Apple vs Google?

August 19, 2009 by dannydriffs 1 Comment

“Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance.” — Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Once upon a time in a land called teh interwebs, there existed two titans of industry called Apple and Google. These behemoths of their craft often collaborated to not infringe upon each others colossal steps, for they shared a common enemy, the great beast Microsoft.

Google and Apple agreed not to steal employees from each other, Apple gave Google Maps a default app on the iPhone, Safari uses Google as its standard search engine, and even Google’s CEO served on Apple’s board of directors.

But the cushy relationship between the two tech giants may be hitting some turbulence. Their progressive tactics and thoughts toward innovating were bound to grind up each other eventually like two massive platelets below earth’s surface.

First Google announced their Android mobile software (direct threat to the iPhone), then GOOG announced a new web browser (direct threat to Safari), then a shocking announcement of a new Chrome operating system (direct threat to OS X), then came a rejection of Google Voice from the iPhone app store, and finally the resignation of Google CEO Eric Schmidt from Apple’s board.

Schmidt’s resignation seems in many ways a call to arms in the valley. The announcement led Apple CEO Steve Jobs to release his first statement in months, due to a liver transplant, saying, “Unfortunately, as Google enters more of Apple’s core businesses, with Android and now Chrome OS, Eric’s effectiveness as an Apple Board member will be significantly diminished.” Oooo, that’s gotta burrrrnnn.

In many ways (revenue growth, press love, stock success), Apple and Google are two of the most influential companies, across any industry, of the past decade. A gloves off rivalry could potentially change tech as we know it.

Schmidt’s resignation was overdue and more surprising than shocking. What should be read from Mr. Jobs saying, “see ya wouldn’t want to be ya” is where the two companies will be crossing paths in the near future. It is easy to point to SEC and FCC investigations into the two companies but let’s look at operations conflict, not external matters.

Obviously Android has tremendous appeal. It is an open operating system with third party application development without Apple’s tightly monitored app approval process. Plus, Android’s ability to operate many mobile devices will be a direct threat to Apple’s mobile market share. App developers could simply grow weary of Apple’s obsessive regulations and start coding for a different platform. That is entirely possible with some of the iPhone’s app stores many developer problems.

Step up 2 the streets bitch

Step up 2 the streets bitch

Another obvious dilemma is Chrome OS. Apple has essentially made its comeback to relevancy based on the iPod and OS X. The latter the direct results from Steve Jobs’ past company, NeXt. Mac users are willing to pay more for their operating system. Surveys and market research have proved this again and again. If Google were to release an OS, that was indeed a solid alternative to Windows for non-Mac owners, Apple would have a serious threat on their hands, especially in a value conscious economy.

Open world vs tight environment is worth discussing. Google wants everything to be open, practically free, available to all, and have demand marketed by the masses. Apple is overly regulated. Secrecy rivals the CIA. They don’t even let you remove your batteries from their devices anymore. They have this confidence that they can tell you what you want regardless of what you say. And it is working well for them coming off their best non-holiday quarter ever. They have somehow been able to foster an environment of demand for their products that almost defies logic.

Cloud computing is also worth nothing for both, as it is undeniably the future of the internet, and only the biggest companies will be able to offer it well. Apple is building a huge data center, maybe to offer MobileMe free or cheaper, and it is no secret of Google’s love for cloud.

And maybe this is all hogwash and meme nonsense. Schmidt’s departure makes sense for both companies and may not signal all out war after all. But I can say this with full confidence and take it for what you will; Mobile internet is the immediate future of revenue streams and market share desire in technology. And Apple and Google have always sidestepped each other to hit Microsoft when they could, but now they are both large enough to pass MicroHoo and hit each other.

Game on holmes?

Filed under Business, Tech

MMA’s 10 Best Pound for Pound

August 12, 2009 by dannydriffs Leave a Comment

I’m not the biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) fan in the world but I have always kept an ear to the sport and am getting better at understanding the science of the emerging phenomenon. I’m not a complete nOOb, I remember the vicious nut punching at UFC 4, the Sen. McCain vs UFC saga in which he deemed the sport as “human cockfighting”; which led to new rules to keep fighters safe, and the Ken Shamrock/Dan Severen cross into the WWF which further expanded the sport’s appeal.

While MMA is growing at an incredible rate, not everyone has accepted the sport yet. It is still looked at as barbaric, violent, and unsuitable for children. With anything, if you take the time to understand it while putting prejudices away, you can at least come to grips with it. MMA is a science of sorts. A tactical human chess match between two competitors with mutual respect for one another. In fact, the civility and humility of MMA is what, in my opinion anyway, has led the public to embrace the sport.

The UFC is the premier brand in MMA. Call it the NFL of football or the WWE of professional wrestling, it just is what it is regardless of your liking. So for this list, most of the fighters are currently signed to the UFC brand. I don’t know if that means UFC simply has better fighters or ignorantly shows my still low level knowledge of the sport. But anyway, and this is by no means a scientific assessment, on to my opinion of the top 10 pound for pound fighters in the sport today (only includes the five main weight classes of UFC, thus excluding featherweight and bantamweight competitors from other brands).

Honorable Mention: Jon Fitch, Josh Barnett, Dan Henderson, Jake Shields, Josh Koscheck, and Eddie Alvarez.

10) Shinya Aoki

Currently ranked as the #1 lightweight in the world by MMA Weekly, Shinya is perhaps the greatest submission force in MMA, but is lacking with his striking game. Sporting a 21-4 record in the World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA), the BJJ fighter once fought #1 ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko in an exhibition bout but lost.

I have Aoki back at #10 because I simply think BJ Penn has faced better competition in his career, making the two the only lightweights in my top 10. It is a down division in UFC and seemingly around the world. Could Aoki sign with the UFC one day? Perhaps. And he would probably get a title shot, but don’t count on it anytime soon.

9) Thiago Alves

You can make a really good point that this spot belongs to Jon Fitch. After all, Alves just came off a convincing five round loss to St. Pierres at UFC 100 leaving Fitch ahead of him in line for a title shot, but this list isn’t about title shots, it is best pound for pound fighter. Truly, I think Alves is even better than #9.

Carrying a 16-4 MMA record, Alves is at a tough place in his career. He struggles making weight at 170 and just proved he probably can’t beat GSP, so he is going to need to decide how he wants to advance his career. His is brutally strong and fundamentally superior to his peers but his options are limited. I’m interested to see where he goes from here.

8 ) Quinton “Rampage” Jackson

After shockingly losing his title belt to Forrest Griffin, he now needs to get his personal life straightened out. A weird car chase and accident incident lingers over his head outside the octagon. Inside the octagon, there isn’t much to dispute. Rampage has beaten some of the best fighters in the world in UFC’s deepest weight class.

Sporting a 4-1 record in his last 5 fights against top 10 ranked light heavyweights, Jackson has beaten both Wanderlei Silva and Keith Jardine since losing the belt. Next up is Rashad Evans after they coach in this season’s The Ultimate Fighter 10 and a win there gives him a title shot that he probably should have had a lot sooner. Rampage isn’t the most technically sound fighter there is but there may be no one in MMA with as much endgame power. Not to mention his howling can be a wee bit intimidating.

7) Brock Lesnar

Typical pound for pound rankings reward lighter divisions but Lesnar is a brutal MMA force. I don’t particularly like Lesnar, I think his attitude and approach to “entertaining” the fans is disrespectful to the UFC, his opponents, and the sanctity of MMA. That said, the current UFC heavyweight champion is probably the most widely recognizable face of the sport and his impressive victories over legend Randy Couture and seasoned veteran Frank Mir can’t be ignored.

As much of a jerk as Lesnar comes off as, his WWE villain gimmick may be a great thing for MMA. He expands brand appeal and brings in PPV money. Problem is, there is no one else to fight after Mir in heavyweight’s weakest division. Fedor refused to sign with UFC last week denying MMA fans their dream match, so the likely course of events for Lesnar is a rubber match with Mir for a hopeful big payday.

6) Rashad Evans

Evans’ first defense of the UFC light heavyweight belt in May was a disaster, as he was dominated from bell-to-bell by Lyota Machida. Evans will have the chance to fight for the title again if he’s able to beat Rampage when the two face off in a great matchup after TUF 10.

Evans, with a career MMA record of 13-1-1, gets my nod over Rampage because I think he is a more complete fighter. With that, I also think he’ll be able to beat Rampage because of his superior ground game. I assume Machida will still be the light heavyweight champion which sets up a HUGE title rematch.

5) Fedor Emelianenko

Dana White threw the bank at Fedor when he became a free agent this past month which would have given Fedor, by far, the biggest contract in MMA history. White knew his heavyweight class was weak and the demand for a Lesnar-Fedor fight would have been massive. But alas, Fedor signed with Strikeforce, a lesser brand with lesser talent. The problem I have with Fedor is this: He is widely considered not only the best heavyweight in MMA, but the best pound for pound fighter in MMA. Thing is, he doesn’t have that many great wins over great competition. Watch his fights on YouTube, he’s undoubtedly technically sound, but where is the greatness that being ranked #1 comes with?

Maybe I am just one of the many Fedor doubters that doesn’t quite have the appreciation of MMA, but until I see him fight and beat a great heavyweight (That is in their prime), Fedor goes no higher than #5.

4) BJ Penn

The “Prodigy” may be the most naturally gifted fighter on this list. He showed exactly why the MMA world anointed him from day one, as he put on arguably his most consummate performance as a prizefighter, manhandling Kenny Florian at UFC 101 for 15 minutes before finishing him with a beautiful rear naked choke. To his credit, Florian looked great and put up a decent fight, but Penn just has too much talent.

If Penn stays at the lightweight level, as everyone but Penn wants, I don’t see anyone beating him. His next challenger would probably be Diego Sanchez, another great fighter that probably would ultimately just come up short to Penn’s greatness. Penn draws the ire of some for his almost mocking of opponents but I chalk it up to supreme confidence. His record is deceiving because his losses always come from higher divisions, sometimes giving up as much as 30 pounds to an opponent. Penn is just simply bored in the lightweight division because there is no one that can touch him. Losses to GSP and Machida should almost be ignored. With his natural talent and flexibility, it is a reach to say anyone can compete with him at the lightweight level, let alone beat him. And he jumped out of a pool!

3) Lyota Machida

When Machida shocked many by beating Rashad Evans for the light heavyweight title, he delightfully exclaimed, “Karate is back!” The undefeated champion reigns over UFC’s best weight class like a watchful predator keeping eyes on his prey. Next up is Shogun Rua at UFC 104, and then likely a title fight against the Rampage/Evans winner or a dream match against his pal, middleweight Anderson Silva.

Machida takes little to no damage in his fights and has pin-point accuracy in his strikes along with a sound jiu-jitsu game. The problem for Machida is that a lot of fans don’t like his cautious, defense-oriented style. Which in turn limits his exposure, as Dana White wants to put PPV sales as his top priority. Fortunately, as MMA fans became more educated in the sport, they learn to appreciate Machida’s style as graceful and elegant. As difficult as his division is, I really think Machida will retain the title for many fights going forward.

2) George St. Pierres

GSP is simply the best athlete in MMA. He has taken on all competition and disposed of them all, most recently the amazing Thiago Alves at UFC 100. He has beaten BJ Penn, Jon Fitch, Matt Serra, Matt Hughes, Josh Koscheck, Sean Sherk, you freakin name it. The guy is simply a beast and until last Saturday was my #1 fighter. He boasts a current 6-fight win streak and dominates the welterweight division.

For now he awaits his next challenger. It could be the winner of Swick-Kampmann at UFC 103. It could be Dan Henderson coming off a devastating KO of Michael Bisping at UFC 100. Or it could be the mother of all fights and decide MMA’s pound for pound king, a bout against Anderson Silva, provided they can make weight one way or the other. It seems like GSP is hesitant to deviate from his weight class though and remains keen on defending his title, and that is all well and good. We are watching one of the greatest ever when GSP fights.

1) Anderson Silva

What makes Silva number one is his pure domination of his weight class and ability to move up and still dominate. After lackluster efforts in his middleweight title defenses against Cote and Leites, Silva drew the scorn of fans, fighters, journalists and even UFC President Dana White. However, last Saturday at UFC 101, Anderson Silva went up in weight class to fight a former light heavyweight champion in Forrest Griffin, and simply embarrassed Griffin in historically brutal fashion.

His display against Griffin was astounding. Brilliance in motion. A cerebral assassin picking apart an over-matched opponent. Griffin is done in the UFC as a real threat. He can make some cash against Tito Ortiz or something like that, but the way he bailed out of the ring before the official decision and skipped the post match press conference was pathetic.

Silva finds himself on a record 10 fight win streak in the UFC. He has repeatedly shown that he just is not going to lose in his weight class. He has recently beaten Rich Franklin (twice), Dan Henderson, James Irvin, and obviously Griffin, all convincingly.

So what’s next for the Spider? There is talk of a dream match between light heavyweight champ Machida but Silva will probably not fight his good friend. They know each other too well as both spar and train together often, not to mention Machida presents real problems for Silva. There is hopes of a match against GSP but the logistics might be too tough for either to contend with. There are continued rumors that Silva is content staying in his division from now on and just beating any challenger that comes forward for his belt. And there are also rumblings that Silva may simply give up his middleweight title and try to focus on the 205 weight class, which would further cement his legacy as the world’s best.

Filed under Sports

Seeking Better Advice

August 8, 2009 by dannydriffs Leave a Comment

“Good advice is always certain to be ignored, but that’s no reason not to give it.” — Agatha Christie

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A few months ago a kid I know emailed me asking for my advice on a project he was working on. I agreed to take a look and try to give any feedback I could.

The ‘project’ was a business idea, a really good business idea. I gave him my praise and wished him luck. I also asked why he came to me, a rare casual acquaintance, for advice on something he worked so hard on.

His response surprised me, and I’ve been trying to utilize his answer since. He simply said, “Bouncing ideas off yourself and people close to you doesn’t yield good results.”

Weird right? When life’s big questions puzzle me, I would go to my parents, siblings, girlfriend, friends, teachers, coaches, etc – certainly not someone that is a borderline stranger.

It took me a little time to let his own indirect advice marinate but I started to utilize this new-found advice strategy, here’s why:

  • Family and friends, while a great reference, will likely not give you too much negative feedback. These people care about you and don’t want to hurt your feelings.
  • People you associate with often are usually people you like. If their opinions are overly pessimistic, you may harbor resentment towards them.
  • Those you don’t regularly spend time with are more able to view your situation analytically because of an emotional detachment.

Seeking out those for your advice can be a little tricky though. Social fears creep into mind, along with not wanting to be generally invasive. To find the right people, try these ideas:

  • Is there someone at work or school that seems particularly sharp? Send them an email or approach casually at the water cooler. Say something like, “Hey, can I ask you something?” with a smile or think about a smooth compliment beforehand to butter them up. 9/10 times they will be glad to help out.
  • Is there someone within your social networking that is no more than a virtual friend? If the person seems genuine and well intentioned, it is very easy to send them a message or email them. If you get no response, no big deal, but if you do, they’ll likely feel honored that you asked them and be eager to analyze whatever you got.
  • Know your audience. Some problems aren’t meant for strangers. Personal troubles are not something you should burden someone with. Similarly, you need a certain feel for this person’s trustworthiness. If you want to keep your advice a secret, be explicit about the non-disclosure. In this world of liability and lawsuits, it is not rude to request such.
  • Don’t be fake. If you want help, come across as real and actively interested in this person’s response. Don’t be one of those people trying to get you to take a survey at the mall or a used car type salesman; you want this person to give you alternative constructive criticism. It will be very valuable to your decision, that I promise you, and there is nothing more likely to make this person disinterested than seeming phony.

In the open world of 2009, getting great FREE advice is easier than ever and not enough people do it, including myself. If you have something on your plate, consider reaching out to someone. I guarantee you’ll find some value in their response, and who knows, maybe you’ll develop a closer relationship with someone you respect.

Filed under Sploogefest

Thoughtful Boredom

August 6, 2009 by dannydriffs Leave a Comment

The lazy, not so hazy, days of summer have altered the course of post frequency here but I sort of expected and explained that in the last post. Time spent off the computer has been quite enjoyable, here is some of the stuff I have been up to and thinking about during the Rochester summer.

- I finally got a notebook computer! People really couldn’t believe that I have been using a desktop all my life but it had better purpose for what I was doing. Desktops were more powerful, customizable, cheaper, and adding a second 22″ screen made graphics intensive and spreadsheet analysis tasks much more pleasant. Unfortunately, or fortunately, my computer needs have become more mobile and thus the laptop was required. My phone sufficed as a notebook replacement for as long as it could but ultimately it remains just a phone.

I went with the mid 2009 unibody MacBook Pro 15″ with a few upgraded specs and I really can’t be happier. The structural design of the thing is nothing short of beautiful, the display is gorgeous, and the software has been a pleasure to use. I can’t give a full review quite yet but perhaps that post will be coming down the road.

- I have been spending a lot of time listening to new music. I have never been a huge fan of music but I’ve dedicated a part of this summer to finding new decent music, and it isn’t very easy. I had long given up on FM radio in favor of podcasts or AM but for whatever reason, the summer months invoke a desire for music and dance, or maybe that’s the cocktails, which also seem inherently more prevalent in the summer months. Either way, I have found that Pandora is a wonderful application for sampling new music and iTunes offers a good selection of easy stuff to find. If you have any suggestions, let me know.

- I was lucky enough to escape up to Lake George for a few days to spend time with some friends. The Today Show happened to be up there the same day highlighting Lake George as one of the “Top 4 Vacation Destinations in the USA”, I would have a hard time arguing that esteemed recognition. While all of the Adirondacks are beautiful in their own way, Lake George offers something unparalleled in scope. I’d highly urge anyone thinking about visiting to pull the trigger and head up there, you won’t regret it.

- The best of summer has been the opportunity to spend time with my family and brothers. Anyone with younger siblings can identify with the “younger siblings going from annoying brats to good friends” transition. While I used to escape their antics, now I welcome them. If you don’t already, follow Matt on Twitter @SportsMeister and for you well placed school district people, Shane will be looking for a student teaching gig soon. While we butt heads and differ often, I feel very lucky to have such a happy and intelligent family.

- Speaking of Twitter, I have started using the emerging service a bit without totally diving into the deep end. I’m still studying the strategy of mentions, trending, linking, and following. Like I said in the last post, Twitter, or at least the real-time search technology built within, is not going anywhere. Like any kind of technology, I like it. People have this negative stigma against technology. Why? Did people resist the light bulb and the telephone? If something is new and better, I am in favor and willing to try it. Twitter makes information faster and more readily available, I can’t see what is wrong with that.

- I had an impressive reading list lined up for the summer but haven’t put anywhere near the dent in the pile I had hoped I would, but I’m not all that disappointed with myself. Summer is a good chance for all of us to recharge the batteries a little bit, even if it is only 71 and overcast everyday. I’ll get to reading those books but I can’t reclaim memories of the laughs I have had this summer. Plus, I have been getting my reading fix in other ways, mainly health care lately, and it is a vast and overwhelming subject. I want to write a blog with some of my thoughts but it would be quite the expansive task. Needless to say, it is complicated and flawed anyway you look at it.

- The Yankees are currently 2.5 games in first in the AL East heading into a four game series with 2nd place Boston where anything can happen. I really like our chances down the stretch here. I think Cash Money will look to add a 5th starter in a waiver move before August is over and Boston is looking at an absolutely brutal schedule going forward. If the Yanks take this series, they can really step on the gas and lock up the division early. But Boston is always tough and Tampa is a very good team. Either way, it has been a lot of fun to watch this season’s Yankees and the new stadium.

Anyway, the blog is back, huzzah. Going forward, I will strive to make each post incredibly valuable to anyone who comes across this space. If you want more often updates, follow my Twitter feed to the right.

Filed under Personal, Tech, Tidbits