Category Archives: Uncategorized

I admit I’m an Apple “Fanboy”… I’ve got an Apple credit card and at least one of almost everything they make… heck, I started out with an Apple IIc in the early 80s and haven’t looked back since. I was even at the Newton launch party at Infinite Loop 1. So, there’s my Apple cred for you. However, I’m not completely blinded. Sure, I’ve had every iPhone since the first one (even had a 4gb iPhone for a few days… remember those?). So it would take something “really big” — not literally — to get me to switch.

Yep, my marriage to iPhone has had just a few hiccups, and I’ve strayed a couple of times. I often get filled with an urge to “go Android” although I’m not sure why. I’ve spent some time with the HTC Thunderbolt. I’ve even had a Droid for awhile. The thing about Android is it just doesn’t “feel” as smooth as iOS. Especially when it comes to texting. I want to like Android, really. But I spend so much time texting that it’s gotta be smoother before I fully commit. So, I’ve always gravitated back to iPhone. However, last month I got sucked into the Palo Alto Microsoft store — it’s close to the little Apple store and I have to admit, I like Microsoft’s advertising. Their store is just inviting. And the salespeople are kinda like missionaries: very clean-scrubbed, smiling, shiny, happy people. And pretty well-informed as well. In the store I put my palm around the new HTC 8x Windows phone and instantly fell in love. I had thought the Nokia Lumia would be the one for me if I ever dared get a Windows phone, but there’s no way I’m leaving Verizon for AT&T, which has the Lumia exclusive. So after a Microsoftie did an “iPhone photo shootout” with the HTC, I was convinced I wanted to spend more time with it. I plunged in, and bought it off-contract, paying the full price of $599 + the Microsoft Assure warranty add-on for a total of $695.

I like the 8x’s edgy design, its bright colors, smooth back and its light weight. But more than the device, I was also intrigued with the Windows Phone OS. After spending a few days with it, I found it to be a solid, reliable OS that rarely crashed, was zippy, never bogged down, and texting was a flat-out joy. There’s no usual bloatware that you see on HTC’s Android phones. I was initially concerned about the “lack of apps” that I’ve heard so much about. However, the basics are available in the Windows App Store (Facebook, Twitter, Kindle, etc.). I was easily able to download the critical apps I use on iPhone. Adding my web-based email (Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook.com) was easy, as well as adding my business email/calendar via an Exchange Server. In fact, after Verizon initialized my SIM card, I was fully operational in less than 30 minutes.

Moving between the iOS and Windows ecosystems is not easy. Texting to the HTC was complicated because of my iMessages account on iOS. Apple doesn’t like you to traverse between ecosystems — so a lot of my texts were lost in translation for awhile. The HTC’s battery life was excellent — easily matching the time I get on iPhone 5. However, the recharging time with the Micro-USB connector takes twice as long as Apple’s new Lightning connector. The 8x comes with what it calls “Beats Audio” which automatically “turns on” when you plug in headphones. The music sounds crisp, sharp and, as described, has a solid bottom. Adjusting the volume isn’t easy, however, ‘cause the volume buttons (as well as the power button) is so flush to the body they’re hard to push in. It would take me a few times to hit the power button to turn the phone on. I was able to get into the groove of Xbox Music, however, it’s not real intuitive, and it’s really NOT iTunes. Music is a big smartphone experience for me, and not having iTunes is a definite minus for me. Xbox Music provides a subscription service for $9.99 a month and lets me download all the songs I want and play them on my phone, Xbox, or computer. It needs a lot of work from the usability perspective, but when I’m so “bought in” to the iTunes ecosystem, it’s hard to transition.

Probably the best feature for me is the 1-2 combo of uber-easy bluetooth connectivity to my car and headset. Much easier than HTC Android phones. And, in the car or on my headset, the 8x would read me my texts and then ask me if I wanted to respond or call the texter. Woot! Say goodbye Siri. The 8x with Windows Phone is able to keep me truly hands-free and it never misunderstood my commands. I’ve basically given up on Siri — what a complete waste of time it is trying use Siri. By focusing on the tasks I really want to perform with voice commands, the HTC and Windows Phone makes it much safer to drive my car and be productive at the same time.

So now, I’ve two smartphone bedfellows — it’s real easy to log-on to my Verizon account and turn one off and the other on. I’m still vacillating… I love iPhone, but there’s cracks in the armor at Apple. Heck, I’ve already had to replace my 2-month old iPhone 5 because a button stopped working. And now my HTC 8x is causing me to question my Apple fanboyism. Microsoft is a contender in the smartphone world now. And HTC, albeit suffering a bit, has created one the best smartphones available today.

With over 275,000 apps in the App Store specifically optimized for iPad, and what seems like a million more for iPhone, it gets a bit overwhelming to discover the apps that can benefit your life — especially when you consider the average person only downloads 60 apps to their iPad. Here’s a list of the 5 that have earned prominent positions on my home screen, never wiggling to be tapped out of existence… in other words, the ones I can’t seem to shake off:

Bloomberg TV
I’m not a big “stocks” guy, and my financial portfolio consists of lots of credit card balances and too-high interest rates. So, I’m probably NOT the target audience for this iPad app. However, I am compelled to tune in every morning — they have diverse coverage of what’s going on in business, with a razor-sharp focus on the tech industry. I find their commentary to be witty, succinct and spot-on. You can register and synchronize content across your devices, create custom playlists, and oh yeah, you can get stock portfolio updates if that’s your thing. On my iPad mini 4G (Verizon), there’s never a hiccup in performance either.

The Magazine
I would like to find the individual at Conde Nast that made the decision to just port their print magazines to a “pdf” style iPad edition that requires me to sit and stare at the download meter as each 600mb edition downloads. This is the experience you want to provide your end-users? I don’t want a big, thick, glossy, tree-killing tome ported to my iPad. Just when I’m about to give up and go back to lugging around magazines heavier than my grandmother’s Bible, Marco Arment steps in to save the day. The creator of Instapaper, he has redefined the “magazine” experience for us on-the-go tablet geeks. Just imagine: instant download, simple, clean design, TEXT to READ, no stuffy, 25mb .jpgs, and no intrusive ads and lame videos. Just content. Marco’s vision is to “go beyond technology” and deliver big-picture content experiences. I hope product managers, or those in charge at the Big Media Companies, will get a chance to download this app. Maybe then they’ll re-think what they’re doing… and save me some precious space on my almost-filled-up iPad.

TED Books
I know, I know. TED is now a Big Brand, and a bit over-exposed. It’s kinda like South by Southwest now… it’s surpassed being “trendy” and is almost at that annoying state. However, I found this app this year, and find it almost all-consuming. There’s a Newsstand-like UI filled up with short ebooks about the human condition and what you can do to be an active part of making things better. I find the selections to be uplifting and some quite controversial. Most are in nice, bite-sized chunks as well.

McSweeneys
Yeah, yeah, I know. You’re thinking, “Oh he’s trying to prove he’s a literary fellow”. But what I like about the McSweeney’s app is less the “liberal Mother Jones” kinda bloviation and more the diverse writing that never ceases to surprise me. Even today I was able to tap in and read about how Yoga is able to help people who are struggling with tragic circumstances in their life, learn about self-driving tractors, and laugh at the “pain” of playing sudoku. All that and then add that I get a monthly Greil Marcus column. Can’t be beat.

Tom’s Guide
There’s no shortage of tech apps and sites to get your fill of whatever it is you’re jonesing about at any particular moment. It’s a tad overwhelming, actually. How many Engadgets, TechCrunchs and Verges do I need in my daily tech news Favorites list? Well, I discovered Tom’s Guide this year. And what I like most about it is its simplicity in the face of a constant stream of information. “Tech” as a subject is big, and Tom’s Guide takes the low-fi road in presenting it. Text with a small picture, when appropriate, and a very easy navigation scheme. It’s one key app I use to get the tech news I need for my day.

Tied for 5th: Tappestry
Disclosure: I know the developer of this app. Having said that, Tappestry opens up a new way of sharing, debating, and dialoguing with communities around almost any subject. You start out by broadcasting what you’ve learned, read, tried, achieved, or want to do. Anything. It won’t take long for someone to have something to say about your post. There’s much more going on behind the scenes though: Tappestry represents what I like to call the “achievement broadcast complex (ABC)”… it’s the first app that I know of that facilitates you being able to record what you’ve learned, take it with you wherever you go, and discover like-minded people that add to your learning and offer you new perspectives.

Microsoft’s SmartGlass – a second screen that interacts with Xbox 360 from your mobile devices — has now been ported to iOS and Android. The SmartGlass app for iOS acts as a supplement to your Xbox experience. In addition to allowing users to interact with various media and games, the app also tracks user achievements, connects to Xbox friends and lets users change their avatar.

The SmartGlass app is free with no in-app purchases. This is all part of Microsoft’s strategy to gain wider adoption across their entertainment and productivity offerings. Next up will be Office apps for iOS early in 2013.

According to reports in today’s WSJ, social networks are beginning to show important return on investments. For example:

Hospital network Texas Health Resources has reduced the incidence of hospital-acquired urinary tract infections by 30% thanks to the use of collaboration software.

Tyco was able to win a huge contract thanks to information gleaned through its social network that had previously taken an employee six months to search for without any luck.

The Red Robin restaurant chain was able to share customer feedback on a new product vital to the success of its new strategy among managers and assistant managers at its 465 locations.

Companies continue to find creative and innovative ways to connect their employees and customers using social technology. The days of CEOs and CIOs being wary of social utilities in the workplace are quickly fading in light of metrics that show real business results.

Larry Chiang scandalously reveals how stuff really works and breaks it down. He edits the Bloomberg BusinessWeek channel “What They Don’t Teach You at Business School”. After Chiang’s Harvard Law keynote, Harvard Business wrote: “What They Don’t Teach You at Stanford Business School“ (its the same title as his NY Times bestseller). He is Entrepreneur in Residence at Stanford University. If you read his hilariously awesome “What a Supermodel Can Teach a Stanford MBA” and “How to Get Man-Charm”, you will like his latest post:

Enroll in Stanford Engineering ENGR 145

By Larry Chiang

ENGR 145 alums teach!

It solves the problem of ENGR 145 not getting taught this quarter at Stanford.

This is for our Unofficial ENGR 145 project
11pm-1am two days per week

It’s open to engineers ONLY**
It costs $35,500*
*if youre an active Stanford student, your cost is a negative 400.oo

Direct your questions either to me or an e145 kid that I have mentored

Q: why are you doing this?
Ans: it solves a problem. ENGR 145 not getting taught fall quarter leaves a gap in the Stanford entrepreneur calendar

Q: why are you spending $$ to do this?
Ans: I’m rich, bored, talented and rich this is my hobby

Q: Do you even work at Duck9?
Answer: In college I played a varsity sport, sold ads for the Daily Illini, sold cars, started and became a cash millionaire founder, was an officer at my frat, cooked Fri lunch for my frat for 120 guys. And dated a Theta.

No one *ever* asked me of I was still Deans list in engineering.

Q: I’m foreign and I don’t trust you.
Answer: isnt that a statement?

Look. I’m from a country that doesn’t sneak attack a neighbor.

Plus why attack Canada and Mexico??

My parents are from a county that forgets that Nanking ever happened.

You’re not “buying it” so just know that I strive to be more American. I strive to be more Chinese too (that’s easy too ying wei wo tsang da yang zi bu tsuao

Q: can I fail?
Answer: most entrepreneurs fail 80.0%
My goal is to have you bat over .300 (fail only ~70%)

Q: what do I pay?
Answer: 400.oo or $35,500
You get your $400 back after you show up for 60% of Unofficial ENGR 145 events

Q: what can I pay you later after I’m filthy rich
Answer: toss me a vacation comp. Deny I ever helped you is a form of payment. I will judge you in how you treat me, yes, but what I’m saying is that I don’t need your credit, your praise, your thankfulness or your money.

A thank you card done in construction paper and crayon gives me 90% of the joy as a comp suite at the top of Four Seasons NYC Ty Warner suite

Yeah it’s the most expensive hotel accommodation according to Conde Nast.

Yes I crashed a party there during the UN Gen Ass September 21, 2011.

Yes Ty Warner is from Oak Brook IL and sold about a billion dollars worth of stuffed animals as a sequel biz to Dakin (sequel biz is a patented larry chiang guacamole recipe)

By patented, I mean you can copy-paste it for free

Copy Paste is chapter 3 of “What They Will NEVER Teach You at Stanford Business School”

I just want you to know that I learned this from my dead mentor, Mark McCormack. He wrote: What They Will NEVER Teach You at Harvard Business School

Q: What is ENGR 145
Answer: technology entrepreneurship

Google ‘Unofficial ENGR 145′
It’s #hiLarryAss

Q: Are you really a supermodel?
Answer: :-I
I pay 70% commission if you land me a modeling gig. I dont do runway. I do print. And remember I’m 6’5″, 222 so don’t make me where European clothes or a 40R. But know I can sell a sweater in an a print advertisement to a person on the Equator in summer.

Q: Are you remedial?! It’s always summer on the equator.
Answer: Dumb yourself down and Sandbag For Success. It’s chapter 13 of my NyTimes bestselling book: What They Don’t Teach You at Stanford Business School

Q: I don’t go to Stanford University – when do you come to my school?
Answer: I’m already doing MIT twice per year.

Btw I have 5 cofounders
I launched this on Josefine Kvist’s wall

Yo Stanford ENGR
Pick a session of ENGR 145 that you’ve mastered enough where you could teach it.
Email me that session chiang9@duck9.com

This is for our Unofficial ENGR 145 project
11pm-1am two days per week

It solves the problem of ENGR 145 not getting taught this quarter

If you liked this… Larry’s mentor Mark McCormack wrote this in 1983. His own book came out 09-09-09. It is called ‘What They Don’t Teach You At Stanford Business School‘ *** BONUS *** a party invite for you… Online event registration powered by Eventbrite

This post was drafted in an hour and needs your edits… email me if you see a spelling or grammatical error(s)… larry@larrychiang com

Larry Chiang started his first company UCMS in college. He mimicked his mentor, Mark McCormack, founder of IMG who wrote the book, “What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School”. Chiang is a keynote speaker and bestselling author and spoke at Congress and World Bank.

Text or call him during office hours 11:11am or 11:11pm PST +/-11 minutes at 650-283-8008. Due to the volume of calls, he may place you on hold like a Scottsdale Arizona customer service rep. If you email him, be sure to include your cell number in the subject line. If you want him to email you his new articles…, ask him in an email

You can read more equally funny, but non-founder-focused-lessons on Larry’s Amazon blog .