Erik Qualman did it again. Here’s the new and updated version of his video series dedicated to the latest social media trends. And if you are getting tired of the “usual” soundtrack, no worries Erick released an additional version of the video with a new tune.

Sit, play it and enjoy it.

Andrea

Have no time to invest in what your business or organization needs the most? This post is part of a productivity series aimed at helping you optimize your time management.

Skype chats, email notifications, Twitter and Facebook apps, etc. are all extremely useful tools, but they can significantly reduce your productivity if used at the wrong time or for the wrong tasks. If you don’t need them, switch them off. If you do need them, use them only to accomplish the task you are dealing with, then switch them off. Generally speaking, when you are dealing with high priority tasks and their use is not required, check them during breaks every 30 minutes, every couple of hours, or even just at the end of the day.

Do you have other time management tips? Share them in the comments below or click here for a quick “comment-ready-tweet” @vascellari.

Andrea

Billboard, one of the world’s oldest international trade magazines devoted to the music industry, has has proved that music does come from everywhere.

The idea? Guitar Pee!

Guitar Pee is a mix between men’s urinal and an electric guitar. Once you are done with your “solo” you can listen and download your recent-released “mpee3″ by accessing the Guitar Pee Gallery via mobile.

Results?

Over 1,600 solos released and counting! The Guitar Pee has toured several bars in São Paulo (Brazil), and you can listen to the latest solos by visiting guitarpee.com.br from your mobile phone.

Enjoy the video!

Andrea

In this video, that I found thanks to Mitch Joel, Clay Shirky describes five student projects that he thinks are pushing the creative boundaries – from interface design to how people cluster to build new work.
He ends the talk with an interesting take on the rules of creativity…

Do you have something interesting to share about creativity? Ideas? Experience? Thoughts? Go ahead and share them in the comments below or via quick “comment-ready-tweet” @vascellari.

Andrea

In this keynote Gabe Zichermann gives a good overview of how the gamification process works and he also offers a good list of examples that I’m sure you’ll find interesting and inspiring.
Enjoy it!
Andrea

Franck Vinchon launched ‘My Own Epitaph’ a Facebook app to help readers understand the thinking behind his book ‘Tranches de mort’. The book suggest that death is not just an accident but the result of everything we experience in life. Based on this concept, the app uses information from your Facebook profile and generates words written on your gravestone. Have a look at the video teaser and then visit my-own-epitaph.com to find out what will be written on your gravestone.

Provocative, cynical but unquestionably engaging.

Andrea

via Andrea Vascellari – CEO, itive

Have no money to invest in what your business or organization needs the most? This post is part of a productivity series aimed at helping you optimize your budget management.

It’s true that there are still some jobs that can’t be done remotely using the web or telecommunication systems; however, many jobs can and are being done in that way thanks to these useful technologies available to most companies.

Accounting, project management, marketing, PR, programming, design, web and mobile development, etc., are just some of the jobs that – depending on the nature of a project – can be done remotely.

There are numerous benefits for both organizations and employees when working remotely, one of them is cost (physical and financial) reductions, including: Reduced stress-levels, higher job satisfaction, less pollution, less need for expensive office space and business utilities, etc.

The most important things to have “in place” in order to get remote working solutions running at best within your organization are:

• Accurate planning: The work must be carefully organized in order to become objective and goal-oriented for everyone.
• Internal policies: Create a policy to inform and educate each remote person or group about what is expected from them and how they will be held accountable.

Are you working remotely? Did your organization implement remote working successfully?
Feel free to drop a comment and share your experiences & tips or click here for a quick “comment-ready-tweet” @vascellari.

Andrea

Image Credit: Gapingvoid

We are recklessly working with complete disregard for our mental, physical and social health.

This “always connected” digital age is only part of the problem that is almost turning us into slaves of the system we are living in. In my opinion, there is something fundamental that we shouldn’t forget at a much deeper and human level.

It has become increasingly difficult to find the right balance between what we have to do in order to live and actually living our life. It seems to me that we are going crazy and we are fine with it because it seems to be “the norm”. This is not normal, it’s not how it should be.

If we spend our existence in an “always-on” mode we don’t live. We need to switch-off certain leds in our control room, otherwise, sooner or later, something will blow up.

I think this is what’s happening in our society right now. Productivity and growth come first.

What’s the opposite of growth?
I bet that for many of you it took a little too long to come up with an answer to this question.

Decay, reduction and recession themselves are things we distance ourselves from even if they are natural consequences of periods of growth – natural or artificial and inflated…

There’s no trend or phenomenon in nature that can constantly only grow. In my opinion, the acceptance of stagnation and decline as a self regulatory mechanism is important not just on a macro scale, but also on a micro level and in a more personal sphere.

Your take?

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below, via quick “comment-ready-tweet” @vascellari.

Andrea

Overview
Cisco’s Telepresence is one of the most advanced virtual meeting systems in the world.
In cooperation with the Finnish organizations of KOKO, SEK and SuupohjanSeutuverkko, which runs one of the fastest broadband networks in Europe, we tested Cisco Telepresence as a primary means to present information across distances without breaking budgets.

Objectives

• Create an engaging experience to test the use of Cisco Telepresence in a higher education environment.
• Provide feedback to Cisco on the target audience’s experience using online video communication tools.

The Idea
We organized a live, interactive video conference connecting university students with thoughtful leaders of today’s digital Communications industry.

For this initiative, we selected a group of students from Memorial University in Newfoundland, Canada – a country that shares similarities with Finland regarding debilitating winter climates and large, physical distances – difficult factors that could both be addressed and supported with remote virtual learning programs as an ideal solution.

Sitting on the other end of the video conference were itive’s CEO and CCO – two individuals who have solid experience in the digital space.

During the online event, the students had access to itive’s executives for a live Q&A session about having a career in Communications and on how the industry is changing.

The students were then asked to complete a survey about their experiences using online video communication tools in order to provide valuable feedback to Cisco.

Outcomes

• Organized a specific training session for the student leader of the group on how to use the Cisco software.
• Conducted a pre-event survey to focus the video conference on the most relevant topics for the students.
• Managed a 1-hour live, online video conference session between the students and itive’s executives.
• Conducted a post-event survey filled out by students about their experience using online video communication tools.
• Followed up with students providing additional feedback and answers concerning topics that weren’t covered during the live event because of limited time.

Have no time to invest in what your business or organization needs the most? This post is part of a productivity series aimed at helping you optimize your time management.

Ask yourself this question: What is time to you?

When I ask this question to my clients, I always get a different and interesting answer. For some, time is just minutes, hours and days, while for others it’s something you sell or an “investment” for the future. In some cases, this question brings certain people to the realization that time is not actually something infinite and eternal, even if it’s often taken for granted.

How you perceive time and how much you understand its value will have a dramatic impact on how you will use it during your lifetime.

What is time to you? Share them in the comments below or click here for a quick “comment-ready-tweet” @vascellari.

Andrea