Thursday, August 19 – The EpicWin iPhone application was released to the Apple App store. EpicWin is a great to-do list application (with an RPG twist) but like most new apps it was not without a few minor bugs.

Friday, August 20 – Early this morning the EpicWin team declared on Facebook that the bugs had been fixed and the app had been sent to Apple for approval.

Monday, August 23 – No EpicWin app approval.

Tuesday, August 24 – No EpicWin app approval.

Wednesday, August 25 – No EpicWin app approval.

Thursday, August 26 – No EpicWin app approval. App APPROVED this evening! (finally…)

On the other hand…

Thursday, August 19 – Facebook released v3.2.0 of it’s iPhone application complete with Places integration for US users (booo!).

Friday, August 20 – An update, Facebook v3.2.1 is available for download, not a bad turnaround presuming the build was submitted after 19th August.

Monday, August 23 – Yet another Facebook update, this time build v3.2.2!

EpicWin = small developer, 1 release, 0 updates in 3 business days.

Facebook = big developer, 1 release, 2 updates in 3 business days.

Funny things going on over there….

We should all be using 12-character password now according to a report published this week by the Georgia Institute of Technology. Researchers at the institute modified computer graphics cards to attempt to break passwords. Here’s the scoop on the results:

8 Character Password = 2 hours to break.

11 Character Password = Approximately 180 years to break.

12 Character Password = Approximately 17,134 years to break.

How long is your current password you use for email? Your system at work? Bank? Credit Card? Facebook?

These estimates include the use of special characters (e.g. $, %, !, *, <). If you don’t use this, slash those estimates, by a lot.

Researchers recommend using full sentences. My security professor from college used to recommend phrases from the old finish language, which had some words with so many conjugation possibilities that it made any password almost impossible to break. Next time you log in to whatever online, think “what if this account were compromised? How would this affect my life?” You may now go and change those passwords.

Seth Godin struck a very nice note in his comment about being subtle in communicating with your audience. The buzz word now is to communicate, but in reality it’s all marketing. It’s the way you share your message with your audience.

Subtle details demonstrate power. Instead of being in an urgent hurry to yell about every feature or benefit, you demonstrate confidence by taking your time and allowing people to explore. They don’t put huge banners on the Hermes store, announcing how good the silk is and how many famous people shop there…

Being subtle commands a cool, confident tone. It’s the difference between that person you really enjoy being around and working with vs. the one who’s always in your face, too loud, to extreme. Developing client relationships today requires calculated efforts, not just a big bullhorn to get people’s attention. It’s not fishing where you cast out your line, reel in your catch, and then you’re done. Marketing today is like well tendered garden. Calculated preparation, and small, effective tasks done on a daily basis with time being given each step of the way to let each careful step take its full effect. The end result is that homegrown full blossomed customer who will be with you for life and will always be on your side. Does that fish you caught and tossed in your cooler have great feelings about you the fisherman? Now, how about that healthy, productive plant in your garden who has benefited from your daily care?