Business & management:
• If you’re getting more involved in adding content to Citynet pages (or in the case of Libraries, the website) you may want to read about the “sandwich” approach to content writing (known in journalism as the “inverted triangle”).
• Business Week’s current issue includes a special report “Trouble at work” which uses the feedback from the journal’s readers to help put together the content. Issues in covered in both articles and videos are work-life balance, toxic bosses, an interview with the author of Good to great, being entrepreneurs, leadership, time management and managing Gen X and Gen Y.
• An earlier Business Week article answers the question “Are social networking sites useful for business?”
• Traditional workplaces are not meeting the needs of the 21st century knowledge economy, and many companies that require creative thought and collaborative work are using or working towards a more mobile and flexible approach to designing their workplaces. (A NZ office furniture company has invested a lot in research that discovered how people like to work, and designing an award-winning concept.)
• A recent survey of over 6 000 employees around the world provides a profile of how employees currently learn at work and how their learning preferences are changing.
• A groundbreaking study into the adoption of social media within the Inc. 500, an elite group of the fastest-growing companies in the US, shows in just a year, the number of companies in this group that think social media is “very important” has almost doubled to 46%.
• In a future business world of distributed decision-making and global project teams working in digital rather than face-to-face environments, effective future leaders may be the people who have gained their leadership skills in online multiplayer gaming worlds.
Education:
• A few years ago, there was a backlash against a sharp rise in printed journal subscription prices, which helped to increase numbers of open source journals freely available on the Internet. Now that the price trend for academic-level textbooks has also shot up, professors are turning to open source textbooks as an alternative to expensive print editions.
• Latest figures estimate that three-quarters of British higher education institutions are involved in Second Life in some way, and that “the virtual world is becoming crowded”.
• A recent article proposing that Google is “making us stupid” has raised a lot of discussion, but has also raised another question: “Is Google making our e-learning stupid?”
Environment & sustainability:
• “Garden grabbing” is the name given to developments that take over garden spaces in suburbs in the UK. While some dismiss opposition as “nimby” behaviour, growing numbers of people are concerned at the loss of garden space in towns and cities.
• Researchers have found that coal burning in Western Europe and North America has been a prime source of heavy metal pollution in the Arctic.
• As more countries implement biofuels policies and laws, pressure increases on the suppliers to be able to prove that the source and sustainability of their "renewable fuels" doesn’t cause more environmental damage.
• World Water Week has been under way in Stockholm this week, with discussions on overuse of water, sanitation and health, and the water crisis behind the food crisis.
• Geothermal power is experiencing steady but largely unnoticed growth in America and is used in all 50 states. Even Google is investing millions in geothermal energy.
Health & wellbeing:
• The more quickly bird flu is identified in a suspected case, the more likely the person suffering will be to survive. British scientists are developing a portable testing machine that will detect the bird flu in 2 hours, rather than the week it would usually take.
Law & Government:
• The government has announced the New Zealand Disability Strategy implementation review report. The report reviews progress by central government agencies between 2001 and 2007.
• The design for the Royal Canal Linear Park in Dublin has been released after 3 years of planning. The park will cover 6 hectares of the Docklands, and include a floating garden.
People, culture & diversity:
• The UN has launched the new public access database Global databank on world trade in creative products. The database currently shows data for global trade flows for 1996-2006 of creative products,such as music, audiovisuals, newspapers and electronic publishing.
Science, technology & transport:
• While some of us are just starting to get our heads around what “Web 3.0” will mean for us in the future, “Web 2.0” is a term that has become increasingly familiar – Library 2.0 is familiar to librarians, but then there’s Enterprise 2.0 and Government 2.0.
• The National Library facilitates a website called NZresearch, intended to “connect research users from around the world to research documents produced in New Zealand institutions”, i.e. the full text of the documents. RSS feeds of recently added documents are available from the site and can throw up some interesting results – for example, a piece of research analysing the effectiveness of future trends scenarios, using a case study of transportation fuel supply in NZ.
• IEEE Spectrum has published an article on smart parking, that describes one city using sensors embedded in each parking space, and another using a digital imaging system that takes photographs of parked cars instead of needing to chalk tyres. More information on smart parking can be found in the Transit Connections section of the Innovative Mobility Research website from the Transportation Sustainability Research Centre (TSRC) at the University of California, Berkeley
• The process of scientific discovery evolved from a secretive pursuit before science journals existed, to the “publish or perish” approach where a discovery is not truly complete until published, and the discoverer has gained the prestige and standing sought by publishing. The system has changed little in 300 years, but could change most rapidly in the next 20 years as scientific discovery moves towards more open collaboration.
• US car manufacturers are investing in research on “smart intersections” as another way of saving some of the three billion gallons of gas are wasted every year due to congestion
• A new study in the US has concluded that road tolls may be a fairer way of paying for road improvements than sales taxes and that the reasoning by some that says “congestion tolls” are inequitable is flawed.
• The IBM Institute for Business Value has discovered that the automotive industry believes that all vehicles in 2020 will have some level of hybridization.
Thursday, 21 August 2008
Thursday, 14 August 2008
From the LOGIS news alert subscriptions (ending 14/08):
Business & management:
• 2 reports on the non-profit sector in NZ have just been released: “The New Zealand Non-profit Sector in Comparative Perspective” and “The History of the Non-profit Sector in New Zealand”. Figures in the report show that volunteers make up two thirds of the sector’s workforce, and philanthropic giving is 1.1% of GDP.
• The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report which uses data collated by Unitec: “The Entrepreneurial Advantage of World Cities”, is also available via a Dutch website that provides a range of other reports on entrepreneurship.
• A UK council has developed a “cultural revolution” strategy that takes a comprehensive approach to developing a workforce with both the attitudes and the skills needed to deliver their strategic ambitions.
• Dell is launching a range of new laptops aimed at the “digital nomad” – the workers who have no fixed office and visit many sites or customers during the day.
• “Unchaining Value: Innovative approaches to sustainable supply” is a report that argues that companies should redefine the goals of supply chain management from creating more value at less cost for the company, to creating more value for all supply chain participants at a lower cost to constrained global resources.
Environment & sustainability:
• The UN’s Global Environment Facility has launched a US$27 million project to provide better protection for bees, bats and birds that are essential pollinators in the world’s crop production.
• The Ministry of Health’s latest report on problem gambling shows that problem gambling services do work.
• The community gardens that began in the UK as a result of wartime need, are making a come-back in areas with dense housing schemes.
• Green roofs provide a wide range of environmental advantages (including the reduction of the urban heat island effect), as well as benefits to owners or occupiers.
• Microsoft and Verdiem have produced a free software tool to help save energy usage on PCs.
Health & wellbeing:
• University of Otago research on housing and health shows that the risk of infection with TB is increased where there is household crowding, and is still an important infectious disease in NZ.
• A report on community engagement and health in the UK explores the importance of engaging communities in health promotion and health services, and the health benefits that this can bring.
Law & Government:
• Proposed measures to combat terrorism are raising concerns in the UK. A consultation paper that plans to give local councils and other public bodies the power to monitor e-mail and internet traffic is being branded a "snoopers' charter".
People, culture & diversity:
• The Ministry of Social Development will be releasing the 2008 edition of The Social Report on its publications web pages on August 21st
• While e-book availability is on the increase, with readers remaining expensive and no single format for downloads, the e-book revolution is still not here.
• New UK research shows that children are being deprived of adventurous play, and a campaign highlights the need for children to experience risky and challenging play in order to ensure they are able to manage risk in their daily lives
Science, technology & transport:
• The Steering Board of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (which is UN-backed) has endorsed a first draft of a new global sustainability standard for biofuels to assess their economic, social and environmental effects.
• Yahoo’s introduction of its Fire Eagle software, which lets users manage information on where they are, is raising concerns about privacy.
• Colleges and universities in the US are using bike share programs to address concerns about the environment, traffic congestion, fuel and parking costs and wellness.
• A new green high-speed train is to be trialled in Sweden, that can use existing rail tracks and could achieve its goal of cutting energy consumption by 20 to 30 percent and lowering both journey times and operational costs.
• One year after Velib was launched, the Paris bike-sharing programme using 16 000 bikes at 1 200 parking spots, the city is looking at starting a car sharing programme using electric cars called Autolib, with 2 000 cars within Paris and 2,000 in the city's suburbs.
• New York City’s Dept of Transportation has enabled an event called Summer Streets to take place, by preventing car traffic on 7 miles of city streets for a day.
• 2 reports on the non-profit sector in NZ have just been released: “The New Zealand Non-profit Sector in Comparative Perspective” and “The History of the Non-profit Sector in New Zealand”. Figures in the report show that volunteers make up two thirds of the sector’s workforce, and philanthropic giving is 1.1% of GDP.
• The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report which uses data collated by Unitec: “The Entrepreneurial Advantage of World Cities”, is also available via a Dutch website that provides a range of other reports on entrepreneurship.
• A UK council has developed a “cultural revolution” strategy that takes a comprehensive approach to developing a workforce with both the attitudes and the skills needed to deliver their strategic ambitions.
• Dell is launching a range of new laptops aimed at the “digital nomad” – the workers who have no fixed office and visit many sites or customers during the day.
• “Unchaining Value: Innovative approaches to sustainable supply” is a report that argues that companies should redefine the goals of supply chain management from creating more value at less cost for the company, to creating more value for all supply chain participants at a lower cost to constrained global resources.
Environment & sustainability:
• The UN’s Global Environment Facility has launched a US$27 million project to provide better protection for bees, bats and birds that are essential pollinators in the world’s crop production.
• The Ministry of Health’s latest report on problem gambling shows that problem gambling services do work.
• The community gardens that began in the UK as a result of wartime need, are making a come-back in areas with dense housing schemes.
• Green roofs provide a wide range of environmental advantages (including the reduction of the urban heat island effect), as well as benefits to owners or occupiers.
• Microsoft and Verdiem have produced a free software tool to help save energy usage on PCs.
Health & wellbeing:
• University of Otago research on housing and health shows that the risk of infection with TB is increased where there is household crowding, and is still an important infectious disease in NZ.
• A report on community engagement and health in the UK explores the importance of engaging communities in health promotion and health services, and the health benefits that this can bring.
Law & Government:
• Proposed measures to combat terrorism are raising concerns in the UK. A consultation paper that plans to give local councils and other public bodies the power to monitor e-mail and internet traffic is being branded a "snoopers' charter".
People, culture & diversity:
• The Ministry of Social Development will be releasing the 2008 edition of The Social Report on its publications web pages on August 21st
• While e-book availability is on the increase, with readers remaining expensive and no single format for downloads, the e-book revolution is still not here.
• New UK research shows that children are being deprived of adventurous play, and a campaign highlights the need for children to experience risky and challenging play in order to ensure they are able to manage risk in their daily lives
Science, technology & transport:
• The Steering Board of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (which is UN-backed) has endorsed a first draft of a new global sustainability standard for biofuels to assess their economic, social and environmental effects.
• Yahoo’s introduction of its Fire Eagle software, which lets users manage information on where they are, is raising concerns about privacy.
• Colleges and universities in the US are using bike share programs to address concerns about the environment, traffic congestion, fuel and parking costs and wellness.
• A new green high-speed train is to be trialled in Sweden, that can use existing rail tracks and could achieve its goal of cutting energy consumption by 20 to 30 percent and lowering both journey times and operational costs.
• One year after Velib was launched, the Paris bike-sharing programme using 16 000 bikes at 1 200 parking spots, the city is looking at starting a car sharing programme using electric cars called Autolib, with 2 000 cars within Paris and 2,000 in the city's suburbs.
• New York City’s Dept of Transportation has enabled an event called Summer Streets to take place, by preventing car traffic on 7 miles of city streets for a day.
Friday, 8 August 2008
From the LOGIS news alert subscriptions (ending 07/08):
Business & management:
• The Human Rights Commission has launched Getting a job, an A to Z of pre-employment guidelines, a guide to the rights and responsibilities of both job seekers and employers. The guide includes examples of questions that should not be asked at interviews, and some of the issues covered range from body piercings and credit checks, to sexual harassment and drug testing.
• The OECD has published a report on the future of the Internet economy, that provides policy directions and guidance in 20 areas
Education
• A new website called Success for boys was launched this week, to help schools meet the educational needs of boys. An ERO report was also released: Boys’ Education: Good Practice in Secondary Schools.
Environment & sustainability:
• NZ’s environmental labelling programme Environmental Choice has won international recognition as a world leader. A UK analysis of 207 worldwide standards for measuring environmental sustainability of products aimed to present the British Government with the world’s best practice organisations in this field, to aid government procurement policy.
• Home renovators should read a new guide jointly produced by the Department of Building and Housing and the Ministry for the Environment: “A beginner’s guide to resource and building consent processes”.
• The International Code Council aims to provide the highest quality codes, standards, products, and services for all concerned with the safety and performance of the built environment. It now has a section on its website dedicated to green building.
• The former CEO of Intel proposes an energy policy for the US that’s based on “sticky” energy with multiple sources and all vehicles ultimately running on electricity only.
Health & wellbeing:
• A new Code of Practice for Outdoor Pyrotechnic Displays has been released by the Environmental Risk Management Authority, which aims to improve operator and public safety at displays. The new code has been prompted by injuries to people attending public displays during Guy Fawkes last year.
• The report on child poverty “A Fair Go for all Children: actions to address child poverty in New Zealand” has just been released.
Law & Government:
• New Yorkers may soon be able to send photos or video from their cell phones directly to the police department’s computers.
• Cyber criminals have found another way to use social networking sites to steal and download data.
• A US commentator looks back on his predictions in 1981 and 1995 about crime in the future to see what he got right and wrong, and makes further predictions for cybercrime in 2025.
People, culture & diversity:
• Recommended.co.nz is a website that provides thinking and advice from experts and consumers in the form of moderated independent recommendations on things to do and where to go around New Zealand, movies, books and health.
• The number of women blogging on the Internet is growing (36 million women who read and write blogs), providing a huge influence on who buys what.
• Microsoft researchers looking into instant messaging have found that the six degrees theory may be almost right.
• The Futurist magazine publishes the Outlook report every year, containing the year’s most thought provoking ideas and forecasts.
Science, technology & transport:
• In the follow-up to a 6-week trial to scrap vehicles in Auckland & provide incentives to the owners to use public transport, almost half of those who responded said that they’d been encouraged to make more use of public transport as a result of the trial.
• The recent NZ Walking Conference has some of the papers presented available on the website in the “Latest updates” section.
• Walkscore is a US website that ranks neighbourhoods in American cities, by their walkability, ie by ranking addresses according to the location of nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc.
• A recent Transport for London report has shown that although the number of cars entering central London has fallen significantly since the charge was introduced, congestion levels inside the affected area have not changed.
• The internet industry is looking at ways to increase the amount of data that can be moved on the fibre optic cables that serve the network, in an attempt to cope with the doubling of internet traffic every year.
• Midori is the name of Microsoft’s future operating system post-Windows – the company’s researchers are looking at software that will cut the dependencies that tie Windows to a single PC
• Laptops have a built-in device to protect the hard drive from damage if they are dropped – scientists are now using it to give warning of earthquakes.
• The Human Rights Commission has launched Getting a job, an A to Z of pre-employment guidelines, a guide to the rights and responsibilities of both job seekers and employers. The guide includes examples of questions that should not be asked at interviews, and some of the issues covered range from body piercings and credit checks, to sexual harassment and drug testing.
• The OECD has published a report on the future of the Internet economy, that provides policy directions and guidance in 20 areas
Education
• A new website called Success for boys was launched this week, to help schools meet the educational needs of boys. An ERO report was also released: Boys’ Education: Good Practice in Secondary Schools.
Environment & sustainability:
• NZ’s environmental labelling programme Environmental Choice has won international recognition as a world leader. A UK analysis of 207 worldwide standards for measuring environmental sustainability of products aimed to present the British Government with the world’s best practice organisations in this field, to aid government procurement policy.
• Home renovators should read a new guide jointly produced by the Department of Building and Housing and the Ministry for the Environment: “A beginner’s guide to resource and building consent processes”.
• The International Code Council aims to provide the highest quality codes, standards, products, and services for all concerned with the safety and performance of the built environment. It now has a section on its website dedicated to green building.
• The former CEO of Intel proposes an energy policy for the US that’s based on “sticky” energy with multiple sources and all vehicles ultimately running on electricity only.
Health & wellbeing:
• A new Code of Practice for Outdoor Pyrotechnic Displays has been released by the Environmental Risk Management Authority, which aims to improve operator and public safety at displays. The new code has been prompted by injuries to people attending public displays during Guy Fawkes last year.
• The report on child poverty “A Fair Go for all Children: actions to address child poverty in New Zealand” has just been released.
Law & Government:
• New Yorkers may soon be able to send photos or video from their cell phones directly to the police department’s computers.
• Cyber criminals have found another way to use social networking sites to steal and download data.
• A US commentator looks back on his predictions in 1981 and 1995 about crime in the future to see what he got right and wrong, and makes further predictions for cybercrime in 2025.
People, culture & diversity:
• Recommended.co.nz is a website that provides thinking and advice from experts and consumers in the form of moderated independent recommendations on things to do and where to go around New Zealand, movies, books and health.
• The number of women blogging on the Internet is growing (36 million women who read and write blogs), providing a huge influence on who buys what.
• Microsoft researchers looking into instant messaging have found that the six degrees theory may be almost right.
• The Futurist magazine publishes the Outlook report every year, containing the year’s most thought provoking ideas and forecasts.
Science, technology & transport:
• In the follow-up to a 6-week trial to scrap vehicles in Auckland & provide incentives to the owners to use public transport, almost half of those who responded said that they’d been encouraged to make more use of public transport as a result of the trial.
• The recent NZ Walking Conference has some of the papers presented available on the website in the “Latest updates” section.
• Walkscore is a US website that ranks neighbourhoods in American cities, by their walkability, ie by ranking addresses according to the location of nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc.
• A recent Transport for London report has shown that although the number of cars entering central London has fallen significantly since the charge was introduced, congestion levels inside the affected area have not changed.
• The internet industry is looking at ways to increase the amount of data that can be moved on the fibre optic cables that serve the network, in an attempt to cope with the doubling of internet traffic every year.
• Midori is the name of Microsoft’s future operating system post-Windows – the company’s researchers are looking at software that will cut the dependencies that tie Windows to a single PC
• Laptops have a built-in device to protect the hard drive from damage if they are dropped – scientists are now using it to give warning of earthquakes.
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