The Effect Social Media is having on Human Value
Monday, 20th May 2013
Facebook reached over a billion members at the end of last year, as did YouTube. Google+ is catching up with 343 million and Twitter has 500 million users. There are many more social network apps out there and most of them have user figures exceeding 5 million. In fact if you add them all together there are probably more users of social networking sites than there are people in the entire population so it's not too much to presume that almost everyone in the western world has at least one such account.
That's an awful lot of public, searchable information about us, so should we be worried?
Social Media For Business
Social media plays an important role in business interactions. Once upon a time you had to forward your CV to potential employers but now all you have to do is link them to your LinkedIn profile which details not only your CV but the profiles of companies you worked for along with recommendations and endorsements.
You can use your profile to build up a network of people and companies that you are interested in and they in turn can endorse your skills or add a recommendation to your profile. This gives prospective employers all the information they need about you with little effort from yourself, however can employers really gain a true sense of who you are from your profile?
Personal Profile Analysis
We've heard about the case of the first British Youth Commissioner having to stand down because of offensive tweets she sent when she was 15 but it highlights just how social networks are increasingly being used to discover more about people.
It used to be that if you made a throwaway remark it stayed that way but now every Tweet is published for the whole world to see and it can be very difficult, if not impossible, to remove information from the net so the childish things you said on your profile can still be searchable years later.
Changing Personal Interactions
Social media has widened our possibilities. We can now find a job online, have our public profiles assessed and analysed, get advice from gurus and even have our decisions influenced by a large network of people we may never have met.
Given that social media has changed the way we see others, what is its worth? The answer is that its value is set by you, the user. Used wisely it can be an invaluable tool but used carelessly it can also be your downfall.
Google Campus
Monday, 1st April 2013
Google Campus is a 7 storey building ideally located in the center of the Old Street, London, also known by the name of Silicon Roundabout. The building’s main purposes are to host events, and provide office spaces for promising start-ups. Moreover, Google Campus holds mentoring events with the Google staff that are eager to share their knowledge with the residents.
The architectural focus was to somehow connect the ground floor and the lower floors so as to host socializing events and make the transition easier. The most important aspect was to make the 7 storey building, which initially was a plain office building, a place where people could learn from the more experienced while they could socialize and improve human connections as well. Google Campus followed the Googleplex model from California, where the main focus of the architect was to create a building that, unlike most offices, would give employees the chance to enjoy a laid-back environment due to the creative design. Being an ideal place for workers, both Google Campus and Googleplex are two of the most inspiring office buildings.
The reception desk at the entrance is mostly made out of Lego bricks, which makes an impression on every single person who comes in. An ideal place for start-up entrepreneurs, Google Campus offers all the facilities that a business needs in order to turn into a successful trademark.
As most Google devotees know, this flourishing company is highly admired for its affinity towards green transportation means, such as bicycles. As a result, Google Campus’ offers 40 bicycle stations for all the eco businessmen working in or visiting the building. Googleplex follows the exact same model, aiming to encourage more and more people to use bicycles instead of cars or public transportation.
The Google Campus building is ideally divided into spaces such as a ground floor café, plenty of workspace, events rooms, and other useful facilities. The total floor area has around 2300 square meters; there are more than 200 desk spaces, 16 meeting rooms, 2 event and presentation spaces and a lovely cafeteria.
Being a tremendous success since its inception, Google Campus is almost fully occupied, only about 10% being still available. There are around 60 permanent residents and more than 4500 registered users at the Google Campus. These users have access to the lower ground floors, cafeteria and free internet connection provided by the Campus.
If you are of mind to get an office at the Google Campus in London, you should know that the environment that this building provides is highly advisable for any start-up that aims to turn into a prosperous business. Besides the creative and smartly designed space that the building offers, Google Campus strives to organize inspiring, up to date events that are meant to take the entrepreneurs one step further in implementing their ideas.
DreamWear Inspired by a company inspired by dreams (and clothing).
Thursday, 28th March 2013
I met Tauseef Nawaz over coffee (and English tea) near Shoreditch High Street – workplace of DreamWear. A clothing company designed to go beyond T-Shirts (and we’re not just talking about baseball caps and hoodies).
Tauseef’s early tale will be familiar to many young people. Dropping out of his hometown college, he found himself at a loss for not only direction, but confidence. Confidence in himself, and in his skills as a person.
The long list of rejections from potential employers which followed could surely have been enough of a toll on anyone in the same position, to give up or to lose hope. But Tauseef claims he knew he had to persevere, to do something greater, to believe in himself.
Today, with unemployment and disheartenment sweeping the lives of the young, Tauseef’s message is important: “Believe in yourself and in your abilities – never give up on yourself”.
The line “If we can do it so can you” is a well-known and dare I say it overplayed message, however Tauseef is determined to bring this to light in his brand (as well as to sell t-shirts of course.)
The highlight of Tauseef’s range, the ‘Born To Inspire’ t-shirt, seems to define exactly that – their aim as a company: to be inspirational. When explaining the purpose for his company, his speech nonetheless seems genuine: “I want to be a symbol of hope and belief to individuals – I want them to believe that regardless of your current situation you can persevere and achieve your dreams”.
A little too high a claim for a t-shirt one might think? But Tauseef’s own brand of inspiration comes in the form of music and events; inspired in turn by individuals that Tauseef himself finds remarkable, from great artists such as Kanye West to Radim Malinic his award-winning graphic designer. He goes on to speak of organising workshops and events designed to give young people the tools and inspiration they need to succeed. But further social enterprise is now for the future, as Tauseef believes that people respond to success – and there is no doubt that he aims to succeed.
There is no pretence here then that selling t-shirts is not the main objective. The brand launched in September of last year selling exclusively via their site and has already experienced great sales. Now he plans to branch out gradually by establishing strategic partnerships with selected stockists who share their vision, aiming one day to open his own 'DreamWear' physical space.
But this is a guy with his feet on the ground. When I asked if his plan was to hit Selfridges by 2020, I was met with a jovial laugh and the response “anything can happen”.
www.dreamwearit.com
www.facebook.com/DreamWear.it
www.twitter.com/dreamwear_it
www.twitter.com/T_Nawaz
By Angharad Eynon-Soto
Will Alice Soon Be Looking Through a Google Glass?
Monday, 4th March 2013
We've all seen Terminator and envied Arnie's spectacular in eye information station. Well if you've always dreamed of doing the same, Google Glass may be about to make those dreams come true.
What Is the Google Glass?
Launching in 2013, the Google Glass is worn in place of a standard pair of glasses with a small prismatic screen in the top right corner which provides eye tracking and voice control to access to a wealth of functionality.
The basic term 'OK Glass' turns on the product. You can then use 'Take a Photo' or 'Record a Video' to get an instant picture or 10 second film. The 'You Are There' functionality means you can record or photograph exactly what you are seeing. This can then be shared with others or you can 'hang out' with pals so that they can see exactly what you can in real time.
However, the Glass is far more than a simple instant recording system. It provides access to a wealth of apps and search facilities directly to your eye. From weather and directions, to the latest market statistics, the Glass has its own WIFI receptor and can be tethered to the iPhone to obtain instant data.
The Benefits of the Glass
It is said that users today are more focused on devices than they are on people. But Google believe the Glass will bring real life back into focus and remove the barrier that technology has created.
Furthermore, this device enables you to record your child winning a race or the view half way up a mountain completely hands free. And you no longer even have to look through a lens, Google Glass records what you can see.
You do not even have to remove your focus or use your hands to discover how to get instant data when using the Glass. Everything is there in front of you without you even having to look down.
The Impact of the Google Glass
In the first instance, there has to be a huge question around privacy. If it is possible to record someone or something without even having to hold up a device, who is going to know when they are being recorded and by whom? And if the link is real time, who else is going to be watching without your knowledge?
Furthermore, would a Glass on the face, really remove the barrier of technology? Surely if someone has a recordable device that provides instant information on their face, wouldn't you be more concerned than ever that they were focusing on it rather than you?
For early adaptors and those that want hands free photography, the Google Glass will be unmissable especially when headsets are forecast to retail between $200 and $500. However whether it thrives in the mainstream is something only time will tell.
How Cloud Technology Can Help Your Business
Sunday, 3rd February 2013
Cloud Technology is fast becoming the preferred model for thousands of companies across the globe.
Cloud Computing is cool
Monday, 21st January 2013
What, didn’t you know? Cloud computing has all the industry insiders raving. Only pay for what you use! Automatic data backups! No more investments in hardware! Oh, I’m sorry, did I lose your attention? Not surprised. It’s boooooooooooooooooooriiing.
Crowdfunding
Monday, 14th January 2013
Any entrepreneur today will tell you it's tough getting funding for a new idea. Traditional forms of finance, including angel investors and venture capital funding demand prohibitive prototyping, proof of concept, and expensive research and development, b
Poor Economics
Monday, 7th January 2013
Recommended Reading: Poor Economics by Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee and Esther Duflo
Britain's Answer to Silicon Valley
Wednesday, 2nd January 2013
Many of the world's largest technology companies such as Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and eBay operate out of the San Francisco Bay area in America (also known as Silicon Valley). But could this all be about to change?