New Transparency Project gets $2.5 million

[via Privacy Commissioner of Canada] (emphasis added)

“The New Transparency: Surveillance and Social Sorting” received $2.5 million from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. [...]

The New Transparency has proposed a series of lofty goals – to make “visible the identities of individuals, workings of institutions and flows of information never before seen” – using surveillance as the key to gather this data. The project intends to focus on “three vitally important questions”:

1) What factors contribute to the general expansion of surveillance as a technology of governance in late modern societies?
2) What are the underlying principles, technological infrastructures and institutional frameworks that support surveillance practice?
3) What are the social consequences of such surveillance both for institutions and for ordinary people?

Ad Links: 2008-05-29

• QUIT - Anti Smoking Charity - a really cool concept. Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi London
• Covenant House - a really neat and cool idea. Agency: Taxi, Toronto
• Big Brother Bus Stop - A neat way to use Blue tooth to advertise. Agency: Marketforce, Perth, Australia
• White wins - quite neat. Agency: Grey Istanbul, Turkey
• VW Ads - very charming "interviews", very effectively gives VW an added "personality". Agency: Crispin Porter + Bogusky

Honda ASIMO Conducts Orchestra and Dances

Honda ASIMO conducts The Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Honda ASIMO Dances, Walks, and Runs at Kennedy Center

Analog Rights missing in a Digital World

In the blog entry "Canadians Stuck With Analog Rights in a Digital World", Michael Geist talks about how rights of Canadian consumers to "time shift" television programs (record a TV show for later viewing) in the digital era have been taken away.

Canadian Mars Weather Station

• MDA Solution To Look For Clues Of Water Above And Below The Surface Of Mars
• MDA working with Mars spacecraft
• Local invention to be used on Mars

A neat post about the Mars mission (with links) from an unexpected source.

Here is a neat Google Tech Talk video about a 3D live motion video camera (blogged two years ago) that uses LIDAR. I wonder if we are talking about the same LIDAR technology as the one used in Mars?

W. Brett Wilson - The Five Million Dollar Man

I couldn't find any public record but I suspect W. Brett Wilson, the newest CBC Dragon and chairman of FirstEnergy Capital, worths considerably more than five million dollars. (big smile) Here is what Brett told Globe and Mail Report on Business in a 2007 interview,

[Reporter:] How much money do you have to work with?
[Brett:] Enough to get by. I like a model used in some private banking circles: You have three buckets of assets. The first bucket is your lifestyle assets; the second is the assets required to protect that lifestyle; and the third is your adventure assets. I have a significant adventure assets pool. I am looking at acquiring land across Western Canada, investing in the service and the power sectors, and I'm still buying into start-up oil and gas companies.

Where do your children fit in?
When you get hit by the bus in life, you've got two places to send your money—children or charity. I'm not a big fan of this practice of opening the will to determine where Dad's money went. My kids know the vast bulk of my estate will go to charity. The issue for me is giving while living, and the best way to manage that. I'll be doing a lot of philanthropic work using both my leadership skills and my money. And the kids will be fine. None of them can live on the inheritance because, frankly, there isn't one. Both my ex-wife and I hope they will develop passion in their own right.

You see, the $5 million mentioned was one of Brett's latest charitable donations, an amount donated to help create the new Southern Alberta Institute of Urology.

Sean Wise has two interesting entries here and here about Brett (with photos). Here is a link to a very well researched and written article in Avenue magazine when Brett won the Person of the Year. (highly recommended)

P.S. Brett (his plan of having "vast bulk of my estate will go to charity" and his focus on integrity and honesty) reminds me a little bit of Warren Buffett (more on Warren here).

Sun’s Art of Patent War

I am no expert in Sun Tzu’s The Art of War but I find Chapter 5 (English and Chinese versions) interesting. For example (emphasis added),

• 5. In all fighting, the direct method may be used for joining battle, but indirect methods will be needed in order to secure victory.
• 6. Indirect tactics, efficiently applied, are inexhaustible as Heaven and Earth, unending as the flow of rivers and streams; like the sun and moon, they end but to begin anew; like the four seasons, they pass away to return once more.

As Sun Microsystems‘ General Counsel, my blog friend Mike Dillon’s (here is my interview with Mike) latest blog entry “The Patent Arms Race” lays out some of Sun’s latest thinking in IP and patent strategy which I find fascinating and very sensible.

Following is an excerpt from Mike’s “The Patent Arms Race” (emphasis added),

To some degree, this topic has a very Cold War feel to it with companies growing patent stockpiles to use if attacked or as a form of “mutual deterrence”. But, at some point, a company needs to ask how many patents it really needs. And, that’s exactly what we did about three years ago. Up to that time Sun was filing well over 1,000 patent applications per year. But, in 2005, we made the decision to reduce our patent filings to the point that we had about 700 patents issued last year.

I love Mike’s and Jonathan’s frankness and desire to keep Sun as transparent as they can. I hope more companies will follow Sun’s examples.

P.S. Check out some of these links Mike provided in his article,

• IBM hopes to patent ‘dealing with chaos’
• a Live IP auction at IP Business Congress (June 25/26, 2008) - highly recommended - check out some of the 65 lots of IP assets. Wow.
• reconsidering patentability of business methods

In Memory: Sydney Pollack

I am saddened to hear the wonderful director, producer, actor Sydney Pollack has passed away yesterday at 73. Articles by Roger Ebert, IHT, and Washington Post.

Love this quote from G&M “The way he was” (emphasis added),

Asked why he interrupted his own filmmaking career to act for Stanley Kubrick ( Eyes Wide Shut) and Woody Allen ( Husbands and Wives), Pollack replied, “Because I wanted to see how they work. I was curious.

In this YouTube video, Sydney Pollack discusses his documentary “Sketches of Frank Gehry” with Charlie Rose.

Here in this YouTube video (at the 1:13 and 6:25 marks), you hear Sydney talking about his love of flying jet plane (actually a Citation X, the “fastest non-military jet”) in the documentary One Six Right (named after the most popular runway at the Van Nuys Airport). Yeap, he flew jets.

Happy 5th Birthday WordPress

Wonderful job Matt. Happy 5th Birthday to Wordpress.

Paris Hilton Inc.

You can watch this insightful documentary from CBC Doc Zone Paris Hilton Inc. about our celebrity culture that dominates our daily media and social dialogue.

Wikimedia & Sue

Two interesting articles about Sue Gardner (former head of CBC.ca) and Wikimedia.

Seed Magazine

Seed (subtitled: Science Is Culture) is a science magazine published bimonthly by Seed Media Group (founder and editor-in-chief, Adam Bly). "Each issue looks at big ideas in science, important issues at the intersection of science and society, and the people driving global science culture."

Here are some interesting ones,

• Seed Video Feature: Lawrence Krauss + Natalie Jeremijenko (Full Cut, 45+ mins) - The Star Trek physicist enters the Seed Salon to discuss participation, the politics of knowledge production, and seduction with the artist/engineer.
• The Mandelbrot chat
• The artist/filmmaker Lynn Hershman Leeson enters the Seed Salon to discuss artifacts, presence, and invisibility with the Stanford archaeologist Michael Shanks. - real neat chat
• Marc Hauser + Errol Morris (and video) - The evolutionary psychologist (Hauser) and the documentary filmmaker (Morris) discuss game theory, Stanley Milgram, and whether science can make us better people.

No. 5: The Film

I hate perfume (especially strong ones). Yes, hate. But I love this Chanel No. 5 ad with Nicole Kidman and Rodrigo Santoro. Enjoy.

Check out the lovely "making of" videos here and here.

Here is an excerpt from Baz Luhrmann’s imdb bio,

In late 2004, he [Baz] directed the world’s most expensive advertisement for Chanel No 5, a 4-minute short film titled “No 5: The Film” starring Nicole Kidman (who he worked with for Moulin Rouge! (2001)) and Rodrigo Santoro. The film ad, about a fairy-tale romance in which Chanel is part of the story but is not what the story is about, cost £18 million and made Kidman a Guinness World Record holder for highest paid actress in a commercial (she netted $3.71 million). Varying length versions of the film ad were shown on television, and - a first for Chanel - in movie theaters. Costumes were designed by Karl Lagerfeld and a score by Claude Debussy. Kidman wore £17m worth of real gems.

Mandelbrot chats with Antonelli

A wonderful chat between Benoit Mandelbrot (father of fractal geometry) and Paola Antonelli (senior curator of Architecture and Design at The Museum of Modern Art, wrote her thesis on "Fractal Architecture").

Love this exchange (emphasis added),

BM: Well, it is very encouraging for me, because I'm an old man and, as I always mention at some point, I never made up my mind who I really was, which allowed me to spend my life on many things. So what you're telling me is that I can just relax, because I won't have to decide!

PA: I don't know. You're very responsible for what goes on right now. I don't think you can relax any time soon!

BM: Well, yes, but at least I won't have to become a specialist, because everybody is going to become a generalist.

Here is a beautiful video excerpt of the chat. (very well done and wonderfully shot. simply beautiful. and great to see Mandelbrot in person in a video chat. very cool.)

P.S. Have a look at MoMA's "Design and the Elastic Mind" exhibition which Antonelli curates. Very cool and neat.

Tales of a Chinese Purchaser, Episode 15 (買手的故事, 第15集)

In episode 15, we will conclude our discussions on how to handle things when order size changes (產品訂單有變時，如何處理).

• The steps in handling a normal decrease or exceptional decrease in order size (當訂購數量有減少或異常的減少時，如何處理)
• An example of how US head office handled a cancellation of materials (美國總公司取消材料訂單的例子)

You can click here to listen to episode 15 of the program in mp3 (or you can download or stream the program here).

*******

Program Info: My friend Simon has worked as a Hong Kong-based purchaser for over 30 years before his retirement. Simon has agreed to record a series of Chinese audio shows/podcasts call “Tales of a Chinese Purchaser 買手的故事“ to share his years of experiences and insights in purchasing and working with Chinese factories. (Note: This program has been recorded in the Cantonese dialect.)

Richard Florida @ Google & Banff

I was really lucky to watch a CBC National video report and “discovered” Richard Florida tonight. (smile) I am going to pay attention to Rich’s ideas and I have subscribed to his blog. Check out his latest book - “Who’s Your City?: How the Creative Economy Is Making Where to Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life.”

Here is a video of Rich interviewed by George on The Hour.

The following is an hour long video of Rich speaking at Google, NYC.

And if you are really keen and have nothing better to do (smile), then check out another hour long video of Rich speaking at Google, Headquater in CA (essentially the same speech but with a different set of Q&A starting at 48:45).

P.S. On a personal note, Rich reminds me of some of the great U of Toronto professors that I had. Great job in bringing Rich to Toronto. And I am looking forward to listening to Rich live at Banff World TV Festival.

P.P.S. Here is one of Rich’s recent blog post on Jane Jacobs.

P.P.P.S. I wonder if Rich gets some money from this BMW ad? (smile) By the way, I think I actually first read about Rich here in this UT magazine article.

Chief Design Officer - Johnson & Johnson

In the current issue of The International Design Magazine, Chris Hacker talks about his job as Chief Design Officer of the $61 billion Johnson & Johnson. The article is not the engaging but the pix and the captions are worth a scan.

Seeing Hungry, Mood & Money, Bad Belly Fat

Saw these three interesting science news. Enjoy.

*******

Seeing Hungry

“Why does food look more appealing when you are hungry? Scientists are finding that the same chemical in your stomach that causes hunger also changes how your brain perceives food, as this ScienCentral News video explains.“

*******

Mood and Money

“Feeling sad and bad about ourselves is not only unpleasant — it can also be hard on our wallets. Psychology researchers have found that these emotions can cost you three times more for the same item than being in a better mood, as this ScienCentral News video reports.“

*******

Bad Belly Fat

“Scientists are finding more about how that bulge around your belly is more harmful than the pounds you may have elsewhere on your body. As this ScienCentral News video reports, belly fat may cause blockages in the arteries, and the finding could lead to better drugs to protect against heart disease.“

May ‘08 Google Search Factory Tour

Interesting and informative Google Search Factory Tour video.

Freeconomics - The power of free?

Wired magazine editor-in-chief Chris Anderson's "freeconomics" seems paradoxically plausible until you look into his arguments/examples as explained in this Financial Post article. On the surface, it seemed like some thought experiments gone bad to me. There are some interesting examples in the article but then the generalization just seemed to be off a bit. After all, "ostensibly free" is not quite free. Worth a read.

Tales of a Chinese Purchaser, Episode 14 (買手的故事, 第14集)

In episode 14 and the next episode, we will continue the discussion of how to handle things when order size changes (產品訂單有變時，如何處理).

• The steps in handling an exceptional increase in order size (當訂購數量有異常的增加時，如何處理)

You can click here to listen to episode 14 of the program in mp3 (or you can download or stream the program here).

*******

Program Info: My friend Simon has worked as a Hong Kong-based purchaser for over 30 years before his retirement. Simon has agreed to record a series of Chinese audio shows/podcasts call “Tales of a Chinese Purchaser 買手的故事“ to share his years of experiences and insights in purchasing and working with Chinese factories. (Note: This program has been recorded in the Cantonese dialect.)

BBC SuperPokes Facebook Privacy Risks

From Privacy Commisioner of Canada’s blog (emphasis added),

And while Facebook says it advises its users to “employ…precautions” when downloading applications, any Facebook user will tell you that most applications simply won’t work if you don’t agree to give the developer access to your information.

BBC’s technology program Click decided to test out this security flaw (with news video) by creating its own Facebook application meant solely to “steal the personal details of you and all your Facebook friends without you knowing”.

Q&A with Peter and Nina Munk

Wonderful Q&A with Peter Munk (Chairman of Barrick Gold) and his daughter Nina about Munk's first failed business Clairtone - "The ultimate business school: A Q&A with Peter and Nina Munk".

Tales of a Chinese Purchaser, Episode 13 (買手的故事, 第13集)

In episode 13 and the next few episodes, we will continue the discussion of how to handle things when order size changes (產品訂單有變時，如何處理).

• Negotiate with suppliers (與供應商討論協調)
• Determining if suppliers have tried their best (using a plastic parts example to illustrate) (決定供應商是否已竭盡所能 (用塑料部件的例子說明) )
• Production and Material Control (PMC) department reviews feedback of rescheduling requests from suppliers using their expertises/experiences of the production process (生產及物料控制部門用生產過程的經驗分析供應商的反饋)
• When the order quantity is increased or decreased abnormally (當訂購數量有異常的增加/減少)

You can click here to listen to episode 13 of the program in mp3 (or you can download or stream the program here).

*******

Program Info: My friend Simon has worked as a Hong Kong-based purchaser for over 30 years before his retirement. Simon has agreed to record a series of Chinese audio shows/podcasts call “Tales of a Chinese Purchaser 買手的故事“ to share his years of experiences and insights in purchasing and working with Chinese factories. (Note: This program has been recorded in the Cantonese dialect.)

Tales of a Chinese Purchaser, Episode 12 (買手的故事, 第12集)

In episode 12 and the next few episodes, we will discuss how to handle things when order size changes (產品訂單有變時，如何處理).

• When products are selling well ==> Increase order size or move up shipment (當產品暢銷 == >增加訂單或提早出貨)
• When products are selling poorly ==> Decrease order size or delay shipment (當產品不暢銷 == >減少訂單或延遲出貨)
• How purchasers can use computer to generate “rescheduling reports” to help process these changes (買手如何可使用電腦 “新調度報告” 來幫助處理這些變化)
• When suppliers can’t meet the revised scheduling requests (當供應商不能滿足 “新調度” 的要求)

You can click here to listen to episode 12 of the program in mp3 (or you can download or stream the program here).

*******

Program Info: My friend Simon has worked as a Hong Kong-based purchaser for over 30 years before his retirement. Simon has agreed to record a series of Chinese audio shows/podcasts call “Tales of a Chinese Purchaser 買手的故事“ to share his years of experiences and insights in purchasing and working with Chinese factories. (Note: This program has been recorded in the Cantonese dialect.)

Capitalism’s Woodstock - Live

• LIVE BLOG ARCHIVE: Warren Buffett's Q&A With Shareholders (Morning Session)
• LIVE BLOG: Warren Buffett's Q&A With Shareholders (Afternoon Session)

*******

May 4, 2008 Update: Warren Buffett Talks to CNBC's Becky Quick at Shareholders Meeting (Video with transcript)

Sniffing for the right privacy balance

Interesting article by Ian Kerr,

Last Friday, the Supreme Court of Canada released two important privacy-related decisions, both addressing an increasing trend in which Canadian law enforcement agencies use police dogs to conduct random searches of public spaces.

[via Michael Gesit]

Hell in Honey’s Kitchen

The video of Chef Gordon Ramsay (Hell’s Kitchen fame) with Toronto Star’s Food editor Kim Honey at the Star’s test kitchen is real fun to watch. (big smile) Thanks Kim for sharing it with us. It is just priceless!

See Kim’s article here.

*******

May 10, 2008 Update: More Ramsay interview at CBC The Hour here, here, and here.

The Copyright Myths

The Copyright Myths presentation by Michael Geist (12 minutes video) this Monday. [via Michael]