Intro to PopTech from PopTech on Vimeo.

I’m off to Poptech 2009: America Reimagined for the rest of the week. Follow their PopTech hub for live updates and I’m hoping like in previous years the live broadcast of all the speakers. It’ll be a chilly one this year, but I’ll be back with some updates, posts, and goodies like before.

update: Ah, yes, they are streaming it as usual here.

Snow is melting, birds are chirping, and warmth is near. Hello spring, bye bye winter.

Gaming: Real air pilots race simulated pilots.
Art: Matthew Chambers sculptures. Pretty neat.
Art: The drawings of James Jean.
Tech: Storytlr.com, recompiling your feeds to make sense.
Object: A pretty cool scale with large text!
Tech: Spreednews.com, reading text fast without page turns via your pda.
Tech: DingItUp.com, be informed when a  webpage is up or down!
Science: Visualizing Invisible Magnetic Waves. Very cool!
Art: Toilet roll cutout art work by Yuken Teruya.

I’ve posted about Benjamin Zander before, but it’s always great to see him present again with a live demo for a mini master class! Zander rocks along with Rozie (Zanders inspiration)! Buy his book “The Art of Possibility“.

“Opportunity is always one sentence away.”
“Always give an A!”
“When you make a mistake, say, HOW FASCINATING!”

“The only conductor to ever lead the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Zander is a prophet of human potential and an unrivaled champion of joie de vivre. Watch as he helps unlock the boundless potential of a 15 year old cellist and teaches the entire Pop!Tech audience what it means to live in a world of possibility. “

Juan Enriquez (2008) Pop!Tech Pop!Cast from PopTech on Vimeo.

Juan Enriquez presents a vigorous 10 point commandment plan to save the US economy for our next president during Pop!Tech 2008. Watch the video here with more info on joining to help out including a pdf of his presentation!

Buy Juan’s books here.

Copied from the current wiki here:
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS FOR THE COUNTRY AND PRESIDENT ELECT DURING THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION’S FIRST 60 DAYS:

1. We have to save the dollar (AAA rating in jeopardy)

2. We have to fundamentally and brutally restructure debt

3. All entitlements are fair game.

4. Cut back military by 2% per year for ten years

5. Cap medical costs at 18% GNP (going to be a cat fight, but we need to have it)

6. We have to triage our support for companies (don’t attempt to save dying whales)

7. The program has to be fundamentally American, meaning it must once again limit the federal government.

8. Simplify and broadly apply Sarbanes Oxley – apply it to government, apply it to hedge funds

9. We will invest in growing start up companies (which create the most jobs – this is where the economy is growing)

10. We will treat education as a varsity sport (and continue to recruit foreign PhDs)

I’m off to Camden Maine again for this years “Pop!Tech 2008:Scarcity and Abundance” Conference! This years lineup of speakers and musicians are awesome! I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to post, but make sure to watch the FREE live online video stream!(9am-6:30am EST) Check out the entire speaker list and schedule here, otherwise I’ll list a few highlights below:

- Chris Anderson, Editor Wired magazine
- Stephen Badylak, Regenerative Medicine
- Malcolm Gladwell, Tipping Point, Blink, New Yorker
- Van Jones, human rights and civil rights activist
- Jay Parkinson, online doctor
- Clay Shirky, all things web
- Frank Warren, Post Secret Founder
- Benjamin Zander, renaissance musician
- Imogen Heap, musician
- Erin Mckean, lexicographer
- Chris Jordan, photographer
- the unusual, suspenseful, mind blowing, amazing!!!

I’ve mentioned Chris Jordan’s work and amazing presentations throughout this year, and now he’s online for ya’ll to watch!… so go watch it here or above via TEDtalks.
Buy his amazing book Running the Numbers” here.

I mentioned Van Jones awesome speech during my PopTech adventure last year and now it’s online, or watch it above!(22 mins) He has an incredible vision, a whimsical way in delivering and connecting everyday people to his message, and is one damn smart cookie. Basically, he talks about building a green economy to lift people out of poverty, and giving green jobs over jails! Give it a definite watch and pass it around!

PopCast Video
Van Jones website.

A few new musicians I’ve had a chance to hear perform in the past few months.
Zoe Keating : cello singing(poptech)
Bora Yoon : mixed instruments(poptech)
Lindsay Mac :cello, singing, bass(campfire)

I mentioned a bunch of incredible speakers during my safari over to Pop!Tech2007 …and now a few of those lectures are available for watching at Pop!Casts here.

Above is the lecture by Van Jones who is an activist in urban poverty and environmental peril…a must watch!. He’s incredibly talented, smart, funny, and great at speaking that all should learn from!

A few other videos released:
- John Legend: his music and his campaign on global poverty.
- Jessica Flannery: Kiva.org, a must do Micro Funding site.
- Chris Jordan: Photographer on consumerism
- Christian Nold:Bio Mapping/ Information Visualization
- Steven Pinker: The thinking behind conversation and language.
- Louann Brizendine: The emotional behavior of the brain, men and women.
- Daniel Pink: Insights on business and how Artists rule the future!!! (awesome for us creatives !)
- Caleb Chung: Pleo, Furby, and otehr fun inventions!

I’ll post the videos after the jump!
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I’ve returned from the mind-numbing inspiring PopTech Conference still a bit jittery from the collective curious minds at this year’s awesome gathering. This year’s theme “The Human Impact” was way more than I expected covering everything from politics, waste, medicine, minds, communities, art, science, music, and everything else in between. The speakers filled the opera house with passion, greatness, huge questions, and ideas that sparked the hundreds attending and thousands watching online.

PopTech also launched a new extension to their conference called the “Pop!Tech Accelerator” facilitating world changing projects starting off with “Masiluleke“which is a groundbreaking software tool for HIV/AIDS patients throughout Africa. The idea of “Accelerator” is to leverage the community of PopTech attendees with their network to create world changing projects.

As usual, I’ll point my fingers to ninja blogger Ethan Zukerman who sat in the dungeon simulcast room next to me zipping his feisty fingers onto his furious laptop for the complete detailed recap, but I’™ll post more on my experience, a bit on the speakers, lots of pictures, and my journey up to beautiful Camden Maine. I’m not sure when all the footage will be archived and available for viewing, but they’ll eventually appear on their PopCasts Streams which I’d suggest catching up to.

My recap after the jump, otherwise, Poptech 2008, a definite must go to!

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I’m off to the mind-numbing idea-gathering  Pop!Tech Conference focusing on “The Human Impact” this week in beautiful Camden Maine October 17-20. If your not one of the lucky ones to attend, be sure to tune into their interactive LIVE STREAMS . Yes, I said Live and free! Otherwise, if you want some catching up to do, go through their Pop!Casts videos from previous years, go through their blog, or check out my post from lasts years fun trip

As usual, I’ll be back with goodies to post about.

The sensational PopTech Conference I attended last October just launched their new PopCasts website with several of their amazing lectures from the 2006 event.

The above MUST watch video is an astonishing and inspirational highlight from the 2005 conference of Jesse Sullivan & Todd Kuiken presenting the world’s first non-fictional bionic man maneuvers of his prosthetic arm using only his mind. (Don’t ignore me…watch it!)

Watch the rest of the captivating videos after the jump!
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