Thrilled to announce I'm prepping to shoot a new Q&A video series for Fast Company. Work Smart 2 will be a question and answer consultation with viewers and readers like you. If you've got a burning question to ask me about tech and productivity, this is your chance.
Here's how it works:
1. Email me at worksmart@fastcompany.com or leave a comment here on this post with your question. Topics might include things like email overload, mobile apps, cloud computing, productivity, or anything related to working and living saner, smarter and more efficiently with tech tools.
2. If we choose your submission, you and I will schedule a video Skype consultation where we record your question and my advice. I'll even call in some of my best tech-savvy expert friends for help.
3. We'll edit together the clip and run it on FastCompany.com and right here on Smarterware.
Interested in getting a little video Skype Q&A going? Here are the details. Can't wait to talk to you.
In the past three months Anil and I have been to events in six different cities talking about Expert Labs and how the White House used ThinkTank to compile feedback on the Grand Challenges initiative. At Fast Company's Innovation Uncensored event in New York City last month, Anil absolutely killed it in a 12 minute presentation that hits the nail right on the head. Press play to check it out.
Update: The signing offer's over and done with--thanks for buying the book!
What, you haven't bought your copy of The Complete Guide to Google Wave yet? And you've been meaning to? My friend, today is your lucky day.
Because I like you, and because I'd like to sell more books, I'm signing every single copy of The Complete Guide to Google Wave that gets ordered today, March 31st, between now and midnight Pacific time.
Just head on over to the book's web site, order up a copy of the paperback book, and before we pack and ship it your way I'll sign it with my favorite pen. I won't sign a sticker that someone else will slap into your book, I will sign YOUR ACTUAL BOOK. With care. First thing tomorrow morning, before the dude in the uniform comes to pick it up and happily delivers it to your doorstep. The paperback book is full-color, fits great in your hand and in your laptop bag, and costs $25. Half of that purchase price helps employ a developmentally disabled adult in my community.
Wave is made of the best futuristic stuff on the web, and it's worth sinking your teeth into. Grab a copy of the book, learn how to get your wave on, help out a great charity, and get a firsthand look at my chicken scratch handwriting. It's a win-win-win.
Did I mention that this virtual signing is for books purchased today only? The clock's a'ticking. Buy one now. (And thanks.)
Google says it's taking "a new approach to China" and will stop censoring search results there, even if it means they have to shut down Google.cn and their China offices. The announcement is a huge deal, and it set off some fantastic insta-commentary from tech writers on Twitter. My favorite, shown above, is courtesy of Joel Johnson. More inside.
“But Is There Internet on a Submarine…?” · Apparently the U.S. Navy is on the social media bandwagon, because this Friday they're taking a gaggle of San Diego tech bloggers--myself included--out for a day trip on a Los Angeles class nuclear submarine. This thing is the length of a frakkin' football field, descends between 650-950 feet under the sea, and comes equipped with a few Tomahawk cruise missiles. The nerd in me is very excited about seeing a sub in action, the claustrophobe in me is terrified, the peace-loving hippie in me is conflicted, and the skeptic in me wonders why the U.S. Navy's taking bloggers out on a junket. Guess I'll find out! My co-submariner Mitch has all the details of the upcoming trip; photos (of the unclassified stuff) to come this weekend. Update: Here's the local news segment on the trip. · January 12th, 2010, 6 comments
Attended my very first BarCamp here in San Diego this weekend, and came away from it super-impressed. BarCamp is a free, self-organizing unconference where the attendees are also the speakers. The schedule isn't set till the conference starts. At that point, everyone slaps a big Post-It note describing their session on a board in the time slot and room they want to talk in and away it all goes. I've been to several FOO Camps, the invite-only O'Reilly event that inspired the BarCamp movement, and I'll be honest: given FOO, I had low expectations for BarCamp. O'Reilly's in the business of holding tech conferences, and their events are always top drawer. I didn't think a DIY get-together whose funding was scraped together by local sponsors in the midst of a recession could even come close. Boy was I wrong.