http://www.cheskin.com/blog/perspectives/ en-us http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/001006.html Veeeery interesting article in the New York Times today entitled "Moving Mountains with the Brain, Not a Joystick." We discussed brain/computer interface possibilities on the "Kill Your Mouse" panel at South by Southwest Interactive this spring, but I can't say that I thought I'd see a commercial application of it... Innovation & Design Lee Shupp 2008-06-08T20:40:07-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/001005.html This blog is a tribute to Bo Diddley, who was a musician, cultural icon, and astute innovator. I salute the man, his life, and his music. I also salute his ability to innovate, and his marketing genius. Now, you may ask, what does Bo Diddley have to do with innovation... Innovation & Design Lee Shupp 2008-06-08T18:23:30-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000993.html Bill Gates announced this week that Windows 7 would include a touch interface. (Windows 7 is the code name for the next version of the Window OS, reportedly coming in 2010.) This is big news, as it is the ultimate mainstreaming of the touch interface introduced to the mass market... Consumer Technology Trends Lee Shupp 2008-02-22T09:22:31-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000978.html The New York Times business section ran an interesting article in the Sunday paper today, entitled "If It's Retail, Is It Still Rock?" The article describes the steps that many musicians and bands are taking to increase revenue in an era of declining CD sales. It includes a very fun... Positioning & Branding Lee Shupp 2007-10-28T17:13:25-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000967.html As you probably recall, I have started the Big Rip, converting my entire CD collection into 256 Kbps mp3s on a network hard drive. My original plan was to rip all of my CDs, starting with roots music that I use as a musician, then going to catalog rock, jazz,... Consumer Technology Trends Lee Shupp 2007-08-26T13:52:21-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000966.html I've been trying to describe the difference between my iPod and my Zune to people, and here's the best description that I've come up with. My iPod is like my model girlfriend, and my Zune is like the girl next door.... Consumer Technology Trends Lee Shupp 2007-08-25T16:06:10-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000965.html I am beginning the Big Rip. That's right, I’m ripping all of my CD's and selling them. All of them. I love the convenience that digital media offers, and I’m tired of the clutter and confusion of CDs. As a musician and dedicated music fan, I literally have thousands of... Consumer Technology Trends Lee Shupp 2007-08-25T09:38:34-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000958.html I was passing through Heathrow Airport in London last week, and I noticed that Prince has created yet another controversy, this time by striking a deal to include his new CD in the Sunday edition of the London Daily Mail newspaper. Record stores are rioting, fuming that this CD giveaway... Lee Shupp 2007-07-22T19:05:01-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000956.html Oscar Pistorius is a South African runner who happens to be a double amputee. Known as "Blade Runner," he runs on carbon fiber legs, and he is very fast. So fast that the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) is considering banning him from track meets, claiming that he may... Innovation & Design Lee Shupp 2007-07-17T08:55:05-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000949.html Microsoft announced Surface yesterday, and the announcement has spurned lots of media attention today, with articles in the NY Times and USA Today. Glad to see it making such a splash, because it's a really cool product, and Surface provides a more more interesting and intuitive computing experience than the... Innovation & Design Lee Shupp 2007-05-30T20:14:03-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000943.html I spent last weekend in Vancouver, at the annual gathering of the Association of Professional Futurists. The APF has consistently put on great conferences in cities where the locale fits the conference theme. (For example, a past gathering on "The Future of Reality" was held in Las Vegas; what better... Innovation & Design Lee Shupp 2007-04-28T17:21:24-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000854.html I've watched two episodes of a show called "Survivorman" this past week, and I'm hooked. It's a show with a pretty unusual premise: the host, Les Stroud, is dropped in the middle of the wilderness with no food, shelter, or equipment, and he has 7 days to make his way... Positioning & Branding Lee Shupp 2006-10-02T11:21:38-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000850.html I've just finished reading "Stumbling on Happiness" by Daniel Gilbert, a Harvard professor of psychology. The book applies research from psychology to analyze how we think about the future, and why our visions of the future are so often wrong. He starts by examining happiness, and what it really means.... Innovation & Design Lee Shupp 2006-08-28T11:13:04-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000842.html Jamais Cascio has just posted "12 things journalists to know to be a good futurist" on his blog. It's similar to the futures FAQ I posted a few days ago, but different in that it challenges commonly held media assumptions about the future. I've listed them here along with some... Methods & Techniques Lee Shupp 2006-07-06T16:46:52-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000841.html When I reveal to clients and colleagues that I'm a trained futurist, I often get bewildered looks, and then comments along the lines of "pork bellies or crystal balls?" No, I'm not a futures trader who works commodity markets. And no, I'm not a fortune teller either. I am interested... Methods & Techniques Lee Shupp 2006-07-05T15:41:35-08:00