Jun

30

Refuel this!

Filed Under Education, Globalization | Leave a Comment

If you're visiting my blog for the first time, you can subscribe to my RSS feed. This allows you to read the latest updates about Globalization, Internet2 and Education via feeds.
Thank you for visiting.

At 13 miles per gallon the tag line should read REFUEL THIS.

Base price $22,000; fully loaded at $40,000.  Really, just 13mpg? This limited production run is already sold out — so I guess that $4.00/gallon is no big deal.

2009 dodge challenger

Tags: Dodge, Challenger, gasoline, miles per gallon, manufacturing, trends

Jun

27

My latest read - China, Inc.

Filed Under Design, Education, Globalization, Milwaukee, Network, Reading, Technology | Leave a Comment

In today’s world it seems everything is about China. There are so many emerging topics of interest Americans need to understand about this giant economy and manufacturing base.

Ted Fishman’s China, Inc.: How the Rise of the Next Superpower Challenges America and the World is a much needed read in the new era of globalization. So powerful in fact that it’s now on my recommended list for business and education. Actually I’ll move it next to Tom Friedman’s bestseller The World Is Flat and John Kao’s Innovation Nation as noteworthy companions.

So what? The next time your holding an empty coffee cup or your child’s toys, flip them over and discover the country of origin. Yes, China is changing the rules of business and society.

If you do not believe this impacts America’s school children — well … your in trouble. Consider China graduates more honors students than the total number of students in American schools. Think about that statistic and what it means for your children or your grand-children’s future job market in the coming decades. I’m even concerned about my own son’s future career choices, yet confident it will require him to speak a non-roman language.

Rapid changes in the business landscape via globalization means the global market will continue to get more competitive.  Americans will continue to be challenged to find secure, solid employment.  It will be just as challenging to find a company who does not outsource elements to China’s fast growing economic empire in order to stay competitive. Fishman delivers this message loud and clear.

china cement productionTake into consideration the production of cement. Do you see construction sites on your daily commute? Well think about the construction in China based upon this cement chart listed in Gigatons. Look how little America consumes next to China. What does that say about their growth?

Fishman also shares how the Chinese copy products (and processes) of successful companies around the world. In many cases buying a product and taking it back to China where its taken apart, examined, copied and produced at a fraction of the original vendor’s costs…regardless of copyright.

The Wisconsin connection:
Some of the more compelling chapters in Fishman’s books even cover the impact of Chinese manufacturing impacting local SE Wisconsin businesses.  Regardless of your geographic location in America, the story is the same. Read more

Jun

26

50 million viewers cannot be wrong

Filed Under Design, Education, Globalization, Network, Streaming, TED, Technology | Leave a Comment

ted 50 million
TED is amazing don’t you think?

Jun

20

Internet2 on Fox News … well kinda

Filed Under Education, Globalization, HighRes, Internet2, Milwaukee, Network, Technology | Leave a Comment

Well I’m not exactly sure either guy knows what Internet2 is today but clearly Jeremy Kaplan from PC Magazine does not convey the basics of Internet2…Yikes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puaYLiUuXT8

Tags: Internet2, bandwidth, network, fiber, globalization, trends

Jun

19

Moved to tears

Filed Under Kasprzak | Leave a Comment

This past Father’s Day was wonderful. My son Maxwell is the joy of my life and the center of my universe. If your are also a father - do remember the beautiful moment when your child began walking?

I played with Max and his legos, read him books, watched him walk and stumble and cleaned up after he pulled all his socks and pajamas from their baskets under his changing table.
Oh…I changed his diapers a couple of times. All in all, a perfect Father’s Day for me.

Read more

Jun

18

Astronomy without borders

Filed Under Design, Education, Globalization, HighRes, Interactive, Internet2, Network, Streaming, Technology | Leave a Comment

Internet2 has partnered to transfer real time data between China and New South Wales.  Crossing the globe merging multiple countries and processing huge amounts of data.  Very cool to see advanced research and education networks grabbing 512 megs per second (per telescope — seven total) and streaming it live to Shanghai.  More info here and here

Tags: Internet2, bandwidth, network, astronomy, China, trends

Jun

17

FireFox 3: Download times will vary

Filed Under Education, Globalization, Milwaukee, Network, OpenSource, Technology, Web2.0 | Leave a Comment

FireFox3 is staggering their 3.0 rollout — so the world does not all download at one time killing their servers. Not a bad idea:

firefox download time

Chicago - Milwaukee - Madison get downloading at 12:00 noon!

Jun

17

You are what you tag

Filed Under Design, Education, Interactive, Network, Technology, Web2.0 | Leave a Comment

My del.icio.us feed via Wordle:

wordle2

Tags: wordle, tag, visualization, community, trends

Jun

16

Internet2: 200 Gigabit backbone by 2014

Filed Under Design, Education, Globalization, Internet2, Network, Technology | Leave a Comment

Internet2The demand for bandwidth usage has been a funny issue of late. Comcast, TimeWarner and AT&T have announced new bandwidth taxing to consumers while on the research side Internet2 and the Department of Energy’s ESnet are planning to upgrade their network to support 200GB/s by 2014. That’s Big Science applications from around the globe taking hold and researchers & scientists to gather gigabytes and terabytes of information. Boy talk about going from one extreme to the other.

This will be an important issue for R&E Networks while consumers are fighting for bandwidth usage taxes. Internet2 seems to be moving forward without reservation to new advanced network backbones linking ESnet and I2’s services to really enhance bandwidth to Internet2 members via Level 3 with plenty of headroom to grow even further:

Internet2’s backbone can easily scale to 400Gigabits/second
–Randy Brogle, Level 3

Why is consumer bandwidth handled differently? Telcos do not have the resources to make fast bandwidth available to all consumers, they are pinching torrent sites and would love to do the same for Skype users. At some point I’m wondering if its a new revenue model.  Comcast has already stating bandwidth tax will go national by end of 2008. I take a full breath of air while sitting and breath differently running, but air is available to me nevertheless.

Bandwidth is the same to me: I need it to breath without restriction.

Tags: Internet2, bandwidth, network, community, globalization, trends

Jun

16

Milwaukee to Madison 06/18/08

Filed Under Education, Google, Milwaukee, Smartphone | Leave a Comment

 

This morning’s commute was much better than DOT’s suggested Milwaukee > Beloit > Madison. That route tacks an extra 105 miles one way. I cannot believe they are suggesting this route all the way down to Beloit!  This route was much better:

mil2mad

Here is the link to the Google Maps page. Lets hope flooding decreases over the next couple of days. Take this route and you will see flooded roads and houses under water in low areas with plenty of farm land underwater too.Tags: Milwaukee, Madison, I-94, commute, flooding

Jun

11

BMW’s Gina

Filed Under BMW, Design, Education, Technology | Leave a Comment

This is BMW’s latest concept car made of high tech fabric, called GINA. But I’m not sure how my wife would take my statement “I’m taking Gina for a ride”

BMW Gina

Jun

11

RFK: What we lost

Filed Under Education | Leave a Comment

RFK

Its been 40 years this week that America lost Bobby Kennedy’s voice. Do you remember how he served and campaigned to change America? I was only 2 years old when he was assassinated, but have come to realize he spoke about a better tomorrow for our country and an end to the war in Vietnam.

His voice is compelling today. Our country was robbed of his eloquent speeches, dedication to country and desire for peace.

Jun

7

Sugar Labs is cool

Filed Under Design, Education, Globalization, Interactive, Media Players, Network, OLPC, OpenSource, Streaming, TED, Technology | Leave a Comment

sugar labs logoThe OLPC program is moving through a rough time right now with the announced departures of initial key members and the new Microsoft announcement to bring XP onto the XO Laptops.

Walter Bender, former President of OLPC has launched Sugar Labs to promote the use of Sugar on more devices. Sugar is open source and I’m running it on my Powerbook via VMware’s Fusion. Sugar Lab’s approach: children should not be forced to learning a legacy operating system designed for adult computer programmers.

Lets face facts. XP is not designed for the world’s children living in poverty. The design is simple and perfect for children:

Sugar on OS X

Read more

Jun

6

Amazon.com offline

Filed Under Education, Globalization, Network, Technology | Leave a Comment

So Jeff Bezos….what does this cost per minute?
amazon

Tags: Amazon.com, Business, Offline