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We’d like to invite you to check out a show we are working on called Brussels Sprouts (so far). The show below is a trial run, so if you have a few minutes to spear, have a look and tell us what you think, so we can make the next one better.

I am hosting it with Helen Dunnett (@hdunnett) The idea behind each show is to focus on emerging trends and topics online with a special focus on Brussels. This is the first show (the Beta Version Zero Pilot Show) so they are open to suggestions to make it better next time, but they decided that the best way to get this show on the road was to…get the show on the road….

Last year, I introduce the eBook ‘Your Online Journey Starts here’ at an event in Brussels, with Toyota, Microsoft and VCE (Volvo Construction Equipment) who shared their own experience with online communication.

We have captured a summary of my presentation which gives an overview of some of the key topics of the ebook.  It is intended as a simple introduction to how the internet is changing communication for global communicators, and what they can do about it.  To find out more check the video (below) or download the ebook (below).

Apologies for the poor sound quality!

Renowned US PR professional and blogger, Brian Solis, has devised the “Conversation Prism”, a chart which marks all types of online interaction as well as many of the tools which perform them. Brian remains true to the essence of the online community by allowing his users to contribute – items he might have missed may be added by adding to the picture on his Flickr account. Read more

but do you know where does it come from, why Google did it or what does it do…

Here is an explanation of the Google Chrome plus…

This is my most interesting and useful finding over the past 6 months. Xobni is just saving painful searches, opening new networking opportunities and has very nice features like telling my open slots for the 5 next business days in 1 click. Take a look, it’s worth investigating further:

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For most Communication professionals, it is now clear (I hope) that the web and new technologies have proven that communication as we used to see it is no longer, and is changing at an incredible speed. The fun when you are working in communication and open to new changes is to figure out whether and/or how a new technology is going to change the way we communicate. My bet today is on print interactive advertising / magazine. I am not talking about so-called ‘e-paper’ – the flat-panel screen technology displaying newspaper. Now I am talking about real paper, real print opening up to the virtual world: the ‘augmented reality’!

I was watching a ‘reportage’ on Euronews the other day (click on the video button to view it here). They describe the ‘augmented reality’. If you were impressed in your young age by putting on your 3D binoculars and watching the images come to life in 3D, then watch out! Here it is the same but with the fantastic addition of actually interacting with the 3D images that forms once you put on your enhanced binoculars. You can give command to the 3D element, see it moving around (even going out of the border of the magazine and moving on the table you put your magazine on!) and if you have captors on your hands you can even feel it! Ok this is nothing new and cinema and some hi-tech museums have been using it. What is new is the cost of it – it is now affordable…so it is going to come very soon into our daily lives.

Watching this I was already dreaming about my future paper magazine (sorry but I actually love the feeling of paper in my hand) or my book with not only flat images but with elements and ads that are moving around, coming to life and with which I can interact and learn so much more.

For more info about this just Wikipedia it or Google it or YouTube it…and watch out for the first to actually use it for a print communication campaign!!

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For those of you who have never seen Netvibes before (www.netvibes.com), I recommend that you check out this great personal information aggregator (a bit like igoogle, but I personally prefer the design and flow). For those who know it already, it’s worth checking out their latest upgrade. They just come up with something that ha sthe qualities of something great, which is a public version of the site (they call this ginger version). They introduced a number of new features, but my favourite is the fact you can now create a public version of netvibes a sort of portal that aggregates rss feeds and other modules.

I’ve set up a small page which gives you an idea of how it works and what it could do for you: www.netvibes.com/hyperthinker.

Worth a visit!

I just tried this nice new tool from Animoto . A nice result for approx 5 minute work (you just need to find the relevant pictures).

Phil

A recent visit on LinkedIn allowed me to see the new Q&A function that captured my attention. The workflow is smooth and this is the best way to connect your network for an information request I have seen so far. On his ConversationBlog I recomend, Philippe Borremans took the time to describe the functionalities in the article LinkedIn starts business related Q&A service. Have a look.

Also, if you are not LinkedIn savvy or if you would like to deepen your understanding and use of it, Guy Kawasaki published a clear and crisp “manual” that you can check here: Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn