According to a survey cited in the IFTF's Future Now blog, Hong Kong boasts the highest level of residential broadband Internet connectivity (73% in Q3 2005). In addition to Hong Kong, the top five broadband countries are (in order) South Korea, Israel, Taiwan and the Netherlands. The US is #19 (33%), just ahead of Slovenia.
Nineteen of the top 20 countries posted positive quarterly growth in broadband between Q2 and Q3 2005, ranging from 0.8% (Israel) to 5.6% (Singapore). The sole country to post a decline in that period was South Korea (-1.42%); no reason for the decline was given.
Thursday, March 2, 2006
Tracking Kids Through Mobile Devices
Japanese parents have a new way to keep tabs on their children thanks to a new service called ima doko ("where are you now?") The service works with 3G mobile devices from NTT Docomo, and lets parents use a website to pinpoint their child's location on a map.
RELATED: Ima doko is emblematic of the trend toward parents being an ever greater presence in their children's lives -- a trend that author Sam Schulman bemoans, rightly or wrongly.
Source: International Telecommunication Union
RELATED: Ima doko is emblematic of the trend toward parents being an ever greater presence in their children's lives -- a trend that author Sam Schulman bemoans, rightly or wrongly.
Source: International Telecommunication Union
What is Origami?
Over the past week, those who follow the development of tech gadgets have been puzzling over Microsoft's Origami Project. The project is supposedly developing a small wireless "mini tablet" device that supports Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth and 3G cellular. It will supposedly run Windows XP, include a camera and MP3 player, and will be larger than a PDA but smaller than a typical laptop. The most current suggested retail price is $600.
Although the cryptic Origami website claims that more information will be revealed today, the latest speculation is that Microsoft will formally unveil Origami at the CeBit show in Hanover, Germany (March 9-15). In April 2005, Bill Gates showed off a 6-inch tablet computer that many believe was an Origami prototype. Observers are wondering how Origami might tie in to a flash-based effort from Intel called Ultra Mobile PC -- perhaps this is the hardware running Microsoft's Origami software.
Chris Pirillo of Lockergnome cautions against too much excitement. Having actually seen Origami (and having signed a NDA), Pirillo says, "[I]t's not going to live up to the hype. There are far too many wild-eyed speculations - ranging from the sublime to the grandiose." However, Dennis Rice of GottaBeMobile.com, who has also seen Origami, says, "I can tell you that what I have seen, I like. Alot. I WILL own one, and I will then proceed to take it apart (at least figuratively, possibly physically) and comment on what I think."
UPDATE: The Origami website now says that more information will be available March 9.
UPDATE 2: The latest word from Engadget is that Origami will run XP Tablet PC Edition, and is classified as a "Mobile PC running Windows XP." In other words, it will be a miniature Tablet PC. And, instead of looking like the device shown on the Origami website (shown above), the actual device will look like the one demo'd by Bill Gates last year, with few if any hardware controls:
UPDATE 3: Microsoft formally unveiled Origami today (3/9); the Intel-based device is billed as an "ultra mobile PC" (UMPC) and runs Windows XP Tablet PC edition. Samsung is one of the device's early manufacturers; "Samsung positions the UMPC as a handheld organizer, an MP3 portable music player, a mobile television receiver, a games device and a notebook PC..."
UPDATE 4: Last Thursday (3/2), Topix.net picked up this post as a lead story, and drove FutureWire's traffic to an all-time high. Thanks, Topix!
Sources: CNET, GottaBeMobile.com, Engadget
Although the cryptic Origami website claims that more information will be revealed today, the latest speculation is that Microsoft will formally unveil Origami at the CeBit show in Hanover, Germany (March 9-15). In April 2005, Bill Gates showed off a 6-inch tablet computer that many believe was an Origami prototype. Observers are wondering how Origami might tie in to a flash-based effort from Intel called Ultra Mobile PC -- perhaps this is the hardware running Microsoft's Origami software.
Chris Pirillo of Lockergnome cautions against too much excitement. Having actually seen Origami (and having signed a NDA), Pirillo says, "[I]t's not going to live up to the hype. There are far too many wild-eyed speculations - ranging from the sublime to the grandiose." However, Dennis Rice of GottaBeMobile.com, who has also seen Origami, says, "I can tell you that what I have seen, I like. Alot. I WILL own one, and I will then proceed to take it apart (at least figuratively, possibly physically) and comment on what I think."
UPDATE: The Origami website now says that more information will be available March 9.
UPDATE 2: The latest word from Engadget is that Origami will run XP Tablet PC Edition, and is classified as a "Mobile PC running Windows XP." In other words, it will be a miniature Tablet PC. And, instead of looking like the device shown on the Origami website (shown above), the actual device will look like the one demo'd by Bill Gates last year, with few if any hardware controls:
UPDATE 3: Microsoft formally unveiled Origami today (3/9); the Intel-based device is billed as an "ultra mobile PC" (UMPC) and runs Windows XP Tablet PC edition. Samsung is one of the device's early manufacturers; "Samsung positions the UMPC as a handheld organizer, an MP3 portable music player, a mobile television receiver, a games device and a notebook PC..."
UPDATE 4: Last Thursday (3/2), Topix.net picked up this post as a lead story, and drove FutureWire's traffic to an all-time high. Thanks, Topix!
Sources: CNET, GottaBeMobile.com, Engadget
Generation M, Knowledge Centers and Personal Space
Russell Buckley of MobHappy explores the differences between how the older and younger generations view mobile technology:
To "Generation M," the mobile device is a way of life, serving as both communicator and knowledge center ("knowledge" encompassing all forms of information, from business to recreational). One comment on Buckley's post provides an amusing anecdote: "When my 4 year old son first saw a cordless phone at his grandparent’s house, he picked it up and asked where the games were on it." Of course, Grandma and Grandpa were old enough to remember when cordless phones were themselves the stuff of science fiction.
But what's more important is the way that mobile devices govern young people's interaction with others. With a cell phone, friends and family are never more than a phone call or text message away -- a level of immersion that can be a mixed blessing. When people not only expect but demand constant interaction, any break in that connection causes worry and stress. Why won't she call or text? Is she OK? Is she mad at me? Someone may start to ask these questions even when not hearing from a friend for as little as a few minutes. Even PCs and the Internet give us the chance to walk away and shut them down occasionally; mobile devices never give us that break. It's little wonder, then, that Generation M has no problem using online tools such as MySpace to share their most personal information with the entire wired world.
The human psyche wasn't designed to be "plugged in" at all times, so we are going to have to learn to adapt to the power of our devices and redefine personal space. Today's teens -- the first generation too young to remember life without cell phones -- will lead the way, if only by necessity. And like all pioneers, they will get all the scrapes and bruises that go with blazing new trails.
To this [over-40] generation, the mobile is a phone first and foremost, though they may have embraced sms.
To the first true mobile generation (let’s loosely say that they’re under 40, although in practice they’re a little younger), the mobile is something else entirely. It’s the very engine of their social lives and centre of their attention most of the time. Without their mobile, they’d be no more capable of dating and maintaining a relationship or arranging to spend time with friends and actually managing to meet up with them on the day, than a Boeing 777 is of crossing the Atlantic without any engines...
These people will adopt all the social functionality of their seniors, but the mobile will take over from the PC as the single most important digital device for accessing the web, as well their personal entertainment hub for music and gameplay, not to mention the recorder and archivist of their lives and proof of identity.
To "Generation M," the mobile device is a way of life, serving as both communicator and knowledge center ("knowledge" encompassing all forms of information, from business to recreational). One comment on Buckley's post provides an amusing anecdote: "When my 4 year old son first saw a cordless phone at his grandparent’s house, he picked it up and asked where the games were on it." Of course, Grandma and Grandpa were old enough to remember when cordless phones were themselves the stuff of science fiction.
But what's more important is the way that mobile devices govern young people's interaction with others. With a cell phone, friends and family are never more than a phone call or text message away -- a level of immersion that can be a mixed blessing. When people not only expect but demand constant interaction, any break in that connection causes worry and stress. Why won't she call or text? Is she OK? Is she mad at me? Someone may start to ask these questions even when not hearing from a friend for as little as a few minutes. Even PCs and the Internet give us the chance to walk away and shut them down occasionally; mobile devices never give us that break. It's little wonder, then, that Generation M has no problem using online tools such as MySpace to share their most personal information with the entire wired world.
The human psyche wasn't designed to be "plugged in" at all times, so we are going to have to learn to adapt to the power of our devices and redefine personal space. Today's teens -- the first generation too young to remember life without cell phones -- will lead the way, if only by necessity. And like all pioneers, they will get all the scrapes and bruises that go with blazing new trails.
Blackboard Beyond Cites eLearning 2.0 as Part of Their Plans
Stephen Downes recent post pointed me to an interesting Blackboard press release that talks about how Blackboard is embracing eLearning 2.0.
Better yet - I think that they've done a really good job capturing key aspects of what eLearning 2.0 really is...
Blackboard Chief Executive Officer Michael Chasen explained
The four pillars of the initiative:
Better yet - I think that they've done a really good job capturing key aspects of what eLearning 2.0 really is...
Blackboard Chief Executive Officer Michael Chasen explained
"Just as the Web 2.0 is facilitating a change in the way people interact
online, e-Learning 2.0 represents a transformational shift for how the Internet
can improve education. Blackboard is excited to work with our clients to help
shape and accelerate this transformation."
The four pillars of the initiative:
-- Extending the platform: e-Learning 2.0 is about personalizing the e-Learning environment to be more discipline and pedagogically specific to the educational activity at hand. This more tailored platform experience can be achieved through specialized software extensions developed by and for educators, as well as with rich, interactive digital resources. As part of the Initiative, Blackboard announces its plans to establish a Global Learning Objects Catalogue, in which any Blackboard user can publish to or search for learning resources to enhance their instructional experience.
-- Facilitate Social Networking: e-Learning 2.0 is about enabling a social experience that recognizes the course is but one social-organizational group in a broader education environment. To help foster academically oriented relationships outside of the class environment, Blackboard announces plans to connect students and faculty across disciplines and across institutions through a new Scholar.com Web service. Scholar.com will provide users with the opportunity to communicate and collaborate with other experts in and outside of their discipline and fields of interest.
-- Enable Lifelong Learning: e-Learning 2.0 is about integrating the educational journey students take from elementary school to higher education to the workplace. As more and more faculty and students use e-Portfolios to store and showcase their scholarly achievements, Blackboard announces a unique "e-Portfolios-for-life" service that will allow Blackboard users to post their portfolios to a central site for long-term use.
-- Create Network Learning Environments: e-Learning 2.0 is about moving beyond the course towards a more holistic conception of a networked learning environment. One consequence of this shift is a hunger by educators to conduct research and benchmark various e-Learning strategies and programs using data from peer institutions. As part of the Initiative, Blackboard announces a collaborative data warehouse service which will allow clients to anonymously share relevant data and gain better insight into best practices.
Wednesday, March 1, 2006
"House Churches" as the New Congregation
In spite of -- or perhaps in reaction to -- the trend toward evangelical Christian "megachurches" over the past decade, a movement toward small, intimate "house churches" is emerging among Christians.
Unlike traditional churches, house churches (also called "simple churches") have no dedicated facility, no staff, no allegiance to any denomination, and in some cases, no ordained pastor. Instead, as their name implies, they are simply small groups of like-minded worshippers (fewer than 40, according to one definition) who meet in members' houses and tailor their worship to their particular needs. House church have precedence reaching back to the earliest days of Christianity, before church hierarchies had been established. Worldwide, house churches are often the only means through which the faithful can gather in countries where Christianity is suppressed.
Evangelical strategist, researcher and futurist George Barna believes that house churches are a phenomenon to be reckoned with. Providing a service to Christians who are alienated from or simply don't care for traditional churches and megachurches, house churches may, according to Barna, become the spiritual home for a majority of US Christians -- perhaps two-thirds of them by 2025.
The past few years have seen more home-based trends in realms such as education, weddings and even funerals. Growing cynicism concerning large institutions is partly to blame, while the Internet makes it easy for ad hoc groups to organize and attract new members.
Those interested in starting, maintaining or joining house churches can find plenty of helpful resources online. Support websites include House Church Central, Housechurch.org, Religioustolerance.org, and the House Church Blog. Also, read articles critical of the house church movement here and here.
RELATED: Andrew Jones blogs about the pros and cons of house churches, providing some useful links in the process.
Source: TIME
Unlike traditional churches, house churches (also called "simple churches") have no dedicated facility, no staff, no allegiance to any denomination, and in some cases, no ordained pastor. Instead, as their name implies, they are simply small groups of like-minded worshippers (fewer than 40, according to one definition) who meet in members' houses and tailor their worship to their particular needs. House church have precedence reaching back to the earliest days of Christianity, before church hierarchies had been established. Worldwide, house churches are often the only means through which the faithful can gather in countries where Christianity is suppressed.
Evangelical strategist, researcher and futurist George Barna believes that house churches are a phenomenon to be reckoned with. Providing a service to Christians who are alienated from or simply don't care for traditional churches and megachurches, house churches may, according to Barna, become the spiritual home for a majority of US Christians -- perhaps two-thirds of them by 2025.
The past few years have seen more home-based trends in realms such as education, weddings and even funerals. Growing cynicism concerning large institutions is partly to blame, while the Internet makes it easy for ad hoc groups to organize and attract new members.
Those interested in starting, maintaining or joining house churches can find plenty of helpful resources online. Support websites include House Church Central, Housechurch.org, Religioustolerance.org, and the House Church Blog. Also, read articles critical of the house church movement here and here.
RELATED: Andrew Jones blogs about the pros and cons of house churches, providing some useful links in the process.
Source: TIME
What's Driving the Pending Labor Shortage?
We all know that retiring Baby Boomers are going to have an effect on the labor market in the coming years. But according to the Herman Group, an HR think tank, Boomer retirement isn't behind the labor shortage that's already upon us and will keep growing for at least the next decade. In fact, many Boomers will remain in the workforce well after reaching traditional retirement age.
Instead, factors in the tightening labor market include:
Citing a RAND Corporation study, Herman believes that "[t]he annual growth rate of the nation's workforce is expected to slow to a nearly static 0.4 percent by 2010."” Good news for job seekers, of course. But a challenge for an economy that looks to keep growing.
Instead, factors in the tightening labor market include:
- The decline of the annual US birthrate increase to 1.1% during the 1990s (versus 2.6% during the "baby bust" of the 1970s)... meaning fewer new entrants into the workforce in 2010 and beyond.
- The increasing tendency of women to leave the workforce permanently to stay home and raise their children.
- College graduates who prefer to start their own businesses rather than apply for open positions at existing enterprises.
- The overall strong economy, which keeps the pool of available labor low and offsets any relief from immigrant labor and outsourcing.
Citing a RAND Corporation study, Herman believes that "[t]he annual growth rate of the nation's workforce is expected to slow to a nearly static 0.4 percent by 2010."” Good news for job seekers, of course. But a challenge for an economy that looks to keep growing.
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