"And as every sci-fi nerd knows, you totally need a tricked-out battleship if you're going to engage in serious battle"

Well said Fast Company! They're referring to the AppleShip that Apple is planning on building (on 150 acres to house 12,000 Apple employees), and I have to admit, all the internet trolling I've done all definitely point to "giant Apple expansion", "Apple cult" (isn't that redundant?) or "Steve Jobs secretly was an alien trying to get home" (is it too early to make Steve Jobs jokes? He was a nice alien). I'll let everyone take their pick on which one they want to actually be the truth.

So anyway, I recently read this article in Fast Company about "The Great Tech War of 2012". I found this interesting because apparently they're totally reading my blog and saw my post about the brewing war between Amazon, Google and Apple (okay they added in Facebook, big whoop). Ha! Okay, but seriously, this article is interesting because it argues that 2012 will be the year when this battle will come to a head. Why? Well because like all wars, there is limited supply, exploding demand, and these behemoths are slowly but surely expanding into each other's turfs, and (unsurprisingly) they don't share well. Fast Company thinks Facebook will take it all, but...let's look at a break down:

Apple:

• Still dominates the tablet market (The Kindle Fire and the slew of Android attempts are making a small dent though)
• Cutting edge in terms of user experience and next-gen design, therefore has huge market share in (mostly consumer) products
• Very secretive about their growth strategy

Facebook:

• Really gunning for Google in its collection/manipulation of user data (also has "deeper" data, Google may have your search preferences, control over your email and the beginnings of social networking in their giant aggregator, but Facebook knows who your friends are, what you talk about/"Like", how you're feeling, where you check in and with their image recognition software, what you, your friends and your city all look like)
• Young and nimble (youngest of the Fab Four mentioned here)
• Has huge cult following and connection with a wide demographic base. Zuckerberg is the hunk of the nerd world, and it's not particularly hard to see why. Bottom line, he embodies the new wave of thinking and understands what future generations want

Google:

• Leadership! Larry Page is "bold, unpredictable and unapologetic". In non-PC terms, he's moody and no one really knows what he's doing or what he's planning at any given time (aka "might be a little crazy in a completely intriguing way"). Perfect qualities for someone who wants to try out for the part of Lady Macbeth or for someone who wants to run a multi-billion dollar, global company that is trying to stay nimble and effective, regardless of size
• Great partners/name recognition-- Facebook might have partnered with Netflix, Spotify, etc., but Google bought Motorola (and its underlying security division). If that's not a play to expand into hardware, I'm not sure what is...

Amazon:

• Amazon has lower margins than Google or Apple, but again, its leader (Jeff Bezos) is impressive in his uncanny ability to predict (to inform?) what consumers will want next, invest heavily, and invest early (e-readers, cloud outsourcing)
• Wider variety-- not mired as a "consumer products" company, a "search engine" or "a social networking site". They have effectively made themselves an "all of the above"

So where's my head at about all of this information? If I had to rank, I would say that Google and Amazon are really going to be the big dogs in the fight, with Amazon beating out Google this year by a hairs breadth. Here's why: the economy is still recovering and people will always need things, this could be Amazon's edge for the near future. Moreover, Amazon has already invested heavily in providing these physical objects through its e-commerce website, but also branching into intangibles (Amazon Player vs. Google Player, Amazon Kindle/Amazon Store vs. iPad/iBooks, etc.). Google, meanwhile, is still defining how to jump into the physical space (remember Google TV? Yeah, neither do we.) and in the meantime is trying to capitalize on their intangible services. Add to the mix all of Google's bad press over the past year with all of their legal troubles and they're probably going to want a small period of re-grouping/restrategizing before heading out into battle again.

In the long run however, I'd say Google and Amazon could be given a run for their money because I expect the other half of this delicious tech pie will either a.) begin a partnering spree to inflate their market share or (this is kind of crazy so prepare yourself) b.) partner with each other. I know...you're thinking I've finally lost it. But hear me out. Apple has great name recognition, huge market share in consumer products but struggles to harness and analyze the data that they receive. Enter Facebook, who is almost the father of hyper-targeted mini-ads. For a company that focuses so much on the end user and their relationship witih the company, it would make sense that they'd like to date a company like Facebook (aka integrate with a heavy-hitting social media stakeholder).

So what's in it for Facebook? A tangible piece of hardware in a large percentage of the highly affluent market. An "in" to a company that already knows how to capitalize on "add-ons" (did you know that analysts estimate Apple to make $368 on the iPhone through the subsidies that are paid back to them through wireless carriers whereas Google makes less than $10 annually/device due to its subsidies for market share? Granted, Google focuses on profit through ad revenue, which is a smaller margin, but higher in volume. But still. ). A company that has a ton of data on user preferences and hardware manufacturing connections to back it up.

So what if I'm Google and I'm breathing down the neck of Amazon? Or what if I'm Amazon and victory is justthiscloseIcantasteit? Find new revenue streams. Target the emerging markets (China, India, Brazil in particular where there are growing middle classes/growing appetite for digital media/huge investments in wireless infrastructure). My suggestion for a first step? Get into people's homes in a big way. There's a lot swirling around about integrating payment systems into TVs so that the buying experience becomes an integral part of everyday behavior-- and not just with digital goods. If you can convince consumers that you're there to take care of them (buying, selling, socializing, suggest, etc.), listen to their feedback to adapt and offer them the convenience of being physically present in their home...it could be the end of the Fab Four.

Huddled Masses Yearning To Be Free

On the statue of liberty, there is a poem by Emma Lazarus called "The New Colossus" which is engraved on the pedestal. If you really need to know exactly what the entire poem says, feel free to read it here. My favorite part is the last bit,

"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

It could easily be argued that this embodies the American dream-- the grandiose statue, the symbolism of it all. As a child of immigrants myself, I can say that all of my relatives that still live abroad truly see America almost as a utopia-- a place where everyone goes to college, the streets are clean, families live together in nice, quiet suburban houses, parks abound on every corner. Having been raised in this mentality for almost my entire life, it was a bit of a shock as I grew older to realize that the fantasy maybe wasn't the most accurate description of real life. College was widespread, but it was still expensive, and because of the expense, limited to pretty much only the upper-middle/upper class. Graduating in 2008, I had a front row seat to see our country's financial system implode on itself, and the harsh consequences of that on my peers as they struggled to find (and keep) jobs that would justify their heavy investment in education. Luckily, I was able to find a job at a consulting firm, but also quickly realized that hard work would get you 60-70% there, but it was undeniable that those who "were personable" definitely got ahead faster.

Despite everything though, I do still believe that America is the land of opportunity. Sure, college was expensive and my family couldn't afford it, but Notre Dame took a chance on me. I don't think I'm a genius, but I'm currently working with some of the smartest people I've met at my firm. My friends have the luxury of following their dreams, their passions and their hearts in all sorts of industries-- whether it be education, consulting, manufacturing, marketing, whatever! That's why I'm feeling a little bit down this week after I've read a couple articles that are sounding the alarm on the death of the American ideal.

In Esquire, they ran an article entitled "American Class System-- We Are Not All Created Equal". They claim that "The majority of college grads in the United States today are either unemployed or working jobs that don't require a degree. Roughly 80% of them moved back home in 2011, where they sit on an average debt of $27,200. The youth unemployment rate in general is 18.1%....Both [Tea Partiers and Occupiers] are really mourning the arrival of a new social order, one not defined by opportunity but by the preexisting structures of wealth. At least the ranters are mourning. Those who are not screaming or in drum circles mostly pretend that the change isn't happening". It was really this last sentence that struck me. Was I one of these people? Was I simply pretending that this change-- this terrible, corrupt and stuttering demise was simply not happening? Was I living in denial and being insulated against the harsher truths by the many layers of comfort that I am grateful for--my job, my stability, my education? Similar to the feeling that you get when you leave the house, knowing that you've forgotten something, so began my nagging worry. How had I--a fairly well-educated and under the impression of being well-informed-- become so out of touch?

A week later, The New York Times featured "Is the U.S. Still a 'Land of Opportunity'?" question in their Room for Debate. Needless to say, this was like tempting a dieter with cake. Instant click. Expand all. Read thoroughly. All debaters had good points-- good points claiming the fall of the American dream. They all agreed that, while once great, the U.S. had really become an entire system dedicated to making the rich richer and the poor miserable. The finger pointing began...Look at the economic mobility score (but how do we define economic mobility? Isn't ability to increase wage compared to the parental generation a bit outdated? How does that integrate the impact of inflation?)! Look at the levels of education! The quality of jobs! And why? Well, there is a great disparity in the investment we make (as a country) in education, there are cultural reasons, there are parenting problems! How much time do you have? There's more.

Although all of these articles were heavy on the criticism and light on the tangible solutions, it again spun me into a tizzy of doubt. Perhaps it was just the Catholic college in me, but I couldn't shake the idea of, Well, isn't that what I'm here for? Sure... the economy is not great right now, and it can't be denied that there is a growing disparity in the classes, but isn't that why we're creating a new generation of well-informed, more globally interconnected youngsters (like myself)? And this is where my thinking took a turn.

Maybe I just like a challenge. But as a first generation-er, I refuse to accept that the American dream is decrepit and dying. For every single metric that says that class hierarchy is here to stay, there are people out there that are trying to bring equality to emerging economies and opportunities to previously under-served communities. These emerging economies and communities are in New York and they're in Nigeria-- yes, we're no longer focusing solely on our national well-being, but isn't that a critical characteristic of the new generation? Aren't we encouraged now to focus on our micro-communities? To start at a grassroots level and attack this problem from the top and the bottom? My gut says yes, as I see universities and business schools forming whole programs dedicated to social innovation and corporate social responsibility. I don't know about everyone else. I may not be screaming or participating in any drum circles (none related to social inequality anyway), but I'm not ignorant of the problems we're facing as a society. But I'm also not giving up.

Just Once In Life...We Should Stop Making Gender-Specific Lists

Now that the new year is in full swing, and resolutions are flying around madly and being broken almost as fast...I've been trying to catch up on my magazine reading. In the most recent issue of Glamour (yeah, that's right. I read Popular Science, Discover, Fortune, Fast Company and The Economist. I also read Glamour, Lucky and--most embarrassingly--People. I try to be equal opportunity in my magazine reading) that I read (which was the December issue...I'm a bit behind alright?) there was a very interesting article entitled "Just Once in Life, Every Woman Should", which was supposed to give me some tips on how to live my life in a more interesting way. There's only three bullets, which I like (Efficiency. I likes it), but I couldn't help but notice that these things aren't really what I expected nor are they specifically woman-only things to do. So here's my rewrite:

• Thing to do: Be Wildly, Passionately Pursued
• Justification: Women nowadays are too forthcoming! In the author's day, "[women] were so unlikely to show our hand, women ended up seeming like mysterious creatures...Men value things they have to work hard for, and they tend to become very creative when the straight-ahead approach isn't helping...for the sheer romance and surprise of it, not to mention the delicious boost of ego that comes along with it-- is the chance to be pursued: desperately, wildly, with complete abandon"
• Rewrite: Be Wildly, Passionately Pursued...and Know When to Be the Pursuer
• Rewrite Justification: Alright people. This is the 21st century. I hear where the author's coming from, but with all due respect, there's a difference between enjoying the propriety and nostalgia of a time long past and playing hard to get just for attention. This is the only one of the three that I pretty much outright disagree with. We've (women) have worked hard to get where we are! And trust me, there are plenty of women who still do things "by the book", let's not encourage more women to conform to these more passive roles and let the aggressive girls have their day. As for the gentlemen, know that your efforts are appreciated, regardless of whatever type of girl you decide to pursue

• Thing to do: Be a Fan of Something-Anything!
• Justification: "You have to allow yourself to be more than just an audience, leaning back and watching. You need to lean in-- it's the best way to feel joy, outrage, betrayal, the full range of geeked-out excitement beyond the simpler pleasures of thumbs up and thumbs down"
• Rewrite: N/A
• Rewrite Justification: Completely agree. Just do it. The only thing I would add is that maybe we should expand your geeked-out-ness to something beyond the Lady Gaga and Game of Thrones mentions in this article. I am a HUGE Alias (spy show starring Jennifer Gardner) fan myself, and it has given me some great conversations. With random people. There's something to be said about bonding over something that seems as trivial as a TV show with another true fan-- it adds a spark to your day, you make an instant friend, and who else could relate to "Do you remember that time when Sydney....Can you believe?! I mean, who saw that her roommate was a secretly an evil cyborg twin trying to kill her?!". That being said. Feel free to freak out with your geek out over whatever you want. I really like mobile technology (as you may have gathered), I also really like reading about quantum/theoretical physics (who cares if its not applicable yet?)...so do whatcha want. And enjoy it to the fullest

• Thing to do: Be Friends with a Much Older Woman
• Justification: "In today's world, we can't always be near family or live near those with whom we grew up, which makes friendships-- particularly intergenerational ones-- lifesavers...Without my cadre of girlfriends who have "been there, done that--20 years ago to be exact," I would have been reinventing the wheel with every new relationship, job offer and bump in the road"
• Rewrite: Be Friends with a Variety of People
• Rewrite Justification: This one seems kind of like common sense to me. Yes, there are certain bonds that woman-woman relationships have that are a godsend. Yes, you should have a variety of ages of friends because the "been there, done that" is incredibly helpful. However, let's not limit this rule to women. People (men and women) should seek a variety of friendships (men and women) to learn from multiple perspectives and hopefully see new points of view. Older friends will definitely provide more guidance and advice (I would never be where I am today without their help!) but your younger friends also remind you to constantly be hopeful, idealistic, and to continue to have awe at the little things that you maybe have taken for granted (have you ever gone to the zoo with a 6-year-old? It's more exciting than a promotion, a vacation in a new city and a new years eve party rolled into one. And it's awesome). Both perspectives, I think, are equally valuable to living a well-balanced life

So that's it. In summary-- this article (and my rewrites) really won't say anything that you wouldn't have been able to figure out yourself, but it's nice to be reminded. Live aggressively or more traditionally, but be true to yourself. Chivalary should never be dead. Live exuberantly and passionately. There's a lot out there to be passionate about! Make friends and be friendly-- find ways to help others/know when to ask for help and try to maintain your sense of wonder. Happy new year everyone! Hope this is the best one yet.