Doing Useful Things

Edgar Weippl is a full professor for security and privacy at the University of Vienna. He's also Research Director at SBA Research, an Austrian information security firm (sba-research.org). Edgar explains cryptocurrency and the blockchain. Frankly, I knew almost nothing about blockchain and how cryptocurrency is developed and traded going into this discussion. And, I was skeptical of bitcoin and its viability. But after talking with Edgar, I became more convinced that cryptocurrency could one day satisfy government requirements for money laundering and other illicit practices that involve paper currency, which would pave the way for it becoming a universally accepted global currency. This episode was recorded earlier in 2019 but we had to work out some audio issues before publishing it. We apologize for any remaining audio issues.

Dr. Allan Hanbury, Professor of Data Intelligence at Vienna Technical University, introduces us to three unique technologies: The first is the VISUAL HISTORY OF THE HOLOCAUST, an amazing collection of digitized historical accounts of the holocaust. The goal is to make the information more findable by creating links between films, photos and documents located around the globe, giving users a fulsome historical experience. The second project is the TRIP DATABASE, a search engine for medical researchers. This tool makes it faster to get an overview of disease interventions and how effective the interventions were based on published medical articles. Check it out at tripdatabase.com The third technology is a product by a company called Context Flow. Their tool allows radiologists to search archived 3D radiological images. This cutting edge technology helps radiologists better assess their patients images by comparing them to historical images and assessments.

Günther Tschabuschnig is a big data expert. As CIO of the Austrian Meteorological Service, he manages petabytes of data. He is recipient of the 2019 Austrian CIO of the Year and the 2019 Austrian IT Idea Award. We discuss how Austria is at the forefront of big data collection and dissemination for public consumption that leads to better weather predictions, more efficient (and green) traffic flow and other aspects that improve lives. You'll never guess one of the most popular data sets provided by the Austrian government. We could all use it every day, maybe several times a day.

Robo Wunderkind is a coding and robotics platform for ages 5 to 12 that disguises coding education with endless fun. Both you and your kid can create and recreate your own clever robot toys together using smart building blocks - you are only limited by the imagination. The blocks feature lights, motors, and sensors, all of which respond to the app to bring the toy to life. With three complexity levels, Robo Wunderkind advances in complexity as your child grows, so it is always engaging, educational and fun. So fun, in fact, that kids will not even realize they are learning! As an added bonus, it is compatible with your kid's LEGO set. Check them out at robowunderkind.com and their kickstarter at: https://kickstarter.com/projects/startrobo/robo-wunderkind-smart-building-blocks-for-young-creators

If you are an aspiring entrepreneur in Austria you definitely need to listen to this episode. I talk with Markus Raunig, Managing Director of Austrian Startups, which promotes innovative entrepreneurship in Austria. Markus discusses how entrepreneurship is key to positive change. His goal is to make entrepreneurship as common as skiing in Austria. He discusses the importance of people knowing they can make a difference, even a small one, simply by taking a step in the right direction. Austrianstartups.com

Francis Rafal is an entrepreneur wearing many hats. We could all learn from his philosophy of combining fun and multiple income streams, what he calls decoupling work time from the value you're creating. He candidly shares his triumphs as well as his mistakes and challenges of being a young entrepreneur. We discuss how he's helping thousands of people create better phone videos and using content for better customer connection through The Content Creation School and Rafal Studios. We also discuss Global Shaper's Community, an innovative way to improve communication among those with polarizing views. Contact: contentcreation.school; ninjawerk.com; rafalstudios.com