With cloud computing being arguably the hottest trend in the digital world right now and context rich systems being a very close second there is a paradigm shift about to take place in the world of technology as we know it.  The Internet of Things (IoT) revolves around increased machine-to-machine communication that is built on cloud computing along with networks of data gathering sensors; It is an instantaneous connection that will make everything in our lives from streetlights to cities “smart.”  The Internet of Things really becomes powerful with machines and sensors working together in order to gather and leverage data by analyzing it in real time.  Cloud based applications are essential to interpreting and transmitting the data coming from these sensors.

(No, this is not an article about Pixar).

In PR, one of our biggest challenges is helping laypeople understand complicated subjects.  Whether it is the science behind plant emissions, a complex financial issue or, really, any kind of communications related to change, helping people understand scientific, technical and mathematical concepts is among the toughest jobs we have.  Early on, a big hero was Edward Tufte, whose classic book The Visual Display of Quantitative Information created a cult following devoted to the importance of design, graphics, and integrity in creating understanding in these situations.

2015 is turning out to be the year of ephemeral content, which is allowing communities and consumers the ability to interact with brands in real-time. How are brands and consumers able to interact in real-time? Well, there’s an app for that (or two). Meerkat and Periscope are both easy to use, and free to download for brands and personal users. Which one is the best for brands?

Anyone who works in the PR business or at a PR agency today knows that content is the hottest term in the business.  We used to talk about writing copy or making videos--now we "create content."

Twitter and Google struck a deal in February to put real-time tweets back into Google’s search index after going without them for a few years.