Category: Personal

February 2020 round-up

February was good.   There were some moments of intense sadness, for instance, following the news that Caroline Flack had committed suicide. But, overall, February was a month with a definite sense of momentum at work, with several pieces falling into place. It was also a month with a sense of fun, which even included … Continue reading February 2020 round-up

Forthcoming talk on AI in customer service – March 10th, 6pm, Brunel University London

Next week, I am joining 5 other researchers and practitioners working in the field of AI, for an evening event, examining various use cases of AI, from law to the built environment, and including customer service.   In my talk, I will be sharing the early findings from a research project that investigates what frustrates … Continue reading Forthcoming talk on AI in customer service – March 10th, 6pm, Brunel University London

Funded post-doctoral opportunities to work with me

If you have completed your PhD, and are looking for a post-doctoral opportunity, take a look at these two funding opportunities.   The first opportunity is funded by the Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership, with fellowships lasting for one year. There are restrictions regarding topics and candidate eligibility. So, do check the conditions, carefully. The deadline … Continue reading Funded post-doctoral opportunities to work with me

[Miscellany] The power of the brand, lack of diversity in marketing, and a planning tip

January has been busy! Paper revisions, new paper deadlines, a funding application for a doctoral workshop, classes, marking, talks… But good busy! The kind that energises you.   Here are some marketing news that have caught my attention, lately.   The power of the (Calvin Klein) brand In a Q&A at The Oxford Union, Calvin … Continue reading [Miscellany] The power of the brand, lack of diversity in marketing, and a planning tip

[Miscellany] Some reflections from my use of technology

When technology works well, we don't think about it. We take it for granted. But some recent “technology failures” have led me to reflect on its role in my life, and how it impacts on how I see other human beings and the world. So much more than a watch My Apple Watch stopped working. … Continue reading [Miscellany] Some reflections from my use of technology

Some thoughts on where and what to blog

Today is the 10th anniversary of my blog. Or the 10th blogday, as my former colleague, Debbie Witney, called it in a comment made in the post published this time last year. In this 10th year, I published 55 posts, bringing the total to 554 posts. That’s over 35,000 words in the last year alone, … Continue reading Some thoughts on where and what to blog

[Miscellany] Not smart; not oil; not AI

The connected home is not smart I only noticed this now; but, it seems that, when Google merged the Home and Nest divisions, it rebranded the connected home from ‘smart’ to ‘helpful’. The announcement said: Today, we’re committing to that goal by bringing the Home products under the Nest brand. Our first step as Google … Continue reading [Miscellany] Not smart; not oil; not AI

[Miscellany] Social media photos as speech; designing chatbot conversations; shout out to ‪@BoE_Research

The changing nature of photographs in the age of social media When I was growing up, photos were something that we staged carefully; that we took in small numbers; and that we had to wait a long term to see. They marked specific moments.   Nowadays, we take lots of photos that we can see … Continue reading [Miscellany] Social media photos as speech; designing chatbot conversations; shout out to ‪@BoE_Research