How to Change the World

Report on Obama's Use of Social Media

"The Social Pulpit" is a very interesting analysis of how the Barack Obama campaign used social media. The folks at Edelman compiled this report, and there are many lessons that businesses can also apply, so check it out.

Macintosh 25th Anniversary Reunion: Where Did Time Go?

On January 24, 1984 Apple introduced Macintosh. Many of us who worked in the Macintosh division are now asking, “Where did the time go?” The Division had a reunion at the home of Alain Rossman (software evangelist) and Joanna Hoffman (the division’s conscience and first marketing person) to celebrate this occasion, and these are pictures from the event.

Let me take you back to 1984 and show you two videos. This is the unveiling of Macintosh by Steve Jobs. It was one of the most magical moments in our lives.

This the “1984” commercial that ran during the Super Bowl on January 24th, 1984.

Leotard then.

Leotard twenty five years later--Barbara Koalkin (Macintosh marketing manager) is holding it.

This is Barbara again. This time in a photo with Bill Gates (Microsoft), Mitch Kapor (Lotus), and Fred Gibbons (Software Publishing Corporation).

We gave this glass decoration to Apple dealers.

Macintosh 128K with a MacPaint box. MacPaint was truly a mind-bending application that showed how different Macintosh was other computer operating systems.

Macintosh Division tshirt. We were very big into tshirts.

Chris Espinosa (end-user and technical documentation of Macintosh) with the tshirt of the software group.

Another tshirt.

Steve Scheier (ran the test-drive-a-Mac program), me, and John Rizzo (Macintosh product manager).

Dan’l Lewin. He ran the Apple University Consortium. His efforts got Macs into the hands of students and faculty at schools like Stanford and Carnegie Mellon.

Chris Espinosa with Scott Knaster (developer tech support).

Four software evangelists: Mike Boich, Alain Rossman, me, and Jim Armstrong.

Steve Capps (wrote Alice and worked on the Finder and ROM).

Jane Anderson (then of Regis McKenna, Inc), Lynn Takahashi (Steve’s admin), Debi Coleman (CFO), and Bill Fernandez (hardware design).

Randy Wigginton (author of MacWrite). He sure does look like the guy in the painting behind him.

Jerome Coonen (software team manager and worked on the math routines in the ROM) and his wife, Sue (worked on Lisa documentation).

Steve Capps, Bruce Horn (worked on the Finder and Resource Manager), Susan Kare (she was responsible for much of the Macintosh graphic design and created the Macintosh icons), Patty Kenyon (software team), Andy Hertzfeld (main contributor to ROM), and Rony Seebok (software team).

Bud Colligan (handled international and educational marketing) and James Higa (spearheaded Apple’s effort in Japan and several years ago he’s The Man who convinced the major record labels to sell through iTunes)

Bill Wathen, Debi Coleman, and me. Funny story: I once purchased about $1 million worth of software to give to the Apple salesforce and dealers to convince them that Macintosh had software. This was a mere $995,000 over my spending authority so Debi (then CFO of the division) told Bill (who was the controller) that she was going to get me fired!

David Beaver (Steve’s assistant), Larry Kenyon (driver-level software), and Dan Kottke (hardware design).

Three evangelists again. Mike Boich started evangelism and hired me, and Alain Rossman worked with me as a software evangelist. Essentially, Mike started evangelism, Alain did the work, and I took the credit.

The Macintosh Division, circa 1984.

The Macintosh Division, circa 2009. I hope that everyone gets at least one chance to work on such a great project with such great people as the Macintosh Division.

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Thanks to my buddies at Fixmyphotos for doing the photo editing so fast. By the way, I’m still using a Macintosh and aggregate Macintosh news at Mac.Alltop.

Tough Talk for Tough Times: What the CEO Should Be Saying Now

Over at the American Express OPEN blog, I posted an article called“Tough Talk for Tough Times: What the CEO Should Be Saying Now.” In it, I discuss what CEOs should be telling employees now in order to (a) not appear clueless and (b) lead a company. Check it out! Please click on “Yes, found this useful” if you did so.

Obama Inauguration Coverage

For coverage of the Obama inauguration, check out Obama.alltop. Forty five websites and blogs including the Washington Post, New York Times, and Twitter--all at quick glance and updated continuously.

The Value of Neatness

In "Order vs. Disorder: Surroundings Matter" Roger Dooley explains how disorder can affect the behavior of people. He cites a study where 13% of the people snatched an envelope with clearly visible a five-Euro note in it from a mailbox. When the mailbox was covered with graffiti, 27% snatched the envelope. Does this mean that a well-organized store would experience less shoplifting? Or that people will buy more stuff from a neat store? The value of neatness is something to think about.

Increase the Effectiveness of Learning

In a posting called "How to Become a More Effective Learner," Kendra Van Wagner explains ten simple things you can do to increase the effectiveness of your learning. It includes ideas like teaching other people what you've learned, gaining practical experience, and stopping trying to multitask. Important lessons for anyone who wants to change the world.

Analysis of Collaboration

In an article called "Dream Teams," Carlin Flora of Psychology Today examines the dynamics of collaboration in architecture, music, fashion, robotics. One great benefit of collaboration is that it enables both people to be more daring. If you’re thinking about your founding team, don’t miss this post. (See more about psychology at Psychology.alltop.)

Brands Using Twitter

In "Brands that Tweet" Paul Dunay provides a very interesting list of the big companies that are using Twitter. Worth the read if you're in a consumer-facing business considering the use of Twitter. There's no doubt in my mind that your organization should use Twitter. For more information about Twitter, see Twitter.alltop.

How to Reinvent Your Personality

Check out "Strategic Change."  In this posting, the Psychology Today staff explain how to change your personality. I've seen people make changes like this--though within narrow confines--so you can do it. For related stories, see Psychology.alltop.

Pictures from Macworld Expo

These are pictures taken at the January 2009 Macworld Expo in San Francisco, California. I did not attend the unkeynote because I was at home watching Sponge Bob with my son, so there are no pictures from it. But there weren’t any big hardware announcements anyway.

How’s this for irony? Steve Jobs didn’t give the keynote, and I was in the the Microsoft booth signing my new book, Reality Check.

This is the first guy to get a book.

And this is the first gal.

Chris Pirillo mooching off a free copy. Krystyn Chong is the other person; she can teach your cat three tricks in less than an hour.

Sheridan Jones of the Macintosh Business Unit of Microsoft. She put the whole deal together. And she’s so tall…

that she took her shoes off for the picture so as not to tower over me.

Jennifer, my BFF at Booq. This is a video of her explaining Booq products from last year’s Macworld.

My old Tumi on the left. My new Booq Python Pack on the right. The reason that I’m switching is that the Python has a great system for carrying a digital SLR.

PeachPit Press was nice enough to also sell Reality Check.

And it ran a promotion involving wearing rabbit ears to win prizes.

This is the Apple booth.

The prize for biggest face at Macworld goes to Lynda.com, an online training company.

Adam and Tonya Engst of TidBITs along with Jean Macdonald and Greg Scown from Smile on My Mac (creators of TextExpander).

Ricardo Ettore, the creator Typeit4me. He told me some exciting news: He’s working on an iPhone app to provide text-expansion capabilities!

Russell Brown, Jedi master of Photoshop.

Someone trying Ocarina at the Smule booth. This is one of the coolest iPhone apps I’ve ever seen.

Booths are getting more and more beautiful and “Japonesque.”

Kerio is the provider of the Exchange server that I use.

My buddies from iStockphoto were there too.

This company gives a whole new meaning to tripods.

Eye-Fi makes a SD card for your camera that wirelessly transfers your pictures to your computer.

And you can also be Steve Jobs for a minute.

iPhone app for flirting.

Serving drinks in the True Flirt booth.

Computer carts and mobile furniture from Anthro.

Interesting name for a company.

Never expected to see the New York Times there.

This is the Solio solar-charger.

Drobo makes a kick-ass network storage device.

Acura had quite a presence.

I forgot to look if this Acura had an iPod cable.

At one booth there were sheets of leather.

And a sewing machine to produce custom covers.

The MacHEADS premiere was on Wednesday night.

A scene from the 1984 commercial in the movie.

On Thursday night another Mac movie premiered. This one is called “Welcome to Macintosh.”

This is the panel of some of the people in the movie. That’s Woz and Andy Hertzfeld on the right.

Woz with the two creators of the movie. (Photo by Nik Fletcher.)

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For more coverage of all things Apple, go to Mac.alltop, iPhone.alltop, and iPod.alltop.