I've Sold My Soul

Will I Resist Morphing into a "CrackBerry" Guy?

Ladies and gentlemen, I have gone beyond the point of return, I purchased a BlackBerry Curve over the weekend.

I must say, she is a beauty. I will be doing a product review on my website, http://www.thesmallbizguru.com/reviews after a couple weeks.

However, I have sworn to myself, I will never be the person who "thumbs" through the device while I am having a conversation with someone else...


My experience at the wireless store is another story...

~the GURU

Do You Like Being "Always Home"?

Home Landlines Becoming Obsolete? At What Cost?

In a May article in BusinessWeek, studies are showing that home landlines are slowly being replaced by wireless devices (cell phones). Consumers either keep landlines for internet connections or simply have them because they always have. Recent trends to absolve the use of landlines are due to cost and the demand for being able to be contacted "anytime"and "anyplace".

However, while wireless technology is the wave of the future, there is a point I want to raise and it should be duly noted, but before I divulge my point and issue, let's go over the pros and cons of the growing way to communicate.

The pros of ridding our lives of landlines are the following:

1) One less number to worry about. If we did not have our personal contact lists with numbers programmed in, our lives would be chaotic. I remember when I used to have so many numbers memorized it wasn't even funny. Now, I can simply look them up in two seconds and begin my call. Also, instead of "guessing" where the to-be-called-party is (are they home? are they out?), we can call one number and be done with it all.

2) "Always Home." By having one number that travels with individuals everywhere, it is like one is always home and will never miss a beat. If someone walked out the door and the phone rang three minutes later with a new meeting spot, a cell phone allows the travelling to be contacted about the location change.

3) It's less expensive. Why pay for both a home number and cell number? Just consolidate.

4) No Solicitors!!!!! Dinner will be peaceful and there will not be 32 issues of Vogue on the door step in a couple weeks.




Now that you're ancy to cancel your land line service, wait just a moment for the cons:

1) Emergency Service Providers have a more difficult time tracking people down. Now, in time this will get better (GPS etc etc), but when calling from a land line phone, location is almost exact. While with cell phones, tower distance/signal strength play a key role.

2) Comfort. Having extended phone calls on a smaller device can cause discomfort and while subject oneself to that if they do not have to? Plus, why drain your batter even more?

3) Memory. I would be curious to see if people had better memorizing skills before the creation of cell phone contact lists. Personally, I do not know as many numbers as I used to. Thus, if I were in a situation where I did not have some one's phone number, I'd be rather bothered.

4) Signal Towers. I am no expert and if any of you readers know, what happens if lightening hits the tower? Lose signal and no other tower can pick up the extra signals or is too far? What type of issue could that cause? If a parent is trying to call his child who is out too late and cannot call?

5) What if solicitors eventually lobby for the ability to call you on your cell phone? Now wouldn't that stink?! I would much rather have those calls go to my land line phone than my cell.

-and now, the main point I want to address in this article-

CALL QUALITY

Sure, we all laugh at the Verizon slogan of "Can You Here Me Now?" But, have you actually thought about that phrase? We say it more than we think. How annoying is this? I want to be able to have a conversation and not have to repeat myself or angle my head just right to receive optimal signal. Plus, voice quality isn't always as crisp as a land line phone. For those of you that are followers of my blog, you know that I praise the motto of "you get what you pay for."

We all know our landlines very rarely go down. They are RELIABLE. Even when the power is out, they work. Most people have their more private conversations in the comfort of their own homes. Imagine when you're speaking to your great grandmother who lives in Europe and it is hard enough to understand her due to her "wise and mature" voice, throw in some cell static and your call is not going to be a good experience. Or, in the midst of a very important conversation, you have been speaking for a few minutes only to realize that the call was dropped two minutes ago?

At this point in time, we, as consumers, need to start to go after quality again, not just cheap. It will come back and bite us. Why settle? I hate having to repeat myself when having a conversation or have to re-call after a call is dropped. In time, the service will be better, but not yet. Notice how I did not touch upon the business side of things, imagine being on a call with a vital client and the call is dropped.... how are you viewed in their eyes?
Don't sacrifice quality..... because who honestly wants to be "always home?"

~the GURU


Le Link to the Article

Be Prepared for Murder in the Skies

You have got to be kidding me!

My eyes glaze over as I read this article and yearn to smack the jubilant gentleman in the photo. Airlines are one of our last cell-phone-free safe havens and the evil forces have begun to penetrate our holy space.

Of course, we all want to be 24/7 connected to everyone, but there comes a time when is becomes ridiculous. Think about it, it is already chaotic enough to have the crying baby two rows up, behind you you have the kid kicking your seat, and directly to your right the gentleman leaning into your personal space, now slap into the equation a person with a cell phone?! Houston, we have a serious problem.

Let us indulge in the pros of this first:

1) For the business travelers, they will be able to continue to be tied into their jobs. If there is a sudden change in proposals, quotes, news, they will not have a 2-5 hour empty window, so, ideally, productivity is increased.

2) I'm sure cell phone companies will find some way to make even more money off this, I'm not sure how yet (other than usage), but they will.

3).... Um, I do not think there is any, even #2 is a stretch. Please let me know if there are any others?

Let us eyeball the negatives:

1) As we become more and more connected, there has been talks of the law of diminishing returns. We are quickly approaching, if not all ready, the point where we are so connected we are not as efficient as we once were. With all the distractions that bombard us through the work-day, we lose track of what we're trying to do. For example, if you're on the flight and working on a proposal or even sleeping and your phone rings, who knows how long the conversation could go for and afterwards you will probably be side-tracked.

2) It is already bad enough when babies are crying, your neighbor to your left is drooling on you, and now, your neighbor on the right is going to be talking to who-knows-who about who-knows-what. Let's be honest, some of the topics people discuss in public now is stuff I do not want to hear about. What if your neighbor is a loud talker? Eek!

3) You may get assaulted. No more needs to be said.

Overall, on the business side of things, there are some potential benefits. Who knows what kind of events could transpire within those couple hours in the air cut off from the office. Having access to a phone could have huge perks, but when we begin to approach the line of overall respect for everyone and keeping a peace of mind, we have issues. Always being connected is not always a good thing, especially when it is not businessmen next to you, but the 16 year-old girl with boy problems...

~The GURU

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7308041.stm

Recession Looms and People Spend on Movie Tickets?!

I'm back baby! The Flu kicked me around for a little bit, but I'm almost revived!

Ah, the joys of the movies... A box of popcorn, over-priced candy, if I'm a lucky a lovely female at my side, and hopefully a good flick to immerse my mind into. Now, if I am ever strapped for cash, movies are always the first to go in my budget. Over the past five years, I feel like I can count on two hands the movies I have seen in the theaters (All the Bourne Series have been seen the-day-of..Matt Damon.. the man).

But, let's be frank, the quality of movies has just plummeted miserably. Gigli? Are We Done Yet? Any Halle Berry Movie, etc etc... And people pay to see this stuff? Hollywood's kool aid is only getting stronger and it scares me that these people are making millions of dollars. But, for that, I also have to applaud them... they have found the formula to draw the consumers into their theaters.

Now, bringing myself back into focus on the article and the business relevance. Movies do give a sense of mental relaxation. You can simply sit there, eat some candy, and listen to the annoying teenager whose cell phone goes off every 10 seconds, despite the plethora of signs instructing someone to turn off the phone.

Back in the days of the Depression, movies dominated life. It did in fact give an out for people. Plus, like the article touches upon, there were so few options back then that "4.6 billion" tickets were sold at that time... still clobbering numbers today.

Yet, despite all the years of change, the movie industry has always survived and adapted. (um, hello? Ordering your tickets online! Reclining chairs, oversized cup holders)

"We don't want to wish recession on anyone or hard times on anyone, but we certainly have done very well during recessions," said John Fithian, president of the theater owners group, who planned to touch on Hollywood's recession-proof history in a speech at ShoWest's opening Source

What Mr. Fithian says is good and all, but he runs a business. It would be pretty funny if he just came out and said what he is really thinking. (I'll leave that to your imagination). One of my clients is in Hurricane disaster recovery. It may sound evil, but he needs Hurricanes and damaging storms so he can remain in business. Society may think they are mean and selfish people, but someone has got to do it and survive as they do it.

But, you cannot simply say revenue was high because of higher ticket prices. Attendance is increasing as well. My reasoning: Population increase. Not because Hollywood is produce great art.

In closing, this post is disjointed and I'm not really sure where I wanted to go (see, I can admit where areas can be weak at time), but that is how Hollywood makes me feel. My frustration is more aimed at Hollywood. High prices on the "experience" and then I have cell phone bandits ruining it. Movies may be a way to get away from the "troubles" of the world and give someone an outlet. All I know, this Guru's wallet stays closed for movies unless they actually have some merit. Sorry J. Lo, Ice Cube, and now Will Ferrell (he's overstaying his same comedic welcome), your movies are awful and I will not pay to watch them, no matter how bad the economy may be.

~A Flustered Guru

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23564934/