Quick GDC Review Published in "The National Networker"

I had my first article published this week for The National Networker, giving a brief review the Game Developer's Conference (GDC), and the networking aspects to the event. I'll be posting a more detailed series of blogs over the next few days, but thought you might enjoy this high-level recap in the mean time.

The National Networker is a Monthly Publication that focuses on many different aspects of networking (geographic, profession, general interest, etc.) . It pretty much has something for everyone. The magazine tries to convey networking strategies beyond the usual tactics. I'm the Technology Editor for this magazine, and it gives me a chance to talk about Technology with a different crowd than my usual Geeks and Tech Heads!

(and yes, it's a little shameless self-promotion, but if you don't toot your own horn every now-and-then, others will use it as a spitoon! :) )

Let me know what you think, and what you might like to see in the column. Over the next few months I will be profiling certain technologies and uses for technology in the networking and online / Social Media / Social Computing space. Stay tuned...

Help Me! Help Me! (best said in a very tiny, sqeaky voice, laying on a spider web, at the end of a 1950's movie)

This is the coolest thing I've seen on the web in a LOOOOONG time. Why?

- it looks cool!
- imagine (and appreciate) the engineering the mechanical / electrical / computer engineering that went into making this. Now, contrast that with an average human's biological & computational engineering - realizing that many of us might not do so well.

Can't wait to see the next version!

The Good Folks Over At Common Craft

I really like what these guys do - very quick, easy & simple.

This is something my Grandmother would be able to understand!

PS - GDC review coming soon...!

Open the pod bay doors, HAL!

I'm writing this blog entry using Dragon NaturallySpeaking version 9. Because I can.

I first purchased the NaturallySpeaking software about any 10 years ago and didn't like it. After putting together the content for an upcoming webinar, and having it take six hours of typing, I decided to try something different. Now that webinar would only take me about an hour or two.

I is still working out the nuances of the software (pun intended).for example, I am still learning all of the formatting commands, and I am finding that because my computer is slow. There is a very slight delay in the response of the software. However, I am noticing that the program is "learning" as I go. If you do a lot of typing out, you should definitely check it out.

This Is A Great Book – Read It!

I bought The Elephant and The Dragon: The Rise of India and China and What It Means for All of Us watching Author Robyn Meredith on a Charlie Rose interview last summer. It was a great interview and the next day I went to the bookstore 2 days later to buy it – and all the copies in the local surrounding bookstore were literally sold out (I asked the store manager check around for me).

Well researched, organized and written, Ms. Meredith has taken a complex topic and added just a little-more-than-sufficient detail into the historical context, that provides a great foundation for understanding contemporary realities. Her review of China strongly correlated with what I knew, and her review of India was enlightening.

I think it's a great introductory / intermediate text on the subject of outsourcing in general, and with respect to these two nations in particular. For more on Outsourcing and the role that India has created for itself in this industry, I still strongly recommend Bangalore Tiger by Steve Hamm. These are good companion texts - enjoy!