Is your boss traveling this month? Here are some tech-related articles to be found in various May 2005 inflight magazines. Delta’s Sky magazine has a feature on video conference calling, saying technical glitches are becoming thing of the past. As quality goes up, prices go down, too. The story quotes Andrew Davis, senior analyst and managing partner of Wainhouse Research, a market research firm based in Brookline, Mass., who says, “It’s on the order of 20 to 25 percent improvement in the price/performance ratio every year.” Systems that used to cost about $200,000 are now around $20,000 and a shift to running video over the Internet instead of phone lines promises even greater change. A rather glowing summation of the future of meetings. Air Canada’s en Route magazine carries a column in which Don Tapscott enumerates his 14 technology pet peeves. His mildly amusing list goes from ATM’s that ask what language you want to use every time you visit to roaming charges, and includes #8: “Relentless use of PowerPoint every time three or more people gather. D-Day was planned without PowerPoint; Socrates didn’t need PowerPoint. Remember design guru Edward Tufte’s line: ‘Power corrupts; PowerPoint corrupts absolutely.’” Actually a couple of his gripes are about things within some IT directors’ purview, so if you start hearing complaints about “Every program automatically starting when I turn on my computer” you might ask whether the complainer has recently traveled to Toronto. American Way magazine’s business feature is all about getting a third opinion (not just a second) to treat any corporate ills. Second opinions would include yours and those of players in marketing, sales, manufacturing, what have you, but the author says, “it turns out that for the executive—whether the top person or the middle person or early leader—only being in dialogue with people who have a vested interest makes you isolated in certain kinds of thinking.” He doesn’t necessarily suggest hiring a consultant (but if you have to, here are some tips), but rather networking to get a knowledgeable person and good listener. The same magazine’s business trend item is about napping. That’s right. Virgin’s RedHot magazine offers a gadget and accessory round-up, as does Qantas’s Australian Way (pdf format). They know how to make those things look really indispensable. Related content how-to How to create an effective business continuity plan A business continuity plan outlines procedures and instructions an organization must follow in the face of disaster, whether fire, flood, or cyberattack. Here’s how to create a plan that gives your business the best chance of surviving such an By Mary K. Pratt, Ed Tittel, Kim Lindros Dec 07, 2023 11 mins Small and Medium Business IT Skills Backup and Recovery interview WestRock CIDO Amir Kazmi on building resiliency Multidimensional resiliency is vital to setting yourself, your teams, and your organization up for success. Kazmi sets the tone at WestRock by recognizing the pace of change, instilling a learning and growth mindset, and being transparent with his te By Dan Roberts Dec 07, 2023 8 mins IT Strategy Staff Management IT Leadership brandpost Sponsored by FPT Software Time for New Partnership Paradigms to Be Future-fit By Veronica Lew Dec 06, 2023 5 mins Vendors and Providers brandpost Sponsored by BMC Why CIOs should prioritize AIOps in 2024 AIOps empowers IT to manage services by incorporating AI/ML into operations. By Jeff Miller Dec 06, 2023 3 mins IT Leadership Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe