WEtech is at it again this year for Mashable’s Social Media Day 2013. This year we’re mixing the tropes of social media with chalk, art and the riverfront!

In partnership with the City of Windsor’s Recreation & Culture Department, WEtech will attempt to create the largest chalk-Twitter display Windsor has ever seen! Come during your lunch break anytime from 11:30pm-1:30pm on Friday, June 28th and share your thoughts on the sidewalk along The Windsor Sculpture Park (in 140 characters or less)!

Free parking located past Caron Ave. near the pumping station and freezies for all (while they both last)!

Meetup will take place at Centennial Park (west of Elm Ave.). Register for FREE at http://smdaywindsor.eventbrite.com/.

About Social Media Day: Mashable is thrilled to celebrate their fourth annual Social Media Day! They launched the event in 2010 as a way to recognize the digital revolution happening right before our eyes. They invite you to join fellow social media enthusiasts by hosting or attending a Social Media Day Meetup in your area. For more information on Social Media, visit www.mashable.com/smday.  

Does your business or organization need a visual communications transformation?

Enter the 2013 FASTSIGNS® MetamorphoSIGN contest and you could be one of three winners:

• Brick and mortar business (valued at up to $10,000)
• Vehicle-based business (valued at up to $5,000)
• Nonprofit organization (valued at up to $5,000)

Between June 5th and June 28th, enter by uploading a photograph of your building or vehicle that needs a makeover*, and tell us in 250 words or less why your business or organization needs to be MetamorphoSIGNed. Then, beginning July 8th, the online world will vote for the three winners. Voting ends July 26th and winners will be announced August 15th. For more information, visist http://www.metamorphosign.com/.

http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/careers/jobpost.nsf/EnglishAll/69607DF73454E69785257B810049C02E

The concept of a mentor was introduced to us by Homer: In The Odyssey, on the eve of his epic voyage, Odysseus leaves his son Telemachus in the care of his trusted friend, Mentor. It is later revealed that Mentor is actually Athena—goddess of wisdom, inspiration, skill, and strategy—in disguise.

Mentors, whether professors or practitioners, play a critical role in the personal and professional development of individuals—in the nonprofit world and beyond. They are also invaluable to society as a whole, as the insight and practical experience they provide pave the roads to success for future generations, enabling them to explore new ground and take on new challenges more swiftly by avoiding some the journey’s initial stumbling blocks.

As students, we are fortunate enough to encounter potential mentors on a regular basis. Our experience engaging with possible mentors has ranged from never getting a reply, to getting an introductory email, to learning to count someone as family. What turns an advisor or boss into a trusted mentor, someone whom others turn to for wisdom, inspiration, skill, and strategy? What can you do to maximize your effectiveness as a mentor? Below we present—from the perspective of a mentee—seven habits of highly effective mentors:

1. Humanize yourself. Sometimes the impressive titles on your desk and the awards on your wall can make you seem pretty intimidating, discouraging us from speaking frankly about our problems or asking questions we fear will seem silly. We wouldn’t be meeting with you if we didn’t already respect and admire you, so don’t be afraid to admit your own stumbling blocks. Make yourself more relatable by sharing a big mistake you made, a regret you have, or something you’d do differently in hindsight. Such a confidence makes it easier for us to admit our own struggles and helps us see that failures are natural pit stops on the road to success. Step off the pedestal we’ve placed you on, and remind us that even the Greek gods could be fallible like mortals.

2. Make regular appearances. Just as constellations offered ancient civilizations comfort with their seasonal presence, you give us reassurance when you check in with us periodically. Sometimes we hesitate to contact you until we have something big to report. Make an effort to keep in touch, especially if you haven’t heard from us in a while. An unsolicited email with a link to an article of interest and a line asking how we’re doing is a thoughtful and easy way to reach out. One of Jennifer’s mentors makes a point to wish her happy birthday every year via Facebook or a quick email. It is a small but powerful gesture that makes him stand out.

3. Provide balanced feedback. Once you feel you’ve gotten to know us, give us honest feedback about our performance and personality. This is valuable insight that you are in a unique position to offer. One of Nina’s most influential mentors is like a coach. When Nina was having a hard time, this mentor told her that she believed in Nina’s potential and listed qualities she saw as her strengths. She shared a few things Nina hadn’t identified, and her encouragement changed the way she thought about herself. Even more empowering is this mentor’s constructive feedback. She told Nina not only how she could improve, but also gave her specific, actionable recommendations for how to do so. She anticipated the hurdles Nina might face and provided strategies for how to best tackle them.

4. Ask for something in return. No good relationship is one-sided. You are giving a lot to your mentees, and while many mentors consider the feel-good nature of mentoring reward enough, don’t hesitate to ask your mentee for a favor or two. For example, if you’re a professor, perhaps your student mentee can write to the Dean about how much she enjoyed your class, advise incoming students on how to make the most of a research internship with you, or serve on a department curriculum review committee to determine more effective ways of teaching the material. We’re flattered to be asked and welcome the opportunity to show our gratitude.

5. Foster community. Establish a sense of community by inviting us and your other mentees to group get-togethers outside the office or classroom. This “behind-the-scenes” exposure to your world allows us to learn about the many other parts of your life you value beyond work, such as family, friends, and hobbies. Jennifer’s mentor hosts a holiday party each year with his family, as well as periodic happy hours at local restaurants. His mentees always look forward to the chance to get to know students from different years, as well as the opportunity to spend time with our mentor outside a formal work setting. Jennifer was touched when another advisor invited her to share Thanksgiving with his family after learning she wasn’t going to be able to fly home to see her own.

6. Make introductions. Just as companies have a board of directors to guide their growth, we benefit from developing a diverse board of mentors or a mentoring team. Like the pantheon atop MountOlympus, a group of mentors can offer broad expertise and even create the opportunity for new partnerships. Encourage us to think critically about whose guidance can build on yours and address the other needs or facets of our life. Connect us with individuals you know, and ask us if there is anyone else we might like to meet. Make an email introduction, or even better, arrange a coffee break or lunch during which you can introduce us personally.

7. Be a mentee. Our experience as mentees has been the foundation for our own budding efforts as mentors. Everyone from the middle-school student to the most senior CEO can benefit from being both a mentor and a mentee. Continue investing in yourself and your own development.

Whether you’re a seasoned mentor with many mentees or a new mentor just starting to cultivate your first mentoring relationship, keeping in mind these points will help ensure that both you and your mentees grow and strengthen as a result of your mentorship.

By Jennifer Przybylo & Nina Vasan | 6 | Jun. 3, 2013

What are today’s tech jobs all about? Everything. Technology drives every aspect of the world we live in. From developing and marketing products, to helping sick people get better faster, to tracking planes, trains and automobiles, technology surrounds us, and is in the tools we use every day – smartphones (or superphones), tablets, computers, televisions, and now smart TVs; the list could go on. Information and communications technology (ICT) has revolutionized the way we live, work, and play, and is an important economic generator in Ontario, and the world today.

For Windsor-Essex to compete worldwide, a steady supply of high-talent individuals with appropriate skills and knowledge will be needed to support the region’s innovation and growth. This report provides information on the specific occupations that are projected to experience growth through increased demand; identifies the needs and challenges of local employers in the ICT sector; outlines the training available locally in ICT-related fields; and offers valuable advice from over thirty-five local ICT professionals. This report is a tool for planning education and training and is a resource for exploring the ICT sector in Windsor-Essex.

Workforce WindsorEssex spoke with over thirty-five local stakeholders of the ICT sector to answer the above questions. Local employers identified the following as their needs and challenges:

◾Desired skills and certifications
◾Advanced training of employees
◾Importance of math
◾Troubleshooting/Problem Solving skills of employees
◾Attraction and retention of students in ICT programs
◾Work experience of job applicants
◾Curriculum modifications by educational institutions
◾Soft skills in the workforce

The needs and challenges identified locally are similar to the needs and challenges of the ICT sector provincially, nationally, and internationally. The more jobs that are available for those trained to stay in Windsor-Essex, the more beneficial that will be for our community’s economic prosperity. There is a gap in advanced training in the community that restrains employers from growing their business and employees from moving forward in the company. Increased collaboration among local ICT industry stakeholders will ensure our workforce is able to obtain long-term employment, support families, and contribute to the overall economy.

Read the full report in English.

In Chinese, Taichi means “Supreme Ultimate Force” and that’s exactly what you will feel like you have when you get your hands on this new ASUS Windows 8 Ultrabook. No questions here about whether it’s a laptop or a tablet – quite clearly it’s both, and at the same time!Most importantly (to me anyway) is that it runs the full and familiar Windows 8 operating system No “apps” needed here – lets run “programs”.

I have been a fan of ASUS for some time now and have always been impressed with their quality and innovative designs but when I first saw the Taichi I was blown away. I won’t bore you with all the techie specs and stuff – you can get those online by clicking here – but I will talk about the biggest feature of this Ultrabook – its two-sided screen! I have been using this thing for over a week now and I can’t believe how amazing it is to have the convenience of a tablet AND the usability of a laptop all in one. When the unit is closed, you have a beautiful laptop with a sheer reflective black glass surface giving the Taichi 21 a futuristic look and feel. When you open the lid, you basically have a very functional ASUS laptop with an illuminated keyboard that I find particularly useful. The flat black surface is smudge resistant and the keys have a great clicky feel to them. All the controls are on the sides of the keyboard and are easy to find and use. The high quality speaker system is designed by Bang & Olufsen and they sound incredible for such a small device.

The Taichi comes with two 11.6 inch 1080p IPS displays which means it’s great for watching movies on but the best part is the different ways you can use the screens. The first way of course is just as a laptop – one screen on. The second way – which is great for presenting – is mirror mode. With the lid open, everything you do on your laptop side of the display is mirrored on the outward-facing lid. I used this feature in two meetings last week and it was extremely useful. In Dual Screen mode, the Taichi actually acts as two computers! You can be working away on your PowerPoint presentation on one side while someone else is surfing the web on the other! My only complaint is that the inside screen is NOT touch-enabled. I found myself time and time again using the touch tablet, then opening the lid and trying to touch the inside screen. Pretty frustrating.

All in all if you are looking for a good dual purpose laptop/tablet all-in-one, the ASUS Taichi 21 may be the perfect choice for you.

“We spend so much time looking up statistics and information that we started getting frustrated when we were only able to find data for larger cities in Canada, most of which aren’t even on the same scale as Windsor,” says Katie Stokes, co-founder of Blab Media. “What we’re providing goes beyond the actual numbers. It’s long-awaited insight into what local businesses are doing and proof that including social media as part of an overall marketing strategy is essential for success.”

The survey findings shed some light on which industries were quick to adopt social media and which are lagging behind. It also contains some shocking insight into platforms and digital communication methods that businesses are ignoring. Blab Media is hoping the findings from their 2012 Downtown Windsor Social Media Survey will help businesses make more strategic decisions, get some insight into their competitors and see the real value of social media.

“It’s about time that we had an in-depth look into what’s happening in our own backyard,” says Jessica Apolloni, co-founder of Blab Media. “We’re hoping this project will get the ball rolling and help businesses realize that their competitors are (in some cases) lightyears ahead and if they want to keep up, they need to invest.”

For more information about Blab Media and to view the survey findings, please visit www.getyourblabon.com/social-media-resources.