EdTechSR Ep 266 AI for Excel

Welcome to episode 266 (“AI for Excel”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 10, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed features in ChromeOS 104 and 105, an AI bot for Excel formulas, and an increased price for Twitter Blue. Google’s warrantless video permissions for police, survey results about political violence in the U.S., and GenZ search preferences for TikTok over YouTube were also highlighted topics. Additionally, subscription based cars, and latest Meta’s chatbot fail were explored Geeks of the Weeks included Kible and Ad Observatory. Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn’t have time to talk about in this week’s show in your email inbox! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. ChromeOS 104 rolling out and introducing new features (Chrome Unboxed; 5 August 2022)
  10. Chrome OS 105 partial split windows and multitasking button details (About Chromebooks; 11 July 2022)
  11. Game-changer for Excel: Free AI bot creates any Excel formula you need (Boy Genius Report; 31 July 2022)  https://excelformulabot.com/
  12. ​​Twitter raises its Blue subscription price (MS PowerUser; 29 July 2022)
  13. Google, like Amazon, will let police see your video without a warrant (Verge, 27 July 2022)
  14. He surveyed 8,600 Americans about political violence. The results are beyond scary (LA Times, 21 July 2022)
  15. Nearly half of Gen Z is using TikTok and Instagram for search instead of Google, according to Google’s own data (Insider; 13 July 2022)
  16. The future of cars is a subscription nightmare (The Verge; 13 July 2022)
  17. Meta’s New AI Chatbot Loves Anti-Racism and Mean Girls (Gizmoto; 6 August 2022)
  18. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Kible
  19. Wes’ Geek of the Week: Ad Observatory (details)

EdTechSR Ep 263 TikTok is Dangerous

Welcome to episode 263 (“TikTok is Dangerous”) of the EdTech Situation Room from June 29, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed security and TikTok, Chromebook / ChromeOS updates, and font/styling updates for Google Forms. Nostalgia for the iPhone’s initial sale 15 years ago, the inevitable transition to USB-C for iOS devices, “the curse of our data,” and tweaks to Twitter were additional discussion topics this week. Geeks of the Week included Project Hail Mary, reflections on a robotics workshop and the video “PrimeCuber.” Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn’t have time to talk about in this week’s show in your email inbox! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. An FCC commissioner calls on Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores, saying it’s a national security risk (Business Insider, 28 Jun 2022)
  10. Leaked Audio From 80 Internal TikTok Meetings Shows That US User Data Has Been Repeatedly Accessed From China (BuzzFeed News, 17 June 2022)
  11. Chromebooks have become the Swiss Army Knife of computing (Chrome Unboxed; 21 June 2022)
  12. Chromebooks get these 7 new Chrome OS 103 features (About Chromebooks; 28 June 2022)
  13. Google Forms gains more fonts and styling options (Chrome Unboxed; 22 June 2022)
  14. Mr. Chromebox (Custom coreboot firmware and firmware utilities for your Chromebook/Chromebox)
  15. 15 Years Ago Today, the iPhone Went On Sale (MacRumors, 29 Jun 2022)
  16. Avoiding USB-C on iPhones may get harder for Apple as Brazil considers mandate (ArsTechnica, 29 Jun 2022)
  17. Our Data Is a Curse, With or Without Roe (New York Times; 29 June 2022) – Gift Link
  18. Twitter tests ‘notes’ feature with 2,500 word limit (BBC News; 23 June 2022)
  19. Twitter Write: Notes (Official Twitter support page)
  20. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Project Hail Mary
  21. Wes’ Geek of the Week: Reflections on Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy (Part 1) and Primecuber (video)

EdTechSR Ep 256 Library Chromebook Connectivity

Welcome to episode 256 (“Library Chromebook Connectivity”) of the EdTech Situation Room from April 13, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed libraries, Chromebooks and Internet hotspots, privacy and the information you’re likely agreeing to share with faceless data brokers when you file taxes electronically, and the digital faces of the ongoing Russian-instigated war in Ukraine. New features of Adobe CC Express on Chromebooks were also highlighted, along with the New York Times’ new guidelines for journalists on Twitter use. Geeks of the Week included “Canva Design Skills for Students” and a tutorial video on using Google Jamboard with Google Classroom. Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn’t have time to talk about in this week’s show in your email inbox! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. What US libraries let you borrow Chromebooks with internet hotspots? (9 to 5 Google; 4 April 2022)
  10. Who are the teens suddenly choosing Android over iPhone? (ZDNet; 7 April 2022)
  11. YouTube announces new “Subtitle Editor” role to collaborate on video captions (Chrome Unboxed; 12 April 2022)
  12. HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook Enterprise shows up with a $2,165 price tag (About Chromebooks; 10 April 2022)
  13. T-Mobile resurrects Google Photos’ unlimited storage, with a catch (Engadget, 12 April 2022)
  14. DuckDuckGo’s privacy-centric browser arrives on Mac (The Verge; 12 April 2022)
  15. You agreed to what? Tax sites want your data for more than filing (The Washington Post; 12 April 2022)
  16. TurboTax and H&R Block have spent years making Tax Day miserable (MSNBC; 15 April 2021)
  17. How War in Ukraine Roiled Facebook and Instagram (NY Times, 31 March 2022)
  18. Photographer Maksim Levin’s work in Ukraine – in pictures (Guardian, 3 April 2022)
  19. New Adobe Creative Cloud Express Perk lets you create logos, flyers, and more on your Chromebook (Chrome Unboxed; 3 April 2022)
  20. The New York Times would really like its reporters to stop scrolling and get off Twitter (at least once in a while) (Nieman Labs, 7 April 2022)
  21. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Canva Design Skills for Students (Canva)
  22. Wes’ Geek of the Week: [VIDEO] tutorial: Using Jamboard with Google Classroom (14 min)

EdTechSR Ep 253 Vimeo Pivots

Welcome to episode 253 (“Vimeo Pivots”) of the EdTech Situation Room from March 23, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google news, Apple news, changes to Vimeo’s business model and pricing tiers, TMobile’s cheapest wireless plan, the challenges of being an independent creator / “creative” / creative entrepreneur, and how “WikiPedia gets to define what is true online.” Geeks of the Week included a “How to Fix The Internet” podcast episode, a Scratch Studio for Scratch’s 15th birthday, and a Wired tutorial on using Google Drive’s new search tools. Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn’t have time to talk about in this week’s show in your email inbox! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. I prefer the phone version: The underwhelming state of Google’s first-party tablet apps on Android (9to5Google, 14 March 2022)
  10. How to Make Your Android Tablet a Laptop Replacement (How to Geek; 10 March 2022)
  11. Lacros in Chrome OS 100 is a pretty capable Chromebook experience (About Chromebooks; 1 March 2022)
  12. Google will test letting Android developers use their own billing systems, starting with Spotify (The Verge; 23 March 2022)
  13. Mac Studio teardown reveals potentially upgradeable SSD storage (The Verge; 19 March 2022)
  14. 40+ iOS 15.4 changes and features – hands-on with everything new for iPhone and iPad [Video] (9to5Mac, 15 March 2022)
  15. Apple iPad Air (2022) Review: It’s The Nice One (The Verge; 16 March 2022)
  16. Updated Mac Mini Still Coming With M2 and M2 Pro Chips (Mac Rumors; 9 March 2022)
  17. Vimeo is telling creators to suddenly pay thousands of dollars — or leave the platform (Verge, 15 March 2022)
  18. Vimeo: “We are a B2B solution, not the indie version of YouTube.” (YM Cinema Magazine, 17 March 2022)
  19. TechScape: want to ‘be your own boss’ online? Here’s why it’s not so simple (The Guardian; 16 March 2022)
  20. T-Mobile’s new prepaid $10 per month Connect plan is its cheapest yet (The Verge; 23 March 2022)
  21. How Wikipedia gets to define what’s true online (Prospect, 3 March 2022)
  22. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: How to Fix the Internet with EFF and What Does Scratch Mean To You?
  23. Jason’s Geek of the Week: How to Use Google Drive’s New Search Tools (Wired, 6 March 2022)

EdTechSR Ep 246 Metaverse Rising

Welcome to episode 246 (“Metaverse Rising”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 19, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed new Apple rumors about Mac Pro computers and a “portless” iPhone 14. New metaverse patents by WalMart and Meta (the company formerly known as Facebook) as well as the enormous challenges of moderating social media and the emerging metaverse specifically were highlighted. The Democratic bill to address surveillance capitalism by “banning online surveillance advertising” was discussed. A new study showing we’re spending a third of of our waking hours looking at our smartphone screens, A really fast ARM processor for Chromebooks, and fast new HP Chromebooks were also highlighted. The health and wellness app “Welltory” and the recent cyberattack against Albuquerque Public Schools were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included Podchaser.com, the Chrome extension OneTab and the amazing “Moonrise Podcast” from the Washington Post. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Please sign up for our NEW SubStack newsletter to receive all our show links each week in your inbox, including links we are not able to discuss on edtechsr.substack.com. Stay savvy and safe!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. Smaller Mac Pro with Apple Silicon to join Mac mini refresh in 2022 (Apple Insider; 2 January 2022)
  10. The iPhone 14 Is Unlikely to Be Portless, Here’s Why (Mac Rumors; 8 January 2022)
  11. Report: Apple Headset not an ‘all-day device,’ creating a metaverse ‘off limits’ (9 to 5 Mac; 9 January 2022)
  12. Walmart is getting serious about the metaverse (The Verge; 16 January 2022)
  13. How will Facebook keep its metaverse safe for users? (Financial Times, 12 Nov 2021)
  14. Facebook patents reveal how it intends to cash in on metaverse (Financial Times, 17 Jan 2022)
  15. The true cost of Amazon’s low prices (Recode, 13 Jan 2022)
  16. Democrats unveil bill to ban online ‘surveillance advertising’ (The Verge; 18 January 2021)
  17. We’re Spending a Third of Our Waking Hours Staring at Our Phones (PC Magazine; 12 January 2022)
  18. Mediatek’s New Kompanio 1380 ARM Processor Is Really, Really Fast [Video] (Chrome Unboxed; 19 January 2022)
  19. HP Unveils “Fortis” Brand For Blended Learning With Two Chromebooks In Tow (Chrome Unboxed; 18 January 2022)
  20. Welltory packs a lot of science into its app to measure your stress levels (TechCrunch, 8 Aug 2017)
  21. Albuquerque Schools Cancel Classes After Cyber Attack (Government Technology; 13 January 2022)
  22. Jason’s Geek of the Week: podchaser.com
  23. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: OneTab and Moonrise Podcast (Washington Post)

EdTechSR Ep 230 Don’t Shame WikiPedians

Welcome to episode 230 (“Don’t Shame WikiPedians”) of the EdTech Situation Room from September 9, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google’s new ChromeOS notetaking web app, Cursive, Microsoft’s addition of “Reading” to MS Teams, and Windows 11 CPU requirements for older computers. Apple’s upcoming September 14th iPhone event and Twitter powered notification service, a call to stop “source shaming” the use of WikiPedia in academic research, and the regulatory effort in Germany to required 7 years of smartphone operating system updates were highlighted. Also on the Google front, an op-ed advocating for a ‘fix’ to auto-installs on new Chromebooks, a UK study highlighting the high frequency of extremist views among students in schools, and a report revealing continued problems with AI-powered facial recognition for black men were discussed. Additional topics included the start of “Super Follower Subscriptions” on Twitter, the expected dramatic reduction in price for Starlink Internet connectivity, Starlink’s projected expansion of production, and Logitech’s new technology to improve security for wireless computer peripherals. Geeks of the Week included the recent Angry Planet podcast episode, “Space: Final Frontier or Billionaires Playground,” the web advertising and data harvesting demo site how-i-experience-web-today.com, and the subscription-based iOS / WatchOS app, SleepWatch. Please see our shownotes for links to all these articles and resources! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

Shownotes

  1. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  2. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  3. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  4. Video version on YouTube
  5. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  6. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  7. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
  8. Microsoft Brings Reading Progress to Teams (Thurrott; 24 August 2021)
  9. Google’s note taking web app, Cursive, can be used on any Chromebook (XDA Developers, 6 Sept 2021)
  10. How to install and use Google’s new Cursive app for Chromebooks (About Chromebooks; 31 August 2021)
  11. Microsoft is threatening to withhold Windows 11 updates if your CPU is old (The Verge; 28 August 2021)
  12. Stop Source-Shaming: Acknowledge Wikipedia in the research process (American Libraries Magazine, 1 Sept 2021)
  13. Germany reportedly pushing EU to require 7 years of updates on Android, iOS devices (9 to 5 Google; 5 September 2021)
  14. Opinion: Google Needs To Fix Android App Auto-installs When Logging Into A New Chromebook (Chrome Unboxed; 25 August 2021)
  15. Racism, Islamophobia and conspiracy theories among extremist views witnessed in classrooms, study (Independent, 6 Sept 2021)
  16. Facebook apologises after algorithm puts ‘primates’ label on video of black men (Sky News, 4 Sept 2021)
  17. Twitter opens Super Follow subscriptions for some creators (Engadget, 1 Sept 2021)
  18. Cost of $499 Starlink terminal set to plunge (MS Power User; 29 August 2021)
  19. Starlink currently makes 5000 dishes a week, plans to boost this by “multiples” later this year (MS Power User, 8 Sept 2021)
  20. Logitech’s Bolt USB dongle bolsters encryption for its new wireless mice and keyboards (The Verge; 1 September 2021)
  21. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Angry Planet Podcast: Space: Final Frontier or Billionaires Playground and how-i-experience-web-today.com
  22. Jason’s Geek of the Week: SleepWatch

EdTechSR Ep 221 iPad as Laptop NO

Welcome to episode 221 (“iPad as Laptop NO”) of the EdTech Situation Room from June 2, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the merits of the iPad as a potential, functional replacement for a MacOS laptop, a wishlist for iPadOS features, the risks of purchasing an Apple Watch Series 3 today, and the forthcoming, speedy Mac Mini. A positive review of the Apple iMac M1 rounded out this week’s Apple-related discussions. On the social media front, the abrupt self-termination of Donald Trump’s new blog website, Twitter’s plans for a subscription service, and ongoing challenges for the SEC posted by Elon Musk’s tweets were discussed. The death by buyout of Nuzzel by Twitter was mentioned, and an excellent Twitter thread by Robert G Reeve was reviewed which highlights the alarming (and creepy) ways social media apps and advertising algorithms powered by our modern surveillance state make uncanny content suggestions which cause many to think (falsely!) that “their phones are listening to them.” Amazon’s plan to share your network with your neighbors was the last topic rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included “The Best MacOS Utility Apps” and a “New Laptop Without Tears” tutorial video. Please see our shownotes for links to all these articles and resources! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Shownotes

  1. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  2. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  3. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  4. Video version on YouTube
  5. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  6. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  7. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
  8. iPadOS 15 wish list for improving iPad quality of life sans Mac (9 to 5 Mac; 30 May 2021)
  9. Should you buy the Apple Watch Series 3 in 2021? Here’s how it stacks up (9 to  5 Mac, 2 June 2021)
  10. The next Mac mini: Smaller, speedier, and more expansive (MacWorld; 31 May 2021)
  11. Apple iMac M1 Review: The All-in-one For Almost Everyone (The Verge; 18 May 2021)
  12. Donald Trump has shut down his blog (The Verge; 2 June 2021)
  13. Twitter Confirms Plans for ‘Twitter Blue’ $2.99 Monthly Subscription Service (Mac Rumors; 27 May 2021)
  14. SEC struggling to rein in Elon Musk’s tweets, letters reveal (ArsTechnica, 2 Jue 2021)
  15. Help us reimagine Nuzzel within Twitter! (via @pgreorge)
  16. Excellent Twitter thread by Robert G Reeve about why so may people think (incorrectly) that their smartphone is listening to their conversations
  17. Amazon devices will soon automatically share your Internet with neighbors (Ars Technica; 29 May 2021)
  18. Jason’s Geek of the Week: The best MacOS utility apps: 6 amazing tools and tweaks (Digital Trends; 31 May 2021)
  19. Wes’ Geek of the Week: “New Laptop Without Tears” tutorial video (part 1 of 2)

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EdTechSR Ep 213 Order Chromebooks NOW

Welcome to episode 213 (“Order Chromebooks NOW”) of the EdTech Situation Room from March 31, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed remote work post-pandemic, continuing electronic component shortages, proliferating firmware attacks, and President Biden’s new nationwide infrastructure package. AT&T’s lobbying efforts to perpetuate the digital divide (prevent a nationwide fiber rollout and keep “high speed Internet” definitions low at 10 Mbps), pundit dreams of a widened scope for Facebook’s Oversight Board, and Facebook’s proposed regulatory changes of Section 230 were also highlighted. The surprisingly small number of people responsible for most of the global anti-vaccination disinformation, the promise of USI styluses for Chromebooks, improvements to Google Drive search, and the challenges of long-term Android updates on smartphones were discussed as well. Google’s plans to refrain from April Fools Day video pranking for a second consecutive year, controversy over Amazon’s new biometric mandates for delivery drivers, and Parler’s recent user lessons on legal free speech, and a delightful Twitter bracket for “the greatest product of all time” (won by Google search) were topics rounding on the show. Geeks of the week included an article about The Louvre’s digitization of 482,000 Artworks, and the disturbing (but important) article by Lyz Lenz, “When The Mob Comes.” Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Shownotes

  1. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  2. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  3. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  4. Video version on YouTube
  5. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  6. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  7. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
  8. Remote Work Is Here to Stay. Manhattan May Never Be the Same (NY Times, 29 March 2021)
  9. Apple supplier Foxconn warns that component shortages will last until 2022 (The Verge; 30 March 2021)
  10. Firmware attacks are on the rise and you aren’t worrying about them enough (ZD Net; 31 March 2021)
  11. Biden plans to connect every American to broadband in new infrastructure package (The Verge; 31 March 2021)
  12. AT&T lobbies against nationwide fiber, says 10Mbps uploads are good enough (arsTechnica; 29 March 2021)
  13. If Mark Zuckerberg won’t fix Facebook’s algorithms problem, who will? (Recode / Vox, 26 March 2021)
  14. Mark Zuckerberg proposes limited 230 reforms ahead of congressional hearing (The Verge, 24 March 2021)
  15. 12 people are behind most of the anti-vaxxer disinformation you see on social media (Mashable, 24 March 2021)
  16. The Current State Of USI Pens On Chromebooks (Chrome Unboxed; 30 March 2021)
  17. Google Drive Adds New Search Operators To Make Finding Specific Files Much Easier (Chrome Unboxed; 26 March 2021)
  18. Fairphone suggests Qualcomm is the biggest barrier to long-term Android support (arsTechnica; 25 March 2021)
  19. Google cancels April Fools (The Verge, 31 March 2021)
  20. Amazon driver quits, saying the final straw was the company’s new AI-powered truck cameras that can sense when workers yawn or don’t use a seatbelt (Business Insider; 19 March 2021)
  21. Amazon is asking drivers to sign a ‘biometric consent’ form — or lose their jobs (The Next Web, 24 March 2021)
  22. Parler explains ‘free speech’ to angry users after sharing Capitol riot posts with the FBI (Mashable, 28 March 2021)
  23. ‘Greatest product of all time’ bracket: Google Search beats Windows in finals [Updated] (9 to 5 Google)
  24. “When The Mob Comes” by Lyz Lenz (@lyzl)

EdTech Situation Room Episode 136

Welcome to episode 136 of the EdTech Situation Room from May 29, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed school cybersecurity, a shocking iPhone security vulnerability for WhatsApp, NASA’s free media library, and copyright issues in Houston ISD as well as for YouTube Creators. Distorted political videos about Nancy Pelosi, Google’s disappointing move to disable ‘modern browser ad blocking extensions,’ and the new iPod Touch from Apple were also discussed. The availability of “Adobe Premiere Rush” for Android, Chromebook support expiration dates, and projected price increases for cheap Chromebooks were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included a Google Home podcast mystery, the killer robot documentary, “Slaughterbots,” and the “Against the Rules” podcast, from Michael Lewis. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Shownotes

  1. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  2. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  3. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  4. Video version on YouTube
  5. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  6. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  7. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – blog: speedofcreativity.org
  8. School fights fear as part of defense against network intrusions (Oklahoma City Free Press, 29 May 2019)
  9. WhatsApp Rushes to Fix Security Flaw Exposed in Hacking of Lawyer’s Phone (NYTimes, 13 May 2019)
  10. Auction for a laptop full of malware closes at $1.2 million (Engadget, 27 May 2019)
  11. NASA Makes Their Entire Media Library Publicly Accessible And Copyright Free (DIY Photography, 20 April 2019)
  12. Federal jury: HISD staff repeatedly violated copyright laws, owe company $9.2M (Houston Chronicle, 24 May 2019)
  13. Houston Got Sued And Now You’re Freaking… (Heather Lister, 28 May 2019)
  14. Youtubers And Record Labels Are Fighting, And Record Labels Keep Winning (The Verge; 24 May 2019)
  15. Distorted Nancy Pelosi videos show platforms aren’t ready to fight dirty campaign tricks (The Verge; 24 May 2019)
  16. Google to restrict modern ad blocking Chrome extensions to enterprise users (9 5o 5 Google; 29 May 2019)
  17. New iPod touch delivers even greater performance (Apple.com; 28 May 2019)
  18. Apple releases new iPod touch featuring A10 Fusion chip, 256 GB storage option (9to5 Mac, 28 May 2019)
  19. Buying A New Chromebook? Don’t Forget To Check The Expiration Date (Chrome Unboxed, 28 May 2019)
  20. Adobe Premiere Rush Lands On Android Today, Chromebooks Support Coming Soon (Chrome Unboxed; 21 May 2019)
  21. Why Prices Of Google’s Cheap Chromebooks Will Rise In The Long Term (Forbes; 19 May 2019)
  22. Jason’s Geek of the Week: “Against the Rules” podcast, from Michael Lewis
  23. Wes’ Geek of the Week: VIDEO: Slaughterbots (8 min, Nov 2017) via “Controlling Killer Robots” (Episode 30 of “What’s New Podcast” @podcastwhatsnew @dancohen interviewing @DeniseGarcia100)

EdTech Situation Room Episode 117

Welcome to episode 117 of the EdTech Situation Room from December 5, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the past week’s technology news through an educational lens. Topics for the show included Microsoft’s embrace of Chromium for their Windows10 web browser, the death of the Edge Browser, best choices on Mac laptops for schools after October’s special Apple event, and the perils of YouTube networks for content creators. The recent unfortunate content filtering / inappropriate content access situation on a Chromebook in Ridgewood Schools, New Jersey, reasons most doctors seem to hate their computer systems at work, Rudy Giuliani’s recent demonstration of Twitter ignorance, and a recent, amazing robot video from Boston Dynamics rounded out the show. We did have some technical glitches for about two minutes in the middle of this show, but that portion has been edited out of the downloadable audio and video versions posted here. Geeks of the week included TechSoup for nonprofits and an excellent podcast series on “The Daily” by the New York Times, “What The West Got Wrong About China.” Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Next week’s show will our holiday “Technology Shopping Cart” episode, check our shownotes for a link to our publicly editable Google Doc so you can share your own holiday tech tips for Santa!

Shownotes:

  1. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  2. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  3. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  4. Video version on YouTube
  5. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  6. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  7. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – blog: speedofcreativity.org
  8. Microsoft is building a Chromium-powered web browser that will replace Edge on Windows 10 (Windows Central, 3 Dec 2018)
  9. Google Chrome Is Poised to Swallow the Whole Internet (Popular Mechanics, 4 Dec 2018)
  10. The State of the Mac in 2018 (9 to 5 Mac, 2 Dec 2018)
  11. [VIDEO] Ultimate MacBook Showdown: MacBook Pro vs MacBook Air vs MacBook (Snazzy Labs, 24 Nov 2018, 18 min)
  12. Outcry For Alleged Sexual-Murder Video On Ridgewood School Laptop (Patch, 23 Nov 2018)
  13. Reading, Writhing And ‘Rithmetic: Ridgewood Mom Says Kids See Porn, Violence On School Laptops (Fort Lee Daily Voice, 20 Nov 2018)
  14. Security in place on school Chromebooks after mom says son saw ‘murder video’ (App.com, 23 Nov 2018)
  15. From the 4 Dec 2018 Ridgewood Schools District newsletterPresentation slides by IT Manager Serhiy Morhun
  16. Why Doctors Hate Their Computers (New Yorker, 12 Nov 2018)
  17. Rudy Giuliani Says Twitter Sabotaged His Tweet. Actually, He Did It Himself.
  18. Boston Dynamics’ Atlas Can Now Chase You Up the Stairs (Popular Mechanics, 11 Oct 2018)
  19. Trump administration releases Postal Service review after Amazon attacks (The Verge, 4 November 2018)
  20. Jason’s Geek of the Week: TechSoup for Non-Profits
  21. Wes’ Geek of the Week: What the West Got Wrong About China, Part 1 and Part 2 (The Daily by @mikiebarb)