GTA Technology Topics, Tips & Tricks: Fun Diversion Nerd vs. Geek Infographic
GTA Technology Topics, Tips & Tricks: Reminder Statistics Canada Making Data Free February 1st
Saw this Huffington Post article reminding us that Statistics Canada is making their data free. With the announcement made last year, Statistics Canada will officially open up their online data for free Wednesday, February 1st. The data will be under a new open data license agreement according to a post at EmbasseyMag.ca.
Pricing was previously $3.00 per time series.  Here is a great post from David Eaves from January 5, 2011 breaking down why Statistics Canada data should be free, past revenue details and the benefits of opening up the data.
LISNing – An international information student support network of daring proportions
Apple: On the Horizon
GTA Technology Topics, Tips & Tricks: Tools to Help Support Learning & Organization
Here are some great tools to think about using to help you learn and organize! There is of course the Google Apps suite but the recommendations posted below are out of the box type of tools!
Quizlets Flashcards help you study for final exams, languages, vocabulary, etc. and they can be shared. Web-based. (Free)
Index Card for Apple iPad lets you write index cards. Useful for those non-linear thinkers! ($4.99)
inClass for Apple iPad and iPhone is basically a digital planner, allowing you to store multimedia notes and organize your schedule (free)
Evernote for PC and Mac OS X. Amazing tool where you can tag notes and save web clips, text documents, pdfs, etc. Can be used in every aspect of your life and I think its a great tool for saving and organizing recipes. Their tagline is “Remember Everything” and there is a browser plug-in. Syncs across devices. (free)
iProcrastinate for Mac OS X and iPhone. Sync calendars, tasks and to do lists. You can break down tasks into components. (free)
bubbl.us is a brainstorming tool. Web-based. (free)
Diigo lets you bookmark, highlight and sticky note (annotate web) pages. Web-based and all platforms. (try for free = limited features)
An Interesting Concept: Reverse Mentoring
Helpful in teaching more senior employees about social media, internal and external communication, motivating young workers and learning about other cultures.
Role reversal: Mentoring from the bottom up – The Globe and Mail.
No Weak Links
The Secrets Apple Keeps is a fascinating commentary on the inner workings of Apple, Inc. and its culture of secrecy and division. The commentary is from Adam Lashinsky’s new book called Inside Apple. Â Apple would make a great case study in mentoring, managing and leadership…too bad we will never know the true inner workings of the company.
Highlights
“You don’t want to be the weak link. There is an intense desire to not let the company down.”
“All companies have secrets, of course. The difference is that at Apple everything is a secret.”
“There is not a culture of recognizing and celebrating success. It’s very much about work.”
“Apple pays salaries that are competitive with the marketplace — but no better.”
“People love it, which is different than saying they have fun. Fun comes and goes.”
UPDATE: GTA Technology Topics, Tips & Tricks: U.S. SOPA & Protect IP Acts – Censorship of the Internet
Note: This is an update to an earlier post that can be found here.
If you hadn’t heard already, tomorrow Wikipedia (as well as Reddit and other websites) will be going “black” to protest the SOPA and PIPA acts. These websites will be effectively be taken offline. See more about this:Â English Wikipedia Anti-SOPA Blackout
Google will also be protesting SOPA tomorrow on its home page. More information here. I’m very curious to see if they will change their logo!
From the ALA Washington Office: Â PIPA, SOPA and OPEN Act Quick Reference Guide
Also, the Obama Administration has come out in a recent announcement against SOPA.
Interesting to note – you may not had heard about SOPA and PIPA in US mainstream media or on the US broadcast networks, as many of these organizations are in support of these acts. For a review, please see the infographic below.
Stay informed!
Infonista Blog
The Infonista blog is a great resource for topics related to careers in information work. The author seems to post every few weeks.
infophile 