Have you set your legacy contact on Facebook?

If you’re one of the 2 billion users of Facebook, it might be a good time to set your account settings to include a “legacy contact”, basically someone who is able to access your account if you’re no longer around. I learned the hard way that having the login to Muriel’s account doesn’t actually make … Continue reading Have you set your legacy contact on Facebook?

Technology isn’t going to solve all our problems, just ask Johnny Depp

A couple of weeks ago I watched Johnny Depp’s new movie Transcendence – spoiler alert: it’s a love story (kind of) – and found the issues the movie touched on quite intriguing. A lot of it focused on people’s reliance on technology and how it was suppose to give us all the answers to life. … Continue reading Technology isn’t going to solve all our problems, just ask Johnny Depp

Wanted: New skills for communication pros

I’ve been writing a lot about the influence of social media and the changing landscape of communication. We’re in an interesting period of change where communication professionals, like journalists, not only need skills like writing, speaking, and listening, but also skills in understanding technology, engagement channels, and being aware of and understanding where people find … Continue reading Wanted: New skills for communication pros

Getting down with tech to solve crime and reduce vomit

Social media isn’t just for “fun”. All the sharing that people do via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. can actually help fight crime, improve hygiene, and provide insight into how to improve services (like having less traffic jams) and keep us safe. While the humanitarian community has been looking into how tech can be used to … Continue reading Getting down with tech to solve crime and reduce vomit

Filtering out “Butt Dials” and saving lives with technology

I find the combination of Qatar and humanitarian action an unlikely partnership. It’s just not something that comes to mind when I think of how the world has come together to better respond to and address large scale disasters like the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami, or even the … Continue reading Filtering out “Butt Dials” and saving lives with technology

Testing, Testing, and more Testing

Do you like tests? Just saying the word makes people nervous. It probably brings back memories of math, science, or anything else that makes you want to turn around and run away. But what if I asked you to “try” (i.e. test) the two cakes from ‘La patisserie des reves‘ (literally the cake shop of … Continue reading Testing, Testing, and more Testing

Crowdsourcing for Disaster Preparedness – it’s the journey that counts

Reading a Master’s thesis isn’t a typical hobby of mine, but when one of my work’s interns said that his was on crowdsourcing for disaster preparedness, I had to get a copy. I finally had a chance to read it coming back from France on a 3-hour train – plenty of time to focus on … Continue reading Crowdsourcing for Disaster Preparedness – it’s the journey that counts

Can we learn something from Eurovision?

There’s this European contest that’s been going on for the last 50 years or so… Have you heard of it? It’s called the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place this year in the Central Asian country of Azerbaijan and the finals were broadcasted live last week, with Sweden taking home the sweeet prize and prestige! It’s … Continue reading Can we learn something from Eurovision?

Hiking in Sormiou – enjoying life in a work-life balance

The internet has opened up a wealth of information and knowledge at our fingertips – when was the last time you used a Yellow or White Pages? At the same time this information superhighway has made it easier for us to communicate. Think about it. Email, chat, messaging, skype, facebook, twitter has revolutionized the way … Continue reading Hiking in Sormiou – enjoying life in a work-life balance