Griffin McGrath

If you happen to have an extra 40 minutes sitting around, take a...

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:56:28 -0500

http://www.charlierose.com/view/content/10883

If you happen to have an extra 40 minutes sitting around, take a look at this Charlie Rose interview of Paul Otellini, the president and CEO of Intel. It’s pretty fascinating.

The title of this picture is “Suicidal Orange.” Made...

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:27:16 -0500

The title of this picture is “Suicidal Orange.” Made me chuckle.

"Whether you do well or not should not be left to chance."

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:51:16 -0500

“Whether you do well or not should not be left to chance.”

Brief Psychology of #Mobile Giving

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:59:29 -0500

In the wake of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, the Red Cross has raised over $10 million via text message. This is a fairly staggering amount to raise over one medium. So why has mobile giving become so popular in this time of need?

There was an interesting segment on NPR this afternoon that focused on the psychology of giving via mobile devices. The following is a summary of some of the thoughts brought up on the show.

Immediacy of giving - Many people are inherently lazy and will put off their charitable giving because they “don’t have time” or are “busy” when they think of it. With mobile devices, a person can instantly give no matter where they are. It’s as simple as sending a text message.
Anonymity - When the text is sent, the charity only sees the phone number and carrier of the giver. The giver can then only be contacted if they give express permission for the charity to do so. This is a “no strings attached” approach to giving, which many people like better than creating a relationship with the charity.
Familiarity (Technology and Uses)- It can sometimes be overwhelming for people to donate to charities. By using their cell phones, people know that they have done everything correctly. They also know that their donations are going straight to Haitian relief efforts and not just a general fund.

While the success of this campaign has been impressive, it is not indicative of a trend in mobile donations - it is an outlier due to a catastrophic event. But who knows? Maybe it will continue to be a viable way to raise a large amount of money in a short time period. What else do you think mobile giving could be used for?

The iPhone can do anything! (via my brother)

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:59:51 -0500

The iPhone can do anything! (via my brother)

Classic

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 19:37:53 -0500

Classic

Cat fight

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 19:34:37 -0500

[Flash 10 is required to watch video.]

Cat fight

Mario and Luigi (aka Moe and Lou)

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 07:59:57 -0500

Mario and Luigi (aka Moe and Lou)

The two newest additions to the McGrath clan. My kittens Mario...

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 07:58:49 -0500

The two newest additions to the McGrath clan. My kittens Mario and Luigi!

"You see things, and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were, and I say;..."

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:59:15 -0500

“You see things, and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were, and I say; ‘Why not?’”

- George Bernard Shaw, 1921. Words to live by

Pretty cool. I would probably buy one of these.

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 00:09:39 -0500

Pretty cool. I would probably buy one of these.

"The essence of entrepreneurship is freedom, but it must be inspired by vision, passion and..."

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 00:00:17 -0500

““The essence of entrepreneurship is freedom, but it must be inspired by vision, passion and creativity””

- John Waters

"It’s not about “being lucky.” It’s about putting yourself in the right..."

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:22:12 -0500

“It’s not about “being lucky.” It’s about putting yourself in the right position to capitalize on an opportunity when it arises.”

Web 2.0 speakers see mobile devices taking over - USATODAY.com

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:42:23 -0400

Web 2.0 speakers see mobile devices taking over - USATODAY.com:

I agree with everything in this article. Mobile is definitely poised to revolutionize the way we live.

Here’s a great graphic describing the two sides of the...

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:36:13 -0400

Here’s a great graphic describing the two sides of the political spectrum. I always find these useful when trying to understand such things.

ISECON Paper Accepted!

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:02:17 -0400

I’ll be presenting my paper titled, “Building a Mobile MBA Program for Smart Phones” at ISECON (Information Systems Education Conference) in Washington, D.C. on November 6th-7th. I’ll be posting the presentation here after the conference, so be on the lookout.

Bobby McFerrin is a genius. Plus it shows how powerful music can...

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:08:34 -0400

Bobby McFerrin is a genius. Plus it shows how powerful music can be on the mind.

How Do Innovators Think? - HBR Editors' Blog - Harvard Business Review

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:33:29 -0400

How Do Innovators Think? - HBR Editors' Blog - Harvard Business Review:

Good article from Harvard about what make innovators different from others.

Photo

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:01:31 -0400

CEDIA Show Floor

Panasonic 103" Plasma

Burmester Top Line System

Crestron Mobile App

CEDIA 2009 Trends

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:59:13 -0400

Last week I attended the CEDIA Expo in Atlanta, GA. CEDIA, in case you don’t know, is the Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association. If that still doesn’t make sense, it’s basically for people that build and design home theaters and home control. Pretty awesome stuff.

While there, I decided to try to find the new trends in the technology and implementation of these systems. Here’s what I saw.

The most notable new technology was unveiled by the major TV manufacturers: 3D HD televisions. Sony and Panasonic seem to be leading the way, offering the best programming (movies and games) as well as the best 3D pictures. Panasonic’s presentation was stunning, offering a viewing of the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games on their flagship 103” plasma. If that doesn’t take your breath away, I don’t know what will. These new sets are due to be released some time next year.
The second trend that I noticed was the move towards “green entertainment.” The home theater and custom electronics industries offer products that use a lot of - you guessed it - electricity. The recent push in the industry has been to reduce the amount of energy used by electronic components, which has been partly been done out of societal pressure and partly due to necessity. For instance, the European Union has passed legislature that makes it illegal (as of April 2010) to import electronics that use more that 2W of electricity when in standby mode. Supposedly, this will save enough energy to power the country of Denmark for a year. In order to comply with the regulations, manufacturers of power amplifiers, TVs and other peripherals have redesigned their products and enter into the “green” market.

The product that most intrigued me in this new category was the LED TV. These new TVs use Light Emitting Diodes instead of Liquid Crystals or Plasma, which allows them to last longer, have a broader color gamut, higher dynamic contrast and - this is the kicker - use half as much energy as their LCD and Plasma counterparts. While many manufacturers have entered this market, LG (who has a THX certified set) and Sharp’s models were spectacular representatives of the overall market.
One of my favorite trends was iPhone integration into whole-house control systems. Companies like Crestron and Control4 have realized the incredible potential of mobile devices and have turned them into powerful home control units. For instance, you could be vacationing in Paris and open your Crestron iPhone application and see real-time video surveillance, turn on your kitchen lights and adjust the temperature of your hot tub with the flick of a few buttons. To many, that sounds like science fiction, but it’s just another example of talented companies finding a unique use for the incredibly versatile mobile devices of today.
The final, and most surprising, trend that I noticed was the resurgence of high-end 2-channel stereo equipment. In a time when it seems everyone is cutting back their budgets and buying home-theater-in-a-box sets (which hurts me deeply), many companies are investing in stereo. Companies like Sherbourn Technologies, who are known for their home theater and whole-house audio systems, have stepped into the stereo arena with some impressive products. Equally impressive are the speaker manufacturers who are producing reference level loudpseakers like ADAM, Burmester (both super-high-end) and even more well-known companies like JBL with their K2 series (which was one of the best sounding systems I heard all week.)

Overall, the week in Atlanta was a great experience, and hopefully everyone will be able to experience a high-end audio/video experience like the ones offered at CEDIA.