Samsung Vs. Apple

Apple and Samsung have been fighting for quite some time and we're finally getting to see the results of their battles. Samsung's loss against Apple was a huge blow to a company that was going nowhere but up. Samsung must now pay Apple billions of dollars and change the way it operates. Meanwhile, Apple is rolling in the dough. 

I agree that Samsung was copying Apple, but that's just because Apple created the standards by which we all use our phones. Like the article said, the steering wheel is round for a reason. Pinching is most intuitive way to Zoom and there's no way getting around it. Apple knew it and that's why they standardized it. It's too bad for Samsung that they can only copy and never innovate. 

This law suit means one thing: Samsung will have to try to be better than Apple. They're going to have to get up and get innovating if they want to survive in the mobile market. But hey, it's not always a bad thing to have a setback. Maybe, if they try hard enough, Samsung will surprise everyone, even themselves and create something great. 

The 7 Sources of Innovation

 Steve Jobs Demoing the Apple Macintosh, a Computer that Changed the World.

Inspiration for innovation comes in many different forms. From Eli Whitney inventing the cotton gin to Lee Iacocca being fired from Ford and turning Chrysler into a successful company, there has been innovation all around us for centuries. So let's take a look at what causes the wheels to spin; here are the 7 sources of inspiration


1. The Unexpected.

Losing your job, or getting an inheritance are just two of the many unexpected events that can spark your next creative idea.


2. Incongruity.

Sometimes the distinction between reality and fantasy isn't always clear. This paradox can easily lead to an idea that makes us all exclaim, "why didn't I think of that?"


3. Process Need.

Sometimes production just need to speed up. For example, Isaac Newton invented Calculus to complete physics problems at a faster speed.


4. Changes in Industry Structure.

Industries are extremely mercurial, one day you're sitting in IBM headquarters at the top of the world, and the next day Apple releases the first mass production consumer computer. Sometimes you need a couple of hippies in a garage to beat you to make you want to work harder.


5. Demographics.

Demographics (like industries) change very quickly. In the 60s, the rising African-American population played a huge part in how companies marketed their products.


6. Changes in Perception, Mood, and Meaning.

The world's a different place, Ike's America is no more, and gone are the days of Bing Crosby and TV Dinners. Companies and people must change with the times.


7. New Knowledge.

We like to think that we know a lot, but the truth is we've barely scratched the surface. For example, take a look at this quote:

Everything that can be invented, has been invented.  

-Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. patent office, 1899

Anyway, that's all for this week. I hope you're able to find inspiration, you've just got to know where to look!

Innovation in Government

Flags of the World 

Innovation in government is an interesting (and relevant) topic. Currently, the U.S. Government is virtually forced to be innovative. Gone are the days of endless cash flow, where the government could simply throw a bunch of money at a problem to make it go away. Bureaucrats and elected representatives now realize that if they don't find creative and cost-effective solutions to pressing issues,  their time at the helm will be short-lived.

In addition to being efficient and innovative economically, the government must also be efficient and innovative environmentally. Along with a change in atmospheric climate, came a change in social climate. That is, the people are now demanding their government to be creative, be cheap, and be green.

Finally, while being innovative, governments must also worry about stepping on the toes of other sovereign states. For example, we all know about the Cold War, and how the U.S. and the Soviet Russian Governments were simply being innovative to annoy (and scare) each other. Since then, I think that governments try to avoid flying too close to the sun.