I’ve been a busy bee this month, and in addition to what I’ve been doing here, I’ve written quite a few articles for Suzuki Europe’s Big in Small website at www.small-things.eu as their technology correspondent.

Here’s some of the articles I’ve written in January – I hope you enjoy them. Let me know!

• The Stats of Life – What is it about statistics that makes a geek jump for joy? I talk about some great sites to start collecting, organizing and analyzing your life’s statistics

• The New Age of Patronage – Centuries ago, patronage referred to the act of kings or important figures like the Pope sponsoring artists or musicians for the creation of their art. Now, we all can be patrons, with small money but without inauguration. A great site that puts patrons close to the arts is Kickstarter.com.

• Google Wave – Google Wave has introduced a ripple in the way we collaborate. Six months ago, when it was previewed, it seemed like a very intimidating service with the promise “to communicate and collaborate in real time.” I talk about the differences between Wave, email and wikis, and some suggestions to get you started using Wave.
  

• The Internet in Times of Tragedy – The Internet has changed us profoundly, from how we seek information to how we react in times of tragedy. Especially in the wake of the Haiti earthquake, we have more options and ways to react. Here are some of them.

• Apple, our modern-day oracle? – When Apple makes a move, it sends shock waves in every direction. Why do we feel the need to speculate on what Apple’s doing? How Apple’s moves affect our hope and imagination about the future.

• Ebook Format War: There Will Be Blood – There is a war going on. A war for a format. And until there is a universal format for ebooks, the consumer will be the first to lose. But many companies will lose, too. An update on the war for a universal ebook format.

• Solving the Babel Problem – Translation services are trying to make the citizens of the world just a little bit closer – If we can’t have a universal language, Google Translate wants to make communicating as seamless as possible.

• Tackling Indecision: Automate Destiny – Sometimes the most difficult thing about making a decision is not the result, but the process of making it. These decision and recommendation websites like Hunch.com, Yahoo! Answers, Let Simon Decide and Vark.com want to take the place of your best friend in the decision-making process.

Image by thetrial / CC BY-ND 2.0