B U R N

I have been working on this event for a while, please attend if you can:

In Media We Trust?
The media isn’t what it used to be, neither are we. This event will ask to what extent we have become more informed and better at reaching the right decisions as citizens in a society dripping with information.

What does it take to be media savvy, as the line between media consumer and media provider is increasingly blurred? Whose responsibility is it to foster media literacy anyway?  

An interactive panel debate with Ben Hammersley (Editor at Large, Wired), Matt Locke (Commissioning Editor for New Media and Education, Channel 4) and David McCandless (Author of ‘Information is Beautiful’).

The event is free and open to all. No need to register. Thursday March 18th, 6.30-8pm, followed by drinks.

Pose your questions in advance at elviswalks.com and forward them to questions@elviswalks.com.

New Theatre, London School of Economics & Political Science, Houghton St, London WC2A 2AE

Presented by the Media CSR Forum in association with POLIS.

Check out my cousin’s latest project, Connected; a scarily cool movie that makes even Belgium look like a nice place:

Set in the distant future, Connected is a story about survival and greed with a post apocalyptic wasteland as its backdrop. Survivors of an unknown disaster shuffle through a desolate landscape, as it quickly becomes clear that not everybody has the strength to survive.

Because you have nothing better to do on January 26th you should come to Leicester and take part in the event ‘Stakeholders Unite Against the Environmental Crunch‘. This has nothing to do with yours truly giving a talk on emerging issues on the sustainability radar:

As words such as ‘sustainability’, ‘climate change’ and ‘responsibility’ have climbed to the top of political and corporate agendas, it is time to assess what the future might hold. In my talk, I would like to draw out a few trends and challenges that are bound to change the landscape further, as sustainability continues its journey towards the mainstream. In the face of adversity, we need to use our imagination to envisage scenarios that are not just ‘likely’ but, more importantly, ‘desirable’.

Many of us were highly impressed with Hans Rosling’s ‘the best stats you have ever seen‘ talk at TED 2006. If you have yet to see this presentation, please do so without further ado.

There is one book I particularly look forward to buying this year, ‘Information is Beatiful‘ by David McCandless. He masters the art of converting complex data into strikingly simple images:

I spent a year creating over 200 new images that use information design to explore a whole range of subjects visually, from pop to philosophy, all with the mininum of words, natch.

Read the BBC’s background article, Information goes out to play, or check out this powerful image, which shows to perfection exactly how strong the scientific consensus is on anthropogenic climate change: Read the rest of this entry »

He was working in the office next door and we would often end up in the same lift or see each other when making a brew in the kitchen. Being a smoker and going out for a fag several times a day, he would leave a trail of tobacco fumes in the lift and in the corridors. As a result, he seemed to be present even when he was not there in person.

Two-minute conversations rarely lead to deeper insights, and so it happened that we would more often than not start our exchange of trivialities with an assessment of the cold/windy/humid/rainy weather of the UK compared to the sunny haven of California.

He was only in London for a limited period, with work, always talking about his imminent return to the Golden State, retirement and time with the family. In fact, I only ever referred to him as ‘California’. He never got my name.

His much anticipated move back was days away, but then earlier this week he fell to the floor in said corridor, hit by a stroke. 30 minutes of resuscitation failed to bring him back to life.

Merry Christmas - make sure you enjoy it.

…from a lovely walk in Hampstead Heath. London is feeling more and more like home.

…then please leave a comment with your email address or contact me by other means. Preference will not be given to random strangers.

Yesterday saw the launch of a project in which I have invested a lot of energy and effort.

For once it is public facing, so I would encourage you to educate yourself on why media literacy is important by visiting this sparkling new site: How Media Is Made.

For those wondering what a headline generator might be, there is another virtual entrance here: Elvis Walks.

In connection with the launch, I wrote a background piece for the Guardian. Check it out here.

I heard a Shadow Minister casually drop the word ‘mashup’ into the conversation. That can only be a good sign of the things to come.

This week I have come across two ‘gadgets’ that I would do almost anything to own:

The BOR 90

The new America’s Cup yacht from BMW Oracle is a monster. The BOR 90 is the most radical boat in the history of the 158-year-old regatta, resembling a floating skyscraper more than a traditional racing yacht as it towers nearly 200-feet high.

The Nissan Glider

The Nissan Land Glider concept is a tiny electric vehicle that features a computer controlled steering system that leans the car into the turns. The pilot driver is seated centrally in the cabin with space for a single passenger directly behind in the narrow cabin.

But less will do…