Thoughts on Google-Motorola

Just got a new Droid X2 to take the place of my Blackberry Tour. It is an amazing phone--and is the dual-core processor fast. And even though it's not a 4G phone, it still has pretty fast internet. So, I can see why Google wants to acquire the 17,000 patents that come with a Motorola Mobility deal. My only complaint so far is that battery life seems a little short, but that is pretty common when you have a new phone. I've custom set the battery and we'll see how it goes from here.

Other schools are starting to create programs like Georgetown University has created with OPIM

Other schools and employers are becoming more interested in the very skills that the OPIM (Operations and Information Management) program at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University has specialized in teaching. Click here to see the story from All Things Digital.

Google+ Hangouts

Check out this article on Google+ Hangouts. These are easier ways to bring together virtual teams. Remember though, that whatever goes on there is streamed to all participants.

Zocdoc.com

I wanted to pick a specialist that fell under my insurance plan. When I googled the location and my insurance plan, I had the choice of choosing zocdoc. Since I hadn't heard of it before, I decided to look at it. Wow--it let me choose the specialty and the location, and see lots of reviews. I was able to quickly select a doctor, while looking at when the various docs showed availability. Next I was able to book an appointment online at a convenient time in about 1 minute. To verify the appointment, I chose to have them text me (with a code that I then input into zocdoc). I could even choose to have the appointment go directly to my Google calendar site. This site has taken what was always a chore that took at least a half an hour to complete and turned it into a pleasant minute or two. Makes you optimistic about the future of health care.

New Business Models for E-Commerce

Those of you who follow TechCrunch will probably have seen this, but for those of you who haven't, I think you'll be amazed by some of the different business models that have emerged in the last year. Click here to see a slide show of them.

LivingSocial.com--one of the OPIM Major's Major Success Stories!

The OPIM Major was started in 2002 at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business. In 2004, we graduated our first class. In this small class of pioneering OPIM majors were two individuals who now work for LivingSocial.com, an extremely successful Washington-based company. Tim O'Shaughnessy is serving as the CEO, and Ian Costello as Vice President of Product Development. Amazon.com just invested $175 million in the company. To read more about LivingSocial, read this article from the Washingtonian magazine (which mentions the OPIM major). In six years, Tim and Ian have been part of an amazing success story.

Google and the Future

This article about the creation of an Entrepreneur-in-Residence position for Craig Walker, the creator of Google Voice, helps to show why Google continues to amaze. One wonders if the laurels ever get rested on at all, before they put their energy and focus into the next endeavor. Click here to view this NYTimes article.