Google+ statistics

Try Google+ statistics to track the followers to your account! Here is mine.

Google Insights for Search - demo tracking

This is a sample usage of tracking the recent hot topics of resuming the HOS in Hong Kong using Google Insights

Google+

With Mingles' invitation, I can enter into Google+ today. 

It is a whole new world other than FB & twitter.

Here is an good Google Doc to help you get started!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cUjZ_7rlAmKRDVB6GXId73h_eUdXGKdjtSff0svbaz0/edit?hl=en_US&pli=1#

Summer readings (3)

Here are several more business books that you can get the Kindle format for free:

Ignited: Managers! Light Up Your Company and Career for More Power More Purpose and More Success
Must read book for managers

Business and Competitive Analysis Methods
Originally priced at US$71.99 and now it is free!  Teaches you competitive analysis methods.

How to Make Money Marketing Your Business on LinkedIn
Make use of LinkedIn to attract customers

Happy reading!

Summer readings (2)

Some more good Kindle titles that are free!

The Message Promise Book
The Message Promise Book arranges verses by topic, making it easy to discover the Bible's wisdom about a wide range of issues. The Message Promise Book will help you see your situation from God's perspective, expressed in everyday language that you can easily understand and apply to your life.

Marketing Metrics: The Definitive Guide to Measuring Marketing Performance (2nd Edition)
Good reference book for marketers as well as management accountants!

The Truth About What Customers Want
Your customers want a relationship, not a one-night stand!

Summer readings

Here are some free Kindle titles that I have ordered recently.  You may also find some of them useful.

The Leader's Checklist: 15 Mission-Critical Principles

Goal Setting: Discover What You Want in Life and Achieve It Faster than You Think Possible

How to Make Money with Social Media: An Insider's Guide on Using New and Emerging Media to Grow Your Business

(original price was $19.99!)

The Truth About the New Rules of Business Writing

(original price was $20.99!)

The Truth About Getting the Best From People

Weights and Measures Study Guide: Conversion of over 1,000 units including Length, Area, Volume, Speed, Force, Energy, Electricity, Viscosity, Temperature, & more

The eBook Insider

Publish on Amazon Kindle with Kindle Direct Publishing

Great quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson

Just come across this great quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 – April 27, 1882), an American lecturer, essayist and poet.

"To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, —that is genius. Speak your latent conviction, and it shall be the universal sense; for the inmost in due time becomes the outmost,— and our first thought is rendered back to us by the trumpets of the Last Judgment. Familiar as the voice of the mind is to each, the highest merit we ascribe to Moses, Plato, and Milton is, that they set at naught books and traditions, and spoke not what men but what they thought. A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages. Yet he dismisses without notice his thought, because it is his. In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts: they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty. Great works of art have no more affecting lesson for us than this. They teach us to abide by our spontaneous impression with good-humored inflexibility then most when the whole cry of voices is on the other side. Else, to-morrow a stranger will say with masterly good sense precisely what we have thought and felt all the time, and we shall be forced to take with shame our own opinion from another."

Here is the Chinese translation.

“相信你自己的思想，相信你內心深處認為是正確的，對所有的人也是正確的——那就是天才。說你潛在地有罪，是有普通意義的；因為最內心的東西在適合的的候會成為最表面的東西，當末日審判來臨時，我們最初的思想復歸於我們。正如心靈的呼聲屬於每個人，我們認為最高的功績屬於摩西、柏拉圖和彌爾頓，他們蔑視任何書籍和傳統，講的不是人們的想法，而是他們自己的想法。一個人應該學會發現和觀察自己內心深處閃爍的微弱的光亮，而不僅僅是注意詩人和聖賢者輝耀天空的光彩。他也不可忽視自己的思想，因為它是他自己的。在天才的每個作品中，我們都會看到我們自己拋棄了的想法；但當它們回到我們這裡時卻帶上了某種陌生的崇高感。藝術的偉大作品並不會對我們有更多的教益。它們教導我們，當所有喊聲都在另一方時，要心平氣和地、堅定不移地堅持我們自己的看法。而明天一個外鄉客會非常高明地說出恰恰是我們一宜想到和感到的東西，我們會被迫為我們的意見來自他人而感羞赧。”

Great tool for writers - Netspeak

Thanks to Seth who recommends this cool tool in his blog:

Netspeak

For example, not sure you should write a meeting is "scheduled for" or "scheduled on" a date?  Try using this site.

Do the work - notes

Thanks to Ivana Sendecka who created this wonderful Do the Work notes deck.  The notes together with the pictures make the key points of the book very easy to be absorbed.  Of couse, it is highly recommended to read the original book. 

I also highly recommend Ivana's website at http://ivanasendecka.com/

Do the work

This is new book from author Steven Pressfield on recognizing and overcoming resistance while you are going great works. 

Go get the Kindle version fast as it is now free for a limited time only.

There is no need to own a Kindle to read Kindle books.  For example, here is the Kindle for PC which allows you to read Kindle books on PC.

Beyond Budgeting

I read about papers on Beyond Budgeting few years ago and really agree that the fixed contract budget does not drive the correct behavior for business growth. The traditional budget really set a cap on income growth while set a floor on expense growth.

However, Beyond Budgeting has not been widely adopted by organizations as Balanced Scorecard or Activity Based Costing.

I highly recommend this academic paper that analyzes this phenomenon.

The Evolution of a Management Accounting Idea: The Case of Beyond Budgeting

iPhone 4 in Hong Kong

Long time no see!

If you are going to buy iPhone 4, these spreadsheets are very good for you to make decision to choose which Operator in HK.

Standard version
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=0Au_hDCvSI8ygdHctcDllWF9IbXJtZzFUcllrN3hlcFE&gid=0

Simplified version
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=0Agzdig0hVE2-dDhDWlVLSVpMeWgtTm1aa1dNZlowYUE

Comprehensive version
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Alm1TMlDMkkWdGhaalhWV3dKVHZVSm9WTXU2b1lyRnc&hl=en&authkey=CMSqqLcB#gid=0

iPhone 3G lines starts one week before the official launch

Image by Getty Images via Daylife Everyone now know that the iPhone 3G will be available on 11 July 2008.

I am lucky that I live in Hong Kong which has the lowest handset price+monthly subscription plan compared to the other countries.

Also, there is no need to queue up to get in line to buy iPhone 3G here because we only need to register online with 3HK.

However, in New York, there is already a queue of 10 persons lining up on 4 July outside the Apple's flagship store at 5th Avenue to buy the iPhone 3G. These persons need to stay on the queue for a full week before they can buy the iPhone 3G on 11 July 2008!


http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/04/iphone-3g-lines-start-at-the-apple-cube-one-week-early/

http://www.geardiary.com/2008/07/04/let-freedom-ring-iphone-3g-style/

Related articles by Zemanta

• Hutchison / 3 snags iPhone for Hong Kong and Macau
• Want a cheap iPhone 3G data/voice plan?
• iPhone 3G lines start at the Apple Cube... one week early

Which cities in the world has the highest interest in the iPhone 3G?

Image via Wikipedia The answer is Hong Kong, according to the google trends.

http://www.google.com/trends?q=iPhone+3G&ctab=0&geo=all&date=ytd&sort=0

Waiting for Steve Jobs keynote at WWDC

Image by TexasT's via Flickr The coming Keynote by Steve Jobs at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) are keenly anticipated by many people. Many rumours on what new products will be announced by Steve Jobs. A 3G version of iPhone is one of the most speculated on the net.

Will Steve really announce a new 3G iPhone or several versions of iPhone for different segment of the market?

We have less than 2 hours to wait.

There are several sites that help you get the latest news:

http://www.macrumorslive.com/

http://live.gizmodo.com/

http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/09/steve-jobs-keynote-live-from-wwdc-2008/

http://summize.com/search?q=wwdc+OR+apple+OR+iphone+OR+%22steve+jobs%22

The tallest residential buidling - Chicago Spire

Image via Wikipedia I just learnt that the tallest residential buidling, Chicago Spire, is under construction in Chicago, Illinois. It is expected to be completed in 2011. The building is designed by Santiago Calatrava, inspired by nature, by the beauty and complexity of the living, breathing planet.

There are around 1,200 condominums in the Chicago Spire, each one of them are different.

Go to the official website http://www.thechicagospire.com to look for more details and beautiful pictures.

Generation X and Y

Image via Wikipedia There is a news article in Hong Kong Economic Times today talking about the high staff turnover rate in Hong Kong. One of the reason is because the Y generations (those born between year 1978 and 2001) are more concern on work life balance and they work for live instead of live for work.

I believe why the Generation Y behave like that is because they were born in weathier families relative to the Generation X. They do not worry much about earning money for living. When they are not satisfied with their current job, they will quit immediately rather than wait till they can find another job.

To retain Generation Y staff, the manager need to provide challenging job enviornment with clear career path. Loyalty is replaced by partnership.

Welcome to my new blog under Blogger

Image by bliyrskel via Flickr

Hi all,

I have just opened a new blog here.

What leads me to create a new blog is I just found a tool called Zemanta which will suggest the relevant links or even pictures while you are writing your blog.

I found it interesting and in order to try this tool, I start a new blog.

I'll cover my various topics of my interest here. They include Web 2.0, MID, Getting Things Done, digital cameras etc.