Joseph Pine’s talk at TED really has me thinking.

This is a table outlining the difference between the types of economic output, using the example of coffee.

The drive to software-as-a-service makes the software industry jump to service. It takes Apple to move it to an experience. Disney is another example of experience based economics.

I like this framework for thinking about what business I am working in. The trick will be to figure out how move up the ladder to render an authentic experience.

His book is now on my to-read list.

“Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style” has sold more than 10 million copies since its initial publication in April 1959.

Newsday highlights the 50^th anniversary of the classic text on English grammar and writing style.

This is the book on the subject.

The best book of writing advice I’ve ever read. I read it cover-to-cover about once a year.

– John Gruber

I considered offering my copy out for loan. However, I would not be happy without a copy in my possession. It is a small book, and you owe yourself an edition of it.

It saddens me that writing style seems a fading art. This book is not read enough.

The Orbis Ring flash is a low budget option for using portable strobes to power a ring flash. There are two big advantages to the Orbis: light & cheap. That said, the build quality is very solid and more than I was expecting.

I decided to try mine out at a friend’s housewarming. This was the result:

To shoot with, it was a breeze. My SB-24 mounted snug in the adaptor. An old sync cord linked my 5D2 to the flash and I was away. The results were impressive.

For shooting an event, such as a party or a wedding, the ring flash gives a nice fall off of light without too much in the way of highlights. For candid portraits, it was simply wow.

I’m looking forward to trying it out in a more staged environment. There are a few lighting options I’d like to try, such as using it for fill or using it from off-axis.

The Orbis team has put a few videos on YouTube, and there is a group of Flickr showing what people are doing with it.