Last weekend, while browsing the (somewhat boring) BlackBerry app store, I stumbled across an app called BlackBerry Protect.  I grabbed it, installed it, and then forgot about it - until yesterday.

The app's description was that I could back up my device, remotely wipe it, and find it.  Hey, great.  But I had no idea what the find it actually meant.  BlackBerry Protect has an extremely well thought out feature for the cellphone dependant person - "Loud Ring".  The Loud Ring kicks my phone out of vibrate mode, and makes it ring loud.  And that's how I found it at the bottom of my gym bag...

Grab the app, use your BB ID to sign up, and rest a little bit easier.

More information is here:
http://au.blackberry.com/protect/

For those that don't have a PS3, you probably do not care about this...  But for those of us that use our PS3 for gaming and more, this is really important you guys!

Here's my hypothesis - Sony's Playstation Network (PSN) was not brought down by "hackers", rather it has crashed one day after launch day for Portal 2.  Portal 2 is the first game that has brought Steam to the PS3, even though Valve had previously released games for the PS3.

Here's what had lead me to this hypothesis - Portal 2 was officially released on April 19th (potato searching notwithstanding).  Sony's network outage started on April 20th.  Something tells me that, like the last time there was a major PSN outage, it was the result of an untested Change.

I'm sure that the admins at Sony haven't really given much thought to what the integration with Steam Cloud has done to their Availability or Capacity plans either.  But hey, we've already paid for the hardware - why bother supporting the software?

Via Engadget:

"All together now: "flippin' finally!" For anyone in the business world who has been blocked from receiving information due to the inability to locate a printer, ink pen, scanner, publicly available PC, a working printer driver and a fifth of Jack, say hello to your savior. EasySign is a delightfully simple new iOS app (yeah, we're already begging for an Android port) that solves a painful problem, and it should make signing documents on the go a whole heck of a lot easier for those who tote iPhones. The concept is simple: you download the document you're supposed to sign right onto your iPhone, and then you use your finger to enter your John Hancock. It'll stamp whatever date you want onto the form, and with a simple button press, it's converted to a PDF and shot back to the sender. We'd probably recommend using the stock black ink, but it seems that a few color options are available for those who prefer to roll a bit more casually. Head on past the break for a demo, and then hit that iTunes link for a free trial. Once you send three documents, you'll need to pony up $4.99 for another 120 docs. But hey, given that petrol looks like a steal compared to your average inkjet cartridge, you'll probably still come out ahead."

Engadget Link: http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/04/easysign-iphone-app-halts-the-print-sign-email-cycle-trees/

Forbes interviewed some guy from some wireless tech company, and he claimed that the biggest challenges that CIOs are facing is supporting employee owned devices.

Here's the video:

Yes, there is the problem that IT departments do not have capacity to support corporate assets as well as end user devices, however this is not the CIO's number one problem.  The root cause of this is not walking lock-step with your customers.  The iPad is no different than Skype.  A fool with a tool (or struggling to support a tool) is still a fool. 

Here's some heavily simplified history:
Rolling back many moons, IT departments started introducing Business Analysts to focus on project work as the bridge between the Business and IT insofar as requirements solicitation.  These folks evolved from Systems Analysts - same thing, but more coding.  With the Service focused mentality that ITIL brings to organizations, Business Analysts are being repurposed as Business Relationship Managers.  The IIBA haven't done much to help this either, given that once a BA has their IIBA certification - they are equipped to do everything and be magical

And what now?
CIOs do not have effective Business Relationship Managers.  They do not have effective working relationships with their BRMs.  They do not nurture customer communities - and instead choose to focus solely on the upper ranks of the managerial structures. 

The number one failing of CIOs, and the number one challenge these days, is taking the view that technology must be rigidly controlled (and listening to their Directors who parrot this 1980s/1990s view too).  Usage of technology is different and disruptive.  Embrace change, meet with your BRMs daily (because you're not in business to run the network, you're in business to serve your clients), and meet with the folks who don't have supervisor or manager in their title.

NB: Security is still a huge issue, and you're current security lead is probably not very good at it.  Find a new one who knows what pwn2own and Defcon is, and has an interest in going.

I know it's kind of a moot point, now.  For the past 3 years, I've used Google Sites for hosting my landing page.  Now that Posterous makes things easier, I can say goodbye to Google Hosting.

That snapshot was what my site looked like for 3 years.  Ugly?  Nah... just utilitarian.

I used to be cool.

I used to be ahead of the trend for all things web.  I remember adopting XHTML strict.  I remember lamenting that certain browsers did not support pngs.  I remember my first foray into CSS, Flash splash pages, and creating CRUD interfaces to MYSQL databases.  Seems like those days are so far gone.

But now I am a follower (fast follower, but still a follower nonetheless).  I have shifted my geekness (apparantly I'm a microgeek according to "A Girl's Guide to Dating a Geek") from playing with technology to work and triathlons. 

I'm now spending time geeking out on PowerPoint design, Process Modelling, and making sure that everything snaps to a grid.  I'm also spending time geeking out on power output, GPS accuracy, calorie counting, and managing my glycemic intake.

I guess this is my geek confession.  Technology trends, I have failed you and for that I am sorry.  However, I am happy to be a fast follower (partially thanks to my Twitter friends, partially thanks to my multiple RSS feeds aggregated into Google Reader, and partially thanks to the need to still help family and friends understand new technologies).  I can't say I will be more focused on staying ahead of the curve, but I will continue to celebrate my geekiness.