Newsletter

The Project that Just Won't Die - The Virtual Case File seemed like a good idea at the beginning, but $170 million later, the FBI has an unusable computer system. It appeared to work beautifully -- that is until Zalmai Azmi (the FBI's technology chief) asked about the error rate. Software problem reports numbered in the hundreds and the problems were multiplying as engineers continued to run tests. Scores of basic functions had yet to be analyzed.

No gravity? No problem! - This week a team of French doctors performed the first zero-g surgery on board a custom Airbus 300 aircraft. Working in thirty-two 20-second bursts, they removed a benign tumor from the forearm of a volunteer while the aircraft made parabolic swoops to achieve zero-g. The success of the surgery confirmed that their equipment was suitable for use on board the International Space Station. The next phase of the program is to carry out a remote-controlled operation using a robot whose commands are sent from the ground via satellite. This experiment should take place within a year

Life in the Funny Papers - A friend of mine has a quote in the signature of her e-mails that always strikes a bittersweet chord with me: Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, 'Where have I gone wrong?' Then a voice says to me, 'This is going to take more than one night.' Charles Schulz wasn't talking about the IT Industry when he wrote it, but he might as well have been. Nearly all companies have failed investments in software initiatives--many in the six and seven figure range! The good news is that the leading causes of these failures can be avoided by applying Menlo's High-Tech Anthropology^® practice. Join us for a FREE 90-minute presentation on October 19th to learn how our approach creates the right software for the right application.

The Coolest Thing Since Sliced Toast - Someone challenges you to improve the most mundane object you can think of and what do you do? No, you don't build a better mouse trap -- that's been done plenty of times before. You choose to build an ultraviolet bread box that not only freaks out your friends, but also extends the shelf life of your bread by up to 50% by preventing mold growth. Total cost for building your very own mad scientist bread box? A mere $65.

Mother Knows Best - Miss sitting down at the dinner table with mom and dad? One company thinks it has the solution. Called the Virtual Family Dinner, it transmits your life-size video picture and voice to a special display setup in your folks' kitchen, where you can join them for dinner. When the system concludes that dinner is on, your image is rear-projected to a large display screen at the end of the table. You'll have to provide your own food, however.

Our Monthly Entry in the Category of "Robots are Cool" - Life-saving operations on soldiers in combat zones could become possible thanks to a portable robotic surgeon that allows doctors to perform surgery on the battlefield without endangering themselves. The robot consists of two arms that reach over a patient from either side. They are attached to a motorized carriage that can travel up and down the operating table.

It's Definitely Not High Fashion, but... - Japanese firms Matsushita and Activelink have partnered with Kobe Gakuin University to develop a robotic jacket that lets the paralyzed move again. The jacket, which slips over an individual's upper body and arms (no leg support just yet), allows the person to move their unaffected arm as they please while a series of "stretching and bending compressors" mimic the action on the paralyzed side. The 4-pound suit can gradually help someone to regain stimulation in a previously motionless area of their upper body.

Menlo has Moved! - After nearly five years in our previous location, we've moved to a new, larger facility in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Now located in historic Kerrytown District, we've got plenty of room to grow! Effective immediately our new address is:

Menlo Innovations LLC

410 N 4th Avenue

Godfrey Building, 3rd Floor

Ann Arbor, MI 48104-1104

Our phone number remains (734)665-1847. Stop in for a free tour if you find yourself in our neighborhood!

Pass the Remote Mr. Smith - It's an old marketing adage that "If you want to know why John Smith buys what John Smith buys you have to see the world through John Smith's eyes." Well web design agency Organic developed a new way to help companies relate to John Smith at a visceral level: persona rooms. Persona rooms recreate the living spaces of personas, providing a new, highly accessible level of insight for all stakeholders on the design team.

We're Passionate About What We Do - "Good communication should be as stimulating as a strong cup of coffee and just as hard to sleep after." (Ann Morrow Lindberg said that and we agree!) Menlo is filled with passionate, enthusiastic people who only love one thing more than the work they do: sharing that passion with others. We love public speaking and are thrilled to have the opportunity to share inspiring messages focused on business success. Look here for our current speaking engagements and a list of some topics that we've spoken about in the past. Call us today at (734)665-1847 to book your next event.

The New Canaries in the Coal Mine? - San Francisco, New York, Washington and other big cities are using bluegills to detect problems with municipal water supplies. Small numbers of the fish are kept in tanks constantly replenished with water from the municipal supply, and sensors in each tank work around the clock to register changes in the breathing, heartbeat and swimming patterns of the bluegills that occur in the presence of toxins. They do have limitations. While the bluegills have successfully detected at least 30 toxic chemicals, they cannot reliably detect germs.

No Brownie for You, One Year! - Sneaking a brownie at lunch is one of the small pleasures that many school children indulge in, thinking mom and day will never know. But that may be a thing of the past thanks to LunchBox, a piece of software that lets parents monitor what their children buy for lunch. More than 3,000 schools nationwide use the software which allows parents to monitor eating habits online and also restrict which foods their children may eat.

Where are all the Cool Kids hanging out this Fall? - At Menlo of course! The Menlo 2006 class schedule is out so now there's no excuse not to learn the real secrets of software success.