The Herman Trend Alert, which has been warning for months of a pending labor shortage, says that young Millennials (those born after 1985) are increasingly more likely to start their own businesses than seek more traditional employment. The result: those individuals who are most desirable as employees (ambitious, curious, creative, hard-working) are less available to hiring managers.
Herman notes the irony in that many companies, unable to hire the individuals they want and need, will ultimately outsource work to companies run by these young entrepreneurs.
This may be an especially good time for young people with creative ideas to start their own businesses. Red Herring reports that venture capital funding is up dramatically in both the US and Europe, signifying a high level of confidence in innovative businesses as well as the overall business climate.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Publishers Print More Large-Type Books
Publishers trying to boost sagging paperback book sales (down 11% in the past five years) are wondering if one cause of the decline is the growing number of aging Boomers with failing eyesight. If so, the growing move to issue titles in large-print format ought to help boost sales.
"We've been losing the foundation of our customer base because their eyesight is getting worse, and the books are getting harder and harder to read," said Simon & Schuster CEO Jack Romanos. Publishers have increased the type size of some books by half a point size, and increased the spacing between the lines as well.
Source: TheLedger.com
"We've been losing the foundation of our customer base because their eyesight is getting worse, and the books are getting harder and harder to read," said Simon & Schuster CEO Jack Romanos. Publishers have increased the type size of some books by half a point size, and increased the spacing between the lines as well.
Source: TheLedger.com
Is the Speed of Light Variable?
"186,000 miles per second: It's not just a good idea... it's the law!"
So goes the old nerdy joke reinforcing what has been drilled into generations of Physics 101 students: the speed of light, as Einstein showed, is constant and absolute, never faster or slower.
Or maybe not. A team of scientists at France's Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) claims to be able to manipulate the speed of light, speeding it up and slowing it down.
Previously, light speed has been manipulated under highly controlled conditions, using exotic gases and environments. The EPFL experiment, however, used ordinary fiber optics to affect specific portions of the light signal (exploiting a bit of "wiggle room" in Einstein's laws).
The team's success opens up a host of possibilities for controlling signals on a fiber optic cable, allowing standard fiber optics to carry even more data. The benefits of this research could also be applied to microwaves for next-generation wireless communications.
Related research at Princeton has shown that light can be trapped and bent at sharp angles, using quasicrystals made from polymer rods. Such manipulation can lead to more efficient fiber optic junctions.
Source: Ron Piquepaille's Tech Trends, Phys.Org
So goes the old nerdy joke reinforcing what has been drilled into generations of Physics 101 students: the speed of light, as Einstein showed, is constant and absolute, never faster or slower.
Or maybe not. A team of scientists at France's Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) claims to be able to manipulate the speed of light, speeding it up and slowing it down.
Previously, light speed has been manipulated under highly controlled conditions, using exotic gases and environments. The EPFL experiment, however, used ordinary fiber optics to affect specific portions of the light signal (exploiting a bit of "wiggle room" in Einstein's laws).
The team's success opens up a host of possibilities for controlling signals on a fiber optic cable, allowing standard fiber optics to carry even more data. The benefits of this research could also be applied to microwaves for next-generation wireless communications.
Related research at Princeton has shown that light can be trapped and bent at sharp angles, using quasicrystals made from polymer rods. Such manipulation can lead to more efficient fiber optic junctions.
Source: Ron Piquepaille's Tech Trends, Phys.Org
Google to Launch IM, Talk Services
Google is reportedly planning to launch its own instant messaging and voice service, entering the market against AOL, Yahoo!, MSN, and Interent voice service Skype.
A website called GoogleRumors notes that Google has activated the domain http://talk.google.com (though it generates a 404 error as of this writing), and is developing its Google Talk service around the Jabber platform. Reports have Google Talk going live as early as tomorrow.
Source: MSNBC
A website called GoogleRumors notes that Google has activated the domain http://talk.google.com (though it generates a 404 error as of this writing), and is developing its Google Talk service around the Jabber platform. Reports have Google Talk going live as early as tomorrow.
Source: MSNBC
E-Paper Visual Index Cards
Japanese electronics firm Fuji Xerox has developed a prototype of "electronic paper" that uses photoconductivity to display an image on an ultra-small, ultra-thin LCD display. The e-paper, currently about the size of a business card, is expected to enter the marketplace next year.
Source: Usernomics
Source: Usernomics
Friday, August 19, 2005
Who's Listening to Podcasts, Anyway?
Who are the biggest fans of podcasting? It might not be who you think.
A new survey by pollster CLX has found that the biggest consumers of podcasts are not teens and young adults, as one might assume, but those over 45. Of that age group, 21% said they listened to podcasts, as opposed to 13% of those between 15 and 24 years old.
Why is this? Considering that today's mainstream media is largely geared toward young people (especially in entertainment), their elders may well be finding niche programming in the form of podcasts. Older listeners are also more likely to listen to news-related podcasts such as those offered through NPR (which makes sense, given that the majority of talk radio listeners are over 35). Adults may also be listening to podcasts during the work day (taking advantage of their employers' broadband Internet) and in their cars during those long commutes.
The survey also suggests that podcasting is not foremost in the minds of media consumers of any age. Just 15% of the 8,000 people surveyed had listened to a podcast, despite the hype surrounding the medium.
Websites and other media whose audience consists of adults and seniors should take a fresh look at podcasting, whereas youth-oriented media might want to tread carefully. Advertisers and investors who have assumed that podcasting is for kids may want to re-evaluate their strategies as well.
Sources: Vnunet, unmediated
A new survey by pollster CLX has found that the biggest consumers of podcasts are not teens and young adults, as one might assume, but those over 45. Of that age group, 21% said they listened to podcasts, as opposed to 13% of those between 15 and 24 years old.
Why is this? Considering that today's mainstream media is largely geared toward young people (especially in entertainment), their elders may well be finding niche programming in the form of podcasts. Older listeners are also more likely to listen to news-related podcasts such as those offered through NPR (which makes sense, given that the majority of talk radio listeners are over 35). Adults may also be listening to podcasts during the work day (taking advantage of their employers' broadband Internet) and in their cars during those long commutes.
The survey also suggests that podcasting is not foremost in the minds of media consumers of any age. Just 15% of the 8,000 people surveyed had listened to a podcast, despite the hype surrounding the medium.
Websites and other media whose audience consists of adults and seniors should take a fresh look at podcasting, whereas youth-oriented media might want to tread carefully. Advertisers and investors who have assumed that podcasting is for kids may want to re-evaluate their strategies as well.
Sources: Vnunet, unmediated
The Ugly Netizen
One might think that being wired (or wireless) would help keep us on our toes, and that being more connected would make us more empathetic. But just the opposite seems to be happening, as recent surveys suggest that technology enables people to be obnoxious, inconsiderate and downright vicious.
One study found that Americans regularly fail to use good cell phone and e-mail etiquette, doing things like talking loudly on phones, texting or answering the phone at inappropriate times, photographing strangers without their permission, using poor grammar when e-mailing, and passing along chain e-mails (a dangerous practice as well, as many of these can link to viruses, pornography or spyware).
Another study sponsored by Intel found that nearly 20% of 1,000 people surveyed admitted to being less punctual as a result of having a cell phone, relying on it to make excuses for being late or to cancel plans at the last minute.
The younger generation are exhibiting habits that are just as bad if not worse. The Pew Internet & American Life Project found large percentages of teens who admitted to saying things in text messages that they would not say to someone in person, and using IM buddy lists to form cliques and exclude others. Even worse, a UK survey found that 14% of teens admitted to being bullied or harassed via text messaging; teens also use digital camera to take and circulate embarrassing photos of others, and even document assaults. Unlike adults who do things with technology that are well meaning but ignorant, these kids use it as a weapon.
In one of the most unusual examples of digital life gone bad, a Chinese exchange student in Japan was recently arrested for creating bots that "mugged" characters in the online game Lineage II and stole their virtual possessions, which the man could then exchange for real cash. Unlike the characters in the game that are controlled by human players, the bots were programs that couldn't be beaten in the virtual world.
The Lineage II case is of concern because it's an omen of what could be the future of digital crime. "I regularly say that every form of theft and fraud in the real world will eventually be duplicated in cyberspace," says renowned cybersecurity expert Bruce Schneier. "Perhaps every method of stealing real money will eventually be used to steal imaginary money, too."
Despite its immediacy, the physical distance afforded by technology creates a "buffer zone" behind which people feel safe, even when engaging in offensive behavior. Cyberspace makes denial easy, as we can compartmentalize our online behavior as "not real" and ending when we log off. But as we spend more and more of our time online, our digital behavior will have greater consequences.
The recent onslaught of new technology has given us unprecedented capabilities, but we haven't yet agreed as a society on appropriate use. Without boundaries, guidelines and a "digital ethic," even the most beneficial technology can bring out the worst in us.
Sources: Forbes.com, Telegraph, Smart Mobs, New Scientist
One study found that Americans regularly fail to use good cell phone and e-mail etiquette, doing things like talking loudly on phones, texting or answering the phone at inappropriate times, photographing strangers without their permission, using poor grammar when e-mailing, and passing along chain e-mails (a dangerous practice as well, as many of these can link to viruses, pornography or spyware).
Another study sponsored by Intel found that nearly 20% of 1,000 people surveyed admitted to being less punctual as a result of having a cell phone, relying on it to make excuses for being late or to cancel plans at the last minute.
The younger generation are exhibiting habits that are just as bad if not worse. The Pew Internet & American Life Project found large percentages of teens who admitted to saying things in text messages that they would not say to someone in person, and using IM buddy lists to form cliques and exclude others. Even worse, a UK survey found that 14% of teens admitted to being bullied or harassed via text messaging; teens also use digital camera to take and circulate embarrassing photos of others, and even document assaults. Unlike adults who do things with technology that are well meaning but ignorant, these kids use it as a weapon.
In one of the most unusual examples of digital life gone bad, a Chinese exchange student in Japan was recently arrested for creating bots that "mugged" characters in the online game Lineage II and stole their virtual possessions, which the man could then exchange for real cash. Unlike the characters in the game that are controlled by human players, the bots were programs that couldn't be beaten in the virtual world.
The Lineage II case is of concern because it's an omen of what could be the future of digital crime. "I regularly say that every form of theft and fraud in the real world will eventually be duplicated in cyberspace," says renowned cybersecurity expert Bruce Schneier. "Perhaps every method of stealing real money will eventually be used to steal imaginary money, too."
Despite its immediacy, the physical distance afforded by technology creates a "buffer zone" behind which people feel safe, even when engaging in offensive behavior. Cyberspace makes denial easy, as we can compartmentalize our online behavior as "not real" and ending when we log off. But as we spend more and more of our time online, our digital behavior will have greater consequences.
The recent onslaught of new technology has given us unprecedented capabilities, but we haven't yet agreed as a society on appropriate use. Without boundaries, guidelines and a "digital ethic," even the most beneficial technology can bring out the worst in us.
Sources: Forbes.com, Telegraph, Smart Mobs, New Scientist
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