Blurts

This makes sense. The iPad as a reasonably priced communication tool for the disabled.

Just when I thought Microsoft may have some redeeming qualities I encounter a virus. I lecture in “smart classrooms” (now think about this phrase for a moment) that make use of machines running Windows. I bring in my materials on a flash drive. For the second time this semester, my flash drive has been infected with a virus. I get back to my office, plug the drive into my Mac, and the files are just sitting there. Not a problem. However, what if I would have decided to take my flash into another lab or launched VM Fusion on my Mac so I could work on SPSS (the U is too cheap to purchase SPSS for the Mac).

The Univ. combats viruses in the student labs by using Deep Freeze. Each time a computer boots it reverts to a specified set of files and settings. Supposedly no problem as long as you restart the machine before you do your work. There are certain machines that the Univ. reserves for faculty. The machines in the smart classrooms are a case in point. Instead of protecting these machines the Univ. leaves them wide open. I assume this is because faculty like to mess with the machines – add plugins and such – and it is too much work to set up the “image” each time something new needs to be added. How am I to protect myself in this environment? I have to work on Windows machines from time to time and I have to use machines that are open to others.

This is a very cool Touch, iPhone or Ipad app allowing you to play the top music from a year of your choice.

Check out this short piece from Wired magazine. The article portrays Google, Apple and Microsoft as locked in an epic battle. The most useful part of the article may be the image – expand it and examine it carefully. The image identifies the point of competition between the three companies. Very interesting.

What is mentioned but under-emphasized here is the amount of money and influence that are invested and at stake. I am thinking this is a battle we want no one to win.

As the news that NING was no longer going to be free (see my previous post), some began to offer suggestions for alternatives. For example, Free Technology for Teachers offered a list of other free services (most not nearly as powerful).

My reaction is:

• Why would free be what you are looking for? Is an online presence meaningful to you or not?
• Why not spend a hundred dollars, establish a presence you control. and pick the services you want to offer?
• Why not look at web hosting as an opportunity to learn something?

This site (not just this blog, but the multiple resources I offer at Learningaloud.com) costs me less than $100 a year and the hosting service offers the automatic installation of a wide variety of tools including Drupal, Moodle, several blog, wiki, photosharing options, and more. I use hosting services from Bluehost and have been impressed, but with a little web exploration you could likely find other credible services. I purchase several other services as well, but I would suggest $100 a year would be sufficient for most personal or small group projects. When you get right down to it – what other hobby would offer this much entertainment and so many learning opportunities for so little money?

One final suggestion – select software that allows you to export your content. For example, I can be assured that the content of my WordPress blog or this blog (using b2evolution) can be exported if need be and posted elsewhere.

I just read this post on TechCrunch contending that Ning is terminating its free product. I know that Ning has been popular within the educational community – it was powerful and it was free (Ning In Education). Anyone know if those who have taken this route are now out of luck?

It has just announced that it is killing off its free product, forcing existing free networks to either make the change to premium accounts or migrate their networks elsewhere.