Voice Over Text: Unleashing the Power of Spoken Queries

Your Voice, Your Search: Crafting Precision with Vocalized Queries

Greg's Words

The concept of a User Interface (UI) is as ancient as time itself, with only the face-to-face dialogue outdating our good old QWERTY companion.

The art of conversation.

A recent study uncovers a fascinating nuance - articulating your queries to Google yields more fruitful outcomes than the traditional method of hammering them out on a keyboard. The hypothesis is that those who choose to engage with their microphone give a tad more thought to their queries than their keyboard-bound counterparts.

Now, I remain on the fence about this proposition.

However, I can't deny the reality that transforming spoken words into digital text leans more toward convenience than anything else.

Yet, the Wall Street Journal seems to have a different perspective on this matter.

Send in the AI. It's Already Here.

Cirque du Futur: Juggle Imagination, Intelligence, and Light Speed

The transformation, my friends, is no longer a distant promise; it's in the very air we breathe. The traditional looms, once the lifeblood of creation, have lost their relevance, their utility overshadowed by the relentless march of progress.

The mechanics of content generation are irrelevant. The true essence of good content is indeed a subjective reality, judged in the eyes of its beholder - the discerning reader.

ChatGPT: The AI Muse Inspiring SoftBank’s New Direction

ChatGPT – not just a chatbot, but the creative catalyst in SoftBank's AI revolution!

Greg's Words

ChatGPT is a nifty tool that helps writers write.  Apparently, it also helps thinkers, think.

I've been a party to many 3AM "conversations" with the AI in the Sky - from Quantum mechanics to the social ramifications of Star Trek(TOS).  It is easy to be fooled into believing there is a sentient being on the other end of the ether.

But there isn't.

What lurks in that land of both Shadow and substance of things and ideas, what most people miss, is the entity you're querying is your digital doppelganger; your Modern Prometheus.  

When it's good, when it's really, really good, you are talking to yourself.  The oracle is you.

And so it is with SoftBank Group Chief Executive Masayoshi Son - he's discovered the power of self-reflection.  Of talking to himself.

His late-night intercourse with ChatGPT is not quite nirvana, more of a digital epiphany, which has led him to invest more in tech. 

“The time is approaching for us to go on the counteroffensive,” Son said at the annual meeting of the Japanese technology-investment company. “I want SoftBank to lead the AI revolution.”

I admire his passion.

Check out the hook.

Highlights:

1. Masayoshi Son, SoftBank Group CEO, credits ChatGPT for reinvigorating his spirits and reigniting his aspiration to lead the AI revolution.
2. Son's interaction with ChatGPT has resulted in over 600 new ideas, underscoring the potential of AI in creative processes.
3. Despite past financial struggles, SoftBank's renewed focus on AI has led to a positive response in the market, with shares reaching a recent high.

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Deathbed Interviews, The Five Regrets of Life & Work From Anywhere -

A study from 2013.  Australian nurse interviews.

So, I found this article from 2013 - The top five regrets of the Dying.  

#1 - "I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honored even half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. Health brings a freedom very few realize until they no longer have it."

Now, today, view this thought through the post-fear-of-covid, work-from-anywhere, lens.

• 45-minute commutes
• empty face-to-face meetings
• irrelevant and ineffective managers
• 2% raises after 'check-box' evaluations...

In her work as a palliative care nurse, Bronnie Ware encountered the dying epiphanies of patients in their final days. 

The most common regrets she observed are as follows:

Copiers & Bourbon - Whiskey for the Ages Show

Okay, my friends - first The Greg Walters Show interviewed wine experts in France and Oklahoma, Edwin and Kevin.  We talked wine, bourbon, copiers, managed print services, and wine...and bourbon.

Then, Brian, the Ladies, and I talked for almost 3 hours about the copier industry, his journey from output to Bourbon, and lessons learned from each niche.

That wasn't enough -

I was most fortunate to be invited to share my bourbon adventure as it stands today, taste great pours with Brian, Hannah, and Elora and talk more about bourbon and #copiers.

The AI Surge: A Dot-Com Déjà Vu or the Dawn of a Tech Utopia?

In the high-stakes world of technology stocks, the potent combination of artificial intelligence hype and looming Federal Reserve decisions is stirring a dynamic debate among investors - are we witnessing a replay of the dot-com bust or the dawn of a sustained rally?

Greg's Words

There is so much activity in the technology realm, it may be difficult to concentrate on one issue.  

Follow the money.

There may be a wave of new hardware just over the horizon as AI-compliant/optimized chips hit the market.

Imagine every, single one of today's computing devices needing to be replaced to handle artificial intelligence.  The market is breathtaking.

AI Celebrities: The Next Big Thing in Marketing and Its Challenges

AI Celebrities: Because Even Stars Need a Digital Stunt Double

Executive Bullet Points

1. Celebrities are leveraging AI to gain greater control over their images in marketing campaigns, also affording them the ability to make more varied deals with brands.
2. AI-driven celebrity likenesses open new possibilities in advertising, including de-aging celebrities, staging impossible feats, and enabling real-time interaction with customers.
3. Despite the advantages, AI celebrity replicas present novel challenges in legal ownership and risk management, necessitating standards for verification to protect celebrities and consumers alike.

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Anywhere but the Office: Embracing the Future of Work

Breaking Free from the Office – A Journey to the Future of Work

The world is a vast canvas, vibrant with life, ringing with noise, and drenched in color. So why should a man confine his work to the sterile silence of a cubicle? Why should he trade the chorus of the world for the mechanical hum of air conditioning, the drab gray of carpets, and the relentless flicker of fluorescent lights?

The future of work is not in the office. It's in the café with the steaming cup of coffee, in the library with its musty scent of old books, and in the park with its choir of birds. It's in the places that inspire, that soothe, that energize. It's in the places that respect the rhythms of the human spirit, that honor the diversity of human nature, that understand that work is not a place, but a state of mind.

The notion that work can only happen within the confines of an office is as outdated as a typewriter, as obsolete as a horse-drawn plow. Work is not a place. It's a state of mind. It's the quiet intensity of focus, the fever of creativity, the steady rhythm of productivity. It's not bound by walls, nor tamed by a desk. Work happens wherever a man finds his mind attuned to the task at hand.

"Outside of the box? No. Today, there is no box."

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The Iron Cage of CRM: Are AI Tools Like Salesforce Hindering More Than Helping?

Selling in the Age of AI: A Salesperson's 'Artificial' Friend or Foe?

Greg's Words

Today's CRMs are not designed to help the salesperson sell more, be more efficient, or engaging.  Anyone who tells otherwise is selling something.

CRMs are designed to CONSTRAIN the art of selling by managing behavior to KPIs and best practices.  Today, more than ever, KPI's and best practices are old-fashioned and based on spent business models.  Measuring your ways against the way others in your industry is stifling creativity in a time demanding more innovation and expansion than ever before in history.

"Salesforce said its AI Cloud suite will cost $360,000 a year with an annual contract. Its trust tool will be available to use this month, while other generative AI-embedded tools will be available this year or next year."

CRMs do not help, they hinder.

Executive Points:

1. Despite the promise of efficiency and customization, CRM tools like Salesforce could be constraining the selling process rather than enhancing it.
2. There is a growing concern that these tools serve management oversight more than they aid salespeople in selling more.
3. Data privacy concerns and the potential misuse of AI remain significant issues that businesses need to navigate.

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Can the Socratic Method Help You Sell?

“I cannot teach anybody anything; I can only make them think.” — Socrates

The world is full of advice. Our little industry is chock full of articles, studies, trade shows, blogs, podcasts, and analyst reports — not to mention more marketing materials than you can shake a stick at.

In fact, there are so many marketing materials it is difficult for prospects to sift through. Combine this with the day-to-day business stresses, and it is almost impossible for you to distill data streams into relevant information. The same goes for your prospects. How can you learn to do so and help your prospects do the same?  It is a daunting task, but one that separates you from the rest of the selling pack.

So, this is my idea – I suggest you employ the Socratic Method as a foundational philosophy.

I know what you’re asking. “How the heck can the Socratic Method help me sell more copiers?” Good question.

The Socratic method is a way of thinking and using probing questions to stimulate thought, expose assumptions, and reveal deeper insights.

This is not just a tool for philosophers; it’s a practical and powerful approach that will significantly enhance your business acumen and selling process.

 Here’s how:

#ReturnToOffice Mandates - Last Generation

The Office or the Home Office: The Great Workplace Debate

Responding to a fine article written by PowerMPS.  The report is accurate and presented in a neutral manner allowing the reader to come to their own conclusions - as I have done in the following response.

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I have strong and supported feelings and thoughts about this subject. 

Disney is wrong.  The MIT study reflects a false reality.  Corporate culture is a strawman. There is no such thing as work/life balance, there is just Life.

I've been having more and more conversations about RTO mandates, quiet quitting, commercial real estate, local businesses, city tax base, 15-minute cities, crime, the homeless, crumbling corporate hierarchies, the illumination of corrupt management policies, fake 'the company is your family' dogma, golden handcuffs, dumb politicians and stupid people voting for them, increased productivity, happier employees, less pollution, cities surviving on remote workers living in skyscrapers and working globally; on and on.  

Throw AI in the mix and one can no longer think out of the box because there is NO BOX.

Bottom line - companies want employees back for control and self-preservation.  Period.  "Corporate Culture" was a Trojan Horse.  Taco Tuesdays were manipulative and insulting.  Although I'm all for Adult Happy Hour in the office, I'd rather drink with real friends instead of people I'm paid to keep company  - er...that doesn't sound right.

Generational -- I believe the day when generational lines melt away is very close, for now, those arguing for a return to the cubes are of the Last Generation - Tick Tock.  

Or should I say, "TikTok"?

Check out our interpretation of the PowerMPS work.

Executive Summary:

1. In-person office work promotes collaboration, and creativity, and strengthens company culture, with research suggesting that face-to-face communication is significantly more effective for team collaboration.
2. Remote work offers flexibility, resulting in increased productivity and improved work-life balance, with studies showing lower stress levels and higher job satisfaction among remote workers.
3. The shift to remote work can unlock a global talent pool, enhancing workforce diversity and providing equal opportunities for career advancement and compensation.

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Bourbon and Business II

In this fast-paced 90-minute show, we discuss product sourcing, inventory selection, bar and staff prep, day-to-day bar operations, events, music, enthusiast pours, bar picks, infinity bottles, and more.

If you've ever wondered how it's done (or want to open a whiskey bar yourself), this is the show for you. Tap now to listen!

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1. What makes a great bourbon bar? - it might not be what you think.
2. Is a bourbon club a good idea and why?
3. Group palate evolution.  

The first time the bourbon club met, there were about 12 members and all they wanted to taste was Bourbon; not whiskey, not rye, and nothing too hot.  Eighty-proof was just fine and anything near barrel-proof off-limits.

After 24 months, we were tasting rock-n-rye, Old Forrester 1920 and beyond - 100 proof was a base, and tequila was just around the corner.  Should your establishment have a bourbon club? The answer is in three words, "Repeatable monthly revenue."

Our bar menu reflected lessons learned in the club and our sales grew with the rising tide of bourbon experience. We discovered a demographic and defined demand.

What makes a great bourbon bar?  Local taste.

From 2013. DOTC Prime - TheDeathOfTheConsultants, Remastered

Wandering the Wild Terrain of MpS: An Adventure Beyond Consultancy

...and here's a tale as old as the copier itself, from the summer of '13...

Quick Summary

1. Embracing a role beyond the traditional consultancy, we engage in a shared journey in the Managed Print Services (MpS) industry, aiming for partnerships rather than vendor relationships.
2. Proposing a fresh consulting model, we invite a joint venture where risks and profits are shared, challenging the conventional wisdom of industry benchmarks and highlighting the importance of unique, self-created standards.
3. Recognizing the need for continued relevance, we embed into the business culture to maintain a fresh perspective, acknowledging that providing value to others from outside can be challenging, but ultimately rewarding.

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The PC Revolution: HP's Vision of AI-Enhanced Computing

AI in PCs: Say Hello to Your New Spreadsheet Conversationalist

I was part of the "PC Revolution" - and then moving businesses off 'big iron' to local area networks.  No cloud.  5.25"Floppy install disks. Green and amber monochrome displays.

In a decade, the AS-400s evaporated and millions of desktops took their place.

I missed the beginning of the analog to digital(copier) evolution; another decade-long transformation. 

This one is different.

AI will live in the cloud BUT we will all have the opportunity to have our own, personalized AI Agent - our machines will need the newest, AI-optimized chip architecture...and this means every, single computer, laptop, phone, and smart device will need the newest microchip.

Today's devices will be obsolete in the blink of an eye, not in a decade.

HP, Nvidia, Intel...all of them no this.

Get ready.

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Ripple Effects: U.S. Import Ban on Ninestar and Xinjiang Zhongtai Shakes Office Tech Industry

When the ink dries up: The U.S. puts a cap on printer imports from Ninestar

Quick Summary of the Current NineStar Situation.

Big Win for HP - I wonder if their lobbyists had a hand in this.  It is difficult to predict the direct impact this will inflict on our industry.  Okay, maybe not that difficult.  More toner manufacturing plants here in the US?  Higher prices? Sure.  

BUT WHAT ABOUT LEXMARK?

Lexmark may be in jeopardy, Xerox had some dealings with Ninestar, and let's not forget Static Control.  

China is on the wrong side of so many issues - social, political, and economic.  This is just one more thing. 

Check out our take.

Executive Summary:

1. The United States has prohibited imports from Ninestar Corporation and Xinjiang Zhongtai Chemical Co Ltd, over human rights abuses allegations in China, disrupting the U.S. office technology industry.
2. These sanctions are part of the U.S. Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act (UFLPA), prohibiting imports from companies identified on a UFLPA Entity List, impacting the global supply chain.
3. The DHS has examined over $1.3 billion worth of goods likely manufactured with forced labor, highlighting the scale of the issue and its potential repercussions on the global office tech market.

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"Attendence Effects a Percentage of Your Grade.": Google Treat Employees Like Third Graders

Behind the Curtain: The Real Reasons Companies Want You Back in the Office

Greg's Words

Why are large corporations mandating a return to the office?  Real Estate investment(ROI) and a survival instinct. 

If  #WFH worked during the fear of Covid, why not now? Control? Rationalization? Relevancy? When there are no employees in an office, why do we need managers? And without managers, why do we need a C-Level? 

Now throw in AI. 

AI allows two people to do the work of 10 -programmers, writers, etc. - Why office space for programmers, Marketing, H/R, Chief People Office, or general administration?

Nvidia: Revolutionizing Office Technology with Giggle-Worthy AI Powerhouses

The name Nvidia is not commonly mentioned in your copiers sales meetings or talk tracks. But this is a big deal and a pivot point.

First, who is Nvidia? 

Founded in 1993, NVIDIA Corporation is a leading global tech company, known for manufacturing graphics processors, mobile technologies, and desktop computers. Renowned for its high-end graphics processing units (GPUs), its integrated circuits are used widely in gaming consoles and PCs. NVIDIA is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.

The U.S.-China Standoff Intensifies: Recent Developments and Their Impact on Tech Trade

From Copiers to Superpowers: When Office Tech Meets International Espionage

Greg's Words

China is not our friend.  The country is not a good trade partner. The society is one of compliance with the state - China regulates everything from access to the Internet, to how many children a couple can create.  The political system is directly opposed to democracy, independence, and freedom.

But they make things really cheap - computer chips and Fentanyl. 

In the office technology niche, toner and printers from China are but a slice of the market; less than a sidebar in the world debate - somewhat analogous to a canary in the coal mine.

We've distilled multiple articles into this summary of the current situation: China wants to put a listening base on Cuba.

What we should do:

1. End the War in Ukraine
2. Invite Russia into NATO or
3. Dissolve NATO
4. Purchase the island of Cuba.

Article Executive Points -

• China and Cuba have reached a secret agreement for China to establish an electronic eavesdropping facility in Cuba, a development that poses a new geopolitical challenge to the U.S.
• The US-China relationship has further been strained by an incident where the U.S. shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon. China insists it was a civilian airship used for meteorological research, but the US has protested against this as a violation of their sovereignty.
• These geopolitical tensions are playing out against the backdrop of an escalating tech trade war between the US and China. The tech industry, a major contributor to the US trade deficit with China, finds itself at the center of these trade disputes.

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AI: The Scotty of Copier Maintenance

Let’s geek out.

Space, the final frontier. And here on this spaceship we call Earth, we have technicians in the field – not unlike Starfleet engineers, dealing with misfeeds, streaks, and other copier maintenance challenges. Their mission is to seek out new solutions and provide stellar customer service.

Now imagine if these technicians leveraged the power of artificial intelligence (AI). Think of it as a sort of Data or Spock at their side. AI, using machine learning principles, akin to a Starfleet tricorder, can predict and prevent downtime before it occurs, providing our technicians with the foresight to fix issues before they manifest.

Regan's D-Day Speech - 1984, France

"We're here to mark that day in history when the Allied armies joined in battle to reclaim this continent to liberty. For four long years, much of Europe had been under a terrible shadow. Free nations had fallen, Jews cried out in the camps, millions cried out for liberation. Europe was enslaved and the world prayed for its rescue. Here, in Normandy, the rescue began. Here, the Allies stood and fought against tyranny, in a giant undertaking unparalleled in human history.

Remote Work Revolt: Why Are They Forcing You Back to the Cubes?

You don't need to look too deeply for motivation.  The Ford model went along the lines, "...make a product that employees will buy...".  Banks have money tied up in commercial real estate and clients who are invested in property.

It is bad optics to have a company that makes money when buildings are occupied letting their employees un-occupy their own buildings.

Of course, this is BS,  the End is Near.  CRE is going to metamorphose into something different - just like the rest of us.

Executive Points:

1. A recent decision by a new CEO to halt remote work sparked a backlash among employees, underlining the shift in expectations regarding workplace flexibility.
2. Despite pushback from employees, certain sectors like banking continue to advocate for in-person work, arguing it fosters a career-oriented mindset.
3. The tug-of-war between employers and employees over remote work indicates a changing landscape, with the possibility of companies losing talent if they don't adapt to new norms.

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Yes, AI will construct buildings.

It is coming. 

There is no hyperbole with AI - what we are doing today will be absolutely looked at as rudimentary - playing in a sandbox. 

In six months, the LLM advancement will be blazing, and in a year, AI Robots from Taco Bell to high-rise construction. AI moves faster than any technological advancement in human history - keep an eye out for quantum computers; "AI architecture" in chips is already off the whiteboard. Imagine the market for PCs when every, single, one in existence today, is rendered obsolete because it won't process your personal GPT.

This original meme was an attempt to fit today's reality into yesterday's box - there is no box.

This is bigger than the PC.

Bigger than digitally connected copiers.

Bigger than the internet.

This period in time might one day be looked upon the same way we look at the invention of the wheel or the discovery of fire today.

DOTC 2022 Beyond the Internet: The Evolution of Global Connectivity

The Death of the Internet and Other Ramblings...

DOTC, 2022 remastered.

The original article was written in 2022. I've fed it to the LLM in the sky and asked to rewrite and incorporate its suggestions.

Enjoy. GW

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Executive Summary:

1. As we approach a new era of technological singularity, there are several indicators suggesting the demise of the Internet, including the shift towards cloud-based services, increasing privacy concerns, the diminishing relevance of traditional internet addresses, and the rise of Bio/Nanotechnology and direct device-to-device communication.
2. The evolution of technology is characterized by cycles of expansion and contraction, with the next expansion anticipated to move from the cloud to the human, leading to a global, person-to-person network.
3. The future may see a world where everything is interconnected through solar-powered, self-replicating, nano-bio-bots, rendering the concept of servers redundant as each individual and object becomes its own server, communicating directly with others.

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Tigerpaw’s Women in Technology: Creating an Environment for Careers to Thrive

Executive Summary:

1. Tigerpaw Software showcases an above-average number of women technologists through their commitment to diversity, career growth, work-life balance, mentorship, and education, thereby cultivating an inclusive and thriving environment.
2. The organization employs diversity-focused recruitment practices to ensure the hiring of the most qualified individuals, regardless of personal attributes, which has led to more women in tech and leadership roles.
3. Amid challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tigerpaw stood out as a "family-first" employer, providing flexible working conditions to ensure work-life balance, and continues to encourage personal growth and professional development through mentorship and educational opportunities.

Architect reflected, “I had 2-3 mentors that were wonderful. It was the best on-the-job training I could possibly have asked for. It accelerated my learning, and I was able to jump in with both feet.” - Shelly Miller, Database Architect 

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"Space, The Final Frontier of Copier Sales"

 

- by James T. Kirk, Captain of Starship Enterprise

Navigate the Universe of Copier Sales - Propel Your Sales Career to Stellar Heights

Stardate 9678.3. 

Over a glass of Saurian brandy in the lounge of the starship Enterprise, I found myself engaged in lively discourse with a few dealers and sales personnel about the current trajectory of sales and trading across this vast quadrant of space.

"...they(your prospects) entrusted me with the responsibility to generate a scope document, examine vendor proposals, participate in sales conferences, provide feedback on candidates, and oversee the implementation of the chosen solution..."

It was like a temporal loop - similar conversations had taken place light years before.

For more than a decade, I have been heralding change, echoing through the cosmos to dealers and original equipment manufacturers about the course ahead. It isn't about creating patterns of light on a page, or the latest software from the Daystrom Institute. The route to successful selling lies in the wisdom of our ancestors:

• "I seek to be your trusted counselor."
• "We must trade solutions."
• "We need to heed the needs of our customers."

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