Why Use CyanogenMod ROM (or custom ROMs)

A friend asked why use CyanogenMod ROM (or really, any custom ROM) instead of stock Android. Besides feeding the inner geek, there are several reason... Root Needed Sometimes it is only Root that is needed to add functionality, or in some cases, remove it. Though more and more apps and functionality is available for non-rooted ... Read more

Linux and Unix-like Operating Systems

Linux and unix-like operating systems have basically won the battle, albeit on the server and mobile front rather than at the desktop. And while there will be Windows and it will continue to live on, its days are essentially numbered. How did this happen? At what point did the phone become a computer? How did ... Read more

100-mile diet, spin farming and pocket markets

Living in Thailand, these concepts simply are the way that things are done. Having lived in Canada, I saw how it is possible for it to take place in North America. Having lived in Hawaii, I saw what it was like to have almost none of the food raised or sold within 100 miles. The ... Read more

Getting to Plan B by Randy Komisar

Randy Komisar's book Getting to Plan B is an excellent read and he has some very useful guidelines and advice to the entrepreneur. Plan A is Necessary but not Sufficient > Plan A is useful for a number of reasons... The process of creating Plan A is useful in and of itself. It forces you ... Read more

Innovation and the Lead User

Innovation is the specific tool of the entrepreneur according to Peter Drucker. How this tool actually works is of deep interest. One recent book on innovation has claimed that it is not possible to innovate systematically (because failure rate is more than 50%). However, we believe this is not true. Therefore, we need to look ... Read more

Don't Travel

I don't mean to be a hater. But there is another side of the story. The so-called lifestyle gurus and permanent travelers seem convinced that their lifestyle is superior. The you too can do it is the biggest hint that their path is preferred. Certainly they don't literally believe it, but rather it is an ... Read more

The Refuge

To be a refuge for others. Key Buddhist concept. Buddhists are defined in Buddhism as anyone who seeks refuge in the triple gem of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha.

Customer Service Policy & Practice

Don't be a legalistic idiot. Business is not about getting money from people who don't want to give it to you or want it back, for good or services that were never provided. Who would come up with this as a definition for business, much less good business? This sounds more like a government taxation ... Read more

Network Effects, Multiplatforms and the Cloud

Apple sees most clearly how integration between devices and the cloud, with the cloud as the memory system between devices, is a competitive advantage. Network effects are not only in terms of more users of a system or platform, but more uses across systems for a single user. This means that the Mac OSX notebook ... Read more

Android Multilingual and Swiping Keyboards

There is a plethora of keyboards available in Android (as opposed to the iPhone), and some have the innovative swiping feature of dragging fingers across the keys instead of individual typing of each key. That is great, and the original Swype is available for free in Beta. However, if there is a need for multilingual ... Read more