Blurts

This update will likely confuse those who access what I offer from Twitter. I posted this a few days ago, but in a state of confusion deleted it.  It is worth trying again.

ISTE records many of their NECC sessions makes the video available through ISTEVision.

My recommendation would be the Macolm Gladwell keynote (sessions and keynotes), but that is just me.

This from the Journal of the American College of Nutrition (not a journal I have read before) – study evaluating consumption of coffee and non-caloric colas in comparison to water.

Advising people to disregard caffeinated beverages as part of the daily fluid intake is not substantiated by the results of this study.

Ha – coffee is OK.

I was alerted to this study by a post on LifeHacker.

You might get the idea that I am anti Microsoft. I would rather think of myself as pro “other company”. However, when I see something I like, I should say so no matter the source.

I like Bing the search site. I have fallen into using Google by default and I have decided this is not a good thing. If nothing else, I think it is important to encourage innovation and you certainly do not do that if you fail to give those who offer new offerings a chance.

Microsoft has attempted to differentiate Bing from Google Search by describing Bing as a decision engine. I interpret this to mean that locating information is not the same as locating answers (I want credit for this just in case it is original). 

Microsoft proposes that Bing is the answer to the way we actually search. Perhaps this is a recognition that we typically take a simplistic approach even though sophistication could be imposed with a little more effort. We rely on the popularity of sites to reflect the usefulness of information to an undescribed goal. 

Bing suggests extension options as search terms are entered. Bing offers categories related to the findings produced (or that can be applied to the search) and these categories can be applied to focus the results. 

There are probably formal efforts to compare search power, but in the end the decision is based (or perhaps should be based) on whether the tool serves the user. I propose Bing is worth a look.

Pogue review

From time to time, I comment on online music services. Such comments have included Pandora, Last.fm (cost issue), and others (search music on my other blog). The issues involved are interesting and in some very general ways are relevant to education (e.g., copyright, free content).

Evidently, some of the issues associated with music sites (not file sharing, but sites that are basicaly Internet radio) have been resolved. Evidently, the fees these sites are charged for offering listeners access have been brought more in line with the number of actual listeners (my interpretations). There do now appear to be some concessions from the providers. Slashdot reports that Pandora will now require users who listen to more than 40 hours in a month to pay 99 cents for continued access within that month. 40 HOURS! This hardly seems a hardship.

BTW – I pay $3 for my last.fm account. I am not even exactly sure why. I like the stats. I guess i don’t have to look at ads – not a big deal when the focus is listening to the music.

This topic is interesting because of the “monetization” issue that all Internet users must accept in all areas. The changes within this industry may offer a preview.

We had the opportunity to experience the Microsoft Surface this afternoon. A bit pricey and not many apps, but there must be an future for this type of technology in education. I do think think that multi-point “touch” offers a unique way to interact.

Apple had pretty much zero presence at NECC this year. No booth in the vender area. No sessions by Apple focused on Apple products. I know that Apple has pulled out of Macworld and probably other trade shows as well, but I just don’t get it.

In seeking answers I have asked other Apple fans for info.

Some suggestions.

Apple puts money into its stores and sees these outlets as the means by which they display products, offer training and education, etc.

Fine for big city folks, but what about those of us in North Dakota (or many other places). Isn’t it kind of elitist or perhaps ignorant to assume everyone lives within a convenient distance from one of your stores.

Apple knows that only Apple fans spend time in the Apple booth or Apple classrooms

Hmm – this one took me a while to process. My first reaction was that this assumes there is no hope of winning converts. What is up with the I’m a PC and I’m a Mac campaign then? Perhaps just for the entertainment value?

Apple sells great hardware and other vendors will offer examples of software suited to the Apple hardware.

I think this position represents a poor understanding of the direction things are moving. I think we are moving toward less powerful/capable hardware and online apps (mostly for free). What Apple should be doing to counter this trend is to sell the value available in the hardware (I’m a PC, but I truly can’t do much) AND the software that often comes bundled with the MAC. The iLife suite is what Apple should be pushing at education conferences. More and more this is what I think Apple has to offer the education community.

Apple – offer a netbook for the rest of us or show up next year!