Vancouver 2010 Mobile Olympics

I love the Olympics. Besides the excitement of the actual events, I love the sense of camaraderie, national unity and general goodwill that the games bring with them. While it’s true that Vancouver has had its series of mishaps, including a tragic death, the overall spirit of the games can be felt radiating out of the homes and workplaces of our great country.

What’s really exciting about these games is that they mark a new era of interaction and engagement during a global sporting event. I remember only having two options as a kid during past Olympics: watch a select few live events on TV (time-zone permitting) or listen to them on the radio. The rest I would pick up on during the evening news or the next morning’s paper.

Need help in creating a central list of mobile government websites in Canada

As you likely already know I’m a strong advocate of anything mobile, especially given how much time I spend on the road. I’ve been asked quite a bit lately to provide examples of Canadian mobile government websites. The main two that always come to mind come from CATSA (full disclosure: they are a client) & PHAC.I know there are plenty more. What I’m surprised not to have found however, is some sort of central website/directory that provides a list of all Canadian government departments currently offering mobile versions of their websites. If you know of such a list, then please let me know.

Jokes aside, the iPad is BIG news

This quick post is for all of my non gadget-geek readers that likely had no idea that Apple launched the iPad today at 1PM EST. What is the iPad? There are enough search results on Google to keep you busy for a while. But before you do that, watch this video:

My big three take-aways:

1. It leverages the existing Apple application platform. Basically, it has hit the ground running with 140,000 apps already developed for it.
2. The iBooks store. This will kill existing e-readers unless they agree on a common platform, which likely won’t happen.
3. Smart positioning. It’s not meant to replace your smartphone or your laptop. It’s a third device that effectively fills the gap in between and still manages to fit into your briefcase.