The next eComm in San Francisco on 19-21 April is coming up. There is a friends rate available that will end on 21st January. Use the promo code 'martingeddes' for an additional 10% off. I'll be there. You can too by registering here.

Now that's much easier to justify to your boss, isn't it?

The nice folk in PR have promised to replace the picture with one that doesn't make me look like Zork lit by a Death Ray. Vanity? Moi?

eComm is the world's leading-edge event, spanning Telecom, mobile and Internet based communications. It’s designed to showcase and accelerate both technology and business model innovation.

There is not a migratory way for telecom operators and media outlets to the future; emergent social practice is increasingly clashing with their very structure and desires. This means unprecedented opportunity for those ahead-of-the-curve.

The emerging transformations require big thoughts and big bets. eComm the venue for those thoughts and bets to be shared and heard.

For more information please visit http://eComm.ec or register here to receive 10% discount.

I'm looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible in person there.

The awful photo isn't my fault, although the haircut is.

I'm on the (unpaid) advisory board for the upcoming eComm conference in Amsterdam. These days as an in-demand speaker I always get into conferences for free. In the days of yore, before I was wildly famous beyond the dreams of Michael Jackson, I used to pay for the ones I thought were really good. eComm is one I'd pay for with my own money if I had to. 'nuff said.

As a Telepocalypse reader, you have the opportunity to get in whilst parting with less cash than you might otherwise. Marketing details below...

October 28-30, 2009, Amsterdam The Emerging Communications (eComm) Conference & Awards was created to promote and accelerate communications innovation across Telecom, Mobile & Internet Communications.

Telecom is in the process of being re-written. You either stand on the side to be written into the past or instead join with the growing community to write the future.

Opportunities to profit from the radical restructuring and in accelerating the development of how humanity connects, communicates and collaborates have never been so great.

Use the code ‘Telepocalypse' when registering to save 20% (can only be applied for new registrations.)

Still, it does seem that I've been nominated by readers of Global Telecoms Business magazine as one of the "Forty under 40" future industry leaders, so thank you all. Now all I have to do in conjure up a billion-dollar business nobody had ever thought of...

Conversely, why do we assume the primary purpose of our mobile handsets is telephony? Why can't the press-and-hold shortcuts be to text my nearest and dearest, rather than call them? There are some people I text far more than I call!

UPDATE: What I really mean is that I can be sat on a plane doing email, and then when I get into the office I can flip into "talk to people" mode, and my phone rings and I have conversations with people I need to talk to in some sensible order.

Those who know me will recognise the themes: re-thinking the business model for voice using 2-sided market principles. Usual disclaimer, it's all my own thoughts, not policy of BT.

The eComm conference starts next week and looks set to be hot. Regular pricing stops today.

The promo code 'telepocalypse09' which when entered on the first page of registration will take 20% off. Or simply use this link with the discount code integrated.

I'll be providing a 15 minute keynote - but reluctantly I can't be there in person. Off to the TV studio tomorrow to record it!

Emerging Communications (eComm) is the world's leading-edge telecom, Internet communications and mobile innovation event built to both showcase and accelerate innovation, as well as to explore radical new opportunities -- together. Tremendous change is facing the multi-trillion dollar a year telecom industry.

Telecom is becoming software; telephony and SMS revenues are likely to dry up in the long term; telephones are becoming general purpose computers; search engines and computer manufactures are encroaching into the space; a steady march is underway to fundamentally change how wireless spectrum is allocated and utilized; and the telecom kingdom is fragmenting daily.

It means unprecedented opportunity for those ahead-of-the-curve.

It's clear that the mammoth sized telecom industry - including cellular - is in the process of being re-written. As such you either stand on the side to be written into the past or instead join with the growing community to write the future.

Opportunities have never been so great to profit from the radical restructuring or in accelerating how humanity connects, communicates and collaborates. Opportunity Doesn't Always Knock. Sometimes It Calls... Seize it by Registering Now at: http://eCommConf.com

I'm backing up our home PC to Amazon's S3 cloud service. After all, what's the point of a removable hard drive backup when it'll get destroyed in the same house fire or stolen in the same burglary as the main PC?

It's been going since early evening yesterday, so about 16 hours. 3% done, 21 days to go. I think I'll be leaving the PC on for a long, long time.

Note that I don't even have a video camera, it's mostly just seven years of digital photos. Anyone with precious memories of their children growing up can't easily upload and share them with their families.