What an insane week it has been! You see, my professional bucket list is not all that long, and it is not that long for one simple reason, I try to cross things off. When I want to accomplish something big, I start small, sometimes fail, but I usually try. Some of the items that have occupied space on that list in the past include building relationships with legends such as Steve Wozniak and Marc Andreessen. Done and Done.
My name is Hillel Fuld and I am, and have been the world’s biggest sucker for the better part of the past decade.
It’s been a while, I find myself spending more and more time on platforms like Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and YouTube, and less time blogging. It’s a sore topic, so don’t get me started. I will just say this. I wouldn’t say blogging has been replaced and I most definitely intend on continuing to write here since everything good that has happened to me professionally happened because of this blog, but… I will say that storytelling, as in letting people really get to know you as a person or as a company, is a whole lot easier on these other platforms than it is via blogging.
The older we get, the more set in our ways we become. Or maybe that’s just me.
I’ve been a tech-lover for as long as I can remember. The tech milestones we’ve all celebrated on social media are permanently etched on my brain. (remember Google Glass?)
But being set in your ways doesn’t just apply to your favorite Starbucks drink and whether you like your toilet paper to hang over or under.
It also applies to tech (and how you use it).
Today I’d like to share 4 ways Huawei changed the way I think about tech – and how that affects my life.
Before I get into the nitty-gritty details, I’d like to take a moment for full disclosure.
I was invited to a VIP tour of Huawei Technologies in Shenzhen last month. I accepted. As a result, I experienced a week’s worth of tech fantasies that would make any geek drool.
For me, visiting Huawei Technologies was like visiting Disney World.
Huawei asked me to share my thoughts with the world. These are my own words based on my own experience. This is not a sponsored article. This is all me!
I know it’s rare to get an inside look at Huawei, and how the company does business.
(I took this pic inside the offices on the Huawei campus in Shenzhen)
I toured the headquarters. I attended a slew of executive briefings. I spoke with many employees. I visited the manufacturing center. It was all very open and inviting.
I stood in an air-conditioned server room that purred like a kitten. I learned about the future of IoT. And I played with some insanely cool video conferencing and surveillance tech.
Like I said… it was like Disney World for a tech-lover like me.
(@2morrowknight, @tomfgoodwin, @24K, @petershankman, and me)
I came away from it all with a different view of the company than I had before.
I could write for days about my experiences there, but for this post, let’s focus on the tech.
I’m talking about the juicy, mouth-watering, innovative, forward-thinking tech that we all love.
Stop for a moment and imagine what it would be like if everyone in the world could connect to each other.
A better connected world means more opportunities, faster growing economies and a better life for all.
Huawei is on a mission to make that a reality. How?
By focusing on:
Digital technology is shaping our future – which is quickly becoming our now.
These new developments will affect all of us, regardless of what industry we’re in.
The applications in our everyday lives are endless.
For example, we could build safer cities. As we all know, public safety is more of an issue now than ever before.
According to Huawei:
Cities today need effective public safety solutions for incident prevention, emergency response, and evidence collection.
See it in action here –
– Use emerging IoT tech and open cloud platforms to develop, grow and maintain reliable energy. Imagine distributing electricity to anyone, anywhere at any time.
– Make much-needed upgrades in the education, banking and medical industries. (and create specialized solutions for countless other verticals)
– Big businesses could become more agile and able to respond quickly to change. It would make it easier to perform like a fast, lean startup rather than a slow-moving giant.
I could go on and on.
Our world is changing rapidly, and there is nothing that gets me more excited about the possibilities than ICT.
Read more about this by downloading this PDF – Huawei ICT Insights (issue 17)
Holy Batman! Ready or not, here it comes.
I live in the United States. We have some of the best 4G networks in the world, which is a good and bad thing.
It’s good because we can access what we want, when we want, wherever we want. There are no restrictions and very few delays.
It’s bad because that digital luxury is turning us into spoiled brats when it comes to connectivity.
Many of us even have backup connections in the rare case that our primary connection fails.
When it comes to our Internet connection, we don’t mess around.
So as an American, learning about 5G technology at Huawei made me feel like a kid on Christmas morning.
Obviously Huawei is not the only company working on and testing 5G technology. Verizon, AT&T and many other tech giants are exploring this tech too.
Huawei has invested heavily in 5G, and their vision for how it will enhance our lives is inspiring.
What is 5G?
Think about all the devices that are connected to the Internet (between 6 and 7 billion).
You think that’s a lot? It isn’t. 99% of machines in the world today are not connected. But that’s changing fast.
Think about this from an IoT perspective. According to CNBC, there will be around 21 billion connected devices by 2020.
Okay, that’s insane.
How is our existing 4G network going to increase speed (which we want) while still being able to manage all those connected devices?
That’s where 5G comes in.
5G is the 5th generation of mobile technology.
How will this affect your life?
Imagine your Internet speed increasing by about 50%.
Sound good?
You’ll be able to download a whole movie faster than most web pages load today.
And what about 5G-enabled driverless cars? Yep, those fit into the equation too.
According to Huawei:
The combination of holographic imaging, augmented reality, driverless cars, smart factory, intelligent agriculture, smart logistics along with 5G’s ultra-high throughput, ultra-low latency and massive connections will stimulate an astonishing transformation of the way we live our lives, and even inspire the creation of new business models and industries.
My question is, won’t our demand increase with 5G?
Won’t we want more resolution, more pixels, more augmented/virtual reality and more data in everything?
And what about global standardization?
Not to mention, building a 5G infrastructure seems like a daunting task.
We’ll see how it all plays out. I can’t wait!
As Huawei puts it, 5G will lead the human race into the era of “everything on mobile.”
Just think, kids born today will never know what it’s like to wait for a video to buffer. That’s nuts!
According to Huawei’s rotating CEO Guo Ping, there are some things we should do before 5G arrives. You can read that interview here.
If you’d like, you can also download Huawei’s white paper on 5G security.
For now, we’ll just have to be happy with 4.5G technology which is coming this year!
One thing I’ve written about a few times is how Huawei taught me to think more globally.
For me, life is technology and vice versa. You can’t have one without the other.
When I think about life, work, love and our existence from that perspective – I quickly realize that we can’t leave anyone behind.
And when I say “anyone” – I mean developing countries.
I believe everyone on our planet has a right to connect to the Internet.
We all deserve the gift of connectivity and the opportunity to build relationships as a result.
But not all countries are progressing at the same rate.
That’s where the Global Connectivity Index becomes relevant.
In a nutshell, my friend Julia and her team at Huawei devote much of their time to collecting intense data from around the world.
They then use this data and analytics to compile a report that explains how we are all progressing globally in this digital era.
I wrote about the Global Connectivity Index in detail last week. You can learn more by clicking over to that post at Global Connectivity and the Digital Economy: A Comparative Analysis.
You can also download and read the 94 page 2016 Global Connectivity Index Report for yourself.
See where your country ranks by clicking over to their interactive Global Connectivity site.
Here is the breakdown:
I know what you’re thinking, and I agree. It’s fascinating to view your own country from a global connectivity perspective!
True. You don’t have to travel all the way to China to experience the P9 – but it’s still definitely worthy of being in my top 4.
When I arrived at my hotel in Hong Kong, the concierge handed me a pretty P9, all set for unboxing.
Huawei is the world’s 3rd largest smartphone manufacturer. (Huawei bumped Microsoft out of that spot last summer)
And now I understand why.
There are a lot of people in China – and just like here in America, almost all of them have a phone in their pockets.
It makes sense that Huawei would produce an irresistible phone, and they’ve done it with the P9.
I’m typically an iOS girl, but I haven’t been able to put my P9 since I received it.
This blog post is not a P9 phone review, but the awesomeness of the camera cannot be understated.
Let me explain.
The P9 has a dual camera system (co-engineered with Leica).
For someone like me who doesn’t own any fancy camera equipment, it feels like I’m carrying around a DSLR lens.
The way the dual camera works is simple. For every pic you snap, the camera takes 2 pictures – 1 is color and the other is black and white.
These 2 pictures are then layered on top of each other to enhance the contrast and light.
The result is the best smartphone pic you’ve ever taken. Seriously. If you get your hands on this phone, try it. You’ll never use Instagram filters again.
The P9 allows you to be as much in control of your phone’s camera features as you’d like.
In other words, it allows you to have professional control, but only if you want it. With one tap you can control the aperture and other settings.
It also allows you to control the focus and depth of field of the photo after it’s taken.
This is one of the first pictures I took with the P9 – and that was before I learned about any of the features. I l-o-v-e this camera!
no filter, no Photoshop, no adjustments and no skills. 🙂
again…no filter, no Photoshop, no adjustments and no skills. 🙂
If you want to read about all the technical specs on the P9 camera, just click over to How to Use the Huawei P9’s Superb Dual-Lens Camera.
(This is Cipher. He works at Huawei, and he taught me all about the P9.)
Before I visited the Huawei campus in Shenzhen last month, I had a completely different opinion of the company.
It was a subtle reminder that you can’t always believe what you hear. And sometimes, you just have to see it for yourself.
I feel blessed that I was given that opportunity.
Thank you, Huawei for all the innovation and inspiration. Technology will pave the road for the future of humanity.
It’s a great time to be alive!
If you’d like to continue the conversation, tweet me at @adamsconsulting.
Thank you for reading my article!
Many years ago (ok, not that many but 5 years in virtual land is a lot!), I decided I was going to interview people who inspire me. Since then, I have been doing so as often as I can. Here are all my superstar interviews. When I first decided to try and reach these people, I set my goals quite high and even made myself laugh at the thought of ever accomplishing the goal of meeting and/or interviewing the Woz.
We’ve been down this road before. You signed up for Twitter after years of hearing all your friends talking about tweeting this and tweeting that. You open Twitter.com and are completely and utterly lost. What do you say? What do you read? How do you get more followers? Who do you follow?
Like many of my posts, this topic may be obvious to some, but unfortunately, based on the literally tens of messages I have personally received this week alone, it is far from obvious to others. Ask yourself why you are using social media. Why are you on Twitter? (You’re not? Then you have other problems you need to work out.) Why have you started using Google+? (You haven’t? See above.) Pinterest? Instagram? Foursquare? Why do you use any of these platforms? Really, ask yourself that question.
Every once in a while, I feel the need to expand my horizons by connecting and learning from new people on the social web. So I turn to my Twitter followers and ask for some recommendations on interesting people to follow. A few months back, someone recommended I follow a mobile analyst by the name of Benedict Evans.
Oh, so you think I am exaggerating about the “Nicest guy in tech” title? Then you have not met Amir. The guy is just plain awesome. Now that I got that out of the way, Amir plays a central role in the activities of Google Israel. And let there be no mistake about it, Google Israel plays a central role in the global scope of what Google accomplishes daily. In fact, I was shocked to discover just how much of Google’s core offering was and continues to be developed here in Israel.
By: Hillel Fuld
OK, maybe the title is a little dramatic, not EVERY single human being needs a blog, but if you are reading these words right now, then yes, you need a blog. I’ll explain.
If you are reading this blog, chances are you are someone who works or hangs out on the Web. OK, if you just dialed into the internet with your AOL connection and just happened to stumble upon this post from a Yahoo search, then no, this post is not for you.
If, however, you are part of the other 99% of people between the ages of 15-50 who realize the Web is where all the cool kids are hanging out, then start a blog. Right now.
Here’s why:
Yes, people still give out business cards and still send CVs, but it won’t be long before that stops. Your blog is going to become who you are very soon, and in my case, it has been years since I gave anyone a business card. If we meet and you are interested in learning more about me, twenty seconds on this blog, or this blog, or this blog, will give you everything you need to know.
I write about technology, but you should write about whatever topic interests you and excites you. Whatever you do, start the blog for the right reason, which is passion. I have heard many people say “But I am not passionate about anything”. I’m sorry, but I refuse to believe that. Every person has some topic that gets them going. Whether it’s tech, fashion, movies, food, gossip, or any other topic, there is something that interests you in the world. Forget how competitive the niche that you choose is, offer your own unique angle on the topic and start writing.
“But I don’t write well!”. Then there is yet another reason to start a blog. There is no need to share it right away. Write for yourself, improve your writing skills and articulate your thoughts. I did that five years ago with absolutely no plans of monetizing the site, branding myself, or driving traffic. I just had thoughts on mobile, so I decided to jot them down.
If you follow me online, you know the result. I now guest post for sites like Mashable, Gigaom, Business Insider, and many more. All my social media activity started five or so years ago when, one day, I just decided to start writing my thoughts down. Do it, you will thank me later.
Whatever topic you choose to write about, as I mentioned, make sure it is something you are passionate about. The number of other sites that write about that topic should not be a concern for you. This blog that you are going to start right after reading this post, is yours. It is your voice, and there can be ten million other sites writing about the same topic, but none of them have your voice.
While the competition out there should not be something you take into consideration when starting your blog, your consistency should. If you are going to do this, and YOU ARE going to do this, you need to go all in. You need to be prepared to take this seriously because again, this is going to be your future home on the worldwide web. So updating your new and awesome blog once a month, or even once a week, ain’t gonna cut it.
I know this sounds scary but it is not. I write two to three blog posts a day for the past three years and I realize not everyone is as passionate about anything as I am about tech, but even if you post a video, which takes 20 seconds, or a 100 word post, which will take you 10 minutes, the key is consistency.
If you want a concrete number, I would say aim for a post a day. Why? Because then people know to come by every day and see what you shared with them today. Because then, your content database will grow so much by the end of one year that your SEO will already start driving you traffic.
I will give you one example. Over a year ago, I wrote this post. Now, a year later, that post is on the first page of Google results for the word “Instagram”. The traffic is astronomical. That is one of many examples of posts I wrote that drive me traffic long after they were written.
Write as many posts as you can and you never know what post will drive you thousands of readers even a whole year later.
At the risk of sounding egotistical, I think my case is important for anyone who is looking to brand themselves online. And by the way, again, if you are anywhere near the internet, you should want to brand yourself online, at least to a minimal level that when someone searches for you, they immediately know who you are.
Like I said, I started blogging one day five years ago, for no apparent reason, besides the fact that I had what to say on topics of mobile technology and the Web. Now, after five years of consistent blogging, I am widely and (ridiculously) considered an expert on topics of mobile and web. I do think I know a thing or two about these topics, this is not false modesty here, but I never had any official training on these highly technical subjects. All I did was write a blog.
Yet, I have been quoted on CNN, TechCrunch, Mashable, TheNextWeb, and many more as an “expert”. I have interviewed industry shakers such as Scoble, Mossberg, Kawasaki, Gary, and so many others. I even have my favorite childhood actress reading my content regularly.
At the end of the day, all this happened from that one ordinary day, in which I just decided to start blogging. It used to take thousands of dollars and a marketing agency who specialized in branding to single-handedly create a brand, now it is free and it takes ten minutes a day.
As I write this post, I realize I have so much more to say about this topic. I also realize that my point here is somewhat controversial and many will think I am nuts, but I truly believe that a blog is an incredible medium and platform for any human being to build themselves up and communicate with an audience. If you are going to take my advice and start a blog, you can use WordPress to author it if you plan on taking it very seriously. If, however, you want to be able to jot down your thoughts with no bells and whistles, Tumblr might be for you.
The one thing I will say is that you can ignore this entire post if you plan on taking the “Facebook approach” to blogging. What I mean is that many view Twitter and blogging like Facebook, that they go in once in a while, check out what’s up, and leave till the next time. While blogging does not take long, most of the time, it requires a certain level of dedication and consistency, as does Twitter.
If you are going to attack this project with the dedication it deserves, you won’t see the results in a week, month, or even a few months. I would say, for the sake of giving some sort of concrete prediction, that if you go at this for a whole year, every day, or at least 5 times a week, you will start seeing serious traffic and begin bearing the fruit of your labor. Now, go get blogging!
Twitter, as a company, has made its share of mistakes over the years. These include implementing its own retweeting system that makes it significantly more difficult to see how many people retweeted you and who they are (not to mention the fact that when I use the Twitter retweet, I can’t add my two cents to the original tweet, it all kind of defeats the purpose), the Twitter URL shortening service, which seems to break more links than it shortens, or many others. But the good news was that with all these issues, I always had Tweetdeck to fall back on. Then Twitter bought Tweetdeck.
