Let’s Hook Up @ Blogtropol.us, Web 2.0

Blogtropol.us @ Web 2.0 Expo in SF 4/23-25/2008

Social media sense-maker and people motivator Chris Heuer and the great team of the Conversation Group are hosting a cool gather-create-share spot at the four-day Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco, April 23-25.

I’ve been working behind the scenes trying to help get my social media posse there. I’m trying to be there on Tuesday and Friday, and I’m looking forward to particpating in the action, seeing my old and making new my social media posse.

If you’re there on Wednesday, check out two of the wisest, generous from my posse — Forrester Research’s Jeremiah Owyang and Intel’s Bob Duffy.

Here are Blogtopolo.us details from Facebook.

CONNECT: Free bandwidth, power, workstations and superior Internet connectivity provided
RE-CHARGE: Food, refreshments, beverages, and afternoon happy hour
RELAX: Daily yoga sessions and chair massages
FOLLOW: @blogtropolus on Twitter to keep up with all of the Blogtropol.us and Web 2 action, as it happens

Blogtropol.us is brought to you by: Snap, Mzinga, Something Simpler Systems, BottleNotes, Pandora, drop.io, Socialtext, Radian6, Elephant Pharmacy, and CNET Webware.

In order to participate you must have a Web 2.0 Expo Pass or conference pass AND you must register for the lounge at – http://blogtropolus.eventbrite.com. Space is limited!

Also see CNET’s Webware 100 Awards at the gathering.

Can You Hear Me Now? New Law Against Drive-Phoning

Copied from the California DVM Website:

Cellular Phone Laws in California.  No handheld phones while driving after July 1, 2008

Mark your calendars! Effective July 1, 2008, it will be illegal to drive a motor vehicle while operating a handheld wireless telephone.   Additionally, drivers under the age of 18 will be prohibited from using handheld OR wireless telephones while driving.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has provided this list of FAQ’s regarding the new “Hands-free” driving laws, including:

Q. Will there be a grace period when motorists will get only a warning?

A. No.  The law becomes effective July 1, 2008.  Whether a citation is issued is always at the discretion of the officer based upon his or her determination of the most appropriate remedy for the situation

Q. Are passengers affected by this law?

A. No,  This law only applies to the person driving a motor vehicle.

Q.  Can I be pulled over by a law enforcement officer for using my handheld wireless telephone?

A.  Yes.  A law enforcement officer can pull you over just for this infraction.

Q.  Does the new “hands-free” law prohibit you from dialing a wireless telephone while driving or just talking?

A.  The new law does not prohibit dialing, but drivers are strongly urged not to dial while driving.

Q.  Will it be legal to use a Blue Tooth or other earpiece?

A. Yes, however you cannot have BOTH ears covered. <- iPhone users!

For more information on the new legislation and exceptions to the law, visit the California DMV.

Be prepared for the new laws to be implemented on July 1st, 2008.

Yellow of Deruta, Italy

Deruta, Italy, originally uploaded by R.o.b.e.r.t.o..

What a majestic photo of a place I’ve seen in real life. My wife took a great ceramics course in Deruta. We visited Deruta together in the late 1990s. A few years later, we got married near Deruta and Perugia…in Assisi inside the Basilica of San Francesco. That was magical and sometimes it all seems like a dream.

Intel’s Bob Duffy on Stage at Web 2.0 Expo in SF

My pals inside Intel are looking forward to Web 2.0 Expo, April 22-25 in San Francisco — follow the event blog here.

I’m hoping many (at least those based in or near the Bay Area) get to be on the scene. For sure, one great Intel community guy will be there — Bob Duffy.

Bob’s in my social media posse, and he has been helping Intel move from blogging into communities and helping experts get more involved off of Intel sites, where IT pros, consumers and other tech lovers might be asking for insight that Intel can share. He helped compile data, tools and experts to legitimize Intel’s branded community for IT Pros called Open Port. He’s now climbing the ladder to get a better view and help other groups and community minded managers benefit from best practices, and to integrate with existing and ongoing community efforts. For me, he’s in the right place in the right time — for him and for Intel. He’s a listener, participant and skilled at crystalizing powerful notions blended with data to help teams break down silos, harness expertise, ignite interest in activities beyond those inside Intel… He helps us move ahead because he’s thoughtful, inclusive, he’s involved online and takes time to meet and share interests and insights offline.

Sometimes, I see Intel trying to create products or solutions that will meet future demands. There may not be a huge need today for “Dunnington” 6-core processors because many applications are even multi-threaded to take advantage of dual core processors — but there’s tons of working going on to help get software to work ever better with new hardware. On the other hand, things like data security defense and power efficiency needs are top of mind, but often many don’t know that Intel engineers and products can help. New features are being built right into the latest chips at a faster, more predictable rate than ever before (i.e Intel’s “tick-tock” method of new chip design followed by new cycle of product process improvements followed by new chip design…).

This is where Intel marketing teams can step in and help. Finding the right communication tools and identifying pools of conversations can connect Intel technology experts with the growing number people and companies who might benefit from what Intel insiders are working on.

Here are some examples of IT stories and topics Intel experts are exploring on Open Port.

Here’s Bob talking in August 2007, just before the virtual doors were opened at Open Port

[podtech content=http://media1.podtech.net/media/2007/08/PID_012329/Podtech_MV_at_INTEL_Folsom.flv&postURL=http://www.podtech.net/home/4122/intels-online-strategists-insights-into-community-building&totalTime=489000&breadcrumb=d4bdc99c5a9f4fca89b8d7d9c50aba8b]

Bob will be joining the social computing wiseman, Forrester Research’s Jeremiah Owyang, on this day two panel:

8:30am – 9:20am Wednesday, 04/23/2008 “Community Building: Good, Bad, and Ugly

Dawn Foster (Jive Software), Jeremiah Owyang (Forrester Research), Bob Duffy (Intel), Kellie Parker (PC World & Macworld). A great community requires considerable forethought, attention to technology, and a dose of know-how to manage the unruly. Read more.

Full schedule of Web 2.0 sessions here.

During Web 2.0 Expo, I’m also looking forward to seeing the winners of CNET’s WebWare 100.

Hope to see you at the expo Tuesday or Friday. That week, I’ll be joining Ogilvy’s Rohit Bhargava at the New Communication Forum April 24 at 10:00 a.m. PT. Rohit is moderating a panel called “Future of Marketing and Advertising.” More on the New Comm Forum in a future post. I’m looking forward to catching up with Rohit after giving birth to a timely book called “Personality Not Included — Why Brands Lose Their Authenticity and How Great Companies Get It Back.” Learn more on his great blog.

Hey, it’s Thomas! — San Francisco Sighting

San Francisco March 2008, originally uploaded by KenEKaplan.

Windmill at the foot of Ocean Beach in Golden Gate Park. My nephew saw it first: “Thomas!” Like Thomas the train cartoon. He has looked at the photo for almost two hours already, and counting. He calls this “the BIG one.”

This was taken during a ride through San Francisco with our family from Italy visiting us in the Bay Area.

New Gadget Makin’ Friends @SxSW 2008

This is a repost & update — I slipped and deleted the original post from March 2008.

videoplay?docid=-2966930885625283630

I didn’t get to go this year, but I did my best to boost my friends who did go.

Our pals from TDI hosted a bike ride and BBQ during South by Southwest, where our Intel mobility blogfather Bryan brought his new friend the picnic: A prototype Gigabyte mobile Internet device (MID) built with Intel’s soon to be released Atom processor technology.

Voices That Matter — Live! From SXSW with DL Byron.

We’ll see more of these at the Intel Developer Forum in Shanghai this April.

Here’s a cool video my pal Bryan did with the great production crew at PodTechhttp://blogs.intel.com/mobility/2008/03/inside_sxsw_interactive.php:

[podtech content=http://media1.podtech.net/media/2008/03/PID_013465/Podtech_Intel_SXSW.flv&postURL=http://www.podtech.net/home/5023/whats-inside-sxsw-interactive&totalTime=163000&breadcrumb=5731c38bb0f74e03a3e0bc194f8e3bee]

FlipVideo: Pre-Spring San Francisco Drive

In late March, I took some special visitors on a VW Touareg ride around my favorite city, San Francisco. Brought my new FlipVideo along for the ride to capture the steep hill flights of Russian Hill-North Beach and sights of cable cars, Golden Gate Bridge, Lincoln Park, Ocean Beach and Haight-Ashbury.

I’m impressed at the FlipVideo Ultra’s video quality, ease-of-use and simple software (a few bugs). But the quality suffers when you upload to YouTube. Might be better to try a different video service.

FlipVideo (30 minutes of recording) can be purchased for under $130 at retail with rebate, or from the Flip site for a little more. For about $40 more you can get 60 minutes of record time.

This video by David Pogue of NY Times is funny and helpful.

Some specs: 640 x 480, Advanced Profile MPEG4, 30 frames per second (constant)

Good Stories Stitch What You See, What You Feel

This one gets my imagination zoomin’!  The springboard sights and sounds video from the Intel Developer Forum in Shaghai, April 2008.  Great storytelling is the art engulfs the heart of my imagination.

[podtech content=http://media1.podtech.net/media/2008/04/PID_013499/Podtech_Sights_Sounds_IDF_Shandhai_200.flv&postURL=http://www.podtech.net/home/5072/idf-shanghai-sights-and-sounds&totalTime=236000&breadcrumb=d5279439ebc54492b2905d718a35f33a]

My Social Media Posse @ Lunch 2.0-Oglivy in SF

My Social Media Posse 2008, originally uploaded by KenEKaplan.

I got to meet the very wise and good spirited Herbert Nguyen, publisher & editor of Ubergizmo and catch up with Tom Foremski of SiliconValleyWatcher. We chowed down on burritos at the Lunch 2.0 inside Ogilvy offices in San Francisco.

What a great turnout! Kudos and big thanks to my pals at Ogilvy — from Luca to Adriana.

UPDATE:  Below a nutty video Ogilvy shot at the event:

Invent the New Reality

Invent the New Reality, originally uploaded by kxande2.

On the streets of Shanghai, April 1, 2008.