[This is Dan Fisher’s 50th “Beyond the Bank” blog for ababj.com, spanning two and a half years. All his blogs are still posted. One of our favorites is “If you could read my mind,” the first of several in which Dan—aka “The Wombat”—reported on the implications of brainwave-reading technology used in Mattel’s Mindflex game. That post was a good example of the theme of his blog: looking for tech-related developments outside the usual bank technology world. Appropriately for his 50th, he looks both backwards and forwards at breakthroughs he’s been personally involved with. The forward look will be of interest to any banker seeking to improve branch efficiency—in other words, just about every banker whose job covers branch banking.  — Bill Streeter, editor-in-chief]

Comical could best describe the reaction that occurs when a user of Twitter fails to realize that they just launched a bomb. Mere moments after they press the “enter” key, things begin to fly.  Suddenly the author is overcome with the reality that neither Twitter nor the internet has an erase key. Be it a post facto epiphany (PFE)—knowledge that comes to someone immediately after they have done something—it is still too late. The damage, also known as the MONDO BOOFAW, occurs at the speed of light. Yup, a Tweet heard around the world!

Yes, it is true! You can reduce your computing costs by 75%.

In a paper published in 1965, Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel, predicted that computing power would double every 18 months. Hence, … Moore’s Law. He has since modified his assertion from 18 to 24 months. Looking back, we can most certainly agree that Moore was right then and he continues to be right today.

“Hacked” used to be a term that referred to one’s anger over a situation. In today’s context, hacked means another system breach and a lot of upset (hacked) customers. The alarming part has to do with the fact that these events are becoming more and more common.

Competition, cost, creativity, and technology are the fundamental elements that drive our free-market system today. I am fascinated by the many different business models that continue to emerge as a neverending stream of ideas and approaches. I often wonder: “What next?”

Netflix, internet-enabled game consoles, and N-routers (the new faster, version of wireless communications in the home and office) are re-defining the banking delivery channel. “Fast food” has hit the internet in the form of immediate fulfillment, or “I want it now!”

Without warning, notice, or even a hint, Cisco just KO’d the flip video camera product line! Wow, I truly did not see that coming and I am having a hard time coping with being flipped off! Here’s the link on the announcement: http://Flipped OUT

Just in case you haven’t heard, Interac, the payment association that governs debit cards in Canada, has an initiative in place that most certainly will affect debit card fraud in the United States.

Advances in technology continue to amaze me—seriously! They represent the ultimate in creativity merged with the possible. What really excites me is knowing that there is always more to come.