants, needs, and desires. We are able to adjust our message and communication pattern to match theirs and in turn create better levels of understanding. Two people are better able to share their thoughts and ideas when the both are listening closely.
To listen effectively we have to slow down our thinking and avoid acting on the urge to talk. Try and understand what the person is saying and focus on what they are thinking. Once you have a good idea of what they want to say and what they are really saying you can open up and say something. That something is likely to be more profound and influential than if you didn't listen first.
This is difficulty because we have be conditioned and program to take a "first" stance in everything. However, effective communicators can use more wisdom than simply blabbing their mouths. They can listen and assess the environment and the conversation before talking. Once they act they are more effective and get more of their needs met.
Sunday, December 6, 2015
It Makes Sense to Lower Mortgage and Student Loan Interest Rates
Mortgage rates slipped to 3.93% while graduate student loan debt is at a whopping 6.84%. Housing and education are long term investments and should naturally have lower term rates. Despite this, student loan interest is prohibitively high and at a $1.3 trillion price tag that is holding the economy back. Encouraging the population to own their own homes and go to school needs more than wishful thinking.
Current college students, and those in high school now, are not big fans of buying houses or taking lots of student debt. They are staying with their parents longer and looking for certificates so they don't have to pay the big price tags. There is a reason why MOOCs and alternative education became popular.
I don't think anyone can blame them. If I could go back and do it all over I might stay with my parents longer, work, and pay as much of my education via cash online. I can go as long and as far as I want as long as I pay cash for it. I would do my best to live simply and take little debt.
Yet that wasn't the conventional wisdom at the time. We pushed people to take larger student loans and encouraged people to buy bigger houses they didn't need. This led to a housing crash that put the country into an economic spiral and sweltered a current student loan crisis that continues to drag the economy.
Despite these unfortunate mishaps we still have an obligation to invest in our nation's future. Home ownership, particularly the process of refurbishing existing homes versus expanding to new homes, has significant benefits for the nation. Likewise, encouraging people to get a meaningful yet cost efficient education has its advantages for long-term national competitiveness.
Our past mistakes should not be put unfairly on the current generation that must now limit their opportunities. High student loan interest is unfair and limits their capacity to go to school. It is also limiting the growth of the nation through locking up large payments at high interest rates that could be used for other things. Because these high interest rates are protected by the government students have little recourse.
Keeping student loan rates low, but ensuring the education has advantages for the economy, can help keep the younger generations in school---hopefully, relevant school. Keeping mortgage rates low, especially for urban development, encouragess the new generation repopulate and improve the value of cities. It is hoped the next generation has market relevant skills and contribute to national improvement in a beneficial way....they just may need a little support.
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Wearable Fitness Creates Leads Holiday Markets
People love to get in shape and those that do are usually hard core work out enthusiasts. According to a report from International Data Corporation (IDC) wearable fitness devices are popular and keep growing in influence. Markets are expanding across the globe. They have become so popular that they are being distributed to company employees.
The Fitbit, Jawbone UP2, Garmin Vivoactive and many other types offer the opportunity to track one's fitness on a regular basis. Your cell phone collects your dating allowing you to see your activity, heart rate and other factors. Different wearables do different things so it is best to read about them and try them out.
You can always read about the various kinds and what is best for your particular sport (here).
For fitness enthusiasts the ability to track and monitor your performance is beneficial for continuous improvement. You don't know where you are going unless you know where you have been. Fitness wearables will be popular this season while providing the gift of greater health. As these items continue to adapt they will become even more exciting.
The Fitbit, Jawbone UP2, Garmin Vivoactive and many other types offer the opportunity to track one's fitness on a regular basis. Your cell phone collects your dating allowing you to see your activity, heart rate and other factors. Different wearables do different things so it is best to read about them and try them out.
You can always read about the various kinds and what is best for your particular sport (here).
For fitness enthusiasts the ability to track and monitor your performance is beneficial for continuous improvement. You don't know where you are going unless you know where you have been. Fitness wearables will be popular this season while providing the gift of greater health. As these items continue to adapt they will become even more exciting.
Friday, December 4, 2015
Losing the Love For Bookstores-Is Barnes & Noble on its way to Bankruptcy?
Barnes and Nobel is playing catch up with Amazon and launched a new webpage with significant glitches and problems. The end result is a 22% drop in sales and left with only a little cash on hand. The digitization strategies are failing and the company now faces serious risks of having to either make a last ditch effort to change, sell off unprofitable stores, or liquidate assets.
It is a shame. I loved B&N and the years of reading at their coffee shops. I still buy from them and am a little frightened they are moving down a path of going out of business. With Border Books taking a nose dive a few years ago books stores are becoming specialty shops and novelties.
You can almost foresee small mom and pop bookstore coffee shops springing up to fill the void. The grand bookstores some of these large chains offer are trying to buck the trend. Someone will need to fill the smaller but more robust niche book loving crowd.
What happened to B&N and to Border Books does highlight the trend of the market moving to electronic books and those that offer the best prices and platforms win. When companies don't adjust quickly and stay ahead of the market they have a harder time playing catch up later.
If they are going to survive then radical change is needed. This may require downsizing their large stores and focusing on demographics that buy the most books. That would require an adjustment of their strategy to focus on a smaller but more condensed relationship with the market.
They might have also offer comparable services that fulfill the needs of their core book reading market. Free electronic readers that app to your smart phone, shared discounted services with other large entities, and advertised more effectively online.
The immediate future looks a little bleak for B&N and with some great stroke of luck they could turn around their situation. Hopefully they do. The market seems to be saying that it no longer wants to touch and feel the paper launching us into a new era of paperless books. Books have become gifts and collector items.
It is a shame. I loved B&N and the years of reading at their coffee shops. I still buy from them and am a little frightened they are moving down a path of going out of business. With Border Books taking a nose dive a few years ago books stores are becoming specialty shops and novelties.
You can almost foresee small mom and pop bookstore coffee shops springing up to fill the void. The grand bookstores some of these large chains offer are trying to buck the trend. Someone will need to fill the smaller but more robust niche book loving crowd.
What happened to B&N and to Border Books does highlight the trend of the market moving to electronic books and those that offer the best prices and platforms win. When companies don't adjust quickly and stay ahead of the market they have a harder time playing catch up later.
If they are going to survive then radical change is needed. This may require downsizing their large stores and focusing on demographics that buy the most books. That would require an adjustment of their strategy to focus on a smaller but more condensed relationship with the market.
They might have also offer comparable services that fulfill the needs of their core book reading market. Free electronic readers that app to your smart phone, shared discounted services with other large entities, and advertised more effectively online.
The immediate future looks a little bleak for B&N and with some great stroke of luck they could turn around their situation. Hopefully they do. The market seems to be saying that it no longer wants to touch and feel the paper launching us into a new era of paperless books. Books have become gifts and collector items.
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