Smart Mobs - Book Summary

Quote from the companion website: Smart mobs emerge when communication and computing technologies amplify human talents for cooperation. The impacts of smart mob technology already appear to be both beneficial and destructive, used by some of its earliest adopters to support democracy and by others to coordinate terrorist attacks. The technologies that are beginning to make smart mobs possible are mobile communication devices and pervasive computing - inexpensive microprocessors embedded in everyday objects and environments. Already, governments have fallen, youth subcultures have blossomed from Asia to Scandinavia, new industries have been born and older industries have launched furious counterattacks.

The companion web site is a very good example of adding life to existing content. The website compliments and extends the information shared in the book…

Stanford ITSS Blog Project Stanford University is piloting the use of weblogs by faculty and students. Currently they are using Movable Type as their weblogging tool.

From their project description page: As multidisciplinary work becomes more and more important to the sustained success of Stanford University, the tools available from ITSS must be better able to support such work.Weblogs are an excellent tool for supporting multidisciplinary teams, which is one of the reasons why we’re considering creating a Blog service for all Stanford faculty, staff and students.

From WBEZ in Chicago | This American Life Home page for the weekly radio program produced and hosted by Ira Glass… This weeks show profiles former Mayor Harold Washington. Previous broadcasts are available in Real Audio format…

About this weeks program: It’s the fifteenth anniversary of the death of the greatest politician you probably never heard of — at least if you live outside Chicago. Someone funny and smart and inspiring and, rarest of all this fall, a Democrat who stayed idealistic and outspoken after he reached high office. The amazing story of Harold Washington, a parable of race and politics in America.

Am currently listening to the broadcast on the Internet from KCRW out of Santa Monica, California.

Guardian Unlimited | Online | Textual gratification

Text messaging took a while to take off, but now it’s a natural part of life, writes Victor Keegan…
Thursday November 28, 2002 Can you remember where you were when the first text message was sent in the UK? I’ll give you a clue - it was 10 years ago next Tuesday. You can’t? I’m not surprised. Nor can anyone else. In 1992 mobile phones, as mass market consumer products, were on no one’s radar screen, let alone text messages. It is worth reminding ourselves that in 1991 a completely unknown company was facing bankruptcy and was on the verge of being taken over by Ericsson of Sweden. The company somehow pulled itself together and now manufactures 36% of the world’s mobile phones. Its name is Nokia.

As I take more advantage of public transportation I find myself using my phone much more for things other than voice conversations. An instant message to a friend, browsing news headlines. The phone enables me to be connected when in places where a laptop would not be practical….

Barbie’s Weblog Mattel has Barbie blogging… Interesting tibbits about her life… Here is here Thanksgiving post…
11/28/2002 Terrific T-giving
Caught part of the big parade on TV – always puts me in the holiday spirit. Then played hostess for a delicious dinner with the girls. Speaking of yummy… we stayed up super late having a movie marathon of our fave hunkster stars.

Big Mac Is Virtual, but Critics Are Real The inclusion of McDonald’s within the Sims environment reflects an emerging trend in video games. The game’s publisher, Electronic Arts, signed contracts under which it will receive more than $2 million to include McDonald’s and Intel logos inside the game - contracts that industry analysts have said may be the most lucrative ever for video-game product placement.

An interesting play on this is that those opposed to corporate intrusion into the online version of The Sims are encouraging people to protest as characters in the game….

FORTUNE - Intel’s $10 Billion Gamble
Tech’s ailing, yet the chip king is opening plants and entering new markets. Its bet: that no competitor can afford to keep up.
This article outlines Intel’s plans to grow capacity and be ready for the next upturn. This involves moving into markets that it currently is not involved in.