Trendwatching.com

Todays second blog is about another nice website for those who likes to follow up the worlds emerging trends. http://trendwatching.com/ is an independent and opinionated trend firm, scanning the globe for the most promising consumer trends, insights and related hands-on business ideas. For the latest and greatest, they rely on their network of hundreds of spotters in more than 120 countries worldwide.

They summerized the "10 Crucial Consumer Trends for 2010" in their January issue. They were;

1. Business as Unusual: Forget the recession: the societal changes that will dominate 2010 were set in motion way before we temporarily stared into the abyss.
2. Urbany: Urban culture is the culture. Extreme urbanization, in 2010, 2011, 2012 and far beyond will lead to more sophisticated and demanding consumers around the world.
3. Real-Time Reviews: Whatever it is you're selling or launching this year, it will be reviewed 'en masse', live, 24/7.
4. (F)luxury: Closely tied to what constitutes status (which is becoming more fragmented), luxury will be whatever consumers want it to be over the next 12 months.
5. Mass Mingling: Online lifestyles are fueling and encouraging 'real world' meet-ups like there's no tomorrow, shattering all cliches and predictions about a desk-bound, virtual, isolated future.
6. Eco-easy: To really reach some meaningful sustainability goals this year, corporations and governments will have to forcefully make it 'easy' for consumers to be more green, by restricting the alternatives.
7. Tracking & Alerting: Tracking and alerting are the new search, and 2010 will see countless new INFOLUST services that will help consumers expand their web of control.
8. Embedded Generosity: This year, generosity as a trend will adapt to the zeitgeist, leading to more pragmatic and collaborative donation services for consumers.
9. Profile Myning: With hundreds of millions of consumers now nurturing some sort of online profile, 2010 is a good year to introduce some services to help them make the most of it (financially), from intention-based models to digital afterlife services.
10. Maturalism: 2010 will be even more opinionated, risqué, outspoken, if not 'raw' than 2009; you can thank the anything-goes online world for that. Will your brand be as daring?

To read more of these trends and check the current February issue check the trendwatching.com.

Harvard Business Review

Harvard Business School might be an unachievable goal for most of us. However there is a very useful website to feel like a HBS student even without enrolling.

It is Harvard Business Review http://hbr.org/ of course. You can follow up daily news, blogs and to some extent the famous management magazines current topics. You can subscribe and get the soft or hardcopy of the magazine as well.

If you are not willing to pay money for it but still want to keep up with current reviews like me, there is a very useful tool on this website. This is the "free e-mail alerts" from HBR.

There are many different kind of alerts, such as "daily stats", "weekly hotlist" or "management tip of the day". Especially the last one is very essential because it gives a very short but useful tip everyday and you feel like it takes you from your daily work just for 2 minutes and puts you in a MBA classroom at HBS. When you come back to your real life you continue with a more freshened mind. Sometimes it is something you really need mentoring, sometimes something you know really good. Anyhow it is a vision improver tool and I highly recommend it.

I share todays tip for those who wants to see an example:

JANUARY 26, 2010
3 Steps for Asking for Help without Looking Stupid
Too often managers make mistakes because they are afraid to ask for help. Not knowing how to do something may be embarrassing, but not asking for help can lead to disastrous results. Next time you are faced with something you are uncertain about, use these three steps to ask your colleague, manager, or peer for assistance:

1. Start with what you know. Begin your request for help with context and background about the situation so that the other person knows what you know.
   
2. Ask for feedback on a proposed direction. Just because you are uncertain doesn't mean you can't form an opinion. Explain what you are thinking of doing and ask for input and direction.
   
3. Ask for tangible advice. If you are still unsure about what direction to take, be direct with the other person. Ask for the tools you need to make a decision or for a referral to someone who has been in a similar situation.

Google vs. Apple?

There is a very nice review of the new competition between Google and Apple on the current Bloomberg Businessweek Turkey issue. This new era has started just after the launch of Google's smart phone Nexus One. Of course there is a very long way for Google to reach the popularity of iPod but it must have Apple frightened, because at the same time Apple was shopping for a mobile advertisement company Quattro Wireless. It looks like Google and Apple are switching the places on the table, isn't it? I have copied a funny comparison table from Businessweek below:

For more information about it, you can check the current issue of Businessweek Turkey.

Who is the hero of the world?

If you want to figure out click the following link: http://en.tackfilm.se/?id=1263302761906RA10
If the progress is slow you can switch to the lighter version of the film. Do noy worry, it is not a scary movie... lay back and enjoy it.

Have a nice sunday! :-)

Fotokitap!

Herkese iyi pazarlar.

Bu haftasonu sizlere oldukça faydalı bir bilgisayar programını tanıtmak istiyorum. Programın adı; fotokitap ve bu linkten ücretsiz bir şekilde indirebiliyorsunuz; http://www.fotokitap.com.tr/

Yaklaşık 2 sene önce keşfettiğim bu program ile kendi fotoğraf albümünüzü çok basit ve eğlenceli bir şekilde yaratma imkanı buluyorsunuz. Sistem kısaca şöyle çalışıyor;

• Fotokitap programınını çalıştırarak albümün boyutunu, kapak kalitesini ve sayfa sayısını belirliyorsunuz.


• Albümünüze eklemek istediğiniz dijital formattaki fotoğrafları bilgisayarınızda bir klasörde topluyorsunuz ve bu klasördeki fotoğrafları zaman ya da dosya ismi sıralaması ile standart şablona göre albümünüze yerleştiriyorsunuz.


• Bundan sonra sayfa ve fotoğraf düzenlerini son haline getirmek ve albümünüzü tamamlamak tamamen hayal gücünüze ve zevkinize kalmış.


• Son olarak da tamamladığınız albümü internet üzerinden fotokitap sunucusuna yükleyerek siparişinizi tamamlıyorsunuz.

Daha önce 4 kere gerçekleştirdiğim bu işlem sonrası elime geçen fotokitaplar gören herkesin beğenisini kazanmıştı. Ben de evde geçirdiğim bu haftasonunu iyi değerlendirerek geçtiğimiz Şeker Bayramında yaptığımız Kapadokya ve yılbaşında gerçekleştirdiğimiz Orta Avrupa gezilerinin fotokitaplarını oluşturup sunucuya yükledim. Şimdi heyecanla arşivime yeni katılacak fotokitaplarımın postadan çıkmasını bekliyorum. :-)

25 Products That Might Just Change The World

I would like to share a link which offers very interesting and innovative products.

This is a list from Businessweek. Their designers and approx. prices are also included.

My favourite is the "bikedispenser" above.

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/12/1209_25_world_changing_products/

Choose the DNA test that's right for you!

Let me intorduce a very interesting web site and its service to you. The site is called; https://www.23andme.com/ and their mission is to be "the world's trusted source of personal genetic information".

23andMe is a privately-held company dedicated to helping individuals understand their own genetic information using recent advances in DNA analysis technologies and web-based interactive tools. 23andMe enables individuals to gain deeper insights into personal ancestry, genealogy and inherited traits. 23andMe was founded in April 2006 by Linda Avey and Anne Wojcicki.

Their claim is, we are all different and similar at the same time. Even though we all have 23 pairs of chromosomes, only 17% of us are left-handed or 56% of us have a family history of male pattern baldness. For more information and learn more about your family tree ($399) or health information ($429) please check the website. BTW, you can get a combo menu for only $499! :-)

The Medieval Tavern of Dětenice

This time I take you to a place stuck in the medieval ages. This is a very original tavern in Dětenice, Chech Republic.

Dětenice is found in the southern part of the District of Jičín and the south-eastern part of Bohemian Paradise. It is only 1,5 hours away from the capital Prague.

The mediavel tavern in Dětenice offers you a very unique eating experience with staff serving medieval specialities in period costumes. You will be entertained by dancers (orientals), swordsman and jugglers, which offer a impressive fire show. The food is not that special but it is still enjoyable after having limitless amont of Dětenice's famous lager and dark beer :-)

I hope you like my above picture. For more information and a video about this place check the official website: http://www.krcmadetenice.cz/krcma_en.php

Orloj - astronomical clock of Prague

Since we are talking about this famous clock, let me give you some interesting details about it.

Apparently this clock dates back to 1410. There exists a good deal of misinformation relating to the construction of the Orloj. For a long time it was believed that the Orloj was constructed in 1490 by clockmaster Jan Růže (also called Hanuš) and his assistant Jakub Čech. Another fictitious story involves the clockmaker Hanuš being blinded on the order of the Prague Councillors.

During World War II the clock was nearly destroyed by Nazi fire. The townspeople are credited with heroic efforts in saving most of the parts. It was gradually renovated till 1948. In 1979 the clock was once more cleaned and renovated. According to local legend the city will suffer if the clock is neglected and its good operation is placed in jeopardy.

The four figures flanking the clock are set in motion at the hour, these represent four things that were despised at the time of the clock's making. From left to right in the photographs, the first is Vanity, represented by a figure admiring himself in a mirror. Next, a stereotypical Jew holding a bag of gold represents greed or usury. Across the clock stands Death, a skeleton that strikes the time upon the hour. Finally, the infidel Turk wears the Turban!

For more information check Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_Astronomical_Clock

And you can watch the real ceremony on youtube as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzNyws81oxs
(At the end of this video you can see where I took the previous picture)

Eric Cartman in Prague?

Ok, we were in Prague in this picture. All these people have been gathered together to watch the famous ceremony of astronomical clock of Prague.

I am up in the clock tower and making photos of the beautiful city of Prague and also the people trying to shoot this event.

And, what do you know... the real Eric Cartman (with orange cap) and his friends are right there in the crowd and showing me a finger. :-)

I laughed so hard after I saw this picture, just wanted to share. Cheers.

Three-handed chess

There is a picture I have taken in Budapest last week. I have never seen this type of a chessboard before and therefore it was very interesting for me. Apparently it is not a new game and known and played for some time.

For additional information check Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-handed_chess

Is there anyone ever played this kind of chess?

TRENDDESK - MASADAKİLER

Size Zeynep Arhon ve Murat Yurddaş'ın sahipleri olduğu TRENDDESK firmasını tanıtmak istiyorum. (http://www.trenddesk.com/)

Farklı sektörlerden gelen ve avant-garde duruşlarıyla bugünün ötesine geçen üyelerden oluşan TRENDDESK Paneli çalışmalarımızın vazgeçilmez bir unsuru. TRENDDESK Paneli bugünü ve geleceği anlamamızı kolaylaştırmakta.

Trendleri üç seviyede inceliyorlar. Öncelikle, hem bugünü hem de uzun dönemli geleceği şekillendirmede son derece belirleyici olan “Makro Trendler”. Bir alt seviyede, bugün “makro trendler” kadar belirleyici olmayan, fark edilmesi biraz daha güç, kullanıldığında büyük fark yaratacak “trendler”. Son olarak trendlerin hayata yansımaları; başka bir deyişle zamanın ruhunu yakalayan ürünler ve hizmetler. Bunları “semptom” olarak adlandırıyor ve çalıştıkları şirketlerle hem yurtdışından, hem Türkiye’den semptomlar paylaşmaya özen gösteriyorlar.

Bu paylaşım platformlarından birisi de her hafta yayınladıkları "MASADAKİLER" isimli e-magazin. 2010 yılının ilk, tüm serinin ise 100. sayısını MASADAKİLER’i takip eden iş insanları hazırladı. Geçtiğimiz birkaç hafta içinde önerileri toplarladı ve farklı sektörleri kapsayacak şekilde önceliklendirdi. Bu sayıya giren üç yazıdan bir tanesi de benim bu blogda da daha önce paylaştığım "sustainnovation" konulu yazı oldu. :-)

Okumak için linke tıklayabilirsiniz: http://www.trenddesk.com/pdf/MASADAKILER-2010-01.pdf

Academic Earth

I have found a very interesting website, called http://academicearth.org/.
Academic Earth is an organization founded with the goal of giving everyone on earth access to a world-class education.

They are working with top US universities, such as, Harvard, MIT, Stanford, etc.
It is like a very academic version of TED (www.ted.com). You have the possibility to watch lecture videos of many high-class lectures.

Please check the Introduction to Chemical Engineering class from Stanford Uni. below.

Watch it on Academic Earth