remember ME
If you're looking for trends, here's one you can't afford to ignore. 'remember ME' is the cry of todays younger generations (It is most often used by webpage designers as a checkbox when entering your details on their site - it means you don't have to enter them again...
Death of the sms (or…an upside to the Tyranny of Blackberry)
When will it stop? When will we stop inventing things that allow us to be in greater contact with more people so that we can do more, be more productive? I thought the whole purpose of inventing technology to do our work for us is that we'd have more leisure time? I...
How many more cards can I carry in my wallet?
I was out at a meeting yesterday and one of my collegues remarked that I am SUCH a Baby Boomer due to the number of cards in my wallet. Is this a baby boomer tendancy or not? I think my 25 year old son has more credit cards than I will ever own? Most of the cards are...
It can even make phone calls
My wife has just upgraded her cell phone. When faced with the choices, she was offered a staggering array of phones each with a plethora of functions. These phones can do everything: play videos or MP3s, take photos and videos, record voice files, keep your diary,...
How to get 100% turnout in a general election
The UK has just completed another general election. Not all of the results are in, but the initial estimate of how many people actually voted looks much the same as in every democracy around the world where voting is not compulsory. It's not unusual to see figures of...
The Digital Hospital
In BusinessWeek on 28 March, 2005, they profiled the Digital Hospital. This is a real, working existing hospital that has just made excellent use of existing technologies. You can see a slide show, which gives you a brief overview of what they have done. It ranges...
Microsoft is in a war for survival
Linux - the Penguin that marches - is a free operating system designed and developed by an army of volunteers. Available free of charge, and now nearly useable by your (slightly above) average home user. This operating system has long been a lurking threat to...
1,000 years of history
CNN did an excellent summary of the millennium during 1999. They gave each century a single entry summary, and then drilled down in huge detail. Check it out here. Their summary is as follows: 11 th century: sword 12th: axe 13th: stirrup 14th: scythe 15th: sail 16th:...
Science Fiction and media speculation
Since Jules Verne put the science fiction genre on the map, these authors and movie makers have captured popular imaginations - with visions of boom and bust, glory and (mainly) terror in the future. Many of them (I would rate Asimov the best in this case) have been...
Mobile phones on planes
Contrary to most airline announcements, it is not unsafe to use a mobile phone on an aeroplane. On most flights, a few cellphones are left on by mistake, and the avionics systems on modern aircraft are hardened against radio interference anywhere. The real reason that...
Why you shouldn't be too worried about India and China
OK, so make sure you don't read what I didn't say. You still need to be worried about India and China -- the matter what country or industry you're in, if you're not thinking about the effects that these two countries will have on you, you're already in trouble. But...
Blogging 101 (or Blogging for Boomers)
Blogs are the new big thing in communication - and now companies are getting on board, too. What is a blog? Very simply, its a "web log". Do you remember Captain Kirk's "Captain's log, stardate xyz"? Well, that's kind of what blogs are. They're websites that record...
Cool Job Titles: Chief Blogger
Is this a world first? Stonyfield Farm has a Chief Blogger - mainly charged with connecting with clients. Read the BusinessWeek story on her, here. Blogs are coming - no doubt. BusinessWeek's current edition has blogs as the front cover. "As big as the printing...
Cyber-grounded: Parenting for the 21st century
I had a wonderful phrase the other day. A14-year-old was complaining that he had been "cyber grounded". I believe this meant that he had no access to his digital TV, which meant no access to the Internet either. I wasn't able to ask him about the implications for a...
Sugar and Spice, and Biochemistry
Several big food and beverage companies are looking at a new ingredient in the battle for health-conscious consumers: a chemical that tricks the taste buds into sensing sugar or salt even when it is not there. Kraft Foods, Nestlé, Coca-Cola and Campbell Soup...
Looking to Tomorrow – 2005 and Beyond
Synthesized from the futureneering work of the storytellers and organisational alchemists in the Business Intelligence Unit (BIU) of TomorrowToday.biz. - http://www.tomorrowtoday.biz During December and January every year, magazines and websites are filled with...
Futureneering or future nearing?
I have recently acquired an awesome piece of software, Dragon NaturallySpeaking version 8. This is voice recognition on steroids. I am in the process of training it to my voice and my vocabulary. In fact, this particular blog entry has been done entirely by voice...
Chip reads mind of paralysed man
by Raymond Is this the first real-life example if effective ‘wet-work’?!?!?! ‘wet work’ – sci-fi speak for computer technology interfaced with human biological systems. Check it out: http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/science/story/0,12996,1448908,00.html Ian...
From B to E
Wonder what the beer 'die hards' are saying this week (Feb 14, 2005 - Anhauser Busch announce their new 'B to E' drink, a cross between Red Bull and Budweiser)? Probably very similar to the cricket 'die hards' with the advent of 20 overs cricket. The real question is...
The world of tomorrow, today
In this warp-speed world it is no longer enough to learn from experience - you have to learn from the future! We live in a world where constant change is both a cliche and an understatement. Change, change, change. You've heard enough consultants pushing this mantra...