WebEx: Ideas in Motion

Innovation: iPhone + WebEx + Flip Camera = Magic!

Okay - you can't do this today - but I am thinking soon enough!

Our friends over at Cisco Collaboration captured an awesome moment of what's being cooked up behind the scenes. You can read their blog entry to learn more about Cordell Ratzlaff, Director of Cisco’s User-Centered Design Team in the Voice Technology Group.

Watch this! They "wow" moment is at about the 1:30 mark. Even my 10-year old daughter let out a "whoop" when she saw what happens. 

Maybe it's time to actually get that darn iPhone!

Learn more about using WebEx on the iPhone today, right here.

 

How-To Video: Attend a WebEx via Smartphone!

It's "How-To" Friday - okay, I made that up - but it's a good day to learn a new trick.

And when you do, you have an excuse for following this video on to YouTube when you are done! (If you don't know how to do that, just double click on the video - it will take you to YouTube and you are on your own for getting completely lost in skateboarding bulldogs and evil-eyed squirrels!)

So you were invited to a WebEx but you can't be at your desk? Worry no more, you can jump on with your SmartPhone - here's how!

Want more tips? Visit the WebEx YouTube channel for more!

Big Think Video: Eat, Pray, Love and Get Creative with Elizabeth Gilbert

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the book Eat, Pray, Love, discusses how she improves her creative process as we continue to share ideas as part of PasstheBall.com. She recently spoke at the TED Conference on the musing on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses -- and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all of us "have" a genius. It's a funny, personal and surprisingly moving talk.

This video clip from Big Think features her thoughts on creativity...

We want to hear your ideas for improving life - from healthcare to the environment to education - and more. We believe ideas get better when they are shared and using WebEx is one way to do it!

How-To Video: Record a WebEx

Did you know you can record your WebEx and share it with people who couldn't make it? It's super easy...

Next time you use WebEx, give it a try. And if you want to try WebEx absolutely free - you can! Get it here and start using WebEx today.

Obama: "Cisco...Working With Community Colleges" on Job Training

On Tuesday, July 14th, President Obama announced his $12 billion American Graduation Initiative (fact sheet here) that focuses on using our community colleges to educate (and reeducate) workers for our future.

During his talk, he referred to Cisco as an example of a company partnering with schools to deliver programs that will train workers for new jobs. Here's a snippet from that speech.

If you are interested in learning more about the Cisco program, visit this site.

And if you have ideas for the President, corporations or others about what they can do to help train people, share your ideas with us. We want to hear from you.

If you don't have an idea but what to know what others are thinking, check this out. You can rate, comment or share the ideas you see there.

Video: Big Think featuring Ziggy Marley on Africa

This weekend, on July 4th, the United States celebrates Independence Day - our country's birthday.  While it's a time to appreciate what we have, it's also a time to think of those struggling for independence.

Thanks to technology and the ability to rapidly share information, we are all able to see how much we all have in common. We all want the same things: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

This video from singer and songwriter Ziggy Marley, features his idea for healing Africa. It's simple and solid. Actually, his metaphor works for all of us - coming together to change our world.

We want to hear your ideas for making change. You can post them at Passtheball.com. And if you don't have ideas, you can see what others are thinking - comment on their ideas or simply rate them.

If  you are an American - Happy Fourth of July - to everyone else, we wish you a happy, safe weekend.

Video: Big Think featuring John Legend talking about Education

As we kicked off PasstheBall.com, one of the things we focused on was education. With the power of Fred Mednick behind us - from Teachers Without Borders - we were impressed with his ability to take an idea and turn it into something amazing that is actually having a global impact.

Well, Fred's not the only one with ideas. In this video, John Legend shares his ideas about education and hopefully will inspire you to share yours.

Join us at PasstheBall.com and share your ideas - about anything - and get the ball rolling. If you don't have an idea, rate others or leave a comment. 

Here are three great ideas about education from visitors to PasstheBall.com:

1. Personalized Learning Portal: Unlike teacher or expert centered social-networks, the Personalized Learning Portal will be designed first and foremost to be learner-centered and student-friendly while allowing all stakeholders to contribute to a growing database of instructional modules.
   
   
2. Bring Education Out of the Agricultural Age into the Conceptual Age: According to Dan Pink’s book “A Whole New Mind” we are now in what is considered the Conceptual Age, having gone from Agricultural to Industrial to Information ages before. So why is the educational model we have today still “stuck” back in the Agricultural age?
   
   
3. Free Online Educational Programs: There are too many people out there who cannot afford to pay for classes or get students loans. It would be great if more legitimate free educational programs were available online. Some of the examples are: Conversation Spanish for all ages, Algebra for Beginners, Written Engilish 101.

Ideas get better when they are shared. Go on, pass the ball!

How-To Video: WebEx Pass the Ball - Literally!

Ever wonder why we called our new site "Pass the Ball"?

Apart from thinking we are horribly clever, it actually has it's roots in WebEx!

When you are in a WebEx and you want to share or transfer control of a meeting, you "pass the ball" to the next presenter. Now that sounds pretty formal - you don't have to be a presenter - it more like the next person who wants to "drive" the meeting by sharing their desktop, manipulate the material everyone is looking at and more.

If you have never passed the ball, you should give it a try. It's truly one of the benefits of using WebEx and it is a powerful tool. I have actually used it to do something as simple as provide tech support to my mom - I passed her the ball during a WebEx to figure out what she was doing wrong in a document she was trying to create. Watching her actions let me cut to the chase and get her on the right track without having to drive to her house!

If you haven't tried WebEx for sharing your ideas, now is the time. There's no reason to put it off - you can try it absolutely free. So come on - Pass the Ball!