Main Page

The Dyson DC25: Powerful But….

By Mark Evans in Main Page 2 Comments Tags: ,

As some of you may know, I take an odd pleasure in vacuuming. In any event, the fine folks at Strategic Objectives have been nice enough to let me play with some Dyson vacuums in recent months. The most recent trial was the DC25 Animal. After a healthy two-week trial, the DC25 Animal is a powerful machine that living up to the Dyson reputation by sucking up dirt like you wouldn’t believe.

But in many ways, it’s oddly flawed. In particular, the hand-held tool isn’t user-friendly because it’s difficult to get into action, which discourages it from being used. The DC25 also comes with a lot of different parts when, in fact, only a few are used.

Don’t get me the wrong the DC25 is a great vacuum cleaner but at $699, it’s probably more vacuum cleaner than most people need.

A New Business Writing Project

By Mark Evans in Main Page, Media 3 Comments Tags: , , ,

A few months ago, I was approached by Globe & Mail editor Noel Hulsman about a new Web site the newspaper was going to launch focused on serving the needs of entrepreneurs and small business owners. The idea was to deliver relevant and valuable content that people could use to operate their businesses better, or successfully launch a business.

After a lot of hard work behind the scenes, “Your Business” launched today. It features three themes – Start, Grow and Exit – as well as extensive contents that includes a team of columnists, including myself.

My column, will appear times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday), will focus providing new business owners and entrepreneurs with everything from tips and tools and guidance from experts on how to run your business better.

Given that my business, ME Consulting, is focused on providing strategic and tactical content and social media services to start-ups and fast-growing companies, I’m really excited about writing the column, and sharing my insight and experiences. If there are topics or areas that you would like to me to cover, drop me a line at mark@markevans.ca

Note: Just in case there’s any confusion, this is a freelance gig so I’m still happily running ME Consulting.

My 2010 Technology Wish List

By Mark Evans in Main Page 1 Comment

Here’s a list of some of the things I’d like to see tech-wise this year:

1. A tool that deletes profiles from all those Web 2.0 services that I’ve checked out but rarely, if ever, used over the past few years.

2. An upgrade to the iPhone’s OS that enables easy switching from app to app like the Palm Pre.

3. A new search engine that comes out of nowhere to rival Google, and doesn’t under-deliver such as Cull or Powerset.

4. New Canadian copyright laws that strike a fair balance between owners and users.

5. A lot less talk (aka hype) about Twitter, and a lot more walk (e.g. a business plan)

6. New sources of early-stage funding for Canadian high-tech entrepreneurs.

7. Some real discussion and exploration about the rise of “publicy” and the demise of “privacy”. While everyone seems to have accepted the fact that everything is now public, no one seems to really be looking at the social implications.

8. The continued emergence of alternative/green energy given Jeff Rubin’s book “Why Your World is About to Get a Whole Lot Smaller: Oil and the End of Globalization” has me completely spooked.

9. The end of “2.0′ or “3.0″ for anything.

10. Newspapers and magazines discover a way to stay viable so they can continue to create high-quality content and employ all the journalists who provide material used by millions of bloggers and social network users. Maybe the Kindle will be the newspaper industry’s salvation.

Finally, all the best for everyone in 2010!

Update: Here’s Om Malik’s wish list for 2010.

8.5% Yogurt & Great Tech Ideas

By Mark Evans in Main Page 5 Comments Tags: , , ,

Screen shot 2009-12-30 at 6.34.04 PMI was reading David Pogue’s 2009 “Best Tech Ideas”, and it made me think of yogurt.

Not just any yogurt but yogurt made by a Quebec company, Liberté, that features 8.5% milk fat. In a world dominated by no-fat and low-fat, a yogurt with 8.5% fat is extraordinary (and extraordinarily delicious!).

So how are “Best Tech Ideas” and amazing yogurt alike?

Innovative technology often goes against the grain by offering consumers something different or unique that makes it stand out from the crowd. In the same way, Liberté’s yogurt is different from most other yogurts by playing up its fat content in a world where fat is seen as bad.

Avoid the Temptation of the Upgrade

By Mark Evans in Main Page 2 Comments Tags: , , ,

IMG_1461Over the next week or so, consumers will be sorely tempted by “XX% Off” and “Inventory Clearance” sales – making it increasingly difficult to avoid falling victim to “Seasonal Consumerism Syndrome”, or SCS.

At its worst, SCS compels you to purchase product you don’t need, particularly upgrades of perfectly functional products you already own. But when a product is discounted by 25%, upgrading seems like a no-brainer, so out comes the credit card along with your pledge not to over-spend during the holidays.

My own personal case of SCS happened a month or so. As you might already know, I’m passionate about hockey (ice, not field!) so every visit to the local hockey store is fraught with temptation. One day, I was overcome by SCS, and bought skates I really didn’t need. While the skates were shiny and new, they were far from perfect. They were terribly uncomfortable and I couldn’t skate as well – which brought on a bad case of buyer’s remorse.

After several trips back to the hockey store, a different pair of skates, and some adjustments, my new skates now feel as good as my old skates, which only reinforces the fact I didn’t need new skates in the first place.

So as you browse through the newspaper flyers and online offers this holiday season, think about my skates, and whether an upgrade is really an upgrade.

Review: Dyson Animal Needs More Bite

By Mark Evans in Main Page 1 Comment Tags: , ,

Dyson AnimalAbout a year ago, we were in the market for a new vacuum cleaner after blowing through yet another one of those cheap vacuums bought at Wal-Mart. As a gadget geek, I really wanted a Dyson but got talked about it by the salesman who convinced me that a European-made a Miele was a much better option – even though it certainly not as sexy as a Dyson.

So I was excited when offered the chance recently to check out the Dyson DC31 Animal – well, as excited anyone should really get about a vacuum cleaner. The Animal is cordless, and looks and feels more like a Star Wars weapon than a handheld vacuum cleaner. True to the Dyson pedigree, it has lot of power, which makes it ideal for quick jobs around the house, garage and the car.

The Animal’s only drawback is while it has a lot of bite (power), it really needs more bark (battery life). In my thorough test, the battery only lasted 15 to 20 minutes, which seemed disappointing. Then again, the Animal is not a vacuum cleaner but more of a tidying tool, which means it’s used for shorter periods of time.

At about C$275, the Animal is a lot more expensive than most handheld vacuum cleaners but if you’re looking for a long-term investment, it’s probably worth it, although I wonder whether it’s worth holding off until a unit comes out with more bark.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 »