Personal schedule for Tom Raftery

Scratch is a new, open source programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art -- and share your creations on the Web. Scratch is often described as a tool to teach kids how to program. This workshop will introduce Scratch to programmers and non-programmers alike. Read more.

Designers and developers are advancing the state of online mapmaking at a dizzying pace. The introduction of global slippy maps in 2005 represented a new era of interactivity and sophistication in geographic user interfaces. Are we on the cusp of another such leap? Stamen says yes, and shows what new work and new advances are being made to push the envelope still further. Read more.

As we progress to a post-scarcity society, either you'll measure your consumption or someone else will. More data is becoming accessible than has ever existed. Whether driven by climate change, peak oil, or economic change, sustainability is now a fundamental factor of your business and your life. We'll unpack and map the dramatic changes coming to industry, markets, politics--and you. Read more.

Consumerism is crashing, but the logic of digital, networked products promises a path forward. The emerging sustainable economy connects a renewed "repair culture" to reputation systems for companies and customers. It leads to the platformization of everything, ultimately allowing digital products to drive an overwhelming share of economic activity. Read more.

Flexible paper-like displays will replace the use of print on paper in many applications such as books, newspapers, and calendars. The required attributes of these new displays are readability in a variety of lighting conditions, low power consumption (bi-stability), light weight, mechanical toughness, and low cost. Read more.

The number of technologies for healthier and more sustainable urban living can seem overwhelming. This talk introduces four frameworks for thinking about technology design for environmental living in cities in general and urban agriculture in particular. Liz will introduce three frameworks researchers and designers have used to design technologies for sustainable living in cities and suburbs Read more.

Does paper vs. plastic even matter compared to how you got to the store? Everyone today is aware that there are looming environmental problems, and many are looking to create change. This talk derives a list of the industries and areas of our lives that most need change, in order of priority, and suggests what some of these changes should be. Read more.

For too long, power distribution has been a top down, subscribe-only model, but the electricity grids of tomorrow will be read/write, just like the Web. Read more.