Archive for the Miscellaneous Category

Agility

Agile enterprise is the new trend in business computing and corporate management. Inspired by new developments in complex systems, agility places the ancient Daoist ideals of flexibility, systemic planning, and response time, in a more concrete form.

The most notable aspect of agility is lack of a hierarchical organization, although this is very difficult to implement in practice. However, the key points of emphasis in any agile enterprise are constant interaction and communications, either verbal, written, or visual cues. Ideas are generated on the spot, using the compound mental focus of an entire team. Self-organizing, self-sustaining, agile enterprise seeks to unroot existing and conventional enterprise, where bureaucracy is a norm, and individual talents are not recognized.

Faster economic recovery may be factor, but the most powerful aspect of agile  is cooperative reform. If companies lack the incentive or initiative to produce goods and services, other than lackluster, the firm can internally remodel itself to changing market conditions. Although not the most visible examples, companies producing entertainment software and traditional hand-drawn animations are models to analyze and follow. Agility and agile, then applies most organizations on a smaller scale that have stability and potential for success.

Hiring strategies in the human resource department will also change. We will no longer look for traditionally desired characteristics and traits, such as punctuality or willingness to follow orders blindly, but rather potential for creative development. Creativity, is, has been, and will be the hallmark of corporate ingenuity.

Agile enterprise is not for companies whose only motive is continuing the current profit; rather, agile systems are for companies that are looking for extended profits and future economic freedom. Traditional profit-driven strategies should not be the sole motive, or a reason to implement at all. Most successful firms will adopt this approach on a larger scale, and the benefits will be reaped by not only employees but also shareholders.

In essence, the only fundamental constant that doesn’t change is change..

Control

Historically, there has never been a successful company that desired anything more than profit. To value a universal virtue such as freedom must have an ulterior motive. Censorship and the control of advertising media, then, become sensitive issues for the general public, for governments and companies alike. Large, multinational corporations such as Google, often make value-based statements rather than purely objective fiscal reports in their press releases. Corporations also actively practice censorship in order to protect their interests when there is a conflict between the terms of use and individual freedom.

If top multinational corporations were truly helpful in a utilitarian sense, they would be funding multi-million dollar ventures in providing a unifying platform for recycling and the sharing of reusable materials. On the balance sheets, the entries would not be labeled as “Goodwill” but rather “Long-term Operating Investments”. If multinational corporations were friendly, where were their presence in environmental summits? Companies will fund ventures that leads to their own long-term downfall and disintegration as long as it leads to short-term profits. Our global infrastructure is no exception. Someday we will see a new form of democracy and capitalism where human and financial capital is used to improve the lives of mankind rather than the pursuit of profits.

Micro

Micromanagement is an exciting new term widely used in the fields of game theory and private enterprise alike. Micromanagement, or micro for short, refers to the explicit control of small details in order to achieve goals or standards that are otherwise impossible by laissez-faire management alone. By changing many variables of lesser importance slightly, a company executive can significantly improve the quality of service and ultimately profit margins.

This phenomenon can be observed in real-time strategy (RTS) games where a player is charged with the task of capturing enemy territories. Like a game of chess, players are given a set amount of starting pieces and economic resources, and usually equivalent. Normally, there would be no way for players to gain an advantage except by sheer superiority in numbers. However, by putting special detail on both the positions and actions of every individual unit (or employee), the function of the group is optimized. Simple actions such as manually setting tasks and priorities and making two different units or individuals reinforce each other’s strengths and weaknesses can change the nature of the outcome.

The ultimate drawback to this kind of approach in business management, is that micro-oriented control is very time consuming and arduous to perform. Moreover, an inappropriate amount of attention can backfire; thus, to properly micro requires great speed. An executive must work twice as hard as previously and delegate tasks individually. At the same time, he or she must offer great rewards for the mutual trust his companions give for what would seem unessential, until knowledge of how well the company performs is unveiled.

Beginning with every division of the company, from functional aspects, such as research to manufacturing to marketing, to formal aspects, such interior design and attire, which can boost worker morale, the executive can improve the form and function of the company as a whole, so much that each individual change does not constitute a large improvement, but as a whole, gives the company a competitive advantage in the business world.

CES 2009

I have had the opportunity to attend the Consumer Electronics Show for 2009, and will be sharing some knowledge.

I will not be going over standard industry information, as much of the industry’s key insight can be obtained from the keynote presentations on the web site or on various CEA publications. Since there was so much to see, much of the information here will be incomplete.

http://www.cesweb.org/

Rather, I would like to clarify some additional strategies for marketing innovations and new technologies, as well as taking the general spirit of the trade association, to keep an open mind for new trends, and reach across the global industry

Like the nature of the 21st century playing-field, we are looking for revolutions that not only sets the standard for the future industry, but vastly expands profit margins. Instead of thinking of conducting business in the traditional sense, there are new markets and new ways of tapping into profit previously unrecognized. This change is possible and only possible with the new technologies: in hardware, unrivaled processing speed and countless modes of input and communication. New types of mice, keyboards, webcams, routers, all integrated through network layers such as Bluetooth as well as upcoming methods (3G, WMN) of making a “seamless” 21st century home exist. In software, the development of e-commerce, namely the new channels and new ways of distributing products to consumers.

Asymmetric marketing, borrowed from the term in game theory, how small companies can gain large shares and footholds on the industry by using the newly developed Internet as well as sales and management methods that are new and unrecognized. Monopolies will be difficult to maintain, since it not only requires conducting excellent business in the traditional sense, but also makes the copying of existing technologies a challenge to prevent. With the new Internet, consumers may choose to buy from local sources for the best economy, or from a out-of-range source, say, all the way from London, for a product that could not be obtained locally. Quality, then, and the interest of consumers in mind, may be one the best ways of out-maneuvering potential competitors. This will be a key strategy, and applies to all sizes of businesses. Of course, the evolution of QC, or quality control, is also developing.

Accessories for consumer electronics may be one hot selling-point, but it may not be the final source of income. Although some accessories, in their own right, revolutionize what not what was possible prior to invention, and create their own market. Take. I visited a Taiwanese firm that was selling light fixtures for faucets, that turned the water green, blue, red - all seemingly without the presence of integrated electronics, and was, self-evidently, waterproof. The device in return, by the company, was patented and protected by law. Eventually, we decided to add the item to our product line, but nevertheless, the point of building upon millenia-old plumbing is made. Such devices, in the future, will be found in hotels, night clubs, and homes, just to name a few places.

Equally as interesting in CES was the presence of new music that claim to improve mental clarity and productivity in the office. Hard work and research of how music impacts the human brain by Ph.Ds may be an exciting field, but its use and practicality is unparalleled. Top companies will find new ways to encourage and motivate employees to keep them focused on task. New language tools were also found, for learning foreign languages and scripts such as Traditional Chinese, new handheld devices that acted as flashcards and also simultaneously worked as a dictionary.

Synergy

A synergy is defined as a situation where the final outcome of a system is greater than the sum of its parts. The operations of a business is best conducted when all departments are working in conjunction. Also, individual additions to the business can mean hidden benefits. For example, if free samples are offered outside restaurant in a shopping mall, then that would attract more customers inside. Not only profit is increased, but something else improves as well, including the atmosphere of the restaurant and the mood of the employees.

I would like to emphasize that synergies are not linear in return. If we add a component in business and it seems to generate a set amount of additional revenue, we nor the accounting department cannot calculate the long-term benefits, the total throughput of benefits yielded by the addition of a specific element. Because an additional element is not just another source of revenue, it is more complex than that. An element, vague as the term may seem, may have additional features and properties that make it much more than just mere profit; the returns are exponential.

The other definition of synergy is a dynamic state in which combined action is favored over the sum of individual component actions. We see collectivism is popular in certain types of companies. During board meetings, mutual consensus is reached and there are no debates on how to run the company, and a single direction exists. By working together instead of conducting office politics for personal gain, a company can offer a more competitive product than its rivals.

http://www.brianallan.com/

The best synergies often arise when two very different persons or components of a company, are put together. Of course we can hire many like-minded and talented individuals, but that would be overkill for a certain task. Instead, you downsize the number of employees, since less members with different talents can often achieve more by doing multiple tasks at once, and hire a competent manager that is not only able to harness the different talents, but also see to that the members get along.

Many techniques exist to take advantage of synergies when we see companies as an individual unit. The first would be a revenue synergy where the first company, AMD, for example, sells microchips and has a strong global marketing ability. AMD then goes to acquires another smaller company which has little to no marketing ability but has a strong potential product. Then the parent company markets that product at greater efficiency. The second method is a cost synergy where different companies work together to share equipment and resources. If a serious merger is considered, the company cab then consider to eliminate extra departments that result as a duplicate of the merger (e.g. two marketing departments, two human resource departments).

Creation

We have all heard of the term “cookie-cutter”, indicating a generic or popular approach towards solving a particular issue. In the realm of business, it means following a typical model. So what is the problem with the traditional business model? This question stands most relevant today in our current economy that follows the traditional capitalist model, that is breaking apart before our eyes.

A manifold of issues assault the traditional tried-and-proven model, on the magnitude of strategy, economics, and a political dominance. Strategically, the problem with a standard business model can be summed up as such: “I know how you operate, but you don’t know me. Now I will beat you.” With an understanding of how the majority of business operates, one can develop a organizational model to out-maneuver the targeted businesses in fields of advertising, sales, financing, and management. Also, the other problem many corporations face is that they are extremely effective in one field, and weak in another. The skill and experience found in one department may be too effective - or overkill. Perhaps that resource or talent could be better used when alloted to another task.

Economically, the main issue with a standard model is that it is susceptible to the rise and tidings of the economy. A non-standard models does not follow these rules, and thus remains largely unaffected. If the world is just a collection of set variables and rules, like what we find in a physics textbook, then we should act in our best interest to optimize these conditions, and avoid age-old traps, such as over-speculation.

Politically, a standard corporate model would make it vulnerable to arbitrary decisions of those in power. A small but powerful elite dictates the market, all others are disenfranchised and must follow to gain corporate respect and prestige. Nothing would be more senseless when conditions degrade to this level. Because a standard procedure is popular, it must be effective ad populum. Laws and legislation often have entire business models built around them. What happens when the government administration shifts its policies? We see this today as business owners and trade associations gather and confront the mounting challenges of a new administration and new laws that may or may not make a conducive environment for conducting business; it is the responsibility of executives to create new models.

From a programming standpoint, static and dated structures such as C will have to give way to more dynamic and object-oriented styles of languages such as C++, Java, and Perl. Although block programming can be far more useful in specific tasks (e.g. a smaller kernel), class construction is far more effective at handling large projects. Abstraction will pave the way for managing complexity, so that a large program can be divided amongst several team members.

From a biological standpoint, although evolution selects the most adapted genes for a certain environment, that very environment can change. Thus, the top carnivore will see itself competing with new predators, or will have to survive in increasingly arid conditions; even solid and evolutionarily viable animals such as tigers, fish, human beings, and oak trees have to change in this constantly turbulent and shifting world - All is change.

Clouds

Perhaps the recent economic downturn was caused by our own actions, not just the speculators on Wall Street, but also the common people. I will attribute one such cause as the trade of non-tangible goods - software being the number one in sales revenue. The process work like this. People buy the software, and high-tech companies will hire more programmers, and speculators will invest to make the stock appear higher in value and the interests larger. The dot-com bubble burst is over, but its effects are still felt.

What is software? Nothing more than our intellectual creations. Software takes time and money to develop, but far less than tangible goods. They also last rarely as long. So why are there monopolies, such as Microsoft and Apple, on certain programs (operating systems, music creation software), and many others lacking in quality (just visit any freeware and shareware site)? Uniform standards are one such reason for the discrepancy. However, the cost of important software for productivity is still overly exorbitant. The common people can hardly afford such bundles, packages, and suites of digital information, all of which last a short period of time. Although software should in theory drive our productivity, software at its best only improves our use of computers, which fuels the bubble of IT speculation.

Free trade and the rise of eCommerce has only accelerated the pace at which software is sold and distributed, but we have yet to see its positive effects, since they do take up a significant portion of what the common man pays for with his earned money. What are the ramifications on the US economy as a whole? On the world economy? And is it moral for a country to charge monthly costs and create multi-million dollar industries out of online games?

Intellectual property should be enforced, but it should also be affordable, and the economy must not be sacrificed at its expense.

Time

The nature of time is endless and deep, just as the vast expanse of space itself. As space expands at an accelerating rate, according to the open curvature of the universe, so does time. The past moves away from us, as the Earth rotates, orbits the Sun, and the Sun orbits the center of the galaxy, every second, every minute, and every year. What we consider to be the past, our precious moments, are so far away, light-years beyond our present location. And we can never return to the exact location we once were, in the ever changing grid of the universe.

The future, being equally as elusive, remains a dim shadow, only to be lighted by our thoughts translated into action. Although we do not know the ultimate fate of universe, whether there will be an end to all things, we should seek to understand the present and what factors brought the present into being.

Time does not flow as we perceive it to be. From a purely physical standpoint, only the present exists. What is considered the past, falls under “does not exist” boundaries and infinite limits. The past then, was designed to be locked into place and irretrievable from a data standpoint; the past does not exist. In a four-dimensional model of the universe, time does not flow but experiences continuous behavior, like a smooth curve on the width and interval of Planck time and space.

As much as we create the future, we create the past. Our power to influence the nature of time itself is analogous to large waves emanating all from the present moment, which is the epicenter. This is because whenever we do something in the present, it becomes the past. So if time is a metal ruler, and we place a thin dark blue sliding marker as the present moment, everything to the left side of the marker is considered irretrievable and called the past of the past, much like the past participle in grammar. As we move the marker, simulating the movement of time, the area that is covered by the movement, which we can imagine as shaded red, to be called the past, since after we finish moving the marker, what was originally known as the present and the future has become the past. So perhaps the future is the past. From a scientific standpoint, we cannot tell the difference. The law of entropy is symmetric for both past and future, so entropy increases for both the past and the future. The increase of entropy in the past is counter-intuitive and does not correpond to our memories, and the arrow of time, arbitrary. Thus, the past can only be created from the present.

Since the human mind is a quantum computer itself, time is subject to even more subjective interpretation, as Einstein noted, depending on the activity of neurons, often passing by more quickly in meditation and more slowly during intensive information processing. No final word exists on the purpose or the nature of time itself, taken from the interpretations of various cultures and religions around the world, and thus time cannot be understood by anyone except oneself.

One has often heard from those who advocate living in the present, but such words ring hollow without the right mindframe. Carpe Diem is not enough; every moment is precious, whether it being seemingly dull routine or one-in-a-lifetime experience. During our pleasant moments, we should appreciate the full experience of the world. When angered, when irritated, we should remember that only the present matters to us, and that we should not let anyone or anything affect us. Old age too, is not a limiting factor towards our experiencing of the world, as age represents our greater spiritual growth as a higher intelligence life form, provided that we have taken care of ourselves during youth.

If evil shall befall oneself, then one’s most important job is to endure. Every challenge should be taken up with eagerness, for without hardship, there is no serenity.

Mathematics

When we are taking college level math classes such as abstract algebra and calculus, we are often surprised time and time again, that the fundamental core concepts of calculus lie in geometry and spatial arrangements. The other aspect of integration is pure geometry, finding the surface area or volume of irregular shapes and solids. Geometry, then, is just a visual representation of math, or vice-versa, a coherent, mathematical conception of reality.

Most students pore over arcane formula such as sin x, arctan y, and manipulate them with much skill, but few understand them. To quote a friend, to be good at mathematics does not mean being smart, quick, or accurate with numbers. To be truly good at mathematics, means that one can invent his own method of calculating and requires an understanding far deeper than what lies on the surface.

In geometry, it is impossible to ignore the significance of Trigonometry, the study of the relationship between angles and sides in a triangle and their functions, and π, the study of the circle.

A circle then, is actually composed of triangles. Sine and cosine are but ratios, ratios of two lies that form a triangle with respect to the origin. There are only two lines that are significant, either the line opposite and the hypotenuse, or the line adjacent and the hypotenuse. The movement and wavelike alternation of sine and cosine, as they move around the unit circle, come to form the perfect circle we know as presently. Note that, when the ratios of the two lines are at zero (0:1) or infinite (1:0), form the four points on the circle on the top, bottom, left and right, because one line has infinitely no length, and the other has the maximum length, or vice-versa.

The other method of constructing a circle and obtaining the value π, or 3.1416 involves taking the limits of inscribed and circumscribed shapes, which is actually integration. For demonstration, we imagine a shape inside a circle, with the circle being the maximum possible area.

The triangle is the most basic of shapes. Next is the square, pentagon, hexagon, and till we get to a polygon with 96 sides, and then towards infinity.

Archimedes was the first, in ancient times, to approximate π rigorously, using bounds between 3.1429 < π < 3.1408. An improved version arose later, by Liu Hui of Wei Kingdom, who used a 3072-gon to obtain the close estimate of π we know as 3.1416.

So the circle is bigger than the inscribed square both in area and circumference, as well as any shape that comes between. Also, the circle has something to do with the square, because the area of any circle, is π multiplied by the square of the radius of the circle.

Because of π’s transcendental nature, the digits not only never repeat and decimal expansion remains infinite, but also no known formulas exist to obtain the exact value of π. This has puzzeled countless mathemeticians and laymen over the centuries, and the nature of the circle remains all the more mysterious. The truth is, we still don’t fully understand the circle.

The chilling and dismaying reality of π leads some to speculate that other bases than 10 should be tried to test if the repeating of the digits are truly random, such as binary, sexagesimal (base 12), and hexadecimal (base 16). Unfortunately, too little data exists at the moment for study. This has lead certain leading scientists to conjecture that, in the Bailey-Borwein-Plouffe formula, that the normality and standard deviation of π in base 2, can be reduced to an explanation of chaos theory.

After thousands of years of study, we come to the conclusion that the circle is related to every other shape, the most complete of them. The circle is the ultimate expression of fulfillment.

The ancient Chinese were the first formulate a philosophy that showed a mature understanding of the circle and apply it. Taoism as well as similar beliefs that arose under the same time period, all place the circle as being the ultimate. Creation is summed as thus: from nothing came one (visually depicted as a circle), from one became two (light and dark arise in the Yin-Yang), and from two, a myriad of things. A holiday was even created to worship the moon, known as the Moon Festival, which celebrates the completeness of a full moon and the coming of Autumn.

The three dimensional version of the circle, or the sphere, is also derived from integrating the circle using circular disks. From planets to billiard balls, from stars to the universe as a whole, all are based upon this basic shape.

The martial arts of Ba Gua and Tai Ji were developed based on the circle, and represent the ultimate flexibility and invulnerable defense against linear approaches of fighting. Everywhere we go in ancient Chinese culture, we find that completeness and roundness are virtues. Although many a straightforward, linear, accurate, predictable, square aspects of life should be retained, the abilities and natural properties of the circle, those which we can apply in our everyday life, should be understood and never be forgotten.

The all-inclusiveness of the circle is what we should all strive to be. Easy it is to act in a linear fashion, by basing our life upon squares and straightness. Difficult, it is to replicate the of creation of all matter, and the curves of the circle. Dissection and analysis is easier than integration and whole understanding. Acting according to fixed rules and laws is easier than adopting a rounded and more flexible approach. In our studies as well as business, we prefer to split disciplines and tasks, but hardly do we know that in the end, in order for everything to work correctly, learning as well as making profit requires the student, or the corporation to work as a whole.

Too often do we offer individual products and packages, but can we do as the Japanese have done, to integrate an entire theme, feel and look, associated with a certain product, whether it be clothing or electronics, to provide customers a complete package and simplicity in their life? Noteworthy companies include Citibank, Sony Corporation, and The Sharper Image, and many top department stores, such as Nordstrom and Macy’s. But even then, the majority of businesses have a long way to go to improve our traditional method of making transactions.

If we can master the circle, then human beings can master everything this God-granted planet and universe has, to offer.

Diversion

Computer Science Values

Whenever an equal sign (=) is placed, the machine automatically discards previously stored values. This has monumental significance when the information is made public, because accessing entirely new commands, functions, and classes can be performed, not just changing a constant x from 5 to 6.

Traditional relationships between two objects is a “has a” connection. The new object-oriented design implements a “is a” relationship between two objects through inheritance. This is quite a breakthrough because hierarchical logic can replace linear A to B, AND/OR/NOR logic. An object can be two things simultaneously, on different levels.

A generous number of developments follow from an “is a” relationship. Nested classes become possible, which can be thought of as ideas within ideas. Inheritance can also occur, and combined with metamorphism, classes can become static or dynamic. Static polymorphism can be thought of as templates. Dynamic polymorphism can be thought up as dynamic, per-instance structure and behavior. Similarly, an intelligent being is able to apply inheritance in order to adapt to similar situations of infinite permutation.

Once inheritance is learned, we can re-classify functions as opposed to overloaded functions. Overloaded functions require multiple versions of functions. Redefining, however, can dynamically modify definitions with a single function. Perhaps this is why we are constantly redefining our models and conceptions of reality and the world. And perhaps we should, because a static model would only limit our performance and creativity. For example, “redefining progress” became one of the key themes in the 21st century environmental movement.

Constructors, like classes, can be inherited. Copy constructors and destructors cannot be, showing the temporal value of these mechanisms. Assignment statements, of course, are also not inherited. The relationship between pointer and linked list is not an inheritance “is a” relationship, but rather a “has a” relationship. The relationship between a stack and list is inherited.

Empty spacetime is the ultimate expression of metamorphism. The empty grid of space has been scientifically discovered to be “not empty.” In empty space alone, elementary particles such as quarks and neutrinos, as well as unknown phenomenon, whiz to and fro. Perhaps, it is impossible to isolate nothing. If the universe is indeed one giant computer, then the values that are set to null or zero can always potentially change. Ancient Chinese philosophy reminds us that “from nothing came a myriad of things.”

Searching

In a traditional search, because the computer is unable to tell whether it has gone too far, in order to find the number 14, for example in a list of 6, 9, 12, 15, 20, after 12 is passed, the computer must backtrack from 15 in order to obtain the number 14. A doubly-linked list, however, is still advantageous because the search can leave the pointer anywhere, and does not have to go back to the beginning each time a search is called.

Innovative new algorithms have been developed by Google, Inc as well as Amazon.com and there are entire commercial industries dedicated to the development of searching. Google’s search engine is a remarkably efficient case because it uses parallel, distributive searching, where millions of users can search for relevant articles at the same time.

Neural Nets

Pointers and linked lists of various forms (linear, bi-directional, tree structure), can combine together to form a neural net. The human brain and all interconnected neurons function this way. The neurons act as individual nodes, and electrical impulses are sent, in both input and output, throughout the brain.