A chat with the chairman of Intel

The highlight of this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas for me was the sitdown that the Intel Insiders had with Intel chairman and former CEO Craig Barrett. (Disclosure: I'm a member of the Intel Insiders.)

At CES the next day, Barrett gave a keynote in which he announced a wide-ranging new initiative by Intel to support the philanthropic micro-lending efforts of Kiva.org and the nonprofit charity Save the Children all across the globe.

In the wake of the global financial crisis, Intel has been steadily reaching out across the U.S. border to advance education and literacy around the world. Barrett mentions the Intel Teach program to put technology in the classroom, which is especially popular overseas. He also discusses the larger role that technology companies — Intel, Microsoft, Cisco, IBM (and Google, though he doesn't name them) — are playing in the evolving field of corporate social responsibility.

Two quick quotes from Barrett:

• "Technology is not the answer. Technology is one of the tools you can use. The really important thing in education is that you have good teachers." Without quality teachers, all the technology in the world won't help.

• He told a story about schoolchildren in a rural village in India whose highlight of the week comes on Tuesdays, when a bus carrying a mobile computer station arrives. It's had a significant impact on reducing truancy and dropout rates in rural India. "When you see that, you say, Wow."

A week after we met with Barrett, he announced that he will step down in May — after 35 years with the company, seven of them as the CEO and almost almost four as chair. See the Intel release and the GigaOm story.

An afternoon in occupied Hebron

Occupation 101: Hebron from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

Here's a 22-minute video of Hebron, the history-rich ancient city in the West Bank that is now a source of conflict between Palestinians and Israeli settlers, with Israeli security forces placed squarely in the middle.

I took out an afternoon during the weeklong Traveling Geeks trip in April 2008 to visit the West Bank. Serving as tour guide was Mikhael Manekin, co-founder of Breaking the Silence, a human rights group made up of former Israeli soldiers who participated in the occupation. Accompanying Mikhael and me was Naomi Schacter, director of development of Shatil.

The documentary short offers a fascinating glimpse into the obstacles that many Palestinians face in their day-to-day lives under Israeli occupation. This work of citizen journalism serves to throw a spotlight on what's happening; fashioning a solution is much more complicated.

I set off for this highly unusual personal tour (Manekin usually takes busloads of 30 Israelis, not a lone independent U.S. journalist) with just a Samsung palmcorder, with no lights, no wind guard and no spare battery pack, so I captured as much as I could in 90 minutes of footage, edited down to:

Part 1: A drive through the occupied territories (19 minutes)
On Vimeo (Flash)
On Ourmedia (H. 264 QuickTime)

Part 2: Occupation 101: Hebron (22 minutes)
On Vimeo (embedded above)
On Ourmedia (H.264 QuickTime)

Cross-posted to Socialmedia.biz

A 20something's take on social networks and news

Lauren on social media & modern news from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

Here's one of a series of interviews I'm doing on social media and the future of news and journalism. Those in the news business, and journalism educators, can learn a lot from Lauren of San Francisco, who sat down with me last month to discuss how she uses social networks and how she and her 20something friends are getting their news today. Young people's media habits are rapidly changing and traditional media organizations haven't kept pace.

Watch video in Flash on Vimeo (7 minutes, embedded above)

A sitdown with the CEO of Ford

From JD Lasica on Vimeo.

At the Ultimate Bloggers Dinner on the opening night of the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Jan. 7, Alan Mulally, CEO of Ford Motor Company, took out time to sit down with a few bloggers for a live Webcast, a couple of cell phone interviews, and the interview above, which I captured with a Canon HV20 hi-def camcorder.

Chris Heuer of AdHocnium (and the Social Media Club) and I interviewed Mulally about how Ford is using social media to drive innovation and transformation inside the company. Chris and I both found Mulally to be incredibly personable and knowledgeable about the social forces swirling through the economy.

The video is 10 minutes long and a bit noisy because we didn't have a lavalier mic, but you can hear Mulally throughout.

Watch in H.264 QuickTime on Ourmedia (or download it)
Watch in Flash on Vimeo (embedded above)

Bonus: Flickr photo set of Mulally (at bottom) and others at CES.

Cross-posted to Socialmedia.biz.

A drive through the occupied West Bank

A drive through the occupied territories from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

During my trip to Israel in April 2008 I took a solo journey into the Israeli-occupied city of Hebron. My tour guide was Mikhael Manekin of Breaking the Silence, an extraordinary human rights organization founded by veterans of the Israeli military. Mikhael himself served as a lieutenant during the second intifada. The organization chiefly focuses on documenting testimonial accounts of the occupation by 20something Israeli ex-soldiers themselves.

Manekin usually takes a busload of 30 Israelis through Hebron for the tour, but he gave me a personal tour alongside Naomi Schacter, Development Director of Shatil. 

In this 19-minute video, the first of a two-part documentary, we began our trip in Jerusalem, drove through the West Bank on Route 60 past Bethlehem and the astonishing Separation Barrier being erected, into the settlement of Kiriath Arba/Qiriat Arba, and into Hebron, a city of 166,000 Palestinians and the only Palestinian city with a Jewish settlement in the city center.  

A quick note: I did not have the proper equipment — just a small handheld Samsung camcorder with no remote mike and no lighting — so you'll notice some production lapses. But the 19-minute video still came out well.

Watch video in H.264 QuickTime on Ourmedia

Watch video in Flash on Vimeo

See my full report here on Socialmedia.biz.

Xeni Jardin on BoingBoing

Xeni Jardin from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

Xeni Jardin, one of the hosts of the hugely successful site BoingBoing.net ("a directory of wonderful things"), talks about boingboing.tv and the evolution from the site's early days to its push into online video in this 6-minute interview conducted at the Web 2.0 Summit.

For those who don't know Xeni, her site offers this nickel tour: "Xeni Jardin is a tech culture journalist. She is co-editor of the award winning blog Boing Boing, and executive producer + host of the daily internet video program Boing Boing tv.  She contributes to television, radio, and print venues including Wired and NPR, and likes to float in spaceships."

I've long admired Xeni, her colleagues Cory, Mark, David and John, and her correspondent/citizen journalism dispatches on NPR, so I couldn't pass up the chance at lunchtime to pull her aside and get a quick update on BoingBoing's commercial success (seven- (or eight-?) figure online revenues in this economy? wow). Don't miss the Starbucks product placement at the end.

The noise throughout the hallway was loud, and outside was not a better option, so I hope to lobby for some quieter quarters at next year's event. Meantime, I hope to get through my backlog of videos by Jan. 3.

Watch video in H.264 QuickTime on Ourmedia at larger size
Watch video in Flash on Vimeo (embedded above)

Cross-posted to Socialmedia.biz.

Von Iva

The Von Iva interview from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

At the last Macworld Expo Culture Catch Salon, I bumped into the drummer of Von Iva, a San Francisco band that hit the big time this weekend with the release of Jim Carrey's new movie, Yes Man.

I hadn't heard of Von Iva until then, but Kelly Harris was down-to-earth and sweet and I stuck around for the group's set — great stuff! Here's one of their music videos on YouTube, with Jillian Iva singing "Not Hot to Trot."

In this  5 1/2-minute video interview, Kelly talks about the four songs they wrote for the film. (I don't know if they all made it into the final cut; I believe the group makes a couple of appearances under a fictitious name.) She also discusses the band's plans to tour.

Great to see the group heading toward even greater success. (You can see band members Jillian Iva Meador, Becky Kupersmith and Kelly Harris credited in the movie's cast here.)

Watch or download video in H.264 QuickTime on Ourmedia
Watch video in Flash on Vimeo (embedded above)

A chat with the founders of JibJab

The creators of JibJab from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

You know JibJab, right? The wildly popular online animation site has been around since 1999 but became a global phenomenon with their 2004 animated hit This Land, which spoofed the campaigns of John Kerry and George W. Bush. The short has been streamed more than 80 million times. 

The brothers Spiridellis — Evan, the head art guy, and Gregg, CEO guy — spoke at The Conversation, a gathering of filmmakers and new media types at the Pacific Film Institute in Berkeley in October. I snagged them for 5 minutes afterward before they had to run off for another appointment (which is why we had no choice but to live with the noise in the background).

In the clip, Gregg and Evan talk about how their business has evolved over the past nine years, what business models are working for them, and how their use of social media propels the site forward.

After trying about 20 business models, Gregg said, they found that their best business model was "working around social expression content," with a mix of subscriber-based premium content and some free, ad-supported digital content.

Web 1.0 was about ecards, Gregg says, but now it's about personalized cards that you become a character in and that you can share or post to your own site. "We've had 13 million heads loaded and put into our movies. People will pay for content that they can use to express themselves in their digital lives. They won't pay to watch a 2-minute funny video."

This holiday season you can upload your image to JibJab and put the image onto gifts, holiday e-cards, mouse pads, mugs and knickknacks.

But the most interesting thing about JibJab we'll be watching in the years ahead is how they use the power of social media to create relationships with their users and empower them to become co-creators. 

Watch or download video in H.264 QuickTime on Ourmedia
Watch video in Flash on Vimeo

Cross-posted to socialmedia.biz .

A chat with the founder of Samasource

Samasource from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

I finally have time to get to my backlog of video interviews, after changing jobs earlier this month.

Here's a 4-minute interview with Leila Chirayath, founder and CEO of Samasource, a nonprofit social enterprise in Silicon Valley that that connects small and mid-size businesses with individuals and firms in the developing world that can perform outsourcing work (such as data entry) in a socially responsible way.

They now have pilot programs in Kenya, Nepal and rural India, and their goal, as their website says, is "to catalyze sustainable economic development and poverty alleviation by creating a thriving, active market for socially responsible outsourcing to developing regions."

The interview was conducted on a very windy day at the recent Craigslist Nonprofit Bootcamp in San Mateo, Calif. (though I do need to get a fabric microphone cover). I caught up with Leila a few minutes before her jam-packed talk. As Leila says, there's a lot of misinformation in the media about outsourcing, and Samasource can help you sort through the best options.

Watch or download video in H.264 QuickTime on Ourmedia
Watch video in Flash on Vimeo

Cross-posted to socialmedia.biz .

Interview with president of micro-lender Kiva

Kiva from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

Here's a 4 1/2-minute interview with Premal Shah, president of the nonprofit microfinance lender Kiva.org, conducted at the Craigslist Nonprofit Bootcamp in San Mateo, Calif.

Premal discusses not just Kiva but other online services that are of great help to nonprofits, including myc4, microplace, prosper.com, Google Checkout, techsoup and Salesforce's program for nonprofits.

Kiva has become one of my favorite sites, performing a spectacularly valuable service on a global scale. Check them out and consider supporting a small business or entrepreneur in the developing world with a $25 loan.

Watch video in H.264 QuickTime on Ourmedia at larger size
Watch video in Flash on Vimeo

Ideablob awards monthly $10,000 prizes

Ideablob from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

Here's a 4-minute interview I did with Darren Sudman, VP of Innovation for Advanta Bank Corp., who oversees its Ideablob program. The project gives out $10,000 a month to the best business ideas.

eBay Giving Works

eBay Giving Works from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

Here's a 9-minute conversation I had earlier this month with Kristin Cunningham, general manager of eBay's Giving Works program, about how you can help nonprofits through your purchases on eBay (and how nonprofits can help themselves). Giving Works is about to celebrate its 5th birthday this coming Wednesday, Nov. 5, and has raised $150 million for charitable causes on eBay. These folks rock!

Watch video in H.264 QuickTime on Ourmedia
Watch video in Flash on Vimeo (embedded above)

Cross-posted to SocialMedia.biz.

Involving college students in social causes

Aden Van Noppen of Brown University discusses an effort, supported by the Acumen Fund, to involve college students in social causes. Interview conducted at the Social Capital Markets conference in San Francisco.

Watch video in .flv Flash on Ourmedia
Watch video in .flv Flash on Viddler (embedded above)

Cross-posted to SocialMedia.biz.

UC Berkeley freshmen on the election

UC Berkeley freshmen on the election from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

In this quick 2-minute video interview last week I asked Tim and Sophie, two students at the University of California, Berkeley, who they're supporting in the presidential election.

Jennifer on SoCap08

Sizing up Social Capital Markets from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

Jennifer Carter-Scott, former Global Communications Director at Bonnventures, assesses the Social Capital Markets conference in San Francisco at its conclusion last week. She discusses the philanthropic and social venture space and the notion of "doing good while doing well" for new social enterprises.

I bumped into her again on Saturday at the Craigslist Foundation's Nonprofit Boot Camp in San Mateo.

Watch video in H.264 on Ourmedia (higher quality)
Watch video in Flash on Vimeo (embedded above)

Erin on the 2008 campaign

Erin on the candidates from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

As part of our ongoing series on the 2008 election, here's a 2-minute conversation with Erin, a participant in last week's Social Capital Markets conference. She'll be voting in her second presidential election on Nov. 4. She discusses the turmoil in the capital marketplace, the candidates' positions on alternative energy and the Iraq war as her top concerns.

Watch the video in H.264 on Ourmedia
Watch the video in Flash on Vimeo

The social enterprise

'Gourmet carbon' in Mexico from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

Sara Olsen, a founding partner of the Social Venture Technology Group, talks in this 8-minute video interview about social enterprises, with a focus on a project her group backed, Patricia Ruiz Corzo's Grupo Ecologico Sierra Gorda in Mexico, which conducted an experiment in "gourmet carbon."

I caught up with Sara a few minutes after her panel talk at Social Capital Markets in San Francisco last week.

Watch video in H.264 on Ourmedia
Watch video in Flash on Vimeo

Cross-posted to Socialmedia.biz.

Kristy Graves on the Nonprofit Boot Camp

Nonprofit Bootcamp from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

Here's a 3-minute interview I did Saturday afternoon with Kristy Graves, who provided partnership support for the Craigslist Foundation Nonprofit Boot Camp in San Mateo, Calif.

The event drew nearly 2,000 attendees and a wide range of workshop sessions and exhibitors catering to the nonprofit sector.

Watch video in H.264 on Ourmedia
Watch video in Flash on Vimeo

SoCap advances the social good

Advancing the social good from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

Here's a 4-minute interview I did with Kevin Jones, founder of a new conference called Social Capital Markets. The three-day gathering in San Francisco, with 650 attendees, focused on social enterprises, the blurring line between nonprofits and socially conscious for-profits, and the tidal wave of interest in organizations that promote the common good (especially in the wake of the stock market's meltdown). VCs, entrepreneurs, foundations, aid agencies and journalists all attended.

Watch the video in H.264 QuickTime on Ourmedia
Watch the video in Flash on Vimeo

Emily's first triathlon

Emily's first triathlon from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

With the Ironman triathlon being held today in Hawaii, I thought it would be appropriate to showcase an interview I did with Emily Goligoski, a friend who just ran her first triathlon last month, the Triathlon at Pacific Grove — Olympic Distance along the Monterey Peninsula. In this 9 1/2-minute video, she talks about her preparation, her training and conditioning with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's  Team in Training, her motivation, and her accomplishment one sun-splashed day along the California coast. She raised $3,461 in the fundraising event.

Watch video in H.264 QuickTime on Ourmedia at original 480 pixels wide
Watch video in Flash on Vimeo

Cross-posted to SocialMedia.biz.

An interview with the creator of Drupal

Drupal: open-source publishing from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

I hung out Monday night with Dries Buytaert, founder and creator of Drupal, the open source content management system that is now powering tens of thousands of websites, including Ourmedia, The Onion, Sony Music artists (see myplay.com) and many others.

In this 11-minute interview, Dries talks about Drupal, the power of open source publishing, and a new partnership with Acquia, a Boston-area company that gives citizen publishers a free publishing platform and tech support to get it up and running.

Watch video in H.264 QuickTime on Ourmedia (at 480 pixels wide)
Watch video in Flash on Vimeo

Cross-posted to SocialMedia.biz.

Two upcoming AlwaysOn events

AlwaysOn from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

Here's a 90-second interview with Amanda Corfman, program director for AlwaysOn, conducted at Streaming Media West in San Jose on Thursday. Amanda discusses two upcoming AlwaysOn events:

• BreakOut 2008 - Where artists go digital, Nov. 3-5, 2008, at the  Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills. (With the presidential election Nov. 4, I'll pass.)

• Venture Summit, a VC-focused event on Dec. 2-3 in Half Moon Bay, Calif.

Watch video in H.264 QuickTime on Ourmedia
Watch video in Flash on Vimeo

Mixx: launch your own social network

Mixx: personalized social media from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

I've been hearing about Mixx.com for some time and a few days ago had the chance to chat with Chris McGill, founder and CEO of the site. Mixx is a platform that enables any organization or person to launch a social media site at no cost and with no technological savvy.

The site has had 8.1 million unique visitors over the past five months — not bad for a young startup. At the TechCrunch50 conference earlier this month Chris spoke with me about the site, how it differs from other social networks and where it goes from here.

Watch the video in H.264 QuickTime on Ourmedia
Watch the video in Flash on Vimeo

If you prefer audio only, here's a 16-minute podcast that Nick O'Neill of SocialTimes did with Chris last month.

Cross-posted to SocialMedia.biz.

An interview with Ustream

Ustream from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

Here's a 4-minute interview I did with Casey Georgeson of Ustream during last week's TechCrunch50 conference. Ustream has taken off in a big way over the past year, providing live video streaming services to the big boys (like the Republican National Convention) as well as individual bloggers. If you're not familiar with them, check them out at ustream.tv.

Watch video in original H.264 QuickTime at 480 pixels on Ourmedia
Watch video in transcoded Flash on Vimeo

Created with Final Cut Express.

Cross-posted to SocialMedia.biz.

Interview with the founder of Delver

Delver: a social search engine from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

I conducted a number of interviews at TechCrunch50 last week. One of the most intriguing was with Liad Agmon, CEO and co-founder of Delver.com. He and PR rep Paula Gould discussed the new social search engine, which has some very interesting features you won't find on other search engines, such as restaurant and hotel recommendations by your network of friends. I'll definitely be using Delver.

By the way, I recently bought Final Cut Express and this is my first video in Final Cut rather than iMovie. Jason Blalock helped me get this far; I hope to get better in the coming months.

Watch video in H.264 QuickTime at original 480 pixel width
Watch video in Flash on Vimeo

Cross-posted to SocialMedia.biz.