IT jobs available despite economy

I have been a software developer, software entrepreneur, computer scientist, and information technology professional since 1986. During this time, I have never gone more than 3 months without a job. And the one time I went 3 months was by choice. I decided to take a few months away to collect myself. We are told that our current economy is the worst in the history of the United States since the great depression. Yet, recently I have read from more than one source that the present economy is not dampening the digital economy. This recent article reports how they are plenty of IT jobs available.

If you are looking for a career, please consider a career in information technology. The field needs the diversity and it is a very rewarding, lucrative, and maybe even recession-proof choice.

Kai

Ujima Fundraiser

Ujima Magazine is the premier source of empowerment and community in Austin. On Friday, June 26, 2009 Ujima will be having a Wine Tasting Fundraiser. The event will be held at Green Pastures Restaurant at 811 West Live Oak. The restaurant is located at
811 West Live Oak.

Tickets are $25.00 per person and $40.00 for a couple. There will be Hors d'oeuvres And Desserts • Choice Wines • Gourmet Coffee Bar.


Please take a moment to drop by and support the premier information resource for the Black community in Austin.

Kai

Apple spurring a wireless digital divide?

I just read an article from USA Today that reported some cell phone carriers such as John Rooney, CEO of U.S. Cellular, are claiming that exclusivity deals such as the one that is in place between Apple and AT&T are creating a wireless divide. Do you buy this? I have not made up my mind as of yet but it seems to warrant discussion. What do you think? Here is the article.

Jott for iPhone

This weekend as I was waiting for my friend to arrive in Austin and join me on an adventure to Lockhart, Texas to check out their world famous BBQ, the thought occurred to me. I reflected on how much I LOVE being prepared and how much I truly enjoy refining the processes in my life. It does not really matter what the task. One example of this is my weekly commute between Houston and Austin.

When I first started commuting, since I had never done it, I was always frustrated by not having what I needed to make the drive go smoothly. For example I always found myself listening to a wonderful audio book (Blink by Malcolm Gladwell comes to mind) only to notice that my iPhone battery was about to die. How frustrating! Another example would be forgetting to pack the auxiliary cable needed to use my iPhone to listen to the audio book in the first place.

But as I continued to commute, each time I would refine the process. I would do a better job of planning. And it is joyous to me when the next time my iPhone says, “hey I know you are enjoying Blink, but I am about to power down. I smile and reach into my bag and pull out the charger that I purchased for just such an occasion. I LOVE it. As I continued to think about this it occurred to me that technology or using technology rather is a huge part of how I simplify or refine the processes in my life. Of course, at the core of this conversation is planning and organization, but I guess my point is I utilize technology in support of these two.

Those who continue to suffer the frustration of a lack of planning and/or organization when they are so many tools to help us to be more organized always baffle me. One of my new favorites is an application called Jott. Jott is like having a personal assistant. I absolutely love it. Jott is a voice recorder and voice-to- text application. It is so helpful in keeping me organized and allowing me to capture random thoughts from my head and get them somewhere that I can reference later.

One of my favorite ways of using Jott is while I am commuting from Austin to Houston on Friday afternoon. It never fails that while I am driving some idea or some task that I need to take care of pops into my head. Without Jott, I have to try and write it down while driving. Everyone should agree this is not a good idea! The other option is to try and remember the idea until I can stop and record my brilliance on paper. Of course, as soon as you stop your flash of brilliance has left. Pobrecito!

Enter Jott. This Friday when this wonderful idea arrives, I will simply grab my iPhone and press the Jott button and speak into my phone’s microphone. Jott will record my idea or thought, convert it to text and send it to me via email. Alternately, I can ask Jott to post my thought on my Google calendar, my Twitter account, or post it on my grocery or to-do list on Toodledo.com.

Sometimes while driving, I will think of something that will make my commute on Monday better. I simply Jott the idea and implement it over the weeked before I am back in the car on Monday morning. How wonderful. Problem solved! This is a wonderful piece of software combined with the power of mobility. I use Jott on my iPhone but it is also works on Blackberry. You can learn more about Jott by visiting http://www.jott.com.

Hotep,
Kai Ajala Dupé