July 9, 2008
The first of my speaking engagements at Worldwide Partner Conference went smashingly well yesterday. That was the Windows Mobile keynote in room 372 BCEF talking about Mobility in Small and Medium Sized Businesses.
The room was full, and I don’t remember anyone leaving during the session at all. Despite the fact that my own Awesome Per Minute ratio was through the roof.
Of course, the reason the keynote went so well was totally thanks to the amazingly kickass job that Laura Johnson and Steve Doe did laying out the case for Mobility in small and medium-businesses.
I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to share Black Warrior Technology’s approach to Mobility and Windows Mobile in particular.
The second of my speaking engagements at Worldwide Partner Conference happens Thursday, July 10th, which is tomorrow, at 1:30p. It’ll be in room 382 ABC, which is the room across from the Green (Mobility) Lounge.
I’ll be speaking about specific examples of Black Warrior Technology’s approach to Mobility and Windows Mobile that have turned into huge wins for both our customers and our company.
Which, like the hokey-pokey, is REALLY what it’s all about!
|| posted by chris under biz, hardware, mobility, nostalgia, opinion, rx, thumbs up, travel || comments (0) ||
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May 23, 2008
Let me come right out and get this review over with in one sentence, for those of you who have important things to get done…
The new Indiana Jones movies TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY SUCKS!
Yep, I said it.
Don’t waste your money on this tired old gasbag of a movie.
In fact, I won’t waste your time going into the innumerable ways it sucks.
But I will tell you this…
Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Oh-Who-Gives-A-Damn-Anyway makes Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom look like an Oscar-worthy MASTERPIECE by comparison.
Which I’m sure will make Kate Capshaw very happy.
Instead of telling you all the ways that the latest Indiana Jones delivers every cliche and hackneyed idea that has been put to film for the last 27 years…
Ever since Raiders of the Lost Ark basically kicked the ass of every action movie that had come before it, not to mention all that have come since…
I will instead share with you all the alternate titles I came up with while waiting for this pig of a movie to end tonight…
Raiders of the Aching Lumbago
Indiana Jones and the Search for the Golden Geritol
Indiana Jones Soils His Depends
Indiana Jones and the Last Sandwich (which he promptly gives to his anorexic girlfriend, Ally McBeal)
Indiana Jones and the Quest for Even More Special Effects
Indiana Jones and the Sequel of Doom
Raiders of the Last Nerve
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Gullible Viewers
Indiana Jones and The Final Sellout
Raiders of the Last Box-Office
Indiana Jones and the Lost Cliches
Raiders of My Last $10
Feel free to post up your own opinion, or alternate title suggestion.
But if you want my advice…
Wait for this piece of felgercarb to hit the video store.
|| posted by chris under clueless, kma, media, nostalgia, opinion, thumbs down || comments (2) ||
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May 17, 2008
And man…do I deserve it.
In response to the post on pirate ROMs, and how I handled declining to answer a question on how to do it at the NOLA conference, I used the analogy of being a drug user (possession), rather than a drug dealer (distributing), Daniel took me out behind the woodshed and proceeded to lay into me with an ax handle. For good reason.
Here’s Daniel’s response, in its entirety…
I absolutely agree with your position and the decision you made. It is better just to be the drug user and never cross the line into drug pusher/dealer.
On the other hand, how respectable is it to be *just* a drug user?
Let’s continue the analogy of software piracy = drug use and look at the whole picture.
You are a speaker presenting on the topic of marijuana and it’s benefits (it’s legal but only in rare instances). After discussing the topic at length, one of the participants asks, “You’ve convinced me, I’d like to get high as soon as possible, where can I get some drugs.” Immediately you find yourself between a rock and a hard place. You know that drugs (including marijuana) can really mess a person up and that there is no legal option that you can answer with. So you pull a stash of crack-cocaine out of your pocket and explain, “I am a user who likes to get high, but I’m not about to become a dealer or tell others how to commit such a crime.” Then you light your crack pipe and take a hit.
I think the better answer would have been to explain that the only legal option is to wait until its official release and keep your illegal warez to yourself.
Not that it would help your integrity more…a person of integrity does what is right even when nobody else is looking. So to install a pirate rom kills your integrity whether you advertise that fact or not.
So yes, I respect your decision and attitude to have “more” integrity by not pointing the way towards illegal software use. But I hope you can understand why you have lost some level of respect from some people.
Not only is he absolutely right, he’s DAMN right.
Worse yet, railing against how bad pirate ROMs are like I am, and then doing it myself makes me not only a damn dirty pirate, and still part of the problem…
But also makes me a damn dirty hypocrite too.
I wish Danial had been in the NOLA audience and said that. Because I would have not only made the audience applaud him for saying that, but I would have also taken this long overdue step right then and there.
Today…
I am taking a solemn vow RIGHT NOW.
I, Chris Rue, pledge to never EVER use or download pirate ROMs. Ever.
Folks, that’s how important I feel this issue is to the long-term health of the Windows Mobile platform.
And I hope you will join me in this pledge, by also filling out the following…
Pirate ROM Survey & Pledge
This is OPEN to anyone who is interested in commenting on Windows Mobile and the ROM situation.
|| posted by chris under clueless, hardware, mobility, opinion, rx, shoutout, thumbs down || comments (4) ||
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May 15, 2008
But maybe I can tell the future. [EDIT: But I completely forget the link. Doh!]
Been preaching the mobile device revolution was the next big thing for a couple of years now. And decent web browsing would be the key.
Honestly, there’s no magic. You can see what’s coming, as long as you are paying attention.
If you don’t, I can for sure tell you your future.
And it ain’t pretty.
|| posted by chris under biz, hardware, media, mobility, opinion, rx, travel || comments (0) ||
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May 13, 2008
Again…let me tell you how astonished, humbled, and amazed at how many of you got real, tangible value out of the talk on Mobility I delivered in New Orleans this weekend.
I appreciate EVERYONE who has already filled out the Mobility Survey. I will be responding to each of you individually about your awesome awesome comments. that’s least I can do for the amazing outpouring of support this community has show to me over the years, and to the ideas I have about Mobility.
I’m worried though, that one of my answers during the Q&A session might not have been as clear as it should have been. I’d like to get the chance to clarify it now for both those who were there, and even folks who were not there. It’s a VERY common question, that comes up all the time in the Mobile world, and is a complex, frustrating, and bothersome issue, as it veers in the very real and nasty world of software piracy.
Let’s start with the question. A gentleman in the audience asked if I would explain how he could get Windows Mobile 6.1 for his device, even tho it’s not slated for a release. He knew that there were unofficial sources out there, but wanted some guidance how to do it, the tools needed, the best sources, and how to avoid destroying his device.
I will tell you…I was taken aback. Here’s why. I will state this in no uncertain terms…
When ANYONE uses an unofficial ROM update to upgrade their device, they are…at best, risking rendering their device useless (bricking it) or exposing themselves to embedded data exploits. However, even if those don’t happen, ANYONE who uses an unofficial ROM update it committing SOFTWARE PIRACY!
Seriously. No different than grabbing a copy of SBS 2003 or 2008 off a warez site.
So…this person was asking me to tell an assembly of roughly 200 SMB IT pros how to commit illegal software piracy, while at the same time potentially giving them information that could destroy their devices, or expose them to hidden data exploits they might never know about.
Not only that…but everything I was saying was being recorded, by a professional audio and video crews being paid by Microsoft, to create videos that may be rebroadcast on the Microsoft Partner site.
If I seemed nervous, I was. I was trying to pick my words very carefully. My first reaction was to simply say…
DON’T DO IT! DON’T THINK ABOUT IT! IT’S NOT WORTH THE RISK! NO WAY!
I didn’t say that.
What I did was hold up my personal mobile device, a Palm Treo 750. I did not use it for the WM 6.1 demo at all, on purpose. I used Microsoft Device Emulator running Windows Mobile 6.1 images. Which is not only free, but an official tool. I talked about how this is the best way to learn for everyone, etc.
I did say tho…that my Treo was running Windows Mobile 6.1 and that it was a pirate build. That I do NOT have direct access to the Windows Mobile team, nor any mobile operators. So that ROm came from an unofficial source.
However, I have vowed to never ever EVER disseminate, distribute, or otherwise give out information to anyone about how to find, use, or otherwise commit software piracy with pirate ROMS.
Think of this like…the War On Drugs. We’ll call it The War On ROMs.
If I get a pirate ROM for personal use and use it, then I’m roughly the equivalent of someone busted possession. Most times…nobody does much of anything.
But if I am directly involved in the distribution, dissemination, and the use of pirate ROMs, then I am the equivalent of a drug dealer. And that’s some seriously bad juju.
Let me ask this question…
How many of you help your clients commit software piracy on their PCs? Do you load warez or illegal OEM copies of Windows, Office, or other software for them?
I hope not. I sure don’t.
In fact, as Running Antelope says…
You Are Mr. Super Straight Arrow About Software Licensing
So much so that even in our own house, we follow software licensing to the letter. Because as I understand it, if I commit, or help commit software piracy, MS has the right to revoke all my certifications, everything.
Basically all the knowledge and certification equity I have worked so hard to build my entire 14 year IT career.
All because someone at a conference wants to use pirate ROMs.
[EDITED: Ending removed on the advice of people much smarter than me. Thank you Susan! Thank you Mark!]
|| posted by chris under clueless, community, hardware, it pro, kma, mobility, opinion, thumbs down || comments (14) ||
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