My Letter to Business 2.0

The following is a copy of my letter I sent to the Business 2.0 (magazine) editor. I was prompted to write in, after struggling through page-by-page with their recent issue of the redesigned pub. Does anyone else share in my opinion? I surely cannot be alone...

Dear Mr. Quittner & Co.,

I have been a long time subscriber and satisfied reader of your magazine. I am also a subscriber to similar publications such as FastCompany, BusinessWeek, WIRED, etc.

I am writing today to express my dissatisfaction with your new design and layout you recently rolled out. The look and feel suddenly feels cheap and amateurish. While I understand you are making efforts to cater to a new audience with much shorter attention spans thanks to the birth of new interactive media, the results are lackluster.

While your content is still attractive to me, as a result of the poor redesign, you have lost me as a reader. I will look to my other sources for pertinent business and technology news. Please write to me should you reconsider your magazine's new look. I will be easily persuaded to return as a faithful reader.

Itty Bitty Kitchen, Part II

While our "itty bitty" kitchen offers a delightful array of modern appliances, beautiful flooring and ample cabinet space—it entirely lacks direct sunlight.

Amazingly, it seems that a small town in Italy shares our grief. The mayor of Viganella, Italy, has deployed a giant steel mirror that tracks the sun’s movements. And what's incredible is that the huge mirror is controlled by a laptop!

Mum's the word if my wife's cosmetic mirror "mysteriously" goes missing...

Age-O-Matic

Sure, you say that your job gives you grey hair. And those fluorescent lights? ...they wreak havoc on your complexion. But did you ever think this weathering on your face could happen in real-time?

Career Builder has put together a simulator called the Age-O-Matic that allows you to upload your own photo and age yourself according to what you predict the damage your job will cause.

Classic Radio Programs

I found this great resource for Old Time Radio (OTR) programs. The OTR.Network Library is a free service with thousands of classic shows from the 30's and 40's. As The Morning News explains, otr.net is: "more authentic old-time radio than you can spin a dial at."

Our 2-Year Wedding Anniversary

I'm thrilled to share that tomorrow marks our second wedding anniversary. Jennifer and I will rejoice with a nice dinner in Chelsea, delighting in some time off from work the following day to relish in the past year's accomplishments as bride and groom. Such marks include our successful move into this charming new neighborhood, accelerating in our careers (1, 2), and most of all, developing as a healthy, newly married couple.

New Years 2007 @ Brasserie NYC

Avoided the crowds, enjoyed incredible food, dined among friends... a great way to bring in the new year.

Kudos to Brasserie for putting together an exquisite affair.

Listening to Steve Wozniak, Apple Co-Founder

My wife and I just got back from Las Vegas, where we attended the U.S. Chamber of Commerce - Committee of 100. I had the opportunity to listen to the one-and-only, Steve Wozniak.

The man speaks at an amazingly rapid pace, sharing with the crowd of C-level executives candid stories of how he and Steve Jobs founded Apple together. What amazed me the most was the man's remarkable high-level of enthusiasm when describing, in detail, the events that led to the development of the Apple I & II machines. One guest in the audience described his refreshing excitement: "that of a first-grader." Yet a grade-school level of enthusiasm suits him well, seeing that he's so involved in improving elementary education in California.

Hearing "The Woz" speak so passionately about being creative and innovative really ignited a spark inside of me to make the most out of my new engineer role at Atlas. Thanks Steve!

Google Site Optimizer is Good for Some

I'm not a Google-hater by any stretch of the imagination. I marvel and am amazed at how they develop (ahem, or buy) services for small businesses. I don't have anything bad to say about their anayltics tool or site optimizer since they're based on some reputable and sound products that have proven themselves in the industry and are perfect for small businesses. Companies like the one I'm employed by can frequently be priced out-of-reach for "mom & pop" organizations who are trying to get smarter online. Kudos to Google for getting these tools into the hands of those who otherwise would be left in the dark.

So in closing, I don't think these free services are a threat to us. The clients we work with are saavy marketers who need a robust, customizable technology with a human touch as their solution.