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March 2010

Here in North America the harbingers of spring (birds, flowers, earlier sunrises) are becoming more and more evident. And we even saw a picture last week of crocuses popping up in London. Winter isn’t over by any stretch, but now with Daylight Savings Time in place again here in the U.S., we can dare to hope for warm, dry weather.

So we turn our thoughts to the future, and to change—and not just in the weather. We look this month at the shift in power, status, and trust away from institutions and towards communities, at the emergence of still more miraculous technologies, and at the continuing growth in flexible/remote/distributed work (whatever you want to call it), including a new way to find those third places you’re looking for.

But we also sound a cautionary note. We may be optimists are heart, but we’re not naïve; nothing about the future is guaranteed. We also report on an important book that dares to ask the question, “What if automation is so successful it puts all of us out of work?”

Enjoy.

Charlie and Jim

Click on any Headline below to access the full story.

1. Feature Article: The Pendulum Swings

The forces of history are conspiring to shift the center of control in our society away from institutions and towards local community groups. This trend is true for education, governance, commerce, and our spiritual life. What you trusted fifty years ago can no longer be depended on. We believe the power of technology to promote increased connections among like-minded people is driving this change.

2. The Future of Technology

Last month it was augmented reality and 3D movies. This month we describe how a “sixth sense” technology can bring all that data out there in the “cloud” right to your fingertips (literally) when you need it. And we link to a report that highlights which new technologies are going to expand rapidly in the public sector.

3. The Future of Place and Space

We report on a new iPhone app that helps you find coffee shops and wifi hot spots, using augmented reality. And we point to a blog post on making the business case for flexible work.

4. The Bookshelf: Stuff We're Reading (and You Should Too)

This section contains mini-reviews of things we’re reading (or trying to). We’ll include links to more information online, typically at Amazon.com, though we have no stakes in whether you buy the books and articles we mention, or not.

5. What's Happened/Happening?

Brief announcements and notes about where Jim and Charlie have been, are, and will be, holding forth in public conversations and other activities.

As usual, your comments and reactions to any of these articles are more than welcome. Please send your thoughts to us at any time.

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