Using the crowd is a popular and time-tested way to inspire audiences and gather ideas.  I've blogged before about how the original (as in, 19th century) Oxford English Dictionary was developed by submitted references from all over the English-speaking world.  And how, canned food was "discovered" thanks to a prize launched by Napoleon in the 18th century.  (It seems food-borne illnesses afflicting his troops were getting in the way of his quest for world domination.)  Finally, there's the impressive contests driven by Ashoka's Changemakers.net, which ask global thinkers to apply their best thinking to big problems.

Here's my latest, favorite, very modern innovation competition--and an invitation to participate--from Microsoft (a WE client):  The Imagine Cup.  

The Imagine Cup encourages young people to apply their imagination, their passion and their creativity to technology innovations that can make a difference in the world – today. Now in its seventh year, the Imagine Cup has grown to be a truly global competition focused on finding solutions to real world issues. 

You can vote for finalists now at the website.  Do peruse the entries--they're astounding, both in the breadth of the ideas and in the abilities of the teams to tell stories about their concepts.   And, explore how Microsoft is supporting the contest:  it's extremely well-run, and it contains a lot of lessons for idea contests of all kinds.

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I was lucky to be able to participate in the WE "coming out" of our Social Innovation practice in New York this week.   What's the opportunity?  This BusinessWeek entry outlines the new imperative as clearly as I've seen it recently.  And when I say WE is coming out, it's because we've been driving efforts behind the Social Innovation imperative for some time--as Melissa Waggener Zorkin outlines here, and I've blogged about extensively.  What's different at WE is that we're organizing more people power behind our efforts, and uniting some of our core practices against a single opportunity.  And we've backed it with some interesting research -- a survey of consumers and marcom professionals on the topic of solving social issues -- which we announced this week.  The bottomline for me: 

• Overwhelmingly, 60 percent of consumers believe that businesses are in the best position to effect positive results on social issues, as opposed to governments (14 percent). In addition, the study found that 53 percent of consumers were more likely to purchase goods and services from companies that clearly demonstrated their commitments to social responsibility.

What our research has affirmed is the growing acceptance that while businesses can be huge actors for social good, they will have the greatest impact by being businesslike, not by acting like NGOs or governments.   At our gathering on Wednesday night, Colin Brady, COO and first employee of Product (RED), was all business.   And while on the one hand, (RED) and other cause marketing efforts have been criticized for helping companies sell products by wrapping them in the "patina" of doing good, I don't see it that way.  I see all hands, all competencies, all sectors, all approaches as needed at the party.   Product (RED) partners have raised $130 million for the Global Fund, and Gap, Dell, Microsoft and their ilk can look shareholders in the eye and say it's been great for their business.  What's not to like?

There are are aspects of doing good while doing well where businesses will be out of their competency zone, and where they will need to partner.  Two partnership examples are GSK and the Gates Foundation, and Walmart and MercyCorps.   All of these provide business benefits to the companies involved--for  GSK, a thoughtful way for them to make a business in vaccines for the developing world; for Walmart, support for their entry into Latin America.  (Check out the links, they describe specific initiatives.)

More businesses can and will copy some of these pioneers and consider how their CSR mindset can move beyond "pure" philanthropy and into the social innovation opportunity zone--where their core business needs and the needs of society find a happy intersection.

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Day 2 of my new Kindle DX and a few new surprises, most of them good.

My first pleasant surprise:  the content from my Kindle 1 was automatically on this DX.  So, no need to save my Kindle 1 books to memory and re-install them on my DX.  Thank you, Cloud. 

One thing I like about the DX is that it works in both portrait/landscape mode.   Like a Tablet PC, you just flip it and it will adjust, and you can turn it upside down (below) as well as from side to side. 

As I noted, it's a bit smaller than I envisioned, but it's still quite a bit bigger than the Kindle 1 or 2 -- for perspective, the Starbucks cup is a "Vente" size.  

My New York Times experience is better than on Kindle 1--but I still don't like that it's delivered to me in article by article, vs. the newspaper or web NYT user interface--which is part of the NYT branded content.  However, I like that I can now buy a single ISSUE of a paper, and don't have to make the subscribe/not subscribe decision.

I haven't tested battery life fully, but this is a strength, in general--on Kindle 1, I would go for days, even weeks at a time (of episodic use) without needing a charge.  

The text-to-speech option is a non-starter, IMHO. Syntax and inflection are just lost.  For example, in the New York times headline article,  "Agence France-Presse/Getty Images" photo credits get the same weight as the headline.  A noble experiment--but SOOO not ready for prime time. 

Still to be evaluated is whether I will use Kindle DX for documents.  Frankly, I doubt it, although I can envision it as a useful application for certain types of content workers. 

I think Kindle is sort of a sleeper innovation.  It starts out as "just" a better mousetrap.  The initial "killer app" is usually travel--all those books on that one slim device.  But the wireless integration with Amazon to download content is where the money is.  From "I want that book" to "start reading" happens in seconds--without an address bar or https// requirement, no Pay/Pal -- it takes seconds.  This is a reading machine.  

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I own a Kindle 1, and I love it.  A while ago I posted about the Kindle 2, which is a sleeker version of same.  I passed on the upgrade since, other than some good design, I didn't see changes which delivered functionality over my Kindle 1.  I've watched others jump on the Kindle wagon since.  There are so many devices competing for our affections--but I don't think any of them really offer a great reading experience--except the Kindle.

Now the DX is here--it's charging at my desk now (for those who work with me here in our 3CP location, corner of 3SW if you want to look at it.)  I'll post more about it later but a few observations:

• heft and substance. More metal than the old ones.  Weight is about that of a medium-sized book.
• same sleek, rounded corners that Kindle 2 has  
• screen size about that of a hardback bestseller (vs a paperback)
• screen goes to both portrait and landscape mode

I can't wait to re-try the New York Times and other magazines/newspapers.  I tried them on my 1, but the form factor just wasn't right, and the experience was sub par.  

More later...and I'll share some pictures...

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That's what a comment on Engadget called the hoopla over the digital TV switch that's happening today in the US.   And, looking at Twendz, the Twittersphere is relatively blase. Says one sarcastic tweet:  

 Is this going to affect my 8-track player? What about my polaroid?

But if you're on Engadget or Twitter, you're probably not a sampling of the audience that's behind the curve.   And if it's seen as overhyping what really isn't that big a deal, that should be a GOOD sign--that the endless communications about the switch worked, so that when the day comes, it's a non-event. 

That said, MSNBC is reporting that as many as 1 million households are still not ready for the shift.   But that's a marked improvement from January, when Neilson reported that the number was as high as 6.5 million.

Years ago, I read about how Lyndon Johnson, as a young congressman in the 30's was behind the rural electrification program.  He literally walked the Texas hill country and knocked on doors to persuade his constituents to get on the electric grid way back in the day.  Similarly, a Comcast guy was going door to door to ensure that people in my sister's neighborhood were ready for the switch.   

The TV shift is a great example of how communications plays a central role in supporting a paradigm shift.  Paradigm shifts are ecosystem events, and it appears the entire media ecosystem is ALL over it:  here's an example of what Oregon Public Broadcasting is doing, in addition to phone support.     

I'd say in a country of 306 million (as of 19:35 GMT), the message is pretty saturated.  And maybe the million hold-outs are not all procrastinators.  My brother is an analog TV guy--and he's deciding that the digital switch is the inflection point he needs to move away from the TV altogether.  Of course, that's partly because he'll use the Internet to get the TV he really wants.  

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