For years, in the "North-West" (that is industrialized countries - usually understood as North vs. South and West vs. East), we've been babbling about the "digital gap" that is supposedly the new line of division, usually understood as running along that of economical and political development. We often have quite a simplistic idea of the situation, imagining countries that are like technological deserts, on top of being devoid of everything essentials for a normal life (that is one car per family, two TV-sets per household, all with at least 40 channels, and 4-weeks vacations in the Bahamas or in the Swiss Alps per years). We tend to forget the forest of satellite dishes that are ornementing most cities and even village buildings in what we used (politcally) incorrectly call "third world" countries. And a recent article from the Mail & Guardian, translated in French in the Courrier International, just reminds us how wrong we often are about the appropriation of "our" modern technologies by people in these countries.

Younghee Jung, Senior Design Manager at Nokia, recently moved to London from Tokyo. Learn more about Younghee's groundbreaking work by viewing her LIFT08 video.

Many will remember her presentation in the User Experience Track where she shared research performed in shanty towns around the world. The purpose was to capture input from users with a view to analyzing trends for future development.

Younghee's well-known colleague and Principal Researcher at Nokia, Jan Chipchase, will be attending LIFT08 in Korea. We'll be back with more about Jan's contribution soon.

For the people who enjoyed the "lift experience" video and for those who haven't seen it yet... i'm currently working on an interactive documentary installation... and looking for an open-source programmer (pure data + dyne or ubuntu), french or swiss would be easier.
My artistic works and researchs deal with poetry, technology and social issues.
this new work is an open-source icon and a documentary about computer history.
feel free to send CV or questions at:
benjamin.pothier (at) gmail.com

I've been tempted once or twice, but I don't Twitter. However, each time I log onto Facebook, inevitably I see at least one or two twittered status updates from LIFTers. And while it's constantly mentioned across the blogosphere, I was still surprised by Compete's estimate that twitter.com visits have experienced growth exceeding 1650% in the year since Twitter's explosion at SXSW 2007.

Today I'm thinking about Michael Crichton's The Andromeda Strain, which - as its 1971 film trailer exclaims - "covers 96 of the most critical hours in world history!" and inspired this post's title. A&E, the cable television channel, is premiering a re-make of this classic next month. But what about Twitter?

A recent somewhat shocking experience with the Web 2.0, in which I really lost control of my image (fortunately, the content isn't damaging for my reputation, but still) has inspired me the following thoughts. I'm posting them today as I was invited to a seminar by Dynamia about the safety of one's digital personal data (in French only), which was temporarily postponed. But I hope this can serve as a starting point for deeper reflexions that could be elaborated on in such gathering.

The metaphor of the "Global Village" has now been offering for more than 40 years a vision of a sort of "flat world", with no barriers, where people can meet peacefully and communicate seamlessly. Based on an idealistic conception of the village community (I live in a village, so I know what I'm talking about), this expression tends to completely oversee some less charming aspects of this way of life. Among them, I'd like to particularly point community's gaze, gossips, neighbor's malevolence. Moreover, the adjective "global", while giving us the illusion of being connected to the rest of world, makes us then forget that we are unfortunately first and foremost rooted in the local, made of family, friends, colleagues or fellow students. This results in us loosing some sense of discretion if not decency when we are active online. And I'm not talking about puritanism or prudishness here, but about protecting one's personal sphere.

First of all, let me tell you english is not my mother tongue...but I manage.
Second, I'm a bit shy so this is an example of bravery.
And third the topic, which is the most important.
Just my experience on IT.
During the last 15 years IT have changed our lives, not only personal ones (internet, on-line bank, on-line shopping, on-line travell organization and on-line communication, for instance e-conferences, blogging, social networks...tv, radio, podcasts and cinema) but also professional (palms, e-phones, iPC, wikis, forums...).
Education has changed as well, from blackboard to power point presentations with animations and web links.., on-line books, on-line exercises, on-line seminars, on-line activities, on-line communication with teachers and between alumni).
Also sources of information have changed ( e-newspapers, e-books, e-libraries).
We don't check a book but wikipedia at schools or at home (most of people I mean) and we can use databases from around the world without any problem.
We have access to a lot of information and leisure tools so being critical with what we receive or choose becomes critical for our development. And also we need to use i-tools with moderation as they can provoque adicction.
That's my opinion.

Jon Cabiria has been travelling extensively, discussing his recent research on virtual world permeability and transference, which he unveiled and summarized at LIFT08 this past February. After LIFT08, his speaking engagements continued through Europe and the U.S. Later this month, he presents a seminar at the U.S. Department of Defense National Defense University, entitled: Virtual worlds: Immersive learning strategies for overseas engagements, focussing on diplomacy uses, not war. He will also be speaking at the prestigious International Congress on Psychology in Berlin, as well as at the 4th European Conference on Positive Psychology in Rijeka, Croatia, both this coming July.

Jon is currently engaged in research that looks at how we can utilize online social networks, along with positive psychology assessments and appreciative inquiry processes, to aid organisations and individuals in achieving goals, especially those related to social issues. He is also looking at online social networks as a natural extension of human evolution, which he expects to discuss during his 2009 speaking tour.

Using communications technologies and online social networks, Jon continues his consulting and coaching practice from wherever he is in the world, as well as facilitates his popular Human Growth and Development course. Jon continues to receive amazing feedback from his LIFT08 appearance and looks forward to LIFT09.

At the newly re-launched Project New Media Literacies blog at MIT, two short (and work-in-progress) videos featuring several comic book artists appeared yesterday. Although I've never been an avid comic book reader, I enjoyed hearing these artists' thoughts.

In the first video (Flash version), Mickey Duzyj and Nick Bertozzi speak on the narrative structure of comics. With films like Sin City and 300 bringing qualities of graphic novels to the big screen, I found it interesting to see the reverse with books like David Mamet's On Directing Film and Robert McKee's Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting helping to shape storytelling in comics. Plus, I loved the exercise of cutting up a comic strip, rearranging its panels, and then filling in the blanks to make sense of the new order.

The second video (Flash version) features Dean Haspiel describing Nick's comic designed as a fold-out map, reminding me of the role an interface can play in storytelling. See my post here on the Google Maps-based story, "The 21 Steps."

Join 750 European web influentials on April 3 and 4 at The Next Web Conference in Amsterdam.

It is the third edition of The Next Web conference and it promises to be the most inspirational and best networking conference of Europe.
Robert Scoble (author ‘Naked Conversations‘), Werner Vogels (Vice President Amazon), Chris Saad (dataportability), Leah Culver (CEO Pownce), Kevin Rose (CEO Digg), Gil Penchina (CEO Wikia), Nova Spivack (Technology visionary), Adeo Ressi (the Funded), Diggnation, and 24 of the coolest startups with a 5 minute demo. You don't want to miss this.

LIFTers get a 200 euro discount! (550 euro ex VAT vs. 750 euro ex VAT normal price)
get your pass now:
http://secureshop.thenextweb.org/

discount code:
lift08

Looking forward seeing you in Amsterdam!

Patrick de Laive
+31 6 4200 4200

Earlier this week, alternate reality game (ARG) creator Six to Start and publisher Penguin UK launched "We Tell Stories," a series of six digital short stories released over six weeks. Check out the site and you'll find the first tale, "The 21 Steps" by spy writer Charles Cumming. Told as a layer on top of Google Maps imagery, it incorporates movement throughout the adventure - definitely a unique twist on a familiar interface.

Despite the project's "Six Authors. Six Stories. Six Weeks." tagline, the site's About page notes that "somewhere on the internet is a secret seventh story, a mysterious tale involving a vaguely familiar girl who has a habit of getting herself lost." With that said, think "Alice in Wonderland" and don't overlook any details if you decide to dive in.

For insights into the development of the experience, visit these posts on the blogs of Adrian Hon, Six to Start, and Penguin UK. Also check out this post by LIFT08 speaker Ewan McIntosh.