I know one of the hardest things in business can be getting everyone together in one place for a meeting. Everybody has a million things to do and our diaries fill up fast. There are a lot of sites out there to “assist” in setting up a meeting, however most of the time they are more help than good. Signing up to things is a hassle and puts people off side pretty quickly. Before you know it, people are using different services - and you need a meeting organiser just to organise a meeting!

When Is Good aims to put a stop to all that and it looks very promising. The first thing you notice about the site is you don’t have to sign up. That’s a winner right there. Secondly, it’s just plain simple. You go on, click the times you are available and it sends out invitations to everyone who you’d like to come to the meeting. Invitees go and click on the grid when they are available and the service will work out a suitable time for you all to meet.

Stuck inside working all day? Have you ever wanted to look up and see sky? Well maybe now you can thanks to The Sky Factory.

A big congratulations to Bruny Island Charters who were last night named First Generation Family Business of the Year for Tasmania. Manager and Founder Robert Pennicott also won the Individual Entrepreneurial Award and a national nomination for the Jason Lea Award. The company will go on to compete for national awards later this year.

Just to remind everyone that I’m going to REMIX tomorrow, so unfortunately won’t be around to answer emails and phone calls…

For those of you who don’t know, REMIX is a Microsoft event showcasing the latest in web technologies, in particular Microsoft Expression Studio (a set of web design programs for designers), Windows Live (things like MSN, Hotmail, Live Search, Virtual Earth), Visual Studio 2008 (for making programs), Windows Presentation Foundation (for making programs with cutting edge interfaces) and Silverlight (sort of like Flash - for more exciting user experiences on the web). I’m looking forward to being impressed by the new techy stuff and can’t wait to tell you all about it afterwards!

The sessions I am attending are:

• What’s New in Windows Presentation Foundation 3.5 and beyond
• Developing great applications using ASP.NET MVC and ASP.NET AJAX
• Windows Live Platform: Take the best of Windows Live and make it yours
• Building an Immersive, Integrated Media Experience in Silverlight
• Building Rich Internet Applications using Microsoft Silverlight 2
• Using Microsoft Silverlight for Creating Rich Mobile User Experiences

If you’re interested in seeing what on earth I’m talking about, more is available from the REMIX website.

The website for Nick Haddow’s Bruny Island Cheese Company was launched today. The artisan cheese maker produces some of Australia’s finest boutique cheeses and their product is exported around the world. Twice nominated for Vogue / Audi Producer of the Year, the high quality cheese they produce is a reflection of Nick’s extensive experience and travels across the globe. Their Bruny Island cheesery also operates as an artisan bakery and cafe. Being only 15 minutes from the ferry be sure to stop in and visit next time you visit the island. Visit the Bruny Island Cheese Co website for more information.

My latest website, the official Bruny Island website has just been launched today. This website provides information on activities, attractions, food, wine, walks and all things Bruny Island. If you haven’t been to Bruny or haven’t visited the island in a while, check out the site now.

I came across kiva.org a while back and I’ve been wanting to donate for ages. Today, I finally bit the bullet and donated.

If you’ve never heard of Kiva before it’s an amazing idea. Individuals from across the world loaning money to businesses in poorer countries of the world. It’s sort of like sponsoring a child with a twist. The beauty of this idea is that you are helping people establish themselves and become self sufficient. The entrepreneurs post a profile on their business and what they plan to do with the money. If you like their story and want to help you can donate as little $25. Over time, your loan is actually repaid and then you can go and invest in another Kiva business.

I’ve chosen to donate to a family in Cambodia who sell firewood for a living and a man in Bolivia who runs a printing business. This is a really interesting way to make a difference to people less fortunate. I must admit I had a lot of trouble choosing who to loan to as there are some really touching stories. I encourage you to go and check it out - it’s a really easy way to make a difference to those who need it most. Go on, be a loaner!

Any of you watching Channel 9’s Getaway program may have noticed a feature story on Tasman Island Cruises. This new Port Arthur Cruise has been getting a lot of media attention lately after the official opening by Tourism Minister, The Hon. Paula Wreidt MHA. I was lucky enough to go on the trip a fortnight ago and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Visit the website for more information on the Tasman Island Cruise at Port Arthur.

It was interesting to read that a few days ago, a ship accidentally cut off internet access to 75 million people in India, Dubai and Egypt. And it wasn’t just internet that was disrupted - phones were affected too. Internet access slowed to a snails pace as traffic tried to find alternative means of routing. Businesses and home users were equally affected and the situation became so desperate that the Egyptian government urged home users to stop using the internet to allow business traffic to be able to get through. It got me thinking - how disruptive would that be to users here in Australia if it were to happen here? Recent trends show than almost all of us do not go a day without a phone call, email or jumping on to the internet.

This map is a rough guide to the under-sea cables that link the world’s communication. As you can see, Australia doesn’t have many links out of the country. Are we really immune? Imagine the millions of dollars lost to business for each day internet was effectively unavailable. Are governments doing enough to ensure these valuable links to the outside world are secure? It’s certainly food for thought…

My latest site about Bruny Island is now live. This site contains information on accommodation and activities on Bruny Island including ferry times, weather, history, tours, walks, food and dining and accommodation bookings. Visit Bruny Island Holiday Retreats.