I, who have fallen prey to more off-the-wall electronic gadgets in my lifetime than most nerds with rich parents, was a card-carrying cynic when it came to the introduction of the iPad in the dirt-and-crunch world of the job site. But after a rather impressive demonstration of its capabilities in showing real-time changes to a site plan while a dozer blade turned “will-be” to “is-now,” I was forced to upgrade my resistance to one of mere skepticism, when what I really questioned was its ability to stand up to the rough and tumble of what at the very least is a hostile environment.
“What happens when you drop it or it gets run over by a skid-steer?” I asked an Apple maniac friend.
“Well, you buy a new one,” he said without flinching…”Or two or three. They’re cheap.”
Well, cheap to whom? Not to me, at any rate. Nor am I convinced they’re ready for the big time yet, believing them to be a few nanometers short of true success. But they’re getting closer, particularly with some of the new software I saw at World of Concrete. Maybe it’s just my lack of imagination, but I still find it a daunting task to go from a 6-foot roll of vellum to a 1-foot display and remain oriented, particularly when that display hops around with a mind of its own. Yet I know there’s a magic something lurking out there in the not-too-distant-future that will seal the deal for me, but please don’t ask me to tweet about it.
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Upcoming Forester University Webinars
February 23rd, 2012
Stormwater Pond BMP Management: Design, Operation & Maintenance
Stormwater ponds are one of the most common urban rainwater runoff BMPs thanks to their reliability and predictability, but performance is design and maintenance dependent. Join Shahram (Shane) Missaghi of the University of Minnesota to explore stormwater pond design, operation and maintenance presented in an integrated stormwater pond management plan that effectively manages your stormwater and protects the water quality of your natural resources. Read more…
March 8th, 2012
Reducing Water, Energy, and Tax Bills for Facilities
Are you overpaying on your facility’s three largest variable costs: water, energy, and taxes? Join Fraser Allport, CEO, to explore how to reduce your facility’s utility and tax bills and future-proof for sustained performance by combing green technologies (green hardware and smart software) with government tax incentives in a cost-reduction action plan designed to obtain, quantifiable and sustainable resource and cost-savings results. Read more…
March 22nd, 2012
5 Proven Social Media Tactics to Engage Your Audience
Extend your outreach and campaign effectiveness with social media. Join Erica Hooper, Strategic Director at S. Groner Associates, to explore social media's (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, etc.) opportunities, myths, and real-world tested and proven social media tactics designed to engage your audience. Read more…