The Commonwealth Club Silicon Valley and the Computer History Museum today announced a new Silicon Valley forum, “Digital Crossroads – Where Technology Meets Our Daily Lives.” Sponsored by Microsoft, the program is dedicated to informing the public about important technology issues that affect their lives. Unlike other Silicon Valley forums, the Digital Crossroads series is distinct in its focus on the impact of technology and how people can manage it to enhance their lives.
The forum premieres the evening of Thursday, April 19th at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View with “Taming Gaming in Your Home.” Journalist/author Gerard Jones, the renowned Bay Area creator of children’s entertainment (Batman and Spider-Man comics, and Pokémon cartoons) will join representatives from Common Sense Media, Electronic Arts, and Microsoft to discuss how to understand and manage computer gaming and content in the household (details below).
In the coming months, “Digital Crossroads” will address a wide range of topics -- from protecting oneself from online fraud, to technologies that can help reduce the environmental impact, with the goal of offering insight and practical guidance on how to manage technology in one’s daily life and using it to one’s best advantage.
“Technology is completely integrated into our lives, now, and has increased our ability to work and communicate. Yet the prevalence of technology in daily life has raised new issues of safety, security, quality of life, intrusiveness, and appropriate application” said Dr. Gloria Duffy, President & CEO of The Commonwealth Club. “The Club is delighted to collaborate with the Computer History Museum and Microsoft to help our community learn more about these questions and provide input as our society continues to address them.”
“The Computer History Museum is thrilled to launch this important new forum to help the community to better understand and manage technology in our lives,” said PR Team, Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President of Public Programs, Computer History Museum. “Our vision is to explore the computing revolution and its impact on human experience. As technology has moved from behind data center walls and become central to our personal lives, increasing our knowledge and control of it is essential.”
“Microsoft products and services help hundreds of millions of people around the world be more productive in their pursuits whether it is tabulating a spread sheet or beating your crew on Xbox Live,” said Dan’l Lewin, Corporate Vice President, Strategic and Emerging Business Development. “Our responsibility is to help educate and inform the public so everyone can use technology safely and effectively, whatever their passion.”
| Program: | "Taming Gaming in Your Home" |
| Date: | Thursday, April 19 |
| Location: | Computer History Museum, Mountain View, Calif. (Shoreline at 101) |
| Time: |
3:00 – 7:00PM Xbox Bus Open to the Public in the parking lot to educate parents and kids on controls in Xbox and Vista to manage content. 6:00 PM Members Reception 7:00 – 8:30PM Panel Discussion A special drawing will be held at the end of the program for a new XBox 360 Bundle—a $399 value. |
| Admittance: | FREE |
| Register: | Commonwealthclub.org/sv or call 800-847-7730 |
| Discussion: | Video and computer games have become the entertainment choice of many children as well as adults. Parents are justifiably concerned about the amount of time their children spend playing games, as well as the appropriateness of the content. How can parents be more effective in guiding their children's video game playing habits and preferences? Our expert panel will cover issues of content rating systems, parental controls in consoles and PCs, and how to turn playing computer and video games into a positive family experience. |
| Speakers: |
Lucy Bradshaw, Vice President and Executive Producer, Electronic Arts Gerard Jones, author of Killing Monsters and Men of Tomorrow Peter Moore, Corporate Vice President, Interactive Entertainment Business, Entertainment and Devices Division, Microsoft Moderator Linda Burch, Vice Chair, Common Sense Media |
| Presented by: | The Commonwealth Club Silicon Valley and Computer History Museum |
| Sponsored by: |
Microsoft Corporation |
For over one hundred years, the Commonwealth Club (www.commonwealthclub.org) has lived up to its charter to educate, inspire, and inform the public about the world in which we live. It is the nation's premier non-profit public affairs forum and over its long-standing history it has hosted prominent men and women from every field of human endeavor including technology luminaries such as Bill Gates, John Chambers, Sergey Brin, and Larry Page.
About the Computer History Museum
Computer History Museum (www.computerhistory.org) in Mountain View, California is dedicated to preserving and presenting for posterity the artifacts and stories of the information age. CHM brings computing history to life through tours of its collection, a content-rich website, and public programs featuring personal stories from technology leaders and pioneers of our time. Its signature exhibition, a large, interactive "Timeline of Computing History," opens in October 2009. .
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
PR Team
pr@computerhistory.org
(650) 810-1059
