Creative Critics

I ran the half !!!!!!!

// August 5th, 2007 // No Comments » // news, running, travel

Hi all,

Today I added 13,1 miles to my runs, that can be considered as very memorable. Not only thanks to the warm weather here in New York, or the hills in Central Park, or by the high humidity, despite the weather predictions. What makes this half marathon so special, is its setting. Leaving Central Park at the mile 7, into Seventh Avenue, is a stunning view at 8 in the morning. While Times Square is appearing in front, drumbands, rock-groups and an amazing crowd cheers for the runners. Of course it was one special cheering lady that encouraged me to make it to the finish after I started way to fast. Results? Well, my main objective was to run and complete this race: achieved! And my time? Well, the time leaves lots of room for improvement in next races Especially if I see that Haile Gebrselassie can make it in 0:59:24…

Thanks all of you that supported me in my efforts to run my first half marathon!

touchpad-hybrid portable computer?

// August 4th, 2007 // No Comments » // Innovation, technology

Bartb made an interessting suggestion a few days ago on its blog on dropzone. Current technology as most of us carry around to do our job and to support our online life, is missing one feature….

Bart is making the point that it would be one of those major improvements in the touchpad so “(…) it can be used with a stylus, in absolute mode, turning it into a small drawing pad”

Interesting point of view. A few weeks ago I had made the decision to purchase a new laptop PC. After being a Tablet PC user since the launch of Windows XP Tablet Edition, I was used to having drawing capabilities with me at all times. However, that came at a cost. Not only in Euros (that too!!) but as well in speed, screen resolution and the choice between portability and affordability.

So yes, please dear hardware-constructors, hear this request for change so we can have a basic drawing pad in the touchpad. I am willing to pay a little more for the feature anyway!

Run the half D-1

// August 4th, 2007 // No Comments » // news, running, travel

Het begint spannend te worden. Morgen deze tijd zal ik weten of ik er in geslaagd ben de halve marathon hier in New York uit te lopen. Na gisteren mijn businessverplichtingen te hebben afgewerkt, ben ik mijn startnummer gaan ophalen. 10993 wordt het nummer van de waarheid. Slim gezien van Nike, dat afhalen. Meer dan 20.000 lopers die door je winkel moeten. Kwestie van een gerichte klantenlokker kan dat tellen.

Vandaag een rustige dag. Veel drinken, want het is hier ‘s morgens al 23 graden. Dus hebben we ons geparkeerd in Bryant (lezers van deze site weten dat ik sinds 2005 hier al wel regelmatiger mijn mails ben komen bijwerken…) met portable en boekje

[fotootje volgt - technologie laat me nu even in de steek hier].

Morgen meer nieuws over de loopavonturen, met de ontknoping.

Run Koen, Run!

Open Innovation

// August 1st, 2007 // No Comments » // boek, Innovation, technology

I finished a few days ago this excellent book by Henry Chesbrough (He is also the author of “Open Business Models: How to Thrive in the New Innovation Landscape“. I will have that book with me to read on holidays the second half of this month).

In this book, the author describes his experience in several R&D units and starts his search for a better innovation model. Where most companies we can think of have a practice of “closed innovation”, the author takes us to different examples where the organization has changed the culture to an “open innovation”, where a lot of intellectual property (IP) is shared with a large community of people outside the organization. Some organizations have done the maths: If we have a few hundred specialists in our company and we know that there are thousands of specialists outside our company, where is the most likely place where innovation will happen? So these clever organizations open their innovation and R&D to the outside world: They leverage on the knowledge of more brains than they ever can hire.

I am, by experience, a strong believer that the author is right with the ideas. Putting them in practice is a whole other game. It will require organizations that truelly believe in innovation to think about ways to open IP with the outside world, without jeopardizing the core values of the enterprise. This book and the practices described creates new challenges for todays and tommorows business leaders. Oh and by the way, if you think this does not affect your particular sector or industry, think again: there are three industries: those that have open innovation in practice today, those that are migrating towards open innovation based models and those that will have to follow later

Enjoy the reading!

Open Innovation: The New Imperative for Creating And Profiting from Technology

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