Things worth reading for February 16th through February 23rd:
Information overload? Time to relax then | Technology | guardian.co.uk – Nice piece by Mr. Doctorow: “After years of discovering a new information resource, being consumed by it, finding it too much to bear, then getting on top of it, only to find myself being sucked under by another, faster information resource, I’ve concluded that the real secret to beating information overload isn’t better filters: it’s cultivating a “probabilistic” frame of mind.”
Cell phones affect brain activity, study says – Lazy Journalism Alert: the reporter surely could have looked more deeply into the lobbying activities of the wireless industry for the various scientists quoted in this study. Don’t miss the last sentence. Snippet: “A 50-minute cell phone call causes a noticeable increase in brain activity in the area of the head closest to the phone’s antenna, a finding by government researchers that could reinforce concerns, or at least raise new questions, about the long-term health effects of cell phones.”
Amazon offers free online movies to Prime members – Yahoo! News – Surfaced by @benkunz.
Blogs Wane as the Young Drift to Sites Like Twitter – NYTimes.com – The article mistakes life stage for baked-in generational behavior, methinks. “Blogs were once the outlet of choice for people who wanted to express themselves online. But with the rise of sites like Facebook and Twitter, they are losing their allure for many people — particularly the younger generation.
“The Internet and American Life Project at the Pew Research Center found that from 2006 to 2009, blogging among children ages 12 to 17 fell by half; now 14 percent of children those ages who use the Internet have blogs. Among 18-to-33-year-olds, the project said in a report last year, blogging dropped two percentage points in 2010 from two years earlier.”
Leading Learning: “Own the Outcome” of speakers at your shows – “Even the most rigorous program-proposal process cannot guarantee session and speaker quality. Many subject-matter experts can deliver information, but are less skilled in facilitating conversation and interaction. We wouldn’t hire employees to do a job without providing the training and tools they need to be successful – and it’s time we stop turning speakers loose without adequate direction.”
Disney’s Big Bet on Digital Distribution: Online Video News « – “Disney unveiled its plans to combat the loss of DVD sales and bolster digital distribution during its 2011 Investor Conference, unveiling a Studio All Access initiative that will allow consumers to purchase its content digitally and watch it across a number of devices. At the same time, the company raised rates for companies like Redbox and Netflix that distribute DVDs to consumers.
“The future of Disney’s film and TV distribution hangs in the balance, particularly as the company seeks to deal with a weakening DVD market. In his remarks, Disney CEO Bob Iger noted the company has been experimenting with a number of strategies for dealing with the onset of new digital platforms and technologies, through a series of short-term deals with various distributors. The plan for Disney is to “be early and learn early” on new technology platforms, trying out various models to see what works and what doesn’t.”
Shelly Palmer Talks About Borders Declaring Bankruptcy on CNN – Shelly Palmer Digital Living – blip.tv – My friend Shelly Palmer on CNN about the Borders brouhaha…
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