Ryan McDonough: The future of netbook operating systems

A discussion about the way we use netbooks, and the future for netbook operating systems.

Patrick Vyse: The Economic Tech Divide

An open discussion on how economic giants segregate nations or a smaller economic status and also its citizens

Mike Smith: Mobile Information

Discussion on mobile accessible data

USE Stimulus Lineup Announced

The submissions have come in, and the final line-up has been decided. Many thanks to all who sent in their ideas and talks. Congratulations to the speakers who have been selected to present on the event theme Future Users of Cool Technology at the inaugural Unsheffield USE Stimulus night at 7pm Friday 19 June.

Talking to Future Users

How do we talk about cool technologies in ways that make sense to new users? How do we talk about technology in ways that take account of the realities of those users? And how do the terms we currently use shape up? These are much bigger questions than whether an event is called BarCamp or Unsheffield – and it’s worth standing back and thinking about.
Dougald Hine takes a timely look at the language of disengagement and the uncool of technology.

4iP

The old adage of Build It And They Will Come simply doesn’t work with many Future Users. Sustained engagement demands not only an innovative product but a shake-up in the way we traditionally go about identifying relevance and creating useful solutions, typically using widespread or mundane technology that’s just applied to cool effect. 4iP have already established a strong pedigree of encouraging forward-thinking and inventive ways to reach out to millions of people who would otherwise happily let the digital revolution pass them by.

No Future Shock

Okay, it’s rough to criticise the work of Alvin Toffler, nearly 40 years after he published ‘Future Shock‘. But while Toffler’s key premise – that the shift from an industrial age to a post-industrial, highly technology-mediated society would leave us all feeling rather disconnected and over stressed – may have some merit in terms of information overload, it’s perhaps not quite as stressful. We’ve certainly been living a more connected existence in technologically developed societies since the early 1990s.

Joanne Jacobs explores the evolution of technology into the contexts for engagement of Future Users.

Evernote

So much is going on at Unsheffield that it’ll be nigh on impossible for any single individual to be involved in it all. We’re anticipating over 70 talks and sessions in 4 zones across 3 days. That’s a lot of ideas coming out, and a lot of content building up. We don’t want our participants suffering from information overload, so we’re really happy that Evernote have stepped in to help us capture, share and remember the memories that will form over what’s going to be an intensely creative weekend of innovation and knowledge-sharing.