Podcasts about commtech

Sal Barry from the Puck Junk Podcast returns to the show, both from the Winter Chicago Sports Spectacular and from the studio to talk about the 90's Star Wars CommTech figures and chips that he collected. It's a great look back as this year marks the 25th anniversary of both the Phantom Menace and the release of the first CommTech talking chips in packaged Star Wars figures! Sal Barry Instagram/X @puckjunk Sal Barry https://puckjunk.com Puck Junk Facebook Group Apple Podcasts YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/puckjunk If you have a question or comment, find me on the  socials: Twitter/X, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky Substack, Hive @rebelbasecard  More designs are up on the TeePublic store with more to come! Help out the show and find some cool swag. https://www.teepublic.com/user/rebel-base-card Find me on the Topps Digital Apps like Star Wars Card Trader, Marvel, Disney Collect and BUNT @CORNFEDTECH Help out the show by rating The Rebel Base Card Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. All comments and feedback is appreciated!

AI generated audio overview of the latest edition of PR Futurist. Our Global CommTech Report is out. The TL;DR is eight in 10 think AI skills are critical, but six in 10 are doing nothing about it. Go figure. If you'd prefer to be in the four in 10 who do get it then book a call to chat about how you can incorporate AI in to your 2025 budget. This week's CommTech tool pick is rather special. What I love about it is it is a genuine AI assistant. It doesn't try to do the job (badly) for you, but makes what you're doing faster and better. Read right to the end to find out more about why Cove is the AI tool that could really help you. Another important report that has just landed is the seventh annual State of AI Report from Air Street Capital. We've read it so you don't have to. Key issues for you to consider are public perception of AI, generative AI misuse, data collection practices, and AI legislation and regulaton.

In dieser Folge geht es um die digitale Transformation der Unternehmenskommunikation und wie CommTech erfolgreich gemeistert werden kann.Zu Gast in dieser Folge ist Thomas Mickeleit. Thomas war über 15 Jahre der Kommunikationsdirektor von Microsoft Deutschland und Mitglied der Geschäftsführung.Er ist Gründer von KommunikationNeuDenken! und leitet gemeinsam mit Christof die CommTech Academy. Hier geht's zum Angebot der Academy: https://www.commtech-academy.deDu erfährst also, wie eine erfolgreiche Unternehmenskommunikation strategisch umgesetzt wird und was Unternehmen jetzt tun müssen, um von der Konkurrenz in Zukunft nicht kommunikativ abgehängt zu werden. Erfahre von Christof Schmid und seinen Gästen, wie Du mit Kommunikation schnell und einfach mehr Kunden gewinnst, mehr Umsatz machst und mehr qualifizierte Fachkräfte von Dir und Deinem Unternehmen begeisterst. Du willst mehr erfahren?Dann melde dich hier: info@christofschmid.com Oder buche direkt deinen Insights-Talk mit Christof:https://meet.brevo.com/christof-schmidHier geht's zum Youtube-Kanal: https://www.youtube.com/@christofschmid.officialWeitere Infos unter:www.christofschmid.com Christof Schmid leitete über 20 Jahre die Kommunikation von nationalen und internationalen Unternehmen. So verantwortete er die Kommunikation von Twitter in Deutschland und arbeitete eng mit Story Brands wie Disney oder dem Cirque du Soleil zusammen. Als Redner, Berater und Gründer hilft er Unternehmen, Unternehmern und Führungskräften modern zu kommunizieren. Seine Kunden sind Vorstände, Geschäftsführer, Unternehmer sowie Marketing- und Vertriebsteams von DAX Unternehmen bis zu Startups.

For years, we've been talking about upgrading the communications function - or at least modernizing it, bringing comms into parity with their Marketing colleagues. Embracing technology is the most visible part of this journey. But what good is technology - project management tools, social media management tools, intelligence and analytics software, email automation, and now Generative AI - without the people to drive it? You can't conquer the frontier of CommsTech without capable pioneers.   In this episode of The Trending Communicator, host Dan Nestle reconnects with award-winning strategic communications leader and all-around CommsTech pioneer Megan DiSciullo, Senior Managing Director of US and Mexico Communications for PwC. Megan shares her extensive experience in communications, her journey from Edelman to PwC, and her insights on ethically integrating technology, particularly Generative AI, into corporate communications. Join us as Megan shares her journey from the ground up in the world of strategic communications as she and Dan explore the transformative role of generative AI and CommsTech in today's corporate landscape. From her early days at Edelman to her ever-expanding remit at PwC, Megan has consistently been at the forefront of innovation, advocating for the ethical use of AI while enhancing strategic communications across the board. This episode delves deep into how AI is reshaping the way we think about internal and external communications, the importance of ethical frameworks, and the potential of AI to streamline operations and create a more dynamic corporate environment. Megan's insights provide invaluable lessons on embracing change, leveraging technology for enhanced communication strategies, following an ethics-first approach, and AI's critical role in driving corporate narratives forward. Whether you're a communications novice or a seasoned professional, this episode offers a treasure of knowledge and inspiration, showcasing how embracing technological advancements can significantly elevate your strategic communication efforts. Don't miss out on this insightful exploration of AI's impact on the future of corporate communications and how you can be part of this evolution in the industry. Listen in and hear about... The evolving role of communicators in shaping internal culture and driving organizational change Strategies for integrating AI into corporate communications and the importance of secure, enterprise-specific tools How ethical considerations and policy development are important in AI deployment to maintain trust and data security AI's impact on productivity and efficiency, freeing up communicators to focus on higher-level strategic activities The necessity for ongoing learning and adaptation within the communications field to leverage new technologies like AI The collaborative approach required to implement AI across various organizational functions effectively The potential of AI to democratize learning and innovation within organizations, fostering an environment of continuous improvement and engagement  Notable Quotes   On the Value of Kindness in Business: "One of my mentors told me early on, Megan, always be direct, so people know where you stand and there's no misinterpretation. But always be kind, because you never know when you will need people or just, this is a business of teaming. And so, you know, people want to work with people who are kind." — Megan DiSciullo [00:08:43 → 00:09:05] On the Role of Data in Communications: "Data is the ultimate neutralizer. Whether the data is coming from the comms team, the marketing team, or from our client insights team. The data is telling us key insights about our audience that we need to know." — Megan DiSciullo [00:27:19 → 00:27:35] On the Importance of Change Management: "It makes for sometimes an uphill battle. And that's where change management culture change really needs to happen. And there's no amount of money, I think, that you can put down on the value of pilots and tests and stuff to kind of use that data and sort of show examples and gain permission and gain buy in over time." — Dan Nestle [00:31:15 → 00:31:35] On the Importance of Change Management: "If you put out, even if it's a tech product that's in the 1.0 version and it's not a good experience, you've lost people. So it doesn't matter how many times you communicate about it if the experience isn't great, especially in today's world where people have little appetite and little patience." — Megan DiSciullo [00:35:22 → 00:35:42] On the Role of AI in Enhancing Productivity: "Once you understand, okay, all prompting, and this is what it is, and this is what it means. That's that kind of first initial wall to get through with the user with the AI partner. And once they get through that wall, then it's about, oh, my goodness, I'm going to save all this time." — Dan Nestle [00:45:39 → 00:46:00] On the Future of AI in Communications: "I see Gen AI, at least in its current function and form, to be a productivity and efficiency tool. There is still a need for really great counsel, really great crisis management skills, really great relationship building skills, really great dot connecting skills." — Megan DiSciullo [00:48:39 → 00:48:55] On the Future of Communications: "AI is an enabler with that, of course, because a lot of the fundamental tasks that people associate with typical traditional comms can be essentially handed over to, at least at the first level, to these brilliant, co creative, co intelligent platforms, and then brought back to the human to make sure that it's all good to go, but it saves a lot of time, much more productive." — Dan Nestle [01:02:13 → 01:02:35] On the Evolution of the Communications Profession: "I started faxing press releases. I am so far from a fax machine and loving it. But I'm now learning the next skill, and in ten years, I'm going to learn something that we haven't even started to think about. And that is the beauty of this profession." — Megan DiSciullo [01:04:47 → 01:05:00]  Resources and Links Dan Nestle The Trending Communicator | Website Daniel Nestle | LinkedIn Dan Nestle | Twitter Megan DiSciullo Megan DiSciullo | LinkedIn Timestamped key moments from this episode (as generated by Flowsend.ai) 00:00:01: Introduction and Welcome 00:01:41: Megan DiSciullo Joins the Conversation 00:02:19: Early Career and First Impressions 00:03:21: Transition from Edelman to PwC 00:04:22: Predictive Analytics Project 00:05:25: First Meeting with Megan 00:06:08: Megan's Reaction to Predictive Analytics 00:08:43: Megan's Philosophy on Kindness and Teaming 00:10:16: Importance of Kindness in Business 00:11:06: Megan's Career Journey 00:12:07: Early Interest in Purpose and Ethics 00:13:09: Work with Business Roundtable Post-Katrina 00:14:10: Transition to PwC and Building Internal Change 00:15:12: Merging Internal and External Communications 00:16:14: Introduction to Comtech 00:17:15: Commtech vs. Commstech 00:19:41: Data and Analytics in Communications 00:21:13: Building the Tech Stack 00:22:15: Embedding Technology into Workflows 00:23:17: Audience-Centric Approach 00:24:05: Partnership Between Marketing and Communications 00:27:19: Navigating Conflicts Between Teams 00:30:13: Change Management and Culture Change 00:32:16: Integrating Marketing and Communications 00:33:22: Expanding Teams and Data Science 00:35:26: Importance of Pilots and Feedback 00:37:33: AI Implementation and Upskilling 00:39:21: Team Effort in AI Training 00:40:31: Hands-On Training and Gamification 00:42:02: Democratization of Learning 00:43:03: Bespoke Tools for Marketing and Comms 00:45:07: Mass Personalization with GenAI 00:47:12: Empowering Teams with AI 00:48:39: Encouraging Innovation and Experimentation 00:50:49: Framing AI as a Co-Intelligence 00:54:46: Ethical Implications of AI 00:57:02: Building Trust in AI 00:59:15: Transparency and Validation in AI 01:00:43: Future Focus for Communicators 01:02:13: Role of Communicators in Culture Building 01:03:53: Embracing Curiosity and Learning 01:04:48: Final Thoughts and Farewell     (Notes co-created by Humans and a variety of AI helpers, including Fireflies.ai and Flowsend.ai)

In dieser Folge geht es um das Thema Daten in der Unternehmenskommunikation und wie du als Unternehmen oder Unternehmer CommTech nutzen kannst, um mehr Kunden und Mitarbeiter zu gewinnen.Zu Gast in dieser Folge ist Jörg Forthmann. Jörg ist Geschäftsführer des IMWF (Institut für Management- und Wirtschaftsforschung).Wir sprechen über die Notwendigkeit von #CommTech und wie sich Unternehmenskommunikation mit Hilfe von Technologie und Daten verändern muss. Erfahre von Christof Schmid und seinen Gästen, wie Du mit Kommunikation schnell und einfach mehr Kunden gewinnst, mehr Umsatz machst und mehr qualifizierte Fachkräfte von Dir und Deinem Unternehmen begeisterst. Du willst mehr erfahren?Dann melde dich hier: info@christofschmid.com Oder buche direkt deinen Insights-Talk mit Christof:https://meet.brevo.com/christof-schmid/dein-kostenloser-story-checkHier geht's zum Youtube-Kanal: https://www.youtube.com/@christofschmid.officialWeitere Infos unter:www.christofschmid.com Christof Schmid leitete über 20 Jahre die Kommunikation von nationalen und internationalen Unternehmen. So verantwortete er die Kommunikation von Twitter in Deutschland und arbeitete eng mit Story Brands wie Disney oder dem Cirque du Soleil zusammen. Als Redner, Berater und Gründer hilft er Unternehmen, Unternehmern und Führungskräften modern zu kommunizieren. Seine Kunden sind Vorstände, Geschäftsführer, Unternehmer sowie Marketing- und Vertriebsteams von DAX Unternehmen bis zu Startups.

Generative AI may be the first form of artificial intelligence that we can all interact with directly, with no skill needed apart from the ability to write or speak a set of instructions. And while it's arguably the hottest topic right now, other AI tools and applications can elevate capabilities and help communicators and marketers move up the value chain.  In this episode of The Trending Communicator, host Dan Nestle ventures once again into the transformative potential of AI in the communications field with guest Danny Gaynor, Head of Kelp (which he co-founded) at Signal AI. Danny's journey from a political strategist and corporate communications executive to an AI innovator offers a unique perspective on how technology can reshape the way we approach storytelling and reputation management. Dan and Danny explore the critical role of AI in enhancing the precision and impact of communications strategies. They discuss the limitations of traditional methods like surveys and focus groups, which often provide outdated and narrow insights. Instead, Danny introduces the concept of discriminative AI, a powerful tool that uncovers the nuanced context of topics and entities - allowing communicators to identify their true areas of strength, optimize their narratives, and navigate potential risks with unprecedented accuracy. Danny shares practical examples of how this technology can validate intuition, offer reputational ROI, and act as a single source of truth across an organization. They discuss how connecting discriminative and generative AI can be a powerful combination, helping communicators and their colleagues make data-driven decisions and demonstrate their impact. Looking ahead, they envision a future where AI-enabled communicators are not just content creators but strategic leaders who drive decision-making with data-backed insights, painting a compelling picture of the transformative potential of AI in the communications field. Listen in and hear about... How measurement in communications is being transformed by AI, enhancing capabilities significantly. Danny Gaynor's transition from a political and corporate communications expert to co-founding an AI-powered corporate reputation platform. Distinguishing between generative AI and discriminative AI, and their unique roles in enhancing communication strategies. Identifying and leveraging unique proof points to create differentiated corporate narratives. AI's role in helping communicators validate their intuition, provide reputational ROI, and unify information across organizational functions. Why communicators need to experiment with AI, train their own AI models, and showcase the impact of data-driven strategies. Shifts in the role of communicators within organizations, moving from reliance on intuition to becoming strategic, data-driven influencers. Notable Quotes [06:05] "As a communications professional, I think we're all vexed by the exact same question: Am I throwing the right spaghetti at the wall?" - Danny Gaynor [07:18] "A goal without a deadline is just a dream." - Danny Gaynor [40:13] "I very much see the folks embracing AI in communications as being even more influential leaders at their companies, as opposed to being out of a job." - Danny Gaynor [41:18] "If you're stuck with 'Oh well, if AI takes this away, what am I going to do?' then frankly, you probably deserve not to do anything once AI takes your job away." - Dan Nestle [57:50] "You can make AI your own, you can make the ingredients your own, and you can make the outputs your own in a way that is more accessible than ever before." - Danny Gaynor [59:52] "It's a very rare moment in the history of capitalism where we can develop something that will be industry standard and that will be reputational ROI, that will be quantifying the impact of communications." -DannyGaynor Resources & Links Dan Nestle The Trending Communicator | Website Daniel Nestle | LinkedIn Dan Nestle | Twitter Danny Gaynor Signal AI | Website Kelp | LinkedIn Daniel Gaynor | LinkedIn Timestamped summary for this episode (generated by ChatGPT) [00:01:09] Daniel's career journey Daniel Gaynor shares his career trajectory from politics to communications and his focus on measurement and AI. [00:05:35] Understanding discriminative AI Daniel Gaynor explores the concept of discriminative AI and its role in communication and measurement. [00:09:29] The need for data-driven insights The discussion turns to the limitations of traditional research methods and the potential of technology to provide better audience research and insights. [00:15:53] Leveraging AI for communication The benefits of using AI to analyze big data and craft communication strategies based on authentic proof points are explored. [00:19:44] Discriminative AI vs. generative AI The conversation contrasts discriminative AI with generative AI and highlights its role as a complement tool in communication and creativity. [00:20:42] Generative and Discriminative AI An explanation of generative and discriminative AI and their potential synergy for content evaluation and categorization is provided. [00:21:56] Limitations of Boolean Searches The limitations of using keywords and the need for discriminative AI to evaluate accuracy and create reputational ROI are discussed. [00:22:25] Identifying Areas of Strength How discriminative AI can help communicators identify narrative strengths and weaknesses in competitive landscapes is discussed. [00:25:17] Challenges in Identifying Strengths The difficulties communicators face in identifying narrative strengths and the importance of foundational theory and horizon scanning are discussed. [00:27:26] Training AI Topics The process of training topics in discriminative AI to ensure accuracy and relevance in content categorization is explained. [00:28:35] Tweaking Topic Definitions The process of refining individual topic definitions until reaching high accuracy and the benefits of a broad horizon scan are discussed. [00:29:33] Narrative Validation The need for narrative validation and specificity in corporate narratives to ensure credibility and relevance is emphasized. [00:30:41] Analyzing Message Effectiveness Understanding where messages are falling flat and the importance of focusing on fewer, deeper storylines is discussed. [00:31:50] Risk Avoidance and Reputation Threats Using discriminative AI to determine material threats to reputation and focus attention on critical issues is discussed. [00:33:01] Data Insights and Strategic Reports The importance of providing data insights through dashboards and strategic reports to make data digestible for communicators is highlighted. [00:36:29] Generative AI and Product Development The potential for communicators to become product developers by leveraging generative AI and retooling the power of discriminative AI is discussed. [00:40:13] AI as a Convening Force The role of AI in communications as a single source of truth that provides quantitative rationale and reputational ROI is discussed. [00:41:18] Abundance Mentality with AI The speaker encourages embracing AI as an additive element and to have an abundance mentality towards change and upskilling. [00:42:17] Embracing AI in Communication The potential of AI tools and the need to experiment and gain expertise in AI are discussed. [00:44:23] Strategic Shift in Communication The evolving role of communicators from writing press releases to being strategic advisors and decision-makers is discussed. [00:46:40] Professional Advancement and Recognition The need for the communication profession to be recognized for AI expertise and strategic input within the organization is emphasized. [00:47:10] Training AI and Socializing Data The importance of training AI, socializing data-driven messaging, and demonstrating data-driven impact is discussed. [00:50:09] Utilizing AI for Analysis Ways to use AI for benchmark analysis and deep dive analysis to demonstrate the capacity of AI and big data are explored. [00:54:53] Corporate Environment and AI Ownership The need for AI ownership shared across different teams and the importance of recognizing AI's potential are discussed. [00:57:50] Humanizing Messaging with AI AI's role in humanizing messaging and making communications more relatable, digestible, and emotionally resonant is discussed. [00:59:22] Hopeful Future of AI Predictions about the future impact of AI and the development of industry-standard reputational ROI metrics are made. [01:02:48] Adapting AI to Unforeseen Avenues The speaker encourages embracing disruptive innovation and adapting AI to new and unforeseen applications. [01:03:48] Reputational shifts in less sexy industries Experimentation with AI in non-household name industries to manage reputational shifts is encouraged. [01:04:42] Connecting with Daniel Gaynor Information on how to find and connect with Daniel Gaynor on LinkedIn and Signal AI is provided. [01:05:53] Future mini-series and show and tell Discussions on making a mini-series within the Trending Communicator ecosystem and a potential show and tell video demonstration are mentioned. [01:06:44] Closing remarks and call to action The speaker expresses appreciation, salutation, and a call to action for subscribing, sharing, and leaving reviews for the podcast.  (Notes prepared by humans with the assistance of a variety of AI tools, including ChatGPT and Flowsend.ai)

Like it or not, Generative AI is becoming part of the communications toolkit. But unlike any technology that has preceded it, AI is able to perform tasks and produce results that have always been the domain of PR professionals - especially at the entry-level. And that's just today; AI is only going to get better. How can communicators and marketers adapt, adopt, and advance in this new, AI-enabled reality? In this episode of The Trending Communicator, host Dan Nestle dives deep into the challenges and opportunities AI presents for communications professionals with Anne Green, CEO of G&S Business Communications. Anne, an award-winning communicator, thought leader, and advocate for ethics within the PR profession, is leading the charge toward AI enablement within her agency and for her clients. But she's keenly aware of the technology's black-box nature and, in the episode, outlines an approach that ensures ethical adoption and enablement. Anne and Dan delve into these ethical considerations and much more as they examine the evolving role of AI in marketing and communications. They discuss the importance of approaching AI with a critical and ethical lens, considering its impact on human interactions and the industry's hiring practices. At the same time, they explore how AI can enhance strategic thinking and help communications professionals deliver greater impact to their businesses. Anne also shares her concerns about online divisiveness and disinformation, emphasizing resilience and big-picture focus. The episode concludes with a positive outlook on human creativity and the importance of staying engaged in societal discussions. Listen in and hear about... Ethical dilemmas for marketers in the tech and AI revolution. The critical role of ethics in AI-driven marketing. AI's growing business role and the imperative of strategic adoption. The need to find a personal advantage in new tech adoption. Adapting to AI's impact on communication and thought. The importance of bridging AI and organizational goals. The rise of online disinformation and its societal impact. Optimism in the human capacity for innovation.   Notable Quotes [05:50] "I want to see writing that's electric, that leaps off the page, even if it's a marketing pitch or something." - Anne Green [20:13] "There's a lot of misperceptions about what this industry is about, but like anything in human life, there are the angels and the bad actors." - Anne Green [29:01] "I want to invite people to think about big picture questions like what will it mean to be human? What does authorship mean? What does it mean to have co-intelligence or augmented intellect?" - Anne Green [41:08] "In the case of generative AI, you need to approach it as if you are about to have an interaction." - Dan Nestle [01:05:01] "I am kept up with the proliferation of divisiveness and fake stuff online, and very much engineered disinformation, which is upsetting to me." - Anne Green   Resources & Links Dan Nestle The Trending Communicator | Website Daniel Nestle | LinkedIn Dan Nestle | Twitter Anne Green G&S Business Communications | Website Anne Green | LinkedIn   Timestamped summary for this episode (generated by ChatGPT) [00:01:15] Anne Green's career path Anne Green discusses her career path, from an internship to becoming CEO, highlighting the accidental nature of her journey. [00:06:10] Reflecting on past experiences Dan Nestle and Anne Green reminisce about their past experiences, specifically their connection through Cooper Katz and the impact of their mentors. [00:10:56] The enduring importance of writing Dan Nestle emphasizes the timeless importance of writing and critical thinking in the PR profession, despite technological advancements. [00:13:14] Adapting to changes in communications Anne Green reflects on the changes in communication, from the advent of social media to the impact of technology on writing and critical thinking. [00:16:14] The role of PR in upholding quality Dan Nestle discusses the frustration of spin in PR and the need for the profession to uphold quality, truth, and critical thinking. [00:19:22] Challenges in content quality Dan Nestle and Anne Green acknowledge the prevalence of low-quality content and the need for PR to play a role in promoting good writing and ethical standards. [00:19:31] Ethical Awareness in the Industry Discussion about ethical awareness in the communications field and the responsibility to maintain integrity. [00:21:15] Adoption of New Technology Exploring the industry's capability to use new technology tools and the need to bring an ethical lens to their usage. [00:24:46] Impact of AI on the Profession Discussion on the changing landscape of the communications profession due to the rise of artificial intelligence and the need for professionals to adapt. [00:35:17] The Personal Relationship with Technology Exploring the personal impact of technology and the process of finding "killer apps" that create a personal connection with technology. [00:38:23] Projection into the Future Contemplation on the profound changes brought about by new technology and the challenges of projecting forward in a rapidly changing industry. [00:39:16] The complexity of AI Discussion about the evolving security measures and the need to adapt to changing technological threats. [00:40:04] Understanding the "black box" of AI Exploring the mystery and complexity of AI's decision-making processes and the work being done to uncover its inner workings. [00:41:04] Learning a new way of speaking to AI Adapting communication styles to interact effectively with AI, emphasizing the need for a different approach compared to traditional search engines. [00:42:07] Refining questions for AI interaction Emphasizing the need for iterative and refined questioning when engaging with AI to extract the desired information. [00:44:14] Adapting to conversational AI Drawing parallels between the evolution of search engines and the need to adapt to conversational AI, highlighting the shift in interaction styles. [00:45:55] Challenges and opportunities with AI adoption Discussing the learning curve, mindset shift, and the potential for leveraging AI to work smarter and add value. [00:53:19] AI's impact on communication professionals Exploring the unique skill set of communication professionals and their potential to excel in leveraging AI for business and client needs. [00:55:42] Evolving roles and skill sets in the AI era Emphasizing the elite nature of communication profession and the need to recognize, practice, and adapt to the skill sets required in the AI era. [00:59:02] The role of a communicator Understanding the depth of knowledge needed about a business and its stakeholders. [01:01:00] Enhancing communication through AI Using AI to enhance communication by connecting dots and providing additional insights. [01:05:01] Challenges and hopes for the future Concerns about disinformation and divisiveness, along with hopes for a better future and the role of AI. [01:06:55] Looking ahead with optimism Expressing hope for positive changes through human creativity and invention, and the potential of AI.  

The definition of communication is evolving in business. So, let's find out what that means to you! David Toushek, the founder of Everything Communications, is leading a revolution in how companies (including communications experts) think about and approach communications. A complete paradigm shift is upon us in the way we approach this most essential building block of business. Join us on episode 661 of "The Business Storytelling Show" to hear our 24-minute discussion about the topic. --- The episode is produced by Trappe Digital LLC and sponsored by Everything Communications. Enjoy this organic, unscripted conversation.

Want to stop wasting time and money on conferences that don't impact your business growth? Imagine being able to select conferences that not only boost your brand's influence but also drive strategic partnerships and sales. Fortunately, there's a solution that will help you achieve this and more. Let's dive in and take your conference strategy to the next level. In this episode of The Trending Communicator, host Dan Nestle is joined by guest Melanie Samba, the CEO of Sproxxy, a one-of-a-kind platform that helps corporate communication and marketing professionals make data-driven decisions for events and conferences.  Dan and Melanie delve deep into the ever-evolving role of technology in marketing and communications, especially as it relates to the traditionally Excel-driven world of conference and event planning. Melanie discusses the challenges of promoting communications technology (also known as commstech or commtech) to investors and emphasizes the importance of integrating technology into corporate strategies.  They discuss Sproxxy's State of Conferences report, highlighting the significance of conferences for business-building, industry influence, relationship-building, and networking, and how the use of data-driven tools like Sproxxy can help optimize conference strategies. Through their conversation, Melanie shares her experiences as a tech founder, the integration of AI in Sproxxy, and the platform's potential to predict industry trends and influence conferences. She highlights the use of AI to gauge audience engagement at events and the insights that can be derived from conference data. Melanie also reflects on the challenges and excitement of being a woman founder in tech, her journey with Sproxxy, and her vision for its future. Listen in and hear… Data-driven AI-powered approaches to measuring the impact of conferences The significance of building relationships with conference organizers Business impact of speaking engagements at conferences The integration of technology into marketing and communication strategies Skepticism surrounding commstech and conveying its value to investors Inevitability of technology's role in shaping the future of all companies Efforts of communications professionals to advocate for the integration of technology Insights from Melanie's experiences as a tech founder Resources & Links Melanie Samba Melanie Samba | LinkedIn Sproxxy | Website Sproxxy | Twitter/X Dan Nestle The Trending Communicator | Website Daniel Nestle | LinkedIn Dan Nestle | Twitter/X Timestamped summary for this episode (generated by Capsho, my AI assistant) 00:00:00 - Introduction to the Importance of Conferences  Dan Nestle highlights the significance of conferences for learning, reputation building, and business development in the field of communication and marketing. He also acknowledges the anxiety and challenges associated with choosing the right conferences due to budget constraints. 00:01:39 - Leveraging Data-Driven Approach for Conference Selection Melanie Samba, the CEO of Sproxxy, discusses the need for a data-driven, AI-powered approach to choosing conferences and measuring their impact on an organization. She emphasizes the importance of making informed decisions rather than relying on past experiences or emotions. 00:05:03 - Challenges of Managing Conferences Melanie shares her experience in managing conferences for a pharmaceutical company, highlighting the complexities involved in coordinating over 400 employees' participation, ensuring regulatory compliance, and maintaining consistent messaging across the organization. 00:07:25 - The Underappreciated Role of Conferences in Corporate Communications The conversation delves into the underappreciation of conferences in corporate communications, with Dan and Melanie discussing the budget allocation challenges and the perception of conferences as a nice-to-have rather than a strategic necessity for thought leadership and brand positioning. 00:14:39 - Evolution of Sproxxy from Idea to Product Melanie shares the journey of transforming her initial idea of Sproxxy into a tangible product. She reflects on the pivotal moment when the pandemic led to the realization of the increased demand for events, prompting her to productize Sproxxy and pursue her entrepreneurial venture. 00:16:39 - The Rise of Virtual Events Melanie discusses the explosion of virtual events during the pandemic, highlighting the shift in focus and the doubling of industry events to 1.8 million. She also shares her insights into how conference organizers adapted to the new landscape. 00:19:31 - Building Relationships in the Conference Space Melanie talks about the importance of building relationships with conference organizers, similar to how relationships are built with the media. She explains how she developed these connections over time through her role in pitching executives and contributing to event programs. 00:22:44 - Importance of Community in Conferences The discussion delves into the significance of being part of a community at conferences, with Melanie sharing her personal experience of meeting her corporate comms head at a conference in Portugal. The community aspect is highlighted as a key motivator for attending conferences. 00:25:57 - Engaging with Media at Conferences Melanie sheds light on the presence of journalists at conferences and the opportunities they present for engaging with the media. She emphasizes the value of leveraging conferences as a platform for securing media coverage and building relationships with journalists. 00:33:07 - The State of Conferences Report Melanie introduces the State of Conferences report, emphasizing its focus on the brand's perspective and the value it brings to understanding conference strategies. The report aims to provide insights into the current trends and perceptions surrounding conferences for marketers and agencies. 00:33:59 - Peer-to-Peer Insights on Conferences Melanie discusses the importance of peer-to-peer insights for branding, marketing, and communications professionals in understanding what their peers are doing in the conference space. The report highlighted common issues such as managing conferences using Excel spreadsheets and the need for audience reach metrics. 00:36:56 - Differentiating Conferences and Trade Shows Melanie differentiates conferences from trade shows, emphasizing the focus on thought leadership, branding, and strategic partnerships. She highlights the importance of audience reach as the number one metric for measuring success at conferences, as revealed in the report. 00:40:06 - Impact of Speaking Engagements The report uncovered the increasing value of speaking engagements for executives and the business impact they have. Melanie discusses the importance of understanding the rationale for attending conferences and shares how Sproxxy provides insights on competitor activity at conferences. 00:44:01 - Refining Product Based on Customer Feedback Melanie shares how the state of conferences report was used to refine the Sproxxy product, aligning it with the needs and challenges faced by marketing and communications professionals. She emphasizes the importance of developing a data-informed approach for attending conferences and measuring success. 00:49:40 - The Evolution of Comstech and Sproxxy Melanie discusses the challenges of selling Comstech to investors and emphasizes the need for technology in every company. She reflects on her transition from corporate comms to developing Sproxxy and highlights the role of Comstech in enabling communicators to 00:50:59 - The Importance of Digital Communications and Marketing Integration Melanie and Dan discuss the necessity for companies to integrate digital communication and marketing strategies. Melanie emphasizes the importance of being equipped with the right tools to remain relevant in the future. 00:52:52 - The Origins of Sproxxy and its Purpose Melanie shares her journey of developing Sproxxy and its original purpose to prove the value of her work as a corporate comms professional. She highlights the need to have a data-informed approach and the role of AI in providing insights. 00:55:56 - AI Integration in Sproxxy and its Impact on the Industry Melanie discusses the integration of AI in Sproxxy and its potential to predict conference topics, influence industry evolution, and gather insights on audience demographics. She emphasizes the power of AI to accelerate innovation and change the trajectory of an industry. 01:00:27 - Leveraging Sproxxy for Thought Leadership and Industry Influence Melanie explores the potential of Sproxxy to predict conference topics, tailor thought leadership platforms, and influence the industry based on gathered data and insights. She highlights the role of communicators in shaping industry trends and influencing audiences. 01:02:28 - The Challenges and Excitement of Being a Woman Founder and the Future of Sproxxy Melanie reflects on the excitement and challenges of being a woman founder and the unexpected growth of Sproxxy. She emphasizes the need for more solutions in corporate comms and marketing and encourages others to step up and provide the necessary help for the industry. 01:06:56 - Exciting Future for Listeners Melanie expresses her excitement for the future of the listeners, emphasizing the potential for growth and success in their businesses. 01:07:22 - Where to Find Melanie Dan and Melanie discuss where listeners can find Melanie online, including her website, LinkedIn, and Instagram. 01:07:54 - The Cutting Edge of Conferences Melanie highlights the innovative functions and capabilities of Sproxxy.com, emphasizing its ability to help individuals understand and navigate complex conferences. 01:08:21 - Making Speakers Shine The conversation focuses on the importance of helping speakers shine and exerting influence at conferences, positioning the podcast as a platform for discussing impactful communication strategies. 01:08:40 - Closing Remarks Dan wraps up the episode, encouraging listeners to subscribe, share, and leave reviews, while also inviting potential future guests to reach out and be part of the show.

Our guest this episode is Andy Britnell talking about real business lessons via the story of Commtech UK from inception to sale. If you enjoy this episode, share it with friends and give us a review, it helps more than you know. In this episode, we discuss: The power of a firms culture Andy's journey […]

Corporate communications are notably behind marketing or sales when it comes to being data driven. Can AI finally give us the leap we need? In this episode, our host Arne has a chat with Thomas Mickeleit. From IBM to Volkswagen to Microsoft, Thomas has been driving tech transformations in the comms industry for three decades. Today, he leads his own CommTech working group in Germany, gathering around 450 network members. We discuss the hottest topic in the CommTech world right now. That is, how AI can help us better understand our stakeholder journeys and craft on-point, inspiring narratives. This episode is presented by Arne Kötting, and was produced by Nina Cerasuolo and Ana Luiza Loio Becil. FutureReady music theme "Botanics" by Elizabells, and sound editing by Carsten Steffens. — Möchten Sie mehr über Thomas' Arbeit erfahren? Dann lesen Sie sein brandneues Buch 'Erfolgsfaktor CommTech: Die digitale Transformation der Unternehmenskommunikation' hier: https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Thomas-Mickeleit-ebook/dp/B0C7MHCX2W

Daniel Nestle, Leader of Communications for LIXIL Americas, is an award-winning global communications and marketing leader with over 20 years of success in the B2B services, manufacturing, finance, and education sectors. His broad areas of expertise include digital communications (CommTech), integrated marketing communications, content marketing, social media strategy, and brand storytelling. Earlier in his career, Daniel spent 16 years living and working in Japan, first as an educator and later as a corporate marketing and communications professional. He speaks Japanese. Daniel obtained his MS in Internet Marketing from Full Sail University as well as a BA in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania. An active content creator, in 2020 he launched his weekly podcast, The Dan Nestle Show. Listen in to hear Dan's thoughts on  -why networking and making connections is especially important early on -how writing careers may change, and what you should do about it -why adapting your approach in the workplace isn't inauthentic -why understanding culture is fundamental to building trust in the workplace -the unique power of the “outsider-insider” in an organization Subscribe to The Dan Nestle Show wherever you listen to podcasts or at https://dannestle.show Connect with Dan on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/nestle Follow Dan on X-formerly-known-as-Twitter at https://twitter.com/dsnestle Want to support the podcast? Check the podcast's ko-fi page to help keep me well-caffeinated and making content: https://ko-fi.com/businesssuccessjapan Be sure to follow or subscribe for more Japanese language and cultural insights. And if you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review so that other people can find it as well. And of course, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please email me at ⁠⁠businesssuccessjapan@gmail.com⁠⁠. I'd love to hear from you! Leave me a voice message here: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/message --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/businesssuccessjapan/message

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, host Michael Malone interviews Catherine Blades, an award-winning corporate leader with over 30 years of professional experience, including C-suite roles at three Fortune 500 companies. Catherine serves as the SVP of Marketing and Communications at SAIC, a company delivering innovative solutions to the U.S. government. They discuss the intersection of purpose and profit in corporations, highlighting how companies that prioritize communities and humanity often yield better fiscal results. Catherine shares her journey in realizing the connection between purpose and financial success, drawing from her experiences in different roles and companies. She elaborates on three key strategies: leveraging platform-based thought leadership to humanize the brand, pivoting brand icons for purpose-driven solutions, and utilizing unconventional methods for effective CSR initiatives. Catherine emphasizes the importance of authentic values, risk mitigation, and stakeholder engagement when engaging with social causes. She also provides insights into measuring the impact of CSR efforts using modeling, outcome-based data, and effectiveness metrics. About the Guest Catherine Hernandez-Blades is an award-winning corporate leader in Marketing, Communications, Government Relations, CommTech, Digital Transformation, Change Management, and Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) with more than 30 years of professional experience, including C-suite roles at three Fortune 500 companies. Currently, Catherine is the SVP of Marketing and Communications at SAIC, a company that delivers innovative and transformational solutions to the U.S. government in the civilian and defense markets. ⁠Connect with Catherine Blades⁠ Key Takeaways - Purpose-driven companies achieve better fiscal outcomes by focusing on communities and humanity. - Purpose is a crucial factor in revitalizing brands, connecting people, and driving results. - Humanizing brands through CSR and ESG efforts fosters authentic connections and engagement. - Engage with social issues aligned with values, stakeholders' expectations, and actual impact. - Risk mitigation, stakeholder engagement, and curating genuine efforts are vital in avoiding pitfalls. - Outcomes matter more than activities; measure progress through modeling, outcome-based data, and effectiveness metrics. - RepTrack model reveals 7 reputation dimensions, with governance, citizenship, and workplace being crucial. - Outcome-based data indicates success or failure based on ROI metrics and key performance indicators. - Effectiveness metrics, such as engagement and click-through rates, provide real-time insights for adjustments. - Purpose-driven strategies can be quantifiably correlated to stock price, employee engagement, and more. - Purpose and profit are interconnected, demonstrated through data, authentic engagement, and measurable outcomes. Quote "When you humanize the brand, you make that human connection and you go from share of wallet to share of heart." - Catherine Blades Recommended Resources Book: ⁠Find Your Why by Simon Sinek⁠ Shout-outs ⁠Jane Randel⁠ – Co-President at Karp Randel ⁠Rochelle L. Ford⁠ – President at Dillard University ⁠Connect with Catherine Blades⁠⁠ | ⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

In Redaktionen wurde er zuerst eingeführt: Der Newsroom. Verschiedene Redaktionen sind in einem Raum und Chefredaktoren der verschiedenen Titel können direkt miteinander diskutieren. Doch das Konzept des Newsrooms ist nicht nur für grosse Medienhäuser interessant. Der Corporate Newsroom hat sich in den letzten Jahren auch für die Unternehmenskommunikation in vielen anderen Unternehmen etabliert und hilft bei der Kommunikation. Dabei bedeutet die Einführung eines Newsrooms auch immer eine komplette Umstrukturierung für das ganze Unternehmen. Wie sich ein Corporate Newsroom in ein Unternehmen integrieren lässt, verrät uns in dieser Folge Andree Blumhoff. Er ist Group Head Media Analysis bei pressrelations und kennt sich mit neuen Unternehmensstrukturen und New Work-Ideen bestens aus.Mehr über Andree Blumhoff:LinkedIn Andree BlumhoffMehr über das Thema:Trendstudie Schweiz 2022 «Kommunikation in der digitalen Transformation»Studie «Einführung von CommTech»Der Corporate NewsroomCommTech für Corporate NewsroomsDiese Episode wird präsentiert von NewsRadar®, dem intelligenten Echtzeit-Tool von pressrelations Schweiz:Webseite pressrelationsInstagram pressrelationsFacebook pressrelationsLinkedIn pressrelationsHier findest du uns:Webseite Ferris Bühler CommunicationsFacebook Ferris Bühler CommunicationsLinkedIn Ferris Bühler CommunicationsInstagram Ferris Bühler CommunicationsWebseite StoryRadarInstagram StoryRadarWir freuen uns über eine positive Bewertung auf Apple Podcasts.Fragen oder Anregungen dürft ihr jederzeit an storyradar@ferrisbuehler.com senden.

Beschäftigt Ihr Unternehmen sich bereits mit CommTech, oder haben Sie sich bisher noch nicht mit dem noch recht jungen Begriff auseinandergesetzt? Im news aktuell Podcast sprechen wir dazu mit Thomas Mickeleit und Barbara Bossmann und für die beiden ist klar: Die Digitalisierung der Kommunikationsbranche ist dringend notwendig und sollte besser gestern als heute stattfinden. Zusammen mit 30 weiteren Branchenexpertinnen und -experten haben die beiden nun das Fachbuch „Erfolgsfaktor CommTech” herausgebracht, das sie als Weckruf an unsere Branche verstehen. In dem Buch geben sie dabei nicht nur einen Überblick, sondern schaffen Struktur und arbeiten vor allem mit Praxistipps. Thomas Mickeleit auf LinkedIn Barbara Bossmann auf LinkedIn AG CommTech: Website AG CommTech Newsletter AG CommTech Fragen, Anregungen oder Feedback? Schreibt uns: podcast@newsaktuell.de Hashtag für Social Media: #napodcast Am Host-Mikrophon: Nicola Wohlert und Marissa Neureiter

In this episode of the podcast, Doug is joined by Sriram Sampath, Vice President - CX Management & Collaboration Platforms at Tata Communications, a global digital ecosystem enabler, to discuss the changing landscape of hybrid work. Is hybrid work an advantage or a disruption? Sriram explores how businesses have taken this opportunity to adapt and evolve their technology solutions to support remote and hybrid work. Enterprise technology has boosted productivity for virtual teams through high-speed connections, availability of smart devices, cloud services, and improved network security and collaboration services. However, there is a challenge too. While collaboration services and tools make it easier for people to work from anywhere, employees tend to be isolated, and a distance grows with how managers work with their teams. Sriram provides insights into Tata Communications' role as a CommTech player to power enterprises with remote and hybrid work adoption. He also offers a forward-looking perspective on the direction of hybrid work, emphasizing the importance for businesses to stay ahead of the tech-driven and ever-evolving workforce trends. Click here to know more about Tata Communications offerings for Unified Communications and Business Collaboration.

In this episode, Dan connects with leading thinker and practitioner in the emerging communications technology space and Founder of Point 600, Brittany Paxman. Dan and Brittany sit down to chat about the importance of strategic communications and the ways technology is enhancing that importance and changing the profession. They discuss how communications technology - CommTech - helps communicators and the businesses they serve. The entire conversation is loaded with practical takeaways for anyone interested in this evolving field. Brittany Paxman dives headfirst into changing the world of communications. She is dedicated to bridging the gap between communications and technology to improve company functions and people's lives within the communications space. Tune in to learn more about the value of improving strategic communications by integrating technology to maximize consumer interactions, marketing, communications, sales, revenue, and other business interactions. In This Episode (1:41) Why Dan has been so keen to speak with Brittany (3:51) Brittany dives into her background and getting into the Comm-Tech space and starting her own firm (13:03) The “chicken and the egg” situation of integrating technology into communications     (15:40) Why marketers understood the importance of technology integration sooner than communications experts  (22:00) The qualitative vs. quantitative difference for approaching technology between marketing and communications (28:40) The roles of communications that often go unnoticed (36:43) The mindset shift needed to embrace modernized communications (45:44) The value of a communicator as an informed consumer of data     (49:50) The framework for a modernized communicator ecosystem with CommTech   (1:00:20) The evolution of the communications space with technology integration  (1:09:24) Brittany's and Dan's suggestions for improving statistical prowess  (1:12:24) Brittany's final words to Dan and the audience       Notable Quotes “I really, at my core, believe in the power of communications to be a connector…Communications has such an important role, not just for organizations, but for society because it's the connector. It's the persuader, but it's also the opportunity for that information exchange for knowledge, argumentation to happen between companies and people, and I believe that is incredibly important.” - Brittany (4:30) “I think alot of communicators are burnt out. It is a field where you can be working 24/7, where we deal with crisis communication, where we deal with some of the most important things a company does and says…I think there is an opportunity for data and technology to make it a more sustainable profession where excellent people can stya in the profession and that we don't lose the talent to other areas…That's sort of the other half of the reason I started my company. I wanted to help communicators to not only survive, but thrive.” - Brittany (6:14) “Relationships are the domain of communications, like real relationships that matter because the other thing about communications - reputation, right? Looking at reputation, [that's our]...we are stewards of reputation. And as a steward of reputation, that's where crisis and things come in, we really started looking at how people are talking about us.” - Dan (21:14) “When I explain what I think communications is to people who are not in this industry at all, I think communications is definitely top of the funnel - beginning of the journey. But comms is also responsible for relationships with everyone who is not a customer.” - Brittany (28:43) “In my mind, technology, the mindset shift is not that technology is going to do everything for us, but that it's gonna take the stuff that's super repeatable that we are wasting mental capacity on and help us with that so that the communicators can spend their time being strategists.” - Brittany (38:57) About Brittany Brittany Paxman is a leading expert and thinker in the emerging field of communications technology with her company Point 600. She emphasizes data analysis, process design, and technology consulting for communications to build long-term success. With her decade of experience in digital communications, she developed her principles of Systems-Thinking, Data-Driven, and Technology-Enabled. Armed with these principles, she works tirelessly to provide the framework necessary to help communicators not just survive, but thrive in the modern world.    Resources & Links Dan Nestle The Dan Nestle Show: https://nestle.libsyn.com/ Dan Nestle on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dsnestle Dan Nestle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestle The Dan Nestle Show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDanNestleShow/  Brittany Paxman  Website: https://www.point600.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanylpaxman/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrittanyLPaxman

Unter dem Trendbegriff „CommsTech“ sprechen Jörg Forthmann (Faktenkontor), Thomas Mickeleit (KommunikationNeuDenken!) und Benita Daube (Edelman) über die Chancen von Digitalisierung und datenbasierter Kommunikation.

Aaron Bernstein, Walmart's senior director of insights and advocacy, explains how the retail behemoth flipped the script on their brand narrative, using CommTech to uncover actionable insights. He shares how his eclectic experiences - from liberal arts to politics - prepared him to see the power that a CommTech capable function could bring to Walmart's comms efforts. 

Frank Wagner gehört zu den renommiertesten Kommunikationsdesignern; mit 500 Awards liegt sein Studio hw.design klar in der Spitzengruppe der Preisträger. Nach dem Grafikdesign Studium in Stuttgart war er zunächst Art Director bei h,t,p, in München, dann bei Scholz & Friends, Hamburg und schließlich Creative Director bei fest und frei in München tätig. Als Mittgründer von häfelinger + wagner Design, München und schließlich der hw.design gmbh in München wurde er zum Unternehmer und einem Chef des stets wachsenden Unternehmens. Die Transformation der Designbranche war für das Studio von Anfang an eine stetige Herausforderung, auch die Frage, was Design für Kunden überhaupt bringt. Um hier klar Position zu beziehen, veröffentlichte er vor 6 Jahren das Buch "The Value of Design" im Hermann Schmidt Verlag, Mainz. Ebenfalls 2016 startete hw.design mit der Publikation eines eigenen, internationalen Gesellschaftmagazins, dessen Herausgeber und Chef-Redakteur Frank ist: nomad. Als Mitglied im Type Directors Club New York, der Typografische Gesellschaft in München bei if-Design und im Deutschen Designer Club bezieht er Stellung, ist Mitglied zahlreicher Jurys und versucht Design einen größeren Stellenwert in der Gesellschaft zu geben.

Our lives were recently dramatically changed when we learned of the existence of over 20 unreleased CommTech chips. After the initial wave with TPM, originally the plan was for them to keep going with new technologies and "TWICE THE SPEECH". While these sadly never reached toy store shelves, we have presented for you listeners, a comprehensive guide to the forbidden CommTech sounds! Sabe! Shmi! Sickly sounding Tusken Raiders! Porkins screaming! It's the CommTech follow up episode everyone has been waiting for! PLUS : we're talking Disney Plus Day, that Kenobi concept art and the super charming Willow tease! So, stand behind a camel creature's tail, listen today and celebrate the love! check out Prototype Archive here: https://www.prototypearchives.com/commtech-guide JOIN THE BLAST POINTS ARMY and SUPPORT BLAST POINTS ON PATREON! BAD BATCH REVIEW EPISODES! MANDO SEASON 1 & 2 REVIEW EPISODES!! BLAST POINTS Q&A EPISODES! Theme Music downloadable tracks! Exclusive Commentaries! Extra goodies! and so much MORE! www.patreon.com/blastpoints new Blast Points T-SHIRTS are now available! Represent your favorite podcast everywhere you go! Get the NEW Ben Burtt and Indiana shirt ! Cool logo shirts & other stylish styles while supplies last! Perfect for conventions, dates, formal events and more! Get them here: www.etsy.com/shop/Gibnerd?section_id=21195481 visit the Blast Points website for comics, recipes, search for back episodes and so much more! www.blastpointspodcast.com if you dug the show, please leave BLAST POINTS a review on iTunes and share the show with friends! If you leave an iTunes review, we will read it on a future episode! honestly! talk to Blast Points on twitter at @blast_points leave feedback, comments or ideas for shows! "like" Blast Points on Facebook for news on upcoming shows and links to some of the stuff we talk about in the show!! Join the Blast Points Super Star Wars Chill Group here www.facebook.com/groups/BlastPointsGroup/ we are also on Instagram! Wow! www.instagram.com/blastpoints your hosts are Jason Gibner & Gabe Bott! contact BLAST POINTS at contact@blastpointspodcast.com send us show ideas, feedback, voice messages or whatever! May the Force be with you, always.

Herzlich willkommen zur 36. Folge von FAKTENFUNK, dem PR-Podcast des Faktenkontors. Wir wollen alle, die sich mit PR, Marketing und Kommunikation beschäftigen, für diesen Podcast begeistern. Unsere Themen sind vielfältig und spannend – wir blicken in die Zukunft, ohne die Gegenwart zu vergessen. Unser Thema heute: die neu gegründete CommTech AG des Instituts für Management- und Wirtschaftsforschung (IMWF). Zu Gast ist dafür Thomas Mickeleit, IMWF-Beiratsmitglied und Initiator der AG. Gemeinsam mit FAKTENFUNK-Host Jörg Wernien spricht er über die Zukunft der Kommunikation – und darüber, wie die CommTech diese mitgestalten kann. Im Fokus des Gesprächs stehen Digitalisierung und data-driven Communications. Zwei Themengebiete, auf denen deutsche Agenturen und Pressestellen Nachholbedarf haben. Worauf es hier ankommt, erfahren alle Interessierten in Folge 36 des FAKTENFUNKS. Mehr Informationen zur CommTech AG gibt es hier: https://www.imwf.de/aufruf-zur-gruendung-der-arbeitsgemeinschaft-commtech/ Dort findet sich auch ein Anmeldeformular für die Arbeitsgemeinschaft.

On this week's episode, Dan sits down with PR industry insider, communications technology influencer, and social media leader, Todd Grossman. As the CEO - Americas at Talkwalker, Todd is at the forefront of social listening and analytics, and he and Dan dig in and get a bit geeky on just how far measurement has come in recent years. But more than that, they talk about the evolution of the PR industry as a whole, where it's going, and of course, what the CEO of one of the top SAAS companies does in his spare time to save the world.

In this episode, Dan connects with Ethan McCarty, CEO at Integral, a lecturer at Columbia University, and all-around communications thought leader, to discuss the advent of Commtech (communications technology), the centrality of employee engagement and internal communications, entrepreneurship, math, and more. Inspired by the rapid changes facing communicators and marketers and the accelerated disruption of the past half-year, their conversation builds from internal comms to commtech to the mindset and skills required to succeed in communications today. It's a deep dive for anyone who wants a glimpse of the future of work from the perspective of a communications leader, entrepreneur, and extremely funny guy (Ethan, that is, not Dan). 

*Content Warning: there are two strong F-bombs at the start of this episode•We know there are far more important things going on in our world at the moment but we also know that we all need to keep some perspective and if possible have some fun and this week we are here to do that for you.Yes, we may rant, lecture and flat out insult certain members of our society but between all that is a lot of fun Star Wars talk. After a PSA about Covid-19. We start the fun off with a great iTunes Review from David Cabal (Thanks, David!) and Mac talks a bit about some updates in his Star Wars Room now that he has some downtime. We talk about The Rise of Skywalker digital release and novelization.We catch up on Clone Wars Season 7, discuss Ahsoka on Clone Wars and the news that she will be appearing on The Mandalorian Season 2, played by Rosario Dawson. Friend of the show, Stephen Stanton celebrated 10 years since joining The Clone Wars and shares an awesome highlight video of his work. We have some big updates to TheSandcrawler.net - NEW PLAY OUTSIDE FEATURE - Luke Skywalker on Hoth2nd NEW PLAY OUTSIDE FEATURE - Brandon Taylor- Swamp PatrolNEW COLLECTOR'S SPOTLIGHT - Rob Williams' Parent's House Both pages have been updated and redone. Much faster loading time and the new look will allow us to update your spotlight if you want. Great especially for your ever-changing Star Wars room.With all the down time that (alot, not all) of us may have, spend some time with your Star Wars figures, get on the floor with your kids and play and send us a few photos. It's been awhile since our last show so we follow up on New York Toy Fair 2020 and discuss some great news uncovered by Yakface.com. There are some really cool figures coming, folks!We share recent finds in I Wanted Everything and debate the endless debate of 5POA vs super articulated 3.75 action figures.We revisit Power of the Force, this time looking at the CommTech wave from 1999-2000. It's a small amount of figures but, yikes, there's a lot of good ones! Thanks to Jedi Temple Archives and Rebelscum for their always excellent archival information!

History may not always repeat itself but it sure can rhyme. As the world grapples with populism, income inequality and a revolt by a disenfranchised working class, we can see now how the 1920s, with similar circumstances, brought about a progressive movement and spawned the field of public relations. On this episode, Rob Flaherty, chairman of Ketchum, shares his thoughts on how the world we live in today must heed important lessons from a century ago. His big two calls for today's CCOs – step up to the evolving role of business in society, and commit to CommTech as a central aspect of the future of our profession.

How do you build an entirely new global customer base for a business that has remained domestic throughout its entire existence? That's the challenge that faced Mitsubishi Heavy Industries CCO Dan Lochmann when he was tasked with burnishing the company's brand globally by CEO Seiji Izumisawa. MHI is a $40 billion B2B business that builds all kinds of large-scale heavy machinery from wind turbines to jets to rockets. In order to identify prospects and target them as core brand stakeholders, Lochmann and his team use CommTech, the emerging field within communications that takes inspiration from MarTech. Leveraging an array of paid social, targeted placements, earned media, and thought leadership, all unified via data dashboards, Lochmann's team opened the doors for MHI to build a global brand, generate leads and earn its longstanding domestic reputation as an engineering innovator abroad. On this edition of The New CCO, we feature Lochmann as he presents the MHI case on CommTech at the 2019 Page Annual Conference in Boston. Special thanks to Morning Consult and Rivet Smart Audio for making this season of The New CCO possible!

On this episode, we take you inside our new research report, The CCO as Pacesetter, with the research leaders: Roger Bolton, Aedhmar Hynes and Jon Iwata.  Together they visited nearly 30 countries, speaking to over 200 senior communications leaders. Those conversations shaped a new perspective on how and why the role of the CCO is at a pivotal moment. Above all, the CCO is a crucial leader in enterprise transformation, which is in many cases an existential proposition for their companies.  Through our research, we introduce a new wrinkle to traditional stakeholder engagement models through CommTech. We also focus on three key dimensions of Corporate Character the CCO can use as a lever within the C-Suite: corporate brand stewardship, corporate culture and societal value creation.  We also explain how we will translate the new research into digestible, easy-to-learn formats, starting with Progression Paths.  Thank you for listening! If you like what you hear, subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.  Special thanks go to Morning Consult and Rivet Smart Audio for making this season of The New CCO possible.

How many lemons does it take to power a Star Wars podcast? Find out this week as we answer last week's questions alongside some crossover Commtech chip reading. Topics range from ring composition to our personal dark times in Star Wars, and how we're finding new appreciation of our least favorite films in the franchise. Who needs a gonk droid with all this vitamin C?! #ComlinkChatter shoutout to our buddy Rik Villanueva! Join in the conversation by sending us an email at comlink@jammedtransmissions.com or find us on Facebook and Instagram @jammedtransmissions as well as Twitter @JTcomlink. Emails and voice recordings received by Monday night will be included in that week's show! Listen to the podcast on iTunes, the Google Play store, and Podbean or simply go to http://jammedtransmissions.com If you enjoy the show, please consider giving us a 5-star rating on iTunes as it really helps us out big time!  Also consider checking out the links below and sharing with your Star Wars friends!  May the Force be with you ... always. -- Facebook - Jammed Transmissions: A Star Wars Podcast Instagram - @jammedtransmissions Twitter - @JTcomlink Email - comlink@jammedtransmissions.com Website - http://jammedtransmissions.com Blog - http://jammedtransmissions.wordpress.com Patreon - http://patreon.com/jammedtransmissions YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDwMcpWQRD6S8u9zFzUZgfw -- Artwork by Josh Rowe.  Follow his work and direct commissions to: Instagram - @jdrowe812 Twitter - @joshuarowe24 -- Original music and audio editing by Peter Viox*  Twitter - @PeteSkeet2 -- Follow Eden's cosplay photo modeling & project progress at: Instagram - @edengreycosplay Twitter - @edenjeangrey Patreon - http://patreon.com/edengrey -- * (Regarding audio: all original music by Peter Viox *unless it's obviously a referenced song included in the mix, in which case: *no copyright infringement intended, *NO PROFIT is earned from free episodes, *all music in Patreon episodes is original by Peter Viox)

XLI - This week is a fun one full of Commtech action figure phrases and some great conversation inspired by #ComlinkChatter from our friends: The Metal Mando, Rural Farmboy, and Rik Villanueva! The anticipation for TROS and The Mandalorian is at an all time high, so we've got all hands on deck! Join in the conversation by sending us an email at comlink@jammedtransmissions.com or find us on Facebook and Instagram @jammedtransmissions as well as Twitter @JTcomlink. Emails and voice recordings received by Monday night will be included in that week's show! Listen to the podcast on iTunes, the Google Play store, and Podbean or simply go to http://jammedtransmissions.com If you enjoy the show, please consider giving us a 5-star rating on iTunes as it really helps us out big time!  Also consider checking out the links below and sharing with your Star Wars friends!  May the Force be with you ... always. -- Facebook - Jammed Transmissions: A Star Wars Podcast Instagram - @jammedtransmissions Twitter - @JTcomlink Email - comlink@jammedtransmissions.com Website - http://jammedtransmissions.com Blog - http://jammedtransmissions.wordpress.com Patreon - http://patreon.com/jammedtransmissions YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDwMcpWQRD6S8u9zFzUZgfw -- Artwork by Josh Rowe.  Follow his work and direct commissions to: Instagram - @jdrowe812 Twitter - @joshuarowe24 -- Original music and audio editing by Peter Viox*  Twitter - @PeteSkeet2 -- Follow Eden's cosplay photo modeling & project progress at: Instagram - @edengreycosplay Twitter - @edenjeangrey Patreon - http://patreon.com/edengrey -- * (Regarding audio: all original music by Peter Viox *unless it's obviously a referenced song included in the mix, in which case: *no copyright infringement intended, *NO PROFIT is earned from free episodes, *all music in Patreon episodes is original by Peter Viox)

On this edition of The New CCO, we bring you our conversation with General Motors CCO Tony Cervone from the 2019 Page Spring Seminar. Interviewed by former IBM Chief Brand Officer and SVP Jon Iwata, Tony discusses the brand transformation effort he's leading at GM alongside CEO Mary Barra. Facing disruption from new players such as Lyft, Uber, and Tesla, GM has had to rethink everything from its business model to its role in society. Tony has led the redefinition of the enterprise, starting with its brand and culture. He, along with GM's senior leadership team, developed a new aspirational goal for the company - Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions, and Zero Congestion - which now serves as its north star. Tony details how he leverages his responsibility for the corporate brand to influence other parts of the business in ways that bring that brand to life. He also explains the emerging field of CommTech and how he's used data and new technology systems to reach the stakeholders that matter most.

In the past, Communications was largely media relations and speechwriting. While technology has helped make our function more strategic and impactful, we are on the cusp of a major transformation of how it works - what our teams look like, the roles it includes, the skills it requires, and the ways it operates. On this edition of The New CCO, we discuss the emerging notion of CommTech with one of its pioneers, Daniel Jörg, Head of Digital Marketing & Research at Farner Consulting in Zurich. Daniel has spent the last 20 years taking the Communications function through a period of technological experimentation that has resulted in what he views as the function of the future. He walks us through his journey, what he's learned along the way, and how his team is blending new tech with new ways of working to drive real business outcomes.

Fellow Star Wars fan Manoah Crane joins Criz Bee this week to talk about his passion for Episode I and what advantages there are by having a focus in your collection. Manoah shares some emotional childhood stories and explains how The Phantom Menace helped him to get through tough times. In addition to the interview Criz Bee talks about Hasbro's 20 year old CommTech chip line and plays various audio clips which were recorded from the CommTech reader. Give it a listen on your smart phone or smart home device such as Alexa and subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast app.   

Jordan McRae walks us through his incredible journey setting up Mobilus Labs and mindblowing CommTech revolutionising the way humans communicate. In this episode, we talked about how Mobilus Labs are revolutionising communication, their near-fatal origin story, Why London is the perfect place to set up a tech startup, How to recruit an all-star team who aren’t afraid to challenge you, how to build diversity in your team.   Subscribe to our newsletter on our website: www.letstalktech.io Powered by talent.io - Great jobs for great developers

FORCE FRIDAY 2017! Join Jason & Gabe as they tell the stories of their Force Friday 2 experiences and look for the true meaning of this Star Wars "holiday"! They go over the highs, the lows, the interviews with people in line & more! What did they pick up & why is Jason considering just getting a Klondike Bar next year? And just what do those new CommTech "Force Link" things say and what super secrets to they reveal? As you could guess, we listen to almost ALL of them! As if that wasn't enough, there's Force Friday voice message stories sent in by listeners all over the world!! It's a full force Force Friday celebration as they tell you all about their stories in this yearly Star Wars ritual! (Force Friday stuff starts at about the 14:40 point) AND before all that, there's some Last Jedi stuff with talk on how bad we want a new trailer, Snoke's giant ship and a new ship's rad name that makes Jason & Gabe really, really happy, some surprise messages from a couple very familiar voices and so much more! So stare at a Jango figure, make some lasagna & celebrate the love with BLAST POINTS!! Blast Points t-shirts are now available! Get them here: www.etsy.com/shop/Gibnerd?section_id=21195481 visit the Blast Points website! www.blastpointspodcast.com reviews! comics! recipes, articles and tons more! if you dug the show please leave BLAST POINTS a review on iTunes and share the show with friends! If you leave an iTunes review, i will read it on a future episode! honestly! talk to Blast Points on twitter at @blast_points leave feedback, comments or ideas for shows! also like Blast Points on Facebook for news on upcoming shows and links to some of the stuff we talk about in the show!! we are also on Instagram! Wow! your hosts are Jason Gibner & Gabe Bott! contact Jason at Gibnerd@hotmail.com May the Force be with you, always.

This week, Jason and Gabe are going off the deep end listening to 44 CommTech chips!! What are CommTech chips? They were the talking Episode 1 bases that had an amazing high tech name and made everyone sound like they were talking through Kylo Ren's mask! Well we haven't stopped thinking about them and now it's an episode over a year in the making as Jason and Gabe go through every chip they have and try and guess just who the heck's voice we are supposed to be listening to! Is it Bibble or is it a Battle Droid? Qui Gon or a Naboo soldier?! We have no clue so join us as we try to figure it all out! Before that there's some talk on Pablo's statements at a con in Chile, leaked Lego photos involving old things in gold robes riding elevators, and the big ILM 40th reunion party which had one very welcome & surprising guest! So call all up all your Wizards & fire up your CommTech reader and celebrate the love and listen to BLAST POINTS!! Blast Points t-shirts are now available! Get them here: www.etsy.com/shop/Gibnerd?section_id=21195481 visit the Blast Points website! www.blastpointspodcast.com reviews! comics! recipes, articles and tons more! if you dug the show please leave BLAST POINTS a review on iTunes and share the show with friends! If you leave an iTunes review, i will read it on a future episode! honestly! talk to Blast Points on twitter at @blast_points leave feedback, comments or ideas for shows! also like Blast Points on Facebook for news on upcoming shows and links to some of the stuff we talk about in the show!! we are also on Instagram! Wow! your hosts are Jason Gibner & Gabe Bott! contact Jason at Gibnerd@hotmail.com May the Force be with you, always.

Join Jessica for an exciting spotlight interview with Gabe Vega, CEO of Commtech USA.. He provides some insight into why he started the company and introduces us to his exciting new video project, Commtech Academy. Commtech USA offers a variety of products and services taylored for the blind and visually impaired, including Remote Training. For those living in Arizona, Commtech also prupides local training out of their Tucson offices. Please be sure and tune in to this spotlight, as Commtech is offering our listeners a special discount code which you can only get when you tune in ! Be sure and check out Commtech USA on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Please don't leave without sending us a comment about what you enjoyed, or would like to see more of, in our shows. We love to hear from you, the listeners.

Join Jessica for an exciting spotlight interview with Gabe Vega, CEO of Commtech USA.. He provides some insight into why he started the company and introduces us to his exciting new video project, Commtech Academy. Commtech USA offers a variety of products and services taylored for the blind and visually impaired, including Remote Training. For those living in Arizona, Commtech also prupides local training out of their Tucson offices. Please be sure and tune in to this spotlight, as Commtech is offering our listeners a special discount code which you can only get when you tune in ! Be sure and check out Commtech USA on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Please don't leave without sending us a comment about what you enjoyed, or would like to see more of, in our shows. We love to hear from you, the listeners.

Join Jessica for an exciting spotlight interview with Gabe Vega, CEO of Commtech USA.. He provides some insight into why he started the company and introduces us to his exciting new video project, Commtech Academy. Commtech USA offers a variety of products and services taylored for the blind and visually impaired, including Remote Training. For those living in Arizona, Commtech also prupides local training out of their Tucson offices. Please be sure and tune in to this spotlight, as Commtech is offering our listeners a special discount code which you can only get when you tune in ! Be sure and check out Commtech USA on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Please don't leave without sending us a comment about what you enjoyed, or would like to see more of, in our shows. We love to hear from you, the listeners.

Listen in as Joel Ramos, Jessica Rickards and newcomer Gabriel Vega, CEO of Commtech. give us their Cool Picks for this week. Cool Picks: MediGuard provides you with easy to understand health information, safety alerts & recalls and drug interactions. Office Lens is like having a scanner in your pocket. Like magic, it will digitize notes on whiteboards or blackboards. Always find important documents or business cards. Sketch your ideas and snap a picture for later. Don't lose receipts or stray sticky notes again! BBE 882i Sonic Maximizer

Listen in as Joel Ramos, Jessica Rickards and newcomer Gabriel Vega, CEO of Commtech. give us their Cool Picks for this week. Cool Picks: MediGuard provides you with easy to understand health information, safety alerts & recalls and drug interactions. Office Lens is like having a scanner in your pocket. Like magic, it will digitize notes on whiteboards or blackboards. Always find important documents or business cards. Sketch your ideas and snap a picture for later. Don't lose receipts or stray sticky notes again! BBE 882i Sonic Maximizer

Listen in as Joel Ramos, Jessica Rickards and newcomer Gabriel Vega, CEO of Commtech. give us their Cool Picks for this week. Cool Picks: MediGuard provides you with easy to understand health information, safety alerts & recalls and drug interactions. Office Lens is like having a scanner in your pocket. Like magic, it will digitize notes on whiteboards or blackboards. Always find important documents or business cards. Sketch your ideas and snap a picture for later. Don't lose receipts or stray sticky notes again! BBE 882i Sonic Maximizer

What is your deepest darkest secret? Listen in as we open the doors to the VIP room with one of your favourite host Joel Ramos, as he opens up to his fellow hosts Jessica Rickards and newcomer Gabriel Vega, CEO of Commtech. VizLens helps the blind operate appliances with digital screens and unlabeled buttons Think about the number of electronic appliances you encounter on a daily basis – using a microwave, adjusting the thermostat in your home, or buying a snack from the office vending machine. Now, imagine trying to operate any of these if you were blind. Impossible? Anhong Guo, Ph.D. student in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII), is turning this into a reality with the development of an interactive screen reader called VizLens. Windows 10 build 15025 brings braille support for Narrator Microsoft is excited to announce braille support for Narrator. This experience is currently in beta. So try it out and give feedback! In order to use braille with Narrator, you will need to do the following: • Ensure Narrator is running. Then go to Settings > Ease of Access (WIN + U) and under the Narrator settings, activate the “Download Braille” button. You will be prompted to install braille support. • Under Settings > Ease of Access, activate the “Enable braille” button and add a braille display. Note that USB and serial connections for the display are supported. • Under Settings > Ease of Access, choose the language and braille table you want to use. Note detailed documentation about braille display key mappings will be made available in the Narrator User Guide closer to when the Windows 10 Creators Update is released. NOTE: There are coexistence issues with braille support and third party screen readers. Until the documentation is available, we recommend that braille be enabled for Narrator only on PCs that do not also have a third-party screen reader configured to use a braille display. New mono audio option in Ease of Access settings Visually impaired users use a screen reader application to read the PC screen content and information to them, and frequently use headphones or earbuds to hear the computer when in meetings or having conversations with others. When doing so, they generally use only one earbud to hear the PC in one ear so the other ear is free to hear conversations and sounds around them. That can cause them to not hear sounds that may be directed to the other earbud. In order to change the sound to be mono mode and so all audio is directed to both ears, they used to need a physical earphone adapter. You can now switch your audio to mono straight from the new Audio section under Settings > Ease of Access > Other options. A new startup, Innovision, has recognized to problem that exists for those who are blind Although voice feedback is convenient, and it opens many opportunities, it doesn’t promote literacy. Blind people need access to braille material, and current pricing on braille displays keeps most people from being able to access the printed word, especially in developing countries. Innovision has created the BrailleMe, which is a simple braille display that plugs directly into your phone or computer. It also has Bluetooth capabilities. Cool Picks: MediGuard provides you with easy to understand health information, safety alerts & recalls and drug interactions. Office Lens is like having a scanner in your pocket. Like magic, it will digitize notes on whiteboards or blackboards. Always find important documents or business cards. Sketch your ideas and snap a picture for later. Don't lose receipts or stray sticky notes again! BBE 882i Sonic Maximizer

What is your deepest darkest secret? Listen in as we open the doors to the VIP room with one of your favourite host Joel Ramos, as he opens up to his fellow hosts Jessica Rickards and newcomer Gabriel Vega, CEO of Commtech. VizLens helps the blind operate appliances with digital screens and unlabeled buttons Think about the number of electronic appliances you encounter on a daily basis – using a microwave, adjusting the thermostat in your home, or buying a snack from the office vending machine. Now, imagine trying to operate any of these if you were blind. Impossible? Anhong Guo, Ph.D. student in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII), is turning this into a reality with the development of an interactive screen reader called VizLens. Windows 10 build 15025 brings braille support for Narrator Microsoft is excited to announce braille support for Narrator. This experience is currently in beta. So try it out and give feedback! In order to use braille with Narrator, you will need to do the following: • Ensure Narrator is running. Then go to Settings > Ease of Access (WIN + U) and under the Narrator settings, activate the “Download Braille” button. You will be prompted to install braille support. • Under Settings > Ease of Access, activate the “Enable braille” button and add a braille display. Note that USB and serial connections for the display are supported. • Under Settings > Ease of Access, choose the language and braille table you want to use. Note detailed documentation about braille display key mappings will be made available in the Narrator User Guide closer to when the Windows 10 Creators Update is released. NOTE: There are coexistence issues with braille support and third party screen readers. Until the documentation is available, we recommend that braille be enabled for Narrator only on PCs that do not also have a third-party screen reader configured to use a braille display. New mono audio option in Ease of Access settings Visually impaired users use a screen reader application to read the PC screen content and information to them, and frequently use headphones or earbuds to hear the computer when in meetings or having conversations with others. When doing so, they generally use only one earbud to hear the PC in one ear so the other ear is free to hear conversations and sounds around them. That can cause them to not hear sounds that may be directed to the other earbud. In order to change the sound to be mono mode and so all audio is directed to both ears, they used to need a physical earphone adapter. You can now switch your audio to mono straight from the new Audio section under Settings > Ease of Access > Other options. A new startup, Innovision, has recognized to problem that exists for those who are blind Although voice feedback is convenient, and it opens many opportunities, it doesn’t promote literacy. Blind people need access to braille material, and current pricing on braille displays keeps most people from being able to access the printed word, especially in developing countries. Innovision has created the BrailleMe, which is a simple braille display that plugs directly into your phone or computer. It also has Bluetooth capabilities. Cool Picks: MediGuard provides you with easy to understand health information, safety alerts & recalls and drug interactions. Office Lens is like having a scanner in your pocket. Like magic, it will digitize notes on whiteboards or blackboards. Always find important documents or business cards. Sketch your ideas and snap a picture for later. Don't lose receipts or stray sticky notes again! BBE 882i Sonic Maximizer

What is your deepest darkest secret? Listen in as we open the doors to the VIP room with one of your favourite host Joel Ramos, as he opens up to his fellow hosts Jessica Rickards and newcomer Gabriel Vega, CEO of Commtech. VizLens helps the blind operate appliances with digital screens and unlabeled buttons Think about the number of electronic appliances you encounter on a daily basis – using a microwave, adjusting the thermostat in your home, or buying a snack from the office vending machine. Now, imagine trying to operate any of these if you were blind. Impossible? Anhong Guo, Ph.D. student in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII), is turning this into a reality with the development of an interactive screen reader called VizLens. Windows 10 build 15025 brings braille support for Narrator Microsoft is excited to announce braille support for Narrator. This experience is currently in beta. So try it out and give feedback! In order to use braille with Narrator, you will need to do the following: • Ensure Narrator is running. Then go to Settings > Ease of Access (WIN + U) and under the Narrator settings, activate the “Download Braille” button. You will be prompted to install braille support. • Under Settings > Ease of Access, activate the “Enable braille” button and add a braille display. Note that USB and serial connections for the display are supported. • Under Settings > Ease of Access, choose the language and braille table you want to use. Note detailed documentation about braille display key mappings will be made available in the Narrator User Guide closer to when the Windows 10 Creators Update is released. NOTE: There are coexistence issues with braille support and third party screen readers. Until the documentation is available, we recommend that braille be enabled for Narrator only on PCs that do not also have a third-party screen reader configured to use a braille display. New mono audio option in Ease of Access settings Visually impaired users use a screen reader application to read the PC screen content and information to them, and frequently use headphones or earbuds to hear the computer when in meetings or having conversations with others. When doing so, they generally use only one earbud to hear the PC in one ear so the other ear is free to hear conversations and sounds around them. That can cause them to not hear sounds that may be directed to the other earbud. In order to change the sound to be mono mode and so all audio is directed to both ears, they used to need a physical earphone adapter. You can now switch your audio to mono straight from the new Audio section under Settings > Ease of Access > Other options. A new startup, Innovision, has recognized to problem that exists for those who are blind Although voice feedback is convenient, and it opens many opportunities, it doesn’t promote literacy. Blind people need access to braille material, and current pricing on braille displays keeps most people from being able to access the printed word, especially in developing countries. Innovision has created the BrailleMe, which is a simple braille display that plugs directly into your phone or computer. It also has Bluetooth capabilities. Cool Picks: MediGuard provides you with easy to understand health information, safety alerts & recalls and drug interactions. Office Lens is like having a scanner in your pocket. Like magic, it will digitize notes on whiteboards or blackboards. Always find important documents or business cards. Sketch your ideas and snap a picture for later. Don't lose receipts or stray sticky notes again! BBE 882i Sonic Maximizer