tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2145082584448496102009-06-11T17:40:29.970-04:00A place to organize & express.Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-59692456843809759822009-05-27T23:07:00.002-04:002009-05-27T23:46:09.064-04:002009-05-27T23:46:09.064-04:00

A good post by Guy Kawasaki on Twitterhawk.In their own words, from their site TwitterHawk is a real time targeted marketing engine that will find people talking on twitter now by your chosen topic and location, allowing you to really hit your target mid conversation with ease.So twitterhawk will search tweets, based on your criteria, then send out appropriate responses to tweeters to provide

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-85904149333745959772009-02-13T23:27:00.000-05:002009-02-13T23:54:58.943-05:002009-02-13T23:54:58.943-05:00

I have been a huge proponent of NetVibes and start pages in general. RSS has such potential, I still evangelize to friends on the benefits of creating a start page and monitoring their favourite sites. The ability to aggregate great content and not have to actively find it is great. It's basically putting a filter on the web. Sure some articles will lead to others but for the most part I have a "

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-29677314146267253802009-02-13T18:56:00.000-05:002009-02-13T21:24:39.197-05:002009-02-13T21:24:39.197-05:00

Every time you repeat a task, make progress on automating it. It doesn’t have to be big… It just has to be progressI came across this from one of my favourite twitter feeds venturehacks. Pointing to this article on Emergent Properties of Continuous Automation . There are so many mundane tasks that I have great ideas towards automating and making more efficient. Typically my great ideas require a

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-10398259646045420152009-02-05T10:27:00.000-05:002009-02-05T15:59:05.412-05:002009-02-05T15:59:05.412-05:00

Keeping up-to-date with the news these days is great way to get depressed. Each day multiple companies are announcing layoffs in the Thousands. The leading indicator - the stock market appears to have settled down but it still takes hits when a few pieces of bad economic news comes out on the same day.The comparisons between now and previous downturns are relentless. There is one difference. The

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-50792306115582260852008-12-17T22:56:00.000-05:002008-12-18T00:16:58.259-05:002008-12-18T00:16:58.259-05:00

Three years ago the US Secret Service in concert with Homeland Security busted a forgery ring. DVDs, Rolexes, designer handbags? No. University Degrees. It was called a diploma mill.A fake university based out of Liberia (yes it's a real country) that provided you with a degree in a subject of your choosing for a small fee. Many people feel rightly outraged at how people have cheated the system.

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-67944745186213096772008-12-15T19:45:00.000-05:002008-12-15T20:26:43.615-05:002008-12-15T20:26:43.615-05:00

I'm a die-hard Toronto Raptors fan living in the GTA. I have the misfortune of being a Rogers subscriber. Due to what appears to be a fight over money Raptor games are not being broadcasted for a large percentage of the GTA. Despite the Raptors attempts at making themselves a national team it is still a very urban team. TSN is trying to force new subscribers to TSN2 by pushing content they

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-53201703814570996622008-12-09T18:09:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:09:00.325-05:002008-12-09T18:09:00.325-05:00

If you pick up a paper or watch the news you might think it's economic armageddon. Each day talk of losses in the market, bailouts and handouts all over. The word recession is thrown around like candy.60-70% of GDP is consumer spending. There are some hurting sectors with people out of work. However, there are many, Many people with stable jobs who are hoarding cash waiting for the pending

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-73390411476589694002008-12-02T12:05:00.000-05:002008-12-03T00:05:49.556-05:002008-12-03T00:05:49.556-05:00

I'm proposing something different to deal with the major issues at hand. We should all turn to our children and find out if we're smarter than a 5th grader. Not the show, but the headlines highlight a huge learning opportunity. It might be good for us to revisit what we've learned and forgotten, and to address deficiencies in our education system.The economic crisis is the major story as the

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-28079182353501255642008-11-18T21:20:00.000-05:002008-11-18T22:04:28.141-05:002008-11-18T22:04:28.141-05:00

I prefer a more poetic title, but in this case the title is too accurate.Periodically I will take a look at my bills in detail to compare services to see what's available. As a Rogers Internet & TV customer I went online to see what packages Rogers has available to see if there is something better suited to our needs.I was shocked to see that Rogers Lite internet service is listed as 19.95

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-32876140685546231682008-11-18T10:11:00.000-05:002008-11-18T10:17:01.394-05:002008-11-18T10:17:01.394-05:00

I normally frown on email forwards, but this one won't bring you bad luck if you don't follow it. Although it might explain some of our current misfortunes. From a learning perspective stories can do wonders in bringing meaning to abstract concepts and helping people learn.Once upon a time, in a village, a man appeared and announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10 each.The

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-10633381130656280072008-10-03T11:15:00.000-04:002008-10-03T11:31:45.980-04:002008-10-03T11:31:45.980-04:00

There's been a tonne of talk about the idea of letting a big chunk of the investment institutions fail. These are the firms that were making money in almost a fictitious sense with the repackaging of bad debt. The main problem being that since they were selling it off they didn't care about the viability of the debts. It's all their fault anyhow they got fat and greedy.Wall Street is primarily to

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-50971982273914785582008-09-29T23:43:00.000-04:002008-09-29T23:43:01.032-04:002008-09-29T23:43:01.032-04:00

David's got a good post about the predicament of Sarah Palin. I don't really think it can be placed squarely on her shoulders. Yes she seems grossly overqualifiedPalin reminds of the poor unfortunates in a sports draft. Someone thinks that a kid's got potential, or fills a void in the roster and drafts them much earlier than their talent would dictate.As their career pans out they're booed and

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-35754595908805892552008-09-15T20:19:00.000-04:002008-09-15T20:19:00.448-04:002008-09-15T20:19:00.448-04:00

Friends returning from a trip to asia always comment on the archaic nature of the technology here. When one person goes, friends are putting in orders for new phones /cameras etc. Why is it we won't see this technology in N. america for another few years? Those with access to the asian market get to be all superior for "pfft that's soo two years ago". A post on the wikinomics blog argues that

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-921722554189483302008-09-10T22:09:00.000-04:002008-09-10T22:09:00.462-04:002008-09-10T22:09:00.462-04:00

I've got a Nintendo Wii, Wii Fit & Rockband. Yet I can say with confidence that i'm still not a gamer. I bought Top Spin 3 hoping for an even better experience than the basic wii tennis. However, what I got was a video game. The Wiimote is still the focal point, but there's a lot more going. It's more involved in every facet of the game. One could argue it's a normal learning curve ... for a

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-53994542109004649352008-09-08T20:30:00.000-04:002008-09-08T20:30:00.246-04:002008-09-08T20:30:00.246-04:00

Continuing on from my previous post about the questions around personal trainers. Here are some tips on picking a personal trainer. Not all trainers are created equal. Sadly some of the base certifications are a bit of a joke.Does the trainer have experience getting the results you're looking for? e.g. Losing fat; bulking up; increasing endurance; sport-specific training. In something like

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-57192591469101104322008-09-03T22:42:00.000-04:002008-09-03T22:42:00.283-04:002008-09-03T22:42:00.283-04:00

I'm not a rocker by any stretch of the imagination. But i do love me some Rock Band. Perhaps since i'm a failed wannabe drummer and just a bit of coordination in this game will take you a long way.I have Rock Band for the Wii, and while I do love it, I am a bit envious of PS3 & Xbox folks that can download tracks and add to their catalog.One aspect that is the natural evolution of this game is

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-66336691986406718632008-09-03T03:15:00.000-04:002008-09-03T03:15:01.048-04:002008-09-03T03:15:01.048-04:00

You've had enough. It's time for a change. You don't like the way you look/feel. But you're not sure how to get the job done. You feel uncomfortable and intimidated at the gym. The next idea is to get a personal trainer. Let them show you the ropes put you on a program.I've worked out for awhile, I'm not the poster boy for results by any means but I'm in decent shape. Last year, as I approached a

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-35314064563887248472008-08-19T22:19:00.000-04:002008-08-19T22:19:00.581-04:002008-08-19T22:19:00.581-04:00

There appears to be a growing revolt against the boilerplate approach to software maintenance pricing(see zdnet). As a vendor, I appreciate how much revenue this draws in. At the same time from a customer standpoint it can be a challenge in today's cost-cutting environment.The idea of declining fees or a customer-specific agreement are an interesting and at the same time troubling idea.Successful

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-54866386946411093652008-08-19T21:46:00.000-04:002008-08-19T21:46:00.319-04:002008-08-19T21:46:00.319-04:00

There's a report today about how the Chinatown Business Improvement Area has hired private security to get rid of panhandlers. The toronto council is being called out for not meeting the needs of the city."City council should be putting more cops on the streets to address this!"I don't know if that's the answer. Maybe I'm too far down the left-wing but using cops / security to remove panhandlers

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-68811772283114933072008-07-30T14:17:00.000-04:002008-07-30T14:49:10.231-04:002008-07-30T14:49:10.231-04:00

It's an increasing trend for myself (and others) to move data online. My bookmarks? Del.icio.us. My Documents? Google Docs. Other lists are now a part of my NetVibes page.Last night I wanted to a look up a book I had heard about the other day. No sweat I'll just check my notes page on my homepage with a special note on books but - Netvibes was down....this is bull$hit i'm paying how much a month

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-41582093971555924262008-07-22T22:19:00.000-04:002008-07-22T22:19:01.283-04:002008-07-22T22:19:01.283-04:00

Rapid eLearning tools are becoming a standard. The ability to quickly create content develop interactions without web developer skills is a necessity. The reduction in the cost of instruction is amazing. The great thing with these tools are that anyone can create learning content. The problem is - anyone can create content. The argument being made is that unqualified people are creating bad

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-42087277639675864052008-07-17T15:43:00.001-04:002008-07-17T16:03:23.699-04:002008-07-17T16:03:23.699-04:00

Your LMS will not cause cardiovascular disease. Each time you use your LMS is will not shorten your life by 11 minutes. Still, I believe a traditional LMS is similar to cigarette. A Learning Management System is supposed to be about tracking a user’s learning. What progress have they made, what courses have they taken what are their scores? In reality I think this is not quite true. An LMS is

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-10744418278534808762008-06-25T21:30:00.000-04:002008-06-25T21:30:01.505-04:002008-06-25T21:30:01.505-04:00

There is a significant amount of noise these days. Much of Knowledge Management is about helping people cope with the massive amounts of information available to them. George Siemens had a nice little post that got me thinking. Knowledge workers are bombarded with email, IM, twitter etc. New media is becoming more centred on commercial-size chunks. YouTube videos and micro-blogs are a perfect

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-45660108722831328042008-06-24T17:56:00.000-04:002008-06-24T18:20:29.546-04:002008-06-24T18:20:29.546-04:00

When searching on obscure topics I'm bound to get results from questionable sources. When I see a more modern layout, it lends creedence to the source. The article in question could be out of date or a complete fallacy but the layout validates it. I noticed today a newer form of validation.When a site has social media buttons ( submit to Digg, Reddit, Del.icio.us) Since that site is "more hip"

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214508258444849610.post-67085930574469562342008-06-19T16:28:00.000-04:002008-06-24T17:07:19.457-04:002008-06-24T17:07:19.457-04:00

With developers apparently jumping off the bandwagon it's natural to assume users will follow. As less development occurs other tools will become more integrated and easier to use.As a user do you care? if i move to friendfeed, getting reconnected would be a pain, but i'm not really leaving much behind. Links are bookmarked in del.icio.us. Personally I don't really favourite many tweets. If I

Shaun Balahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293609103425820146noreply@blogger.com0