Dr. Neil Hair

The US is top of the Internet Nations once again. Looks like when it comes to internet competitiveness, ingenuity starts here. The World Economic Forum has once again rated America the place to be when it comes to making effective use of the internet for enhancing competitiveness. My classes in both B2B and B2C have, I am sure, made the vital difference in wrestling this crown from Singapore who knocked the States off the podium last year. What I love about the internet is the manner in which simple activities can be enhanced or revolutionized, what I love about this country is the manner in which people continue to run with the ball which is why I wanted to come here back in 1999. Thankfully, the UK is now in the list of top ten countries on this index and with broadband back home accounting for more then 60% of all connections this will only improve with time.

The perfect British American collaboration. I came face to face with this again after a few years break. If I can introduce it to but one person on the face of the earth who hasnt yet seen it, I will consider my life purposeful. Enjoy…

Happy birthday Apple! 30 years on. And proof it seems, that whilst age may improve your choice of clothing, the use of fake PC's without second mouse buttons causes undeniable problems with hair growth (facial/other) and eye sight. You show us how it's done Steve! You guru of all things technology…  time has been good to you… at least financially… Some predictions of my own, that you can have any colour you like, so long as it's silver or white… no really, any colour. And finally, that by 2008 all MAC's will be running Windows Vista.

Read with amusement today reports from the UK that claim cheating is up in exam room situations. They argue that with the rise of mobile technology students are sharing information when they shouldn't. I'd argue that the entire system of examinations is fundamentally flawed and that these artificial situations don't truly offer reflection on a students real ability. Hence my use of papers (which of course does off the potential for plagiarism) and real life consultancy projects (extremely hard to cheat with). That's not to say that I don't admire the reasons for examinations as a means of testing a student. Who wouldn't like to waive the need to mark and feedback personally (examinations in the UK are never read by the students and the only feedback that they get is a grade)? Who wouldn't like to base up to 90% of a course grade on a final exam? This is one of the reasons why I opted out of teaching under the UK system at an undergraduate level. Thankfully, many masters courses under the Brits focus almost exclusively on coursework and consultancy based projects. My advice? vote with your feet, choose programmes that match your style of learning, think multiple outcomes from one assessment method (such as a reference or real project to show off to a potential employer) and never loose sight of the fact that grades are mere reflections of your actual output. NOT your ability. What do you actually learn from an Exam? If given the option to sit an exam again how would you do? The chances are that these are very different answers to the question how would you perform in a new consultancy situation having learnt from your first… of course some arguments exist for banning coursework altogether which I find ludicrous.

Whilst I'm on the issue of Skype, one of their latest features caught my attention, particularly if youre into your group work these days. 5 cents a minute conference calling for up to 500 people (not that you would in your right mind want to talk to 500 people at one time, unless say it's an Alumni lecture!). The possibilities for demonstrations (complete with a powerpoint presentation for instance or web demo) are endless. Without doubt, I have a lot of time for this company.

Technology watch: being a self confessed teckie I must admit I'm looking forward to a number of releases in the next quarter. The first of which is the Netgear wifi Skype phone. Granted, most normal people will see this as just another item to carry around with them but I for one want to use Skype anywhere I can in a wifi enabled area. Given that I seem to spend most of my time surrounded by wifi this could become a viable alternative to the cell phone. I wonder how long it will be before they include and integrative camera for on the go web conferencing facilities. The second of course is the much anticipated and celebrated pocket pc version of SlingMedia's player. Ive talked a lot about SlingMedia in the past so I wont dwell on it further here. Needless to say though, Im looking forward to being able to access my multimedia from any wifi enabled location be it the airport, home, or at work. UPDATE: 24th March. Have installed and am running the latest slingmedia pocket pc software and it's working like a dream!! How in the world is anyone supposed to get any work done?

Forget webcam weddings, panda cams, or birthcams, the latest trend from cradle to grave is being initiated by the British. Chanterlands Crematorium, Hull, UK, is setting up a webcam service so that those who cannot physically attend may do so and pay last respects online. What I like about this story (other than it reminds people to celebrate life) is the ingenuity of the service provider. They saw the need, and catered to it. I estimate total costs of this service to be in the region of $1000 all in (including server equipment, computer and cam etc). It will be interesting to see whether this includes a premium charge for the service or whether its being used as part of the augmented offering. Old technology, new uses. I'd like to see this level of ingenuity at RIT - theres very little stopping us from webcasting lectures live over the internet, if we can do it on our way out so to speak, there are no excuses here.

Finally, some evidence of what I've personally believed all along… being positive, hoping for the best, being a half full and not a half empty person - helps you live longer. Of course it does'nt really take a bloody Enistein to realise that happy people die less of unexpected heart attacks then those negative buggers that surround us - but it's nice to know the facts support this assumption. Thankfully, Europes dedicated Dutch expert researchers have determined that this be the case and in time I am sure, this will no doubt be supported with a double blind refereed publication in a top tier journal. Whats next? Lonely men are more at risk from dying earlier?