Today I have been to the Hidden Tech networking event at Holyoke Community College (HCC).

I was astonished by the new beautiful HCC Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development. Michael Kittredge ‘73, founder of Yankee Candle Company and HCC graduate, provided a $1 million gift to Holyoke Community College Foundation to launch the construction of the state-of-the-art facility. The Center was opened in May ‘06. I am very, very impressed. The building is a gem in otherwise fairly poor Holyoke.

Jeff Hayden, Vice President of Business and Community Services and Executive Director of the Kittredge Center, gave us a tour around it. The five store building has:

• Wireless Internet everywhere
• Videoconferencing, and state-of-the-art lighting and projection
• Huge Flat Plasma TV (63 inches, if not more) in a conference / training room
• Large Flat TVs with announcements all over the place
• 10 “Smart” technology computer labs/classrooms
• Green Roof: A flat or low-pitch roof was designed to absorb atmosphere water from rain and snow not to have a need to build water sewage system. The roof will be planted with pretty grass and other ground covers. “This “green” roof—the first on a public building in New England—will benefit the environment and provide research opportunities to environmental studies students.” — from HCC web site.

In addition to all that state-of-the art technology and environmentally safe roof, the interior design of the building is very stylish and everything is overwhelmingly well done. Walls are covered with richly toned matte finish paint of soothing colors — deep yellow, vinous (deep red), deep olive, light gray. All edges are finely finished. I loved the precision and care everything was done with. Rarely had I seen such a level of precision, especially not expected in a community college. Unfortunately, I did not have camera with me to capture bright colors of this wonder.

The Center does open its doors for entrepreneurs and small businesses to host events and meetings.
Another great thing I found out is that this past summer, UMASS Isenberg Business School, the one I graduated from, started holding classes in the Kittredge Center. This evening, I saw future MBAs sitting in an awesomely well-designed and equipped classroom. Professor Richard Asebrook, one of the best and my most favorite professors was teaching a class of (most probably) Managerial Accounting. I could not resist and stopped by to say ‘Hi’. I remember Professor Richard Asebrook tremendous most patience and tremendous common sense. He would explain complex things as if they were very simple, and, believe me, Debit-Credit and T-accounts can be Chinese to many.

Thanks to Amy Zuckerman, founder of Hidden-Tech for organizing this event and thanks to the Kittredge Center for hosting it. Those who could come and did not, lost a lot.

I bumped into “Luxury Folding Massaging Back Rest“ from Homedics in a local pharmacy — glanced at it while was waiting in a line and decided to give it a chance.

… I spend 10-12 hours with laptop on my laps every day. A proper back support has become an issue long time ago. The issue I was not giving time to address… other things were much higher on my “To do” list. My back pain has become my companion that I learned to live with.

On and off I have been looking for a chair, but they either did not fit “my fancy” (defined both as style and feel) or were more than I was willing to pay. The last one I looked at was over $2,000 when I looked at it …

This Homedics “Back Rest” turned to be an excellent find. I haven’t gotten batteries yet (it needs two D batteries) and haven’t tried the massage effect yet, but as back support it is absolutely invaluable. For $50, it is ‘golden’.

I would recommend it for those who work from home or those who work in “relaxed” office conditions; and I am not on Homedics sales team. .

Sharper Image has a similar back support chair with a lamp for reading for $130.

As one of Early Adopters of Web 2.0 or Social Media applications, I am observing a number of imbalances and want to raise questions that others may have answers for or may want to unite to answer. This observations mostly relevant to the United States where I currently work and live.

Imbalances I am observing and interested in:

1. Disconnect between money invested in Web 2.0 start-ups and on-line advertising and
   growing elderly population who do not use Web 2.0., yet who possess financial means to pay for things being advertised on Web 2.0 and to support Web 2.0 development and growth.In other words, imbalance in growing expenditure of advertisers and VCs in Web 2.0 where primary users are 17-35 yo who possess less financial means than those from more affluent baby boomers generation.How can we involve more of those who are older, yet capable to learn and, better even, will be willing to pay for web 2.0 services where / if such services add to their life?
2. Increasing use of PCs and web (by young people) resulting in less active life style and increasing unconscious food consumption by young people while sitting in front of machines (be it to surf, play, or program).
   This coupled with an ever increasing variety of salty crunchy food and sweets ultimately will not bring this country to be a healthier nation.What can we do to change the trend to obesity? Can technology help?
3. Increasing number of similar services (10 or more photo sharing sites to name just one of them) where consumer / user of such services gets lost. Think a 45+ year old person (or 50+ yo) who is just starting to get to know web 2.0 — how would he/she know which “start-up”/service to pick? Can TechCrunch help with the choice?How can a (45+ yo) “newbie” sort through the cloud and choose what may work for him/her?Is there (Can someone start) a blog/service that tracks start-ups and new services that make it from Early Adopters to Early Majority? ( page views, unique visitors (per day, month), cash generation).
4. In the US, there are 7.5 million more women than men over the age of 50.
   What are all those women doing? How are they engaged in Web 2.0? Should they be?
   A quick search on Google bring “Women over 50” where technology is not even listed in the menu.
   Some All other links are even less soothing — divorce, fear of violence.
   There is good news: More babies born by women over 50 and the are special beauty tips for them.Anybody interested in engaging this capable part of population in Web 2.0 (besides pure match making)??

More on each of these in my next posts.