Recognizing the Downside of Web Conferencing and Remote Work

There are several interesting things to consider in the responses to a survey done by Harris Interactive on behalf of Ricoh Americas.

The survey, which was reported upon at eWeek, assessed opinions on modern work arrangements. The topline result ? that 64 percent of the 2,512 people surveyed would work virtually if possible ? is no surprise. What is a bit unexpected is that the 18-to-34-year-old group, at 43 percent, was the most weighted toward working in an office.

Reasons given by respondents who favor an office experience are that traditional work environments create more discipline, offer social opportunities and more security.

The first two reasons people want to go to an office ? discipline and social opportunities ? speaks to the inability of technology to completely bridge the gap between actual and virtual work. The fast growth in technical sophistication can reduce these human limitations ? think of how Facebook and other platforms have increased social contacts during the past decade ? but will never eliminate them. It is difficult or impossible to truly bond on a unified communications platform, no matter how sophisticated it is.

In short, Web conferencing, unified communications and other sophisticated remote working tools will continue to grow, but will never shed all their limitations. At the same time, the advance of networking technology will enable more people to participate. Teleconferencing, for instance, has moved from the rarified air of expensive total immersion rooms used only by executives to everybody?s desktop. This means that a greater percentage of the potential users will not be remote work true believers and collectively will have more misgivings about remote work.

Government use of technology is a great barometer of where the rest of us are going. FederalNewsRadio reports that budget cuts ? and fears of the sequestration ? are cutting U.S. Department of Defense travel budgets to the bone. This is putting pressure on Defense Connect Online:

The system has seen so much traffic recently that usage is starting to outstrip the system's capacity. And DCO may be about to see even more users. The Defense Information Systems Agency and the contractor that runs DCO have just released an app that lets defense employees host or log into meetings from their iPhones and iPads.

Consider this question through the prism of the Ricoh/Harris study: What is lost by moving so predominantly to remote platforms? The survey suggested that workers fear missing social interaction. Along the same lines, how many good ideas come to light after a formal meeting ends? These informal elements ? walking together to the parking lot, chatting at a group lunch or dinner, etc. ? aren?t part of a virtual conference. The benefits of Web conferencing and other forms of electronic meetings likely overcome the disadvantages. This is no reason not to recognize that those disadvantages exist, however.

On a side note, it seems that the military is doing some IT spending. Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) announced this week that it has been awarded a contract by the United States National Guard that could reach $58 million if all the options are taken up. The company will help operate, modernize, expand and evolve the National Guard?s communications infrastructure, including ?web services, as well as video and audio conferencing and other systems.?

Web conferencing, unified communications and related overlapping disciplines will continue to grow. It clearly is important to understand the benefits. But it possibly is more important to understand the liabilities, since that is the first step in minimizing their impact.

Source: http://www.itbusinessedge.com/blogs/data-and-telecom/recognizing-the-downside-of-web-conferencing-and-remote-work.html

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Cyber Operations and International Law: A ?Secret? Legal Analysis?

John O. Brennan

Today?s New York Times reports:

A secret legal review on the use of America?s growing arsenal of cyberweapons has concluded that President Obama has the broad power to order a pre-emptive strike if the United States detects credible evidence of a major digital attack looming from abroad, according to officials involved in the review.

That decision is among several reached in recent months as the administration moves, in the next few weeks, to approve the nation?s first rules for how the military can defend, or retaliate, against a major cyberattack. New policies will also govern how the intelligence agencies can carry out searches of faraway computer networks for signs of potential attacks on the United States and, if the president approves, attack adversaries by injecting them with destructive code ? even if there is no declared war.

The rules will be highly classified, just as those governing drone strikes have been closely held. John O. Brennan, Mr. Obama?s chief counterterrorism adviser and his nominee to run the Central Intelligence Agency, played a central role in developing the administration?s policies regarding both drones and cyberwarfare, the two newest and most politically sensitive weapons in the American arsenal.

The Times asserts that ?International law allows any nation to defend itself from threats, and the United States has applied that concept to conduct pre-emptive attacks.?

A few comments.

First, there is a debate as to whether ?International law allows any nation to defend itself from threats. . .? Article 51 of the United Nations Charter provides that:

Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defence shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security. (emphasis added)

There is a long debate about the extent to which customary international law and interpretations of Article 51 allow for the use of force in response to a threat and while I believe that it is lawful to response to some threats, the Times claim is a bit too simplistic.

Second, and more importantly, I worry about secret legal claims. I understand the complexity of cyber operations and not wanting to state our legal case such that potential adversaries are informed about our capabilities. But the hallmark of law is that it is to be public. And if we seek to advance the content of customary international law in the cyber field, we need to assert our legal claims in a public way. It would seem to be that the broad contours of our legal analysis could be made public in such a way that we would not tip our hat.

Source: http://anthonyclarkarend.com/humanrights/cyber-operations-and-international-law-a-secret-legal-analysis/

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92% Silver Linings Playbook

All Critics (222) | Top Critics (50) | Fresh (196) | Rotten (17)

It's a rom-com that succeeds in revitalizing that discredited genre where so many others have failed, injecting it with the grit and emotion of realist drama rather than with amped-up whimsy or social satire or montages of people walking on the beach.

Silver Linings Playbook tells us that happily-ever-after may depend on finding people who coexist with our lunacy, not ones who can lead us out of it. In any case, it's crazy good.

A crazy beaut of a comedy that brims with generosity and manages to circumvent predictability at every turn.

An edgy romantic dramedy that suits our anxious times.

This meaningful film keeps the laughs, giddy anxiousness and warm butterflies from the trailer and sustains it all through two full hours of a love story.

A volatile mix of familial drama and madcap comedy, infectious optimism and razor-wire wit, it's one of the most purely enjoyable films released in the past twelve months.

Parece desistir de qualquer tra?o de originalidade em seu cl?max, quando se entrega a todos os clich?s do g?nero: mal-entendidos, mocinhos obrigados a correr atr?s da mocinha pela rua e, claro, o insuport?vel travelling circular do beijo rom?ntico.

I suppose the phrase 'serious romantic comedy' sounds like a paradox. But that's exactly what 'Silver Linings Playbook' is: an intelligent, edgy dark comedy with romance at its core.

This is a rom-com dressed up as an Oscar-baiting "dramedy". It's a good rom-com thanks to it's edge... but occasionally has the bad traits of a bad rom-com.

Silver Linings Playbook puts the "fun" in "dysfunction." And sure, that sounds glib, but actually, it's a rather extraordinary achievement. Especially when you're skirting on the edges of sanity.

A bittersweet pill that's a mixture of an endearing family drama and modern romance that's an absolute delight.

tows the line of conventional, feel-good Hollywood rom-com, albeit dressed up in just enough art-house quirk to make it feel like something slightly radical

A reminder that 'sanity' doesn't make your flaws any more orderly.

Silver Linings Playbook is a fine, funny film, and one that should charm viewers who haven't been tricked by all those Oscar nominations into anticipating it as some kind of world-changing work of art for the ages.

David O. Russell's latest buzz film straddles a fine line between farce and kitchen-sink drama before settling into a groove that gets under one's skin.

It starts to fray about halfway through as it shifts into a more conventional mode, taking on the usual trappings of the genre and making its way to a predictable resolution

Both charming and gritty... Cooper is edgy, while Lawrence is dynamite

If there's one reason why you should see this film, it's to admire the wonderful performances from Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.

Cooper and Lawrence Shine in Linings.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/silver_linings_playbook/

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Oracle to buy Acme Packet for about $2.1B

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. (AP) ? Oracle is acquiring the network gear company Acme Packet for about $2.1 billion.

The software giant will be able to bolster the communications package it offers to customers with the acquisition, it said Monday. Acme makes phone and data network equipment that's used by more than 1,900 service providers and enterprises around the world.

Oracle, based in Redwood City, Calif., will pay $29.25 per share for Acme. That represents a 22 percent premium over the Bedford, Mass., company's Friday closing stock price. The companies valued the deal at $1.7 billion, net of Acme's cash.

Shares of Acme Packet Inc. soared 23 percent, or $5.57, to $29.50 in premarket trading. Oracle Corp. shares lost 44 cents to $35.77.

Acme's board unanimously approved the acquisition, which is expected to close in the first half of 2013. The deal remains subject to Acme shareholder and regulatory approval.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-02-04-Oracle-Acme%20Packet/id-76d9cbc041a7461298e015091819bf12

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Live action: Twitter grabs Super Bowl spotlight

This image provided by Oreo's shows the image the company's marketers tweeted some 10 minutes after the power went out during the Super Bowl XLVII football game on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013. As of Monday afternoon, the image had been re-tweeted more than 15,000 times. (AP Photo/Oreo's )

This image provided by Oreo's shows the image the company's marketers tweeted some 10 minutes after the power went out during the Super Bowl XLVII football game on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013. As of Monday afternoon, the image had been re-tweeted more than 15,000 times. (AP Photo/Oreo's )

NEW YORK (AP) ? Beyonce's splashy show, a freak power outage, and ?oh, yeah? a captivating game of football combined to generate a record 24.1 million posts on Twitter during Sunday night's Super Bowl.

That's up from 13.7 million last year ? and that doesn't even include chatter surrounding the ads.

Twitter said in a late Sunday blog post that about half of the more than 50 national TV spots that aired during the game included a "hashtag," a word or phrase preceded by a number sign that's used to organize subjects on the short messaging site. During last year's game, only one in five ads included one. Brands ranging from Oreo to Tide and Budweiser, meanwhile, captured online buzz by linking the blackout to their brands in humorous tweets.

Super Bowl XLVII, like the London Summer Olympics and the U.S. presidential election, was yet another moment in which Twitter became the platform for millions of people to share quick reactions and participate in a massive, public conversation. Though it's not as popular as Facebook or its buttoned-up cousin LinkedIn Corp., Twitter's surging popularity during big events is a testament to its reach and utility. The question is whether these moments can translate into revenue for the seven-year-old company.

The company makes money by charging advertisers to promote individual tweets, accounts or trends designed to spark a conversation. Research firm eMarketer estimates that Twitter will book advertising revenue of $545.2 million this year, up 89 percent from 2012. Next year, worldwide ad revenue is expected to hit $807.5 million, a 48 percent increase from 2013.

Tweetable events such as the 34-minute Super Bowl power outage are ripe with marketing potential, provided that brands act quickly.

"It's really clear right now that Twitter has a lock on real-time conversation on the Internet," says eMarketer analyst Debra Aho Williamson.

To capitalize on this, Twitter has to show advertisers that it pays to promote their tweets ? even though fans are likely to spread the catchiest slogans on their own, free of charge.

That's what happened with a certain cream-filled cookie on Sunday.

It took Oreo's marketers roughly 10 minutes after the power went out to tweet a picture of an Oreo cookie in the half-dark with the words: "You can still dunk in the dark." As of Monday afternoon, the image had been shared on Twitter more than 15,000 times. Tide followed suit with the slogan "we can't get your blackout. But we can get your stains out" with more limited success. The message was re-tweeted about 1,300 times. Calvin Klein, meanwhile, tweeted a video of a shirtless, chiseled male model doing crunches "since the lights are still out..."

Such "real-time marketing" is still in its infancy, but Williamson expects this to change, as more companies develop the ability to respond to events immediately."

"To do what Oreo did actually takes a lot of pre-planning," she said.

Laurie Guzzinati, spokeswoman for Oreo owner Mondelez said the power outage was a natural moment to engage consumers. The cookie's TV ad had a planned social media component asking people to follow Oreo on Twitter and post photos on Instagram. The company had set up a "social media command center" that included people from Oreo's brand team, the ad agency 360i and other partners whose job was to follow the Super Bowl and interact with fans on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere.

Mondelez likely spent the going rate of as much as $4 million on its Super Bowl television spot. But Guzzinati said the company didn't pay Twitter anything for the "dunk in the dark" picture. Still, Twitter says advertisers moved quickly following the outage.

Matt McGee, editor-in-chief of the blog Marketing Land, counted 26 Twitter mentions in the 52 national spots that aired during the game. Facebook, meanwhile, got only four shout-outs, while Google Plus walked away with zero (though Google Inc.'s YouTube scored one mention from Hyundai).

"When it comes to second-screen advertising, it's Twitter's world now and there's no close second place," McGee wrote in a blog post late Sunday night. "Last year, brands split their focus on Twitter and Facebook with eight mentions each. This year, brands recognize that Twitter is where they need to try to attract the online conversation around one of the world's biggest events."

David Berkowitz, vice president of emerging media at 360i, which worked on the Oreo campaign, said Twitter has done a good job tying itself into major television events.

"If you look at (Twitter's) trending topics any day especially during prime time or major events, they're heavily fueled by television," he said. "So TV is responsible for Twitter's growth in general."

He said Twitter has done a better job than other social media sites like Tumblr and Pinterest in proving it's the place to be when it comes to talking about big events online.

"A large part of it right now is just showing this is where the conversation is happening and building their brand around that," he said. "Even with other very successful social media sites, no one is better at conversation than Twitter."

__

AP Retail Writer Mae Anderson contributed to this story.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-02-04-Super%20Bowl-Twitter/id-e893061e133141c180fdf64f3e569879

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Kansas House To Take Final Vote On Union PAC Bill

January 31, 2013

The Kansas House is set to take a final vote on a bill restricting political fundraising by public unions.

The House gave the measure first-round approval Wednesday on a 66-54 unrecorded vote. Approval on a second vote, expected Thursday, would send it to the Senate.

The bill would bar groups that represent teachers and government workers from automatically deducting money from members' paychecks to finance political activities.

Similar legislation cleared the House in 2012 but died in the Senate.

Its chances of success are considered higher this year, with Republicans now holding large majorities in both chambers.

Source: http://www.kake.com/home/headlines/Kan-House-to-take-final-vote-on-union-PAC-bill-189165971.html

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From Rap to Real Estate, Vanilla Ice Shines On ... - Celebuzz

"I'M HONORED PEOPLE APPRECIATE WHAT I'M DOING"

All right, stop: Vanilla Ice is back with a brand new invention.

Within the world of music, he?s often labeled a one-hit wonder. But beyond his famed break-dancing and parachute pants, Rob Van Winkle has made a new name for himself ? in real estate. And it all started, coincidentally, with his chart-topping success in the ?90s rap scene.

?When I was 16 years old, I bought a lot of houses [because] that?s what guys would normally do when they come into a lot of money,? Winkle told Celebuzz. ?I bought homes in Laurel Canyon in L.A. because I thought I?d be working there. I brought on Bleecker Street [in New York], in Miami and Dallas and all these places. I went on tour for four years and never saw these homes. I came back and was like?that was stupid. I wasted all that money. There?s cobwebs in the corners of the?home.?

Then a light bulb went off: ?Let?s sell them,? he recalled thinking. ?So I sold them and literally made millions of dollars. I was like, ?Are you kidding me? It?s that easy???

Though his didn?t ?get the bug? for design until about 15 years ago, Winkle delved right into real estate, snapping up properties to turn them for a profit. ?I?ve had my hands on a lot of real estate deals, but a lot of them are small homes because I worked my way up,? he explained. ?It?s not all mansions. Some of them, you just turn and flip as a piece of paper. Literally, I buy below the appraised value, turn around and put it on MLS (Multiple Listing Service) the next second.?

Eventually, he found his flipping niche in the world of Palm Beach, Fla., real estate. ?There?s a lot of money there, there?s a lot of mansions there and there?s a lot of people who buy them so it?s a great market,? he explained. ?I really know my area and it?s worked out very well.?

After building his portfolio for over a decade, Winkle got a phone call from producer Matt Levine, with whom he had filmed for Biography Channel program. ?Two years after the show has already aired, he called me up out of the blue and?[asked], ?Are you still doing real estate??? he recalled. ?And I said, ?Yeah. In fact, tomorrow I?m about to close on?a mansion in Pam Beach.? So Matt Levine flies in the next day and says, ?Can I come in and film the house?? I said, ?Sure,? but didn?t think much of it?. [But] by the time he got on a plane to go home, they had the deal wrapped up. So, I never pitched it. I never had an idea to do a TV show about this. It just fell in place.?

Now his house-flipping DIY Network reality show, The Vanilla Ice Project, is about to start its third season, which will focus on one 10,000 square foot home that had sat untouched for seven years. ?The pool was black, fish [were] swimming in it, frogs, snakes [and] everything. Mother nature took over you know,? he explained. ?I just kind of look through the weeds and said, ?This is awesome. This is awesome.??

To remake the residence, Winkle turned to a travel magazine for inspiration. ?I saw this tiki hut over the water that said, ?Come to Tahiti and spend a nice vacation at a five-star resort,? he recalled. ?And I go, ?I?m going to recreate this in Palm Beach?. Sp I turned it into a Tahitian retreat, with bamboo lattice [on] the ceiling. I recreated the whole beach, put in a lot of palm trees, brought in [white sugar] sand from Key West, turned the water turquoise [and] put a tiki hut over the dock. It looks just like the magazine. It?s incredible.?

And it?s in bringing to life such lavish themes that Winkle feels he leaves his mark. ?What I do to these houses is completely different than if someone just come in and says, ?Oh, let me just fix up this house put some paint and carpet and just turn it into what it was,?? he said. ?I gut them. I completely tear every wall down and I recreate it. I leave my signature there and that?s kinda like one of my things that I?m just honored that people really appreciate.?

The Vanilla Ice Project on Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on the DIY Network and on his new special, Ice My House. Check local listings for times.

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Source: http://www.celebuzz.com/2013-01-31/from-rap-to-real-estate-vanilla-ice-shines-on-exclusive-video/

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