Friday evening, July 8, 2011, through Sunday, July 10, 2011
Preconference Courses© 2005 Copyright www.spyassociates.comSaturday Night Celebrates Innovation and NetworkingSheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel, Vancouver, BC, CanadaJump-Start Your Career as a Foresight EducatorThis year I was blown away at the 2011 SHOT Show when I stopped at the Laser Devices booth and struck up a conversation with Jason Clark, a junior production engineer. The company had a new line of Class I IR lasers. Clark explained that these are eye-safe and available for sale to individuals. That was when my jaw dropped. Clark took out a Class I OTAL and DBAL-I2 to show me and I ended up buying the OTAL. I later learned I had purchased one of the first six Class I lasers ever produced by Laser Devices.I compared the current OTAL to my old OTAL and noted several design improvements, including the change from a proprietary pressure pad to the U.S. Military standard plug-in type found on the PEQ; 15A, also, the laser now projects around the left side of the unit's body. The OTAL/ITAL can be activated by the pressure pad or by rotating the activation mode selector switch to the "on" position. It runs on one AA battery, is lightweight and compact. The OTAL was chosen for the Class I lineup because it is one of the most popular units Laser Devices offers and has been a solid, reliable performer for many years.Looking for that next "Great Thing?"The EOLAD-II mates a Laser Devices Class I IR laser to the left side of an EOTech 552 weapon sight. At the range on a cold, rainy day I put the sight through its paces. I was impressed. The optic worked great and sight in was easily done with both the optic and the laser. The weather had no affect on the laser or the optic.When I got home I arranged to put the Class I head to head with a DBAL-A2 that has a restricted Class III IR laser.Night vision works by collecting the small amounts of light that are still available even in the darkest of rooms there is always some kind of light available which night vision equipment takes and enhances giving some more ability to see everything in the room. The scientific wording of night vision is taking light on lowest end of the light spectrum and enhances those light particles to take them into the higher end of the light spectrum making them more visible to the human eye to use them to illuminate the room or surrounding area.At this time, the Class I lineup consists of the OTAL and ITAL Classic, EOLAD-II and DBAL-I2 models. I noticed a dry erase board in the back of the office that had Class I as a header with nearly every product that Laser Devices makes written on it. Clark explained this was just some brain storming he and his colleagues had been doing and that nothing was set in stone at that time. I expressed my desire to see a Class I DBAL-A2 and A3 model, but Clark explained that at this time those units are not in the Class I lineup. He did say that if a customer wanted a Class I OTAL-A (advanced) or AR-2A, he was willing to discuss it.Education SummitDavid Pearce Snyder, consulting futurist and contributing editor, THE FUTURIST, the Trend Letter, and On the Horizon; Bethesda, MarylandFriday night after the opening plenary session, greet your fellow conference goers and meet the WFS staff and speakers at a wine-and-cheese party. Rendezvous with old acquaintances and new friends, and share ideas on what you'll be getting out of the conference over the next two days!The Final Challenge: Redefining the Future of the Human RaceC-4 Whole Systems Governance: The New Cognitive Work of Leadership, with Ruben Nelson, Brian Woodward, and David HarriesNew Tech Network, Napa, CaliforniaThe New Tech NetworkLance Secretan is widely acknowledged as one of the most insightful and provocative leadership teachers of our time. He is the former CEO of a Fortune 100 company, university professor, award-winning columnist and author of 15 books about inspiration and leadership. Thirty of Fortune's Most Admired Companies, and 12 of Fortune's Best Companies to Work for in America, are his clients. Leadership Excellence ranked him among the top 100 Most Influential Thinkers on Leadership in the World, and Speakers in America ranks him among the Top Five Leadership speakers.C-9 Scenario Planning: How to Build and Use Scenarios, with Adam GordonProfessional Members' Forum on Monday, July 11What's different about these competitions is that only countries can compete. Not companies, not colleges, only countries. The stakes are far higher because each country will be competing for national pride.C-5 Wiser Futures: Using Futures Tools to Better Understand and Create the Future, with Clement Bezold and Eric MeadeReinventing Educational Activism by Creating Linkages: Technology, Content-Driven Collaboration, and Financial LiteracyThe military has been using infrared (IR) aiming lasers to accurately aim infantry small arms while using night vision devices for years. They began as IR aiming lasers and have grown to the current PEQ15A, which includes an IR aiming laser, visible aiming laser and IR illuminator all in one unit. Unfortunately, sales of these devices are controlled by laws and regulations enforced by the government, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (because it is a radiation-emitting device that must meet safety performance standards), making the acquisition of one problematic. Law enforcement and the military can purchase the higher powered units from the manufacturer, but individuals cannot. A "civilian" or commercially available IR aiming laser has been the topic of many discussions over the years. Demand has been high and has steadily increased as night vision devices become more available and higher in quality. Some agencies have been reluctant to issue higher powered IR lasers to officers because of the concern with eye safety of the various classes of the technology.Many years ago I was assigned to the agricultural crimes unit with my old sheriff's department. Our unit did a lot of surveillance in rural areas using video recording systems that could be buried in the ground and left in place for weeks. The narcotics unit was seeing an increase in marijuana grows concealed inside orchards. My unit was asked to do a surveillance install on one of the grows. We snuck into the orchard in the middle of the night using our fancy new night vision devices (NVDs). As we crept into the orchard I fell in love with my night vision. When the column came to a stop and I turned to cover our backs, I realized how unprepared I was; I had not worked out how to aim my rifle while using the NVDs. That night in the orchard I became very interested in this issue.Expanded Preconference Program! * Learning and Education SessionsOverviewDefining the "New Normal" for Education(Separate Registration)Niels Chr. Alstrup, independent consultant on organizational change, innovation, and futuring; Birkerod, DenmarkLearning in Depth: A Simple Innovation That Can Transform SchoolingC-3 Get a Life: Futures Simulation Tool for Career Planning, with Leena Jokinen, Johanna Ollila, and Mikko V�h�taloThis year, we're taking a relaxing but no less stimulating approach to Saturday evening programming, with such events as:A New Education Vision: Reinventing School-to-Employment Systems for Knowledge-Based Global EconomiesBoth the OTAL and DBAL-I2 come standard with Laser Devices' new HT throw lever mount. This mount appears to be superior to the mounts the company previously used. The throw lever is available separately from Laser Devices if one wishes to upgrade an older unit. The throw lever incorporates an attachment point for dummy cording.Over the coming months, seven more equally daunting challenges will be proposed, with the final one to be unveiled at the closing session of the conference.I set up a tour with Clark to take me through the Laser Devices headquarters and manufacturing facility in Monterey, Calif. Manufacturing, testing and quality control are all housed on one floor, with staff from each area interacting on a regular basis. From my perspective, it appeared that if any issues arose in the process they would be easily identified and rectified quickly with the least amount of product affected. This is a good business practice for the company and for the purchasers, as a bad lot costs money and puts lives at risk. Assembly of the components and the final product is done predominately by hand by skilled workers. Thermal, recoil simulation and submersion testing is done on each laser. A battery of tests is regularly completed on sample units to ensure quality control, including any customer requested custom testing. Clark pulled out a water exposure testing apparatus that he designed for a contract with specific requirements beyond Laser Devices' extensive standard testing. Everywhere I went I saw examples of the pride that the people at Laser Devices had in the knowledge that what they made was being used by American soldiers and law enforcement officers.Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.In this keynote based on his latest groundbreaking book, The Spark, the Flame and the Torch: Inspire Self.Preconference courses on Thursday and Friday, July 7 and 8, plus Two-Day Education Summit-NEW in 2011!The difference became more apparent at about 40 yards and beyond. The brightness of the Class I dropped off while the Class III remained bright. Laser Devices rates the Class I lasers to be visible out to 75 meters (or 82 yards). In the urban environment of my neighborhood I was able to pick up the laser at about 100 yards, but this was dependent on what type of surface I was aiming at. Out on my parent's farm away from street lights and such, it was easier to pick up the IR laser at distances of (and just beyond) 100 yards. This is not perfect, but it is within the vast majority of law enforcement lethal force encounters.Kieran Egan, professor in the faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University; author, The Future of Education: Reimaging the School From the Ground Up, Vancouver, CanadaC-7 Foresight Educators Boot Camp, with Jay E. Gary and Frank SpencerOver the coming year, our team at the DaVinci Institute will be announcing Eight Grand Challenges, representing the most challenging competitions of all time. The first one, "The Race to the Core," announced on September 15, 2010, involves sending scientific probes 3,950 miles straight down to the center of the earth.OPENING PLENARY-Just Announced!Be warned! Get ready to be challenged! First Secretan takes on many sacred cows-mission, vision and values statements, leadership theory, brand management theory, motivation techniques, psychometric profiling, performance management systems and coaching-to name a few, and then describes how alternatives to these ideas have been successfully implemented by some of the greatest organizations in the world. This is a message that unlocks the answers to challenging questions in a crisp, insightful, challenging, and fascinating way and defines a leadership path that will forever change your thinking-and change your life. He shows us how everyone can be an inspiring leader, create inspiring organizations and change the world.Currently our only understanding of the center of the earth has been gained through indirect evidence, and we are woefully ignorant of what goes on down below. So ignorant, in fact, that more than 220,000 people died from earthquakes in 2010 alone.Highlights and EventsCLOSING PLENARYWorldFuture 2011 organizers are still adding new special events and activities for conference goers in Vancouver. Here are just a few highlights.The Spark, the Flame and the TorchThanks go to our partners, including Amy Senger and Steven Mandzik of 1X57, for helping to arrange these events.C-8 The Power of the Long-Term Perspective, with Verne Wheelwright and Ufuk TarhanInspire Others. Inspire the World, Secretan takes us on an invigorating, radical and inspiring journey in which he challenges the very idea of a discipline called "leadership" and proposes, instead, that we first learn how to become inspired (The Spark), so that we can inspire others (The Flame) and create a legacy (The Torch).The World Future Society and 1X57 are excited to present Futurists: BetaLaunch, a showcase featuring 15-20 inventions and innovations alongside their inventor/ innovator. Conveniently located in the WFS Exhibit Hall, Futurists: BetaLaunch innovators will be available to discuss and demonstrate their inventions and innovations.The standard Class I DBAL-I2 has a visible red or green laser on the right side and an IR illuminator on the left. The IR illuminator can be adjusted from a wide flood to a tight beam to be used as an aiming point. The laser and illuminator are adjustable for windage and elevation. The unit can be activated by a button on top, remote pressure pad, or a constant- on setting via the activation mode selector switch at the rear of the unit. The DBAL-I2 is available in models to use either a single 123 or AA battery. The AA battery units have some additional circuitry and a longer battery cap. The nice part is that by substituting a 123 battery cap on the AA model you can use 123 s as well. Using AA batteries reduces battery life but allows the use of the more common AA battery. 123 units cannot use AA batteries. The DBAL-I2 is available in black or tan in both the 123 and AA versions.Welcoming ReceptionInside buildings I could see the difference in brightness between the two IR lasers, but both were effective.Clark informed me that Laser Devices is open to custom work. While walking around the production area I had a chance to inspect some DBAL-I2 units that were being built for the military of a U.S. ally nation. I could see that these units were set up to use AA batteries and had battery cap retention wire cables installed instead of the standard rubber lanyard. Clark stressed that customization is not limited to large military orders. I told him I was interested in a AA battery version of the DBAL-I2 with a Class I laser on the right and an IR illuminator on the left in tan, and all the control surfaces in black. His answer: "Sure. It'll be like a chocolate chip." Due to various processes in manufacturing, custom orders may take longer to deliver than standard orders, but in the end the customers get exactly what they need.
Reinventing Educational Activism by Creating Linkages: Technology, Content-Driven Collaboration, and Financial Literacy
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