Andrew Lark

Austin Eats, Treats & Reviews

• Kristen says her lunch at Soleil was great. New York Times seems to agree. Will give it a try soon.
• Had Ceviche from TacoShack today – thanks Bryan! – was outstanding. Small but spicy and fresh. Yum!
• Listening to my Kiwi friends complain about American coffee, I often wonder where they get their coffee when in the US. In Austin, I highly recommend (and my standards are ridiculously high):
• Mellow Johnny’s bike shop – owned by none other than Lance Armstrong – has a terrific coffee bar – Juan Pelota’s Cafe. And get this, they even have a Kiwi Blend developed for a couple of the mechanics in the shop from NZ.
• Houndstooth is fantastic. They know how to brew it and make it. With the added twist it is a short skip from one of Austin’s finest Sushi joints, Uchiko.
• Down the road from me in Westlake is Lola Savannah – very good coffee and normally prepared well.

Happenings

• Digital Nomads shift form cubes to cafes … I’m so there….
• This I believe … Great thoughts and principles Avinash …
• No excuses… “All I do is work here…” doesn’t cut it. You are where you work. You are the brand. And if you aren’t happy with that, go somewhere else and be proud.
• Cool little Austin hotel… Kimber Modern…
• More All Black angst… unfortunately, Chris is right…. “All Black coach Graham Henry and his cohorts should be sacked. Enough is enough…. Bloemfontein was the portent, Durban the nadir. The memories from South Africa will centre on Neemia Tialata's lumbering 20m drop out and Piri Weepu hurling the ball back to no one near his goal line. That's if you can get past the image of Joe Rokocoko trying to run the ball into the field of play, as if he'd woken up and found himself in an NRL game.”

Digital Nomads & Data Cards...

More and more folks are using mobile data cards according to Nielson... another sign of the growth of the Connected Era:

…Nielsen’s research reveals that the cards are beginning to play an important role in home and personal Internet access, as well. In fact, 43 percent of mobile data card users report they most often use their data card at home, while 15 percent say they typically use the card at work. Additionally, one in five (21 percent) data card subscribers take advantage of ubiquitous access by heading outdoors and 9 percent use their card while commuting.

GigaOm points to one of the reasons:

An easy explanation would be better price packages and higher speed tiers, thanks to newer 3G technologies. Of the nearly 1,300 mobile data card users Nielsen surveyed, more than 99 percent still kept their wired broadband service: 40 percent of card users also have cable broadband and 34 percent also have DSL in their home. That number can jump to 59 percent, giving wired carriers something to think about...

Whine...

So I want to use my ATT calling card.  The number provided by the operator doesn't work.  The url on the back of their calling card leads to a dead page.  A search on the term "direct access number" - the language they use on the back of their card - yields a stupid, "tell us more about yourself" page.  Web incompetence at its finest.  Back to Skype.

New Travel Blog

The new travelgearblog flagged Wallpaper's City Guides.

Back From Vacation...

I'm back from a great week in Hawaii. Enjoyed being computer free. Maui is a stunning place and really recommend it.

Tokyo Again...

I'll be posting light this week. Am back in Tokyo with LogLogic partners and customers.

If you are a frequent user of the AA San Jose to Tokyo flight make the most of it now through October. After that, it is canceled. American Airlines in all their wisdom believes that canceling a flight that is perpetually overbooked is smart. First dumb move. Second dumb move, thinking that we will fly through Las Angeles. AA has some great employees manning the desk in San Jose and on that flight. Loosing them - Third dumb move. Coupled with a mileage program which barely works and the meaninglessness of the Star Alliance this all makes for more reasons to fly with others. Perhaps their only saving grace is the absolute ineptitude of their long-haul competitors.

Still - nothing will make me fly through LAX...

Technorati : AA
Del.icio.us : travel

Tokyo...

My commitments in Tokyo meant I couldn't make it to Fleishman's Beyond Blogging event in Washington this morning. Both embarrassing and a real disappointment as David, Shel and the the team had assembled a great crew of panelists. My apologies to all.

It's great to see another major agency weighing-in on the space.

Tokyo is Tokyo - marvelously efficient, incredibly clean and welcoming. The Keio Plaza has been through a big upgrade with W styled rooms and great hi-speed. My only advice, avoid the rainy season!

Tokyo...

I'm in Tokyo this week so will probably post on the light side. If you need to reach me, Skype or email are best.

Woz + Drury = International Segway Polo!

Some great photos from downunder as the Silicon Valley Aftershocks (Segway Polo!) visit New Zealand to play the Pole Blacks. Hey, the NZ Polo gang let the Segway riding maniacs onto their grounds! Steve Wozniak turned-up, much to the delight of my mate Rod - one of NZ's hottest tech entrepreneurs.