Inspiration to learn about yourself

In the fact sheet of the World Energy Outlook 2008 published by the International Energy Agency , I read this: "Around three-quarters of the projected increase in oil demand worldwide comes from the transport sector – the sector least responsive, in the short term, to price changes. Despite continuing improvements in average vehicle fuel efficiency, the sheer growth of the car fleet – from an estimated 650 million in 2005 to about 1.4 billion by 2030 – is expected to continue to push up total oil use for transport purposes. There is not expected to be any major shift away from conventionally-fuelled vehicles before 2030, though the penetration of hybrid-electric cars is projected to rise, reducing oil demand growth." I also read that "without a change in policy, the world is on a path for a rise in global temperature of up to 6°C ."

Reading this bilanz.ch article , I came across these 5 inputs for telecommunications companies: # 1 Bring products on the market that are simpler to understand. # 2 As an alternative to using free mobile phones or mobile phones at reduced prices to attract customers, consider offering lower prices for using the mobile phones to communicate. # 3 Introduce test offers to reduce the fear customers have of changing provider. # 4 Make contract conditions more customer friendly. # 5 A customer wants to use his/her mobile phone to communicate. Consequently, save the customer from administrative hurdles by improving customer service.

I read about MyC4 in this Times Online article . Here’s an extract: "The idea is alarmingly simple. Through the MyC4.com website, investors put in as little as €5 towards a loan. There are pictures and detailed information about the entrepreneurs seeking financial injections – in most cases the owners of small businesses such as corner shops, cafés or local garages. People such as Steven in Uganda, who is looking for €3,450 to buy a pickup truck for his pig farm. An earlier loan was used to acquire more pigs, which helped his monthly salary rise by €200." Try out MyC4 yourself by clicking here . I came across the article through MyC4 .

In this interesting 3½ minute movie , our world is described as it would look like, if we condensed it to a population of 100 people keeping the same proportions as we have today. I noted not least that of the 100 people, 61 would be Asians. 13 would be Africans. 12 would be Europeans. 8 would be North Americans. 5 would be from South America and the Caribbean. 1 would be from Oceania. In the eye-opening movie I also noted that just 12 of the 100 people have a computer, and only 3% have an internet connection. I came across the movie through this Global Strategy Institute blog posting .

Last Thursday, November 20th, I was at an evening event at ETH Zürich during which Mr. Christian Hirsig presented atizo – a very interesting concept with a high potential to create value for companies of all kinds. Doing some research on Crowdsourcing on Google, I came across this 3½ minute video:

I came across this interesting 12 minute video through this Knowledge@Wharton article

Through InnovationTools , I came across an interesting interview with Paul Sloane. Here’s an extract: "Our education system in the Western world does not encourage creativity or development of an entrepreneurial spirit. It encourages people to pass exams and to memorize until we regurgitate knowledge which is not what innovation is about. Young people have a natural creativity and natural imagination but most school systems crush out a lot of those wonderful traits. Then when they enter the workforce it is often also discouraged because their ideas aren't sought, they aren't encouraged and they aren't challenged."

Through this Twitter message by Mr. Martin Ebner, I learned that a hospital in Graz, Austria has free wireless lan. To other hospitals around the world: How about learning from the hospital in Graz by installing free wireless lan in all your buildings? That’ll speed up competence development of both patients and employees.

In this posting , Paul Sloane lists the results of a workshop during which key characteristics of a corporate culture that promotes innovation and characteristics that inhibit innovation were discussed. The 8 biggest challenges, in order of priority, for setting a culture of innovation were agreed to be the following: # 1: Internal communication - overcoming silos. # 2: Allowing failure and eliminating a blame culture. # 3: Allowing anyone to challenge anything. # 4: Developing a positive attitude to change - overcoming fear and complacency. # 5: Developing a positive attitude to risk management. # 6: Empowering people to try new initiatives without explicit approval. # 7: Welcoming ideas from outside the organisation - eliminating "not invented here". # 8: Encouraging new ideas. What are your experiences?

Some time I wrote this posting about Andermatt in Switzerland, where an impressive project is being developed which will make Andermatt a year-round destination. If you still don’t know what to do this Winter, try Switzerland. Here are some beautiful photos of the country taken in Winter. Get your own - Open publication By the way, I came across issuu , where the photos are published, through the blog of Ib Ravn. He published this very interesting product featuring 9 techniques for learning meetings. To take a tour of issuu, which is quite an interesting living library, click here .

I came across this 3½ minute video on EU Tube

In the excerpt to the O'Reilly Radar Report ”Twitter and the Micro-Messaging Revolution: Communication, Connections, and Immediacy - 140 Characters at a Time”, I read this: "So, if you wonder whether Twitter matters for business, remember, if you will, when people new to cell phones used to call each other to report the most trivial details of where they were and what they were doing; remember how blogs at first were thought of merely as personal diaries of no interest to anyone in business, and how they grew up to become the heart of a new media paradigm. For that matter, remember how the personal computer was dismissed by the titans of the computer industry as nothing but a toy. The future often comes to us in disguise, with toys that grow up to spark a business revolution." I came across the information about the report through this posting by Guy Kawasaki. Try Twitter yourself by clicking here .

On this TED blog posting and on this Ushahidi blog posting , I read that Ushahidi launched in the Democratic Republic of Congo . Locals can now report incidents on the Eastern Congo conflict on http://drc.ushahidi.com and/or by sending an SMS to +243992592111. A few facts about the Democratic Republic of Congo : * Area: 2.3 Million km2. For global comparison, click here . * Population: 66.5 Million people. * GDP per capita: US$ 300. For global comparison click here . * Life expectancy at birth: 54 years. * People living with HIV / AIDS: 1.1 Million. * Number of internet users: 230,400. * Number of mobile phones: 6.6 Million. * Number of airports: 237 from which about 11% have paved runways. * Roadways: 153,497 km. from which about 2% are paved roadways. * Railways: 5,138 km. * Natural resources: Cobalt, copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, hydropower, timber. * Official language: French. * President: Mr. Joseph Kabila. Ima...

At Jane’s E-learning Pick of the Day I came across this presentation featuring the top 100 tools for learning 2008. The list is compiled by Ms. Jane Hart and based on the contributions of 223 learning professionals worldwide. Which tool for learning is your favourite? Top 100 Tools for Learning 2008 View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: tools learning )

In this 3 minute video about Google Docs, you can learn how to collaborate more efficiently with people you work on an assignment with. Try out Google Docs yourself by clicking here .

At www.luzern-business.ch , I came across the information that the solartaxi will pass by Trafalgar Square in London tomorrow, November 8th between 10 AM and 1 PM. Built over three years with the input of four Swiss universities, the solartaxi is a small sporty car, which runs at speeds of up to up to 90 km/h and produces zero emissions . Interested in knowing more, then stop by the solartaxi blog .

As I went from Zürich to Aarau in Switzerland yesterday, I bought the train ticket online at www.sbb.ch . Having informed about my mobile phone number, it was easy to have the ticket sent to my mobile phone. Great and uncomplicated way of paying for getting from A to B. Compliments to the IT people who developed this solution. Keep up the good work.

Reflecting on this interesting 6 minute video, I came to think of technologies like Skype through which people can have conversations with each other and learn from each other - and thereby complement meetings in physical space.

I've been writing a bit about solar energy lately, for example here , here , and here . Reflecting on the topic, I also came to think of this splendid song by the Beatles. I noticed that the video has been viewed more than 750,000 times times and rated more than 1,700 times – with an average rating of 5 stars out of 5. My advice to you: Think ”out of the box” while watching the video. And if you come up with a great idea during the 3 minutes, that the video lasts, please let me hear from you.

In this interesting posting , Scott Anthony thinks about some small, everyday things today that will feel dated 15 years from now. Notice, for example, what he writes about parallel parking stress : "Back when I was learning to drive, I spent an inordinate amount of time getting tips from friends and family about parallel parking. Today, many of us will pass a prime parking spot because of the fear of parallel parking. The increasing sophistication of automobiles obviates much of this fear. An increasing number of cars have sensors that emit sounds as the car's bumpers approach other objects. Some cars have cameras showing graphical overlays of where your car's tail will end up as you turn. Some cars even do the parallel parking for you. What was a teenager's nightmare will become as simple as the touch of a button."