Conversation Agent - Valeria Maltoni

The Truth of Signs

"I have never doubted the truth of signs, Adso; they are the only things man has with which to orient himself in the world. What I did not understand is the relation among signs . . . I behaved stubbornly, pursuing a semblance of order, when I should have known well that there is no order in the universe." "But in imagining an erroneous order you still found something. . . ." "What you say is very fine, Adso, and I thank you. The order that our mind imagines is like a net, or like a ladder, built to attain... Read more →

The Guardian of These Places

They call him the Franciscan of cashmere. Brunello Cucinelli is a master of fashion and the economy. He uses the finest cashmere, often in rich colors, to produce light as a feather clothing that is precisely cut following clean lines. His inspiration is the nomadic spirit of distant lands. This spirit is weaved in the the precious material in the same way linen, cotton and silk are threaded through some of his creations. He makes his purchases personally in Mongolia where he travels twice a year. A self-made person, Brunello believes in communicating emotion, in integrating mind and heart. His... Read more →

Design of Future

"The future, as always, does not lie in front of successful individuals, it must rest within them. Tourists and refugees inhabit our world, says Italian artist Franceso Clemente -- either you embrace change or you try to escape from it. Try to control the uncertainties of this world and you'll go nuts. Perhaps, instead, the best thing that we can hope for is some stability and certainty inside ourselves. Forget about weaknesses for a while. Find your strengths and use them. Be the person that you were meant to be. Reveal that best kept secret of yours to the rest... Read more →

Charity For-Profit

As the New York Times reported a couple of weeks ago, Google's founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page have put $1 billion into a charitable organization whose mission is to tackle big, global issues such as poverty, energy and the environment. This is good news, of course. What is different about Google.org is that instead of being a traditional, non-profit foundation, this is a for-profit entity -- a business that will be in the business of alleviating humanity's voes. "We hope that someday this institution will eclipse Google itself in overall world impact by ambitiously applying innovation and significant resources... Read more →

Did you Hear That? Bluetooth as New Marketing Channel?

The emergence of the screen as a favorite medium to pull information, entertainment and interact with a brand has created a new space of opportunity for marketers and content producers. The screen is becoming a known entity and a welcome companion. We look for screens at airports as a quick and easy shortcut to a boarding pass -- I have not flown since the banning of all lotions, paste, gels and like cosmetics on the flight, which I'm sure is making some decisions on in-person service side more difficult and costly for airlines and airport personnel. We check out of... Read more →

Rudy Giuliani

Last week, Rudy Giuliani was the honored speaker at the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia suburban series events. He was welcomed in the room by a roaring standing ovation, no doubt due chiefly to his performance in the national spotlight following the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Rudy, as most people call him, talked about security and the national political landscape. His body language was engaging and open. He came up front from behind the podium and made eye contact with the large audience, staying attuned to the general temperature and pacing his talk to it. He started by telling a... Read more →

Motorola's New Vending Machine is a Touch-Screen

Are you craving the latest Motorola Inc. cell phone or accessory? No worries, thanks to a new initiative by the company's automated retailing group, the objects of your desire will be available in a mall and airport near you. At the touch of a screen and the swipe of a credit card, shoppers will be able to buy mid- to high-end models, with or without a service plan for Tt-Mobile, Verizon and Cingular. New service customers will need to log online and sign up with a carrier. Current Verizon customers who buy a phone from the machine will need to... Read more →

Conversation as Connection

Conversation is the most natural, effective, yet most complex mode of human connection. The goal of conversation is understanding between participants. Understanding in communication is how we behave in front of a translation. We focus and we relax, we zoom in and out at the same time. We entertain the million thoughts and assumptions in our minds while the visual and auditory messages hit us. The ingredients of a conversation - 1. The content - what you say. Although this comprises only about 7% of what we pay attention to, it still matters. 2. The process - how you say... Read more →

Haven't We Learned How to Grow?

A recent Cool Friends interview with author Bob Tomasko on Tom Peters blog centers around true growth companies. Tomasko has a theory that these companies are run by two kinds of people, fixers and growers. The first point he makes is that bigger isn't always better -- industries get caught up in the blockbuster syndrome, he says. He then covers the idea of shareholder value and how a myopic focus on that may not be such a good idea. Tomasko urges us to think differently: getting bigger shouldn't be a goal, it may be an outcome. Growth is a forward... Read more →

Consumer-Empowering Destinations: Copyright Issues

At a time when the debate over music copyright issues on social media is heating up, YouTube and Warner strike a pact that clears copyright hurdles, reports Adweek. Warner Music Group CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr. was quoted to say: "Consumer-empowering destinations like YouTube have created a two-way dialogue that will transform entertainment and media forever. As user-generated content becomes more prevalent, this kind of partnership will allow music fans to celebrate the music of their favorite artists to reach consumers in new ways, and ensure that copyright holders and artists are fairly compensated." Warner will be using YouTube as a... Read more →