LagrangePoint - Brad Howarth

SmartCompany - 10 lessons from the dotcom bust

Ten years ago the dreams of thousands of web entrenrepeurs were dashed upon the rocks of market reality. The over-hyped stocks of dotcom companies were sent spiralling back to earth as the market realised that web-based businesses were subject to the same rules as all others. From the crisis howvever emerged both a handful of successful, lasting businesses, and a cadre of experienced executives, many of who have taken the lessons of the time and built successful web and investment businesses. You can read more about what the learned in this story at SmartCompany by clicking here.

SMH.com.au - See the world with new eyes (augmented reality)

I'm fascinated by augmented reality. The ability to overlay information over the things we see with our own eyes has seemingly limitless applications, through providing information on the world around us above and beyond anything we could learn from a guidebook. Right now it is in its infancy, with text-based services that rely on somewhat flaky GPS data and smartphones, but the potential has barely been scratched.

The future promises signfiicant improvements, such as glasses-based heads-up displays (there is even research taking place relating to displaying data on the inside of a contact lens), higher processing power and more accurate GPS (and I will be writing about a possible solution there shortly).

In their book The Light of Other Days, authors Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter postulate a future world where you can effectively 'reskin' the world around you to show you what you would rather be seeing -  imagine walking down George Street in Sydney and seeing it reskinned with art deco or rococo design elements?

We are a long way away from that, but given advances in 3D modelling, I'm estimating that in no more than ten years we'll be able to start overlaying different imagery over the world that we see. What about replacing the generic content of billboards with targetted advertising that might also help pay for the augmentation service? 

Anyway, augmented reality is the topic for my latest piece for www.smh.com.au, and you can read about some of the latest developments by clicking here.

Forbes Magazine - Australia's 40 Richest - featuring me! (well, sort of ...)

I spent part of the first two months of this year on a research project for Forbes magazine to help identify the 40 richest Australians. It's a difficult task, particularly when it comes to determining independent valuations for private businesses, shopping centres and rural properties. You can check out the Forbes list by clicking here.

ZDNet Australia - Nuix on hitting the export jackpot

I met Eddie Sheehy about 18 months ago through the Australian Technology Showcase. Over that time I've watched him revamp the export strategy of his software company Nuix, and so it was great to have the opportunity to write about the success that they are now experiencing for the ATS newsletter. That story has also now been picked up by ZDNet Australia, and you can read it by clicking here.

Congratulations to the winners of the 16th Annual AIMIA Awards

Had a great night at the 16th AIIMIA Awards in Melbourne last Friday. Hosted by Mikey Robbins, the night was memorable for a number of reasons, not least of which was watching the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Senator Stephen Conroy accept the Award for Best Childrens from Telstra BigPond's national manager of commercial strategy, Jason Romney. Adam Ferrier and the crew from Naked Communications were up on stage repeatedlty for its work on the Ask Richard campaign for FBI Radio, including the People's Choice Award, while industry stalwart Sally Mills picked up the gong for Outstanding Contribution. Congratulations also to the Adam Dunne and the team at AURA Interactive, who picked up the Best Export Achievement Award. You can check out all of the winners of the 25 categories by clicking here.

Only two more days 'til the AIMIA Awards are announced

Just got an email from AIMIA reminding us all that there are only a handful of days left until the 16th Annual AIMIA Awards in Melbourne on Friday. Also, anyone purchasing a ticket will also get 50 percent off the cost of attending The Future of Digital Awards Edition that morning.

Hear Adam Ferrier at The Fourth Estate Domain in Sydney tomorrow #FED

I'm planning on popping along to the Fourth Estate Domain in Sydney tomorrow evening to hear Mike Walsh interview consumer psychologist Naked Communications' planning partner Adam Ferrier (although if MIke's plane is delayed I'll be stepping in to conduct the interview). Ferrier has been an outspoken in his views on social media in Australia, and I've interviewed Adam for The Domain in Melbourne before (which will be returning soon BTW), and am looking forward to hearing what he is up to these days.