Month: January 2008

Wanna Know the Future? Ask Children.

As i’ve said before, we’re amidst a revolution.   Change is here.  The way we live our lives will never be the same.

Seems like I spend a lot of my 9-5 helping people to understand the revolution and that change.

A few times I’ve joked… that everyone needs to take a road trip to a local middle school and you’ll learn all you need to know about the future of the Web and media.  After more thought… I think that’d probably actually be a killer idea.

New York City VC Fred Wilson has some really cool analysis about the future of technology and media based on some experiences he’s had with his kids and it all seems really right on.

I don’t have children but should probably start hanging out with more of them.  For those of you who do have children, what kind of Web, technology, or media trends have you been noticing from them?

Upcoming Panel on “Opportunities & Challenges of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) Project”

I’ve been recently invited to come speak on a panel on “Opportunities & Challenges of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Project” for the  ICT for International Development Learning Network Meetup.

It’s on  January 15th at 6pm.  It will be held at the Center for Global Development on 1776 Massachusetts Ave. NW Third Floor, Washington , DC 20036.

I’ll be joined by other local OLPC enthusiasts such as Wayan Vota of OLPC News,  Mike Lee of the OLPC Learning Club DC, and software developer Jonathan Blocksom.

So… come out to the event. It should be a good time. Lots of great discussion about One Laptop per Child‘s exciting project.

Oh and bring your XO laptops if you have one.  I’m bringing mine.

Twittertale – Find out who’s got the biggest potty mouth on Twitter

Twittertale

My friends Jason Garber, Doug March, as well as some of their compadres have just launched a new Web app called Twittertale.   It uses the Twitter API and skims what everyone is saying publicly looking for dirty words and then displays those for the world to see.  Twittertale also displays which Twitter users have the biggest potty mouth, which is also fun.

This is a really fun little application and is perfect if you need a little entertainment while you’re in the middle of doing work.

It also demonstrates some of the cool things that can be done with the Twitter API.

I look forward to seeing more great things from these gentlemen as well as seeing them evolve Twittertale.

Want more people to read your resume or cv? Start a blog.

I think blogging is one of the best ways to market yourself and show the world your ideas.  It’s also a great way to get your resume or cv in front of people.

Since I started the latest incarnation of this blog, I’ve had over 450 views on my resume.  When is the last time that you handed out 450 copies of your resume?

So… get out there. Show the world that there is an amazing thinking bright human being inside you.  Give it time, work hard, and people will notice.

Random New Year’s Thoughts…

So as we enter the New Year I have a bunch of random thoughts that I wanna share…

  • I’m still on my search for the killer application or value of the Facebook Platform.  It seems like casual gaming has really taken a lead and there is some good stuff out there.   I have been playing Oregon Trail and its actually pretty cool.   I know a lot of people who LOVE Scrabulous and WarBook, which was created by Wash DC’s very own Webs. I guess I just wonder when there will be some Facebook apps outside of casual gaming that will get some serious traction.
  • It’s been fun because more and more of my friends have been using the Web to show the world what they have (outside of the Web industry) and are having opportunities they normally wouldn’t have had otherwise. My buddy Evan Sparks has a blog about Aviation Policy and he was recently asked to do a television interview.  Also… my friend M. Jackson Wilkinson has recently launched a food magazine, The Humble Gourmand, with some friends and its seeing great success.  This is awesome.
  • It seems like there is so much great music on the Apple iTunes Store.  I can easily spend an hour jumping around and never really finding what I want.  I’d really love to see Apple acquire a company like Pandora and use them as the music discovery service for their inventory as well as a way to gain access to independent music.
  • Everyone is talking about how they’re sure that Apple is going to announce at the MacWorld expo that there will be movie rentals for the iTunes Store.  But I ask… who really wants to watch a movie on their laptop or computer.  I want to do it with my feet up sitting on my couch.  You REALLY need the Apple TV and with it not selling well there needs to be a refresh of the product unveiled soon.