Publications
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
For the National Geographic Assignment Blog: The Great Online Migration
In any migration, there are those who go ahead to settle the wilds, and those who linger to ensure that nothing gets left behind. While each of us now makes a different choice about how much of our lives to live online, those differences should not be turned into an...
Web Fuelled Business masters the physical logistics of going virtual
The entrepreneurs who participated in the Web Fuelled Business program this week are pushing past the limits of physical location. They are bricks-and-mortar shops that are using the web to attract local customers who would never find them on the street; they are...
Should my blog be on my web site or a separate site?
Tailor your voice to each place you use social media
"I make leather armour." That's a sentence I never expected to hear in this lifetime. In fact, until about 4:30 yesterday afternoon, I didn't know what leather armour was. I din't know that leather armour existed. Leather armor, it turns out, is what you wear if you...
How to stop wasting time on technology challenges
Today's practice: The next time you dive into a time-consuming tech challenge, stop to ask: what would a normal person do? Saturday morning I woke up at 4 a.m. in preparation for my flight to London -- and accompanying time zone readjustment -- later that day. I...
Updating Canada’s Election Act so you can tweet the results
Today the Canadian government announced its intention to table legislation that will bring Canada's Elections Act into the 21st century. Tim Uppal, the junior minister for democratic reform, tweeted today to share the news. That's right: next election night, Canadians...
Protect your intention span from the distractions of social media
Tonight I coined the term "intention span" to refer to the amount of time that passes between intending to work on something and actually starting work. Intention span: The amount of time that passes between intending to work on something and actually starting to work...
Blockbuster reminds us to make way for the new
Ever since it was announced that Blockbuster would close its remaining stores, I've wondered what would happen at the corner of Broadway and Blenheim. A wifi-wielding coffee shop? A wildly out-of-place H&M? An all-you-can-eat, gluten- and sugar-free cake buffet?...
Video: 10 reasons to stop apologizing for your online life
It's time to stop apologizing for your life online. That was the central message of my talk at TEDx Victoria in November, now on YouTube. From valuing your online attention to taking your online creativity seriously as real art, I argue that we can only unlock the...
Excel template: 7 steps to achieving your goals
Do you have trouble making good on your New Year's resolutions? Do you have a hard time staying focused on your most important work? Do you simply get overwhelmed by all the tasks on your plate, and worry about how to get them all done? When I'm trying to stay on...
The Harvard Business Review
For the National Geographic Assignment Blog: The Great Online Migration
In any migration, there are those who go ahead to settle the wilds, and those who linger to ensure that nothing gets left behind. While each of us now makes a different choice about how much of our lives to live online, those differences should not be turned into an...
Web Fuelled Business masters the physical logistics of going virtual
The entrepreneurs who participated in the Web Fuelled Business program this week are pushing past the limits of physical location. They are bricks-and-mortar shops that are using the web to attract local customers who would never find them on the street; they are...
Should my blog be on my web site or a separate site?
Tailor your voice to each place you use social media
"I make leather armour." That's a sentence I never expected to hear in this lifetime. In fact, until about 4:30 yesterday afternoon, I didn't know what leather armour was. I din't know that leather armour existed. Leather armor, it turns out, is what you wear if you...
How to stop wasting time on technology challenges
Today's practice: The next time you dive into a time-consuming tech challenge, stop to ask: what would a normal person do? Saturday morning I woke up at 4 a.m. in preparation for my flight to London -- and accompanying time zone readjustment -- later that day. I...
Updating Canada’s Election Act so you can tweet the results
Today the Canadian government announced its intention to table legislation that will bring Canada's Elections Act into the 21st century. Tim Uppal, the junior minister for democratic reform, tweeted today to share the news. That's right: next election night, Canadians...
Protect your intention span from the distractions of social media
Tonight I coined the term "intention span" to refer to the amount of time that passes between intending to work on something and actually starting work. Intention span: The amount of time that passes between intending to work on something and actually starting to work...
Blockbuster reminds us to make way for the new
Ever since it was announced that Blockbuster would close its remaining stores, I've wondered what would happen at the corner of Broadway and Blenheim. A wifi-wielding coffee shop? A wildly out-of-place H&M? An all-you-can-eat, gluten- and sugar-free cake buffet?...
Video: 10 reasons to stop apologizing for your online life
It's time to stop apologizing for your life online. That was the central message of my talk at TEDx Victoria in November, now on YouTube. From valuing your online attention to taking your online creativity seriously as real art, I argue that we can only unlock the...
Excel template: 7 steps to achieving your goals
Do you have trouble making good on your New Year's resolutions? Do you have a hard time staying focused on your most important work? Do you simply get overwhelmed by all the tasks on your plate, and worry about how to get them all done? When I'm trying to stay on...
OneZero
App: Running late
Imagining an app that lets your friends or colleagues know when you’re running late.
Genius grants for inspired groups of collaborators
It would be fantastic if some creative foundation endowed a fellowship program that identified talent clusters: groups of tightly collaborative peers, likely in a single place,but possibly applicable to groups that have very tight, web-supported distance collaboration
Wouldn’t it be awesome if we had this site or hashtag?
Wouldn’t it be awesome if there were a site that invited people to complete the sentence, “Wouldn’t it be awesome if….” ?
Hanger card: How to have sex in the shower
Healthcare organizations distribute shower hanger cards that prompt women to do breast self-exams. The same approach could provide handy tips on how to have sex in the shower.
Talk back to Vancouver’s rain on Twitter
Tired of Vancouver’s eternal rain? Talk back to @YVRrain, a Twitter account for Vancouver’s rain clouds.
Unstoppable Timer: mobile app wanted
A timer/clock/stopwatch that disables sleep when active, so I don’t have to turn off my iphone’s auto-lock feature when using my iphone to keep track of time while giving a talk. [EOM]
ClickCentral: a web app for tracking clicks on all tweeted links
I want a single analytics dashboard that shows me click rates for any link I’ve tweeted. Right now I have to look at separate stats for bit.ly, ow.ly, Buffer and alex.loves. [EOM]
Multiplication table app round-up: Blog post wanted
Learning multiplication tables ought to be a lot easier — or at least a lot more fun — in the age of the iPad and iPhone. That’s why I’d love someone to write a blog post rounding up different multiplication table apps.
JSTOR DAILY
App: Running late
Imagining an app that lets your friends or colleagues know when you’re running late.
Genius grants for inspired groups of collaborators
It would be fantastic if some creative foundation endowed a fellowship program that identified talent clusters: groups of tightly collaborative peers, likely in a single place,but possibly applicable to groups that have very tight, web-supported distance collaboration
Wouldn’t it be awesome if we had this site or hashtag?
Wouldn’t it be awesome if there were a site that invited people to complete the sentence, “Wouldn’t it be awesome if….” ?
Hanger card: How to have sex in the shower
Healthcare organizations distribute shower hanger cards that prompt women to do breast self-exams. The same approach could provide handy tips on how to have sex in the shower.
Talk back to Vancouver’s rain on Twitter
Tired of Vancouver’s eternal rain? Talk back to @YVRrain, a Twitter account for Vancouver’s rain clouds.
Unstoppable Timer: mobile app wanted
A timer/clock/stopwatch that disables sleep when active, so I don’t have to turn off my iphone’s auto-lock feature when using my iphone to keep track of time while giving a talk. [EOM]
ClickCentral: a web app for tracking clicks on all tweeted links
I want a single analytics dashboard that shows me click rates for any link I’ve tweeted. Right now I have to look at separate stats for bit.ly, ow.ly, Buffer and alex.loves. [EOM]
Multiplication table app round-up: Blog post wanted
Learning multiplication tables ought to be a lot easier — or at least a lot more fun — in the age of the iPad and iPhone. That’s why I’d love someone to write a blog post rounding up different multiplication table apps.
THE VERGE
Where to find the best shows
Where to find my favorite shows via streaming or download.
How to tone down your tech
If you’re looking for a little online sanity, there are better options than a digital fast. My first post for the Headspace blog shares five great alternatives.
How to raise a white hat hacker
Today in the Christian Science Monitor’s Passcode, I look at what it takes to turn a curious, tech-minded kid into an ethical hacker.
A Robot By Any Other Name
What the research on artificial intelligence tells us about why and how we humanize the devices in our lives.