Stop Jon: the ideas and observations of Jon Pederson

Android Leads in Mobile OS

In November 2008, right after the initial release of Android on the first Google phone (G1), I predicted that Android would over take Apple’s iPhone OS (iOS) within 2 years. I was wrong. It took 2 years and 4 months.

At the time my statement brought on sneers from fellow iPhone lovers I had abandoned, and shrugs from my friends at Microsoft (who still think Windows Mobile has a chance), but no one really thought this clunky, boxy, designed-by-engineers operating system would really gain much ground.

Well, as the February 2011 numbers rolled out, comScore research showed Andoid now holds 33% of the smartphone market in the U.S. Compare that to BlackBerry (28%), and iPhone (25%). Considering about one-third of the 234 million people with mobile phones have smartphones, that is roughly 23 million people use Android devices.

While text messaging still holds as the number one communication channel on mobile devices, as brands are thinking about how they want to interact with their customers, if they’re thinking about building apps, the iPhone is no longer the default.

Using Gist.com for Business Development

I’ve been using gist.com for quite a while, and have seen it’s constant improvement. It is a great tool for keeping up on what is happening in the public life of your associates and contacts, and to use as a reminder for who you may need to connect with because it’s been a while.

Someone asked, “How useful is Gist.com, and what are the strengths and weaknesses of the product?” You can read my response at quora.com.

A Great Brewery, The Pike Brewing Co.

If you’ve ever enjoyed the XXXXX Stout or the Kilt Lifter then you know what I’m talking about when I say that Pike Brewery makes some great brews. So, this post is a tribute to them.

Last Summer I noticed that they didn’t own the very domain name that most people refer to them by… pikebrewery.com. As a courtesy to this great establishment, I decided to to register the domain name for them (before someone else did). I immediately called them up and told them that I had purchased the domain name for them, but their response was, “No thanks. We already have a website.” Ummm… wait. What?

Anyway, because they’re such a great company I thought I’d just give them a word of praise here, and then give you all a link over to their site.

And if you work at Pike Brewery (a.k.a. The Pike Brewing Co.) please feel free to contact me. I have your domain name.

Advertising: When Is Enough, Enough?

In most cases, I would tell people to never stop finding new creative ways to communicate with their customer, but the key word in this statement is “with,” and if it becomes interchangeable with the word “to” then you should have shut up a long time ago.

Ever get into a conversation with someone, and no matter how hard you try, there is just no polite way to indicate they are babbling on about something you have absolutely no interest in? Or, even worse, they keep going on trying to explain the same concept in as many ways they can think of, but are incapable of making sense? You’re stuck having to just be rude; telling them you have to go get your cat out of the dryer, or pickup your grandma from work. That’s what I’m talking about, so don’t be that guy. (more…)

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