Last week I traveled to the Midwest to Champaign, Illinois to speak to a group of entrepreneurs about building brands and social media as covered by the Champaign News Gazette and to host another TECH cocktail. The event was sponsored by Wolfram Research which is based in Champaign and has been creating products like Mathematica for over 20 years. Wolfram Research recently received quite a bit of buzz on TechCrunch, GigaOm Network, ReadWriteWeb and Mashable among others for the launch of the consumer facing product called Wolfram Alpha. Wolfram Alpha is a the computational research engine that helps to find anwsers to questions that don't exist on the Web. I got a chance to visit with Co-founder, scientist and author, Theodore Gray and discussed the lastest from Wolfram Research. Check out the video interview with Theodore Gray (above). It is episode 82 on the SOMEWHAT FRANK Video Adventures Podcast which is available on iTunes.

Read The Rest Of This Article

Sphere It

Two weeks ago I was able to take part in the 140 Conference hosted by Jeff Pulver in New York City. I was pleased to be among the characters at the event which brought together Twitter users from a number of different walks of life and geographic locations. While there were a number of highlights at the event I think my biggest takeaways were as follows: * Twitter is about love as people share their thoughts and assemble an army of supporters online and off * Twitter is the ultimate social recommendation feed reader and start page for many * Twitter's text messaging capabilities make it a powerful tool for reporting and organizing groups while on the go - bypassing regular text messaging protocols * Twitter is a connector, touching so many people in all walks of life A number of my friends, followers and colleagues spoke at the event and while there are too many to mention in one article without vomiting the entire conference schedule. I thought I would share a few tidbits, photos and videos from the two day Twitter love fest. If you missed the event you can watch it streamed live on June 29th (Day 1) and June 30th (Day 2) starting at 11AM EST. The re-broadcast can be watched over at: http://140conf.com/watchit

Read The Rest Of This Article

Sphere It

After making my second stop to the Apple Store in two days, I finally got my hands on an iPhone 3GS. My first attempt was unsuccessful because the AT&T network was down. So when I returned the next day, I decided to go with the white 32GB version since they were out of the black. I figured I could use the extra 16GB over my last iPhone 3G since I would most likely be taking advantage of the iPhone 3GS's video capabilities. In order to purchase the iPhone 3GS I had to get yet another AT&T contract. This annoys me. The FCC needs to step in to stop the monopoly that Apple and AT&T have created by forcing all iPhone customers into an AT&T contract just to purchase a new iPhone. Consumers have no choice as they cannot fight of the beautiful songs of the Muses that play while starting into the touchscreen interface for a shiny new iPhone 3GS. Ok, I will get off my soapbox now, but I really think the FCC needs to do something. Upon syncing up my new iPhone, I was excited to test iPhone 3GS video camera so I recorded and edited a quick video using the 3GS. I think Flip should probably be a little concerned about the iPhone's video camera taking some of its piece of the mobile video camera pie, though there are still lots of people that will not have the 3GS. The Flip and other similar cameras also offer HD quality video which the iPhone does not so there is still value in having both but the gap between them is shrinking. Aside from the new video camera, the iPhone 3GS also has a better still photo camera with auto focus and balance. So I performed a little photo test by taking a similar photo but using the touchscreen to focus on a different area.

Read The Rest Of This Article

Sphere It

Apple will soon be launching of the iPhone 3.0 operating system and part of the new system is a push alert notification feature as highlighted at WWDC 2009 this week. Push Notification is the system developed by Apple to remedy the fact that the iPhone won’t allow third party applications to run in the background due to security, battery life and performance concerns. Push notifications are will enable certain tasks (like IMs) that come to your phone even when that application isn’t running. TechCrunch recently tested Push Notifications using AIM the new 3.0 iPhone software. Watch the video above to see Push Notification in action with AIM but please note the video makes it seem like there may be a delay between an IM sent and received, but it’s basically instantaneous.

Read The Rest Of This Article

Sphere It

Last week, thanks to the Intel Insider program, I journeyed to Taipei, Taiwan to attend Computex Taipei in my search for the perfect mobile Internet device or MID. In doing so I met up with Steve "Chippy" Paine from MID Moves and UMPC Portal and we explored the Intel mobility display at Computex. We look at a handful of mobile Internet devices all with the Intel Atom processor inside which included the Viliv S7, S5 and X70 EX, Clarion Mind, LLUON Mobbit, UMID mBook and Panasonic Toughbooks to determine which one we like the best. Yukyung Viliv S7My favorite MID that we highlight is probably the Viliv S7 (shown here) but I also like the UMID mBook and would love to do a head-to-head hands on comparison of just those two. But until then check out episode 80 on SOMEWHAT FRANK as we explore the mobile Internet devices of Computex Taipei 2009 (video above) and let me know which device you like the best.

Read The Rest Of This Article

Sphere It

The issue of online identity has been an age old issue online as some users leverage the Web to manage multiple personas and online identities. Though there are initiatives like OpenID and OAuth that look to help remedy the situation, it still is somewhat difficult to verify true online identity. This opens the door to online identity impersonation. In many cases, someone creates a fake account to playfully mock another person which could be taken as the ultimate form of flattery. But in other cases the mocking can turn downright insulting. This seems to be the case with the fake Twitter account of St. Louis Cardinals Manager Tony La Russa. He has also experienced a fake account of his own and he is not taking it lightly as he is suing Twitter over it. According to TechCrunch the suit was filed in the Superior Court of California in San Francisco seeking “unspecified damages.”

Read The Rest Of This Article

Sphere It

This morning I learned about a pretty slick new Linux open source project called Moblin. Moblin has been around for a couple of years now but the new 2.0 version is now in beta and today at Computex Taipei there was an executive summit (video below) which helped me wrap my head around the scope and direction of the project. Founded by Intel in July 2007, Moblin started as a project looking to enable a new class of devices based on the Intel Atom processor. With the 2.0 version, Intel has handed the keys over to the Linux Foundation to drive this project to the next level as an open source platform of mobile computing. Moblin 2.0 offers an open platform that developers can build on and see instant gratification by plugging into the Moblin myzone dashboard. The platform and dashboard reminds me of the iPhone application platform but for slightly larger more powerful devices. The myzone dashboard that aggregator a bunch of widgets of information into a startpage experience that is anchored by a tool bar across the top. The dashboard includes social features by sharing a lifestream are which pulls in information from sites like Twitter, Last.fm and Flickr. It also offers a status message system that is said to push updates out to your various social sites that revolve around status updates. Moblin also positions your videos, photos, music and calendar on your startpage.

Read The Rest Of This Article

Sphere It

Today, l’m traveling to Computex Taipei, the world’s largest computer exhibition in Asia and second largest in the world just behind CeBit in Germany. I’m traveling 18 hours to Taipei from Washington, D.C. stopping just once in Tokyo, Japan before heading on to the island of Taiwan as part of the Intel Insider program (a brand ambassador program) that I have been a part of for a year now. I will be attending a number of the Intel events in Taipei as well as meeting the Asia Pacific Intel representatives as I look to assist them as they get their own version of the Intel Insiders program started in Asia. I am honored to be attending such an important global industry event, as it offers a super opportunity to see lots of new shiny gadgets and devices. It also affords me an opportunity to dust off my somewhat virgin passport, getting some International ink along with cultural growth. Since I have a lot of time in transit, I decided to use some of it reviewing two new Mobile Internet Devices, or MIDs, which I recently received: the Yukyung Viliv S5 and the BenQ S6.

Read The Rest Of This Article

Sphere It

I just got back from an unbelievable experience in the Washington, D.C. technology scene as Washingtonian Magazine recently assembled a list of the 100 DC Tech Titans, and tonight gathered them to celebrate. The group is lead by innovators like Steve Case, Ted Leonsis and Vint Cerf among others and I was happy to be included as part of the group. It was brought to my attention that Ted Leonsis was overheard referring to Nick O'Neill, Jen Consalvo, myself and a few others as the "future of DC tech." It was a rather memorable, flattering and humbling moment as I got a chance to rub shoulders with some of the mothers and fathers of technology as we know it. I feel I still have a lot to offer to the advancement of technology so please stay tuned as I share the adventure on SOMEWHAT FRANK. I had an enjoyable time at the event and thank Washingtonian Magazine and Garrett Graf for writing the 100 DC Tech Titan article. Check out a few of the videos (below) I captured while attending the event.

Read The Rest Of This Article

Sphere It

What? Where? and When? That is precisely what you can find out when you visit When.com the fairly new hyper-local site created by AOL. When.com can help you to cut through the clutter and pinpoint restaurants, events and activities in your neighborhood. It also offers the ability to buy tickets and save on dining out with dining deal offers. When.com enables anyone to add an events to extend city event coverage. For example, check out the listing for TECH cocktail DC 5 in Washington, DC today. I recently got a chance to talk with Abha Dasgupta about When.com in episode 78 on SOMEWHAT FRANK adventures in personal technology.

Read The Rest Of This Article

Sphere It

I have been having quite a bit of Kindle envy as Amazon launched both the Kindle 2 and the Kindle DX. The Amazon Kindle 2 enables users to carry all their reading materials at one time in a sleek 6 inch screen. The Amazon Kindle DX is a larger version with a 9+ inch screen which offers a better reading experience for newspapers and magazines. Both are the future of the publishing medium and save a lot of paper! I recently got a chance to talk with Kindle 2 owner Bob Gurwin as he shared his experiences and opinions about the device. Check out episode 77 on SOMEWHAT FRANK (above) as we explore the Kindle 2 with envy.

Read The Rest Of This Article

Sphere It

I am happy to share that I will be co-hosting another TECH cocktail in DC. In case you missed the last DC event it was well covered by the Washington Post and other media outlets. Check out photos from TECH cocktail DC 4. This is our 5th event in the Nation’s Capital and I hope you can make it out to the fine venue, LeftBank digital bistro in the Adam’s Morgan neighborhood of DC. TECH cocktail will offer a handful of start-ups an opportunity to show off in an expo-style to the rest of the community. If you are interested in supporting TECH cocktail please sponsor our events as we cannot put them on without your support. If you are interested in demoing a product or service please comment on this article or reach out to us at TECH cocktail. Look forward to seeing you there.

Read The Rest Of This Article

Sphere It

Intel launched an new video campaign yesterday (above) that celebrates what makes Intel different than a lot of other companies. Intel supports culture, personality, heroes and this new video titled "Sponsors of Tomorrow," exemplifies this point. As an Intel Insider, I am pleased to say that Intel has helped support my geekdom, curiosity and general pursuit of happiness. Intel has helped change the world for over 40 years and knowing what Intel is working on in the areas of health, environment and science I am sure that it will continue.

Read The Rest Of This Article

Sphere It

I got a chance to talk with Peter LaMotte of Washington, DC based startup GeniusRocket this past March right after the much debated "Is Spec Work Is Evil?" panel session at SXSW Interactive in Austin, Texas. We discussed GeniusRocket's mission and take on crowdsourcing. GeniusRocket also has an interesting crowdsourcing story about the creative video that SXSW used this year which Peter will also share. This video interview with Peter LaMotte got lost in the SOMEWHAT FRANK video queue but I just found it and wanted to share the video as episode 76 on SOMEWHAT FRANK. I hope you enjoy our pre-coffee talk at the Crepery in Austin, Texas about crowdsourcing.

Read The Rest Of This Article

Sphere It

I am excited to be speaking at Bootstrap Maryland Conference today on the campus of University of Maryland. My panel session is at 11 a.m. EST (shown below) has a great cast of local folks and we will look to help start-ups and entrepreneurs understand what you can do to get your message about your product, brand or service out there. How to market inexpensively with social media, events, and creative public relations Confirmed Panelists: Aaron Brazell, Peter Corbett, Frank Gruber, Kaitlyn Wilkins (moderated by Mario Armstrong) I will be streaming some videos live for the event via qik (below) so stay tuned to SOMEWHAT FRANK on Qik. Stay tuned.

Read The Rest Of This Article

Sphere It