Author: Geoff Ebbs

The day it gets real is the day we throw out our phone writes Geoff Ebbs
Despite headlines such as ‘Riding the Wearable Boom’ and the enthusiastic release of products like Salesforce Wear, ‘a complete eco-system for the enterprise’, the pundits are generally underwhelmed by the latest wave of wearable computing products.
More importantly, the ordinary punter – that’s you and I dear reader – are not lining up at the g-Store buying google glasses in bulk. In fact, Network World’s Frederick Paul writes that Google Glass has set back wearable computing for ten years.
The Samsung Wearable Tech range, featuring the latest in digital watches going by the low key label, Samsung Gear, has barely even registered in mainstream consciousness.
Part of the problem is that no-one really knows what we want this stuff for – we are not driving the demand for new technology, the tech-companies are looking for ways to drive us.
Our phones currently do everything we want and more: we use only a minute fraction of their curent capability. Marketing and publishing agencies are really only beginning to lumber into gear to harness the ability of personal networked computing devices that know more about us than we know about ourselves.
In 1991 I wrote in PC User magazine “Computer companies are actively seeking the ideal size for the the laptop computer – which always seems to be smaller than the current crop of computing devices. The constraint, though, is screen size. Interestingly, the phone is becoming the tool of the bosses and the laptop the tool of the worker.”
I’m not claiming to have predicted the impact of the iPhone a decade before its appearance but it is instructive to note Bob Metcalfe’s observation that “the future is already here, it is just unevenly distributed.” The point is that by looking around us we can already see the future. Screens are becoming ubiquitous. We have them on our car mirrors, an increasing number of digital devices and in all sorts of public spaces.

As always we only need to look at the sci-fi films to see how this will be integrated. As we move past these screens they will become part of our personal network experience. Our interface with the network then, will be ubiquitous. What this does not explain is what will be our connection. And that is where the digital watch comes in. The watch

The digital watch will evolve to become the nerve centre of our personal computing node, in the same way that our phone is now. It will be complemented by a range of input and output devices that allow us to speak to the network and see what is available. In the house, that might be our TV or fridge mounted screen, in the car that will be our hands free microphone and the screen attached to our review mirror.

The watch, like the spectacles, have evolved four centuries to become an integral extension of the human body. When the digital glasses get good enough, we will have our own personal screen on our faces with a microphone built into the frame. At that point, the phone in our pocket will be largely redundant.
There is one thing that the phone has introduced to the networked experience that needs to be taken into account and that is the touch screen. The direct, visceral experience of gesturing directly onto the output device is a fundamental change in the way that we interact with the computer. Another thing that the sci-fi imagery shows us is that the three D hologram is a much more powerful interface than the touch screen. The next development in that direction is the evolution of the stylus pen as a gesturing device that allows us to point to elements in the image made visible by our digital glasses. That completes the picture, regardless of whether it is a current 2D image, or a more futuristic 3D hologram.

Restauranters and cafe owners in Southbank have been wallopped with a 30 per cent increase in rent courtesy of State Government.

The State recently took over the operations of Southbank Corporation claiming cost efficiency as a major driver. Southbank Corporation is the landlord for the restaurants along Grey and Little Stanley as well as those tucked into the Southbank Parklands.

Because of its role in maintaining the parklands, Brisbane City Council has been caught in the crossfire. Lord Mayor Quirk was recently pictured on the Westender Website putting a shovel into the sand next to the revamped City Beach. The revamping was largely in response to the extraordinary health challenges involved in maintaining an open air swimming pool with a sandy bottom, under trees containing an active bird population and surrounded by wooden infrastructure. The challenges of keeping the bacterial load below acceptable standards are immense.

Whether it is because of the bill for that investment or simply that the State government intends to milk its new cash cow ‘til it bleeds, we don’t know.

The official statement quotes the high cost of operating and marketing of Southbank. Small business owners who spoke to Westender suggested that with a stated passion for supporting small business and billions in their pocket thanks to the G20, the State Government might have waited for a bit before gouging its newest tenants.

Local advocate of ethical food, Richard Webb of Swamp Dog, is calling it a day. Webb has worked with many chefs in 4101 to heighten their awareness of the variety of local fish and the various ways to cook them. In the chef’s own words:

“In the last 3 years at Swampdog we’ve introduced thousands and thousands of people to new ( to them) fish. In some small way I’d like to think Swampdog has made a contribution to our culinary landscape. Through Betterfish we’ve also helped many chefs access a wider range of fish, with emphasis on more local fish. In my spare time I’ll continue helping chefs through Betterfish but at Swampdog it’s time to pass the baton. It’s well established now and the ball will continue to roll on. For me it’s time for other things. So that’s it folks.”

Swamp Dog will remain where it is, serving quality fish to customers in a relaxed and rustic setting on Tribune St.

The real estate sector is hitting back at the two major players in the online real estate market, realestate.com.au and domain. Competition has emerged in two separate announcements this week, from the Real Estate Institute of Queensland and the Certified Practicing Real Estate Agents. Touting REIQ.com.au and Roomeo respectively, the two organisations are clearly out to break the duopoly.

Owned by media giants News Limited and Fairfax, their aggressive pricing and deep reach into the consumer’s pocket via smartphones have taken a large slice of the margin traditionally enjoyed by your friendly, local agent.

“We know how much it costs to run these services because you can buy an ad on domain in Brisbane, or realestate.com.au for about one hundredth of the price they charge in their home cities,” one agent told Westender.

The REIQ site has a significant head start on Roomeo which is still in start up mode and not available to the public.REIQ features over 70 listings in West End alone. Roomeo probably has the marketing edge, though. It is a bit hard to imagine anyone crooning “REIQ, REIQ, where art thou, REIQ.”

<caption>Local tyro Leo Tsimpikas is top of the pops at REIQ

The new Westender Eats section has proven very popular with readers, especially the pithy editor’s picks, the HOT and SWEET panels and the regular recipe from Kurilpa Community Childcare Centre. These will be complemented next month by a range of short news bites, allowing us to air more views in fewer words.

As Westender tours around 4101, restauranters and café owners are vying for these sought after spots. Here you can see one contender for the SWEET panel, a passionfruit cheesecake served with Earl Grey Tea. The first reader to correctly identify the establishment in which the cheesecake was sold, photographed and eaten will get a free three month subscription to Westender.

Just put your answer in the comment box, below. We’ll take it from there.

Professor Paul Steffen from QUT delivered a bombshell with breakfast at the South West Chamber of Commerce last week.

“Our research indicates that business plans are worse than useless,” he said. His research into Innovation and Entrepreneurship indicates that flexibility in response to market demand is a far more important tool for success.

He believes that sayings such as “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail,” lead people to waste time in constructing a strategic plan and aligning their business to it.

“The most successful businesses simply adjust their business to increase profit when there is an opportunity,” he said.

This is consistent with the advice of Matthew Snelleksz, reported in Business Voice last month. Snellekz advises that any business plan longer than 90 days is largely a waste of time.

“No-one can see that far into the future,” he said.

The focus of Professor Steffen’s talk was his key finding that profitability often leads to growth but it rarely works the other way around. Companies focused on growth rarely become profitable: more often failing, or struggling to survive.

He pointed out that this is hardly surprising, given that profitable companies have the capacity to think strategically and invest in the flexibility required to meet market demand.

His research also revealed that smart companies acquire competitors in tough times and innovate in the boom. Companies that cash in during the boom by competing on price or expansive marketing have little to show for their investment when the going gets tough.

These lessons may seem to be common sense when spelled out by Professor Steffen, but they are in contrast to the advice regularly dished out to business.

The federal government’s small business tools recently published in Westender’s Business Voice, promote the importance of long term planning – albeit as a tool for raising finance and convincing investors that you know what you are doing.

Even Snelleksz’ advice to focus on sales first, then cashflow and profitability, has been taken by some business owners to indicate that growing the top line is their first priority. Snelleksz himself does not see it that way. “Sales is the business owner’s first responsibility because without sales you have no business, but there is no point in selling your time [or products] at a loss.”

This is consistent with the old adage that if you are going to go broke it is better to do it under a tree fishing than working off your rear end for nothing.