iPhones

Have just read David Gurteen's fulsome review of his new iPhone. Many of the apps I already have e.g. video, but the geolocation ones could be useful. Must get this product.

UNICOM Forum on performance management 30/06/09

Attended excellent forum on performance management - the emphasis was on management not indicators, and on avoidance of slavishly following Kaplan & Norton's template. Work out what really matters in performance, as tied to corporate strategy. Programme also stressed importance of risk management when managing performance - assess what our appetite for risk actually is. What threats can we utilise for growth?

Gurteen Knowledge Cafe 28 April 2009

Attended Gurteen's Knowledge Cafe at the BCS yesterday evening. Theme was new knowledge technologies. Chris Yapp reckoned we are nowhere near an effective retrieval system for the world's knowledge - how can human consciousness be replicated? There is evidence that people raised on connection to IT devices have a shorter attention span. I joined conversations at 3 tables. Ideas were: how can Google find stuff when it only searches a fraction of websites. Clouds will compare speeches by Busha and Obama by counting words such as freedom. Everything we write, photograph, have a recording of, can be miniaturised into a portable device - our whole life experience. But what a job tagging that lot with metadata! Concerns were raised in plenary about privacy and identity in a fully digitised and connected future. A good meeting, a bit crowded, but as usual great for networking and hearing latest trends.

Wikis on international development and relief

Have been consulting Wikiindex.org to find wikis on the concerns of development NGOs. There is one on the Millennium Development Goals, but little else. And the only disaster relief and management wiki is one on the Tsunami which has not been modified since 2006.

Starting to research VOIP. Using softphone makes it possible to use the same number wherever you are, while an analog telephone adapter (ATA) limits the phone to one jack. As VOIP uses broadband it's possible to fold in other simultaneous calls as well as other broadband applications like audio conferencing.

Global Voices Weblog Search

Am adding Global Voices Weblog Search - it may reveal blogs from NGO workers in the field and produce useful local and indigenous knowledge.

Lotus Notes & Domino 8

Am trawling through the IBM website for case studies. Lotus seems to have been going a long time, it's got that old-IBM feel. Not sure how much it has been affected by social software.