Ronda, Spain, Spanish, Themes, and Everything Else

The 21st century is already proving more complex than the 20th, at least at a global level. Traditional time management skills seem quite scientific and logical. Almost boring.

I remember when I first started teaching time management. At the time a number of very accomplished authors had published books that were designed to work alongside a day planner system that could be purchased separately, or you could attend a workshop and learn the intricacies of the system.

I no longer teach time management skills. Instead I debate matters of psychology with my clients, I ask them to complete research assignments, I test their cognitive abilities, I'm especially interested in their abilities to follow threads and remain focused. I particularly enjoy it when they bring various threads together into a single cohesive discussion.

Why do I do this, and how does this help with time management in the 21st century? Read More

Communications technology is progressing rapidly, various industries are converging, more users are joining the revolution, and our economies and societies changing. Given that our general pool of knowledge is expanding exponentially and that individuals now have more access to information than ever before, what kind of Internet could we be looking at a decade from now?

There are probably as many realistic possibilities as there are opinions, and perhaps just as many unrealistic possibilities as there are theorists writing articles. In this environment projecting forward is easy, no one can say my thoughts are wrong or right, but if you actually want to know the truth of the matter and position yourself to benefit from the future of the Internet and its impact on society in general then read on.

In coming to these conclusions I have deliberately ignored some issues or events that could affect the outcome of my argument, for example natural disasters, global warfare or terrorism, or the terrible implications of global poverty and disease. I am an optimist and believe that humanity will figure out ways to solve our societal problems, and who knows, our understanding of our own planet may allow us to predict or even control the effects of natural disasters. Read More

Imagine a world of neuro interfaces where control of every appliance and household robot is only a thought away. The simple act of putting a headband on, or for the more adventurous, an implant under the skull, would give you unprecedented control of your environment. Imagine how different life would be.

I'm sure we've all heard of the emerging technology that will enable disabled people to control appliances by thought alone. But this technology could easily be used by able bodied people as well. Think about flicking the lights, shutting the curtains, or how about browsing the web from memory of your favourite site, then write an email by thinking the words.

The potential is enormous, and not limited to our personal lives. Anyone whose work requires control of a machine could simply think thoughts at a roboticised version of the machine. Read More

A few years ago when mobile phones had just started to incorporate little organisers and text messaging was becoming popular, I remember being told by an excitable gadget savvy mobile phone salesperson that this was the future.

With much waving of hands and bright-eyed eagerness she proceeded to tell me they would soon have camera's, video, the Internet and so much more built directly into them. I remember she used the expression convergence to describe this merging of technology.

At the time I think I was slightly sceptical yet today mobile phones do all of these things. That experience taught me something about predicting the future which has served me well. My partner and I use the secret to predict property values, economic activity and so much more. Read More