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Google’s world-famous ‘20 per cent time‘ has produced quite a lot of tools that we now take for granted — just look at Gmail and Google Maps. Now Apple’s apparently caved into the idea too, and is letting certain employees take time off work to develop special projects, not necessarily related to Apple, called ‘Blue Sky’.
Basically, Apple’s hoping to attract the best and the brightest, as well as keep its current staff happy. It’s a great idea, especially if the next big thing comes out of it; Google’s certainly made it work wonders in the past. It’s a pretty alien concept to most outside the tech sector though — paid working time you can spend on doing your personal stuff — can you imagine a bank or some generic office allowing you to do that kind of thing? A cardboard car made entirely out of office stationary anyone? [Wall Street Journal]
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Clearly Apple has run out of ideas.
haha i was thinking the same thing as i was reading it.
They’re scraping the bottom !
I’m quite sure there’s some sort of clause that gives Google at least some ownership of anything made in 20% time, so it’s not quite as out there as perhaps implied.
I think that’s pretty standard contractual stuff anyway. You would retain intellectual property of something that you made on their time, but they would own it.
This is how Dropbox came up with Dropquest (or more accurately an employee of Dropbox came up with it).
I heard the Dropquest story before.
Innovative, most definitely, but also a very shrewd business move.
Surely its Apple pulled a “3M” since 3M were doing this before Google and HP were.
Of course, its a better headline if it makes Apple look like they’re copying Google :/
Well actually, *I* wasn’t aware 3M had done it first, whereas famously, everyone (at least in our world) is aware of Google’s scheme.
Plus, who gives a shit about 3M?
Fair enough. Just as a reference though, the Post-it note was created as a result of someone in their tinker time at 3M back in 1974.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-it_note
Everyone should given that they have a veritable glut of patents and products that are incredibly important in things like healthcare, transport, safety, manufacturing, and technology as well as office supplies.
My heart belongs to PHS…
Don’t you go dissing 3M. They make the Glue and sticky tape that’s holding your comments system together
That hurt, Dazza *whimpers*
Sorry Kat, still slightly adrenaline pumped from this mornings battle for the Nexus 4.
Nothing beats an early-morning gadget acquisition adrenaline rush.
Indeed, but it now means I have to do DIY with stale adrenaline in my system.
The solution is easy (but not cheap): BUY ANOTHER GADGET.
I’ve got skirting boards to do, Can’t be doing any more shopping (unless they release the charging orb).
I think I recall Robert Noyce liked to give people time to work on personal projects in the late 60′s early 70′s at fairchild and Intel.
From what I’ve heard about Apple’s culture, I don’t really know how well this will work
‘You can do whatever you want as long as you do it THIS way and you can’t talk to anyone about it until we’ve patented it’
True. Apple has always been about control. Now they think they need to give their employees freedom. Post Jobs, Apple has nothing to offer.
I’m wondering how many employees will “spontaneously” decide to spend their 20% time fixing Apple Maps?
Isn’t their patent machine already in full swing?
I don’t understand what they expect from their employees.