Blurts

I seldom comment on security issues, but Zoom happens to be the video conferencing service I teach with and the one I recommend. There is a problem with the Mac version that needs to be addressed before it is safe to use. [Description from Life Hacker]

I have written about the Brave Browser on several occasions (use the blog search box if you are interested in early posts). The company continues to roll out new features and the most recent effort to compensate Brave users for viewing the ads provided by Brave will likely catch people’s attention (description contrasting Brave and most popular browsers from Android Hire).

The opportunity to benefit from viewing ads in combination with the blocking of traditional targeted ads based on the collection of personal information will likely be attractive to many who become aware of Brave. This company offers another opportunity I think is equally important. It allows users of the browser to compensate content creators who are losing potential revenue through ad blocking. This is possible because content consumers either put in some money themselves or no use the revenue they generate from viewing Brave ads to provide this compensation.

I have been using Brave for some time now as a personal experiment. I put in $50 to fund sites signing on with Brave and I am no enrolled in the compensation for viewing ads program. The following screen capture might give you some idea of the amount of money that is actually involved. Clearly, this is about micropayments, but the concepts are interesting. A problem of Brave at present is that the programs are specific to a given device. This severely limits both the allocation and the receipt of funds because many of us work on many different devices. The exchange of funds at present also does in work with phones and tablets. These changes are coming.

I have identified three distinct areas in my Rewards display. The wallet indicates the funds (either from my contribution of money or the review I have received as an ad user and a registered content provider). The ad section is the income generated on this machine for viewing ads (I have my browser set to the lowest number of ads so this would be the lowest revenue tier). The supported sites window contains the list of sites visited from the machine with the percentage of time spent on each site. The percentages determine the amount of monthly allocation that would be contributed to each content provider (if that provider had signed up for the service).

Google has created some 3D animals that you can apply in AR. I have been able to get this to work using the Apple Safari browser. Google an animal (I know bear and lion work). Near the top of the hits you should find the link to the Google 3D animal. Use this link. This should download the 3D animal to your browser. A tab should appear near the top of the display that says AR. With this tab, you can display the animal against whatever your camera displays.

This article from The Verge offers more details.

Yes, we are now into summer and students would be unlikely to be able to participate in gardening as a class activity. I know from experience that an issue with school yard projects is keeping these projects going over the summer. If students are around, there are learning benefits from growing and eating garden vegetables. This link takes you to a full description of what students can learn from gardening. In some cases, it may even demonstrate where food comes from. Food you grow yourself is also more interesting to consume. Then there are the benefits of learning science by doing and analyzing. There is also soil science, climate science, composting, and too often, entomology.

The photo is from my own garden. I garden in 4×4 raised beds. We have 11 of these beds around the perimeter of our yard. Here, from front to back are brussels sprouts and lettuce, broccoli, and peppers.

This is a panel discussion form the 2019 AERA panel on Social Media in a Post-Truth Era. I thought those who follow online media may find it of value. The description of how some groups are organized to take over and mislead the general public is interesting.

Many classrooms raise monarch butterflies to see the transition from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. In doing so, students probably learn that the monarch is endangered because of the loss of habitat that pretty much translates as access to milkweed plants.

The processes of rearing monarchs and planting milkweeds are both relatively easy to accomplish and offer some interesting opportunities for learning. If students plant milkweed plants in home gardens, will they be able to attract butterflies that lay eggs that emerge as caterpillars. There is plenty of content to read. There are activities that can result in scientific observations and data collection. There are opportunities to author content related to this research and to urge others to participate.

The value of increasing access to milkweed within cities has been documented. Seeds are typically easy to find. Try your local garden store. We raise milkweeds by collecting seeds from one location and scattering them in another.

One more thing. There is evidence that hand rearing monarchs does not result in the necessary migration at the same rate as is accomplished by those maturing in the wild. Reading about what scientists have discovered about this issue offers another opportunity for learning and raises some interesting questions about what is the best approach to saving the monarchs.