Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Animation in Virtual Reality Environments - A Look Ahead on Virtual Companions

Animation in Virtual Reality Environments - A Look Ahead on Virtual Companions

By Lance Winslow

With animation software and technology enhancements avatars used in augmented reality and virtual reality environments as companions, tutors, and online cartoon-like friends, animation is surely uniting the real world with an imaginary one. Some of the greatest uses of artificial intelligence software is used in animation and VR environments. As for a human assistant VR companion, Carnegie Mellon University is doing some work on this, as they also had some funding about 5-years ago to develop assistants that could read manuals and repeat them in laymen's terms for mechanics working on high-tech equipment, walking them thru the process. Indeed, I bet we could use some of their research to see if we can accelerate various uses of animation concepts in the virtual environments of the future. Perhaps, bring some of this obvious reality of future periods to fruition on a shorter time-line.

Animated characters that are close to real life people would be a smart step in getting humans used to participating with such computer generated systems treating them like people, as that will be the next step for us as we progress with such technologies. Many science fiction authors have discussed such probable futures, and it appears we are nearly there.

The Virtual World and Animated world are one, both created by man for man, and they are becoming more and more like the real world, soon some scientists believe they will merge. Why? Well for many reasons such as entertainments, relaxation, instruction and companionship. Please consider this, will it be part of your reality too?


Lance Winslow enjoys community philanthropy - Lance Winslow likes small business. Lance Winslow has also been involved in the Oil Industry; http://www.oilchangeguys.com/aboutus.shtml.

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The Future of Teleseminars Will Include Holographic Interaction

The Future of Teleseminars Will Include Holographic Interaction

Tele-seminars are done over the telephone right? Sure they are and has it occurred to you that the modern day cell phone can do just about anything? It's like a mini-computer these days and there are even some prototypes of video projection cell phones that are already in the process of refinement and then to market. Call it the next wave of cell phone technology, heck, call it whatever you wish, but it will soon be here.

Right now these video projection cell phones are about the size of a brick, but soon they will be smaller thanks to new technologies in miniaturization. This will allow you to be anywhere you wish when your teleseminar begins and as long as you have a clear wall you can watch your full featured teleseminar with charts, graphs and people. This means a regular webinar with full motion video can come to you via your telephone or cell phone.

But if you think this is the top-of-the-line or future state-of-the-art of the future think again, because about the time that full-motion video projection cell phones and teleseminar capabilities hit the market, the first prototypes for spectral imagery portable devices will be coming onto the scene. That means the future of holographic projection technologies will work their way through the test phases and then into the market.

With holographic technologies the options and potential for teleseminars will be nearly unlimited. There will be full-body language communication, as well as verbal communication, you'll feel as if you are there. So, you ask how long until all this happens? It will not be more than 8-10 years.

There are a few hang-ups with data transfer rates, software, bandwidth and the current cell phone 3G technologies, and this is a challenge with the reduction of the size of the technology, but all this will be figured out. Consider Moore's Law if you will and you can SEE the future of Tele-Seminars.


"Lance Winslow" - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

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Silver Lining For Working Moms During Economic Meltdown

Silver Lining For Working Moms During Economic Meltdown

By Maria Montesano

Uncertainty and angst has swept the world over the past few months: the fear of a global recession, banking fallouts and plummeting stock markets. With business confidence levels following suit it only stands to reason that moms in the workforce (or those planning to re-enter) will be feeling the pressure too. With such a dark cloud looming, how can working moms find that silver lining?

Moms can often experience workplace inequalities such as reduced opportunities for promotion, which usually stems from moms' preference for part-time or casual employment. In an economic downturn part-time or casual positions work well for businesses through curbing operating costs. This reduces business expenses such as superannuation, insurance and wage costs. It also frees up workspace and infrastructure, enabling organisations to utilize these for multiple employees instead of just one. Effectively, part-time workers will be increasingly in demand and this is a plus for working moms who need to juggle family life as well their career.

Research has shown that more working moms prefer work at home opportunities over most other flexible working arrangements. Teleworking, which is working from home or another remote place using some form of telecommunication, is fast becoming the work model of the future. Businesses are saving on enormous overheads such as corporate office space and infrastructure. There are many flow on benefits - reduced absenteeism, increase in employee satisfaction, reduced attrition rates, just to name a few - all resulting in significant fiscal savings.

For many moms working from home is a Utopian choice; much desired work/ family balance is achieved whilst cutting back on commute and other work-related costs. Reliance on child care is also reduced, allowing mums to spend more time with their young children. In any economic climate teleworking makes workforce participation more viable for moms. However, for more difficult times teleworking is a saving grace.

I have been a teleworking mom for the past three years. Experiencing two difficult pregnancies and a recent post-delivery medical operation, I was able to keep working until six days prior to delivery and resumed work only six weeks after the birth of my second child in May this year.
Rising petrol costs, mortgage rates and high living costs makes workforce participation a necessity these days for many moms, including myself. For me it was a strong maternal pull which fuelled my decision to seek more flexible working options: I didn't want to work full-time and I didn't want to spend endless hours away from my baby. I set up my own business from home whereby I contract my services out to several employers, taking on smaller projects (called microjobs). I have a main project I am contracted to and take on other smaller projects as I am able to. My priority is to raise my two children and my work schedule must fit in with this.

Teleworking provides compelling benefits for the economy, particularly as it can provide measures to sustain national employment levels. Whilst businesses need their core employees to operate, they don't need expensive offices or real estate to survive.

Consequently issues that were once considered barriers to moms' careers are now emerging as competitive advantages in the workforce. Moms are now better than ever placed to compete on an equal footing in the workforce. Moms are now in the position to negotiate flexible working terms with existing or prospective employers and not feel impaired by such requests. Instead, working part-time, casual or remotely suddenly seems a more attractive bid to employers.

More education and awareness needs to be raised about the benefits of engaging working mothers - particularly via flexible working models including part-time and working from home. The national skills shortage is only the tip of the iceberg; working moms can potentially add unparalleled value to our nation's businesses and thus the economy. Businesses are starting to realize this value as critical talent is often lost when employees start a family and are faced with a brick wall when attempting to re-enter the workforce as a parent. When dealing with tough economic times businesses need to ensure that their organizations are equipped with the best talent on their teams. This means that businesses need to review their workplace models and offer more innovative styles of working. This will broaden their horizons, enabling them to engage a wider span of the workforce - including moms - to ensure they attract the best possible talent.

In essence, although daunting at the forefront, the economic gloom may be casting a silver lining for working moms. Now is a good time for moms currently working or those wanting to re-enter the workforce to take a stand and negotiate flexible working terms, including telework with their current or potential employers. There is much to be gained from both sides of the arrangement. A positive outcome from such agreements can also spill into improved national, and potentially global, economic conditions.

For moms looking to negotiate a teleworking arrangement in their existing or new job I suggest the following plan:

1. Identify job opportunities that are suitable for telework. Jobs with high location-dependent qualities (e.g., retail sales) are least suitable. Jobs involving low levels of customer-facing tasks which also have low location-dependency, e.g., research, administration, etc., are most suitable.

2. Research the role/company and approach the employer.

3. Focus on your talent, skills, qualifications and experience then sell yourself!

4. Highlight the benefits that your proposed flexible working arrangements will bring to the business.

5. Organise yourself and your family in preparation for the work.

6. Ensure you have the necessary equipment (i.e., computer, internet access, etc) or negotiate with your employer to supply these.

7. Negotiate an agreed work schedule with your employer and review this in three months time.

8. Document your agreed terms and have your employer sign these.

9. Organize help with child care - whether it's formal (e.g., long day care) or informal (grandparents) if necessary. Teleworking is not a substitute for care arrangements.

10. Be confident and well-prepared.


Maria Montesano is a researcher and writer based in Australia. She is currently writing a book titled 'Teleworking Mum' which provides essential information for parents wanting to make the transition to working from home. She also runs a website with free advice and information for Teleworking Mums: http://www.teleworkingmum.com.au/

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Swine Flu - What Happens When Everyone Wants to Telecommute?

Swine Flu - What Happens When Everyone Wants to Telecommute?
These days the swine flu scare may be settling down a little. But it's still there and not going away any time soon. Many people are taking extra precautions to avoid exposing themselves unnecessarily - the top one is to avoid crowded places. And those crowded places for many, 8 hours per day, 5 days per week, are corporate office buildings.

That's right - telecommuting is a popular option these days to avoid the germ-ridden corporate cafeterias, restrooms, and cubicle mazes. And in some cases, it's not just an option, but a requirement. Some large companies have temporarily shut down facilities in areas that are most heavily impacted by the swine flu. They're telling their employees to work from home.

But what is the impact to this innocuous-seeming solution?

The answer: a mad scramble for IT workers to make sure the infrastructure can handle the sudden dramatic spike in telecommuting. That precious Virtual Private Network or VPN that allows employees to "tunnel" into the corporate intranet from home needs servers running to support it, licenses for concurrent connections, and internet bandwidth. And as volume grows, these resources become overloaded. If there aren't sufficient servers, etc, then everyone (not just the people in the location that was shut down) will suddenly see drastic reductions in quality and speed to their remote connection. They may even start losing their connection intermittently and have to keep reconnecting.

While those who usually work in the office and are just working from home temporarily may tolerate this inconvenience, the die hard career telecommuters who work from home every day will certainly notice the difference. And chances are they'll be calling the help desk and yelling at whoever will listen. That adds up to increased support calls which means even more IT costs. And don't forget the increased support costs from the large number of people who find themselves trying to work remotely for the first time and don't know how to setup their connection properly.

While some companies may have the extra capacity to handle one or two sites being shut down here or there, do they have the capacity to handle large numbers of sites, possibly all sites, being shut down? If the swine flu truly turns into a major pandemic, will the IT infrastructure be able to support this new way of doing business?

Companies are willing to pay for an extra server or two for Disaster Recovery, in case the main servers running their VPNs break or the data center they're located in go down. But in general they tend to size their solution assuming a certain % (say, for example 5%) of the company is working at home at any given time. Most companies will not pay to have numerous spare servers, licenses, and bandwidth available for the unlikely event of a world-wide pandemic of epic proportion that requires 20%, 50% or more of their employees to work at home concurrently. The cost vs risk analysis simply doesn't add up.

It looks like Swine Flu is not shaping up to be the massive pandemic that the media was originally painting it as. But it certainly could have been. Every CIO/CTO of every large company has probably been sweating about this one and whether the infrastructure is going to fail under their "reign". They can't justify shelling out the big bucks to beef it up, so they're crossing their fingers and hoping the "big one" will happen after they've retired and some other poor shmuck has taken over.

What can you do? Well for one, make sure you're set up now to telecommute - that you have the equipment you need and know how to setup your VPN. And start using it, even a day or so per week. The more people who start telecommuting on a regular basis, the more resources IT can justify now, and the less impact there is if a major pandemic really does send the whole company to work from home! Depending on your position in the company (especially if you work in IT), if you can start asking probing questions to management about telecommute capacity, it might just get them to try to prepare a little better for the worst case scenario.

One more thing - if there is a major rush on telecommuting, when you have your VPN going, don't disconnect. The licensing limitations (among other things) may be set on a first-come, first-served basis.

Bottom Line? Experience huge gains in time, money, and stress reduction by telecommuting. You deserve it! But don't dive in unprepared. Make sure you know how working from home differs from going into the office. I invite you to get your free copy of my "Top 10 Telecommuter Mistakes list" - to learn the wrong ways... and right ways... to get your telecommute career on track: http://avoidgoingtowork.com/free

Nicole Bachelor, the "Master of Telecommuting Success" is the author of "How to Avoid Going to Work Without Quitting your Job". She specializes in teaching people how to effectively work from home. Nicole has been telecommuting exclusively for over 4 years, and has vast experience working with teams that are spread across the world.

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Personal Qualities Needed to Telecommute

Personal Qualities Needed to Telecommute

Many people would rather not deal with traffic, annoying colleagues, office drama, or a less-than-pleasant boss. To many people, a job that allows you to telecommute seems ideal. However, there are certain types of people who can handle a telecommuting job and other types who can't. If you are thinking about trying to obtain a telecommuting position, first see if you meet these basic qualifications. If you don't meet them, then you may not be able to convince your boss you can perform a telecommuting job, or you won't be able to hold onto it.

The first quality a good telecommuter must have is self-discipline. If you are easily distracted or tempted away from work, you probably can not work from home. At home, there are many distractions, such as your personal telephone and email. Answering them during your scheduled work time is a major distraction and lowers your work output.

Perhaps you TiVo your daytime television shows to watch them later. Well, those shows are at home, tempting you to watch them. You need to make sure that you can resist the urge to watch TV while you work. Also, your friends who don't work outside the home, or who work a later shift may think that they can convince you to go out to lunch. They too will tempt you away from your work. Having self-discipline is crucial to a telecommuting job.

Another important quality is the ability to perform your tasks with little to no supervision. If you are constantly calling your boss asking what to do next, you are going to become an annoyance. Your boss will think either you are incompetent and fire you, or you will be asked to come back to the office so you can be supervised. You will lose your boss's trust to be able to perform work on your own. This will not only hurt your chances of ever telecommuting again, but will also hurt your chances for gaining a promotion. So, if you don't think you can supervise yourself, it would be best to stay at the office.

Something very important to a telecommuter is time. One main reason why people telecommute is to save time, usually in the form of commuting to and from work. Since time is such a coveted commodity, you don't want to get stuck working all day and night at home simply because you have poor time management skills. You don't want to have to pull an all-nighter at home to meet your boss's deadline.

Since your home is a more relaxing environment than your worksite (another reason why many people like telecommuting), you may find yourself working at a slower pace or taking more breaks than you realize since you don't have the hustle and bustle of the office. Make sure that you can manage your time wisely while working from home.

These are examples of the basic qualities of successful telecommuters. If you are self-disciplined, can perform with little or no supervision, and are good at time-management, then you definitely have a chance at being a successful telecommuter.



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“Improving Quality of Life Through Telecommuting”

The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation has issued a very good report on telework entitled:

“Improving Quality of Life Through Telecommuting”
By Wendell Cox

The report shows that the number of jobs filled by telecommuters could grow nearly four-fold to 19 million and deliver substantial economic, environmental and quality of life benefits for the United States over the next 12 years. Spurred by advances in IT, especially the spread of broadband, telecommuting is already the fastest growing mode of getting from home to work. Thanks to its potential to cut costs, increase productivity, and expand the universe of potential employees, telecommuting is also emerging as a standard business strategy for a larger number of organizations. The report calls for government to pursue policies to accelerate and maximize telecommuting, including spurring the deployment and adoption of broadband, which is an essential facilitator of telecommuting.


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