the molife of crappy booze

To anticipate what will shape 2010, we need to understand the TENsions that will define the opening year of the TENsions decade. The TENsions that are most prominent will evolve during the course of the decade. However the accelerating pace of change means that TENsions will inevitably define the decade, in myriad forms.

These are the 10 TENsions for 2010, the opening year of the TENsions.

1. Optimism – Fear

Many companies and workers are now daring to be optimistic as they put 2009 behind them, look forward to opportunities, and worry about getting left behind if things improve rapidly. Yet with the shock of the onset of the financial crisis still fresh, any optimism is subject to being shattered, resulting in wild swings in confidence.

2. Institutional work – Independent work

While many lost their jobs in 2009, sparking a rise in home-based work such as direct selling, many others gave up self-employment to return to the workforce. Over the long term more people are making the shift to work independently, by desire or necessity. However the temptations of self-employment can be replaced by desire for a steady pay packet, pulling people both ways.

3. Hyperconnected – Disconnected

The mobile Internet will explode with Google Phone and Android adding to iPhone’s success. For many work and play will happen wherever they happen to be. Others will reject the always-connected world, while some are being left behind due to the cost. The gulf between the hyperconnected and disconnected will increase.

4. Openness – Privacy

Young and old are getting used to sharing thoughts, photos, videos and more with the world at large – there is an inevitable and powerful trend to more openness and sharing. Yet the backlash is strong, with some choosing to pull out of social networks, pushing for greater privacy legislation, and crying out against pervasive government surveillance.

5. Youth – Experience

In the workplace there will be a premium placed on switched-on young people, who have high expectations of reward for their contribution. Yet many organizations are trying to work out how they will survive the loss through retirement of the massive contingent who have decades of experience. Many companies will not manage the generational tensions well.

6. Death of Media – Birth of Media

Literally hundreds of newspapers around the world have shut their doors in 2009. Broadcast TV is struggling. Advertising has slumped. Yet as traditional media staggers, a new world of mobile media, social media, video everywhere, and new business models are opening a new era in which media is at the center of the economy.

7. Immigration – Borders

Virtually every developed country is facing a natural population decrease with dire implications for fiscal policy and the economy. The tension between immigration, backed by the business community who want to drive growth, and borders, by those fearing social fragmentation and ecological impact, is becoming a key issue in almost every wealthy country.

8. Climate Activists – Climate Doubters

The gulf is widening between those who believe everything we can do to avert disastrous climate change may not be enough, and those who don’t believe or don’t care. The chasm will yawn wider between countries, between companies, and between individuals.

9. Innovation – Copying

In a global economy in which almost everything is a commodity, the only source of real value is innovation. However every innovation is copied almost instantaneously, all content flows outside commercial channels, and it is sometimes hard to distinguish between the original and the copy. The faster the pace of copying, the greater the drive to innovation.

10. Me – Everyone

In 2010 people who were born after the creation of the World Wide Web will first join the workforce. The nub of generational change today is about the tension between personal opportunity and expectations, and acting with the greater good in mind. How well can people focus both on their own well-being and that of society and the planet?

And the above 10 TENsions should keep your mind crunching for a while.

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Until fairly recently, use of the Internet by banks has been to provide static information about the institution and their products. Their Internet Web sites were primarily a collection of product brochures and press releases.

However, a number of both large and small banks have recently begun experimenting with using the Internet as an alternative delivery channel to provide full-fledged banking services. Offering services through the Internet can be especially appealing to financial institutions whose “users” are not located near branches.

The impact of a growing selection of Internet banking alternatives will likely be to turn such service into a commodity. All banks on the Internet will have the same geography, hours of operation and, presumably, equivalent service levels. Some will attempt to compete on price. Others will attempt to compete by developing and offering new and different products. The latest bank that jump on the bandwagon is RHB Bank.

RHB recently launches their newly enhanced internet banking website after their successful brand revitalization effort. I personally likes the new RHB logo and the new minimalist web layout (bottom) – simple & clean architectural. I can easily navigate through the portal and retrieve information that I’m looking for. A quick validation through W3C validation service only shows minor CSS error which is good enough for me.

RHB Portal - Consumer Banking Landing Page

RHB Portal - Internet Banking Page

To be honest, I’m not a RHB user and YES, I don’t have an RHB internet banking account. BUT, I am a heavy user of internet banking. Didn’t have the chance to try the most important section of the actual internet banking process, especially the usability and accessibility of it. Also, how many merchants had signed up with the bank? Security level (heard about the Secret Phrase thingy)?

Having said that, I am sure many people will have good impression of the portal after visiting it. For those of you who are RHB users, do let me know your internet banking experience.

The rest of you, go to the portal and give it a try – www.rhb.com.my

Please do not forget to give me your thoughts on this~

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Has an iPhone?

Need to keep track of your spending, daily expenses, do the service-charge or check the exchange rate updates?

Choose one. Install software. Reap rewards. Retire to Monte Carlo (you wouldn’t choose Genting).

1) Tipper

2) Budget

3) TapExpense

4) Nexonia Expenses (free)

5) Currency (free)

Enjoy!

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A real classic strip by Dilbert:

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My bro shared with me this article…

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What 3.6 Million Jobs Lost Over 13 Months Looks Like

February 6th, 2009 by Karina

This chart compares the job loss so far in this recession to job losses in the 1990-1991 recession and the 2001 recession – showing how dramatic and unprecedented the job loss over the last 13 months has been. Over the last 13 months, our economy has lost a total of 3.6 million jobs – and continuing job losses in the next few months are predicted.

By comparison, we lost a total of 1.6 million jobs in the 1990-1991 recession, before the economy began turning around and jobs began increasing; and we lost a total of 2.7 million jobs in the 2001 recession, before the economy began turning around and jobs began increasing.

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If you still have a job, be grateful.

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