Beyond Ferguson: The Real Talk Every Parent Needs to have with Boys and Young Men of Color "Airs"!

Friday, December 12, 2014. The good news from Bothell, Orlando and New York is that last night, in spite of a few minor technology challenges,  three enlightened African American elders went "Beyond Ferguson - Walking the real talk that every parent needs to have with boys and young men of color" and even beyond that to an entire world, all with the senseless killing of countless others boys and young men of color beyond the ones that make the news. Friends and colleagues Kujaatele Kweli, Lenny Burg, and Dr. Donald Tate ...all soared last night, and the conversation on our Google + Events page is only just beginning. We welcome your comments and use of our Q&A, You can also access their wonderful article via viewing the session and accessing the special Showcase app.

Even more good news is that we used and entire suite low-cost and no-cost cloud based technologies to do that:

• Internet connectivity, laptops, and smartphones with built-in webcams we already had
• We also add access to the world's fastest growing "social" platform, Google+ using HangOuts and HangOuts On Air, while other folks drifting on Facebook and Twitter are still scratching their heads about what's in Google+ for them. 
• Envision this! - Members of a now global, local, regional, national and international community themselves authoring their own television content, doing a world of good, and attracting even more of it.... That's what just happened and and more good news is on the way as we "think:" into and "align" with an everywhere divinely present world of unlimited potentiality and infinite possibility.

A fruitful possibility for you and your own organization from the smallest solopreneur, to small businesses, to faith-based organizations, public library systems, and non-profits, to local, regional and national government agencies..including U.S. Department of Justice,  to educational institutions...from the family on up... to the largest of enterprises and nation-states: Using the very same massively scalable technology to do a world of good for you and the people and organizations you serve too.  It's all about the learning..and the enlightened doing. See our Learning Resources page for more info and/or just call me and let's connect about using low-cost, and no-cost cloud-based technology to make a positive difference in our abundant world of infinite possibility, working with you as well - 206-920-8067

Art Johnson

New World Communications

Bothell, Washington

www.newworldcom.com

Part 1 - Introduction - Think Video and Get Rich

There's been a lot on my mind recently about how to use low-cost almost no cost web video technology to grow business supporting my growing list of small business, non-profit, government, and enterprise clientele. At the same time, I have been reading some excellent books about wealth-creation and actualizing prosperity.. and so the mind is a beautiful thing... What's been  unfolding is a course ... Think Video and Get Rich that practically applies lessons learned to actually achieving some remarkable outcomes...like entire channels of marvelous content that can help develop multiple communities in our now 21st Century world. Here are applications for this that I been working on thus far:

• Community Resource Development Television - People watch it and contribute to it as part of growing physical world and online community
  
  
• Small Business Development Television - Small business owners watch this and contribute to it so that they can do better job of not only just surviving but also thriving in a now 21st century world.
  
  
• Health and Wellness Television - All the local naturopaths and yoga instructors I know still aren't taking advantage of new low cost almost free web television to grow their business. If they mastered the web television thing... their businesses would flourish.  There are several health and wellness shows on traditional cable television to learn from... as a point of departure, and web television using now Google+ HangOuts sessions could be even more social.
  
  
• Non Profit Capacity Building Television - Executive directors, their development people and countless volunteers, as well as organizational members can all benefit from quality content that they watch and that they contribute to that communicates how to develop non-profit capacity in a rapidly changing, 21st century world. All kinds of organizations could use some help achieving their mission and their vision in a now even more competitive marketplace.
  
  
• Government Human Services Television - Local, Regional, National, and International Governments could also use some help with empowering entire communities and neighborhoods to address critical issues of health, enterprise innovation, employment, and continual learning by authoring some of their own "how-to" web television content in a specially-developed social learning online virtaul space that I can design as a communications and learning architect.
  
  
• Social Venture Partnership Television - Even large corporations are finally starting to get wiser about becoming authentically involved in front-running projects and new initiatives that create win-win scenarios for multiple stakeholders.. not just for the "1 percent". They need to learn from and become involved in front-running initiatives by community-stakeholders that actually work. Microsoft has been considered by some to be an "Evil Empire"... and Google itself ...as it connects its numerous properties is next. Getting more socially involved and promoting heart-centered applications of their technology can greatly improve their brand.
  
  
• ...And on and on - Creatiivity is the source of unlimited properity once folks learn how to tap into it and leverage it... which is what I am committed to help orchestrate.

The books I mention can be found online in my Amazon-powered New World Virtual Bookstore. Also see how affordable web television technology now is on my Web Television Technology page. All of this content development and business development can be rapidly accelerated via the use new Google+ and other social networking architectures. I welcome your own comments and thoughts. Let's connect if you like to communicate - my phone as 206-920-8067 and welcome your comments. 

New World Communications Offers Crash Course in Using that Camcorder to Come Running Out of the Chute ... Growing Your Business in 2011

Just in case you are thinking about new ways to move your business forward in 2011... and finally using that camcorder of yours to do it, you may be interested in taking The New World Television Workshop, a 3-1/2 hour "crash course" that I am offering this last week of the year 2010 both in Seattle and Kirkland. Folks taking this "hands-on" workshop will come away ...empowered...with a working understanding of the following:

• How to produce quality web television programming using low-cost and no-cost strategies and tools - e.g. Flip or other digital camcorder and your laptop.
  
  
• How to design and apply the new web television to grow your small business, not-profit business, or government agency business with excellent guidelines about talent releases, etc. Our emphasis will be on the Structure of Story and how to tell and "spin" it to grow your brand, create mind share, and move your business phenomenally forward.
  
  
• Where the new web television is going in terms of more advanced applications - using it in webinars as part of a remote consulting and practice; using it in multi-day virtual conferences and trade shows, using it in prime time grassroots web television programming applications that we are developing.

Price: $299 per person. For more information see our online published Google Document. Pre-enroll online via our online registration area. Call me for the session # and date that you want or if you need additional information. Taking this workshop will be one of the best investments you ever made for...coming out of the chute ..and shoot....running  and empowered with powerful new world television skills that you'll be able to practically apply in 2011. Call me and let's connect. 425-780-6872

CIO Magazine Has Good Article About The Schoolhouse of the Future

This morning I am flowing positive energy after reading Chris Yeh's article on "The Schoolhouse of the Future" in the December 2010 issue of Chief Learning Officer magazine. This a nice article that brings together three emerging trends in learning that are rapidly becoming part of that "new world communications landscape" that I've personally been paying attention to and blogging about.

One emerging trend is what Jeff Howe in a June 2006 Wired magazine article coined as "crowdsourcing" in his article, "The Rise of Crowdsourcing". Since then the meaning of "crowdsourcing" itself continues to evolve driven by people defining it. (See wikipedia). One is example cited is using a "crowd" of people as a "source" of information contributing to a web-based Wiki. or community-authored information website, typically using a text type format. Wikipedia itself is a prime example of this. 

The second important emerging trend that the article acknowledges is the power of web video that fast-forwards innovative learning and it cites KhanAcademy.org as a shining example of this, where millions of people are learning by watching short 12 minute videos. Citing the power of web video for innovation is what I just blogged about..just yesterday..after getting ecstatic over Chris Anderson's web video-based TED Talk.

The third and newest emergent trend that Yeh sites is the development of learning "apps" for mobile devices. Actually if you publish your video learning content on YouTube you can already deliver mobile learning, but what the development community is interested in is mobile applications they can sell, so don't be surprised if you see more and webcasting and web conferencing companies also extending their capability to mobile devices. The folks at Ustream.tv are already tauting this..however the jury is still out as to whether mobile users using 4G networks have enough bandwidth to send and receive video of acceptable quality. Changes in codecs and standards are own their way that will of course improve the situation. 

In the meantime, it not too early to jump in now, especially when it comes to leveraging low-cost, almost no cost resources that already exist... with that special "secret sauce" that can make all the difference in the world... value innovation. Call if you'd like to learn more about developing the schoolhouse of the future...but doing in now... in a newly emergent new world communications landscape - 425-780-6872.

Success is in The Cloud...If You Work With Us To Help You Connect The Dots

This morning on Black Friday, instead of spending money, I decided to write about how I can help my clients make more of  it ... enjoying more success by creating it "In The Cloud"... over the Internet..using robust but affordable web-based applications & strategies..including even mobile devices. Right now, many folks are still crying the blues over "The Economy", but quite frankly it is their own attitude and mindset that is the real problem that is making matters worse. See my post about the choices we make...and the energy we flow into them.

As creatures of habit, folks are still working way too hard still trying to do business the same old tired physical world world way...getting frustrated... and then resonating even more negative energy...and you know what that attracts.. even more negative energy.. and even longer economic recovery. On the other hand, with just the right help navigating the new world communications landscape... they could be well on their way to being way more successful and a lot more happy. Here's how:

There are two pieces to this: 1) The first piece involves helping them understand that "success is in the cloud" and what's in this for them, and 2) the second piece involves using my background, experience, skillsets and positive energy flow to help them "connect-the-dots", so that they can start being happier... right now as they move forward saving time, and money by working more strategically :

1. Strategic Planning: This is a disciplined approach that can help you get clear about where you are, where you want to go, and how to get there by using new communications and learning tools & strategies...with a new "hybrid" world  mindset...cultivated over time.. That's what my "connecting the dots" is all about.
   
   
2. Google Applications: If you aren't already using free virtual applications from Google, you run the risk of either losing all your data via local hard drive, or office file server failure, or you are paying too much for remote backup services. You are also spending more time and money than you need to working with local applications and local documents that make updating, document sharing, and collaborative work with strategic business partners more problematic than it needs to be.
   
   
3. Google Site: If you still don't have Google Site, you are paying way too much in time, money, with more costly updating administrative hassles than you have to. I am not paying one cent for my web hosting and my domain name only costs $10 a year. I also don't have to pay anyone else to update my website when I need to make changes. See my own website... developed with new Google website architecture...and see the advanced communications and learning functionality - www.newworldcom.com ...I "walk the walk" myself.
   
   
4. Virtual Meeting Room: If you can meet with people "inside" your website...using next generation "green" web conferencing... you can phenomenally extend your business reach...without spending one cent on gas and without adding one micron of pollution or CO2 emission. By working with us we can even having you "virtualizing" physical world meetings... making in more convenient for board members or strategic business partners...to instantly "get there" and "get back"... and even meeting "face-to-face" using now low cost web conferencing technologies. This capability can also be used for remote consulting, e-learning and for multi-day virtual conferences and trade shows. See my own New World Virtual Meeting Room
   
   
5. Television Channel: The new television technology, with the right help, can be phenomenally powerful when practically applied to develop sustainable business in a 21st century world, especially for smaller businesses and non-profits who have not yet been empowered to leverage this radically new resource. The possibilities are virtually limitless and soon your own web-based television "channel" can even show up on home HDTV screens using new Google TV and other newly-emergent "smart television" technology. See my own New World Television Channel...on my website and my web television-based NWC Overview 2010. Also see What is Google TV? and surf some of the other content that I have programmed there.
   
   
6. Critical Conversations:  If your agenda is to frame and facilitate the conversation about key topics of interest and concern between stakeholders and strategic business partners, you can do this sooner and more powerfully if you use next generation web conferencing, real-time webcasting, and well-designed web television programming to do it...by extending you business reach and mobilize your stakeholders..virtually. What conversations would you like to frame? Talk to me about doing series of critical conversations.
   
   
7. Virtual Focus Groups: If you are not in touch with what people want and need in the way of product/service offering, and public and private policy, we can use multiple intelligent tools and innovative strategies to help you gain focus online... at a mere fraction of the cost and in a mere fraction of the time of doing physical world focus groups. Talk me about how to do these.
   
   
8. Remote Consulting: We can work with you to create whole "net new" streams of revenue by creating a world-class remote consulting practice, using the world's very best, local, regional, national and even international subject matter experts. This consulting can even be "face-to-face" on a 1:1 basis or on a group basis using multiple webcams. Some remote consulting can even been in using new 3D immersive real-time communications...in multiple venues.. that we have been working with.
   
   
9. Virtual Learning: We can help you and others learn and get empowered, and moving your forward by doing learning virtually. We are front-running instructional designers... as well as new world communicators who can leverage the power of multiple  and design a complete rich-media curriculum, or work with you to put your training or tutorials for customers online. We can do virtual learning across an entire enterprise... or public school system... to facilitate broad-based social change and educational reform.
   
   
10. Virtual Fundraising: There are now more opportunities to fund-raise and develop donors then you as a development director may realize that can mesh well with tried-and-true physical world approaches that you are already taking, especially when combined with the new web television, social media, and the "secret sauce" of value innovation that we can uniquely provide. See my recent blog about this.
    
    
11.  Virtual Conferences & Trade Shows: Once people and organizations get comfortable using the tools ...and "Walking The Walk" we can even help them move forward by helping convene entire multi-day virtual conferences & trade shows... done at  mere fraction of the cost of physical world conferences and trade shows and in a mere fraction of the time...with phenomenally greater business reach... and with zero carbon footprint. Even so-called "green" business owners and city-run offices of economic development have sometime new to learn, master, and take advantage of.. and we can help them with that. See my blog about this.

All that folks need to learn how to do is "connect the dots"... and we can help them with that. If you are not already taking advantage of the above-mentioned tools and strategies to move business forward, call us today and we can help you get started. 425-780-6872.

Telestream's Wirecast 4 - Turns your computer into a TV studio

This morning, celebrating all things that I am grateful for..right before Thanksgiving, I celebrate my continuing journey across a new world communications landscape that prominently includes authoring one's own television programming in it..and even webcasting some of it "live". Wirecast 4 from Telestream.net is one such product that can turn your computer into a "live" TV studio.  See their video overview.

Wirecast 4 is desktop software ($449) that can add a lot of high-end production value to a desktop presentation by allowing you to set up "shots" with composited elements in them like title overlays, etc in preview. You can then "go live" with them...pushing them to a streaming webcasting service like Ustream.tv, Justin.tv, or Sermon.net.  Their higher-end version Wirecast 4 Pro ($995) even has virtual 3D sets, and chroma keying capability with remote IP camera switching, for more complex live simulcast events and can handle more demanding HD feeds. 

Folks at Telestream.net are also in the transcoding business and can convert content in Windows Media, Quicktime, and Flash formats, depending on the needs of the end-user and the kind of viewing device used. Also see my previous post about Ustream.tv. WireCast 4 can feed to Ustream, if you need fancier production values than those provided by Ustream Producer ($0) or Ustream Producer Pro ($199 one-time fee.), but Ustream.tv is good lower cost place to start. 

If however  you or your organization ever get to level of web television sophistication demanded more system capability. what's nice is the fact the folks at Telestream also have a full Enterprise Product line with awesome products engineered to work together that can help you scale. At the same time, their Wirecast 4 basic version and their excellent tutorial helps even the novice television person started. They even provide helpful advise of about lighting set decently and about using decent audio. 

Wow, am I feeling grateful going into this Thanksgiving in 2010...and already beginning to consult with some of my existing clients about leveraging the power of the new television to move business phenomenally forward. It's nice to have a television systems and programming background and to "fast-forward" that experience...to now. Call me and let's connect if you too are interested in seizing new television opportunities to develop sustainable business in our now 21st century world that are rapidly becoming part of a newly emergent new world communications landscape - 425-780-6872.

Google TV and Logitech Revue - Here's What the Interface Looks Like...and Some of What's in it for Us

This morning Google TV and communicating what the interface looks like...and what's in it for us... is on my mind.  The interface made by Logitech is called The Logitech Revue, and with it you can watch what you want wherever it comes from - from the web or from TV... on your HDTV. It consists of a black box interface with its own microprocessor in it running Android and the Chrome web browser and a wireless full QWERTY keyboard with built-in touchpad that allows you to do all kinds of cool things, accessing the web...and accessing television on the web... as well as television ..on an HDTV. DishNetwork is the first on the block with it, selling for as low as $179 when purchased with their satellite service. Suggested retail price is $299.

The black box hooks up between a digital television box and an HDTV using HDMI cables and you plug your Internet cable right into it. The net effect is that this device seamlessly merges television data programming with web information. For more info see "What is Google TV?" on my New World Television Channel page. Also see my NWC Overview 2010 while you are at it to see how the new web television and be used in conjunction with web conferencing to develop business in quality assurable "steps". 

So what does all this MEAN economically... and culturally..for the small business entrepreneur, for the community television group, or for community-based educators, for advocates of social change and for our world? Though Google TV and this device just came out a few weeks, already the economic, cultural, and educational implications are far-reaching. Here is just a few of them for you to think about:

• Your own channel.. or series of channels can now show up on HDTV in living rooms, in board rooms, in classrooms and in training rooms and in retail locations....without having to access or pay for time on a cable channel..... and even after public access cable television facilities with older, more expensive and less capable technology with less business reach get shut down. 
• Your own content promoting your business, your program, or your product service can show up... without paying a dime for cable advertising air time, and cost of spot ads can be less. 
• You can author your own experiences on television, framing the world.. in your own best interest ...rather than having your experiences authored by someone else framing the world not in you own best interest....this is a BIGGIE for democracy.
• Entire communities can produce their own educational programming that can make a phenomenal difference in multiple peoples' lives, locally, regionally, nationally and even internationally.

The other great news, is that new technology is easier to use... and radically lower in cost... making the producing television possible for any person or group willing to step up to plate to do the new television... and to learn how to do it ...and mastering it well.  This is a whole new world communications landscape that is opening up before our very eyes... it's a whole new frontier... and the earliest birds... who catch the most worms...will win. Call me today and let's talk about moving forward to seize this new opportunity. 425-780-6872.

Ustream Producer Virtual Television Studio - Now that the Tools are Are Here... Where is the Consciousness?

What's on my mind this morning are all of the marvelous things that community-based stakeholders can do... leveraging the power of the new television.... developing sustainable business in a 21st century world...once they stop moaning about "older-think"  public access cable TV facility budgets being cut...and once they get hip to new more powerful ways to do live and recorded studio-type television... virtually... and at far lower cost... and with  lower carbon footprint than the old way. 

Ustream Producer Pro, for instance is a downloadable virtual multi-cam studio desktop application that allows multiple content originators to do high-quality television on the web for a one time cost of only $199. See background info about them on WikiPedia. See their info page and their presentation.  Individual web television content orginators can even webcast from the Ustream.tv site for free. Here is some of  what Ustream Producer Pro can do...at least technology-wise:

• Supports an unlimited number of cameras... Wow!... Think of putting together a ''grassroots" CNN
• Allows importing movies and audio ... another awesome capability. 
• Enables unlimited transitions
• Provides screen capture feature
• Allows you to use overlays, layers, and add titles ... like the broadcasters do.
• Support for HDV source
• SD/HD bitrate support
• Includes 7 encoding presets, including HD
• Ability to save to server in same bitstream
• Support customizable picture-in-picture

What can be done with this technology direction..people-wise... and program series-wise is another whole story...with chapters still to be written.... positively I hope... once other friends, colleagues, prospective clients... business advertisers and angel investors... understand the phenomenal opportunity of leveraging the power of the new television... to change the world...in a positive way...and within our lifetimes...with some really powerful and innovative... prime-time grassroots television...that the entire world is going to write home about.

Call me and let's connect about moving forward with this stuff... that is ...if you are not already "brain-dead" by watching too much of the wrong kind of television...stuff that enslaves by its numbing effects rather than a new world television that empowers and inspires..."refreshing everything"...which is what I'm about...and it doesn't necessarily have to do with endorsing Pepsi...though that also could be a possibility.  425-780-6872.

Web Television and Social Media - Great Tools for Inspiring Achievement in Math & Science...Across the World

This morning I was sitting here in front my laptop... flowing my feelings and my energy about using the power of the new web television and new social media to make life better and wondering how to communicate that... when BINGO! after checking my e-mail from CurrentTV, I discovered youth video testimonials from the Connect-A-MillionMinds Project. Nice how the Universe responds...just by manifesting what I care about. The goal of the project is to use technology - web television and social media to connect up youth in top math & science performing countries with kids in other countries whose national math & science performance does not rank as high. 

This youths talk about their experiences within their culture and within the educational systems and they communicate a wealth of information and passion about what they are excited about.   Here are just a few "snippets" of various students comments from all over the world that Inspire the Next-Generation of Problem-Solvers on Current.tv. Evidently there also was a recent global online TownHall Meeting on the ConnectAMillionMinds.com site with videos to follow. 

For me personally, both the CONTENT and the DELIVERY of this model project are most "instructive" for me and for other learning and ommunity-based economic development stakeholders I am in the process of reaching. and empowering. Now that the technology as well as innovative applications for it are here, what's next to do ... is for all of us to step up to plate to fund and do important projects like this ...ourselves.  See the content and then let's connect about this. 425-780-6872.

The New World Television Landscape is Not a Sci Fi Landscape on Another Planet... Rather It Exists Right Here, Right Now

This morning I woke up with fresh new resolve about "tweaking" my messaging about the New World Television Landscape, letting folks know that it's not some futuristic Sci Fi landscape on other planet, but that it exists right now ....as an ultra-accessible...ultra-affordable... concrete reality right here on Mother Earth. The new world television piece to this, for example is being produced even by the world's poorest people. See my recent blog about it. 

So challenged communities right here in the U.S. no longer have any excuse...whatsoever... not to move forward ... leveraging the power of a new world television landscape to develop themselves educationally and economically, and addressing the world's most challenging problems.  It all has to with "Developing Sustainable Business in a Now 21st Century World". That's now become our own mantra these days and it applies virtually everywhere to virtually everything - e.g. reforming public education so all children can succeed, developing small business, transforming government, developing green business and making ours a better, safer, more human and more joyous world.  Here are some of the elements that now comprise The New World Communications Television Landscape:

• Community-authored Programming - It can now be done even more effectively and powerfully than having to rely upon older-think government-controlled public access cable television facilities with outmoded technology... that costed more and did less. I ought to know... I designed and sold public access studios back in the day as a former broadcast/industrial system sales engineer...before the digital revolution. Now communities can produce and program their own television content using the entire Internet as an "Internet-Work"... reaching way more eyeballs than cable television. The advertising and sponsorship, and membership-based business development implications of the new  television are far reaching.
  
  
• Low Cost Accessible Technology - The implications for social change using low cost television are phenomenal. Never before in the history of the world do even the most challenged communities have the opportunity to seize and leverage multiple technologies... particularly web television, web conferencing and social media to empower themselves and change the world. Even my second generation standard definition Flip Ultra camcorder that cost me $89 (a closeout price) can be used to produce some awesome television programming, and the newer model around $199 can even produce HD television and now has built-in image stabilization for even better quality when capturing movement.
  
  
• "View-Podding" inside a Big-reach, Learning Rich Web Conferencing Session - If communities get organized they could even afford to develop their own Virtual Learning & Conference Center on their own membership-based websites. Members and prospective members could meet online to raise funds, and develop donors, inspired by the web television that they watch as a "pod" of people viewing it... "View-podding" is what we've been call it and what we have been pioneering.
  
  
• "Virtualized" Global Meetings - using the same affordable technology its is now possible to have global meetings with local, regional, national and international stakeholders. Powerful new world television content can also be "rolled" into these online meeting sessions.
  
  
• Internet Television and web conferencing even on HDTV screens - Communities can view their web television "channels" even on HDTV using new Google TV or SmartTV technologies. Stakeholders will also be able to web conference as well if they are licensed to do so.  The business develop implications are again far-reaching. 

To reiterate, "The New World Television Landscape" is not some future world scenario on another planet .... but rather it's a current world scenario... right here on Earth that's right now. Call  me and let's connect if you'd like to learn more about how by working together we can leverage it to develop sustainable business in our now 21st century world - 425-780-6872.