Digg Really is Powered by the Top 50 Users

Digg can be described as an ecosystem for news readers and contributors. That ecosystem is usually thought to be both wide and deep. But below is snapshot of just how critical (and influential) the top 50 users are to it - the icons with a yellow banner / star in it are from my Digg friends (all top 50 users). See a trend? A close friend of mine ran a test on Digg by befriending the top 100 Digg users. His first 3 submissions made the front page within their respective category… He had submitted 100s of articles before and this was a first. As the power users move - so do the herds.

This raises the questions, what happens if the rumored Microsoft acquisition actually happened? Does Digg work if it’s top 50 / 100 users flee? Flickr had similar questions when MS announced their Yahoo bid… I would argue though that Flickr’s value is more sustainable without its core users than Digg’s is.

Digg Top Users

Quick Thoughts on Twitter, RedLasso & Microsoft Office 2007

1. Twitter: seems to be hitting a tipping point. Friend ‘follows’ are coming much faster than at any point during its short existence. 2. RedLasso: I have no data to support it, but I continue to see their videos spread through faster than any other player.

3. Microsoft Office 2007: it rules. Huge improvement over the last Office editions… Powerpoint and Excel in particular. Creating charts and presentations is infinitely easier and looks better. My only complaint is that I find myself having save versions in compatibility mode (ie, not .ppx) because few people have Office 2007…. So get it!

4. sfEntrepreneurs: I haven’t posted about the group in a while – but that’s not an indication that progress isn’t being made. We have an exciting idea and a ‘very beta’ release will be available shortly. Stay tuned.

The $700mm 3D Movie Conversion… Hollywood’s Scared of your Living Room

If you haven’t seen U2-3D movie yet – do yourself a favor and hurry to the local Imax. Not only was it superb, it is now the future of the movie industry (which I am very excited about).

Yesterday at the ShoWest conference in Las Vegas, news broke that a deal has been reached with major studios to equip more than 10,000 theater screens with 3-D digital technology. Disney, 20th Century, Paramount and NBC Universal will finance the effort and it is expected to cost around $700mm.

Very exciting as a consumer.

The most interesting part though is that the move suggests that the studios are increasingly afraid of our living rooms. As high end TVs have become more advanced, movies downloads have become rampant, and services like Netflix have made movie-watching ultra-convenient, Hollywood is clearly trying to produce a product that can’t be replicated by consumers. DreamWorks executive Jeffery Katzenberg said as much,

“Now is our chance to deliver something that is far superior than anything that can be done at home.”

Food Thoughts – San Francisco’s Waterbar, Peet’s, Top Chef and more

Flying Alaska Airlines today for the first time and have thus far been unimpressed… as far as ‘cheap’ airlines go, I am very loyal to Jet Blue. After twittering about this probably being my last Alaska flight, I got some very funny responses.

Steeleydaniel: @berecruited what’s wrong? They taxi the plane by dogsled?

Anyhow, here a few quick food thoughts:

1. Terminal 2 at SFO has Peet’s Coffee. I ordered a drip and reaffirmed how much I dislike Peet’s coffees. I think their espresso drinks are better than Starbucks – but their drip coffees aren’t flavorful. I get a lot of criticism for saying so, but its hard to find chain coffee that beats Starbucks. Sure, some of their blends are bad (ie Kimono Dragon – terrible), but they rotate the roasts daily and several are terrific (my favorite is Sumatra).

2. Going to Seattle for the first time - which is embarrassing since Russell has lived there for four years (my long-time friend and beRecruited partner). Every time I have planned to visit him, business drives us elsewhere (usually Bay Area or Vegas)… Just my luck, Russell won’t be in Seattle as he is in Atlanta for beRecruited business!

3. Interested to see if the Starbucks in Seattle is really better than the one’s outside of Washington. I hear they are.

4. Top Chef starts tonight… I will set my DVR accordingly. 4 contestants are Bay Area chefs. Great show.

5. Interesting article in the Mercury News about Whole Foods now air-chilling their fresh chicken rather than with water (a Bay Area test that is now moving national). Just last week I was raving about how superior their chicken is compared to other grocers. I suppose this is why.

6. Randi was in town for the last few days and we ate like kings. Our favorite restaurant was The Waterbar (the new seafood place on Embarcadero and beside the Bay Bridge). Spectacular views, amazing food, great wait staff – and everything came out instantly. This is my new favorite SF restaurant – and if you like seafood, do yourself a favor and make a reservation. Amazing. Also enjoyed Blowfish Sushi (better than the Santana Row location).

Mark Cuban Chimes in on Jason Calacanis's Start Up Rules

Great blog dialog this weekend that started when Jascon Calacanis wrote his rules for running a start up. Mark Cuban then chimed in and I love his commentary - particularly his advice about only hiring people who are passionate and love the company.

But this was my favorite part of Cuban's post as it references one of my favorite movies: Glengarry Glen Ross. Coffee is for closers is one of the great lines ever. I will forgive Mark though for spelling espresso incorrectly!

"6. An expresso machine? Are you kidding me ? Shoot yourself before you spend money on an expresso machine. Coffee is for closers. Sodas are free. Lunch is a chance to get out of the office and talk. There are 24 hours in a day, and if people like their jobs, they will find ways to use as much of it as possible to do their jobs."

Always be closing!

Consumer Spending Data Suggests Television Purchases Equal to Computers

Though I moved to San Francisco, I still read the San Jose Mercury News (which has a good business section despite little else). Today's featured article was about the impact of the economic slow down on consumer technology spending. The lead photograph is of a Best Buy shopper passing a large Sony television and the caption says: "Research shows fewer adults are planing to buy electronics."

But the interesting part is that, while all other gadgets have fallen, television purchase intentions are up significantly and now on par with computers.

In February 2007, 9.2% of adult consumer intended to purchase a TV. That number is now 10.6% - the same percent that plans to purchase a computer (down from 11.8%). I think this is evidence that computers will soon make their way into the living room - there is clearly consumer demand... and despite having plenty of options, there is still no killer solution. I personally use a Mac Mini on my TV and think it's great. But it's not the killer solve.

I would also love to see the breakdown of laptop vs. desktop - and perhaps by brand.

Consumer Spending 2008

Update: Great article out of the New York Times about TV going online - "The “stupid computer” is a repeated target of the dimwitted office manager Michael Scott on “The Office.” But the show itself may be motivating viewers to put down their remote controls and pick up their laptops."