Anthony Milner

The Sydney Morning Herald ran a Washington Post article today by Rick Weis titled “Washington abuzz with talk of dragonfly spies”. The military have always been ahead of the curve when it comes to technology but the idea of a miniature fly embedded with cameras is just too cool. If you grew up during the golden years of flight sims, playing games such as F-19 Stealth Fighter, F-16 or the trusty Microsoft Flight Simulator (and dreamed about one day being able to afford your own remote controlled airplane or helicopter) then you’ll probably agree that the notion of a remote control electronic dragonfly is pretty cool.

Robobugs could follow suspects, guide missiles to targets or navigate collapsed buildings to find survivors.

From an engineering perspective…

The rules of aerodynamics change at very tiny scales and require wings that flap in precise ways – a huge engineering challenge. Scientists have only recently come to understand how insects fly. The CIA was amongst the first to tackle the problem. The “insectothopter”… looked like a dragonfly and contained a tiny petrol engine … declared a failure because it could not handle cross winds.

And as we say in the software development world if it’s already been done why not integrate with a 3^rd party product

…Defence department researchers are experimenting with putting computer chips into moth pupae … and hatching them into healthy “cyborgs moths” … whose nerves have grown into their internal silicon chip so that wranglers can control their activities…

Of course like all software integrations there are risks…

Even if the technical hurdles are overcome…they can get eaten by a bird, they can get caught in a spider web.

It’s almost time to cue the James Bond music. So how do you tell if your dragonfly is a spy?

Eye witnesses [in Washington] all reported seeing at least three dragonflies manoeuvring in unison…[however] … Dragonflies never fly in a pack.

Do you have an idea for an all singing all dancing web 3.0 web app, widget, Facebook gizmo doodad. If you do then the first step is usually to dig around and do a bit of research to determine if it’s already been done. So you do some research and cannot find anything like it. Then you excitedly draw up some wireframes, use cases, maybe a full blown spec and start to build. After a few months of hard work you stumble on a site and to your horror you find that its been done. This was the fate of the tight web crew in the comedy “Knocked Up”. They find that their genius idea for an “informational” site has already been done and dusted. This is not the stuff of movies, it does happen and when it does, do you throw in the towel and go back to the drawing board? Derek Sivers, president and programmer for CD Baby and HostBaby suggests that it’s not about the idea but rather it’s all about execution…

It’s so funny when I hear people being so protective of ideas… …ideas are worth nothing unless executed. They are just a multiplier. Execution is worth millions. Explanation:

Awful idea = -1
Weak idea = 1
So-so idea = 5
Good idea = 10
Great idea = 15
Brilliant idea = 20

No execution = $1
Weak Execution = $1,000
So-so execution = $10,000
Good execution = $100,000
Great execution = $1,000,000
Brilliant execution = $10,000,000

To make a business you need to multiply the two. The most brilliant idea, with no execution is worth $20. The most brilliant idea takes great execution to be worth $20,000,000.

So don’t despair if you find your big idea has been done. If the execution is weak or even so-so, there is still plenty of room for good, great and brilliant.

I generally limit posts on this blog to technology and the web but I’ve recently come across a blog which gives such great advice and is so well written that it deserves a big mention. It’s called Happiness Strategies and is written by Michelle Connolly. Michelle imparts valuable advice and tips for avoiding negativity and “choosing to be happy”. Of particular note is the excellent How not to be happy: 10 tips. Its frequently updated and well worth a read.

Here’s a cool way to promote that position you’re trying to fill.

 http://www.standoutjobs.com/