Who needs software?

I am currently looking into buying a new laptop. The burning question for me is: do I buy a powerful computer which will set me back a lot of cash or should I get the bare-bones model and save? Why even consider the bare-bones laptop? Well more and more of computing sits in the cloud not on your computer. I edit and host my videos on Animoto. I use free online image editing software. Here's a cool link to check out which reviews some really easy to use and mostly free web-based applications for image editing. My photos have a home on Picaso and Facebook. My presentation slides, excel-like calculation sheets and word-type documents live more and more with Google Docs. Why? Because its easy to access and edit them from anywhere in the world. from my laptop or iPhone or even Internet cafe. Because they are mostly free and easy to use. My email and calendar also live in the Cloud. I last used Microsoft Exchange and Outlook over 5 years ago and really have not missed them at all. Maybe this is when the Apple iPad makes the most sense. A window to the cloud.

Work in the Future

What will our work environment look like in the future? What technology will be available to facilitate communication and collaboration? Will there still be a desk? What about a keyboard and mouse? Hey, will we still have an office? Will it be a virtual me (or is that a Mii?) at work? This blog entry taps into some interesting videos and websites that attempt to see into the future and predict how our 9-5 lives could evolve. One fast-moving field that is sure to shape this vision is Smart Surfaces. This is where Microsoft have been placing their bets lately. Check out the Surface, a table that lets you interact and manipulate documents, videos, and images simply by touch. It also recognizes objects placed on the table and pulls up information about them. Microsoft Office Labs Vision is a great video to get us started on this journey. The year is 2019. I wonder how Apple fit into the equation (Hello iPad)? Microsoft have also created a video about how our Healthcare could be managed in the future. The Virtual Physician and use of smart surfaces (in the office) can't be that far off. Use of augmented reality and tablets are commonplace. I like the clever use of plain wall surfaces to display graphical dashboard-like information and pull up images and photos. Instant video communication coupled with rich data sources seems to be a theme. One word sums up this vision TOUCH. ABC explore how some companies are using Virtual Worlds for their office space and conducting remote meetings and events using webcams and document-sharing tools. Employees can be anywhere in the world and never even see a physical office or building. Not sure Second Life will be around in ten years - but the idea is intriguing. What can we learn from the University of Essex iLabs which are intelligent spaces designed to encourage creative thinking and problem solving. The BBC discuss the Diary Wall and that in the future walls could become screens showing diaries, documents or video conferences. Maybe we could take a few pointers from the likes of CISCO and Google. Link at CNN. You need to travel to NY to get a glimpse of IBM's BlueSpace, their next-generation workspace. Of course, no office user experience could ever be complete without the advice and wisdom of Jakob Nielsen. He is considered a foremost expert on usability. Lets hope this consideration is not forgotten in our epic search for the workspace of the future. At the end of the day, thats what its all about.

Mobile 2020

Yesterday was a cool day. I took my blood pressure and (after the shock) with the push of a button transmitted the results via bluetooth to my mobile phone which updated an Internet website. If I can do this today - what will tomorrow bring? This obviously got me thinking about next generation mobile and whats around the corner.

With this in mind, check out this great video from MOCOM2020 that gets you thinking of how the world of mobile will look like in 2020. Click on the Future Vision Video from their homepage. MOCOM 2020 is a non-profit open think tank for mobile media and communication worldwide. It seems to be an interesting group of leading thinkers, visionaries, entrepreneurs and academics in the field of mobile communication.

If you have the time and you are as curious and eager to learn as myself then hop over to this slideshare - its a terrific collection of mobile trends spanning the next 10 years.

Finally, here are some exciting thoughts from all of this research that stuck in my mind mixed from visions from my side on how mobile could shape up over the next 5-10 years.

• Health Lifelogging
• Telemedicine with a mobile with built in diagnostic technology
• Sensors in the phone measure and record your vital signs, your surrounding environment, and even emotions
• Mobile payment
• ePaper
• Mobile Social Marketing
• Senors in everyday objects communicate with your phone: doors, cash registers, vending machines, the fridge, a bottle of water, advertising, posters, your keys, the car, etc.
• Augmented Reality will allow you to scan co-workers and meeting participants and with face-recognition technology match them to their LinkedIn, Facebook or Other Online Profile

Mobile is definitely the future of personal and professional communications if my usage is anything to go by. Outside of my company BB, I use my iPhone about 20 times a day for reading, blogging, researching, gaming, learning, email, IM, GPS, networking, listening to music, watching videos, tweeting, photographing, video making, sms, ooops yes even phoning. So jump onboard the mobile bandwagon and prepare for an exciting and mind-blowing ride - no strings attached.

Whats Hot in 2010!

JUST ADDED: Predictions 2010 Video. Have fun viewing;-)

January is always a good time to lay some bets on what could be hot in the field of learning technologies for 2010. Here's a few selected thoughts on which devices and solutions that could make the grade this year.

Mobile Multimedia Tablet
The eagerly awaited Apple Tablet will set a new standard for allround on-the-go multimedia devices. By the end of this month a massive media campaign will kick-off that should send most of us rushing for our checkbooks. Netbook sales take a dive.

Home Gaming
Microsoft will announce more details about Project Natal that will change home gaming forever. If you have not seen Milo, check this video out. Prepare to be amazed (and maybe scared). Nintendo struggle to catchup, although the friendly wii may see a facelift. Sony slash the price of their PS3 to ridiculous levels.

Touchscreen Technology
Microsoft brings cool touchscreen technology to the home PC with Windows 7. Applications get a whole new development playground. e-Learning on the PC gets a much needed facelift - at last.

Google wows us with the Wave
Google Wave moves out of the test lab and into everyday use. Social networking is now owned by Google who convince millions that email is dead. Facebook takes note. Foreward thinking Trainers start to seize the opportunity by integrating virtual classes, collaboration spaces for projects, online learning, social sharing and networking into waves.

eBooks
eBooks get a lift from the Apple Tablet. More eBook devices come on the market but a multi-functional Internet-enabled device steals the show in 2010. Do you really want to be tied forever to one large online bookstore for all your titles? Freedom wins the day.

Augmented Reality takes off

The iPhone and Google Android launch many more Augmented Reality apps and finally get joe public to view their surroundings in 3D (okay with wiki-ish augmented pop-up knowledge bubbles).

Mobile learning gets serious
Mobile learning becomes mainstream as iPhone, Blackberry and Android phones open up to a whole host of new breathtaking innovative applications. Learning-on-the-go inspires and motivates users with rich multimedia games and content. Online Learning has never been such fun.

Software as a Service becomes attractive

SaaS (Software as a Service) also known as shifting e.g. content and functionality to a purely Internet-(cloud) based web service gets wider appeal. The Training Department gets back to focussing on developing engaging content and innovative delivery mechanisms while reducing the cost and effort of maintaining inhouse systems.

That's it. Short and sweet. Just like learning should be. Don't forget my birthday in April. Small hint. Apple. Tablet. Happy learning.

Stepping Back to Look Forward

As we near the end of the year, its always a great time to reflect on what worked and what bombed, what could be done better and what technology is becoming more and more important to learners. Therefore, my Saturday morning is about stepping back and trying to figure out detached and (hopefully) unemotionally what would be the most ideal learning platform for my audience. Here goes. I am going to throw these out and I know everything will obviously not fit neatly into one platform - but lets paint a blue sky first (why not, lets be overly optimistic as we are about to enter a brand new shiny year).

My Audience

Before I dive in first lets take a look at my audience: Mostly Gen X, and more and more Gen Y. Some Baby Boomers. How do they learn? I am taking a calculated gamble here. They use mobile technology (think airports, waiting rooms, trains and cars), love the iPhone and iPod, they synch with their iTunes collection regularly, they get a kick out of YouTube - video is really hot (where is my webcam?), short and sweet just in time matters, they love games and have an xbox and wii tucked in the corner at home. iPhone and iTouch devices offer the next generation of mobile gaming platfoms - clever useful apps can attract many eyeballs. Happy to give feedback with short targetted online surveys. They use Facebook and love connecting to one and other to share news, views, and reviews. What gets a positive rating amongst their own network matters - ALOT. They hate the mundane, any platforms must be easy to access, easy to navigate, kick-ass and reflect the hottest consumer trends out there otherwise it won't be used or used without passion. If they can't find it in 2 clicks and within 30 seconds consider it dead. Think: get the learning to me rather than me getting to the learning.

Blue Sky Learning Platform

• Mobile access - Learning on the Go
• Access anywhere, anytime from any PC
• Bite sized learning chunks for Just in Time Learning (Flashcards, etc.)
• Short clever Games
• (iPhone apps are cooool)
• Virtual Meetings /Classrooms for remote training
• Online assessments and evaluations (no more paper)
• Social Networking attributes (blogs, wikis, forums)
• Short Video Clips (learning videos and ability to let me share my videos)
• Short e-Learning Snippets
• Secure Authentication
• Rate a Course
• Share a Class, Link, Book, Idea
• Recommend a Course
• Tracking and Reporting capability
• User friendly
• Easy to use Search (Google ease)

What is it?

Is it an LMS?
Well the above wishlist do not in my view reflect the need to host content on an LMS or LCMS. The ones I have seen anyway. An LMS is great for automating classroom registration, course catalog, tracking and reporting, pushing out mandatory training, and setting up learning plans, etc. But is it really that user friendly? Is it easy to find content? Does it tick the boxes for social media capabilities? Can it provide mobile access? I have to be honest for all of the above and answer nope. Sure the technology is getting better but I feel it is mostly geared towards maintaining a huge analytical engine rather than a cool user experience. Unless you customize it... but then your maintenance costs can skyrocket.

Or is it a Learning Portal?
The closest I have found is something like Blackboard or a SharePoint implementation. However, I have not seen any smooth integration of e-learning, games or video. These platforms can be too overwhleming with their portlets and alerts especially if you need to focus on short sharp bites of content. Sure you have some social media functionality, search, secure authentication, and notifications but rich media seems to take a backseat and usability questionable.

Perhaps a Virtual World?
Closest I have seen to tick some of boxes we have identified would be from Protonmedia: Protosphere which has a social media box of tricks bolted onto to their pretty cool business oriented private virtual world. I love what they have done but the cost of implementation and maintenance of such a platform can be on the high side. Also, mobile access is a no no and unless you have practiced a lot, moving around and navigating a virtual world can be a challenge. I have not even mentioned getting past the company firewall and IT security.

Or...is it a hybrid?
What if you created smart content. Small bite-sized content that could be securely accessed from a PC or smartphone anywhere in the world at anytime? What if you took the learners position of accessing learning content on a device of their choice at their convenience. How would this new model look like? Are there any technologies out there to support this shift? Do we have the resources to support this new approach? Perhaps it can reduce costs? No more one hour long online courses. Is it one solution or many components weaved together? Is content development independent of the platform? Do you host content internally or move everything to the Internet Cloud? Where is the biggest bang for our bucks: the platform or the content?

Food for thought: the Blackboard platform is now available over the Blackberry and through an iPhone application. Saba also announced they will introduce an iPhone app in 2010 for Centra access and online learning. Although, both do not tick all our boxes - they are interesting developments worth further investigation. The final word - we need to consider a trade off of rich intensive media to support and encourage just in time mobile learning.

Anyway, I don't have a final answer. Not yet anyway. But I will dwell on this topic over the next few weeks and come back to you if I suddenly get a fantastic award winning idea for solving this challenge. Maybe we should call it the (Gen) Y Challenge? Maybe I need more coffee. Good morning.

2010 Conferences - Some Suggestions

Here are some Learn Tech conference picks of 2010 worth checking out. My selection is based on visiting some events that tap into learning trends and give you the best bang for your buck. 3 key areas for me: Game Based Simulations, Mobile and general Learning Technologies (also trying to select events closer to home to save travel bucks and the planet):

Learning Technologies
Learning Technologies 2010, 27-28 January in London

Game Based Learning
The International Conference on Game Based Learning 29th - 30th March 2010, The Brewery, London, EC1. Also includes a session on Handheld Learning.

Mobile Learning
MLearn 2010. 19-22 October in Malta.

Universities and Kindle

Nice article in the FT recently on how some US universities have taken part in a pilot programme to test the Kindle DX. With Amazon offering heavy discounts on college text books, this could potentially save students and colleges a lot of money if it is successful. On the environmental front it also looks attractive. Whether students will ditch their school books for the cool gadget is stîll up for debate but theres no denying the convenience, access, and interactivity that such eBooks offer is worth exploring.