10.13.08

Three Interview Pitfalls to Avoid

Posted in General at 5:53 pm by Paul Ambrose

It is that time of the year when folks are scurrying around interviewing for job. Interviewing is a skill. Here are some tips from Toni Bowers of TechRepublic on what not to do during an interview.

  • Bad non-verbal cues: Make sure you have a firm handshake, and maintain eye contact
  • Talking too much or not enough: Watch for cues that indicate that you need to stop talking or talk more.
  • Not asking questions: Ask questions based on what the interview said during the interview.

You can read more on Toni’s blog at TechRepublic.

06.06.08

Want to Conquer the Fear of Public Speaking?

Posted in General at 12:00 pm by Paul Ambrose

The widely held notion about overcoming the fear of public speaking is to imagine that your audience is sitting in their underwear. However, Toni Bowers of TechRepublic offers the following suggestions to overcome your fear:

  • Leave nothing to chance. Lay out your strategies, have your material ready, line up a contingency plan (in case something goes wrong), and practice what you’re going to say often and out loud.
  • Take a deep breath before the presentation. It is biologically effective at lowering your heart rate, and subsequently, your nervousness.
  • Keep it slow and steady. Pause when you need to take a breath; you’ll think better.
  • Tell stories. Stories will get your idea across much better than charts and graphs and numbers. They also have the added benefit of helping to engage your audience.
  • Prepare for more than time will allow. Time flies when you’re up there, and you may speak quickly out of nervousness.
  • Understand that your audience is on your side. They want to hear what you have to say and to see you do well.

Here the link to Toni Bowers article on TechRepublic

06.05.08

Five Habits of Wildly Unsuccessful CIOs

Posted in Information Systems/Technology at 10:38 am by Paul Ambrose

Jason Hiner of TechRepublic in his video blog presents five key habits of unsucessful CIOs. According to Hiner, these CIOs are short sighted, have inflated egos, and have no business sense. They do the following:

  1. Acquire technology because it is new
  2. Do not consider open-source solutions
  3. Build an in-house solution when there is an out-of-the box solution
  4. Do not understand the relationship between IT and business
  5. Communitcate poorly with other executives in the organizations

Here’s a link to Jason Hiner’s video post.

05.03.08

Data Centers Bigger Polluters Than Airlines?

Posted in Information Systems/Technology at 11:26 pm by Paul Ambrose

A recent McKinsey study projects that by 2020, world’s data center will become bigger polluters than the airline industry. Did you ever think of that! The study states that the CO2 emission due to electricity consumption by data centers will be more than that of the airline industry.

Here’s a summary of the study as it appeared in NY Times.

03.19.08

Floating Data Centers

Posted in Information Systems/Technology at 1:38 pm by Paul Ambrose

International Data Security (IDS), a Silicon Valley startup, is building data centers on a fleet of decommissioned cargo ships using sea water as a coolant. Shipboard cargo spaces will be built out as data center floors and deck space will be used to stack modular data centers in standard shipping containers. The ships will connect to onshore power and network links, fuel backup power generators with biodiesel and reuse equipment waste heat to manage onboard temperatures. IDS projects that using sea water as a coolant will save about 30% of their energy costs. The first ship will go online this April, and will be berthed in San Francisco’s Pier 50.

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