Business & management:
• The Dept of Labour has used 2006 Census data to develop a profile of NZers who work long hours.
• Research from Symantec shows that the key driver for 90 percent of small to medium businesses to secure and manage their information is the risk of losing valuable data and that security risks from mobile devices and Web 2.0 applications such as social networking are key areas of concern.
• The 2008 edition of the World Knowledge Competitiveness Index compares 145 regions across 19 knowledge economy benchmarks. While Silicon Valley still ranks at the top as a knowledge region, Asian and European regions are showing improvements, American regions have seen an overall decline.
• In a US survey on urban development, a quarter of Americans said that they or a family member had actively opposed a development project, with 78% of Americans thinking that there should be no new development in their community.
Environment & sustainability:
• The Ministry for Environment has released a guidance manual (Coastal hazards and climate change: A guidance manual for local government in New Zealand) and an overview report (Preparing for climate change: A guide for local government in New Zealand – an updated edition). These documents provide guidance for local government on how to consider hazards such as storm surge and high waves, along with specific advice on sea level rise.
• US investors are applying increased pressure on publicly traded corporations to study, analyze, and disclose the risks associated with the threat of climate change.
Health & wellbeing:
• The Mediterranean diet promoted globally as the way to stay slim, healthy and long-lived is gradually disappearing from the region. As countries around the Mediterranean become more affluent, what they now eat is “too fat, too salty and too sweet”.
Law & Government:
• “igovt” is the trusted secure access to online NZ government services. The ultimate intention is that most government agencies will use igovt.
• A ratification vote on a treaty claim will be using an e-voting system that includes internet voting to help ensure a quick count. A combination of consultation hui, postal voting and online internet voting will be used.
• A new free tool is available that helps business people assess their business’s capabilities in areas such as leadership and planning. The tool is an initiative of the Business Capability Partnership, a consortium of business groups, economic development agencies and government agencies.
• California is the first state in the USA to adopt a state-wide green building code, with the code remaining voluntary until 2010. (San Francisco also recently recommended new strict green building codes.)
People, culture & diversity:
• A Victoria University professor is interested in what a country’s parliamentary architecture tells us about democracy and national identity.
Science, technology & transport:
• University of Otago research and overseas research shows that there are 3 factors with SUVs that can compromise their safety, but in NZ, SUVs are less involved in accidents than other vehicle types.
• The full World Internet Project NZ survey is available from the AUT website – the report shows that Internet usage is influenced by age (but not gender), affluence and location, safety for children is a concern, and the Internet is rated very highly as a source of information.
• Hewlett Packard is investing in research on a "central nervous system for the Earth", known as CeNSE. The intention is to use trillions of sensors to monitor the health of the Earth and use the information to head off natural calamities such as large scale flooding or wildfires.
• A British reporter decided to check out how “friendly” cities other than London are to electric cars (Westminster is one of the few local councils to supply a high number of public electric charging points for electric vehicles.).
Thursday, 31 July 2008
Thursday, 24 July 2008
From the LOGIS news alert subscriptions (ending 24/07):
Business & management:
• The chief executive of the Fenland District Council has shared his list of ‘top tips’ for transforming a council’s culture and performance. And from the same website, a senior manager’s checklist for joining up workforce strategies.
• A new group made up of academics and researchers from companies including IBM, Intel, Google and Microsoft, has been formed to research and build awareness of the world's greatest challenge to productivity: information overload
• A recent study on corporate social networks (i.e. online “communities”) called “The tribalization of business” shows that in spite of heavy investment in them by companies, user numbers may be mostly low. One commentator thinks they are a waste of time.
• The concept of a community of practice is now part of organisational development and knowledge management (KM). A commentator on KM suggests a low cost KM program using blogs, and he focuses “on the functionality that has been touted but rarely delivered by communities of practice.”
Education
• Will Knol eventually compete one day with Wikipedia? While Wikipedia has anonymity of the author at its heart, Google’s new Knol website lets people see who writes the articles and allows ranking of pages by popularity.
• A recent Science article “Electronic publishing and the narrowing of science and scholarship” suggests that having journals available online to researchers and scholars, rather than in print formats, “may accelerate consensus and narrow the range of findings and ideas built upon”. (Ironically, the Libraries Digital Library no longer provides online access to current issues of Science journal – but Central still has the print edition…..)
• UK students sitting a chemistry exam made up of questions from the last 5 decades, performed better on more recent questions than on the oldest, and the average score was 25%
Environment & sustainability:
• A Forbes Special Report on water is available that covers issues like the fresh water shortage crisis, bottled vs tap water, water investments and a global water use map.
• Europe is seriously looking at the possibility of having clean electricity provided by giant solar farms in the Sahara Desert.
• Quality parks and green spaces in the UK are set to receive awards this week, with winners judged to be welcoming and well maintained with the support and involvement of the local community.
• The UK’s new Housing and Regeneration Bill is going through parliament, introducing new Community Land Trusts as another method to provide affordable housing.
• A UK council has re-introduced grazing to its urban parks after a 50-year absence, using rare breeds to improve the environment and provide community benefits.
• A controversial £500m plan to build thousands of homes may place Bath’s World Heritage site status under threat, with the local council also expressing concern.
Health & wellbeing:
• “Karoshi” or death from overwork is again being highlighted in Japan, where a Toyota employee who had been working more than 80 hours overtime a month died suddenly. Toyota is expected to soon overtake General Motors as the world’s biggest carmaker
Law & Government:
• The University of Michigan’s Urban Planning Program provides a “completely optional” urban planning summer reading list of books updated every year. Suggested titles range through classics of the 1960s to the latest publications.
People, culture & diversity:
• A British commentator has suggested that, to reduce knife crimes and create a sense of community in the city, perhaps a leaf should be taken out of the book of the ex-mayor of Bogota, Colombia.
• “Immigration and social cohesion in the UK: the rhythms and realities of everyday life” is a report drawing on material from 6 different UK sites. In another report from the same foundation, research looks at how organisations can “personalise” public services, rather than use 'one-size-fits-all' approaches: “Person-centred support: what service users and practitioners say”.
• The UK Audit Commission’s report “Don’t stop me now: preparing for an ageing population” has suggested that local councils do more to create an environment in which people thrive as they age, and avoid stereotyping of the aging.
• Multi-tasking, information overload and inattention – some believe that becoming distracted and unable to dedicate enough attention to things can be as dangerous as cigarette smoking. “Distracted : the erosion of attention and the coming Dark Age” is on order in Libraries.
Science, technology & transport:
• The University of Oxford’s e-Horizons project is “focused on critically assessing competing visions of the future of media, information and communication technologies and their societal implications”.
• According to a government report, the toxic nuclear site at Sellafield in the UK will not be safe for over 100 years.
• A new solar technology could be used to convert glass buildings into vast energy plants.
• The potential for using mobile phone technology in conservation and development areas of the world, is huge.
• The chief executive of the Fenland District Council has shared his list of ‘top tips’ for transforming a council’s culture and performance. And from the same website, a senior manager’s checklist for joining up workforce strategies.
• A new group made up of academics and researchers from companies including IBM, Intel, Google and Microsoft, has been formed to research and build awareness of the world's greatest challenge to productivity: information overload
• A recent study on corporate social networks (i.e. online “communities”) called “The tribalization of business” shows that in spite of heavy investment in them by companies, user numbers may be mostly low. One commentator thinks they are a waste of time.
• The concept of a community of practice is now part of organisational development and knowledge management (KM). A commentator on KM suggests a low cost KM program using blogs, and he focuses “on the functionality that has been touted but rarely delivered by communities of practice.”
Education
• Will Knol eventually compete one day with Wikipedia? While Wikipedia has anonymity of the author at its heart, Google’s new Knol website lets people see who writes the articles and allows ranking of pages by popularity.
• A recent Science article “Electronic publishing and the narrowing of science and scholarship” suggests that having journals available online to researchers and scholars, rather than in print formats, “may accelerate consensus and narrow the range of findings and ideas built upon”. (Ironically, the Libraries Digital Library no longer provides online access to current issues of Science journal – but Central still has the print edition…..)
• UK students sitting a chemistry exam made up of questions from the last 5 decades, performed better on more recent questions than on the oldest, and the average score was 25%
Environment & sustainability:
• A Forbes Special Report on water is available that covers issues like the fresh water shortage crisis, bottled vs tap water, water investments and a global water use map.
• Europe is seriously looking at the possibility of having clean electricity provided by giant solar farms in the Sahara Desert.
• Quality parks and green spaces in the UK are set to receive awards this week, with winners judged to be welcoming and well maintained with the support and involvement of the local community.
• The UK’s new Housing and Regeneration Bill is going through parliament, introducing new Community Land Trusts as another method to provide affordable housing.
• A UK council has re-introduced grazing to its urban parks after a 50-year absence, using rare breeds to improve the environment and provide community benefits.
• A controversial £500m plan to build thousands of homes may place Bath’s World Heritage site status under threat, with the local council also expressing concern.
Health & wellbeing:
• “Karoshi” or death from overwork is again being highlighted in Japan, where a Toyota employee who had been working more than 80 hours overtime a month died suddenly. Toyota is expected to soon overtake General Motors as the world’s biggest carmaker
Law & Government:
• The University of Michigan’s Urban Planning Program provides a “completely optional” urban planning summer reading list of books updated every year. Suggested titles range through classics of the 1960s to the latest publications.
People, culture & diversity:
• A British commentator has suggested that, to reduce knife crimes and create a sense of community in the city, perhaps a leaf should be taken out of the book of the ex-mayor of Bogota, Colombia.
• “Immigration and social cohesion in the UK: the rhythms and realities of everyday life” is a report drawing on material from 6 different UK sites. In another report from the same foundation, research looks at how organisations can “personalise” public services, rather than use 'one-size-fits-all' approaches: “Person-centred support: what service users and practitioners say”.
• The UK Audit Commission’s report “Don’t stop me now: preparing for an ageing population” has suggested that local councils do more to create an environment in which people thrive as they age, and avoid stereotyping of the aging.
• Multi-tasking, information overload and inattention – some believe that becoming distracted and unable to dedicate enough attention to things can be as dangerous as cigarette smoking. “Distracted : the erosion of attention and the coming Dark Age” is on order in Libraries.
Science, technology & transport:
• The University of Oxford’s e-Horizons project is “focused on critically assessing competing visions of the future of media, information and communication technologies and their societal implications”.
• According to a government report, the toxic nuclear site at Sellafield in the UK will not be safe for over 100 years.
• A new solar technology could be used to convert glass buildings into vast energy plants.
• The potential for using mobile phone technology in conservation and development areas of the world, is huge.
Thursday, 10 July 2008
From the LOGIS news alert subscriptions (ending 10/07):
There will be no post next week, due to the LOGIS Librarian being on leave.
Business & management:
• Even after 10 years, Google as a company still manages to “instill a sense of creative fearlessness and ambition”, even as it has grown to more than 16,000 employees.
• We all use spreadsheets in our work, but how well do we use them? There are a range of tools in Excel that can make reading or understanding data quicker or easier.
• Although not all of them are working due to financial need, 12% of pensioners are working in the UK and the number of retirement-age workers has risen by almost a quarter in the last 3 years.
• There was a time when some companies took time to make an investment in the Web, because “it’s for kids and geeks”. History may be repeating itself with the way companies are slow to take on social media.
• A recent article by a New York Times columnist on using social networking tools to cut down his incoming emails by 80% has generated discussion and blog posts.
•Data visualization is now easier with the website “many eyes”. If you register, you can upload your own datasets and create visualizations, start a discussion forum, and be alerted to comments about your datasets.
• Auckland has been rated 8th on a list of Australian favourite international destinations for business travel.
Education
• There is a belief that there are not enough resources to build all the campuses needed to cater for the growing number of students wanting higher education. The Internet is having an impact on the kind of education students need and on the means of providing it.
• Becta is the UK Government's lead agency for ICT in education, and has released a revised learning e-strategy: “Harnessing Technology: Next Generation Learning 2008-14”.
• The iPphone has truly arrived in NZ, but a European company that develops software to deliver e-learning within companies, has become the first to offer companies mobile e-learning via the iPhone.
Environment & sustainability:
• In the article “An Oceans Manifesto: The Present Global Crisis”, the author looks at how the international community can avoid the ecological destruction of the oceans without diverting attention or draining scarce resources from other pressing national and international concerns.
• The growing scarcity of fresh water is believed by some to be as serious a threat as global warming but is “under-reported in the … media and ignored by most political leaders”. In one scenario by Maude Barlow, author of Blue Covenant, a “powerful corporate water cartel has emerged to seize control of every aspect of water for its own profit” – water becomes a high-priced, traded commodity, and Barlow advocates for public stewardship of fresh water resources in order to avoid this future.
• A recent Scientific American article talks about handling climate change as an ethical question.
• A private members bill will be introduced to the Australian Capital Territory legislative assembly later this year that proposes that people would be offered the financial incentive to generate their own energy from a renewable source and be paid for the electricity they put back into the grid at a higher rate.
• The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), the NZ Council of Trade Unions (CTU) and Business New Zealand are working together to develop an industry training programme to improve energy efficiency in the workplace.
• The Gas Association of NZ and the LPG Association have jointly commissioned a report that says that direct use of gas for domestic water and space heating could cut NZ’s CO2 output by millions of tonnes per year.
Health & wellbeing:
• The UK children’s minister is suggesting that children under the age of 16 should be locked into school grounds over lunch hours, to prevent them from leaving school to buy junk food.
• The European Commission is proposing to establish a European Union-wide scheme to provide free fruit and vegetables to school children in an effort to improve health and nutrition.
• While gaming has been known to cause injuries to those who play too much, virtual games can also have beneficial effects on your health.
Law & Government:
• A UN document “Civic engagement in public policies : a toolkit” is available, that provides a toolkit for fostering the engagement of civil society, the private sector and citizens in general in public policies at all levels and types of government. (Also held in print format in the Libraries UN collection).
• A UK commentator writes from the British perspective on the economics of nationalisation versus privatization, comparing NZ with the UK.
• Richmond, California suffers from poverty and violence. The municipal government is sponsoring a programme that enrols inner-city youths for job training in energy efficiency, solar power and “green” construction.
• The UK government has just released a white paper that covers “proposals to deliver a fundamental shift in power, influence and responsibility into the hands of communities and citizens”, giving locals more ability to hold councils to account.
• Although the result wouldn’t be affected, glitches in the electronic counting system used in the London mayoral election are highlighting ongoing concerns about their use in voting.
• A UK town has imposed a curfew on teenagers in an attempt to curb “antisocial behaviour”
• Web commentator Gerry McGovern talks about how the Web has affected the way people do or don’t place their trust in experts and organisations any more.
• Fast Company.Com has released the 2008 list of their “Fast Cities” – cities that are “vibrant, creative, and growing, full of life and bursting with diversity in race, in culture, and in business”.
People, culture & diversity:
• Librarians have been discussing the role of gaming in libraries to attract young readers for some time, and the American Library Association has promoted the concept at its recent conference.
• “Asians in New Zealand: implications of a changing demography” has just been released by the Asia New Zealand Foundation. The report shows that NZ’s dependence on the Asian region economically will mean that the Asian population in NZ will continue to grow.
• A discussion document has been released as part of a review of outdoor recreation in NZ, with the review aiming to revitalize the sector.
Science, technology & transport:
• The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has published a report on public transport: “The value of new public transport in deprived areas: who benefits, how and why?”
• The sci-fi theme of a having a persona that can move around inside a virtual world has been around for a while, and many individual virtual worlds now exist online. One company has gone a step further, and created a way that an avatar can leave virtual worlds like Second Life behind, and roam across the Web.
• Google plans to launch its new Street View mapping tool in the UK, but could face problems due to differences in the privacy laws there, from those in the US.
• A new study suggests that Internet browser software should have a “best before” date as a way to educate users that they need to regular refresh and update their browser software to avoid security issues.
• A flaw in the Internet’s addressing system could allow criminals to redirect users to fake web pages, even if they typed the correct address into a browser.
Business & management:
• Even after 10 years, Google as a company still manages to “instill a sense of creative fearlessness and ambition”, even as it has grown to more than 16,000 employees.
• We all use spreadsheets in our work, but how well do we use them? There are a range of tools in Excel that can make reading or understanding data quicker or easier.
• Although not all of them are working due to financial need, 12% of pensioners are working in the UK and the number of retirement-age workers has risen by almost a quarter in the last 3 years.
• There was a time when some companies took time to make an investment in the Web, because “it’s for kids and geeks”. History may be repeating itself with the way companies are slow to take on social media.
• A recent article by a New York Times columnist on using social networking tools to cut down his incoming emails by 80% has generated discussion and blog posts.
•Data visualization is now easier with the website “many eyes”. If you register, you can upload your own datasets and create visualizations, start a discussion forum, and be alerted to comments about your datasets.
• Auckland has been rated 8th on a list of Australian favourite international destinations for business travel.
Education
• There is a belief that there are not enough resources to build all the campuses needed to cater for the growing number of students wanting higher education. The Internet is having an impact on the kind of education students need and on the means of providing it.
• Becta is the UK Government's lead agency for ICT in education, and has released a revised learning e-strategy: “Harnessing Technology: Next Generation Learning 2008-14”.
• The iPphone has truly arrived in NZ, but a European company that develops software to deliver e-learning within companies, has become the first to offer companies mobile e-learning via the iPhone.
Environment & sustainability:
• In the article “An Oceans Manifesto: The Present Global Crisis”, the author looks at how the international community can avoid the ecological destruction of the oceans without diverting attention or draining scarce resources from other pressing national and international concerns.
• The growing scarcity of fresh water is believed by some to be as serious a threat as global warming but is “under-reported in the … media and ignored by most political leaders”. In one scenario by Maude Barlow, author of Blue Covenant, a “powerful corporate water cartel has emerged to seize control of every aspect of water for its own profit” – water becomes a high-priced, traded commodity, and Barlow advocates for public stewardship of fresh water resources in order to avoid this future.
• A recent Scientific American article talks about handling climate change as an ethical question.
• A private members bill will be introduced to the Australian Capital Territory legislative assembly later this year that proposes that people would be offered the financial incentive to generate their own energy from a renewable source and be paid for the electricity they put back into the grid at a higher rate.
• The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), the NZ Council of Trade Unions (CTU) and Business New Zealand are working together to develop an industry training programme to improve energy efficiency in the workplace.
• The Gas Association of NZ and the LPG Association have jointly commissioned a report that says that direct use of gas for domestic water and space heating could cut NZ’s CO2 output by millions of tonnes per year.
Health & wellbeing:
• The UK children’s minister is suggesting that children under the age of 16 should be locked into school grounds over lunch hours, to prevent them from leaving school to buy junk food.
• The European Commission is proposing to establish a European Union-wide scheme to provide free fruit and vegetables to school children in an effort to improve health and nutrition.
• While gaming has been known to cause injuries to those who play too much, virtual games can also have beneficial effects on your health.
Law & Government:
• A UN document “Civic engagement in public policies : a toolkit” is available, that provides a toolkit for fostering the engagement of civil society, the private sector and citizens in general in public policies at all levels and types of government. (Also held in print format in the Libraries UN collection).
• A UK commentator writes from the British perspective on the economics of nationalisation versus privatization, comparing NZ with the UK.
• Richmond, California suffers from poverty and violence. The municipal government is sponsoring a programme that enrols inner-city youths for job training in energy efficiency, solar power and “green” construction.
• The UK government has just released a white paper that covers “proposals to deliver a fundamental shift in power, influence and responsibility into the hands of communities and citizens”, giving locals more ability to hold councils to account.
• Although the result wouldn’t be affected, glitches in the electronic counting system used in the London mayoral election are highlighting ongoing concerns about their use in voting.
• A UK town has imposed a curfew on teenagers in an attempt to curb “antisocial behaviour”
• Web commentator Gerry McGovern talks about how the Web has affected the way people do or don’t place their trust in experts and organisations any more.
• Fast Company.Com has released the 2008 list of their “Fast Cities” – cities that are “vibrant, creative, and growing, full of life and bursting with diversity in race, in culture, and in business”.
People, culture & diversity:
• Librarians have been discussing the role of gaming in libraries to attract young readers for some time, and the American Library Association has promoted the concept at its recent conference.
• “Asians in New Zealand: implications of a changing demography” has just been released by the Asia New Zealand Foundation. The report shows that NZ’s dependence on the Asian region economically will mean that the Asian population in NZ will continue to grow.
• A discussion document has been released as part of a review of outdoor recreation in NZ, with the review aiming to revitalize the sector.
Science, technology & transport:
• The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has published a report on public transport: “The value of new public transport in deprived areas: who benefits, how and why?”
• The sci-fi theme of a having a persona that can move around inside a virtual world has been around for a while, and many individual virtual worlds now exist online. One company has gone a step further, and created a way that an avatar can leave virtual worlds like Second Life behind, and roam across the Web.
• Google plans to launch its new Street View mapping tool in the UK, but could face problems due to differences in the privacy laws there, from those in the US.
• A new study suggests that Internet browser software should have a “best before” date as a way to educate users that they need to regular refresh and update their browser software to avoid security issues.
• A flaw in the Internet’s addressing system could allow criminals to redirect users to fake web pages, even if they typed the correct address into a browser.
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