The app trend shows no sign of slowing. While I agree that these apps make a lot of things easier, I have concerns that we are "dumbing down" computing. I guess if it gets more people to use tech that is good, but I still don't use these apps as I can accomplish much more from my trusty desktop and laptop. http://amplify.com/u/3wia
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
70 Tools 70 Minutes
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
70 Tools 70 Minutes
View more presentations from Silvia Tolisano.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Creating an Effective Online Hub
Check out this SlideShare Presentation: A great presentation for educators on how to maximize your online presence! From Richard Byrne-Free Technology for Teachers
Creating an Effective Online Hub
View more presentations from Richard Byrne.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Digital Tools for Teachers Toolboxes
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
Digital Tools for Teachers Toolboxes
View more presentations from Clif Mims.
Top 20 Web 2.0 Tools for Teachers and Librarians
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
Top 20 Web 2.0 Tools for Teachers and Librarians
View more presentations from scyuen.
OpenDNS Now Serves 1% Of The Internet (That’s A Big Number)
When you think of one percent of something, it’s usually not a very big number. But in some cases it is. Like when you’re talking about all of the users of the Internet in the world.
Today, OpenDNS is announcing that over one percent of the world’s Internet users are using its services. It’s the first DNS provider to hit such a milestone, and it means that over 18 million people are using the service to access the web in a way that founder and CEO David Ulevitch calls “safer, faster, smarter and more reliable.“
And that usage number has doubled in just the last 12 months, according to Ulevitch.
That type of growth is important because a new, big time player just entered the ring: Google. But despite the big name, and the right price (free), the results for Google’s DNS offering have varied. And in a test we ran with Google’s own Namebench product, OpenDNS easily beat Google in DNS speed.
The truth is that most users have no idea what any of these DNS services do, or how to go about changing them. So companies like OpenDNS have to rely on partnerships with schools (they have over 25,000), partnerships with large corporations (they have them with many Fortune 500 companies), or parents really worried about what their children are surfing for on the web. But again, the growth is clearly happening, and actually picking up speed, according to Ulevitch, so that’s a very good sign.
An even better sign: OpenDNS has been profitable since 2007.
[photo: flickr/jurvetson]
Website: opendns.com Location: San Francisco, California, United States Founded: November 1, 2005 Funding: $2.5M OpenDNS is the world’s largest, fastest-growing DNS service provider.
Through innovative uses of the DNS, the company is able to provide free parental controls (porn filtering), phishing protection, and other advanced services for consumers and… Learn More
Information provided by CrunchBase
via techcrunch.com
Monday, March 22, 2010
Google Apps in the Classroom
I came across this great slideshow presentation about Google Apps in Education.
The author is Chad Kafka and his site can be found at http://www.chadkafka.com
Many thanks Chad!
The author is Chad Kafka and his site can be found at http://www.chadkafka.com
Many thanks Chad!
Technology Review: Smarter LED Lights
A new approach to LED lighting uses network cables, rather than conventional electrical wiring, to supply power to lights. Developed by a startup in Fremont, CA, the system also allows the cables to carry data from an array of sensors on the lights to a central control station. The system would cost about the same as a conventional lighting system, but because it can sense and control every light in a building, it could cut power consumption from lighting by 50 to 80 percent.
The new system offers a better way to control LEDs, which are relatively efficient and long-lasting compared to conventional lights, by taking advantage of the fact that they run on low-voltage direct current power. Current LED-based systems require transformers at each light to convert the higher-voltage alternating current in conventional wiring into lower-voltage direct current. The new system converts alternating current to low-voltage direct current at a central location, rather than at each light. This more efficient method cuts energy consumption by 10 to 20 percent, according to Jeremy Stieglitz, vice president of marketing for Redwood Systems, which will start selling its systems this summer.
Powerful data: These low-voltage network wires carry both power and data for a new LED lighting system.
Credit: Redwood Systems
The remaining energy savings come from using sensors and a central controller to reduce light use. The company has also developed a method for using those same power cables to carry data. Each LED can be fitted with inexpensive sensors that can be used to optimize light levels and ensure the lights are operating efficiently. Such sensors can also provide detailed information about temperature and where people are in the building--information that can be used to control heating and cooling systems. The sensing and controls, says Steiglitz, add very little cost to the new system because the network connections and power supply for the sensors are already in place.
Each light comes equipped with six sensors. Two are similar to what's used in some newer lighting systems--they detect motion and ambient light (used to turn off lights when there's enough daylight). But where conventional systems control all the lights for an entire room or open cubicle area, the new system allows for control at each light. So the system could, for example, compensate for lower daylight levels further from windows, or dim lights in a large space where no one is working. The new system also monitors task lighting with a third sensor, to ensure that desktops are receiving enough light (something individuals could set according to their preference).
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Parents Of Nasal Learners Demand Odor-Based Curriculum #edchat
There's no need to expound here--just read the article! It's fantastic! http://amplify.com/u/3gj3
Algebra in Wonderland -- Good article to delve deeper into Alice! #edchat
Very good article taking a closer look at Alice in Wonderland. It would be a great source of discussion in many math classes. I wonder how many are actually using it. This is the kind of thing that makes math come alive for kids! http://amplify.com/u/3gik
FCC's Broadband Measuring Tool Gets 150,000 Takers, Shows West-Coast Bias
One of the problems with broadband tests is burst mode. For instance, Comcast uses a burst mode to increase your bandwidth and then throttles you back significantly. These tests do not have the duration to truly measure bandwidth over a significant length of time. http://amplify.com/u/3gib
Cartoon: The Winter of Our Dis-content
Buzzwords, Buzzwords, Buzzwords--this one has been around awhile but I don't see it going away any time soon. http://amplify.com/u/3ghx
How Cheap Could Computing Get: Free? NComputing Thinks So
It's interesting that there is a trend to returning to the old mainframe model of computing. The question that has to be answered is what can you accomplish on these "terminals." It will be interesting to see if this trend becomes a reality or is just another idea that never comes to fruition. http://amplify.com/u/3ghk
Sunday, March 21, 2010
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