Schlagwort: English language

Tokyo’s Top 10 Must-See Attractions: The Ultimate Guide to Japan’s Vibrant Capital

Must See in Tokyo: The Rainbow Bridge in Tokyo Bay shines like a beacon against the city’s electrifying skyline, a perfect introduction to Tokyo’s vibrant chaos.
Must See in Tokyo: The Rainbow Bridge in Tokyo Bay shines like a beacon against the city’s electrifying skyline, a perfect introduction to Tokyo’s vibrant chaos.

When it comes to experiencing the best of Tokyo, the options can be overwhelming. From ancient temples to cutting-edge skyscrapers, this city seamlessly blends tradition with innovation, offering something for every traveler. If you’re planning a trip to Japan, here are the top 10 must-see spots in Tokyo that will make your visit unforgettable.

1. Shibuya Crossing: Tokyo’s Iconic Intersection

No trip to Tokyo is complete without experiencing the organized chaos of Shibuya Crossing, the world’s busiest pedestrian intersection. By day or night, this spot is a dazzling display of neon lights, endless crowds, and energy that perfectly encapsulates the city’s pulse. To see Shibuya in all its glory, check out my in-depth experience and video in Shibuya Nights: A Kaleidoscope of Tokyo’s Urban Life.

Dive into the heart of Tokyo’s most famous intersection, Shibuya Crossing, at night. This mesmerizing time-lapse video captures the organized chaos and vibrant energy of one of the world’s busiest pedestrian crossings. Watch the full video on YouTube.

2. Senso-ji Temple: A Step Back in Time

Asakusa’s Senso-ji Temple is Tokyo’s oldest and most famous temple, drawing visitors with its stunning architecture and rich history. Wander through the bustling Nakamise shopping street, lined with traditional stalls offering local snacks and souvenirs, before reaching the temple’s grand entrance.

3. Tokyo Tower: A Panoramic View

Standing tall as a symbol of Japan’s post-war rebirth, Tokyo Tower offers breathtaking panoramic views of the city. Climb to the top and enjoy sweeping views that extend all the way to Mount Fuji on a clear day.

4. The Imperial Palace: A Royal Retreat

The Imperial Palace, home to Japan’s Emperor, is surrounded by lush gardens and moats in the heart of Tokyo. While the inner grounds are generally closed to the public, the East Gardens are open year-round and provide a peaceful escape from the city’s hustle.

5. Harajuku: The Hub of Youth Culture

Known as the birthplace of kawaii (cute) culture, Harajuku is the epicenter of Tokyo’s youth fashion scene. Stroll down Takeshita Street to discover quirky boutiques, themed cafes, and a vibrant atmosphere that’s uniquely Tokyo.

6. Tsukiji Outer Market: A Food Lover’s Paradise

Though the inner wholesale market has moved to Toyosu, the Tsukiji Outer Market remains a must-see in Tokyo for food lovers. Here, you can sample some of the freshest seafood and other Japanese delicacies, and even try your hand at making sushi. For a deeper dive into Tokyo’s culinary scene, don’t miss my visit to a top sushi chef in Mastering Sushi: Insider Tips from Tokyo’s Elite.

Witness a master sushi chef in Tokyo as he crafts culinary perfection with precision and grace. This behind-the-scenes look offers a glimpse into the artistry that makes Tokyo’s sushi world-renowned. Watch the full video on YouTube.

7. Odaiba: Tokyo’s Futuristic Waterfront

Odaiba, a man-made island in Tokyo Bay, offers futuristic attractions, shopping, and entertainment. Visit the life-sized Unicorn Gundam Statue, explore teamLab Borderless’s digital art museum, or relax on the beach with views of the Rainbow Bridge illuminated at night. For a glimpse of Odaiba’s stunning nightscape, check out my video and post in Tokyo’s Neon Pulse: A First Encounter with Japan’s Urban Jungle.

8. Akihabara: The Anime and Electronics Mecca

Akihabara is a must-see in Tokyo for fans of anime, manga, and cutting-edge electronics. This district is a treasure trove of themed cafes, endless arcades, and shops filled with the latest gadgets. It’s a unique experience that showcases Tokyo’s tech-savvy side.

Tokyo, Japan
Dive into the heart of Akihabara, where anime culture and cutting-edge electronics meet. This vibrant district is a haven for tech enthusiasts and fans of Japanese pop culture.

9. Meiji Shrine: A Spiritual Oasis

Nestled in a lush forested area in Shibuya, Meiji Shrine is a serene retreat dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. The shrine’s tranquil surroundings and traditional Shinto architecture provide a peaceful contrast to the bustling city outside.

10. Tokyo Skytree: Touch the Sky

The Tokyo Skytree, the tallest structure in Japan, offers unparalleled views from its observation decks. At night, the tower is beautifully illuminated, making it a beacon of light in the Tokyo skyline. It’s the perfect spot to end your Tokyo adventure with a view that stretches far beyond the city limits.

Must See in Tokyo: Plan Your Tokyo Adventure

These top 10 must-see attractions in Tokyo provide a well-rounded experience of the city’s unique blend of history, culture, and innovation. Whether you’re captivated by the neon-lit streets of Shibuya or the traditional charm of Asakusa, Tokyo is a city that will leave you wanting more.

If you’re interested in how technology is transforming cities like Tokyo and shaping the future of work, don’t miss my new book Decisively Digital: From Creating Culture to Designing Strategy. Learn more and grab your copy here: Decisively Digital.

Celebrating 5 Years at Microsoft: Reflecting on a Journey of Innovation and Impact

Alexander Loth stands on stage at a Microsoft event, delivering a presentation. The backdrop features a quote from Satya Nadella, "We empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more." The audience is visible in the foreground, attentively watching the presentation. (photo by Microsoft Corp.)
Me presenting on stage at a Microsoft event with Satya Nadella’s quote, „We empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more,“ displayed in the background.

Today marks a significant milestone in my career – 5 years at Microsoft. It’s been an incredible journey, filled with growth, innovation, and a sense of community that I deeply cherish.

As I look back, I am filled with gratitude for the experiences and lessons learned along the way:

1. A Remarkably Supportive and Collaborative Culture

From my very first day at Microsoft, I was welcomed into a culture that values collaboration and support. The camaraderie among the team members is truly special. Whether it’s working on challenging projects or brainstorming new ideas, there’s always a sense of unity and mutual respect. This supportive environment has been a cornerstone of my growth and success here.

2. AI: The Heartbeat of Our Work

At Microsoft, AI isn’t just a buzzword – it’s the heartbeat of our work. I’ve had the privilege of witnessing firsthand how AI can drive transformative change across various industries. The innovative solutions we develop are not only cutting-edge but also have a profound impact on the world. It’s exhilarating to be part of a team that’s pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with AI.

3. Commitment to Responsible AI

One of the aspects I admire most about Microsoft is our unwavering commitment to responsible AI. We are dedicated to creating technology with integrity and humility. Every team, project, and initiative reflects this dedication. The emphasis on ethical AI development ensures that we are building a future where technology serves humanity positively and equitably.

4. Tech for Social Impact: Shaping a Better Future

Working with Tech for Social Impact (TSI) has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. We are not just envisioning a better future; we are actively shaping it. Our ambitious vision for Copilot is just the beginning of a transformative journey. The work we do at TSI has the potential to create significant positive change, and I am proud to be part of this mission.

5. Continuous Learning and Innovation

Continuous learning and innovation are at the core of Microsoft’s success. The opportunities for growth are endless, from the exciting projects in the Microsoft Garage to the numerous volunteering initiatives. Staying curious and constantly seeking to learn new things is encouraged and celebrated. This culture of continuous improvement is a driving force behind our collective achievements.

A big thank you to the mentors, managers, and colleagues who have been incredibly supportive. I’m immensely proud of our collective achievements and can’t wait to see what the future holds! Here’s to many more years of innovation, impact, and a shared vision of creating technology that empowers everyone.

If you’d like to stay updated on my journey and insights on AI, digital transformation, and more, follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

„Celebrating 5 Years at Microsoft: Reflecting on a Journey of Innovation and Impact“ weiterlesen

Handle Your Tasks with These M365 Copilot Prompts

An intricate, steampunk-style robot meticulously writing on paper, symbolizing the seamless integration of AI and human creativity in productivity tasks, perfect for enhancing efficiency with M365 Copilot prompts.
Steampunk robot writing with gears and cogs, representing AI-driven productivity in M365 Copilot prompts.

I’d like to share my favorite M365 Copilot prompts. These prompts help streamline tasks, prioritize work, and stay on top of leads and emails. They’re designed to be versatile for various roles, not just sales.

Task Management and Reporting Prompts

Daily Checklist and Time Management

  1. Create a daily checklist: Generate a daily checklist based on my upcoming meetings and emails, prioritize by impact, and allocate time blocks for focused work.
  2. Identify top tasks: From the daily checklist, identify the top three tasks requiring immediate attention. Suggest the most efficient sequence to tackle them and draft a brief update email summarizing the progress on these tasks.
  3. Task alignment and scheduling: Identify tasks aligned with my role as a [insert title or role description] and schedule them according to my energy levels throughout the day, ensuring high-impact tasks are placed in my peak productivity windows.

Lead Management Copilot Prompts

Open Leads and Actions

  1. Check for open leads: Review my emails and Teams for any open leads.
  2. Pending actions on leads: Examine my emails and Teams for any actions pending, specifically looking for open leads and opportunities with customers.
  3. Create a report on leads: Investigate my SharePoint, emails, and Teams to create a succinct report for the leadership team on my work, achievements, and progress in closing leads, including relevant impact numbers.

Email Management Copilot Prompt

Customer Email Summary

  • Summarize customer emails: Provide a table with any emails received from [time period] from [customer domain] and a summary of each email with any required action items.

These prompts can significantly improve productivity and ensure that you stay organized and proactive in managing your tasks and communications.

If you like these M365 Copilot prompts, check out my tutorial on how to use Copilot in Excel. If you’re interested in learning more about the impact of AI, check out my book Decisively Digital (Amazon). Stay tuned for more updates!

What are your favorite Copilot prompts? Share them on LinkedIn, Instagram or X (Twitter):

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How to Use Copilot in Excel: Mastering Excel with M365 Copilot – Data Analysis Tutorial

How to Use Copilot in Excel: A screenshot from an Excel Copilot demo showing various charts and graphs analyzing donor data. The interface includes a Copilot preview pane suggesting insights, and a video overlay of a presenter explaining the data. Graphs display information such as winter donations by date, donation amounts by last name, age distribution by gender and membership status, and occupation impact on donation behavior.
How to Use Copilot in Excel: Screenshot of the Excel Copilot video on Youtube analyzing donor data with graphs and insights.

Welcome to our deep dive into donor data with Excel Copilot! We will explore insights from our donor dataset to understand donor behavior, campaign effectiveness, and seasonal trends. Let’s learn how to use Copilot in Excel and dive into the data to see what stories it tells us.

How to Use Copilot in Excel with Copilot Prompts

To begin, look for the Copilot icon in the upper right corner. Copilot suggests actions such as „show data insights“, which we’ll select. Then select „+ Add to new sheet.“

Visual Enhancement

To make our data more engaging, let’s add a colorful icon next to donors whose donation amount exceeds $100. This visual cue will help us quickly identify high-value donors.

Excel Copilot Prompt: Add a colorful icon if Donation_Amount is more than 100.

Days Since Last Donation

Next, we’ll calculate the number of days since each donor’s last donation. This will help us identify recent donors versus those who haven’t donated in a while.

Excel Copilot Prompt: Calculate the number of days since each donor’s last donation and add this as a new column.
Action Step: Insert Column

Campaign Effectiveness

Let’s analyze how different communication methods, such as email and phone, impact donation amounts. We will identify which method is most effective for different donor segments.

Excel Copilot Prompt: Analyze the effectiveness of different communication methods (email, phone) on donation amounts. Identify which method is most effective for different donor segments.

Occupation Impact

Let’s examine the impact of donor occupations on their donation behavior. We’ll look at donation amounts and frequencies across various occupations to see which ones are associated with the highest donations.

Excel Copilot Prompt: Examine how a donor’s occupation affects their donation behavior, including donation amount and frequency. Identify which occupations are associated with the highest donations.

Lifetime Value (LTV)

Next, we will compute the lifetime value of each donor, which is the total amount donated over time. This will give us a sense of each donor’s value to our organization.

Excel Copilot Prompt: Compute the lifetime value (total donations over time) for each donor and add it as a new column.
Action Step: Insert Column

We’ll identify seasonal trends in donations by calculating the total donations for each donor during different seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. These insights will help us tailor our campaigns to seasonal patterns.

Excel Copilot Prompt: Identify seasonal trends by calculating the total donations for each donor during different seasons (spring, summer, fall, winter) and add these as new columns.
Action Step: Insert Columns

Conclusion

By analyzing these aspects of our donor data, we gain valuable insights into donor behavior, campaign effectiveness, and seasonal trends. This information will empower us to make informed decisions and enhance our fundraising strategies. Thank you for joining me in this data exploration. Let’s open the floor for any questions or further discussion!

How to Use Copilot in Excel: Watch the Full Video

Watch the full Excel Copilot Tutorial on YouTube or on LinkedIn:

Download the Dataset

Get the dataset used in this Excel Copilot tutorial: Download Donors.xlsx Dataset

Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more insightful demos and data-driven strategies! If you’re interested in learning more about the impact of AI, check out my book Decisively Digital (Amazon).

Happy data exploring! Stay tuned for more updates and feel free to leave your questions or comments on LinkedIn:

„How to Use Copilot in Excel: Mastering Excel with M365 Copilot – Data Analysis Tutorial“ weiterlesen

#datamustread: Visualize This: The FlowingData Guide to Design, Visualization, and Statistics (2nd Edition) by Nathan Yau

A bookshelf neatly arranged with several books on data visualization and analytics: Displayed in the center is the 2nd edition of "Visualize This: The FlowingData Guide to Design, Visualization, and Statistics" by Nathan Yau. Surrounding this book are various other titles, including those by the Alexander Loth: "Decisively Digital", "Teach Yourself VISUALLY Power BI", "Visual Analytics with Tableau", "Datenvisualisierung mit Tableau", "Datenvisualisierung mit Power BI", and "KI für Content Creation." Other visible titles include "Rewired" and "Self-Service BI & Analytics." The arrangement highlights a strong focus on data visualization, analytics, and AI.
The 2nd edition of Visualize This by Nathan Yau, surrounded by several influential data and AI books, including my own works like Decisively Digital and Teach Yourself Visually Power BI.

While my latest book, KI für Content Creation, has just been reviewed by the renowned c’t magazine, I’m happy to continue reviewing books myself. Today, I’m reviewing the just-released second edition of a cornerstone of the data visualization community, Visualize This: The FlowingData Guide to Design, Visualization, and Statistics by Nathan Yau.

Visualize This: A Deep Dive into Data Visualization

Nathan Yau’s Visualize This has long been a staple for data enthusiasts, and the updated second edition brings fresh techniques, technologies, and examples that reflect the rapidly evolving landscape of data visualization.

Core Highlights of This Book

Data-First Approach: Yau emphasizes that effective visualizations start with a deep understanding of the data. This foundational principle ensures that the resulting graphics are not just visually appealing but also accurately convey the underlying information.

Diverse Toolkit: The book introduces a wide range of tools, including the latest R packages, Python libraries, JavaScript libraries, and illustration software. Yau’s pragmatic approach helps readers choose the right tool for the job without feeling overwhelmed by options.

Real-World Applications: With practical, hands-on examples using real-world datasets, readers learn to create meaningful visualizations. This experiential learning approach is particularly valuable for grasping the subtleties of data representation.

Comprehensive Tutorials: The step-by-step guides are a standout feature, covering statistical graphics, geographical maps, and information design. These tutorials provide clear, actionable instructions that make complex visualizations accessible.

Web and Print Design: Yau details how to create visuals suitable for various mediums, ensuring versatility in application whether for digital platforms or printed materials.

Personal Insights on Visualize This

Having taught data strategy and visualization for seven years, I find Visualize This to be an exceptional resource for a broad audience. Yau skillfully integrates scientific data visualization techniques with graphic design principles, providing practical advice along the way. The book’s toolkit is extensive, featuring R, Illustrator, XML, Python (with BeautifulSoup), JSON, and more, each with working code examples to demonstrate real-world applications.

The image shows an open page from the second edition of "Visualize This: The FlowingData Guide to Design, Visualization, and Statistics" by Nathan Yau. The page, from Chapter 5 titled "Visualizing Categories," features a colorful visualization titled "Cycle of Many," which depicts a 24-hour snapshot of daily activities based on data from the American Time Use Survey. This visual highlights how categories change over time and demonstrates the book's practical approach to data visualization.
Visualize This featuring a colorful 24-hour activity visualization based on data from the American Time Use Survey.

Even though I read the first edition years ago, I couldn’t put the second edition down all weekend. This book is a must-read for anyone who handles data or prepares data-based reports. Its beautiful presentation and careful consideration of every aspect—from typeface to page layout—make it a pleasure to read.

The book is user-friendly, offering a massive set of references and free tools for obtaining interesting datasets across various fields, from sports to politics to health. This breadth of resources is crucial for anyone looking to create impactful visualizations across different domains.

While the focus on Adobe Illustrator might be daunting due to its cost and learning curve, Yau’s examples show how Illustrator can enhance graphics created in other tools like SAS and R. I personally prefer the open-source Inkscape, but Yau’s insights helped me overcome my initial reluctance to use Illustrator, leading to more polished and professional visuals.

Yau uses R, Python, and Adobe Illustrator to demonstrate what can be achieved with imagination and creativity. Although some readers might desire more complex walkthroughs from raw data to final graphics, such material would require substantial foundational knowledge in R and Python. Including this would make the book significantly thicker and veer off from its focus on creating visually appealing graphics.

Conclusion: Visualize This is Essential Reading for Data Professionals

Visualize This (Amazon) is an indispensable guide for anyone serious about data visualization. Its methodical, data-first approach, combined with practical tutorials and a comprehensive toolkit, makes it a must-read for information designers, analysts, journalists, statisticians, and data scientists.

For those looking to refine their data visualization skills and create compelling, accurate graphics, this book offers invaluable insights and techniques.

Connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter for more reviews and insights on the latest in data & AI, and #datamustread:

„#datamustread: Visualize This: The FlowingData Guide to Design, Visualization, and Statistics (2nd Edition) by Nathan Yau“ weiterlesen