Could AI and RIM Cure Blindness?

Wonder by Robert J. Sawyer

Imagine.
What if there was an artificial intelligence that helped us distill the collective knowledge of the Internet into a Blackberry device that enabled a blind girl to see?

Let's say that this AI could see through any firewall and had unlimited access to everything on the Internet. It claimed that its primary intention was to improve the net happiness of the world. Then it demonstrated its goodwill by comparing the results of every study and presented a cure for cancer?

Big Brother?
That AI would be immensely powerful. More powerful than any government. Would the benefits outweigh the risks? I wonder.

Wonder is the title of a novel I just read by Robert J. Sawyer. It's the third book in Sawyer's WWW series. It's a sci-fi page-turner with philosophy, politics and Canadianna. Much of the action revolves around the Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics in Waterloo.

The heroine is a blind teenage girl who regains her sight with the help of an AI named Webmind, a Japanese doctor, the Perimeter Institute and a Blackberry (nice plug for RIM). Caitlin goes through some of the typical teenage things like high school dances. But her connection with Webmind puts her in front of the United Nations and at the center of a major world transition. Need I say more? You gotta read it :)

Who Really Controls the Internet?
This book makes you question the limits of technology, smartphones and who really controls the Web. I kept asking myself, should somebody or some organization control the Internet?

The Internet as a Political Force
This novel reminds me of how often social media has headlined in the news lately. Facebook recently signed a deal with the largest social networking site in China. How about President Obama's appearance at Facebook HQ for a Town Hall meeting. Many countries are attempting to limit or control information flow but people still find ways to coordinate protests online.

WWW Equals Hope
What I liked most about Wonder is how it explores the potential of the collective of the World Wide Web to make the world a better place through crowdsourcing. What would happen if the Internet woke up and became a conscious of itself? Let's hope that AI would be a synthesis of the best that Web has to offer.

Related Links

• Robert J. Sawyer's Website: SFWriter.com
• Welcome to Toronto, Silicon Valley North
• Love What You Do
• iPad vs. Playbook Debate Revisited
• Comparing Apples to Berries: 4 Reasons Why I Pick the PlayBook
• Who Do You Love, BlackBerry Torch or iPhone

Written by:

Tim Collins, President and Owner, Stafflink Solutions

Stafflink.ca

timc@stafflink.ca

www.twitter.com/stafflinks

www.linkedin.com/in/timrcollins

iPad vs. Playbook Debate Revisited

Back in October, you may recall a rather avid Blackberry fan writing an article called “Comparing Apples to Berries: 4 Reasons Why I Pick the PlayBook”. Still a self-proclaimed “crackberry”, I am just as thrilled now as I was then about the arrival of Blackberry’s PlayBook.

I believe the debate needs to be revisited with the arrival of the next generation of the iPad, the infamous iPad2. I will give credit to the iPad2’s sleek new package (it is 117g lighter than the first generation model) and exclusive “limited availability” marketing (the iPad2 could not be pre-ordered before its release date, making the average consumer want it that much more). However, when it comes down to the new generation’s specs, not much has changed.

Flash

My argument for Flash still stands. The iPad2 does not support it and Playbook does. Not supporting flash will weaken video experience for iPad users and provides a space for other tablets such as the PlayBook and Android tablets to capitalize on.

Video Conferencing

In terms of video-conferencing, the iPad added an additional camera so iPad users can now use FaceTime calling software just like PlayBook users (I knew that was coming!). However, according to many online reviews the rear-facing camera on the iPad2 is of low quality and the images are rather grainy, jerky and distorted.

Battery Performance

An area where the iPad2 has improved is in the battery life and internet performance. Apparently the iPad2 has an average battery life of 10 hours, with many online reviews claiming that the battery life lasts in excess of 15 hours. The iPad2 ships with iOS 4.3, which allows users to stream music and video flawlessy using AirPlay and remotely locate devices using MobileMe.

Apps

The iPad2 doesn’t offer any particular upgrades that will not work on the original iPad – unless you are looking for video conferencing capabilities. However, I will say the growth potential of the iPad2 is tremendous if application developers jump on the bandwagon – an area where the PlayBook has been having trouble.

The Verdict

Overall, the PlayBook is enterprise focused – and the iPad2 still appears to more be consumer focused; leaving both to target different markets. My verdict? I’ll still be lining up with all the other “crackberries” to purchase my PlayBook – but I know it’s not for everyone. Evaluate your own needs and purchase what device will suit your lifestyle best.

Related Articles

Comparing Apples to Berries: 4 Reasons Why I Pick the PlayBook
Steve, Mark and Jim: Who's Made 2010's Nice List?
Who Do You Love? BlackBerry Torch or iPhone?
Love What You Do

Written By

Michelle De Rubeis ,Technical Recruiter, StaffLink Solutions Ltd.
Website: http://www.stafflink.ca/
Email: michelle@stafflink.ca
Twitter: Twitter.com/stafflink1
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/mmderubeis

Steve, Mark and Jim: Who Made 2010’s Nice List

The holiday season is upon us and 2010 is wrapping up. As we look back on the year, it is evident that 2010 was a big year for technology. So who were the top contenders this year? Who managed to make techies “Nice List?”

• Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, took the tablet market by storm, introducing the ever so powerful iPad in January 2010 and landing it on everyone’s 2010 wish list. In just four months, the iPad achieved $ 1 billion in sales. Couple that with the iPhone 4 release, generating $ 3.25 billion in sales between April and June and I think it’s safe to say Jobs belongs on the list.
  
• Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, reached 500 million active users on Facebook at the same time “The Social Network”, a story based on Zuckerberg’s success, took the box office by storm. In one month, users collectively spend over 700 billion minutes on Facebook, making the 2010 social networking market at the tips of Zuckerberg’s fingers.
• Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of RIM, introduced the ever so powerful Playbook in the later half 2010, setting its release for early 2011. Consumers are oozing with anticipation for an iPad rival and developers are working hard to create competing applications, kicking 2011 off with Playbook fever.
• Andrew Mason, CEO of Groupon, an increasingly popular coupon/discount site, has generated immense success in a very limited amount of time. Groupon has added approximately 30 cities a month in 35 countries, accumulating over 40 million subscribers. In addition, Mason just turned down a $6 billion dollar offer from Google making him one of the most courageous business men of 2010.
• Kunal Gupta, CEO of Polar Mobile, has become one of Toronto’s newest hometown heroes. His company has created a partnership with Microsoft to launch 500 applications for the Windows Phone 7 operating system through to 2011. Over 7 million people in more than 100 countries are using applications powered by Polar Mobile’s SMART platform, making Polar a leader in the industry.
• Dennis Crowley, co-founder of Foursquare, a mobile service that encourages people to explore the cities in which they live, is somebody to watch out for in 2011. In 2005, Crowley had his first mobile social service acquired by Google. His new venture, Foursquare, has a team of 16 employees but has over 760,000 users checking in – making them a small but mighty force.

How can 2011 compete with a year where the iPad and Playbook became common words in our everyday conversations and Mark Zuckerberg became a global icon? Where do we go from here? Who else do you think belongs on 2010’s “Nice List?”? Better yet, who will make 2011’s “Nice List”? Let us know your thoughts! We here at Stafflink, hope you made the “nice list” this year and wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

Related Articles:
Welcome to Toronto, Silicon Valley North
Top 10 IT Skills in Demand in 2010
The Job Market Longtail

Written by: Michelle De Rubeis, Technical Recruiter, StaffLink Solutions Ltd.
Website: http://www.stafflink.ca/
Email: michelle@stafflink.ca
Twitter: Twitter.com/stafflink1
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/mmderubeis

Comparing Apples to Berries: 4 Reasons Why I Pick the PlayBook

As a self-proclaimed “crackberry”, I was thrilled when Mike Lazaridis announced the arrival of the Blackberry PlayBook. As a Wilfrid Laurier Alumni, I have seen the excitement that RIM has brought to the town of Waterloo, Ontario and Canadian’s in general. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t spent a few afternoons playing with Apple’s “PhotoBooth” application or playing with my friend’s iPhones. However, I’ve spent more time napping with my Blackberry, admiring the flurry of RIM buildings on Columbia St, attending career fairs at RIM Park and BBMing my friends when I spot our local celebrities Mr. Balsillie or Mr. Lazaridis out for lunch.

So why would I rather purchase a PlayBook than an iPad?

1) Flash Flash Flash
Although Steve Jobs has made a gallant effort at eliminating Flash, I think it is here to stay. Flash is a wonderful tool and Blackberry embraces it. Virtual training, tours and demos are just some of the capabilities that Flash makes easier. In addition, Adobe has integrated Adobe Flash Player 10.1 and Adobe AIR apps on the PlayBook. This creates a large opportunity for PlayBook application development – how exciting!

2) Video Conferencing
The corporate crowd will appreciate this functionality. With iPad’s lack of camera, the PlayBook takes the cake on this one, providing users with two cameras and an HDMI hook-up. Need I say more?

3) The Specs
Some would criticize the PlayBook for its size (7 inches compared to the iPad’s 9.3 inches). I think the smaller size provides a perfect balance of convenience and readability. Plus for a small package it sure has impressive hardware. The PlayBook sports a dual-core 1GHz processor (the iPad only has a single-core) and 1GB of RAM (double what the iPad packs).

4) Local Support
Why wouldn’t I support the products that my friends and family help produce? RIM employees are my hometown heroes. RIM has provided over 26,000 jobs to Waterloo residents. Many of my classmates specifically attended school in Waterloo in hopes to score a job with RIM. As a Canadian, I feel an obligation to cheer on the efforts of a company that has completely transformed a local economy.

Whether you want to attribute my love of RIM product’s to the years I’ve spent in Waterloo, the endless job opportunities they have provided my friends or the plain fact that they make a magnificent product – I am and will always be a fan of the “Berries”.

Related Articles:
Who Do You Love? Blackberry Torch or iPhone?
Top 10 IT Skills in Demand 2010
Love What You Do
Why Is It So Difficult to Unplug From the World

Written by: Michelle De Rubeis, Technical Recruiter, StaffLink Solutions Ltd.
Website: http://www.stafflink.ca/
Email: michelle@stafflink.ca
Twitter: Twitter.com/stafflink1
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/mmderubeis

Canada’s Summer Job Market is Sizzling

The technology job market is hot this summer. Check out this recent headline in the Huffington Post: Need A Job? Try Canada, Where Hiring Is Booming And Home Prices Are Rising. The article mentions that with a population that’s one tenth the size of the US, Canada created 10,000 more jobs than the USA last month.

Summer is typically a slow time in the job market. Not this year. The Canadian economy created 93,000 jobs in June according to Statistics Canada. The new jobs are primarily in Ontario and Quebec. In June Ontario added 60,000 new jobs and Quebec added 30,000 new jobs

We focus primarily on IT job placements at Stafflink. The majority of new hires we were involved with in June and July came from financial services (primarily banks and insurance companies), software and mobile companies. For hard-to-find skill sets like J2ME, Derivatives or Android our candidates have been receiving multiple job offers. It’s been a couple of years since we’ve seen this level of competition for candidates.

The new jobs Stafflink has been working to fill are evenly split between permanent-fulltime and contract. Compare that to 12 months ago when 90% of the job orders we received were for short term contract opportunities.

I believe that this strong job market will continue. Why? How can we ensure our continued success?

• Innovation. Our clients are developing new products and product lines with innovative research and development that is helping to drive the increase in new jobs, mostly in the technology sector.
• Stable banks create a secure environment for new business development and growth.
• Education. Schools need to offer the courses people need to develop the skills that the current economy demands.
• Diverse workforce. Multiculturalism is our strength. Employers who value qualifications from other countries gain access to a larger talent pool. Having people with diverse backgrounds at the table brings more creativity and innovation.

Go Canada! Canada is poised for continued success and strong job creation because of our diverse, well-educated and innovative people.

Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/09/need-a-job-try-canada-whe_n_640555.html
http://www.thestar.com/business/markets/article/834018--tsx-closes-up-on-jobs-data

Related Articles:

Top 10 IT Skill Sets in Demand in 2010
The Future's So Bright You Gotta Wear Shades

Its Time to Spring Forward

The Job Market Longtail

Tim Collins, President and Founder,

Stafflink Solutions Ltd

http://www.stafflink.ca/

timc@stafflink.ca

www.twitter.com/stafflinks

www.linkedin.com/in/timrcollins

Why is it so difficult to unplug from the world?

Funny enough I sleep with my Blackberry on my pillow beside my head. Constantly bombarded by media and current events. Why do I do this? Is it the need to be “just in time” or do I truly enjoy being plugged into the rest of the world?

Recently I took a trip to Jamaica for my honey moon. I made a deal with my wife that I was only allowed to check my BB at night. The first few days I went through withdrawal. It was odd not carrying the extra weight on my hip and not constantly checking emails. I was forced to interact with the rest on the world face to face. I could not pull my BB out to check emails while waiting for lunch or in an elevator or any instance where I was not stimulated for 30 sec.

Don`t get me wrong. I truly value and love my BB and the ease and profitability it has brought me over the years....I guess my challenge is that I feel so dependant on a device that it supersedes being a convenience and a business tool and becomes a necessity/dependency. I don`t know how many times my friends have told me I would die without my BB or iPhone! What did people do before smart phones!?

I guess what I'm trying to say is that technology is a fantastic and wonderful thing that makes our lives easier and more convenient. But there has to be a balance. You need to unplug your brain from the barrage of media and social networking. Every once and a while we should leave our Palms, iPhones and Blackberrys in the safe in our hotel room, lay on a beach and watch the sunrise.

Ryan Ayres, Technical Recruiter

Stafflink Solutions Ltd

http://www.stafflink.ca/

ryan@stafflink.ca

www.linkedin.com/in/ryandayres

Top 10 IT Skills in Demand 2010

The technology job market is indeed recovering. I'm happy to report that many of the companies that reduced their staff over the past 18 months are now hiring. In the last quarter we've seen a significant increase in job orders. Why? I see two major factors: the stability of Canadian banks and the rise of the mobile industry. The trend during the recession was to cut new development  and merely maintain systems. But we're seeing a turn around. Opportunities with mCommerce and the mobile industry are driving new product development. This drives the demand for people with the skills to push the new technologies forward. Here are the top 10 skills we're recruiting for today:

1. J2ME - Mobile Developers with Java API's - Many Blackberry apps are written with J2ME. Demand for this skill set is stronger than supply. Schools are only beginning to offer it in their curriculum.
2. Android Developers - The Google muscle along with the rapid rise of the Adroid phone market share is creating a strong demand for Android developers.
3. C# programmer analysts - Many companies are adopting complete Microsoft solutions with the Visual Studio of products. This is due to the strength of Microsoft's sales team and a lower price point than most competitors.
4. Objective C programming language used for iPhones and iPads. Many people are developing iPhone apps in their basement but our clients want people who've developed large scale apps for major corporations.
5. Data Warehouse Specialists - Demand for this skill is increasing as companies learn that they can cross correlate data about customers. That's why all the stores want to put you in their database.
6. COBIT - security specialists
7. QA Testers with QTP and LoadRunner
8. Mobile Business Analysts
9. J2EE/Weblogic specialists
10. Project Manager/Project Coordinators

Tim Collins, President and Founder,

Stafflink Solutions Ltd

http://www.stafflink.ca/

timc@stafflink.ca

www.twitter.com/stafflinks

www.linkedin.com/in/timrcollins

Love What You Do

Blackberry's new tagline Love What You Do reminds me of how much I love my work and my Blackberry. It also reminds me of how much I admire what Research in Motion has done for Canada. They've created jobs for over 10,000 Canadians for one thing.


Loving What You Do is the challenge we all face, whether we're washing dishes or trouble-shooting code. Is the answer to quit your job and chase a dream? Is that what the founders of RIM did? Blackberry's success has nothing to do with quitting and everything to do with commitment.

Stay True To Your Vision. Mike Lazaradis and Jim Balsille had a big dream when they started RIM. They developed and sold their vision for push email  before most people were using email. Apple had not even invented the iPod.

RIM faced many challenges including a well publicized patent dispute. Even now RIM is being attacked by forecasters who question whether the Blackberry can compete with the iPhone and Android phones. But their track record proves that they have the creativity and commitment to meet the challenges no matter how enormous or expensive. Countless Canadians are counting on RIM to do whatever it is that do to keep surprizing us with awesome solutions.

Rod McQueen's Blackberry: The Inside Story of Research In Motion  is essentially about having dream and sticking with it. Now RIM employees well over 12,000 people, is Canada's foremost technology leader and is a leader in the worldwide mobile communications market. Apparently loving what you do has a lot to do with commitment and persistence.

"Love What You Do" is a challenge: Enjoy your work. Do work you can be proud of. Stay true to your dream.

The more you give, the more you get is an essential marketing principle. It applies to career development, relationships, real estate, business - everything. If you can't be in the job of your dreams right now then love the job you're in.

Love what you do right now and you'll be well on your way to your dream job.

Tim Collins

Stafflink.ca

timc@stafflink.ca

www.twitter.com/stafflinks

www.linkedin.com/in/timrcollins