Tim Bauer’s Running Thoughts

Scoble binged on interviews on 5/13 posting up five in one day but he called out one interview as being noteworthy:

Equals. This is a startup that hasn’t shown anyone its main product yet, I get an exclusive first-look at what they are doing. Wow, what a new way to work using Twitter, social networks, phones, and more. If you only watch one, I’d watch this one. The CEO is a bit wordy, but the demos he shows me are interesting.

Intrigued (and a bit weary of the obsession with social XYZ) I fired it up in hopes of some new perspective.

All and all an intriguing offer that I will definitely try out … especially on the home setup. The work setup seems to present another headache to me … not sure I am that worried about if my phone rings or not … or if people can’t reach me.

Would be curious on your thoughts … as always.

* START OF RAW SCRIBBLE TAKEN WHILE RUNNING **

• http://www.equals.com/
• 5/14/2008, 6:01 AM
• http://qik.com/video/77124
• CEO
…………….Ajay Madhok
…………….http://conferences.oreillynet.com/cs/etel2006/view/e_spkr/2519
• Finished move
• Simplify communications
…………….○ Use name to get ahold of me w/ all the identifiers
…………….○ Choice, privacy, controls
…………….○ Filters
…………………………..§ Temporal context
…………………………..§ Who is calling
• Equals.com
…………….○ Value proposition on flip side of card
…………….○ Get away from walled garden model
…………….○ Single signon 1st attempt to break walled garden
• How is this different than friendfeed
…………….○ Connection
…………………………..§ As you speak, happens in background
…………………………..§ Xobni … reference … sidebar … shows relative to people
…………….○ Calendar drives when phone is available for calls
…………….○ Present in skype doesn’t mean you can take calls
…………….○ No one console to manage relationships and availability
…………….○ People in skype, email, calendar, contancts
…………….○ Create your walled garden
…………….○ I defragment my world … then my slice of your world defragments
• Where Would I use Your Platform
…………….○ Social network … show today … and discover new
…………….○ When find someone … how handle people … equals
…………….○ Find people but limit how they connect
…………….○ When they find me … presented as a proper role (image) to that context .. Icon …
• Free service …
• 5/14/2008, 6:09 AM
• Who compete with?
…………….○ Virtual agent …
…………….○ Party line
…………….○ BuzzTalk
…………….○ Bauer comment - not a good answer
• Example
…………….○ How coordinate going to drink
…………………………..§ Don’t setup bridge
…………………………..§ Want to call one number and it calls all devices active for friends
…………………………..§ Bauer comment MSFT vision from 2-3 years back … difference it is free
…………….○ Competitors are all walled gardens
…………….○ They are not
• Campfire … Friendconnect
…………….○ Excited
…………….○ Social Networks - Hypertrend
…………….○ Use all networks as once … One profile
…………….○ Bauer comment - He is getting long in tooth on description
…………….○ 5/14/2008, 6:13 AM
• Using OpenSocial, etc … Help build graph faster
• 5/14/2008, 6:14 AM
• http://qik.com/video/77129
• DEMO
…………….○ Connect based on name … but how work on phone
…………….○ Ajin (sp?) Founder
…………….○ Talk, Text, Video … all interview
…………….○ Choose to interact in any of these services
…………….○ Universal identifier (email addr, phone #, etc)
…………….○ If I give you something I lose control … you can contact me whenever
…………….○ 5/14/2008, 6:17 AM
…………….○ Hidden caller ID … no answer
…………….○ Email. No clue who they are … could be spam
…………….○ Founder refocus … control of when contacted when you are contacted
…………….○ 5/14/2008, 6:19 AM
…………….○ Bauer comment - Still talking about case (restatement of overview segment)
…………….○ 5/14/2008, 6:19 AM
…………….○ Demo … 3 phones
…………………………..§ So a universal #
…………………………..§ Bauer comment - so redirection … on Switch
…………………………..§ Set on profile busy … which synch’s with calendar
…………………………..§ Integrate w/ - Google Calendar, Notes, Outlook
…………………………..§ A profiler … innner circle of calls
…………………………..§ Bauer comment - Way to block callers
…………….○ Potential ability to sell access … joke (but is it really)
…………….○ 5/14/2008, 6:23 AM
…………….○ Now show twitter … update twitter …synch to all … next call …
…………….○ Change context … gtalk, ivr, IM, email, etc … all possible
…………….○ Not released
…………………………..§ Sometime in July release
…………………………..§ Copyline is available today
…………….○ Gtalk example
…………………………..§ IM to assistant … available … facebook profile changes …
…………………………..§ Show different roles trying to contact
…………………………..§ Message
…………….○ Does equal figure out IM?
…………………………..§ No. Right now calendar gets parsed.
…………………………..§ Defining operators … for IM … like LOC ON China
…………….○ Equals context
…………………………..§ There are keywords that equals rests
…………….○ Show how facebook or web talk to you
…………………………..§ “BuzzMe” in location …
…………………………..§ Inner circle … gets different message … since sleeping … redirects to IM
…………………………..§ Insert tag 8295 … uniquely identifies conversation to reply back
…………………………..§ Bauer comment - better make those #’s alphanumeric … could get big quickly … how handle typos
…………….○ Context change via IVR
…………………………..§ Status - at home, working, silent, sleeping, etc … by numbers
…………………………..§ Silent means goes right to voicemail
…………………………..§ Get IM on PC when phone calls are in queue … so when in meeting can pinged quitely
…………………………..§ Bauer comment - seems to do some jott
…………………………..§ Example of not knowing either # … just know where current phone is active … detected presence on skype
…………………………..§ Bauer comment - wonder how well it works on other digital parties
…………….○ 5/14/2008, 6:35 AM
…………….○ Calls to room very expensive (hotel)
…………………………..§ Can define context … in which phone is used
…………………………..§ Bauer comment - can you define work locations and toggle between them
…………….○ 5/14/2008, 6:36 AM
…………….○ Context should change based on activity stream not you having to change stuff
…………….○ 5/14/2008, 6:37 AM
…………….○ Email to Voice
…………………………..§ Not been done before (Actually Jott has done reverse)
…………………………..§ New show in july “Workfast.tv”
…………………………..§ Email comes in … attended by virtual assistant
…………………………………………□ Replies back … hi harry … thank you for invitation … call me now … click … skype … so auto attendant that is more personal
…………………………………………□ If they don’t use email immediately it’s a timeless link … so it goes to current context

** END RAW SCRIBBLE TAKEN WHILE RUNNING **