Happy 2009!…

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Here we are at the start of another year…

2009

I want to thank everyone for their support in 2008! I truly appreciate the great feedback and engagement I’ve received here at The Digital Edge this past year.

It’s was a busy year on many fronts, and there were a few things I had hoped to develop for the site that are now sliding into the new year. I am looking forward to really getting the barely launched re:SEARCH series going, and even have plans for another new video series that might launch some time late in the second quarter. Who knows, I might even revisit the Practical RSS show for a few more episodes. I’m excited about the possibilities, and hope to share this new year with all of you.

I wish everyone the best in 2009.

Peace, Health, Prosperity – and some really cool new Tech…

Words: Going Beyond The Purely Political…

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This is one of the most most anticipated elections in the past 50 years…

There is a lot at stake in this election. We are being asked to choose between two very distinct views of where we should head as a Nation, and the path we should take to get there. The choices we make today should be well considered – they really do matter.

It’s easy to get swept up in the rhetoric and passion of the moment, and subsume our better selves to the less-than-civil conversation that passes for political discourse in our society today. We attack each other with sound-bites and slogans instead of debating our future with knowledge and reason.

And in doing that, we fail to honor the principles that our nation was built on…

With that in mind, I would like to share two quotes with you that will go in to the voting both with me today. Both are from John Adams, one of the most inspirational and intellectual of our Founding Fathers.

The first is a reflection on the personal responsibility we each have for the realization of a free society:

The only foundation of a free Constitution, is pure Virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People, in a great Measure, than they have it now. They may change their Rulers, and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting Liberty.

John Adams, letter to Zabdiel Adams, June 21, 1776

The second is a call for us to inspire and guide the next generation:

It should be your care, therefore, and mine, to elevate the minds of our children and exalt their courage; to accelerate and animate their industry and activity; to excite in them an habitual contempt of meanness, abhorrence of injustice and inhumanity, and an ambition to excel in every capacity, faculty, and virtue. If we suffer their minds to grovel and creep in infancy, they will grovel all their lives.

John Adams, Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law, 175

I believe these are words that all of us need to hear. They call us as both individuals and a society to become something better, and they challenge us personally to take ownership of making it happen.

Straight Talk about Change We Can Believe In has been around for quite a while…

Is This RIM's Blackberry "Thunder"?…

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RIM’s upcoming “Thunder” is supposed to be their answer to the iPhone…

Based on this video over at Crackberry.com, I wouldn’t be too sure:

[Unfortunately this link has been removed by YouTube]

Assuming this video is genuine, I’m not terribly impressed by the Thunder…

While certainly functional, it doesn’t appear to be an “Apple Killer” by any means. Needing to use a “Press and Hold” to scroll the screen seems clunky, and the process for selection/click looks more like an “ATM” style experience than a modern touch screen. That said, it may be an early prototype, or even a total – albeit clever – fake (people are becoming quite good at that these days).

But if this is the real deal we’re looking at, I’m not sure what RIM hopes to accomplish with it. Maybe they want to position it as offering an iPhone experience, but on a real network like Verizon. That approach may sound good in theory, but I’m not sure how it would play in the marketplace. Even if they don’t own one, people have a good idea how great the iPhone experience is. The bar has been set, even for die hard Verizon fans.

I have a lot of respect for RIM, but I was expecting to see something more.

Something “Wow!”.

Hopefully it will be there when Thunder is released…

UPDATE:

Thanks to a comment from reader JOHN, I have a new video to embed:

[This link has also been removed - can't keep up with the take-down orders!]

Based on John’s comment, I wanted to clarify some things in this post. The new Blackberry will be called the STORM 9530 not the THUNDER. The THUNDER will be the name of a GSM version of the device that will be released at some future date. Thanks John!

The Pan Mass Challenge…

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My brother Martin will be riding in the Pan Mass Challenge this year…

The Pan-Massachusetts Challenge is an annual 192 mile bike ride that raises money for cancer research and treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (though its well known Jimmy Fund).

The reach that cancer has is significant. It affects 1.2 million new families each year in the United States alone. On a personal level, it is also something that has touched my family. I lost my Mom to kidney cancer almost 12 years ago, and my Dad struggled with prostate cancer through the later years of his life. The bottom line is that cancer – in all its forms – touches far too many lives.

And more work still needs to be done…

Anything you can do to support this worthy cause will most certainly be appreciated by those struggling with the difficult choices forced upon them by this terrible disease. And will will also give them something that they all desperately need.

Hope…

I am grateful and proud that my brother has taken this challenge on. Eliminating cancer is a battle worth fighting – and it is also a battle we can win. When focus and funding come together, I believe that science can let us achieve some incredible things.

Thanks…

A Personal Reflection…

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Another Father’s Day is here…

Being a father is an incredible and wonderful experience.

My own Dad made it look effortless. He always had time for my brothers and me no matter what else was going on. He was supportive and involved without being controlling. He set clear boundaries and had clear expectations, but was never overly demanding. He found that often elusive balance that love demands.

And being a father myself makes me appreciate even more how great a job he did…

Instead of looking at Father’s Day as a day to be pampered, I see it as a day to be grateful. I have been blessed in so many ways, and top of the list is my family. Having the privilege of being a parent challenges me to live up to all I have been given, and to pass something special on to the next generation of this world.

Just like my Father did…

Matt – I’m really proud to be your Dad.

Happy Father’s Day everyone…

Happy New Year…

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Thanks to everyone for your continued support of The Digital Edge…

We had a really good year in 2007, with solid growth in both feed subscriptions and readership. I hope sharing this blog has been as enjoyable for you as it has been for me.

Well 2008 is now here!…

blog-happynewyear2008.jpg

I have a lot planned for this coming year, so stay tuned (and tell a friend).

Have a happy, healthy, safe, and technology filled 2008!…

-john mahoney

Remembering…

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There will be ceremonies and services across the nation commemorating the tragic events of six years ago. It was a day that touched everyone in this country in some way.

But for some, 9/11 was much more than just a national tragedy.

It was a personal one as well…

Collegues, neighbors, friends and family were lost that day, and countless lives around them were forever changed.

Let’s take moment today to remember them…

Getting Away For A Week…

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The last few months have been extremely busy…

Unlike previous years, we haven’t seen much of a slowdown in business this summer – if anything, things have gotten busier. This has been great in so many different ways. We have been going full speed on both the business and technology fronts, and have made a lot of progress in both areas. Momentum is critical for a small business, and seeing it build for us is very satisfying.

And it also makes my time off this year even more welcome than usual…

I’m typically not good with sitting around, but I’m heading into this vacation pretty tired.

I don’t take much time off, and it will be great to spend a week with my family here at our usual vacation spot – Ocean City, New Jersey. We’ll get some time at the beach, walk the boardwalk, visit the Wonderland Amusement Park, eat way too much, and otherwise relax and have fun.

And while a lot of people here may disagree, I think the weather is perfect today:

photo.jpg

Nothing beats a rainy day for just hanging out with the family without feeling the need to go out and do something.

And as far as I’m concerned, that’s a fine way to start this vacation off…

What's Up With Skype?…

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It appears that Skype is having some issues this morning…

There are folks I know that are logged in, but everyone in my contact list still seems to show up as offline. I’ve spoken with a few of them – both here in the office as well as remotely – and they seem to be having the same problem.

Issues like this are very rare for Skype. It is an incredible service, and has proven to be consistently reliable. It is a part of my workflow that I depend on – both for business and personal use. Be it voice, IM, or file sharing, Skype is my channel of choice.

I’ve already had to delayed a call to the UK. Even though International toll rates are a killer, I may have to revert to my phone if Skype remains unavailable much longer.

But this is about more than money…

Forget that it free – Skype is simply the best service I know for the various ways I need to communicate. Period.

I want them to get back online soon…

A Busy Last Week…

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Sorry for the dirth of posts last week…

I was on jury duty last week, which kept me closer to home (a good thing) but made it more difficult to actually get stuff done (a bad thing). The time I did have available was taken up with work related matters, leaving little bandwidth for blogging. I really missed it, but should be back on my regular posting schedule next week.

On a related note…

I was able to finish all the post production yesterday, so I will be kicking next week off with the third show in my “Practical RSS” series. It should be up Tuesday morning.

Stay tuned…