Try the One Text Procedure when negotiating

Large complex negotiations require special tools to keep them ontrack and productive. Inexperienced negotiators generally measure success by the number of concessions they were able to “win” from their counterparty.  This inefficient approach forces people to stick to their position and rarely yields an optimal outcome.

The One-Text Procedure

Enter the wonderful world of the one-text procedure.  The key driver of this processes is the use of an unbiased third party to help catalogue real interests of all parties and then facilitate the combined criticism of possible solutions until the best solution is found.

The summary of the processes is:

 - Collect the true desires and interests of the  participants

 - Draft an interim proposal and present it to all participants for criticism

- Participants continually criticize the interim proposals until they can criticize it no more and the facilitator has prepare the best possible solution. It is only at this point that participants can accept or reject the final proposal.

Since everyone is working from the facilitator’s draft (participants cannot add, edit or modify themselves), it prevents participants from taking positions and becoming inflexible.  By criticizing the drafts of the facilitator, it allows them to criticize the proposal without fear of alienating the other party.

The draft criticism and revision process continues until the facilitator feels the proposal cannot be improved further. It is only at this point that the participants can make a Yes or No decision. This is the process used by the US government when they negotiated the Camp David Middle East piece agreement between Israel (Prime Minister Begin) and Egypt (President Sadat).

DVDs and blu-ray discs to get new piracy notice

If you have watched a DVD or Blue-ray movie, you have surely seen that government notice about piracy and copyright. Well the US government announced that it will now require 2 copyright notices. The first notice is a warning to pirates and the second one is aimed at educating the general viewing audience.

All major studios have agreed to the new notices and it should start showing up on new discs in the next couple of weeks.  Each notice will last 10 seconds and you will not be able to skip them.

Read details 

Apple to ditch Google Maps in IOS 6

At the launch of the iPhone, Apple and Google were best of friends and it wasn’t unusual that many Google apps found their way into the base IOS image (Youtube, Maps, etc). A short while after this lovefest (aka the release of Android), their relationship hit an all time low and Steeve vowed to use every last cent to squash Android.

9to5mac is now reporting that IOS version 6 will now replace the maps application with an in house Apple built product derived from their purchase of Placebase, C3 Technologies and Poly9. Their insider source said that it was cleaner and faster than Google maps while delivering a more reliable experience enhanced by a 3D-mode.

Most analysts believe IOS 6 will be announced at their WorldWide Developer Conference in June so stay tune.