Tableau…

A product manager pointed out this product when I was showing her our new MS Analytics (olap) implementation a couple weeks ago.

They have some great examples on their site of just how powerful this product is.  http://www.tableausoftware.com/learning/examples

It is spendy, $1500 per named license + maintenance.

It’s primarily designed to go against Excel or table data, but it works with olap cubes as well, or at least somewhat.  Just enough to get you excited then you find out there’s a number of things you can’t do.  Hopefully this will be enhanced in a future version.

It works outstandingly well if your data is nice and pretty.  Normalized well.  Of course all of the sample data falls into that category.   It also works well against SQL, gain if your joins are easy to do.  It would be nice if they had a visual tool for creating joins.

Even so, I highly recommend it.

I forget stuff.  So I go to great pains to take notes.  I use a multitude of technologies, including rude text files with reminders, to two wiki’s one personal and one for my department at work.

I’ve tried OneNote, and other fancy stuff, but the wiki’s by far work the best at least so far.

The last 24 hours have revealed two pretty cool technologies or apps I’d like to share with you.

First off Jott. 

It’s not new, just new to me and it works pretty well.

It’s beta as all Web 2.0 technologies are. You simply register your phone and create an account.   Based on caller ID it recognizes you.  You record a Jott, and it transcribes your voice to text and dispatches it.

It can send SMS, an email, post to a blog, do all kinds of good stuff.   Pretty slick and free.

So far I haven’t been able to get it to post to WordPress but it’s supposed to be able to do that.

The second part which is growing on me the more I play with it is:

Evernote

Another Web 2.0 product also in beta.  Though private beta at this time.  I have invites if you’re interested.  email me at datapoohbah (at) gmail (dot) com, or post a comment.

Evernote is similar to Microsoft OneNote.  Better in some areas, weaker in others.  It’s cross platform and has a great web interface.  With both Windows and Mac Clients that synchronize your notes so they are almost always available.  It has pretty slick search and tagging.  Doesn’t do attachments worth a crap, but this could potentially replace my Wiki’s…

Maybe not.  But I can have my Jotts’s create Evernotes, and that’s pretty cool.

If there is other cool stuff like this out there that you think I should look at, review or bash, please post a comment.

-DP

16 sites for web site design inspiration (via TechTool Blog)

Obviously the new iPhone is delicious, I wrote about that here a month ago. My biggest concern though remains COVERAGE, holly coverage batman, the 3G network is worse than the Edge network which is already about 50% (by my estimation) as good as Verizon.  Hold me, I’m scared.

Someone please tell Voodoo/HP that trying to knock of the Mac Pro, just isn’t cool.  You can do better than that no?  (It is kinda sexy though).

Initially it was reported that it drained through the bottom, but this appears to be where you store your filtered beer.

I’m not sure I’d want to do that, it looks kinda sharp to me…

Before you hit send on that next email, perhaps you should run down this list, just to be sure:

1. Is it going to just one person? (If yes, jump to #10)
2. Since it’s going to a group, have I thought about who is on my list?
3. Are they blind copied?
4. Did every person on the list really and truly opt in? Not like sort of, but really ask for it?
5. So that means that if I didn’t send it to them, they’d complain about not getting it?
6. See #5. If they wouldn’t complain, take them off!
7. That means, for example, that sending bulk email to a list of bloggers just cause they have blogs is not okay.
8. Aside: the definition of permission marketing: Anticipated, personal and relevant messages delivered to people who actually want to get them. Nowhere does it say anything about you and your needs as a sender. Probably none of my business, but I’m just letting you know how I feel. (And how your prospects feel).
9. Is the email from a real person? If it is, will hitting reply get a note back to that person? (if not, change it please).
10. Have I corresponded with this person before?
11. Really? They’ve written back? (if no, reconsider email).
12. If it is a cold-call email, and I’m sure it’s welcome, and I’m sure it’s not spam, then don’t apologize. If I need to apologize, then yes, it’s spam, and I’ll get the brand-hurt I deserve.
13. Am I angry? (If so, save as draft and come back to the note in one hour).
14. Could I do this note better with a phone call?
15. Am I blind-ccing my boss? If so, what will happen if the recipient finds out?
16. Is there anything in this email I don’t want the attorney general, the media or my boss seeing? (If so, hit delete).
17. Is any portion of the email in all caps? (If so, consider changing it.)
18. Is it in black type at a normal size?
19. Do I have my contact info at the bottom? (If not, consider adding it).
20. Have I included the line, "Please save the planet. Don’t print this email"? (If so, please delete the line and consider a job as a forest ranger or flight attendant).
21. Could this email be shorter?
22. Is there anyone copied on this email who could be left off the list?
23. Have I attached any files that are very big? (If so, google something like ‘send big files’ and consider your options.)
24. Have I attached any files that would work better in PDF format?
25. Are there any or other emoticons involved? (If so, reconsider).
26. Am I forwarding someone else’s mail? (If so, will they be happy when they find out?)
27. Am I forwarding something about religion (mine or someone else’s)? (If so, delete).
28. Am I forwarding something about a virus or worldwide charity effort or other potential hoax? (If so, visit snopes and check to see if it’s ‘actually true).
29. Did I hit ‘reply all’? If so, am I glad I did? Does every person on the list need to see it?
30. Am I quoting back the original text in a helpful way? (Sending an email that says, in its entirety, "yes," is not helpful).
31. If this email is to someone like Seth, did I check to make sure I know the difference between its and it’s? Just wondering.
32. If this is a press release, am I really sure that the recipient is going to be delighted to get it? Or am I taking advantage of the asymmetrical nature of email–free to send, expensive investment of time to read or delete?
33. Are there any little animated creatures in the footer of this email? Adorable kittens? Endangered species of any kind?
34. Bonus: Is there a long legal disclaimer at the bottom of my email? Why?
35. Bonus: Does the subject line make it easy to understand what’s to come and likely it will get filed properly?
36. If I had to pay 42 cents to send this email, would I?

Nvidia Steps up for Call of Duty  PC Players.   WTF?  Console’s have had the maps for a month now.

Dell studio Line…  OK, let’s take the XPS line, paint them BLACK and call them the Studio Line.   These notebooks are OK, but damn, is that the best you can do?

Understand the impact of High Item counts in Exchange.

Blogger Gang Signs:

original here

Those fine folks at Insomniac are opening an office in the East.

Another Example of why Best Buy Sucks

The prize for the COD tournament was a signed Infinity Ward poster.  (whoopie)…

I understand this was Desctructoid’s first event.  Overall as a party goes it was pretty good.   There was a good group of folks playing Rock Band, a game I still don’t ‘get’.  Clearly sucking and looking stupid at Karaoke isn’t enough. At least with Rock Band you get to share the shame with 3 other people playing guitar and drums.   Some of the ‘bands’ were OK, at least they can push the buttons, but the singing, well, I should probably just stop here.

There was another station set up for people to play smash brothers.   Which to me was about as lame as it gets.  If I had shelled out $50 for that game I’d have to hurt someone.

There was a pre-release showing of a Ninja game.   Imagine the sword fighting of the Lord of the Rings PS3 games or Prince of Persia, mixed with the run around task based game Assassins Creed, only not as good and you’ve got this game.   I’ll certainly pass on that release.

The COD tourney was somewhat of a joke.  Very unorganized, and I’m sorry to say, you need sound to play that game.  That wasn’t possible hooked up to the big screens above the bar.

This review may sound negative and perhaps it is.  But the party was a blast and I’m sure it will only be better next time. 

Wh00t!