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 Going retro - What happens when a 13-year old trades in his iPod
for a Walkman for a week? One self-realization? He has little knowledge of
"technology from the past." Also, there were lots of stares from his
friends because of the "monstrous box" he was carrying around. Be merciful, kid. That was cutting edge
technology!
[more] |
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 Microsoft is feeding the hungry -
Microsoft is helping you give back to your community. Each completed download of
Internet Explorer 8 from
Browser for the Better (through August 8, 2009) results in a
donation of eight meals to Feeding America. "Our customers have told us
they want to have an impact in the lives of their friends and
neighbors," said Amy Barzdukas, senior director for Internet Explorer at
Microsoft. "The Browser for the Better campaign is all about making it
easy for people to make a real difference. Not only are they
contributing to their community, they’re getting a more secure, modern
browser designed for the way people browse the Internet today."
[more] |
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| Army migrating computers to Vista - The U.S. Army has started the process of migrating all of its Windows-based computers to Microsoft's Vista operating system to bolster Internet security and standardize its information systems. The migration includes "all desktop computers on the SIPR and NIPRNET," (both the classified and unclassified networks) said Dr. Amy Harding, director of Enterprise Information Technology Services for the Army's G-6. She added that the only exemptions are standalone weapons systems. [more] |
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| Thump-thump. Thump-thump. - A new machine developed at North Carolina State University makes an animal heart pump much like a live heart after it has been removed from the animal's body. This new technology allows researchers to expedite the development of new tools and techniques for heart surgery because they are able to test and refine their technologies in a realistic surgical environment. [more] |
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 How fast RU? - A 15-year-old girl with a 500-texts-a-day texting
habit thumbed her way to the $50,000 grand prize at the L.G. National
Texting Championship in New York. To win the title she out-texted more
than 250,000 participants. "I felt like I was gonna die," the eventual
champion said of the texting gauntlet.
[more] |
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| Have a Hunch? - Hunch, a new website that recently went online, asks questions and helps people make decisions. Caterina Fake, co-founder of the photo-sharing community Flickr, says she created Hunch not because people need help with emotional decisions but because it's too tough to find smart information online. [more] |
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| How social media is affecting class reunions - The ability to locate former classmates through Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and the Internet at large, has many folks wondering if the traditional "class reunion" is going to become a thing of the past. [more] |
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 Are
you a stupid user? - Have you ever had the experience
of pushing on a door and having it not move only to realize that you
missed the enormous sign that says "PULL"? How did that make you
feel? Did you slink through hoping no one noticed, particularly
since you've worked in the building for years and you use this door
every day? Did you feel "stupid"? IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT! A door
shouldn't need a user manual! It's evidence of failed design. The
same is true for software! The need for a user manual is evidence of
failed design. Come to Menlo for a
Taste of how we use High-tech Anthropology® to avoid
this common failure of software design. |
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| The King of Pop crashes Google - So what happens when the self-proclaimed "King of Pop" dies? Well, we now know that Google crashes, Twitter's "Fail Whale" flies, and sites like CNN see their page views skyrocket into the millions per hour. For a while there it seemed like Michael Jackson was going to take the whole Internet with him. [more] |
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| The Kids are Alright - Contrary to common opinion, a recent study shows that teenagers aren't addicted to the web. The Wichita Eagle summarizes the study as disputing "several popular notions about teens, including the idea that teens 'use 10 media screens at a time.'" If you had to guess who the real Internet heavy-users are, who would they be? If you guessed middle-aged women, you'd be right. [more] |
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 Talk
to us! - Have a story idea for The Menlo Briefs? We'd love to hear
from you, and now it's easier than ever because Menlo's on Twitter! Tweet
us at @menloinnovation (no "s"). Not using Twitter? No
problem! You can e-mail us at
briefs2009@menloinnovations.com. |
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| A Little About Menlo Innovations |
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So what happens when passion, joy, fun and a bit of whimsical irreverence meet up with process, discipline, seriousness, dedication and hard work? You get a place like the Menlo Software FactoryTM. Just one peek and you know we're different!
Menlo Innovations is a refugee camp for an industry gone off course. We've escaped from the land of mindless specification documents that no one reads and just collect dust on the bookshelf, Microsoft Project generated Gantt Charts that never match with reality, project managers who can claim success even when the project fails, software that doesn't work, designs that are only usable by the power users who designed them, and project schedules that claim they are right on target even though the team is working 80 hour weeks that were never forecast. Imagine a place where you know exactly what everyone is working without even having to ask them. Imagine a place where there are almost no meetings but far more communication. Imagine a place where you get a weekly check-in on project progress by running the software being built. Try to imagine a place where project teams are always the right size and have just the right mix of skills for the phase of the project. Imagine a place where if we need more done we can add more people, which means sane 40 hour workweeks that result in high quality software produced by an energized team that works at a sustainable pace. Imagine a place that so believes in the power of great user experience that we consider it bad design if there is a need for a user manual or help text. Come visit us for a tour or a seminar and you won't have to imagine it any longer! Menlo Innovations LLC Our mission: To end human suffering in the world as it relates to technology.TM Coding, format, and on-site content copyright © 2009
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