Innovation, collaboration, transformation and new freedoms at KAUST in Saudi Arabia

This is the story about change, and a man who broke through barriers of many kinds to make it happen. The story speaks for itself, but I hope this kind of innovation allows Saudi Arabia to be the best it can be, leveraging ALL of it’s countries resources, both natural and human, man and woman. - msm

Officials speak to the media during the inauguration last month of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, part of an effort to turn the kingdom into a global scientific center rivaling those in the United States. (Scott Nelson – Associated Press)

Challenging Barriers

Three years ago, Abdullah ordered executives of the Saudi national oil company, Aramco, to build the university, fulfilling a 25-year-old vision. The kingdom was in the midst of an economic crisis, and the monarch realized that his country could no longer rely solely on oil, said Nadhmi al-Nasr, the university’s interim vice president and a senior Aramco executive.

Today, the campus is a scientist’s dream. It houses one of the world’s faster supercomputers. A three-dimensional virtual reality room takes visitors into an archaeological dig or a coral reef. Ultra-high-resolution photography allows the study of mountain rock formations.

Research centers focus on vital areas such as finding alternative forms of energy and sources of potable water. Solar energy partially powers the campus; electric vehicles provide public transport. Fortune 500 companies such as Dow Chemical fund research. The goal, university officials said, is to effectively collaborate with industry to create a new generation of researchers, inventors and entrepreneurs.

“We’ll be exporting electricity to Europe and Asia one day,” Nasr said.

There are 71 professors, many from the United States, and 817 students from 61 countries. Nearly 400 students began classes last month; the rest will arrive next year. Saudi students, including 20 women, make up 15 percent of the student body.

[Highly recommend read the entire piece. Please click here]

Let’s hope this is just the beginning.

Consumed – Groupthink Inc. – NYTimes.com

 

How many of us have thoughts of products and services that we could introduce to the world but …

In a world where collaboration and innovation are becoming mainstream concepts, Ben Kaufman has acted on the idea by creating Quirky.com as a way to help use community to drive great ideas forward. I’ll definitely be watching and, who knows, maybe you’ll see my Soup Cubes in the market one of these days thanks to Ben and all of our friends.

Consumed – Groupthink Inc. – NYTimes.com

By ROB WALKER

Published: September 2, 2009

Many behold the overwhelming abundance of products at the mall, the big-box store or even Amazon.com and conclude: That’s enough; we don’t need any more new stuff to consider buying. Ben Kaufman doesn’t see things that way. He is sure that he is not alone. “Everyone,” he says, “has a product idea.” It’s probably true: even as we piously lament the endless and wasteful junk that clutters the material world, plenty of us are simultaneously pondering some hypothetical doodad that we are sure would be a retail hit.

A few months ago, Kaufman, who is 22 and lives in New York, started a business aimed squarely at the armchair inventors among us. Quirky.com is meant to bring “community developed” products to the marketplace. For example: Marc Julian Zech, an advertising copywriter in Hamburg, Germany, had an idea for a double-sided mini hard drive (one USB plug might hold personal data, the other work data). He submitted his notion to Quirky.com, and now, a few weeks later, the Split Stick is being manufactured …

[click here to read the rest of this great article]

Are Video Landing Pages Effective?

Are Video Landing Pages Effective?

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BlogTalkRadio show with Chris Brogan on his new book “Trust Agents”

What the f**k is Social Media: One Year Later (a pres’n from Marta Kagan worth watching)

What the F**K is Social Media: One Year Later

View more documents from Marta Kagan.

32 Thought Provoking Life Stories

Sometimes it’s more important to spin it down than spin it up.

Reading this list made me stop and think. Its wonderful perspective and I’m looking forward to following their insights. Pass it on!

32 Thought-Provoking Life Stories

Sometimes the most random everyday encounters force us to stop and rethink the truths and perceptions we have ingrained in our minds.  These encounters are educationally priceless.  They spawn moments of deep thought and self-reflection that challenge the status quo and help us evolve as sensible individuals.

On our new sister site, Makes Me Think, we call these thought-provoking life experiences ‘MMTs’.

Makes Me Think is an online community where people share daily life stories that provoke deep thought and inspire positive change.

Here’s a sample of 32 MMT stories that were recently submitted to the site:

1. Today, I was sitting on a hotel balcony watching 2 lovers in the distance walk along the beach.  From their body language, I could tell they were laughing and enjoying each other’s company.  As they got closer, I realized they were my parents.  My parents almost got divorced 8 years ago.  MMT
2. Today, I asked my 6 year old son what he wants to be when he grows up.  He said, “Mommy, all I want to be is happy.”  MMT
3. Today, after spending the last 3 years viciously bickering with the college kid who lives next door, I found myself crying in his arms and thanking him repeatedly for saving my son’s life.  MMT
4. Today, my daughter confronted me with the fact that my biggest fear, a fear that has held me back from many life experiences, has never come true.  I am 76 years old.  MMT
5. Today, I attended the grand opening for Shane’s art gallery.  Shane is a quirky, soft-spoken guy with long red hair.  For the last 5 years I’ve thought he was a bit of a weirdo.  But today I realized Shane’s weirdness is just the side-effect of being an artistic genius.  MMT
6. Today, my company employs 130 intelligent individuals and turns a net profit of nearly $500K a year.  I started this company 10 years ago after I was laid off by IBM.  If they hadn’t laid me off, I might still be working in a cubicle at IBM today.  MMT
7. Today, I waited on an elderly woman at the local restaurant where I work.  She left me a $90 tip on a $10 tab with a handwritten note that said, “I’m 86 and I can’t take this money with me.  So please spoil yourself with it.”  MMT
8. Today, I tested a theory that didn’t work, which led me to different theory that didn’t work, which spawned a totally new idea that seems to work really well.  Although it doesn’t solve the original problem, all of my business partners agree that this idea has earth-shattering potential.  MMT
9. Today, I saw a pretty scary looking guy who had a tall blue mohawk and tattoos and piercings all over his body.  He was helping my elderly neighbor take her trash down to the curb.  My neighbor told me afterwards that the guy was just walking by and offered to help.  MMT
10. Today, I married the man of my dreams.  I left for college at 18 and looked for him there.  Nothing.  I moved to a new city and looked for him there.  Nothing.  Then last fall I returned home for Thanksgiving.  My brother’s best friend, whom I grew up with, joined us for dinner.  And I found him.  MMT
11. Today, I was reunited with an old buddy.  Throughout college we were best friends.  Then just before graduation we got into a nasty fight over a girl.  Terrible words were exchanged and we never spoke again, until today.  And as we hugged each other, we acknowledged how irrelevant that girl is now.  MMT
12. Today, my 21 year old son’s alternative rock band received a record deal from a major record label.  I spent the last 5 years trying to convince him that college was the smarter way to go.  But he stood his ground and pursued his dream.  And now he’s living it.  MMT
13. Today, I was walking along the boardwalk in Pacific Beach when I saw 4 teenagers heckling a homeless beach bum.  He laughed and said, “I’m not crazy!  ‘Crazy’ is spending 40 years of your life hating 40 hours a week.”  MMT
14. Today, I met a movie star celebrity who has been one of my idols since I was a kid.  He was a total jerk in real life.  MMT
15. Today, a lady walked up to me in the gym and asked me to give her some workout pointers.  She said, “You look incredible!  Watching you gradually tone-up and progress in here has become my primary inspiration to get in shape.”  It made me smile because I’ve struggled with my weight since I was 15.  MMT
16. Today, I implemented a web-based business idea I got from my girlfriend.  The kickoff was a total success.  She actually tried explaining this idea to me 2 years ago, but I was too busy at the time to listen.  MMT
17. Today, I checked my account balance and realized I had been fined $40 by my bank for a $2 overdraft when I bought a coffee on the way to work.  “I couldn’t be any more broke!” I cried aloud as I walked outside to get some air.  Just then a skinny homeless man limped out from a nearby alleyway.  MMT
18. Today, my daughter who struggled to get C’s in grade school owns a multi-million dollar cosmetics company.  My daughter who was in the gifted program in grade school is happily employed as a kindergarten teacher making $35K a year.  MMT
19. Today, I ran into an old best friend I haven’t seen in nearly a year.  We live in the same city, but we’re just so busy.  MMT
20. Today, we celebrated our 10 year anniversary.  We unknowingly held our wedding in a park on the same day a college fraternity was tailgating.  There were drunken college kids everywhere.  At the time it seemed horrific.  But it produced several amusing stories our family still laughs about today.  MMT
21. Today, I returned 2 library books that were 3 months overdue.  The librarian looked extremely nervous as she informed me of my $34 late fee.  When I smiled and handed her the $34, she said, “Oh, thanks for being so nice about it.  Most people scream at me when I inform them of their late fees.”  MMT
22. Today, my employer officially approved my request to work from home 2 days a week.  All of my friends and family were shocked.  “When did your employer implement this policy?” they asked.  “About 2 weeks after I pitched the idea to the CEO,” I replied.  MMT
23. Today, I was dealt a colossal life lesson.  My girlfriend is pregnant.  I’ve worn a condom every single time we’ve had sex for the last 2 years… except for this one night last month when we were really, really drunk.  MMT
24. Today, I visited an old neighborhood where I used to live.  The landscaping in every yard seemed better kept than I remember.  And everyone on the block seemed friendlier.  But other than the couple who moved into my old house, the same exact people live there.  MMT
25. Today, my mother-in-law cooked fish for dinner.  I have refused to eat fish since I was a child.  But I didn’t want to seem rude, so I sucked it up and ate it anyway.  Surprisingly, I thought it was pretty good.  And I may try it again sometime soon.  MMT
26. Today, I was at the beach watching a little girl chase her father’s remote controlled car around in circles.  She kept jumping forward and falling on her knees in an effort to catch the car as it skidded by.  She did this 31 times and failed.  But on attempt #32, she caught the car.  MMT
27. Today, a complete stranger outside a local coffee shop was holding a sign that said, “Free Hugs.”  I hesitated at first, but then I decided to give her a hug.  Truthfully, it felt great!  MMT
28. Today, I heard another Michael Jackson song on the radio.  For the last 15 years up until the day he died, it seemed like everyone thought he was a freak.  Now, all I hear are MJ songs on the radio and people calling him a musical genius.  It’s like the world forgot what they had until it was gone.  MMT
29. Today, I was sitting on my front porch watching the neighbor’s kid have the time of his life with nothing more than a wooden stick and his imagination.  MMT
30. Today, I was in a really bad mood when a young girl came into my office sporting the most genuine smile I’d seen in a long while.  She was bound to a wheelchair because she had no legs.  MMT
31. Today, I spent an hour with a stranger, said nothing, and walked away feeling like I just had the best conversation ever.  MMT
32. Today, I was working in a coffee shop when 2 gay men walked in holding hands.  As you might expect, heads started turning.  Then a young girl at the table next to me asked her mom why 2 men were holding hands.  Her mom replied, “Because they love each other.”  MMT

Makes Me Think is updated daily.  If you enjoyed the MMT stories in this article, please visit the site for the latest content.  Or subscribe to Make Me Think here via RSS or email.

Photo by: Philipp Klinger

5 Ways Traditional Media Companies are Using Online Video

I really pay attention to Mashable, “the Social Media Guide”. They always deliver fine ideas that spark some of my own efforts.

I am also acutely aware of the transition ‘traditional media’ is in [my brother Josh and his fiance are both reporters for major newspapers]. This article provides some alternatives worth exploring. Woody Lewis authored this post. Woody is a Social Media Strategist, web Architect who blogs about social media strategy for newspapers at woodylewis.com.

As for me, I love to read a newspaper in it’s traditional form and hate the thought of that going away. That being said, I’m all for enhancing and extending their value and that of new-media formats using video. That old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” rings even truer today.

Online video is standard fare on many web sites. Businesses use video to drive marketing and communications, customer care, staff training, and many other processes. They have also put pressure on traditional media companies by embedding more ads in online video content, effectively shrinking traditional marketing budgets. What about the media companies themselves?

How do they use online video, and which companies are seeing results that can potentially impact their business, and the public’s perception of them? Below are five examples of traditional media companies using online video to adapt to the changing new media landscape.

click here for the full story 5 Ways Traditional Media Companies are Using Online Video.

Mashable’s “Top 7 Places to Watch Great Minds in Action” (videos)

Synapses: igniting the sparks

Leverage THESE great minds to get your OWN mind cranking

Our brains are fantastic. They are capable of wondrous things … creating bold new ideas from the fabric and bits and pieces of our every day lives.

If we want to jumpstart our brains to think in terms of new ideas and new directions, some times all it takes is a spark — that momentary flash of brilliance that comes when our brains connect what we’re hearing with what’s been sitting in the back (or the forefront) of our thoughts.

Mashable’s posts are almost always an excellent resource for stimulating that creative thinking. In his post, Josh Calone of Mashable presents Top 7 Places to Watch Great Minds in Action, where we are introduced to conferences.

Check out TED, Pop!Tech, Business Innovation Factory, Gel, BIL,Big Think, ideaCity — watch, listen and learn about transformational ideas. Videos, overviews and links for each are included.

We might be able to attend them (or maybe we can) but the content is out there for all of us.

What’s YOUR favorite source for inspiration??

(building on) A Simple Presence Framework | chrisbrogan.com

This is a brilliantly concise summary of how to start building up your visibility online, in a knowing sort of way. It’s also an excellent starting point for  simply understanding the framework for how it (social media marketing, business relationship management) all fits together.

Chris brings 3 concepts together, Listening First, Passports, and Outposts. This is the first of a two-parter and one of the best articles I’ve seen. Thank you Chris!

A Simple Presence Framework | chrisbrogan.com

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Gaining the awareness, the attention, and ultimately the trust of a community online is a challenge many people are working to accomplish. Whether for your own personal interests or for a business-related use, we look to build relationships using these tools so that we can have conversations with the right people. But where should you start? What comprises a good methodology for using the platform? What’s the proper etiquette. Here are some starter moves to consider when building a presence framework for business communications purposes.

This ran pretty long. Let’s call it part 1 of 2.  Click here for the rest of Chris’s excellent post.

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St. Jude’s fundraiser on Facebook – Willy’s Sweet Shop

Paula is helping to raise thousands of dollars for St. Jude Children’s Hospital by simply playing a game!!

Thanks for joining Willy’s Sweet Shop. Not only is playing Willy’s Sweet Shop fun, but you are also helping a good cause. We have already donated over $13,000 to the St. Jude’s Children Hospital and with your help we can donate much more!

P.S. We know a lot of people have had trouble finding Willy’s Sweet Shop after playing once. Click here for help on adding a bookmark to Willy’s Sweet Shop. within 10 minutes