IT Conversations

Ben Huh - From Blogs to Books

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

It is hard to imagine getting advice on the future of publishing from the Cheezburger Network. Then again, questioning the status quo, and delivering what people really want, is exactly what Ben Huh has done. By using unconventional practices, he has built a group of very popular websites. So maybe it isn't such a surprise that they have published several hit books. In this keynote Huh discusses how they they engineered their books to be best-sellers.

Mark Burgess - Change = Mass x Velocity

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Linking information technology management to popular public technology and physics, Cfengine's Mark Burgess describes the fluidity and diversity necessary to keep up with changes in information technology. Rather than the standardization and bureaucracy that globalization tends to bring, Burgess advocates cultural diversity and human input in IT management but with a universal focus on speed and predictability.

Hal Varian - The Economic Impact of Google

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

In discussing the economic value of Google, Hal Varian focuses on the impact of Google Search in terms of time saved, and advertisements on Google in terms of profit, publicity, and communication. Presenting gains and losses with mathematical equations, social norms, and increasing use of technology, Google's Chief Economist presents Google's impact on the world at large and for specific demographics.

Paul Fenwick - All Your Brains Suck - Known Bugs And Exploits In Wetware

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Brains have bugs. Our memories can be faulty, emotions are hard to judge, and we're terrible at rating the value of anything. All in all, Paul Fenwick says, human minds make a lot of mistakes, and we're all easy to manipulate. Listing a number of studies, experiments, and business plans, Fenwick dives into how the mind works, where the mind goes wrong, and how businesses can influence people into buying their products.

Steven Naifeh - Van Gogh and the New Biology

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Dr. Moira Gunn talks with Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Steven Naifeh, about new insights into biology from the pages of his new book, Van Gogh: The Life.

David Haussler - The Cancer Genome Hub

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Dr. Moira Gunn learns how the war against cancer has moved from the microscope to the computer from University of California at Santa Cruz professor, David Haussler.

Andy Piper - MQ Telemetry Transport (MQTT)

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

As stated on the MQTT website, MQ Telemetry Transport "is a machine-to-machine (M2M)/"Internet of Things" connectivity protocol." Meant to be used remotely particularly when bandwidth is at a premium, it can be used in both mobile and dial-up situations. Developed as part of his work at IBM, Andy Piper discusses the project, including its concepts and background. He also reviews examples of its use and reviews future development plans.

Michael Jackson - Finding Disruption

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

The disruption of innovation has yielded as many opportunities for those prepared to take advantage as it has brought disruption for those unprepared to adjust. New businesses have been able to profit with solutions that solve problems or enable previously excluded people to participate on their own terms. Michael Jackson explores some history and characteristics of disruptive technology.

Theo Schlossnagle - What Is A Career?

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Many young professionals apply for positions based on what they studied without much experience actually working in the real world. Instead of considering themselves to be experts in many areas, Theo Schlossnagle of OnmiIT argues that professionals "must treat what you do as a craft". He discusses how his experience with both software development as well as running a company gives him a unique view on how tech professionals can be successful in a career.

David Willetts, Steve Burrill - Biotech Nation

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Dr. Moira Gunn gets a glimpse into cabinet meetings at #10 Downing street from UK Minister of State for Universities and Science, David Willetts, and then hosts the annual biotech industry wrap-up with CEO of Burrill & Co, Steve Burrill.

Peter Meyers, TJ Zark, Scott Stevens - Tablet Success

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

In a time when iPad apps may become as popular as the Barbie dolls or Hot Wheels toy cars of the past, there are only a few that rise to the notoriety worthy of a closer look. Peter Myers briefly interviews two people associated with unique successes on the tablet and touch-device landscape.

Robert Stephens, Marko Gargenta - A Conversation With Robert Stephens

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Google's acquisition of Android Inc. in 2005 silently marked the inception of a powerful mobile software ecosystem consisting of tens of large companies and thousands of application developers. Robert Stephens, the CTO of Best Buy and Founder of Geek Squad talks to Marko Gargenta, the founder of Marakana at O'Reilly's recently held Android Open Conference. They discuss the exciting but challenging days ahead for Android, not just in smartphone and tablet space, but also in home automation as Google's projects like Android@Home gain momentum.

Cory Doctorow - The Coming War on General Computation

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

The issue of copyright continues to be a major problem over the life of the personal computer. Companies have consistently tried to limit the ability of users to make the most of their machines, using a variety of protection schemes. In his talk at the 28th annual Chaos Communication Congress (28c3), Cory Doctorow reviews the history of the copyright fight and discusses how developers and political organizations will continue to limit the use of the general purpose computer.

Josh Berkus - Scale Fail

Sat, 7 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

With a good deal of sarcasm, Josh Berkus presents a sardonic critique about scaling tools that are trendy rather than reliable. Josh Berkus, CEO of PostgreSQL, gives a facetious list of do's and don'ts for database creation and application design that, while often popular today, are not stable techniques. In the same cynical tone of this short presentation, Berkus sarcastically places sexiness at the top of the list of qualities to maintain when scaling website elements.

Gus Balbontin - From Gutenberg to Zuckerberg - Lonely Planet's Publishing Challenges for the 21st Century

Fri, 6 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Like most travelers, Gus Balbontin loves new journeys. In this keynote, he shares a collection of stories about adventure. Some of them are about the history of Lonely Planet and some are about his own history with the company. By leading the shift of Lonely Plant from print to ebooks and apps, he may be on his biggest adventure yet. But this isn't the first transformational journey Lonely Planet has been on. Balbontin shares three three lessons learned, to guide anyone wanting to take the ebook transformation journey.

Jim Fruchterman - Making the Book Truly Accessible

Tue, 3 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Jim Fruchterman of Bookshare believes accessible books can become a profit center for publishers, while still protecting copyright. Formerly, preparing accessible books required an extra step. Now, accessibility can be generated as a by-product of book production. Bookshare has been serving the one percent of individuals qualified through federal funding for free access for the print disabled. But there is an untapped market of others who would willingly buy accessible materials.

David Messenger - Business Perspective on Technology Advances

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

David Messenger, EVP at American Express, discusses the drivers, or central forces, behind the changing technological world. He names four that he considers to be the most important, as follows: cell phones, rapid wireless data speeds, social networks, and new technology in general, both hardware and software. Presenting these changes with a business perspective, Messenger also discusses changes such as digital cash, security, and unlimited communication.

Episode #30 - The Stack Exchange Podcast

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

Guests this week are Robert Cartaino and Rebecca Chernoff. Yeehaw! They're members of our Community Team.

Toby Considine, Jon Udell - Open Source Smart Energy

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

In this time of continued concern about the future of energy, technology specialists are looking for ways to better control how power is used in commercial buildings where people sometimes work twenty-four hours a day. Toby Considine, an expert on smart energy and Jon Udell discuss current activities to create an open source model that allows for better communications among the various technologies to develop a building automation system.

Jaap van Till - 21st Century Economics: Lessons for Telcos

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

We should be less concerned about what people can do with networks and pay more attention to what networks are doing in conjunction with people. This is the essential point that Jaap van Till expounds on in this brief lecture. He discusses the significance, for the telecom sector, of the Nobel Prize recently awarded for the political theory of The Commons and relates that to the 2010 revolts in Iran.