Blurts

This link shows the Sorlie Bridge (see my own pictures in previous posts). Traffic was still flowing when I viewed this link, but the bridge is scheduled to be closed at 10.

Apple is being sued again. This time because the iPhone is being promoted as an ebook reader. Evidently a Swiss company applied for a patent:

MONEC believes those advances directly violate its patent, which describes a “light-weight” electronic device with a “touch-screen” LCD-display having the “dimensions such that […] approximately one page of a book can be illustrated at normal size, this display being integrated in a flat, frame-like housing.”

OK, I am now attempting to read books on my iTouch. The Touch does have a touch screen and it is light weight. However, it does not come close to displaying “approximately one page of a book at normal size”. 

I wonder if this company has also sued Amazon, the Kindle does not have a touch screen, but it comes closer to displaying a page at normal size. 

I also wonder what constitutes “prior art” in this realm. There was the famous Apple Newton which preceded all of these smaller tablet devices now being used for whatever purpose. 

The Red River has flooded many times in the 30+ years we have lived in Grand Forks. Until 1997, we expected that the flooding could be handled. Now, it looks like the potential exists for another serious flood. The greatest danger is south of us in Fargo, but there is anxiety in Grand Forks as well. I took a few pictures today as the flood wall was assembled in East Grand Forks.

My general reaction to Twitter posts is that they tell me very little, but they may direct me to something important. If someone wants to offer an explanation, a summary, or analysis, take the time to write something. I think Live Tweeting (if this is the term) from conferences is of little value to those not in attendance. Now, if I am listening to the same presentation and have a fuller perspective, Twitter comments may make some sense. 

This is a microblog so this comment is not really intended to inform or analyze. See this post by Louis Gray for an expanded discussion with a similar perspective. 

The “Does Google make us stupid” question receives another (but delayed) rebuttal (Campus Technology). I include this link as much for the comments as the analysis. In a way, I am collecting these posts because I want students in my graduate class on web experiences to sort through the various arguments. 

So you have Carr and Bauerlein on one side of this argument and Tapscott, Rheingold, etc. on the other. What are the issues here? Potential vs. reality. Changing values. Changing priorities. Higher order thinking skills not keeping up. Superficial learning tasks.  

The list grows and grows. 

It appears Cisco is expanding and has purchased the Flip Camcorder. I think the Flip is a great product with tremendous potential in classrooms (or when students venture from the classroom).